Below The Hard Deck | A Top Gun Fanfiction

CHAPTER VI

The day after my talk with Valkyrie, I was terrified to go back to the base and face Maverick. Would he be mad at how things ended that night? Would things be awkward? Would I even be able to be in the same space as him without feeling as if my chest was about to explode?

But, nothing had changed. When I walked in that morning, he and Goose both gave me waves from their seats in the front row. After our flights, we would talk to each other about what we did or anything that annoyed us. Every once in a while, the three of us would go out for drinks and Goose would regale me with tales of various embarrassing moments his friend has experienced. It was the camaraderie I had always wanted, the one I left behind when Valkyrie and I were forced to separate. So, I did what I thought was best and kept my feelings to myself.

That didn't mean they went away, not by a long shot. I still get butterflies every time I see Maverick's smile and occasionally find myself gazing his direction a bit too long. It's childish, I know. Every time it happens, I can't help but feel like a schoolgirl having her first crush again.

"Lucky," Maverick whispers from the seat next to me, kicking my leg. It is the hottest day so far. Not thinking it safe to have us fly multimillion dollar jets in such heat, the instructors opted to cram all of us into a small meeting room to flip through our various training books. With so many people in a confined space, the fans do little to cool me off. I couldn't care less about whatever the hell we were actually supposed to be looking at as I try to fan myself with my shirt. "Lucky!"

"What, Mav?" I whisper back.

He motions towards one of his books. "What would you do in this scenario?"

"Are you asking me because you actually want to know or because you just want to annoy me?"

"I'm asking because we've been here for forty minutes and the only thing you've done is open your book to the first page." He smirks. "And here I thought I was the bad influence on you."

I roll my eyes. "I'd hit you if I wasn't already roasting."

"A rolling reversal would work well in that situation," Charlie cuts in, leaning against the table. "Though considering you actually have a plan compared to Lucky here, I'd say you're better off."

"Sorry teach," I jest, causing her to narrow eyes at me. I clear my throat, finally flipping though my book. "Ma'am."

"If I reversed on a hard cross," Maverick explains, "I could immediately go to guns on them."

"Yeah, but at that speed, it's too fast," Charlie counters. "It's a little bit too aggressive."

"Too aggressive," he repeats, leaning back in his chair and glancing over at me. "I guess when I see something I like, I go for it." My face flushed as I look up at Charlie, who quickly glances between the two of us before walking away. When she's gone, I turn back to my book, trying to ignore my suddenly increased heartbeat. I feel my friend nudge me once more.

"What Mav?"

"Ice and Slider challenged Goose and I to a volleyball game later today. You want to come?"

I let out a small laugh. "It's broiling outside right now and you boys are going to play volleyball?"

He shrugs. "It was Ice's idea. I wasn't about to turn down his challenge."

"Oh my God, you guys are unbelievable." Since our first week at Top Gun, it has been pretty clear that Maverick and Iceman had a class rivalry of sorts. The two of them were constantly battling it out to be top of the class. Though I'm not too far behind them, I am quite content being in third if it means I can stay out of that raging war zone. It's beginning to get a bit ridiculous, really, even expanding into one of the most competitive games of pool I've ever seen. "I'll come, but only to make sure none of you die from heatstroke. Knowing you and Ice, you'll start a competition about who can go the longest without drinking water."

When we are finally released from our oven of a meeting room, Maverick goes off with Goose to make a game plan for the volleyball game while I go to meet Specs in the hanger. He told me earlier he wanted to discuss some possible maneuvers we can use in the future. Before I can make it there, however, I'm intercepted by Iceman's voice.

"Lucky!" I try to continue walking, but the blond pilot doesn't give up and runs to catch up with me and walks beside me. "So, I see you're still hanging out with Maverick?"

"Don't know why it matters to you, but yes, I'm still friends with him."

"Just friends?"

I pause, turning to face my adversary. "What's you're game, Kazansky?"

He shrugs, but keeps a smirk on his face. "I don't have a game."

"Bullshit. I don't see you going around asking anyone else if they're 'just friends' with other pilots, so what is it that you really want? If you're trying to get in my head about the class standings, rest assured that I am firmly in third place, behind both you and Maverick."

He slowly walks in front of me, leaning his shoulder up against the wall. "I just find it interesting that, out of all of us, you, Specs, and Goose are the only one he's really talking to willingly."

"Well the rest of you are assholes. I don't blame him. Now, I've got somewhere to be so if you're done annoying me for the day, I'd like to get on with my life."

"Just be careful around him. He's dangerous." I roll my eyes. Maverick told me about a similar conversation he had with Iceman in the locker room after our first day of flying. "He only thinks about himself."

"Seems like something you need to take up with him. In case you haven't noticed, I fly my own plane."

"I'm not just talking about his flying." He chuckles at my confused reaction, looking around to see if there is anyone around us before leaning closer to me. "I guarantee, you don't know him like you think you do."

I narrow my eyes, my mind drifting back to the night he told me about his father. "I know enough."

"Really?" He pauses for a moment, pretending to examine his nails. "He tell you about Penny Benjamin?"

"What about her?" I didn't know her very well, only having seen her once or twice at big Navy events alongside her father, Admiral John Benjamin. We had spoken a few words in passing, but never anything more.

"The two of them have quite the history. Rumor has it, he used to visit her every time he came stateside." I feel my heart clinch at his words. I know Maverick is a womanizer, it's not exactly a secret. Still, it doesn't feel good hearing about his past escapades, especially since I'm technically one myself. "They met when he was still in the academy. It went on for a few years. He'd come back, rekindle whatever it is they had, only to go dark as soon as he left again." Iceman's eyes meet my own. "You think he won't do the same to you?"

"Cut the crap, Ice," I spit, clinching my hands and digging my nails into my palms. "I'm his friend. Nothing more."

"Friend, lover, only difference is one hot night together. My point being, he's dangerous, in more ways than one."

"Thanks for your concern. But think I can figure out people just fine on my own."

"If you say so." He gives me a forced smile as he pushes off from the wall.

As I walk away, I try not to let what Iceman said about Maverick's past relations with Penny get to me, but I can't shake the pit in my stomach. The only reason I'm keeping my feelings about him to myself is because I don't want to loose the friendship him, Goose, and I have. When Top Gun ends, will it all just disappear to him anyway? When I finally meet up with Specs, he immediately launches into a rant, but I can't even process his words; not with everything else going on in my mind.