Still in the Air-Freewood

It was a typical air FASO, a simple drill to test some not-so-simple moves on the elite squad that manned some of the fastest fighter jets in the Air Force. Captain Ryan Haywood was the CAG, flying in front of the other neatly-organized playmates, or members in the same practice.

The radio crackled for a moment, seemingly cutting out, before his commander's voice spit through loud and clear. "Captain, there's a bandit coming towards you. Take a sharp bat turn to the left. Over." He ordered and Ryan grinned. Of course there wasn't a real threat heading their way, but for the sake of the drill they'd have to pretend they were in a hop.

"Yes sir! Over." He returned respectfully before flipping a switch and relaying the message to the others. As he did a sharp 180, he caught site of his dash-two and partner, Gavin. The British man had been transferred to them after being deemed a high drift-factor, something that made him incredibly undesirable. In fact, Ryan had tried his best to avoid the younger man at all costs, looking down on him; that is, of course, until Commander Burns had instructed him to whip the kid into shape, pairing them together with every opportunity that presented itself. It hadn't taken long to beat the bad attitude and cocky demeanor out of him, and it was an even shorter amount of time before they found themselves falling for one another. Luckily, his squad had been completely accepting of their relationship and life carried on.

Another message echoed through calling for a quick jink to the right and the sudden action found Gavin's air craft snuggled up under Ryan's, his wing only feet away from the captain's.

"Gavin, I know we're in a section, but you gotta back up. Over." Ryan smirked, laughing at the snippy retort he received from his boyfriend.

"The maneuver called for some close proximity, captain." He emphasized the term and Ryan snorted.

"C'mon, guys. Not on the public radio. Over." Ray's unmistakable voice groaned through, followed by Jack's laughter.

"Yeah, if you're gonna b------- lea----roo------. ---er." The radio portraying Geoff's sleepy voice cut in and out and Ryan fiddled with the dials, frowning.

"What was that, Alpha Three? Over." He asked, receiving no reply, and grimaced. "I'm looking for contact." He ordered, and there was a brief pause.

"Contact, contact. Over." Gavin's voice finally broke through and Ryan sighed his relief.

"Alright, team. We're going to keep heading straight until the Commander orders us to come back. Good job back there. Over." He relaxed at that, sinking back into his chair as he admired the view. They were high above most clouds, occasionally going through one, and the blanket of fluffy white below him was tinged with the soft oranges and pinks of an evening sun. He was home up there and felt almost among the Gods as he lazily drifted through the open air. Of course he enjoyed being with his squad, but he relished the peaceful moments he had to himself and this was certainly no exception.

When he got back on the ground, he'd head to dinner with the guys, maybe have Michael check out his radio, considering how much the mechanic loved fixing the jets most, and sneak in some cuddle time (and possibly something heavier) with Gavin before heading off to bed. The thought only added to his blissful state and it was several minutes before he noticed the warm hues of the sky had given way to heavier shades of purples. He wondered for a second when he'd be called back because, honestly, it was going to get hard to see soon if they weren't careful, and they hadn't brought all the necessary equipment for night flying.

"Cap-------the------co----." His radio hissing in his ear made him jump slightly and he made a face before responding.

"What was that, Commander? Over."