#mitchell!reader

[warnersister]

Personal Space (two Bradshaws like it now)

Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x Reader

Summary: A sequel in which you love your personal space. Unfortunately, Bradley also loves your personal space. Even more so now you’ve had a baby, apparently.

Can be read as a part 2, but doesn’t have to be. Read Personal Space here

You really didn’t know when it all happened, when you and Bradley became a thing. At first he was just an annoying crew member you couldn’t shake off your tail. Then he was your wingman. Then you got accidentally placed into marriage accommodation and the two of you played it off so you could get better housing. Then you actually bought a house. And then somewhere along the way you got married.

“Where shall we have the wedding?” Bradley asked and you raised a brow “register office” you shrug “what you don’t want a wedding?” He asks, hand on his chest as he feigns offence. “You do?” You ask and he nods vigorously. You huff. “Fine” “so shall we do it on the beach?” He asks “okay” you just go along with it, hardly even entertaining the idea at all.

“So? What do you think?” Nat asks as she makes you pivot in a white gown “I think I look like a roll of toilet paper” you said, crossing your arms “maybe it’s just not the dress for you?” She reasons and you shake your head “just not really into the whole idea of this wedding. I kinda thought we’d just sign papers and get on with it” you said “well you picked Bradshaw, he’s a drama queen at the best of times” she says and you him in agreement; your consultant leading you back to the fitting rooms “let’s try another”.

You’d left with a sleeved dress; hating the idea of having a low cut dress, and begging Nat to just let you leave. Sure, you loved the dress - but you loved the idea of getting out of that suffocating shop more.

“Hey honey” Bradley had said, hearing you walk into the house and set your keys on the kitchen counter. “Hi” you reply shortly, moving to fill your cup with water from the sink. “How was your day?” He asked, moving to rest his head on your shoulder and holding you from behind. “Good. Bought a wedding dress” you say simply “you did what?!”

Then on your wedding day, you’d stared at yourself in the mirror far too long. “You look gorgeous” Penny whispers, squeezing your shoulders comfortingly “I look like a fucking pin up doll” you huff, not necessarily believing yourself - just not used to being such a central perspective of attention. “Wow” your dad says, walking into the room “you look gorgeous” he whispers “is there an echo in here?” You mumble, but smile at him “thank you” you say, wiping the tears from under his eyes. “C’mon, Bradley’s nearly about to come get you himself”

You showed up to the beach-front wedding right on time, completely dead against the idea of being in any way, shape, or form late. Your father gave you away, Bradley in floods of tears at the end of the isle by the time you’d gotten there. “You look incredible” he whispers, lips quivering as he stares at you “shut up you’re going to make me cry.” You grumble, but smile. “It’s okay to cry.” He says, as the ceremony begins. “You may now kiss your bride” and Bradley dipped you and kissed you sweetly, drowning out the cheers of those around you. “I love you, Bradshaw.” You say, smally, “I love you more, sweetheart” he says and kisses your forehead “you’re crying” he points out “shut up”

And then you looked at the two lines on the pregnancy test two years later. You hummed “okay” and looked at yourself in the mirror, knowing nothing else other than the fact that you had to tell Bradley right that second. You marched downstairs, where he was sat playing with some keys on the piano you’d bought him last Christmas, stopping next to him. “Hey baby, y’alright?” He asked, and you just held out the stick to him. “What’s this?” He asks, taking it from you and looking over it once. “You serious?” He asked, looking at you; smile growing from ear to ear “you’re pregnant?” He almost whispers “unless the other four lied.” you say and he jumps up and pulls you into his arms, kissing all over your face until you shouted at him to stop.

He knelt down and looked at your stomach, kissing it gently then moving to put his ear against it “uh huh” he hummed “Bradley what are you-” “shush I’m talking to em” he says and you stand, unimpressed, but let him nonetheless. “Oh yeah baby, I’m excited to meet you too” he coos “yeah, yeah, I’m your dad” and you audibly giggle. He looks up at you, eyes wide “you done?” You ask and he nods “yeah little one was done talking” he smiles, and hugs you close again. “I need to get the baby clothes out of the attic” he mumbles, kissing your temple “the what?” You ask “I bought them when we started renting the house!” He says, dragging you excitedly up the stairs “but we own the house, Brad” you him “no, no, the one we had during the mission!” He says and you gasp internally, realising how long the two of you had been together without even noticing it.

“Hey dad” you say, as you and Bradley head into the hangar he and you owned “hey honey, hey Brad” your dad greets, wiping the oil from his hands to come over and talk to the two of you. He kissed your forehead and hugged you, then your husband before walking back over to the aircraft he was working on. “Thought you needed a new picture for your pinboard” you hum “oh? I just added the wedding photo!” He says, excitedly, showing you the filled gap. “Okay, guess you don’t want the sonogram of your grandchild.” You say, turning to head out before Bradley hurriedly grabbed you and turned you back into the situation, pulling the strip of photos from his breast pocket. Your dad stood with his jaw wide open “you’re-” he breathes “you’re really pregnant?” He asks as his eyes well with tears “well I wouldn’t lie-” you say but he just pulls you into a big bear hug, pinning Baby Bradshaw’s picture onto his board.

You head to go look at the part of the engine your dad couldn’t quite fix while Bradley held back with Maverick. He turns to him and shakes his hand “your dad would’ve been so proud.” He says, smiling at Bradley “I know you are.” Rooster smiles, wordlessly being pulled into a hug with his father-in-law.

Then one evening you were sat up in bed, Bradley sound asleep beside you as you look down at the barely visible bump. Bradley had sort of a sixth sense, somehow knowing you weren’t asleep beside him. “Hey, baby what’s up?” He croaks, immediately moving to sit up with you when he sees his senses were correct. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Bradley.” You say, staring ahead at the wall “what do you mean?” He asks, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. “I mean I’m a fighter pilot, I was raised by a single father, I never had that maternal instinct, what am I doing?” You whisper, and when Bradley managed to finally pull your face towards him you were crying “oh sweetheart” he hums, pulling you into him gently “you’re gonna be the best momma ever, and the fact that you worry proves that. I love you, okay?” He comforts “I know. I love you too.”

You were stubborn the whole pregnancy. You thought it was ridiculous that people just stopped when they were pregnant, and Bradley was trailing you trying anything to get you to just relax. “Hen, please!” He begs as you head out for your morning run “I’m three months pregnant, Bradley. I’m not incompetent.” You snap, as he begrudgingly pulls on his running shoes and follows you out the door. He pulled you back anytime you went quicker than a 10 minute mile “Bradley, if you slow me down one more time I’m going to pull your arm out of your socket” you snap and he holds his hands up “message received.”

Then one day, at around the sixth month mark you walked into the house and slammed the door so hard it rattled. “What’s up?” Bradley asked, as you practically threw your stuff on the floor. “They’re putting me on the desk.” You grumble, anger evident in your eyes while his soften “oh baby we knew that was gonna happen” he soothes, rubbing your arm reassuringly “no! No we didn’t! I was perfectly fine hiding the bump, but no!” You huff “I’m Bradley Bradshaw and all of California has to know my wife’s pregnant!” You imitate him but he just smirks “oh I’m so sorry that everyone needs to know you’re taken and carrying my baby” he says, smugly. “Don’t you smile at me Bradley-” you wag an accusatory finger at him, but he heaves you over his shoulder, and towards the stairs “c’mon, let’s help you blow off some steam” he reasons “y’know it’s possible to get pregnant while pregnant, right?” You ask and he cheers “woohoo! Two for one deal, sounds great!” He says and you can’t help but smile.

Then came your maternity leave, Bradley picked you up in his bronco. You were quick to head outside, and he kinda hated how well you hid the bump. “I’m done.” You huff, settling into the seat beside him “if that bitch from accounting asks me one more time if I want her herbal teas I’m going to knock her teeth out” you complain and Bradley chuckles “well, just me, you and Baby Bradshaw now” he says and you hum in agreement.

But when you approached your street, you rolled straight past your house and straight to the Hard Deck ‘congratulations on your baby’ banners plastered all over “welcome to our baby shower!” Bradley grins as you pull up “is this really necessary? They aren’t even here yet.” You tell him and he shrugs “thought it might take your mind off maternity leave” you smile at him “thanks, Brad”

And at one point in the evening, you sat Natasha and Bob down separately. “Hey Phoenix, can we borrow you?” Brad asked, pulling her away from her conversation “yeah of course guys!” You took a seat at a table and Bradley forced you to elevate your feet against your will. “What’s up?” She asks “how’d you like to be godmother to little Bradshaw?” Her eyes lit up when Bradley asked and she leant over the table to hug the two of you “oh I’d love too!” She announces, excitedly.

Then you head over to Bob, but Phoenix holds Rooster back “they have a special connection, let her do this”. You sit on the stool next to Bob and he offers you some peanuts which you refuse, and you stay sat in silence for a minute. “Bob can I ask you something?” You ask, as he pulls your calves up to rest in his lap “of course, hen” he says, brushing some crumbs off his top “what’s up?” “Well, the job we’re in isn’t an old job” you say and he laughs and agrees “it’s also dangerous” you say, and again - he nods. “So if anything happens to me and Brad, can you be there for little Bradshaw?” His eyes widen and start to swell with tears “will you be our godfather?” You ask and he nods, moving to miss your cheek “of course I will, hen. I’d be honoured.”

Bradley and you had started putting together your hospital bag at the 8 month mark. You were both premature so had a bit of superstition, especially with only being a few weeks off of the 40 mark. You’d placed the bag by the front door, along with a baby carrier in the middle seat of his Bronco.

It was week 38 when you were both putting together the crib beside your bed, two spare bedrooms and still you only wanted your baby beside you. “Okay all done, baby” your husband said “okay. My water broke three minutes ago” you say as calmly as he had, he nods, then whips his head back round “your water broke?” He asks and looks down, and indeed, your water had broken “oh my god your water broke?!” He announced, picking you up bridal style and carrying you out to the bronco, picking the hospital bag up on the way. “Ready to have a baby?” He asks, giddily. “Am I supposed to be?” You ask and he shakes his head with a smile “no”

You were dead silent during birth and it scared the shit out of Bradley. “Do you want an epidural, honey? They’ve offered-” “no.” “Can I get you more ice?” “No.” And he tried everything, even when it was time to push. You held his hand and your mouth was zipped shut. “Is she supposed to be this quiet?” He asked the doctor who just looked at him nonchalantly “it’s normal, all mothers react differently to birth” he said. “I’m a fighter pilot Bradley. I’ve had worse.” You grit. “Breathe baby” he tells you “I think you need to.” You say “stop being dramatic” you say as you push again “honey-” “either shut up or get out.” You tell him and he glues his mouth shut, at least until the baby comes.

Bradley cuts the chord and they hand you your baby, and your eyes widen as you stare at the baby on your chest “welcome to the world Nick Bradshaw” you coo at the baby and Bradley raised his brows “Nick?” He asks, voice cracking “what? Got a problem with that? You and your stupid dick” you grumble and Bradley laughs and shakes his head, kissing your forehead.

“Hey mom, shall we take baby so you can get some rest?” The nurse asked, leaning to take Nick from your arms “excuse me?” You asked, pulling your baby closer. “So you can sleep?” She suggests “I’ve carried him for nine months and now he’s here you’re taking him away?” You ask “well, some mothers like to sleep” “I can sleep when I’m dead.” You deadpan, and she realised that Nick wouldn’t have been pried from your hands even if you were dead, so she left you all alone.

“Taking you away from mommy? Who does she think she is?” You whisper to baby Nick. “Welcome back to the world, Bradshaw.” You say and Bradley can only smile and hold the two of you close.

You’re going to be just fine in this mommy role.

——————————

Part 2-ish? I know it was really well liked and I enjoyed writing it so hope you enjoy this one too!

-> @rosiahills22 here’s another one!

[starlightval]

his f-18, his bronco, his favorite sports teams and you || bradley 'rooster' bradshaw

pairing: bradley 'rooster' bradshaw x mitchell!reader

synopsis: you claim there are a select set of things rooster pays attention to and remembers information about. those being his f-18, bronco, and favorite sports teams. however rooster is quick to correct you seeing as you left off one very important thing on that list, you.

warnings: n/a, just some short and sweet fluff

note: not edited! rooster has me in an absolute chokehold, enjoy lovlies.

ps. i may or may not have a rooster x mitchell!reader multific story in the works 👀 let me know if thats something you'd be interested in!

masterlist

*I do not give consent to my work being posted, translated, copied or published to any third-party site. If you see my work reposted anywhere, please reach out and let me know.*

“Roo, baby, you know I love you from the absolute bottom of my heart but I don’t trust your cooking. Stay out of my kitchen.” You order sweetly, pointing toward the living room with the spatula in your hand.

Rooster had come waltzing in a few moments ago, his baseball game having cut to a commercial break, and with one look at you buzzing around the kitchen with your hair messily pulled back against your head as you multitasked getting things prepped for tonight's dinner, had announced that he wanted to help.

To which you said absolutely not and he immediatley wanted to know why leading to the converstation you were currently having.

He grabbed at his chest, face twisting in offense, “Excuse you, for your information I am a fantastic cook. Carole Bradshaw insured that.” 

“And I have nothing but the utmost absolute faith in Aunt Carole’s abilities. What I don’t have faith in is your ability to pay attention and retain the knowledge of anything that doesn’t have to do with your F-18, Bronco or favorite sports teams.” 

“Are you calling me dumb Y/n Mitchell?” He accused.

“I never said that Bradley Bradshaw, I only meant that your talents and intelligence are more aptly applied in places that aren’t my kitchen.” You countered, putting emphasis on his name the way he did yours.

He stared at you for a moment, eyes playfully narrowed, trying to come up with good enough response to defend himself against your argument. He repeats your list mentally to himself; His F-18, his bronco, his favorite sports teams and...wait a minute-

Rooster's head cocked to the side and a smirk spread across his face as a thought suddenly dawned on him. You rose an eyebrow as he placed his beer down on the kitchen island and took a step forward crossing the distance towards you, “What are you doing?”

“You left something off that list,” he said softly, taking another step forward and pinning you to the counter with his hips. His hands went forward to rest on the edge of the marble on either side of your waist, leaving you with no where to go.

You furrowed your eyebrows and smiled in confusion up at him, “What?” 

His closeness was disarming and you never could think straight in his presence. Especially not with those dark brown eyes locked so intensely on yours, so your earlier argument had already slipped from your mind. 

“The list of things that you said I pay attention to and remember stuff about, you forgot something.” He repeated, breath fanning lightly across your face, “It's my F-18, my bronco, my favorite sports teams and you. I always pay attention to and remember anything to do with you baby.” 

Your breath hitched and you instantly became putty in his arms, heart melting right along with the rest of you. 

Your suddenly hit with the rush of an overwhelming amount of love for the man in front of you. Surging forward, you closed the small gap between you and brought your lips together in a passionate kiss. Your arms circled themselves tightly around his neck, spatula dropping forgotten to the floor, as you tried with every fiber in your being to express through your kiss just how much you freaking loved and adored him. 

The pair of you don’t separate until you both desperately need to breathe, gasping lightly as you do for air. Your arms remained in their locked postion around his neck, preventing him from putting any space between you, so he simply lowered his forehead to rest against yours, eyes falling shut. 

It’s silent between you for a few more moments as you basked in one another’s touch, breathing the same breath, before you break it by whispering, “I still don’t trust you in my kitchen.” 

Rooster doesn’t react at first but then suddenly he bursts into loud boisterous laughter. His head dropping down to your shoulder, body shaking against yours with the force of it.

He manages to recover a few seconds later and still slightly chuckling, squeezes your waist before lifting his head up and pressing one more soft kiss to your lips.

Rooster then proceeds to back away, freeing you from your postion pinned against the counter, and grabbed his beer off the island to return to his game. 

“Whatever you say honey.” 

[sunlightmurdock]

a bratty mav’s daughter getting older bradley to go down on her ? pretty pleaseeee 💞

ooof can you imagine that there has been this tension between the two of you, but you’re both far too stubborn to ever make the first move… so you just kind of tease him into making the first move.

kicking your legs up into his lap while Mav’s out and you’re hanging out alone, spiralling onto the topic of sex — even though you know how stiff it makes him — and just tip-toeing your way into how it’s just never felt that good for you.

and he’s vehemently of the team, “pfft… really? not even once? not even when they—“

“nope. not even once.” you would sigh wistfully, knowing full well what you’re getting at. he would be all too willing too. being the giver that he is, he just can’t stand the thought of you never knowing.

he fully knows that you’re playing him and yet he’s got your ankles hitched over your shoulder and two fingers against the warm flesh of your tongue as he laps at your dripping core. he’s not playing you though — he’s been wanting to taste you for a long time and doesn’t care how he got here.

holding you firmly down against the couch, it’s quick and it’s dirty and it’s the fastest that a guy has ever managed to get you off — and you’re feeling sooooo smug about it during your comedown. and bradley doesn’t mind one bit, because he’s already flipping you onto your front and planning on overstimming you for trying to trick him

[fromforeigntofamiliarity]

Daddy Issues | Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw | Part II

Summary: Part One

Warning: None

Request: Yes! I’m so happy you guys liked it.

Taglist 🏷: @thescarletknight2014 @another-tblr-fangirl @khaylin27 @flareish @sexualparkour @secretsicanthideanymore @clockworkballerina @callsigndiamond @emilyniamh3679-blog @shanimallina87 @adaydreamaway08 @reader8679 @pinksweetssheep @kkrenae @lucky-lexie99 @sarahjoestewy-blog @happyfern2 @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @wannabewolf @justanothermagicalsara @tomhollandfan2 @thea9900-blog @xoxabs88xox @ebonyhogan24 @speedypeter @spicycrab69 @icecreamgal1 @muushwrites @katiebby04 @lonelywitchv2 @kdoll-7

Y/N stood in the back patio of The Hard Deck watching the moon's reflection ripple off the water soaking the sand, the muffled sound of music and laugher grew louder before being cut off again notifying her that someone had joined her outside.

"I have got to say lieutenant I never pegged you as someone who couldn't take criticism." Maverick's voice filled the silence causing Y/N to whip around. 

"Sir?" She asked confused.

"The training exercise." He reminded holding out a bottle of beer towards her. 

"Oh no sir." Y/N denied with a slight laugh. "Trust me I've taken criticisms all my life."

the two stood there in a comfortable silence for a while listening to the sound of the waves and crickets. Y/N couldn't help but think that this moment could have been one of many shared between them if her mother hadn't stolen that chance from them, she wondered if it would feel as special as it did right now if it was the fiftieth time instead of the first...She liked to think it would.

"If you don't mind I'd like to ask you a somewhat personal question." Maverick once again breaking the silence, continuing after receiving a nod. "You and Rooster...."

"Me and Rooster...." Y/N repeated laughed. "More like you and Rooster." She replied referring to the stand off they had during training that almost lead to both their deaths. 

"Yeah. it's just I saw you guys in there the other night and it seemed like there was something there." He explained. "Look I know it isn't my business but Rooster means a lot to me and I just want to make sure that when I put this team together they are gonna be able to work as a team."

He cares about Rooster? There was obviously some kind of history there, which made Y/N wonder how they could both care for someone yet they never crossed paths. Normally she wouldn't have answered but she convinced herself that Maverick was right, if they were going to work as a team they couldn't let things like this fester, though maybe she just wanted him to know her better, no matter how bad of a light it would paint her in she wanted to him to know who she was. 

"Rooster and I were....Involved a few years back, stationed in the same place, and I hurt him...no matter how much I want to pretend I didn't." She revealed being met with a confused look. "We were pretty serious and one day I put a request...and I left him...he didn't know until I was already gone." 

"Ouch."

"Yeah I'm not proud of it." Y/N hung her head when she remembers her actions. "I was too caught up in the past to let myself be happy with what I had in the present." 

"Trust me kid I know exactly what you mean." Maverick sympathized. "Sometime ghosts from the past catch up faster than you think."

"More like I was trying to catch up with them."

"Well now I'm intrigued..." Maverick joked looked expectedly at her wanting to know more. 

"When my mother found out she was pregnant with me...she decided not to tell my father and she left. When I was fourteen I found some of his stuff and I've been looking for him ever since." She told the story trying her hardest to hold back tears realizing this was probably the closest she would ever bring herself to telling him the truth. "I found a picture of him and my mom, I carry it everywhere. When I was with Rooster it was like nothing else mattered I would go days, weeks without thinking about him, but one day...I saw that picture again and something in me just snapped back. I remembered the reason I had done all of this."

"All this?"

"He's Naval Aviator Pilot, he was the reason I first wanted to join. When my mom found out I joined up she disowned me, hasn't spoken to me since, I had already come too far, lost too much to give up...so I left." As Y/N told the story her eyes practically begged Maverick to put the pieces together. He was a Naval Pilot, does he not remember her mother? they seemed so in love but looks can be deceiving. "Not I think about how much I've lost because I refuse to give up on a guy who could potentially want nothing to do with me."

"Hey I've known you for less than 72 hours and I know that, that guy would be an idiot to not want to know you."

"Do you have any children, sir?" 

"No," Maverick answered. Y/N didn't know if she should be relieved or disappointed, she had always wanted siblings. "Rooster is the closest thing I've ever had to a son."

"Did you ever wanted them?" She asked gripping the the railing of the patio as she waited anxiously for his answer.

Before he had the chance the sound of music and loud chatter broke through. "Well Darwin. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were brown nosing." Hangman said strutting outside with the rest of the Top Gun class following. 

"Good thing you know better." 

"Darwin and I were just bonding over being some of the few Top Gun student to shoot down a instructor." Maverick lied causing Y/N to throw her head back in laughter. 

"That's not how I hear it sir." She smiled when his eyes widened in shock. 

"And how did you hear it Darwin?" Maverick asked as the rest of the team looked on expectedly.

"You didn't get the shot until you were 3,000 ft. below the 10,000 ft. hard deck, a technical loss." Y/N stated matter of factly. 

"And where did you hear that?"

"Ice- I mean Commander Kazansky, sir" She answered. "He likes to reminisce."

"I'm sure he liked to say he and his RIO were the only ones to succeed."

"Actually sir, Commander Kazansky says you won." She corrected. "He said out in the sky there is no hard deck and kill is a kill." 

"You know the commander well?" Phoenix asked. 

"Just in passing." Y/N admits. "He'd tell a few stories give a few tips."

"Well lets hope you remember them well cause your gonna need all the help you can get for tomorrow." Maverick said raising his glass as a chores of groans sounded around the group.

*-*-*

"Time is is your greatest enemy, Phase one of the mission will be a low level ingress attacking in two plan teams. You'll fly along this narrow canyon to your target, radar guided Surface Air Missiles defend the area, these SAMs are lethal. But they were designed to protect the skies above not the canyon below. 

"That's because the enemy know no one is insane enough to try and fly below them." Rooster chimed in. 

"That's exactly what I'm gonna train you to do." Maverick replied. "One the day your altitude will be one hundred feet...maximum, you exceed the altitude radar will spot you and your dead. Your air speed will be 660 knouts...minimum. Time to target two and a half minutes, that because fifth generation fighter wait at an air base nearby and a  head to head with these in your f-18s...your dead. Which is why you need to get in and get out before they even have a chance at spotting you, this makes time your greatest adversary."   

*-*-*

"Darwin we are one minute and twenty from target." Halo informed. 

"Good have that laser re-" She started to reply only to be cut off.

"Oh shit." 

"Omaha what the fuck is going on." She asked fighting the urge to turn and look out of fear of running off course.

"I almost hit a wall." Omaha answered. "We're back on course, we need some time to catch up."

"We don't have time, increase your speed and fall back in line." Y/N replied trying to focus on making the turns. 

"We're thirty seconds ahead of schedule." Halo informed.

"And I want to stay that way. Increase your speed." 

"I can't navigate at this speed." 

"Approaching target." Y/N announced ignoring her wingman. "Dagger two behind, I'd have to drop blind." 

*-*-*

"Why are you dead?" 

"I'm not."

"But your wingman is." He corrected. "You left them behind to face bandits. why?"

"The goal was to make it to the target."

"which is pointless unless you can guarantee a direct hit, which is a hell of a lot harder without you wingman." He said. "Who you left behind to be thirty seconds ahead of schedule?" Maverick asked hands on his hips. Y/N opened her mouth to answer  only to be cut off. "Don't tell me...tell it to their families."

*-*-*

"So Kazansky, I hear you like to tell war stories." Maverick joked with his blonde friend. Letting a smile take over his face 'Iceman' started typing.

"I take it you met Darwin." He stated. "What do you think."

"She...nice" Maverick said as if looking for any good word to describe the young pilot before Iceman gave him a look. "Okay, she's confident if not a bit arrogant, she a good pilot and god does she know it but she needs to learn that it take more than just being the best."

"Remind you of anyone?" Ice replied back causing the two to share a small laugh. 

"Yeah you." Maverick answered. "I know I was the same, almost exactly."

"She reminded me a lot of you when I first met her." Ice stated. "I think you two have a lot more in common than you realize." 

Walking down the tarmac admiral Kazansky noticed a piece of paper lying face down on the ground, bending down to pick it up he was surprised to see a picture of Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and a woman who look slightly familiar.

Looking up he sees a young woman walking around the tarmac looking franticly around until her eyes landed on him, more specify the object in his hands. Cautiously she approached the man.

"Yes?" He asked looking at her intensely.

"Excuse me sir but that belongs to me." She replied trying her best not to reach out and take it from his hands. 

"Does it?" He asked attempting to probe without outright asking.

"Yes, sir." She answered. "It's my parents." She stated as if she herself was unsure of what to call the people in the photo. 

"Are you close." He asked holding the picture out to her. "To your parents, I mean." Ice and Maverick spoke in a regular basis and never once had he mentioned having a child, which is something that would have come up. So either this girl was mistaken or Maverick himself didn't know about her, seeing as he wasn't the kind of guy to run away from responsibility.

Taking a deep breath Y/N stared down at the photo for a while before giving what Ice could see as an obviously forced smile.

"No, but this is all have." 

"What do they call you?" 

"Darwin, sir." She replied looking confused as to why he would even care. 

"Darwin, Your top of your class is I recall correctly." He noted remembering one of the admirals talking about the cocky pilot that buzzed a tower a week prior. The smirk that involuntary spread across her face did little to deter Iceman's assumption on who her father was.

"Yes sir, I am." 

"You remind me a lot of a pilot I flew with when I was a lieutenant...Maverick." 

"I believe I've heard the callsign before, I'd love to put a face to the name." 

"I'm sure you have, it's surprising there are no pictures around, he was peacock." Ice joked. "He had a thing for buzzing towers as well." 

Y/N looked like a child being scolded as she fought not to smile remembering the event that errand her a hefty scolding as well as 350 push ups on this very tarmac.

"She buzzed the tower you know." Ice informed causing Maverick to display the same smirk her had seen on Y/N when they first met. He wished he could tell Maverick the truth, wished he had told them both when he figured it out himself, but something told him that he shouldn't. "Has a habit of getting herself in trouble, almost made it hard to get her into Top Gun." 

"Guess she is a lot like me huh." Maverick agreed. Ice wondered how Maverick couldn't see it, but then again maybe if he hadn't seen the picture he wouldn't have either. "She left her wingman behind...twice." 

"She can be a bit of a lone wolf sometimes, but I know when the time comes you can depend on her." 

"I guess we'll see." Maverick replied before he looked up with huge grin on his face. "Did you know about her and Bradley?" He asked as the two started laughing at the complicated love life of their friends child. 

Ice walked Maverick to the front door after their gossiping about the two pilots and if they would work it out or not. Opening the door Maverick was a bit shocked to see Y/N walking up, while Tom expected her to have come sooner. 

"Captain Mitchell." Y/N greeted yet her gaze stated locked on the fleet commander. She had put together that there was no way that Ice didn't know and that the Maverick that everyone was talking about was Pete Mitchell, the article she read never included callsigns so this whole time listened to Iceman let her stories about her father.

"Darwin." Maverick greeted back sending a small smile to her and Tom before exiting the home.  

Opening the door wider, Ice gestured for Y/N to come inside. Walking in she waited as he closed the door and turned to look at her.

"Was it the whole time?"

He nodded. 

"Were you ever going to tell me?" 

Pulling out his phone Ice began to type out a response. 

"No."

"Why?" 

"I thought it was for the best." He replied. "Are you upset?"

"I wish that I could say I wasn't, but I am." She admitted never having the ability to lie to him about her emotions, he was one of the first person to know about her feeling for Rooster even before Rooster himself. "I understand that this is something I need to do on my own, I just wish- I don't know."

"Are you going to tell him?" 

"I don't know..."

*-*-*

"Darwin." Rooster called out to her as she walked towards the classroom. Rolling her eyes Y/N knew that he would try to corner her eventually. 

"Yes, Bradley." She asked turning around to face him. 

"Bradley." He repeated raising his brow. "Am I in trouble?"

"Not if you aren't looking for it." She replied crossing her arms over her chest. "Is there something you needed or can I go get ready for the exercise."

"I just wanna understand." 

"Understand what exactly." 

"You know what." 

"I don't have time for this." Y/N scoffed turning away wanting to focus on the mission instead of playing whatever game this was.

"You never do, do you?" He asked walking in front of her to block her path. "when ever thing don't go your way you just walk away. It must be so easy for you." 

"Oh my god Bradley, we have more important thing to worry about." She scolded as he glares down at her. "How do you ever expect to fly this mission if you keep living in the past."

"I'm living in the past?" He asked. "That's rich coming from you. You molded your whole life around a photo that was taken before you were born, of a guy who doesn't know your alive, spent your whole career being this 'lone wolf' so when anyone dares to get close you become emotionally unavailable, your incapable of considering anyone but yourself  which is probably why you abandoned you wingman in the last two exercise missions."

"Wow Rooster if this pilot thing doesn't work out you should become a shrink." Y/N replied sarcastically acting as is his words didn't effect her.

"Please it doesn't take a shrink to realize you have major daddy issues."

Y/N flinched as if his words had just slapped her in the face. "Wow, dad critique from you Rooster....That's rich." She sneered before turning on her heels and walking away.

After a short time Rooster followed behind Y/N into the classroom neither noticed Maverick witness the whole thing.

A/N: ask and you shall be tagged 🏷, if your were already asked to be tagged I’ll tag you for the rest of this series.

Part Three

[topgun-imagines]

That’s My Sister

Requested: yes

Summary: Once you finally have a moment alone with your boyfriend, your brother just can’t help but interrupt.

Word count: 1.4k

Warnings: none

Pairings: Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky x fem!reader

The metal of the bleachers was hot under your skin. You sat, watching some of your fellow aviators playing volleyball. Iceman and Slider on one team and Maverick and Goose on the other. Saying that you were having trouble deciding who to cheer for would be the understatement of the century.

On one hand, you had your brother, Maverick. And on the other was your boyfriend, Ice. Your boyfriend that no one, especially Maverick, knew about. You had met Ice through Goose a few years ago, a dinner where you got the chance to meet his girlfriend Carole and a few of his academy friends. Once the pair of you reconnected at Top Gun, the bond was instantaneous. After a night out at the bar, Tom asked you out again and again until the two of you finally made it official.

They were halfway through the second game and Ice and Slider were in the lead. Mav and Goose had won the first game and it was nearing 5:30. Minutes later and Slider was spiking the ball over the net for the final time, ending the game. You cheered loudly as Ice and Slider hugged, both groaning as they watched Maverick run off the court. Goose followed after him to try and bring him back, attempting at convincing him to play one more round.

When he was extremely unsuccessful, you watched your brother speed away on his motorbike. Tom rolled his eyes and headed off the court. He sure didn’t like your brother very much. You grinned when he walked up to you. “Hi, baby.” He smiled down at you, careful to lower his voice so no one could hear. You smiled back at him widely as he pulled his plain T-shirt over his head and slipped his aviators on.

“Hey you,” Was your soft response. You quickly leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek when you were sure no one was watching. “You should go shower mister,” Ice rolled his eyes at your quiet giggle as you spotted the sweat already soaking through parts of his shirt. He was smiling softly down at you as he offered you his hand. Pulling you up from the bleachers the two of you walked far enough away that no one would see before Ice laced your hands together.

You walked hand in hand to the locker room, chatting quietly along the way. “So, I’ve been thinking.” You started quietly. When Ice felt you begin to play with his fingers, he knew that whatever you were about to say had been weighing on your mind for quite some time. So much so that you were anxious about it. Both you and Ice had tendencies to fiddle with things when you were nervous or bored.

He began rubbing his thumb over your knuckles, something that instantly helped ease your worries. “What’s up, baby?” His voice was soft and soothing.

Ice could feel your hesitation, especially when you gripped his hand tighter. “I think we should tell Mav,” He wasn’t exactly surprised that that’s what had been clouding your mind for the past few days. Nodding slightly Ice looked down at you to find you already watching him with a worried expression. Maybe with his and Maverick’s rivalry you thought he would be opposed to the idea of your brother knowing about your relationship.

“That’s probably a good idea,” You let out a large breath the second the words left his mouth. “I mean, I’m like 90% sure that Goose is onto us. And he can only keep a secret from Mitchell for so long.” His teasing caused you to giggle quietly, any trace of anxiety from before disappearing. He was right though. You had seen the looks that Goose had been giving the two of you and it was a miracle that Pete didn’t know yet.

It was good to know that Ice agreed with you. The only things left to figure out would be when to tell Maverick and what to tell Maverick. Both very important parts in ensuring that you still had a boyfriend at the end of the day.

The pair of you continued on in comfortable silence. The base was only about a fifteen-minute walk from the beach and you were about 5 minutes away. Unconsciously, you began twisting Ice’s Annapolis ring around his finger, bringing a gentle smile to his face. He began swinging your arms back and forth causing you to giggle.

In no time at all, you were walking onto the base. Ice dropped your hand with what looked like a conflicted expression. He didn’t like sneaking around any more than you did. The walk from the front gate to the change rooms was short and you were lucky enough to only pass a few other people on your way there.

The heavy door to the locker room closed behind you and you were instantly up on your toes, giving Ice a soft kiss. The pilot smiled into it. His hands settled on your hips as you deepened it. “I thought I needed a shower,” He teased you. With a roll of your eyes, you smacked his chest. Just before you pulled back, ready to tell him that he did indeed need a shower, he kissed you again, leaving you breathless. “I love you.” Ice whispered against your lips.

A blush crept up onto your cheeks. With a shaky breath, you pushed him back. Your eyes met his soft blue ones. “I love you, too,” It was equally as quiet but Ice heard it nonetheless. Moments like this were his favorite. You pushed him back gently. “You really need a shower though.” The blond barked out a laugh as he stepped back from you. He rolled his eyes fondly and pulled a towel off the rack before heading over to the showers.

Ice always took fast showers. You found it amazing how he could have such perfectly styled hair with the speed in which he showered. You sat on the bench outside of the shower. The pair of you chatted quietly. You talked about everything from work to how you were going to approach telling Maverick. Practically nothing was a taboo subject when it came to you and Ice. Except for Maverick occasionally.

Less than ten minutes later and Ice was exiting the small shower stall. His towel was wrapped low around his waist, something that you unabashedly stared at as he walked in front of you. “Why, hello there, Lieutenant.” You giggled. Ice smiled down at you before pulling you up and into his arms. His strong arms wrapped around you.

“Hey there, baby.” Your eyes flitted shut as you settled into his warm chest. He smelled faintly of coconut and the standard Navy body soap.

Ice turned you around and sat on the bench, bringing you down into his lap. He tucked your head under his chin. The pair of you sat like that for a while, content to enjoy each other's company and the pleasant, uninterrupted silence. Something that the two of you rarely got to experience.

He pressed his lips to your temple gently. “I love you, baby.” No matter how many times you had heard those words, you would always get butterflies. With a warm smile, you looked up at him, meeting his soft blue eyes.

You kissed him slowly. “I love you, too, Ice. More than you know.” He smiled into the kiss, deepening it as his hand settled on your waist. Sitting on his lap, you lost track of time for how long the pair of you had been there, only separating when it was necessary to breathe.

Suddenly, the door to the locker room opened. You and Ice gasped as you pulled back. It was silent until Maverick, your brother, the very last person on earth that you wanted in here right now, walked around the corner. He was whistling merrily, something that came to an abrupt halt the second his eyes landed on you. Sitting on his rival’s lap.

“What the-” He started. “Kazansky, you better start running. You have a three-second head start,” You gave Ice a smile, more of a grimace, before kissing his cheek and hopping off his lap. Maverick hit three the second Ice bolted up from the bench, running with nothing more than a towel wrapped low on his hips.

Your brother ran after the blond pilot out of the change rooms and down the halls. Well, the secret was sure out now. “That was my sister, you dick! I swear to God, Kazansky, I’m going to kill you!” Their voices got fainter the further away they ran. You heaved a sigh, sitting on the bench. Good luck Ice.

a/n: Thank you for reading! Requests are open.

[kinzis-writing]

Only Exception | Robert Floyd Masterlist

Summary: Y/N Mitchell swore to herself that she would never allow herself to date or get involved with anyone from any branch of the military. After worrying about her father, the past few years, she knew that she never wanted to experience her worry for a significant other. After her father gets ordered back to California, she may just meet the one that ruins all of her plans. 

Warning(s): swearing, slight angst, mentions of sexual material, top gun related themes, Top Gun: Maverick spoilers, timelines won’t add up for story purposes, Female reader.  

Part One: 

Y/N Mitchell gets reacquainted with an old friend, as well as getting to see her father again after a few months. Knowing that her father is training the best of the best for a mission, means that she’ll end up meeting new people. Thanks to her best friend being in town, she gets to meet her father’s class, including the quiet and shy wso. 

Part Two: 

Y/N and Bob are growing closer every day, after inviting him to dinner confessions are made and dates are planned. One thing Y/N does not know is that there is a secret Bob is keeping from her. One day, when she’s with her father doing a team exercise, Maverick may just let Bob’s secret slip. Y/N then starts having doubts and fears that no one can control but herself. The new information may also make her debate some of her job choices.  

Part Three: 

It’s finally time for the dreaded suicide mission, after heartbreaking goodbyes and hopeful hearts, Y/N gets told some interesting news. The news that she knows is not true. While her family members and boyfriend are away, she’s keeping herself busy with her new job. Until she gets some awakening news from the admiral. 

Part Four: 

Two years after the suicide mission, Bob and Y/n are still going strong. It’s Christmas Time and this Christmas they are going to visit Bob’s family. This finally is filled with much love, surprises, and happy endings! 

[callsignthirsty]

Stuck in the Middle — Chapter 3 — Both

Co-written with a friend who isn't on tumblr. Pairing: Ron “Slider” Kerner x Reader x Tom “Iceman” Kazansky Summary: The one where Maverick’s sister is on a mission to give her brother a heart attack by sleeping with not one, but two of his colleagues. Word Count: 6400 Warnings: Smut, dirty talk, threesome, creampie(s) Chapter: 3/3 Read Previous Minors DNI

Pete returned home some hours later to find you in a very… festive scarf. Unfortunately for Goose, who had opted to stay with you until Pete arrived, it had done little to hide the hickeys littering your neck. That had been an interesting night.

Little did any of you know that hickeys, unseasonal scarves, and the Iceman would be the least of your worries in the coming days.

A hop gone wrong had you and Carole scrambling to get to the hospital.

They were alive, but it had been a close thing.

Pete was released that same day after a thorough evaluation. Goose was still unconscious. As tears leaked from his eyes, you knew that your brother was blaming himself, but there was little he could’ve done to avoid flying through Ice’s jetwash — Viper had stopped by the hospital to say as much.

You spent one, then two days in the hospital. Classes continued — fly long enough and it happens, they said, but Pete wasn’t ready to go up again. Not without Goose. And on the third day, like a miracle, Goose’s eyes blinked open. “Holy shit.” His voice was scratchy from disuse.

Carole sat upright at his side. “Nick?”

“Mav, where’s my camera?” Goose croaked, ignoring his wife. “There’s an angel by my bed. The guys ‘ll never believe it if I don’t take a picture.” When a nurse entered the room, relieved tears were tracking down a laughing Carole’s face, Bradley smiling in his Uncle Mav’s arms.

On the fourth day, Goose encouraged Pete to return to class because “You can’t let Ice and that big oaf run away with our trophy. They’ll never let us live it down.” Pete had reluctantly agreed when Goose gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, honey. You’ll do great.”

Pete smiled. “Thanks, dear.”

So the summer continued: hot days spent on the tarmac and by Goose’s side. And then, graduation was just a day away. Goose, unfortunately, wouldn’t be able to attend, but he had enough points to graduate, and Pete planned on going for both of them. You, Pete knew, would be in the audience, and there lay his current predicament:

Iceman.

Well, more accurately: Slider. After he’d returned home from his date with Charlie, Pete got an eyeful of hickeys and Goose’s side of the story. Namely, everything had been fine until Kerner opened his big mouth and burrowed beneath Goose’s skin so that Ice could steal you away.

If Pete had any hopes of keeping you and Ice separated after the commencement ceremony, he needed Slider.

* * *

Classes wrap and Slider is cleaning out his locker when he becomes acutely aware that he's one of two people left in the room. And even though Mitchell's back is to him, years of training and locker room antics mean that Slider knows when he's being watched. But the silence grows long and goes stale to the point that he's almost convinced that Maverick isn't going to say anything — which is a surprise because Maverick always has something to say.

"Kerner."

There it is.

"Mitchell."

"Congrats on the trophy." It must be killing Maverick to say it, and Slider smiles because, yeah, the trophy is his. It feels fucking good. But that's not what Maverick stuck around to say. It isn’t what he’s after.

Slider doesn’t want to drag this out longer than it has to be, so he gets to the point. "What do you want?"

The question hangs while Maverick takes a second to think before speaking — and isn’t that a scary thought? — when he finally spits out: “I have a proposition for you.”

"I don't swing that way."

"What? No." And Maverick spins to shoot Slider a dirty look. "I want your help keeping Ice away from my sister. At graduation."

"Why me?" The million-dollar question, though Maverick doesn't realize it.

"If you're helping me, you aren't helping him," Maverick says like it should be obvious. And, okay, yeah, that’s fair.

"What makes you so sure I'll help you?" Slider can’t tamp down the Cheshire grin at the way Maverick squirms. But besides being his pilot, Ice is his friend, and… well, they aren’t putting labels on whatever this thing is with Mitchell’s sister. "Besides, I think he's earned a little celebration." Hadn't they both? From the look on Maverick’s face, Slider would say his answer is ‘no.’

"I can pay you."

“No, you can’t.” Because even if Mav did have money, which Slider’s sure he doesn’t, his price would be too high. The trophy and a fuck? Pete Mitchell would have to be the richest man alive.

“I heard the guys say you got yourself a girl.” It’s a reach at best, but it shocks Slider into silence. Briefly, he wonders if someone had, in fact, seen the two of you in or on his car. But if that were the case, he doubts Maverick would be talking with him now. “She coming to the ceremony?” Maverick tries as Slider collects himself, trying to come off cool and collected like Ice always manages to.

“She hasn’t decided yet.” A lie. You’ll be there. You wouldn’t miss it for the world. Hadn’t let Maverick and Goose come to Fightertown without you in the first place.

Maverick smiles as if he’s got an idea. An in. “If you help me out,” he says, “you can borrow my bike.”

“Why would I—”

“Ladies love it,” Maverick insists, and Slider ignores him in favor of clearing out his locker. “Even you’d look good on a bike, Kerner,” Maverick tries again. “Everyone does.”

“Hey.”

“Think about it,” Maverick’s voice drops as he sets the scene. “She’s clinging to you as you speed down the road. Wind in your hair. Her arms wrapped around your waist. Tight body pressed all up against your back. And the adrenaline rush—” Mav’s eyebrows raise as if he’s remembering something fondly or really trying to sell the idea “—makes for amazing sex.”

Slider can’t help the smug grin that overtakes him — ice-cold, no mistakes was never his schtick. “Is that right?”

Mav’s smiling too, his head nodding lightly like they’re on the same wavelength. And maybe they are because Slider’s thinking about it. “Mind-blowing.”

Well, if Mav insists. “Alright.”

“So you’ll do it?” Maverick seems almost surprised that it’s worked. Like he hadn’t imagined Slider was, in fact, a man who could be reasoned with.

“Yeah,” Slider confirms, zipping up his bag and knocking his locker shut one last time. “Don’t make me regret this.” He wouldn’t.

* * *

“Gentlemen,” Viper says from the podium with a proud smile. “You came here the best of the best. We made you better.” You sit near the front of the audience, smiling and clapping with everyone else as the speeches finish, and the Top Gun trophy is presented to Lt. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky and Lt. Ron “Slider” Kerner. The new nameplate shines brighter than the others, but maybe you’re biased.

As soon as you can, you’re up from your seat. You go to Pete first; give him a hug and a heartfelt congratulations. Then, when he’s distracted by another graduate asking after Goose, you slip away. You’ve successfully snuck up on Ice’s six and are seconds from giving him a congratulatory kiss when Slider moves to intercept. Time freezes for a moment, and you’re worried that Slider intends to kiss you in front of this crowd — Top Gun trophy still in the hands of the man most of his class knows you to be with. When the moment passes, however, that worry twists into deep-seated confusion.

Ice frowns. “What gives?” Because he’s never known Slider to be a cock-block.

“I’ve got orders.”

“From?” And you can see Pete smirking into his drink as Ice all but demands an answer.

“Mitchell.” You and Ice look at Slider as if he’s grown a second head. “With Mother Goose still in the hospital, he needed some help keeping the Iceman away from his baby sister.”

“And you accepted?” Ice’s jaw clenches.

“Deal’s a deal.” Ice scowls, the look wholly out of place considering the trophy still in his grasp.

“What did he offer you?” you can’t help but ask.

“Not important.” Somehow you doubt that.

The rest of the graduation party is… well, not what you’d expected or hoped for. For one, you’re still there. Every time you try to get close to Ice, either Slider or Pete gets in your way. And this is worse than Pete and Goose because Slider is intimately aware of all your evasion maneuvers — he’d helped you come up with a good number of them.

You’re positive you’re going to scream when Viper swoops in with actual orders. Jester hands envelopes to Ice, Slider, Hollywood, and Wolfman. And Pete.

Before anyone can stop you, you wrap Ice in a hug. You throw your arms around Slider next, then Pete, who can’t be mad when you’re squeezing him like this might be the last time you get to. The “be safe” you whisper into his ear means more after Goose’s accident, but you don’t have time to talk about it before they’re all whisked away.

* * *

Maverick doesn’t want to give Slider his bike when they return to Fightertown. Says he’d barely had to work for it since they’d left the graduation party early.

“A deal’s a deal, Mav,” Slider says, but it’s gentler than it would’ve been a week ago. Mav and Ice are wingmen now, so Slider’s trying to be nice. Not too nice. Not I’ll-stop-fucking-your-sister nice — and Slider supposes that’s the one that counts the most — but nice-nice.

It’s a start.

You’d received no fewer than three phone calls, so you’re not surprised to hear the motorcycle roll up to the curb. What does surprise you is Slider at your door with Pete’s keys in his hand.

“Come on,” he says as he gathers you in his arms until you can feel the solid ba-dum of his heart on your cheek. “We’re going for a ride.”

It feels strange climbing onto Pete’s Kawasaki behind Slider, but as the engine roars to life and you wrap your arms around his middle, you’re confident you’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

Slider pulls over at a roadside diner. Ice is already inside, fingers drumming against a table in the corner and Academy ring glinting in the sun when Slider holds the door open for you. He beams when he sees you and makes room beside him at the booth. It seems only fitting to sit beside him since you’d been clinging to Slider moments ago.

The three of you catch up over food and a shared milkshake. Ice and Slider tell you what they can about the mission: the tight bunks, the awful food, the budding friendship with your brother. In exchange, you give them the latest on Goose’s progress in physical therapy. It’ll be a long road to recovery, but if anyone can do it, you know it’s Goose.

When you’re ready to leave, Slider wants to take you out for a spin — after all, he’s been assured that the ladies dig a man on a bike, and he wants to test that theory.

Slider would rather swallow glass or wait in line at the DMV than admit it out loud, but Mav’s right. The warm press of you along his back, small hands clutching at his waist as the engine hums between your thighs, is something else. Ice isn’t thrilled to see him climb onto the bike with you, both sans helmet, and insists on trailing behind the bike in case something goes wrong. It won’t, but whatever makes Ice feel better, Slider supposes.

And although his tailing had started as a protective compulsion, Ice quite likes the way you look wrapped around Slider — your hair a wind-tousled mess and jacket snapping in the wind.

It’s purely coincidence when you spot Charlie’s Porsche at a stoplight; its top down and a familiar head of cropped black-brown hair behind the wheel. At first, Pete offers Slider a cheeky grin, a friendly wave, and then — out of curiosity, you’re sure — his eyes slide to the back of his bike. You can’t bring yourself to hide your face, frozen when Pete’s eyes lock on you and almost bug out of his head, his smile dropping and face ashen with sudden realization. Slider’s laughter reverberates through your chest. The light chooses that moment to turn green, and Slider takes off.

Over your shoulder, Ice honks when Pete refuses to move, a smug smile on his lips as he zips after you.

When you return to Ice and Slider’s place, you rest your cheek in the space between Slider’s shoulder blades, your own shoulders shaking as your mirth bubbles over, and soon you’re shaking from the rush of it all.

Cat’s definitely out of the bag now.

Once the door is open, Slider gets to work. By the time Ice walks in, Slider already has your back against the wall, lips taking yours in a bruising kiss as adrenaline courses through your veins. His big hands slide beneath your shirt to cup you over your bra. Damn Mav, but he’s right. And, as your fingers catch in his shirt-back and pull him closer, Slider has zero intentions of letting you go anytime soon. Not when he’s got you exactly where he wants you. Definitely not when each slide of his tongue over yours teases cute noises from the back of your throat.

Ice must be thinking something similar because he’s quick to join you. His fingers find yours tangled in Slider’s shirt to help you lift it until the RIO has to break your kiss to take the offending garment off. It’s a mistake that Ice takes full advantage of, stealing your lips in a kiss of his own.

Hands resting on your hips, Ice guides you around until he’s the one leaning against the wall. He’d wrap an arm around your waist to tug you closer, but Slider is already plastering himself to your back, so Ice settles for a deep kiss and revels in the wanton noise it earns him.

Without the sweet distraction of a kiss, Slider works your jacket down your arms and into a heap on the floor. He takes your hands in his and leads one into his hair; the other he guides down until it’s slipping under the loose hem of Ice’s shirt. Ice jolts at the skin-to-skin contact and your answering moan gets lost between the slick slide of lips and tongues. Your teeth clack against Ice’s when Slider presses his hips into yours with a sinful grind that drags his cock against the swell of your ass as he finally sucks a mark into your neck — consequences be damned. But instead of pulling him away, the hand in Slider’s hair encourages him. You tilt your head to the side and re-slot your lips against Ice’s while giving Slider more room to work a deep bruise into smooth skin.

One of Ice’s hands cradles the back of your head, his lips working insistently against yours as your hand trails fire over his abs and up to his chest. Perfect teeth catch on your bottom lip and you break apart panting, but then Ice pulls you back for more greedy kisses. His other hand grabs one of your belt loops and uses it to pull your hips away from Slider’s so they’re flush with his own.

While Ice keeps your mouth occupied, Slider’s hands return to the thin material of your bra. He’s growing more impatient with each of your whimpers, the steady roll of Ice’s hips pushing your ass back against his erection which, to Slider’s exasperation, is still trapped uncomfortably beneath the rough denim of his pants. With a barely-there nip that erupts goosebumps across your shoulders, Slider rucks your shirt up until it’s bunched beneath your arm, but Ice refuses to stop kissing you — whether because he’s a greedy bastard or because he’s skeptical that Slider will steal your lips away the way Ice had was anyone’s guess.

The sharp rip of tearing fabric wrenches your lips from Ice faster than anything else Slider could’ve thought up, your nipples pebbling as cold air assaults your heated skin. “Hey!” you scold as the fabric falls limp to the floor.

“I’ll buy you a new one,” Slider promises as he unhooks your bra with deft fingers and grabs your chin to pull you in, licking at your lips before taking them in another harsh kiss. You let yourself be turned from Ice to chase the feeling of Slider’s lips claiming yours. Behind you, Ice flings your bra to the side and hastily removes his own shirt.

Slider may be driving, what with the way he has both you and Ice trapped against the wall, but Ice is far from passive. The two join forces in an all-out assault on you from both sides. Hands bumping as they knead and tease and take you apart piece by delicious piece. Teeth scraping against your collarbone. Your nipples pebbling between calloused fingers. Chests heaving. Lips smacking. The sweet friction of denim dragging over denim as you all move together. Sighs, growls, and groans lost between teeth and tongues. The mixing taste of them on your tongue as they push and pull, give and take.

You shiver, moaning into Ice’s mouth as he plays with your tits. Not to be ignored, Slider shoves a hand down the front of your jeans, two fingers working deep into your dripping cunt. Then Slider’s fingers are gone, and before you can say something in protest, you squeal as he throws you over his shoulder. “Ron!” you giggle, another excited shout leaving you as one of Slider’s hands lands playfully on your ass and he turns to bite at your hip just above the line of your jeans as he moves the party to the bedroom.

Slider throws you onto the bed, and you bounce before settling tousled among the pillows. Your thighs fall open in a wanton display, and you crook a finger to reel Slider in until he’s licking a path from your open zipper and up to nibble at your jaw until he’s stretched over you. You moan at how he fits so snugly between your legs and his chest rubs against your own.

“How do you want to do this?” Ice asks, leaning against the doorframe, his arms flexing none-too-subtly when your eyes find him over Slider’s shoulder. He’s a sight to behold — cheeks a slight, breathless pink, arms crossed beneath his chest, belt buckle weighing down the open flap of his pants to reveal more smooth skin and the tented white of his briefs. You lose sight of him when Slider turns his head.

“You can take her mouth since you’ve been hogging it all night.” Slider kisses your cheek, his dark eyes on your as he crawls back down your body. “I’ve been thinking about this pussy for days.”

Ice crosses the room with unhurried steps, long fingers caressing your jaw. “Is that what you want?” he asks, thumb tracing your full bottom lip while Slider mouths at your hip bones. The RIO’s hands slowly pull your jeans and panties down to savor the moment. You bite your lip, briefly catching Ice’s thumb before he pulls it back. A flush of heat travels through you as Slider’s eyes meet your own and he presses a final kiss to your hip bones before he ventures lower.

When you nod, Ice pulls his cock free, eyes never leaving yours as he pumps himself lazily and kicks the rest of his clothes all the way off. Opposite him, Slider grips your leg behind the knee and raises it, revealing the diamond of your cunt. You keen, fingers threading through Slider’s hair and hips jerking as his tongue drags over your core. Lightly stubbled cheeks rub against your sensitive thighs and set them aflame as Slider’s eyes blow wide, his breath fanning over your clit before he gets to work.

Not to be forgotten, Ice’s fingers return to your jaw, light but with enough pressure to turn you back to him. His cock hangs heavy between his thighs as the bed dips to accommodate him. As he rubs the head across the seam of your lips, Slider pushes his tongue against your slick folds with a groan. You’re buzzing, jaw falling open with a sweet noise, and Ice gives into the temptation to tap his cock to your tongue before pulling back and smearing saliva and precum across your cheek.

Unprompted, you take the tip between your lips, tonguing at the slit to savor Ice’s taste before trying to work more of him into your mouth. Slider watches from between your thighs as Ice lets out a low groan, his hand falling into your hair as you work his cock in and out of your mouth. All the while, Slider’s tongue continues to fuck into you, a finger coming to rub spit and arousal into your clit until you’re trembling, hips seeking out the slick press. Slider slips a finger into you alongside his tongue, reveling in the way that Ice’s cock slips from between your lips as you unabashedly moan, thoroughly distracted from your current task.

Distantly, Slider thinks that the real surprise isn’t that Hollywood and Wolf had heard you; it’s that it took them so long.

Ice brings one of your hands up to fist around his cock, his eyes glued to Slider as he continues to wring more wanton cries from you.

Slider smacks his lips. “She tastes good.”

“Yeah?” Ice’s Adam’s apple bobs.

Slider takes another lick that’s purely for show, his chin covered in your juices. “Sweetest pussy there ever was.” Ice groans as he imagines it, cock twitching as he thrusts into your fist, and Slider ducks down to suck on your clit before he asks: “Want a taste?”

“Fuck yes.”

Slider stands back and practically rips his pants off while Ice takes his place between your thighs. Ice throws your legs over his shoulders before diving in and drinking his fill. He groans as the tang of your sex explodes across his tongue, your heels digging into his back. Slurps at your dripping cunt with a fervor that makes your back arch off the bed.

“Please,” you cry.

“What do you want, sweetheart,” Slider asks, suddenly at your side and taking one of your nipples into his hot mouth.

You whine, arching up into Slider and down against Ice’s face. “Fuck me. Please.”

“Well, when you ask so pretty.”

“Don’t worry, baby,” Ice soothes. He scrambles up, already running the leaking tip of his cock through your spit-slick folds. “I’ll fuck you real good.”

Slider raises a brow. “Why do you get to fuck her first?”

“Because I’m here.”

For a moment, you’re worried they’re going to break into rock, paper, scissors. Slider looks ready to get up and do something about Ice taking advantage of his generosity — he’d said Ice could have your mouth, dammit. But before he does, or you can whine for someone to hurry up and fuck you already, Ice’s hand settles on the curve of your waist, and he pushes in. You groan. Slider drops back against the bed and rolls his eyes. He shouldn’t be surprised; Ice always gets what he wants.

As the jut of Ice’s hips settle against you, Slider takes your lips in another kiss, his hands kneading at your tits. It isn’t his first choice, but Slider can be content with this — swallowing your needy moans, tracing the outline of your lips with his tongue. Making up for the time he’s lost with your mouth to Ice’s greed.

Each rock of Ice’s hips causes your tits to jump the slightest bit within Slider’s large palms and against his tongue as he sucks on a perky bud and applies gentle pressure with his teeth. Before his lips find yours again, his hand trails up your chest and applies gentle pressure to your neck. You shiver, arching into the touch. Slider loves the dazed expression, the slack ‘o’ of your spit-glazed lips when you wear his hand like a necklace, and your eyes brim with rampant desire. He dives in to leave a mark just below your jaw, reveling in the way that you dig your nails into his hair and the way your head is thrown back, and the way you must be clenching around Ice from the strained “fuck” he hears coming from the foot of the bed.

Slider lets out his own punched-out “fuck” when your hand wraps around his cock and strokes. It’s uncoordinated with the way Ice is trying to take you apart and awkward due to the angle, but that’s more than fine. Slider needs something to take the edge off, and your touch is just that. He doesn’t want to finish in your hand. Not tonight.

You bring your lips to Slider’s and let him take the lead while Ice turns his attention to your legs. He lifts one up to his shoulder, and you hum into your kiss at the stretch. Progressively sloppier kisses are pressed from your ankle up your calf. Ice’s new angle has him sinking deeper into you, but he keeps his thrusts slow, the cadence so different from the one you’d had on the beach, but one that — if kept up — he knows will have your legs shaking, back arching, nails scratching. Especially if he keeps hitting that spot.

As it is, your cunt is clenching around him with each forward shove of his hips into yours. Squeezing around him as if to keep him inside of you. Milking him.

With a curse, Ice pulls out, and you break from Slider to whine at the sudden empty feeling. Ice gropes at your hip and offers it a pat before he’s encouraging you to roll over. As you move to accommodate the change in position, Slider grabs you, and you yelp as he manhandles you onto your knees.

“Hey,” Ice says.

Slider just turns you so you’re facing Ice and enters you with a harsh snap of his hips. “My turn.” You want to chastise them, tell them to play nice, but all that comes out is a pathetic mewl. Slider’s smile is haughty. “Still so tight even after Ice fucked you,” he groans as your walls suck him in. Your jaw falls slack, and a pleasured noise tumbles free into the night. When Slider has you screaming, one of his hands fists in your hair. “Come on,” he growls. “Open that pretty little mouth for Ice.” And you do, tongue lolling out over your bottom lip as you look up from beneath thick lashes.

Every time Slider’s hips crash into yours, you’re pushed further down Ice’s cock. Your taste is heavy on his skin, an intoxicating mixture of tang and his musk. Sweet. Salty. You suck more vigorously, hollowing your cheeks as your head swims. When Ice’s hips jerk forward and his cock tickles the back of your throat, you moan long and low. The vibration pulls a shiver from Ice, his fingers whispering across your flushed cheeks and attempting to card through your hair where Slider has it pulled tight.

When Slider nails your sweet spot, you pull off of Ice. “Ah, fuck!”

“That’s right, sweetheart,” Slider preens, releasing your hair to smack your ass. “Want you to let everyone know who’s making you feel this good.” He holds your hips still and grinds torturously into you when you don’t comply.

“God, Ron,” you gasp. “Don’t stop!”

“That’s it, baby,” Slider says. You bite your lip self-consciously, wanting to keep your pleasure from the ears of any passersby.

Ice thumbs your lip free of your teeth. Rubs over the indents left behind until you let out another pathetic whine. “Don’t hold back,” he murmurs. “It’s okay. We want to hear you. Everyone already knows.”

Slider’s hips slam forward. “Now let them all know how good you feel.”

Ice catches you as your arms give out and lifts you up until you’re clutching his shoulders. You kiss him desperately as Slider picks up the pace, the clap of skin on skin filling the bedroom. Slider buries himself in your neck to leave another bruise as you cling to Ice. Your kisses are less lips and more teeth and tongues now, but you couldn’t care less. Ice’s palms caress your sides while Slider’s hands anchor themselves on your hips to pull you back against him with each increasingly desperate thrust. The kisses Ice gives you do little to shut you up at this point, to neither man’s disappointment. You’re stuck between them. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. Nowhere you’d rather be when Ice’s hand leaves your side to play with your clit, delicately circles it as Slider continues to hammer into you.

In the end, that’s what does you in, your head thrown back against Slider’s shoulder as both men work together to take you apart.

Distantly, you’re aware of Slider’s grip tightening enough to bruise, the stutter of his hips, and the garbled curses as he presses tight between your quivering thighs and cums.

Gentle fingers turn your head to the side, and Slider captures your lips in a kiss. Simple. Passionate. His tongue rolls over yours as his hands smooth over your hip bones and down your thighs. He shakes as he soaks in the closeness, your highs still crashing through you.

He pulls you with him as he half lays back against the headboard, cum dribbling from your cunt as his spent cock slips free. You melt back against his broad chest and hum as you settle against him. Slider feels warm, and you still tingle everywhere he touches you.

The bed dips as Ice crawls forward until he’s knelt between your knees, his hands planted against the duvet on either side of Slider’s thighs. “You still up for round two?” Your pussy pulses at the thought, more of Slider’s cum trailing down the crack of your ass. Ice gathers the cum on his middle and ring finger and pushes it back into you with a wet squelch. You can’t help but clench around his long fingers, back arching when one of Slider’s hands presses flat against your lower abdomen and encourages more of his pearly essence to leak out around Ice’s fingers, both of them entranced by the sight.

“Words, baby,” Slider whispers breathless and sated against your ear. “You need him to fuck you?” Ice closes his eyes and groans, his cock twitching red and heavy where it leaks against your thigh. “Need Ice to fill up that pretty pussy?”

“She’s already so full.”

“I can take it.” Your legs circle Ice’s trim waist and drag him closer still. You feel hot as you imagine him spilling within you. Being so full of Ice and Slider both that you can’t possibly keep it all inside. “I want it.”

That’s all that Ice needs to hear. He wastes no time sinking into you right up to the hilt with a sinful groan. Trembles when you cry out, soft and exquisite, your eyes already blissed out but your cunt still so wet and needy, gripping him tight as if you were the one who hadn’t cum mere minutes ago.

Each rock drives you into Slider’s chest. Not to be left out, the RIO’s arms lazily snake around to cup your breasts and tweak your nipples, his lips subdued but no less sizzling as they skim over the marks he left on you earlier.

Ice leans close, his glacial eyes dark and blown wide, lids at half-mast. He catches your bottom lip between his teeth and worries at it until you gasp, releasing it with a slick pop. “Tom.” It’s not a scream like earlier, more a frantic, heady pant, your voice rough as it washes over Ice in all the right ways. It tingles low in his spine and raises goosebumps along his arms until his shoulders bunch with the feeling.

You arch up, away from Slider’s chest but into fingers clamped over your nipples as Ice’s rhythm falters. The wet clapping of your sex is loud between your ears compared to the heavy sighs and the continuous squeak of old bed springs.

Ice gulps. “You’re so sensitive.” It’s true. Every touch feels like fire. Like straight electricity. Like pleasedon’tletgodon’tstop! and Ice’s dentist won’t be pleased with how he’s clenching his jaw. Drawing in ragged breaths and grinding his teeth to make this last even the slightest bit longer. But you’re right there with him.

Slider’s calloused fingers tap against your clit, and you’re gone. A silent scream passes your lips as you pull tight like a bow and release, and Ice snaps with you.

The three of you lie together in a pile of sweaty limbs. Cum and arousal leak thickly down your thigh and onto the bed. Despite the mess, none of you are willing to move. This is the most comfortable you’ve been in weeks. Floating somewhere high above the bed. Ice is your blanket, and Slider your pillow. At least for a couple blissful minutes.

“Alright,” Slider says, nudging none too gently at Ice’s shoulder, “get off. You’re heavy.”

Instead of telling Slider to go fuck himself, Ice rolls his shoulders and peels himself off of you. He marvels at the mess they’ve made between your legs, then moves to get off the bed and start the shower.

The shower, it turns out, is a waste.

You don’t get much sleep that night.

* * *

After breakfast, Ice helps you into his car and drives you to the hospital while Slider wheels Pete’s bike to his housing assignment just a couple doors down. Ice pulls the car to a smooth stop right in front of the visitor’s entrance. He gives you a sweet kiss on the lips, then leans up to place one on your forehead. You breathe him in — spearmint, sunscreen, aftershave.

“Will we see you tonight?” You shrug, resting your forehead against Ice’s shoulder as his hand gently massages the back of your neck. “I’m just a call away if you need me to pick you up.”

“I know,” you say, giving Ice a quick peck before opening the car door and stepping out.

As you get closer to your destination, you become increasingly aware that you’re wearing yesterday’s clothes and one of Slider’s definitely-too-big-for-you shirts. But that doesn’t stop you from slipping into Goose’s room with a knock.

“Look who decided to show up.” Pete’s arms are crossed over his chest, brows furrowed in his patent big brother scowl, but Carole is smiling where she sits at her husband’s bedside, Bradley sitting on his lap. When you don’t say anything, Pete continues: “You didn’t come home last night.”

Goose turns to you, wide-eyed and head bobbing, before falling back against his stacked pillows. They must have already given him his post-PT drugs. “Wait, where were you, then?” Pete glares at his best friend; it takes a minute for Goose's drug-addled mind to catch up. “Oh.” Goose covers Bradley’s ears, then loudly whispers to his wife, “She was having sex with The Iceman.”

“Thank you, Goose,” Pete bites in frustrated exasperation while Carole giggles.

“He wouldn’t have found out if she wore the scarf I bought her,” Goose insists before turning back to you. “Did you show Carole the scarf?” Back to his wife. “It’s a great scarf, hun.” Great was a relative term. He’d bought it from a 7-Eleven.

Carole nods, Goose dopily nodding along with her. “I bet it is.”

“Can we talk about literally anything else?” Pete asks, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Eventually, you’ll have to accept that this is a thing, Pete,” you say. It comes out strong, but internally you’re a quivering mess. You love your brother, but you can’t live your life for him; you have to live it for yourself.

Pete sighs. “I know, it’s just… a lot.” And... yeah.

“I know,” you say. Because it is a lot, and that’s okay. It can be a lot. You just need him to be okay with it. Okay with you.

“It’s just…” Pete shakes his head. “Kerner? Really? Ice, I get, but Slider?” Your cheeks heat, but you refuse to look away even if you’re sure the floor looks incredibly interesting right about now.

“Oh my god,” Goose gasps. “Carole?”

“Yes, honey?”

“Did you know she was sleeping with Slider, too?”

Carole grins, shaking her head. “No.”

“Mav.”

Pete sighs. “What, Goose?”

“Did you know—”

“I’m the one who just told you.” You can’t help but smile at your brother’s displeasure.

“So when we were keeping her away from Ice… was she just off with Slider?”

Pete’s head whips from Goose to you, and this time you give into temptation and study the floor. “Well, we Mitchells aren’t exactly known for our good decisions, are we?” you mumble. Pete can’t help but laugh at that.

“No, we’re not.” And with that, some of the tension bleeds out of the room.

Until Goose bolts upright, almost knocking Bradley from his lap. “We’re at a hospital.” Everyone gives Goose a confused look. He’s known he’s been at the hospital since he woke up — had the doctors switched up his meds? But Goose is staring intently at you now. “Do you need to take a pregnancy test? The nurses gave me this button that I can push to bring them in and– Mav, you okay?”

Pete does not look okay. His face is ashen, eyes wide but unseeing as he slowly slides down the hospital wall.

“Goose, dear,” Carole says with a hand on her husband’s arm as she watches Pete with a careful eye, “you can press the button now.”

“Ahh yisss,” Goose slurs, hugging Bradley close and spamming the nurse-call button.

[positivelyholland]

We need more of Maverick x daughter!reader 🥺🥺

Plagued by the Past

pairing: pete "maverick" mitchell x daughter!reader

genre: all angst 

warnings: borderline child neglect, death of a parent, school bullies, mention of a plane accident

summary: your dads been through a lot, but you still can't help but wish he'd pay a little attention to you

~~~~~~~~~~~

As you walk down the hall of your high school, you see the same scene play out before you for what feels like the hundredth time. Kids whispering and giggling as you pass them, snickering and pointing behind your back. 

You know what they're saying without even hearing the words. It's always the same.

"There she goes, little miss no one wants her, not even her dad."

Growing up with your father was tough. He was always gone, always flying. You spent most of your childhood in various military bases around the world, always the new kid in school. 

You never really had any friends, except for your dad's friends, who were all pilots. They would always tell you stories about your father, about how he was the best pilot they had ever seen. 

You were proud of him, but at the same time, you were angry. Angry that he was never around, angry that he never talked about your mother, angry that he seemed to care more about flying than he did about you.

It's been years since your dad, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, was the hotshot pilot that everyone idolized. But his legend lives on, and you're the living reminder of his past glory. You try to ignore the whispers and the stares, but sometimes it feels like you're drowning in them.

You never really knew your mom. She died when you were just a baby, and your dad never talked about her much. He was always so distant, so lost in his own world of planes and flying. 

You remember how he used to take you up with him sometimes, how you'd feel weightless and free as you soared through the clouds. But those moments were rare, and fleeting, and now they're just memories.

It wasn't until you were older that you realized why he was so distant. It was because he was still grieving for your mother. He had loved her deeply, and her death had broken him. 

He didn't know how to cope with it, so he threw himself into his work, into flying. But you were his daughter, and he loved you too, even if he didn't know how to show it.

Your dad's never been the same since the accident. You were too young to remember it, but you've heard the stories. How he pushed his plane too hard, how he lost control, how he crashed and burned. How he came back broken, physically and mentally, and how he's never really recovered

He's still a pilot, of course. He still flies for the Navy, still takes to the skies in his F/A-18. 

But it's not the same. 

You can see it in his eyes, the way they're always distant and haunted. You can hear it in his voice, the way it's always clipped and cold. You can feel it in his touch, the way he's always pulling away, always keeping you at arm's length.

You don't blame him, not really. You know he's been through hell and back, and that he's carrying a burden that most people can't even imagine. But it still hurts, the way he shuts you out, the way he never talks to you, the way he's never there when you need him.

You try to fill the void with other things. You're a good student, and you have plenty of friends, and you're involved in all sorts of extracurricular activities. But nothing can replace the love of a parent, especially when that parent is Pete Mitchell.

Sometimes, when you're alone in your room at night, you imagine what it would be like to have a different dad. 

A dad who's there for you, who hugs you and tells you he loves you, who helps you with your homework and cheers you on at your games. A dad who's not haunted by his past, who's not weighed down by his own guilt and pain.

But then you remember who your dad is, and you feel guilty for even thinking such a thing. You know he loves you, in his own way. You know he's proud of you, even if he never says it. You know he's doing the best he can, even if it's not enough.

And so you keep walking down the hall, shoulders hunched, head down. You try to block out the whispers and the stares, the constant reminder of who your dad is, who you are. 

You try to be strong, like your dad, but sometimes it feels like you're just pretending.

Sometimes, you wish you could just fly away.

[thedarkworldofhananerea]

I'm new to this whole tumblr thing, but I have some ideas about some shots on Bradley Bradshaw or Jake Seresin, help me, we know we deserve it

[lottesreads]

Why Me? - Part 4

Pairing: Bob Floyd x Mitchell! Female Reader (Callsign Mantis)

Warnings: Cursing, insecurities, pining, mommy/daddy issues, throw up, little bit of angst, mentions of pregnancy, dirty jokes, mentions of death, mentions of being drunk/drinking

Word Count: 6892

Summary: The next morning commences after Bob sleeps over. You tell him things you never thought you'd talk to anyone about, and you both get to know each other a little better.

A/N: I realize now I have no posting schedule, I just post when it's done, so sorry 'bout that! Things are starting to pick up and I cannot wait to get to the next couple of parts, enjoy! And as always, love to know what you think!

Masterlist

Contrary to popular belief, you are actually a very level-headed individual. You made it through the academy and multiple deployments, often as the only woman in your squadron. You pushed back when people tried to knock you down, and you were able to do it by yourself. You didn’t need to call your dad for backup, he often didn’t know just how much shit you had to sit with just because you held his last name. It wasn’t just the Navy that held you in suspicion because of this. Your own flesh and blood held some animosity toward you. You often heard your grandmother tell you how great her daughter’s life could have been, “If your good for nothing father hadn’t come around.” You took it as she meant it: If she never had you.

That’s how it has always been around your mother’s side. She met Mav when he was stationed in Florida, your mother on spring break from her junior year in college. She was barely old enough to drink, but they made quick enough conversation. He was still in his flight suit from work when she walked into the bar with the rest of her friends. Only looking for a little fun she quickly left them in the dust for the man behind the aviators. They spent the entire week together until she had to go back to Ohio. He gave her his number in case she ever found herself back in Florida, and that was it. That is, until about a month later after finals were over and she still had one test to take. It came back positive. 

Pete was thrilled to hear back from your mom already, hoping they’d be doing a different kind of catching up. Instead, he was met with the sound of your grandmother yelling at him through the phone. He didn’t hear much, but the few words and sentences he did catch were “pregnant”, “kill you”, and “my baby”, but to be honest he didn’t hear a lot after the first time she said pregnant. To be fair, your dad stepped up to the best ability the Navy would let him. He requested a transfer to be closer to the two of you, calling Carole for advice, and when you were born, she and Bradley even made the journey to see you.

Then there were the deployments. Everywhere he went, Mav seemed to piss off someone, whether it be his Captain, Admiral, or anybody above him who had the power to send him out, they did. Moving to Virginia, your parents tried for the first two years of your life. They really did. Your mother ended up dropping out of school to take care of you while your dad was away. Always citing the Navy for the reason their troubles began. When he was back they’d fight constantly, her saying he was always away, and him telling her that it was his job. She couldn’t stand to look at him anymore. Thus started the arrangement you grew up with. Spending the school year with your mother, and the summers with your dad. Even if he had to leave in the middle, you spent the rest of your time with Carole and Bradley. A great reprieve from your mother’s side. Even from such a young age you felt bad taking away Carole from Bradley, learning guilt from your family very early on. There was one point when Pete was deployed when you were 8, Bradley 14, that you told him this. He told you he felt the same way about your dad and ended the conversation with, “We can share.”

You miss the times when you couldn’t wait to see the two of them. Which makes what happened last night even more bittersweet when you look back on it. Your dad didn’t even think there was conflict between you two, he just saw his kids talking again. That was enough for him. You didn’t even want to think about Carole right now. It always hurt, but knowing that her girl was fighting with her boy would have her smacking the both of you upside the head.

You could practically feel her in your brain the next morning. Either that or your head was pounding from all the tequila and lack of water in your system. From behind your eyelids you can tell the sun is just barely starting to come up. Damn that internal clock. You dare to move your face further into the pillow, but still completely at the feeling of something moving underneath your arm. Your hand lies curled into Bob’s side, the remainder of your arm resting over his stomach. You must have shifted in the night, you on your stomach, Bob’s hand now resting on your arm. His head facing toward you, eyes fluttering every couple of seconds, obviously in a deep sleep. He looks so peaceful like this, it almost stops your heart from beating out of its chest.

You take slow, measured breaths, praying you don’t wake him up. Not wanting to leave the only moment thus far that you’ve seen Bob completely at peace. Your eyes get caught wandering over the same few freckles across his nose and cheeks. As you admire the appearance of each dot, you are made painstakingly aware of how close your faces are. Your arm unintentionally flexes around his side and he takes a deep inhale. You close your eyes immediately, scared that you may have woken him up. His hand starts to smooth up and down your arm as you try to quiet your breathing. His hand abruptly stops in the middle of your arm as you feel his head lift from the pillow. You are trying your darndest to quiet your breathing all while your heart rate is skyrocketing. An impressive feat you are hoping Bob doesn’t catch on to. His head falls back to the pillow as you hear him let out a breath. He hasn’t dared to lift his hand from your arm quite yet, it still lingers, his fingers now tracing small shapes.

Oh god that was even worse. Feeling his hand wrap around your arm gave you butterflies. But now he was being so- delicate. Drawing deliberate shapes and patterns, none of which you could decipher. He was fully aware of what he was doing and now so were you. Your chest begins to feel light until the butterflies in your stomach are absolutely lurching. Wait, no you were going to be sick. Your eyes shoot open, alerting Bob, as you untangle yourself from the sheets and run toward the bathroom. Barely making it in time your stomach promptly evacuates whatever was left in there from last night. You can’t even hear Bob follow you in, but are made aware of his presence as he holds back your hair and rubs your back. Even as you’re puking up your guts, you take a moment to acknowledge just how touching the gesture is. And then you feel immediately guilty for letting Rooster get to you last night and ruining the plans you made with Bob.

Once you’re absolutely sure you’re finished, Bob helps you stand as your eyes meet in the mirror. He grabs your toothbrush, applying some toothpaste and handing it to you.

“You feeling ok?”, he asks as you begin to brush your teeth. You close your eyes and nod, not finding the strength to look at him quite yet. “Where do you keep your pain meds?”. You spit and rinse your mouth, continuing to lean over the sink.

“Cupboard to the left of the fridge”, you grumble. Just as soon as he’s gone, Bob reappears right next to you with a couple pills and a glass of water. You graciously accept the drugs and sip the water. You spare a glance in the mirror and catch Bob’s eyes. He had put his glasses on at some point, but was still sporting the sweatpants you lent him. It seemed weirdly intimate and almost fitting to see him in your clothes as well as in your bathroom. Oh god. This poor man had to put up with you all night and had to carry your drunk ass up the stairs. You place your hand over your forehead in embarrassment. “Oh god.”

“What’s wrong, you gonna be sick again?”, concern etches into his voice.

“No it’s not that. I’m just- I’m so sorry I ruined your night.”

“My night wasn’t ruined.” This has you opening your eyes once again and turning to Bob.

“How did I not ruin your night? You were supposed to go out and play pool, not carry your drunk coworker up the stairs and have to crash at her place.”

“Ok, first thing: If I recall correctly we did play pool. Number two: I offered to drive you home and then carry you up the stairs. And number three: I crashed here because I wanted to make sure you were ok. I didn’t feel right leaving you drunk and alone.” He seemingly and very purposefully left out the part where you practically begged him to stay in your bed. And you are grateful for that. The levels of empathy and generosity radiating from this man are astronomical. After getting through the exterior of anxiety and doubt, there is a big old softy in there.

“Well, thanks for doing all that. You didn’t have to.” You shyly offer. 

“I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I didn’t make sure you were taken care of.” You look up and share a small smile with him. Seemingly meeting your embarrassment and his kindness in the middle. But your head is still pounding as you wince at the light coming through the door. As if he could read your mind, Bob closes the blinds to your bedroom alleviating the pain slightly. “Let’s get you back to bed.” You blindly take his arm as he leads you to your bed once more, allowing you to get situated before he comes back. The bed dips as he sits next to you, “Fair warning, I’m gonna place this rag on your forehead, ok?”

“Ok”, you whisper. Bob gingerly smooths the cool rag over your head and places the glass of water on your nightstand.

“Now that I know you haven’t died during the night-”

“How can you be so sure? It doesn’t feel that way”, he lets out a small huff of laughter.

“Because you still have the ability to be a smartass. It’ll be a cold day in Hell when you don’t have a quick comeback.” You smile at his use of the word ‘smartass’. You want to take it with a grain of salt, but hope it means he’s more comfortable around you to finally swear.

“Robert, such language.”

“I know I know, just don’t tell my mama.” You open your eyes a crack at the use of his southern drawl, smiling. He’s smiling right back at you, breaking the contact finally as he clears his throat. “Anyway, I’ve gotta get home to Sylvia. But I’ll be back later if you’re feeling better to go grab your car.” You reach out to grab the nearest thing to you, which happens to be his hand.

“Bob, I didn’t even think about my car. I am so sorry. I’ll just walk over there-”

“Hey it’s fine”, he squeezes your hand, “I only live about 10 minutes away, it’s not that big a deal.”

“After this you better be able to call me your friend. You took care of me while I was drunk and held my hair back as I puked. That’s as close as two people can be.” He smiles at your tired words. Of course he wanted to be your friend. He wanted to be more, but he would take anything you were willing to give him. And therefore what the Navy would allow. But he shouldn’t get ahead of himself. It still baffled him why you would want to talk to him in the first place, but here you are. Bonding over the fact that he took care of you. It wasn’t even a question in his mind, he was always going to make sure you were ok.

“Of course you’re my friend”, taking a look down at your still connected hands he realizes all the compromising positions he’s put you in during the last 12 hours. Deciding this is still too intimate for friends, he slips his hand out of yours and stands. “I’ll be back later if you’re feeling up to it.”

“If you insist.” Bob grabs his pants from their folded position on your dresser as well as his phone, looking back to you for one last glance.

“Oh I do.” He taps the door frame, “Get some sleep.” Your eyes slip shut as you succumb to a sleep you would classify as coma-like. You don’t even hear the front door close, Bob being mindful and shutting it as quietly as possible so as not to disturb your headache further.

Bob couldn’t help the smile that crept on his face the entire drive back to his place. You wanted him to be your friend. You wanted to spend time with him. And more importantly, he would be seeing you again later. He didn’t even care he saw you throw up this morning, he still thought you were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Not to mention you were funny as hell and strong-willed. You didn’t back down when Rooster had confronted you, and you ended up beating him in pool, drunk. Thinking of how amazing you are had the smile slipping from his face. What exactly did you see in him? Even just as a friend, what could he have to offer you?

He all too soon pulls up to his driveway, noticing Phoenix’s car waiting for him. He furrows his brow, she never said she was coming over. He makes his way to the front door, unlocking it and walking in. He’s greeted by the sound of paws on the hardwood floor running towards him. Sylvia stretches her back legs jumping up on his chest.

“Hey girl!”He greets her with head scratches, gently resting her front back on the floor. Hearing him enter, Phoenix frantically rounds the corner and lets out a sigh of relief.

“Oh thank god. Where the hell have you been?!” She looks him up and down once, face contorting in confusion, “And who the hell’s pants are you wearing?”

“I crashed with Mantis, she was pretty drunk and I didn’t feel right leaving her alone. Why are you here?”

“Because you haven’t answered your phone all night or this morning! I was worried about you.” Bob grabs his phone from out of the pocket of your pants, realizing he left it on do not disturb. There in all their glory are the missed text messages and calls from Phoenix.

“I’m sorry, I put my phone on silent so it wouldn’t wake Mantis up.” Phoenix smiles softly at the notion, but furrows her brow once more.

“Wait, where exactly did you sleep?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you were afraid of your phone going off and waking her up that means you were pretty close.” Bob looks away and rubs the back of his neck. “Bob, answer the question.” The way she squints her dark eyes at him makes him realize she isn’t messing around.

“I was in her room.”

“Did you sleep on the floor?”

“No” He responds quietly, hoping she didn’t hear it. By the way her eyes widen and mouth drops he knows she did.

“BOB!” He quickly holds his hands up in surrender, attempting to clarify the situation.

“I only did because she didn’t want me to leave! I stayed on my side the entire time and I promise you nothing happened.” She huffs out a sigh.

“If Mav finds out you were in his house, in his daughter’s bed-” Bob’s face reddens at her implications.

“Phoenix! Oh my god! You’re making it sound like something it definitely wasn’t”, he rubs his face in his hands avoiding her gaze.

“All I’m saying is, you are literally in her pants right now.” He continues to hide in his hands while Phoenix snickers at her own joke.

“You should go.”

“Oh come on, you’re the one in her clothes! But if it’s making you uncomfortable I’ll stop.” He peeks through his fingers and realizes she’s being sincere. She hears a muffled “thank you” from him as she makes her way to the door. “Good to know you’re alive. We still on for brunch tomorrow?”

“Yeah I’ll be there”, Bob mumbles out, still embarrassed.

“Good, Rachel’s really excited to meet you.” Bob finally looks at Phoenix and smiles, noticing the love-stricken look on her face. 

“Well I’m excited to meet her, too.” Rachel and Phoenix have been going out for three months, Phoenix only now taking the initiative to introduce her to her friends. Not wanting to scare her off by bringing her by the Hard Deck. Last night only solidified that she was making the right choice in not doing so.

“See ya later!” she calls out, shutting the door behind her. Leaving Bob alone with Sylvia, he bends down and gives her all the attention she deserves. He takes her head in both his hands and scratches her ears.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here last night”, he says in the baby voice reserved only for her, “Daddy had to go take care of someone. I know, I know. Maybe you’ll meet her someday.” She cocks her head to the side. “But don’t get too attached, that’s gotta be my problem and mine alone.”

True to his word, after texting to make sure you were feeling ok, Bob came over to retrieve your car. After getting a few more hours of sleep and almost throwing up a couple more times, you were able to shower and down a few glasses of water. Then miraculously you put on some clothes and were attempting to do your hair as the doorbell rang. As fast as your legs let you, you cautiously walked down the stairs to open the door. Even with the pills you took earlier this morning, you were still feeling lightheaded. Not even attempting to eat anything after Bob had watched you at your not-so-finest moment.

You open the door and there’s Bob in all his coiffed hair and wire frames glory. Sporting another t-shirt that wraps perfectly around his biceps as well as jeans that hug his legs just right. You really wish you were a pair of jeans right now. You barely even notice he’s holding your neatly folded sweatpants until he holds them out for you to take.

“I washed these for you, thanks for letting me borrow ‘em.” You graciously take them, taken aback by his thoughtfulness. You really shouldn’t be surprised anymore.

“Thanks Bob, you really didn’t have to do that.” He simply shrugs and puts his hands in his pockets, straining his forearms.

“It’s really no problem. How are you feeling?” You move to take the pants back to your bedroom, answering him while climbing the stairs.

“I’m alright, definitely better than this morning, thanks to you.” You return downstairs and find Bob admiring the framed pictures on the walls. Some of you and your dad, some of just you. And of course some of Bradley with his family. He picks up a frame of you, Bradley, and Carole. You were only 10, and didn’t know it at the time, but it was one of the last summers you’d spend with the Bradshaws. “Oh god, don’t look at that.” It was meant to be playful, but scared Bob nonetheless.

“Sorry.”

“No I’m sorry, I don’t want to subject you to pre-pubescent me.” He smiles softly and looks back at the picture in his hands. You’re sporting a great toothy smile and hugging Carole while she sticks out her tongue and Bradley gives you bunny-ears with his fingers. Bob doesn’t think he’s ever seen you smile that wide since he’s met you. 

“You look so happy” He watches as you reminisce, your eyes softening while your finger runs over the woman’s face. You don’t look a thing like her, but he notices the similarities in Bradley.

“I was”, you say simply. You clear your throat, breaking the both of you out of the moment. “So, you ready to finally get rid of me?” He lets out a small laugh through his nose. That statement could not be farther from the truth. Bob opens his passenger door for you, almost reaching to help you up, but pulling his hand back before it lands at your waist.

“Good to know it wasn’t my truck that was the problem.” You scoff at him as he slides into his seat, pulling his seatbelt on as you do the same.

“I happen to like your truck Robert, just not so much when I can barely feel my legs beneath me.”

“Glad to hear it.” You both smile at each other until he tears his eyes away to the road to get going. The radio begins to fill the silence with its humming, guitar filling the cab of Bob’s truck. His hands start to sweat as he looks over at you, your eyes closed as your head falls back to the headrest. “How’s your head?”

“Haven’t had any complaints yet”, you mumble. Bob chokes on his spit, eyes widening. Did he hear you correctly?

“What?”, he asks quickly. Your eyes mirror Bob’s as you look over at him, his gaze narrowly avoiding yours as his face heats up. You slap your hand over your mouth, forgetting whose presence you were in.

“Oh my god”, you say behind your hand, taking it away only to rest it in between the two of you. “I am so sorry, it’s a reflex response at this point! Phoenix showed me the Elvira movie while in school and it’s just something we say now.” You start to laugh nervously, hoping to dissipate some of the awkward tension you created. His facade cracks as your nervous giggle continues, he begins to break into a full hearted laugh while your giggle turns into something akin to his. “Bob”, you say as your laughter dies down, “If we’re going to be friends you’re going to have to get used to stupid crap like that.” His smile grows a bit wider, as he imagines himself laughing like this with you more often.

“I could get used to that.”

“Good”, you say, resting your head once again. Trying not to stifle another smile that threatens to take over your face.

“But seriously, how are you feeling?” You let out a large sigh.

“Oh you know, drugs can only do so much.” He knows you’re not letting on to how bad you’re actually feeling as your eyes remain closed.

“Have you had anything to eat today?”

“Oh god no, you were there this morning. I haven’t even dared to try to keep anything down.”

“Well that’s why your head still hurts. You need to absorb the lingering alcohol with some carbs. I know just the place.”

“Ya know I usually have dinner with someone before they sleep over, not the other way around.” Bob’s face still reddens at your remark, but this time he doesn’t shy away from laughing first.

“You know me, always breakin’ the rules.”

Bob pulls off into the parking lot of a small diner, one that had not seen any renovations since at least the 80s. You’re out of your side before he has a chance to open your door. He’s kind of glad you don’t give him the option. He wants to be a gentleman, but doesn’t want to toe the line between friends and something else. He does open the door for you and lets the hostess know it’s just the two of you before getting seated in a small booth close to the back.

You both begin to look over the menu before you speak up, “So, what do you recommend?” He glances up from over his menu before reaching over and pointing at yours. You can’t help but notice the veins bulging out of his hands and forearm as he does so. You keep reminding yourself that friends aren’t supposed to think of each other this way but you just can’t stop yourself from remembering how his hands felt on you. The drag of his long fingers over your arm, and the way his hands gripped your hips-

“They serve breakfast all day, and make a mean biscuits and gravy. But you can’t go wrong with a burger and fries.” Your stomach lurches at the thought and Bob must notice the grimace on your face. “Or, if you’re not feeling up for something that big, they do have good soups. But mama always said that the best cure for a hangover was some nice greasy food.” You smile at the slip of his accent.

“Well, if your mama says so.” His hand retreats as his lips curl up at your mirroring of his accent. The waitress comes over to take your orders, and at his mama’s advice you order a burger and fries. She leaves with the menus as you turn your attention back to Bob. “So, where ya from Bob?”

“I shoulda seen this coming”, he starts to fidget with his hands, drawing your attention back to the long digits.

“What do you mean?”, you respond coyly, feigning ignorance.

“Oh come on, I say ‘mama’ one too many times and people start asking where the twang comes from.”

“Well?”

“If you must know, I’m from West Virginia. Born and raised.” You raise your brows.

“No shit.”

“What?”

“It’s just that I spent every summer with my dad in Virginia. We’ve been next door neighbors this entire time.” Bob allows a slight smile to take over his face, entertained by your excitement.

“Where’d you spend the rest of the year?” It’s your turn to tear your eyes away from him. You try not to let the thought of your mom and her family affect you, but it’s obviously no use.

“With my mom, in Ohio.” Regardless of the fact that Ohio is also a neighbor to West Virginia, you brought up the time with your dad instead. Before he’s able to ask any follow up questions, the waitress comes by with your food, dropping the heaping portions in front of you. You hesitantly take a bite, but instantly melt into it as the first taste hits your tongue. “Shit, that’s good stuff.”

“What’d I tell ya?”, you smile at him through a mouth full of burger while he takes a bite. Opting to slow your roll before you upchuck anything else today, you set your food down and take a drink of your water. “So, your family’s still in West Virginia?” Bob gently sets his burger down and gives you his full attention.

“Yeah, I got an older brother and a younger sister. As well as my mom and dad. They live back on my family’s ranch.”

“So you are full-heartedly a John Denver country boy”, Bob laughs and stares down at his plate.

“I guess I am.”

“So how’d you end up in the Navy then? Assuming your family wanted you to work on the ranch.”

“They just wanted the best for me. One day I picked up a book in the library about planes and I was hooked. Then a Naval recruiter showed up to our high school and told me about the aviation program and here we are.”

“Here we are.” You share eye contact for a quick beat, both smiles growing slowly on your faces once more. You can’t help but feel a little jealous of his family. Both parents just wanting the best for their kids, supporting them no matter what. “I bet your mom’s the kind of person to have a sticker on her car saying ‘Proud Navy Mom’”. He bites his lip to stifle a large grin and you know you’ve hit the nail on the head.

“I plead the fifth.” You break out into a small laugh while Bob admires your smile. He wants to know more about your family but is hesitant to bring up the subject. He decides to go for it anyway, hoping to get to know you a little better than surface level. “I already know about your dad, but I’m assuming your mom wasn’t too thrilled when you joined?” Your hand stops mid-air from bringing the ketchup covered fry to your mouth. You place it back on the plate and dust your hands off on your jeans avoiding Bob’s gaze.

“Uh, no. No she wasn’t. There’s a reason I didn’t tell either of my parents I was going to the Academy, my dad didn’t even know until I sent him a graduation announcement.” Bob’s brow practically raises to his hairline.

“Really, not even your dad?”

“No”, you say shaking your head, “After everything that happened with Bradley I didn’t want to risk him pulling the same bullshit.” “What exactly happened between you and Rooster?” You shake your head again, looking at him this time.

“You don’t wanna hear that.”

“I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t.” Your eyes latch on to his, the sincerity oozing off of him.

“Well, he was like a brother to me. Closest thing I’ve ever had to one, excluding the step-siblings who couldn’t give less of a shit about my existence if they tried. And after my dad pulled his papers to the Academy I never heard from him again. I tried reaching out, and every year I still sent him a text for his birthday. But he never responded.” You swallow and look away from Bob, debating whether or not you’d tell him the whole truth. “And then when I needed him the most he still didn’t pick up. I even left him a voicemail hoping he’d hear it and after six years he’d respond. But nothing. After his mom died, I thought he’d need us more than ever. Turns out he was angry enough to never speak to us again.” You look back at Bob, bringing you down to earth once more. “That was, until this mission. It took them almost dying to get back to each other. That and one weekend in the middle of nowhere, God knows what they talked about.” Bob waits patiently, noticing you struggling to find the words to continue. He continues to nod and stare at you. Not in a pitiful way, but in a way that he wants to understand where you come from. “And I guess I’m still mad at him because both him and my dad got closure. I didn’t. I’m not going to apologize for something my dad did, and I guess Rooster doesn’t think he has anything to apologize for. And now they’re off playing catch-up, and I’m… still here. Not that right here is a bad thing, I’m glad to have your company.”

Bob’s eyes go from understanding to confusion. “If he made up with your dad, that still doesn’t explain why Rooster’s being- “A dickhead?” You cut him off. There’s a small fire behind his eyes now, a look you have never seen on Bob until this point.

“Yeah.” You shrug, going back to your fries.

“I dunno, I’m no psychologist but I think it has something to do with the fact that I started all the smart comments and he’s just getting back at me. Still, I’m angry at him for good reason. I don’t know what his is.” You go back to your food, hoping Bob will notice your want to shift the gears of where this conversation has gone. “But now that you know my tragic backstory, I’m gonna have to kill you.” Catching the way you dissolve into humor, Bob’s face softens as he takes your hand across the table, he seems to be doing that a lot in the past week. You’re not mad about it, not at all. Just.. perplexed. How could you go from barely talking to this man, to sharing some of your darkest secrets with him all within the span of six days?

“Hey”, he brings your attention back to his face rather than your smaller hand in his. His brow turned up in the middle, conveying empathy in the highest degree. “I’m sorry you have to deal with all that, especially by yourself. And you know what, Rooster sounds like a total-” He stops to find the word he’s looking for, you look on waiting to let him see what he comes up with “asshole”, he finishes for himself. Your eyes widen as you take in his words, and that’s when you feel him squeeze your hand in his much larger one. The same hand that traced your arm this morning when he fell asleep next to you, the same one that lifted you up all those stairs, helped you into his car, the same one that pulled you off the ground after your failed exercise, and the same one that is now reassuring you that everything is going to be ok. He can’t know for certain, but for right now everything is better than ok while he holds your hand in his.

You want to tell him how safe he makes you feel, how you want to tell him more about yourself. Something you always had a hard time doing. You squeeze his hand right back and gaze into his ocean-blue eyes. You get lost in them before you’re able to seemingly find the words you’re looking for. They’re in your heart, but you can’t get them to your brain and out of your mouth. You open your mouth to speak, but before you’re able to get anything resembling a ‘thank you’ out, you hear your name being called.

Your head turns in the direction of the voice, as both you and Bob immediately retract your hands from each other. You’re met with Penny and Amelia walking toward the booth you and Bob are seated in. Your heartbeat is racing as you blink rapidly, you barely manage to speak, “Penny, hi!” You glance back at Bob as he rubs the back of his neck, avoiding any eye contact. Why are you so nervous? It’s not like you were doing anything wrong. You were just holding hands across the table with your newly coworker turned friend and getting lost in his gorgeous eyes. Absolutely nothing wrong with that.

“Hey, good to see you made it out of the parking lot alright last night”, Penny remarks as she and Amelia stand before your table. “Not that I had any room for doubt when Bob was the one making sure you got home safe.”

“Right, yeah he made sure I was ok.” You feel a flush take over your face at the prospect of anyone finding out Bob was in your bed last night. Especially your dad’s girlfriend and her daughter. But you know you didn’t do anything wrong, friends share beds all the time. It was purely platonic. “I’m sorry for last night though, won’t happen again.”

She waves her hand, “Don’t even worry about it. You had a little too much to drink in a bar, it happens all the time.” Amelia scoffs at this.

“I heard she got absolutely hammered-”

“Amelia!”Penny scolds her. Bob turns to face the wall, attempting to hide his laugh as you lightly kick his foot. “Anyway, what brings you two here?”

“Oh you know, just pulled off on the way to grab my car. Bob mentioned they have great burgers.” You give him a sly smile, as if it was your own little secret they were the perfect hangover cure.

“That’s exactly why Amelia and I are here. Just having a little date before the bar opens later.” You force a smile as you feel Bob’s gaze on the side of your face. That jealous feeling crawls back up your throat again as you look at the mother-daughter duo. “I thought you would have left already though?” Your brows furrow, breaking you out of your trance.

“Left? For what?”

“Rooster stopped by earlier to grab something for your dad, he was heading out to his hangar earlier today. I assumed you were going with him.” You clear your throat and stare at your hands, twiddling with your thumbs to distract yourself. Your heart drops as you realize, once again, you’ve been left out.

“Um, no. I wasn’t invited.” Screw Rooster, and you know what, screw your dad, too.

“Oh, well. You are always welcome to come over if you ever need or want to.” She seems surprised at the actions of her boyfriend. You make yourself look up at her, plastering on a small smile.

“I know, thanks Penny.”

“We’ll leave you two be. Good to see you both!”

“You, too.” Bob waves at them as you look at your plate, suddenly feeling nauseous again. Your throat starts to tense up as you reach for your water. You are almost 30 for heaven's sake, you should not be jealous of Rooster and your dad. And you sure as hell aren’t going to cry over it.

“Hey-”, Bob starts but is interrupted by the waitress dropping by with the check. You pick it up immediately before Bob can reach for it. “Hey no, let me get that.” You place the check on the seat next to you as you rifle through your purse to grab your card.

“Nope, after everything you did for me last night and today I am not letting you pay.” He goes to open his mouth and you stare directly at him, “Don’t even try Bob.” Sensing the determination in your eyes and voice, he reluctantly allows you to pay.

“That’s alright, I’ll just grab the next one.” You look away as the waitress grabs the bill from you, and surprise coats your features.

“You wanna hang out again? Even after everything that happened in the past 24 hours?”

“Especially after everything. I can’t go back to being just your co-worker after seeing you vomit.” A nervous smile makes its way to his face as a more real one replaces yours. 

“You’re right, we’re friends now. And I can promise you there will be less vomit next time.”

“Can’t wait.”

After getting your card back, you and Bob make your way back to his truck and head off to the Hard Deck. You spot your lone car in the back, only a couple employee cars litter the front row. Bob pulls up right next to your car, hopping out and making sure you have everything before you leave. He even goes so far as to open your door for you as you roll your window down to say goodbye.

“Well, I guess this is me.”

“I guess it is.” He rests his hands on the open window as you grab one final look at him. You rest your elbow in between his hands, admiring his veins. Trying not to imagine tracing over them with your fingers.

“You better not ghost me at work on Monday.” You scold him. He laughs through his nose and looks down.

“I promise I won’t.”

“I’m holding you to that, Floyd. And thanks again, for everything.” He taps his fingers a couple times before leaning away.

“I trust you will, Mitchell. Drive safe.” You bid him goodbye, taking a deep breath, trying no to process everything that happened today while driving. Saving all your feelings for when you’re home alone, in the privacy of your room. The only four walls you feel safe to cry in.

Bob watches you slowly drive to the edge of the parking lot. He would have never guessed so many things that he learned about you today. The way you looked at Penny and Amelia deeply saddened him. The fact that Rooster is still being an asshole after he didn’t speak to you for 16 years angered him. After you shared that with him, he wanted to do everything in his power to make you happy. It’s obvious you’re good at putting on a mask, but Bob is good at noticing the little things. How great you are at faking happiness being one of them. And then there’s the fact that after today you’re going home to an empty house because your dad and Rooster made plans without you, yet again. 

Before he fully knows what he’s doing, his feet start moving toward your car, hoping to catch you before you leave the parking lot. It must have been the fastest he’s ever run, possibly even faster than when his older brother, Tom, chased him with a handful of cow poop. You must notice him in your rear view, as you stop and poke your head out the window.

“Is everything ok?”, you ask, concern lacing your features. Bob’s out of breath as he gets to your window, once again resting his hands in your car. And he’s still out of breath as he asks his question.

“Do you wanna get brunch tomorrow?”

Taglist:

@lemmons1998

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Living Up To The Legacy ✈️ | Top Gun: Maverick P.1

Contains spoilers for Top Gun: Maverick

Series Masterlist

Characters & Pairings: LT. Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x Lt. Barbara ‘Legacy’ Mitchell (past romance/eventual romance), Cpt. Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (platonic), Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin (platonic), Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace (platonic), pretty much every other character is a platonic pairing

Content Warnings: light angst, profanity, slight age-gap (Rooster was born in 1984, Barbara in 1989), mentions of death, spoilers for TGM | Female OC (she/her) | Wc: 10k

Premise: Nearly grounded once and for all after disobeying orders, Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell is sent to North Island, California on a new assignment. The goal: teach a group of TOPGUN graduates how to work as a team and successfully destroy a uranium plant before it is fully operation. The problem, two of the candidates have a personal connection to Maverick and each other, but all are estranged. Maverick comes face to face with a new mission on his plate, one that looks nearly impossible compared to the difficult task he is to perform.

Note: So for this story, I looked it up and it says on the wiki that Rooster was born in 1984 and for this I’m making Barbara born in 1989 so they have roughly a five-ish year age-gap between them. Also considering this movie was supposed to be released in 2020, the plot I think take place in 2019 so that’s gonna be the year it is set in. Hope that makes sense and sorry for any confusion. If I made any inconsistencies, I’ll go back and fix them later on.

—————————————————————

“Maverick. Thirty plus years of service. Combat medals. Citations. Only man to shoot down three enemy plans in the last forty years. Distinguished. Distinguished. Distinguished,” Admiral Cain’s low voice reads off the paper. In front of him, Maverick stares ahead at attention. Once again the infamous naval pilot is faced with the consequences of his actions. This time it was going against orders to go through with testing the “Darkstar” scramjet at Mach 10.

An action which led to him pushing it, in Maverick fashion, and ultimately destroying it.

“Yet you can’t get a promotion. You won’t retire. And despite your best efforts you refuse to die. You should at least be a two star Admiral by now, if not a senator,” Cain points out. “Yet here you are. Captain. Why is that?”

There was no time to joke around, but Mav couldn’t help it. “It’s one of life’s mysteries, sir.”

“This isn’t a joke. I asked you a question,” Cain snaps with no humor in his tone.

“I’m where I belong, sir.”

“Well, the navy doesn’t see it that way,” Cain shakes his head. “Not anymore.” The sound of a jet passes by as Cain leans back in his chair. “These planes you’ve been testing, Captain, one day, sooner or later, they won’t need pilots at all. Pilots that need to sleep, eat, take a piss.” He looks back to Maverick, a slight glare in his expression. “Pilots that disobey orders. Which I hear has become a habit of yet another pilot who has taken it upon herself to live up to the Mitchell name.”

A silence passes as Maverick takes in his words. He doesn’t want to react at the mention of his daughter. The one he hadn’t seen in years. Part of him feels a sense of pride. That she is as rebellious as he was in his youth, pissing off superiors left and right. But on another note it worries him. The last thing he’d want for her is to lose her career over mistakes and disobeying.

Cain then points out the obvious, “All you did was buy some time for those men out there. The future is coming, and you’re not in it.” This has Mav looking away, not wanting to accept what the Admiral was telling him.

“Escort this man off the base,” Cain leans forward. “Take him to his quarters. Wait with him while he packs his gear. I want him on the road to North Island within the hour.”

“North Island, sir?” Mav asks with confusion. Of course he knew what lay in North Island. So why the hell was he going there?

“Call came in with impeccable timing—right as I was driving here to ground your ass once and for all,” the tone in Cain’s voice read that he was not at all happy to deliver the news—if it was up to him, Maverick would be out of the Navy for good. “It galls me to say it, but….for reasons known only to the Almighty and your guardian angel, you’ve been called back to TOPGUN.”

The look on Mavericks face was only that of shock—and probably fear. Back to Top Gun?? After thirty years?? It couldn’t be real. “Sir?”

Cain cuts him off, “You are dismissed, Captain.”

Picking his head up, blinking rapidly as he did, Maverick slowly turns on his heel. As he heads out, Cain calls to him one last time. “The end is inevitable, Maverick. Your kind is headed for extinction.”

Stopping shortly in front of the door, Mav glances to the floor before facing his now former superior. In his gaze is determination, as though it would not be the last Cain saw of him. “Maybe so sir. But not today.”

The ride to North Island was quick. Mostly because Mav was speeding if he was being honest. There was nothing like the sight of an F-18 taxiing down the runway before taking off into the horizon. It brought a smile to the pilots face, cruising down the road next to the airstrip and pumping the gas to try and beat the jet before it went airborne.

When he arrived at Fightertown located in San Diego, the first thing Maverick did was head to the building where he was to meet with his new superiors. Walking in, Mav’s eyes caught sight of a familiar picture hanging on the wall to his left. It was a black and white photograph of a young Maverick shaking hands with a man he once rivaled, after successfully shooting down enemy planes.

Where a forever friendship was formed. Where Maverick found his wingman.

Behind him, was another photo. This one showed the same man Maverick was shaking hands with, but much older with an array of ribbons signifying his accomplishments. Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, Commander of the U.S Pacific Fleet, Mav’s wingman and literal guardian angel for when he fucks up.

Smiling at the photo, Mav continues down the hallway to the meeting room he’s expected at.

“Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell. Your reputation precedes you,” were the words he was greeted with from the three-star admiral seated at the head of the table. Beside him was a two-star admiral.

“Thank you, sir.”

The admiral tilts his head, almost humored. “Wasn’t a compliment. I’m Admiral Beau Simpson. I’m the air boss. I believe you know Admiral Bates.”

Mav nods to the man in greeting, “Warlock, sir. Must admit, I wasn’t expecting an invitation back.”

“They’re called orders, Maverick,” Warlock corrects, albeit a small smirk on his lips. Mav sheepishly smiles, glancing to the ground. “You two have something in common,” Warlock gestures to the man beside him, “Cyclone here was first in his class back in ‘88.”

“Actually, sir, I finished second,” Mav points out. “Just want to manage expectations.” He ends with a full grin, as if he found the jab at himself funny.

Cyclone didn’t look impressed.

“The target….” Warlock leans in to redirect the subject before pressing something on the device in front of him. The screen behind Mav depicts blueprints, the Captain turning to see. “—is an unsanctioned uranium enrichment plant built in violation of a multilateral NATO treaty. The uranium produced there represents a direct threat to our allies in the region. The Pentagon has tasked us with assembling a strike team and taking it out before it becomes fully operational.”

The screen switches to a geographic model showcasing a mountain. “The plant sits in an underground bunker at the end of this valley. Said valley is GPS jammed and defended by an extensive surface-to-air missile array,” red dots light up around the mountain. They symbolize missiles protecting the bunker. “—serving a limited number of fifth generation fighters, which in turn are backed up by a plentiful reserve of surplus aircraft. Even a few old F-14s.”

“Seems like we’re not the only ones holding on to old relics,” Cyclone comments, noticing the look on Mav’s face at the sight of the old jets they used to fly back in the day.

“What’s your read, Captain?” Warlock asks, causing Mav to look intensely at the screen.

What he saw was something almost impossible. Looking at it from any angle indicated this to the esteemed pilot. It made Mav fear for the others who would be involved.

He cleared his throat before speaking. “Well, sir, normally this would be a cakewalk for the F-35’s stealth, but the GPS-jamming negates that. And a surface-to-air threat necessitates a low-level laser-guided strike tailor made for the F-18. I figure,” he pauses to think. “Two precision bombs, minimum. Makes it four aircraft flying in pairs.” Cyclone and Warlock share a look, while Mav points a finger at the mountain. “That is one hell of a steep climb out of there, exposing you to all the surface-to-air missiles. You survive that, it’s a dogfight all the way home.”

“All requirements for which you have real-world experience,” Warlock says, causing Mav to glance at him.

“Not the same mission, sir.” He turns back to the screen, deep in thought. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the odds were not in their favor for this type of mission. “No, someone’s not coming back from this.”

“Can it be done or not?” Cyclone questions, wanting to hurry up and finish the meeting. Time was at the essence and they needed to get started.

“How soon before the plant becomes operational?”

“Three weeks,” Warlock answers. “Maybe less.”

Bidding one last look to the screen, Maverick turns to face the Admirals. Oblivious to what they really wanted him there for. In his mind, he was the man tasked with leading the mission. “Well, it’s been a while since I’ve flown an F-18, and…I’m not sure who I’d trust to fly the other three.” He continues talking, not noticing the look Cyclone gives Warlock which has the latter interrupting him. “But I'll find a way to make it work—.”

“I think you misunderstand, Captain.”

This has Mav confused, “Sir?”

“We don’t want you to fly it,” Cyclone tells him. “We want you to teach it.”

Now that was the last thing the man expected. “Teach, sir?” Teaching and Maverick were not something to be used in the same sentence. He learned that quickly in his two months as instructor….thirty years prior.

His superiors both give a sigh, before Cyclone switches the screen on the projector. “We’ve recalled twelve Top Gun graduates from their squadrons.” Two rows of photos appeared showing the selected graduates in their flight jumpsuits. Each had their name along with their call sign located at the bottom. “We want you to narrow that pool down to six.”

Maverick let his eyes scan the photos, reading over the names after getting a look at each face they belonged to. BOB, OMAHA, HALO, YALE, HARVARD, FANBOY, PAYBACK, COYOTE, HANGMAN, PHOENIX. And then his attention was brought to the last two on the far right, making his heart sink as he read ROOSTER and LEGACY.

It was like the universe was out to get him. Digging up bones that could never be buried no matter how much he tried to fix the past. The boy with the golden hair and mustache, making him look like a carbon copy of his dad, Goose. Mavericks lost wingman who he still blames himself for his death. And the girl he failed as a father, a spitting image of his own self with matching blue-green eyes and black hair.

He hadn’t seen either in years. And if what Ice told him was true about what happened to their relationship, then Mav was at a loss to even attempt to approach the subject with his daughter. She never called. Never sent a text. Or even an email. But Maverick couldn’t blame her.

“They’ll fly the mission.” Cyclone’s voice brought him out of his inner battle with his thoughts. The admiral notices the clench of his jaw, and distant look in his eye as he turns away from the screen. “Is there a problem, Captain?”

The condescending tone nearly had Maverick walking out of the room. “You know there is, sir.”

“Yeah,” he replies nonchalantly, tapping the tablet with his finger. The screen pulls up the image of Rooster and all his information. “Bradley Bradshaw, aka ‘Rooster.’ I understand you used to fly with his old man. What was his call sign?” Of course the admiral knew, but he wanted Maverick to tell him anyway.

The pain in the Captain's heart was clear as he said aloud, “‘Goose’, sir.”

“Tragic what happened.”

“Captain Mitchell was cleared of any wrongdoing,” Warlock interjects, feeling sympathy for the pilot. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose one’s wingman. “Goose’s death was an accident.”

“Is that how you see it, Captain,” Cyclone asks before gesturing to the screen. It was clear he was getting under Mavericks skin. And it was working. “Is that how Goose’s son sees it?” Before the pilot could answer, Cyclone changed the screen to the next image.

The woman staring back at them had dark black hair cut in a sleek bob that fell just above her chin. She had strong cheekbones and jawline, dark brows framing what Maverick knew were bright blue-green eyes—which were grey in contrast to the colorless photo—and plump lips like her mother. She wasn’t smiling in her photo. When thinking about it, Mav couldn’t remember the last time he saw his daughter smile.

Once again Cyclone’s voice caught his attention. “Lieutenant Barbara Mitchell. Better known as ‘Legacy,’ which is something she certainly lives up to. Your daughter's reputation nearly rivals that of your own, Captain.”

Mavericks lips curl up, “so I’ve heard.”

Cyclone grimaces while Warlock smirks. It was already a handful having one Mitchell at Top Gun. Add a second and there surely would be chaos of some sort. But, they were the best of the best. Literally. Barbara Mitchell lived up to the legacy of her family in every aspect there was.

There was also another subject to note in regards to the three—Maverick, Rooster, and Legacy—being called back to Top Gun. “It’s my understanding Rooster and Legacy are—I’m sorry, were spouses. Or has the divorce not been finalized?”

Maverick grimaced, glancing away with his jaw clenched. So what Ice told him was true. It pained the aviator to know the two didn’t last. It was never easy being a couple where both were in the military, let alone fighter pilots and on top of that Maverick felt an underlying reason for their relationship ended was in regards to him.

It had been nearly two years since Ice told him Barb had filed for separation. Knowing his daughter, Mav knew she’d want to cut the ribbon loose instead of drawing it out and going to court so he expected the divorce was quick. Cyclone was just trying to piss him off. Mav wouldn’t put it past him to know they were in fact divorced.

Instead of answering the Admiral, he changed the topic to a more important matter. “With all due respect, sir, I’m not a teacher.” It didn’t work the last time, he doubted it would again.

“You were a Top Gun instructor before.”

“That was almost thirty years ago. I lasted two months,” He replied, trying to show it was a bad idea to give him the job. “It’s not where I belong.”

“Then let me be perfectly blunt,” Cyclone started, not showing really any sympathy. “You were not my first choice. In fact, you weren’t even on the list. You are here at the request of Admiral Kazansky.” Ah, Ice saves the day once again. “Now, Iceman happens to be a man I deeply admire, and he seems to think that you have something left to offer the Navy,” he pauses to shake his head.

“What that is, I can’t imagine. You don’t have to take this job. But let me be clear: this will be your last post, Captain. You fly for Top Gun, or you don’t fly for the Navy ever again.”

And just like that, Maverick was back at Top Gun. Whether he liked it or not.

Later that night Maverick ended up sitting at the bar at the local tavern ‘The Hard Deck.’ Two Lieutenants he recognized as the recruits Hangman and Coyote were tossing darts. Mav watched them for a while until he passed a few texts between him and Ice. Then to his surprise, the lady behind the bar was none other than his former flame, Penny.

He thought the conversation was going well….until she rang the bell. “Disrespect a lady, the Navy, or put your cell phone on my bar,” Mav recited as he lifted his phone off the bar.

“And you buy a round,” Penny finished for him, a mischievous smile coating her lips.

With a hesitant look, Mav glanced around, “For everyone?” He questioned.

“I’m afraid rules are rules. You’re lucky it’s early.” Mav watched her walk away, smiling with a light blush to his cheeks. Every time he saw Penny, something in him stirred like he was a giddy teenager again.

“What do we have here?” The sound of Hangman’s voice called his attention. He followed the blonde’s gaze to a trio of officers entering the bar. A female lieutenant walked ahead of the two guys behind her. Mav recognized them as Phoenix, Fanboy, and Payback.

“If it ain’t Phoenix!” Hangman lifted the cue up and walked beside the table to greet them. “And here I thought we were special, Coyote. Turns out the invite went to anyone.”

Lt. Trace, aka Phoenix just smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Fellas, this here’s Bagman.”

“Hangman,” he corrected.

“Whatever,” her tone indicated she didn’t care. “You’re looking at the only naval aviator on active duty with a confirmed air-to-air kill.”

Hangman smiled, obviously feeling the inflation to his ego. “Stop.” He really didn’t want her to.

The tables then turned. “Mind you, the other guy was in a museum piece from the Korean War,” Phoenix points out, playing down on his accomplishment.

“Cold War,” Coyote jumps in.

“Different wars, same century,” Lt. Fitch counters.

“Not this one,” says Lt. Garcia.

Coyote gestures to the two with a pool cue in his hand. “Who are your friends?”

“Payback,” Fitch tells him and Garcia follows with, “Fanboy.”

“Hey, Coyote,” Phoenix greets.

“Hey,” he replies with a smirk. The woman nudges her head to the right, “who’s he?”

“Who’s who?” All eyes draw to the Lieutenant brushing something off some peanut shells off his uniform seated by the pool table. When he notices them looking at him he freezes. Coyote is the first to speak, “When did you get in?”

The blonde man with glasses smiles sheepishly, “Oh, I've been here the whole time.” At no point did the group notice the man, who was munching on some peanuts and watching the interaction play out.

“The man’s a stealth pilot,” Hangman comments and Coyote agrees, “Literally.”

“Weapons systems officer, actually,” he politely corrects. It causes Hangman to nod his head, “With no sense of humor,” and hand off the pool cue to Phoenix.

“What do they call you,” She asks. There’s an immediate blush to his cheeks when he answers, “Bob.”

“No, your call sign,” Payback rephrases. Again, the blonde man appears embarrassed, “Uhh….Bob.”

The name rings a bell for the female aviator, “Bob Floyd. You’re my new backseater? From Lemoore.” Beside her, Fanboy was lightly laughing.

Bob smiles at her, “Looks like it. Yeah.” She looks him over, as if to read him and gives a nod before handing him the cue, “nine-ball, Bob. Rack ‘em.” He stared at the cue, not really expecting to be included in the game. “Okay,” he eventually says while getting up from the chair.

Over at the bar, Hangman goes to cash in on the round bought by Maverick. “Penny, my dear.”

“Yeah,” she says, going up to him.

“I’ll have four more on the old-timer,” his eyes meet Maverick as he orders. The older man shakes his head when Penny gives him a look while going to grab the beers. A few moments later his attention is again drawn to the entrance of the bar when Phoenix loudly calls out to a patron.

A patron Maverick had yet to reunite with.

“Bradshaw!” She yells, capturing the young Lieutenant’s eyes. “Is that you?” At the bar, Maverick turns his back away, preventing Rooster from seeing him when he walks to the group. The woman gives an offended look when he approaches, “This is how I find out you’re stateside?”

The aviator sunglasses are removed and tucked into his shirt. “Yeah, I just thought I’d surprise you.” He comes up behind Phoenix as she lines up the shot.

“Hmm.” Bending down, Phoenix draws the cue back and makes direct contact with Rooster’s gut. He grunts, the woman pushing the cue forward to hit the ball and letting it shoot across the table. Rooster bends, clutching his stomach with a pained expression. “I guess I surprised you back.”

Squinting, Rooster lifts his gaze to her and smiles as best as he can, “It’s good to see you.”

“Good to see you too,” she replies, her smile then falling. “Do you know if—.” The shake of his head cuts Phoenix off from finishing the sentence.

“We’ll find out sooner or later,” he stands straight, glancing at the other pilots around them. “I wouldn’t be surprised with this many of us called back, she would be too.”

Back at the bar, Penny handed Hangman four beers, courtesy of Mav’s round. “Here you go,” she says as he takes the bottles. The Lieutenant thanks her before turning to Mav to say, “Much appreciated, Pops.” He ends with a wink and turns back to return to the group.

Mav nods briefly, letting his gaze go past the blonde to focus on the man in the Hawaiian shirt behind him. Rooster’s back was to him, and wanting to get out of there before the young man noticed, Mav pulled out his card for Penny. “How about ringing me up before the evening rush?”

With a smirk, Penny goes to the register, leaving the pilot to himself once again. A few times he checks the entrance to see if Barbara had arrived. So far half of the recruits had shown up, Mav was prepared to get a glimpse of his daughter before heading out.

Changing the song on the jukebox and handing the beers over to Coyote, Hangman lands his sight on Rooster. “Bradshaw,” he draws out, snatching the cue from Bob before the Lieutenant could take the shot. “As I live and breathe.”

“Hangman,” Rooster returns, looking him over. “You look…good.” Nudging Bob aside, Hangman lines up his cue with the ball, “Well, I am good, Rooster.” The two connect eyes just as he draws the cue back and hits the ball, “I’m very good. In fact, I am too good to be true.”

The arrogance from the man has Phoenix and Payback shaking their heads, both turning to Rooster. “So,” Payback starts to say, “Anybody know what this special detachment is all about?”

“No, mission’s a mission,” Hangman replies, not taking his gaze off the pool table. “They don’t confront me. What I want to know: who’s gonna be team leader?” The balls clatter when he takes another shot after successfully pocketing the last ball. “And which one of y’all has what it takes to follow me?”

The look Rooster gives is one that reads, ‘you can’t be serious right now.’ “Hangman, the only place you’ll lead anyone is an early grave.” Though the music is playing it feels like one could hear a pin drop.

“Whoo!” Fanboy whistles, not even trying to hide the giggles falling from his lips. Phoenix was clutching the pool cue, staring at Rooster as if she could not believe he really said that. If Hangman was bothered, the man was doing a good job of not showing it. He simply grinned, walking up to Rooster and stopping so close they were practically toe to toe with one another.

“Well, anyone who follows you is just gonna run out of fuel. But that’s just you, ain’t it, Rooster? You’re snug on that perch, waiting for just the right moment…” Hangman steps closer, putting the cue in between them before finishing, “That never comes.” The next words to come from his mouth were cold and calculated, but what was that to stop him. Jake looks down to see Rooster’s left hand, where it was now vacant of a gold ring. “It’s a shame about you and the Missus—or should I say, former missus.”

That same hand then clutched into a fist, but that’s all it did. Behind Jake, Phoenix was glaring daggers into his back, checking on Rooster for his reaction while the others looked confused. It took a moment to realize what the blonde was implying. Hangman ramped up the tension when he added, “Say, you know I always wondered why her call sign was ‘Legacy.’ Interesting name. She wouldn’t tell me but said it had to do with her maiden name,” Hangman bites his lip while grinning, “Now that she’s not lady Bradshaw anymore, I’m looking forward to finding out the reason.”

“Watch it, Seresin,” Phoenix warned, but he ignored her. Rooster was her friend, and so was Barbara despite knowing Rooster longer. She didn’t appreciate the man making snide comments about their failed relationship.

When it appeared Rooster was not going to say anything back, Hangman smirked in a slight victory. “I love this song.” ‘Slow ride. Take it easy.’ As he walked away, Phoenix approached Rooster, both of them watching him as he went.

“Well, he hasn’t changed,” she says with no surprise.

“Nope,” he agrees, jaw still clenched from the last jab Hangman threw at him. “Sure hasn’t.” Getting an idea, Rooster walks away, leaving Phoenix by the table. She wanted to ask if he was alright, but decided against it.

Fanboy comes up to her, confusion coating his expression. “What the hell was that all about?” He gestures to Rooster and Hangman. Fanboy didn’t know either of them, but his curiosity peaked at the mention of someone called ‘Legacy’. “Who’s Legacy?”

Phoenix let out a sigh, setting the pool cue aside. “Rooster’s ex-wife, Barbara. She’s a naval pilot too—graduated from Top Gun three years ago right after their divorce.” Fanboy whistled lowly, not expecting that information.

“Damn. How long were they together?”

“Over seven years—married for five. They tied the knot after her commission, Rooster was already done with flight school by then. I think they dated for about two years before he proposed. Not really sure on the exact dates.”

Fanboy frowns, “What happened?” Phoenix glances over to Rooster who was walking in the direction of the jukebox. She gives a shrug and says, “He won’t say. Doesn’t really like to talk about it.” Fanboy nods, feeling sympathy for his fellow aviator.

“Why ‘Legacy’? That’s an usual call sign.” When he thought of the word, what came to mind was sorority girls or frat brothers who had parents in Greek life.

“Something about her family,” Phoenix answers. So he was right, it did have to deal with a parent. “She never talked much about her parents, but she told me once her mother was a civilian contractor for Top Gun and her dad was a pilot. Also her grandpa served, as did her Godfather. I guess in flight school that information spread, someone called her legacy and it stuck.”

Fanboy took in the information. He could understand how something like that would bestow that kind of call sign. It honestly intrigued him. Before he could ask another question, something else caught his eye. Gesturing to the entrance he said, “Check it out. More patches.”

Payback stands from the chair, coming up behind the two to see some fellow aviators, “That’s Harvard, Yale, Omaha.”

“What the hell kind of mission is this?” Fanboy questions, curious to know what he got himself into when he agreed to come back to North Island. Never had there been so many Top Gun graduates called back. The mission had to be a serious one.

“That’s not the question we should be asking,” Phoenix says to her fellow pilot. “Everyone here is the best there is. Who the hell are they gonna get to teach us?”

The card slaps down in front of Maverick, “It’s been declined,” Penny tells him. He gives a look of bewilderment, “You’re kidding.” There was no way it was empty. Had he not transferred over funds? Or did his last paycheck not go through?

Groans sounded around when the music was abruptly cut off. The culprit, none other than Rooster himself. Sunglasses on, despite being indoors, the aviator takes a seat in front of the piano, fingers go over the keys to play a light jazz. Phoenix hears the tone, smiling lightly as she calls out, “hey, guys. Come on.” Together they join Rooster, tossing the cue onto the table causing Hangman to throw his hands out as if to say, ‘Really?’

Meanwhile at the bar, Maverick is in a pickle. Not only was his card declined, but he was short on cash. Fishing out some 1s, and 5s, Penny just shakes her head at him, handing over the bill, “That won’t cover it.”

Taking the bill, his eyes go wide at the number listed at the bottom. Even before the evening rush there was a good amount of people in attendance. All who ordered a round on his tab. Trying to coax his way to a deal, Mav gives Penny a puppy-like look, “Uh, I’ll come by tomorrow and bring you the cash.”

A finger lifts to him, the woman moving over to the bell, “I’m afraid rules are rules, Pete.” Before he can plead with her, Penny swings the rope and lets the bell ring, resulting in the entire bar erupting in cheers. They begin to chant ‘overboard’ as Maverick lets his head drop in defeat, although he’s smiling throughout the entire exchange. “Really?”

Hangman, Payback, and Coyote pull up behind him, all three waiting for Penny’s signal. With a simple nod to the entrance, Maverick is hauled up with Payback and Hangman on each arm while Coyote takes his legs. All around are cheers and claps, “Overboard! Overboard!”

“Great to see you, Pete!” Penny shouts, grinning from ear to ear as he disappears from her sights. His back meets the harsh sand, a grunt escaping him while everyone cheers. Hangman salutes him, unaware that in less than 24 hours the man he just threw out would be his superior. “Thanks for the beers! Come back anytime!” The door shuts behind them, muffling the cheers as they continue in the now crowded tavern. All Mav could do was chuckle, brushing the sand off him when he rises from the ground.

He starts walking in the direction of his bike, but comes to a sudden halt when a familiar song reaches his ears.

“You shake my nerves, and you rattle my brain.

Too much love. Drives a man insane.

You Broke my will. But what a thrill.

Goodness gracious! Great balls of fire!”

Mav walks up to the window, peeking in to find Rooster seated at the piano while his fellow recruits dance and belt along the lyrics beside him. Goose’s favorite song. The one they sang together at the bar the time Carole and Bradley visited during their programme.

“I laughed at love. ‘Cause I thought it was funny.

But you came along. And you moved me, honey.

I changed my mind. This love is fine.

Goodness gracious! Great balls of fire!”

For a moment, it was no longer 2019. It was 1986 and a two year old Bradley Bradshaw was seated on top of the piano with a cowboy hat perched on his tiny head while his father, Nick, played the instrument below. In Nick’s lap was his beloved wife and Bradley’s mother, Carole, and beside them belting along the lyrics of ‘Great Balls Of Fire,’ was Pete and Charlie.

A happy memory, plagued with the tragic moment that occurred days later. Goose and Mav ejecting from the jet, but the canopy failing to open properly causing Goose to smash his head against the glass. The impact alone was enough to kill him. The man laid in Maverick’s arms as they floated in the water waiting to be rescued. He knew Goose was gone.

“God, he loved flying with you, Maverick,” he could still hear Carole’s pained voice as he watched her son. The happiness radiating from him was a spitting image of his father. The pilot had to look away, for there were tears welting in his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, Penny saw him from inside the bar, her gaze flicking from Maverick to Goose, realizing who the young man was to the aviator.

Feeling his knees start to buckle, Maverick pushed away from the window, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Reaching up, he wiped away any residue that leaked out before walking away. The sun was setting, casting a dark blue across the horizon as nightfall began to emerge. The Captain made his leave. As he approached the parking lot where his bike was, he stopped short when he noticed the bike parked next to him.

It was the Ducati he gifted Barbara when she got her motorcycle license at eighteen.

“I should’ve known it’d be you,” her voice came from the side, sending a wave of anxiety through Maverick as he stiffened. It had been so long since he heard it, and when he slowly turned to find her seated at the picnic table, Mav felt his shoulders drop.

Recently promoted Lieutenant Barbara ‘Legacy’ Mitchell stared back at him with an unreadable expression. A cigarette in hand and aviators perched on her head, the black haired beauty adorned a leather jacket similar to Mav’s with several patches lining its sides. A patch with her call sign was nested on her left breast reading, ‘Legacy’.

“Barb,” he whispered, watching her take a puff of the cigarette and holding her breath before slowly letting the smoke out. He hated the fact she smoked, and part of him believed she did it to spite him.

The woman didn’t greet her father. Instead she pointed her gaze at the beach in front of her, “When Ice told me I was being called back here, and what all to expect, I should’ve known he’d have you as the instructor. What I didn’t expect,” more smoke left her mouth, eyes going back to the man, ''was you to actually agree.”

Unsure of what to say, seeing it was going on four years since he’d seen his daughter, Mav cleared his throat, “Didn’t really have a choice in the matter.”

“Let me guess,” she raised her brow, but there was not a flicker of surprise as she added, “You went against orders, pissed off an Admiral, was probably gonna get sacked once and for all, and being here is what lets you stay in the air. Am I on the right track?”

Mav bit back a smirk. Barb knew him too well—well, at least knew his routine. Instead he gave a curt nod, glancing at the ocean briefly, “Can’t really say you’re not. You know me too well.”

“I don’t know you at all,” she snaps, causing the smile to drop from his face. Barb extinguishes the bud on the table and flicks it into the trash beside the table. “I know Captain Mitchell. The Navy’s infamous pilot with a record that’s distinguished despite his tendencies to act unorthodox. That’s all I’ve ever known from you.”

As much as he hated to admit it, it was the truth. The relationship between Charlie and Maverick fell through shortly after Barabara’s birth in 1989. Due to his status as a fighter pilot and rarely being stateside, Barbara was raised in D.C with her mother, Charlie. It was rare for Maverick to get time off and visit his daughter. Mostly in the summertime or around the holidays did he manage to get a few days of leave, but on average it was twice a year that Barabar spent time with her father. And when she did, all Mav did was take Barbara flying and teach her all there was about the Navy and their family.

It was how she fell in love with aviation. It made her feel a connection to her father, something she longed for as a child. Her mother taught her a lot about astrophysics and engineering, but Barbara loved to take to the skies. From a young age she knew she wanted to follow her father’s footsteps and continue his legacy. She thought it was what he wanted. Why he spent so much time teaching her the basics on how to fly and expressing his love for the Navy.

But that wasn’t the case. He didn’t want her flying. The same way he didn’t want Bradly flying either.

And that started the first wave of strain between father and daughter. The second wave came when Barb joined the Naval ROTC program at Vanderbilt university. Had she applied for the Naval Academy her father would’ve known. So, she applied to schools with NROTC and kept it from him until the letter came from Vanderbilt with a full ride to their program. Barbara would’ve kept her entire college career a secret, but her father managed to find out from her mother. That put a second dent in their relationship.

Shortly after Barbara reconnected with Bradley when the Naval Academy played Vanderbilt in football. It had been years since they saw each other, the last being around the time he had graduated high school and first applied to the Naval Academy. She never heard what had happened, so it surprised her to see him there as an undergraduate when she had expected him to already be a commissioned officer. He was a senior already in his mid twenties while Barb was a sophomore having just turned twenty.

Their reunion was anything but a happy one which had Barb confused. Bradley was displeased to see her and pretty much ignored her when she tried to talk to him. Eventually he got his head out of his ass when she went off on him by saying, “I don’t know what the fuck your problem is Bradshaw, but if has anything to do with my dad—which wouldn’t surprise me— then it’s unfair to treat me like this since I don’t know what the fuck he did to make you this angry.” Believing her words, Bradley invited her to lunch to explain what happened. It angered Barbara, for who was her father to have the right to do such a thing to Bradley.

Although they two didn’t see each other much after that weekend, the two kept in touch through email and phone calls. They would update each other on school and their programs, Bradley’s upcoming graduation, and their excitement to go to flight school and start their careers. Barbara wasn’t sure when her feelings for Bradley started. He was older, roughly by six or seven years and she only ever saw him once in a blue moon growing up whenever she’d fly to visit her dad when he’d try to spend time with both Bradley and her. As a young girl she found Bradley cute, but he of course paid no mind to her except when she’d join in on little adventures with him and Maverick. All she knew was she’d get butterflies in her stomach whenever he laughed at something she said or recounted a small detail she told him weeks prior. Then when he sent an invite to his graduation, Barbara swore her heart skipped a beat and she was doing the most in order to look her best the day of.

For Bradley, he realized his feelings for Barbara about eight months after their first meeting. He suddenly found himself looking forward to their phone calls, reading her emails, and felt a longing to see her again. It’s why he invited her to his graduation. And then again to his commissioning ceremony. Seeing her there, looking absolutely ethereal, sealed the deal for Bradley. At his commission he formally asked her out and thus started their relationship that lasted almost eight years.

Bradley went straight to flight school, and Barb followed two years later after her graduation and commissioned—which Bradley got time off to attend. At some point—probably when the two were drunk and in a festive mood, Bradley proposed. It was a spur of the moment decision, but he loved Barbara with his whole heart. And she loved him too. Once Barb said yes, the two went on a whim and drove up to the courthouse with Charlie and Natasha as their witnesses.

Maverick had no idea. It wasn’t until he popped in to visit Barbara out of the blue at her first duty station, hoping to make amends for the way he behaved four years earlier, and found Rooster there….and rings on their fingers. One photo of them at the courthouse combined with Barbara’s embarrassed expression was enough to put the pieces together. Rooster took it upon himself to leave saying he’d be back later that afternoon, but not before kissing her right there in front of Mav.

And so a third and permanent dent was put between the two. One that was not so easily forgiven. “Why the hell wouldn’t you tell me? Did you not want me there?” “It’s not like you would have come, Pete.” “You don’t know that!” “Fine, here’s the truth: Rooster didn’t want you there and honestly neither did I. We’re happy, and I don’t need your seal of approval on what I do. You were rarely there for me and when you were all it was ‘planes this, planes that’ and ‘Navy this, Navy that.’ You didn’t bother actually being a father, Pete.” Yeah, it was true when they said words hurt.

It only brought more strain. Soon it would impact her own relationship. Barbara completed flight school and unfortunately like most military marriages where both parties are active duty, the two were separated on different assignments. They made it work for the most part. Everyday they texted or emailed and when they got time to call or Skype they would. By that time Barbara had garnered her own reputation in the Navy, not just because of who her father was, but because she herself tended to act unorthodox. It was no wonder why her fellow aviators in flight school dubbed her ‘Legacy’. She didn’t know how they found out about her parentage, at the time she went by Barbara Bradshaw, but it didn’t matter. They’d find out sooner or later.

But the topic of Maverick would come up and each time it never ended well. Rooster still held resentment for him pulling his application. For Barbara, as much as she was angry at her father for various reasons, she still loved him. There was still a longing to have that father-daughter relationship she desired as a kid. When talking to her mother about it, Charlie offered the advice of, ‘It won’t be fixed if you do nothing about it. Talk to him, hear him out, and also take responsibility for your actions.” That night Barbara called Maverick, without telling her husband, and had a two hour conversation with her apologizing for not telling him about Rooster and Mav for his reaction to her career plans.

Barbara eventually told Rooster about her conversation with her father that weekend over Skype. She was hesitant, and judging by the look on his face when she told him she was correct to assume he would not be happy. All he said was, “You know how I feel about him. I’m not gonna stop you from talking to your dad, Barb, that’s on you. But I just ask that you don’t expect me to forgive him anytime soon.”

Years passed and things had slowly become complicated. Rooster went off to Top Gun, Barb was promoted to LTJG, and their jobs became more demanding. Although they finally got a duty station together, they hardly spent time together. At one point the topic of kids came up after a colleague had mentioned it at a dinner party. It resulted in it never being brought up again. If they wanted kids, well, one person would have to either leave the Navy or change their job because having both parents as fighter pilots while raising kids was impossible. And neither of them were ready to give that up just yet. In the last year of their marriage, they would go days without talking to each other, even if they were both home.

The year 2016 proved to be the one that would ultimately end the relationship once and for all. And it was because Barb had finally had enough with the deal between Maverick and Rooster and took it upon herself to confront her father. A decision she would regret.

“Tell me,” she demanded as they sat in a booth at a bar close to the base. Maverick had gotten leave and decided to drop by, so Barb used what little time she had as the opportunity to get the truth. “Tell me why you pulled his application, dad. Why would you stop him from flying when you knew that’s all he ever wanted to do?”

She watched him bring a hand up to rub his face. “You don’t want to know, Barb.” His words only angered her more, the woman scoffing as she narrowed her eyes.

“The hell I don’t! Bradley trusted you—he looked at you like a father, and you betrayed him like that?” She refused to accept that Maverick would hurt the man he saw as a son without good reason. If there was a good reason for it.

“He wasn’t ready,” Mav gave the excuse, though it had some truth to it.

“That wasn’t for you to decide,” she snapped, leaning forward against the table slightly. “And even if it was, that still isn’t a good excuse to pull his papers. You’re hiding something else.” Barb could see it in the way he kept turning from her, clenching his jaw, and attempting to change the subject. There was another reason behind why he did it.

“Look,” Mav sighed, giving his daughter a stern warning. “If you knew the real reason why I did what I did, you wouldn’t want him knowing either. So by telling you, you’re putting yourself in a position where you can either break his heart with the truth,” he paused, hating how there was now an ultimatum on the table. “Or, you spare him the pain by taking it to the grave.”

Barbara should have let it go after Mav dropped that on her. But, like the stubborn pilot, the young Mitchell was relentless and believed it was up to her then to decide for herself. Initially, she was going to tell Rooster the truth because she believed he deserved to know. But then the words came out, and Barb felt her heart and stomach sink as it went down the drain. There was no way she could tell Rooster now, and judging by Mavericks' expression the older man immediately regretted confessing. And she didn’t blame him because now she felt the burden of the secret.

For months Barbara kept it hidden. Rooster was overseas on an assignment and would not be back for some time. When they would call, Barb played it off like normal. Although they ended up doing voice calls rather than Skype, her excuse being the internet service was acting up. Barb felt it in herself that she’d break if she looked into those hazel eyes of his. She proved herself correct when he returned at the end of the summer and immediately Rooster could tell something was up. Her body language was off, the tone in her voice sounded unsure.

“What is it?” He asked a few days later, catching her off guard. In the five years they’d been married and almost seven as a couple, Bradley was pretty much a pro at picking up on signals from his wife. Barbara was stubborn and good at masking her emotions, but the man could see past it. “You’ve been acting weird since I got here.”

“It’s nothing, Bradley,” Barb assured, but her voice betrayed her. Quickly she gave the excuse, “I’ve had a long week. The test run I mentioned last week didn’t go as planned. That’s it.” She felt his eyes in the back of her head as she washed the dishes in the sink.

“Whenever something is bothering you and you don’t want to tell me, you always turn your back to me so I can’t see your face.” The patter of feet against the wooden floors indicated he was walking up to her. “You can’t fool me, Barbara.” What followed involved a screaming match, accusations, and finally, Bradley packing a bag before slamming the front door behind him.

There was no formal separation between the two. Hell it wasn’t even a verbal agreement of divorce. For weeks Bradley ignored her calls, her emails, he had his friends give excuses when Barb reached out to them to get him to talk to her. Then one day she decided to go to his work, fed up with him ignoring her and witnessed him getting a little close with a female colleague. All Barb could see was Bradley leaning against the wall while a pretty blonde stood next to him, laughing at something he said before lightly tapping him against the chest. The gesture looked anything but friendly. And judging by the smirk on her husband's face, he enjoyed it.

It sent daggers into Barbara’s heart, turning on her heel to escape before he saw her. She cried the entire drive home, but took a break to put on a serious face when she stopped at the legal office before making a call to her Godfather, Iceman. The next day, to Bradley’s surprise and the shock of his coworkers, he was served divorce papers. When he arrived at the house that afternoon to confront her, another shock came at the sight of boxes and suitcases where Barbara informed him she was being transferred to the Pacific Fleet.

That was the last night Barbara and Bradley saw each other. Harsh words were thrown at each other—the woman literally threw a water bottle at Rooster during the heat of the argument when he insulted her. He easily avoided it, but the act itself increased his anger. Once again Bradley was the first to leave, but not before he signed the papers and spat, “Have a nice life, Mitchell.”

Talk about adding salt to the wound. It didn’t help that Barbara hadn’t spoken to her father in months. Months that would soon turn to years.

Now here the two were. Finally face to face after so long with little to no explanation why Barbara suddenly stopped talking to Maverick after the day she squeezed the truth out of him. The music from inside continued. Even outside, Barbara could make out the voice of her ex-husband. He always stood out when he sang that song.

“Brings back memories, doesn’t it?” She says, reaching into her pocket to pull out another cigarette. Using her jacket to block out the wind, she ignites it before pocketing the lighter. “I saw you at the window.”

Mav felt a lump in his throat, looking down at his feet. Goose entered his mind and the wave of emotion hit him like a brick. He changed the subject, which probably was a bad idea but he had to take the chance while he had it. “What happened, Barbara?”

She doesn’t look at him when she answers, jaw tight and attention on the empty beer bottle in front of her. “Exactly what you said,” the chuckle she gave was anything but humorous. “I did it to myself. You were right—I should’ve never asked you why you did it.”

Maverick sighed, feeling his heart break at her confession. “I’m so sorry, honey. Does he—.”

“No,” she cut him off swiftly. “I couldn’t bring myself to tell him. That's why he walked out.” Biting her lip and looking away from her father, she adds, “And I let him. Because I knew deep down he would never forgive me—for not telling him after I went behind his back and confronted you. It brought on another dose of betrayal.” Barbara finishes her second cigarette with a long drag before extinguishing it.

“It wasn’t going to work anyway,” Barbara stands from the picnic table, moving to stand in front of Maverick. She was wearing heeled boots that made her taller than her natural five foot two and a half inch stature. She was small for the average pilot, but made the height requirements by half an inch. “You know how it is—husband and wife, both active duty in demanding fields with little to no time spent together. The topic of kids being a sore subject, plus a father-in-law that the husband can’t stand? I’m surprised we lasted as long as we did.”

“Don’t think of it like that, Barbara,” Maverick scolded, upset with her view of the marriage. Frowning, he stepped closer to the woman, but she shook her head.

“How else am I supposed to think of it?” She questioned rhetorically. “It didn’t work for you and mom, it wasn’t going to work for me and him.”

“What happened between your mom and I was complicated,” Mav told her. “We tried our best that year after you were born, and most of it was on me as you know.” He really did try. He loved and cared for Charlie, but marriage was not in the cards for Mav at the time. It was still young in his career and although the birth of Barbara was a surprise, he still was over the moon and tried to make the relationship work for the sake of their daughter. In the end, he and Charlie wanted different things and had to go their separate ways. “But I never stopped caring for Charlie—and I’ll always have a part of me that loves her. And just because it didn’t work out for us, doesn’t mean it will always be like that for you, Barbara.”

She was silent for a moment. Maverick stood still, unsure of what she was thinking. He wanted to hug her. It was tempting to just pull her into his arms and hold her like he did when she was a child. It had been so long since they did that he feared how she’d react. Pushing the thought away, Mav heard her exhale and say, “It doesn’t matter anymore. There’s other things to worry about than my tragic love life. I’ll see you tomorrow, Captain.”

It felt like a knife was thrown to his chest. It was always like that when Barbara referred to him as his rank or name instead of ‘dad’. It was like she no longer saw him as such. “Barbara!” He shouted as she mounted her bike and kicked the stand up. Glancing up to him, her face remained stoic. With a slight cough to clear his throat, Mav tried to smile but it didn’t work. Instead his face almost looked like he was pleading with her to not push him away again. “It’s good to see you.”

The light breeze swept through her hair, and Barbara gave a short nod. “It’s good to see you too.” The roar of the engine came to life and Mav watched her pull away from the lot before speeding down the road and disappearing around the corner. The sun had finally set, stars twinkling in the sky and the only light was from the moon shining down on the sea and the bar behind him.

With a heavy sigh, the pilot adjusted his jacket and mounted his own bike. He gave one last look to the bar before starting the engine and taking off on the same road Barbara had traveled.

What a day it had been for the veteran aviator. It started with him getting transfered, returning to Top Gun for the first time in 30 years, reuniting with his ex, and finally seeing Rooster and Barbara again. Now with one reunion down, he had one to go.

The next morning, Barbara Mitchell dressed in her flight suit to start her day by attending the first briefing and training. She didn’t know what to expect. After the previous night's conversation with her father and knowing he was to be the instructor for the next three weeks, Barbara realized she was going to have to push her limits like she’s never done before if she wanted to prove she was worthy of the mission.

Growing up, Maverick taught her the basics and how to perfect them so that by the time she went to flight school she was already more advanced than her classmates. The young Mitchell took it upon herself to learn aerial combat—when she was not supposed to—and managed to fly her way to the top of her class at Top Gun years later. With years of experience and having Iceman as her superior for the past few years, Barbara proved herself again and again to those who underestimated that she was the best there was.

It was Iceman who told her Rooster would be one of the candidates for the mission. He warned her the same time he informed that she was also selected. It sparked a sense of dread in the aviator. It was one thing to have to reunite with her ex-husband for the first time in three years, it was another to have to compete against him for a spot on the six-man team. With her father as the instructor, it was going to be an interesting three weeks.

Having opted out of going inside The Hard Deck last night, arriving at the hangar was the first time she became acquainted with her fellow candidates. “Well, well well,” Hangman’s voice was the first to reach her ears, “Just who I was hoping to see on this fine Wednesday morning.” While they waited for the instructors, the officers took seats at the tables provided in the middle of the hangar. Barbara was the last to arrive.

It brought a cheeky grin to Hangman’s face, giving a brief glance to Rooster, who had his head turned to the side. The lieutenant stood from his chair, meeting Barbara halfway up the aisle of tables. The first thing he did was look at her name patch, where the name ‘Mitchell’ was embroidered. Jake smirked, towering over the small brunette, “Lieutenant Barbara Mitchell.”

The woman narrowed her eyes, but greeted the man nonetheless, “Seresin.” Turning her head to the left, she makes eye contact with Natasha, “Hey, Phee.”

Nat gives a small smile with a nod, “Hey, C.” Barb tilts her head to the man with glasses behind the woman, “Who’s your friend.”

“That’s Bob, WSO.” The man in question lightly lifts a hand in a small wave, offering a smile to Barb. She smiles back, throwing a wink which has him blushing. “Those two hunks are Payback and Fanboy—I don’t think you’ve met them yet.”

“I have not,” she looks past Hangman to see the two men. They both give a gesture in greeting. “Nice to meet ya, fellas.”

“Same to you,” Payback replies and Fanboy nods in agreement. Barbara pays no mind to the man seated on her right, instead going to the open chair in the front next to Hangman’s. She ignores the looks they give Rooster, throwing down her wallet and keys on the table and plopping down on the chair.

Hangman sits beside her, leaning close and aware of the daggers being sent to his back from Rooster. “So, Mitchell—gosh that’s gonna take some getting used to,” It took everything in Barb to stop herself from throwing a punch to his jaw. They were in uniform and on the job. Now was not the time to get a demerit. “This is probably not the time to ask—.”

“Then don’t ask, Seresin,” she hissed in warning, assuming the question involved Rooster. He raised his hands in defense as he chuckled, “Hey, hey, now I’m not trying to dig up an old can of worms, but I’m just curious you know.” He gestured to her patch, “Can’t you let a fella in on what the secret is behind your call sign? I’ve only ever known you as Mrs. Bradshaw—but that couldn’t have been it.” He leans back to wink at an infuriated Rooster.

Barbara tsks, staring ahead at the large American flag draped in front of her. “Nice to see you haven’t changed at being a pain in the ass. You’re lucky we’re in uniform, Hangman, otherwise I would wipe that damn smirk off your face. Didn’t your momma ever tell you to mind your business once in a while?” she said in a low tone, but the whole company heard. In the back Coyote let out a whistle while Fanboy, Phoenix and Bob held back laughter. Rooster even had to stop himself from smirking.

Before Hangman could respond, the whole hangar was brought to attention at the shout of, “Attention on deck!!” The Admirals march in, Warlock taking to the podium while Cyclone comes to a halt beside Hondo.

“Morning,” Warlock greets the officers. “Welcome to your special training detachment. Be seated.” Chairs squeak as the group falls back to a sitting position, posture straight and attention on the admiral. “I’m Admiral Bates, NAWDC commander. You’re all TOPGUN graduates. The elite. The best of the best,” many grin at his praises, but they soon frown when he then says, “That was yesterday. The enemy's new fifth-generation fighter has leveled the playing field. Details are few, but you can be sure we no longer possess the technological advantage. Success, now more than ever, comes down to the man or woman in the box.” Still grinning, Hangman bids a look to Legacy before doing the same to Phoenix.

“Half of you will make the cut. One of you will be named mission leader. The other half will remain in reserve. Your instructor is a TOPGUN graduate with real world experience in every mission aspect you will be expected to master,” Barbara tenses, clutching the pen in her hand when she hears the soft sound of footsteps approaching. Warlock continues, “His exploits are legendary. And he’s considered to be one of the finest pilots this program has ever produced.”

In the corner of her eye Barbara sees Hangman turn in his chair, at first excited to see the instructor. But then the second he realizes who the man walking up the aisle was, the blonde brings a hand to his face and turns away in embarrassment. Having witnessed him, Coyote, and Payback throw her father out of the bar the previous night, it took every inch of her soul to not react at their shame. They were about to find out who he was to her, and she knew it was going to have everyone looking at her differently.

“What he has to teach you may very well mean the difference between life and death. I give you Captain Pete Mitchell,” the second the last name leaves Warlock's mouth, Handman’s head is snapping towards her. He’s not the only one. Phoenix’s expression is one of shock, as is Fanboy’s. Payback whistles under his breath, and Bob just looks confused—not really putting two and two together just yet. But Barbara remains stoic, unreactive. “Call sign: ‘Maverick’.”

Maverick replaces Warlock at the podium, “Good morning,” he smiles at the group, particularly at the three who threw him out of the hard deck the night before. They all smile back, embarrassment and awkwardness in the gesture. Hangman gives another glance to Barbara when he catches Maverick nodding to her. Then the man looks at Rooster, who turns away from his gaze with an unreadable expression.

With a thick book in his hand, Maverick draws everyone's attention to it as he lifts it level with his head, “The F-18 NATOPS.” He pats the top before placing it onto the podium. “It contains everything they want you to know about your aircraft. I’m assuming you know the book inside and out.”

“Damn right!” Payback shouts with pride. Others follow in suit with “Damn straight.” “You got it!”

Maverick nods, smiling before surprising them all—minus Barbara—by dropping the book into the trash can beside him. Barbara shakes her head, expecting it from her father. Cyclone and Warlock share a look. “So does your enemy.”

“And we’re off,” Hondo sighs from the side. Like the Captain’s daughter, Hondo had worked with Maverick long enough to know how he played.

“But what the enemy doesn’t know is your limits. I intend to find them, test them, push beyond.” Feeling the pressure rise, some candidates straighten their posture. Mav looks at each of them as he lists off the day's plans, but his eyes linger on both Rooster and Barbara, “Today we’ll start with what you only think you know. You show me what you’re made of.”

When they are dismissed and Mav takes the chance to leave the podium, the sound of Hangman’s light laughter captures everyone’s attention. “Something funny, Lieutenant?”

Still seated, Hangman licks his lip before saying, “Oh nothing, Captain Mitchell. I think I just got my answer to why our Legacy here,” he turns his head to Barbara, whose jaw was tight and looking anywhere but him. “Got her name in the first place.”

[tongue-like-a-razor]

congrats on 3k followers, lena!! that's a big milestone and i hope that you're proud of yourself. for your celebration game, i'm picking the word 'duchess' and EITHER jake or bob (whoever you feel best fits it). congrats again! 👑

Thank you so much, babe!! Let me tell you, this one was not easy! You stumped me haha But anyway, hope you like it :D

3k Celebration Mini Drabbles

“Behold!” Jake exclaims when he sees you walk into the Hard Deck. “It’s the Duchess of Fightertown.”

You roll your eyes and head for the bar. Jake dumps his cue stick and starts making his way between the tables to meet you at the counter. You sigh when he arrives by your side. “Hangman,” you say grumpily.

“Your highness,” he greets you with a small bow.

You shake your head with a snort. “What do you want?”

“But a moment of your time,” he responds with a wink.

“If that nickname catches on as a callsign, I will murder you,” you say.

“That would be a perfect callsign for you!” he exclaims excitedly. “You are Top Gun royalty after all.” When you scoff, he adds, “Just please don’t tell your father I’ve been hitting on you.”

3k celebration

[its-a-ittle-bit-cold]

Piece by Piece

Top gun: Maverick Imagine

mitchell!reader x dad!Maverick

Hangman/ Jake Seresin x reader

series

Summary: finally cleared from leave, you’re headed back to North Island for some kind of mission, but the uranium plant is the least of your problems when the identity of your father comes to light, you deal with complicated feelings towards a pilot on your team, trauma from your past deployment doesn’t go away, and your mother keeps trying to get involved in your business (which is exactly where you don’t want her).

part 1 - Arrival to North Island means visiting the nearby Navy Bar, the Hard Deck, which is run by your dear friend Penny Benjamin. Of course, you’re not the only visitor that night. 1.8k

part 2 - You begin your training, quickly cementing yourself as one of the best pilots in the program, but constant flashbacks are proving that it might not be time for you to return to combat. 4.4k

[fromforeigntofamiliarity]

Daddy Issues | Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw

Summary: Reader’s meets her father for the first time in the Top Gun program only problem is he has no idea who she is, well…that’s not her only problem.

Warning: None

Requested: No

A/N: Readers Callsign is ‘Darwin’

Out of all the places in the world she had no idea why finding him here was so surprising. After being called back to 'Top Gun' Y/N found herself in The Hard Deck with 'Hangman' and 'Coyote' looking at the man she had spent years hoping to meet.

Y/N was 14 when she found the box while looking through the attic, it was filled with pictures of her mother and a man she had never seen before and letters of the romantic kind. Looking on the back she found they her mothers name accompanied by ,what she assumed was the man's name, Pete Mitchell and the date just on a little under a year before she was born. 

Y/N had grown up with her mother until the age of five when she and her stepfather were married. Jim was a nice guy, a great father even but that didn't stop Y/N from wanting to know who her biological father was and one look at this picture and she knew. 

She became almost consumed with finding out everything she could on the man in the photos and was a bit disappointed when she couldn't find anything past 1986, about some kind of mission he flew, though there wasn't a lot of information that could lead her to were he was.

What little she did have she clung too until the day she turned 18 and informed her mother that she would be joining the Navy instead of going to medical school and following in the footsteps of her stepfather.

"What do you mean you're joining the military?" Her mother asked as if it were the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. 

"I'm not going to become a doctor." Y/N replied. "I know this isn't exactly what you wanted but you've controlled everything in my life and I think it's time I start making my own choices-."

"This is just stress talking honey, I know I've been a bit too strict with you when it comes to your future but that's only because I want what's best for you." She cut her off. 

"I know that mom but what is best for me right now isn't trying to become a doctor." 

"Well it doesn't have to happen RIGHT NOW, plenty of people take a gap year if that's what you nee-."

"No. mom you're not listening." 

"I am listening to how you plan to throw everything you've worked your whole life for on a whim." 

"It's not a whim mom, this is something I've wanted for a long time." 

"Since when?" She scoffed rolling her eyes. "Since when have you wanted this?" 

"Since I found out who my father is." Y/N admitted. "It started off just wanting to know who he was but after I dug a bit more I couldn't think about doing anything else with my life." 

"That's what this is about?"

"Not entirely but somewhere down the line I would like to know more about him, meet hi-."

"Y/N I can't let you throw your life away for a man who doesn't even know you exist."

"What?"

"Your father was not the kind of man that was ready to be a father-"

"You didn't give him a chance?"

"-I knew that it was for the best that I raised you without him."

"You don't know that."

"I do know that, the life he lived gone for months at a time, always had one foot out the door. What kind of father would he have been for you?"

"I guess we'll never know because you never gave him the chance?!" Y/N shouted back at her mother. "God this is so like you. It's always your way or the highway, you were the one with one foot out the door and when you saw that you couldn't control what kind of father he might have been you bolted."

Y/N had been frustrated before but she could never remember a time when she felt this furious at her mother. 

"This is just like you, you always have to be the one in control, always have to have the last say in what I wear, how I talk, what extracurricular I should take, whether I get to know my father or not?" Shaking her head at her as she looked at her with as much anger and disgust as she could muster. "You pathetic and entitled to think that there is any reason you could give to justify what you have done"

"I did what I thought was right, I have always done what I thought was best for you and yes I admit that I didn't always take you opinion into consideration but as a mother I had to make the hard choices." 

"Well not anymore, I can make my own decisions now." 

"Yes you can but that doesn't mean that I have to be there to watch." She said standing from her seat and approaching her daughter. "If you choose this life, you choose a life without me." 

Y/N remembers packing her bags as her stepfather begged them both to stop being so stubborn and to think about what this would mean, hearing him yell at her mother for the thing she had said and done, (not knowing ways in which she parted with his stepdaughter father) She remembered the tearful goodbye between her and her stepfather, where she told him that she has and will always love him but this was something she needed to do, before driving away.

"Darwin..." Hangman called out snapping in front of her face. "Darwin."

"Yeah?" She asked turning her attention back to her two companions.

"Pool, Hangman's cheating at darts." Coyote informed before making his way over to the pool table with Hangman trailing behind informing his that 'skill isn't cheating'.

She followed them over as they started the game fighting every urge to look over to the man at the bar, this is what she wanted for years, which is why she had no idea why the thought of going over to him was more terrifying than her first time flying.

"Bradshaw, that you?" Phoenix called out causing her to curse whatever all powerful being there was in the universe. "This how I find out you're state side?"

"Yeah well I wanted to surprise you." Rooster replied removing the aviators from his face before Phoenix delivered the pool stick to his abdomen.

"Guess I surprised you right back." She replied.

This was more than she could handle at this point, normally seeing 'Rooster' again wouldn't be such a feat but the man less that 100 feet away was making it a bit hard to catch her breath.

"I'm gonna head out." She muttered to Hangman and Coyote not waiting for a reply as she started making her way to the door. 

"Leaving so soon?" Penny asked from behind the bar.  Walking over Y/N gave the woman a forced smile.

"Yeah, getting a bit crowded with the evening rush and all." She explained.

"Hope you're not leaving on my account." Rooster's voice cut in as he approached the bar as well. "Long time no see, Darwin. A beer Penny please." He said leaning on the bar his back to her father leaving her a perfect view over his shoulder. 

"Rooster...How have you been?" She asked as Penny went to grab his beer. 

"So that's how we're gonna play it? I walk in the room you bolt out the door, pretend like nothing ever happened." He asked while Y/N felt half guilty half mortified as she saw her father take somewhat of an interest in the conversation.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" 

"What if I don't want to pretend it never happed?" He asked as Penny returned with his drink. 

"Well then that seems like your problem Rooster." She replied. "See you Penny." She called walking away finally escaping the gaze of the two men.

*-*-*

"Your instructor is a top gun graduate with real world experience in every mission aspect you will be expected to master, he exploits are legendary and he is considered to be one of the finest pilots this program has ever produced. What he has to teach you may very well mean the difference between life and death, I give you Captain Pete Mitchell, callsign... Maverick."

'You have got to be shitting me.' Y/N thought to herself. No matter how good of an opportunity this was to get to know her father she couldn't help but to think about how this was also and equal opportunity to embarrass herself and disappoint him before he even knows who he is to her.

Of course Y/N was a good pilot, so was everyone else here and there was no way she was gonna reveal her identity to her father after after coming in anything less than first. 

Second place, is no place at all. 

Y/N sat this the other pilots as she watched them go up in group of three each failing one after the other. 

Too fast, too slow, when up instead of right no matter what the mistake Maverick was always on step ahead or should she say right behind them to make the kill.

Once it was her turn to take the skies she tried her best to communicate with her wingman but they both for lack of a better term 'freaked the fuck out as soon as they saw Maverick'. Y/N knew the moment the yelling started they were dead so while Maverick was focused on making the kill she flew her plane underneath his and stayed a there. If he made a right she made a right, if he went up she went up.

"Alright Darwin you know the object of the mission is win?" Maverick asked over the radio looking around franticly for the pilot to show herself.

"I thought the object was to survive." She replied.

"Yeah I guess technically your right, but this is about surviving a dog fight, you can't just turn tail and run." He informed. Y/N slowed her plane allowing the instructor to fly over he before he placed him  in her sight, watching his head whip around after hearing the tone.

"I didn't run old man," She laughed. "I've been here the whole time." She mimicked the words her spoke to Rooster with a small wave. 

"I know you shoot down anything that came into your sight so I just stayed out of sight." She explained her strategy.

"Darwin..."

"Adapt to survive." 

"That's impressive." Maverick complemented as Y/N fought to jump with happiness that she had been the only one to shoot him down. "If only your strategy included your wing man...They wouldn’t be dead right now." He finished wiping the smile off her face. 

*-*-*

Heading into the lounge Y/N flopped onto the sofa folding her arms, even she knew she looked like a child throwing a tantrum right now.

"That was bullshit." She spat shaking her head. "I was the only one to shoot him down." 

"Yeah but you let you wingman die." Rooster pointed out. "This mission is about team work." 

"There wasn't much of a team to work with." Hangman defended. "I mean no offence to Harvard and Yale but you guys panicked, Darwin was on her own from that moment on. I think you did what you needed to do." He said placing his handing on each of her shoulders giving a gentle squeeze. 

"Thanks Jake." She replied with a sigh. Rooster glared at the two, one: Not liking how close the were acting and two: hating that they both were so quick to leave their wingman behind.

"You know Darwin maybe now you'll learn that you can't just leave people behind when it best suits you." He glared at the two. "You may be able to adapt but living like that...you'll never evolve."

"God this is so like you. It's always your way or the highway,"

Glaring over to the Bradshaw, Y/N said nothing before standing up and  exiting the room. As she was walking away she saw Maverick coming towards her and decided to keep walking.

"Darwin." He called out after she had past by causing her to stop and face him.

"Yes sir." She replied keeping her face as neutral as possible.

"Look I know that wasn't what you wanted to hear up there and I'm not gonna lie you remind me of me when I was in Top Gun." Maverick states  shifting from one foot to the other. "But I learned pretty quickly that the target is only half the mission the other half is making sure you AND YOUR TEAM make it back to fight another day." 

"Yes sir." She replied as the man reiterated what Rooster had said to her not even two minutes ago.

"That being said..." He started as a smile began to show on his face. "That was some damn good flying."

"Thank you sir." Y/N smiled. "That means a lot coming from you.”

"Hey Darwin," Coyote called out. "We're heading to 'The Hard Deck', you down?" 

"Go on you guys are done for the day." Maverick encouraged with a nod. "See you tomorrow 0800."

"See you tomorrow sir."  She confirmed before turning and walking away.

Part Two

A/N: Ask and you shall be tagged. 🏷 🥰

[nykie-love-anime]

Day 23 ~ Flowers

On the day of Pete and Penny’s wedding you wanted your hair braided with flowers in it. (Reader = 16)

“Come on dad we are going too late to your own wedding. Move it.” You giggled as he quickly walks towards the church doors. “Okay little missy, whose fault will that be huh?” he sassed back as he stopped before the church and you just smiled at him and shrug your shoulders. “Not mine I was done hours ago.” He said again with a teasing smile. “Someone had a problem with everything that they did with your hair.”

“Okay first of all you were done half an hour ago. Second of all I wanted a specific look for my hair okay.” You sassed with a grin. “Thirdly if they listened to me the first time they wouldn’t have to change my hair the whole time. Fourthly I can be a bit mean so that is why I apologised the whole time I was sitting in that chair.” You grinned up at your father.

“No that is not what I wanted. Please fix it.” You said at the stylist with a sigh lifting your shoulders to work out the kinks. “I want it moved up please and the flowers must be like the image I showed you.” You pleaded and the stylist just nodded. “Sorry for being so demanding but I have wanted my hair like this more a while and I want it perfect.” You said with a guilty look on your face. “It’s really no problem miss Mitchell. You are one of the calmer client’s hair I have done.” She teased and you just giggled.

“Okay thanks.” You said and she started back on your hair. A while later your dad walked into the room with a grin on his face. “Are you still busy? I could use some help.” He asked holding up a tie. “Give us like 10 minutes mister Mitchell then she is all yours.” With that your dad nodded and you looked at him in the mirror. “Why don’t you ask one of the guys to help you dad.” You question with a confused look on your face.

“Oh yeah I forgot about those guys.” He said rubbing his hand over his face. “Was this just a scheme to see how far I am or if I am being a bit of a control freak.” You asked with an eyebrow raised and he just laughed. “You caught me. Just wanted to see if she hasn’t pulled out your hair for being such a bossy teen.” He chuckled and the stylist just giggled. “Hey!” you exclaimed with a finger pointing at Pete. “I will have you know…” you started but cut yourself off when you had nothing to say. “Yeah that is what I thought.” Maverick said and the hair stylist just giggled along with you.

“Okay get back to your boys I will be done in a while then I will come and find you.” You said pointing at the closed door. He nodded and off he went. “Dads.” You sighed with a small smile and Amy just nodded. “Yes that is exactly what I wanted.” You said looking in the mirror. “Thank you so much Amy. I love it. Again I am so sorry for being so demanding.” You said hugging your arms to your chest looking at yourself. “No problem Y/N. I am glad you like it like this.” She smiled at you.

“Okay dad let’s get you married.” You said as Amelia joined you at the door. “Mom is almost here so you can go in so long Pete. And you my future sister look super beautiful.” Amelia gushed looking at you. “And you my future little sister look absolutely stunning.” You giggled gushing about her beautiful baby blue dress. “Okay ladies let get this show on the road.” Pete said looking at his watch seeing that it is almost three o’ clock. “Good luck dad. I will see you inside.” You said hugging the man and pushing him towards the doors. “Okay behave you two.” He wiggled his finger and you and Amelia just laugh at his antics. “Get inside old man.” “Hey!” he yelled. This caused you and Amelia to burst out laughing as Pete walked away shaking his head muttering about teens and giving him grey hair.

Day 22 | Masterlist | Day 24

[kinzis-writing]

Only Exception | Robert “Bob” Floyd pt. 3

Summary: it’s finally time for the dreaded “suicide mission” and Y/N now has to worry about her father, boyfriend, and best friend. How can she distract herself while the people most important to her are gone?

Warning(s): mentions of anxiety, death, reader worrying themselves sick, worst thoughts possible.

Series Masterlist: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, & Part Four

*Not Edited!*.

p.s: I didn't keep my taglist because I know it has almost been a year since I have written. I know people can change their minds in that long, so my taglist is open, just let me know if you want on it! Be sure to mention if you want on my permanent taglist, top gun, certain characters and so on!

*Gif Not Mine*

It was time, it was the day that Y/N dreaded more than anything. The day that the three most important people in her life would leave. The day that she wouldn’t hear from them or know if they made it home until the mission was over. Bob had stayed the night with the girl as they shared some intimate moments between one another. Y/N had stopped before sex, claiming that it was something for when he got home. Hoping and praying that it would encourage him to come back safely. Their night was spent with kisses stolen and just genuine feelings between the two. Bob had gotten a small amount of sleep, while Y/N didn't sleep at all. She had a lot to lose today, and she knew that.

“You ready to head towards base?” Bob asked the girl softly. He knew that she dreaded this day more than anything. Bob wished that her could promise his return, however, he knew that it wasn’t possible to promise to come back. They started calling it a suicide mission for a reason. Even though Y/N didn’t know exactly what the mission was, her gut didn’t feel right after seeing how her father, rooster, and bob had acted around her.

Y/N nodded in reply to Bob’s question, “Ready as I’ll ever be.” She mumbled as she stood up and grabbed her keys before the couple made their way out to her car. Bob was leaving his truck parked at her house instead of leaving it parked on base. He knew as soon as the girl found out that he was home that she wouldn’t waste anytime coming to pick him up.

Bob watched as the girl kept her gaze straight ahead, the tears coming to surface in her eyes was something that the navy boy didn’t miss. He hated being part of the reason why she was upset and anxious, but he knew it came with the job. That was part of the reason was previously single, it didn’t help that he was shy at first, but he also knew what the job required. “I’m sorry to be part of the reason you’re upset.” He whispered as he leaned over a placed a hand on the girl’s thigh.

The Mitchell girl left out a sigh as she inhaled and exhaled before glancing over at her boyfriend for a moment and then back to the road. “Don’t apologize. I knew what I was getting into when I started dating you, Bobby.” She replied. “Being on base is going to be hard since I have to stay in the dark.” She mumbled as she came to the outskirts of the Navy base.

“You took the navy job?” The boy next to her asked as she nodded. She hadn’t told anyone, but it was the only job offer that she currently had and a job would keep her mind settled. “It’s only a six-month contract, but it will work while I look for another job.” She mumbled as she stopped at the gate and got into the base. “I have to get my name tag and everything made this morning so I’ll be here until take off.”

The car was pulled into a parking space only a few minutes upon entering the base. They knew what It meant, and they weren’t ready for it. Y/N knew that her dad would pick Rooster, phoenix, and bob for sure. Not sure who else he would pick. Mainly because she knew that he believed in how they work and how they are good at their job. “So, this is it, huh?” Y/N sighed as the pair got out and leaned against the girls car. Phoenix was over by Roosters Ford and she knew that her father was inside getting ready to fly the mission as well. Even though he wasn’t suppose to fly it, Y/N knew her father and how he would get his way in flying this mission. “I know you can’t make promises, but you better come back to me in one piece, Floyd.”

Bob gave the girl a small smile. Y/N had never used any other name than Bobby and he knew that her anxiety was at an all time high. “Listen, Y/N, I like you a lot and I would definitely promise to come back home if I could. If something were to happen today… just know that the time we spent together was the best time of my life.”

The Mitchell girl never cried in front of people, well, she tried not too that is. She always had the “tough” persona when it came to certain emotions. Today, today was the first day that she cried in front of people and didn’t even care. “I love you, Bobby.” She whispered before pulling him in so she could kiss him. “Please try your hardest to come back.”

Bob nodded and opened his mouth to speak but before he could another voice shouted after him, “hey bob!” The voice of Natasha brought the couple out of there intimate moment. “You ready to head in?” The Floyd boy nodded before placing a kiss on Y/N’s forehead and heading towards his pilot with a soft Farewell to his lover.

The Mitchell girl hurried to get inside so she could also tell her father and best friend goodbye and to come back in one piece as well. She needed to talk to Bradley and her father before they left and before she went to finalize her job. “Dad!” The girl called as she saw Pete walking towards where all the aviators were gathering. “I love you, please fly safe and come back in one piece.” The girl then pulled her dad into a hug, and he kissed the top of her head gently. He knew what this mission intel’s and hated keeping his daughter in the quiet. He also knew it was classified information and he would get in trouble if he were to tell anyone besides his naval aviators. “I don’t know if I’ll get to see Bradley, If I don’t can you tell him that I love him and I hope he comes home as well. You two need to not be reckless and get whatever it is done and out.” The Mitchell girl stated as she watched her dad nod.

“That’s the plan.” Pete told his daughter as he noticed all the navy members lined up. “I’ll keep an eye on all of them, especially Bob.” He teased.

“Hey, Bob isn’t the pilot.” Y/N mumbled before bidding goodbye to her father and walked towards the med-unit in the base. Arriving to the unit, no one was there. She knew that it may be because the aviators were being looked over before they took off for their mission to make sure they were safe enough to fly.

After about 25 minutes of waiting, the door to the med-unit finally opened and in walked an older woman. She was probably in her late forties or early fifties. She wasn’t old, but she was much older than the Mitchell girl. “Hello dear, can I help you?” She asked kindly while she went to throwing some of her items away and then getting her other items organized.

“I’m here for the position. I was supposed to get everything ready for my first shift.” Y/N told the current nurse working there. The woman nodded and reached into a drawer and pulled out the paperwork that needed to be on file for the Mitchell girl.

“Fill this out and I will go set up the photo station for your badge.” She mumbled. Y/N took a seat on one of the soft cushioned chairs and began filling out her paper work. Common questions like name, birthday, nurse registry number, allergies, so on and so forth was asked. “It’s ready when you get your papers filled out. My name is Darla, it’s nice to meet the girl they’re replacing me with.” She told the younger girl.

“Are you retiring?” Y/N asked softly as she handed the clipboard with information to the older nurse. She knew that in certain circumstances you can retire at an earlier age on a military base than you can bedside in a hospital.

“No, I got another job. My niece helped me get it, apparently they fired a nurse at the local hospital due to neglect and I applied when they posted the job.” She answered Y/N’s question while the two headed to the photo room to take a badge photo.

“Neglect huh?” Y/N asked as she stood in front of the board that had a white background so she could get her nurses badge made.

To be honest, the younger girl’s blood was boiling. She was 99% sure that the position that the navy nurse had gotten was her old job. Of course, the hospital had put down neglect for the reason they fired her, but how could they have paid out her contract if they were telling everyone she neglected her patients. It wasn’t on her nursing record or anything, so it made no sense.

“Our boss wanted me to go ahead and give you the schedule, you start tomorrow morning.” The older woman told her as she handed her all the packets, her badge, and her schedule. “There is another nurse that they alternate you with. A few that they had hired had their contract run out, so there’s only a couple nurses left until another contract is signed or something else happens.” She explained.

Pretty soon Y/N left and the current nurse got called to the cafeteria for a fire mishap with the cooks. Y/N knew that the team had already left to head to the aircraft carrier and that she wouldn’t hear from them for days and maybe even weeks. This was going to be hard and she knew it.

**

It had been days since the girl had saw Bob, her father, and Bradley. It felt as if she was never going to see them again, seemingly because she was not allowed to be told anything. She had been working in the med-unit on Top Gun’s base for four days and was not staying busy. It was not like bedside nursing, since you were constantly on your feet, having to deal with a code, or so on. It had almost been a week since she had any contact with her boyfriend and to say the girl was growing nervous was an understatement.

“Med-nurse needed in admiral office.” The radio that was connected to the girl’s unit wall came through. Y/N grabbed the things she may need before she headed out to the main office on base, she knew that it may be something minor, however, it didn’t help her nerves any. “We don’t have much time so I am going to tell you so you can get to work. We have two aviators being transferred from the aircraft to here. We need you to get two beds ready.”

“Yes, sir.” The Mitchell girl spoke sternly before leaving and hurrying back to her med-unit so she could get the beds ready for the two aviators. The girl’s anxiety was extremely high, she knew that it was probably bob and phoenix or someone that was starting to get close with. Once the beds were set up in two different rooms, she went ahead and started to get her bedside trays ready with what she may need when examining whoever was coming home and being rushed to the

med-unit. “Get them in the beds now, they need to be examined to make sure they have no further injuries.” The voice that Y/N knew had to be Jake Seresin voiced out in a worried tone.

“Hangman, know your place.” A stern older voice called down to the other aviator.

“I saved their asses for a reason, no one deserves to lose a family member.” Hangman muttered from what the girl could hear.

Y/N shook her head before standing up and opening the door to the first bed just in time for two. Aviators to carry in Rooster for the first bed, next two more aviators took her father to Bed two. Both men were awake, Rooster had visible injuries on his face and Pete looked overall okay. Once the other aviators went out to the waiting area, Y/N turned to two of the most important guys in her life. “Why am I not surprised it was you two?” she muttered before grabbing her items and wheeling her cart over to Rooster to fix his visible injuries up first.

“To be fair, Mav saved me.” Rooster spoke as he winced when the younger girl started cleaning his visible wounds. The two men had stripped the top of their uniform off and let it hang so they were just in white tees on the top.

“You shouldn’t have come back for me, kid.” Pete mumbled as he watched his daughter do what she went to school for. He had not ever got to see her when she was working.

“Well as stupid as you two are, it doesn’t seem to be that bad. Of course, they’ll want to the doctor to examine for internal damage.” Y/N spoke as the two navy aviators watched their family member do her job. “But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved when it wasn’t Bob that they drug in.”

Rooster gave the girl a smirk, “Y/N’s in love.” He teased as the girl rolled her eyes before moving onto her father who was waiting to be examined. “Seriously though, I told Phoenix that your wrath was horrible.”

“It wouldn’t have been her fault.” Y/N expressed as she just found some gnarly bruises on her father and no open wounds. “The doctor should be here in a minute, if he thinks you have no internal damage or bleeding then you’ll be good to go.” She mumbled as she went and threw her garbage away.

She didn’t know what to do next. Should she go look for Bob or would she be better to stay in the room until the doctor got there? She wasn’t sure. She knew she wanted to go find Bob but it also wouldn’t be completely correct to do that.

“Y/N.” Pete finally spoke up, causing the girl to look at her father. “Bob’s a good kid. He really cares for you and I just want you to know that I don’t think you could’ve found better for you out of this class.” Y/N gave her father a small smile before noticing Bradley’s sour expression.

“Excuse me?” Bradley mumbled in faux hurt. “I’m joking, it’s gross. You’re my little sis.” He spoke trying to seem like he was bothered by Pete’s words but couldn’t act like he was.

Y/N bit her lip before taking in a deep breathe, “I love him, I really do.” She mumbled and before she could say anything else the naval doctor came in to look over everything. After about an hour of thorough examination and to make sure there wasn’t anything to be worried about they got dismissed. Y/N, being their nurse, walked them back out to the waiting area where most

of the men and woman who went on the mission was waiting. The only ones missing were Bob and Phoenix. Y/N knew he was okay, but she couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed since he was gone. “Hey Jake,” Y/N called grabbing everyone’s attention. “Can I talk to you for minute?” She asked as the man nodded and followed her back into her med-room. “I just want to say thank you, for helping my father and Bradley. I heard what you said in the hallway earlier and it means a lot.”

Hangman shrugged like it didn’t mean anything, “You’re welcome.” He settled instead of saying his usual smart remark. “Whether they believe it or not, no man left behind.” He mumbled quietly before giving the girl a pat on the shoulder and leaving the room.

Y/N sighed as she took a seat, her neck had been killing her because she hadn’t slept good in almost a week and she just wanted to get some rest. “Were you talking to Hangman?” The voice she loved so much spoke making her jump up from her seat and turn around. “I’m sorry I wasn’t outside I was with Phoenix, she was worried about Rooster.” He mumbled.

The Mitchell girl didn’t care where he was when she wanted to see him first, what mattered was that he was here now. He was safe and on the ground. “I was so worried about you.” She muttered. Before walking over to him and pulling him into a hug.

“I’m fine.” Bob whispered as his eyes raked over the girl in front of him. “Have I ever mentioned how good you look in your scrubs?” He asked as the girl playfully rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. “It’s a turn on definitely.” He mumbled.

Y/N shook her head as she let out a small laugh before pulling his neck so his lips met with hers. She missed this. She missed him, knowing he was fine and was here, missed the way she felt when he was near her. She missed everything about the guy in front of her.

“I love you,” Bob started as they pulled away from their intimate kiss. “I meant to say it back but Phoenix got me away from you too fast before we left.” He mumbled.

“I can’t wait to have you to myself tonight.” She mumbled as she laid her head on his chest and fiddled with the buttons of his navy uniform. Truth be told her mind couldn’t process that he was back and safe. She knew that this wouldn’t be the first mission that she would be worried for him, but she knew that none of that mattered right now.

“The group wanted to get together at the hard deck for a few tonight? Does that sound good and then we’ll leave early and head to yours?” Bob asked softly as he pushed some hair out of the girls face.

“Sounds perfect.”