Below The Hard Deck | A Top Gun Fanfiction

CHAPTER XV

The next day, it's back to business as usual. Time waits for no one and, mourning or not, there is still a mission that needs to be taught. Cyclone even insisted that Pete and I arrive before the recruits, wanting to have a discussion with us about the final few days of training. I keep my arms wrapped firmly around Maverick's waist as he zooms towards the base, leaning my cheek against his back in order to catch the tail end of the sunrise over the tarmac. I smile at the black silhouettes of various personal against the orange horizon. Despite the early morning, the area is already a hive mind of activity.

When we finally pull to a stop, neither of us move from our positions. Mav stares at the doors in front of him like they're about to swallow him whole. He is still processing what happened to Ice, wrapping his mind around the fact that another name has been added to his long list of losses. I place my chin on his shoulder, gently rubbing my hands up and down his shoulders. "It's all going to be okay."

He turns his head to the side, gently kissing my forehead. "I know. It's just," his eyes scan the building, "this is where it all started. If we hadn't been in the same class as Ice, I would've been grounded permanently a long time ago. I wouldn't have had the chance to come back to Top Gun, I wouldn't have had the chance to talk everything out with you, and you wouldn't currently be sitting behind me like we were never separated. Now that he's gone, being here doesn't feel the same. It's like something is missing."

I know what he means. Every inch of Top Gun has a memory of Ice associated with it. That's not even including all the pictures of the man scattered about. I don't think it has fully sunk in for either of us that he's actually gone. We're stuck somewhere in the stages of grief, leaving us in a limbo no one else can truly understand. "Ice chose us to teach this mission," I murmur into Maverick's ear, lightly patting his shoulders and getting off the bike. With a small smile, one that contains more pain than joy, I hold out my hand to my partner. "We owe it to him to see it through."

Pete nods, pulling his keys out of the ignition and standing up, placing his palm in mine. "You don't think Cyclone is so evil he'd yell at me today of all days, do you?" He jests as we finally enter the building, greeted by a sudden wall of cool air.

"Depends, did you do something to give him a reason to yell at you?"

Mav scoffs. "Does he need one. In case you haven't realized, Lucky, he isn't exactly a big fan of mine."

"Well, for what it's worth," I stop in my tracks, pulling my partner around to face me when he tries to continue forward. With a playful grin, I place a soft peck on his lips. It's barely more than an incidental touch, but it seems to be enough for him judging by how his head moved to follow me as I pull away. "I think you're pretty cool."

"You're really going to tease me like that?" He groans, trying to drag me close to him once more. "This early in the morning?"

I roll my eyes. "Do you take anything seriously?"

"When I want to." Maverick dips his head down, the feeling of his breath against my lips sending a shiver down my spine. His emerald eyes lock on mine with a mischievous glint. "Besides, you started this."

"Oh did I?" Two can play at that game. I lean in closer to my partner, wrapping one arm around the back of his neck. As his eyes flutter shut, I freeze and quickly bring my other hand up to flick his forehead.

My fellow pilot jolts back with a start, causing me to laugh at his confusion expression. "Oww."

I snort, patting his shoulder before continuing on my way towards Cyclone's office. "Let's go, Captain. We have work to do."

"Really, you flicked me?" I smirk at the disbelief in his voice as he joins my side. "What are you, four?"

"It's not my fault you have to sex drive of a college student. I feel like you could've operated a brothel had you not become a pilot." Before he can reply, I knock on Cyclone's door and mentally prepare myself for whatever we have in store. Despite being the air boss, and not trusting Maverick further than he could throw him, the admiral lets the two of us be for the most part. Judging by the fact that the last time he wanted to see us before training started for the day was to tell us the mission was being moved up, my hopes are not exactly high for the conversation to come.