Thread by @phckpence

Okay so after four plane rides last week, who wants the airport AU fever dream that cropped up between sleep deprivation, sodium overdose, and a cold? Human AU. Niles & Connor Stern are long flight pilots who come as a package deal. Gavin & Hank are TSA officers.

Gavin works mainly the international travel security gate and hates his life. The only good thing about his job is the fact that he isn't expected to put on a happy face & the Starbucks around the corner past security.

Hank, who is Gavin's superior, is part of the K9 unit that sniff out drugs and other contraband. It's mainly food items that people forget in their luggage, and isn't the most exciting task. But it's far better than yelling people through a metal detector like Reed.

Gavin hates dogs though, no matter how sweet the Saint Bernard on staff is.

His life sucked and no amount of dog kisses, cups of coffee, or "sick wheelies" Tina performed on her segway could improve it. But Gavin was a creature of routine and continued to trudge onward.

Its when the legendary Stern brothers passed through his gate that his routine goes slightly askew. Connor and Niles Stern were a package deal when it came to flights. They rarely flew separately and were known to fly for the more luxurious airlines.

Tina claims that they had been in the news a few years back due to an emergency landing that had saved hundreds of lives. Gavin thinks their fame is just because they're stupid attractive. Either way, the two command attention when passing through the airport.

He hates them.

Hank sort of hates them too. /Sort of/. Niles doesn't bother him much aside from the occasional snide comment. But Connor is a pain in his ass. The fucker is like a damn magnet when it comes to whatever dog he's handling and should know better than to pet the K9 officers.

"If I didn't know better, I'd assume you were smuggling drugs through my airport," Hank had once teased as Connor after being half-dragged across the terminal by an excited Sumo. Connor's lopsided grin had Hank blushing well after he'd managed to wrangle Sumo away.

Gavin isn't as easily ruffled by the Stern boys. Connor's easy enough to hassle through the security process but Niles /talks/. Probably enjoys reminding Gavin how shitty his job with every one of his "Good Morning, Gavin". Piss Gav off with his stupid "Have a nice day"'s.

"You need to drink that now or toss it," Gavin once said, glaring at the crisp, uniformed pilot from where he sat at his podium. "I brought it for you," Niles replied with a smirk, turning the starbucks cup to show 'Gavin' written on the side. A heart dotted the "I". 💙

Niles laughed his way through security when the cup was immediately dropped into the trash. Gavin chose to ignore the phone number scribbled on the bottom. "Asshole."

Niles' harassment just escalates from there. Conveniently forgets metal in his pockets and is forced to pass through the detector several times while trying to engage Gavin in conversation. Doesn't seem bothered when Gavin just continues to deadpan instruction, unimpressed.

Repacks his bag slowly beyond the gate, forgets items constantly just to have an excuse to come back to harass Gavin. "How the fuck do you walk off without your shoes, asshole?!"

And then they introduce new body scanners into the security lines... and with it a change in policy

"Gavin, check his back pocket and his ankle," Tina called from where she was monitoring the body scanner, chin resting in her hand. Turning away from a traveler he'd been assisting, Gavin's face flushes as he stares up at a smirking Niles. "... Arms at your sides." "Yes, sir."

"I don't normally move this quickly in a relationship," Niles had commented when Gavin fell into a crouch as he adjusted his plastic gloves. "Normally I enjoy dinner and a movie first."

Gavin is mortified, but begins to frisk the other man. Nothing at his ankle.

Climbing back to his feet, Gavin's face flushes as he steps nearly chest to chest with the amused pilot, feeling along his waistband. Niles chuckles has Gavin's fingers dip into his back pocket--and has the audacity of pressing back into Gavin's palm.

"You really get a kick out of fucking with me," Gavin grumbled, stepping back to glare up at Niles.

"I've been trying," Niles simply replies, smirking as he retrieves his jacket from the xray conveyor. "You're a very difficult man to win over, Gavin."

Gavin crosses his arms.

"You're just another face in the sea of assholes I gotta deal with every day," Gavin scoffs, looking away to avoid staring too long at the clean-cut lines of Niles' uniform. "You're just not pretty enough to bother remembering."

Nile looks scandalized.

"I'll win you over eventually," Niles hums as he picks up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. Taking up his shoes, the pilot steps over as Gavin turns away to continue his work.

"Have a safe flight," Gavin snarks before jumping out of his skin as fingers dip into his pocket

"Try and keep it this time around," The pilot smirks, extracting his hand and giving Gavin's butt a friendly pat-pat.

Tina snickers at Gavin as Niles disappears into the crowd. Reaching into pocket, Gavin pulls out a starbucks gift card marked w/ phone number written in marker.

"He's going to eat you alive," Tina calls as Gavin resists the urge to toss it in the trash. There was no need to waste free coffee, after all.

"Fuck off, Chen. Scan the next person," Gavin mutters, scrubbing his hand across his face.

Despite drinking through the coffee card, Gavin still refuses to call Niles. He does touch the empty card into his wallet for safekeeping, even though the barista offers to toss it for him.

"You didn't call," Niles chides the next time he sees Gavin.

"I lost it," Gavin lies.

Niles raises his eyebrows but doesn't question Gavin further as he steps through the body scanner. "Armpits and chest," Tina calls as Nines raises his arms with a smile.

Gavin's cheeks are dusted red by the time he's done frisking the pilot, ducking his head as Niles leaves

"That scanner is shit. Guy had nothing on him," Gavin grumbled as a waves a business woman through.

"Oh the scan came back empty. I just wanted you to feel how rock hard his tits are," Tina called, smirking at Gavin as she reviews the latest scan.

Gavin chokes. "What the fuck? How the hell would you know he has nice--?!"

"I found his brother's instagram," Tina smirked, giving the business woman the all clear before waving for their next victim. "Did you know Connor has a twin? Niles is the baby of the family."

Gavin isn't proud of it but while eating with Tina in the airport cafeteria, he looks over her shoulder as she pulls up the instagram of Cecil Stern.

"Does his sweatshirt say 'cum dumpster'?" Gavin asked, choking on his energy drink. Tina only nods as she scrolls on.

Gavin stops her when a picture of the brothers on the beach appears. While Gav knew that Niles had a great body after frisking the guy, it was another thing to see it out on display.

"He's got so many freckles," Gavin whispers into the lip of his can, cheeks heating up.

Gavin marvels at the curl of Niles' hair when it wasn't styled, taking the phone from Tina as he zooms in on the smiling man.

"Why won't you call him?" Tina asks around a mouthful of sandwich. "He seems really keen on taking you out."

"I'm into interested in going out with someone who isn't gonna be around," Gavin muttered, handing the phone back to Tina as he pulls the lid off his tupperware.

It was a half-truth. "Besides, he probably just wants to fuck and I'm also not down to clown. Hard pass."

"Don't ever say that again," Tina shutters, sitting back in her seat. "And there isn't anything wrong with going out for a drink, Gav."

"Just drop it Tina," Gavin mutters, stabbing at his leftover pasta with a frown. She does--only after sending a friend request to Cecil.

Even though Gavin has /clearly/ no interest in giving Niles a chance, the pilot is persistent. Flowers are tossed in the trash. Sumo has to be restrained as chocolates are removed from Nines' luggage. Gavin is losing his fucking mind.

And then... the teddy bear arrives.

It's an obnoxiously large thing. How Niles was able to get it to the gate without checking it is beyond Gavin. And Gavin is forced to stand there straight-faced, watching the bear squeeze its way through the X-Ray machine.

A heart is held in its paws: B My Valentine? 🐻💕

Meeting Niles' eyes as he stands to wait for his turn in the scanner, Gavin loses the last of his chill. It's been a long time since he's genuinely lost himself to a bout of laughter. He has to change his gloves after wiping the tears from his cheeks as Tina takes over for him.

"Well?" Niles asks after Tina clears him to collect his things.
"Well, what?" Gavin asks, rubbing his nose to hide his smirk. His cheeks are still red from laughing.
"Will you be my valentine?" Niles asks with a smirk, pulling his jacket on.
"It's July, asshole," Gavin snort.

"Ah. Shame," Niles sighs, collecting his shoes. "I'll try again in February."
Gavin yells after him as he turns to leave. "You forgot your bear."
"Oh, I can't take that on the plane. Besides, it's for you," Niles calls with a wave. Gavin's good humor is gone.
"What the fuck!?"