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God Tier Top Gun Fanfictions. A Masterlist. (3/3)

Part three of my fanfic recommendation! This one's for the best fics!

Winner Categories:

1. Best of the Best Authors (1/3)

2. Best of the Best Series (2/3)

3. Best of the Best Fics (3/3)

REMINDER! READ THE AUTHORS' TAGS AND WARNINGS!!!

Best of the Best Fics

Fics that shine bright as the stars. Make sure to check the author’s other works too!

ICEMAV

Kings of the Air by FabulaRasa @fabula-unica

Fighting and fucking: two things he did extraordinarily well. How could he have known what the effect would be when you combined the two?

This and COMPACFLT’s work directly inspired one of my works:) The writing quality is absolutely amazing. My favorite fics are those that have Ice returning to Top Gun and joining Mav as an instructor and this one just takes the whole motherfucking crown.

Indian Ocean. Present Day. by Jay Tryfanstone (tryfanstone)

Isolated on an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Indian Ocean, cut off from any source of information about the global political and environmental disaster which has engulfed the planet, Maverick and Goose struggle to make sense of an increasingly claustrophobic command structure and failing resources on board. When a refugee helicopter is spotted approaching the carrier, its pilot could be the catalyst for an explosive re-evaluation....

This fic man. This fic. It made me fall in love with post-apocalyptic fics. The writing style, the plot, Ice and Mav and Goose. Goose, man… Oh my god. If you read this fic you know why I’m still thinking about these boys’ fates. 

Rhinestone Cowboy by omnidirectional

That’s Doctor Iceman to you! Maverick bangs himself up and gets rescued by someone he didn’t expect. A Missing Scene featuring contrived situations, questionable life choices, gratuitous product placement, and shirtlessness. You know, everything you love about canon.

And it is absolutely everything I love about canon! I always love missing scenes or canon divergent. Not to say that I don’t enjoy AUs, but I love vibes like this the most where the story works alongside canon and elevates it to a whole other level. Mav and Ice and Slider feels correct.

Sleepless Nights by demiclar @demiclar / @slidersimp

Five times Maverick wakes himself up with nightmares and one time he's woken by someone else.

Fics about Mav’s grief over Goose’s death will always wreck me. This one in particular shows itself as a physical manifestation. I love love love all the guys stepping up and taking care of Mav, never once judging his pain. I’m a sucker for portrayals of the ugly side of grief.

Mal de Mer by saurora_borealis

"I thought you said you didn't get seasick, you little liar," Slider snaps. Maverick doesn't answer, head bowed, but Ice can see him shaking from here. Of all the times for Maverick to be sick, did it have to be on a night that Ice is ill too? Or: the carrier experiences some ocean turbulence. Even the most seasoned aviators fall prey to it.

This one has sort of the same vibe as the fic above. I never get tired of seeing the flyboys take care of each other<3

be my soulmate (and i'll be yours) by ChexMix

Of course Maverick dreams about finding his soulmate. Who doesn't? But he'd never imagined the possibility that it could be the Iceman. So when he catches sight of Ice's soulmark, it suddenly becomes all he can think about.

Classic Icemav soulmate AU. This is like exactly my type of angst and happy ending. Sometimes the things you’re familiar with are still the best:)

To Build a Home by LadyLanera @k9effect

Eighteen years before Top Gun Maverick, there was a home being built from ashes and ruin. When the dust finally settled and dusk fell, the house of cards collapsed, shattering three lives forever. Is it possible to rebuild, reclaiming the past in the future...when they're all hurtling towards their worst nightmare?

Goddddd. I love Mav’s character flaw in this. I love Ice’s maturity born from grief and sickness. I love Bradley’s anger and abandonment issues. I love that these three have hurt each other more than anyone ever could, but their love is still starkly present. My thoughts when I was reading this was that LadyLanera wrote their flaws so beautifully, making them human, and by doing so I understood their motivations and their actions. Amazing characterization. 

all is fair (in love and war) by dulcetines (evecstasy)

oh, ice, maverick bisa merasakan hati kecilnya meringis, ice, sori banget— hollywood menyelak lagi, kali ini dengan suara impersonasi terbaiknya: “teruntuk kuncen TOPGUN, yang mana di sana kuyakin matahari belum juga terbit sebersamaan dengan ditulisnya surat ini. aku ingin saat ini juga kau bersyukur tidak mesti mendengarkan slider ngorok di sampingmu. tuhan jesus. pria ini sudah kuanggap saudara sendiri, tapi terkadang ada saja hal-hal yang dilakukannya yang membuatku ingin menggulingkannya ke laut. kau apa kabar di sana? sudah berapa pilot yang kauhabisi egonya? apapun itu. jangan mati kebosanan dulu. aku bisa bilang begini karena surat-suratmu selalu mengancam demikian. ingat kau masih hutang makan malam denganku. dan sepuluh dolar. sampaikan salamku ke bayi itik. bilang aku kangen padanya. dan,” hollywood memalsukan dehem, sambil ia melanjutkan, “padamu juga. setiap detikku. ice.” begitulah.

Hehehehehe. Now this is more for me LMAO because as you can see, it’s written in Indonesian. Finding this fic in my mother language is like finding GOLD. Again, I love love love Icemav in their Top Gun era. This is for all of you Indonesian Top Gun enthusiast *blows a kiss* 

a higher fidelity by basedchamp

“C’mon.” Tori nudges him with an elbow. “C’mon. He’s cute. You can admit that one thing but you can’t admit this?” Gritting his teeth, Ice thinks very carefully about his next words. “He’s…” he trails off. “Some would say that…Mitchell is not. Unpleasant. To look at.” (Alternatively: the one where Ice and Mav learn to park bad, eat good, and love even better.)

Ice’s family, man… It’s refreshing to see them so supportive and loving. I’m guilty of making Ice’s backstory so tragic>:) But this one is heartwarming! I love the style and flow of the writing. It’s something that I want to achieve in my own writing as well, so kudos to basedchamp!

Tunnel Vision by brainjuicey (anzietyfreak) @brainjuicey

Instead of Ice biting the air in the locker room, he antagonises Mav by biting his neck, unknowingly setting off dormant Omega genes and sending him into heat. Everyone involved is forced to remain secure on base until they’ve investigated. AKA. Five Alphas, a Beta, and an Omega in heat, walk into an Air Base prison. Ramifications ensue. Alternative title, "Locked in Sex Jail With The Boys"

This scratched that specific part in my brain, man. ABO with the original cast of Top Gun? Sign me up, baby. Steamy and perfect. 

The Five People You Can't Escape in Heaven by V_Evergreen

Maverick dies, but it doesn't end there. Alternately: [“Hey, kiddo, are you with me?” Maverick opened his eyes and found that he could see. He blinked in the sudden light as his surroundings came into focus. Quite literally came into focus, as though everything around him was resolving into itself as he looked, deciding to form a lawn, flowerbeds, the tree trunk that he had been leant against. The sun was blinding overhead, high noon. In the distance, hazy and indistinct, he could make out a house. It looked vague, like a half formed memory but it was familiar. Just like the man crouched in front of him. “Dad?” He croaked.]

I was reading the original book (The Five People You Meet in Heaven) and came across this fic. Which in turn made me want to write my own rendition from the same idea.  That last chapter, man. It’s unreal how creative it is. A punch to the gut for sure.

(Here’s my fic if you want to read about it :) >> Estrellita)

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother by V_Evergreen

Five meetings between Thomas Kazansky and Ethan Hunt. Alternately: [Ethan heard the door click shut behind him and turned to ask after the papers when he was abruptly spun by a hand on his shoulder and pushed against the door. His first and immediate thought was that he was certainly being attacked. Kazansky had him pressed against the door, chest to chest, a hand around his wrist and then- oh. Oh no. He wasn’t being attacked at all, it was infinitely worse. He was being very thoroughly kissed. He pushed back against Kazansky’s chest and tried to think of something eloquent to say. “Um?”]

Another banger by V_Evergreen. Ice not knowing Mav has a twin and mistakenly kissing him is so funny. And the end is heartwarming as well. Love love love it.

Allies by Shearmouth

After getting shot down over a war-torn Iraq, Maverick makes some unlikely friends. They have something– a big something– in common. But all Mav really wants is Ice. Too bad he's half a world away, and even Mav can't run that on a shattered leg. Not with the infected chest wounds thrown in, at least.

Oh my goddddd. I keep being at a loss for words when describing these fics. It won’t do anyone good if all I wrote was goddd, oh mannn, it’s so goodddd. But it’s the truth. This one hits home so much. The risk and homophobia present when you’re in a place that punishes queer people for existing and being in love, how a single mistake will cost you your future. And it’s so heartwarming to see that even then, you’re not alone. Mav being helped to reunite with Ice and breaking down that since their relationship was private, Ice had to grief Mav alone. Man, oh man. 

There is a pain—so utter by CurSirrr

Pete Mitchell was fine. Completely fine. He didn’t feel dizzy with denial, or an utter trainwreck of hopelessness. He hadn’t shed a single tear or cried himself to sleep for the past week. His guts were twisting and turning, squeezing and cramping. His eyes were swollen and red, and his scalp hurt from his vicious hair tugs as he tried to understand the past week. OR Three times Bradley misses the chance to say goodbye before it is too late.

Just read the summary and prepare for a world of pain:) Ice’s canon death still haunts me. Good thing he’s sleeping away in his big house that he co-owns with Mav, regularly saves his husband’s ass, have barbeque Sunday with Bradley and Jake and the dagger squad, happy and healthy:))

keeping his cards close to his chest by Serie11 @oathkeeperoxas

It's not that Lucy wishes that her boss would be more open with her. It's that she quite literally knows nothing about the man, despite Admiral Kazansky being her CO for half a decade. Or: 5 times Ice successfully hid something from his staff, and 1 time Ice revealed his biggest secret

Love seeing Icemav seen through other people’s perspective. It adds so much to the universe. Ice and Mav being their usual old married couple while everyone around them suffers. Excellent.

'til I meet you there by adiduck (book_people) @adiduck

Maverick wakes up in the snow, helmet on, entire body aching intensely and parachute still attached. It takes him about half an hour of trekking through the snow to notice that there’s anything amiss. (Or: Maverick Mitchell is in the habit of talking to his ghosts. Usually, they don’t talk back.)

Mav’s journey through the underworld. This fic is just too creative😭Always a delight to see how loved Mav is. It’s so whimsical and confusing and so great.

the ships have come to carry you home by indigofudge

“Here it is,” Carole says, bringing Mav’s wheelchair to a stop. Mav’s mouth is dry. He aches for another cup of water. “Carole, tell me something, and don’t lie to me.” “Anything, Maverick.” “How bad does he look?” Carole is quiet for a while. Then she comes around and kneels in front of Mav, taking both of his hands in her own. Her eyes swim with tears. “If I didn’t know any better,” she says, voice breaking, “I’d think he was dead.” • Or, Goose is alive when they hit the water. That's enough.

Goose survives AU!!!! Huh? This isn’t canon? What are you talking about? Of course, Goose survives and the Bradshaw family is still whole and Mav still has his family and gets to have Ice too. What are you talking about??

Swallow by wildglitterwolf 

Ice is getting tired of Maverick's inability to be a team player. Maverick is annoyed by Ice's gum chewing. Ice is more than happy to get rid of it, he just needs a place to put it...

TT.TT Just… I didn’t know I like this dynamic so much…

HANGSTER

cruise control by res_judicata

Rooster’s plane goes down on a Tuesday.  Jake remembers that it’s a Tuesday because he had been out grabbing a quick bite for lunch with Javy and the little chalkboard on the wall of the cafe had proclaimed that Tuesday’s special was linguine in white wine with fresh mussels. (Jake deals with grief and love)

Made me cry a goddamn river. I’ve said this before, but Hangster is one of those ships that I had trouble getting into. When I first got into the fandom back in June 2022, I strictly read Icemav, never dipping my toes into Hangster’s relationship because I never felt the spark. But as time goes by I’m starting to warm up and have read more and more. This fic is one of those where it captured my attention instantly. I knew it was going to be angsty, but still holding out hope for a happy ending (just like Jake in this story). The grief that blanketed the whole writing only made the resolution more beautiful.

WHORES IN MY BED. by pornogirl

“Jake-” Bradley’s eyes have a wet glimmer to them, the kind of wet that looks like the beginnings of tears and Jake wants to kiss him so badly. “Jake, is it loaded?” Jake rolls his eyes at the question. “Open your fucking mouth.” (Author’s notes: it's really not as bad as the tags may suggest but like. read the fucking tags!)

I’m a freak and I’m not ashamed of it:) Basically, Jake's going on about how pretty Bradley is crying and scared. If this is your kink, definitely worth the read. I don’t know if it’s because I find it hot, but I don’t get the unsafe feeling as opposed to reading other works that have noncon elements. I don’t know it feels more like it’s both of their kinks or like something they’ve discussed before but Jake didn’t warn Bradley prior. Like CNC, I guess? Anyway it’s really hot and I have not looked at my retainers the same way;)

we're fools to make war by whimsicule @baroness-elsa

In a Walmart at three am, between beef jerky and tortilla chips, with the lights flickering above them like it’s the fucking twilight zone, Bradley wants him more than he’s ever wanted anyone. or: it's a hundred degrees in texas.

This is so Jake and Bradley I’m blown away by how right they feel. Seriously. I didn’t even notice this was 66k words. The vibes, the writing, Jake’s family. Oh hell. Definitely check out the author’s other works too! They’ve got a lot of other Hangster long fics:)

cinnamon and sugar by bottledyarn

Jake was slumped in the doorway, propped up against the wall beside the door. He was a strange, pale, near-gray against the dark backdrop of his apartment, and he looked—well… “You look like shit," Bradley said. – Bradley draws the short straw and has to take care of Jake when he's sick with a stomach flu. Jake doesn't want to be taken care of.

Sigh. Jake and Bradley, man. They’re the ship that you can shove as much angst as you want and it’ll fit right in with their dynamic. They’re just so stubborn!!!! The push and pull between them is magnetic, man. I think I get why people love them.

habits by rararatatouille

Jake and Bradley come together in a series of jagged stops and starts. They fall apart in the exact same way. In which habits are hard to break, even for the people we love most.

Mannnnn. Goddamnit. I think this fic converted me to like Hangster. I think this has become canon in my brain too. I can’t even. Just read it. Words aren’t enough to describe this fic. 

Days Like This by chase_acow @cowsalot

Jake's in Hawaii to lose himself after getting the Navy's first air-to-air kill in decades. Instead he finds a ramshackle diner, a cast of odd characters, and possibly the love of his life. Bradley goes to the Hard Deck to order waffles. He orders waffles. He goes to the Hard Deck to get some waffles. He goes to the Hard Deck, and who is this hot asshole acting like they know each other?

So good. A 50 First Dates AU. Jake just loves Bradley so much, man. And Bradley finally showing up in the end. Love really will make you walk miles across Earth for your special person<3

OTHERS

Other pairings, romantic and not.

Mr. Blue Sky by omnidirectional

Tragedy first brings Iceman into Bradley’s life, but he quickly becomes the steadiest presence of the boy’s childhood… until a betrayal tears their small family apart. After years of silence, can Bradley find the words to make up for lost time? Five times Ice sings to Bradley, and the one time Bradley sings to Ice.

Another one from omnidirectional. Ice and Bradley’s father and son relationship… Here’s one of the tags: Who Wants To Cry Today? If you’re up for emotional damage, click the link🫵

On Mighty Wings by PurpleArrowzandLeather @purplearrowzandleather-blog

Maverick raised geese over the years while Bradley was gone. Bradley does not know this until the flock comes home for the summer.

Short and sweet. Legend author as well. Love the geese preening Mav and Bradley sobbing while surrounded by honks. This is just too damn cute!!

Neglected by proprioception @mnstrfkr

"Do I look God-fearing to you, ma'am?" Maverick asked with a grin. "You most certainly do not," Carole said. "That's why I didn't marry you." "That and the mustache," Goose added.

Can’t forget about this GooseMavCarole fic of course! Hot and heartwarming. Absolutely amazing smut. This one sparked my brain to make a fanart of my favorite polycule. Their dynamic is just so fun!

Yearling by Fopperies , pohjanneito @pilvimarja

Alone in a cabin in the snowy mountains, Maverick is supposed to help Bradley on the path to presenting as an alpha soon. Bradley's body has other ideas.

Just gonna put this here… A different take on ABO’s biology, which I absolutely love. It’s so hot… Bradley, I feel you, honey…

Seeing a Trailer by daenabenjen42

In the aftermath of the Layton rescue, Merlin has questions.

Sighs for the millionth time. It’s so good. Again, I love the portrayal of Mav’s PTSD and grief here. And it’s not just him, but daenabenjen42 wrote about the other boys’ trauma too. I love it so much I must’ve reread this one about fifty million times. 

in between what's already done by crawsley

“We aren’t doing this,” Maverick says, firmly, and he’s tensing like he’s about to move, about to shove Rooster off of him, push him away like he pushed him away before, when all Rooster had wanted was some guidance, some help, some love and kindness and— Rooster bears him to the ground, right there on the rug in the entryway.

This is legitimately one of the first, if not the first fic I’ve read from RoosMav. I still remember clearly going home from watching TG:M in the cinema and KNOWING that there were definitely going to be people who ship Mav and Roo. I rushed to AO3 straight away:D Imagine my delight when finding this one!

shake my nerves and rattle my brain by BogBeast

This wasn’t supposed to be intimate. This was about punishment, humiliation, stubbornness and spite. Not this gentle crap that made him sigh, the hand in his hair making his stomach swoop with every tug, the heavy scent making his head feel foggy, the praises making his heart skip a beat. That shit is just weird. The horrifying realization that he’s hard in his flight suit has nothing to do with it.  - Mav's gotten them into a lot of weird situations, but giving blowjobs to their rivals because of a stupid bet has to be the weirdest one.

Icemav AND Sloose? SIGN ME UP, BABY!

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That’s all of it! This is my list for now. Thank you all for reading through to the end! Let me know if you enjoyed any of these fics so we can gush about them together:) I hope you enjoyed my yapping:}

My works have always and will continue to take inspiration from others. So thank you for creating stories as beautiful and profound as these, dear beloved authors<3

If you want to see my bookmark collection of all of these fics, click here >> TOPGUN (Best of the Best) While you’re there, how about you read some of my fics too?>:) EliasHirsch

(PS!!! There will be a 4th part because there are definitely more good fics that people need to know about:))

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More progress on the bookbinding! This step didn’t turn out suuuuper great (it is very glue-y, believe it or not the side pictured is the better side) but I’m glad it’s one step closer to done!

All that’s left now is construction paper on the inside covers and finishing touches!

Tell me you won’t leave in book format!

Over the summer my sister and I had the grand idea of printing and binding some of our fics so that we could have them as books, just because. We’ve only just recently gotten around to making them, but let me tell you it has been so fun!! Printing and formatting was a nightmare but once we figured it out things really started moving along! This bad boy is 300 pages on the dot!

Next up is doing the covers and putting it all together!

Ft. @astronomical-fog ‘s absolutely hilarious copyright page, with a few minor tweaks. Also blue thread because I wanted to give it a little pop of mostly hidden color.

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Tell me you won’t leave in book format!

Over the summer my sister and I had the grand idea of printing and binding some of our fics so that we could have them as books, just because. We’ve only just recently gotten around to making them, but let me tell you it has been so fun!! Printing and formatting was a nightmare but once we figured it out things really started moving along! This bad boy is 300 pages on the dot!

Next up is doing the covers and putting it all together!

Ft. @astronomical-fog ‘s absolutely hilarious copyright page, with a few minor tweaks. Also blue thread because I wanted to give it a little pop of mostly hidden color.

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It's 1988, and they are both tipsy from the sparkling wine from the reception and it's dark around them. Ice's fingers lay just almost touching Mav's and he has to bite his lip because he wants go hold this man hand in his so bad it almost makes him blush.

"One day," Ice whispers. "One day, I'm going to hold your hand in front of everyone," he finishes, smiling all teeth and promises to Mav.

"One day," Mav answers, patting his arm just a little longer than necessary but not enough that people could notice.

(It's 2015, and they are sitting in that same place they were back in '88, Ice's fingers are intertwined with Mav's while he speaks with Admiral Beats about stuff Mav doesn't particularly care right now. Because they are holding hands in front of everyone, and Mav feels a little emotional about it - Ice is just better at hiding it -, and the wine is even better than I was back then.

"One day, you said" Mav says, while they slow dance in the middle of the dance floor, surrendered by so many people as the eye can see.

"I promised, sweetheart." Ice answers, kissing him softly. "I promised you.")

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The wallflower that the whole fandom noticed.

Do not repost without credit. Sources: X. Y.

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TOP GUN Tom "Iceman" Kazansky and his RIO, Ron "Slider" Kerner | 1986

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my sister and I are trying to print and bind some of our Top Gun fanfics into books and omg y'all trying to format a 100k word fanfic is a Task. Thank god we're using her office printer.

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Alright, this is something that I've always been curious about. If you've ever watched Top Gun (1986), then presumably you know about Maverick's dad, who is referred to in the movie as "Duke Mitchell". But for the life of me, I can't figure out if "Duke" is his name or his callsign, so I'm tossing it out to the broader community. If you have watched Top Gun, I would love to hear what you think!

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Figure something out

Valentines day drabble! Follow up to this one from last year, here!

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Tom couldn’t remember the last time he’d been at home for Valentine's day. There was a sort of novelty at being able to head into his own office that morning, rather than dragging himself out of a base hotel somewhere thousands of miles away, wondering if his work schedule and the time zones between them would even allow him enough time to call Pete. Sometimes, he couldn’t, and in the years when he hadn’t dared text, he’d slip into his bed that night feeling like he was missing a limb. He wondered if hundreds of miles away, Pete felt the same. He wondered if he knew Tom was thinking of him. 

But there would be none of that this year. It was a balm Tom hadn’t even realized he needed. It wasn’t just like any other morning.

He headed into work after waking up beside his partner, both of them taking their time as they got ready. Pete had plastered himself to Tom’s back while he’d shaved in the shower, pressing kisses along Tom’s spine while he hogged all the hot water, not that Tom had minded. Pete made breakfast while Tom had prepped their uniforms, and they’d even spared enough time to sit at the table and eat together before they had to head onto base. They drove together. Tom handed both their IDs to the gate guard when they rolled onto base, and they both had to reign in their smiles at the kid’s utter shock at seeing Tom’s rank on his card.

When he dropped Pete off at his office, Tom leaned over the center console to kiss him, sweet and soft, safe enough to linger.

“I’ll be here at five,” he reminded Pete as he shrugged into his jacket and grabbed his bag. “Don’t be late. I’m still taking you out to dinner tonight.”

Pete grinned. “Yessir,” he said, cheeky as always. Tom couldn’t resist drawing him into another kiss.

At his own office, Tom spotted roses on desks, chocolates and other little presents, things that had been delivered as surprises and others people had carried in themselves. There was always a little gymnastics that came with getting gifts into secure buildings, favors called in from friends who worked in the same office as one’s spouse, instructing them to leave this or that on someone’s desk, the tricky navigation of security clearances required to reach specific areas. His own rank and clearance meant that he hadn’t had any trouble getting a single red rose and an envelope into Pete’s office the year before—the first year he’d been able to dare leaving something for Pete in such public view—but given the difficulties, he didn’t expect anything from Pete. He’d already been showering Tom in his affections all day, and Tom was pretty sure he was hiding a gift for him in the back of his underwear drawer, not that he was looking.

He marked his assistant’s sly little smile the minute he passed her desk, greeting her with a suspicious smile of his own, though if she knew anything, she didn’t let on. His smile turned to a grin when he opened the door to his office.

On his desk sat a thin green vase. Two origami fighter jets sat on sticks, arranged like they were soaring out of the vase on either side of a single red rose, with a card sitting on the desk below.

Tom grinned back at his assistant. 

“Were you in on this?”

“On what, sir?” She couldn’t quite hide her smile. 

“Right.” Tom grinned, shaking his head fondly. Of course Pete had something else planned. 

“Oh,” his assistant caught his attention once more, “your three o’clock meeting was canceled. I’ll let you know once they reschedule.”

“Okay,” Tom gave her a nod. “Thank you.”

His assistant withdrew as Tom stepped into his office, setting his bag on his chair and picking up the card, TOM, written out in Pete’s capitals. He wrote like an engineer, messy and quick, but Tom had always loved his handwriting. Maverick could never be encapsulated by something neat, and Tom loved him for it.

He slipped the card from the envelope.

Don’t worry, I won’t ask who the better pilot is. 

I’m sure you don’t need me to come into your office and embarrass you in front of your whole staff, but since you put the idea in my head last year, I have to tell you I have been tempted. I know my schedule makes things a little hard for you to do the same, but I bet you could figure something out. In the meantime, you’ll just have to endure me embarrassing you in other ways.

I’m still holding out for our rings and our wedding, but I hope that for now, this is something.

My wingman, my guardian angel, my partner, my everything. I love you, Tom. 

Happy Valentine’s day.

Pete

P.S. My hop today ends just after 1500. Check your schedule.

Tom had just enough time to stop by the base commissary and buy a bouquet of flowers, and he was on the tarmac when Pete climbed out of his jet just after 1500. 

It was February 14th, 2013, don't ask, don't tell was a thing of the past and Tom "Iceman" Kazansky pulled his partner close and planted a kiss on his lips for all the world to see. He felt Pete smile against his lips, and Tom kept his forehead pressed to Pete’s when he drew back from the kiss, his arms still around him.

“Happy Valentine’s day, Pete,” he murmured. Pete kissed him again, until his lips pulled into a bright grin.

“I knew you’d figure something out.”

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Not so secret admirer

I made a little Icemav Valentine’s day drabble! Very quick but I hope you like it!!

Keep reading

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I just found an old planning page for at my side in a random notebook (bless, because I fucking needed it) but I wanted to share this little bit with you all.

For those who cannot read my chicken scratch, the part I’m looking at says;

“-Merlin!! Where are you??

—Engineering projects for Mitre?”

And by Mitre I mean MITRE, which is a civilian company that does a lot of contracting work for the military and the government.

My username might be slidersimp, but Sam “Merlin” Wells, you also have my heart.

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Dog Football

A ficlet set in the same universe (au? narrative thread? story? Idk y'all) as my fic at my side in which Maverick gets a service dog named Tess for his PTSD post-TGM and the daggers fall in love with her immediately. Ft. occasional fun shenanigans to break up the sad emo content.

——

When Maverick looked up at a shadow covering his beach chair, the sound of footsteps on sand coming to a stop beside him, he wasn’t surprised to see Admiral Simpson standing beside him, hands on his hips as he surveyed the beach in front of them. He was surprised, however, to see the relaxed smile on the Admiral’s face. It was true they weren’t under a deadly time crunch like they had been the last time this little scene had played out, with the mission and all its disastrous consequences looming over all their heads, but a smile still wasn’t something he expected out of the Admiral under most circumstances. He was even more surprised when the Admiral glanced behind him, then sat down in the sand beside Maverick’s chair, uniform and all.

“Dogfight football?” Simpson asked, nodding towards the aviators in front of them.

At the waterline, the daggers were racing over the sand, throwing footballs between them and shouting. Since the last time they’d played, they’d started to get more of a handle on the game, figuring out something of a strategy, but the longer they went on, the more it descended into chaos. Not to mention a certain curveball that the aviators had been all too happy to introduce.

“Not quite.” Maverick told the admiral, his eyes on a single figure within the group. “Dog football. They came up with it themselves.”

The daggers had opted to keep both footballs, though at least one of them—or both, for one rather comical moment—was almost always in the mouth of a certain German Shepherd, Tess. Maverick watched the daggers chasing her into the water while they scrambled with the other ball, trying to lead her over to their respective sides or entice her back to the field of play. He wasn’t sure Tess had any idea what the rules were, but she was running circles around the daggers, evading their grabs for the ball and lighting up cheers of triumph or shouts of dismay whenever she raced into an endzone marked by a line carved into the sand.

“It looks like they’re still doing offense and defense.” Simpson observed. They watched Coyote take a sliding dive for Tess, grabbing for the football in her mouth before she dodged away, tail wagging. “Did they add any new rules for her?”

Maverick shrugged. “I’m not sure I understand it anymore, to be honest. They’re not allowed to tackle her, but that’s my rule.” 

Simpson nodded. “Smart.”

“And, I think if she scores in an endzone it gives the team more points than if a human scores.” 

Maverick watched Rooster rush past Tess, lightly shoving her playfully, lunging away and continuing to run to lure her to follow him. She was hot on his heels as he raced towards his endzone until Phoenix whistled loudly, slapping her thighs and calling for her to come her way instead. Rooster hurried to redirect her with his own calls and Maverick and Cyclone watched the opposing struggle until Payback and Fanboy slid in the sand to reach Tess, fighting to wrestle the football from her grip.

“It’s been a lot of this.” Maverick told Cyclone.

Shouts erupted from the sand as Fanboy pried the football from Tess’s jaws, nearly dropping it in the sand. He scrambled to get control of it, tossing it to Hangman before Phoenix could snatch it from his hands.

“Tess! Go long!” Jake was at the back of the pack, but he raised the ball and Tess knew exactly what he was offering, taking off sprinting towards the other end of the sectioned off patch of sand. He threw the ball hard and the aviators all watched it fly, the other football forgotten.

Tess caught the pass in the air, landing just beyond the line marking the end zone and the aviators erupted into a chaos of cheers and screams. Maverick watched Rooster nearly knock Hangman to the ground as he launched himself at him with a shout of triumph. Hondo’s whistle singled the end of the game, and Cyclone patted Maverick’s shoulder.

“Keep up the good work.” 

Maverick grinned. “It’s good to see you, Admiral.”

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slider has become such an essential character in this fandom for me now that i forget he wasn’t a central part of the actual movie and some people are like “who?” when i mention Ron Kerner. like how

your audacity

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So for the Top Gun Songfic Fest I originally wrote like 10k words of pure whump until I realized not only was it not finished, but it wouldn't fit into the 5k word limit, so I had to write something new. This is a snippet from the original whump fest, trigger warnings for what initially appears to be a suicide attempt, but actually isn't.

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When Ron pulled up to Pete’s house, the driveway was empty. Tom’s car was gone, and Goose’s old Bronco, that Pete had been taking care of for Bradley to drive when he was older, lived in the garage with Pete’s bike. The house was dark, which was to be expected at two in the morning, but when Ron knocked, there was no response. He knocked again, harder this time, hoping that he would see Pete hurrying down the hall, exhausted and pissed at him for being woken at such a late hour, but Pete didn’t come. Ron fumbled with his keys.

He found the key to the house after only a moment, given to him for emergencies, but Ron had taken to carrying it with his own when Tom had left for Virginia. He was supposed to only be gone for three weeks, but three had turned into five a couple days ago and Ron felt himself wearing thinner and thinner with every moment Tom was gone. Pete was unraveling and struggling to hide it, but Ron could see through him. He fumbled with the locks, then pushed open the door.

“Pete?” He called inside, his voice raised. He shut the door behind him and locked it again, pausing to listen to the house around him, hardly daring to breathe. A choked, gasping sob met his ears, a weak cry sounding just after. They were both muffled, far away from Ron, sounding through doors and thin walls. “Pete?”

He rushed deeper into the house, his hand on the wall, he navigated the darkness with wide eyes, rushing towards the master bedroom at the back of the house. The bed was empty when he made it inside, the blankets askew like Pete had rushed from them in a hurry. Inside, he could hear Pete gasping, wheezing around sobs and soft cries of pain. The bathroom door was open and Ron practically ran for it. 

He flipped on the light as soon as he entered and his stomach plunged down to his toes, terror flooding him so fast he almost felt nauseous. On the bathroom counter was an orange bottle of prescription medication, the cap missing, the contents spilled out over the counter. There was vomit in the toilet, the acid stench filling the bathroom air. The little trash can had been knocked over, the floor mats askew and curled on the tiles, laying on his side and clutching his leg as he sobbed, was Pete Mitchell.

“Oh my god.” The words rushed out of Ron’s mouth. For a moment, he was paralyzed and still, then he lunged forward, snatching the bottle from the counter and throwing himself down at Pete’s side. Ron reached out to grab Pete’s shoulder and his friend flinched so hard he hit his head into the shower door behind him. Ron hardly noticed in his panic.

He held the empty bottle in front of Pete, gripping his shoulder tight. His hands were shaking.

“Pete, Pete, tell me you didn’t take these.” He felt like he was pleading, his mind rioting through scenarios. He needed to call an ambulance, get Pete to the hospital before the medication could kill him, he needed to call Tom, he needed to— “Tell me you didn’t—”

But Pete said nothing, his eyes shut tight against the light, his hands still wrapped around his thigh on either side of the gash on his leg, the wound in its last stages of healing.

“Pete, look at me.” His voice came out like a demand, a little shake of Pete’s shoulder and another sob broke out of Pete’s chest. Ron watched him curl in on himself even further. “Did you take—”

“I didn’t take them!” Pete cut him off, his voice a high cry, muffled as he shoved his head into his knees, his bare shoulders shaking under his sobs. “I didn’t—”

“Okay,” he breathed, “okay, I’m sorry.” He loosened his grip on Pete’s shoulder, his panic suddenly releasing the vice grip it had on his lungs. Still, Ron felt it simmering in his veins, and he didn’t let go of Pete’s shoulder.

Dressed only in boxers, there were goosebumps on Pete’s skin, and Ron watched as he shook and sobbed. Ron watched him shift, drawing his left knee to his chest and wrapping his arms around his leg so tight his muscles flexed. Ron ran his hand over Pete’s back, reaching up to hold the back of his head, letting his fingers slip into Pete’s hair. Tears forced themselves out of Pete’s eyes and Ron felt his throat tighten, watching him choke down a gasp.

Ron turned over the bottle in his hand, reading the label. Prescription pain medication, he realized, likely prescribed to Pete for the injury he was hugging now, the deep gash in his thigh that nearly had him bleed out in Ron’s arms a little more than a month ago.

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I have shit written and I haven't been giving it to y'all for months! Shame on me! Stay tuned for some snippets.

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Iceman/Maverick in their retired era, courtesy of noahdeaart. Posted with permission.

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baby's first car chase

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONINGd