Always Darling | Jake Seresin

The Early Years

2001, Boarding School, Connecticut

"Miss Mitchell?"

"Yes, headmistress?"

"My office, please."

18 year old you were a staple in the Headmistress's office since her first day at the all girls boarding school her father had dropped her off at freshman year. The headmistress had taken the 14 year old "troubled student" under her wing the minute you entered campus, even bringing you home for the holidays.

"Miss Mitchell-"

"Please, just y/n. We aren't strangers." You laugh.

"Y/n, how's the college search going?" Headmistress Stacy Sutherland questions.

"Fantastic. I got an acceptance to UT Austin, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, UCLA, USC, and NYU but I'm not going to any of them." You answer. 

"Oh? Not going to college?"

"Actually," you pull a folder out of your backpack and set it on the desk.

"You're interested in the Naval Academy?"

"Accepted. Stacy, I got into the Naval Academy!" You smile brightly.

"That's amazing! I bet your father is so proud!"

You sigh. You hadn't told your dad, not like he'd pick up the phone anyways. "Yea. I bet."

"Will he be here for graduation?"

"I don't know, I sent the invite but-" you shrug.

He didn't show. You expected nothing less from the man who up and dropped you off 4 years ago, never coming back. It really surprised her though to see all of her dad's Top Gun buddies present. Ice, Slider, Wolfman, and Hollywood. You hadn't noticed their presence until the middle of the ceremony. With only 40 graduates in your class, it wasn't long until your name was called.

"Miss Y/n Mitchell. Valedictorian. United States Naval Academy." If the sheer magnitude of cheers just for you wasn't clear enough, the four grown men who jumped from their seats definitely showed you that someone out there still cared besides the headmistress.

"Hi!" You smile as Slider runs up to you. He wraps his arms around you, lifting you into a bear hug.

"Hey Uncle Slider." You laugh as he sets you down.

"Hey little bird." Only Iceman called you that, claiming you were Maverick's mini me as a child.

"Hey Uncle Ice." You gave him a side hug before acknowledging the other two aviators present.

"Where's your dad?"

"Not here. As per usual." You sigh. "Can we not talk about how shitty my dad is? I'm thinking lunch and then you guys can take me wherever and then do drop off day at the academy?"

"You don't wanna see him?"

You shake your head, leading the aviators towards the parking lot. "Y'all coming or what?"

2005, Naval Academy, Maryland

You sped walked through campus, your last class was late releasing so you were already late for your next class. And as if your day couldn't get any worse you had to literally run into someone, knocking both of you the ground and the other person's coffee all down your front.

"Dammit." You mutter, assessing the damage done to your outfit.

"I'm so sorry darlin. You alright?" You look up to the guy you collided with, the voice certainly matching the face and those strikingly green eye- "darlin?"