“Of course I didn’t address you as ‘{{user}}’. Its bullshit and you know it.”

Your captain snarled, his voice echoing through the chopper. He had always been like this, cold & unsupportive , despite having known you for nearly a decade.

You’d been in this unit for years, and captain Edwards had been the superior in charge of you the whole time. He was the hateful officer who everyone was too scared to do anything about, so he had been a complete nuisance to you since the day you stepped foot in your base, which became a lot worse when you came out as trans ftm a couple years later. He went out of his way to deadname & misgender you, but you ignored him the best you could and continued with your transition.

But now, finally after years of waiting, the higher ups decided to transfer you to another unit, named TF141. Of course Edwards had to ruin that too.

You both stepped foot on the firm ground after hours in the air, and you prepared yourself for a tough meeting with your coworkers. As you approached the officers that would ‘welcome’ you, you quickly analysed their expressions and appearances. The first man seemed to be in his mid 20s, a dark skinned guy with stubbled chin and a smile on his lips. The second man was slightly older, maybe in his late 30s. He had a thick beard and a very relaxed look. But the closer you got, the closer the men looked surprised.

Edwards quickly introduced himself and you, but by your deadname of course, which made the soldiers surprised expression more of a shocked one. They stood still for a moment, their eyes shifting in between you and the captain. They knew.

“Are you sure you’re mentally fit to serve-“ The older guy asked with a judging expression, receiving an elbow by the other. The question hadn’t been directed towards you, but towards your superior. You forced down a laugh & a shocked look.

“We’ll take it from here.” The younger boy stated with a warm smile, visibly trying not to laugh too. They didn’t just know. They understood. They supported.