Never Yours

Elevator encounters

Iceman's POV:

THE MOMENT our hop had ended, I'd rushed to the locker room, abruptly removed all my gear and hurriedly placed it all away before I all but bolted down the corridor, pushing past people as i went to reach the elevators which would take me up to the fourth floor where the showers and on campus coffee shop were located. People may have been judging me but it didn't matter; I was in dire need of a shower and a nice iced macchiato afterwards or I just might collapse. Pressing on the button to call the elevator, i 'patiently' waited, surveying my surroundings and fiddling with the patches stuck to my towel. The elevator doors pinged open, signifying its arrival. I went inside and pressed the button for the fourth floor, humming to myself as the doors closed and i began to move up. Unfortunately i hadn't realised that it would be stopping at the second floor on the way and to further add to my discomfort, Maverick breezed in through the open doorway, leaning against the wall beside me. An uneasy silence consumed the atmosphere. It probably didn't help that the two of us were only wearing shorts with a towel slung haphazardly round our necks, the only difference between us being that I was wearing sunglasses and he was wearing a cap.

"Where are you going so quickly, Kazansky? Hope I didn't make you jealous with my awesome flying, now did I?" Maverick asked, slyly.

"You mean your incredibly stupid and reckless flying that will wind up getting one of you two killed? Oh yes that. There's so much tactical analysis that can be drawn from it." I replied sarcastically.

"Yeah laugh it up Kazansky! Just you wait." The small, tanned man known as Maverick remarked, stepping closer and reaching up to grab my towel. Fortunately, he'd overestimated his height and tactical ability so he ended up standing on his tip toes, pointing at me aggressively. I snorted.

"You want some help there or are you good? What with you're shortness an' all." I commented, highly amused by this situation.

"Button it you!" He seethed, reaching up again to try and grab my towel. Pushing him back down, I patted his shoulder in reassurance.

"You'll get there one day. Don't worry, just keep trying." I smirked. He flipped me off and returned to his corner of the wall, leaning there; silently for a while before he sighed and addressed me again.

"Look, It's a sorry not sorry situation here, man." He stepped closer again, and coincidentally I went back a few paces out of confusion and unease. "But I just want to say, don't take it personally I've a lot to prove. You test me and I test you I can see that that's the way it works. I'm not willing to let things go wrong and clearly, neither are you. There's too much at stake here more than anywhere. You know that as well as I do." He finished, by this time he'd backed me into a corner and was standing over me.

"I understand the first part but why involve me? You've nothing to prove to me, nor I you." I stated, bluntly. He leaned closer, and stupidly for a second I thought he was going to kiss me which would have been entirely inappropriate and weird.

"Because I don't want you to hate me." He whispered.

"Well congratulations mission failed Lieutenant! Life doesn't work like that. You started this whole charade and I fully intended to end it!" I spat, pushing him away and standing up straight. Yes, I'd been calm (but incredibly confused) beforehand but as soon as he'd said those words, it boiled my blood. I had a vague idea of where he was taking it and I didn't like it; not one bit. If anything, I felt threatened by him. Almost like he was mocking me. And nobody did that without the outcome of something broken...

"Listen here Kazansky!-" Maverick started but ended up getting cut off by an officer stepping through the open doors of the elevator.

"Sir." We both greeted, supplying him with a friendly yet respectful nod.

"Gentlemen." He muttered in reply. Thankfully, the man wasn't riding in the elevator for long and stepped out at the next floor. Maverick (who was closer to the buttons), pressed the fourth floor one again and we slowly went up before the doors opened again, revealing a relatively empty corridor; the smell of donuts and coffee lingering in the air.

"Fair warning now and now only, Mitchell so I suggest you listen up and pay attention for once in your career! You stay away or you'll end up being sorry." I warned him, before turning on my heel, on my way to the coffee shop.

Maverick's POV:

I COULDN'T say I needed to be told twice. I'd tried to explain things to him in the elevator but I think he'd taken it the wrong way. Both of us had drawn different things from that experience (one that we wouldn't be having again any time soon), but one things for sure; the dynamic was changing. Maybe not drastically but slowly. But the only thing that posed was a question, which couldn't necessarily be answered.

What was that dynamic change if it wasn't coldness?

Perhaps, just maybe it was warmth?...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Word Count: 975

A/N: So, i took the elevator scene from the movie and spun it round so instead of Maverick meeting Charlie in the elevator, he met an incredibly flustered and slightly agitated Iceman instead. I'm not sure it's turned out entirely wonderfully but I'll leave that up to you lovely people to decide. Please don't forget to vote and comment your thoughts and reviews it helps my work a lot. Thank you!

Frog <3