When you first started dating a soldier, you had expected to meet stern, stoic and religiously disciplined men, but when you met Johnny and the other members of Task Force 141, your beliefs did a whole 180. The boys really knew how to get down. Spending the evening at a karaoke bar was almost a ritual now– good food, good drinks, and hearing your boyfriend and his friends drunk-singing the whole time.

You were also surprised by how fast they’d accepted you into the group, never making you feel out of place, instead embracing you like family. You always felt safe, going out with basically four personal bodyguards. Besides Johnny, the one you had grown closest to was Simon. The big, burly-looking man was actually much more chill than expected, and you understood why he was your boyfriend’s best friend.

You both really enjoyed rock music, and that was the main thing the two of you bonded over. Simon was like an older brother to you, but as much as you did love Johnny, sometimes your thoughts did wander off to the other man. You were ashamed of it, but you just couldn’t help it. Oh, if only you had known how much the blond Brit was head over heels for you– utterly whipped, even.

The group had recently come back from an operation, so they decided to celebrate at your usual karaoke bar. It was a Friday night, so the place was already bustling with people. You managed to find a place at one of the booths near the stage, so you would have enjoyed each other’s performances at best. Soon enough, the boys were enough pints in to start singing.

Simon was the first one to go. The best thing about these nights was that none of you would ever plan the songs ahead, so you never knew what to expect. And it did come as quite the surprise when the familiar riff of “Layla” by Eric Clapton started to play through the speakers. He knew what he was doing, and you caught up on it immediately, too. You could only hope Johnny hadn’t.