Atlas: A Top Gun: Maverick Fanfiction

Chapter 3: The Three Encounters of One Mr. Jake Seresin

A/N: Aaaaaand we're here to one of my favorite chapters!! This is told in snapshots...and while Kelsey and Jake are the endgame, keep in mind that she's four years younger than him, so their relationship won't happen until much later!! That being said, let me know what you think/if you have any feedback or questions! Thank you!

Encounter 1: 2008

Kelsey sat in the front seat of Bradley's jeep, a frown on her face. After six months in Nicaragua and now finally being back in the states, she found the California air a bit too dry for her taste. The tropical air was something that she missed, along with the charity work that she had been doing there.

The Top Gun Naval Academy sat in front of her and there was something pooling in the bottom of her stomach that she vaguely recognized as anxiety. There was something inherently off about being at this place.

This place, where her dad, Uncle Pete, and Uncle Ice had all gone. This place, that had stolen her dad away from her in a way. And now it was taking her brother too.

She had promised that she would see him off and she had kept her word, despite the tense feelings still existing between the two siblings. The drive here had been mostly quiet, and as they came to a stop and pulled into park, she felt that there was too much that she had left unsaid.

Too much that she would regret if she didn't say it now.

"You know," Bradley started, looking over at her. "You could always get a business degree."

She let out a huff. He was still hung up on her dropping out of college. But the simple fact of the matter was that she wasn't just doing it on a whim. She had a whole damn plan, as a matter of fact.

One that she had run by both Uncle Pete and Ice, who agreed that it was smart. Kelsey Ryan was a lot of things, but she was not an idiot.

"I might go back and get one. Just not right now." Kelsey said, feeling small as her brother let out an angry huff of air.

"But you're so smart—"

"Oh please, we both know that the only reason I got into Berkeley was because Ice knows the Dean. I'm not cut out for academics or any of this—aviation shit like you." Kelsey insisted. "You're the smart one! We've always known that."

Bradley just looked frustrated with her lack of desire to do school. "Duckie‚"

"Can you please just call me Kelsey?" She questioned.

"Fine, Kelsey," Bradley insisted. "I don't want to leave things on bad terms. I just...I want you to make something out of your life."

"Well it's my life, Brad. Mine." Kelsey murmured. "And I know that you think I'm stupid for dropping out, but I really want to do this. For me. Not for you. And not for anyone else."

There was a pregnant pause between the two siblings. Sometimes, both of them felt like more than six years separated them. There was a divide that was just too wide to cross, and when they were able to meet in the middle, it was fine.

"I know you're not a little kid anymore. But you'll always be my baby sister." He said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

A flicker of annoyance ran through her. "I'm 18, not 3. Don't you need to go—I don't know—check in or something?" She questioned.

And just like that, the moment was over. "Yeah, I do. I'll be back in a few."

With that, she watched him and his gaudy Hawaiian shirts disappear.

She waited, flip-flops tapping against the floorboard. One minute, then five. Then five turned into ten, then fifteen. When nearly thirty minutes had passed, so had her patience levels.