#Natasha “Phoenix” Trace

[paperjunk]

That smile.

#top gun maverick #top gun #rooster #bradley bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw #natasha phoenix trace #Natasha “Phoenix” Trace #Natasha Trace #mygifs #mygifedits

[itosevenito]

I Loved You Like The Sun

For @mapled-penitentiary

Summary:

Rooster always knew his dads had a love for planes, he just didn’t expect Maverick to own a goddamned warplane or a hangar for that matter

Rooster

Bradley had had his suspicious when Maverick gave him and the rest of the Dagger’s his house location– which turned out to be in the middle of a goddamn desert. He double checked google maps as he pulled up. He looked around at the almost completely baren landscape and the seemingly worn and unused hangar before feeling a rush of relief in his chest as he spotted Hangman’s ute and Phoenix’s jeep off to the side of the tarmac. He quickly exited his bronco, slung his trusty duffle over his shoulder before he made his way over to the crowd of confused aviators. 

“Bradshaw!” Phoenix called, a touch of relief to her tone, “Do you know where the hell we’re meant to go?” Bradley strolled up to them, finding that more than half of them had their phones in their palms and were gawking intensely at google maps. “Why would I?” He questioned, his brows furrowed. 

“Trusty Bradshaw, as usual.” Hangman snarked, leaning over Javy’s shoulder as the pilot scrolled. Bradley’s eyelid twitched. “God damn it, I think he gave us the wrong address.” Fanboy moped, slumping as Payback nodded solemnly. “That would explain how we’re all here,” Bob muttered, taking a look at their surroundings just as Rooster had. 

Bradley narrowed his eyes, he knew Maverick had some brain damage problems– but to muck up his own address? That was a new skill. But they were all definitely in the right state– Maverick had been there with them as they purchased the tickets after all. He let his duffle slip off his shoulder slightly as he reached into his jeans to fish out his phone. Without a shred of hesitation, he clicked on the old man’s icon. 

“Everyone shut up!” Phoenix shouted as the dial tone rung out. Everyone immediately shut up as Maverick answered. 

/Hey kid, you get into the state alright?/ Maverick’s bubbly voice asked from the other side. Bradley didn’t miss the awwing noises the other aviators made. 

“Yeah Mav, we all made it alright.” 

/Oh that’s good! When will you be arriving?/

“Uh… Mav about that.”

/… are you alright now? No accidents?/ 

“No, no!” Bradley was quick to reassure, “No, no not at all, we’re all in perfect health. It’s just, we think you may have given us the wrong address.” 

/Odd. You wanna run the address through me now?/ Maverick offered. Fanboy took that as a cue to rat out the address they all had present in their phones. An amused chuckle filtered through from the other side. 

“Something amusing, Pops?” Hangman asked, looking sour. 

/Kind of you to ask, Lieutenant. Yes, there is something I am finding incredibly amusing/

“I knew it,” Bob whined, throwing his head back, “We got the wrong address.” Bradley resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, already feeling the dread of another long, tiresome car drive coming up. 

/Gimme a sec, aviators/ Maverick said, a huff accompanying his words. Bradley stared at the phone as did his fellow pilots. What on Earth was the Captain doing? Had he forgotten his address and had it written down somewhere else? What startled the living shit out of him was that the doors to the rusty, old hangar creaked open. Fanboy startled and the rest of them stared in blatant horror. 

What was in there? 

“Morning aviators!” A familiar voice chortled from inside the hangar. Bradley’s phone nearly clattered to the ground along with his jaw. Leaning on the now open door was Maverick, in a white tee and a pair of blue denim jeans, and he was slathered in grease. None of the Daggers standing abreast with him moved nor twitched– they were almost like statues, which Bradley imagined was extremely fitting. 

Maverick’s beaming smile never faltered. “What, you not comin’ in? Well, I guess it’s hot today, young people still like to tan right?” He asked, mirth dripping from his tone. Phoenix – to no one surprise – was the first to recover. “If you don’t mind me asking, Sir, what uh, what exactly is this?” Maverick’s smile dipped a little as he leaned out and looked up at the hangar, “It’s an old United States Navy hangar. Can’t you read?” 

Bradley didn’t know what to say (he was not gifted in having a speedy reaction time like Natasha), he didn’t even know what to do. How long exactly had Maverick had this place? And how long had he been alone for? In the middle of fucking nowhere, in an old decommissioned hangar? At least… he hoped it was decommissioned. 

“With all due respect, Sir, this– wasn’t exactly what we had in mind.” Payback spoke up unsurely. “Oi, don’t judge just yet, aviators, you haven’t even seen inside.” Bradley stifled a groan at that– did he even want to see inside? The first to move was Bob and Fanboy, with the latter of the two looking far more intrigued than five minutes ago (had he even been here for five minutes…??) 

Bradley met Phoenix’s exasperated look before following after the WSOs. 

As the group of pilots moved out of the warm golden rays of the sun, they were blasted with a fresh, cold stream of air in an almost pitch black hangar. Bradley squinted his eyes, thinking he could make out a large black… shape looming over them. Or that was his eyes making up shit, they’d been doing that ever since the uranium mission, damned concussions. 

“Sorry ‘bout this, didn’t realise you’d be two hours early.” Maverick’s voice was saying from… somewhere. Bradley clicked his phone on and realised they were in fact exactly two hours early. Huh. “Pops, does this place have lights, or do you just have night vision?” Jake asked from his place in the middle of the two rusted steel doors. “Oh, it’s easier to work in the dark,” the older pilot made a hissing sound and a clatter of objects followed in its wake.  

Bradley edged forward slightly, careful to wave himself around the attached forms of Mickey and Reuben, and approached the large silhouette that looked over him ominously. He squinted further, attempting to outline the edge of the figure. As he moved ever closer, something caught on his boot. Looking down, he found an empty tin strewn between the dust particles illuminated by the sun. 

“Aha!” Maverick’s triumphant voice called before there was a flicker of meek light and then the whole hangar was showered in a cold green light from the ceilings. Bradley went to look up at the lights, but his head stopped midway in the action, favouring to take in the sudden appearance of an enormous P-51. Bradley staggered back a step. His duffle slipped off his shoulder and stationed itself in his cubital fossa. He sucked in a breath; what– what was he looking at? 

The P-51 was parked harmlessly in the centre of the hangar, its massive wing span taking up most of the room. Bradley gawked at it, not even processing that there was a steel ladder propped up on the other side of the plane. Maverick strode gleefully back over, beaming ear to ear, “You like ‘er?” He asked.

“Yo– tha– wh–” Coyote fumbled over his words, presumably staring at the same thing Rooster presently was. “That’s a fucking P-51.” Hangman’s voice said. “Yep,” Maverick grinned, popping the p. “In the hangar you apparently live in.” Phoenix added. “Yep.” Maverick answered again. “Is anyone else finding this day just a little difficult?” Fanboy whispered and Rooster could practically hear Payback nod. “Respectfully Sir, what the fuck is wrong with you?” 

Maverick said something else about refurbishing, but it was drowned out my the sound of Bradley’s heartbeat in his ears, beating shamelessly quickly. Maverick. His dad. Owned a war plane? A plane used for bombing in the second World War and the Cold War? A plane that was sitting in the hangar Maverick apparently owned as well? Bradley ran a hand over his left cheek, dragging some of the skin down with it. This– what was this? 

Was this– some kind of joke? He knew Maverick. He knew he loved to fly and he loved planes – hell the guy had snuck him into the cock pit of an F-14 back in the day when Nick and his mum were on a date night – but… but this was different. Maverick, Pete, owned a P-51? When had this happened? When– 

Bradley sucked down another breath, distrantly aware of Maverick moving over to the other side of the plane, gesturing to something to those that had trailed after him. 

Had he really missed that much? Bradley never thought– he furrowed his brow, not once taking his eyes off the plane. Just because he’d stopped his life with Maverick and gone his own way, didn’t mean that Maverick had put his life on hold. This wasn’t the same Maverick he’d stormed out on. This wasn’t the same Maverick that he’d screamed at mercilessly. This wasn’t the Maverick had lived in the Bradshaw house with Ice. This… he didn’t know this man. 

He didn’t know Maverick anymore. 

He tore his gaze away, looking down at the concert floor. He swallowed down his heartbeat, narrowing his eyes to stave off the salty liquid. Had he taken it too far? Had he missed out on a whole life… because of a miscommunication? Had he wasted sixteen years without his dad? Over what? 

His lips trembled. A drop of sweat dripped down his cheek. His heart fluttered. The ground before him hazed over. He staggered backwards. He– 

“Bradshaw!” 

He snapped his head up, finding Phoenix directly in front of him. “Whoa–” she jerked backwards as to avoid colliding with him. Bradley’s brow deepened and he peered around his best friend’s shoulder, finding the group of aviators had vanished. He looked back at Natasha, realising by the confusion and concern in her features that she’d been calling his name for some time. ‘Shit,’ he cursed mentally, squaring his shoulders and standing up straighter. “Yeah?” He croaked, and mentally cringed. Phoenix sucked at the corner of her lips, eyeing him with suspicion. “Mav said we better go get setup for the sleep over, since we’re early he’s making us help with the refurbishing.” She explained, nodding over her shoulder dismissively to where the gang were setting up a series of colourful sleeping bags while Maverick pushed a couch out of the way. 

“Right.” Bradley nodded, moving the strap of his duffle back to his shoulder. 

~xXx~

“What did you all want for dinner?” Maverick asked as they all came out of the wash room. Bradley raised an eyebrow at finding the older pilot still looked like he’d taken a shower in grease. He tossed his previously white towel to Hangman before making his way down the wooden steps towards their sleeping bag area. 

“Spaghetti.” Mickey answered hurriedly, blushing a dark crimson at everyone’s buds of laughter. Bradley sat himself down on his navy blue sleeping bag and made himself comfortable as the rest of the Daggers followed his example, with Fanboy being lead over by Maverick who was smiling gleefully. “Yeah, maybe I can organise that for us.” He was saying. 

“You’re telling me there’s a fast food place near here?” Hangman jumped in quickly, a cocky smirk on his face. Maverick shook his head fondly as he all but fell down into the couch he’d been moving earlier. Bradley watched his movements closely. “Of course not, I’m going to make it.” Maverick answered, rolling his eyes. 

That shook a scoff out of Rooster, causing everyone – including his dad – to stare at him. Bradley squirmed under their eyes, “Quite frankly, Mav, I don’t wanna waddle over to the phone to call the fire brigade after you insisted you could ‘cook’ for us again.” The Daggers’ heads all swivelled over to look at Maverick who was gaping at Bradley’s accusation. “Well, Bradley, I don’t entirely believed that is what happened–” 

“Nu uh,” the younger pilot interrupted. The Daggers’ heads swivelled back to him. “I strictly remember running up to the door to give Ice and Sli a hug after they’d returned from a deployment and you saying not to bother with take away because you would cook for everyone. And even though both of them told you not to, you did it anyway, and you wanna know what happened? You somehow managed to burn the frying pan and set Slider’s favourite dish towel on fire.” Bradley retold the events of years ago out loud. He never thought he’d ever do that. Least of all to the group that sat around him now. 

The heads all swivelled back to Maverick, who was looking over at them with a jaw-slacked expression. “Yo– how the hell do you even remember that?! You were like– six!?” The Captain fumbled out. The heads swivelled back to stare at Bradley who smirked before tapping his forehead, “I’ve got all your major slip ups stored up here for safe keeping.” 

Maverick sputtered hopelessly, sagging back into the couch. 

“... we both can agree that was an ugly ass towel though.”

“Oh, for sure. No one ever said Slider’s taste was decent.”

“Wait…” Bob spoke up, eyebrows furrowed, “Do you mean… Admiral Kerner?” The Daggers looked back between Maverick and Rooster like they were at a tennis match. Both he and his dad shared an amused look. Bradley had been waiting to see how long it would take to bring this subject up. “Well, kids,” Maverick leaned forward on his knees and all the aviators basically crawled over to him, sitting at his feet. 

Bradley chuckled and pulled out his phone. 

~xXx~

“God, Sir!” Fanboy gushed, face akin to a child – the tomato paste smeared around his lips making the image even more amusing – as he held up his plate for more spaghetti. “This spaghetti is the best!” Bradley chuckled, twirling his fork around in his dinner. Maverick laughed whole-heartedly and scooped around round of spaghetti into Mickey’s plate. 

“After that story Rooster told, I made you out to be a terrible cook.” Coyote admitted, blushing a tad. “I’ve had lessons from the very best.” The Captain shrugged, sitting down at the table to actually start eating his food. “Which is?” Natasha inquired, raising an eyebrow. Maverick’s gaze filtered over to Bradley before digging into his food. All the Daggers swivelled to look at him expectantly. “Dick,” he muttered bitterly, causing Bob to choke on his lemonade. 

The older pilot shrugged in response but Rooster could see the smile tugging at the edges of his lips. “So who’s the very best? Some other famous navy name you’re pals with?” Hangman drawled, face turning sour. Bradley chuckled, “It does turn out in fact, that Sunny can make a good dish of spaghetti.” He informed and Maverick groaned in agreement, mouth full of food. “I’m sorry,” Payback leaned forward, “‘Sunny’?”

Bradley shrugged, “Sundown,” 

The Daggers all gawked at him. “Okay, I need a list of every famous Navy name you are actually buds with.” Javy demanded, pulling out his phone to make a list. “Well,” Bradley put down his fork, leaned his elbows on the table and turned his head up to the ceiling thoughtfully, “There’s Captain Mitchel, Admiral Kazansky, Admiral Kerner, EX-Captain Williams, EX-Captain Piper, EX-Captain Wells, EX-Admiral Wolfe and… EX-Admiral Neven. Yep, I think that’s it?” 

“Ah,” Maverick said, wiping an invisible tear from his eye. “Bradley’s dear uncles.” 

Rooster rolled his eyes, “I believe Ice was Pops.” He drew his eyebrows together in horror, faltering slightly at his own use of past tense. When had he come to think of their relationship as in the past..?

Maverick sniggered, having not noticed the flaw in his words. “Icepops.” 

“... shut up, old man.” 

“Icepops! Can we go to the beach pleeeeaase!?” Maverick gave a hideous interpretation of his kid voice that made him cringe. Javy barked out a laugh while everyone else chuckled lightheartedly. “I’m changing the subject now…” Bradley muttered darkly, narrowing his eyes while picking up his fork. “Of course, of course.” Maverick waved his hand as the conversation steadily drove into talk of Payback’s new Cessna. 

~xXx~

A shadow stood with its arms crossed over its chest, standing out against the blue glow of the full moon. The shining light rained down over the hangar, bathing the old steel in a hue of diamonds. Bradley drew a soft breath in, his chest tightening as the icy air filtered through his lungs and through his body. He suppressed a chill, instead favouring to rub his bare palms over the exposed skin of his forearms. 

He exhaled, eyes looking ahead but not seeing. He was in a different world, not just because he could not enter into the realm slumber, but because everyone else had. After their eventful dinner session, Bradley hadn’t met Maverick’s gaze nor gotten to talk to him as a private one on one. Natasha and Bob had been quick to drag him off to show him the photos of himself around the kitchen sink area. He’d blushed a deep crimson as everyone started to aw and Maverick had laughed. The group had begged for child-Bradley stories.

That was five hours ago. 

The green LED lights had been shut off, the golden rays of the sun hidden and the warmth of the desert vanished. As a single man he stood, seemingly watching a pair of house fitches jump around, squawking softly at each other. A stroke of metal under man got his attention. Bradley twisted his upper body around and his eyes locked onto the beautiful P-51 mere feet away from him. By the right side of the plane stood Maverick, a grimace on his face. 

Bradley uncrossed his arms, blinking slowly in confusion as the man did not make a move to approach him. Was this how they were going to be from now on? Putting on a friend– family façade in company but never with just each other? Were they to ignore their untalked about problems with others, but carry it ‘pon their shoulders together? Were they that miserable? 

“I thought you were asleep?” Maverick spoke first, not making a move to step away from the metal wing. Bradley shrugged in response, adjusting his lower half to properly face his dad. “Couldn’t relax.” He offered after a beat of uncomfortable silence. A smile cracked Maverick’s lips, “You still like lullabies?” 

A warm, fuzzy feeling burst through his chest and spread through his nervous system as he allowed himself to smile, recalling the fond memories of Iceman, Slider and Maverick taking turns to sing to him to sleep when his mum had gotten too weak. “Can you actually sing now?” He asked in return, earning a scoff in reply. 

“I could always sing, Bradley.” 

“My ears beg to differ.” 

Maverick shook his head and chuckled, his crows feet crinkling. Bradley’s chest tightened at the jarring reminder of how old his dad had gotten. “Anything you need? Have you shared Ice’s love for horrid herbal tea?” The Captain asked. In actuality, he had, and he’d faced relentless teasing all throughout his days of friendship with Phoenix for it. “You’re telling me you have herbal tea?” He asked instead.

To his surprise Maverick nodded, “Yeah, it’s in the tea cup cupboard.” He explained. “Ha, are you telling me you actually know where something is? Colour me surprised.” Rooster smirked at his dad’s exasperated sputtering. “Har har. You’re quite the talk of the town aren’t you? C’mon, let’s go make some.” So that was how he’d ended up following his dad quietly into the kitchen to prepare a batch of teas for the both of them. 

Maverick had boiled the water and Rooster had been tasked to get the mugs and the tea bags. The older pilot surprisingly had a decent array of teas. He rummaged through a few of them, finally settling on the ‘honey, caramel and vanilla’ flavour and tied the tails to the handles. After the teas were prepared, Maverick led him out to where he’d been standing alone before and had produced sun chairs from God-knows where. 

Bradley relaxed against the soft material, tightening his grip on the warm mug as it steamed in his lap. The two of them sat abreast, watching as the pair of house finches flew around together in circles amidst the black night. He breathed in the steam from his mug, relishing in the warm soggy feel to his cheeks. 

They sat together for a time, watching the two finches with great interest– or, at least Maverick was. Rooster wasn’t quite sure what he’d been thinking (or rather, not thinking) about until the old man decided to speak up. “I’m glad you and the guys came up here,” Bradley looked over at him, watching the small, sad smile tug at his lips. “It’s been a while since the hangar was so full of life and sound.” 

Something in his chest tightened at the statement. How long had his dad been so alone for? “We’ll come anytime you want, Mav.” Bradley said. Maverick gave a small chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. “I mean it. Say the word and we’ll come running. They adore you.” His cheeks burned as his dad turned to look at him, surprised. “Finally, I get to be the cool uncle.” Maverick said. 

“More like the inconvenient grandpa.” Scoffed Rooster.

“Oi!” 

“What?” “Inconvenient grandpas are cool.”

“Never said they weren’t.” “You implied it.” “Did not.” “Did too.” “Did not.” 

Maverick rolled his eyes and leant back in his chair, gently blowing at his tea. 

Rooster took a sip of his scalding tea and tried his best not to spit it right back out. His eyes burned by the time he’d actually swallowed it. “Let it cool, Bradley.” Maverick said while taking a sip from his tea. Bradley raised an unamused eyebrow as his dad started fanning his tongue. “Let it cool, dad.” 

Maverick halted his fanning. 

Bradley furrowed his brow in confusion. What was wro–

Oh.

An uneasy swirl of green dread burst through out his stomach during the long silence. “Mav– Mav I’m sorry– I didn’t mean to–” he stumbled out, quickly placing his mug beside his chair and sat erect in his chair, unable to think of the words to express his fatal mistake. Maverick didn’t make a move to sit up, place his mug down or even look at Bradley. 

Rooster cursed inwardly while staring with wide eyes at his dad, he could feel the tears brimming. He hadn’t meant to let it slip– he knew they weren’t ready yet… but his tongue had slipped along with whatever was left to salvage of their fractured relationship. He’d done it. He’d finally fucked everything up just like he knew he would. 

He knew this idea was a bad idea. Just because Maverick had opened up about why he’d pulled Bradley’s papers and Bradley had unmuted the older pilot’s contact didn’t mean they could continue from where they’d left off– did either of them even really remember what it was like before… the fallout? 

Was this their sign? 

Were they not actually meant to be a family?

Were they destined to always be apart? 

“Bradley.” 

Rooster flinched and his eyes locked with Maverick’s, who had moved from his chair and was now kneeling in front of him, gripping his bare hands. “I’m–” the younger pilot croaked, but the words fell dry on his capped lips. “Shh, it’s alright.” Maverick ushered, his spare hand wrapping around Bradley’s nape and pulling him into an unbalanced embrace. Bradley clenched his dad’s hands tightly, melting against Maverick’s shoulder. 

“It’s alright, kid. It’s alright.” Bradley did his best to shake his head but the Captain simply started threading his fingers through the younger pilot’s golden locks. “It’s alright.”

 

~xXx~

Phoenix -

Waking up to find the P-51 gone was alarming. What was more alarming was that both Rooster and Maverick were nowhere to be seen. “How the hell did we miss them and the massive war plane disappear!?” Payback all but screeched as half the Daggers busied themselves with either searching the hangar or ringing the missing pilot’s phones. 

“Wait.” Bob spoke up, moving towards the door of the hangar with his hand over his eyes. “I think I see something…” Phoenix approached her WSO and peered out, attempting to locate the object that had snatched his attention. Once she saw it, she couldn’t help but smile. The P-51 was approaching the tarmac and once it landed the canopy slid off, relieving Maverick slapping Rooster’s shoulders from the backseat. Rooster beamed from the front. ‘Idiots.’ 

#top gun maverick #bradley “rooster” bradshaw #pete “maverick” mitchell #natasha “phoenix” trace #jake “hangman” seresin #robert “bob” floyd #tom “iceman” kazansky #top gun fanfiction #for my pal #this took too long to write #oml #but I love it so #it was worth it

[liahswriting]

(S)witch Team?

Relationship(s): Lt. Jake "Hangman" Seresin/Original Female Character, Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw/Original Female Character, Lt. Natasha "Phoenix" Trace/Original Female Character

Words: 2,200

Warnings: None

Summary: Hangman and Rooster think they have a chance at dating their friend Knockout, but Phoenix is convinced they're wasting their breath.

She was just a friend. That's it. Rooster, Hangman, Phoenix, and Knockout were like 4 peas in a pod. She had known them for years, been by their side in battle, had seen their best and worst. She was there when Hangman got his air to air kill. She was there when Rooster had graduated aviation school. She was there when Phoenix had been given her call sign. They were all inseparable, despite the constant bickering and arguing that happened when they were together.

She was a friend.

She was their best friend.

And yet, somehow, Rooster and Hangman got the idea that they had a chance with her. Phoenix wasn't sure when exactly it started, but she noticed how both men began to eye Knockout when she walked into the room; their eyes would skim her up and down and they'd lick their lips. Then it evolved to blatant flirting with her. They weren't shy with their comments about how beautiful she looked, or how she'd look nice sitting on someone's knee. But when they were questioned about this newfound interest, they passed it off as them just teasing their friend. And she didn't mind it. She laughed along with their flirts. Even threw some back. And then finally both Hangman and Rooster started going at each other over who had a better chance at scoring her.

Phoenix was sick of hearing the two of them brag about themselves to each other, claiming they were what she was looking for when in reality nothing could be further from the truth. Any time she walked away, they were at each other's throat.

"She likes me more!" they'd say, and then rattle off some bullshit example trying to prove them right. Like if Knockout hugged one of them but not the other, that was proof. Or if she tossed out a specific flirt, that was proof too. They were like school children fighting over a new toy.

"I'm gonna go get another drink." Knockout said, stacking her pool cue against the table and walking away. As soon as she was out of earshot, the arguing started.

"Give up, Bradshaw. You don't stand a chance." Hangman immediately got the first word in.

"Don't know how you managed to become a pilot with how god damn blind you are." Rooster spit right back.

"The day she stoops so low as to choose you over me is the day Earth stops spinning." smirked Hangman, twirling that toothpick in his mouth.

"I'm the better man for her!"

"No, I am!"

"You're both wrong." Phoenix cut in.

"Stay outta this, sweetheart." Hangman told her.

"No. I'm tired of hearing you both fight over a woman you'll never get in a million years."

"Just because you're not eye catching, doesn't mean the rest of us aren't either." insulted Hangman.

"I'm just trying to protect you both. Although I'm starting to think you deserve the humiliation."

"Protect us from what? Good sex? Go be a cock block somewhere else." said Rooster with a roll of his eyes.

"She's gay." blurted Phoenix. Both men turned to her and laughed at her.

"Oh yeah?" challenged Hangman. "What the hell gives you that impression?"

"Well, for one, she checks out women more often than you do her."

"All women do that." replied Rooster, not at all convinced.

"Yeah, that's not proof of anything." Hangman backed him up.

"Alright. How about the fact that she's getting real close and personal with that woman at the bar?" Phoenix then pointed out, extending a finger toward Knockout and a pretty little blonde hanging out at the bar top.

Knockout was leaning her back against the top as the woman she was chatting up stood in front of her, real close and cozy. Both women were laughing at something or other, so much so that the woman had doubled over and braced her hands on Knockout as she laughed. Knockout didn't seem to mind the contact at all.

"That's nothing." commented Hangman with a scoff. "I've seen women do way more than that and not be gay."

"Porn doesn't count." chuckled Phoenix.

"Oh please. I've seen you adjust another woman's bra strap for her." Rooster brought up as if he hit the nail on the head.

"You're right. I did." admitted the brunette pilot. "And then I fucked her afterwards."

"Bullshit." both men dismissed her. Phoenix shrugged giving up on the fight.

"Fine. Continue this little battle. But when Knockout makes a fool out of you, don't come crying to me and say I didn't warn ya."

"She'd choose me in a heartbeat. I bring more to the table.... and the bedroom." smirked Hangman, once again twirling that stupid toothpick.

"Of course you have to bring stuff to the bedroom; women have to find someway to get an orgasm since you can't find the clit." spat Rooster, getting up in the other man's face, begging for a fight.

"Will you two idiots stop arguing?" came Knockout's voice. "The entire bar can hear you." she laughed.

The trio turned to her, watching as she approached them with a fresh round for each of them. She handed a drink to everyone, with many thanks.

"We're not arguing, sweetheart." smiled Hangman.

"Yeah. We're just talking." Rooster followed up.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head."

"Then why the hell are you two yelling about cock blocking and clits?"

Phoenix sat back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest and awaiting how the two of them were gonna get out of this one.

"No no, pretty girl, you misheard us." diverted Rooster, and Phoenix groaned.

"Okay. I can't take it anymore. Girl, they've been fighting with each other over who has a better chance at getting into your pants!" Phoenix cried out. She threw her hands up in the air in exhaustion. If this thing didn't end soon, she'll go drown herself in the ocean.

"Thanks, Phoenix." both men deadpanned. They shot daggers at her. But Knockout just laughed.

"Seriously? That's what this whole thing was about?"

"Yes, and I'm tired of it. They won't shut up about who's superior."

"And?" Knockout asked, turning her attention back to the two men. They leaned against their pool cues.

"And what?" Rooster urged, confused.

"Who's superior?" she demanded to know. Hangman and Rooster took one look at each other and then exploded.

"I'm obviously the better man!" they yelled out simultaneous.

"Tell this idiot you wouldn't give him a second glance even if your life depended on it!" cried Rooster, nodding his head to the pilot beside him.

"No, tell this idiot that he needs to get his head out of his ass and set some realistic expectations for himself!" Hangman followed up.

Knockout laughed. She didn't say a single word, just laughed. She doubled over, trying to hold herself up by the pool table as she cackled out the most guttural laugh she could muster.

"What's so funny?!" the men demanded.

"You two!" she laughed back.

"Come on, be serious! If you had to choose between us, who would you choose?!" the offer was slapped on the metaphorical table by Hangman. For once, Rooster teamed up with him and backed him up. They both looked at her expectantly.

She straightened up, wiping her eyes clear of the tears that had accumulated. But when she saw their unwavering expressions, she got more serious.

"Come on, guys. You're joking, right?"

"No they're not. I keep telling them you're not interested." chimed Phoenix.

"She's convinced you're gay." Rooster rolled his eyes.

"Oh really?" Knockout said in disbelief, turning her attention to the woman. Her eyes were wide with playful contemption as she stared the woman down.

Phoenix shrunk back in her chair, not liking the odds of this conversation. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she had Knockout pegged all wrong and Rooster and Hangman had an actual bite on her.

"Yeah, tryna tell us both that we're wasting our breath." Rooster brought the conversation back, allowing Phoenix a break from the stares of the woman.

"I don't think you're wasting your breath." commented Knockout in a sweet voice. She stepped a little closer to the two men, putting up the flirtatious act. Or, well, maybe it wasn't an act. Phoenix wasn't so sure anymore.

"So tell us. Who would you choose?" Hangman asked again.

Knockout looked between them for a moment, entertaining their idea. Still, even if she wasn't gay, Phoenix was positive she wouldn't spare them the time. They were friends, damn it! She wasn't interested in them!

Too many seconds had passed for their liking. The two of them urged her again for an answer, cocking their eyebrows and getting closer to her.

But she backed away from them. She gave a sweet smile, then turned towards Phoenix in her seat, approached her, climbed in her lap, took her face in her hands, and crashed their lips.

Phoenix's breath hitched and her entire body tensed underneath the woman. Her eyes widened, her brain stopped working. But Knockout grinded into her lap and tangled her fingers in the babyhairs underneath her bun, and Phoenix was gone.

Her hands grabbed the woman's waist, keeping her locked in her lap. Phoenix probed her tongue into Knockout's mouth, mapping her out. Both women moaned lightly, making Phoenix's head swim with endorphines.

But it was all ended when Knockout pulled away. She held a smirk on her kissed lips, confident, proud. She used her thumb to wipe away the glisten that had accumulated on Phoenix's mouth. And then she slid off her lap and grabbed her drink she left on the pool table.

Phoenix's eyes snapped between her and the men. Her male friends seemed to be just as surprised as she was. Jaws had slackened to the floor, eyes had gone as wide as saucers, and maybe one of them popped a boner but she wasn't really paying attention to that.

Pride had swelled in her chest at seeing them like this. She was right. She had been right all along.

"Told you!" she smirked triumphantly. Her cry of victory pulled the men out of their shell-shock.

"I can't fucking believe it." murmured Hangman.

"Oh my god. She's gay." Rooster seemed to say more so to himself than anyone else, like he was convincing himself. Knockout just kept sipping on her drink. "You're gay." he repeated, turning his attention to her.

"Oh you both are so adorable. I'm not gay." she chuckled. And the three of them jumped to attention.

"What?!" they all yelled incredulously.

"You're not?!" Phoenix sputtered in disbelief. "But- the kiss!"

"No. I'm not." she grabbed Rooster by the collar of his uniform and yanked until he bent to her level. "I'm bi." and then she gave him a kiss just as heated as the one she gave Phoenix, forcing her tongue into his mouth.

They battled tongues for a good moment, getting him all heated and needy, before she pulled back and gave his cheek a quick pat. His eyes were clouded with confused lust, watching her turn to walk away.

"I'll catch you guys back on base." she threw over her shoulder.

"Hey! Wait!" Hangman called after her. She stopped and turned back around with a knowing grin.

"What?" she held her hands on her hips.

"What about me?!" he asked, offended.

Gingerly, she stepped up to him and held his chin between her fingers. His eyes were hopeful as he watched her every move.

"Get rid of that god damn toothpick and then we'll talk." she presented the offer. Without missing a beat, Hangman spit the chewed up piece of wood to the floor and then pulled her in by her waist to kiss her.

This time, it wasn't Knockout that lead the kiss. Hangman was the one to pry her lips open with his tongue, and his hands gripped both her ass and her loose locks. He kissed her with ferver, eager for more, begging for more, trying for more. But she didn't allow him more. She placed her hands on his chest and forced him away. He was left with just as dazed an expression as Rooster.

She patted his cheek like she did Rooster and chuckled. She caressed his face in her hands, pressing her thumb between his lips. He gladly sucked it into his mouth.

"Desperation looks good on you, Lieutenant." she said, and then pulled away completely. She reached down to the ground, picking up his disregarded toothpick and stuck it back between his slack lips. "Don't litter." was all she said, and then she turned to walk away again, this time managing to get out the door.

#top gun #top gun: maverick #jake “hangman” seresin #bradley “rooster” bradshaw #natasha “phoenix” trace #original female character #ofc #fanfiction #imagine #oneshot

[mapled-penitentiary]

WERE SO BACK

renamed it and new chapters coming out soon :D

#leafies top gun stuff #top gun #top gun maverick #natasha “phoenix” trace #natasha phoenix trace

[breads-is-writing-some-shit]

Chapter 1 : Introducing Daniel "Bread" Lima

The new partner of the Dagger team.

Author's Note: Hi everyone, I hope you are doing wonderful right now. This warning is quick. I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes or mistakes about anything in this story. I am open to criticism and suggestions. I'm not new to writing but this is the first time I've written publicly for Tumblr, so I just hope you're kind and enjoy well-told stories. The story I created tries to fit in real details about the characters that I didn't create like the aviators, however, this ends up being my vision of them that will eventually change since the purpose of this story, which will be long, is to tell how the dagger squadron feels attracted to the newcomer who seems to be the mix of everything they particularly and intimately like and how this interest affects the group. I tried to write a mature and consistent story about varied spectrums of this relationship and I'm counting on you to read it and give your opinions with all due respect. That said, good reading.

Author's Note 2: I may be making a beginner's mistake and forgetting a lot of things, like tags, but I can't help but mention @fangirlvibez (you are amazing) who hasn't even read the story and is already waiting for updates, I'll try to be assiduous at least once a week.

It was already well past sunset and what Daniel needed after the trip was something to drink. It was hot that night, and it was the best idea to get to know the neighborhood, or rather the city. His previous boss assigned him to complete this team as a member and they appeared to have been working for just over a year after an “impossible mission”. He had little information about the mission, which despite being difficult, was a great success if not counting After the setbacks, Captain Maverick was teaching the airmen and this was a good opportunity for Daniel. He called his only contact on site, and how lucky he was. In the contact list, Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell called him without much ceremony , after all, the next day he would be presenting himself as his assistant and student. Daniel, despite having a certain reputation as an aviator, having three confirmed kills, could not boast as they were all confidential missions and he only knew that Maverick publicly shot down five in addition to having He had been an aircraft test pilot. He obviously had a lot of questions. But when Maverick took him out on the other side in such a friendly manner, he preferred that those not be his first impressions of the aviator who would probably be his wingman until the end of that year.

"Yes, I arrived this afternoon, I already unpacked everything in record time, and of course I'm anxious but really, I just needed to relax. Do you know any place, a bar or spot to enjoy before the hard work tomorrow?" Daniel subtly faked a laugh to show that he needed it, that it was half true. He was interested in the drinks, but the captain's company would be a great aggravating factor, he could find out about all pending matters since the captain seemed to be quite reckless even with so many exploits under his belt.

"I have the perfect place in mind but you'll have to get there alone, consider it a reconnaissance mission. No need to report back to me at the end, I'll go as soon as I can to see someone there too, Penny. She can help you if If you're nervous. She's an incredible, beautiful woman and we're convincing ourselves that our relationship is going great. But you don't need to tell her about me. If something happens or you get nervous, count on her. But here's some advice: Be yourself and everything will be fine." His deep laugh was more than enough to determine that he would probably let you deal with that situation alone after it arrived.

Daniel dressed very casually, trying to look like a civilian tourist. Tight pants, simple but shiny shoes and a long-sleeved, high-neck t-shirt. Combed hair and thick glasses. Besides a perfume, you never know when he might win over someone decent tonight.

Maverick was direct when he sent a message on his cell phone indicating the location of the Hard Deck, where civilians and airmen played at tables, drank and listened to great sounds at the same time. It was perfect just stopping at that. But the message indicated that the Dagger squad would be there. Excellent.

After 20 minutes you paid for the Uber ride and said goodbye to the driver, showing her the five stars. She wished her a good night and good luck, which Daniel responded with a chuckle before turning towards the bar.

The Hard Deck was brawnily charming even from the outside. Music was playing loudly, before the beach, and it was hard to miss. you could feel the fun energy the place had from afar, Daniel was in love with the place. A few more steps and the new mission began. Identify the entire squad until Maverick arrives. And there Daniel was almost about to enter when the door opens and there are two airmen, in that unmistakable and tight khaki uniform, carrying a complaining man and throwing him against the sand. One of them was tall with dark skin, very presentable with a friendly and intense face at the same time and the other was a shorter blonde, with a classy pose and an impeccable smile rolling a toothpick between his lips. They said something about not having paid for the drinks and were going back when they saw and greeted Daniel in a cordial, polite way, but it was possible to feel that there was a “snack” in the way they took their steps back to the bar. Before the door closed, Daniel saw them both look back with familiar laughter and the blonde patted the brunette's chest with an air that said “Today we're going to get along”. They smile when they notice Daniel entering right behind, but different from what they expected or not, Daniel goes straight to the counter hoping to find a familiar face.

Daniel greets the woman at the bar, beautiful and starts scanning the bar, already noticing a small variety and when he was putting his cell phone on the counter his gaze quickly passes by the woman at the bar watching you, the bar attendant has a smile shaking her head and Looking into Daniel's eyes, she points to a sign next to her and Then to the bell above her. on the sign “Anyone who disrespects a lady or the Navy…”

You thank her for the warning and smile at her.

"Yeah, I don't want to play the 'I'm new in town' card yet, so I'll just thank you for the warning and order a whiskey and then something stronger to lift my thoughts after all the alcohol. I'm waiting for a colleague who will introduce me everything. I can stay here and watch the movement if it doesn't bother you, I want to meet them." You say pointing to a pool table full of aviators around a game.

"If you like, my partner will arrive soon. And he can even help you with that, he's their instructor."

"No kidding, you're Penny. Wow, you're even more beautiful than I imagined. Captain Maverick can't find any more adjectives to fill you with quality. He's crazy about you and now I understand why. I'm the rookie who came to join a mission. I need more experience with this team and the legendary Maverick." You finish and the woman thanks you for the cheap exposure, giving you space to start studying her before Maverick makes his entrance. Penny engages in the conversation like a good listener, until she is satisfied with confirming what she heard from Maverick.

"Newbie?! He seems pretty humble from what Pete told me. You did well at the gym and are here recommended by your superiors to participate in their new plan. I'd say I'm pretty curious about what else you know how to do up there and here. Until then, all I heard were rumors but you confirmed everything, except for some that you seem to insist on humility. Better be prepared for them, they've heard too much from Maverick about you. Like you're super good in bed according to your colleagues on the old team. Words from Maverick.”

“Oh my God, he didn’t spread it. Obviously it's an invention. I'm not so-” Daniel was in the middle of his defense (or burial) when she points to the pool table surrounded by more of those aviators after a taller one in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses and a small, neatly trimmed mustache walks in. in the mess. Penny completes the vision with her comment: “It's not me who needs to make these lame excuses, it's them who are curious about the captain's mysterious assistant who is as good at shooting down jets as he is in bed. Let me try to help you by talking about them. ”

“Okay Penny, it starts with who’s leading that game.” Penny hears his plea and follows his gaze to the table. The boastful and arrogant blonde has a cue sliding across the pool table, calculating the best angles for his shot when he looks away for a moment just to give a sighing smile of triumph, and soon Daniel notices the clear gaze on him, as if I knew I was watching his skill in that game and then he turned his gaze to the table, taking a firm shot, hitting the ball in a corner, disappearing with two and extending his hand in the air to celebrate hitting the brunette that Daniel saw earlier. They seemed too friendly between them. Daniel took the opportunity to look at the second one there, the dark-skinned one.

He was carrying three beers, he replaced one for the dominant one on the table and took a sip looking at Daniel, giving a smile then even offering a quick wink and turned his gaze to the table already raising the drink to a couple who were watching the game, the The shorter one was discussing the game with another in a restrained way. This first one had his hair cut very short and his young features gave him a boyish look if he matched the guy behind him, dark-skinned and tall with a thin mustache who offered another drink to a woman with her hair tied tightly in a bun that looked like Entertained in the game as well as the duo that commented next to her, she was in front of another of them, a blonde with thin glasses who seemed very interested and shy in a way. To finish the quick trip through the bar, there was that other tall guy with a peculiar mustache, an open flowered t-shirt and aviator glasses that differed from everyone who was wearing a khaki uniform, he and two others further away, one being tall and frowning and the other a little taller. short with a nicer face and a woman and a young Asian man far away drinking. It wasn't so easy to distinguish everyone, but when Penny approached the counter to refill her glass, you ordered a beer and asked her to bring a round to the group.

"It's those over there, the Dagger squadron that I'm going to start working with tomorrow. It looks like an interesting team. I didn't have photos of them as I wanted to meet them all in person, and I also only had a basic description of each and an aviator resume. Would you like to help me putting names to faces? I would really appreciate it. Maverick will be arriving soon and I want to surprise him a little, since I'll be working alongside him."

Penny smiled and lifted her flannel to begin sorting out her requested beers. And she returned to their table with plenty of beers and when the guy in the Hawaiian shirt saw the drinks he seemed to question when she received a slight nod pointing towards you at the counter. He took the

drink and lifted it towards him, taking a sip, lowering his glasses in a sensual way, seeing his eyes behind his glasses, slightly sliding down his nose as he drank the beer. The bottles were taken to the pool table, where there was a group with a beautiful girl with well-tied hair, a couple with a short guy and a dark-skinned guy, there was more of a dark-skinned guy and a blonde guy who was a little shorter, very impeccable, as well as a furthest group with a woman and three other men. She moved to the corner, lifting a bottle of water and a glass of peanuts, they were for the blonde with glasses who caught her attention due to his shyness, he had already met Daniel's gaze several times but he always withdrew his curiosity and returned for half a second, following a teenage smile, it was charming.

Penny walked a little further away with the last few beers, taking one to a man in uniform with a serious face who was literally in the dark corner looking at some papers and as soon as he received the drink he immediately tried to lift the drink and greet you from there with a smile too, charming and serious, he started to get up but went deeper and disappeared into the crowd, in the direction of the bathrooms. Penny came back quickly from her round and placed the tray on the table as if it was all a chore and she hadn't gotten the hang of it.

"Let the introductions begin. Where should I begin?" Penny makes a curious smile before starting to scan the bar staff until a smile escapes. “Okay, since you made an impression on those there, I’ll start with them, so you can fit in faster.”

Penny signals to the tall blonde leaning against the table.

“Hangman, confident in his abilities both in heaven and on earth. He loves to tease, but he's not exactly a terrible person, and he's very honest about everything. Fun and flirtatious. He's even been charming us here since you arrived. Even so, be careful. His little friend is Coyote, he looks serious but is fun, friendly and lighthearted. He's always providing the group with his company and has great conversations if you get tired of some arrogant airman. He doesn't have many problems getting along with anyone, but he takes it easy.

There by their side are Payback, the tallest and shortest Fanboy, a pilot and his WSO, will love them both. They have a great sense of humor and are sharp as a team. The other pair, Phoenix and Bob, the girl is very strong and confident as she should be and it is extremely easy to talk to her, but be careful because she is not an ordinary woman, and your WSO from Lemoore, of all people can being the easiest to become close to because he is extremely charismatic despite appearing to be shy at first, but he is skilled in several areas and fast, in addition to being cute.

The one who arrived the most late and is even getting ready to go to the piano is Rooster, everyone loves him and everyone falls in love with him. It has a unique style but Maverick said it's all inherited from his father, Goose, who Pete flew with before the accident. Long story, but this guy is patient, very friendly and has other good aspects that only those who know him personally can list.

Right there you have Halo and Omaha, WSO and pilot who have been as a team since they arrived with Yale and Harvard also a pilot duo and WSO, Omaha and Harvard are sometimes walking together and could even form a duo if asked because they seem close there and their relationship is very similar to Phoenix and BOB. The last smiling driver is Fritz, it's difficult to say much about these last five because I didn't get to talk to them for a long time.

And there's his Vice Admiral Cyclone, serious and practical. He is soft spoken but knows how to be strict. Don't be too impulsive, he seems to be old school and competes with others there like Maverick, but apart from his professional appearance, he is a sweet person. I should talk to him a lot, he doesn't have much contact with the aviators but he is always watched from afar, like now.”

Daniel snorts at the amount of information.

“You'll get used to it, they're all incredible and they're great, you'll learn a lot from them and I'm sure you'll teach them more too. There will be time for that. Right Pete?” Penny comes down from the counter with Daniel to hug Pete, leaving Daniel with the drink. Pete extends his hand to greet Daniel before issuing the challenge.

“And how are the presentations going, have you spoken to any of them, or would you prefer to leave it for tomorrow?”

"I don't know Captain, I feel like I should do something but it seems like I'm at a fair with so many looks, if I may say so, their curiosity seems to exceed the professional limit. We have almost the same rank and you are a legend to me, But everything becomes difficult to take when I have the information that you've been spreading these 'stories' about me. That's not exactly true, if I may."

“Now Daniel, you don’t need to be anxious about this, I don’t doubt that you’re great in bed. It's not me who is curious to test this idea. I just received information and passed on as much as I could about you to them. I have not excluded any detail of what I heard about you. It's okay, we are human, men and we have needs, you don't need to worry about me, if that's your issue. Go there."

Daniel grabs one last beer before dragging himself off the counter, still nervous. From where he starts to approach, he already notices Hangman showing an incredible pearly smile that even brings a smile, when you pass by him, Hangman lowers his head as if in disbelief but you send him one last smile that catches his attention and you position yourself in the center . Close to Payback and Phoenix.

“You two are the least thirsty of this group.” Daniel points to the other side of the pool.

Phoenix soon says “We kind of made a bet. And everyone here had a different guess."

“And what bet was that? It seems like I’ve been well targeted now.” Daniel drinks his beer while Payback laughs.

"We wanted to see who would get your attention because they all seem to be a little interested. Which is a problem since there's only one of you."

“I still believe Hangman would take it.” Coyote stood up. “but even I was thinking I could try too."

Payback continued “I wanted to bet on you, but I have to put faith in my Fanboy” He said hitting the side of his WSO who looked down and laughed while laughing to the side. "I think Bob's charm would win this one. It was a certainty.” Bob takes a blushing look at everyone within seconds before crossing and locking eyes with Daniel.

“I-I wouldn’t be so lucky, I hate to admit it but I’m between Hangman and Rooster.”

Rooster protested from the piano: "Don't be intimidated like that Bob, you're a bad guy and we all know your skills inside and outside the fighter. Relax a little too, I confess that I would also join the game but despite everything, it's It's a matter of good taste. It might even be that our friends didn't even look at us like that but in other directions, we're not the only hot aviators in the bar."

"But let's cut this nonsense, since it's here and without judgment based on our bets, who would you take to bed tonight." Hangman sat back with open arms looking around.

“You guys are strangely confident and united, it didn't even occur to you that I just wanted to chat or play with you… But okay. I wanted to just be nice and introduce myself but I'm afraid I've been cornered with a good question." Daniel's gaze still travels around everyone before focusing on Pete and Penny who were laughing at hearing everything nearby, when his gaze met with that of the Admiral.

"Captain-Lieutenant Daniel Lima” Said the Vice Admiral, interjecting into the conversation, subtly silencing the group that widened their eyes. “Thank you for the courtesy earlier, there's no need to salute but I would like to give a proper welcome to Pete's new assistant instructor and show my availability for all your questions, as you were so friendly when you first approached. Thank you again and I am flattered and curious about your joining the squad. Welcome back Bread!”

Everyone watching silently looked at each other while Daniel sighed, slightly nervous due to the pressure he suddenly thought of in that small space. Everyone is feeling mixed emotions when Maverick approaches and raises a toast with the beer.

“A toast to the new company and the new challenges, welcome to Captain Lieutenant Daniel “Bread” Lima, cheers!” and he drank nervously like everyone else.

That's all for this chapter, I'll see you soon, maybe next week ...

So, if have any questions or requests, don't miss the chance. Love you, bye!

#top gun #top gun maverick #tgm fanfiction #oc #introduction #Pete “Maverick” Mitchell #Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw #Jake “Hangman” Seresin #Natasha “Phoenix” Trace #Robert “BOB” Floyd #Reuben “Payback” Fitch #Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia #Javy “Coyote” Machado #Beau “Cyclone” Simpson #Penny Benjamin #Billy “Fritz” Avalone #Callie “Halo” Basset #Logan “Yale” Lee #Brigham “Harvard” Lennox #Neil “Omaha” Vikander #x OC #Daniel “Bread” Lima

[my-cages-were-mental]

i’m claiming natasha “phoenix” trace as mine. you all go find your own partner and back off, ‘cause natasha is mine now.

#natasha “phoenix” trace #natasha trace #top gun #top gun: maverick #top gun maverick #lgbtq+ #i’m marrying 2 natashas now. natasha romanoff and natasha trace.

[honorarypines]

Top Gun movies + text posts part 1/?

While I'm too tired and overwhelmed to draw, have some more memes, this time with the aviators!

#top gun #top gun maverick #top gun 1986 #pete maverick mitchell #tom iceman kazansky #icemav #nick goose bradshaw #natasha phoenix trace #top gun text posts #text posts

[frost-queen]

It comes with perks (Reader x Jake 'Hangman' Seresin)

Requested by: anon Forever tag:@missmelodramatic, @merlin-dahlia, @alex--awesome--22, @elllie-does-the-posts, @floatlosers, @merlieve, @queen-of-books, @glimmering-darling-dolly @denkisclown, @wildieflower, @meyocoko, @bubblybrianna, @justanothercoco, @subjecta13-thefangirl, @m-rae23, @harleyquinnswifeyfrfr, @swampthing07, @melsunshine, @panhoeofmanyfandoms, @venomsvl, @the-uncoordinated-house-cat, @rosecentury,  @imagines-by-her,  @evilcr0ne, @vviolynn

Summary: When you need someone to be your fake boyfriend to get you out of a situation with your ex, Hangman is the closest guy you find. What needed to be a one time thing, turned out into a long term act of fake dating. Certainly now that your dad Iceman is involved in as well. Slowly the lines of fake dating fade as Hangman becomes obessed with you, a ray of sunshine. When your ex tries to get back in your life, Jake becomes protective, finally ending those unclear lines of fake dating.

Phoenix and you entered Penny’s bar when your phone suddenly rang. Taking it out, the nametag on it made your eyes widen. You touched Phoenix on her shoulder, letting her know you needed a moment. She simply smiled, heading further into the bar to the booth were Bob, Coyote and Fanboy already were. The phone kept buzzing as you weren’t sure what to do. Panicking a bit as to say. You knew not picking up, would do nothing as he would just keep calling you.

Answering was even terrible, as you knew he’d say anything to get you to yield. Like a collective caller, kept he calling you. Looking around frantically, you spotted the first person at Penny’s bar. You rushed over to the bar, pulling Hangman back by his shoulder. – “Emergency, you’re my boyfriend.” – you breathed out, holding the phone out to him. Hangman smiled cocky. – “Well, well. If you were desperate for a kiss, you’d just had to ask Y/n.” – Hangman replied all smug to your annoyance.

“No. No! You’re not actually my boyfriend.” – you informed him hastily. Hangman furrowed his brows, frowning. – “Make up your mind girl.” – he let out confused to what was happening. You moved your phone higher up for him to notice. – “I need you to be my boyfriend and make him stop calling me!” – you called out almost frantically at how slow he was catching up.

“Right.” – He simply said, setting a beer down and taking your phone in his hand. He answered the phone, giving you a cheeky eyebrow wiggle. Hangman didn’t even listen to what the other person was saying on the phone. – “Listen bud, stop calling my girlfriend.” – he spoke through. He heard an immediate response. – “Uhm her boyfriend.” – Hangman answered, showing you a goofy look at how obvious it was who he was talking to.

The man kept blabbing in his ear as Hangman had little interest in keeping him on the phone. – “Stop calling us, bye.” – he spoke in such a manufactured voice, he could work in sales and be dealing with a terrible customer but still upholding his work voice. Hangman hung up, giving you the phone back. – “Thank you!” – you let out relieved, bending a bit through your knees out of gratitude. – “So what do I get in return?” – Hangman asked.

“This beer?” – you suggested, placing your hand on the counter by it. Hangman tsked his tongue. – “Already paid for it sunshine.” – he said with a chuckle. – “Fine.” – you breathed out. – “I’ll clean your locker.” – you took out another suggestion as Hangman thought. – “How about wash my clothes?” – he responded. – “Deal.” – you agreed it was just that. Hangman shook hands with you to seal the deal.

He picked up his beer, throwing his arm over your shoulder. – “Who was the dude anyways?” – he asked, leading you to the others. – “My ex.” – you sighed out. Hangman looked half in shock at you. – “I didn’t know you dated someone.” – he called out as you had to shush his loud voice. – “It was like 6 months ago.” – you informed him.

“And he’s still calling you?” – Hangman blurted out as you hummed with a nod as response. – “I can’t shake him off.” – you sighed out nearing the booth with your friends. – “Well good thing your boyfriend saved the day.” – Hangman winked with a ridiculous smile. – “Not my boyfriend.” – you reminded him before sitting down.

Back in the locker room, you were washing Hangman’s attire. Washing them by hand as he called them delicate and needed to be handled with care. – “Uhm what are you doing?” – Phoenix asked seeing you in the locker room as she had walked by. – “Are those Hangman’s clothing?” – she pointed out when you had pulled it up to see if it was clean enough, revealing his nametag. – “Phoenix!” – you called out startled, splashing some water as your arms lowered immediately. – “Why are you washing his clothes?” – she wanted to know. – “I owe it to him.” – you responded, scrubbing his pilot gear.

“You dared to bet with Hangman. Bold.” – she answered impressed. – “It’s not that.” – you told her with a soft sigh. – “He did something for me, so I have to return the favour.” – you explained. – “Right.” – Phoenix widened her eyes briefly in delight. – “If your dad could see you know.” – she chuckled a bit. – “He’d flip that you fell so low.” You grunted soft. – “Good thing my dad.” – you emphasized. – “Can’t see me.” – you replied bitsy. – “Ohh cold touch.” – Phoenix teased touching her own shoulder. You scooped up some water, splashing it at her to wipe that smile off her face.

Phoenix screamed, dodging away when the water came her way. Half laughing, you teasing her with another scoop as she already darted away. When you were finished up with Hangman’s uniforms, you hung them neatly to dry. You came out of the lockers, making your way out of the hangar when you got pulled aside by Rooster. He pushed you firm up against the wall. – “Are you dating Hangman?” – called out at the brink of losing his mind. – “What?” – you responded confused.

“Are you dating him?” – Rooster wanted to know with a stern look. – “What, no, no…” – you replied waving your hands across. Rooster exhaled deep moving his fingers through his hair. – “Who told you this?” – you asked curious. – “Hangman has been bragging to everyone he’s dating you.” – Rooster let you know. Your eyes widened with shock.

You pushed Rooster a bit back, to make some room for you to leave. You needed to find Hangman and you needed to find him now. Jogging out of the hangar into the open. You saw a group of people near the F16’s going over to them. The closer you got, the clearer you saw Hangman amongst them.

“Hangman!” – you shouted drawing his attention. – “Looks like my girlfriend needs me.” – he said to Fanboy and Coyote all smug. Coyote rolled with his eyes as Fanboy shook his head. Hangman turned round to you, welcoming you with a warm smile. – “Yes my love.” – he said as you grabbed him firmly by the arm, dragging him away from the others. – “So eager.” – Hangman whispered to his friends with a chuckle. You came to a stop, letting harshly go of him.

“What are you doing?” – you called out giving him a little shove. – “Au.” – Jake mouthed pretending to be hurt from your shove. – “Jake!” – you called out wanting an answer out of him. – “What?” – he replied loud, making himself taller. – “Why are you telling everyone we are dating?” – you freaked out. Jake scoffed loud, turning his head away. – “Are we not?” – he answered cocky, wanting to slip his arm over your shoulder. It made you puff annoyed, crossing your arms.

“Oh come on Y/n, don’t be such a baby about it.” – Jake said taking you by the elbow, wanting you to uncross your arms. – “It’s a joke, sunshine.” – he kept tugging at your arm, trying to be smooth and cool at the same time. – “Sunshine!” – you suddenly heard loud, making you straighten your back. Hangman’s back straightened as well. Cyclone appeared coming to you. – “Iceman wants to speak to you.” – he said firmly, making your shoulders slouch. Jake was snickering quietly at you with a little point. – “He asked for both of you!” – Cyclone made clear, making Jake’s smile drop.

You tugged on his elbow, pulling him with you. Following Cyclone inside and up the stairs to Iceman’s desk. Cyclone knocked on the door, before popping his head inside. – “They are present.” – he said to Iceman. Cyclone stepped aside, expression flat as he allowed you to walk in. – “Tell me, am I hanging?” – Jake whispered to Cyclone wanting to know his outcome. Cyclone ignored him, giving him an extra shove into the room. – “Dad!” – you said with mixed expectations, opening your arms to a hug.

Iceman got up from behind his desk, coming to hug you. – “How is my little girl?” – he asked. – “Flying and thriving.” – you told him, making him form a smile on his lips. His gaze then shifted to Jake, who swallowed nervously. Iceman got all serious. He went to sit again, gesturing for you to sit as well. Jake and you sat down, unsure what to expect. – “So you are the one dating my daughter.” – Iceman spoke. – “Dad no…” – you blurted out, waving your hands across.

Iceman observed Hangman closely as it made him move uncomfortable in the chair. – “How’s his flying?” – he asked. – “Superb… sir.” – Jake replied loudly, humbling himself immediately. Iceman glanced your way. You could only smile sheepishly at him. – “I’m a bit saddened you didn’t tell me Y/n.” – Iceman began. – “But he looks decent enough. As long as he doesn’t hurt you… or else…” – Iceman gave Hangman his death stare.

Jake swallowed again. – “Dad we’re not…” – you began wanting to explain as Jake grabbed your hand out of the blue. – “No, no sunshine, it’s okay. He knows now.” – Jake spoke upholding the image of dating. You stared confused at him, why he would even want to go on with his stupid joke. – “Jake, this is my dad.” – you said between clenched teeth to him. Making it clear that he didn’t need to mess around. – “I’m so happy for you Y/n.” – Iceman said cheery.

“The man’s happy Y/n, let him be.” – Jake said to guilt trip you. You sighed soft letting yourself fall back in the chair. Jake got up. – “Well it was nice of you to call us in, sir.” – Jake said, nudging you to get up as well. Your dad chuckled happily at his manners as you could only roll your eyes. Jake extended his hand out to Iceman. Iceman took it to shake. – “I’m not one for favours, but if you ever need one for my daughter.” – he whispered to Jake with a wink.

Jake breathed out a laugh of surprise, glancing your way. Just to rub his it more in your face. – “Now we must really go.” – Hangman spoke tapping your elbow, to get you to follow. – “Give her a kiss.” – Iceman replied. Jake’s expression dropped. – “S’cuse me?” – he blurted out. – “Give her a kiss.” – he repeated gesturing at you.

Jake looked sheepishly at you, chuckling nervously. – “Sir truly…” – Jake began wanting to talk his way out of it. – “I want to see just how much you care for my daughter.” – Iceman persisted. Hangman took your hand, pulling you closer to give a kiss on the cheek. – “Give her a real kiss!” – Iceman shouted out of good sports. Jake sighed loud with a soft drop of his gaze. You raised your eyebrow at him, curious to see what he would do. He took you by the elbow, pulling you even closer.

“Just a quick one.” – he whispered to you. – “One second.” – you responded. Hangman held his finger up to his lips, looking all smug. He lowered his finger, giving you a quick nod before he’d kiss you. Your lips touched for a split second, pulling away quick. Iceman shook his head with disappointment. – “We have to go dad!” – you called out, opening the door. Dragging Jake with you out of his office. Downstairs, you let go of Jake.

“Your joke just escalated Hangman. Now my dad knows!” – you called out panicking. – “Hey you asked me to be your boyfriend.” – Jake replied loud. – “For like a few seconds.” – you shouted back. – “You asked for this Y/n.” -  Jake answered loud taking off. – “Where are you going?” – you called out to him. Jake turned around, pulling his shoulders up. It made you groan loud.  

Phoenix and you were stretching before exercise. – “Boyfriend coming over.” – she pointed out, turning her torso, holding her arm by her elbow. You looked up seeing Hangman come over with the other boys. It made you look at her with a certain glance. Phoenix stopped, walking off when Hangman came near. She joined the others behind him. – “You know for a sunshine, you frown a lot.” – he pointed out, touching your forehead.

You slapped his hand away. He grabbed you by the shoulders, moving his head closer to you. – “Smile, your dad is going to watch.” – he whispered making you widen your eyes. Jake moved aside from you, throwing his arm over you as he led you to the others. Maverick, Cyclone and Iceman neared. You all followed Maverick to the beach for a match of rugby. A good team exercise Maverick would call it. Cyclone and Iceman sat down, watching the pathetic play of rugby.

Hangman and you were on opposite teams. Fanboy had the ball, throwing it at Coyote. Hangman jumped in front of him, catching the football before his eyes. He then ran with it to your side, throwing his hard on the ground. He called it out in victory, pointing towards Iceman. Iceman clapped for Hangman’s score. He then looked all smug at you. Phoenix nudged you as you rolled your eyes at him. Trying not to find it sweet. Rooster caught the ball wanting to throw it at you. You caught it, wanting to run when you got picked up from the ground. 

Hangman had picked you up, making you squeal loud out of surprise. Your feet hit the ground again, as he kept his arms around you. – “Try getting out of this now, sunshine.” – he breathed out. You wriggled in his grip for freedom. When you weren’t getting any, you tried running. Hangman laughed loud, squeezing his arms tighter around you. – “Where are you going sunshine?” – he laughed out. You tried so hard not to laugh as well, not to enjoy it too, but you failed.

You stopped trying to run, laughing loud. You tossed the football over to Bob. You showed him your empty hands, showing him his attempt to stop you failed. Hangman picked you up in response, making you squeal again. He then pressed a kiss on your cheek so quick, he barely caught himself doing it. You turned round in his embrace, staring a bit at him. Jake stared back at you.

Swallowing, he let go of you, scratching his neck sheepishly. You looked blissful away. The two of you hesitantly got back into the game, questioning whether you were actually starting to like each other or that it was the drive of fake dating for a while now.

After practise, you were all exhausted. Having been playing till the sun had set. Worn out, you all decided to grab a few drinks at Penny’s bar. You went up to her bar as Jake followed. Almost instinctively. You held four fingers up to Penny, ordering beer. Jake leaned with his elbows on the counter, throwing you a smug smile. Your phone vibrated in your pocket. Confused, you pulled it out holding it to the front. Jake’s eye fell on the caller, taking the phone from your hand before you could react.

He picked up, turning around to lean against the counter with his back. – “What do you want?” – he said bothered. Your ex didn’t even have to finish his sentence when Jake spoke again. – “Listen asshole, if you call her one more time. I’ll make sure you’ll never see daylight again. You won’t see me coming. I’ll fly above your house, aiming for your pathetic bedroom and you’ll be burned to crisps in a matter of seconds.” – Jake threatened making you stare in shock at him.

“She doesn’t want you cause I’m her boyfriend. She’s mine and let me tell you ass, I don’t like sharing.” – Jake said over the phone. – “This was your last call or you’re dead!” – he angrily hung up the phone. – “Thank… thank you…” – you said astonished by how hot that was. Jake tugged your phone in his pocket.

Penny arrived with the drinks as he took them, motioning with his head for you to follow. You slid into a booth with him as the others were waiting. Hangman threw an arm over your shoulder, pushing you closer to him. It made you feel like squealing. The lines of pretend and real blurring away. Jake caught you staring at him, melting as he saw you smile like the sun back at him. He moved his head closer to you, wanting to kiss you in that moment, but caught himself just in time.

He shifted his head to the side, kissing your cheek instead. It didn’t feel satisfying, but he wouldn’t dare himself to kiss you out of the blue with everyone around. Your friends were so used to the two of you dating, they hardly had any eye for it. Not clear it was all an act, started from a joke. After an hour or two, checked Jake his watch. – “I’m taking Y/n home.” – he said removing his arm from you. He got out of the booth, taking you with him.

You said goodbye to the others. Jake grabbed your hand, walking out of Penny’s bar with you. Outside he was still holding your hand as it made you snicker soft. – “No one’s watching Hangman.” – you told him. Hangman looked at you with eyes full of affection. – “I know.” – he responded, pausing you. – “Are we still faking it?” – he asked catching you by surprise. Unsure, you pulled your shoulders up. That seemed to answer Hangman enough as he cupped your cheeks, kissing your lips.

The kiss was long, anticipating the moment till he could finally kiss you. His tender kiss moved to longing and desperation as his hands grabbed you tightly. You kissed him back, fully surrendering under his spell. The lines of fake dating having been shattered long ago.

--------------------------------------

Read more of my fics on my Masterlists!

#imagine #fanfiction #fanfic #fic #top gun #top gun maverick #tom iceman kazansky #iceman #bradley rooster bradshaw #natasha phoenix trace #robert bob floyd #jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin fic #jake seresin imagine #jake seresin fanfiction #jake seresin fanfic #jake seresin x you #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x y/n #top gun hangman #hangman top gun #hangman x reader #hangman seresin #hangman x you #hangman imagine #hangman x y/n #fake dating trope #pete maverick mitchell

[enthyrea]

breakfast club poster parody :)

(also it’s my birthday wahoo!! thank you all for the support this year 🤍)

#enthyrea art #this was very fun #wish I could have put fanback here but alas only five ppl on the og poster #I feel like my art style is changing a bit but idk what do y’all think #top gun #top gun fanart #top gun maverick #jake hangman seresin #javy coyote machado #bradley rooster bradshaw #robert bob floyd #natasha phoenix trace #tgm fanart #top gun maverick fanart #top gun art #top gun coyote #top gun rooster #top gun hangman #top gun Phoenix #top gun bob #hangman seresin #rooster bradshaw #Phoenix trace #bob floyd #coyote machado #top gun daggers #dagger squad

[yeagrave]

night at the museum!AU bc I can :]

[ bonus sketches below the cut🫶✨ ]

#ignore my terrible handwriting lol #this is purely self indulgent #I literally said to myself that I should draw them in their canon universe and I just haven’t lol #I can’t help it! #they’re like my little dress up dolls😭 #hangster #sereshaw #my art #tgm #bradley ‘rooster’ bradshaw #jake ‘hangman’ seresin #dagger squad #natasha phoenix trace #javy coyote machado

[paperjunk]

#top gun #top gun maverick #maverick #pete maverick mitchell #pete mitchell #rooster #bradley rooster bradshaw #Bradley Bradshaw #phoenix #Natasha “Phoenix” Trace #Natasha Trace #fanboy #reuben “payback” fitch #Mickey “Fanboy“ Garcia #reuben fitch #mickey garcia #mygifs #mygifedits

[liahswriting]

Call Sign: Sweetheart: Part 2

Relationship(s): Lt. Natasha "Phoenix" Trace/Original Female Character

Words: 16,398 (I am so sorry)

Warnings: None

Summary: Due to popular demand (really, I only needed 1 person to ask for this lmao) here is a part 2 to Call Sign: Sweetheart. Sorry it's so long. I had trouble trying to come up with a plot and connecting it to the previous fic. I didn't intent to make a part two so I had a lot of filler. Anyway, enjoy.

Phoenix had set her alarm on her phone the night before. She needed to be up early so she could head back to her hotel, get herself cleaned up, straighten out her uniform, and make it to base on time. It was day one of whatever TOPGUN had in store for her. Plus she had to walk back to her hotel. So it was imperative she woke up early enough to give herself the time she needed to get presentable. But she was also considerate of her bed mate beside her. She set her alarm for the early hours, but kept the volume down low enough to not disturb Sweetheart.

But when the alarm went off, despite its soft tone chiming in her ear, Phoenix woke to see Sweetheart up and at 'em as well. Sweetheart rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned wide while she scratched her tangled hair, seemingly forgetting for a moment that she wasn't alone in bed. Once Phoenix squirmed into an upright position, it was when Sweetheart realized her presence.

"Morning." Sweetheart smiled.

"Morning. Did I wake you? I tried to keep the volume down." she said apologetically.

"You can pull the girl out of the Navy, but the training sticks with you. I haven't slept through an alarm since I was fifteen."

"I figured you would've adjusted back to civvy life over the last two years." commented Phoenix.

"I wish." laughed Sweetheart. "Do you know how much easier my life would be if I could go a single day without connecting anything to the Navy? And being able to sleep consistently for more than three hours?"

"But that's what makes life fun!" the other woman taunted. They shared a smile with each other, watching as the life in each other's eyes take over their color. Sweetheart loved Phoenix's eyes.

"You getting ready to head out?" Sweetheart suddenly broke the moment. Phoenix realized her mission and sprung into action, grabbing her forgotten uniform and putting it on.

"I have to walk back to my hotel and finish getting ready. I might do a dry bath if I can."

"I'll drive you back. That'll give you some more time to get ready." she said, jumping from the bed and grabbing her shoes.

"You don't have to-" Phoenix went to go dismiss the woman. Her timeliness wasn't Sweetheart's problem to deal with. Phoenix knew she'd be in this predicament when she agreed to stay the night.

"I wouldn't be happy knowing I was the reason you missed your report time. I had you for the night, I can say goodbye for the day."

"Seriously, you don't have to-"

"Shut up." Sweetheart smirked and then placed a gentle kiss on her cheek to keep her quiet. "No room for arguing. Come on. If we leave now, you can take an actual shower."

Phoenix just huffed out a laugh. Sweetheart didn't take no for an answer. Neither did Phoenix, honestly, but Sweetheart always won the fight. So she stopped trying to deny the offer of a ride, and laced up her boots. Once Sweetheart had her shoes on, she grabbed a jacket to cover herself up, and then both women left the hotel, got in her car, and drove off to Phoenix's hotel.

"Let me know what's going on, yeah? If you guys need anything, I'm happy to make a food run." Sweetheart tossed out through the window as Phoenix exited the car.

"I have a feeling we're gonna need it." laughed Phoenix.

"I got a new phone, but Rooster has my number. Just shoot me a text."

"Will do." and Phoenix turned to walk off.

"Tasha!"

"Yeah?" she turned around and quirked and eyebrow.

"It was good seeing you again." Phoenix's eyebrow dropped and a genuine smile replaced it.

"You too. I'll talk to you later."

And then she disappeared into her hotel. Sweetheart sat behind the steering wheel for a moment, letting everything from the past 24 hours sink in. It hit her all at once, that it happened. It was real. And then she squealed and did a happy dance in her seat like she was in high school and just got asked to the prom.

"Holy shit." she murmured to herself. "Okay, get yourself together."

She should go out and buy something pretty to wear. And take Tasha out on a date. Yeah. She put her car in drive and almost sped her way back to her hotel so she could put on some real clothes. Clothes that wouldn't make people grimace at her and dare to ask her why on Earth she decided to go out in public in them.

She dolled up a little bit: dressed in some decent clothes, ran a brush through her hair, brushed her teeth. And then she headed out again. It was early. Not many places would be open at this hour. If the sun wasn't up, neither were people. But there was always a boutique open somewhere in California. Heavy tourism practically demanded it. And she was determined to find it. A simple Google search told her what stores were open and where they were located. There weren't many, but it was a start.

Today was a day for pampering. She deserved it after everything she's been through. And now she has Tasha back in her life. Who, by the way, hasn't sent a single message yet. Sweetheart kept looking at her phone as she shopped around, hoping either she or Rooster would pop in with an update.

"It's only been an hour. Calm down." she told herself and then stuffed her phone back in her pocket.

She rummaged through another rack of clothes. Nothing popped out at her. She wanted something nice that Phoenix would like. Phoenix once made a comment about a shirt Sweetheart had -a dark navy blue shirt that Sweetheart had dubbed her 'I don't have anything to wear' shirt. Phoenix said she looked good in it. Sweetheart hadn't ever taken a second look at her shirt until then. After that, it was her favorite shirt to wear and would find as many opportunities to wear it as possible. Until it got bleach on it. It was a sad farewell.

Sweetheart felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Excitedly, she pulled it out. Her smile fell when the notification ended up being the daily weather forecast. Sunny. Gee, who would've taken a guess at that. She put her phone away again...... After looking at it one more time in hopes Phoenix or Rooster would say something.

Sweetheart spent a few hours shopping around. She managed to find something nice to wear. Even bought a pair of shoes to go with it since she only brought her sneakers and her sandals. After that, she grabbed a quick brunch and a drink. All the while still staring at her damn phone. Seriously? Not a single text from either of them?! Her mom sent her a text though asking for a check-in. Making sure she's still alive and whatnot.

After brunch, she decided to walk along the pier. Anything to keep her mind off of the fact that TASHA ISN'T TEXTING! LIKE SHE SAID SHE WOULD!

It was warm outside. Not hot, just warm. It felt nice. Reminds Sweetheart of the time she and Phoenix went to the beach when they had an off day from work. Off days were few and far between, so they made sure to do anything and everything they could cram into those 24 hours. Sweetheart remembers one time when she got attacked by an entire grouping of seagulls because they saw she had a pretzel. Instead of helping, Phoenix was laughing her ass off and video taping it. And then Sweetheart tripped in the sand the seagulls covered over her fallen body as they attacked the pretzel that had been tossed from her hand.

"You should've just let it go." Phoenix hardly got the words out because she was laughing too damn hard.

"I paid ten-fucking-dollars for it! I wasn't gonna waste it!"

Sweetheart laughed as she thought back on it. She didn't laugh then, but now it was hilarious. She wonders if Phoenix still has that video?

There were a lot of memories here from when they were first at TOPGUN all those years ago. Like here on the pier, where they watched the sun set and then kissed like they were in a movie. And over there by the shops where Phoenix almost accidentally stole something because it got caught on her foot as she was walking out and the staff practically chased her down for it. And there by the ice cream parlor where they had their first official date. They had been together for months on base before they could actually go out and do something. At the time they were in a rush and could only spare a few moments. So they grabbed ice cream here, got some drinks at the Hard Deck, then went back to base. It wasn't much, but it was the beginning of something good.

Soon enough, the day had come and gone, the sun was setting, and Sweetheart was ready to head back to her hotel. Still no sign from Phoenix or Rooster. She had half a mind to send a text out just to make sure they were all good. She was sure they were just held up with training, or whatever it is they're doing. At this point, she probably wouldn't hear from either one of them until tomorrow after they had gotten some sleep. So she just ordered a late dinner, put her phone on the charger, and decided to shower while she waited for her food to arrive.

The hot water felt nice. The type of nice after a long day when you're just so worn out. Where you've spent hours upon hours just working yourself to death. Sweetheart remembers one time during training when she was just pushed well past her limits. It had several days of testing her mental capabilities in the air, as well as working her physical body to peak perfection. She had been ready to collapse, but held out because Rooster was going to throw Phoenix a birthday party at his place, and Sweetheart wanted to be there.

The party started off fine. There were some drinks, lots of music, games, and whatnot. Tasha was living it up, as she should seeing that she was the birthday girl. When presents started passing around, Sweetheart just felt something inside her shut down. She got dizzy and the room started to spin. The last thing she remembered was Tasha and Rooster rushing to her side, and then it just went black. When she woke up, she found herself in Rooster's bed with a worried Tasha wiping at her forehead with a wet cloth.

"You had me so worried!" she practically screeched, throwing her arms around Sweetheart in a tight hug.

"I guess I was just overworked. It's been a long week, Tasha. I'm sorry I ruined your birthday."

After getting some cold fluids in her from an equally worried Rooster, Sweetheart was then taken to the bathroom with promises of relaxation. Tasha had filled the tub with warm water and some of Rooster's bath soap. She then stripped the both of them of their clothes and they stepped into the steaming water. Tasha sat behind Sweetheart, keeping her arms around the tired frame of her girlfriend. She peppered kisses to her clammy shoulder and all Sweetheart could do was melt against her touch. They stayed like that for what felt like forever. But it was Sweetheart's favorite place to be.

Sweetheart heard her phone beep from the other room, pulling her out of her memory and excitedly peeking her head behind the shower curtain. It was either Phoenix or Rooster, or her food. And while she hoped it was the first option, she wouldn't be upset if her food was almost here.

She quickly scrubbed the last of the conditioner out of her hair, rinsed off the last of the body wash, turned off the water, stepped out of the shower, and wrapped a towel around her as she entered the bedroom. She grabbed her phone to see a new text message from an unknown phone number. All it said was her name followed by a question mark. It was Tasha!

"Hey, how was first day of TOPGUN?" she replied back. A second later, a new text message came through.

"A lot has happened. Free to talk?"

"Yeah, just one second. Just got out of the shower."

"Without me? :)"

Sweetheart had to contain herself from squealing again. But a blush was heavy on her cheeks. She could feel it. Quickly she got dressed in some pajamas and then dialed Phoenix's number.

"Took you long enough." Phoenix joked.

"Sorry. Been lost in thought for awhile."

"Thinking about?"

"You." Sweetheart gave the one-worded answer easily. She heard the other woman hitch her breath through the phone.

"And? Care to share with the class what's got you all distracted?" Phoenix urged with a teasing lust.

"Hmm. We'll save that conversation for another day. As much as I love phone sex, I'm really interested in what happened today." she said and Phoenix huffed.

"Where do I begin?" she asked rhetorically. "Hangman was being his usual asshole self, for starters."

"I don't even want to imagine how arrogant he was."

"He gets one air-to-air kill and makes it his entire personality, and then thinks that will single-handedly make him qualified for this mission."

"Mission? You guys got called back for a mission?" Sweetheart interrupted, a worried glower in her eyes as she stared at nothing.

"Yeah. Not really sure how much I'm allowed to share, but basically we've all been asked back to take down an enemy plant. And Hangman seems to think he's the only one qualified for the job. Him and Rooster kept butting heads during BFM training. Which, ultimately, cost me."

"Whatdyu mean? Hangman didn't kill your chances, did he?"

"No. Not yet, at least. But my arms are still sore from having to do 200 pushups thanks to Payback's stupid gamble."

"Why the fuck would Payback gamble out 200 pushups?!" Sweetheart asked in surprise. That was stupid, even for him. "I hope he had to join you in that punishment."

"Oh he did, don't you worry. Although it's making me wish you were here, ya know. With you as my partner, we've never lost."

"I wasn't sure with myself if I could stomach being back here." she admitted solemnly. This wasn't the time to get into the topic, but something had to be said. "I wasn't positive that I could handle the memories of what happened. Or having to face you on the off chance you wouldn't forgive me. I figured this was the safest course of action for me."

"Listen, I'm not blaming you for your decision. I get it. And I want you to do what's best for yourself. But that doesn't stop me from missing you behind me."

"Funny, usually you're behind me. Quite honestly, I prefer it that way." Sweetheart changed the conversation to something more light-hearted. And the innuendo was not lost on Phoenix. The brunette practically snorted with laughter.

"Well, keep sweet-talking me like that and we'll see what happens."

"Is that a promise, Lieutenant?"

"Oh it absolutely is."

"What's the time-frame for the mission? Is there any room for me to wiggle in at some point?"

"The entire thing is gonna be a few weeks. And based on what the Captain outlined, it's gonna be pretty loaded and hard-hitting until we set out for the actual mission." explained Phoenix.

"Damn." Sweetheart huffed. "You'll have to keep me updated."

"I will." Phoenix promised. "Oh! And speaking of the Captain, does the name Captain Pete Mitchell ring a bell at all? Call sign: Maverick?"

The question threw Sweetheart for a loop. What that had to do with anything, she wasn't sure. But she thought on it anyway. It took her a minute to rack through her brain for the name. It rang a bell. A small, quiet bell. But a bell nonetheless.

"Uh. Yeah. Kind of. He's another TOPGUN graduate, right? Supposed to be one of the best in the entire Navy. Why?"

"Rooster's got beef with him. Serious beef. And it manifested in training today -almost cost him his life. I tried to talk to him about it, but Rooster shut me out. I was wondering if you knew anything. He's got me worried."

Hearing the confession made her choke on air. Rooster was her friend, and just the thought of him being so careless like that and almost dying had her worried beyond belief. Rooster was not one to be so reckless. Hell, that's how he got the call sign Rooster. He waits. He's calculated. He's safe. What's going on?

"I haven't talked to Rooster, like actually talked, in at least a year. Maybe more." Sweetheart admitted. "But, even still, he never brought up the name Maverick before."

"It was worth a shot...." Phoenix trailed off. "Maybe you can talk to him. See what's going on. Because not only is he putting his life in danger, he's putting the rest of ours as well. If he gets kicked off this mission, we're left with Bagman. And, at that point, we might as well just say game over for us all."

"I'll talk to him. You're right; if Hangman is in charge, no one is gonna be coming home."

Sweetheart and Phoenix chatted for a bit more. Sweetheart's dinner arrive shortly and Phoenix had bid her a goodnight so she could eat in peace. Plus Phoenix had to be up early again tomorrow and she needed the sleep after the day she had today.

The following day panned out similar to the previous day. Sweetheart spent most of her time alone, just aimlessly walking about as she tried to pass the time until she could call Rooster and talk to him. She worried for her friend. Rooster had always been there for her, even when she shut him out, so the least she could do was lend an ear to him.

Her phone was silent all day as both Phoenix and Rooster were occupied with their training. It had to be brutal. She wondered just what they were up to. She remembered her time at TOPGUN -it wasn't fun at first. You were put through the ringer and tested on not only the things you knew but also the things you didn't know. But it wasn't all bad. There were good times at TOPGUN. The friends you make, the gratifying feeling of accomplishing something, and plus you get to fly fighter jets. Like, who wouldn't want to do that?!

Being in the backseat was a great feeling. Having Phoenix be her wingman in the sky was what made everything fun and worth it. Sweetheart missed it, and she somewhat started to question her decision to turn down the call. No one would ever be able to fly a plan smoother than Phoenix. No one would ever make Sweetheart feel as safe in a flying weapon as Phoenix did. They were a team. And she felt like she let her teammate down. Who did Phoenix even get paired up with? She didn't ask.

After dinner, Sweetheart spent a few hours at The Hard Deck just talking with Penny to keep herself occupied. Penny was a sweet woman and coming back here felt like coming back home. Penny asked her how she was doing, what she was up to, and all that good stuff. They talked as the older woman handed out drinks. Sweetheart suddenly had a thought, and decided to try her luck with it.

"What can you tell me about Pete Mitchell?" Sweetheart asked, taking a sip of her rum and coke.

"Maverick? What about him?" questioned the woman.

"Just wondering. I'm told him and Rooster aren't getting along."

"Oh. That." Penny said, sparking Sweetheart's interest. She leaned against the bar top trying to get closer for the details. "Listen, it's not really my place to talk about it. Have you talked to Rooster?"

Sweetheart sat back, dejected at not having any gossip to invest in. She took another sip of her drink.

"Waiting for him to be dismissed. Phoenix told me she tried to get something out of him, but he kept quiet. It's got me worried."

"Rooster is a grown man. You can't make him talk if he doesn't want to. But at least he's got a friend like you to go to if he does want to talk."

"Well, I owe him that much. I'm gonna go try him, see if he's done for the day."

She left her half finished drink on the bar and walked outside where it was quieter. She pulled out her phone and dialed Rooster's number. As expected, the call got forwarded to his voicemail. She left the standard message: hey, it's me, just calling to check in on ya. Call me back. Ya know, that spiel. But less than 60 seconds later, he called her right back.

"Rooster?"

"Hey, what's up."

"Nothing. Just calling to get my daily report." she chuckled lightly. "I got the basic run down from Tasha yesterday. Anything new today?"

"Not really. It's tough out here but we're all managing." Rooster replied easily, yet the tone of his voice was curt.

"Yeah? Even with Hangman on your ass?"

"He's not helping, but it could be worse."

"Hey, can I ask you a personal question?" Sweetheart gingerly steered the topic.

"Uh, sure?"

"Can I ask you what your history is with Maverick?" she asked him, and Rooster was silent for several seconds. Sweetheart could just see the veins in his neck twitching as he clenched his jaw.

"And what do you know about Maverick?" he clipped.

"Just asking. Phoenix told me you scared her yesterday with some dangerous stunt you pulled. That's not like you, and it's got me worried."

"It's none of your business!"

"Come on, Bradshaw. You've always been there for me. Let me be there for you." she begged of him. "Tell me what's going on."

"Maverick is the reason my dad is dead....." she heard him spit through the phone. "And then he had the audacity to pull my papers from the Naval Academy and set my career back four fucking years!"

Sweetheart stood silent. The conversation went quiet. The only sounds she could hear were from the bar behind her and from Rooster trying to calm himself with some breathing. Her mouth ran dry as she tried to think of something to say to that. What does she say?

"I'm so sorry, Rooster."

"Listen, I don't wanna fucking get into this right now. I'm tired, okay?"

"Rooster, you gotta promise me you'll keep a level head through this." she pleaded with him. "Whatever's between you and Maverick, it's not worth dying over. It's not worth putting the rest of the team at risk. I care about you and I want you to come home from whatever mission you're on, okay? And afterwards we'll hang out together. You and me. Like old times."

"Yeah, whatever." he tried to play it off. But it wasn't a promise.

"Promise me, Bradley Bradshaw!"

"Okay! I promise."

"Good."

"Listen, I gotta go."

"Call me if you need anything. I'm just twenty minutes away."

And then the call died. And Sweetheart was left standing in the sand, staring at her phone, looking like an idiot that got stood up on a date. She worried about him.

Many days passed and Rooster hadn't called her again. Phoenix did though, and she offered any updates that she could when asked about it. But the updates were very few considering the only thing the team is focused on is mastering their aircrafts. Rooster seemed to calm down over the days based on Phoenix's lack of reporting on out-of-character actions from him. At least that was a good sign.

"So when can I take you out?" she asked the brunette during another one of their phone calls. Sweetheart laid on her hotel bed on her stomach, phone pressed to her ear, and kicking her feet in the air like a teenager.

"How about now?" Phoenix surprised her with her answer.

"Now?"

"Grab a bathing suit. We're going to the beach!"

"What? Beach? You're actually serious."

"Listen, I'm not gonna question it. We've got a free day, and I intend on taking it. So get your cute butt in a bathing suit and get to the beach! Or else I'll drag you from your hotel room myself."

"Actually, I kinda like that sound of that. You gonna bring some rope?" teased Sweetheart. She wiggled her eyebrows as if Phoenix was in front of her. Even thought Phoenix couldn't see it, she sensed it.

"I'll wipe that look off your face. If you follow orders and come to the beach, I'll bring some rope."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Now come on. We're all heading out soon."

Sweetheart excitedly threw herself off the bed and rummaged through her bag for her bathing suit. She knew packing it was a good idea, and now she had the chance to wear it. And it was a cute one too. She got it right before she came to San Diego, hoping to impress Phoenix if their reunion yielded a positive result -which it did.

She tossed on a loose shirt over top of it, put on her sandals, grabbed a towel, and packed a small carry-on of essentials, and then headed to the beach. The ocean wasn't far from her hotel. A bit of a walk, yes, but given the heavy tourism traffic it was much more efficient to walk than to drive.

Today couldn't have been a better day for the beach. The sun was high in the sky, it was hot out, it was just perfect for the water. Sweetheart found a somewhat empty patch of sand and laid out her towel. She waited for Phoenix to text her telling her when they arrived. In the meantime, she covered herself in some sunscreen, flipped down her aviators, and lounged back to bask in the sun's rays. She hoped Tasha would like her bathing suit. What would Tasha be wearing? She's seen the brunette in nothing but a bra and panties before -if you don't count completely naked- and she is a sight to behold. Everything about her was just perfect...... Oh those were some dangerous thoughts to be having in public. Sweetheart looked around as if she could catch if people could read her mind.

Impatiently, Sweetheart watched the clock on her phone tick the minutes. Just waiting for a text, a call, something. And then.....

"We're here. You?"

"Kept me waiting long enough <3 Where are you?"

"We came in through the entrance by the hotel."

"I'll come find you."

Sweetheart quickly grabbed her stuff and practically ran down the beach towards them. She pushed through crowds of people, all of them watching her with irritated expressions as she pretty much gave no second thought to the people she pushed aside. But to hell with it. She didn't care. All she could think about was Tasha.... And maybe Rooster.... But mostly Tasha.

It was easy picking out the group of pilots on the beach. They were the only group where everyone was wearing aviators and had the physique of a military man (or woman). None of them spotted her approaching them, so she took the opportunity to do something cute. Carefully, she set her stuff down just a little ways away from theirs and snuck up behind Tasha, throwing her arms around the woman and yelling 'boo' in her ear. Tasha jumped and quickly whirled around, ready to punch whoever invaded her personal space. But she relaxed when she saw Sweetheart.

"Hey! You made it!" the pilot hugged her tightly.

"Was I not supposed to?" Sweetheart cheekily replied, which prompted a flick on her forehead.

"Hey there, Sweetheart!" Rooster greeted much happier than he did on the phone call. He came and gave her a hug, which caused the others to come give her a hug too. Fanboy hugged her so tightly and picked her up off the sand, making her squeal a bit.

"Didn't realize you were still here, Sweetheart!" he happily cheered.

"Can't get rid of me that easily, Garcia."

"Come on, girl. You gotta stop with the last name." he waved her off.

"Technically not Navy anymore." she reminded him.

"That means nothing. You'll always be one of us!"

"Yeah, Sweetheart. Once a pilot, always a pilot." Payback chimed in.

"Come on, enough talk. Let's play." said Coyote, holding up a football in his hand.

"Later, I'm stealing this cutie for a little bit." Phoenix said, giving a shoulder bump to Sweetheart as she spoke, making said woman conceal a grin. This garnered attention towards her, and she could hear Rooster whistle playfully.

Phoenix took her hand, intertwining their fingers, and pulled her down the shore away from everyone. But Sweetheart could feel eyes on them as they walked away. Everyone was watching them lean against each other and act all lovey dovey. But she didn't care. All she cared about was the woman beside her.

"I didn't realize so many people had been called back." Sweetheart randomly spoke. "Who are the others?"

"Well you already know most of them. The others you've probably heard of. Like Logan 'Yale' Lee and his WSO Brigham 'Harvard' Lennox are part of the Red Rippers. And Callie 'Halo' Bassett is part of the Redcocks." she said, pointing to each person she spoke of. "She's Neil 'Omaha' Vikander's WSO who is part of the Nighthawks."

"And that guy?" Sweetheart asked, pointing to the guy who refused to take his shirt off for whatever reason.

"Robert 'Bob' Floyd. He's my WSO. Comes from Lemoore. He's part of the Screaming Eagles."

"WSO huh? How does he hold up?" Sweetheart wiggled her eyebrow teasingly.

"He's not you, that's for sure." she replied. "But he stands alright. A bit awkward but nice."

"Well not everyone is brave enough to handle you."

"You've never complained before." Phoenix teased back, throwing her arm over Sweetheart's shoulders and pulling her into her side. She pressed a kiss to Sweetheart's cheek.

"I'm not complaining now. Although you did promise to bring some rope." she reminded.

"Later." Phoenix teased. "Right now, I just want to enjoy spending some time with you. It's been so long since it was just the two of us."

"It's not really just the two of us considering we've got those guys watching our every move." she pointed to the gaggle of pilots that seemed to be miles away. They were immersed into their game of football, tackling each other into the sand and cheering each other on. It didn't appear that anyone was on any sort of 'team'.

"Hangman's just upset you won't suck his dick." laughed the brunette. "Rooster just misses you. And the others? Well you let's just say Fanboy had a bet going seeing how long it takes us before we get back together."

"Have you given any thought of us getting back together?"

"I've thought about it a lot." she admitted.

"And?"

"And..... I want to. It's just, I feel really guilty for the things I've said to you. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for treating you like dog shit when you were suffering really bad."

"I don't hate you for it." soothed Sweetheart. "I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at the fact that we had to come to this."

"You could've come to me. I would've done whatever I could to help you."

"I know that. I was just afraid. But not anymore. I'm tired of hiding, and letting this ruin my life. I miss being with you in a fighter jet, traveling the world, taking down the bad guys."

"It's not too late. It could still be you and me." Phoenix turned to her, cupping her face in her hands and stroking her cheeks. "We're a team. We've always been a team. I can't remember a time where it wasn't you in the jet behind me. I don't trust anyone else at my six."

"I already got my discharge. I've been dismissed. It's done."

"But you were called back. That's gotta count for something! Maybe we can get you your RE code, and you can come back. TOPGUN wanted you back, maybe you can reenlist through that and bypass all that paperwork bullshit."

"It's been too long, Tasha." Sweetheart said solemnly. "I'm way too rusty to be in the sky again."

"So you'll have to spend a few weeks back in basics again. So what? It's not the end of the world."

"I don't know, Tasha."

"Please? It's not the same without you."

The two women stood at the edge of the water, staring into each other's eyes as if the rest of the world didn't exist. And, to Sweetheart, it didn't. All she saw was Natasha Trace, the woman she's loved for years. The woman she wanted to marry one day. And the way Phoenix was stroking her cheeks with her thumbs was a comfort that brought back memories of the times she used to caress her face as they lay in bed together, basking in the afterglow of sex, when the endorphins were high and they were drunk on love. Life was boring without Natasha Trace. The transition back to civilian life was an adjustment that Sweetheart never got used to. She missed the Navy. She missed being a pilot. And she was angry that her life was stolen from her by a man who got his kicks abusing his power.

"I'll have to think about it. At the very least, it's too late to come back to TOPGUN. The mission is already underway and you have a new WSO. I won't have a place to fit in."

"After this mission, you and I are gonna spend some time together. And then maybe the Captain will let you do some training to get your wings all polished."

"If he even cares. Speaking of, how's Rooster holding out with Maverick?"

"Rooster's still closing himself off. He's not getting along with the Captain, but at least he hasn't almost killed himself again."

"Well that's good at least."

"Did he tell you what's going on?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if it's my place to share it. It runs deep, Tasha. And, quite frankly, I'm on Rooster's side. If what he says is true, I think his anger is justified. I worry where his head is at, but I don't think he's in the wrong here."

"As long as he doesn't ruin his chances for being on this mission. If I end up with Hangman, I might just drop out of this mission altogether." Phoenix sighed heavily.

"Enough talk about this. Now's not the time to be upset about work. Let's have some fun." Sweetheart attempted to cheer the woman up.

"We could go play football with the guys. Let's go beat their asses. Some of them deserve it."

"I'm always down to beat the shit outta Hangman." she said and both women laughed.

They intertwined their fingers again and turned around to walk back to the group. When they approached, Rooster and Fritz were celebrating triumphantly over something. Rooster flexed his muscles to show off the definition, getting into a muscle show-off with Hangman. But it seemed to be all in good fun as both men laughed and playfully pushed at each other.

"Hey boys." greeted Sweetheart. "Got room?"

"Hey hey, Sweetheart! Come on, girl. You and me!" hollered Fanboy.

"Nah, she's with me. Get your own partner." Phoenix defended.

"Come on, Nat. Don't be like that. We can share!"

"Phoenix? Share? Ha!" Rooster roared out a laugh, stabilizing himself on his knees.

"Phoenix doesn't share, but Sweetheart loves sharing. Ain't that right, darlin?" winked Hangman. Sweetheart wanted to throw up in her mouth. Phoenix was in offense mode, ready to defend her, but she held the brunette back.

"Come on, Hangman. I'll kick your ass no problem. Pick your team and let's fight."

"Ohhoooo, Sweetheart. I'll take that bet. Alright, pretty girl. I'll go easy on you. You can have Rooster and whoever else you pick. You can even pick first."

"Careful, Bagman. I don't think your reputation could sink any further by losing than it already has."

"Then put your money where your mouth is, honey. Make your bet."

"I'm not sucking your dick."

"Come on, guys. Stop fighting and let's play." Fanboy begged with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah, we're here to have fun. It's not that big 'a deal." Fritz followed behind Fanboy, also annoyed at the fight that was brewing.

Both Hangman and Sweetheart dropped the argument for now, but both of them knew it wasn't over. However, Fanboy and Fritz were right. Today was a fun day, and they were all determined to kick back and relax. Everyone split into two teams: Sweetheart, Phoenix, Rooster, Halo, Fanboy, and Bob on one team. Hangman, Coyote, Fritz, Yale, Harvard, and Payback on another. The game was simple -first team to break through the other's defense three times, or whoever got three tackles first would be the winner.

The first round started off with Rooster holding the football, eventually passing it off to Fanboy when he started getting boxed in by Hangman, Fritz, and Yale. Fanboy ended up getting tackled by Harvard and Coyote. The second round had Coyote taking the ball, passing it off to Payback, who passed it off to Harvard. Harvard got to running, ready to elbow through the barricade that Bob, Phoenix, and Halo formed. Sweetheart and Rooster chased after him, reaching out to grasp at him and yank him back until he fell to the ground.

Round three was quick. Sweetheart had the ball and she told Rooster to go long. Rooster ran past everyone, getting to the fake end zone where Sweetheart threw the ball as far as she could. He ended up catching it, scoring the touchdown. And then round four was where it all went wrong. Payback took the ball. He decided to hog it and just brute force his way through the defense. Sweetheart ran behind him, attempting to get a tackle. But she was side swiped by Hangman who just bull slammed her to the ground. She fell onto her shoulder, and she felt something pop.

"FUCK! FUCK GOD DAMN IT!" she wailed out, getting a mouthful of sand as she writhed on the ground.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, dude?!" Rooster angrily slapped at Hangman before rushing to his friend's side. Phoenix knelt to the ground beside her, quickly assessing the damage. And then Captain Mitchell rushed to aid.

"Something popped! Holy shit it hurts!" Sweetheart hissed out.

"Come on, let's get you sitting." Maverick said and both Rooster and Phoenix carefully helped Sweetheart to her butt. She cried out through clenched teeth as the pain radiated down her entire left side.

"Oooooh that doesn't look good." Sweetheart heard Bob whisper out.

"Damn, Hangman. Someone needs anger management classes." Payback had said, and whether or not that was meant to be a joke, Sweetheart didn't take kindly to it.

"Everyone shut the fuck up!"

"You'll be alright." Maverick tried to calm her. "Easy fix. Just take a deep breath." he instructed her as he splayed his palm against her shoulder blade.

Sweetheart braced herself, taking a deep breath like he said, and giving her free hand to Rooster so she could hold onto something in case she passes out. Maverick counted to three, and then shoved the bone back into its socket. Sweetheart cursed to the high heavens when he did that. Pain engulfed her and nausea threatened to consume her. When he told her that everything was back in place, she fell to her back to try and ground herself so she didn't black out.

"That was not cool, man." she heard Coyote say. And when Coyote goes against his own friend, you know Hangman really fucked up. But Hangman didn't seem to think so.

"I'm just playing the game." he chuckled out arrogantly. "Maybe it's best she left the Navy. She can't handle a little tackle football, how is she gonna handle a fighter jet?"

"Bite me, asshole!" she spit at him, wobbling as she got to her feet and readied herself for an actual physical fight.

"Only because you asked oh so nicely, darlin."

"You're real conceited for someone who got one achievement and made it your entire personality! You're just a shit pilot and are trying to cover it up!"

"Between the two of us, which one is still a pilot?" he calmly responded, an ugly smirk plastering his fucking face.

Sweetheart lunged at him, only getting millimeters from him as Rooster held her back. But Phoenix was ready to back her up as she too swiped a fist at him. But Fanboy held her back as well.

"I'll take you outta the sky any day! You're garbage! You couldn't keep up even if we gave you a head start!" claimed Sweetheart.

"Alright! Everyone! Calm down!" yelled Maverick. "That's an order!"

Everyone halted their motions, one by one taking a deep breath and relaxing themselves until the threat of physical violence was no longer a main concern. Rooster still had a hold on her, and Fanboy on Phoenix, but they got shrugged off as the two women made their way into each other's space. And then Maverick caught everyone's attention, but his focus was only on Sweetheart.

"You're a pilot?" he merely asked her. Sweetheart straightened up when he addressed her. Call it force of habit. She ignored the thumping of pain in her shoulder.

"Yes, Sir. I was, Sir."

"Name?" he asked her, and she freely gave it. Former rank, call sign, all of it. "And your service record?"

"I am a TOPGUN graduate. Former WSO for Lieutenant Trace and The Black Aces in Afghanistan. Been stationed all over the East Coast since I was eighteen."

"WSO?" he eyed between the two women curiously. "Are you supposed to be here, Lieutenant."

"I'm not a Lieutenant anymore, Sir. But I did get the call back. I declined it."

"Why?"

"Personal reasons."

"She didn't make the cut. She just won't admit it." taunted Hangman, which riled her up once more. She tried to take a swing at him but was intercepted once more by Rooster.

"I'll leave you in the dust, Bagman! Phoenix and I could take you down before you could finish saying goodbye to your mommy!"

"You wanna bet?!" he spat back.

"I said that's enough!" yelled Maverick once more. He stepped between to two of them, acting as a barrier to prevent any more fighting. "If you really want to take each other on, do it in the air!"

"With pleasure, Sir." Hangman grinned sickeningly. "I will happily take them down."

"I second the motion." chimed Phoenix with an equally sickening tone.

"Alright, everyone calm down." Rooster tried to be the middle man. "We'll talk about this later."

He began to pull both Sweetheart and Phoenix away from the scene, attempting to calm them down as much as he could. Once the three of them were far enough away, they all let out an exasperated sigh and relaxed the tense muscles they hadn't realized were knotted up.

"I really wanna punch him in the face." Sweetheart muttered.

"Trust me, I do too." replied Phoenix.

"Why'd you have to make that stupid bet with him?" asked Rooster. "You do realize that if you don't actually take him up in the air, he's never going to let it go."

"Relax. I doubt the Captain will allow me on base to actually fight him."

"I dunno. Maverick seemed pretty serious about it." said Phoenix.

"Oh please. I'm not even part of the mission. I'm pretty sure unauthorized personnel on sight would be literally kicked out." she tried to wave them off, but her shoulder was still throbbing so she dropped her hand.

"Can we just forget about it? I don't wanna think about Bagman anymore. Not when we have this day to ourselves." begged the brunette pilot.

She was right, so the three of them agreed to put the last ten minutes behind them and continue on with their day like it didn't happen. Sweetheart's recent injury put a stop to any plans they may have had to go swimming, so they opted to just wade in the water for a little while before heading up the beach to grab something to eat. After a quick lunch, Rooster split to give the two women some alone time, which was greatly appreciated.

They enjoyed being able to actually have time with each other after all these years. It made Sweetheart realize that she didn't give Phoenix enough credit as a girlfriend. Being without her the last two years was miserable. And she was positive that had she just been honest about what happened, the present day would be completely different. Maybe she would've stayed in the Navy. Maybe she would've gone back to The Black Aces with Phoenix after graduation.

There was no point in dwelling on the past. The only thing they could do now was rebuild what they lost. And, so far, it was working out perfectly. They walked down memory lane for a little while, revisiting old spots. Then they went back to the water to cool off as the sun got even hotter throughout the afternoon. One game of water tag, a few sandcastles, and a deep tan later, they called it a day and went to go grab dinner at a little seafood diner spot not too far off from the beach. They shared some shrimp, had a few drinks, and Sweetheart even treated her girl to some cheesecake for dessert.

And then Phoenix got the dreaded text message from Rooster that let her know everyone was heading back to base and to meet up with them.

"You gotta go?"

"Yeah." she sighed reluctantly.

"I'll walk you back to the beach. I don't wanna say goodbye yet."

"Awe, you're cute." Phoenix lovingly pinched at her cheek like a mother would her child. Despite Sweetheart slapping her hand away, she couldn't help the blush that painted her face.

They walked back down the beach hand-in-hand. Fingers entwined just a little bit tighter as the shore came into view. Today was a good day, and Sweetheart was already discussing plans on the next time they can get together, much to Phoenix's enjoyment. The brunette kept saying how adorable she was when she was excited.

The group of pilots were visible now. All huddled together around their Captain as he talked to them about something. Hangman responded back, his arrogance clear on his face even from all the way back here. Rooster was annoyed and rolled his eyes. As the two women got closer, they captured the others' attention.

"Didn't think you'd have the balls to show up." Hangman was first to speak. Sweetheart took a deep breath to prevent herself from literally spitting in his face.

"Enough, Lieutenant." Maverick put a stop to it before it could start. "Phoenix, we're heading back. Sweetheart? I'll be seeing you tomorrow morning. Eight am sharp."

"Wait, what?" Sweetheart uttered in surprise and confusion.

"You can back out now if you wanna. I won't hold it against you, swear it." Hangman faux promised, holding his hand up in a scout's honor that everyone knew he wouldn't abide by even if his life depended on it.

"Wait, you're actually serious about letting us fight it out? I'm not a pilot anymore. Surely that breaks some sort of code?" Sweetheart tried to reason with the older man.

"I don't care if you're still active or not. Once a pilot, always a pilot. Besides, it'll be good training for everyone." he responded confidently. "Tomorrow. Eight am. Don't be late."

The Captain walked away, signalling for everyone to follow. They did, but Phoenix stayed back a moment to give Sweetheart a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"It'll be alright." she soothed. "I'll see you tomorrow. And we'll give Hangman a good beating. You and me." Another hug, and she was off, leaving Sweetheart alone to process what just happened.

Sweetheart had a hard time sleeping that night. She was up tossing and turning, picturing what the day ahead was going to consist of. A huge part of her was a bit terrified. It's been two years since she was in a fighter jet. And on top of it, they bet against Hangman of all people. If this didn't go right, he will use it to abuse both her and Phoenix for the rest of their lives. Why did she have to make that stupid bet? It was the heat of the moment, she didn't mean it!

But when the alarm went off at 06:30 am, she couldn't hide any more. She had an hour and a half to get presentable and make it to base or else..... She didn't have her uniform with her -but then again why would she? She didn't expect to go back to TOPGUN. She was just here for Tasha. And Bradley. She hoped a pair of jeans and a plain shirt would suffice. Besides, she'd be putting on a pilot's suit anyway.

She made sure to pay extra attention to her appearance: she gelled her hair a little bit more, parted it in that way she used to when she was still active, pinned back the stragglers she keeps saying she'll get taken care of but never does. Then she brushed her teeth a little bit longer than usual, straightened her shoe laces before tying them up, and flattened down any wrinkles in her clothes. And then she grabbed her car keys and phone, and headed out of the hotel.

She knew the drive to base very well. She hadn't forgotten it at all. It felt like yesterday she was first here with Tasha. Seeing the gates as she pulled up felt like the first time too.

"Can I help you?" a man stopped her. His name badge said Coleman on it.

"Um, hi. I've been called here by Captain Mitchell." Sweetheart responded.

"You must be Sweetheart, then."

"Yes, Sir."

"He's waiting for you. Go on in."

The gates opened, allowing her in. Coleman told her where to park her car and where to meet Maverick, but she already knew that, and she was able to get her shit together fairly quickly despite panicking hardcore on the inside. Walking towards the hangar didn't help one bit, and seeing everyone anxiously huddled and looking around didn't help either. She caught Phoenix's eyes -the woman smiling widely at her appearance- and found herself relaxing slightly. Tasha always calmed her.

Phoenix ran her way, meeting her in the middle, and throwing her arms around her shoulders.

"I was afraid you'd back out." she whispered in her ear.

"I almost did. Honestly? I feel like puking." Sweetheart responded back.

"You'll be fine. There's nothing you and I can't do."

"It's not about not being able to do it. It's more like if we don't beat Hangman, it'll be the end of our careers. Or, well, your career and my life."

"No. Don't act like that." she sternly pointed a finger. "We'll kick his ass and make him cry. He deserves it."

"I'll do my best, Lieutenant." Sweetheart playfully saluted, making the brunette laugh. They then walked back to the group, ready to face the music.

Hangman didn't even try to hide his arrogance. He was twirling that ugly toothpick like he always does, the whites of his teeth shining behind his lips as he smiled over the wood. Sweetheart hated when he did that. The toothpick was a stupid signature trademark of his. It didn't make sense to her. He probably thought it made him look tough, but really it just made him look like even more of an asshole than he already was.

"You ready to lose, darlin'?"

Exhibit A.

"I hope we get your defeat on camera, Bagman. I want to replay it every night before I go to sleep." Phoenix was quick to retort. Her comment did little, if any, to deter him.

"Alright, everyone take a seat. We'll do a quick rundown on the course and then you'll get in your jets.." Maverick interrupted.

No one argued against him and took their seats in the makeshift classroom in the center of the hangar. Everyone appeared to be sitting with their wingman -as evident by the fact that Phoenix was sandwiched in between Bob and Sweetheart. Sweetheart, her former WSO. Bob, her current one.

"Alright. You guys have had your practice with dogfighting. But that skill is reserved for an as-needed situation. Your main goal is to simply navigate." Maverick began to explain, bringing up a holographic layout of a mountainous terrain. "The terrain is hidden in a canyon range, guarded by surface-to-air missiles. Your task will be to navigate below these SAMs along the canyon with a max ceiling of one hundred feet." he said so casually, but both Sweetheart and Phoenix shared an oh shit look with each other. No way this guy was serious. One hundred feet? In an F-18? That was suicide!

"He's not serious?" Sweetheart muttered to Phoenix, but her doubt was heard loud and clear.

"Oh, I'm very serious." said Maverick, looking directly at her. "But because this is just a training session, I'll go easy on you. You will not exceed a max ceiling of three hundred feet. You will not have to worry about dodging any missiles. All you have to do it navigate this canyon and take out a marked target on the ground. You'll have three minutes to complete this course. Exceed three minutes, you lose. Go above three hundred feet, you lose. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I don't have a WSO. A little unfair, don't ya think?" Hangman quipped with a hand raised like he was in grade school again. Maverick didn't answer, instead passing the reins to the two women who merely exchanged a silent look. Phoenix shrugged. Sweetheart quirked an eyebrow. Phoenix twitched her lips. And then Sweetheart shrugged.

"We'll be nice and let you choose your own WSO." answered Phoenix.

"Alright.... Fanboy."

"Dude, really?" whined said WSO. He pouted like a child.

"Shut up, dude. You'll have nothing to worry about because we'll win. Easily."

"Yeah, I just don't like you." Fanboy rolled his eyes.

"Are we all in agreement?" spoke Maverick. Another round of glances was exchanged, and everyone nodded. "Good. Go suit up."

At the dismissal, everyone stood from their seats. Phoenix led Sweetheart to a set of lockers, pulling out a couple of flight suits and handing her one. Sweetheart eyed it cautiously. She couldn't help but remember the last time she wore one of these, and the reason why she stopped.

"Hey, look at me." Phoenix cooed, using a finger under her chin to raise her eyes. "What's going on?"

"I've been gone for two years. And my first time back I'm having to fight against Hangman over a stupid bet."

"You doubt yourself?"

"Is it shameful to say a little bit?" she questioned guiltily.

"No. But I know you. And I know you're the best damn WSO I've ever had. You've taken down targets half blind. You've taken down targets without a targeting system. If there's anyone that could do this with me, it'd be you." she soothed. The finger under her chin had migrated to her hair, plucking a stray that Sweetheart somehow missed with the gel.

"But it's been years. What if I mess up?"

"You won't. It's like riding a bike, once you get up in the air, it'll come back to you. And if we lose this bet, so what? It's not the end of the world. Who cares if Hangman makes fun of us for losing?"

"But what if this ruins your chances for being on this mission? What if I screw it up for you?"

"If it does, it does. I don't wanna be on this mission if you won't be with me anyway." the woman claimed. Sweetheart doubted her words, knowing full well that Lieutenant Natasha Trace lived and breathed for the skies. Being grounded was like clipping a bird's wings -cruel. But, even still, the words comforted her. And maybe for a moment she could believe that this woman would risk a job for her.

"So you won't be mad at me if I miss the target?" Sweetheart smiled softly.

"I promise. Now come on. Suit up." she tossed the flight suit at her and then began to pull her own on.

Sweetheart followed her lead and dressed. Then she took her hand and followed her outside where the F-18s were. Hangman and Fanboy were outside already dressed, standing by Hangman's engraved fighter jet. Phoenix's -and Bob's- were beside his. Everyone was gathered around, ready for the fight.

"How about we make this bet worthwhile?" came Hangman's grating voice. It rattled Sweetheart's ears and made her grimmace.

"What'chu got?" prompted Phoenix.

"Double the pushups." spoke Fanboy. Sweetheart had to rack her brain for what that meant. Double the pushups? And then she remembered what Phoenix told her when they first talked. Payback had bet two hundred pushups for whatever reason, and everyone had to do them. Now double them? Fanboy officially took first place for being the dumbest idiot alive.

"No. That's too easy. Let's spice it up a little bit." Phoenix waved it off. Hangman silently urged her to go on. Sweetheart was also curious as to what the woman had up her sleeve. "If we win, we get to dress you up and parade you around like a showgirl."

"What?!" both Sweetheart and Fanboy cried out incredulously.

"No way! I don't want any part of this!" said Fanboy.

"Relax!" yelled Hangman. "We've got nothing to worry about."

"Dude, I'm not risking my reputation like that."

"Don't worry, Fanboy. This punishment only applies to Bagman." said Phoenix. This made Hangman scoff out.

"That's not fair! What's to stop him from sabotaging me? He's gotta take it too."

"You picked him yourself. You saying you can't trust your own WSO?" challenged Rooster with a shit-eating grin.

"Not when he has nothing at stake!"

"You can back out of this bet now if you want, dick-head." pushed the brunette pilot. She crossed her arms over her chest, seemingly confident that they already won without even trying. It was silent for a moment as Hangman pondered it.

"If we lose, we both take the punishment." he reiterated. Fanboy's eyes bugged, unbelieving at what he was hearing. He threw a look at Sweetheart, hoping that she'd speak up and say something to save him

Fanboy was a good friend to Sweetheart. He's never done anything to her to warrant that type of embarrassment. She didn't want to punish him. She tried to tell him as such without actually saying any words. She used her fingers to cross over her heart, letting him know that she held him in good graces and wouldn't punish him. He seemed to understand and nod along.

"Fine. I'm in." he relented.

"Good." Hangman sighed with relief. "But, when we win, we get to dress you up and you have to be our personal showgirls."

This made Sweetheart reel with worry. No way Phoenix would actually agree to that! She wouldn't put Sweetheart in that position! Not after all the harassment Hangman has been directing at her for her entire military career. Not after the actual sexual assault she had to deal with. No, she wouldn't do that.

"Deal." Phoenix spoke.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Sweetheart angrily directed towards the woman. "You did not just agree to that?"

"It'll be okay. Do you trust me?"

"You just sold us out to Hangman!"

"We're not gonna lose. Why am I the only one that believes that?"

"She's right." came Rooster, idling up beside them. "I know you'll win. And maybe this will knock Hangman down a few pegs. It's about time someone shows him up."

"I don't like this." muttered Sweetheart.

"Hangman and Fanboy will run the course first. We'll all be keeping watch and monitoring your flight path. Remember, your ceiling is three hundred feet, and your time limit is three minutes." reminded Maverick.

"Might as well stay out here, because we'll be back before you know it." taunted Hangman. He spit his stupid toothpick to the ground and then ordered Fanboy to the jet. They got in, got all buckled up, and did a quick rundown on the equipment to make sure everything worked. When they gave the okay signal, the runway was cleared in preparation for takeoff.

Maverick ordered everyone else back in the hangar where their jet was pinged on the holographic map. Maverick pulled out a mic, speaking into it to test the two-way communication. When that was all good, Maverick gave full control over to Hangman.

"Once you're in the air and hit one hundred feet, your timer will start." he spoke. "Runway is all clear for takeoff. Comms are all yours."

"Noted. Fanboy, how we looking on the weapons systems?"

"Targeting system up and active." he replied.

"Copy. Let's get this over with. I can't wait for this to all be over with." Sweetheart could hear the smirk painting his lips and it made her roll her eyes. But, secretly, her heart was thumping.

She watched as Hangman navigated the jet towards the end of the runway and then make a smooth takeoff into the air. Immediately, all eyes were watching the monitor. the F-18 reached one hundred feet in a span of seconds, and the timer at the top began counting. The makeshift terrain had spawned around the marker meant to be Hangman and Fanboy.

Hangman and Fanboy kept each other updated every few seconds. Their communication was heard loud and clear in the hangar. Hangman was so confident in himself, claiming they were making great time, that he cracked a few jokes. Sweetheart wanted to laugh at him, but he was in fact making great time. She looked at the timer and saw they've only been in the air for a minute, and they were pretty much halfway through the course.

Sweetheart chewed on her thumb, wanting desperately to cry. She hoped their aircraft would suffer some sort of failure, making them drop from the course and get eliminated. But then she remembered Garcia was in the jet as well, and she didn't want any harm to come to him. She felt bad for thinking like that and reprimanded herself in her head. Even still, the bad thoughts did nothing to quell her fear of losing.

Two minutes. They were in the air for two minutes and Hangman was already claiming that they were approaching the target and for Fanboy to ready the missile strike.

"Targeting system engaged." he spoke, just rambling off the updates. "I've got a lock. Bring us in closer." he instructed his pilot.

"We've got one shot at this. Don't screw it up." he spat back.

"Gee, I was thinking how I could fuck us over. But now that you mention it, I've changed my ways!" he sarcastically replied. If there was room in the aircraft, and time for him to do so, Sweetheart was positive he would've dramatically shrugged his shoulders and slapped his forehead for emphasis.

"Just drop the missile!" Hangman was tired of the jokes.

"Bring us in closer and I will."

"Fucking drop it!"

"The targeting system needs us to be closer if we want to make direct contact!"

"Fine! I'll get closer! But if you miss the window and overshoot, it'll be your own fault!"

"I won't overshoot!"

The marker for the jet rapidly approached the target. Just as they were about to fly overhead of it, Fanboy dropped the missile. A new marker on the monitor appeared as it tracked the missile. It landed just short of the target, but at least it wasn't an overshot. Fanboy was close. He had waited just half a second longer, he might've been dead on.

Once the missile was dropped, Maverick ordered them back to the runway. They had landed just a moment later. Despite missing the target, both men were rather happy with their run. And as Sweetheart and Phoenix passed him while they made their way to their jet, he shouldered Sweetheart and knocked her to the side. She caught herself before she tripped over her feet, but bit her tongue. Now was not the time to focus on him. She needed to focus on the course.

The two of them got in the jet, buckled in, and went over their equipment. Sweetheart was using a loner helmet from Halo. The other WSO had told her to kick Hangman's ass as she handed it off, claiming she's only known the male pilot for a couple of days but already hated his guts.

"Comm test. You copy?" she heard Phoenix's voice in her ear.

"Copy. You hear me?"

"Loud and clear. How's the weapons system functioning?" she asked and Sweetheart took a moment to fiddle with the multitude of buttons surrounding her. It took a second for her to remember what button did what, but she managed and she flicked the system to life.

"Up and functional."

"How are you feeling about this?" the brunette asked, a little less Lieutenant-y and a little more girlfriend-y. Sweetheart took an audible deep breath.

"Nervous."

"Hey, look at me." Phoenix turned to peer behind the seat. "No matter what happens, I still love you, okay? If we lose this bet, and Hangman turns us into his sick fantasy, I won't blame you. But we won't lose, because I'll fly us faster than the speed of light, and you'll hit that target dead on. You and I haven't failed a mission yet, and we're not gonna start now."

"Can I least have a moment to re-familiarize myself with the buttons? It's been two fucking years, Tasha. And I'm a little scared."

"Our timer doesn't start until we hit a hundred feet and Maverick didn't say we had to takeoff immediately. I'm not moving until you tell me to."

"Okay."

Feeling a little better knowing Phoenix was giving her all the time she needed, Sweetheart began pressing buttons she was confident wouldn't just drop the missile on the runway. Okay, what does this button do? And this one? she asked herself as she pressed stuff and watched to see what they did. One button brought up the course. Another button activated the target lock. She knew for a fact that this button was to drop the missile, so she left it alone.

"Alright. Let's get this over with." Sweetheart muttered.

"You ready?" Phoenix asked for confirmation.

"As ready as I can be."

"Alright, ladies. The runway is clear. Comms are all yours." spoke Maverick.

"Copied." said Phoenix.

"Copied." repeated Sweetheart.

"Tell me when the timer starts." was Phoenix's only order. When Sweetheart agreed, Phoenix took off down the runway.

Feeling the rush of gravity as the aircraft actually pulled off the asphalt and skyrocketed into the sun made Sweetheart's stomach drop to her feet. But in a good way. It was a feeling that took her months to recondition her body to forget when she went civilian. She'd go to bed every night, feeling herself sinking against the imaginary force of gravity that ingrained itself into her brain. And now that she was experiencing it again, she wouldn't be able to forget it a second time.

"We've got countdown!" Sweetheart was brought back to the present when the altitude flashed one hundred feet on her screen.

Phoenix straightened out the nose, keeping it level and underneath the hard ceiling. Seeing the course displayed on a holographic monitor was one thing, but actually being thrown against the sides of the aircraft as Phoenix sharply took each turn was another thing. This wasn't anything new; their time with the Black Aces had prepared her for every fast-paced situation one could think of. But it still took her by surprise when they went through the first turn.

"Skies clear. Course on par with time. You've got another turn in four decimal seven seconds." Sweetheart rattled off. It was second nature to just talk, even if the information wasn't all that important. Phoenix liked being talked to. She hated having a quiet wingman.

She took the turn effortlessly, and Sweetheart watched her monitor ahead of their location, making sure the course was still clear of obstruction and that their pathing was matching up with their marker on the course. She made sure Phoenix was aware of the information.

Sweetheart tried not to look at the timer that was flashing in front of her eyes. She looked at it once, and they had already gone past a minute. She panicked for a moment, because it felt like they were only in the air for ten seconds. She told herself not to look at it again, because it would just make her freeze up and ruin everything. And she was already on edge.

"How far until we reach the target?" Phoenix asked. Sweetheart knew she was aware of where the target was in proximity to their location, but she wanted Sweetheart to talk.

"We've just reached the halfway mark on the course."

"I'm gonna drop us lower, give you a better chance at hitting the target."

"Are you crazy?! Three hundred feet is already pushing it! I don't want us to die for this stupid bet!"

"The mission will have us lower anyway. Might as well give it a shot now."

"Tasha, it's not worth it. Just keep your altitude. I can hit the target from this height."

"Well you better get ready because it's coming up any second now."

"Copy that. Maintain speed. Targeting system up and running. Target locked and-" Sweetheart began to say. Her sentence was cut short when her screen flashed a warning that her targeting system was nonfunctional. Sweetheart messed with the buttons, trying to diagnose the issue, but every time, the screen kept saying the auto-lock wasn't working.

"Talk to me, Sweetheart. What's going on?"

"Targeting system is down! I repeat, targeting system is down!"

"What?! You said it was operational!"

"It was! I can't fix it! I'll have to manually target but you gotta slow down and give me time!"

"I can't slow down! If I drop speed we won't make it in time!" claimed Phoenix, forcing the other woman to look back at the flashing timer. She was right; their time was rapidly approaching the three minute mark and they still hadn't reached the actual target yet.

"I can't hit the target unless you slow down!" Sweetheart repeated the problem.

"You can do it! Just drop the missile!"

"I can't! You need to slow down!"

"We won't make it! You can do it! I believe in you!"

Both women began screaming at each other, both of them giving differing opinions. Sweetheart was adamant that she wasn't skilled for such a low-altitude drop at this speed. Her expertise was dropping bombs from high in the sky. There was too much room for error here. Too much math that needed to be precise for it to work out in their favor. But Phoenix kept saying how there wasn't enough time to slow down. She needed to maintain her speed in order to stay under the three minute mark, which was now almost up and caused Sweetheart's hands to get sweaty and her brain to get foggy on the equations.

"Slow down!" Sweetheart said.

"I can't!" Phoenix replied back just as quickly. "DROP IT!!!" she cried.

"ALRIGHT!!!!"

Sweetheart practically slammed her fist into the button, releasing the missile and sending it hurdling towards Earth. Phoenix took the jet higher into the sky, breaching the three hundred feet ceiling to protect them from the blast. Sweetheart turned as far as she could in their cramped aircraft to watch the explosion cloud up the atmosphere with dust and smoke.

"Holy shit!" she found herself yelling out, like it was the first time she was witnessing this despite that being further from the truth.

"Runway clear for landing. Make your way back immediately." Maverick's voice brought her back to the present.

"Over and out. Runway in sight. Attempting a landing." Phoenix replied. She maneuvered the aircraft back to the runway, smoothly resting the landing gear on the asphalt like she was resting a sleeping baby in its crib. Not a hiccup in the landing. Not so much as a scuff on the wheels. But, then again, Sweetheart never doubted her skills.

Once on the ground, and the F-18 turned off, and the canopy open, Phoenix happily jumped out and got to her feet. Sweetheart on the other hand was still strapped in, eyes glazed over as she mentally tried to bring herself back to Earth. Her head was still in the clouds. She was still reminiscing the feeling of being in the sky. It almost felt like a dream, like she was watching herself in third person and the last three minutes wasn't her actually doing it, but rather controlling a video game character.

"Hey, you okay?" Phoenix asked through the comms, approaching the side of the aircraft and holding out a hand as if she could pull the woman out.

"What? Yeah. Yeah I'm good." Sweetheart shook her head to clear it.

"Come on. Let's get your feet back on the ground."

Phoenix helped Sweetheart out, keeping hands on her waist to hold her steady as she swayed. When she was confident her partner wasn't going to collapse, she helped remove the helmet and smoothed down the hair that pulled out of its neat bun.

"You did it." she whispered, a loving smile breaking out on her face. "You fucking did it."

"I did?"

"Yeah! I told you you would!"

"Haha! You two are fucking insane!" Rooster ran up to the two women, enveloping them in his arms and laughing out his happiness as she shook them. "Holy shit you dropped it without a lock! And hit it! I knew you were good but god damn!"

"I actually hit it?!" Sweetheart's eyes went wide with disbelief.

"Hell yeah you did!"

"Come on, guys. Let's go over the results." ordered Maverick with a wave of his hand.

"Help me walk. My legs feel like jelly." said Sweetheart, making both of her friends laugh.

Phoenix had one arm around her waist, Rooster had one arm linked with hers. The both of them guided her back inside the hangar where she was assaulted with more hugs from everyone else. Including Fanboy. Not really knowing what to do, she handed the helmet back to Halo, muttering a thanks. This made Halo laugh a hearty laugh like it was the funniest joke she's ever heard of in her entire life.

"Alright, everyone. Come on. We'll celebrate later. First let's go over the replays and see who won." repeated the Captain.

Everyone took their seats again, acting like kids in class who were excited for the teachers to bring in pizza for a pizza party. Everyone was leaning forward on their elbows, eagerly awaiting Maverick to say something again. But Sweetheart hid her shaking hands in her lap, trying to hide the fact that she was still pumping with adrenaline. But Tasha noticed. She always does. And she took a hand in hers, intertwining their fingers and giving her palm a squeeze. Sweetheart smiled at her gratefully.

"Alright. Let's make it quick and simple." started Maverick, pulling up replays of both their pathings. "You both stayed below the three hundred foot ceiling. You both made it to the target. Hangman and Fanboy: your time to target was two decimal seventeen decimal forty-seven." he said, making both men cheer with delight. "Phoenix and Sweetheart: time to target was two decimal fifty-three decimal twenty-one."

Hearing the recorded times made the air in Sweetheart's lungs disappear. They barely made it. Had Phoenix sneezed they would've been late........ they lost. Hangman was faster than them. But of fucking course he was. He's known for being one of the fastest pilots in the Navy. That skill is what gave him that air-to-air kill. He was just faster.

Sweetheart and Phoenix turned to each other, their faces solemn and disappointed. They knew that this bet was a mistake, and now they were paying the price for it. Sweetheart shuddered at the image of what Hangman could possibly dress them up in.

"Phoenix and Sweetheart won." said Maverick, and everyone's heads snapped up to look at him with bugged eyes.

"What?!" Hangman jumped to his feet, making the desk screech across the flooring. "We were almost a minute faster! What do you mean they fucking won?!"

"Your only two agreed upon stipulations was one: stay below three hundred feet altitude, and two: reach the target in no more than three minutes. You both met both of those parameters, but it was Sweetheart's dead-on missile drop that pushed them ahead of you. Fanboy was off almost a hundred feet. Had this been the mission, you would've alerted the enemy at the airstrike, giving them time to fight back. And then it's a dogfight."

"And she did it without a targeting system!" reminded Rooster with a shit-eating grin.

"I knew she would do it. I never doubted her for a second." Phoenix prided herself, giving Sweetheart a one-armed hug and holding her into her side.

"You're fucking kidding me!"

"Sit down, pretty boy. You'll need your energy for the show you're gonna be putting on for everyone tonight." taunted the brunette pilot. Hangman wanted to sneer at her. He wanted to curse her out, fist fight her right here right now. But everyone was witness to the bet. Everyone heard them agree on the conditions. He couldn't get out of it.

"Screw this!" he yelled, storming out of the hangar and head hung low in shame.

Rooster coughed out a 'loser' behind his back. Whether or not Hangman heard it was irrelevant as everyone else heard it and they all laughed. Maybe seeing Maverick crack a smile and try to hide it was what Sweetheart needed to see. Once Hangman was gone from sight, that was when the celebration started. Everyone once again jumped to their feet to circle around the women.

"About time Hangman got a taste of his own medicine." Bob happily rocked on the balls of his feet.

"He was seriously starting to piss me off." commented Halo again. "Bet he'll keep his ego in check from now on."

"Not yet. First we have to get him all nice and pretty." reminded Phoenix, elbowing Sweetheart with a knowing smirk. She grinned back.

"Oh yeah, don't remind me...." Fanboy grimaced and shuddered. "Please be nice to me. I'm a good friend to you guys." he dramatically begged.

"Relax, Garcia. The punishment still stands for just Jake. You're clear." Sweetheart consoled, a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh thank god!" he huffed out.

"Don't let him hear that. He'll throw another tantrum." chuckled Rooster. "Actually, now that I think about it, get it tattooed on his forehead. That way he's always reminded of it."

"Now that's an idea!" agreed Phoenix.

"Nope. That was not the agreed upon punishment." spoke Maverick, acting like a parent scolding their child.

"You're no fun." said Phoenix.

"I let you guys do this, didn't I?"

Sweetheart and Phoenix shared a look that said he wasn't wrong. They shrugged and rolled their eyes. They'll punish Hangman one way or another. All they have to do is brainstorm how badly they want him to hurt. Phoenix was thinking an old-school Rockette or maybe a Pinup Girl. Sweetheart had the idea of finding the ugliest, trashiest Halloween costume and putting it on him.

"Everyone take a quick break. Let Lieutenant Seresin calm down. We'll pick up training later."

With everyone in agreement, they all split off to go do whatever they wanted for the next few minutes. Sweetheart took the free time to head back out onto the runway and inspect the F-18. She wanted to know why the targeting system failed on her. But, also, she couldn't help but feel drawn to the aircraft. All she ever wanted to do was fly. She remembered seeing the military recruiters come to her high school on career day. She was only fourteen years old at the time, and before that she had never given the military a single thought. But for some reason, she wanted to talk to them, get more information.

Of course the recruiters glorified what they actually did, making it seem like you're not actually risking your life for it. But she wasn't stupid. She knew the Army was tough. The Marines as well. Hell, she couldn't even do a pull up when they told her to get on the bar. It was embarrassing as all hell. And even though they didn't laugh and instead just told her to work on it and she could do anything, she couldn't help but walk away from them in shame. When she walked by the Navy booth, they stopped her to talk to her.

Her ignorance of what the Navy actually did made her try to weasel her way out of it. 'Sorry, I don't like water' she said. They told her they do more than station on boats. They fly aircrafts. They fight in the skies. She thought that was what the Air Force did. The Air Force does fly planes, they said, but unlike the Air Force, when they're in the skies they're fighting. Whereas the Air Force will do a lot of basic cargo transportation.

Transporting cargo didn't seem like fun. Dropping bombs from a plane did. She talked with the Navy recruiters some more. They had already seen her fail at the pullups, but they asked her to do some other physical tests like pushups and stretches. She didn't completely make a fool out of herself, so they handed her some pamphlets that detailed salaries and benefits and outlined the tasks they did, and she carried on with her day.

Something inside her clicked. 'This is what I want to do' she said and she began to work on herself so she could get there. Her high school didn't have a Naval ROTC, just an Army one, so she just took a lot of physical education classes to bulk up and get her strength. She studied hardcore for the ACT and SAT so she could pass with flying colors and get accepted into an NROTC college. Once she got there, she applied for a Navy scholarship and focused her concentration on an aviation career.

Graduating with a job as a pilot was the happiest day of her life. And now here she was: a TOPGUN graduate with over ten years of experience under her belt. She was the best of the best. She was a decorated pilot with highly ambitious recognition. She loved it. Being gone for the last two years was heartbreaking. She missed the skies. But her fear of what happened to her overruled her love for aviation. It wasn't fair. And she was no longer going to let it overrule her life.

"You're thinking hard about something." she heard Phoenix approach her.

"I'm thinking about how I got here. It feels like just yesterday I was training to join the Navy. And then I blinked and now I'm a TOPGUN graduate." she replied.

"Time just races when you've got a good wingman by your side." Phoenix nudged her.

"True, but I've also been thinking about the last two years I was gone. When my situation finally dawned on me and I made the decision to leave the Navy, I was angry with myself. I was angry that I let my fear ruin my life and my career. I worked so hard to get where I was and I just gave it up."

"You didn't just give it up." consoled Phoenix. "You had every reason to leave. You were taken advantage of. Our XO had a rope around you. You did what you had to do."

"I keep asking myself if I could've done something differently." she spoke, finally turning to face the other woman. Phoenix stayed calm, but her eyes showed her pity. Sweetheart hated it.

"What's done is done. There's no changing what happened. You can only go forward, and I'll be here to help you. I miss you, a lot. I miss having you as my wingman, I miss being up in the air with you behind me, I miss being able to hold your hand whenever I want." on queue, she took Sweetheart's hand. "You and I were meant to be a team. We work so well together. I want you to come back. Maybe it's too late for this mission, but it's not too late to re-enlist."

"I don't even know where to begin with that. I begged to be let go. When we graduated TOPGUN, it was expected that I would go back to work and apply for a promotion. I had stipulations attached to me. I had to jump through hoops to drop them and go home." she explained, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. But she wouldn't let them. No more crying. She's done enough crying.

"We'll figure it out. Maybe Maverick can put in a good word for you."

"Maybe Maverick will." speak of the devil. Both women turned to see him approaching them. "I looked into your service record. You've got quite the list of accomplishments."

"Thank you, Sir. But I can't take all the credit; Lieutenant Trace and I have been a team for so long, that our service records are almost identical." she motioned to the woman in question, happy to share the glory.

"Can I ask again why you decided to retire so early?"

"Personal reasons, Sir." she repeated. "I was being coerced by a higher up. He took advantage of me and I couldn't handle it anymore."

"I see....." he trailed off. "You impressed me today. If I could get you a way back in, would you accept it?"

"I would need to go back to training...."

"That can be arranged."

"And, if it's not pushing my luck, I would like to be Phoenix's WSO again."

"I'm sure The Black Aces would accept you back without issue. But that would be up to them. I can only promise a good word."

"Come on, take it!" Phoenix urged her quietly. "We'll figure everything else out later!"

Sweetheart and Phoenix stared at each other for a moment, having a silent conversation. Well, it wasn't much of a conversation -more so Phoenix telling her what to do.

"What would I have to do, Sir?"

"Do you have a uniform?"

"Not with me. All my stuff is back home. I didn't plan on re-enlisting when I came here."

"Go home, get your stuff, and get back here ASAP. We'll get you started on some of the basics and work our way from there."

"Yes, SIr!" she gaped. "Thank you!"

Maverick smiled at her and walked away, leaving the women there with their jaws halfway to the floor. And then they jumped and squealed like school girls.

"I told you!" claimed Phoenix, throwing her arms around sweetheart.

"I can't believe this is actually happening." muttered Sweetheart. "I gotta get home. I gotta get my stuff!"

"Not yet, first we have to punish Hangman." she reminded. "We'll let that be your send off."

"I have to thank you for pushing me to do this. If it wasn't for this stupid bet, I wouldn't be standing here with the opportunity to get back in. And we wouldn't be punishing Hangman."

"Well, truthfully, I did it for me." she admitted. "I can't stand the new WSO I was given in The Black Aces. He annoys the shit outta me. And Bob is nice, but he's not you. His spot should've been for you. It was for you. He was probably called in last minute when you declined."

"I'm sorry I left you hanging. And forced you to adapt to a new wingman."

"It's alright. It's all fixed now. Because Maverick is gonna help you get back out there. And I'm gonna be your advocate however I can." she promised.

Phoenix loosely wrapped her arms around Sweetheart's neck, locking her in and holding her close. Sweetheart instinctively held onto her waist in kind. They looked at each other, slowly pacing themselves as they tested the waters. But they both desperately wanted to jump each other right here right now. The two years apart did nothing to quench their desire for each other. Despite the anger that Phoenix held over those two years, not knowing the truth, she still thought about Sweetheart. It was hard to forget her.

As if they could read each other's mind, they leaned in slowly until their lips finally connected. They fit together like puzzle pieces. They molded against each other like no time had passed since their last kiss. Phoenix stuck her tongue out, parting Sweetheart's lips and allowing her entrance. Their tongues danced around each other in the familiar way they always did. It was sweet. It was soft and slow. Despite the deep longing they had for each other, they were conscious enough to remember their environment and not do something they'll end up regretting.

The kiss felt like it lasted a lifetime. By the time they pulled away, it felt like they had stopped breathing ages ago. They both huffed, trying to get the air back in their lungs.

"God I've missed you." Sweetheart found herself saying. It wasn't meant to be funny, but Phoenix laughed anyway.

"You do realize that I'm never letting you slip through my fingers again, right?"

"I wouldn't put it past you to handcuff me."

"Only if you ask nicely." she winked. This time, Sweetheart laughed out.

"Is that a promise? You already let me down by not bringing rope to the beach."

"I couldn't fit it in my bag." she joked. Maybe.

"Get a bigger bag."

"Or I could just tie you up right now."

"Hmmm. As much as I would love that, you've got more training. And I don't think it's a good idea to miss that after the Captain was so gracious to help us out." she hummed, making Phoenix groan.

"I hate that you're right."

"We'll have time later. You go on. I've got a plane to book." Sweetheart pecked her lips once more, then pushed her back into the hangar. Sweetheart pulled out her cell phone and checked for the earliest flight out of California.

Sweetheart was ready for her send off. After training for the day was complete, Phoenix and Sweetheart ordered everyone to The Hard Deck for Hangman's punishment. Maverick left with a threat that he better honor the bet, and Hangman reluctantly agreed to it.

Phoenix and Sweetheart had grabbed all of the supplies they needed to make him the prettiest girl they ever did see. They did his makeup, put a wig on him, and forced his fat ass into a pair of booty shorts. The entire time, the women were laughing. Hangman was trying to fight against it, but they forced him regardless. With their masterpiece complete, they drug him to The Hard Deck. Phoenix waited outside with him while Sweetheart entered the busy establishment and gathered everyone's attention. She stood on a table and whistled out so everyone could turn their gaze to her. The gaggle of pilots in one corner of the bar were eager to see what was to come next. The other patrons in the bar, and Penny, were just confused.

"Allow me to present tonight's entertainment, courtesy of the United States Navy, Lieutenant Jasmine Seresin!" she announced, and Phoenix yanked on Hangman's arm to bring him in full view of everyone.

Everyone, and she means everyone had cheered him on. They caught onto the joke fairly quickly, people already pulling out dollar bills and handing it to him as he was pulled center 'stage' and forced onto a table. Rooster messed with the jukebox to put on a raunchy song for Hangman to shake his ass to. And shake it he did. Despite the rage evident on his face, he put his all into his impromptu table dance.

People gathered around him, trying to shove dollar bills into his way-too-small jean booty shorts. What couldn't fit, was just left on the table. Sweetheart could see from the corner of her eye Penny resting her face in her hands on the bar top. Did anyone even tell her what was happening? Or was she just as surprised as the patrons when Jake Seresin entered her bar looking like this?

The older woman was too embarrassed to raise her head, but Sweetheart didn't pay her much attention, instead focusing on the lovely dancer she and Phoenix put together. Fanboy came to hand them some beers.

"Thanks for sparing me from this!" he thanked, giving them a one-armed hug.

"Remember this, though. Don't piss us off or else you'll be the next one on the table." threatened Sweetheart.

"I give a Scout's Honor I will never double cross you." he held up his hand in said honor and crossed his heart.

At the end of the song, Hangman was ready to jump down and end his punishment, but the other aviators weren't ready to let him go so soon. Rooster played another song on the jukebox, and the gaggle of pilots circled around him, whooping and hollering for him to dance some more.

This was the send off Sweetheart needed: a good laugh, some beers, and a girlfriend by her side. She didn't expect any of this to happen when she risked it all to face the woman she abandoned two years ago. She was fully prepared to be yelled at, maybe slapped a few times, and told to never show her face ever again. But she got the opposite. Everything worked out in her favor. And maybe it was just dumb luck, or maybe it was the universe trying to tell her something, but she wasn't going to let this go to waste. She was going to take full advantage of it. Like Tasha said, when they're together, they can face the world.

#top gun #top gun: maverick #lieutenant natasha trace #original female character #phoenix #ofc #natasha “phoenix” trace #fanfiction #oneshot #imagine #drabble

[perfectprettypisces]

after reading so many stories where their actual names are used like Jake Seresin, Natasha Trace, Javy Machado, etc., it’s so crazy to me that not once did they say any of the pilot’s real names in the actual movie except for Bradley who has both Cyclone and Maverick say his first name (his last name is said a lot more) and Maverick (for obvious reasons)

not even like a Lieutenant Trace or a Lieutenant Seresin, they were always just simply referred to as “Lieutenant”

the only time we really see their names are on the beginning screen where Cyclone is showing Mav the 12 pilots and their last names on the tags of their uniforms in the bar scene

everyone is simply referred to as their callsign and even in cast interviews, they introduce themselves using their call signs and never the actual names

come to think of it? i genuinely feel like they weren’t in the movie THAT much because i saw a post that calculated Glen’s screen time and it was like less than five minutes total?

all this to say, fan fiction is SO powerful because this was such a minuscule detail of the movie that we could’ve forgotten about but everyone kind of just took it and ran with and now I can’t see it any other way

#these ragtag little group of pilots really altered my brain chemistry on limited time #top gun maverick #bradley rooster bradshaw #jake hangman seresin #natasha phoenix trace #robert bob floyd #mickey fanboy garcia #javy coyote machado #reuben payback fitch #the dagger squad

[peacefxlmyko]

I need friends like the TGM cast so badly I mean LOOK AT THEM

#top gun maverick #top gun #dagger squad #tgm cast #jake hangman seresin #bradley rooster bradshaw #natasha phoenix trace #robert bob floyd #mickey fanboy garcia #reuben payback fitch #javy coyote machado #glen powell #danny ramirez #miles teller #monica barbaro #jay ellis #greg tarzan davis #lewis pullman #i love them so much your honor

[my-cages-were-mental]

me? obsessed? never-

it’s not like i made this post of monica’s my wallpaper…

subtle wallpaper for my huge obsession

#monica barbaro #top gun maverick #natasha “phoenix” trace

[goosefilms]

sidle up to the hard deck bar !

disrespect a lady , the navy , or put your cell phone on my bar ... you buy a round

—

top gun: maverick ( 2022 ) moodboard

#top gun maverick #top gun #hard deck #hard deck bar #tgm #top gun moodboard #top gun maverick moodboard #hard deck bar moodboard #goose honks #bradley rooster bradshaw #jake hangman seresin #bob floyd #natasha phoenix trace #reuben payback fitch #javy coyote machado