Try Again
Summary: Feelings don't die without a fight.
Words: 1069
Warnings: Fluff
A/N: I loved writing this one so much.
The heat of San Diego was hard to handle but it was something Beau Simpson had become accustomed to in his time serving at North Island. Right now, though, the heat building inside him had a different cause. The sight of his ex-wife, the woman he had reconnected with just a few months ago, the only woman who could ever tempt him to leave the Navy, was standing just a few feet away under a gazebo with none other than Pete Mitchell, the biggest troublemaker on base and the biggest thorn in his side.
She knew his feelings towards the man; she’d known how he felt about the insufferable pilot since before they divorced, before they married. The amount of messes that Beau had to clean up from the headstrong, reckless pilot outnumbered the amount of times he’d bought flowers for his wife in the ten years they were together. Though, maybe that wasn’t something to brag about.
As he watched the exchange from beneath the shaded overhang of the building, his brain reminded him of everything he’d ever loved about her. Her willingness to go along with any plan, her incredible ideas when it came to design and engineering, and the biggest heart he’d ever had the pleasure of knowing. The gazebo she was standing under was a volunteer project for the local high school, something set up so that teachers could have a place outside to work on lesson plans in peace.
The moment Mitchell’s arms wrapped around her, he began moving, hurrying across the parking lot where he’d just come from speaking to the principal about the NJROTC program. Mitchell slipped out of the backside of the structure, not sparing a glance in the Admiral’s direction as he approached.
Beau stopped at the entrance of the gazebo and slipped his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to turn around instead of announcing himself. He watched quietly as she packed up her supplies, humming to herself, a sign she was lost in her own thoughts. Beau smiled as he watched her, his heart pounding in his chest while his mind reeled with memories of the two of them together years ago, before the end of their romance.
“Beau,” she gasped, pulling him out of his musings and back to the present.
“Hey, Kitten,” he greeted, his voice low.
“I didn’t know you were here. I…I didn’t think…” she trailed off, her eyes locked onto his.
Beau could see something swimming behind her eyes. Maybe it’s the memories of our divorce, he theorized. “How are you?”
“Uh, good. I’m good. How are you, Bobo?”
The old nickname made him chuckle while making his heart squeeze in his chest. He didn’t realize how much he missed her until his eyes landed on her moments ago. “I’ve been better,” he answered honestly. “Can I, uh, give you a hand?”
“It’s just clean up. You don’t have to,” she shrugged.
“I didn’t ask because I feel obligated. I’d like to actually talk to you, see what you’ve been up to the last fifteen years. Find out how you ended up here.”
She studied him for a moment, eyebrows furrowed and eyes narrowed. With a sigh, she said, “okay. I’d ask what you’d been doing but I can see it’s been all work, Admiral. Some things don’t change.”
Beau ducked his head momentarily before raising it slightly, looking her in the eyes. “I know I messed up with us. And I will forever regret it. But how did you end up back here?”
“An old friend called in a favor. Her sister teaches here and they passed the project at the last school board meeting. Penny knew that I had the skills they wanted and then some so she called me.”
“And you came.”
“Yeah. Penny even sent a few of the locals to give me a hand. Including her boyfriend.”
“So you did the project with Mitchell today?”
“Mitch - Pete? Yeah, why?”
“No reason. I just didn’t realize you knew him that well.”
“I don’t. He’s Penny’s boyfriend.”
It was at that moment that everything clicked into place for Beau. He remembered that Penny had a history with one of the pilots on base and that he’d heard all about the way the guy kept showing up and disappearing. He didn’t realize at that time that it was the same pilot he’d been cleaning up after.
“You look like the light bulb just went off,” she chuckled smugly, stacking boxes of tools near the doorway.
“It did, actually. Somehow I never put two and two together that your Penny was the Penny Benjamin of The Hard Deck, the one who had been involved off and on with Pete Mitchell, thorn in my side for twenty years,” he agreed.
“I didn’t realize that’s who that was, either.” Her eyes were wide with amusement as her hand covered her mouth, trying to suppress the giggles.
“If, uh, if you’re not busy tonight, would you like to have dinner? With me?” he blurted, unable to contain the urge to spend more time with her.
Her eyes met his and searched, her head tilted as she watched him. He kept eye contact, his gaze softening the longer he stared. He wouldn’t let her know that he’d all but stopped breathing while he waited for her answer, toes tapping the inside of his shoe to keep himself from fidgeting outwardly.
“Will you cook for me, Bobo?”
“Kitten, I’ll do anything you want.”
“There’s no girlfriend or wife to be worried about, is there?”
“Uh, no,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “There hasn’t been anyone serious since you.”
“For me, either,” she admitted as she closed the gap between them. “I never stopped loving you, missing you.”
“No one could ever compare to you. Kitten, will you give me another chance?”
“Will you chase me if I leave this time?”
“Baby, I will follow you to the ends of the earth, Navy court martial be damned.” He reached for her, his hand wrapping her waist and tugging her close. Before she could react, his lips were on hers, kissing her with the pent up longing and realization that came with age. In that moment, they were one again, a team, together against the world.
He vowed then and there that she’d never doubt the way he needed her, wanted her, ever again.
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