Top Gun Imagines

Waiting [Maverick X Reader]

A/N: This is a properly formatted version of the story I wrote to accompany a Top Gun ambience video I published to my YouTube channel! The original can be found in the pinned comment of the video above! Also be sure to give the ambience a listen!

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It wasn't unusual for you to be up early - a Navy common practice, it seems.

But this morning, while the vast waters surrounding the ship you're currently calling home, glimmer with the slightest glint of the rising sun and the lights from the flight deck, you can't help but feel uneasy.

What they're going up there to do today... It could be the last time I'll see either of them...

The comfortingly familiar rumble of jet engines and radio chatter over the loudspeakers reach your ears, pulling you from your thoughts for a moment, your gaze turning from the ocean waters to face the hurried sets of footsteps quickly approaching you.

You'd recognize the pair striding towards you anywhere, a grin pulling at the edge of your lips as they near.

The slightly shorter one of the pair, is also grinning ear to ear, a familiar set of aviator sunglasses sitting rather handsomely on his features.

"What are you grinning about?" You muse as the duo near your side, joining you overlooking the water, the flight deck above you.

The taller one, Bradshaw, or Goose, as everyone more commonly knows him, just passes you a look, one that you catch onto instantly.

Inwardly, you chuckle to yourself as the shorter brunet shifts closer to you, smile not wavering.

"Well, I just happened to see MiG 28 do a-" Mitchell, or more fondly known to you as Maverick begins, only for his Partner to jump in, nodding eagerly.

"We!"

Maverick grins with a chuckle, patting Goose on the shoulder in a friendly fashion.

"Uh, sorry, Goose. We happened to see a MiG 28 do a 4g negative dive."

You can't help but gasp in disbelief, your own excitement getting the best of you as you step closer towards your two friends, forming a small circle.

"Where did you see this?!"

"That's classified," Mitchell smirks, earning a disapproving huff from you.

"You're really doing this, Mav?"

He just passes you a grin yet again, one that you could swear holds something else in it.

"It's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

Now its your turn to smirk, rolling your eyes with a huff of a laugh.

"Well then, why don't you explain how you got yourself into this one this time."

"Well, we-"

"Thank you," Goose butts in once more, passing Maverick a nod.

"Started up on his six, when he pulled through the clouds, and then I moved in above him."

"How in the world could you see him?"

"Because I was inverted." Maverick smirks, lowering the shades from his eyes, passing you yet another look.

"Bullshit!" Fellow pilot and friendly rival coughs as he passes the three of you by, shaking his head with a chuckle.

"No, he was, man. It was a really great move. He was inverted." Goose hollers after Iceman, who just continues on his way, clearly uninterested in the conversation.

"How close were you?" You breathe, your mind practically envisioning the scene it must have been, courtesy of the rather cocky pilot in front of you.

"No... about two meters?" He hums, turning to his Partner with a frown.

"It was actually about one and a half, I think. It was one and a half. I've got a great polaroid of it."

At this you chuckle with a shake of your head, smirking.

"I'm sure you do, Goose. But what exactly was the point of all this?"

"Communicating." The blond nods half-seriously, glancing towards Maverick who returns the gesture.

"Communicating - Keeping up foreign relations. I was, uh, you know, giving him the bird."

You're trying to hold back your laughter... it shouldn't be as humorous as it is...

"You know, the finger!" Goose interjects once more, raising his middle finger at you, finally pulling your laughter out as the three of you laugh aloud together, ignoring the looming idea of the next few hours.

"I-I'm sorry, I hate it when it does that. I'm sorry."

"I bet you are," You breathe, sighing heavily as reality quickly comes crashing back down on you.

The two men standing alongside you must notice your sudden shift, with Goose stepping back slightly as Maverick steps forward, an arm wrapping around your waist and pulling you into his side.

He doesn't need to say anything, instead, he waits for you to elaborate.

Which you do, turning to face your long-time friend - and maybe something a bit more - with a sorrowful gaze.

"It hurts me, you know - watching you both leave for a hop that could be your last," You sniffle, holding back tears.

You can't cry now. Not here. If this is the last time either of your boys see you, they shouldn't remember you crying over things out of your control.

So, you fight them back, cracking a watery smile.

"I just wish I could trust you not to get yourselves into trouble."

Now it's Maverick's turn to smirk as he leans in closer, his breath tickling your ear, a teasing in his tone.

"But if the government trusts me, maybe you could."

And before you can even react, his lips meet yours for a moment before they're gone, instead replaced by the handsome features of a cheekily grinning pilot, his sunglasses once more shielding his gaze.

But, you've known Pete Mitchell long enough to know that look.

He'll make it back to you - they both will.

He'll do everything in his power to make it so.

And with one last shared goodbye between the three of you, your two friends disappear into the fray of other pilots boarding their fighters.

But, before Maverick and Goose leave your range of hearing, their usual rallying cry meets your ears.

"I feel the need... the need for speed!"

A thin smile tugs at your lips as you watch them clamber into their cockpit, one last signature grin being flashed your way from the kind yet arrogant brunet.

And as the sound of each fighter leaving the carrier, one by one, reaches your ears, you hurry back to your Quarters, hoping to get some shut-eye before you're needed up again.

Tossing on your worn out headphones and cuing up the mixtape the three of you had made all that time ago, you lay back against your cot, the sounds of the ship and hopes for your pilot's safe return following you into a light slumber.