Hope you guys enjoy! If you want on the taglist let me know! (See guys I am learning Tumblr)
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers!
Feel free to leave requests and ideas
The Daggers sat on the deck of the Hard Deck. Penny had been kind enough to allow the Daggers to make it their unofficial hangout. However, they hadn't taken her up on the offer much until Mav and Ice's house kind of became off limits for a few weeks.
Well, not so much off limits, more so they had semi banned themselves temporarily. Electing to one, let Mav rest and feel better, and two, not get in the middle of whatever was going on between Ice and Maverick.
"I wonder what happened?" Phoenix finally asked the looming question in the group.
"I don't know," Bradley admitted, knowing the rest knew he was most likely to know. "All I know is that the Flyboys told me the house is probably a no-fly zone for a bit."
A few Daggers snorted at his attempt of humor to lighten the mood.
"No, but really, all they've told me is it's something to be left between Dad and Pops. They claim they will be fine once they talk."
"And when will they talk?" Fanboy asks quietly.
Several of the Daggers heads went down.
"Usually, they don't take long. It's just a matter of them getting it out." Bradley watched the waves. "I barely remember a fight between them growing up, at least not one that wasn't over within a few hours."
Jake looked down at his water bottle.
He just had this family start to form. He couldn't lose it now.
"Kids, look, Maverick and Ice, they fight on occasion. They are also stubborn, which means sometimes it takes a minute for them to work it out. But they always do." Penny said, stepping out onto the deck.
"Hey, Penny." Several of the Daggers greeted. Others just nodded in her direction.
"While their stubborness may make it take an extra second to solve their issues, it also means that they are stubborn about loving each other. Those two have been through a lot together. They will get through this." Penny assured.
"How do you know?" Jake asked. A few glancing his way surprised by the raw tone to his voice.
"Becuase they always do." Penny stated as though it was a fact, and after the way she said it, the Daggers didn't think that it could be anything else.
"You know you are our unofficial aunt, right?" Fanboy asked, breaking some of the tension.
"Oh, trust me, I know." Penny rolled her eyes, "And I wouldn't change it for anything." She winked before heading back into the building.
Phoenix smiled, and with a renewed hope amongst the Daggers, she decided to suggest a change of topic.
"Alright, how about we play a game?"
"What kind of game we talkin'?" Javy asks.
"A get to know each other more game. We each know each other on varying levels." Phoenix explained.
Each Dagger chimed in a version of agreement, and so the game began.
"It's called 'You don't know, but...' and basically you tell everyone something that they don't know. It can be about yourself, a random fact, or really just about anything. Some of us know other better than others, so just not something everyone knows. Like your call sign. The point is to get to know each other better."
"Alright, Phe, you suggest the game you have to start us off." Bradley pointed out, leaning back in his chair.
And so the game was on.
"Alright, you don't know, but... I played softball in high school."
"I guess I'll go next, you don't know, but I am a huge Swiftie to the point my call sign was almost Swift." Harvard said.
"You don't know, but I got my first black eye in college from lightsaber dueling in the courtyard." Fanboy admitted/bragged.
"Only you." Bradley laughed.
"Hey, we had a many a people come try and join us. Also, I would like to point out it wasn't becuase I couldn't duel it was because my roommate was supposed to just go left then right and just keep repeating but then got confused and went the same way twice."
"If we ever doubted your call sign, that's all the proof we needed." Bradley laughed.
"You don't know, but I hate being called Bagman." Jake said, glancing down at the deck.
"Good to know Hangman." Phoenix said, but the look on her face made him know she took the statement seriously.
"You don't know, but I want you guys to call me Jake..." Jake added, having already taken a huge step out of his comfort zone. Why not take one more.
"Good to know, Jake." Phoenix amended, a small smile on her face.
Meanwhile, Javy watched his best friend with a smile on his face. Proud of him for opening up.
Javy knew that was a huge step for Jake.
Now, if only he could take another huge step when it comes to another pilot. Javy internally rolled his eye, knowing that was going to be a much more complicated process.
"You don't know this, but I went to LSU, GEAUX TIGERS!" Javy said, allowing the mood to lighten and take the pressure off of Jake.
And so the game went on.
---
The tension in the house was palpable. Even the ever light hearted Fanboy would be able to feel it.
Maverick had finally started to feel better.
Which, on one hand, Ice was very happy his husband was feeling better. However, on the other hand, that meant the looming conversation was soon to occur.
Ice walked into the living room with a cup of tea in each hand.
Maverick sat wrapped in a blanket on the couch. He reached out a hand to take a cup from Ice as Ice sat down.
"Ice..." Maverick started.
Ice sighed, he knew that tone. He had been anxiously awaiting that tone.
"Conversation time?" Ice asked softly.
"Look -"
"I'm not objecting, I know the conversation needs to be had. So, let's have it. Where do you want to start?"
"What did you tell Cyclone?" Maverick finally settled on after a moment of pause. He had run this conversation through his head hundreds of times and he still wasn't sure how he wanted to start it.
"I told him that if someone tells you that you can't do something, you have to p
rove them wrong. That you will do everything to prove them wrong."
"Did you really think that I wouldn't do everything possible to make this mission go well. To make it succeed. To bring Bradley back alive?" Maverick's voice strained during the last sentence.
"Mav..."
"No, Ice, you are the one who has believed in me. You pushed me to be better, but never by making me believe that you didn't believe in me. Rather because I knew you believed in me. So, why, why would this time be different? Why would you tell Cyclone to not believe in me, why not have him believe in me and not have me fighting him every step of the way?"
"I needed to make sure you came back, you and Bradley and everyone else. I panicked, and I know you do well when you do something out of spite." Ice admitted.
"So, the encouragement of keeping my kid, our kid, alive wasn't enough?"
"It should have been. Deep down I know you would do everything to come back and make sure he came back, but my fears took over. My biggest fear was losing you; losing Bradley. I let my fear control me."
"And you've never done this any other time? Never?"
"This is the first, only, and last time I have ever done that."
"I'm going to ask again Ice, do you regret it?" Maverick asked, his eyes as serious as ever, he had already asked this, and Ice evaded. He would not evade this time.
"I-"
"Ice."
"I regret my methods. I regret that I told someone to esentially hurt you. I regret hurting you. I regret letting me fears take control of me. However, if that is the reason you survived, I don't know if I can fully regret it."
"Ice, we established, I would do everything no matter what. That spite it not the reason I survived and so did the Daggers. So, one final time, do you regret it?"
"Yes, I regret it."
"And you will never, and I mean never pull that again?"
"Never."
Maverick simply nodded taking the information in.
"Maverick, I always believe in you. I know not everyone has, and I never should have contributed to the doubt others have had. I never doubted you. I was scared. I acted irrationally. I am so sorry Mav... I love you."
"I love you too Ice."
"I know you went through years of superiors telling you that you couldn't do something and judging you just from your last name all because of a government cover up. I know all of that. I never should have told someone to act like that. I truly am sorry."
"I believe you Ice. This hurt, I am not going to lie. I do however, understand why you did, I may not agree with it, but I see where your thoughts went and why. I forgive you, but don't ever do that again."
"Never."
"So, we can tell the kids the parents have made up so they can come over again without fear of feeling like they are in an igloo with the cold tension?"
"According to Viper, they have been referring to our house as a 'no fly zone' so I think we can change that status. I missed our Daggers."
"They missed you too." Maverick smiled as he leaned against Ice's side. "I'm not telling them why we were fighting. Just we had a disagreement, we talked about it, and it's over with. They don't need the details."
Ice nodded silently as he tucked Maverick's head under his chin.
The world was back on it's axis.
---
"Alright Grand-Daggers, I've been told today will be my last day as your instructor, however, I am in town for longer so this will not be that last you see of me. The impending last day though, does mean it's time for some good stories." Viper said with a growing smirk. "For this, I have brought in a guest instructor, Grand-Daggers, meet your other Grandfather, Jester."
"Greetings, grand-daggers, I do believe it is story time." Jester dramatically walked in, swinging the door open.
"Now, how about I tell time Maverick made a excel sheet detailing who he thought reminded him most of from pop culture characters. However, in trying to send it to the flyboys, he accidentally sent it to the whole base. Cain, a 1 star admiral at the time, was not happy to be matched with Skeletor, however, Stevens, a 2 star admiral at the time, was very happy to be matched with Luke Skywalker, and well, he took care of Cain."
"I mean it's Luke Skywalker, ofcourse he was very happy." Fanboy agreed.
"Leave it to him to somehow send an email like that to the whole base." Yale laughed.
"Though, Bradley over there did convince Ice to go as Batman for Halloween one year becausae he was going as Robin." Jesters began the next story.
"Yea, then convinced every other flyboy who was stateside to join in. By the end we had most of the Justice League and a few villains." Viper added.
"Who was Mav?" Halo asked.
"Green Lantern, more specifically Hal Jordan because he was also a military pilot. Air Force though, so Maverick made sure to wear his bomber which of course has his Navy patches. Claimed he was improving the character. Which techinically he was."
---
Short, but it's something. Hope you guys enjoyed. Sorry it took sthe o long, hopefully another chapter or 2 in August. July is questionable. However, it's been months so I wanted to get yall something.
As usual, let me know what yall thought and what yall want to see!
We need something that categorizes movies and TV Shows but like AO3 tags. I legitimately was googling essentially what tags I wanted to try and in find a show earlier.
So petition for TV shows and movies to have an AO3 tag like section for when picking what to watch.
Hope you guys enjoy! If you want on the taglist let me know! (See guys I am learning Tumblr)
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers!
Feel free to leave requests and ideas
The Dagger's still hadn't been fully informed of what had happened between Ice and Mav, but they atleast knew where Mav was now. Which was a slight comfort. They had spent the weekend on and off staying at his house and keeping him company. However, this did mean they had no clue what to expect at work right now since Maverick was their normal teacher/surpervisor/whatever he came up with that day.
Though in all their theories, this was not one of the predicted results.
"Daggers, I present to you a very special instructor," Cyclone began as he introduced someone who had yet to enter the room, though what was really intriging to the Daggers, was that Cyclone looked like he was fanboying, and not his fanboy for Ice level, no this was an even higher level. (The Daggers didn't think that was possible.) "I present to you, a former Top Gun instrutor and former head of Top Gun: the first to ever earn the Top Gun trophy, retired admiral Mike Metcalf callsign: Viper."
Bradley's eye widened as he realized from the clues who exactly had come.
While the rest of the Daggers were freaking out internally (and slightly externally) not even knowing the connection of Viper to Maverick and Ice.
"Daggers, good to finally meet you." Viper greeted with a light smirk on his face.
The eyes of several Daggers widenned further in disblief that the Viper knew of them.
Bradley just smiled from the back, though he hadn't seen his grandfather in a few years, they had briefly spoken over the phone shortly after he reunited with Maverick and Ice. So, he wasn't too worried about a lecture on not speaking to him for over a decade.
"I've heard a lot about you, though I didn't prefer me finally meeting you being because Maverick was sick and Ice was an idiot." Viper rolled his eyes.
Futher more the Daggers internally freaked.
"Come on Gramps, you are freaking out the Daggers." Bradley finally spoke now certain that the atmosphere was informal. (Though Cyclone was still in shock off to the side over the casual remarks of a Top Gun Legend.)
"Gramps?" Coyote jerked his head turnign to look at Bradley.
"If we use the terms of the Flyboy group chat, we are his grand-daggers." Bradley clarified.
"Sir, it's such an honor to meet you." Fanboy finally spoke.
"Kid, I've been waiting to meet all fo you. However, let's do some teaching and then I can give you all the dirt and embaressing stories about Ice and Mav and well all the other Flyboys."
"How do you know Mav and Ice?" Halo asked.
"I was their instructor when they were at Top Gun. I was all the Flyboys instructors, even Merlin's when he finally came through later."
"What were they like?" Yale jumped in.
"Alright, I will answer questions in a bit, however I did promise I would do some teaching before giving out all the good info."
The Daggers were suddenly pin straight in their chairs ready to take in all the information from the lessons then get all the gossip on the Flyboys.
---
Meanwhile, Maverick was curled up on Ice's side of their bed wrapped up in blankets and one of Ice's old hoodies. He had felt a little bit better then got worse again. Though from what the doctor told him that was to be expected. Once it got better the second time then he would be on the mend.
Maverick barely moved hearing the front door open knowing Merlin had left to go pick up some groceries and would be back shortly.
"Mav?" A familiar voice, though not the one Maverick was expecting spoke softly from the door.
"Ice?" Maverick spoke, his voice rough and weak still.
"Mav I know-"
"Ice," Maverick cut his husband off, "later, right now I don't want to argue right now; I don't feel good and I just want to curl up with you and go back to sleep."
Ice nodded and smiled softly. He set his bags down and changed into a pair of sweatpants and an old shirt before climbing into bed on his side as Maverick had moved back to his own.
"This is much better then the lingering feeling of you left in the bed and your hoodie." Maverick commented softly as he burried his head in the side of Ice's neck.
Ice smiled and softly kissed the top of Maverick's head.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too Ice. So did the kids."
"Oh, the kids have their hands full right now."
"What did you do?" Maverick asked, a tone of curiosity emerging from the rough voice.
"Finally gave in to Viper."
"They are about to have so many stories on us."
"And Viper will finally lay off on throwing a fit that he hasn't met his grand-daggers yet."
"This should make up for it then."
"Bradley texted me earlier that Cyclone was fanboying on a level above his fanboy over me."
"Doesn't surprise me. Seems everyone I know is his hero except me." Maverick laughed softly but it quickly turned in to a cough irratating his throat.
Ice rubbed Maverick's back up and down slowly as the cough faded.
"I think you are one of his heroes after the last mission."
"He will never admit it though."
"Nope." Ice agreed.
"How was London?" Maverick changed the subject realizing they were croaching into the territory he did not want to address yet.
"Oh the usual, politics at it's finest."
"Ofcourse."
"Though I have most certainly dealt with worse ones. Cain the pain wasn't there for this one. Even the upper brass can't stand him, so they have stopped sending him to as much."
"As long as they keep him away from the planes and jets I am fine with that."
"The closest he has problem been to an actual jet in a while is probably when you flew right over him in DarkStar."
"Heard I blew the roof off the building too."
"That you did." Ice rolled his eyes.
Maverick mumbled something else, but it was incohearant.
"Go to sleep Mav, I'll be here when you wake up." Ice assured pulling Maverick closer.
---
"Alright, now that the lesson is over, time for the good stuff." Viper smirked rubbing his hands together.
The Daggers perked up immedietally ready for the info.
"What were Mav and Ice like at Top Gun?" Harvard asked.
"Oh they hated each other. They were each others only real competition. In fact, even with Maverick missing a few hops he would have won Top Gun in any other class. His and Ice scores are the highest Top Gun has ever had."
"Wait, Mav wasn't Top Gun?" Coyote asked.
"Nope, Ice was. They still argue to this day over who is the better pilot. Both have agreed thought that the trophy is not a determining factor."
Bradley just looked down, knowing exactly why the their points at Top Gun were not a factor to be considered.
"I heard, Ice even chomped at Maverick in the lockeroom after calling him dangerous." Viper added.
"WAIT! Is that where the aprons come from?" Fanboy asked practically bouncing out of his chair.
"Yes, he kept telling Pete he was 'dangerous.' Eventually it became a flirt." Viper rolled his eyes.
"Yea, stuck so much that Slider and I teamed up to make said aprons." Bradley added.
"Did Mav tell you how he introduced Ice to the Daggers?" Bradley asked.
"He did not."
"He invited everyone over for dinner-" Bradley started, but stopped to laugh just thinking about it.
"Then said he was going to 'grab Ice for drinks.'" Phoenix finished.
"Because appearantly we were supposed to expect that Ice meant the Commander of the Pacific fleet not frozen water that goes in drinks." Jake said rolling his eyes.
"That sounds about right for them." Viper nodded. "When they team up they are unstoppable. The Navy tried to separate them as Wingmen a few times hoping to spread the talent, but everytime they did they realized it was more worth it to have the duo together than apart. They are both phenomenal on their own, but together..."
"Yea, we flew against them a few weeks ago..." Fritz said shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh and I bet they were just toying with you all then." Viper smirked.
A chill went through a few Daggers at the thought of ever having to face those two in a situation where it wasn't just playing around.
---
.
.
.
Short chapter, but it's been a while and I wanted to give yall something. Thanks for yall's patience, I am a college student and my level of busyness fluctuates. Hope you all enjoyed!!
Let me know what yall want to see next! (Don't worry the discussion over the Ice Cold situtation is coming too.)
Hope you guys enjoy! If you want on the taglist let me know! (See guys I am learning Tumblr)
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers!
Feel free to leave requests and ideas
Ice had headed off on his trip to London and Maverick found his daggers rappidly appearing at the house.
"Daggers, I appreciate the company, but know I will survive if yall don't come over everyday. That is by no means me discouraging it, rather me making sure you know you can have lives." Maverick assured the Daggers as they piled on the couch four days after Ice had left.
Initially the trip was supposed to be a week and a half but it had been extended to two weeks with the potential to be as long as three weeks.
"Yes, but we get bored too." Fritz rolled his eyes as he threw himself down onto the couch.
"Yeah MavDad, you provide so much more entertainment than the dull walls of base." Hangman pointed out.
"Hey, several of those dull walls on base have my picture on them." Maverick feigned offense.
"And the walls here are covered in pictures of you." Yale pointed out.
"But not nearly as many pictures as the Hanger." Phoenix added.
"Plus, these walls and the hanger have our pictures everywhere too, minus each of our class photos." Coyote pointed out.
"Yeah, but there is a little favoritism, I see far more Brad squared photos." Phoenix said lightly hitting Rooster.
"Why did Hollywood have to tell you all that nickname?" Bradley shook his head.
"Would you rather Brad Brad?" Hangman teased.
"Hey, it's not my fault I only have baby pictures and kid picture of Baby Goose." Maverick pointed out. "Therefore I have more pictures of Bradley to be able to put up."
Maverick quickly regretted his words, though not really, as the Daggers rapidly pulled out their phones and started sending pictures of themselves prior to meeting Mav to the groupchat with Ice and Mav.
"No excuses now." Bob smirked.
"Expect more from where that came from when I hear back from my mom." Fanboy smirked.
Several Daggers seconded that statement.
"Alright, Ice and I will start printing them and putting them up when he gets back." Maverick agreed, secretly really excited.
---
Ice looked down at his phone between meetings to see hundred of notifications from the Dagger groupchat.
While is ice cold admiral face stayed up, he was internally wondering what in the world had happened, he hadn't even been gone a week yet.
He had to hold back a smile when he saw it was filled with pictures of the Daggers at varying ages and a text from Maverick directly.
Mav
The daggers complained that they didn't have as many pictures up as Baby Goose, so I said I didn't have as many pictures of them from different ages and well... We have a lot of pictures to print and put up now.
Ice replied quickly,
Ice
We are going to need to add a wing to the house just to fit the pictures.
Ice wasn't surprised to see how fast Mav replied.
Mav
Or another hanger...
Ice rolled his eyes internally, too many eyes on him to show it outwardly, Maverick didn't actually want another hanger, but it had become a fun joke.
Ice
Or we just dedicate a hall to them at Top Gun and fill it with these pictures.
Mav
NO! The daggers would never leave! They already said base was boring because their pictures weren't everywhere!
Ice
Then I suppose we will just make them fit in the house.
---
Maverick finished up another day of work, they had a hop this morning and a debrief on said hop followed by a lecture/lesson of sorts before being dismissed. Maverick had to do some paperwork before heading out.
He walked towards Cyclones office to drop it off and then head home, where he was certain to find atleast one of his kids waiting.
"You know you like him Beau, as much as it pains you to admit it." Maverick heard Warlock say as he approached. He wasn't eavesdropping sound just carried really well in this hallway when the door was open. Which was helpful when Cyclone was chewing someone out, put fear into everyone else to not do what whoever Cyclone was chewing out do.
"He grew on me. I still can't believe Admiral Kazansky's advice worked."
"I can it makes sense, as wrong as it seemed."
"Convince Maverick you don't think he can do something and he will go above and beyond to prove he can." Cylone said. "Well he certainly did that, and all I had to do was give him a hard time and push him to think just that."
Maverick froze.
"I still don't like the giving him a hard time thing."
"I wouldn't be shocked if this is the advice given to all the admirals to handle Maverick. It certainly worked."
"Atleast after the mission you stopped. Maverick really is a good guy, and pilot. You see how he is with the Daggers. I mean, we taught a few of them and we couldn't handle them the way he does, not even close."
"Don't make me like him too much Bates, he still is a pain, but I do hate to admit he is nowhere near as bad as he has been made out to be."
Maverick took the breath of silence to make his way into the office to bring in the paper work and head home.
"Admirals," Maverick greeted setting down the paperwork on Cyclones desk. "The paperwork from today."
"Admiral." They greet back, eyes comically wide, fearful of what parts of the discussion had been heard.
Maverick held it together as he made his way to his bike and left for home. Making sure not to take the scenic route as he just wanted to be home and away from eyes. Allow himself to proces what he had learned.
Maverick parked his bike in the garage before pressing the button for it to close.
Surprisingly there was not a Dagger parked outside, more than likely at the Hard Deck since it was Friday, but today he was okay with that. He need some time alone to think this all over.
He couldn't believe Ice would tell other admirals to purposefully show a distaste in him. To make it where he thought that they thought he couldn't do it. To tell them to tear him down,
Finally Maverick realized that none of these questions could be answered without talking to Ice, and while this wasn't a conversation he wanted to have on the phone on diferent continents; he also didn't want to put this conversation off for weeks and stew in it.
Mav looked at the time and saw that Ice should be waking up in a couple of hours.
So Maverick sent a simple message to Ice, one that Ice would immediatelly understand when he woke up. One he would know to call back asap for.
Ice was supposed to have a limited schedule for the Saturday, one of the reasons Maverick was willing to send the message for Ice to deal with when he woke up.
As mad as he was at his husband, he also didn't want to mess with his day for his job and make his meetings harder. Just like they didn't give each other bad news or things to think hard about before a mission or flight, with very few exceptions there. Note: Ice not telling Maverick about Bradley until after the test flight.
Maverick took a shower, ate a quick dinner of leftovers from the night before and then went to bed, his alarm set for about a half hour before Ice would wake up.
---
Ice woke up to his alarm going off in his hotel room. He had a light schedule for the day and didn't have any meetings for a few hours and planned to get some work done early to stay ahead of schedule and hopefully get to leave sooner rather than later.
All thoughts of getting work done early ceased when he saw a text from his husband. More specifically a link to a song.
The song being one that was very very very very rarely every pulled out for anything other than annoying him on occasion. However, in cases like this it was a signal of how royally ticked off Maverick was at Ice. It had been years since the song had been played for anythign other then teasing him.
In this context though, he knew this wasn't teasing.
The link to 'Cold as Ice' by Foreigner stared up at him, as he quickly rolled recent events through his head trying to figure out what this was about. He couldn't think of anything as he pressed the video call button.
He barely heard a ring as the phone was answered and his husbands face appeared on his phone screen.
"You're cold as ice." Ice heard Maverick say through the phone, his voice coming far too close to matching Ice's ice cold admiral voice. A chill went through the Iceman himself at that tone.
"Maverick, I know I screwed up somehow for this, but I don't know how, so I need some context." Ice said, his voice shaky, in a way only Maverick could ever achieve.
"I went to turn in some paperwork to Cyclone earlier, when I heard an interesting conversation between himself and Warlock. You told Cylcone to make me think that he didn't think I could pull off the mission? You told him to give me a hard time? You told him to do that?" Maverick asked, his voice starting of icey and hard, but with each word his tone weaked until it was desparate to hear that those were all lies. That he had misunderstood or misheard something.
But the slight gasp of air followed by a sigh heard over the phone forced Maverick to realize it wasn't a misinterperatation. Along with the look on Ice's face, it said everything.
Maverick just stayed silent on the phone, silent tears running down his face.
"Tom, I want an explanation."
Ice winced once more. He was very rarely ever called 'Tom' by Maverick. Just as he rarely called Mav 'Pete'.
"I didn't want you to find out that way-"
"You didn't want me to find out that way, or you didn't want me to find out?"
Ice didn't answer, mainly because they both already knew the answer.
"I was trying to protect you. I was... I was-" Ice paused for a moment to collect his words. "I was about to send you to train a suicide mission. You've done some of your best work when someone doesn't think you can do it. You push to prove them wrong. You do your best no matter what, but I needed that push there. I needed to make sure you were able to do everything you could to get those kids home. To get Bradley home. Then You were going on the mission. I needed you to come home."
"Ice, I have spent most of my career being spit on and torn down by my superiors. I was Mitchell's son, I was the deserters son. I dealt with all of those people, because I knew I was worth more than that. That I didn't deserve it. Atleast I knew that after Goose convinced me. I deal with those admirals, those superiors. They don't actually know me, they are going of stories and rumors. I can handle those, but this, you told them to be push back, to question my every action, to tear me down, to not believe in me. You told them to. You, the person who I trust most in my life. My wingman. My husband. You told them to tear me down. You have spent hours reassuring me when a superior has torn me down that it wasn't true, that I was worth it, that I wasn't my father or my mother. Now you told someone to do that to me. For a mission. A mission I had decided had to have 3 miracles and no less. You thought I needed that push to make sure I did my best to not have my son killed? That is cold as ice Ice and you know it. If you didn't you would have told me."
Ice stayed silent processing the truths Maverick had just said.
"How many times?" Maverick asked, scared to know the answer.
"This is the only time." Ice said, his voice firm.
"The only time?"
"The only time."
"You know why I am mad?"
"I know why are furious with me."
"You know what you did wrong?"
Ice nodded.
"Do you regret it?"
That was the kicker.
Ice froze. He didn't know the answer to that one. On one hand, Maverick made it home, all the daggers made it home, but on the other he caused his husband pain. There was no sense playing the what if game on what would have happened had he not told Cyclone that.
"Ice, do you regret it?" Maverick repeated, a desprate tone sneaking into his voice.
"I- I don't know."
"Why don't you know?"
"I don't know what would have happened had I not done what I did. I wish I didn't hurt you, and I regret hurting you, but if it was the push that saved you..."
"Ice..." Maverick trailed off, not even sure what to say.
"I love you." Ice said softly, but there was no waver in his words.
"I love you too." Maverick replied. He would never not.
"I know I hurt you, and that I messed up, but if it saved you, I don't know if I can regret it. I regret that you were hurt, and that I caused it."
"We will never know the answer to that Ice, we can't play the what if game, you've told me that enough times."
"I know. I'm sorry that I hurt you."
"I'm sorry you did too."
"Will you forgive me for this?"
"Will you ever do it again?"
"No."
Ice was a man who despite popular belief did make mistakes, but he learned from them and usually did not make the same mistake twice.
"Ice, I need time.. and space."
"I know."
"We are talking about this more when you get home."
"I know."
"You can text me; I'll reply, but give me some space to think."
"Okay."
"I love you."
"I love you too." Ice replied before seeing the screen go black as Maverick hung up.
---
The daggers knew something was up on Monday when Maverick was not being well Maverick.
He had a good front going, but not a good enough one. Several of the Daggers had gone over Sunday to watch a movie and have dinner, and while everything was normal, it didn't seem normal. Something was off. There wasn't the usual life and light behind his eyes.
At first they brushed it off as missing Ice, but this seemed like something more.
Even Cyclone and Warlock seemed wary at the moment, and that is what really tipped off the Daggers.
Sure Cyclone had been a lot better since the mission, but it was almost like he was walking on eggshells around Maverick.
The Daggers finally reached out to Ice, who simply said he had messed up and he was handling it.
If that didn't worry them enough, then Maverick not being on base two day later, well that really scared them.
Cyclone just walked in and said he would be covering for the next few days, but gave no context.
"Maybe, he just went to London to see Ice?" Fanboy suggested.
"Maybe, but I feel like he would have told us." Bob said.
"Not if he went Maverick and decided on a whim in the middle of the night." Hangman pointed out.
"Bradley, any ideas?" Phoenix turned asked her best friend.
"I can text the Flyboys, but other than that, I don't know."
So text the flyboys he did, who texted Ice, who gave them a brief summary. Which lead to Merlin showing up to Ice and Maverick's house, key in hand.
"Mav?" Merlin yelled as he walked in.
Turning around he locked the door back and slipped his shoes off before making his way though the house. He saw a few bowls in the sink and the house was a little warmer than usual, but other than that nothing. He eventually made his way upstairs to Ice and Mav's bedroom, where he found Maverick burried under several layers of blankets laying in Ice's side of the bed.
"Mav?" Merlin asked softly as he approached his pilot.
"Merlin?" Maverick stirred.
Merlin walked up and saw Maverick's face flushed and pale.
"Mav are you okay?" Merlin asked pressing the back of his hand to Maverick forehead.
"I'm fine." Maverick mumbled out, pushing himself into a sitting position.
"No you are not, you are obviously sick." Merlin insisted.
"Fine, but I already went by base and doctors gave me medicine. Just got told to take it and rest. It's just a cold."
Merlin was impressed, Maverick went to Medbay, and was following doctors instructions, and there was no one there to make sure he did so...
"What are you doing here Merls? Not that I'm not happy to see you."
"The daggers got worried about you and Bradley texted the flyboys, and we texted Ice who told us about what happened. I came to check on you, not expecting to find you sick."
"Well, you found me."
"Burried under several layers of blankets." Merlin rolled his eyes as he texted the Flyboy groupchat that Maverick was alive.
"There your husband and the other flyboys have been told you are alive."
"Ice knew that, I've texted him back."
"Yeah, well, now someone has laid eyes on you."
"Yeah, well, atleast this gave me the time I wanted to sit and think."
"Ice didn't tell us much, just that he screwed up and you were taking time and space, you want to tell me about it?" Merlin offered.
"He told Cyclone to make me think that he didn't think I could pull off the mission and give me a hard time." Maverick summarized it.
"Ouch."
"Yea."
Maverick stayed silent as he pressed his leg against Merlin from where he sat on the edge of the bed.
"Want me to stay?"
"Do you want to stay?" Maverick asked.
And though Merlin already planned to stay, that made him determined to stay. Maverick was receding back into his old insecurities.
"I want to." Merlin assured.
Maverick nodded, a small smile on this face.
Merlin nodded and went to Maverick's side of the bed and sat next to him.
Maverick opened up a little more about the Ice situation, seemingly glad to have someone to talk it through with.
"Want to watch something?"
"You know the show." Maverick smirked.
Merlin laughed as he opened Netflix.
Soon the opening to 'Merlin' was playing.
When the show came out the Flyboys messed with Merlin to finally watch it, just to mess with him, but instead irionically enough it became Merlin's favorite show. And for several of the other flyboys it also made it high up on their favorites.
Maverick leaned up against Merlin's side, with Ice's pillow clutched to his chest.
"You good if I give the Daggers an update?"
"Don't mention the Ice thing, they don't know."
"They know something is up, but not what. Ice told them he messed up, but was handling it. But you not being on base really worried them."
"You know, you still haven't met the kids yet."
"I haven't, and I would like to be able to rub it in to Viper that I met them before him."
"Well how could I deny you that."
Merlin smirked as he rubbed Mavericks back a few times as he cleared his roughed up throat.
"I'll text Bradley and let him know to tell the others you are sick."
Maverick nodded and they continued the show, though seconds later Bradley replied.
"The daggers want to know if they can come over."
"Yea, it's not contagious or anything and it would be nice to see them. I do miss them." Merlin heard the unspoke 'and Ice' of that sentence.
So, Merlin texted Bradley who said most of the Daggers would be over shortly.
Along with that, Merlin texted Ice directly.
Merlin
Maverick is sick. Just a cold. He even went to medbay without being prompted.
Ice
I should have known something more was up. I though this irregular answers was just him keeping his space and taking time.
Merlin
The kids are coming over. He misses you though, he is laying on you side of the bed and has been hugging your pillow.
Ice
He has always been clingy when he was sick or hurt. It's good that the daggers are coming over, they will make sure he does not run low on affection.
Merlin
What am I? Chop liver? He has been leaning up against me for the past 2 episodes of Merlin.
Ice
Yes, but the kids will just add to that affection.
Merlin
Alright fair
Ice
How is he otherwise?
Merlin
Still upset I think, but I think he is doing much better with it. I think he just finally wants in settled in person. He hasn't called you a Clotpole yet atleast.
Ice
You're watching Merlin.
Merlin
You guys can't give me a hard time if you guys are the ones to have forced me to watch it at first. Not my fault I actually like it.
Ice
Thank you Merlin
---
The daggers soon came piling into the house and then piling into the bed, only half of them were there for now but the other half would be joining soon. Though when the other half showed up they were definetly going to have to move this the the living room.
"Dad," Bradley greeted softly walking in and taking a spot right next to Maverick.
"Hey Baby Goose." Maverick greeted, his voice not quiet right from his sore throat, but the affection was still heard.
"Hey MavDad, you feelin' any better?" Hangman greeted, just a step behind Bradley, which as he hugged each Merlin did make a face of 'that's him isn't it?', Maverick just gave a knowing smirk.
"What no greeting for your uncle Merlin?" Merline feigned offense.
"I've missed you to Uncle Merls."
"So, is this one of the flyboys we haven't met yet?" Hangman asked and Phoenix and Bob walked in followed by Fanboy and Payback.
"In fact I am one of the flyboys, I was Mav's RIO after Top Gun."
Soon the Daggers were piled onto the bed in various strang positions, all having contact with Mav in some way.
Bradley leaned up against his side, Jake halfway on Bradley with his legs over Mavericks,Phoenix and Bob each laying across their legs, Fanboy and Payback sitting infront of Merlin leaned diagonally against Mav.
At one point Merlin had to get up to use the bathroom, and when he came back he made sure to sneak out his phone to get a picture.
Phoenix got up when Maverick acknowledged finally that he was hungry and made him some chicken noodle soup, it was at that point the rest of the Daggers arrived so everyone moved into the living room and took over the couches as they did most movie nights.
.
.
.
.
Alright, it's been a bit, but here is another chapter! Loosely based off 2 headcanons from RandomlyYours In Other Words, Hold my Hand on AO3. Definetly go check out their story too! (permission was given by them to give my own spin on the headcanons) This chapter was mostly planned and then I read one of the chapters and was like "this, this is what I was missing!" headcanons being that mav sends Cold as Ice to Ice when he is royally ticked and the other being that Ice told Cyclone to be hard on Mav to get him to do his best.
Also now Merlin has arrived! So we have added another flyboy! Also I am a HUGE BBC Merlin fan. So I had to throw that in and make it a headcanon.
Hope you all enjoyed! Let me know your thoughts, requests and ideas! I love hearing from yall! I won't be writing for atleast another week, but hopefully towards the beginning of next week I will write the next part.
Hope you guys enjoy! If you want on the taglist let me know! (See guys I am learning Tumblr)
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers!
Feel free to leave requests and ideas
Bradley was only a little confused. Out of the blue the previous night he had recieved a text from Jake 'Hangman' Seresin, wanting to meet up.
They agreed on Jake bringing food to Bradley's house.
And so that was what was happening.
Bradley sat on his couch waiting on the sound of a vehicle driving up and a knock on his door. He couldn't fathom what Hangman of all people would want to meet up with him about.
Soon the curious knock finally came at the door.
Bradley made his way to the door, not having a clue what would follow this.
"I brought the food." Jake said with a smile as he held up two bags of food.
"Good, cause I am starving."
Jake set the foor out on the coffee table in front of the couch as Bradley grabbed them each a soda from the kitchen.
"So, Hangman, what's this sudden meet up about?" Bradley asked walking back in.
"Jake." Jake corrected between bites of his burger.
"Alright, Jake," Bradley said, his head now more frazzled than before. "What's up?"
"I figured if we are going to be on a squad together permantly I might as well get to know everyone better." Jake reasoned.
"Forgive me for my confusion here Jake," The word still felt foreign in Bradley's mouth. "But that's not exactly in character for you."
"And what do you know of my character?" Jake asked.
"Pretty much what we all know, you are a show boating loner with an ego larger than the Navy's fleet."
"No, that's Hangman's character." Jake corrected. Figuring that being direct was the best way to go about this.
This made Bradley pause before he could take the next bite of his burger.
"Talking about ourselves in third person now?"
"Not exactly, I..." Jake tried to find the words.
"Does this have anything to do with Maverick pulling you aside the other day?" Bradley finally pieced together.
"MavDad gave me some advice, decided to give it a shot." Jake answered honestly, surprised though that Bradley noticed their disappearance.
"What kind of advice did Dad give you? Usually that's more of Pop's department."
"Told me I should try and connect with the squad more. Let them see a little more Jake and a little less Hangman." Jake admitted, if he was going to be direct, might as well go all the way. Maverick said choose a person to focus on and go from there. Bradley seemed to have an in with everyone, so why not start with him. Or atleast that's the logic he was going with.
"So you started with me Bagman?"
"For starters, I don't like being called Bagman."
"Alright, Jake, so you started with me?"
"Figured why not."
"Alright then, I guess we have to get to know each other then."
"How about we start with the deep stuff?"
"The deep stuff?" Bradley gave him a wild look.
"Yea, like, what's your favorite color?"
"Nope, you've stepped over the line there." Bradley shook his head.
"So you've watched Hunger Games?"
"Who hasn't? Great movies."
"Catching Fire was the best."
"Agreed, but you chose to start our opening up to each other with a Hunger Games reference?"
"We each learned something about one another." Jake justified. "But really, what is your favorite color?"
"Hawain print."
"That's not a color, that's a pattern." Jake dead panned.
"Alright Jake, fine then, what's your favorite color?"
"Blue."
"Like your eyes?" Bradley teased.
"No, like the sky."
Only later did Jake realized Bradley had paid attention to his eye color.
"Alright, if we are doing this might as well dive into the deep stuff now that we have passed through the deep stuff gateway of favorite colors." Bradley stated, before contemplating whether to ask his question.
"Out with it, get off your perch Rooster."
"How did you handle everything after you first air to air kill?" Bradley asked softly, looking away for a moment before looking back at Jake in the eyes.
"I feel like Pop's or MavDad might be the better people to ask that quesiton."
"I'm not asking them. I'm asking you."
"Why are you asking me?"
"This whole opening up stuff only works if you answer the questions."
"I know, but I need to know the why before I answer."
"Mav and Ice are too... Close. They practically raised me. I need someone who hasn't known me my whole life and can relate but not them. I just got them back. They can't know my air to air messed with me. I can't jump back into a relationship with them and immeditally trauma dump on them."
"Why not? I met them a few weeks ago and already did."
Bradley's eyes widened.
"You talked to them about it?"
"Yea, you wanted to know how I handled it? I talked to them. Still not perfect with it, but I can sleep without it poping up in my head every night. I have been able to process it. Well as much as you can process something like that."
"I did it saving Mav, but I still had to take a life."
"My first was saving my wingman, my second was saving you and Mav. You can know you saveed your own, but also have to realize to do that you had to kill another. Though they had the intent to kill too. You didn't go out there to kill, you went out there to save."
"You know Jake, I think I can be friends with this version of you. I like you better without the Hangman persona getting in the way."
"I like me better without him in the way too."
---
"Alright Sherlock, what new info do we have to discuss this week?" Natasha asked as she and Bob sat down at a local diner.
They had made it a weekly tradition to make sure they had a night with just the two of them. At first it was just to get to know each other better as Pilot and WSO eventually it turned into two best friends catching up, and of course gossiping about the Squad.
"Hangman and Rooster are totally going to get together." Bob said as he sipped his milkshake.
"Obviously, but they evidently haven't realized it yet. Maverick probably already started the shovel talk when he pulled Jake away the other night." Phoenix agreed taking a sip of her own milkshake.
"When he came back he did suddenly sit next to Bradley instead of standing across the room."
"But even before that they were not so subtly eyeing each other across the room." Phoenix pointed out.
"Honestly, those two are ridiculously oblivious."
"What other info do we have to discuss this week?"
"The rest of the Class of '86 is obviously going to show up soon."
"Definetly, they aren't just going to have 3 show up and no more. It's just a question of when."
"Exacltly, but what's really a question of when is when the rest realize we are together?"
"Nah, they are too oblivous, we are going to have to be obvious to an insane level if we want them to realize."
"I know, Mav literally showed up pictures of his wedding with Ice and you all missed the huge hint." Bob smirked.
"Mav and Ice will figure it out first." Phoenix admitted.
"Probably, but after that it's a coin toss."
"I'm fine with that. I kind of like us as a secret for now." Phoenix added. She liked their relationship the way it was: without any outside pressures. Normally she would tell Bradley about her realtionships are her best friend, but this one she wanted to keep to herself for a while.
"I like to observe more than be the center of attention."
"I know, stealth pilot." Phoenix teased taking Bob's hand across the table.
"You know, you didn't say anything bad when you found out I was your WSO. You instead immediatelyincluded me. None of my other pilots have done that."
"I've gone through a many of WSOs, and you are the first not to mention I was a girl the first time we met. You had my back and I was going to have yours."
---
FLYBOY groupchat
Slider
You guys. There is another IceMav
Merlin
There literally cannot be.
Hollywood
Shush, you didn't have to withness the chomp of '86
Merlin
Yea, but Slider and I had to share a bunk with them for months at a time before they acknowledged it.
Viper
Lets get back to the whole another IceMav thing, because the Navy can't handle two of them. It can barely handle one.
Ice
It's under control
Jester
I trust it even less now
Maverick
No really it is
Sundown
I really don't trust it now
Wolf
Back on topic, it's Baby Goose and Hangman
Merlin
HANGMAN?
Ice
You know him?
Merlin
He served under me for a few months. He could fly, reminded me a bit too much of Maverick
Slider
Yea, and Rooster has his moments where he reminds me a bit too much of Ice
Viper
So we literally have another IceMav
Slider
Yep...
Maverick
We weren't that bad you guys, they are worse
Slider
I didn't see either of them CHOMP at the other
Maverick
You didn't see them on the deck after the mission
Ice
Dare I say they tried to replicate the photo
Maverick
But they hugged instead of shaking hands
Viper
Besides all this, when do I FINALLY get to meet my GrandDaggers?
Ice
Soon
---
"Alright COMPACFLT, you better put a rush on that GrandDagger meeting or Viper will find a way to get back at you." Maverick looked over at Ice as he cooked.
"Oh don't I know it. Knowing him someone still owes him a favor and will just get him up in a jet during a hop without me knowing."
"That would not surprise me in the least."
"How much longer on the spaghetti?" Ice asked looking up from the email he had just finished after multiple pauses to answer the Flyboy groupchat.
"It's basically ready, just need to grab the bowls."
Ice smirked and stoof up and grabbed the bowls from the top shelf, just out of Maverick's reach.
Maverick rolled his eyes but took the bowl and fixed his dinner.
"What do you want to watch tonight?" Maverick asked turning on the TV as he took a seat on the couch.
"National Treasure? They just released a series and I want to rewatch the movies first." Ice suggested.
"Sounds like a plan. We can watch the second one tomorrow then the series."
Ice agreed as he walked in with his own food and a drink for each of them.
As Ice sat the drinks down on the side tables Maverick grabbed the large blanket that was draped over the back of the couch. As Ice sat down Maverick spread it across the two of them before grabbing his bowl of food once more and leaning against his husband.
"I'm glad we get to do this more often." Maverick said softly as he pulled up Disney plus.
"Me too." Ice agreed between bites of food.
Just before Maverick pressed play on the movie Ice spoke up again.
"I have to go on another work trip in a few weeks."
"How long?" Maverick asked. He knew he couldn't be too disapointed, normally it was him being shipped off everywhere.
"A week and a half. It's conference in London."
"When do you leave?"
"Two weeks from tomorrow."
Maverick nodded as he leaned futher intoo Ice, if that was even possible.
"I know one of the perks of you leading the Squad here was more time together, but they still want meet at all these conferences and meetings."
"I know. I was always the one being shipped off everywhere before this anyway. It was just less obvious because we were both constantly on the move. We already spend more time together than we did before anyway."
"I know, but that doesn't mean I want to leave you."
"I'm sure the kids will keep me busy."
"I'm sure they will."
"We are used to long distance anyway, and this is not even two weeks. We have mastered video chatting."
"That we have."
"Ready to start the movie?"
Ice nodded as they continued to eat their dinner.
Slowly their bowls were put to the side as they cuddled on the couch.
At peace in a way they never thought they would be.
.
.
.
.
Short but sweet with some plot! Hope you guys enjoyed!! Please let me know your thoughts or if yall have any hopes or suggestions! I love hearing your thoughts!
Also be proud I managed to update again so soon! Because I am proud of myself lol. My schedule is wild and unpredictable.
Figured we need a more lighthearted chapter after the past few.
F-14 (Family of 14) Chapter 8: Too Good to Be True
Chapter 1:
Chapter 2:
Chapter 3:
Chapter 4:
Chapter 5:
Chapter 6:
Chapter 7:
Also on AO3:
Hope you guys enjoy! If you want on the taglist let me know! (See guys I am learning Tumblr)
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers!
Feel free to leave requests and ideas
Bradley knew the next day was going to be interesting.
Though the rest of the Daggers remained unknowing, except Bob, because the little stealth pilot was smart enough to realize that Ice and Mav's devious smirks did not end after Slider showed up. Therefore there was clearly more to the plot.
Which meant Phoenix was now aware there was more, as she was paying attention to her WSO and realized he knew something, and after the previous thing he figured out she wasn't going to doubt this one.
So, the Daggers showed up to base the next day with all but three completely unaware of the chaos the day would bring.
"Good morning Daggers," Maverick greeted with a smirk, which is when all the Daggers knew something was Afoot. "Today we are going to be trying something a little different, I've called in some guests to help us out with this one."
The Daggers turned in theirs seats so fast, Hondo feared they might have gotten whiplash, as they heard the door open behind them.
In walked Slider, and two more mysterious men, one of which was in a cowboy hat.
"I present to you, Top Gun class of '86 Alumni, Admiral Kerner, and Retired Captains Neven and Wolfe."
Each made their way to the front of the room as the Daggers watched.
"Today, you will be engaging in dogfights with pilots with years of experience on you. The goal is to work as a team to take down your opponent." Maverick explained the excersise, leaving out a few details they would find out later.
"Go ready you planes, we will see you in the sky." Slider dismissed them.
Meanwhile, Cyclone was looking over the paperwork for the day, eyes going wide as he rushed to the control tower. He was not missing this. Chaos it may be, but chaos he was not willing to miss.
Though he was cursing Maverick mentally the whole way there.
---
As Hollywood and Wolfman approached their jet they slowed as they neared Bradley.
"Hey kid," Hollywood and Wolfman said catching Bradley's attention, whose eyes went wide. "What Slider said."
Bradley nodded understand the message, they nodded back before making their way to their plane.
Though thrown off by their appearnce but not as much had he had no heads up. He was intrigued that there was an odd amount of pilots and RIOs /WSOpresent.
While techincally Slider could be WSOing for Mav, Slider had sworn revenge on Ice if that ever happened again.
Leaving Bradley only one conclusion to draw when he saw Slider walk up to and F-18: Iceman was joining them.
"Guys!" Bradley jumped on comms as he finished his pre-flight check.
"What Rooster?" Phoenix asked doing the same.
"I'm pretty sure Ice is flying with us."
Silence consumed the comms, until a voice peeped up.
"Bob, we might just have to change your call sign." Phoenix sighed.
"To what? We still need to find out what BOB stands for." Payback spoke up.
"To Sherlock."
"Well, I figured since last time I was supposed to join a meeting came up, I might as well hop in on this one." Ice finally spoke over the comms system.
"Don't lie to them, you planned to do it with us too. You just wanted first dibs without us." Hollywood chimed in.
"This way he got to do it with the best RIO first."
"Slider, please don't." Hollywood begged over coms.
"Slider, I guess we should switch pilots then. After all: I am the best." Wolf replied.
"NO NO NO!" Bradley interjected. "Ice and Mav are still on about the who is the better pilot we are NOT starting a who is the better RIO or WSO."
"Careful there Rooster, remember how many stories we have of you." Wolf lovingly threatened. "But yeah, I think Mav and Ice's argument over who is the better pilot should just be left to them."
---
The Daggers quickly realized the Class of '86 had a tight knit family bond. Even though they hadn't met them all yet.
Between the jokes in the air and on the ground and the allusions to stories left untold, they knew there was a lot to discover.
Which led to a group trip to Ice and Mav's after the work day was over.
"You think we are cohesive as a group of three, wait til you see just Mav and Ice team up." Slider shook his head.
"We've only heard legends of such a thing." Fanboy said eyes wide as he silently begged for a story.
"Let's just say, despite being in the backseat, I didn't know what was going on half the time. They wouldn't even speak to each other they would just do."
"Yea, it would get pretty creepy at times." Hollwood nodded.
"Wood, you and Wolf are creepy at times. Don't act like Ice and Mav are the only idiot flyboy couple."
"I wouldn't dare insinuate such a thing, however you do have to agree those two take it to a whole other level."
"I'll give you that. Though atleast you two never tried to flirt through an agressive chomp."
"Oh, don't remind me of that dark day." Wolf shook his head, placing his cowboy hat over his face trying to block out the memory.
"Those two were the most obviously oblivious people to ever meet."
"Hey, Flyboys, we got over it." Ice chimed in shaking his head walking into his own living room at just the right moment.
"Careful or we will tell them about the time during leave in San Diego that you and Mav-"
"Nope." Ice cut Hollywood off.
"No, no, tell it uncle Wood."
"Careful, kid we all have plenty of stories on you too. Such as the incident of '96." Wood smirked.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Oh I would."
"Fine, then I will tell the Halloween stories, and I have pictures."
"We need all the stories." Several of the daggers chimed in.
---
Maverick watched from the corner the interactions of his families beginning to mesh. His eyes kept focusing back on one pilot though, Hangman.
Hangman looked both right and home and like he was ready for a rug to be pulled out from underneath him as a shoe dropped at the same time.
Jakes eyes kept flicking over to watch Bradley's reactions to different stories being told by the Flyboy uncles, and to watching the others as well, but they always found their way back to Bradley.
Maverick watched as Jake tried to laugh just the right amount with the others, throw in enough snarky comments to fly under the radar, but he also noticed his hesitance to throw in anything substantial. Watching as he shied away from revealing much of anything. His light ever so hidden flinches as each insult or remark was hurled at him by another Dagger, even in the most light hearted way.
Eventually Hangman saw an escape route and took it. The others were distracted enough they would notice one of the 12 daggers disapear.
Though 3 in the room did, Ice, Mav, and Bradley.
Bradley though being because he also was subconciously watchign Jakes reactions to everything, but he wasn't picking up the same small clues Mav and Ice were. Though he didn't know to be looking for them.
Mav slipped away too, just as another story began.
"Jake," Mav said softly before nodding his head to the garage door.
Jake simply nodded and followed.
"You wanna talk about it or something else?" Maverick asked picking something up off his work bench to fiddle with as they talked.
"What would we talk about?"
"I know those looks."
"What looks? I was just hanging with the others."
"And carefully watching reactions and carefully constructed snarky comments."
Jake went silent and started to fiddle with a random tool he had seen.
"Your not obvious about it Jake, but I know because I've been there. Ice knows because he's known me long enough and well enough."
"You don't know what I was thinking or have thought."
"Your right kid, I don't know every thought that has gone through your head, but I know a lot of them. Like in there, you were waiting on the rug of a family to get pulled out from underneath you and another shoe to drop with something just as bad to go right along with it: loneliness."
"Please, I don't need any of them in there. If I got shipped away tomorrow I would make friends elsewhere."
"But you don't want to. You actually like this bunch, but you don't know how to connect with them?"
"They are my squadron, squadrons come and go." Jake said after a breath.
"Not all of them." Maverick said, a tone to his voice that left nothing to question. "You saw Wood and Wolf today, they are retired and still close to us. Slider he was Ice's RIO, and is practically his brother now. Our Class of '86 squad, we stayed together. There are more of them, the Flyboys. These are the only ones who could come right now. But we have a groupchat and even when we are spread across the globe, we are still close."
"You class was an anomly, brought together from-"
"Tradgedy? Yea. Gooses death brought us a lot closer together, but that wasn't what made our connection. It may have helped build the bridges, but it is not the whole thing."
Hangman stayed silent before finally speaking.
"I don't belong with this group."
"Why do you feel that? Maverick asked, his voice soft but solid enough that Hangman knew he was truly asking.
"I just don't."
"Because you are cocky, and love to do your own thing. Fly by the seat of your pants?"
"I can do what I do solo."
"But it's a lot better to have others with you. It's why you should always have a wingman."
"Remember, my name is Hangman, I leave my wingmen hanging." Jake looked down, his statement starting with his false bravado, but fading with each word.
"I don't think you really believe that."
"What does it matter what I believe? It just matters what others do."
Maverick sighed.
"Jake, I'm sorry that that is what other people may think of you or that you think they think of you as. But I know otherwise. Ice knows otherwise. The squad, they know otherwise."
Jakes head snapped up.
"No they don't."
"You didn't leave Rooster and I hanging."
"Yeah well, one occurance doesn't dispell a repuation."
"I know that."
"Do you?" Jake asked his tone coming out harsh and rough, his walls were flying up and the cocky too good to be true bravado was coming up in full force.
"I do. You know, Ice and the others hated me at first. If they didn't hate me they atleast didn't like me. Called me plenty of stuff behind my back. Every superior heard my name and judged me before knowing anything else. I was judged based off of my last name. Because the Navy had to cover something up and they placed the blame on my dad. Labeled him a traitor and a deserter. And those that would give me the slightest bit of chance to know me for me changed their mind after hearing my call sign. I flew like I did because I had a lot to prove. I had to be better thant he best pilots out there becuase that was the only way I could be. Any less and I was considered even less. I flew like I did because I needed to prove a point. I did what I did to save others. To keep them safe. All everyone else saw was recklessness. They didn't know the calculations and thoughts that went behind it."
"I'm not you."
"No, your better than me. You have a lot to learn, but your on the right track."
"I'm still not one of them."
"But you are."
"At every turn there is an insult hurled my way, there is no trust from any of them. They only have me around because they have Javy around, and Javy for who knows why keeps me around."
"Javy keeps you around because you are his best friend."
"If I lose Javy then I lose the whole squad then."
"No, Jake. They keep you around because you are apart of the squad, not just the navy side."
"They will just dump me whenever they get tired of me or annoyed enough."
"No they won't, I know this because I have gone through this exact thought process before. Goose, he was my best friend. He was my bridge into squads and friends. They just accepted me because I was around him, but the class of 86 squad, they were different. Sure at first it was just because of Goose. Then it was because Goose was dead, but in the end it wasn't. Here I am some odd many years later, and I am stilll friends with them. I am still close to them. That maybe how this started for you, but it's not how it ends."
"Trust me, that is how it will end. I've been through this dog and pony show enough times to know."
"But you haven't been through this one."
"Your right, this one is just here to pull the rug out from underneath me and let me get settled first. They still don't trust me-"
"They hurl insults at you? Yea I noticed. I am not going to tell you that is okay. That is a toxic enviorment to be in and one you should never be in. However, that is how you relationship was with them prior to this mission. Justified or not change takes time. This however can be fixed. If those insults hurt you then they need to be stopped. They may not even realize it because that's how it's alway been with you. I am not saying they are right, but I am saying you need to speak up about it."
Jake just sat down on a stool and leaned up against a wall, squeezing his eyes shut as his head ran a million miles an hour.
All those insults, they didn't used to bother him much at all. They were just words from other pilots, but now... now they were supposed to be his friends. Yet they still treated him like- like Hangman. The nototious cocky, too good to be true pilot with an air to air kill.
He was so much more...
"You are more than what they once saw. You know. I know it. Now let them know it. I know letting people in is hard. Allowing yourself to put your trust in anyone is always a risk, but life is nothing without a little risk. You can't get close to people if you don't let them get close to you. You've obviously let Javy in some. He sees something in you worth keep around. Now let the rest of them see that."
"But how... how do you just override everything else they know? How do you let them see what no one has ever been allowed to see? How do you be someone you don't even know anymore?" Jakes eyes were beginning to water. Scaring him even more at this unfamiliar feeling, one he wasn't allowed.
Jake began blinking at rapid rates trying to fight back the watering in his eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't fight it. Just let the tears out. Just cry Jake." Maverick said softly slowly wrapping the aviator in his arms. Careful to make sure he was comfortable with the contact. "You are allowed to cry Jake. You are allowed to show emotions."
With those final words, a series of dams Jake didn't even know he had broke, and Jake broke in the safety of Maverick's arms.
Maverick carefully guided Jake to the bench and kept him tucked to his chest. Rubbing his hand up and down Jakes back. A familiar motion he had done with Ice a many of times and a several times with Bradley.
"You are enough Jake. You yourself, that's all the world needs. You don't need to be too good to be true. You are good enough. You are more than enough. You don't have to live up to anyones expectations."
"But I am supposed to be perfect. I am supposed to be too good to be true. I have to be I just-"
"You don't have to be anything but yourself Jake. That is more than enough, and anyone who has told you otherwise is wrong. They aren't worth even half of what you."
"But I was raised to be that person. I have to be better than..."
"Than everyone else." Maverick finished. "Pressures are placed upon us young sometimes. They never should be placed upon us at all. I know this isn't a switch that can just be flipped in your head. This is a process, and it is not immediate, but Ice and I are both here for you. The squad will be there for you when you are ready. You just have to show them who you are. Even if it's just pieces at a time."
"How do you just know all of this?"
"Becuase what I didn't experience personally, I helped Ice through. We told you the other day, living up to a carefully cultivated personality, it's not healthy. It keeps you detached and forces gaps between you and everyone else."
"But how do I do that? You make it sound so simple and easy but it's not."
"No, it's not. I am not going to lie to you and say that it is. You spend long enough acting like something it's hard to shake. It's why Ice refuses to be Admiral at home. That persona, it's left at the office and it doesn't cross through the front door. His office is a slight exception, but even there he doesn't fully become the Admiral again. He isn't the Iceman in the house, he is just Ice or Tom."
"So how do I do that?"
"Leave Hangman at work, and let Hangman and Jake mix some at work. Let a little more of Jake come through. You act like I did once, but then I let a little of myself throught and suddenly those I flew with understood and saw that I wasn't a lone ranger. I was a wingman. I was a partner. For me that came from choosing a person to let in and show that to. Same for Ice. Eventually is spread to locations and other people. So, choose someone to let in like that."
"How do I just pick that?"
"I picked my wingman and so did Ice. Maybe try that. Show it in the air and the others will see. When you go to the Harddeck, leave Hangman at work, and be more Jake."
"I think I know who to start with." Jake said softly.
Maverick didn't have to ask, he knew who it would be, and he knew it wasn't Javy.
---
Eventually they rejoined the others in the living room, slipping in nearly undetected.
Though Jake this time chose to sit on the couch next to Bradley this time, rather than standing behind the other couch and leaning against the wall.
Maverick smiled just slightly enough for Jake to see it and softly nodded his head in approval and encouragement.
"So Jake, I hear you are a Texas boy." Wolf commented.
"Born and raised."
"I'll have to show you my cowboy hat collection sometime."
"Then I guess I'll have to show you mine."
"I look forward to it, and getting to know you Jake. That goes for all you Daggers. Now that you are IceMav's kids, you are our nieces and nephews like it or not. You just got a whole squad of flyboy uncles."
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Sorry guys it's been a while, who knows more might be coming soon hopefully. I have a list of ideas but just need to get them executed lol. I know this isn't all of the flyboys and there wasn't much of them in this chapter, but I cannot handle writing all the flyboys and the daggers. It's just too many characters so they will be coming around in small groups.
I know this has kind of focused on Jake a lot in recent chapters but I am enjoying fleshing out his character more. The next chapter will most likely either be some Hangster or Icemav or both. Maybe some Bob and Phoenix too, I've been sprinkling them in. Can't have it develop too fast for any of them.
Thank yall so much for still reading this story! Please give me your thoughts!
Hope you guys enjoy! If you want on the taglist let me know! (See guys I am learning Tumblr)
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers!
Feel free to leave requests and ideas
Maverick plotted a family grill, and he did so with great pleasure and a many a devious smirks. Though most of the smirks were for the days following the grill, but the grill was to be eventful as well.
That should have been the first sign of danger, but what really should have set off the daggers, was that Ice was plotting with a smirk too. When both of them were plotting and deviously smirking, then well, let's just say the world should fear for its safety.
The Daggers unknowingly walked right into the trap.
Phoenix and Bob were the first to arrive, always the timely ones. Rapidly followed by Fanboy and Payback, who forced to be early by Fanboy who insisted if they weren't early they were late and they needed to be ahead for good parking and if there was any traffic.
Not long after the rest of the squad appeared, Bradley and Jake being the last to arrive having been hanging out and then losing track of time.
No one asked questions on that one, but Maverick and Ice gave each other a look.
"Looks like everyone's here." Jake announced waltzing into the backyard.
"Not quiet, there is still a one more on their way." Maverick replied turning away to hide his smirk as he tended to the burgers.
"One more has arrived." Slider announced from the backyard door.
The Dagger's eyes went wide, all suddenly going to attention and just barely managing to restrain themselves from saluting realizing it was Admiral Kerner
"Daggers, same rule applies to for Slider as it does for me, no titles and no saluting in my house. This applies to all ranking officers in my house unless I say otherwise, and I do not intend to say otherwise." Ice announces walking up to Slider with a smirk.
Bradley slowly made his way to the back of the crowd of Daggers, hoping to evade being focused on as long as he could.
"Daggers, this is Slider, Ice's Rio." Maverick introduced.
"Daggers, I have heard a lot about you." Slider greeted, his eyes scanning the group recognizing each from pictures he had been sent. His eyes paused on the most familiar of faces, one hiding in the back: Bradley Bradshaw.
"They've heard about you too Sli, don't worry." Maverick assured, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, I have no doubt, however, I bet they haven't heard many stories about you two. I still like your aprons by the way." Slider smirked, and the Dagger's eyes lit up.
"Told you this would happen Ice." Maverick said as Slider became surrounded by 11 highly attentive Daggers. Fanboy already rattling off questions at a speed that would rival Maverick's flying.
Bradley held back in the crowd, uncertain of how to proceed. Causing Jake to give him a strange look and stay towards the back as well. Occasionally giving Bradley a questioning look between stories.
---
Eventually the Daggers calmed down and began to mingle around the backyard once more. Though Slider pulled off from the rest and gave a look to the one Dagger who had mostly avoided him thus far.
The Dagger continued to shy away even from the look, pretending to have missed it, thought Slider knew Bradley well enough to know, he didn't miss the look.
Slider decided he was taking this into his own hands, and swiftly walked across the backyard until he was right next to Bradley and grabbed his arm, not tight enough to hurt him, but enough to make it known he wasn't getting out of this.
"Come on kid, we have some stuff to talk about." Slider spoke with a decepitvely calm smile, though Bradley knew otherwise. Jake looked over with a questioning look, not trusting the calm, especially after noticing Bradley shy away from Ice's Rio. One of the rare times he wasn't the life of the party.
Ice gave Slider a look of warning from across the yard.
Slider just tilted his head and raised his eyebrows, effectively telling Ice, you knew this was coming and you shouldn't expect any less.
Ice nodded back in a sign of trust.
Slider guided Bradley upstairs to the guest bedroom, away from prying eyes and interupttions.
"Bradley." Slider greeted, waiting to see how Bradley would address him.
"Uncle Slider." Bradley said softly looking down.
Slider wasn't sure what name he would be called, but that was the one he was hoping for, or atleast it was as close as he was expecting to his usual 'Uncle Sli', but he doubted he would get that one yet. It had been too long and there was unresolved tension.
"Glad you atleast still consider me your Uncle."
Bradley just nodded. He knew what was comign to a certain degree, adn was already feeling the guilt.
"I'm sure you already know why I pulled you aside."
Bradley once again nodded, paying close attention to the details on the bedding rather than his uncle.
"I know Maverick probably let you back in with open arms, and Ice probably gave you a quick lecture then let you right on in after everything that happened."
Bradley silently nodded once more.
"I also know, that they did that because they love you so much and have waited years to have you back in their lives. I know they don't want to risk losing you again and quickly forgave some things that might should've still been spoke about. I do not fault them for it, they did what they felt the should. However, that means I am going to do what I feel I should."
Bradley didn't even bother to nod, he just let his head hang.
"Baby Goose, look at me." Slider said softly, the whole time he had been there Bradley had never once looked up at him.
Slowly, Bradley looked up at his uncle, and Slider saw the guilt in his eyes.
"I am telling you all of this as your Uncle who loves you, do not doubt that as I speak." Slider started, placing a hand on Bradley's shoulder and looking him straight in the eye.
"You screwed up kid, so did Mav and Ice, but so did you. Mav and Ice, they did what they did to protect you. As twisted as it was, it was out of love. Should they have not done it? Maybe, we will never know what would have happened, but you messed up that night too. Maverick, he helped raise you from the day you were born from what I've heard. After Goose, he grasped on even tighter. Ice helped raise you, especially after your mom. Maverick did a lot for you, and he did it out of love. So did Ice. That does not make everything they do right, they mess up just like everyone else. However, you reaction to them messing up, that is a problem. You threw everything you had at Ice and Mav, but especially Mav. You know them best and you used that to your advantage and you hurt them. They hurt you, but they did it out of love. You hurt them and did it out of anger. Maverick was a mess after you left, and Ice wasn't much better. You are their kid. You hurled every insult in the book at them and even wrote a few more. I don't care what is going on, you should never, and I mean never, throw your fathers death in your Dad or Pop's faces. You've seen the effects of that self imposed guilt. You've seen the reports. You know it wasn't their fault. I saw it first hand. Mistakes were made but no one was at fault. Maverick tried everything to save you dad. Ice watched over from above with me as we waited for help for them. So I don't ever want to hear that you threw that in either of their faces again."
Bradley had tears running down his face, he knew how much he had screwed up that night. He hadn't fully understood why Maverick and Ice had let him back in so easily, but that was because he didn't want to think about it, because he already knew: no matter how badly he screwed up they were still his family and they loved him unconditionally.
He also knew that he had already thrown it in Maverick's face again.
"I know Ice alreayd lecture you on when you did it a few weeks ago. So I will stop there for that. However, there is stuff they won't tell you that I will. When you left, they were devastated. They did everything to keep up with you without getting too close. They did their best to give you space once they realized you weren't going to answer a phone call or a text. They watched from afar. They were there fro every milestone they could be, usually hiding out in the back. They cared even when you said you hated them. They showed up. Maverick's flying became something else entirely. No one could tell if he was flying dangerously, or if he just used it to control the chaos. You know Mav, he can do anything in a plane, but those months after you left, I saw him do things he never dared try before, but he did it all while in control. Because that was the only chaos he could control. Ice, well many of his subordinates quickly came to further conclusions on why he was called Iceman. He shut down, he was cold as ice. He didn't waiver, he didn't show any emotion. He just was cold. Only when he was home did he let anythign out adn even that was rare. He just shut down. So did Maverick. Ice, people were used to seeing him steel up, but Maverick, that's a scary sight. Maverick just wasn't Maverick. If he wasn't in the sky, he was hollow. He just went through the motions."
Slider paused for a moment letting Bradley take in what he was saying.
"I tell you all of this, because I need to know, that the next time you get mad you won't just run out again. Because they cannot take it again, and I will not accept it again. They told us we couldn't go after you and drag you back, that you had to come back on your own. Though even Ice grew tired of that. He pulled you and Maverick together for the mission, though yall were the only options. He chose becuase of skill not becuase of family. Know that, you earned your place in the mission. I need to know though, that you won't ever do that again."
"I don't plan on ever leaving again." Bradley said, despite the tears in his eyes and those streaming down his face filled with guilt, his voice was strong. If only for that line.
"Now come here Baby Goose, I've missed you." Slider opened his arms for a hug which Bradley quickly accepted. Slider held him tight.
"I've missed you too Uncle Sli."
After a few moments, Bradley's tears had dried up and they split away from one another.
"I'll give you the warned, I'm not the only uncle back in town."
"So training tomorrow is going to be really interesting?
"Yep."
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Hey yall! Sorry it's been so long, classes were crazy and life in general was crazy, I will try and update more as time becomes available, but for now I hope you enjoyed this chapter (Sorry it's a little short). Next up will be the arrival of the rest of the fly boy uncles, and don't worry Hangster is still being built up, I add tid bits each chapter! Also more IceMav scenes soon too, because those are just amazing.
Let me know what you think and what you want to see happen in future chapters!
Hope you guys enjoy! If you want on the taglist let me know! (See guys I am learning Tumblr)
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers!
Feel free to leave requests and ideas
"I have a new training planned for today, something that is prevalent in many missions, yet is rarely gone over. The spare." Maverick introduced their topic for the day.
Many intrigued looks crossed the faces of the aviators. Hangman, looked down for a split second before flashing his cocky grin on his face.
"In the two of the most insane missions of my career, both of them were highly dependent on the spare. It happened in other cases, but these two stand out. The most recent one being the Uranium mission. You are all aware of the part the spare played."
"This is still your savior speaking." Hangman snarked out, a cocky look on his face.
The aviators rolled their eyes as Maverick continued.
"However, the other mission was my first after Top Gun. I was the spare, the other plane with Ice and Slider had been forced to eject. So, they sent me. The difference between being on the mission from launch and being the spare is time. When you are start from launch you are already with your squadron, you will arrive at the same time and see what they see. As the spare, time is against you as you race to get to them. You are pushing to get there as fast as you can while also taking in all the information you have yet to see but can hear over coms. Time is everything for the spare."
A grim look was on many of their faces, thinking of how close they came.
Hangman never flinched, keeping his impressed look on his face. Everyone knew, that he knew he was good, and he proved it then.
"As such, we will be launching hops today, you will each take turns as the spare, however you don't know when you will be the one launched. I will be relaying instructions to the other pilots on the scenarios and how to play them out. As the spare you will be waiting until you are ordered to get there and take in the scenario at hand. Those not in the sky will be potential spares, you never know when it will be you."
Maverick nodded,
"Alright, everyone get into your flight suits and meet me on the tarmac."
---
Jake knew he was good, he was too good to be true.
And that was the truest statement he ever said. He was too good to be true.
"This one oughta be easy for you, huh Hangman. Gonna show us up with your skills as a spare." Halo teased.
"You know it, I've already proven my abilities as a spare. As we all know, I am good-"
"Too good to be true, careful Hangman, you are becoming predictable." Rooster teased.
"Please, you never know what I going to do next, unless of course it's to do with success."
"I don't know, you were predictable enough to where you earned your call sign."
"Not on the last mission, I have to mix it up once and while, other wise you would all get bored."
"Did you mix it up, or was that just luck?" Phoenix smirked.
The whole squadron was a lot closer after the mission, but they still thrived on teasing one another. If they weren't messing with each other, were they really themselves.
"Careful Phe, one day you may need your savior speaking in your ear."
"Thanks for the promotion Hangman." Bob smiled.
"Bobs proven he has my back Seresin, have you?"
They had teased one another about this for years, but something felt different to Jake this time.
---
Maverick knew he needed to test something, and he needed it to be done during training, not during a mission. The uranium mission was like no other and it would have an effect one those who flew it. It would have an effect even on those who didn't fly it, but trained for it.
He began sending them up a few at time, having them relay the information as the attackers came into play, before declaring a spare to come in.
It played out fairly smoothly, with each spare racing to them and coming in to assist. Each time being questioned on what they should expect as they approached.
Everything was fine, until it came time for the one Maverick was worried about.
"Phoenix, Bob, and Rooster, you head up." Maverick ordered. "I want you to simulate the mission, 1 on 1 dogfight."
They replied an affirmative in their comms.
"Phoenix, you will be the bogey. I want you to try and take down Rooster, but don't take them down. You will run out of fire power, the spare will come in when you are low. Leave it to the kill for the spare to complete. Phoenix, I want you to attempt take down but don't actually complete it. Wait until spare arrives. Then you can take them down or not."
And they were off.
"Low on fire power, out of missals and only a handful of bullets." Rooster relayed over the comms after a short while. "I need back up or I will go up in flames or have to eject.
"Hangman you are the spare, go." Maverick ordered.
Now was the time to see if Maverick was right to worry.
Maverick watched Hangman closely through his canopy.
He saw his face freeze, just for a second. A flash of fear crossed his face before it hardened once more and he went for take off.
Maverick watched carefully as he took flight, he took off perfectly and was off.
He waited for the confirmation that Hangman had arrived and too out the bogey, before hearing that they were returning to base.
"Alright everyone, head to the classroom for debrief after you change out of your flight suits." Maverick ordered and watched those still in their planes on the ground hop out and head inside.
Maverick waited though. He watched as Phoenix and Bob landed, then Rooster, then Hangman.
He waved at the first three as they went to change. Then walked up to the final jet as it taxied into it's spot. Through the glass of the canopy, Maverick could see what he feared would happen.
He waved away all the post flight crew there to check over the jet.
"Come back in a bit." Maverick ordered, they nodded.
He climbed up the stairs to the jet and opened the canopy.
"Hangman, hey I need you to breath with me." Maverick spoke softly.
His eyes were wide and frazzled. His breathing erratic.
"Seresin, Jake." Maverick spoke again.
Jake's head snapped to look at him.
"Hey, kid, I need you to match my breathing alright. In... Out..." Maverick took Jakes hand and squeezed it for in and released for out. After a few rounds Jake began to squeeze back in sync with Maverick.
"Good kid, good. Just breath. You are in your cockpit, you are back on base at Miramar, everyone is safe, you are safe."
"Bradley-" Jake choked out.
"Bradley is fine. He is inside changing. "You saved us on the mission. You took down the bogey."
Jake flinched at the last line.
"Hey, can you stand up and get out of the jet?" Maverick asked carefully, noting his reactions.
Jake nodded, he didn't trust his voice.
Maverick stepped back and held out an arm helping Jake out of the cockpit.
"Good, now kid, we are going to go down the stairs. Just hold onto me and the rail."
"Don't- Want anyone to see me." Jake whispered out.
"Alright, we are going to my office, okay?"
Jake nodded.
Once they were on the tarmac he guided Jake to his office. Making sure to avoid coming in to contact with anyone knowing it would not help Jake in the slightest.
"Alright," Maverick said closing the blinds to his office and guiding jake to the small couch in his office. "How are you feeling now?"
"Better."
"That's good. Are you ready to tell me what happened?"
Jake looked down.
"Alright, I will tell you what I think happened. Feel free to stop and correct me at anytime."
Jake nodded, his hands clenching into fists as he continued to try and breath evenly.
"You heard Rooster over comms, you could hear the similarities of this and the mission. You were trying to force yourself to only pay attention to now and block out what did happen. Then you head your name called for spare, you went straight into a bit of flashbacks but pulled yourself out convincing yourself that you had to go help now or Bradley wouldn't make it. You pulled it together and made it there, completed the objective then headed back. You put all of your focus into flying the plane, pushing everything else to the back of your mind, but as soon as you landed to plane and didn't have anything else to focus on it came rushing through your defenses. You were reliving the moment over and over again, but sometimes it was a little different, a series of what ifs?"
"Pretty spot on there."
"I know, because I've been there. Look Jake, I sent you up as the spare for that simulation for this specific reason. I knew it could very possibly be a trigger, and I needed you to experience it now and see how you react."
"I can't be grounded." Jakes eyes went wide as his head shot up and the words flew out of his mouth.
"I am not doing that. Otherwise you are fine flying, I sent you up there in a near identical simulation. We just need to work on your reaction to it. I know you need to fly, otherwise you will lose it. I need to fly or I lose it. You are a pilot through and through."
"Sir-"
"It's Mav right now Jake. No formalities."
"Mav, I don't know what to do, I'm fine, and then suddenly I'm not. It doesn't affect me in the air minus this one time, but at night..."
"At night when there is nothing but time to think and let your mind wander. No distractions." Maverick paused before giving a pointed look, "No personas to hide behind?"
Jake froze, he had kept his walls up so high and so strong, no one saw them for what they were.
"Jake, I saw through that the first day. Every pilot has to be atleast a little cocky, but you took it to a whole other level. Reminds me of someone else I know, and I know why they did it."
"Mav..." Jake trailed off.
"I won't make you go through that conversation now, just like I won't make you go through the air to air kill discussion now."
Jake's head snapped up again.
"I know you've never had someone who could understand what an air to air kill really feels like. I've seen your reaction every time someone brings yours up. However, now you know people who have gone through that. Who have dealt with it. We are here for you."
"Everyone celebrates it, but..."
"You still took a life, and everyone else is celebrating while you are having an internal crisis over taking a life even if it was to save another."
Jake nodded.
"Come by the house tonight. Just you. We will talk about all of this, and if you aren't ready to speak Ice and I can tell you how we have dealt with all of it. You are a part of the very small group of people left with air to air kills, and even fewer of those are still in the Navy. I have others who you can talk to too, but I figured Ice and I were a good start. I know therapists as much as they try can never understand what we do and what we go through."
"Thanks Mav, I'll be there." Jake agrees still looking down, his hands shaking but still attempting to wipe aware the tears he wasn't even aware he had spilt until one fell onto his hand.
Maverick pulled Jake into a tight hug, one Jake returned quickly, holding onto Maverick like he was a life line.
"You can also talk to Bradley about this, he knows how to handle panic attacks and nightmares. He can't relate on the same level Ice and I can about the specifics, but for the rest of it he can."
Jake shook his head.
"I know you two are getting closer, and he has been through a lot too, he really can help and understand a lot of it. He is your wingman, and that is a whole different kind of bond, I know you and Javy are close too, and he is also your wingman. You can have more than one wingman. Don't feel bad about it. Ice and I are wingman to a whole other level, but we have others we trusted that were our wingmen too, just not the same as each other."
"Thank you Mav." Jake said, making sure his words were clear.
"Alright, lets change and head to debrief before the others get into too much trouble after being left unsupervised and bored."
---
A tentative knock was heard at the front door of the Mitchell-Kazansky house.
Maverick opened the door with a soft smile at Jake.
"Hey kid," He greeted
"Hey Mav."
Ice walked in and took his place in his usual chair as Maverick guided Jake to the couch before taking his place on the couch seat closest to Ice's chair.
"I don't know how we are supposed to start this." Jake said softly, refusing to meet either of the other men's eyes.
"How about we start with you job as the spare on the mission, we can go from there." Maverick suggested.
"I just knew I had to fly as fast as I could to save Roo," Jake paused for a half a second before adding, "And you."
"Just as the spare should do, and you got there just in the nick of time." Maverick assured.
"And if I hadn't?"
"You did though." Maverick reiterated.
"But-"
"Jake," Ice spoke for the first time, "You can't live in a world of what ifs or buts. Trust me on that. It will just consume you and there will be nothing else left. You can't change the past for better or worse. In this case the better was the outcome. It won't always be, you can just do your best in each scenario."
"And what if my best isn't enough?" Jake asked, his tone going harsh and stiff.
"Then it's still not your fault because there was nothing more you could have done." Maverick assured.
"How can you know that though?"
"I did everything right when Goose and I went into the flat spin. Even the hearing committee declared there was nothing I could do. Has that stopped me from spending the every year since wondering if there was something I could have done to save my best friend and Bradley's father? No, but I can't live in that world, otherwise I would have lost it a long time ago."
"How do you escape that world?" Jake asked softly.
"Find something else to live for. I had to live for Bradley, Carol, and Ice. I had to live for them until I could live for myself again. It takes time, but you can get there. Sometimes it really is fake it til you make it. Sometimes it means stepping away, and other times it means taking a breath and throwing yourself in the deep end and seeing how you react."
"How did you do it?"
"I mix of several of those. I couldn't fly after the accident. Well I could, but no where near what I should have been able too. How did you put it? I was stuck on my perch and refusing to make a move. Everyone around me was pushing me to just suddenly be okay and fly like I always did. Only one person told me they were sorry it happened to me and expected nothing else from me. They were just there for me and they didn't care about if I stayed in the navy, if I flew again, or anything else. They just cared that I knew someone was there for me at that I could grieve."
"Who was it?"
"Ice."
Jake stared down at the floor. Taking in everything he had been told.
"That doesn't mean everything is better, I still have flashes back to that day and nightmares with varying scenarios, but it does get better. You have to let go of those what ifs. You succeeded on the mission, now you just have to keep on living."
Jake nodded solemnly, he knew his outcome was the best possible outcome, but that didn't change what could have happened, and what he did.
"Though I have a feeling that the possibility of not saving us isn't what really has you torn up. It's part of it, but most certainly not all of it." Ice spoke once more.
"It's my second time doing it, and it still feels..."
"bitter sweet, you saved people but you took a life to do it. Everyone is celebrating it and you still aren't sure how to feel about it. It's bitter because a life was lost, but sweet because you saved people you care about." Maverick answered, the look in his eyes was too raw for Jake to look at for long.
"Everyone wants to call you the hero and praise you, but you still took someone's life and have to know that to save your own people someone else lost their person."
"That harsh part of war and battles. Life is always lost. No death is meaningless, and sometimes the call has to be made, our people or theirs. It's an easy hard choice, we always save our own, but it will come with consequences."
"My first air to air kill, I saved my wingman, I landed back on the carrier and was met with the heroes welcome. Everyone crowded around me, cheering for me. The cheers followed me around the ship, to the mess hall, to the showers even, but my room was just silence. No cheers, no screams, just silence. All that there was left to hear was my thoughts, and the realization that I had killed someone. Everyone else was celebrating their death, and I was trying to figure out if I could mourn them. If I couldn't, what could I do?"
"I know kid, you are talking to the only other two people in the Navy who know what you are talking about. Air to air kills, you never even see them. They are so rare now a days, that when one happens it spreads like wild fire. Ice and I were on the front page across the country after our mission. Chatter spreads through the ranks-"
"And no matter where you go, everyone knows, your name become synonymous with air to air kill, with death."
"I saw you flinch when Phoenix mentioned it at the hard deck, there were still few enough people there for me to hear it. I also see the flash of emotion across your face when someone mentions it. You cover it up quick kid, but I know the look because I've had the look."
"I have a reputation to keep up."
"Yea I know, you are good, too good to be true." Maverick gave him a pointed look for the second half of the line.
"That seems to be more of a mantra for yourself than an answer." Ice said straight to the point.
"And if it is? Maverick said if you have to fake it til you make it."
"There is a difference of faking it and being crushed by it."
Jake looked down at the floor once more.
"I know the shields and walls you built there because I built my own." Ice reveals.
Jake's head shoots up at this new info.
"But your Iceman, a four star admiral, commander of the Pacific Fleet, Ice Cold No mistakes-" Jake stops abruptly realizing the meaning behind those words.
"Ice Cold, no mistakes. No one knows what I think or feel, and I make no mistakes. You a lot more like me and Maverick than you think. You have Maverick's flying style, but you've got my attitude and my shields."
"But you live up to those ideals?"
"Really?" Ice gave him a pointed look, "No mistakes?"
"When have you ever made a mistake?"
"During Hop 31 in Top Gun class of 86."
Maverick gave Ice a pointed look.
"I know Maverick, not my fault, doesn't change the mistake."
"What do you mean? Isn't that the hop where..."
"Where Goose died? Yes. No one ever asks whose jet wash they flew through. It was mine. I was determined to win the Top Gun trophy, because I was Iceman, the best of the best, and I needed to prove it. So I was trying to take down our instructor, I couldn't get the shot, Maverick was my wingman and insistent he had the shot, he told me to break left. I kept pushing I just knew I could get the shot, when I realized I couldn't I broke left. They flew through my jet wash."
"I told you that to get through it you have to know how you react to the situation if it happens again? On the mission after Top Gun, I flew through jet wash again on my way to help Ice. I almost left the fight entirely, because I freaked in the air after I recovered. You know I didn't but I wasn't so sure in that moment. I just knew I couldn't leave my wingman and I reengaged. That is why I sent you up today like that in the training. I needed both you and me to know how you would react if it happened again. You completed the objective, and didn't let it hit you until the mission was complete and you were safe on the ground. That's a good thing to know. You know how you reacted this time, and each time your reaction will get a little bit better. The haunting feeling will never leave you, but you get better with it over time."
"I wish we could give you a magical cure kid, but it's life, and life is never easy. No matter what façade you put up to try and cover it up."
"I don't know how not to live with that façade anymore. I've lived with it most of my life."
"I know kid, the pressures those around you and those who are connected to you are never easy. Maverick was always flying against his father legacy of treason, a false statement, and I always had to be perfect and never let anything phase me because that's how I was raised to be. My father was an admiral and he accepted nothing less than perfection. I don't know you back story for you façade and your pressures, but I know that they are there. If you ever want to talk about them, I am here."
"How do you escape it?"
"You let one person see through it at a time. Maverick saw through mine, and I let him see more. I started trying to stop holding up my walls and façade around him until I felt comfortable doing it and it became natural. From there I had others I let in. Slowly, at my own pace. That person can be one of us, as you are doing right now, or it can be someone else. That's how you start it."
"Thanks for this."
"Anytime kid. Let us know if you need anything, or anyone else."
Jake looked at Ice as he felt the hidden meaning behind the last words. He chose not to question further what the admiral meant by those words, choosing to play ignorant than hear the answer out loud.
.
.
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Sorry it's been a while yall, my schedule fluctuates and I usually can't keep a consistent update schedule, it just depends.
I haven't seen anyone address this with Jake yet, and I have been wanting to so hear yall go, don't worry class of '86 is showing up soon, once they do any requests or hopes for when they do?
Hope you guys enjoy! If you want on the taglist let me know! (See guys I am learning Tumblr)
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers!
Feel free to leave requests and ideas
Maverick woke up with to his husband fast asleep next to him. It was a rarity for him to awake before Ice. Despite both being Navy men for many years, Ice naturally woke just a few minutes earlier than Maverick most mornings unless they were in different time zones.
Maverick took a moment to admire is his husbands face, relaxed and calm. No stresses weighing it down.
"Stop staring at me." Ice mumbled, his voice coming out gravely and harsh causing him to cough.
"I'm just admiring you in your sleep. It's rare to see you so calm. Would you like some water?"
Ice merely nodded, sitting up their bed.
Maverick walked downstairs and filled a glass of water before starting some tea.
"You glass of water, and tea is steaming downstairs."
Ice nodded in thanks, taking a few sips of his water.
"Do you want me to tell Bradley and Jake to delay their visit?" Maverick asked leaning against his husbands side.
Ice gave him a look that clearly said 'don't you dare'.
Despite Ice's reputation for an unreadable face, able to stay blank as he waited patiently for the person to screw up, he could make his expressions say just about anything. A useful skill when using his voice was painful during the cancer and again when he there was a chance he would never speak again.
"I figured that would be your answer, but I was at least going to give you the option."
Ice set down his glass and signed 'Thank you, but I want to see out kids.'
Maverick rolled his eyes as he signed, 'Told you that you would love them.'
Ice smiled at his husbands skill. After learning Ice could potentially lose his voice for ever Maverick quickly picked up on sign language and helped Ice learn too.
"Do you need anything else or just the tea?" Maverick asked knowing when his husbands throat decided to rebel against him it was painful, and there was little Maverick could do to help.
'Just the tea, but please add honey'
"Of course, my love."
Maverick drifted back downstairs knowing the water for the tea would be ready any minute. It was one of the only ways he could help Ice on days like this. When Ice still had the cancer, he was too weak to do a lot, so Maverick could help in many ways.
Now, Ice refused to let go of the independence he had regain since he went into remission and now was in complete remission.
Despite being declared cancer free, occasionally he would have hours or days where speaking became painful again, but they passed. Ice would take the occasional days of painful speaking over what he once experienced any day.
Though out of this, both Mav and Ice became fluent in sign language which became quiet useful. Especially at military events where they could most converse freely across the room or table. It was especially useful when Ice wanted out of a conversation and could just sign behind his back for Maverick to come save him.
"One tea with honey for my honey."
Ice rolled his eyes but smiled regardless taking his mug.
"Jake and Bradley should be over within the next hour or so." Maverick reminded Ice, giving him another chance to push off them coming. He knew Ice wanted to be able to speak with them, and would likely push through the pain to speak to them.
'Stop worrying, I'll be fine. I want to see them.' Ice signed while giving a pointed look.
"I know you will be fine, however, I also know you and your stubbornness. You will likely decide to talk through the pain."
'And if I want to talk to my kid and my other kid than why shouldn't I?'
"I'm not saying you shouldn't talk to your kids, I am saying that you shouldn't hurt yourself doing it."
'I won't.'
"Then you are fine if I tell Bradley ahead of time and let him know it's one of those days where you can't speak?"
'Go right on ahead' Ice signed, not backing down from the challenge.
"Alright," Maverick gave him a look before grabbing his phone and dialing the number. If Ice was going to be stubborn, he was going to be stubborn right back.
Ice rolled his eyes.
"Hey Bradley, yeah, I know you will be here in a little bit. I was just calling to let you know ahead of time Ice is having one of his days where he can't speak. He still wants you two to come over though."
"Mav, are you sure, if he's not feeling good we can come later."
"No, minus that it hurts to speak he is fine." Maverick made sure to clarify, he knew worst case scenarios were flying through Bradley's head.
"Do we need to bring anything?"
"No kid, just wanted to give you a heads up."
"Alright, I'll see you in an hour then."
"See you then kid."
Ice gave him a pointed look.
"Stubborn as you are, you can't go against me and Bradley telling you not to hurt yourself by speaking."
"Don't challenge me Maverick." Ice spoke, ignoring the sharp pains across his throat.
"Ice," Maverick said softly shaking his head, as he climbed back on the bed next to him, curling up against his side. "I don't like knowing you are in pain, especially when it can be prevented."
Ice kissed the side of Maverick's head.
"I'm sorry." Ice whispered, trying to settle Mav's mind.
"Ice, I don't want you to not speak. I missed your voice so much those weeks where you couldn't get a peep out, but I don't want you in pain. Ever."
"I don't ever want you in pain either." Ice whispered back, whispering causing minimal to no pain.
"This is avoidable pain though Ice, you can whisper or sign, just please don't hurt yourself speaking."
"I will minimize my words." Ice promised with another whisper.
"Thank you."
---
"Dad! Pops!" Bradley greeted walking in the front door.
"Baby Goose." Maverick smiled hugging his god son.
Ice a step behind pulling him into a hug after Maverick.
"You doing ok Popsicle?" Jake asked a smirk on his face.
'I see you've learned your lesson on our names?' Ice signed.
Mav interpreted.
"I think you scared him to death the other day."
"No, I just know when to take orders from my CO."
"Maybe we can teach you not to leave your wingman while we are at it." Maverick added.
'Careful, if you're not careful you will create another you Maverick, and the Navy can only handle one.' Ice signed.
Maverick laughed.
"Ice claims the Navy can only handle one of me, and if I'm not careful you will become too much like me."
---
Dagger Group Chat
Fanboy
I'm bored. Entertain me.
Payback
Why?
Fanboy
Because I am bored
Hangman
I have an idea
Phoenix
No. No, Hangman ideas.
Hangman
No, you will like this one Phoenix
Phoenix
I doubt it, but what?
Hangman
Everyone want to meet up and learn sign language?
Payback
That's random even for you
Hangman
No, not random, actually quiet relevant to us.
Fritz
How is sign language relevant to us
Hangman
Because we need to learn it
Harvard
But why, you are avoiding the question
Hangman
For Pops
Phoenix
Why do we need to learn sign language for Pops
Rooster
Because Ice has days where he can't really speak with out it being really painful, so he signs instead
Fanboy
For Pops! Of course!
Phoenix
And how did you come to have this knowledge Bagman?
Hangman
I was at Mav's house with Bradley yesterday and he was having one of those days
Bob
Can we screenshot this and put it in a glass case like Tony Starks Arc Reactor with the words 'Proof Hangman has a heart'?
Fanboy
YES!!!
---
Ice, being the nice 'Dad'miral that he is decided to bring lunch for his husband and 12 kids. He picked up a small platter of food before heading to Top Gun, quiet proud of himself for actually having a day around lunch where he had a schedule clear enough to bring them lunch and stay with them.
He texted Maverick to gather the aviators into the rec room for the impromptu lunch.
Ice walked into the rec room with a handful of food, then laid it out across the table.
"Thanks Pops!" Bradley said with a smile, and the other aviators echoed his words, but they also touched their finger tips to their chin before gesturing out.
Ice had to do a double take.
Maverick just smiled seeing what their kids had just done.
Ice smiled as he turned to Maverick and signed.
'Did they just sign thank you?'
'I think they did.' Maverick signed back.
"Look Pops, we just started learning a few days go, that was far to advanced." Hangman said with a thick southern drawl.
'Looks like someone is trying to get on the good sides of their future father's in laws.' Maverick signed laughing softly.
'I appreciate the effort though.' Ice signed back.
"Mav? Care to let us in on the conversation?" Bradley asked with his plate full of food.
"If we wanted you to know, we would have said it out loud, and it seems we won't be able to communicate through sign for much longer without you all knowing what we are saying. So, we have to use it as much as we can now." Maverick nodded.
"I appreciate the effort, if you have questions feel free to ask me." Ice nodded to them.
'See they aren't just my kids. They want to do stuff for you too.' Maverick signed.
'When they get into trouble, they are your kids.'
'No they are yours, because you have the power to pull them out of it.'
Ice rolled his eyes.
'You know you love them.' Maverick signed.
"I know that one!! He said they they loved us!" Fanboy exclaimed jumping up and down.
.
.
.
So first one shot of sorts complete! Let me know what you thought and please send in any requests!!! I am open to them!!
Hope you guys enjoy! If you want on the taglist let me know! (See guys I am learning Tumblr)
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers!
Feel free to leave requests and ideas
Dagger Group Chat
Fanboy
GUYS!! CYCLONE AND WARLOCK WERE HERE TODAY
Phoenix
Which means Hangman and I have most likely won, all we need todo is find out officially.
Hangman
See the one time Phoenix agrees with me is the one time she is right. You should agree with me more often.
Phoenix
Shut up Bagman, I didn't agree with you, you merely came to the same conclusion as me. Most likely out of pure luck.
Coyote
Which if proven true that we don't know who it is, then I am stumped as to who is could be.
Halo
Don't forget, we could have met them and somehow none of us guessed them
Bob
Or it could be Admiral Kazansky.
Harvard
Sorry Bob, but you are going to have to give that one up
Bob
I will give it up when we find out who it is or I just won't give it up once we all find out I'm right.
Yale
Harvard is right Bobby, you may need to clean those glasses of yours a few more times if you think the Admiral and Maverick are married.
---
Bob smirked at his phone, this reveal was going to be priceless.
---
Fanboy
GUYS!! DID YOU SEE THE TEXT MAVERICK JUST SENT?!?!
Omaha
Dude, we are all in the group chat where he sent it, yes we saw it.
Hangman
Be prepared to shower Phoenix and I in rounds
Payback
Wait, does Maverick not live at the Hanger? Cause that is a very different address and a lot closer
Phoenix
I mean it would be fitting to his character to live there, but it makes sense that he has an actual house too
Fritz
Well, I guess the mystery will be solved tomorrow. Though that does confirm it's not Cyclone or Warlock for sure since Maverick's husband just got back today.
---
"Mav, have you seasoned the burgers yet?" Ice asked walking into the kitchen.
"Yes, Ice, and I sliced the onion. " Maverick rolled his eyes.
"Thank you," Ice said walking up to kiss Maverick, "I've missed you." He added tenderly.
"I missed you too Ice," Maverick leaned his forehead against Ice's shoulder before a devious smirk began to emerge on his face.
"Maverick, I can feel you smirking, what?"
"I just thought of a great idea."
"Your version of great or my version of great?"
"It's in the gray area where we both think it's great."
"Let's hear this great idea then." Ice looked down at Maverick, an expectant look on his face.
"You know how we haven't decided exactly how to introduce you yet?"
"Yea..."
"I think I figured it out."
"Oh no."
"Oh yes."
And with that Maverick revealed his plan, and even Ice had to agree, it was a great one.
---
"Dude, this is a nice house." Coyote said walking up, not quiet believing he was at the right address.
"I know, are we sure Maverick lives here?" Payback asked, eyes wide.
"I'd question it too, but that's his bike." Phoenix pointed out.
The squadron agreed to all arrive as one group to prevent anyone from meeting Maverick's husband before the rest of them.
In attempting to complete this task, all 12 of them were crowded onto the front porch arguing over who got to ring the door bell.
"Who rings doorbells anymore? Isn't it just back to knocking?" Fritz commented.
"But with a house this big will they even hear us?" Yale argued.
"How about we just knock and if they don't answer then we ring the doorbell?" Halo offered.
"Alright, but then who gets to knock?" Omaha asked.
"How about we just go in?" Bradley offered. trying his best to suppress laugh.
"We can't just walk into his house!" Harvard lightly exclaimed.
"You can if he is standing with the door open waiting on you all to walk in." Maverick commented from the open doorway.
"Hey Mav!" Bob greeted with a large smile on his face.
"Mav!" Fanboy smiled.
Maverick greeted his two youngest WSOs.
"Alright, everybody in!" Maverick ordered stepping out of the way.
All of the kids were taking the house in as Bradley side hugged his dad with a knowing smirk on each of their faces.
"Nice apron Mav." Hangman commented.
Prompting the others to take notice of said apron with large words across it reading:
'I am Dangerous'
Bradley smiled, as much as he rolled his eyes at those aprons he was glad they kept them.
"Thank you, my kid gave me the idea." Maverick said non-chanlantly as the squadron took a second to process his words.
"If yall all want to head to the kitchen I am going to grab Ice for drinks." Maverick informed them after a moments silence before the aviators could come out of their stupor and ask questions.
A chorus of agreements were heard as they made their way to the kitchen after Maverick pointed them in the right direction.
Bradley quickly made sure the camera was filming as he took his place in the kitchen. The aviators talking amongst themselves, not so subtly looking around waiting on Maverick's mysterious husband to show up.
"Maverick has a kid too!" Fanboy whisper shouted.
"The more we learn about Maverick the less I realize we know about him." Phoenix shook her head softly.
Bob just stood to the side waiting for the great reveal.
"Bob, you seem awful smug, and that's abnormal for you." Payback commented.
"I am just waiting for you all to learn I was right." Bob replied.
"Bob, give it up, you are about to be proven wrong." Harvard shook his head.
"Do we start a separate betting pool for who Maverick's kid is?" Fanboy asked.
"I'm back with Ice." Maverick walked into the kitchen, Ice walking next to him.
Jaws dropped, eyes went wide, and no words were spoken.
"Sir" Phoenix finally came to her sense and saluted Admiral Kazanasky.
"It's Ice and there is no saluting me nor is there any titles in my own house." Ice stated, in all his glory including his apron that matched Mavericks except his said:
'I love Dangerous'
Only then did it process for the pilots what was going on.
"Wait-"
"Your-"
"Maverick's-"
"Husband!" The aviators stuttered out.
Bob finally broke his composure and busted out laughing.
"Wait, how did you know?" Phoenix asked her WSO realizing he wasn't in shock.
"I didn't, I just had a hunch after a looking at a few things and went with it. Then I got held back one day to find out over a video call! So I already got my shocking reveal. Appearantly being the only one to bet Admiral Kazansky means you get pulled into the reveal."
"Wait! You knew there was a bet?!" Fanboy asked turning his head to Maverick "How did you find out!?"
"My kid told me." Maverick smirked.
"Your kid?" Fanboys eyes went wide as he tried to solve this one.
"Bradley!" Phoenix turned eyes wide.
"Yes Phe?" Bradley smirked.
"YOU KNEW!"
"I did."
"And you didn't tell me!"
"Well I could ruin their fun, and I was enjoying watching you all scramble to figure it out."
"So that's why you abstained from the bet." Payback realized.
"Bingo." Bradley smirked before adding, "It was hilarious helping dad out with this. You were all so oblivious."
"And you are his kid!" Phoenix yelled.
"I mean I have all but told you a few times." Bradley rolled his eyes.
"You know, a lot is starting to add up." Fritz commented.
"Especially the photos at the hanger." Coyote agreed.
"Honestly that was hilarious. You literally asked me questions about our wedding photos without realizing." Maverick laughed.
"Alright, who is ready to eat?" Ice asked gesturing to the pan of burger patties and bags of buns.
"You expect us to eat after all of these revelations!?" Fanboy exclaimed.
"Chill out Fanboy, you can ask more questions while we eat." Maverick patted the WSO on the shoulder as he grabbed a plate and began putting together his burger.
---
"So Pops, this is how you get out of all the trouble you get into?" Hangman asked.
"I only get into trouble when it's necessary-"
Ice gave Maverick a look.
"In recent years I have only gotten into to trouble when necessary." Maverick amended, "Don't give me that look Ice, you know why I did what I did at Dark Star, and you know you had fun with that phone call to Cain."
Ice rolled his eyes.
"Though Hangman, we are going to have to talk about your choice of words." Ice fixed Hangman with one of his famous ice cold stares.
Hangman's soul left his body as his mind flashed back to his words to Bradley about Goose.
"Sir, I'm sorry about what I said about Goose. I didn't have all the information and shouldn't have said what I said to provoke Bradley."
"While that was wrong, you were forgiven after and especially after you saved Maverick and Bradley," Ice spoke, "However those are not the choice words in question here."
Hangman's brain spiraled trying to figure out what else he had said wrong, or atleast wrong enough to warrant this level of glare from Admiral Kazansky.
"I'm sorry sir- Ice, I don't know what else I said wrong." Hangman admitted.
"You have been calling Maverick 'Pops' I am 'Pops'." Ice said coolly, his glare still fixed on the cocky pilot.
Hangman's eyes went wide.
"Ice is Pops, and Mav is dad, or Mavdad. You don't mess with it." Bradley supplied.
"Ice is very territorial over his Pops title." Maverick added.
"As he should be." Bradley supported. "I came up with it."
"Wait, why is Ice Pops?" Phoenix asked sensing a story.
"Because Bradley realized Ice Pops were cool and since we called him Ice, he obviously needed to be Ice Pops, shortened down to Pops and interchangeable with Ice." Maverick informed them.
"Oh my goodness, Bradley, that is so cheesy." Hangman shook his head.
"But you have to admit, it makes sense."
"It definitely makes Bradley sense." Phoenix agreed.
"And it only needed to makes sense to me."
After a beat of silence Fanboy spoke up.
"So wait, how did you wind up with Mav and Ice?"
"After my Father died Mav was around whenever he could to help me and my mom out, and when he cancer started getting worse I moved in full time with him and Ice until she passed when Mav took over as my legal guardian." Bradley revealed, glazing over the pain from those years.
"So then why were you and Maverick so tense at the start of the mission?" Hangman asked.
Bradley looked down ashamed.
"We had a fight several years back and hadn't spoken since." Bradley once again glazed over the details.
"Wait, you said he pulled your papers," Phoenix commented as her head started to do the math, "You mean you hadn't talked to him in over 15 years?"
Bradley looked down again.
The table went quiet as Fanboy realized he probably shouldn't have initiated this line of questioning.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that." Fanboy said softly, in great contrast to his normal upbeat self.
"It's ok Fanboy, you guys are curious and with good reason." Maverick nodded softly. His hand already rubbing up and down Bradley's back as subtly as he could. While Ice held Maverick's hand under the table squeezing tight in support.
"We've been talking it out." Bradley spoke softly.
Hangman watching with a tender eye, as Phoenix squeezed Bradley's hand.
"So, who is interested in watching a movie?" Ice asked breaking the silence and lifting the mood of the room."
All the daggers jumped up and followed Ice to the living room.
"Any preference on movies?" Ice asked opening the TV up to a series of streaming services.
"Disney!" Fanboy exclaimed.
"Alright, which Disney movie?" Ice asked after the others mumbled agreements, unwilling to express their love of Disney movies so opening in front of THE admiral Kazansky, they wanted to keep some of their professional credit.
"Planes." Bob piped up quietly.
And so the Family of 14 began planes, immediatally followed by Planes 2.
By the end of the night the 12 daggers were sprawled across couches fast asleep.
Ice smirked at the sight of his son leaned up against Hangman.
Maverick gave him a knowing look.
Ice and Maverick eventually drifted up to their bedroom after draping blankets across their aviators and turning out all the lights.
"You know, I'm pretty sure just a few weeks ago we only had one kid."
"And now we have 12."
"I like our little family expanding."
"Me too Mav. I missed the noise around the house."
"I am just waiting on Hangman and Bradley to stop being so oblivious."
"You know, it's fitting he would fall for someone like you."
"And it's fitting he became so much like you."
"Don't sell yourself short, he is a lot like you too, he just causes less trouble. He is nice enough to not give me more paperwork."
"Hey, at least we weren't as oblivious as those two are."
"I think Slider would beg to differ."
"Well, we will just have to wait and see when he gets here."
"I'm scared to know what stories he is going to tell the kids about us."
"I'm just waiting to see the kids faces when you fly against them next week. Then again when you have your RIO."
"Me too."
"And I wouldn't be scared of the stories told by Slider, I'm more scared of the stories that will be told when the whole gang is down here."
"Yeah, especially Viper and Jester."
---
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Sorry for the delay on this chapter! Most of the time I cannot post daily, but my goal is every couple of days. I write when I can and when I am inspired. I hope you enjoyed the reveal.
I had to stop writing for a few minutes because I was busting out laughing at Maverick saying he had to go get ice before the drinks.
Also I feel like a genius for their aprons, did anyone else love them or was that just me? If it's just me that's fine.
Also as popular demand has requested, Hangster is becoming a thing.
From here on out it will be more one shot style in writing rather than a continuous plot. I plan to bring in other characters but also narrow down the amount of characters in each one shot. This story seriously put me out of my comfort zone thus far with how many characters I was handling at once. Normally I like about 4 max. Preferable 2 or 3. So future chapters will have more plot, fluff, more to go with dialog and less pure dialog.
I will be accepting requests which will be done in no particular order and more so as I feel the inspiration for them. So feel free to put some in the comments! Even if it's just part of a request or a headcanon.
Also Ice's cancer will be further explored in other chapters, I've mildly hinted at it in previous chapters but NOTE THERE WILL BE NO DEATH and Cancer is NOT returning, just some after effects. Do not worry.
Thank you guys for reading, please let me know what you thought and leave some ideas and requests!
Hope you guys enjoy! If you want on the taglist let me know! (See guys I am learning Tumblr)
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers! Feel free to leave requests and ideas!
Followed Maverick plot but Icemav is a thing, some changes along the way, all set up to show Mav and Ice and their adopted Dagger Squadron kids!
"I already miss you." Mav said softly.
"I miss you too Pete. If I didn't have to be here I wouldn't." Ice promised from the other side of the country.
"You know, for once it's not me causing us to be in separate locations and have to video call. You have to admit that is quiet a feat. Especially, since my current posting has me basically permanently home." Maverick teased.
"That just means you have to deal with what I dealt with for how many years?" Ice gave him a knowing look, "And it means you can't get in trouble while I'm gone."
"I have enough reasons to stay put."
"Good, now I am disappointed we have to postpone our reveal to the Daggers."
"Nah, this will just make it even funnier. I was thinking of inviting them out to the hanger tomorrow."
"Don't you dare let it slip without me there. I have to see the reactions."
"I will do everything in my power to prevent that. However, I think I will leave up our wedding photos. I have plenty of photos up, it will be hard for them to realize that it's my husband in the picture and not just my wingman. Also there are several pictures of me with people at the wedding up, and we are all in uniform."
"Fair point, plus it will just be that much funnier when they realize they literally had our wedding photo out."
"Also, I think I am going to fill Bob in later today, make sure he doesn't give them too much information or theories and make them realize. Feel up to another video call later in which we do a reveal, therefore you get to see the reaction."
"I would be delighted, however that does not take the place of our evening call."
"Never, I love seeing you and talking to you too much."
"Alright, after their debrief today I will hold Bob back under the guise of wanting to discuss some extra WSO stuff. Also, they don't know I know about the current bet so they have no reason to believe that's what it's about."
"Sounds like a plan, the conference won't start til tomorrow morning, so I can answer at any point. You on the other hand need to go start class. You can't get in trouble especially when I'm on the other side of the country."
Maverick nodded with a smile.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
---
"Alright, I think I've corrected yall enough for one day, everyone head out, and don't forget my hanger tomorrow. I sent yall the address. Dismissed." Maverick told his daggers after hours of lecture.
"Bye Mav!" They chorused on their way out.
"Bob, hold back for a second." Maverick ordered as the rest headed out, Bradley still feiging grabbing his stuff in order to hang back.
"Sir?" Bob asked.
"I hear there is a bet going on." Maverick said with the most stern expression he could come up with.
"Yes sir." Bob said, trying his best to keep a professional tone of voice and not let the fear squeak through.
"Well, I have someone who would like to talk to you about that." Maverick said pulling out his phone and pressing the video call button.
Bob's eyes were wide as he feared what was to come next. This was never in his training.
Bradley slowly made his way to the side with his phone filming.
"Lieutenant Floyd, I hear there have been some rumors flying about me?" Iceman answered the phone with his famous cold expression.
Bob's eyes went wider than they thought possible.
"Sir-" Bob wasn't sure what to say.
"Bob, I would like to officially introduce you to my husband, Admiral Tom 'Iceman' Mitchell-Kazansky."
"So I was right?" Bob finally spoke looking over at Rooster.
"Pops, just clarifying you are married to dad right? Which makes Bob's bet correct?" Bradley said with a smirk on his face.
"That is correct Baby Goose."
Bob froze once more, this was far more information than he was expecting, and he wasn't expecting any of it.
"I think you two broke Bob." Maverick laughed.
"You know, so much has just made sense." Bob finally spoke.
"Information tends to do that." Ice said in a dry tone.
Once again Bob learned something new, the admiral was sarcastic. Though that fit with Maverick.
"So, kid, since you are the only one to guess correctly, we are pulling you in on the plan. Also because you knowing could corrupt the plan if we didn't interfere." Maverick informed him.
"What do you need me to do sir?" Bob said, a small mischievous smirk making it's way onto his face.
"Be our Stealth Pilot. Collect information that Bradley doesn't get, report to us, and have fun messing with the narrative. Especially at the hanger tomorrow. We planned on the big reveal being sooner however Ice was called away for a conference, so we have more time to mess with the others."
"I'm in."
"I figured as much. Tomorrow, I need you to both dissuade and encourage the theory that Ice is my husband. No too much either way though. Just don't push the fact we are married too much to the point that they actually figure it out."
"I want to enjoy the shock on their faces, so they better not uncover the truth when I am not there." Ice gave his admiral glare.
"I would be delighted sirs."
"Good, have fun lieutenant."
---
"I'm sorry, you just casually have a P-51, and you never told us about it?" Phoenix asked incredulously.
"I'm show it to you now am I not?" Maverick rolls his eyes.
"Can we fly it?"
"Do you know how to fly it?"
"Well, no..."
"Then you all can take turns being the back seater, how about that?" Maverick offered.
A collection of cheers were heard from the squadron.
"But not all you today, we can do a few every now and then." Maverick amended, there was not time for him to go up and down with all 12 of them today.
The pilots grudgingly agreed.
"Hey Mav, is this who I think it is?" Coyote asks pointed to a series of photos on the wall.
"That would be Goose, Bradley's father."
"Wait, he played the piano too?" Omaha asked.
"Where do you think Bradley got it from? He grew up listening to his dad play. His favorite song to play was 'Great Balls of Fire'. Hints, where Bradley got it from."
A look of understanding crossed Hangman's face.
"So is this baby Pops?" Hangman asked pointing to a photo in the corner.
"Yea, that's a baby Maverick." Bradley laughed.
"And that is a baby Bradley." Maverick pointed to several pictures.
"Guys! Look it's Admiral Kazansky!" Fanboy pointed to a photo of them in their formal uniforms.
Maverick stifled a laugh, they were pointing at what was one of their wedding photos.
"Hey look it's the same photo they have up in the halls at Top Gun!" Payback added.
"That was taken right after our first mission together as wingmen." Maverick explained.
"Can you- Umm..."
"Out with it Fanboy." Maverick rolled his eyes at the sudden timidness of the pilot.
"Can you tell us the story of that day, I mean rumors flew at the academy and flight training, but I'm sure it's changed over the years."
"How about this, you tell me what you've been told, and I'll tell you how close it is." Maverick agreed hesitantly. It wasn't his favorite story to tell, too many things associated with it. Too many close calls and too soon after a close call wasn't just close.
"The main version I've heard, is that you were pulled straight from Top Gun graduation for a mission and you two were like besties, and got sent off and face 5 MiGs at once and you took down 3 and chased the other 2 away."
"It's a close version, but not true. Iceman and I were rivals at Top Gun, and I was the spare for that mission." Maverick explained.
"Was Goose your RIO for that one?" Coyote asked, not realizing the timeline nor the weight of his words.
Maverick froze for a second, his breath leaving him, as Bradley looked down at the floor.
Hangman chose to answer for them thanks to his findings before the mission.
"No, I thought Goose died in a training accident at Top Gun."
"That, was the first mission I flew without Goose." Maverick explained, his voice coming out weaker than it had been.
The squads eyes went wide as they quickly found a new picture to ask about.
Bradley watched his god father closely, he knew no matter how long it had been, Goose's death was a touchy subject for him. It was for Bradley too, but not in the same way. He only remembered the man from stories, videos, and pictures.
They found a large group photo.
"Who are these guys Mav?" Halo asked.
"That, is the Top Gun class of '86. Well at least my class." Maverick explained.
"So do you still keep in contact with the admiral?" Payback asked pointing to the another picture of their wedding, this time of Ice and the Bradley's class of'86 uncles.
"I do, I had a phone call with him last night actually. That photo was actually taken at my wedding. I still keep in contact with most of the guys from my Top Gun class. We do little reunions every now and then." Maverick decided to reveal. It didn't give much away because they were both in uniform as well as there were a several pictures from that day of him with other people also in uniform.
"Wait, when do we get to meet them?" Yale asked.
"Meet who?" Maverick not sure if they meant Ice or the class of '86.
"Whoever you're married too!" Harvard answered.
"Oh, it will be a few days, he got called away to a conference. He has been waiting to meet you guys though."
Bob smirked from the back of the group.
"Hey who is this?" Phoenix asked pointing to another photo.
Quickly leading to story time for a series of other photos.
---
Dagger Group Chat
Fanboy
We have new INFO!!! Mavericks HUSBAND is at a conference. Therefore we can knock out Penny and Hondo, because we saw Hondo earlier therefore not at a conference.
Phoenix
So all we have left is We haven't met them, Cyclone, and Warlock.
Bob
And Admiral Kazansky
Payback
Sorry Bobby, but it's definitely not the Admiral, I mean we saw the photo earlier, taken at the wedding, not the groom. If he was married to the Admiral he just would have said that.
Bob
I guess that makes sense, but I am standing by my bet
Halo
Good, because bets are closed, no changing
Harvard
We can also narrow it down if we find out if Cyclone or Warlock left for a conference. Seems like something they would do as the heads of Top Gun. If either are gone tomorrow, then we have our answer.
Hangman
Or we establish we just don't know who they are because we have never met them. So if both are there tomorrow, then Phoenix and I win.
Yale
Woah Woah Woah, Hangman, don't count your eggs before they've hatched. Your bet is that we don't know of them, we could know of them we just didn't bet on them. Therefore you would be wrong too.
Hangman
Fine, we find out officially when we meet them, that work for everyone?
Phoenix
As long as it ends with free round for me from everyone, then I don't care when.
Hangman
Except me, I would get free rounds too!
Phoenix
Yes Hangman, except you.
---
"Ice, you wouldn't believe it, they literally talked about one of our wedding photos and didn't catch on."
"The look on their faces is going to be priceless."
"Are you sure you can't hurry back from your conference?"
"I would if I could, I would do it even if we weren't waiting to do this reveal. I would do it just to come back to you."
"Aww, the ice cube is melting."
"Only for you."
"Sarcastic Iceman might actually kill them though, they still only know stoic Ice Cold Admiral Iceman."
"So, maybe I shouldn't meet them then, we will be down 10 of our best aviators." Ice jokes.
"I said might not would, plus you are a guardian angel you could bring them back to life."
"No I am your guardian angel, and occasionally Bradley's."
"You mean you don't want to do the paper work that would be involved."
"Maverick, I do my paperwork, but that doesn't mean I want extra."
"Fair point, if I didn't have to do my paperwork I never would."
"You do your paperwork last minute anyway!"
"Yea, but I still do it."
Ice glares at him thru the phone.
"I love you too," Maverick smirks. "But seriously, how much longer until you are back? Despite being Iceman you keep the bed very warm, and it is cold now."
"Your personal heater will be back in two days."
Maverick smiled.
---
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I hope you guys are enjoying!! Fear not the reveal is coming!! Sorry that this one is a little shorter, they will probably average 2k to 4k in words. Depending on what's in each chapter. I have planned out a lot of what will be happening. Once the reveal occurs it will become more one shots taking place after this focusing on fewer daggers at a time.
If you have any requests or ideas for those one shots let me know! I have my own list but will happily add!
Also I need help picking Ships
Hangman and Rooster or Phoenix and Rooster? I like both, and both can work for this story, or I can leave them relationshipless for now.
Please comment! You guys don't understand the joy I feel when yall comment! Hop you enjoyed!
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
Followed Maverick plot but Icemav is a thing, some changes along the way, all set up to show Mav and Ice and their adopted Dagger Squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers! Feel free to leave requests and ideas!
"Bradley, we need to talk." Ice said with a version of his admiral's voice. One Bradley was familiar with as a child for when he was going to get a stern talking to.
Also known as his 'Dad'miral voice
Maverick had stepped out at Ice's request to give the two a few minutes alone.
"Yes sir."
"I will preface this with the fact you have already been forgiven. However, consequences of your actions do you need to be discussed."
"Yes sir." Bradley nodded taking a second to decide if he wanted to ask the question, "Why were you at Top Gun the other day?"
"Well, that is part of the consequences we need to talk about. I assume you heard from base gossip I was there?" Bradley nodded. "What else did you hear?"
"Just that you were sprinting across base and everyone was doing double takes, no one was sure why you were there."
"Based off the fact you are asking me, you have a hunch don't you?"
"A small one, not sure of the full understanding of it, but I do have an idea."
"Bradley, Maverick may have forgiven you for those words that day, but that does not mean they did not effect him. I was there because after you walked out of the room he had a panic attack. A combination of the two incidents from the day and your words set it off. Your words were what pushed it over the edge. I tell you this not to make you feel guilty but to understand the consequences of your actions. I know you were angry, but that does not excuse your words. I know you know they were false, but that doesn't change the pain they can cause."
"Yes sir, I... I didn't mean to send him into a panic attack, I just, I wanted to hurt him and before I knew it the words were flowing out of my mouth. Once I calmed down I knew I had made a mistake."
"I know, and that's why I am not mad at you and you were forgiven, but I needed you to understand that those actions you had lashing out at Mav, they had consequences." Bradley nodded softly, staring down at the ground unwilling to see the look in Ice's eyes.
"Now come here," Ice said pulling him into a hug.
"I missed you guys."
'We missed you too Baby Goose."
---
"So, Roo, did you have that talk with Mav?" Phoenix asked her best friend, circling the pool table at the Hard Deck.
"Yea, it went well."
"That's good, now I think you owe me a game of pool."
"Yes ma'am." Rooster rolled his eyes as Phoenix grabbed her pool stick.
"And I expect a song tonight."
Rooster rolled his eyes as he watched Phoenix line up her shot.
"Alright boys-" Phoenix started only to be cut off by all of their phones going off at once.
"Did you guys just get the email too?" Coyote asked staring at the notification.
"Yea," Harvard said glancing at everyone else.
It was strange for all 12 of them to get an email at the same time, especially from the sender.
"Admiral Kazansky just emailed us." Payback's eyes were wide.
"Alright, if no one else is going to open it I will." Hangman said, ever the confident one, though they all could tell his bravado was much more of an act right now.
Bradley was just staring at his phone trying to figure out was his Pops was up to. Though he acknowledged he could figure it out a lot faster if he just opened the email.
"Guys! Open your email!" Hangman finally said his eyes wide.
That was the final thing that needed to be said to set off the reaction of the other 11 aviators opening their emails.
"We are being assigned to a new squadron. Like a brand new squadron..." Halo said.
"All 12 of us." Harvard mumbled.
"It's a new squadron for the elite of the elite. We will be stationed out of Top Gun." Yale added
"That must be why Admiral Kazansky has been around." Fanboy realized.
If Bradley weren't so shocked by the new squadron he would have face palmed. For the all the squadrons theories on who Maverick was married to they kept skipping over Ice, not even thinking of him as an option. He could not wait to see their faces when they found out.
---
'Pops'icle
Bradley
So, a new squadron?
'Pops'icle
I see you checked your email
Bradley
So did the rest of the squad.
'Pops'icle
Good, everyone seem happy about it?
Bradley
Definitely
'Pops'icle
Are you?
---
Bradley stopped for a minute staring at his phone, before he decided on his answer.
---
Bradley
Depends, who is our commander?
'Pops'icle
Read the rest of the email.
---
Rolling his eyes he switched applications to finish reading the email.
Under the command of Rear-Admiral Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell
---
Bradley
You convinced him to finally take a promotion?
'Pops'icle
Told him it was the only way he could be the commander, and it still keeps him in the air. Cyclone and Warlock will remain over Top Gun, but Dagger Squadron will be a separate entity within Top Gun, under my command.
Bradley
Limiting the amount of Admirals Dad can tick off?
'Pops'icle
An added perk most certainly. Also keeps him home and you close. Plus Mav has become attached to the whole squadron.
Bradley
I'm pretty sure they've become attached to him too.
---
"Come on Rooster get off your phone and finish this game, unless your too chicken and know you are going to lose?" Phoenix teased.
"Alright, but I'm definitely not chicken."
"I don't know, I think we can still change your call sign." Hangman teased.
"Then you would have to learn to spell another call sign Hangman." Rooster teased right back, knowing the actual story behind his name. Apparently having a few too many public spelling mistakes sticks with people.
"Shut up, Rooster."
"Glad to know I get to keep my call sign."
"Back to the mission at hand, we still haven't figured out who Mav is married to, but with us staying on as a squadron we now have more time to figure this out." Fanboy jumped in.
"I don't think we can get anywhere with that until we have more info. Right now we have very little to work with, but now that we are no longer prepping for the mission I have a feeling we will finally find out more." Payback argued.
Rooster internally laughed, if only they knew. He was still shocked Phoenix or one of the others hadn't out right asked him considering they already figured out he and Mav were close.
"I wonder what they will have us doing?" Harvard asks.
"Probably more training, become the Top Gun of Top Gun." Yale says.
"More specialized missions for sure." Hangman adds.
"Who knows boys, maybe we will get our own kills." Halo playfully pats Hangman's shoulder.
"In your dreams Halo." Hangman teases right back, only pausing for half a second.
No one notices his hesitance.
---
"Good morning, Daggers," Maverick greets standing in front of his newly formed squadron. "I know the specifics of this were a little tight lipped and vague. Mainly because this will be a project that will constantly be changing as we find its place."
"That being said, this is an official squadron now," Maverick continued. "We will be further training you all to become even better than before. To train you to already be prepared when the specialized missions come up. On top of this we will be assisting Top Gun training. You yourselves may occasionally be called in as guest instructors, though mainly you will be flying on hops with them helping to simulate the situations."
"Sir, so we are becoming the Top Gun's of Top Gun?" Yale asks.
"In a way yes, however we are not making another trophy." Maverick deadpans. He is not dealing with a points system and the issues of a trophy.
A collection of disappointed sighs were heard across the room.
While the trophy did push many to become even better, it also caused unnecessary tension amongst those in the air, pushing them to do things they normally wouldn't. See Hop 31 from the class of '86. Desperate pilots were reckless pilots.
That added tension especially did not need to be added to a team. They needed to trust each other and not worry about beating the other.
"So what other specialized training do you have up your sleeve for us sir?" Bob asked.
"I'm glad you asked Bob, I will continue to train you in dog fighting skills, but also more advanced maneuvers, strategizing, both in the air and on the ground, and just enhancing your skills over all. We will also occasionally have some special guests stop by, whether to give a quick lecture, debrief or even just evaluate your flying. Though some I imagine will fly with us for a few exercises."
"Sir, if we are the best of the best, who are you going to bring in?" Hangman challenges, a smirk on his face.
"Well Hangman, they called in the best of the best from recent Top Gun classes and from active duty. Not all of us are still on active duty, and many of them are my friends." Maverick said with a smirk even more devious than Hangman's.
Rooster just shook his head and looked down. He knew what was coming, and it was a whole bunch of his uncles.
"Got something you want to add Bradshaw?" Maverick teases.
"Not yet sir."
"Alright, everyone head to the locker rooms, change into your flight suits. We are going to do a few exercises. Let me test some things we couldn't get to before the mission. Dismissed."
Everyone filed out except Bradley who held back a bit.
"So how many of my uncles are about to show up?" Bradley asked once the others were out of ear shot.
"How many do you have?"
Bradley rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry they aren't joining us for a little while, and you will probably have a heads up since they will be at the house."
"I missed them over the years too."
"They missed you too kid, but hey, we still get to mess with the squad as they try to find out who I am married too."
"It's just sad at this point Mav, they don't even have the right answer on their radar."
"Which is making it all the more fun for us. How many major hints do you think we can drop before they figure it out?"
"Depends on if they are willing to believe you of all people are married to him."
"You are right, I am the better pilot."
"Don't ruin the moment Mav, plus all they need to do is actually pay attention to the giant photo in the hallway."
"You know for being the elite naval aviators you are, they don't seem to be the most observant bunch."
"They have their moments."
"So, any ideas on how to mess with them first kid?"
Bradley smirked.
---
"Come on Pops is that all you got?" Hangman antagonized as he evaded Maverick.
"Well Hangman, it seems to be enough, I got tone."
"How the- you were- and I was-" Hangman sputtered.
"I'll teach you sometime." Maverick waved as he flew off to catch the others.
"So, we keeping that pushup rule?" Payback asked.
"Not today, I need you all to still be able to hold your stick by the end of the week."
Maverick spent the next hour strategically taking each of them down. Each of them glad the push up bet was off the table for the day.
"Alright Daggers, return to base to debrief." Maverick ordered over coms.
---
"Alright Daggers, good debrief. I want to see those corrections being made and those weaknesses being strengthened. Also, tomorrow, meet me at the beach, I'll text you a time later. Same attire as last time."
"Another game of Dogfight Football sir?" Fritz asked.
Maverick nodded an affirmative.
The plan was set in motion.
---
The next morning the Daggers all met at the beach.
"Alright, small twist today, I already picked the teams," Maverick instructed separating the pilots and WSOs from one another and separating the wingmen until the teams were even, but no one was with their main counter part. "Alright, Hondo and I will each be joining a team, Penny has graciously agreed to referee today."
Maverick tossed the footballs in the middle of the two groups, Hondo and Maverick splitting off to their respective teams then nodding for Penny to start the game.
Maverick and Ice had filled Hondo and Penny in on the Daggers mission to figure out who Maverick was married to. They were more than happy to mess with the daggers.
They went head to head waiting on the play to start, staring each other down with a smirk.
Once again the score of the game was long forgotten, but still it was a successful game.
"So, does anyone want to take a guess as to why the teams were the way they were?"
"We need to learn to work with everyone sir?"
"Bob is correct. The way this squadron will function, there will be no set six that fly together. Each mission will call for different areas of expertise just as the last one did. You could have anyone as your wingman. For that matter, there could be missions where we have to separate WSOs and their pilots. While not a preferred method, sometimes that is required."
"But sir, they are our WSOs-"
"Harvard, I understand that. Trust me I do, a WSO and a pilots bond is different and takes time to build. However, even WSOs have specialties. Sometimes we will need a certain WSO and a certain pilot, but not their pilot. Occasionally during training we will switch them around just so you have practice with everyone. This is not us separating you. But if one of you is injured, we can't have both of you out. Not if the other is safe to fly." Maverick explained.
"Wingmen are the same, if one of you is out or needed for a different part of the mission, we need to be prepared for that. You are all a team, a squadron."
"And also you wanted to prove that dogfight football was still relevant?" Rooster challenged.
"It worked last time didn't it?"
The others couldn't disagree with that.
"Alright aviators, I am going to do some paper work up there, yall continue to bond." Maverick shuddered at the words paper work causing the team to laugh. "Penny darling, mind coming to help?"
"What ever Pete, I'm not doing it for you."
"No, but you can keep me company." Maverick smirked.
They both made their way up the beach and to the patio while Hondo excused himself as well.
"See, I told you, it's got to be Penny." Fanboy stated once the pair were out of ear shot.
"I don't know, he and Hondo had some tension going during the game." Omaha disputed.
"I'm tell you guys, it's not Hondo." Hangman stated firmly.
"Then who do you think it is?" Phoenix challenged.
"I don't know, but I just don't get that vibe from them. I still think we don't even have them on are radar yet."
"Fair point, no one has given me the vibe yet either." Phoenix conceded.
"Did Phoenix just agree with me?" Hangman faked shock.
"Don't get used to it Bagman."
"Back on topic, who else does Maverick interact with? Admiral Kazansky?" Fanboy rolled his eyes, "As if the Commander of the Pacific Fleet would put up with his antics."
"Or, maybe that's why Maverick gets away with so much, they were wingmen. Just look at their picture at Top Gun." Bob theorized softly, but no one heard the others too busy debating with one another.
"The only time we've seen them together was for the mission on the carrier, and that was just the admiral acting as well the admiral. It was a pretty big mission." Payback rebutted.
"Alright guys, we need this written out as to who believes who at this point." Phoenix stated pulling out her phone and typing out everyone's names. "I am going to pass this around, type your answer next to your name. This will be your final pick, so choose wisely. Haven't met them yet will be an acceptable answer."
"What does the winner get?" Payback asked.
"All the losers pay for a round at the Hard Deck?" Omaha suggested. No one argued so they went with it. At this point winning wasn't the big deal, it was solving this mystery.
Phoenix: Haven't met them yet.
Bob: Admiral Kazansky
Hangman: We haven't met them yet.
Rooster:
Yale: Warlock
Harvard: Warlock
Payback: Penny
Fanboy: Penny
Halo: Hondo
Coyote: Cyclone
Omaha: Hondo
Fritz: Hondo
"Bob, you are out of your mind with thinking it's Admiral Kazansky, but what ever." Payback said looking over the list of names.
"Hey, Bradshaw, where is your pick?" Hangman asked looking over the list.
"I am abstaining from this bet."
"AKA, you have no clue and don't want to lose." Hangman translated.
'More like a guaranteed win' Bradley thought to himself.
---
"According to Bradley's latest text the daggers have put in their final bets as to who I am married to." Maverick told Ice.
"Well, I wish I could have gotten in on the bet, I have a pretty good idea who it is."
"Is that so, who would that be Kazansky?"
"That's Mitchell-Kazansky to you, and coincidentally he has the same name."
"Really, anything else you know about him?"
"Not much about the partner, but I know plenty about Maverick."
"Well I know plenty about his husband, and how annoying he is."
"Well Maverick is pretty insane."
"Yeah, insanely in love with you."
"Don't forget, he is dangerous." Ice teased.
"That's right Iceman, I am dangerous."
"God, you two, next thing I know you are going to be arguing over who is the better pilot again. Did I ever really leave?" Bradley asked rolling his eyes from the door.
"Would you expect any different from us Baby Goose?" Maverick asked pulling him into a hug.
"No, it just makes home feel more like home. I would be more worried if you two weren't still up to your antics."
"I'm glad you decided to move back in." Ice said softly taking Bradley's duffel from his arm.
"Yeah, well. I never should have left in the first place."
"All that matters is that you found your way back home, now come on, your room is just as you left it." Maverick smiled pulling Bradley along.
Things weren't entirely back to normal, though they never would be too many years had passed, but they were making a new normal.
"So, Baby Goose, anyone figure it out yet?" Ice asked setting the bag down on the chair.
"Just one, the stealth pilot."
"I'm sorry, who is the stealth pilot?" Ice asked.
"Bob." Maverick and Bradley answered at the same time.
"That kid can blend in anywhere, it's crazy." Maverick elaborated, "However, don't let that fool you, he's got some bite. I'm not entirely surprised he is the only one to guess Ice."
"Yeah well, the others razzed him over it, which will make the reveal that much better."
"Should we bring Bob in on the plan earlier?" Ice asked.
"Could be fun." Maverick agreed.
"We do need to figure out how to do the reveal."
"I say, just invite them over to the house, call it a family dinner or something, officially introduce them to Pops."
"Yea, or, I have specified that we will have guest fliers. Ice you up for a hop?"
"Definitely could be fun, but I think we need to save that until after they find out."
"Fair point, so dinner?"
"I can grill some burgers out back." Ice offered.
"Yes! I missed your burgers, also that will make it even more fun for the reveal. You still have your aprons?"
"Of course we do, I am offended you would think otherwise." Maverick feigned offence.
"Then we have our plan."
---
WOW!! The response to this story has been amazing! Thank you guys! If yall have any requests for things to occur or to be added please let me know! If it works I will try and add it.
I have been making a list of things I want to happen since May, and I am finally getting to write them. After the reveal I will probably break it down to smaller groups of the daggers at a time, writing this many characters at a time in a scene throws me off. Also I am still trying to get a feel for each of the characters. If yall have any ships yall want carried out let me know! I can't decide for some of them!
I have already been planting seeds for some future scenes, let me know if you caught the big one...
Well, I hope you guys enjoyed, please comment and let me know what you thought!
So, I’ve never posted on tumblr before but decided to start spreading my works onto here. So here is my first Top Gun Fanfiction. More chapters to come! Let me know what yall think! If yall have any advice for me for using tumblr please give it! I’m just starting to learn it! I did learn the keep reading bar thing before I posted this so I hopefully don’t clog the feed!
Not fully sure where this story is going other than it will be IceMav and their 12 adopted dagger squadron kids!
Followed Maverick plot but Icemav is a thing, some changes along the way, all set up to show Mav and Ice and their adopted Dagger Squadron kids!
The dagger squad is determined to find out who Maverick is married to, leading to some shenanigans and eventually the reveal! Followed by one shots featuring MavDad Icemav and Dadmiral with the Daggers! Feel free to leave requests and ideas!
My first Top Gun Fanfic and being used to pull me out of writers block. May not be some of my best work but you can edit a story but not a blank page.
No matter what let it be known that dagger squadron is in fact not oblivious. Well, they are not always oblivious. They do have their moments though, however this, was not one of those moments.
"So, everyone else has seen the ring on Mavericks dog tags, correct?" Payback asked.
"Yes, and yet we have had no mention of it is." Hangman rolled his eyes at the fact this conversation was starting again. They had been theorizing since they first saw the ring.
"Obviously, it has to be Penny. I mean you guys saw him flirting up a storm with her our first night at the hard deck. How else could he have gotten permission for us to use the beach for football yesterday?" Fanboy asked aloud.
"No, that was more," Phoenix paused for a moment trying to find the right word, "Familiar banter. They've obviously known each other for years, but they are not married. More like long term friends."
Rooster just sat in the corner shaking his head. For he had all the answers, but absolutely no will to give them.
---
The next day was the day everything took a turn for the worse.
Jake stared at the radio from the ground helpless hearing Maverick yelling at his best friend trying to pull him out of G-Lock.
"Come on Javy." He muttered under his breath.
A weight was lifted off his shoulders as soon as he heard Javy say he was okay, and Maverick also took a breath.
Only for the next tragedy to occur.
"Bird strike!" Maverick yelled out over the comms.
This time it was Bradley's turn to freeze and stare at the radio begging anything and everyone that his best friend would be okay as Phoenix spoke everything she was doing. While Maverick told her to eject.
Though even when Maverick announced he saw the two parachutes, he did not let the tension go.
He knew better than most anyone that a chute didn't mean much. Especially after Top Gun in '86.
Until he heard confirmation from Phoenix, he wasn't believing anything.
"Rooster, there were two chutes." Hangman tried to pull him out of his stupor, only still in the room because he was waiting on Coyote to get back.
"Chutes mean nothing Hangman. I'll believe it when I see them with my own two eyes."
Jake nodded, knowing what they had been told in flight school. Before heading out to the tarmac to wait on Coyote.
Rooster knew he wasn't going to get info from anyone, not until the copter was back from picking them up and probably not until medical had checked them out.
So he sat in the rec room until he heard otherwise. Someone with information would eventually make it in here, and he didn't want to miss that info.
Eventually, news did make his way, just not in the carrier he would have wished for.
"They'll keep Phoenix and Bob in the hospital overnight for observation," Maverick broke the silence, "They're gonna be okay."
"That's good," Bradley took a deep breath, "I've never lost a wingman."
"You're lucky. Fly long enough, it'll happen. There will be others."
"Easy for you to say. No family. No kids. Nobody to mourn you when you burn in other than Ice. All you've got left in your life is on man."
"Go home. Just get some sleep."
"Why'd you pull my papers at the academy?" Rooster suddenly moved, having remained mostly still, "Why did you stand in my way!"
"You weren't ready." Maverick said softly, the day Bradley left flowing through his mind.
"Ready for what? Huh? Ready to fly like you?"
"No. Ready to forget the book. Trust your instincts. Don't think, just do." Maverick shook his head, "You think up there, you're dead, believe me."
"My dad believed in you. I'm not gonna make the same mistake." Rooster said putting all the venom he could in that one bite. He knew what words would hurt the most and he was willing to use them.
Before Maverick could say another word Bradley stormed out the door, just like he had all those years ago.
Maverick leaned against the wall and slid downwards til he was sitting on the floor with his knees pulled close to his chest.
Flashes of the night Bradley left covering his sight before changing to his days with Goose. Until his line of sight was engulfed by memories, his mind unable to comprehend anything else.
All he could hear was Bradley's words on repeat, only broken up by the sound of Goose's neck hitting the canopy.
"Maverick." Another noise breaking through the sounds, but he kept fading back out.
Warlock had come to check on the captain after the insane day, and especially after seeing a fuming Rooster leave the room.
Realizing words would not get through to him, Warlock decided to pull the emergency card, one he really hoped he wouldn't have to use.
Seeing Maverick's phone sticking out of his pocket he gently grabbed it, only to realize there was a password on it. One Warlock did not know.
Shaking his head he pulled out his own phone and called Cyclone.
"Warlock?" Cyclone answered professionally though unsure what his co worker would be calling him for having seen him mere minutes ago.
"I need you to get medical to the rec room, and I need you to make another call..."
"Why do you need medical in the rec room?"
"Sir, Maverick is having a panic attack."
"No, we don't call medical-"
"But sir-"
"No, I was given special notes on who to call for this and we avoid medical."
"Understood sir, I'll stay with him."
Cyclone stared down at his phone for a moment, before taking a deep breath and pressing call on a contact he had only ever been called by.
"Admiral Kazansky." The voice on the other end answered.
"Sir this is Cyclone, your orders were to call you directly for anything concerning Mav-"
"Get to the point Admiral." Ice spoke coldly, he was not one for wasted time espeically when it came to the wellbeing of his husband.
"Sir, Maverick is experiencing a panic attack." Cyclone said bluntly realizing it was the best way to go.
"Is anyone with him?"
"Yes sir, Warlock."
"Understood, I will be calling Maverick's phone, have Warlock answer."
"Understood sir."
The phone made a click as it hung up as Cyclone then began texting Warlock the instructions.
---
The phone Warlock had pulled from Mavericks pocket mere minutes ago began ringing as a text from Cyclone came through with instructions.
Warlock answered immediately and was met by the face of the COMPACFLT.
"Sir"
"Thank you, please put the phone in Maverick's hand with the screen facing him and exit the room, wait just outside."
"Yes sir."
"Mav, I need you to breath ok. Just breath." Ice spoke softly, but still loud enough to be heard through the phones speaker.
Maverick was slowly coming out of the attack, and that was being expedited from hearing Ice's voice.
"Mav, it's Ice, just breath, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, alright now breath out." Ice continued to talk him through breathing as his car took off towards Top Gun.
Ice watched at Mav slowly started to slow his breathing down to match the counts.
"Mav, I need you to start listing off things you can see." Ice saw the panic in Mavericks eyes as he went to speak.
"Hey, Mav, it's okay. Take a second. You aren't in the ocean or in a plane. You are on the ground in the rec room at Top Gun. I need you to keep breathing for me."
The panic began to subside from his eyes once more as he became more aware of his surroundings.
"Ice." Maverick choked out.
"Yea, it's me Mav," Ice nodded over the phone glancing up to see they were approaching the Top Gun building. "I will be there in just a few minutes ok, just keep breathing."
As soon as the car stopped in front of the entrance closest to the rec room Ice jumped out of the car and took off. A few people did a double take as the Commander of the Pacific Fleet ran through the building.
Warlock's eyes widened as he saw the admiral turn the corner. He opened the door as Ice nodded a look of thanks before entering. Slowing his speed as not to startle Maverick.
"Mav, hey, I'm here."
"Ice." Maverick said much more clearly this time.
"Hey, Mav, I've got you it's going to be okay. Just breath with me." Ice spoke softly tugging the other man against him. Maverick held on tight breathing in Ice's scent, mostly coming out of the panic.
"Alright, I need you to name five things you can see."
"You, the tarmac outside, the tables, a radio, umm..." Maverick paused for a moment.
"That's four, just one more Mav."
"The chairs."
"Good, alright, four things you can hear."
"Your voice," Mav smiled softly, just barely, for a second remember the time when they weren't sure they would ever hear it again. Ice smiled with him. "Your breathing, jets taking off, and people talking outside."
"Good, now name three things you can feel."
"Your heartbeat, your arms around me, and your presence."
"I'm not sure if the last one counts Mav, but I'll take it."
"Fine, if your being picky, the floor." Mav snarked back a bit making Ice smile, seeing him really coming out of the panic attack.
"Alright, two things you can smell."
"You and jet fuel."
"Good." Ice breathed out pulling Maverick back into a tight hug.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" Ice asked softly.
"Not here. Tonight." Maverick promised.
"Alright, are you good to head back outside yet, or do you want to sit here for a few more minutes."
"Few more minutes. I haven't seen you since this morning." Mav smiled into Ice's neck.
"Yeah well, at least we get to see each other every morning and night right now. Might even be able to keep that up if you don't make another admiral mad."
"Yea well, if they would stop doing stupid stuff I would stop making them mad."
"Yeah I know, though not all of them are your fault some are their fault." Ice rolled his eyes.
"Come on, you know you had fun ruining Cain's fun."
"I did have fun with that one, you ejecting at mach 10.4 not so much."
"Details."
"Are you ready?"
"Ready? To let you go? Never. Can I go out now? Yes."
Ice nodded at the answer, pulling away just enough to give his wingman a kiss.
"You head out, send Warlock in. I'll talk to him then head back to my office. I'll see you at home tonight." Ice promised before releasing his husband from the hug. "I love you."
"I love you too." Maverick said as he went to leave before stopping, "Don't get mad until I tell you what happened at home ok. I just want to talk about it there, not here. I'm not trying to hide it. I promise."
"I believe you." Ice nodded watching as Maverick left and Warlock entered.
"Sir."
"Thank you for assisting. I expect your discretion on this matter."
"Yes sir."
"Beside this, how has it been going, and don't give me the official wording."
"Maverick is a better teacher than he wants to say. The kids rally behind him. They recognize his skills and abilities, albeit they didn't at first. He definitely has an unorthodox method to teaching and life in general, but that just seems to be Maverick over all."
"Unorthodox is definitely a good way to describe him."
"But I think I understand why you were so insistent on him teaching this mission. I don't think anyone else could. Not with his expectation of them all making it home."
"That's part of why it needed to be him. His acceptable losses are always zero. If he doesn't believe they can execute the mission and make it back, then they never will."
"He believes in them, but I'm not sure they are ready to believe in themselves yet. He finally made them start becoming a team after his beach football stunt the other day, but none of them have successfully completed any part of the mission in the time allotted or the elevation."
"Then maybe he just has to show them..." Ice trailed off coming up with a plan to tell his wingman later that night.
"Sir, I don't want to overstep, but why were there orders not to contact medical?"
"It would have just freaked him out more. I know you are aware of what happened to his RIO during his time at Top Gun," Warlock nodded, "He was with him for medical after, and those moments as well as those once he made it to the medical bay are still ingrained in his memory. To be surrounded by that makes it harder for him to come out of the attack."
Warlock nodded in understanding knowing of others who had a serious distaste for hospitals after certain events.
"Off the record, how is he doing with Lt. Bradshaw?"
"Off record, I'm waiting on the bomb to go off. If it didn't already. In the sky Rooster finally flies as well as he could not being held back, until suddenly he goes back to his careful flying. He bounces between your style but slower and less instinctive and Mavericks in the sky. But not in an efficient way, rather he is too careful then too reckless. If he would just fly he would be fine, but he won't let go."
"Part of that is Maverick being here, and part of that is what has happened between the two in the past. Then Goose on top of all of that." Ice shook his head. "What do you mean if the bomb didn't go off already?
"I was walking here to check on Maverick after the events of the day, and as I was walking up I saw a fuming Rooster leaving."
Ice closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"So that's what set it off."
"That and a couple of other incidents."
"Incidents?"
"Coyote went into G-Lock on the last hop, and immediately after there was a bird strike, Phoenix and her WSO Bob were forced to eject. Everyone should be okay, but that doesn't make the day any easier."
"No it doesn't." Ice nodded taking in the information. "Thank you for you time admiral."
Ice went back into admiral mode and made his way back to his car then back to his office. Knowing he and Mav would have a lot to talk about when they got home.
---
Dagger Group Chat
Fanboy
GUYS!!!
Payback
What?
Fanboy
DID YALL HEAR WHO WAS ON BASE!?!?
Phoenix
I've been stuck at medical, who?
Fanboy
Admiral Kazansky! THE COMMANDER OF THE PACIFIC FLEET
Phoenix
I know who Admiral Kazansky! But why was he on base??
Bob
Well is kind of in charge of Top Gun and you know the whole Pacific Fleet and every naval base on this side of the country.
Fanboy
Yea, but apparently he was literally sprinting across base
Yale
Did they maybe call him in since we had two incidents today?
Fanboy
Why would they call him in? Seems like more of a report on his desk kind of thing, unless he was here to chew some people out. Do you think Maverick got in trouble?
Payback
It's not like either of the incidents were within our control. For heavens sake, one was a bird strike.
Rooster
Wait! When was Admiral Kazansky on base?
Fanboy
If the rumor mill is to be believed then about an hour or two after we everyone touched back down.
Phoenix
Well since I doubt we will get any further on this mystery tonight, I need to be entertained while stuck in medical all night, so anymore theories on who wears the ring to go with Mavericks?
Fanboy
To list out our list of ideas we have: Cyclone, Hondo, Penny, and Warlock.
Payback
I still think Cyclone is absolutely not it.
Bob
For all we know at this point we may not even know of this person at all
---
"Mav?" Ice called out as he walked in the front door of their home, locking the door as he hung his keys.
"Living room!" Maverick called back.
"Hey." Ice greeted pulling Maverick into a hug.
"Hey." Maverick sighed holding on tight to Ice.
"Food is already in the crock pot and ready for us. Then we are talking."
"I know, but I just want to stand here for one more minute."
Ice nodded pulling Mav even closer.
Mav took a deep breath before pulling away.
"Alright, I'm hungry and this food has been smelling amazing for the past 10 minutes I have been home, let's eat." Maverick announces.
Ice smiled following his wingman to the kitchen.
They sat down at their table and began eating, when Ice finally broke the silence.
"Maverick-"
"I know," Maverick cut Ice off. "I am trying to find the words."
"Don't worry about finding the perfect words, just get it out and clarify from there." Ice knew his mind was going faster than an f-18 being flown by Maverick and he just needed to start speaking. That was the trick, once he started talking he would figure it out.
"How much did Warlock tell you?"
"Not much, but I want to hear your side and version. He gave me basic facts, you will give me the info I actually need to know."
"We were on a Hop, the goal was practicing the targeting followed by coffin corner. Coyote went into G-Lock." Maverick paused, staring off in the distance.
"Mav..." Ice comforted reaching his hand to take the other mans.
"Just before he would have crashed I got tone on him and he snapped out of it. We leveled out. Everything should have been fine. Then there was a bird strike. I managed to maneuver away in time but Phoenix and Bob got caught in it," Maverick looked down sighing, "She did everything right, she was calling out every step of the way, but there was no saving the plane. It was gone. They ejected. There was two chutes. I saw the two chutes. You and I both know chutes don't mean anything, but they made it. Just a little bruised and shaken."
"Maverick," Ice said softly, "They made it out. You made it out. Everyone is fine."
"I know."
"There is more."
"Yea."
Maverick moved the food around on his plate, taking a few bites, before pushing away the now nearly empty plate.
Ice saw this for what it was, Mav wanted to delay the second part for a few minutes, and he did not want to have it at the kitchen table.
Ice was not a fool, it was not a coincidence that a fuming Bradley Bradshaw was seen just before Maverick was found. That was the reason Ice wasn't pushing the conversation yet.
Ice followed Maverick with his own empty plate. Rinsing them off before placing them in the dish washer.
He wrapped an arm around Maverick, who leaned into him, before guiding him to their couch.
Maverick curled into his side before he began to speak. Ice rubbing his hand up and down Maverick's arm.
"I knew Bradley was in the rec room. He and Phoenix are close. I knew he was waiting on an update. He knows just as we do that chutes don't mean all is well. I told him they would be kept overnight for observation, and it just escalated from there."
"Maverick, what did he say to you?"
"Told me no one other than you would mourn me when I burned it. Told me I had no kids."
"Mav..."
"He told me that his father trusted me, and that-that he wouldn't make the same mistake."
"Pete..." Ice's eyes widened, he pulled Maverick tight against his side. "He knows what buttons to press. He knows how to hurt you. Just as you know how to hurt him. That doesn't make anything he said right. Bradley is our kid. We helped raise him for most of his life, you even before me. Then after Carol we did raise him. He is your kid, no matter how mad he is. He may not want to say it out loud, but he would mourn you. If he wouldn't then he wouldn't care."
"Ice, if I put him on this mission I could actually lose him forever, but if I don't... I lose him anyway."
"Pete. You are a better teacher than you will probably ever realize. You have something that cannot be taught, you give a care about those kids. About their lives. You aren't just there to send them on a mission and be done with them, you want them to come out alive and better pilots. You will choose who is best for this mission, and that is all you can do. That is what you are there to do, you are training them to make it back from the mission. Not just to complete it as everyone else would do."
"They don't believe they can do it."
"Then show them."
"How?"
"I've known you a long time. You always manage to find a way, especially when no one else can."
The cogs in Mavericks brain started to turn.
"Ice, can you authorize and f-18 for me in the morning?"
"Is this you finding a way?"
"I think I already found the way, however it's less paperwork for you later if you authorize the f-18 rather than me just taking one."
"I do appreciate less paperwork considering how often you cause me to have more paper work."
"See, I'm improving."
Ice rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, I love you too."
---
Cyclone stood in front of the 12 pilots in the classroom, having no clue what to expect. All he knew was that Maverick wanted them all in the room.
That alone scared Cyclone.
Though maybe not as much as the f-18 authorization he had received for Maverick this morning, conveniently timed after he tried to ground maverick after his panic attack yesterday fearing he wouldn't be able to carry out the mission training much less fly. Maverick and his guardian angel. Honestly, if Cyclone didn't look up to and respect Iceman as much as he did he would call him insane for putting up with Maverick at all. He didn't see how he did it. Much less why he put up with it. Though he understood it a lot more when he found out the worst kept secret in the navy was true and not just gossip and the wingmen were in fact together. Married at that. Further confirmed when Cyclone got Maverick's file for this mission.
Once again a mess to deal with since that file was filled to the brim.
The aviators were talking amongst themselves trying to figure out what crazy idea Maverick had for them today, and Cyclone couldn't blame them because he was curious too.
"Maverick to Range Control. Entering point Alpha. Confirm green range."
"Maverick, Range Control green range is confirmed"
"What's he up to?" Phoenix mumbled.
"Setting time to target. 2 minutes, 15 seconds."
"2-15, that's impossible." Payback said
"Final attack point. Maverick's inbound."
"Popping in 3, 2, 1. Bombs away."
Cyclone and the pilots all stared up at the screen in shock watching with anticipated breaths.
9.5 G
TIME ON TARGET
00:00.16
"Bullseye!" Fanboy shouted
"Damn." Hangman mumbled, this was the Maverick from the stories.
---
Maverick looked at his phone as he changed out of his flight suit.
Ice
They are making you mission leader.
I'll be on the carrier now.
The third miracle was never optional, but now it really isn't. You will come home to me. That is non-negotiable.
Maverick stared at the messages for a minute.
He was going on this mission.
---
Maverick stood looking out at the water.
"You are coming back to me."
"You know I can't promise that."
"You can promise me that you will do everything possible to come back to me."
"I can promise you that, but I am doing the same to make sure the others come back. Especially Bradley."
"I know. They know that too. They believe in you, and they believe that you believe in them. I saw it in their eyes when you announced your pilots."
Ice hugged his wingman as they stared at the open waters, the calm before the storm.
---
Ice watched the command room with a bated breath as updates came through. They were nearly to the target.
He listened, not speaking a word, letting everyone else do their jobs.
He stayed ice cold as his name suggested and his reputation supported.
He stayed that way, until he heard Bradley's panicked voice announce he was out of flares and SAMs were on him.
Only those who knew him well or were paying close attention would see the change, but anyone could see it when the words 'Dagger one is hit' came over the comms.
His entire world was shaken.
Cyclone and Warlock's eyes widened as they risked a glance back at the admiral, scared of what they might see.
The mighty Iceman's ice cold face was gone, and in it's place was terror and heartbreak.
His world collapsed further when they call out that Dagger two is hit.
---
Ice leaned against the wall of the command room, wishing to Goose above to bring back their kid and Maverick.
Iceman was generally very patient, something that made him very dangerous and feared, but when it came to the well-being of Maverick and Bradley, well his patience went out the window.
His head shot up as fast as Maverick flies when they had something pop up on radar.
"It's an f-14 sir."
"Maverick." Ice finally spoke.
Cyclone shook his head with an impressed look on his face.
"Launch Hangman." Iceman ordered.
"Goose, save our boys." Ice mumbled under his breath.
---
Ice stood in the tower, bracing himself for the inevitable buzzing of the tower. A smile on his face as he laughed.
He watched their landings from above, and watched his husband and son hug for the first time in many years, before heading to his quarters to wait on his wingman. The flight deck didn't need him down there. He would ruin their celebration, and they deserved a celebration.
---
Ice watched from the window as a blue bronco pulled up to his house for the first time since Bradley had left 15 years prior.
"He actually came." Maverick spoke so softly Ice wasn't even sure if he knew he spoke it aloud.
"He will always come back home, it just took longer this time."
A tentative knock came from the door.
"I'll be upstairs. You two talk. I'll join after." Ice nodded knowing this conversation needed to be between just those two for now.
"Bradley." Maverick breathed out as he opened the door.
"Mav."
They made their way to the couch, tension was evident in the air. No one was sure how to start a conversation that had been in waiting for 15 years.
"You said we would talk. Why did you do it?"
"You weren't ready."
"You've said that, but I know that's not all of it. The academy would help me get ready. You and Ice would help me get ready. So tell me the rest."
"I made a promise."
"You held me back because you made a promise? Why would you promise to keep me from the academy? From flying? Like you and ice and dad-"
It clicked. There was only one person Mav would make that promise too.
"You promised my mom."
"She didn't want you to fly and risk dying young like Goose. She wanted you to live a full life."
"Why didn't you ever tell me that?"
"You weren't talking to me anyway. I wasn't going to hold that over your head."
"Why didn't you tell me when I asked you in the rec room?"
Maverick realized Bradley wasn't going to let this go.
"You hated me. You didn't need to hate her too. I couldn't ruin your memory of your mom."
Bradley froze.
"I'm sorry for the thing I said you. I didn't mean them. I regretted them as soon as they came out of my mouth, but I just kept going because I knew it would hurt you. I could never hate her. I couldn't even hate you, and I tried. Trust me I tried. I couldn't even hate Ice. "
"I love you Bradley."
"I-I love you too dad."
Maverick's eyes watered, it had been 15 years since he had been called that. Bradley had for years used Mav and Dad interchangeably, part of why him saying he had no kids had stung so much. Bradley was his kid.
"I already did Baby Goose." Ice said from the stairs behind them.
"Pops." Bradley gasps, standing up slowly.
"I forgave you the moment everything happened, I've waited for the day you would walk back through the door."
"I missed you Pops."
"I've missed you Baby Goose, now how about you come sit with us for dinner and tell us what you've been up to the past few years that didn't make it in your file and that your uncles never told us."
"Well for starters Dagger Squadron currently has a bet going to figure out who you are married to Mav."
---
More to come!! There will be Mav and Ice with their adopted squadron!
