Top Gun Imagines

4. Dueling Jokes (Pheonix - Natasha Trace)

(Published July 17, 2022)

   It was nearly eight thirty by the time I made it to the hospital to check on my girl.  Work and traffic had made me far later than I would've liked to have been.  I knew she wouldn't mind, but it mattered to me.
   Bursting through the doors to the room the nurse had directed me to, I found Natasha and Bob both sitting on hospital beds, chatting with each other.  They looked fine, but the hospital staff seemed to think there was something to worry about.  And with her staying here overnight, that would leave me with a long twelve hours of tossing and turning.  I was prepared to delay that as long as I could.
   "Mike!" The moment she saw me, Natasha's face lit up with a smile. 
   "Hey, Nat.  How are you feeling?" I asked right away, coming to a stop at the foot of the bed she was on. 
   "I feel fine, but you know the drill." She rolled her eyes before pointing at me.  "What are you hiding behind your back?"
   I looked around me a moment, trying to keep my face completely serious.  "Who, me?"
   "Yeah, you!" She got to her feet, and I stepped back a step, shaking my head.
   "Don't attack," I joked before revealing the small bouquet from behind my back.  "It was the only size they had with daisies in it."
   She gave me that gentle smile that told me she loved it.  I placed the wrapped flowers in her outstretched hands, and she cradled them for a moment.  Then, she looked up at me with happiness showing in her eyes.  I knew the daisies would make her happy, but I hadn't expected this!  I needed to bring her flowers more often.
   That's when I remembered poor Bob, sitting awkwardly on the cot with a small smile from watching our exchange. 
   "I'm sorry, hey Bob.  How are you?" I quickly apologized, walking over to give him a low five. 
   He obliged, his smile widening a little.  "Hey Mike, I'm good.  Just shaken."
   "That's understandable," I sat down on the cot Natasha had been on across from Bob.  "Do you hit the ground terribly hard after opening the parachute?"
   "Not really," Bob shook his head.
   Natasha snorted as she sat down beside me on the cot.  "It's still not fun."
   "At least we're still in one piece," Bob pointed out.
   "No we're not," Natasha objected. 
   Both Bob and I gave her very confused looks, which made her grin. 
   "Skin particles, stray hairs that we shed, and I even lost a chunk of my fingernail in there!"
   Bob groaned and I laughed loudly. 
   "I meant limb wise." Bob waved his arms and legs to emphasize his point.
   "You two are something else," I chuckled. 
   "You should hang around more often; we do this a lot." Natasha winked at me. 
   "Just joking and such, we don't- do anything," Bob quickly clarified, taking Natasha's wink the wrong way.
   I stood and gave him a pat on the shoulder.  "I know.  And even if you did, Nat's the only girl for me, so we'd have to duel."
   "I only duel with swords," Bob joked. 
   "That's the only true way to duel," I agreed.  "At high noon!"
   Natasha cracked up at that.  "First of all, high noon is a shoot out thing, and second of all, nobody's dueling.  A pool match, maybe, but no instruments of destruction!  I kind of like my back seater and my boyfriend as they are, thank you."
   "Sounds safer to me," Bob grinned.
   "No problem, my love." I chuckled, kissing her temple.  "You two sleep well and get out of here in the morning."
   "Yes sir," Natasha teased, but nodded seriously, too.
   "Good to see you, Bob." I waved. 
   "Good to see you, too."
   "Love you, Nat."
   She waved to me, flowers still in hand.  "Love you, hun."