Call Sign: Love

Chapter 5: Operation Torpedo

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The annoying, but steady rhythm of the alarm on your phone woke you out of the most comfortable sleep you've ever remembered being in. Slowly blinking one eye, you reached over to where your phone laid abandoned on the bedside table and shut it off. Glancing around with one eye barely functioning and the other still powering on, you noticed that you were alone.

Slowly, you rolled yourself off the bed and looked around for the tall blonde, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Jake?" You called out, your voice harsh from not using it since last night.

Some of the soreness is still apparent between your legs, reminding you of your previous night's activities. A twinge of pain in your temple sent a flashback of what happened also making an appearance. Needless to say, you were disoriented.

"Morning sunshine." Jake's voice called out from the hallway, echoing as he came closer.

He stood in the doorframe, his flight suit halfway on, the black t-shirt stretching across his chest was a welcome sight in the morning.

Jake had learned from his frequent morning visits that you weren't exactly an early bird person. Sure you could get up and get around but you grumbled about it the entire way.

"You are too awake for this hour." You huffed rubbing your eyes.

The view Jake had of you was stunning. Messed up bed head, his Texas T-shirt resting just low enough to give you some decency, but showing enough that if given the chance, you two would wind up back in bed. And with the work call fast approaching, he had to stop himself.

"How are you feeling?" Jake asked coming over and offering you the coffee mug in his hand.

"Confused?" You answered taking the mug from him and taking a sip, appreciating that it didn't scald your tongue immediately.

Jake's smile matched your emotion, he cocked his head to the side and waited for an explanation.

"My head feels like it is heavier than the rest of me, but the rest of me feels good." You explained, eyes still squinting from the pain.

"Some of that's probably the concussion, sweetheart." Jake answered and you rolled your eyes at his blatant observation. "but the other part is all my doing." He added, his hand finding its way to the lower part of your back where your underwear met your backside.

"We have to get ready for work." You reminded, taking another sip from the coffee before handing it back. Heading into the bathroom.

"I'll be waiting for you in the living room!" Jake called as the door closed.

Jake's leg was bouncing as he was waiting for you to finish. He glanced around and noticed that you had been slowly decorating the space you had for the holidays. You saw a few pictures of likely friends from back home. He even saw Ghost in one of the pictures. There was a particular picture that caught his attention on a corner table by your couch.

It was a man he didn't recognize from any of your team, holding a cute little girl in a cat Halloween costume with the biggest smile on both of their faces. The grainy texture of the photograph indicated its age. The picture was torn in one corner. The second one beside it was the same man standing next to a very young you at your naval academy graduation. Your face looked similar, just softer and adorable. Pride beamed on the man's face. Jake didn't miss the navy cap on his head that had a ship across the front of it. You came from a military family too. Just like him.

A daddy's girl.

Yet he hadn't heard much of your father.

Or any of your family.