𝐉𝐈𝐍𝐗 | 𝐛.𝐛.

𝟎𝟑. 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞

  "You could tell me all about it," she offered once she pulled away from the hug. 

  The look he gave her as he sat back down on his bar stool told her all she needed to know. This was something he couldn't share, no matter how much he wanted to - and it seemed that the all-confident Maverick was second-guessing himself.

  "You'll find out tomorrow - when training starts," Maverick replied. Juliette followed his eyes as he looked over at the group that she had been staring at only minutes ago. "Just like those guys."

  She sighed under her breath as she sat down next to him. "It's bad, isn't it?"

  "It's not ideal," Maverick winced. "But you'll get through it. The right person is going to teach you."

  Juliette craned her neck to the side at his off-hand comment. It wasn't like Pete Mitchell to keep things from her - she was his confidant, and he was hers. It had been that way since he had agreed to take her in, and nothing had ever changed that. But this time was different. And he was being very secretive about something for the first time since Juliette had met him - all the way back when she but a toddler.

  "I see," she nodded slightly, her hand grasping his beer and taking of swig of it before he could stop her. "And who is this wonderful teacher?"

  "The only guy I'd trust to prepare for this mission," Maverick shrugged as he took the beer back from her hands. He smirked slightly as he took a sip of it before he turned to her. "Me."

  Juliette widened her eyes for just a split second as surprise ran over her features - and then a grin came onto her lips. "I should have known," she chuckled. "Let me guess, Ice asked for you?"

  "Specifically," Maverick scoffed.

  She moved her lips into a straight line at his tone. It seemed that Maverick was less than happy with this entire mission - and there were little things that truly worried Juliette when it came to flying; but when Maverick was nervous, she knew things were bad.

  Juliette leaned her head against the palm of her hand as she surveyed the area around her. She found herself to be quite fond of simply people watching from time to time - and the sudden realization that each person she looked at had their own little lives and burdens was something that brought her an odd sense of comfort.

  "Want anything to drink?" a voice called out to her. "Your buddy Pete here is paying for everybody's round."

  "Penny-" Maverick tried to cut in.

  Juliette turned her head back to the bar top to see a woman standing behind it and looking at her expectantly. She ran her eyes over the woman's light brown hair and perfectly carved cheekbones before a smirk tugged at her lips. 

  She raised her brows at the comment the woman had made about Maverick paying for people's drinks. The woman simply smirked and pointed to a sign behind her that explained something about how having your phone on the bar, disrespecting the navy, or disrespecting a lady would get you stuck buying people's drinks.

  "Penny, huh?" she grinned, her elbow hitting Maverick's arm in a not-so discreet way. "I could go for a beer," she spoke as she turned back to the woman behind the bar.

  "No, she can't," Maverick interjected.

  "It's not like I'm underage, Mav." Juliette scoffed lightly as she spoke - it seemed as though Maverick was protective in every aspect of her life, almost as if he had taken over the empty role of being her father figure. Though she thought of him as more of a cool uncle. "I'm twenty-five."