𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 | A Top Gun Fanfiction

Chapter 26: 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴

Today is our chance. Today, Ghost and I have our first dog-fight together. It's all I can think about. I even dream of us crushing it. As we corner the last bogie, the imaginary press of the g's startle me awake. From the moment I open my eyes to the half a second it takes to hop into Charlie's convertible, I'm completely enslaved to the sweet nectar of triumph. It's so close, I can almost taste it on the tip of my tongue. I grin, picturing the look on everyone's faces when Ghost and I touch down, having single handedly taken out every bogie. We'll have our assigned wingmen of course, but I don't plan to let them take all the glory. Maybe that's selfish of me. To be perfectly honest, I don't care. I'm just itching to be in the cockpit, with someone I can finally trust behind me. Goose was a great stand in, and flying with Viper is an undeniable honor...

But it's like riding horses.

When you keep switching who you ride, it can be hard to really master a skill. You have to adjust to each horses' temperament; their quirks and behavioral issues. It's not a bad lesson to learn how to deal with different types of horses, but it makes it nearly impossible to hone something as specific as jumping or barrel racing. Same goes for bouncing between RIOs. All I want is to practice my trade. I want to have a foundation to lean back on while I perfect my flying. Ghost is that foundation. She's that line I can depend on as I explore my skills, correcting bad habits and trying new maneuvers. The others have had all year to do that.

Now is my chance.

And I'm excited.

"How do you know? Are you absolutely certain that he likes me?"

Sigh.

Ghost is excited too. Has been since I nearly crashed into her at 5 am.

But it's not about flying.

It's about him.

"He certainly is obsessed with you," I scoff. "I mean, he's kind of a jerk, but he's been way too nice to you. Like...helping you with the serving posture? C'mon."

"A jerk?" Ghost exclaims. "Really?"

"Look, all the guys here were douchebags except Maverick and Goose. Iceman wasn't the worst but he sure as Hell wasn't volunteering to be my friend the day I showed up."

As Ghost gnaws her lip, a thoughtful crease forms between her brows. "I can see why you would think he's mean...when we were talking...he did seem...well...dense."

I bark a laugh, accidentally startling Ghost.

She looks at me like I've got a fish for a head.

"Dense?"

"You know, like he's a wall," She explains slowly. I pay close attention, listening even when she spends thirty seconds staring at the skyline. Sentences require spaces for my RIO. It's like she's always narrating. Adding dramatic pauses for suspense. Funny as I find it, I'm kept on the edge of my seat, hungering for more. Whether she means to or not, Ghost has me hung on her every word. "Ice is like a fortress masquerading as a club. He has a warm coat wrapped around his cold exterior and at the heart of that offensive brick is an even better warmth. Like a fire versus a lantern. I don't know why he hides it...maybe he's scared? Or maybe he just wants to seem tough..."

I open my mouth, but she's not finished.

"I guess that's why they call him Iceman?"

"Sorta. I think it's because he flies like a robot. No tricks, no surprises. He's got a mission and he sticks to the books. Ice-cold."

Ghost giggles, "Like Foreigner?"

I pout my lips and give her the hardest stare I can muster as I start to swing my head around, whipping my hair like a rockstar. She dodges the unpredictable whims of my wild curls while I finger an invisible keyboard and start to sing, "You're as cold as ice! You're willing to sacrifice our love! Bam-bam-bam-bam–"