Work Text:
When he got the call, he was almost as excited as if he were going to be a father himself.
Goose had been his best friend and indispensable RIO ever since they met shortly after he had finished his naval aviation training. They were one of the best duos wherever they were stationed and already got the attention of some of the higher ups. Once Goose met Carole, they had an advantage that not many of the younger active naval officers could boast about.
You see, Carole was Goose’s soulmate and having a RIO that could see in color put them in a whole other bracket, not just in their squadron but in the entire US Navy - maybe even globally. Only half the population managed to find their soulmate while still in their thirties, and it wasn’t like people didn’t fall in love in other ways. So many settled down and started families before it was too late - soulmate or not.
But Mav knew it was different. Just being in the presence of Goose and Carole made him see that this kind of love was something he was willing to wait for. And if he found that special someone and it made him the best fighter pilot in the US Navy - well, that would just be the cherry on top.
Until recently, Goose was doing his best to find Mav that special someone. They would go to bars, to live shows, to discos, and one meeting of eyes would be all that it took. But Mav’s world remained in greyscale. And now that Carole’s delivery date was approaching, Goose remained by her side and Mav was for the time being left to his own devices.
***
“It’s a boy, it’s a healthy baby boy!”
The clock read 4:42 am when Mav stumbled out of bed to reach the telephone in the hallway. He had been expecting the call and any sign of sleepiness had evaporated the moment he heard Goose’s voice on the other end of the line.
“That’s great! I’m so happy for you! I’m on my wa–” Mav got cut off by Goose.
“Visiting hours start at 8, but I can’t wait for you to see him. He’s perfect.”
“I’m sure he is. See you then!”
***
One might say that coming to the hospital fully decked out in coffee, bagels, a big plush teddy and a balloon with appropriate text might be a bit much, but it’s not like Mav had been able to go back to sleep.
The nurse at the reception desk told him the room number. Making his way through the labyrinth of hospital corridors and elevators he finally arrived at room 432 and carefully opened the door.
His gaze fell to the bed in the room, Carole’s face turned away towards the window, her chest calmly rising and falling. No doubt exhausted from hours of labor. Then his eyes drifted to one of the corners, Goose sitting on a surprisingly comfortable looking chair, a little bundle in his arms.
And the smile on Goose’s face was the biggest Mav had ever seen.
Making sure not to disturb Carole’s sleep, Mav set down the breakfast and gifts he had brought along, silently communicating with Goose about what he was holding in his arms. Goose stood up and allowed Mav to take a closer look. “May I?” he mouthed and the little baby boy was settled in his arms, carefully supporting the head.
There he was, the result of Carole’s and Goose’s love.
The first thing he noticed were his healthy red glowing cheeks. He had heard from people how pink most newborns were in the beginning but he seemed the picture of vitality.
The second thing he noticed were his healthy red glowing cheeks.
Wait. What.
Tearing his eyes away from the surprisingly quiet but attentive baby in his arms, he looked around the room.
The teddy bear had a colorfully patterned fly around its neck. The balloon was the gender appropriate blue. Just like the sky outside.
Growing up among people with soulmates and years of consuming media created by color-seeing people had given everyone a good idea what color most things were. Hell, every kindergartener knew that ladybugs were red, even if they didn’t quite know what that meant.
The shock of experiencing the world like this first hand was still something no one could have prepared him for.
In his confusion he looked at Goose and then back to the baby.
“So those cheeks run in the family…,” Mav murmured to himself.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Not sure of what to do he let the little boy play with his finger a bit. The baby greedily grabbed at it and seemed wholly uninterested in the man that had held him last. But Goose seemed content just watching the interaction play out.
After another minute of this Mav had come to a decision.
“I gotta do something real quick,” Mav said while handing the baby back to Goose.
“But you just got here,” Goose replied, visibly confused.
“I’m not leaving, I just gotta… do something.”
***
“Come on, Mav. She’s gotta be around here somewhere.”
Full of purpose and at the same time aimlessly Mav wandered around the hospital. When he had arrived not too long ago, the different floors were already bustling with people. Family visiting their loved ones. Doctors starting the morning rounds. Nurses just ending their night shift.
That must be it. No one had stopped him but maybe his soulmate was a night nurse, too exhausted from a stressful shift of ER work to notice that her life had just changed in an instant. Or it was a nurse that hadn’t been able to approach him after it had happened, too busy responding to a patient coding. Her being next to a doctor and assisting meaning the difference between life and death.
After about half an hour he knew that what he was doing was pointless. His soulmate might have been just as distracted as him and didn’t even know who to look for. By coincidence they might end up noticing each other being on the lookout for someone. No, not someone, the one.
But it wasn’t likely.
He had to approach this in a pragmatic way.
“Excuse me,” Mav said while walking towards the nurse at the reception.
She looked up from whatever chart had occupied her and asked in the most this-better-be-important tone of voice: “Yes?”
“This might sound ridiculous but I think I saw my soulmate here but… you see, my best friends just had a baby and I was preoccupied– anyway… Can I leave my number and address with you for when someone asks around for their soulmate?”
He gave her the most hopeful look and prayed that the panic that had accumulated over the last half hour wasn’t showing on his face.
She raised her eyebrow at him and Mav braced himself for a snide remark but nothing of the sort came. The absurdity of his situation was not lost on him and he gratefully nodded when she handed over a notepad and pen.
“Th– Thank you so much,” he stuttered out and then took a deep breath before carefully writing down his contact information. This might be the first thing his soulmate ever saw of him and he wanted to leave a good impression.
After taking the notepad back the nurse said: “Good luck, young man,” and Mav could tell from the look in her warm brown eyes that she meant it.
Now there was nothing left to do but to return to the newly-made parents. It was their day after all and Mav didn’t want to distract any more from it.
Or at least that was what he told himself.
***
He opened the door just as carefully as before but where Carole had been sleeping earlier she was now sitting upright with the little baby boy cradled in her arms.
“Hi Mav,” she greeted him cheerfully, the exhaustion from the night seemingly gone. “Where have you been?”
“Oh, you’re awake”, Mav answered a bit taken aback.
“Well, someone – and I’m not naming names,” with a smirk she angled the baby in her arms towards Mav, “decided to make quite the ruckus once you were gone.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m back now. Did you see the coffee I brought? I got some decaf for you,” he said while grabbing one of the cups for himself, successfully skirting the topic of his sudden departure.
“Well, I am naming names,” Goose stood up from the chair and with love in his eyes walked over to Carole. Once he got a hold of the baby he cleared his throat and said with the biggest grin: “Now that everyone’s awake, may I introduce: Bradley Bradshaw.”
“...”
“What?”
“Bradley… Bradley Bradshaw?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“N– Nothing! I’m so happy for you guys!”
He put the cup of coffee back, took two more steps towards the bed and hugged Carole, then rounded the bed and hugged Goose, careful not to squeeze baby Bradley between them. When he let go of Goose he noticed a tiny fist tightly gripping the necklace with his dog tags.
“I think he knows you’re basically family,” Goose joked and took the opportunity to transfer Bradley to Mav. “Don’t run away again.”
“No, of course not,” Mav shook his head but felt a pang of guilt in his chest. “I’m not running away from you, Brad Brad”, he smiled, carefully loosening the necklace out of Bradley’s tiny fingers.
“Don’t call him that”, Goose grumbled but there was a laugh coming from Carole.
“Maybe Mav has a point about the name, honey.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
Mav and Carole just kept chuckling.
***
The rest of the week was filled with the fresh parents trying to figure out their new day to day life. Mav had of course offered to help where he could and had already lent a hand when they had assembled the baby furniture, but he wasn’t surprised when it was a bit quiet at first. And anyway, he had something else on his mind.
He just wished the search for his soulmate kept him busy but all it did was keep him at home by the phone and checking the mail ten times a day. On the third day even his mailman, Andy, knew something was up.
“I’m sorry, Pete. I’ve got nothing for you.”
Mav really tried to not let the disappointment show on his face. “Oh, that’s alright.”
“You waitin’ for some sort of love letter?” Andy quipped, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Hah, sort of…,” Mav answered, keeping a jovial tone.
“Maybe tomorrow!” Andy said before waving and continuing on his route.
Inside he let himself fall onto the couch again and turned on the radio for white noise.
It’s not like his soulmate could have died since they met. Then his world would return to the whites, blacks and grays he had been used to for over twenty years. Then he wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the sunrises and sunsets in recent days. Something he had been looking forward to and something that made him face his loneliness like a punch to the gut.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. He was supposed to have his soulmate by his side. Taking in these sights for the first time together. Sharing in the experience, knowing there was a person that would understand him in this moment like no one else ever could.
He couldn’t even appreciate what this meant for his career.
Instead he listened to the radio and wondered if it was worth the money to get a color TV. That was easier than considering all the other possibilities of why his soulmate hadn’t made themselves known.
***
When the phone rang, it was like a mirror house version of déjà vu. He stumbled to the hallway, expecting a call, excited for who was going to be on the other end of the line. Hope reverberating through the halls with every sound from the telephone.
But it was Goose. Again.
“Hey! How’s the little family?” Mav asked, enjoying the distraction.
“Good, very good! Would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow? It’s been a bit chaotic with the baby, but we miss you and Carole’s making her famous chili.”
“She’s already up and about?”
“You know I couldn’t stop her if I tried”, Goose chuckled and silence stretched out on the line.
Mav missed them, too. More than anything. But he also knew that coming to dinner meant talking about his dilemma. There was only so long you could keep being able to see color from your best friend and RIO. And he knew, the longer he kept it from Goose, the bigger his disappointment would be. As if Mav didn’t trust him.
And heaven forbid Goose found out by accident, Mav slipping up and saying something he shouldn’t have.
“Mav?”
“Sure, dinner tomorrow. I’ll be there. Can’t wait!”
***
When Mav arrived at the Bradshaws’ house, it wasn’t that different to only a week ago. The baby chaos was kept to a minimum. Here and there some clothes, tiny shoes and some bottles in the kitchen that had recently been cleaned. Most of the baby stuff remained in the nursery, Bradley still too young to spread chaos through the entire house. Mav chanced a quick peek into the room but the baby was asleep and he didn’t want to wake him up.
Dinner was just what Mav needed after the last couple of days. Carole and Goose were too excited to talk about anything other than every little detail of their new life. From Bradley’s sleeping and screaming habits, his little gurgles and squeals, to discussions of who he resembled more, they couldn’t stop talking about him. And that was alright with Mav, grateful that the two were so enthralled by their own world they hadn’t even asked Mav about his week so far.
They were about to finish dessert when crying could be heard from the room just down the hall.
“That’s my sign. There’s still someone left who hasn’t had dinner yet,” Carole stood up and disappeared in the direction of the nursery.
Goose had also gotten up and returned to Mav with two cold beers, handing him one of the bottles.
“Ah, perfect”, Mav accepted the bottle from him and took a first sip. Like this, it almost felt like old times.
“So…,” Goose took his seat next to Mav again and looked at him expectantly.
“Yes?” Mav raised his eyebrows, slightly worried about what was about to follow.
“Carole and I have been talking and we were wondering… and there is really no one else we would trust with this. Would you be willing to become Bradley’s godfath–”
“I’ve met my soulmate!” Mav interjects and takes another sip from his beer, avoiding Goose’s shocked gaze.
“Wha- Mav?! That’s amazing!” Goose stood up and hugged Mav, who only partially rose from his chair, the situation too awkward to be comfortable with the celebration.
“Congratulations! Why didn’t you bring her?” Goose asked next and looked around the dining room as if Mav somehow hid a whole person for the entire evening.
“I… I don’t know who it is,” Mav admitted, still avoiding Goose’s eyes.
“What? Yeah, right. Stop joking around. I wanna meet her!” Goose laughed and tapped his foot to Mav’s under the table.
“Yeah, that makes two of us.”
“Wait, you’re serious?” Goose said, finally set down his beer and touched Mav’s elbow, making him meet his gaze. “But how?”
“A lot happened that day, I didn’t pay attention and by the time I noticed I had met dozens of people. And then… nothing. I… I don’t know what to do.”
“Oh…,” was all Goose could say to that. He brought his beer up to his mouth again, taking a pensive sip and looked at Mav with pity. This was definitely one of those moments Mav could have done without.
“Do you think… maybe it’s a guy?”
It’s not like Mav hadn’t considered the option. Soulmates of the same sex weren’t unheard of and the wider public had no problem with them. It was difficult to deny people the happiness that was irrefutably chosen by fate. But there were still communities, especially religious ones, that saw them as some kind of mistake or fluke. Someone raised in such a community may have a harder time accepting their soulmate, but enough people left their families behind if it meant a life with the one.
“Maybe… I don’t know,” Mav shook his head and took another sip as if it would help with where this conversation would inevitably lead to.
“Okay, Mav, we can figure this out. When was this? What day?” Goose had set his beer down again and started gesticulating on the table the same way he did at post mission debriefings, when something had not gone the way it was supposed to.
“Five days ago,” Mav admitted with an exhausted sigh.
“That’s… that was when you came to the hospital?”
“Yeah, and I left my contact info at the reception but no one reached out.”
Almost imperceptibly Goose’s eyes widened. “Is that why you left so suddenly?”
Mav took a deep breath before nodding. “Yeah, I was looking for my soulmate. I was sure she would be around the hospital somewhere.”
Once again Goose tapped Mav’s elbow with his hand. The atmosphere had shifted and Mav knew the fact he had done his best to ignore for the last couple of days was about to change everything.
“What was the first thing you noticed in color?”
Mav could offer nothing but a sad smile.
“Bradley.”