Summary: In avoiding unwanted attention, you bump into better than you could’ve imagined (based on this request)
Genre: fluff?
Warnings: suggestive jokes
Pairing: Iceman x fem!reader
Word count: 1422
I fear I did not do this request justice, so apologies. Requests are open and I am slowly making my way through them! Also thinking of writing for House M.D! Please leave any feedback (just don't be mean), I always want to get better at writing.
As it was the night before the first day at Top Gun, the bar was bustling. There was not an inch of free space as naval officers packed in tightly enjoying one of their last nights of freedom for the upcoming future. This coupled with the fact you were one of the only females in the room, including the bar staff, made the environment incredibly overwhelming. Men were constantly coming up to you and treating you as wait staff, despite the fact you were due to start in Top Gun with them the following day. You had attended the open day a few week previous, but clearly most of the fellow attendees had not noticed you enough.
While you nursed a drink near the end of the bar, you began to regret coming to the bar, and you really regretted not wearing your uniform like the rest of the pilots had. Assuming the dress code was more casual, you had worn a short dress. You briefly spoke to the bar staff, who had looked sympathetically towards you as men (pilots and not pilots) came up to you and began leching while you tried to drink and socialise.
Most of the attempts you had made to mix with the other pilots led to being shut down as they didn’t believe that you could be a pilot and thought you were lying.
The only pilot you knew was Goose, he was the only one you had met before that had spoken to you as if you were an equal. Thankfully, Goose had promised he would be arriving tonight so you tried to stay out longer so you could see him before you went home.
It wasn’t too much longer that your conversation with the bartender was interrupted by Goose clapping his hand on your shoulder.
“Y/N, sorry I was late, I had to wrestle my pal here out of the house,” he pointed behind him to the shorter man who was dressed in his pilot uniform “This here is my partner, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, he is not as cool as I,” Goose laughed.
“Hi Pete!” you smiled as you reached to shake his hand. Maverick however took your hand, and brought to his mouth and brushed his lips to your knuckles. You grimaced slightly, as it was an odd first impression.
“Call me Mav, please,” he replied.
“Okay, Mav.” you smiled “Are you two ready for the morning?” you asked, looking between the two.
“We are ready, but first, we drink,” Goose cheered. At this the three of you clinked your glasses together in a cheer, and downed your drinks. Finally, the night was looking up as you were no longer alone and managed to enjoy your time.
The night passed with singing, drinking and chatting.You were finally enjoying your time, although it was getting hot inside so you decided to take a step outside for fresh air. As you stood sipping on what should be your last drink of the night, you looked around amazed at the opportunity you were having. Your thoughtful moment was interrupted by Maverick who silently appeared, startling you.
“Hi Mav,” you stuttered, surprised that he had appeared.
“Hi y/n,” he smiled. You looked ahead, intending for Maverick to get the hint that you were enjoying a peaceful moment to yourself.
He didn’t get the message.
“You look really good tonight,” he smiled.
“Thanks,” you nodded. You were sure he was really lovely, but he was a bit intense and you had come outside for a bit of space.
“I was wondering, if at the end of the first week, maybe you wanted to go for dinner?” He asked, scratching the back of his neck as he looked around.
“Like a date?” you questioned?
“Ye-yeah, like a date!” he smiled, thinking you were accepting.
“Oh oh” you smiled awkwardly “no.”
“Oh” he stopped awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
“I’m just gonna head back in,” you awkwardly said as you sidestepped around him.
You quickly snuck back, walking around the edge of the room to grab your jacket so you could head home. It had been a long evening and the awkward encounters with Pete made you just want to go home and have a soak in the bath.
Even though the night had gone on, and it was close to early hours of the morning and the bar had not emptied out at all. It was like human bumper cars as you slalomed through the crowds trying to find your jacket, which you were now regretting not bringing out with you in the first place.
Despite being aware of all the crowds of people you still managed to bump into people.
“Woah, are you okay?” a tall man asked.
“Uh yeah, just trying to find my jacket,” you smiled awkwardly.
“Let me help,” he said as he turned to face the direction you had been headed in “Do I know you?” he asks.
“Um, kind of? We’re in Top Gun together, my name’s y/n,” you answered, slightly calmer than you were when you initially bumped into him.
“Oh shit, I knew I recognised you. My name’s Iceman, people usually call me Ice.” he stopped to shake your hand.
“Nice to meet you Ice,” you smiled as you returned the shake. The handshake went on a bit long, and you were unsure when to end it. Your hands continued shaking as you smiled at each other. It wasn’t until someone bumped into Ice’s back that the two of you stopped shaking hands.
Slowly, you meandered towards your chair that you had left your jacket and Ice trailed behind you.
“It was nice to meet you y/n,” Ice says as you picked up your jacket.
“Likewise Ice” you felt your heart flutter as you looked up at him. This was the first time you could properly see his face due to the poor lighting in the bar. You smiled up at him, your eyes meeting as you noticed he had also been analysing your face.
The moment was quickly ruined as you noticed Mav come back into the bar, wanting to avoid an awkward situation you looked for a place to hide.
“Woah, are you okay?” Ice asked, his face searching for yours.
“Uh yeah, Maverick just came in, and I would like to avoid him as I’ve just rejected him,” you laughed.
“Oh,” he smiled “Want me to hide you?” Ice asked
“Hide me?” you had absolutely no idea what he meant.
“Yeah hide you,” Ice enthused.
“Uh, sure,” you giggled.
“Right, let me sit on this chair and, you get under the bar, and I’ll make sure you stay hidden,” he says as he pulls out the stool.
“Under the bar?” you smirked as you got onto your knees and squished under the bar.
“I did not think I would have you on your knees this quick,” he smirked in return, causing you to swat his thigh as he shuffled the stool in to hide you.
You were about to say something inappropriate in return but you noticed the legs of an approaching pilot and you decided to stay quiet.
“Yo, Ice, have you seen y/n? She was sitting here earlier,” Mav asked.
“Uh, n-no. I saw her get her jacket a while ago,” he stuttered. You had almost slipped and grabbed onto his thigh to avoid falling onto the floor at Maverick’s feet, but by grabbing Ice’s leg you caused him to gasp out loud.
“You good, Ice?” Pete asked, assessing the man who was unusually skittish. What Pete was unaware of, is that you were still holding onto his knee under the bar, partly to not fall over, but it was also entertaining as Ice became flustered.
“Y-yeah,” he stuttered. Unsure how to respond, Pete just awkwardly looked around and walked back towards the exit.
The two of you remained in the precarious position, waiting for the coast to be clear. It felt like hours before Ice scooted his chair back and looked down at you.
“You are mean,” he laughed.
“What’s life without a bit of fun?” you laughed as you stood and draped your jacket over your shoulders.
“Thank you for hiding me, I enjoyed being on my knees for you,” you winked as you slowly walked away watching him.
SUMMARY when goose was rushed into the hospital, it felt like your life flashed before your eyes CWS mentions of blood, injuries, and hospitals, au where he's divorced because he's a good loyal boy who would never cheat ever, goose lives okay, hurt/comfort, not canon-conforming, brief mentions of sex WC 3k
i can see that this request was only sent to me eight hours ago... i see that and i raise you please send me more top gun requests guys i will get back to you in less than a business day top gun is my roman empire also i had a bad day so i needed this
the italic section is a flashback
When he was first brought in, it was rather clear to everyone that he probably wasn’t going to make it through the hour.
The bleeding had been intense, and there was a minor fracture to his spinal cord. You weren’t briefed on what happened when Goose was rushed in; you just knew that something had gone wrong. Something had forced him and Maverick to eject, but something was wrong with the canopy. There wasn’t really time for much more than a short debrief, so you had some context surrounding what may have happened, but even that context wasn’t much help.
Dealing with half-dead, mortally wounded men was something that you had expected and prepared for when you took the job as a nurse at the emergency hospital. Being a military nurse meant that you were going to deal with men who wanted to get laid, or men who weren’t ready to be laid to rest quite yet. You found that you far preferred the former when you were met with your first half-dead man.
But he wasn’t just any man, was he?
Goose was one of the kindest men you had ever met. He was one of the few men that you told right off the bat you would trust alone with your drinks for a prolonged period of time. He had sweet eyes and a laugh that sometimes caught you off guard. He seemed a little goofy, but in a way that was entirely too endearing to you when you got to look at him for long enough.
You remembered the first time that you met him.
He had been at the club with Maverick. It was still your first year on the job, so this was only the second class of Top Gun students that you’d encountered. The first had mainly been training for you. You didn’t know what you were doing most of the time, but you learned on the job. You learned that a lot of men came in with ringing or popped ears. You learned that a lot of them hit their heads and figured that the helmet mustn't have done its job since there was a bruise on their heads. You learned that they would leave, too. They were constantly in motion, even if you made friendships with some of them.
Goose had always been a little bit different.
- - - -
The music was loud, but the neon lights were painting your face in a blue and pink hue that Ruth - the nurse sitting beside you - said made you look like a ‘real stunner’.
Your cocktail was sitting on the counter in front of you, your fingers fumbling with the new bag that you had purchased earlier that morning. “You know, there’s really no need for you to pay. The new Top Gun class is probably gonna be here tonight, and those boys always offer to pay on the first night.”
“Yeah, well, I can pay. I’m good for it. I just think I got a faulty bag.” The clasp on the bag had been different from anything that you’d had before. You had no problem opening it in the store, or even when you were transferring your things into it, but now it seemed that it never had any intention of opening. “What do you think, Ruthie? I think that guy scammed me out of a hundred and fifty bucks for a bag that doesn’t even open.”
“Can I get water for me, and can I pay for this lovely lady’s… now what is that?”
“A cosmo, Lieutenant.”
“Right, I’ll pay for that.”
“Oh, no, you don’t have to- I’m just new to this purse.”
“Oh… shoot-well, too late.”
You barely had time to even acknowledge that there was someone behind you until he had already handed the bartender far more than what the drink cost and told him to keep the change. But Ruth only snickered and left you to it. Turning around, your eyes met those of a man with a mustache and brown eyes that made you want to look at him for a little bit longer than you already were. He didn’t seem like the typical buff guy that you would have expected to see. He looked good, sure, but he looked… sweet.
“Thanks, Lieutenant. I think I’m really bad with purses.”
His eyes wandered down to where you were still fumbling with the clasp, holding out one of his hands. No ring, you noticed. Why were you looking? You shouldn’t be looking, but you couldn’t really help it when he was standing right in front of you. “Bradshaw, but everyone calls me Goose. Do you want some help with that? I’m not really a purse expert, but I’m pretty good with buttons.”
When you coughed in response to that, his cheeks flushed in a way that told you that his Freudian slip wasn’t intentional.
“Sorry, I just mean-you know, on the… I fly.”
“Right.” You couldn’t help the way that you smiled at him, nor the way that you let go of your purse to drop it into his hands.
Moving over a bit so he had room, Goose took a seat next to you and fumbled with the clasp for a few moments before he finally found the key to it. There was a button on the side that pressed in, which you’d been pressing. But there was another button on the other side that had been covered by the fabric. Once he got it open, the smile that crossed his face was nothing short of disarming.
“See, I’m great with buttons.” He watched as you reached inside the purse to try to pay him back, but he just pulled your hands out before you could grab any money. “Absolutely not. See, I’m a gentleman, and I’m gonna pay for you unless you want my friend over there to help me sing you a song.”
Your eyes followed where he was motioning to, a dark-haired man who seemed to be watching with rapt attention filling your line of sight. So he must have been the one encouraging him to get out there and talk to someone… interesting. Most of the time, men didn’t really need someone to encourage them; they just did it. Maybe he was different.
“You know, Goose, I don’t normally trust guys around my drinks.” You commented, setting the purse down on the counter while you took a sip from the drink that he had paid for. “But, I’ve got a feeling I can trust you. Am I right in that assumption?”
“Dead on.”
- - - -
He’d been different the entire time you knew him. He was loud and funny, and he laughed and spoke his mind. He made jokes when he was coping with something serious, but he knew when to be honest and forthcoming. It was the second week of training when you ended up making out with him in one of the bathrooms. Goose made a habit of coming to the nurses because ‘something was wrong’. The way he complained about headaches was just so cute that no one could really deny him the medical attention that he needed.
The thing was, he didn’t really need any medical attention. He’d always say that his headache was cured the moment you were there. Or that he didn’t really get a bruise while he was flying, he just must have imagined it. He found a reason to see you every single day for the most part, so it was only natural that you ended up with feelings for him.
You’d found out that he was single pretty quickly; you found out why, too. He was a good boy. He didn’t sleep around, and he didn’t cheat, but every week that he was gone was torment because every time it was a near-death experience. It had been about three years since the divorce, and you knew he was still on good terms with his ex-wife. It had been amicable, for her own good. She was hurting too much, putting herself through too much to be healthy, and he could see it. He felt guilty. The guilt and the pain all mixed together just made it untenable.
It was only natural that you got closer to him, and certainly only natural that he wasn’t technically the one to ask you if you wanted to go into the bathroom with him. You’d asked.
He had just been so touchy, and so close, and so whiny about the fake headache that all you wanted to do was kiss him until he stopped complaining about a head pain that you both knew wasn’t real. So you did. You were the one to propose it, and he happily followed along. Ironically, the moment you suggested making out in the bathroom, his head stopped hurting.
Things continued like that for about a week and a half. You made out with him, he kissed back, and sometimes you considered sleeping with him, but you just weren’t ready for that. You weren’t ready, and you weren’t sure if he was. You got close, though. You went back to his sleeping assignments just to make out for hours. You promised that you’d have sex with him when you were ready, but that you didn’t want things to feel rushed. Things may be rushed because he was only here for five weeks, but you were certain that you didn’t want him to be one of the people to exit your life.
You slept in the same bed as him sometimes, talking about anything and everything until one of you fell asleep. Then you pretended like nothing had happened the next day. It wasn’t that you were embarrassed; you certainly weren’t embarrassed. Goose was the sweetest man you knew, and you couldn’t ever be embarrassed by anything that he did.
He didn’t pressure you to hook up; he didn’t ask you for anything that he knew you didn’t want to give him. He sang for you and said the most random things sometimes just because he knew it would make you laugh. Every single thing that he did as you both got more used to each other made you feel soft and gooey inside in a way that you weren’t sure that you ever had felt before.
So when you realized that Goose was the one that was being rushed in, when you realized it was Maverick who was fighting tooth and nail to get updates, you were a bit distraught.
The surgery was difficult; you mainly just handed over tools to the others because your hands were shaking too badly. You wanted to be one of the ones helping; you wanted to feel like you were making a difference. But, in the same vein, you didn’t want to make anything worse. The prospect of being the reason that something bad happened was enough to deter you from actually being the one holding the scalpel.
By the time it was over, Goose was in critical condition.
It had been days of him being asleep by now, days of either you or Maverick being at his bedside. You believed that it was just a good thing that it was your job to be there, to make sure that everything was alright, but Ruth and the other nurses were quite positive that it only made things worse. You were there all the time. Tending to him, refusing to let anyone else do it. Day and night, you were making sure that he was okay more than anything else, but you weren’t taking care of yourself, either.
On the third day, Maverick insisted that the two of you go out for lunch together. Neither of you was doing well, neither of you was even really eating, and if you were going to be miserable, then you may as well be miserable together. So you had lunch with Maverick, and then you were right back to work to make sure that Goose was stable; you couldn’t forgive yourself if you weren’t there if his condition changed.
After a week, it did.
You were there when it happened, though you knew that your shift change was soon. You would be forced by one of the other nurses to go home and get some rest, and you wouldn’t know how he was doing until the following day. But that didn’t happen as it had every other week.
Your fingers were lingering on the cup of water that you had brought into the hospital room with you. Someone had told you that you’d better get some fluids in you before you went home because they knew that you weren’t getting enough. But you’d set it down, deciding instead that you’d worry about that later. What they didn’t know didn’t kill them, right?”
It was a good thing that you did, because you certainly would have dropped the water the moment that you heard Goose trying to rasp out your name.
“Oh my-you’re awake?!” You rushed over to his bedside the moment that you noticed, lowering the bar so you could offer him the glass of water. One hand rested on the back of his neck, propping him up so he didn’t spill it. But he took a sip, he took a sip, and he blinked in a way that made it clear that he was somewhat aware. But he was also aware of some pain in his back.
“Wha-What happened? Do you have any medicine?”
“Yeah, shoot, yeah, give me a second.”
You rushed out quickly, grabbing the pain medicine that you were certain would be best for him. Moving back into the room, you helped him take it and helped him get adjusted before you moved to sit back in the chair beside him. Goose had other plans, though.
One of his hands was placed on your waist, pulling you weakly toward him. You went without any resistance, sitting beside him on the bed with your clipboard still in hand. It was unprofessional, you knew that. But you missed him, you cared about him, and you weren’t going to let him go a moment without knowing that if you had any say in the matter.
“What happened?”
“There was an issue with the canopy; it didn’t clear quickly enough, and you-” God, the report had been brutal, but he deserved to know the truth. “If you’d hit it an inch differently, you would’ve broken your neck. But you didn’t. You have a fracture in your spine from the way that it hit, but it won’t kill you. We’re pretty sure it won’t impair your walking, either. But you won’t be in the air again for a while.”
“I could’ve died?”
“Almost, yeah. But you didn’t.” You were really, really trying to keep it together, but you were losing your composure a bit. You were being honest, but you were being a bit withholding, too. “There was a lot of blood, Nick, like-a lot, a lot. Like… it looked like you had broken your neck when you got here, and you were unconscious and-we all thought-”
“Shh, come here. It’s okay.”
You were there with him in a moment, resting on him, holding onto him. And for just a brief second, it felt like you always did when you cuddled with him at night. But it was different. He was going to have to go home; he was going to need physical therapy. His entire life was going to change, and now it felt like you were the one who was going to have to make the choice to stay or go.
“I should be telling you that it’s going to be okay, not the other way around.” You murmured into his chest before finally lifting your head. “I should get Mav, he’s worried sick.”
“What time is it?”
“I don’t know, three?”
“In the morning?”
“Yeah.”
“Let him sleep.”
“He’s gonna be pissed, Goose.”
“Yeah, well, let him blame me. If Mav is worried sick, he’s not sleeping or eating, and he’s gonna be just as worried when he finds out I’m grounded until further notice. Let him sleep, call him first thing in the morning.”
A part of you wanted to object; you needed to call Maverick, but you knew that it was against his wishes. So you didn’t. If he wanted to make sure that Maverick got his rest, then you weren’t going to go behind his back and do the opposite.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice you using my legal first name there, either.”
“Ah, you’re still the same old Goose.”
“Won’t ever change, baby.”
You snorted against his chest, feeling a bit lulled by his heartbeat.
Everything had been rather terrifying. You were certain that he wasn’t going to be okay, but now you knew that he was. You knew, and you also knew that meant that you needed to make a choice. You loved your job, but you knew that it would still be there if you took time off to help him recover. You’d been so nervous about him being the one to go, and now you knew that you couldn’t be the one to do it, either.
“Goose?”
“Mhm?”
“I’m gonna come with you, wherever you go.”
He was quiet for a moment, thinking about what you were saying. Maybe some part of him wanted to tell you not to just switch up your life because something had happened to him. But he didn’t really want to argue with you about you going with him. He wanted you with him - he wanted to make sure that you were by his side whenever you could be. He liked you, and he didn’t have the energy to argue with you even if he didn’t. But he did, and if he had to take the time to recover, he wanted it to be with you.
“Okay.”
It was simple, but his voice was soft and earnest. You’d go wherever he went, especially after realizing fully how much you can’t bear losing him.
plot: Pete Mitchell may be magic or you may have just tripped into the right man's lap.
cw: fem!reader, Pete and reader becoming fast and good friends, mentions of the ejection accident, Goose lives, no beta and barely edited.
a/n: Is there even an audience for Goose fics???
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Nick Bradshaw was stuck comforting his best friend after another failed date. Pete Mitchell had gone out with a girl only for her to tell him she wasn't ready for the commitment of an aviator. It stung but Pete understood, even if he was upset that she turned down his offer for something casual. "Goose, I just wish the right girl would just fall into my lap," Pete told him, his voice loud on the crowded pier the two found themselves at.
There were families everywhere and the two had taken up a bench on the side of the walkway to chat while they decided on what to do next. "Mav, that's impossible. Your dream girl is not going to just fall into your lap," Goose told him and before the shorter man could respond, a female voice rung out.
"Oh my!" You shouted as a loose dog tripped you, you landed with a small oof on someone's lap. It took a moment for you to regain your bearings before shooting up from the stranger's lap. "I am so sorry," you rushed out, your face a mix of embarrassment and shame.
Nick and Pete both sat shocked, Nick's dream girl had just fallen into his lap. Pete looked at his friend, down to his lap, and up at the sky before wondering to himself if he had superpowers. "It's ok, truly," Nick assured you.
"I'm still sorry," you reiterated before sticking your hand out and introducing yourself.
"Goose or Nick and this is Maverick or Pete," Nick introduced himself and his friend.
"Aviators?" You questioned and he nodded. "It was nice meet you, but I should let you two enjoy the rest of your day," you went to leave but Nick's hand shot out to grab your arm.
"I just wanted to make sure you were ok, that didn't look like a gentle trip," Nick quickly asked, wanting to spend more time with you.
"Oh, I'm fine, I'm sure of it," you tried to wave him off but a glance down at your legs proved otherwise. You didn't exactly feel it, though you recall feeling it in the moment, but you had some pretty mean and slightly bleeding scratches on your shins.
Nick's gaze followed yours and he quickly shot up from the bench and let you take a seat. "Wait here with Mav, I'll go get something to clean those," Nick told you before rushing off.
"I think I'm magic," Pete randomly told you and you laughed at his words.
"And why is that?" You questioned, your eyes trained on him as you two spoke.
"I was lamenting about my horrible date last night and said I wish my dream girl would fall into my lap. Goose rebuked it and then bam! You, Goose's dream girl, falls right into his lap. I must have summoned you," Pete confidently told you.
You raised both eyebrows before glancing around. "Oh really? If you're magic, tell me why Nick would be my dream man," you challanged.
"He clearly is a gentleman," Pete went on to tell you all about Nick, the good and the bad, before he got back. By the end, and right before Nick was back with the supplies he went to find, you were already agreeing that Nick would be your dream man.
"Alright, I got what I could," Nick announced his arrival and you smiled at him.
"Are you going to help me clean them?" You questioned and watched as his cheeks went a nice shade of red.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
You weren't sure why you let yourself leave the pier without a way to contact Nick, but you did. And now you were cursing yourself as you threw on the apron of the small diner you worked at. The scratches had pretty much gone away over night, only leaving red marks from where you had been bleeding. So you went with light wash denim shorts with a deep red shirt tucked in. You wore deep red knee high socks to hide the scratches and to match the top with your normal converses.
It was a slower day, but you didn't mind. It gave you time to sit at the counter and chat with your friend in between customers. You were sitting there when you heard the bell chime but thought nothing of it. "I've gotta go greet the new table," you smiled at Bella, your friend, before standing and adjusting your waist apron. A bigger smile spread across your face as you turned to face the new table only to be greeted with the sight of Nick, Pete, and a group of men you haven't met. "Hi, welcome to Mama's Kitchen. Anything I can get you all started with?" You asked the table, pen ready to write drink orders down.
"It's her!" Pete loudly announced and you raised an eyebrow at him. "I was just telling them all how I'm magic," Pete told you before telling you everyone else's name. You couldn't help but pick up the disdain when he introduced Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.
"It's nice to meet you all, but drinks?" You refocused the question and quickly took them all down. "Alrighty, they'll be out soon," you smiled at them all before spinning around and leaving the table.
"How's the table of hotties?" Bella questioned and you beamed as you started pouring sodas and coffees.
"The one with the mustache is Nick," you informed her and saw her give him a once over before nodding at you.
"And you left the pier without getting his number? Insane," she mumbled, moving to greet a customer that sat at the counter.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
You debated really hard on whether or not to put your number on Nick's recipe. You did anyway, you quickly scribbled the 10 digits down before walking over to hand them all their recipes.
Now you were waiting to see if he actually would call you or if you were just reading the social cues wrong. You got off work only an hour after the group of men left and you kept telling yourself that he would call you when he had time. But now the sun was setting and you still didn't get a single call that day.
Then you heard the phone ring, you quickly rushed over to it and answered. "Hello?"
"Hi, it's Nick!" You heard the voice you've been waiting to hear all day.
"I was starting to think you weren't going to call," you told him, a small laugh creeping into your voice.
"I'm sorry, honey. I had to wait to use the phone here on base," Nick told you and your heart melted just a little bit.
"It's ok, how was your day?" You were starting to feel more grateful that you opted for the cordless phone. You moved back to your couch and turned the TV volume down a bit.
"It was better after I got your number, that's for sure," Nick joked before actually telling you about his day. You were a smiling idiot the whole time you listened to him but you truly didn't care. "How was yours?"
You launched into your own retelling of your day. "So, pretty much a boring day," you finished off your words with a small shrug.
"Doesn't sound that boring," Nick told you and you got the sense he wasn't even trying to sound nice, that's just was he genuinely thought. "Do you work tomorrow?"
"No, why?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to go out for lunch, my treat," Nick said and you couldn't help the giddy smile you had.
"I'd love to," you responded.
"I'll pick you up at 10:30 then?"
"Sounds perfect," you told him before giving him your address and confirming that dress code was casual. You both said your goodbyes and you hung up feeling more excited than you ever had.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
You've gone out with a few military men before, and each time they've been late. You didn't get the impression that Nick was that way, so you were ready with 10 minutes to spare. You were wearing light wash flared jeans, your Bowie shirt, and your heeled boots. You were grateful that you were ready early because as soon as the clock hit 10:30, there was a knock on your door.
Nick smiled wide when he saw you, a Hawaiian shirt and light wash jeans hung nicely from him. You were staring to get the feeling that he wore them his Hawaiian shirts a lot. "Well don't you look wonderful," Nick said and you couldn't help but shyly smile at him.
"You don't look too bad yourself," you replied.
"These are for you," Nick held a small bouquet of flowers out to you and you took them with a more assured smile.
"Come in while I put them in a vase," you told him, letting him in before closing the door behind him. You made quick work of getting into your kitchen to get the flowers in a vase. You noticed Nick looking around at your house and let him wander a bit.
"You have a nice house," Nick mused, turning back to face you as you set the vase on the dining table.
"Thank you, it's technically my aunt's but she moved out east so she lets me stay here," you informed him and smiled. "I'm ready if you are," you added on and Nick smiled as you both headed for the door.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Like a true gentleman, Nick opened every door for you and helped you in and out of his truck the entire date. Your date lasted the whole day and you ended it with a shy kiss pressed to Nick's lips before ducking into your house for the night.
You barely made it a few steps away from your door before a knock sounded. You spun around and opened it, curious on who was knocking. "Nick?" You realized he hadn't left your porch yet.
"I just couldn't leave without asking you to be my girl, honey," Nick announced and you smiled widely at him.
"Of course I'll be your girl, Nick," you told him. "Don't take this the wrong way, but would you like to come in?" You opened the door a little wider and Nick walked in with little hesitation. You led him to the couch and you both sat down, talking well into the night before Nick stayed in the guest room.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
You woke up the next morning to Nick making breakfast in your kitchen. The old sweatpants one of your friends had left at your house hung low on his hips and the Hawaiian shirt he wore the day before open and flowing as he moved. "Morning, honey," he called to you as you softly padded into the kitchen.
"Morning," you smiled to him as you poured yourself coffee from the freshly made pot.
"Breakfast will be done in a few minutes," Nick smiled at you and you gave him one back.
It felt natural to have Nick in your space but said nothing in fear of him thinking you were weird or moving too fast. When breakfast was done, you and Nick ate in mostly silence before he helped you clean up. Once he was done, he slipped back into the guest room before coming back dressed for the day. "Are you leaving?" You asked and Nick nodded.
"I am, sorry, honey. I've got to get to work to change before class," Nick told you and you nodded sadly. "I'll call you later tonight around 1800 if you'd like," Nick offered.
"That's 6, right?" You had to do the math in your head.
"Yeah, honey. It's 6," he gave you a smile before a small kiss. You melted into it before he pulled away, you walked him to the door and waved him bye as he drove off.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Nick was unusually happy the rest of the day and everyone picked up on it. When asked, Nick told them he had a wonderful day with you yesterday and knew he had found his dream girl. The boys teased and asked if he hooked up with you, but Nick assured them that noting of the sort happened.
Nick was lucky enough to get one of the base phones at exactly 6 and called your number. He already had it memorized, he figured it would be important for the rest of his life. "Hey, honey!" Nick called into the phone when you picked up.
"Hey, baby," you smiled into your phone, you had been waiting for his call since 5:55. "How was your day?"
Nick was still red from you calling him baby but he managed to answer in a voice he hoped didn't give it away. "It was good, the others teased me a little but," Nick kept talking and you listened to every word. Giving him a small hum or a small reaction to prove you were actually listening. You two talked for an hour and a half before calling it a night, a giddy feeling taking both of you over at the thought of this becoming something.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Maybe it was too good to be true, maybe everything you thought was there was only there to make you suffer when it was taken away. Pete showed up at your door with a solemn look on his face before breaking down in your arms. Nick had hit the hatch during ejection and was currently in the hospital, Pete had shown up to be your escort on the base.
Now you were sitting in a too cold waiting room with nothing being told to you since you weren't on his emergency contact list. You met a serious man who introduced himself as Viper, he was nicer to you than he was Pete but you didn't to focus on that. You wanted to see Nick, wanted to hold his hand again while you told yourself that he would be ok. "You two can go back and see him now," the nurse told you and you had never gotten out of a seat faster in your life.
Pete and you raced down the hallway of the hospital. Nurses, patients, and doctors alike probably thought you two were insane. When, really, you were racing to see the man you both cared for in vastly different ways. The door was open when you got there and you hesitated outside the door while Pete walked straight in.
You were suddenly second guessing everything, would Nick even want to see you? Should you let Pete and Nick have their moment before you rushed in? "Come on, he wants to see you," Pete gently grabbed your hand and led you into the room.
Nick was laid in bed with bandages wrapped around him and a soft but pained smile on his lips. "Hey, honey," he greeted you and you let yourself fall into the chair Pete offered you.
"Hey, Nick," you felt like a weight was lifted off your shoulders when he reached for your hand. You, Nick, and Pete all idly talked for a while before you had to leave. You wanted to call off work but they needed you, so you left with a kiss pressed to Nick's lips and a hug given to Pete.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Graduation brought upon a whole host of emotions for you. You were happy for Nick and Pete, but they were shipping out for a mission right after. You sat up front with some of the others who were there to watch the graduation, and smiled when you watched them all celebrate. "If it isn't Honey," Slider, or Ron you believed was his given name, threw his arm around your shoulders as he spoke.
"I'm sorry?" You laughed, confused on why he was calling you honey.
"Forgive me, but Goose here is incapable of using your name and I've forgotten it," Slider teased and you were trying to figure out if he truly forgot your name or not. Slider pulled you closer to him before speaking again. "Don't be surprised if he asks you to marry him before we leave for the mission," he stage whispered and you laughed lightly before Nick interrupted.
"Ok, you can let go of my girl now," Nick appeared next to you as Slider let go with his hands raised.
"Didn't take you as a possessive one, Goose," Slider joked as Nick wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you into his side. Slider walked off before Nick could respond, leaving you and him relatively alone.
"You're a TOP GUN graduate, how do you feel?" You angled yourself towards Nick, causing you to be even closer than you were before.
"Pretty good, I'll feel better if I could get a congratulatory kiss," he smirked but you obliged. Like the last kisses you've given Nick, his mustache tickled your upper lip but you didn't pull away until he did.
"You're lucky I like the look of your mustache," you mused, lightly poking his nose.
"Too prickly?" Nick teased, leaning in to tickle your neck with his mustache.
You were laughing a little too hard to properly answer but you were saved by Pete coming over and announcing your name. "Did you see? I'm the best pilot," Pete boasted as you finally got away from the tickle assault from NIck's mustache.
"I'm pretty sure I watched Iceman get top of your class," you raised an eyebrow as you spoke.
"Eh, a trophy's a trophy. That doesn't matter," Pete waved it off but you shared a look with Nick.
"It's killing you, isn't it?" You questioned and welcomed him dramatically throwing his half his weight onto you. You laughed as he told you all his woes before standing upright again.
"It should have been mine," Pete ended his rant right as Tom walked up.
"Sure it should have," you heard Nick muse before leaning in to whisper in your ear. "Watch these two interact," his eyes were trained on the two men as you directed your attention to them.
The two exchanged jabs and you raised an eyebrow. "Is it always so..." you trailed off trying to find the right words.
"Flirty? Yeah," Nick supplied and you heard the exasperation in his voice.
"Ah, are they so homophobic that they seem like this or is the closet light just off?" You kept your voice low as you spoke.
"Oh, the light is just off," Nick sighed and you laughed.
"Have you been stuck with this since the beginning?"
"Yes, somehow I am almost always there," Nick told you before Ron walked over to you two.
"I'm there when you aren't, it gets worse," Ron spoke and you laughed as you turned your head to face him. Your cheek brushed Nick's mustache as you did and he laughed when you scrunched your nose at the tickling feeling.
"Ah, so this is the first of many that I'm going to be stuck through," you sighed aloud, causing both boys to laugh. "Is it too late to ask for a divorce?" You looked at Nick and he laughed even harder.
"Past the return date, honey," he told you as Ron laughed.
"Damn, guess I gotta deal with it, or help it along. I haven't decided," you told the other two.
"Good luck if you try and help, I'm not sure either know how to turn on the light," Nick kept using your analogy.
"Woah, that's a good way to put it," Ron spoke.
"Thanks, I thought of it," you told Ron, your smile wide.
"Thought of what?" Pete spoke and the three of you looked at him and Tom.
"Going to celebrate with ice cream," you lied, a smile on your face.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
You waited at the dock in your flowy sundress as you watched the Navy men walk off the ship. You had been waiting for Nick to get back, it wasn't even long enough for you to send a letter to him or vise versa. You thought you were patient, but Bella told you that you had been spacey since he left.
You saw Pete walk off without Nick and your heart jumped into your throat. Did Nick not make it? Did you lose your future that was just getting started?
Your thoughts came to an abrupt halt when you saw Nick, a wide smile on his face. You met him halfway and gave him a big hug with a kiss. "Welcome home," you muttered against his lips, laughing as he dipped you back for another.
"A welcome home indeed," Nick told you right before Pete appeared.
"You two coming to the O Club?" Pete questioned,
"Is there another option?" Nick stated rhetorically.
"You could take me to bed," you offered, causing Nick to whip his head towards you.
"What?"
"You heard me, take me to bed or lose me forever," you raised an eyebrow and Nick smiled wide.
"Sorry, Mav," Nick shrugged at Pete before turning back to you. "Show me the way home, honey," Nick told you, letting you lead him away from your shared friend.
Touch starved pilots of your choice cuddling their s/o headcanons
characters written: pete 'maverick' mitchell, nick 'goose' bradshaw, tom 'iceman' kazansky, ron 'slider' kerner, leonard 'wolfman' wolfe, rick 'hollywood' neven, beau 'cyclone' simpson, bradley 'rooster' bradshaw, jake 'hangman' seresin, natasha 'phoenix' trace, robert 'bob' floyd, javy 'coyote' machado, mickey 'fanboy' garcia, reuben 'payback' fitch
sfw, but cut for length. enjoy!
Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell:
depends on what age you're thinking!
if it's young!mav, he's probably just a liiiitle reluctant to let himself relax sometimes
he's sort of got his tough guy persona, and he's not used to dropping it, so when you get him alone he tries messing around at first
whether that's a few too many kisses, or a pinch to your side, he guards himself a bit before letting himself go
but when he does, oh, he's like a little kitten !
he lets you run your hands through his gelled hair (gross)
and it gets all misshapen and spiky
he probably just melts when you pet his hair like that, and he'll be snoozing on your chest in no time
now older!mav is definitely less of a tough nut to crack
he probably initiates the cuddling in the first place, he nudges you over to the bed and lays himself on top of you to crush you
you can push at his chest and splutter all you want, but he's made his choice on where he's going to lay, and it's on you
he likes holding you, but he wants to be face-to-face, so you can brush noses and bump foreheads
he probably tries sooo hard to stay awake so that he can soak in the time you're spending together but peepaw definitely crashes like 10 minutes in
Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw:
he also likes to be face to face!
buuut not for the same sweet reason as mav
he just wants to itch you with his mustache
he likes nipping at you too, he bites your nose to make you laugh
you won't be getting any sleep when you cuddle with goose, he just wants to talk and laugh and hold you the entire time
it's not a period of time to wind down, it's a big laugh-fest
and god FORBID you try to get up to pee
“Nick, I have to go.” / “Sorry, honey. I can’t let go. I think my hand’s stuck.” / “NICK!!”
Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky
he’s another one who probably has just a bit of trouble letting his guard down
he’ll cuddle with you no doubt, but he’ll probably always keep you in his lap or have some sort of upper hand in the embrace
it takes a while before he’s ready to be held himself
when he does finally give in it's so soft and sweet :')
he's had a really hard day and he comes home with his eyes drooping
you've planned a movie night but he doesn't even look like he could sit through an episode of a tv show
so you lead him to bed instead, and tell him you're sleepy, cause he won't 'ruin' the night by admitting that he is
you ask to play with his hair and he lets you, but he's not sure why 'cause you just said you were tired??
you basically have to trick him into being held but once his head is on your chest and your hands are in his hair he's gone.
he ends up mumbling something all sleepy and groggy like 'mm, that's nice' and his eyes are half shut and he's so endearingly tired :')
he wants you to do it all the time now, I'd say it's about 50/50 whether you fall asleep holding him or he falls asleep holding you
Ron 'Slider' Kerner:
slider's a big boy!!!!!!!
he's big and tall and muscly, the perfect cuddle buddy
he's probably more inclined to hold than be held
but he likes it when you face him so you can wrap your arms around his back :')
he probably likes it when he's able to bury his face in your neck/shoulder/against the top of your head
like he always wants his face snuggled in somewhere warm and nice smelling
and it just so happens his chest is an excellent place to get lost yourself
so you most of the time just nuzzle right into each other and get to snoozin'
i think he'd talk real soft, too, he'd murmur against your ear while you're drifting off, probably boring you to sleep with technical details of his flights but just before you crash for the night he slips in a little 'i love you, honey' and <33333
Leonard 'Wolfman' Wolfe:
he's a loser for his partner it has to be said
almost as teasing as nick is but not quite
he'll let you fall asleep he just wants to talk to you AllTheTime because he LovesYouSoMuch
he's a chatterbox and you'll be lucky if you get to sleep at a decent hour
he really likes it when you lay your head on his chest
'cause he likes playing with your hair and your face :]
sometimes he'll just use you as a little stress toy and squeeze your cheeks and pinch your nose and poke at your forehead
always making silly little jokes and telling you all about his day
down to, like, every comment one of his friends made...
'and then slider said he was gonna kill him but hollywood ran, so then they were just chasing each other around and iceman said-' / 'babe.. can we sleep? please?' / 'oh! right, sorry baby.'
Rick 'Hollywood' Neven
listen there's a reason he and wolfman get along so well
they're BOTH teases!!!
cuddling with hollywood is not really relaxing, because he's always pinching your sides or putting his nasty cold feet all over you, or pretending to knock you out by fake-punching you a bunch
you're just laying there and he's 'punching' your stomach, making fake punch sounds with his mouth, and if you push him away he'll pretend you've absolutely knocked him out, tumbling down onto the mattress with this dramatic thump and closing his eyes and sticking his tongue out of his mouth like he's a dead cartoon character 😭
he's like a dog you have to get his energy out before trying to rest with him or he just Won't Rest
when you DO get him sleepy, though, he's kinda incoherent when he's tired, so you'll be cuddled up together, maybe you're scratching his back, maybe he's playing with your hair, and he's just sort of mumbling nonsense until he finally drifts off to sleep
Beau 'Cyclone' Simpson:
will not be held
sorry! not happening
he's just so big and beefy and authoritative that he doesn't much enjoy being coddled
he loves cuddling with you though, he gets very relaxed just laying with you
he's a casual toucher, i think, so you can rest your head on his shoulder at the airport, you can hold his hand at restaurants, whether that be over or under the table, he lets you hang all over him however you want
he's not super into in-your-face PDA, though, so you'll have to be polite and considerate about it
actually in bed though, under the blankets at night?
he's so much more cuddly than you'd expect
he wraps his big strong arms around you and tugs you close and lets you melt all over him <33
your favorite place to lay your head is probably his chest 'cause it's so broad and firm and nice <3
he's a good back rubber so cuddles are always soft and cozy and sleepy
Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw:
lord he's a cuddler
he's just a touchy guy, because he's probably gone without it for a significant amount of time so now that he's got you he's gonna enjoy it
big big big on pda, doesn't really care who sees
so that means cuddling in public, too
perfectly content to sit by the beach with you in his lap all cuddled back into his chest he doesn't care if anyone teases him
but back in bed he's a sucker for head scratches
if you have long-ish nails, enough to scratch at his scalp, he'll literally melt over you like an ice cream cone
his limbs go all gooey and he flops his head down on your chest, groaning and grunting while you scratch through his hair
he really enjoys sleeping on top of you, whether that be fully chest-to-chest 'you're suffocating me' cuddling or just an arm thrown over your stomach while he lays on his own
he likes being held, too, but probably prefers to hold unless he's having a hard day
Jake 'Hangman' Seresin:
big boy!! surprisingly fond of being held for everything we know about him
that cocky demeanor does not last under the sheets
he adores holding you, of course, he'll wrap his big arms around you and cradle your head to his chest
he probably plays with your hair, looooves it when you tangle your legs up with his own
he prefers if you talk to him rather than him talk to you if you're cuddling
cause he likes the sound of your voice and he loves hearing about your day
he tries to listen so attentively to what you're saying, but if you're taking a little too long telling him about that batty old customer that had visited the shop you work at today, his eyes are going to slowly start to droop and he's gonna let out a big ol yawn that means it's time for him to close his eyes
you always cut yourself off like 'sorry, jake. g'head, go to sleep'
and he insists you continue like 'nooo darlin' i wanna hear! keep going :]' except within two minutes he's dozing against the pillow while you talk about the old lady again
he's a simple man just talk soft and slow to him while snuggled up in his arms and he's gonna sleep no matter what you're telling him
Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace:
she really likes laying face-to-face with you!!
she's a fan of spooning, of course, she likes either burying her face in your back or letting you snuggle into hers
but she loves the intimacy that comes from being pretty much nose-to-nose with you
the type to lay there and chat with you mere inches away so that you're leaning in to kiss her all giggly and bashful every four seconds
she uses your cuddle time to tell you all about her teammates, what stupid shit jake said today, how bob almost tripped down the stairs, that fanboy's got a new girlfriend who wants to meet you, etc etc etc
but that means when you see them next you know all of the hot gossip about everyone and you giggle every time jake says something dumb and he's like WHAT.. WHAT IS IT.. WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME.. and you give nat this little ;) 'cause you'll definitely be talking shit about him later
she does this thing where she cradles the back of your head in her hand if you're face to face and she throws her leg over your waist and it gives you such intense butterflies that you need to close your eyes sometimes <3333
Robert 'Bob' Floyd:
cuddlebug <3
he loooves cuddling but if you do it face-to-face he's gonna need to be super close to you because he can't see without his glasses 😭
i'm taking like nose-to-nose so close that you have to cross your eyes to see him
otherwise he's pretty chill in what positions he likes
you love it when he reads to you
i think he might not be the most confident reader out loud but he does it anyways 'cause it puts you to sleep
he gets really sleepy really easily so sometimes it's best to refrain from cuddling in public
like you're out on the beach by a firepit and you're all snuggled up together but oops he can't enjoy his smores because he's sleeping on your shoulder
he loves it when you lay your head on his shoulder sm :'))
he wraps his arm around you and tugs you closer <3
Javy 'Coyote' Machado:
prefers holding to being held
probably a little less talkative than the rest, but that doesn't mean you never chat
he just has this insane ability to fall asleep anywhere, i'm talking slumped against the bus window, leaning against the wall, sitting on the ground, piloting his aircraft sorry
he likes staring at you, though, while he falls asleep :')
if you're talking to him he'll listen and nod and hum along and agree when he should, he's a very good listener
but slowly he'll start to fade a bit, and he'll sling his hand over your waist, smush his face into the pillow, and keep listening for as long as he can
slooooowly you start getting less responses from him, he's not reacting as much, but his eyes are always locked onto your face and he's got this lazy little smile on his face while he drifts off to sleep 'cause he gets to look at you the whole time :')
loverboy!!
Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia:
the most talkative in the whole wide world
cuddling with him is barely even cuddling, it's watching him act out his entire day
'and then payback went like this and- BAM! shot it down.'
and he's up on his knees in the middle of the bed with his arms out demonstrating exactly how they'd worked through their training exercises that day
and he is loud and energetic and you're half-asleep like 'that sounds awesome, babe.'
he isn't one to stay in one place really, he likes tossing and turning a bit before he falls asleep which means that you are also going to be tossed and turned
he's a really shifty sleeper too so you'll wake up with your face in his armpit
if you're really sleepy though, he'll settle down, he'll pull you into his chest and let you fall asleep there
but he'll probably be on his phone for a bit, he strikes me as a crazy night owl
Reuben 'Payback' Fitch:
out in two seconds
there is no conscious cuddling with him
why?
because the second his head hits the pillow he's snoring
you can cuddle up to him but if he's cuddling up to you he's doing it in his sleep
you're actually so jealous of him bc you lay down for the night and he tucks his chin over your head or he snuggles his face into your neck and that's it.
he's out.
he's a clingy sleeper, though, so if you wanna read for a bit or use your phone it might be kind of hard
honestly it really helps your sleep schedule to sleep with him 'cause sometimes he's entirely wrapped around you and you can't move
so there's nothing to do but sleep yourself
he's like a living furnace i KNOW that man runs hot
you probably wake up sweating a bunch if you're all snuggly with him
blanket stealer. he somehow manages to tear them off of the end of the bed where they're tucked in and cocoon himself
and then you wake up freezing cold
when i said he snores i mean it he snores loud
it's sort of comforting eventually? like at first it drives u insane
but over time you come to rely on it as white noise and you can't sleep unless he's all over you snoring right in your ear and drooling on your shoulder
TW: alcohol. (i think that's it), not edited[sorry]
W/c: 750
It was late on Friday night and you still hadn’t left work, every bar within the city would be packed by now but you needed a drink. You’d heard a few colleagues talking about a new bar just down the street, so you make your way down there. The first thing you see is a bunch of guys in dress whites, so you figure that this is the new navy bar. You find a nice, somewhat quiet spot at the bar and order your drink, while drinking you get a feeling that someone is looking at you. You start scanning the room and quickly saw a guy across the bar, and then you get eye contact, he quickly looks away and you go back to your drink.
After a while you start feeling eyes on you again, you look over to the guy but before you can send him a questioning look he looked back at his friend, who was probably talking about something he did at work, you figure because his arms are all up in the air and there are a bunch of girls around him. None of the girls seemed to care about the cute guy sitting next to him. Cute guy had pretty eyes, blond hair, and a moustache that looked so good, and that says something ‘cause not everyone can pull it off, yet he sure could.
Once you were done with your drinks you started packing your stuff, there was a line to pay for your tab, so you looked over at cute guy. His friend was pointing at you and smiling, looking like he was talking very highly of you. Next thing you know, cute guys friend is coming over in time for you to pay your tab, “Hi” he says, but before you can say it back he continues, “I’m maverick, and that’s my friend goose,” he says. You shoot him a look, “goose and maverick your mothers must have hated you” you say handing the bartender your card. “No, no, well maybe. They’re our call signs we’re in the navy.” He says. “Ahhh…” “So anyway goose tells me that you’re looking at him?” Now you’re getting confused, were you making him uncomfortable? Maverick must have seen your face changing ‘cause he quickly went on to say, “anyway, he’s too nervous to talk with you but maybe you wouldn’t mind talking to him?” “Oh, yeah sure.”
You and maverick walk over, but on the way maverick sees a girl so he leaves you. “Hi goose” you say once you get to him. “Hi” he says nervously, “lost maverick?”. “Yeah, yeah he um found a girl” there was an awkward silence but then he started some small talk.
In the midst of it, he realises that he doesn’t know your name, “can I ask you something?” He asks. “Yeah sure.” “Uh, what’s your name?” And you laugh awkwardly now realising that you never told him your name, “it’s y/n.” “Y/n, y/n” he says as if trying to taste it. “It’s pretty I like it.” “Thanks, I just realised I also don’t know your name.. just your call sign” “it’s Nick, Nick Bradshaw.” And you think to yourself that he looks like a Nick.
A few minutes later a girl comes over to the two of you, “your friend was amazing” she says, and you can’t help but chuckle.
“You wanna get some food?” Goose asks, “yeah sure, but um where? It’s late I don’t know any places that are open right now.” You answer with a question. “Yeah me too, you know we can go back to my place?” you're pretty sure he didn't mean it like others might have, and you chuckle as he realizes what he just said.
Instead of going to gooses place, he drives the both of you to a drive through and like a true gentleman, he paid for the food. He drove to the beach, and there you were laughing and eating with a complete stranger in said strangers car, in the middle of the night.
At the end of the night, goose drove you home and walked you to the door, you'd earlier given him your number. At the door he gave you a kiss goodbye, and as he walked away, you couldn't help but smile seeing him do a little dance halfway to his car.
Summary: When Y/n’s heart breaks under the weight of loving a man always just out of reach, she’s ready to walk away — until Nick shows up on her doorstep on Christmas Eve, begging for one last chance to make things right.
Thank you sm for this request, Anon <3 <3 And thank you for your patience while I wrote this little piece for the Holidays!
The light from your tv illuminated the living room, straining your already tired eyes. Every noise snapped your attention to the phone on the side table, anxiety halting your every breath as you desperately tried to relax on the couch.
Nick was supposed to call…it was Thanksgiving after all…but as the time approached 10 pm you began to believe that call may never come.
Carrying around the burden of missing him was hard, and each day that passed without a word allowed doubt to creep a little deeper into your heart.
By the time the phone actually rang, the sound of the crowd cheering on Oprah combined with your exhaustion made you think you were hallucinating. By the fifth ring, you were scrambling to answer, heart pounding as you pressed the phone to your ear.
“Hey,” his voice came through, crackling slightly, but unmistakably him.
A wave of relief washed over you, but it was quickly replaced with frustration and hurt.
“I was beginning to think I'd never hear from you,” you chuckled slightly, trying to bring your heart rate down.
“I know it’s been a while,” he sighed. “They’re working us pretty hard out here.”
“I know.” You gripped the receiver tightly, your knuckles whitening as you forced a smile he couldn’t see. “I just… Happy Thanksgiving, Nick.”
There was a pause, the silence hanging between you, heavy and sharp, and for a moment, you thought the line had dropped. But then he spoke again, his voice softer, a little remorseful. “Shit… Happy Thanksgiving, sweetheart.”
You swallowed, willing yourself to keep your tone steady. “I’m sorry I couldn’t call earlier,” he continued, his voice dipping low, almost apologetic. “It’s hard to keep track—”
“Yeah,” you cut him off, nodding as if he could see. You leaned your elbows on the arm of the couch, the sounds of laughter from Oprah’s show filling the silence he left.
There was another pause, longer this time, before Nick tried to break the tension with a small laugh. “So… what are you thankful for?”
Your throat tightened at his question, grip on the phone going slack for a moment. What were you thankful for? The question felt like a cruel joke, bringing up everything you’d been bottling up, every dark thought you tried to push away each lonely night.
“What am I thankful for?” you repeated, your voice low, trembling as you forced a laugh. “I don’t know, Nick. I guess I’m thankful for… days that feel a little less empty than others. For distractions. For work. Things that keep me from noticing just how alone I am.”
You could picture him on the other end, taking in your words, and for a moment you wanted nothing more than for him to break down the distance, to say something that would pull you back from the edge.
The silence that followed was sharper, and you could almost picture his face on the other end, the guilt in his eyes. But he didn’t say anything, didn’t reach across the distance between them to reassure you, to tell you it was all going to be okay.
“Y/n…” he finally said, his voice softer, pained. “I know this is hard. But I’m doing my best. You know I’d be there if I could. You know that, right?”
Your throat tightened, the anger simmering just beneath the surface, impossible to contain. “Do I?” you whispered, your voice shaking. “Because sometimes it feels like you’re out there living this whole other life — a life that I’m not a part of. You say you’re thinking about me, but it’s just… words, Nick. Words don’t keep me warm at night. They don’t make up for the fact that you’re not here.”
“I’m trying, Y/n,” he replied, his voice breaking slightly. “You think it’s easy for me? I’m out here, day after day, thinking about you, wanting to come home, and—”
“Then why does it feel like you’re slipping away?” you interrupted, your voice barely above a whisper. “Why does it feel like… like I’m holding on to something that doesn’t even exist anymore?”
He sighed, the sound heavy, filled with a frustration that was as deep as hers. “I thought you understood what this life would mean for us,” he said, his tone sharper than you’d ever heard it before. “I thought you knew that I couldn’t just drop everything—”
“God, Nick, I know you can’t just drop everything,” you snapped, your voice raw, tears spilling over as you spoke. “I’m not asking you to be perfect. I just need to feel like I still matter to you. Like… like you’ll remember to fucking call me on Thanksgiving.”
He was silent, and the quiet that followed was more painful than anything he could have said. It felt like the final nail in the coffin of something they’d both clung to, something that had been slipping through their fingers, too fragile to hold onto.
“Maybe we’re asking too much of each other,” he said finally, his voice barely a whisper, and your heart shattered at the sound of it, at the resignation you could hear in his words.
Your voice broke as you tried to respond, your throat tight with the grief you’d been carrying alone for so long. “So… what? Are you saying we should give up?”
“I don’t know, Y/n,” he whispered, and you could hear the ache in his voice, the same ache you felt, stretching across the miles between you. “Maybe we both need to figure out what we really want.”
A sob slipped out, and you covered your mouth, trying to hold yourself together, but it was already too late. “Fine,” you whispered, your voice breaking. “Maybe we do.”
For a brief moment, you thought he might take it all back, that he might say something to bring you back from the edge. But then he just muttered softly, “Take care of yourself, okay? I love you.”
And then the line went dead.
You sat there in silence, clutching the phone to your chest, tears falling unchecked. The sounds of Oprah’s audience laughing and cheering on the TV echoed around you, filling the room with a painful reminder of a happiness that felt so far away.
As you sat alone in the dim glow of the television, the emptiness you had been feeling for months finally settled in.
–
The house was warm and full of life, Christmas lights twinkling from every corner, laughter and the smell of cookies filling the rooms. Y/n’s family had always gone all out for the holidays, and being around them brought you a comfort you hadn’t felt in a long time. You smiled, trying to savor the warmth and joy, but it only magnified the empty space in your chest where Nick’s absence had settled like a shadow.
You had tried to convince yourself you were moving on, that this was for the best, but every time you looked at the empty spot on the couch next to you, your heart ached. Your family had asked about him, asked why he wasn’t there, but you brushed it off with a smile, saying he was still deployed.
Then, amidst the hum of conversation and the soft strains of Christmas music, there was a knock at the door. You barely registered it at first, assuming it was one of your cousins arriving late. But your mother’s voice broke through, calling your name. “Y/n, honey, I think this one’s for you.”
Frowning, you made your way to the front door, your heart pounding before you even turned the handle, a faint, impossible hope sparking within you. And when you opened it, the world seemed to still.
There he was. Snow clung to his denim jacket and the ends of his hair, his cheeks flushed from the cold. His eyes found yours immediately, and the look on his face — raw, pleading, full of longing — broke your heart all over again.
“Nick,” you whispered, your voice barely carrying over the faint hum of Christmas carols from inside.
“I thought you’d be here” he smiled, his voice low and unsteady, “I went to your apartment, but you weren’t-”
“I came here,” you gestured inside the house, “whole family’s here this year…”
You could see the vulnerability in his eyes, the weight of everything he’d been carrying too. You hesitated,glancing back over your shoulder where your family laughed, oblivious to the storm raging inside your heart. With a quiet nod, you stepped outside, shutting the door behind you and wrapping your arms around yourself.
You stood there in silence for a moment, the snow falling softly around you, the quiet too heavy, filled with the things neither of you had said in a month.
“When did you get back?” You spoke up, eyes raking over his sleep-deprived face.
“Monday,” he hummed, the normalcy of the conversation somehow making you feel even worse about it all.
“I shouldn’t be here,” he started, voice barely above a whisper. “I know I shouldn’t just show up out of nowhere, not after everything… but I couldn’t let things end the way they did.”
Your throat tightened, every word tugging at your heart, filling you with an overwhelming mix of love and pain. “Nick…I didn’t think deployment was gonna be so hard for us…I didn’t think it’d make me feel like I mean’t nothing to you…” your voice broke on the last word.
He took a step closer, his hand reaching out before he dropped it, unsure. “You don’t know how much I hate myself for that, for leaving you with so many doubts. I was so focused on… on my duty, on being strong out there. I thought if I could just push through, I could come back and make it right. But I see now that I was wrong. I hurt you, and I never wanted that.”
You shook your head, hugging yourself tighter. “I love you, Nick. I never stopped. But… loving you hurts. Every time you go, every time you leave me behind, I have to live with this emptiness. And I don’t know if I can keep doing that.”
He swallowed hard, his gaze dropping, and you could see the pain in his eyes, the guilt he carried. “I don’t want to keep hurting you. But I also don’t know how to stop loving you, Y/n. I’ve tried… but you’re all I think about. You’re home to me. And I can’t imagine a life where you’re not part of it.”
Your chest tightened, the longing in his voice piercing straight through your defenses. “Nick, if we do this, I need you to be here for me. I need you to reach out, to make me feel like I’m not just waiting for someone who might never come back.”
“I can do that,” he said, stepping closer, his eyes locking onto yours. “I swear, I’ll be better. I’ll call, I’ll write — whatever it takes. I’ll never leave you in the dark again. Just… please. Give us another chance. I can’t lose you.”
You felt your heart breaking and mending all at once, his words both a balm and a fresh wound. Slowly, you reached out, your hand finding his, the warmth of his skin grounding you, and in that moment, you knew you couldn’t let go. No matter how much it hurt, your love for him was stronger. The ache would always be there, but so would he.
With a shaky breath, you nodded, feeling the last of your resistance fade. “Okay,” you whispered, your voice thick with emotion.
His face softened, a look of relief flooding his eyes as he took your hands in his, pulling your close, wrapping your in his arms. You let yourself sink into him, feeling the warmth of his embrace thaw the hurt you’d held onto, if only for this moment.
“Thank you,” he murmured into your hair. “Thank you, Y/n. I love you… so much.”
You stood there for a while, wrapped in each other’s arms, the snow falling softly around them as the pain began to melt away.
Finally, you pulled back, a small, hesitant smile tugging at your lips. “Come inside,” you said, your voice steadier now. “My family’s here, and… well, they’ve been asking about you.”
He nodded, smiling as he squeezed your hand, and together you stepped back into the warmth and light of the house. As you entered, your family looked up, and your mother’s face broke into a grin, welcoming Nick with open arms. You held onto his hand, feeling the warmth of his presence beside you, and for the first time in weeks, you felt whole.
It wasn’t going to be easy — you both knew that. But as you shared glances across the room, love shining in your eyes, you felt a spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, you could make it work, you could take care of each other.
synopsis: You had a thing for the night sky since you can remember, and Goose loves sharing in your obsession.
warnings: hallucinations, dying, character death, mentions of graphic injuries, cursing, mentions of cheating, mentions of pregnancy, mentions of an affair, pre-death anxiety
word count: 1.4k
“There’s so many stars tonight”
It was strange, looking up at the inky black sky that stretched over the Southern California beach. Usually, the lights and smog from the city that never sleeps blocked the stars from shining, but not tonight. It seemed as though every star in the sky was shining bright.
“I remember being at boot camp,” You sighed, placing your hands behind your head, “And when we did the stupid over leg pull, and staring up at the stars. It was like a game to keep me sane. Which constellation would I find that morning?”
The memory of those early mornings in the Great Lakes, the chill from the ground as the earth cooled, staring up at the last remaining moments of night before the sun took over and it became scorching. Unlike some of the guys in your class, you had to take the long way to get to where you are in the Navy. Joining at age 18, shipping out just days after your high school graduation to the Great Lakes Training Center for 10 weeks, and then off to tech school in Virginia Beach. After that, you went to UVA, joined ROTC, graduated with your degree in political science, and then applied to flight school. It was then that you met him, and ever since then the two of you had an inseparable bond. You two crossed that sacred line between friend and lover one too many times to count, but it never went farther than late nights sneaking into each other’s bunk rooms while at sea.
“Orion was the easiest to spot,” You said, turning your head to look at the man laying in the sand next to you. Goose’s brown eyes shimmered in the moonlight, as he turned to look at you. A soft smile graced his face.
“You and the stars,” He responded.
“They’re just so interesting!” You exclaimed, “The stories behind the clusters.”
“Yeah, well, what does that one mean?” Goose challenged, pointing towards a constellation.
It took you a moment, as your eyes squinted trying to connect the dots and lines in the sky, “That’s scorpio. He brought down Orion, the mythical hunter by stinging him. He lies in a different part of the sky at a different time. It is said that Orion is fleeing as Scorpio rises.”
You weren’t entirely sure when your fascination with the night sky started. It started long before you had entered the Navy, but being a pilot didn’t help the obsession any. If anything, it has made it worse. There were many nights, being in the middle of the sea, where you would lay on the flight deck, staring up at the night sky. If you were on assignment with Goose, he usually joined you, revealing in the silence. He loved Maverick, but there were sometimes he just needed to get away from his short, loud, friend. The two of you had spent many hours on top of the flight deck, lying in silence while looking at the stars. Occasionally, Goose would quiz you, asking you about the constellations and the one-off planet that could be seen from earth. It was actually Goose, who had given you your callsign way back in flight school, all based on your love of the stars.
“What about that one, Nebula,” Goose pointed towards another constellation.
“Andromeda, the chained lady,” You rattled off, “She was sacrificed to try and save a kingdom that Poseidon tried to flood. She was chained to a cliff for a sea monster to eat.”
“Sheesh, that’s brutal,” Goose hissed, “I would never chain you to the side of a cliff to be left for a sea monster to eat.”
You looked at him, love and admiration in your eyes, “Thanks, Goose.”
The silence stretched back between the two of you. It felt right. Lying in the warm, white sand beneath the glow of the stars, next to the man that you had fallen so deeply in love with. You knew that you were torturing yourself by not being able to move on from him. He was married now, and you liked Carole. He even had a child, Bradley, who was the splitting image of his father. But you just couldn’t do it, you couldn’t give up on the possibility that maybe one day, he would act on the feelings you knew he had for you. There had been several moments since your arrival at TopGun, the stress and tension getting to you both; you having to prove that you could be there next to your male counterparts and Goose, needing to prove that him and Mav hadn’t soloed under a lucky star, where you almost acted on impulse. But every time those feelings were brought up, you would stop yourself, too scared to do anything.
“What about that one?” Goose asked.
“Ah, you found the big dipper, probably the most recognizable star in the sky.”
“And why is that?”
“There’s a lot of history behind it,” You said, “One of the stars that make up the big dipper is the North Star. During slavery times, the enslaved people would find the big dipper, and the North Star, and follow it to freedom. However, in Arabian lore, the big dipper is associated with funerals.”
It was interesting to you, how such a star could have two very different meanings. It was the beauty in the stars, you assumed. Everything had two sides to it, a beautiful side and a dark side. It was like you and Goose. The two of you had such a beautiful friendship, years of camaraderie and flying in the sky next to one another. You trusted Goose with your life, and him too. Goose would consider you a closer friend to him than Maverick was. The two of you complimented each other, you the serious one, him the goofball. You understood Goose on a different level than Mav did. But just like there was beauty in the friendship, there was also darkness. You were the one he ran to when Carole first told him she was pregnant. You were the one who held him when he cried and told you that he couldn’t be with you because he had to “do right by Carole, and marry her.” You were the one he told he was scared that Mav would one day get him killed, and he feared never being able to be the father he wanted to be.
“Why don’t you follow it?” Goose asked.
Your eyebrows furrowed, as you pushed yourself up on your elbows and looked at him, “What?”
“To freedom,” Goose said, nodding his head towards the star, “Why don’t you follow the star to freedom? Better than waiting for your funeral.”
“Goose,” You shook your head, “I-I don’t. . .”
“Y/N,” Goose whispered to you, “Baby.”
Suddenly the warm sand that once surrounded you, was replaced with cold snow. The gentle crash of the waves turned into the howling of winter wind against your face. You looked down at your body, finding your tattered flight suit in place of the yellow sundress you thought you were wearing. Your hands were covered in blood, chapped and cracking from the biting cold. The scent of gentle sea breeze and salt was now the all too familiar scent of jet fuel and smoke. Your lips felt dry, and your eyes welled with tears as you looked around.
“Nick,” You said, barely above a whisper.
His eyes were still soft, but instead of his normal tanned face, an ugly purple, bloodied bruise blemished his face. It all came back to you, as this was the way he looked the last time you had seen him, when the Coast Guard had landed back at Top Gun to unload his body. A sob racked your body as you realized what had happened to you.
“Oh god! Oh god!” You held your face in your hands.
“Shh, shh,” Goose cooed, wrapping his arms around you, “We almost made it.”
“I’m gonna die,” Your breathing picked up as your heart hammered in your chest. You knew about pre-death anxiety, but you never knew that you would feel it like this. The thought of dying out here, alone in the wilderness, where no one was here to find you, was terrifying. But the one comfort you did have, was the hallucination of your best friend next to you.
“Don’t leave me,” You leaned into his body, “Please.”
Goose shifted, his hands holding your face, “I can’t stay,” You closed your eyes as he kissed your forehead, “I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” He said against your skin, before disappearing into the night sky.
Pairing: Nick "Goose" Bradshaw / Fem!Reader (Nicknamed Honey)
Word Count: 1.5k
This work, all my works, and my entire blog is 18+ Only.
Warnings: Accidents; Referenced Bad Dates; Slight Self-Loathing; Female Reader with No Description, No "Y/N" or "You," Nicknamed "Honey"
Summary: Goose goes on a bad date and wants to give up. Maverick tells him that he just can't sit around and wait for the perfect girl to come around. Except fate has other plans.
Note: Set pre-Top Gun 1986. No Carole in this universe. She's off living her best life elsewhere. Bradley's not here (but maybe he'll come later? We'll see)
Master List
“I’m hopeless, Mav! Absolutely hopeless!” Goose complained, holding his face in his hands.
“You are not hopeless,” Maverick assured Goose, though his expression gave away his real opinion. “Just a little . . . rusty.”
The two were walking down the boardwalk after a disaster of a double date with two women that they met in town. And to say that it was a complete mess would have been generous. It all started with a spilled glass of water and ended with Maverick getting whacked in the face with a purse while defending Goose’s honor.
“Mav, let’s just face facts,” Goose sighed, turning to his pilot and best friend. “I’m hopeless, I have no idea how to impress women, and I’ll probably die alone because of it.”
“Goose, you’re overreacting,” Maverick cut in, clapping his best friend on his shoulder. “She just wasn’t the one. Anywhere near the one. But, hey, there’s got to be some girl out there who’ll be the perfect match to you. I can sense it.”
“But where the hell is she Mav?” Goose sighed, starting to walk along again.
“I don’t know, Goose, you’ve got to go out and look for her. The perfect girl isn’t just going to fall into your arms,” Maverick replied, shaking his head.
“Watch out!” a voice suddenly called out.
Goose turned just in time to see a woman on a pair of roller skates heading towards him. He had about a split second to react. Reaching out his arms as a reflex, Goose managed to catch her as she tripped on the uneven wooden paneling on the ground. Her momentum caused them to both dip towards the ground until they were rolling together.
Goose managed to stop their rolling and found himself staring down at the most beautiful woman that he had ever set his sights on. She stared up at him with wide eyes, panting a bit, and resting her hand on his firm chest. He didn’t know her name, but Honey just felt right. She looked sweet, just like honey, and he wouldn’t mind a—no, Goose, no, he scolded himself.
“Hi,” Goose breathed out, memorizing by the literal angel that crashed into him.
“Hi,” Honey returned, similarly dazed.
“Jesus Christ, are you two alright!?” Maverick yelled, startling the two of them back to reality.
“I’m so sorry!” Honey immediately yelped, trying to scramble up. “Are you hurt?”
“No, no, I’m fine,” Goose replied, getting up and keeping a hold on her hand to steady her. “Just a little dust. Nothing more.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, glancing over his form for any scratches.
“Yeah, it’ll take more than that to take me out,” Goose chuckled, holding her steady as she slipped a bit on her skates. “Are you alright?”
“Just a bit embarrassed,” she sighed, grabbing Goose a bit tighter. “This is what I get for trying to be someone that I’m not.”
And no sooner had she finished her sentence then Honey slipped towards the ground. Luckily, Goose had quick reflexes and managed to wrap his arms around her before she fell to the ground again. Of course, his maneuver ended up with her hanging in his arms like they were dancing partners and he was dipping her for some romantic move, which caused them both to grow even more flustered.
Maverick glanced between Goose and Honey with wide eyes. Glancing up at the sky and then down at his own hands for a moment, Maverick quietly wondered if he somehow summoned this woman to this exact spot.
“Why don’t we get you over to a bench?” Goose suggested with a chuckled, straightening her up again.
“That’s probably for the best,” she agreed, letting Goose help her over to a wooden bench.
Carefully setting her down on the bench, Goose kneeled down in front of Honey and started to untie the skates on her feet. Maverick hid a smirk behind his hand when he saw just how flustered and pleased Honey looked as Goose helped her with her skates.
Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Goose just needed to stand there and let fate do the work for him.
“There, now you’re safe,” Goose joked, setting the two skates beside her on the bench.
“Thank you,” she replied meekly, still highly embarrassed. “And I’m so sorry about running into you.”
“Don’t sweat it,” Goose assured her with a kind smile. “But, can I ask why you’re skating around the boardwalk if you . . .?”
“Can’t skate?” Honey offered with a laugh. “My friend somehow managed to rope me into it.”
“Where’s your friend then?” Goose asked her.
The call of her actual name caused Goose, Maverick, and Honey to turn around to see another woman quickly skating towards them. She was more than likely the friend who indirectly caused the whole interaction based on the way that Honey sheepishly waved to her.
“Penny, I told you that this was a bad idea,” Honey sighed, gesturing towards the skates. “I was this close to going into the water. And I accidentally tackled him along the way.”
“Better than most linebackers,” Maverick joked, smiling brighter as he turned to face Penny. Well, if Goose got a beautiful girl to pay attention to him, why should Maverick get the same opportunity? “I’m Pete, Pete Mitchell. But you can call me Maverick. And the sack of potatoes that your friend took down is my RIO Goose.”
“Goose?” Honey repeated, sounding confused.
“You two are naval aviators?” Penny asked curiously, glancing between Maverick and Goose with newfound interest.
“It’s a callsign,” Goose explained to Honey. “My real name is Nick. You can call me whatever you prefer. I answer to both.”
“Goose somehow seems to fit you more,” Honey mused, turning to Goose again with a bashful smile.
“I think so,” Goose agreed, his cheeks literally aching from how hard he was smiling.
“Are you two free the rest of tonight?” Penny asked, shooting a knowing smirk at her friend. “We were just going to grab some dessert down at the end of the boardwalk. If you two are interested.”
“Well, it would be completely rude and downright unchivalrous if we didn’t take them up on their offer. Wouldn’t it, Goose?”
“It would,” Goose quickly blurted out before he turned to Honey. “Unless, of course, you think it wouldn’t be.”
“No, no, you should come,” Honey agreed, grabbing his hand. “So that I can properly thank you for the mess that I created.”
“Well, I can’t say ‘no’ to that,” Goose stated with a wide smile.
“Great, it’s settled! Let’s go,” Penny urged, gesturing down the boardwalk.
“Penny, we should grab our real shoes first,” Honey insisted, standing up. “I can’t walk barefoot all the way down there. And the parking lot is just up there.”
“I can carry you,” Goose offered, causing Honey’s eyes to widen a bit.
“Are you sure?”
“Don’t let the chicken frame throw you off,” Maverick vouched on Goose’s behalf. “He’s stronger than he looks.”
“Thanks, Mav,” Goose hissed out, shooting his best friend a look.
“Great! Goose will carry you to the car and then we’ll all grab dessert together,” Penny stated, leaving no room for argument.
“You don’t have to carry me,” Honey assured Goose, but he simply smiled in return.
“No, no, I insist. Here, you can climb up onto my back,” Goose offered, turning around.
With some careful maneuvering, Honey clambered up onto Goose’s back and the new group of four headed up to Honey’s car. Goose and Honey fell into their own separate conversation from Penny and Maverick, who seemed to have instantly clicked. They reached Honey’s car in no time and with a quick shoe change, they were on their way down to the ice cream shop.
“So, what would you prefer me to call you?” Goose asked Honey, who smiled up at him.
“You can call me . . . tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? What kind of—oh,” Goose quickly caught on, causing Honey to giggle a bit. “Sorry, that wasn’t smooth at all.”
“I think it’s cute,” Honey replied, smiling at Goose bashfully.
“I think they’re so cute,” Penny whispered to Maverick, grabbing his arm lightly. “It’s been so long since she felt confident around a guy. She gets flustered so easily and they all make fun of her.”
“Goose isn’t like that at all. He’s a complete gentleman,” Maverick assured Penny, glancing back at Goose and Honey. “And between you and me, his confidence has been shot. The last couple of dates that he’s been on were disasters.”
“Who knows? Maybe they’re just what each other needs,” Penny mused before turning to Maverick. “So, tell me about yourself, Maverick.”
