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major-mads · 21 days

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Chapter 8: Airman Down!

John "Bucky" Egan x Ruth Morgan (OFC)

Series Masterlist

A/N: we're gonna try to cut down the lengths of the chapters to get them out sooner for y'all! also... please don't kill us for this chapter... but anyways, comment or reblog and tell us what you think!! thanks for reading!! <3

Collab: On a Wing and a Prayer by @footprintsinthesxnd

Word Count: 3.6k

September 21st: Thorpe Abbotts AAF Base, Norwich: 1830 HRS: 6:30 PM

As Gale approached the officer’s hut, his mind reeled trying to come up with the best way to tell John. He was barely keeping it together, and he knew the second he told Bucky, all bets were off. Anything could happen.

But how was he supposed to react to news like this?

Stopping outside the door, Buck took a deep breath and blinked away the tears stinging his eyes. He had to be strong.

Gale opened the door slowly and the sound of Johnny’s loud cackling filled the air. He was lying on his bed, his nose in his book as the rest of the men talked quietly around the room. Noticing him enter, Johnny sat up against the wall, grinning from ear to ear.

“Buck,” he started, holding up his book. “Who would’ve thought something named ‘The Odor of Violets’ would be even better than Guys and Dolls? I didn’t think that was possible.”

Gale’s eyes were glued to the floor as he placed his hands on his hips and spoke lowly. “Could I have a minute with Bucky?”

The rest of the officers shared confused glances, but soon exited the hut, leaving the best friends alone. Johnny placed the book on his nightstand and stood to his feet with furrowed brows, watching everyone walk by his bed and out the door.

“Buck, what is it?” he asked skeptically, slowly approaching Gale.

Gale’s eyes finally rose from the floor to meet his. “It’s Ruth, John.”

A small smile appeared on his face at the mention of the woman, but it quickly faded when he noticed Buck’s slightly reddened eyes. “What about her?”

“We just got word that…,” Buck paused, swallowing thickly against the emotion that threatened to close his throat. “That, uh, the Angel is missing.”

Bucky stared at his friend for a few moments, blinking slowly. “What?” he whispered, his deep voice strained.

“We don’t know any details…just that they didn’t make it to the base.”

Mirroring Buck’s stance, John’s lips pulled tightly together as he tried to keep his composure despite nausea rising in his throat. “When?” he asked, taking a deep breath.

“Yesterday.”

The older man’s eyes flicked around the room, his racing mind trying to come up with something, anything, to explain why the nurses failed to land at the Grove. He thought of every possible scenario, but only a single explanation involved them being alive, being safe, and John clung to it.

He refused to believe anything different.

"They could’ve stopped to refuel, right?" Bucky nodded quickly, his worried eyes meeting Gale's, who could tell he was trying to convince himself more than anything. "That's why they stopped here the first time, remember?"

John moved his hands from his hips and paced around the hut. "What if they don't have a radio or had to go radio-silent? They might be-"

"John," Gale whispered, his already heavy heart sinking as he watched Johnny try and keep it together. "They're not refueling."

Bucky's movements came to a halt with his back facing Gale. He knew the reality of the situation but refused to accept it, to believe that the woman he loved was either dead or downed in hostile territory.

"Then there's another reason!" Egan exploded, his throat constricting and causing his voice to crack as it echoed inside the small metal hut. “There has to be!”

“There isn’t.”

He shook his head and spun around to face Buck. “No. I won’t believe it. They can’t…W-where’s Hugh?”

“Talking to Harding to see if he can-uh,” Gale replied, wiping a stray tear from his cheek as his resolve cracked. “If he can get more information from the Grove.”

“Alright, let’s go then.”

John wasted no time rushing past Gale, not even making sure he was following when he pushed out the door and stepped into the English afternoon. There was a biting chill in the air but he didn’t even notice, his body shaking with adrenaline as he tried to hold onto hope that they were alive. That Ruth was alive.

He quickly jumped into a nearby jeep and cranked it, ready to go when Gale finally exited the hut.

“Let’s go! Come on!” Bucky called, his right foot itching to slam on the gas.

The second Gale’s bottom hit the seat, they sped off towards the base HQ, towards the news that would either save or destroy them. Both men stared ahead silently, unable to verbalize the dread that settled into their stomachs. Buck was being realistic. He knew what likely happened…where the girls likely were, and watching John cling to hope broke the man a second time.

He thought back to the Algerian desert when John assured him to keep his hope, that they were ‘gonna get through this,’ but how could he when all was lost?

When the rest of his life was so cruelly torn away from him?

Beside him, John continued to rationalize, to argue with himself in a pitiful attempt to keep reality from crashing in on him. He didn’t remember the ride to HQ or how he got to the Colonel’s office, and as he stood beside Hugh and Buck staring at Harding on the phone with the Grove’s CO, he felt like he dangled by a string.

The three men stood in tense silence, their eyes fixed on Chick’s face, searching for any hint of news about the women. They watched as Harding rested a hand over his mouth, listening to the voice on the other end of the line. His shoulders sagged slightly, and he lowered the receiver slowly. With a deep sigh, he turned to face them, his features etched with sympathy.

‘No,’ John thought. ‘Please no.’

Silence filled the small office for a few moments while Harding mulled over his thoughts, trying to find the right words to say, but there were none. Those few seconds stretched into hours for the three, each waiting for their world to crumble around them. Bucky’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the back of the seat he stood behind.

“I’m sorry, boys,” Harding began, his voice barely above a whisper. “Recon plane saw a C-47 in a nosedive with 109s flyin’ around it. It went down pretty fast and…,” Chick took another deep breath, mentally preparing for the reactions of his men. “It exploded on impact. There was no sign of survivors.”

The words hung in the air, each syllable adding to the stifling atmosphere of the room. John’s jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides as he struggled to wrap his head around the news.

She couldn’t be gone.

His mind replayed Harding’s words on an unending loop, and John felt as if the ground was ripped out from beneath him. Everything that made sense in his life disappeared in a matter of seconds. Each sentence, each word, each letter twisted the knife in his chest…but there was still one possibility.

“Did they see any chutes?” he asked, his voice tight with desperation, a glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes.

That glimmer was extinguished when Harding’s gaze met his and shook his head slowly. “No.”

Gale took a shaky breath. “Where?”

“Just over the Maginot line into Germany.”

John’s breath caught in his throat and time seemed to stand still as every fiber of his being screamed in denial, refusing to accept reality.

His mind flashed with memories of Ruth…her infectious laughter, her smile, the way her cheeks blushed after he kissed her lips. And now, memories were all he had left of the woman he loved.

The woman who died not knowing just how much she meant to him.

He clenched his jaw so tight it felt like it might shatter, and his lips drew into a thin, tight line as the air became too thick, too stifling for him to take in another breath.

He needed air.

He needed to get out.

With a single nod, he stormed out of the office, his steps echoing down the hallway as he searched for a way out, for an escape. Once free into the cool air, John loosened the tie around his throat and took a shaky breath.

The future he’d only begun to imagine, the life they could’ve had together, was torn away from him in an instant.

He stood for a few seconds, unable to think, to speak, to move, as tears burned in John’s eyes. The lump in his throat threatened to suffocate him, and he needed some relief…something to numb the all-consuming pain, and he knew just where to find it.

His feet carried him back to his hut, the long walk a blur amid his brokenhearted haze. The second he threw open the door, the eyes of Jack, Bill, and Bubbles flew to the Major and they watched him enter the hut mechanically, the usual smirk or snarky comment absent from his lips as he marched over to Hugh’s footlocker.

John’s hands shook as he unlatched the crate, ignoring the protests from the other men when he began rummaging through Hugh’s personal effects. His eyes darted over its contents, searching for the one thing that could offer him some relief, even if it was temporary.

“Bucky? What are you doing?”

Frustration coursed through him as he pushed aside letters, clothes, and photographs without any luck.

Where was it?

He knew it was in there somewhere.

With every second that passed, the grief clinging to him threatened to pull him under into the dark waters of despair that he doubted he could return from. His breath came in short, shallow gasps as he dug deeper, his movements growing more frantic with each passing moment.

“John?” Kidd asked, his hand landing on Bucky’s shoulder, the Major’s voice uncharacteristically soft.

John shrugged off the touch when his hand closed around something cold and smooth. He snatched the bottle from its resting place and slammed the footlocker shut before marching back into the cold night air.

A few minutes later, he found himself staring up at Muggs as his memories from atop the Fort the night of his party replayed in his mind.

“Have you thought about what you’ll do after all this ends?” Ruth asked, lifting her head from his chest to look at him.

“Not too much. I’m guessing you’ll go back to teaching?”

A wide smile grew on her face and she nodded. “Yeah. That’s the plan.”

“I’ll visit your class,” he grinned smugly. “You know, to make sure that those boys are giving you the respect you deserve. I remember how I was in junior high, and I don’t wish that on anyone.”

“Oh, the girls would love that. Before I left it was all ‘men in uniform’ this and ‘dress blues’ that,” Ruth remarked, nodding her head with her words for effect. “I can imagine their faces when you’d walk through the door.”

“And I can imagine the boys’ faces every day when you show up looking so beautiful as always.”

She slapped his chest playfully, her cheeks blushing. “Oh, stop it.”

“I’ll never stop telling you how beautiful you are.”

She ducked her head against his chest for a few moments before peering at him through her lashes.

“You mean that?” Ruth asked quietly, searching his eyes for any sign of dishonesty. “That you’ll come see me?”

John lifted a hand to rub her cheekbone softly. “Doll, nothing could keep me away. That’s the one thing I know for sure.”

He shook his head…couldn’t handle it…the thought of her lying in some field, her vibrant eyes dulled and lifeless. Someone so full of life gone.

Climbing onto the wing, Bucky settled himself against the cold metal where the it met the fuselage, his precious bottle of VAT-69 clutched tightly to his chest. With a harsh twist, he uncorked the bottle and took a long, deep swig, relishing the burning sensation that seared his throat, attempting to burn away the memory.

It didn’t.

All it did was bring another to the forefront of his mind…

Sauntering toward his nissen hut, John whistled ‘Blue Skies’ quietly, but was broken from his reverie when a woman’s loud voice caught his attention. He rounded the corner of the hut to find Hugh and Buck talking to two women, both wearing flight jackets.

‘What do we have here?’ he thought.

He joined the group, standing just behind Buck’s shoulder as his eyes scanned the newcomers. The dark-haired woman looked an awful lot like Hugh, and she clearly shared his spunky attitude. John’s gaze then flickered to the blonde beside her and his mind went blank.

He took in her short, curly blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and the barely noticeable upturn of her lips. The conversation around him faded into the background when her small grin quirked into a small smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners, and John was unable to pull his eyes away.

He’d never see that smile again.

Bucky’s heart clenched as he took another swig of the VAT-69. The whiskey was harsh, but he welcomed the pain. With each swallow, he drank to forget, to escape, to drown out the memories that threatened to consume him whole. He didn’t want to think about the fact that Ruth was gone, that he would never see her smile again, never hear her laugh, never hold her again. As the amber liquid started coursing through his veins, he felt the edges of his grief begin to blur, the sharp edges softened by the numbing embrace of alcohol. With each swallow, he drank to forget, to escape, to drown out the memories.

But no matter how much he drank, no matter how deep he delved into the bottle, the pain remained.

John’s chest tightened, and a lump formed in his throat as tears welled up in his eyes. He fought to hold them back, but the grief was still so overwhelming…so suffocating. Clenching his jaw, he willed himself to be strong.

He didn’t cry.

Men like him didn’t cry.

But his resolve quickly crumbled at the mere thought of Ruth, and the tears spilled over. He still didn’t want to believe it. He couldn’t bear the thought of a world without her in it. But as he sat there on the Muggs, surrounded by the starless sky, he knew she was gone.

The newfound light of his life was gone.

And in that moment, all he could do was cry.

John stared numbly into the darkness that overtook the airfield, the only light from passersby’s flashlights in the distance. His tears had long ceased…there were no more left to cry. They left only a hollowed ache in their wake, and he slouched unmoving against the fuselage with the empty bottle still in his lap. He didn’t know how much time had passed when the silence of the night was broken by a soft voice, one thick with a slow southern drawl.

“Hey, Major.”

Bucky didn’t move, didn’t glance down at the man, only keeping his gaze straight ahead. If John was being honest, he didn’t feel like speaking or even existing at the moment.

“How about you come down and we can talk, huh?”

Remaining stubbornly silent, John’s eyes fell to the wing before him as another memory was brought forth by the ground chief’s presence…

"Miss Ruth," Sammy said, using his hand to hide his words from John. "You’re way out of his league."

John still heard the comment, raising an eyebrow as he played along. "You think so? Well, I guess I'll just have to keep her around to make me look good."

Ruth nudged him playfully. "Smooth recovery, Major."

That day put things into perspective for John Egan, and he remembered the way his heart swelled as he watched Ruth across the hard stand giggling with Billy and Sammy. It was the first time he saw a future with a woman…one that wasn’t a fantasy, one more real than he’d ever imagined.

Looking back, he suspected he’d been in love with her since that day.

He was brought back to the present when the sound of Ken’s soft sigh filled the air, followed by his retreating footsteps. It wasn’t long before the footsteps returned, stopping at the base of the wing. When the person didn’t speak, John’s eyes lazily flickered towards them, and he readjusted against the wing at the sight of Buck’s familiar figure. Without a word, he began to climb and make his way up to John on the wing, settling beside him.

They sat in silence for a while, the only sound the soft creaking of the fort as the wind blew around them. John’s voice broke the stillness, rough and hoarse from disuse.

“I never told her,” he admitted, his words barely audible.

Gale nodded to himself for a few moments as his own thoughts dwelled on Hope.

“She knew, John,” he said quietly.

Pursing his lips, Bucky took a steadying breath and fought the tightness creeping back up his throat. “I should’ve-I should’ve told her the damn night of Dye’s party, and now…” he trailed off.

John Egan didn’t have regrets. He always lived life to the fullest, but that was before. Ruth had changed everything. She showed him how to love, a future beyond the war, and now with her gone, he grappled with deep regret. He wished he’d told her how he truly felt when he had the chance.

With a shaky sigh, he looked over at Buck who held up his dog tags and stared longingly at two new additions to the chain: his and Hope’s wedding rings. The two Majors picked them up at the Thorpe Abbotts’ jewelers the day after Dye’s party, and now, the beautiful gold bands would never serve their purpose.

“I was ready to be your best man,” John croaked as he took in Buck’s own heartbroken expression. “And Ruth…she was so excited. She just lit up when talking about you and Hope.”

Nodding to himself, Gale lowered the rings and wiped a stray tear from his cheek. “I know. I just can’t believe it. We’re the ones this was supposed to happen to, not them.”

Buck’s words echoed the thought that swirled in John’s mind all night:

It should be me.

He thought he should be the one dead in some field…the universe’s retribution for all the killing he’d done. But Ruth and Hope? They put people back together, saved their lives after men like him tore them apart.

“Is this what we get?” John asked quietly, his hand reaching up to grasp the necklace Ruth gave him before Regensburg. “For what we do? For all the people we’ve killed?”

Gale's voice was thick with emotion as he struggled to find the right words. "I don't know," he said, his gaze distant as he once again stared at the wedding rings. "I wish I had an answer, but I just...I can't make sense of any of this. I don’t understand it."

John hummed in understanding, his own mind unable to wrap fully around it. “I keep thinking about all the missions we’ve flown,” he murmured, his voice beginning to shake as grief traveled up his throat. “All the close calls we’ve had…and all this time I’ve been worried about Ruth losing me, not–not me losing her.”

Buck’s reddened eyes met John’s, and the best friends shared a look of pure helplessness, of pure desperation, of complete heartbreak.

“Yeah,” Gale agreed softly. “I never imagined it would be like this. Losing her…losing Hope. I thought we’d have more time.”

Silence overtook the two men once more, and they both stared ahead across the airfield. A few minutes later, Bucky broke the quietness of the night.

“I had it all planned out, Buck,” John spoke, his voice finally cracking. “Our trip to London. Ruth, she loves–loved to read, so I was gonna take her to the house of the guy who wrote Oliver Twist…”

“Charles Dickens.”

“Yeah,” Bucky sniffed, subtly turning his head to wipe away a tear. “Charles Dickens. And then I was gonna take her out…really take her out, spend the whole day together, and then–then I was gonna tell her that I loved her after our fancy dinner.”

“She would’ve loved that, John. I know she would’ve.”

“Yeah,” Johnny breathed, his gaze falling to his lap.

“And I have no doubt she would’ve said it back.”

Bucky stared down at the bottle beside him and cursed its contents for not being enough. Not enough to knock him out, to give him the only escape from reality that he’d ever have again. The only place he’d still be able to see Ruth’s smiling face in anything but a picture.

The only picture he’d ever have of her.

“What are we gonna do, Buck?” he whispered as he looked up at Gale who could see the tears shining in his eyes.

Buck took a deep breath and cleared his throat, but his voice still wavered slightly. “We’re gonna go back up and finish the job…for the both of them. It’s all we can do.”

Within John’s chest, his sadness suddenly morphed into anger, making his heart pound and heat to rush to his face. “I hope we kill every one of those kraut bastards before the war’s over,” he snarled. “Every last one of ’em.”

“We’ll finish this,” Gale said firmly, his voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside him. “For Hope, for Ruth, for Curt…everyone we’ve lost. We have to make sure this all means something.”

But how could anything have meaning if all of your hopes and dreams came crashing down around you?

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major-mads · 27 days

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THAT CLIFFHANGER. ON A MONDAY. WHILE IM AT WORK. MISS MA’AM. 😭

You already know how much I absolutely adore this story but it always bears repeating. And John should have said what he had to say, that’s the first thing. He’s stubborn, that one. And wild. A menace. He needs to get out of his head, and knowing that London is around the corner, my heart is so sad for what I know is about to happen. But, now all four of them are… sweet mother Mary my heart can’t. It just can’t.

Poor Croz, getting put in a headlock. Will he ever not be tortured 😆.

As always, anxiously awaiting the next installment!🥰

I. KNOW.

I'M SORRY I HAD TO DO IT!!

John is such a menace to society, but he's also more insecure than you'd think! He definitely needs to get out of his head. London...ahh you never know what could happen... 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

And yes, poor Croz will always be picked on and you can't convince me of anything else...okay maybe not when he's 'yes major' Harry Crosby...😂

Thank you as always, love!!

mads <3

#a pair of silver wings #oc: ruth morgan #masters of the air

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major-mads · 28 days

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Chapter 7: Lucky 25

John "Bucky" Egan x Ruth Morgan (OFC)

Series Masterlist

A/N: please comment or reblog and tell us what you think!! thanks for reading!! <3

Collab: On a Wing and a Prayer by @footprintsinthesxnd

Word Count: 11k

Thursday, September 16th: Thorpe Abbotts AAF Base, Norwich: 1300 HRS: 1 PM

Hope’s back ached as she bent over her old Singer sewing machine, silk fabric sliding effortlessly as the needle punched thread through it. Silk was hard to come by with rationing, and there was no way, even with Hugh’s help, that she could afford a new wedding dress. Luckily for her, Frank had a knack for making things disappear from the storeroom on base and later making them reappear in the girls' hut.

Ruth hummed Artie Shaw out of tune from behind her as the blonde cut out more fabric from the pattern, laying the pieces of cloth over the tissue paper cutouts. Tatty and Helen hand-sewed small pieces of lace together, just some odd cuts they’d gotten from the local fabric shop.

The girls worked hard all afternoon, measuring, cutting, and sewing. The dress was coming along nicely, and with only three weeks to go until the big day, Hope was anxious to get it finished in time.

The Singer buzzed along nicely as three familiar heads poked around the nissen hut door.

“Knock, knock,” Hugh called out, stepping inside, his hands on his hips as he assessed the girl's work. Gale and John followed him closely.

“You guys can’t be in here,” Helen scolded.

“It’s bad luck to see the dress before the wedding, Cleven,” Tatty hissed, marching over to the men. “You better get going before…”

“My dear Tatty, don’t be so defensive, I merely come to offer my services,” Hugh bowed dramatically.

Hope snickered, all too aware of Hugh’s sewing skills, “I don’t think your skills are required here, Hugh. You’re not really one for a needle and thread.”

Hugh scrunched his face up at her just like he’d done since they were children, and before he could throw out any more ridiculous ideas, Gale stepped forward.

“I don’t want to cause trouble, I merely want to spend some time with my girl,” Gale smiled charmingly at Tatty who moved aside.

“No wonder Hope can never say no to you, Major. That damn smile.”

Gale made his way across the room just as Hope finished covering the dress with a sheet. “Hello darling,” he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers, “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” Hope stood up, pressing her lips against his again, smiling into his touch.

“Tatty, come on,” John all but whined, pointing into the hut while Tatty stood firm on the doorstep. “It’s me.”

“And that is exactly why I’m not letting you in. You’d get your grubby mitts all over the dress.”

“I wouldn’t dare! Please,” John clasped his hands together, looking rather sad and pathetic until Tatty sighed.

“Fine, but one step out of line, Major, and you’re out.”

John moved past Tatty towards Ruth who was still sitting on the floor, surrounded by a collection of differently shaped pieces of silk.

“Never knew you were such a seamstress,” he grinned, kissing her gently and enjoying the familiar blush that crept across her pale cheeks.

“Well, I’m a woman of many talents,” Ruth retorted, grinning up at the Major.

“That you are.”

“Hugh, put that fabric down now,” Hope hissed, moving away from Gale’s arms to scold her brother, smacking his arm until he released the precious fabric. “Do you have any idea how hard it was to get a hold of this?”

“It’s just some silk, I’m sure any white fabric would do,” Hugh replied nonchalantly, pushing the reeling of cotton across Helen’s desk and glancing awkwardly around the room as it fell to the floor.

Hope sighed, “Hugh, for once in your life, please just be serious and stop acting like a child. It’s for my wedding day. Please don’t mess this up for me.”

Hope loved her brother dearly, but sometimes it felt like she had to do all the work in their relationship.

Hugh nodded apologetically, “I will. I wouldn’t dream of ruining your big day, Little Bird.” Hope smiled at her childhood nickname, it had been a long time since he’d called her that. “But is there anything I can help with?”

“Yes, there is,” Helen grabbed ahold of Gale and John’s sleeves, marching them towards Hugh, “You can take these two and keep them out of trouble until this evening.”

“Oh, come on, we just got here,” John groaned, glancing at Ruth in the hope of some sympathy, but she just waved at him. Gale glanced around Helen, blowing a kiss in Hope’s direction before the three men descended from the hut.

“You ladies have fun now, we’ll see you later,” Hugh called out, slamming the door dramatically.

Helen turned back to the group, hurrying back to her spot beside Tatty, “I honestly don’t know how you’ve put up with Hugh for so long.”

“I didn’t have much choice,” Hope laughed, turning back to the sewing machine, “He’s my brother after all.”

A few moments passed until another knock sounded at the door, and Helen marched back over with a groan, slinging it open to reveal John leaning on the doorframe.

“What is it?”

He peered around the woman, his eyes falling on Ruth. “Can I get a kiss?”

“You just got one!” she giggled, rising to her feet and approaching the door. “You’re so needy.”

Helen moved out of the doorway, chuckling as Ruth rose on her tiptoes and quickly kissed John before pushing him out the door with a wink. “See you later, hotshot!”

As the door closed in his face, John couldn’t help but shake his head at Ruth, his heart racing at the mere sight of her. Buck clapped his shoulder and turned him toward the nearby mess hall where Hugh walked a few feet ahead of them. “You gonna tell her tonight?”

“If Dye gets back in one piece, I will,” Johnny nodded, scratching his mustache.

“He will.”

One Week Earlier: September 10: Thorpe Abbotts AAF Base

The mess hall was unusually quiet as John and Gale sat eating their breakfast, having missed the morning rush by sleeping in an extra hour. They both laid awake the night before, their minds unable to shut off after the events of John’s party. Since they’d arrived, Bucky was silent, only speaking to thank the mess hall worker for his coffee.

Buck stared at him skeptically, taking in his slightly pursed lips and distant gaze that focused on the plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of him. “I can hear the gears turning from here, John. What is it?”

A few beats passed until he spoke up, his eyes remaining on his food. “Ruth.”

“Hmm,” Gale nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. “What about her?”

“Everything…I can’t get her off my mind, Buck. I don’t know what’s going on.”

‘I do,’ the younger man thought.

John shook his head with a sigh, his brow creasing as his conflicted gaze lifted from the table. “I can’t explain it.”

Gale put down his coffee cup and smiled softly at his friend. “I can…you love her.”

“I don’t know, Buck.”

“What don’t you know?” he asked as his brows furrowed. Gale saw the deep thought behind the Major’s eyes and realized the confident and boisterous John Egan was nowhere in sight. This Bucky was unsure of himself, facing emotions he’d never felt before. Buck’s voice softened as he continued. “What do you know?”

John raised a questioning brow and Gale leaned his elbows onto the table. “How do you feel around her?”

“I don’t-” Bucky frustratedly groaned, sitting back into his seat. ”I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Just try.”

Every moment he shared with Ruth replayed like a film in John’s mind as he tried to find the words to describe the way he felt.

“When I think about her,” he finally began, a fond smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “It just…It just does somethin’ to me, Buck, and can’t think straight.”

Gale listened intently, nodding along as John continued, his voice growing softer.

“And after last night, how she did all that for me? I’ve never met anyone like her.” His brow creased in thought as he struggled to find his next words. “She’s…she’s-”

“Everything,” Buck finished, Hope’s smiling face forming in his mind.

Gale’s words hung in the air for a few moments as the Majors thought of their beloved nurses.

Bucky nodded slowly, his gaze drifting to the window where the morning sun filtered through the glass, lighting up the mess hall in a golden glow. He took a deep breath as he finally came to terms with what he was feeling.

John Egan was in love.

“Yeah,” he murmured, his deep voice rumbling in his chest. “She’s everything.”

A knowing grin painted Gale’s face as he repeated his earlier statement. “You love her.”

“That how you feel about Hope?”

“Yeah, it is.”

As Buck’s words settled over them, John felt a weight lift off his shoulders. It was as if hearing the words out loud made them easier to grasp, and he couldn’t deny it any longer…he was in love with Ruth Morgan.

But even as the realization settled in, Bucky couldn’t shake the uncertainty that lingered in the back of his mind. This was a new territory for him, uncharted skies that both excited and terrified him. He’d always prided himself on his wild heart, but now he found himself willingly surrendering to feelings he’d managed to avoid for so long.

“You know,” Gale began, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. “You should tell her. It’s pretty clear she feels the same way.”

“We said we’d take it slow.”

Cleven pushed his plate aside and leaned further over the table. “So? When have you ever been one to follow the rules?”

Finally, John’s serious expression faded and he shook his head with a chuckle, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “And when have you ever encouraged me to break them?”

“Today,” he shrugged. “But only cause you need an extra shove.”

“Should I get used to this new Buck?”

“Don’t count on it,” Gale smirked as he sat back in his chair, taking a sip of his coffee.

1900 HRS: 7 PM

The lively sound of Glenn Miller filled the Officer’s Club as the band brought the hall to life. Couples jitterbugged and lindy-hopped across the dance floor, and happy conversation filled the air, including loud cackles and laughter from a table in the bar section where Hope and Ruth sat with their Majors. They were reminiscing about their time in San Angelo, Texas, with the girls’ under their arms and Hugh to the right of his sister.

Buck took a sip of his ginger beer with a raised brow. “Isn’t that where you picked up that damned jacket?”

“Sure is,” John replied and sucked his teeth. “My pride and joy.”

“So that’s where you got it,” Ruth giggled, shaking her head.

“Well,” he shrugged, holding a hand up defensively. “It was being discontinued, so I had no choice.”

Sitting up in his chair across from them, Hugh let out something between a chuckle and a scoff. “It was a choice, alright.”

Hope’s eyes met Ruth’s at the comment, waiting for a snarky comeback from the Major, but the blonde just patted John’s chest consolingly before he could respond. “It was being discontinued for a reason, John. Have you seen that thing?”

“Thank you. It always looks dirty,” Gale interjected as he smirked at John. “Seems Ruth is on my side for this one, Bucky.”

A giggle escaped Ruth’s lips and she sheepishly looked up at Johnny to see him already staring down at her, a playful frown on his lips a few inches away. “Say it isn’t true, Ruthie.”

“Sorry, hotshot,” she laughed, her eyes unable to resist flicking to his mouth at their close proximity. “Buck’s right, hon, but know you’re still my favorite Major.”

John’s frown faded and his lips curled into a mischievous grin as her laughter filled the air, and to his surprise, she leaned up and kissed him softly. Ruth pulled away after a moment with bright pink cheeks. The taste of her drink lingered on Bucky’s lips as his gaze locked with hers, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

His plans to finally tell her how he cared about her, how he loved her, flashed in the forefront of his mind. But even as he stared down at her smiling face and a wave of pure adoration washed over him, his stomach swirled with nervousness.

What if she thought it was too fast? Too soon? Too much?

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, John forced himself to look away and took a sip of his pint before turning to Hope and pointing at her across the table. “And whaddya think, Hope? About my jacket? It’s nice, right?”

The woman met Ruth’s lovesick eyes and chuckled, shaking her head slightly. “It’s not the worst thing I’ve seen, but I prefer Gale’s.”

Gale smiled smugly, pressing his lips firmly to her forehead, “That’s my girl. Always knew you had good taste.”

“Well, of course, I do. I picked you didn’t I?” She grinned at him, leaning up to press her lips to his, smiling into the kiss.

“Well, that’s right. You sure a lady with a good eye,” Gale mused, nuzzling his nose into her neck.

“Gale,” she chuckled, feeling his breath tickling against her collarbone, while her fingers carded through his tousled, blond locks.

“Gaaaale,” John teased, dramatically drawing out the name with his eyes closed. “What kind of name is Gale, anyway?”

Hope’s eyes widened in amusement as Gale groaned beside her, having heard the joke a million times before. “Well, what kind of a name is Bucky?” she asked, tilting her head with a sarcastic grin. “Now Buck I can get because he’s a dashing young man, but Bucky? I don’t know…”

The group burst into laughter and John tried to send the woman a dirty look, but he couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from curling into a smirk and joining in with them. Before long, he itched for a dance and stood to his feet, pulling Ruth toward the dance floor.

“I think it’s time for a dance, Ruthie.”

“Alright, I’m coming!” she giggled, sending Hope a wave as she tried to keep up with Bucky’s long strides in her tight skirt.

The couple found themselves at the edge of the dancefloor, swaying hand in hand to the soft trumpet solo ringing through the hall. Ruth rested her head on John’s chest, calmed by the gentle thrum of his heartbeat beneath her ear and his warmth as they danced.

She could’ve stayed there in that moment forever…just her and her hotshot…just her and the man she loved.

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” he murmured against her hair, breaking the silence between them. “I know I told you earlier, but you do.”

Lifting her head from his chest, Ruth smiled sheepishly at him. “Thank you. I don’t normally wear my dress uniform, but-”

“Oh, I’m so glad you did.”

She raised an eyebrow and slid her hands around his neck. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” he nodded with a smirk, his eyes drifting down to her breast pocket area that proudly displayed her pair of wings and lieutenant’s bars. “I’m a sucker for a woman in uniform.”

“So I need to worry about the WACs?”

Bucky chuckled, tugging Ruth against him. “Don’t worry. You’ve got nothing to worry about, lieutenant.”

As the music swirled around them, John’s gaze softened as he looked into her deep blues. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers in a tender kiss. Ruth’s cheeks flushed pink as she returned it, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, melting into his embrace. She felt him smile against her lips and pulled back to get a good look at him.

“What are you smiling about, Major?” she joked.

Bucky wanted to say, ‘How much I love you,’ but anxiety churned in his stomach and he couldn’t go through with it.

“Just you.”

Rolling her eyes, Ruth pecked the corner of his lips before returning her head to its place on his chest. “I’m so happy for Gale and Hope.”

“Me too,” he replied, his eyes scanning the room for the couple. “Speaking of Buck…where is he?”

Ruth joined him looking for their friends, but she had no luck and wiggled her eyebrows at Bucky. “They’re probably having some alone time.”

He sent her a mischievous smirk, and she knew what he planned to do. “Leave ‘em be, Johnny,” she groaned, sighing as he pulled her along behind him toward the door. “Don’t bother them.”

“But it’s my job to bother Buck.”

Before Ruth could respond, he flung open the side door and stuck his head outside. By the wild grin on his face, she knew he’d found them. “Hey, Lovebirds! Hurry up, you're missing the party!”

“Five more minutes!” she heard Gale groan, and then John closed the door, a proud smirk hanging from his lips.

“You’re terrible.”

Bucky shot her a wink and led her back to their table, settling back into their seats as they saw Gale and Hope enter the hall and begin swaying slowly.

“Would you look at that?” John scoffed, sipping his pint and throwing an arm over the back of Ruth’s chair. “I’ve been trying to get Buck to dance for years and Hope did it in two months.”

The couple couldn’t help but watch their friends dance, both with lovesick smiles as they got lost in the song, spinning around the floor with a practiced grace that neither Ruth nor John expected.

Buck was good at dancing.

Their concentration on the couple was broken when yells echoed through the air. Following the sound, they saw Harry throw peanuts across the table into Hugh’s mouth, laughing hysterically as Hugh caught another one.

Ruth opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when Hope beat her to it.

“I leave you two alone for all of five minutes and you wreak havoc,” Hope tutted, patting Harry on the head like a small child. “If you choke on all those nuts Hugh, I swear…”

A giggle escaped the blonde’s lips at the comment and John chuckled beside her.

“Alright mother,” Hugh laughed, throwing one of the nuts at his sister.

Hope and Gale took their seats beside Harry, settling easily beside each other with Gale’s hand draping lazily around her shoulder. The six of them fell into easy conversation, and soon, the table became more crowded when Veal, Crank, Brady, Blakely, and a few other airmen joined the group. Laughter and wisps of cigarette smoke filled the air as the men and the two nurses unwound, enjoying the company of friends.

Ruth remained tucked under Bucky’s arm, listening to yet another story from training in the States. This one was about a failed exercise where several forts experienced ‘equipment malfunctions’ and ‘discrepancies’ that forced them to land in or near the hometowns of family and girlfriends.

Crank grinned, shaking his head. “Yeah, the Hundredth almost got canned after that.”

“And I got demoted for the first time,” John chimed as he thought about just how many times he’d changed commands over his time with the 100th.

Eyes widening in surprise, Ruth playfully smacked his chest. “For the first time? I thought you getting demoted back to Squadron CO only happened once?”

“It would’ve been three times if LeMay would have found him or Buck that day he came to base,” Kidd added.

Nudging Buck with her shoulder, Hope smirked. “And what about you, Gale?”

Gale shrugged as he hid a smirk behind his glass of ginger beer. “I don’t know why LeMay thought both of us were responsible for the ‘raunchy discipline’ on base.”

“So you’re sayin’ it was just me?” John asked with an incredulous grin.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“I mean,” Benny started, trying to hold in a laugh as he rubbed Meatball’s head affectionately. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Buck tear up a bar with a narwhal tusk.”

Laughter erupted like a sudden burst of fireworks around the table, echoing around the lively room and drowning out the music.

Narrowing his eyes at them, John pointed around the table. “Technically, none of you dodos saw any of that!”

“We didn’t have to. We saw the aftermath,” Brady called out through his chuckles.

After a few moments, the laughter died down, and the large group broke into smaller conversations.

Gale spoke quietly to Benny as Hope whispered with Hugh, and Ruth listened as Jack shared more stories of John’s escapades back in the States. Before long, the two majors went at it as they often did, but Ruth’s attention was drawn away by Hugh and Hope slinking away from the table and disappearing into the crowd.

‘This outta be good,’ she thought.

When the band slowly faded out, Ruth smirked, knowing what was most likely coming. She peered over at Gale, expecting him to be watching Hope, but he was engrossed in a conversation with Benny and didn’t seem to notice his fiancée’s absence from the seat beside him.

The band thrummed to life, music springing out across the room in a less-than-subtle fashion that had all heads turning toward the siblings. Then Gale’s eyes found Hope’s across the room and he did a double take, glancing back at her empty chair in confusion.

Ruth pointed at siblings, a wide smile painting her face as she whispered in John’s ear. “This is gonna be interesting. They both can sing.”

“Sparky? No way,” he griped with a grimace. “No way he’s got better pipes than me.”

Giggling, she patted his cheek lightly and turned back to the stage. “Just wait and see, hon.”

Hugh took his place in front of the microphone, encouraging Hope to do the same as he pressed his lips near the cool metal grille. The conductor gave them the queue, and she took a deep breath before singing into the microphone.

“One of our planes was missing, two hours overdue.

Yes, one of our planes was missing with all its gallant crew,

The radio sets were hummin', they waited for the word,

Then a voice broke through that hummin',

And this is what they heard!”

The song, rather aptly chosen by Hugh for Dye’s 25th mission, began to flow easily. Hugh joined in, belting out,

“Comin' in on a wing and a prayer!”

The second Hugh’s voice rang through the speakers, the skeptical smirk on John’s lips fell, and he raised a brow at Ruth, who just rolled her eyes at his reaction.

“I told you he was good.”

“I never said he was good,” he defended.

The corners of the blonde’s eyes crinkled as she laughed. “You didn’t have to.”

Around them, some of the crowd began to join in, all looking at Dye whose cheeks were growing redder by the minute as he stood beside Lil, trying to shield his face.

“What a show (What a show),

What a fight (What a fight).”

The instrumental section began to play, and the couple watched as Hugh took Hope’s arm and spun her around in quick concession. A wide grin spread on Ruth’s face that matched her best friend’s on stage.

With her eyes glued on Hope, Ruth started to sing along. Her voice was slightly off-key, but she didn’t care, continuing to sing quietly where only John could hear. The man couldn’t look away from her smiling face as she sang. His gaze wandered over her face with a gentle intensity, watching how her lips moved, the slight quirk of her smile adding to her already breathtaking look.

“Yes, we really hit our target for tonight,

How we’ll sing as we limp through the air,

Look below, there’s a field over there.”

Ruth’s eyes flickered over to John and caught his gaze. For a brief moment, their eyes locked, and she noticed the same vulnerable glint in his eyes as the night he told her of his past. She offered him a questioning look, silently asking what was on his mind.

Johnny’s mind raced as his lips parted slightly. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he sent her a small, reassuring smile and barely shook his head as if to say, ‘nothing.’

There was something in his eyes that Ruth couldn’t quite put it into words, but it made her heart flutter nonetheless. With a soft nod, she turned her attention back to the stage, her hand reaching for John’s beneath the table, intertwining their fingers gently.

The Major’s heart sank as Ruth turned away, his own hand squeezing hers softly in response. He cursed himself silently for his inability to tell her how he felt, and frustration bubbled up within him.

How many more opportunities would he let slip away without telling her the truth?

“With our full crew aboard,

And our trust in the Lord,

Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer.”

As the song came to a close, Hugh wrapped his arms around his sister, squeezing her hard before grasping her hand and pulling her down from the stage. Hope hopped down the best she could, ignoring the small ripping noise from her skirt that would surely be a problem later. Hugh had a little skip in his step as they made their way back to the table.

Hugh threw himself down into his chair, downing the last of his whiskey, while Hope took her seat beside Gale, his face still in awe and his lips turned upwards into the largest smile.

“Have I ever told you how amazing you are?” He mumbled softly, kissing her cheek, letting the rough stubble on his chin graze against Hope’s cheek.

She squirmed, laughing lightly, “Oh only about every hour that I’m on base and in every letter.”

“Good,” he mused, kissing her cheek once more, “Because you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met…” Gale was broken off by Bucky’s loud declaration.

“What the hell was that, Sparky?” John asked with a mischievous grin, his eyebrows raised at Hugh.

Scoffing as he settled into his chair, the lieutenant rolled his eyes. “I sounded a helluva lot better than you ever have…Isn’t that right, Croz?”

Harry’s expression dropped, his eyes widening nervously as he darted glances between Hugh and his Squadron CO, who sported a smirk and an eyebrow raised expectantly. “Uhhhhh…”

Ruth was in the middle of sipping her when the comment left Hugh’s lips, and she choked on the liquid, her hand flying to cover her mouth as she coughed, trying to regain her composure. Immediately, John’s hand on her chair moved to rub her back as he ducked to check on her, the rest of the table turning their attention to the pair. Before he could speak, she waved him off with a sheepish smile, finally managing to swallow.

“Sorry about that,” she rasped, wiping at her eyes. “I’m alright…please continue.”

Looking around the group, Ruth met Hope’s concerned gaze and sent her a teary grin, her pale face splotchy as she caught her breath.

“Where was I?”

Bubbles chuckled under his breath before sending Hugh a smirk. “You were complimenting Bucky’s singing abilities.”

“Right! I-”

“Everyone look here!”

A flash of light momentarily blinded the group as Captain John Schwarz, the 100th’s photographer, stepped forward with his camera in hand.

“Alright, everyone, let’s get a good one!” he called out cheerfully, adjusting the settings on his camera.

The group quickly turned toward him, and Ruth managed to put on a bright smile for the photo despite still trying to clear her throat. They all posed in their seats, and John’s arm draped casually over the blonde’s chair, her hand resting on his knee as she leaned into him.

With the click of the camera, the Captain took the picture, but before he could step back, John called out to him with a grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Hey, Schwarz. Mind getting a picture of just the two of us?”

He nodded enthusiastically, adjusting the camera to focus on the couple. Bucky flashed a charming smile as he reached over and gently tugged Ruth from her chair into his lap.

“Hey!” she protested playfully, her cheeks flushing pink as John wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close.

Ruth giggled as Johnny leaned in, his cheek pressing against hers as they posed for the picture. Despite her initial protest, she found herself melting into his embrace. The photographer chuckled at their antics, capturing the moment with a few clicks of his camera. She glanced up at the Major just as Schwarz lowered his camera, and Bucky planted a soft kiss on her lips.

The table erupted into a chorus of whistles and hoots, their friends cheering them on as they kissed. Ruth laughed against John’s lips, feeling a rush of happiness and warmth enveloping her. Pulling back slightly, John gazed into her blue eyes, his own filled with pure adoration as her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink.

“Alright, lovebirds. That’s enough,” Gale grinned, repeating Bucky’s words from a few minutes before.

Schwarz moved around the table, snapping a photo of Demarco and Meatball, Hugh with poor Harry in a headlock, until he moved around to Hope and Gale. Buck stood up, leading Hope slightly away from the table, and wrapping his arms around her from behind kissing her temple. Hope grinned widely at the photographer who snapped the picture with his own smile.

Hugh appeared beside the Captain, mumbling something under his breath before moving over to the couple.

“Could I please borrow my sister, Cleven?”

Gale looked a little forlorn as he released Hope from his embrace, stepping back towards the table. Hugh pulled his sister into his side, a bright smile on his lips as Schwarz took the photo.

Back at the table, Hope slipped into her seat beside Gale, his arm draping over her shoulder as they got comfortable. Ruth sent her a bright smile from her position on John’s lap, and soon the group’s conversation picked back up, laughter filling the air once more. This continued for a little while longer, but when Dye made his way over with Lil under his arm, there was a shift in the air.

It was almost unnoticeable at first.

Ruth chuckled under her breath, watching John take a drag of his cigarette across the table and point to Dye as he neared the group. “There’s our very own Charlie Robertson!”

She’d moved back to her own chair when he got up to get her another ginger beer. Ruth learned her lesson with alcohol after waking up with a raging migraine the morning following John’s birthday party.

“Charlie? Who’s Charlie?” Lil asked, trailing behind Glen and smiling at John as she passed him on his way back to Ruth.

“Not me,” Hugh snickered, sipping his whiskey with a grimace. The British liquor was nothing compared to the ‘good ole American stuff,’ as he called it. In his footlocker sat an unopened bottle of VAT-69 he was saving for his own 25th mission.

No one else thought anything was wrong with the alcohol, but Hugh just had his particular taste and he stuck to that.

“1922. White Sox at Tigers. No runs, no hits, no errors,” John answered, his hand gesturing in the air with each word before sinking into the chair beside Ruth. He kissed her on the cheek quickly, scooting his seat closer to her until their shoulders touched and she wrapped her arm around his bicep, whispering into his ear.

“He threw the last perfect game, right?”

“Sure did,” he grinned, shooting her a wink. “Way to go, Slugger.”

Benny nodded from beside Hope and Gale, not having heard the blonde. “Yeah, he’s the last guy to throw a perfect game.”

“Til’ now!”

“You get to go home before Florida?” Jack asked, but the conversation soon Ruth faded as she turned her gaze to John with a fond smile. She traced the outline of his face, her eyes trailing over the dark pink scars from Regensburg, the slope of his nose, his mustache, and the natural pout of his lips…the soft lips she’d kissed dozens of times. The warmth of his touch seeped through her uniform, and a feeling of contentment washed over her.

Over the last week, the couple exchanged multiple letters corresponding about the party and how each was doing, but John mainly raved about how much he liked his birthday present.

‘Doll, I think I’m hooked…’ John wrote two days after the party.

She was broken from her inner dialogue when the toothy grin on John’s face suddenly fell, and Ruth’s heart jolted in concern as she became aware of the hush that fell over the group

“We’re all that’s left, aren’t we?”

At Glen’s question, her eyes quickly scanned those around them and found that all the airmen shared the same pained and exhausted look. Curt’s smiling face flashed in her mind…a reminder of the sacrifices of the heroes from the 100th.

Hope’s wandering eyes met Ruth’s across the table, and she sent her a weary frown at the way the lively men quieted, each lost in their thoughts.

Blakely spoke first, breaking the silence that fell over the group “12 crews out of-”

“35 that flew in from Greenland,” Crank finished.

With his lips in a tight line, Bucky nodded solemnly. “That’s right.”

Ruth reached out, her free hand finding John’s atop his chair’s armrest, squeezing it gently. He didn’t meet her gaze, but she felt him deflate slightly beside her just before Gale began to speak.

“We’re just happy for you, Dye.”

“That’s right. We are,” John added, his voice deepening as he raised his glass. “Very happy for you. Very happy.”

Glen held out his drink to the group. “And to all the fellas that aren’t here tonight, who should’ve been.”

The table broke out into quiet mumbles of agreement as they all lifted their glasses in a toast before tipping them back. Ruth’s ginger beer fizzed as it traveled down her throat, and beside her, John downed the rest of the amber liquid in his glass, unfazed. She watched him stare at the tabletop in front of them for a few seconds until Dye’s voice filled the air.

“Gentlemen…and ladies, I’m gonna go check on the boys, make sure they aren’t celebrating too hard without me.”

As he walked away with Lil tugged against his side, John’s eyes followed them and he pointed in their direction, muttering, “Charlie Robertson,” under his breath.

The jovial atmosphere from before shattered as the group remained quiet despite the raging party around them. And to think…John’s day had started off so well, had gone off without a hitch until that very moment.

He got to see Ruth, and Dye made it back from his 25th Mission, but as Bucky leaned back in his chair, he couldn’t help but be bothered by all the new faces and the lack of old ones.

Even Ruth’s presence beside him wasn’t enough to quell the rising anger and frustration that swirled in his stomach when he thought of the numbers.

Out of 35 crews that flew in from Greenland, only 12 remained.

120 men out of 350…230 gone in the matter of a few months.

‘Will we all just be another number? Another crew marked off the list until replacements come and fill the huts like we never existed in the first place?’

These questions floated in his mind while his gaze stayed on the empty glass in front of him. “I’m, uh, gonna get another drink. I’ll be back,” he announced quickly, rising from his chair and turning toward the bar. Ruth’s anxious eyes followed him before she glanced back at Hope.

Buck watched him go with a pang of concern and kissed Hope on the temple, promising his return before he got up and followed after his friend. The women shared a knowing look as they watched the men they loved disappear into the crowd. Seemingly following their Majors, the rest of the men got up and trailed after them a few minutes later, leaving Hope and Ruth alone at the table.

“I’m worried,” Ruth muttered, chewing her bottom lip nervously. “What happens if John or Gale don’t make it back one-”

Hope cut her off quickly and moved to sit beside her. “Hey. They’re going to be fine, Rue. Before long, we’re gonna be celebrating their 25th mission, alright?”

“Alright,” she whispered as her gaze fell to the table.

The dance floor cleared over the next few minutes, and just a few couples remained dancing. In the middle of the floor was Helen, wrapped up in the arms of an airman they’d never seen before. Wide grins grew on their faces as they watched her place a few kisses against the dark-headed stranger’s jawline. Over his shoulder, Helen’s eyes wandered to the two women sitting alone, and Ruth smiled, giving her a thumbs up as Hope winked at her.

Feeling someone’s gaze on her, Hope scanned the room, meeting the familiar but concerned blues of Gale across the room from where he leaned against the bar beside John. They talked to yet another new airman the girls had never met, but even she could see the grimace on Bucky’s face as he leaned closer to the man, gesturing his hands out.

She glanced over at Ruth who thankfully was too busy tidying up the mess the men left before returning her eyes to her fiancée. In the few seconds she’d looked away, the replacement airman disappeared, and the two Majors stood alone.

“Come on, Rue. Let’s rejoin the party, shall we?” Hope asked, rising to her feet and offering Ruth her hand with a forced smile.

She knew something was up with John. She could tell by Gale’s body language alone.

The blonde took her hand, allowing Hope to lead them towards the men. But just as they passed Helen and the dancing soldier, Colonel Harding and Major Bowman stepped through the doors and sauntered over the bar, a fat cigar hanging from Chick’s lips.

“My boys!”

Not wanting to interrupt, the women stood on the outskirts of the group, moving to stand beside Tatty, even though both Buck and Johnny sent them a questioning look. Ruth scanned Bucky’s face, but her smile fell when she immediately noticed the line between his brows and the muscle twitching in his jaw.

“Listen up! I just had a mood-killing conversation with Doc Stover. He thinks you sissies could be getting flack happy.”

“No, not us, sir,” the airmen chorused.

“I told him war is war. The longer you go at it, the more it screws a man up. And it’s been that way since the first caveman son of a bitch picked up a club and went after the other. Did cavemen go for head-shrinking?”

As the men shook their heads, Ruth and Hope shared a wary glance.

Where was this going?

“No! Damn sure not! What counts is that you soldiers show up ready and able to fight. What you do between battles…” Harding trailed off with a chuckle, smirking as he took a drag of his cigar.

Hope watched as Buck remained stoic, no reaction on his face, but John looked over at Ruth, sending her a wink. “I like your style, sir!”

For the first time, Bucky’s wink didn’t make her heart skip a beat…it made it drop into her stomach. His grin was so clearly forced that her mind went haywire, and he was the only thing she could focus on. Sensing the blonde finally picked up on John’s demeanor, Hope silently intertwined their hands, squeezing Ruth’s reassuringly.

Red broke his silence, shaking his head slightly as he spoke. “Aerial combat like this hasn’t been around since the caveman, sir.”

“Of course not, Red. Every war has its novelties,” Harding dismissed the Major, turning to look at the dance hall. A few seconds later, his demeanor changed, and his voice grew serious. “Who the hell decorated this fiesta?”

Everyone looked around the group before Jack hesitantly spoke. “I put together a committee, sir.”

Craning their heads to see around the Colonel, the women confusedly searched the hall for what he possibly could be upset about, but had no such luck.

“The damned plane looks like it’s in a nosedive.”

The sound of chuckles filled the air as John grinned over at Ruth. “Fire ‘em. Fire the committee…Ruth can decorate next time.”

She did her best to smile back at him, but it was just as forced as the grin on his lips.

“I won’t bother next time,” Kidd muttered.

Harding seemed to move on and faced the men again, waving them all closer. “Come on, get in. Come here. Got something to tell ‘ya.”

Hope and Ruth stepped forward, watching the Colonel over Tatty’s shoulder, their eyes moving between their Majors and the CO.

“You know how we could end this whole thing tonight?” Chick asked, his face scrunched into a half-grimace as he leaned into the group. “We fill up one of our forts with as many 500-pounders as she can hold, we bomb the hell out of Hitler’s hidey-hole.”

The grin on Johnny’s face fell, and he tilted his face to the floor with slightly pursed lips for a moment before returning his gaze to Harding. His forced smiles and strained banter only added to the underlying tension in the room. Ruth’s fingers tightened around Hope’s hand, seeking reassurance as Chick continued.

“I’m sure Red and Bubbles could locate that mustachioed little fucker.”

Bubbles grinned proudly. “Yes, sir.”

“Well, now who’s flack happy?”

The second the words left John’s mouth, Ruth’s heart plummeted, and a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. She held her breath waiting for what would happen next.

What happened in the last few minutes to change his attitude completely?

All the officer’s went silent, shooting each other worried looks while Bucky and Harding stared at each other.

“Who?”

“You are,” John nodded, his expression bearing no trace of any amusement.

Harding smirked, “You are.”

“No, you are,” Egan leaned forward, thwacking Harding’s chest with his hand. “Sir.”

The next few seconds seemed to stretch on for hours as the atmosphere became even more tense, the room seeming to hold its breath. Gale quickly glanced over at Hope, his eyes filled with concern, much like the rest of the officers. The blonde beside her didn’t notice Buck, unable to tear her eyes away from John, who looked like he was teetering on the edge of an outburst.

The Major and the Colonel stared at each other until a smirk broke out on Chick’s face and he chuckled, the rest of the group following suit when the tension eased.

“Mmm, Single fillies. Come on, boys. Let’s get the lead out!” Harding smirked, taking a drag from his cigar, and left the party with Red trailing behind him.

The officers dispersed out onto the dance floor, leaving John, Gale, Hope, Ruth, and Benny at the bar.

Gale turned to catch Hope’s eye, his face saying ‘hold on while I talk to him’. Hope nodded in agreement, catching Ruth’s arm and leading her away from their men.

“What about John?” Ruth looked hastily over her shoulder for him, meeting his conflicted eyes momentarily, but Hope pulled her on.

“Gale’s going to talk to him, it’ll be okay. They’ve been through a lot, remember? It’s bound to catch up with them all at some point, and we just need to be here to help them if they fall.” Hope led her back to the table, sitting her down and placing the glass of ginger beer in front of her.

Hope hated watching Ruth’s worried eyes keep darting back toward the boys, but she knew that her own eyes kept drifting back to Gale’s. If this evening had taught her anything, it was that life was more precious than they could ever realize, and each moment should be cherished.

They needed a distraction from their anxieties, and Hope blurted the first story that came to mind.

“Do you remember that day when you were new to the Grove and you walked in on Frank naked?”

The blonde’s cheeks immediately heated up as she buried her head in her hands, “How could I forget? I’d only known the man for three days.”

Hope laughed too, “Well, it could be worse. On my first day on base, he nearly ran me over with a jeep. That was before he realized I was on his plane. He bought me a beer that same evening to apologize.”

Ruth laughed, imagining a younger Hope giving Frank hell for trying to run her down.

“We had a medical technician on our plane with us back then. Joseph was his name. He was a right pretty boy…thought he was the bee's knees but I soon told him otherwise.”

Ruth chuckled, knowing Hope probably gave the poor boy hell. It was strange thinking back to when they first came to the Grove, the airbase that had quickly become their home and safe haven.

“It seems like a lifetime ago that I met you, Hope. I thought you hated me at first.”

“Oh, I didn’t hate you…I just thought you weren’t going to make it,” Hope replied honestly, feeling slightly guilty about how she’d misjudged her best friend. “You soon proved me wrong though, Rue. You’re a good nurse.”

Hope looked up as Gale approached them, smiling brightly at her while John still stood near the bar still looking quite somber. Ruth stood up, quickly excusing herself as she made her way over to the bar, resting her hand against John’s arm.

“Hey,” she whispered, her blue eyes filled with worry. “Let’s go somewhere we can talk.”

He nodded, allowing her to take his hand and tug him to the door.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” she finally asked when they excited the club into the English night, her voice soft with concern.

John pursed his lips and a flicker of hesitation crossed his features before he shrugged. “Nothing. What do you mean?”

“John,” Ruth urged, her voice hardening as she gave him the look that always made her students squirm in their seats.

And her tone…it was only used when dealing with problem students, the ones who lied directly to her face when she already knew the truth.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly. “I’m fine.”

“What was that, then?” Ruth pressed, refusing to let it go. She needed to know exactly what was wrong…needed to help him in whatever way she could.

But how could he tell her the truth?

He could go down the next day and it would be like he never was there in the first place. Gone like the 230 men they’d lost.

How was he supposed to tell the woman he loved that she could lose him in the blink of an eye?

That he could lose her just the same?

That he couldn’t write another life-shattering letter to a boy’s family?

His nervousness to confess his feelings was replaced with guilt, anger, and frustration that compounded in his chest, creating a volatile mixture that was bound to explode.

“Nothing,” he insisted, his tone growing defensive. “Like I said.”

“Please don’t lie to me,” Ruth pleaded as she grasped his hand, her voice barely above a whisper. “I know-”

The flood he’d been trying to hold back finally broke, and his voice raised just a fraction as he pulled his hand from hers. “Damn it, Ruth. I said I’m fine!”

The sharpness of his tone caught the woman off guard, and she recoiled slightly, blinking furiously to hold back the tears threatened to fill her eyes. “I’m just trying to help,” she whispered.

Without another word, she turned and walked back into the dance, leaving Bucky standing there in the chilly night. His hands moved to his hips as his chest heaved, the anger slowly leaving his body and morphing into guilt as his mind replayed her baby blues shining with tears and the tremble in her voice.

He was supposed to be a better man, someone worthy of her, and what did he do at the first chance?

Despite the mix of emotions within him, Johnny knew she was only trying to help, only trying to be there for him, and he’d raised his voice at her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before following after her, his heart pounding in his chest.

Pushing open the door and stepping inside, the sounds of the party filled Bucky’s ears, but for once, he couldn’t bring himself to care that the band played ‘Blue Skies’. His eyes scanned the bustling club and caught a glimpse of her blonde hair disappearing into the women’s bathroom.

John hesitated where he stood in the middle of the club, lost and unsure of what to do next. He knew he needed to talk to her, to make things right, but he also didn’t want to intrude on her privacy. Frustratingly running a hand over his mouth, he caught sight of Gale on the dance floor where he swayed slowly with Hope. Buck’s brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced in the direction Ruth had gone over Hope’s shoulder. With a nod of his head, he silently urged Johnny to go after her.

It was the push that he needed to make a decision.

Swallowing thickly, he approached the bathroom door and knocked, his knuckles rapping against the wood gently. “Ruthie, can I come in?”

His heart sank when he heard sniffles from inside.

“Please,” John murmured softly, his voice barely audible through the door.

A few seconds ticked by and he was about to ask again when the door clicked open, giving him a view of her reddened and splotchy face. Ruth backed up, allowing him to slowly push in the door. She stood before him with her arms wrapped tightly around herself, barely meeting his gaze as her eyes remained on the floor. John silently stepped into the room and closed the door behind him gently, muffling the sounds of the party outside.

They stood there silently for a few moments until Ruth finally looked up at him, quickly wiping a tear from her cheek as she chewed on her bottom lip.

“Come here,” he mumbled, pulling her softly into his chest, running a hand up and down her back. “I’m sorry, doll. So sorry.”

Ruth stiffened for a moment before relaxing against him, burying her face into his chest.

“I’m not mad at you. I just,” he sighed against her hair. “I hate myself for making you upset. I know you’re just trying to help me.”

She lifted her head from his chest and broke her silence, her voice wavering. “Then talk to me.”

John stared at her for a moment, running his fingers through her hair gently as he thought of a way to explain what he felt…the weight he felt on his shoulders. “There’s nothing you can do about it, Ruth,” he muttered, his face tilting to the ground.

“I don’t care,” the nurse answered quietly, reaching up and gently lifting his face to meet her teary gaze. "Just…just please don’t shut me out.”

For a moment, they stood there in silence as Bucky nodded to himself with his lips pulled into a tight line. When he finally found the words, his voice was barely audible as he fought to keep his composure.

“You heard Crank earlier. We’ve lost so many boys, and I-,” he cleared his throat, looking over her shoulder at the wall while fighting the burning sensation in his eyes. “I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Ruth’s heart broke at his confession, and she cupped his cheeks and pulled him down to her, their foreheads pressing together.

“John, you are going to get through this. We are going to get through this,” Ruth whispered. “I’m right here, and I don’t plan on going anywhere. You can talk to me, alright?”

He released a shuddering breath against her face, allowing his eyes to flutter shut as he savored the feeling of her warm touch. The three words he’d been meaning to say all night danced on the tip of his tongue but refused to pour from his lips.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you. I-”

“You didn’t have to do anything,” she interrupted, her thumb caressing his cheekbone lightly. “I know I don’t say it enough, but thank you. You make me so happy, Johnny.”

Bucky raised his hand to cover her much smaller one on his cheek as he sent her a soft smile. “I should be the one thanking you. You…you mean everything to me, Ruth. Everything. And I’m so sorry for talking to you like-”

“Just kiss me,” she whispered, her eyes flicking to his lips.

John immediately obeyed, tilting his head to connect their lips softly, their worries fading away as they lost themselves in each other. Ruth’s hands slid from his face to the nape of his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair as she deepened the kiss with an eagerness he’d never seen from her before. He fought against every instinct in him urging him to take things farther, but she deserved more than that…they both did.

As they pulled away from the kiss, they remained wrapped in the other’s arms, their breaths mingling in the air between them. John’s gaze softened as he looked into Ruth’s eyes, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. He noticed the remnants of tears still clinging to her lashes, her eyes red and puffy, and his hand raised to brush her hair behind her ear.

“I’m getting a weekend pass to London,” he said breathlessly, nervously peering down at her. “Come with me.”

Ruth grinned and pecked his lips again softly. “I’d want nothing more.”

In that moment, with Ruth in his arms, John Egan vowed London would be the place…would be the time he’d confess his love for her.

How he couldn’t imagine life without her.

London…it would be the place that everything changed.

Monday, September 20th: AAF Grove, Berkshire: 0700 HRS: 7 AM

Hope let out a long sigh as the C-47’s wheels left the runway in one swoop, rising above the airstrip and leaving the base far below them as they climbed into the clouds. Frank talked quietly to Bill in the cockpit, and both girls couldn’t help but smile at their pilot's antics. He was a good pilot, but as a mentor, he was a hard task-master, and Bill was being put through his paces. Ruth pulled John’s latest letter from her pocket, rereading his words with a small smile.

September 17th My Ruth, Hey, slugger. I hope you’ve had a good few days. Have your runs been okay? Has Frank been nice to you? You know I won’t hesitate to rough him up if not. I have been unable to keep my mind off of you…as usual. Schwarz developed the pictures from the party yesterday, and I’ve found myself staring at our photo for longer than I’d like to admit. You’re just so beautiful…the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on…have I told you that? Schwarz also gave each Buck and Hugh individual pictures of them with Hope. I’m pretty sure Buck is sending copies of the letter he’s writing from his bunk. You’ll find one of us in this envelope, as well. I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as I do. I keep my copy in my breast pocket, next to my heart so you’ll be with me everywhere I go. When I start to spiral, I just look at you and your smiling face, and I remember what all this is for. Every day I ask myself how I got so lucky that you landed on my base out of the hundreds scattered around England, and after months of wondering, I still have no explanation. All I know is that I kiss the lucky cross around my neck every time I leave and come back from a mission, thanking Mrs. Virginia Morgan that I made it back to the ground…back to you. I still can’t believe you wouldn’t take it back, Ruthie, but I promise to keep it safe until you’re ready to. I can’t wait to take you to London, doll. Did your CO approve your leave? I can try to pull some strings if she doesn’t. Maybe I could give her a call and use my charm to convince her? What do you think? Stay safe up there for me, alright? Yours Completely, John Egan P.S. The Yankees swept the Athletics in their series, keeping their 9-game win streak alive. We’ve got the American League in the bag! What do I always say? The Yankees always end on top! Remember that, doll. You’ll be hearing it a lot after we win the World Series next month.

Both women received letters from their Majors late the night before and immediately wrote their responses, promising to send them the following morning. But when they were called up for a run before dawn, both dashed to the post room before hurrying back to ‘The Angel.’

“So how is the hotshot then?” Hope asked with a grin, amused by Ruth’s embarrassed expression, her pale cheeks blushing deeply.

“How do you know I call him that?” Ruth asked curiously, but Hope just shook her head with a chuckle.

“Ruth, you've read his letters out loud enough times when I’m around that I’ve basically read them myself.” The blonde nodded slowly, half listening to Hope and the other half of her too engrossed in John’s words as she reread them again. After a few moments, she looked up from the letter.

“I wrote to my parents about John the other day,” Ruth called out over the engine’s whine, a fond smile on her lips.

“Oh yeah?”

The blonde nodded. “Yeah.”

“What all did you tell them?” Hope asked with a raised brow.

Ruth’s innocent smile turned into a mischievous smirk as she chuckled to herself. “Well, my Mama always reads the letters, so I wrote the basics for her to tell my Dad and Jamie, but gave her all the details.”

“John’s right,” she laughed. “You are a sneaky woman.”

Shrugging, Ruth pulled out the picture he sent from her pocket, her heart fluttering as she studied it, tracing the lines of John’s face on the small photo. She was glad to finally have a piece of Johnny to carry around with her, being able to whip it out whenever she missed him or just wanted to see his handsome face.

The plane rocked from side to side as they gained altitude, and the large metal bird flew ‘through the ‘gate’ as Frank liked to call it as she moved to full throttle, soaring up into the clouds.

“Stop being a clot,” Frank hissed to Bill, flicking a few switches in the cockpit with a long sigh, “You know what you’re doing kid, but shit, try using your head sometimes okay?”

“Yes Sir,” Bill nodded shyly, turning his attention back to the plane's control panel. The girls smiled at each other, listening to the two men bickering in the cockpit

“Where do you think the boys are right now?” Ruth asked, looking up nervously at Hope. She always worried when she thought of where their men could be. The thought of them in harm's way made her sick to the stomach.

Were they flying like girls were? Were they in danger?

Hope slouched in her seat as the plane leveled out, “I don’t know, Rue. I’d like to think that they’re at Thorpe Abbotts. Hugh’s probably getting into some sort of trouble or terrorizing poor Harry Crosby. John is probably having some coffee with his whiskey about now at breakfast.” This caused Ruth to laugh lightly at the thought of John’s usual morning routine.

“What about Gale?”

Hope took a little longer to reply this time. “I think Gale would… well I don’t know. He’s probably either eating breakfast with John, walking Meatball, or he’s with his baby.”

“His baby?” Ruth sputtered, cocking her head and looking at her friend for the answer.

“His Fort, ‘Our Baby’,” Hope laughed, watching as Ruth nodded, understanding the men’s attachment to their Forts. She guessed they all felt the same way about their own plane, although Ruth thought if she never had to fly again it would be a blessing.

The pair soon fell into silence, both organizing their mussette bags for the hundredth time, as if they hadn’t checked all their supplies pre-flight. Hope moved up to the cockpit to check in with the pilots while Ruth moved along the racks of supplies, laying out fresh blankets on each cot, humming an Artie Shaw song to herself as she went.

“How’s it going up here, boys?” Hope leant over Frank’s shoulder, watching as the cloudy sky unfolded before them.

“Can’t complain,” Frank replied plainly. “I think Billy Boy here is getting the hang of things at last.” The young pilot grinned at the compliment and Hope couldn’t help the sense of pride that filled her chest. They’d had several copilots training with Frank, but Bill was definitely the girl's favorite.

Looking back out the window, Hope pointed towards the dark clouds erupting ahead of them.

“Hey Frank, what’s that up ahead? That’s not what I think it is…right?”

“That, my dear Hope, is flak fire,” he said regretfully. “Looks like we’re heading to the movies. I suggest you girls grab a seat…Ruth may want a blindfold for this next part.”

Hope swallowed, nodding quickly before rushing back to her seat. Bill talked quickly to Frank in the cockpit but remained calm, it wasn’t anything they hadn’t been through before.

Ruth’s fearful eyes widened as Hope explained what Frank had told her before swiftly strapping herself into her seat. Her mind raced at all the terrible outcomes that could occur.

What happens if they go down?

What would happen if they just blew up over Germany?

She tried to put on a brave face but she knew Hope would see right through it, she always did.

The plane swerved as flak erupted around them, swooping and diving as the black clouds and wuffs from the Ack-Acks flew wildly around them. Hope and Ruth were thrown around in their seats as the plane swerved, flack bursts shaking the bird. They were very grateful that they always secured all their supplies and stretchers down pre-flight.

Hope’s fingers dug into the metal seat and her eyes closed as her stomach flipped in circles with each turn. She’d not had any issues with her motion sickness since her training, but the urge to vomit up her breakfast only grew as the bile rose in the back of her throat.

Ruth opposite from her was as white as a sheet, her already pale face now the color of a corpse with her lips set in a thin worried line. Her teeth clenched tightly together and her eyes squeezed shut as flack pierced through the plane's fuselage above her head.

“Shit!” Ruth shrieked, covering her head with her hands.

“You okay, Rue?” Hope shouted over the noise of the war around them. A glossy-eyed and panting Ruth only nodded quickly in response.

Bullets ripped through the riveted sheets of the fuselage with a series of metallic pings, piercing through easily and sending metal flying into the cabin like confetti. With the chaos surrounding them, Ruth barely noticed when a piece of shrapnel flew past her face, just grazing her temple. Flak fire continued to blast in the air surrounding the skytrain and the noise was deafening to everyone inside.

How could anyone think strategically in these conditions?

“OH FUCK!” Frank’s voice shouted from the cockpit as he leaned over to Bill, “Stay with me, kid.” Bill’s lifeless body lay wide-eyed staring straight ahead, his young face frozen, expressionless. “DAMMIT!”

“What’s wrong, Frank?” Hope called out as she unbuckled herself and stumbled from her seat, edging her way towards him.

Ruth’s eyes widened. “Hope! What are you doing?!”

She simply sent her a worried glance, seeing the blood trickling down Ruth’s cheek before disappearing from view, and the blonde stared at her in disbelief. When another burst sent burning hot metal through the plane’s fuselage around her, Ruth’s eyes clenched shut, her head bowing as she mumbled a prayer for them, her hand instinctively reaching up for her usual comfort… her necklace….her lucky necklace that now hung around the neck of John Egan.

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”

In the cockpit, Frank didn’t turn to face Hope when he spoke, his eyes trained on the incoming fire from the Messerschmitts flying in all directions around them.

“We have been fucked by the fickle finger of fate and today is not our day. We’re down to one engine and she isn’t sounding too healthy. We’re littered with holes and,” he paused, his throat constricting as he motioned to the young boy who lay dead beside him. “And the Krauts…they got Billy.”

The plane juddered and smoke poured from the remaining engine with a horrendous screech as Frank took a steadying breath. The next words to leave his lips sent a shiver down Hope’s spine.

They were the ones every airman, flight nurse, and pilot prayed they’d never have to hear…

“There goes the last engine. We’re going down!”

message or comment if you want to be added to the tag list! <3

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major-mads · 1 month

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hiya i hope it’s ok to drop into your ask box

ive gotta ask though because i don’t know how you guys do it because i am not a writer but how do you and @footprintsinthesxnd do your collab? like does one of you make the ideas and the other writes or do you share ideas and write together and how do you decide who’s character gets to do what stuff. im just so curious but i hope that’s cool with you for asking

Hiii!! Of course, it's okay to drop in! I'm not gonna lie to you, it is difficult to write a collab like this! We both come up with ideas and also both work on the fic as we go. On combined scenes, one of us typically writes it if we're particularly inspired or just want to. And on the individual parts, we write them separately, but are in constant communication to make sure the timelines, events, etc. all line up in the end! Jess and I talk multiple times every single day, and despite being on different continents and time zones, she's one of my best friends. Thank you for being a constant supporter of our series!! Always feel free to message me or send in an ask!!

@footprintsinthesxnd, the buck to my bucky, ily🥹💕

#collabs are hard #masters of the air #on a wing and a prayer #a pair of silver wings #oc: ruth morgan #oc: hope armstrong

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major-mads · 1 month

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And what a happy birthday it was for John Egan!! A party AND chocolate cake! I look forward to your updates, and this one was no exception! Another fantastic chapter. I laughed at your dig to poor Croz and his air sickness, the poor thing. The boys in their hut all gossiping like girls is always so great- reminds me that they’re still boys in their twenties who make eyes at pretty girls, and they’re not just soldiers and airmen. I thought it was so sweet when John took Ruth up to the handstand and on the wing of Mugwump. They’re in love, and I hope they admit it soon!

Hellooooo!!! Ugh, can I just say that I love you??? Your asks always make my day!! I couldn't resist from making fun of poor Croz! He's just too easy to pick on (except for in the finale...if yk what i mean😅)!!

I think it is SO easy to forget the guys were so young when they were serving in the 100th, and Jess and I love highlighting that in the fic. As much as these guys did, they were still boys.

Ruth and John are my babies, and they need to get it together and admit they're in love with each other!!! (i say that like i don't already know what's gonna happen...but i won't spill any secrets!!🤐)

Thanks again!!

mads <3

#oc: ruth morgan #a pair of silver wings #masters of the air #john egan #oc: hope armstrong #gale cleven #on a wing and a prayer

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major-mads · 1 month

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Chapter 6: One Helluva Party

John "Bucky" Egan x Ruth Morgan (OFC)

Series Masterlist

A/N: as always, thanks for being patient! please comment or reblog and tell us what you think!! thanks for reading!! <3

Collab: On a Wing and a Prayer by @footprintsinthesxnd

Word Count: 9.6k

September 8th, 1943: AAF Grove, Berkshire: 2200 HRS

Ruth’s boots thudded against the cement floor of the girls’ hut as she paced up and down the center aisle. The blonde held a slip of paper, pouring over the list on it endlessly.

“Streamers, check. Distracting John duty, check. Cha-”

“Ruth,” Hope groaned. “Go to bed. You’ve looked over that list a million times.”

Her steps halted and she turned to her friend with a sigh. “I just want his party to be perfect.”

“I know you do, but you have nothing to worry about. Tatty and Helen are getting everything taken care of until we can get up there tomorrow. Please go to sleep, Rue.” Hope rolled over on her small cot, turning away from her pacing friend.

“Fine,” Ruth relented, tossing the list onto her nightstand before sliding beneath her covers. She rolled over to face Hope, her lips pursed in thought. “Do you think-”

“Go to sleep.”

Her mind wouldn’t shut off as she continued to worry about the party. “But what-”

“Ruth! Just shut up and sleep.” Hope didn’t even open her eyes to scold her this time, and she pulled the covers up over her head.

“Okay,” she sighed quietly, turning onto her back, her mind still racing over all the events for the following day. She only hoped that everything would go according to plan.

The Next Day: Sep. 9th: Thorpe Abbotts AAF Base, Norwich: 1500 HRS: 3 PM

The previous night was filled with restless sleep for Ruth, and her nervousness battled excitement in her chest when Frank discreetly pulled up behind the Red Cross hut.

“I’m not your personal chauffeur, you know,” he sassed, turning off the engine. “I don’t like wasting my day passes to take you two up here.”

Hope rolled her eyes as she got out of the car. “But you still do it each time we ask, don’t you?”

Frank mumbled some choice words under his breath, helping the girls unload their bags from the trunk of the car. “I only do this so I know you get here safely. With your navigation skills and Ruth’s nerves, who the hell knows where you’d end up.”

Hope just glared at him with narrowed eyes. She wasn't that bad of a navigator but they missed one turn once and he’d given her hell for it ever since.

Helen and Tatty hurried down the steps to greet them, both quickly embracing the girls. The four had become good friends over their multiple visits to Thorpe Abbotts and their reunions always resulted in a big hug.

“You two ready for tonight?” Tatty asked, hurrying Ruth and Hope inside.

“You betcha, Ruth’s been driving me up the wall planning the damn thing. I’ve been waiting for her to have a nervous breakdown over it.” Hope smiled fondly at Ruth who just continued to chew her lip anxiously.

The blonde sighed. “I just want everything to be perfect…it has to be.”

“And it will be Ruth,” Helen placed an arm around Ruth’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, everything is in hand.”

“The boys are on a mission and won’t be back until around four this afternoon. I’ve got Cleven and Armstrong on diversion duty to keep John as far away from the Officers’ Club as possible,” Tatty informed them, bundling a box of bunting underneath her arm. “We’ve got our work cut out ladies, but I think we can pull this off.”

The first order of business was to get the decorations up.

The women carefully draped colorful streamers from every surface possible, and by the time they were through, the bland dance hall and bar were vibrant with color. Ruth removed the wrinkled list from her pocket, checking off the “decorate club” box from her to-do’s.

“Alright. What do we have left?” Tatty asked, walking over to Ruth.

The nurse glanced down at her list with a hum, then suddenly her eyes widened and she gasped, throwing a hand over her mouth. “The banner! I can’t believe I forgot! It’s in the car, I’ll be right back.”

She left the club in a tizzy, the door closing behind her with a slam. Hope, Tatty, and Helen all shared a worried glance as the loud sound echoed through the hall.

“You’re right, Hope. She’s too wound up about this,” Helen said as she picked up the box of leftover decorations.

A sigh left Hope’s lips. “She wants John to have the best birthday possible. He means so much to her.”

“I think the feeling’s mutual,” Tatty chuckled, thinking back to when the pair rumbled up to her hut the week before. “I’ve never seen John wrapped around a woman’s finger before, but Ruth’s done it. I didn’t think it was possible.”

Smiling softly, Hope twisted the engagement ring around her finger and thought about how much their lives changed in such a short time. “Yep. She’s something else, alright.”

“And I’ve never seen Gale as happy, either,” Helen added with a smirk.

Hope ducked her head blushing as she glanced down at the engagement ring adorning her finger, “I know things may seem rushed, but when you know, you know. I couldn’t imagine loving anyone else.”

Tatty groaned in the background about how sickeningly in love they were, causing the two girls to laugh.

“Well, I’m very happy for you, Hope, and looking at that ring, your man has taste.”

Hope chuckled, “Actually…”

The back door swung open, and Ruth rushed in holding a folded-up sheet. The woman’s curls were disheveled and her cheeks were bright red as she leaned against the door, out of breath. “They-,” she panted, her chest heaving. “They’re back.”

“Rue, you alright?” Hope asked, concern etching her face. “Why do you look like you just ran a marathon?”

“Because I was getting out of the car and then I saw John on a truck, so I dove back into the back seat and wait-,” she held up a hand to them, pausing to breathe heavily. “Waited for him to go into a building and then I bolted.”

Tatty’s eyes flicked down to her watch quickly. “They’re right on time, then. It’s already 16:30.”

“What?!” Ruth blurted as a wave of panic coursed through her. “Everyone will be here in an hour and we still haven’t gotten the banner up!”

Hope put a hand on her shoulder. “Rue.”

“And I still need to get-”

“Ruth!”

Finally, her worry-filled sky-blue eyes snapped to her friend’s. “What?”

“You need to calm down,” Hope said gently but firmly. “Everything looks perfect. Johnny’s going to love it.”

Just as the night before, Ruth’s mind refused to turn it down a notch, and she sighed. “We still need to hang the happy birthday banner, Hope.”

“We’ll do that and then we’re done, alright?” Hope asked, squeezing her shoulder comfortably before looking at the two other women. “You two good to hang up the banner? I’ve got to get her all dolled up.”

Ruth opened her mouth to object but Hope shot her a glare, sending the blonde’s gaze to the floor. She couldn’t shake the feeling of anxiety that gnawed at her insides. She knew she was being irrational, but the pressure to make everything flawless was overwhelming.

Helen nodded with a small smile, taking the banner from Ruth. “That sounds like a plan. You two go get ready in our hut! We’ll see you in a bit!”

The dark-haired nurse practically dragged Ruth from the officer’s club to the Red Cross hut where they quickly got ready. Hope helped re-curl the falling waves in her best friend’s golden hair, and from the way she chewed on her bottom lip, Hope knew she was thinking about her Major.

“Do you think he’ll like it?” she asked quietly.

“Rue, you could have one measly streamer hanging from the ceiling and he’d love it just the same. He’s gonna be more excited to see you than anything.”

“I hope so.”

Hope smiled at Ruth reassuringly in the mirror, “I know so.”

John groaned, stepping out of the interrogation hut. He hated interrogation. As if it wasn’t bad enough experiencing everything the first time, you then had to relive it. He stretched his aching arms above his head, all he wanted was a shower and a drink.

It was his birthday after all.

Gale and Hugh soon appeared from the hut after him, also stretched out their aching muscles, and the three made their way across to the shower block.

“You got any plans for tonight, Bucky?” Hugh asked, a smirk plastered across his face and Gale elbowed him warningly. He couldn’t have Hugh giving the game away, not after all Ruth’s hard work.

“I don’t know, Sparky. I was just going to shower and then head over to the club for a drink. You boys in?”

Gale and Hugh glanced at each other, a silent question passing between the pilots.

“Sure thing, Bucky,” Gale responded first, throwing his arm over his friend's shoulder, “Can’t have you celebrating alone now, can I?”

“Good, because I plan for this to be a night we remember,” he thought for a moment, rubbing his hand over his mustache, “Or more like a night we don’t remember. But don’t worry, I won’t go too off the rails,” He cackled, strolling ahead of them.

Hugh turned to Gale, his eyes wide as he hissed, “How the hell are we supposed to keep him out of the club?”

Gale shrugged his shoulders, seemingly very calm about the whole situation, “We’ll find a way.”

“Hey,” Bucky called out, stopping with his hands on his hips as he waited for them to catch up.

The pair shared a wary glance, panicking at the possibility of his overhearing them.

Ruth would kill them if he found out.

They reached him, and John pursed his lips in thought, “You got a letter from Hope today or yesterday?”

Buck and Hugh nearly sighed in relief at the question. The cat wasn’t out of the bag yet!

“Yeah,” Gale replied, “Got one yesterday. Why?”

Johnny nodded once, his gaze falling to the dirt beneath their feet. “Nothing.”

Hugh cocked an eyebrow at the man’s sudden change in demeanor. “What is it?”

“I guess I thought Ruth would’ve sent me a letter for my birthday, that’s all,” he shrugged.

Trying to keep a sly grin off his face, Buck threw an arm over his shoulder and got the trio moving toward the shower block again. “The night is still young, Bucky. There’s still time for a letter to get here.”

“Yeah, you never know,” Hugh added with a smirk, ignoring the sharp glare Buck gave him as he walked past the duo. He then checked his watch.

17:00…One hour til’ showtime.

17:15 HRS: 5:15 PM

Hope and Ruth took a shortcut behind the buildings on their way back to the Officers' Club to stay out of sight. Ruth’s hair was once again curled to perfection, and she wore victory red lipstick that Hope let her borrow.

She wasn’t one for bold statements, but this night, she wanted to do something special.

When they snuck into the club through the back door, Ruth’s eyes widened in awe at the final decorations Helen and Tatty finished. String lights hung below the streamers above the tables, giving the room a warm, soft glow, and the “Happy Birthday John” banner hung high at the front of the stage.

“This is amazing!” She squealed, her heart fluttering with excitement as she pulled Helen and Tatty into a tight embrace. “Thank y’all so much. I’m sorry I lost my head earlier.”

The two women returned the hug and laughed quietly, sharing a knowing gaze with Hope over her shoulder. If there was one thing Hope Armstrong knew about Ruth Morgan, it was that she cared about those around her so much. It was what made her a good teacher, a good nurse, a good friend…a good person. This was often the underlying cause of the worry that ate away at her.

“We have a surprise for you,” Tatty said, gesturing over to the bar.

Ruth’s eyes drifted over to the area to find a small box on the counter. She and Hope made their way over and opened it, each grinning from ear to ear at the small chocolate cake inside with cursive icing on the top.

“Happy Birthday Bucky,” Ruth read aloud before turning back to them. “How did you two get this?”

Helen shrugged her shoulders. “I might have to go on a date with the cook, but it’s worth it.”

The group broke out into chuckles and Tatty went behind the bar, grabbing four glasses and pouring them each a shot of whiskey. “I say this is a cause for celebration.”

Helen and Tatty raised their glasses in a toast. “To John,” they chorused, the clinking of their glasses filling the air.

“To John,” Hope and Ruth grinned, throwing back their shots.

Hope was unphased, but Ruth’s eyes watered slightly as the fiery liquid burned down her throat, leaving a warm trail in its wake. She’d grown more accustomed to the taste of alcohol since she started going out more, and she found that it wasn’t as bad as she once thought.

As the minutes ticked by, airmen started to trickle into the hall, and with each one, Ruth’s nervousness swirled again in her stomach. Sensing her discomfort, Tatty poured her another shot with a wink, “It’ll help.”

A smirk formed on Hope’s face watching the blonde throw back the shot. Ruth was not good at holding her liquor, and the one time Hope had seen her overdo it in Berkshire, she had to almost carry her back to their hut at the end of the night.

Before long, the alcohol warmed Ruth from the inside out and melted away her worry, leaving behind a tingling feeling that made her feel lighter than air.

“It’s almost time!” she squealed loudly to Hope who sat beside her at their table.

Hope chuckled under her breath, noting the way she’d become more talkative and bubbly, even starting a few conversations with the men around them.

It was going to be a good night.

“Hey Buck, what was this ‘way’ you have planned to keep Johnny-boy from the club? Because now might be a good time to know about it,” Hugh hissed, yanking his underwear onto his still-wet body as he continued to fight his clothes on in his haste.

“I didn’t say I had anything planned. I said ‘we’ would find a way, so if you’ve got any ideas, Charlie, now would be a really good time to share them,” Gale spoke in a hushed whisper, gazing back down the hut to check the water was still flowing in Bucky’s cubicle.

Hugh threw his hands in the air, “Well I don’t know, do I? I think half the time John just wants to punch me in the face.”

Gale hummed, “Maybe that’s what we should do then.”

Hugh glared at him through the hole of his shirt, pulling it violently over his head before he responded, “Gee, thanks Gale, maybe I should tell my sister that her future husband is a brute and he got me duffed up.”

“I think Hope would be inclined to agree with me…”

“What’s Hope agreeing to now? She already agreed to marry you, Buck, what more can she agree to?” John asked, wandering up to them with just his towel draped precariously around his waist.

“Bucky!” Both men called out, their voices a little higher than they would have liked. John cocked an eyebrow at them and Gale stared wide-eyed at Hugh, waiting for their next move.

“So Bucky, we’ve got a nice birthday treat for you planned…” Hugh began, hoping that Gale wasn’t about to tackle him to the ground. “We thought it would be nice to head back to the hut, crack open a bottle of my old Vat 69, and make a night of it. How does that sound?”

“It sounds like you don’t know me very well at all, My Dear Sparky,” John rested his hand on Hugh’s shoulder, and within a split second Hugh folded.

“It was Gale’s idea.”

Gale glared harshly at Hugh before meeting John’s gaze with a simple nod.

John sighed, “Buck, I get that you’re not a big drinker, and that’s fine, why don’t you go write a letter to Hope or something while Sparky and I head down to the club to have ourselves some fun?”

John wasn’t sure why he ribbed Gale about writing letters to Hope. He wrote just as many letters to Ruth, if not more. With Gale though, it was the time he spent pouring over the letter, changing little bits, and then rewriting it until it was perfect. He’d sit in the corner for hours, his tongue stuck out the corner of his mouth as his pen flowed effortlessly across the page.

Gale sighed, “Okay, we’ll head down to the club at 18:00, okay? Let’s go back to the hut first so we can drop this back. Maybe I’ll have some time to finish my letter to Hope too, and then we can go. Sound good?” Gale really hoped this sounded like a fair deal because if not, he was all out of options.

John thought for a moment before nodding, “You know, you drive a hard bargain, Buck. Good thing I like you.”

18:00 HRS: 6 PM

Six o’clock rolled around quickly, and Gale found himself sighing with relief as the trio walked towards the Officers’ Club. They’d managed to keep the secret and everything had gone to plan. He’d have to have a word with Hope regarding no surprises at their wedding…his heart couldn’t take the suspense.

John was out in front with Hugh, bickering again about the Cardinals and the Yankees, an argument that Gale had heard so often he managed to tune the whole thing out now.

As they neared the club, Gale took the lead, winking at Hugh as he hurried passed to reach the door first. If John noticed anything suspicious, he hadn’t let on, but from the way he’d been watching Gale’s every move across the nissen hut earlier, he definitely knew something was up.

“Hey Buck, what are you in such a hurry for, they’re not gonna run out of ginger beer,” John called out, cackling loudly at his T-total friend. Gale ignored the comment. He’d grown used to them over the years.

“Very funny, Bucky. I thought you’d be the one in a rush to get here. You’re the one who wanted a drink, after all,” Gale retorted, appreciating Hugh’s laughter.

“You two are like an old married couple! Forget Hope and Ruth. It’s you two that sound like you live together,” Hugh ducked as John went to smack the back of his head, but he was unable to avoid Gale’s foot that he’d stuck out to the side and Hugh stumbled over it, recovering himself quickly.

“Good trip there, Sparky,” John chortled, and Gale just smirked cheekily.

Hugh brushed down the front of his uniform, despite it never actually touching the ground. “You’re lucky you’re marrying my sister, Cleven.”

As they reached the door to the club, it became obvious how unusually quiet it was. Normally by this time the band had struck up a familiar tune or there was loud laughter from inside. The silence was rather eerie, and John found himself growing uneasy.

What exactly was going on?

Gale’s hand reached out to the door, swinging it back on its hinges and standing aside. “Happy birthday, Bucky.”

John glanced up at his friend before looking back inside the club. Everything in the small entrance looked normal, but the silence and the suspense only grew.

Why was Gale being so cryptic?

Sparing his best friend one last wary look, Johnny stepped through the doors.

“Surprise!”

“What?!” A wide smile broke out on the Major’s face, his eyes widening as he took in the hall…the lights, the decorations, his smiling friends.

‘Happy Birthday John,’ the banner read.

He opened his mouth to speak, but all the thoughts in his mind flew out the window when a familiar blonde rushed towards him, grinning from ear to ear.

“Happy birthday!” Ruth giggled, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him down into a kiss. Surprised at her sudden forwardness, he froze for a moment before returning it, sliding his hands around her waist.

The sound of wolf whistles echoed around the club while Hope caught Gale’s gaze from behind the pair. A lazy grin pulled at the corner of his lips at the sight of his fiancée, and he sent her a wink as she made her way over to him.

When Ruth and the birthday boy finally pulled away, he peered down at her with a smile so filled with joy that his eyes were almost squinted shut. Her cheeks flushed rosy, but not from embarrassment. John saw the way her eyes were in a daze but still sparkled up at him like the night sky.

He knew that look.

“Someone’s had a few drinks, huh?” he grinned.

Looking over Ruth’s shoulder, his eyes met Hope’s and he tilted her head towards the woman in his arms with an amused brow. She simply shrugged, throwing a hand over her mouth when a laugh escaped her lips at the bright red lipstick stains that smeared on his mouth, some even up in his mustache.

“Happy birthday, hotshot,” Ruth whispered as she kissed his cheek.

Another lipstick stain.

John’s grip loosened on her waist, but Ruth’s hands slid around his torso, keeping herself tight against him. Chuckling under his breath, he turned them toward Gale and Hugh. “So this is why you two were acting weird.”

Buck saw the same lipstick stains on his face, and unlike his fiancée, made no effort to conceal his laugh. “You got a little something all over your face there, Johnny boy.”

He quickly did his best to wipe away the red marks, but only smudged them against his skin, leaving splotches of pink on his chin and cheek. “I thought you were up to something, I just didn’t know what.”

“Well, your girl, here, was the mastermind behind this whole thing,” Buck grinned, nodding towards Ruth. “Been planning it for weeks.”

John’s eyes narrowed playfully as he grinned down at her. “You sneaky woman.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t somehow feel her worrying from here in Thorpe Abbotts,” Hope said from under Gale’s arm. “She damn near drove me and Frank crazy.”

“Oh, you’re full of it!” Ruth cried, her eyes widening dramatically as she shot Hope a wide-mouthed smile. “Don’t even get me started on you stressing about wedding planning!”

Above the women’s heads, Gale and John shared an amused glance, neither having seen them go at it before.

“Who wouldn’t be stressed about their wedding?”

“Well, I’m sorry for wanting Major Hot Stuff here to have the best birthday possible,” Ruth said plainly, patting John’s chest.

John was thankful he hadn’t gotten a drink yet because it surely would’ve spewed from his lips all over Buck. “Major Hot Stuff?” he choked out as he attempted to compose himself, a toothless grin tugging at his lips. “Just how much did you drink, doll?”

“Not much,” Ruth replied innocently and stepped impossibly closer to him before tripping into John’s side, his hands instantly coming up to support her. She giggled happily and John couldn’t help the amused smile that spread across his face.

“She may have had a little too much for her,” Hope interjected, “To calm the nerves, you see.” Hope found the whole thing rather amusing in all honesty. Ruth had been so uptight ever since she’d started the party planning that it was nice to see her relaxing again.

Gale smiled fondly, watching as John guided Ruth to a table, settling her down in the corner.

“Shall we?” He offered Hope her arm and she gladly accepted, letting her fiancée lead her to the table where she seated herself between Gale and Hugh, opposite Ruth and John.

The rest of the men soon followed suit, all crowding around the table to find a seat. Harry Crosby perched next to Hugh, greeting Hope as he took his seat. DeMarco sat on the other side of Gale, and Meatball found his way to nestle his head into Hope’s lap.

“Hey Meatball, who's a good boy,” Hope scratched behind the dog's ear and he flopped against her, whining and grunting as she hit the right spot. Gale watched the interaction adoringly.

How did he manage to find a girl so perfect?

“So Buck, tell me about this wedding you’re planning then. First I heard about it was from Croz this morning,” DeMarco asked, leaning across so he could eye Gale and Hope suspiciously.

Harry looked sheepishly at Hope but she just smiled, he’d been in the infirmary when she’d dropped off supplies earlier and he’d noticed the ring.

“Couldn’t keep one secret, could ya, Croz,” Hugh jested, grabbing Harry and ruffling his hair affectionately. Harry protested, smacking Hugh’s hands away and the pair began to squabble like children.

“Yep, it’s official. I popped the question and she said yes,” Gale replied, wrapping his arm around Hope’s shoulder, “She’s the only one for me.”

He smiled down at Hope and she reached up, pressing her lips to his, followed by a few low whistles and cheers from their fellow crew members, while Hugh merely made gagging noises.

“I’m happy for you, Buck. I really am,” John raised his glass, nodding towards his friend. “I would’ve paid to see this one’s reaction,” he chuckled, motioning to Ruth who was grinning beside him, tucked under his arm. She smiled fondly, thinking back on the day she found out her best friend was engaged to one of the loveliest men she’d ever met.

Hope perched on the edge of the bed, her sore leg giving her some grief. She’d been on her feet most of the day, sorting things out around the base and she was paying for it now. Blood seeped through the fresh bandages and she winced, peeling the fabric away from the wound.

“I told you not to do too much,” Ruth scolded, sitting down on her bed opposite Hope, “But you never listen.”

Hope just glared at her. Ruth was right, but she wasn’t about to admit that.

“What would Gale say if he saw you hurrying all over base today? You know he’d be saying the same thing as me, Hope. We care about you, so please just take it easy,” Ruth pleaded, reaching over to squeeze her friend's shoulder. Her eyes trailed down to the wound on Hope’s thigh and she noticed the gold ring that adorned her finger.

“WHAT IS THAT?” She screeched a little too loudly, grabbing Hope’s left hand and holding it up to her face. “THAT’S A RING! A ENGAGEMENT RING!”

Hope chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm, pulling her hand back and admiring the ring herself, “Gale popped the question in the infirmary while he was patching me up yesterday, and I said yes.”

Ruth looked at her dumbfounded before she smacked Hope’s arm, “WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?”

“There was a lot going on yesterday, it sort of slipped my mind,” Hope admitted, feeling guilty that she hadn’t told her best friend.

“Slipped your mind? You mean to tell me that your engagement just ‘slipped your mind?' Hope Armstrong, I am your best friend and you didn’t tell me first!” Ruth looked utterly betrayed as Hope moved to sit beside her.

“I’m so sorry, Rue, I should have told you. Everything was just so emotional yesterday and it all happened so quickly. Then we had to leave the base and things have been just as crazy here, but that’s no excuse. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“It’s okay. At least I knew before Johnny,” she chuckled, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Just wait ‘til he finds out!”

Hope cringed slightly and Ruth’s smile faltered. “I did know before John, right?”

“Well…”

“That sneaky piece of shit!”

The guilt that swirled within Hope’s stomach dissipated as Ruth’s curse echoed through the hut. She didn’t swear much, so when she did on occasion, Hope could never keep a smile from her lips. “I don’t think he wanted to spoil the surprise.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ruth playfully frowned, waving her hand in the air. “He’s a doggone traitor.”

But the frown didn’t last long and quickly changed into a wide smile as she threw herself onto Hope, trying to avoid her injured leg, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I’m so happy for you, Hope. Gale is a great guy, and I know you two are going to have a long and happy life together.”

Hope smiled, “Thanks Rue, it means a lot.”

“I guess my question now is…” Ruth took a deep breath, “Can I be your maid of honor?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Hope smiled, thinking back to the conversation she had with Ruth after her engagement. There was no way on Earth she could walk down the aisle without Ruth by her side, and Hugh of course. She glanced at her brother who was trying to loudly explain something irrelevant to Jack across the table.

The room was buzzing with life, laughter, and cheers of excitement filled the room as Tatty brought over the chocolate cake and laid it before John, a few candles stuck into the icing.

Everyone around the table erupted into a chorus…

“Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday dear Bucky,

Happy birthday to you!”

Hoots, hollers, and laughter followed as John leaned forward with a beaming smile, extinguishing the candles in one breath. He fell back into his chair, laughing wildly. Ruth snuggled back in under his arm and he pulled her close, pressing his lips to her hairline.

“You’re too good to me, slugger,” he murmured against her skin.

Ruth looked delightedly back at him, “You deserve it. Happy birthday.”

He craned his neck to look down at her, trying to engrain the moment into his mind before he leaned in and captured her lips in his. It was short and sweet but conveyed all the gratitude and affection John felt for the nurse.

Although he may not have said it out loud, she meant everything to him.

Ruth glanced over at Hope as she pushed her chair away from the table, brushing the creases from her dress. Gale’s hand that had been resting on her thigh moved quickly, clutching her hand.

“Where are you going?” Gale glanced up at her, his long lashes casting shadows beneath his eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Hope bent over, pressing her lips to his cheek, “I won’t be long.”

Gale released her hand reluctantly, his eyes following her across the hall as she disappeared behind the band. He was confused about what she was up to, her sideways glances between the stage and back all evening gave him an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

John was laughing loudly at something Benny had said when her familiar voice came over the microphone.

“Could I have everyone’s attention please,” Hope spoke softly but firmly into the microphone, causing everyone in the room to turn. “Thank you.” Hope looked a little nervous, her hands clasped in front of her.

She wasn’t used to public speaking, having never really been a fan of big crowds ever since she went to a baseball game with Hugh. It was probably one of the main reasons why she made a good nurse, the one-on-one contact with another person was something that came so naturally to her.

She cleared her throat, trying to avoid all the eyes that were suddenly on her and concentrate on the one pair of eyes that truly mattered to her. Gale’s.

“Like me, you are all here to celebrate a certain Major’s birthday. I’m sure all of you have many stories you could tell about Bucky.” The room erupted into a small chorus to ‘to rights’ and ‘hell yeah we do’.

“So what can I say about Major John Egan? I’ve only known him for two months and he sure does love to rock the boat. He’s quite the character,” a few mumbled agreements followed.

“He’s a damn good pilot and a good friend. I couldn't think of anyone more suited for Ruth,” Hope pointed towards her friend. “I would also like to thank the very lovely Ruth Morgan for putting this whole evening together for us.”

Several cheers erupted around the table, and for once, Ruth’s cheeks didn’t flush. She held her head high as John reached out and brushed her curls away, kissing her temple with a chuckle, obviously noticing the change from her usual behavior.

“Thank you again, doll,” he mumbled, a soft smile on his lips, but before Ruth could speak up, Hope began talking over the microphone once more.

“So without further ado, this one’s for you, John,” Hope moved across the stage and placed the record down onto the gramophone.

The disk turned for a few seconds until the smooth trumpet began to play, Hope tapped her foot along to the beat, waiting for her time to start.

“Blue skies, smiling at me

Nothing but blue skies do I see”

Hope’s voice flowed effortlessly into the microphone, playing through the horn, filling the long hall with life.

“Blue days, all of them gone

Nothing but blue skies from now on”

Hope’s eyes met Gale’s, as he beamed at her from the audience, a wide smile gracing his handsome face and his blue eyes sparkled in awe. She’d never felt so enamored in her life than she did at that moment under Gale’s gaze, and the lyrics flowed easily.

“Blue days, all of them gone

Nothing but blue skies from now on”

Ruth and John swayed beside each other from their cozy spot at the table. His arm draped over her shoulder as he spoke quietly to her.

“You’re an adorable drunk, you know that?”

Her high-pitched giggles filled the air around them as she beamed up at him. “I’m not drunk.”

“Maybe not yet, but you’re sure tipsy,” he chuckled, sipping his second pint of the night. “I’m starting to think I’m a bad influence.”

“You? Never! It’s not like you got blackout drunk and pulled a Narwhal tusk off-”

Before Ruth could finish her sentence, John’s hand quickly covered her mouth, his eyes widening in mock horror. “Aaaand that’s it for you, Ruthie. Speaking privileges revoked.”

“Hey!” She protested into his palm, trying to pry his hand away.

“Are you ready to be nice, now? You can’t be mean to the birthday boy. It’s against the rules.”

Ruth rolled her eyes, her words muffled against his hand. “And who came up with these rules?”

“Yours truly.”

Just as she started to snark back at him, the song came to an end and the crowd burst into a round of applause as Hope made her way from the stage to Gale’s side.

Eyeing her skeptically, Bucky slowly removed his hand from her mouth and tilted his face down towards her. “You gonna behave?”

Before she could stop herself, Ruth’s mouth spat the first thought that ran through her inebriated mind. “Only if you want me to.”

The blonde’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as soon as the words left her lips, and she threw a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening in horror. Johnny’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, amusement and disbelief painting his features as he peered down at her.

“That did not just come out of my mouth,” she blurted. “Please tell me I didn’t say that.”

Bucky’s lips twitched with suppressed laughter as he nodded slowly, teasing her. “Oh, you definitely did.”

Groaning, she buried her still reddening face into her hands. “I can’t believe I just said that. I’m never drinking again.”

John decided that he rather liked tipsy Ruth…but not as much as his darling, sober, Ruth. This Ruth was more carefree, the almost ever-present flicker of concern in her eyes gone as she simply enjoyed what happened around her.

The woman’s heart was so big, and John knew that was why she felt everything so deeply…because she loved so deeply.

Hope settled back down beside Gale, and his arm instinctively wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her into his side one more.

“That was beautiful,” Gale mumbled, pressing his lips to her temple.

Hope smiled up at him, “Thank you,” she chuckled, “Just wait until it’s your birthday, Major. I have a whole lot up my sleeve.”

Gale hummed in amusement, kissing her temple again, “I look forward to it.”

“Hey, hey,” John butted in, snapping his fingers at them over the table. “You two keep that for your alone time. We’ve got a cake to eat, and I’m gonna hurl like Croz here if you keep talking like that.”

“Oh, come on!” Harry sighed, dragging a tired hand down his face. “I’m never gonna live that down.”

Ruth remembered Hope telling her of the poor navigator’s airsickness, and she was relieved that her own bout of projectile vomiting stopped in the early stages of her training at Bowman Field. The rumble of John’s chest against her broke her from her thoughts.

“But thank you, Hope. You almost sounded as good as me up there.”

“Well, that’s an insult,” Bill Veal scoffed, pulling up a chair to the table.

The table exploded in laughter and nods of agreement and Ruth nodded, snickering to herself as Johnny’s face screwed up in playful confusion. “I thought you liked my singing?”

“Oh, I do,” she smiled and patted his cheek gently. “But I never said you were Frank Sinatra, hon.”

“Well, in that case, I guess I’ll have to impress you with my dance moves.”

John stood to his feet, pulling Ruth with him by her hand. “See you, boys.”

He tugged her behind him to the dance floor where a few other couples were already dancing their hearts out to the upbeat tune of Glenn Miller’s ‘A String of Pearls.’ With a wide grin, John spun Ruth around the dance floor, watching her face light up as they got lost in the moment. With every spin, dip, and kiss, their laughter filled the room, and even though Ruth stumbled a few times, Bucky’s firm grip kept her steady, his smile never faltering.

They became aware of the Armstrong siblings' presence on the dance floor when a few “sorry’s” filled the air, and John cackled as he watched Hugh spin his sister into other couples, earning a few cross glares.

“Good thing you don’t fly like you dance, Sparky,” Bucky called, “You’d take out the whole 8th Air Force with those skills!”

Hugh spun around, ready to defend his honor, but Hope quickly swung him away from Ruth and John with a small smile.

A few more fast-paced songs passed until the tempo slowed and the couple began to sway gently back and forth. Their faces shone with the lightest shimmer of sweat as they breathlessly smiled at each other. Bridging the gap between them, Ruth pulled John down by his neck and pressed another kiss against his lips. She could taste whiskey and a hint of mint lingering from his signature chewing gum.

“Can we go somewhere quiet?” she panted softly.

A smirk made its way onto his reddened face. “Yeah,” John nodded before leading them through dancing couples to the back door.

The cool September night soothed the heat of their cheeks as they pushed through the entrance, the sounds of Glenn Miller muffling as the door closed behind them.

Squeezing her hand once, Bucky pulled her away from the building. “I’ve got the perfect place in mind.”

19:30 HRS: 7:30 PM: Muggs' Hardstand

“Up here?” Ruth giggled, pointing at the tall wing above her head. “I can’t even reach the thing.”

Johnny’s lips curled into a grin as he widened his stance and got low, lacing his fingers together. “Come on, I’ll give you a boost.”

After staring at him with narrowed eyes for a few moments, Ruth sighed and lifted one foot into his hands, bracing herself against his shoulders. “You better not drop me, Major.”

“I won’t. You’re light as a feather, doll,” he laughed, raising his eyebrows. “If anything, you’d be the one to make yourself fall, Miss Klutz.”

Ruth smacked his shoulder playfully with a roll of her eyes. “Oh, shut up.”

Counting to three, he easily hoisted her up to the wing and handed her the small brown parcel she’d placed on the ground. Ruth sat at the edge of the wing, her feet dangling below her as she fixed the twine bow tied around John’s gift. She couldn’t deny the pang of anxiety that ran through her at the sobering thought of actually giving him the present.

‘What if he doesn’t like it?’ she thought.

She was pulled from her thoughts when John’s warm thigh pressed against hers. “You know, nobody’s ever done something like this for me.”

“A surprise party?”

“No,” he said quietly, staring out at the English countryside. “Just made me feel special, I guess…so, thank you, Ruth. This is the best birthday I’ve had in a while.”

Ruth leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing contently as he slid his hand to her waist. “You deserve it. I know things have been rough lately.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled absentmindedly.

“How was the mission?”

He sucked his teeth and took a deep breath. “Mine got scrubbed over target, but Buck’s dropped. No casualties.”

“You split up? That’s not normal, is it?”

“Doesn’t happen much, but Buck being up there without me…I hate it. I know I shouldn’t worry and that he can take care of himself, but I feel better when I can watch his back, you know?”

Ruth sat up off his shoulder and turned to face him, tucking her leg beneath her. “He’s your best friend, John. It’s okay to worry about him.”

“I know,” he nodded with pursed lips. “I just used to think we were invincible, and then…”

‘Then Curt,’ Ruth thought, her heart clenching as she heard a twinge of pain in his voice. ‘Then they lost so many.’

Neither spoke for a few moments, the sounds of the party in the distance hanging in the air.

“Curt and I, we uh, used to come up here,” John said quietly, his mind flashing back to the night he’d asked his friend to punch him…begged him to make him feel something. “He liked you a lot. Told me I seemed happier since we met.”

Gently laying a hand on his thigh, Ruth waited for him to continue.

Bucky’s mournful gaze softened as his eyes drifted from the countryside down to her moonlit face. “I am, you know,” he admitted, running the back of his hand against the soft skin of her cheek. “Happier. Tonight especially, doll.”

“You make me happier, too, John. That’s all I wanted for tonight. For you to have a good time and enjoy yourself.”

“Trust me, I did...I am.”

He then tilted her chin up to him and kissed her softly, sighing against her lips as they pulled apart, foreheads resting against the others.

“I have something for you,” Ruth whispered, her heart skipping a beat in anticipation as she grabbed it off the wing beside her. “It’s not much, alright? Don’t get your hopes up.”

She held the small brown package between them with a nervous smile, watching John’s eyes brighten and a toothless grin tug on his lips. “Oh, Ruthie, you didn’t have to.”

Ruth shrugged before excitedly shoving it into his hand. “I wanted to. Now open it!”

With a chuckle, he took it from her and removed the twine, followed by the paper, revealing a book.

“The Odor of Violets,” John read aloud, a line growing between his brows. “A mystery novel.”

Panic surged through the blonde at his reaction, or lack thereof, and she found herself rambling as she reached to take it back. “I’m sorry, this was a terrible gift. I-I can take it back if you don’t like it. It’s set in New York and has action, so I thought you’d maybe-”

Before she could finish her sentence, John cut her off with another kiss, his lips pressing firmly against hers. When they parted, he held her gaze with a soft intensity that sent goosebumps across her body. “Ruthie,” he murmured lowly, a soft smile painting his features. “I love it. It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten. Thank you.”

Relief flooded her system and a radiant smile spread across her face as she scanned his for any sign of dishonesty. “You’re not just saying that?”

“Course not. You could’ve gotten me a damn pack of gum and I’d love it.”

Ruth’s heart swelled at his words, her doubts vanishing like wisps of smoke in the night as his eyes traced the delicate curves of her face illuminated by the soft glow of the moon. His eyes flickered to her lips before closing the gap between them, kissing her gently with his hand cradling her jaw. Their movements were slow, each brush of their lips bringing warmth to her already rosy cheeks.

As they pulled back, John’s face hovered just inches from Ruth’s, his breath mingling with hers in the cool night air. His grey eyes were full of longing and desire as he gazed into her baby blues shining with anticipation. Their close proximity sent shivers down her spine, and she couldn’t help but grasp his tie and tug him into another kiss, her heart racing with a feeling she’d never experienced before.

Immediately reciprocating the action, Johnny gripped her waist, and with a soft sigh, she leaned into him. The kiss deepened as he eased her onto the cool metal surface of the wing. With his hands braced against the wing on either side of her body, John hovered over Ruth, his eyes not leaving hers as their lips continued to meet. Their embrace grew slightly more intense, fueled by the growing passion between them, and Ruth’s mind went fuzzy as she tangled her fingers in his curls and tugged him closer, reveling in the sensation of his lips and body against hers.

His lips trailed from hers down to her jaw, placing delicate kisses along it until a giggle bubbled up from her. John’s face hovered directly over hers with a toothy grin. “What?” he asked breathlessly.

Ruth beamed up at him, her eyes shining with joy as she ran her thumb over his mustache. “It tickles.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded, biting her bottom lip to contain her smile. “Yeah.”

“Well, in that case…” John grinned, peppering kisses all over her face and making sure to excessively brush his upper lip across her skin.

Ruth’s giggles filled the air and with each one, John’s heart skipped a beat in his chest. He decided her laugh was his favorite sound in the world, and that he wouldn’t be upset if he heard it for the rest of his days.

“Hey!” Ruth exclaimed, mischief flashing in her eyes as she brought a finger to point at her lips. “You’re missing your target, Major.”

Bucky’s brows raised and crinkled his forehead. “We can’t have that, now, can we?”

Once more, their lips met, but it was gentler than before, a kiss of pure adoration. John groaned softly against her lips, his open-mouthed sighs barely above the gentle English breeze as she played with the hair on the nape of his neck.

He was like putty beneath her touch and he knew it.

Fighting every instinct inside him, John pulled away from her, pressing a soft peck on her cheek before rolling onto his back and staring at the moonlit clouds above them. Ruth followed suit, nestling into his side as he wrapped his arm around her, the other propped behind his head.

“Thank you,” John rasped as he squeezed her hip lightly. “For everything. Not just for tonight, either.”

Ruth lifted her head to get a better look at his face. His brows furrowed and he pursed his lips in thought staring into the sky. Resting her hands on his chest, she propped her chin atop them, studying his features. “You don’t have to thank me. You never have to thank me, John. I-”

The words that came to her mind hit her like a punch in the gut…I love you.

In all of her 24 years, Ruth Morgan never felt strongly about anyone to even think the words, but with John, her Bucky, her hotshot, the words almost spilled from her lips involuntarily.

She loved him. She knew that, but a little voice in the back of her mind screamed at her to wait. That it was too soon.

“I-I’m here for you,” she finished instead, her stomach swirling with regret as soon as the words left her lips.

Johnny’s gaze softened as he looked at her. “I know you are. And that means more than you’ll ever know, doll.”

He brought a hand up to gently cup her cheek, his touch warm against her skin. Ruth’s heart fluttered at his touch and her breath caught in her throat as she met his gaze. The moment stretched between them, neither able to tear their eyes away from the ones across from them.

“I’m here, too,” he nodded. “Whenever you need me.”

Ruth’s lips formed into a bashful grin and she laid her head back down on his chest, her fingers tracing lazy circles on his shirt.

“You know,” she sighed, allowing the steady beat of his heart to calm her racing one. “I never imagined I’d find myself here, lying on the wing of a B-17 with someone like you.”

John chuckled, the sound vibrating beneath her cheek. “Someone like me? So you’re sayin’ you imagined being here with some other chump?”

“You know what I mean,” Ruth groaned, playfully swatting his arm as her laughter hung in the air.

He grinned at her, his eyes sparkling in the dim light. “Yeah, I do. And I gotta say, I’m glad it’s me up here with you, too.”

20:10 HRS: 8:10 PM

The couple spent a while longer talking into the quiet night until the music in the distance stopped playing, and they knew it was time to return to their huts. They walked hand in hand to the Red Cross hut where the women were waiting inside excitedly for their last two occupants to arrive.

Stopping at the door, Ruth chewed at her lip and turned to face John, sliding her arms around his shoulders. “Goodnight, handsome. Happy birthday,” she whispered.

“Night,” he replied and kissed her softly. As Bucky pulled away, his eyes flicked to the window and he chuckled under his breath. “Tell Tatty that she needs to get her hut in line.”

Ruth followed his eyes to the window to see Tatty, Helen, and another Red Cross girl watching them through a crack in the curtains. Realizing they’d been caught, the curtains flew shut and their hushed laughter leaked from under the door.

A blush made its way to her face as she reached for the door handle, sparing John one more glance to which he just shot her a wink. Ruth closed the door behind her, and then the hut came alive, each of the women swarming her with questions. To her relief, Tatty shooed them all away and brought her over to the blonde’s bed for the night.

“Seems like someone had a good night,” she smiled, chuckling as she pointed to Ruth’s mouth.

Ruth wiped her hand around her lips and her eyes widened when her fingers came back bright pink. “I’m gonna kill him,” she blurted loudly, unable to keep a grin off her face as she quickly wiped the victory red smudges from her lips. “I don’t care if he’s the birthday boy or not.”

“Take a swing for me when you do, alright?”

Patting the nurse on her shoulder, Tatty left her to get ready for bed while the rest of them did the same. Ruth shook her head and snuggled under her blankets as her mind replayed the day. She didn’t worry about Hope, for she knew she was probably off somewhere with Buck, doing what lovers do in the night.

They were getting married, after all. They loved each other.

Staring off at the wall in front of her, Ruth’s lips tugged into a small grin at her ‘almost’ confession to John. The moment was right, she should’ve told him how she felt…but she didn’t, and she promised herself she wouldn’t take the next opportunity for granted.

Before long, the door creaked open, and in walked Hope, her long dark hair sopping wet as a barely perceivable blush dusted her cheeks. Ruth raised an amused eyebrow at her friend, her eyes scanning the woman suspiciously as she approached their bunks. Staying silent for a few moments, Ruth’s excitement and curiosity bubbled from within her and she tugged Hope to sit down beside her.

“Tell me everything!”

20:55 HRS: 8:55 PM

John sighed and sunk into his bunk, leaning against the wall as he reached for his new book. He smiled down at the cover at the thought of Ruth…her excitement to give it to him, her worried rambles when she thought he didn’t like it. He flipped open the cover and was met with her familiar neat cursive handwriting.

‘A teacher’s handwriting,’ he always thought.

My Hotshot, Happy 28th birthday! I hope your day has been as amazing as you are, old man! I know this isn’t much of a present, but when I saw it, you immediately came to my mind and I knew I had to buy it. Not that you aren’t constantly on my mind, but…you get what I’m saying. You’d think as an English teacher, I’d be able to string together some eloquent words to make this sound good, but when it comes to you, hon, my mind gets fuzzy and I can’t ever think straight. Anyway, I know how much you love Guys and Dolls, and I think you’ll like this one, too. I adore you, John, and I hope you’ll think of me each time you open this book. Happy Birthday, honey. Affectionately yours, Ruth Morgan

Warmth filled his body as he read the words for a second, a third, and a fourth time. Just like her letters, Bucky could hear her sweet voice reading her words. With a soft sigh, John grasped the cross around his neck as he leaned his head back onto the wall, his eyes fluttering shut. Ruth’s smiling face appeared in his mind, and he almost felt her soft lips against his.

It took him nearly twenty minutes of scrubbing to get the last remnants of her lipstick from his face once, but every second was all worth it.

Bucky’s eyes opened as Gale strolled into the hut, his towel resting over his shoulder and his hair still dripping from his shower.

“Where the hell have you been?” Hugh asked, cocking his head to the right. “I was about to send out a search party to save you from my sister.”

Gale snorted, “I didn’t need any saving…the ‘future Mrs Cleven’ and I had a fine evening.”

Hugh rolled his eyes, “Oh gosh, you know what that means.”

Before Hugh could continue, Harding poked his head in the door with Major Bowman behind him.

“Evening Gentlemen. Everyone alright?” A chorus of ‘Yes Sir’ followed, and Harding nodded.

“Good. Glad you all had a good time. I just wanted to remind you all that the rule of ‘no women in the huts’ still stands. That goes for you too, Cleven.” He pointed at Gale suspiciously, eyeing him up and down before returning his attention to the rest of the men. “Have a good night, Gents.”

The door slammed shut and the room was left in silence, all the men looking at Gale, who was still standing in the center of the room in utter disbelief when John spoke up from his spot on his bed, placing ‘The Odor of Violets’ onto his nightstand.

“Buck, you sly dog,” he chuckled, pointing at his best friend with his brows raised. “You finally got some action!!”

A few moments later, the door opened again and it was Red’s face that appeared in the doorway. “And Egan,” the man sighed, fighting a smirk from appearing on his lips. “Next time you decide to give your girl a plane tour, make sure there’s no ground crewman in the cockpit, alright? Night, boys.”

The second the door closed, the hut erupted into laughter with John’s being the loudest, his cackles echoing off the thin metal walls. “No one tells Ruth! She’ll never wanna be seen with me again!”

Gale released a grateful sigh, thankful that the attention was no longer on him. John was used to that kind of spotlight, but Buck was not.

“Sounds like you’re the one who got some action, Bucky,” DeMarco yelled from across the room.

“No action over here,” John shrugged, settling back down onto his cot and grabbing his book.

Bill scoffed on his cot beside Johnny’s. “I don’t believe that for one second. You two were all over each other.”

“And you disappeared pretty early,” Bubbles added with a smirk.

“What? I swear! Is it that unbelievable?”

A chorus of ‘yeahs’ filled the hut at the question, and Bucky shook his head with a shrug, finding his place in the book. “Believe what you want, boys, but nothing happened.”

They continued to argue, but he just blocked them out, smiling to himself as he thought of the party and his evening spent with Ruth. John’s eyes drifted over to Gale across the room, who was seemingly doing the same thing, a small grin on his face that only appeared in Hope’s presence or at the thought of the nurse.

Feeling eyes on him, Buck’s gaze roamed around the room until it met Johnny’s over his book. The older man sent him a questioning eyebrow and when Gale shrugged with a smirk, he knew all he needed to know. And when Gale sent him the same look, Bucky simply winked and went back to his book. Buck knew he was telling the truth.

It seemed the women in their lives brought out the other side of them…Hope brought out the boldness in Gale, and Ruth drew out the loving and calmer John that Buck knew him to be.

The rest of the hut was still in disbelief at the atypical behavior of their friends, but Hugh just grinned from his position on his cot…he knew exactly why they both acted that way:

They were in love.

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