Below The Hard Deck | A Top Gun Fanfiction

CHAPTER IX

I'm awoken the next morning by the the feeling of soft kisses trailing down my neck as two strong arms pull me closer against my bedmate's bare chest. I sigh at the touch, melting further into the embrace. Maverick's lips curl up at my movements. "Good morning to you too," he says, voice still coated in sleep as he continues his path downward to my shoulder.

"You keep doing that, I don't think I'm going to be able to leave," I mumble, suppressing a groan as he nips slightly at my collarbone. That, combined with the mere feeling of his breath against the back of my neck, causes my hair to stand on end. Memories of the previous night flash through my head at the action, a tint of red spreading across my cheeks. Never before has someone given me so much passion, yet at the same time acted as if I could break at any moment.

"Then I'm doing my job correctly."

I chuckle before gently turning around in Maverick's arms. "Unfortunately, if we don't get up now, we'll both be in trouble at our actual jobs." Both Mav and I freeze, a look of worry crossing over both our faces. In the excitement and rush of last night, we forgot to address the main obstacle facing us. Technically, pilots are allowed to have relationships with each other, but they can't be on the same squadrons or assignments. That way, everyone remains focused on the task at hand. If word were to get out about Pete and I, we'd both be out of Top Gun in a heartbeat.

"Hey," he whispers, gently cupping his hand around my face, "it'll be fine. We'll just keep this between you and I until we graduate. They can't do anything after the fact."

"What about Goose?" Along with the RIO being a solid member of our trio, he's practically Maverick's brother. The two tell each other everything.

The brunet bites the inside of his cheek, but nods none the less. "He'd never purposely tell anyone if he knew, but it's probably safer if we don't. Just for the time being."

He's right. I know he's right. It doesn't make the situation any easier. Yesterday I was ready to scream my feelings from the hilltops for all to see. Now, everything seems to have come to a screeching haunt. Just for a little bit longer. Maverick gives me a small smile, quickly kissing to my forehead before sitting up. "Let's not think about that now? You want some breakfast? I can actually make you some this time around."

After we finish eating and cleaning up, Mav offers to drive me back to my place so I can change and get ready for training before Charlie comes to pick me up. Clad in my now wrinkled dress uniform as I grip tightly around his waist, it does not take a genius to figure out what transpired between the two of us last night. Thankfully, we somehow managed to wake up early enough to avoid the snafu we ran into after our first night together.

As we pull up to my curb, it takes every part of my energy to will myself to get off the bike. What I would've done just to lay in bed with Maverick for the rest of the day, replaying our night together over and over. Reluctantly, I swing my leg over and dismount. "I'll see you in class, Mav."

Though his normal smirk is in his face, there's a new gleam in his eyes that makes my heart flutter. "See you then," he whispers back.

I feel his eyes on me all the way up my porch until I close my front door behind me. For a moment, I just lean up against it, a huge smile on my face as I look towards the sky. That man has me wrapped around his finger. Shaking myself from my thoughts, I push off my perch and get ready for the day.

The ride from my house with Charlie goes as usual, though it kills me not to be able to tell her about last night's events. With Valkyrie gone, she's the only female I have to confide about things like this. When I walk into the meeting room for our briefing, Specs hand shoots up in the air, frantically waving me down. "Hey, Lucky!" Since the two of us had met on the first day of classes, we have gotten significantly closer. True to his word, he did celebrate every victory of ours as if we'd just defeated our nation's greatest enemy. Eventually, I joined him. The two of us got grilled quite a few times by Jester for doing so, with the Lieutenant Commander reiterating his previous voiced concerns, but it didn't stop the RIO. If anything, it made him more passionate.