Six months of deployment, even when he isn't the one flying but giving directions and instructions, leave Maverick more tired than any other tour before. He can almost feel it in his bones why Sunny is stepping down the moment he's going to turn sixty.
All he wants to do is sleep for the next seven years and lay on his bed until he can't anymore. But he promised to his class and to the Daggers to go out for a drink, and seriously, how could he say no when Halo looked at him with shiny, pleading eyes?
"Just one drink and then I'm gone." He says it out loud and he doesn't know if he's trying to convince himself or Javy, even if the other pilot is looking at him like he knows it's all a ruse and Mav is going to stay until the end of the night. But no, no, it's not going to happen; he needs t- oh. Oh.
"Penny, I'm looking good, right?" he asks to the woman behind the counter.
"Yeah?" she answers, but she doesn't seem sure of why he should ask her that question until her eyes follow what, who, is in Mav's line and "oh Maverick" she says laughing softly. "You look handsome, he won't be able to resist you."
Someone snouts behind his back, and Bradley, behind Neil, almost screams, "Seriously, dad?! Oh my god. Penny, I'll need a beer, I can't stand to watch this all over again."
What a dramatic child he helped raise, but Pete is on a mission and fuck being tired. He's going to take the man in front of him home at the end of the night, or he's not going to go home at all.
The man is looking at him from across the room when he starts moving his first steps, and he bites his lip so he doesn't start smiling like an idiot or worse, let his cheeks go red. They meet in the middle of the room, and jesus Maverick is really going to hit the jackpot this time around.
"Hi stranger"
"Hello to you" he answers, and God, why does he feel like twenty-four all over again, stumbling on his feet to get the attention of a particular person?
"I heard you're a pilot. Your friends back there couldn't stop talking about how good you are behind the cockpit." They're going to write, here rests Pete Mitchell, died because a too handsome man killed him simply by talking.
"I'm the best." He smirks and what a dumb way to answer, but it should be consider a miracle he isn't answering monosyllabic.
"Are you sure of that, sweetheart?" He whispers against his ear and Mav's hands close around his shirt.
He's going to answer, he swears, but when he looks in the man's eyes, they're so close, so fucking close, he just has to tilt his head to kiss him. And so he does, until he can feel his lungs running out of oxygen, but even then he doesn't move far, just enough to look at him in the eyes.
"Welcome back home, love" Ice whispers before kissing him again.
(It takes Rooster pleading for mercy, Penny asking and Slider removing Mav from Ice to make them stop and promise to not kiss anymore until after they'll be alone. The promises last two hours before they're both tipsy and handsy all over again.
On the back of the cab, Mav's hand are around Ice's face all over again. "I missed you so much" he whispers.
"I missed you too, babe" Ice answers, hugging him against his chest "I'm glad you're back."
Mav hums in response and yeah, maybe he is still a little tired but he's going home with the man; he said he was going home too, so sleep can wait for another couple, or maybe four, hours.)
Val Klimer application post.
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