Pilot (ft. TWICE's Chaeyoung) [Fluff]

The airbase is always so busy.

Every day, you arrive at work to pilots requesting maintenance or refueling, or your bosses requiring you to stock-take your stores. The mechanic life is never easy, but you enjoy the hard work. After all, there is nothing else you’re better at than handiwork. How you end up working at a military airbase is quite the story, but to sum it up, you had a passion for aerospace, which led you to join up with the Air Force. You found yourself excelling at maintenance during the training, and now it was your career.

The airbase houses a ton of military staff. Pilots come and go, of course, alongside many departments, such as Administration, Training, Air Traffic Control. You recognize lots of faces: Corporal Kim Shin Woo in Admin, Lance Corporal Lee over in Training, and as for the pilots, you know almost all of them. However, you have a favourite: Captain Son Chaeyoung.

The Captain is a young, feisty woman. Most places would not tolerate the things she does, especially with how she handles her piloting. However, she somehow manages to escape consequences that people ranked higher than her would not escape from. You deem it strange, but you choose not to think about it too much. After all, you’re only a Corporal, and a mechanic.

“Yah, Seo Minjun!”

You look up from your tinkering at your workbench. “Oh, hey Captain!”

“It’s just Chaeyoung when we’re alone, buddy. I kinda need some maintenance. I’ll drop by later, yeah?”

You smile brightly. “Sure! I’ll be waiting!”

Chaeyoung grins, her prominent dimples appearing on her cheeks. She gives you a wave before sticking both hands into her pockets, skipping away. Today, she wears non-regulation uniform: long-sleeved button down, grey slacks, combat boots. How did she not get ordered to change clothes? You blush at at how cool she looks.

Yes, you were down bad for her. A cute female pilot with a decent amount of mechanical knowledge, looking the way she does? Naturally, you end up crushing on her. However, you are only a Corporal, and she a Captain. What chance do you have? Shaking your head to clear your thoughts, you return to your tinkering.

Chaeyoung’s plane soon taxies its way into your hangar, and you rise to greet her. As Chaeyoung disembarks from the plane, she waves at you again, and you weakly wave back. She steps next to you, and pats you on the back. “You’re the best, Minjun-ah. Thank you!” She then stands on her tiptoes and pecks you on the cheek. Immediately, you burst out blushing, even though this is a regular occurrence. Chaeyoung gives you a soft smile, pushing you towards the plane. You step towards it, with a renewed sense of purpose. Her plane would be the most well-maintained plane in all of the base.

———–

You spend hours on the plane, inspecting and fixing any issues you meet. Chaeyoung lies patiently on the old couch you have, repeatedly throwing a ball up in the air and catching it.

“Minjun-ie, are you done?”

The pet name Chaeyoung gives you makes you jump a little. You turn to her, calling out, “Yeah, almost done, Captain.”

“Call me Chaeyoung, Minjun-ie~,” she whines. “No need to be so formal!”

“Okay, Chaeyoung…”

“Yeah! That’s right!”

The Captain has been around longer than you have. She is two years your senior, in terms of how long both of you had been in the airbase. Somehow, she seems to have taken a liking to you. Most people here do not have the privilege of calling her by her name, and yet she allows you to do so. You refuse to think too much about why, though. Maybe she’s just nice.

“I’m done, Captain!”

“Chae. Young.” She pouts. “Call. Me. Chae. Young. Goddamnit, Minjun-ie.” Chaeyoung rises to her feet, her boots clacking against the floor as she moves towards you. She pulls you in for a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around you as she sways you from side to side. “Thank you for spending the extra time, Minjun-ie!”

You try to resist. “We’re at work, Captain! This is unprofessional!”

“They won’t punish me, it’s fine! Besides, why can’t I hug the cute mechanic that spent extra time on my plane? I have to pay extra for complimentary work!”

Wait. She knew?

“Of course I know, idiot. You don’t usually take that long. I trust you did good.” Chaeyoung breaks the hug, her bright smile reaches her eyes, and you visibly short circuit in front of her. She boops your nose with her finger, and gets in her plane, but leaves the top open as she furrows her brows.

“Say, are you free this Friday?”

“Huh, err… um, yes. Yes I am.” You pathetically stumble through your words, your face burning in embarrassment.

“Good. Let’s go on a date. I’m done waiting for you to confess to me. You like me, and I like you too. You’re my cute mechanic from now on.” Chaeyoung slides her helmet on her head, blowing you a kiss as she smiles cheekily. Her plane taxies out of your hangar, and you remain stunned on the spot long after she leaves.

What?

You have a date?

A date with… Captain Son Chaeyoung?

The cute pilot of your dreams, that Son Chaeyoung?

You celebrate by jumping up and down, cheering in excitement. She likes you. She likes you!

You can’t wait for Friday.