Top Gun Imagines

9. Over The Years (Fanboy - Mickey Garcia)

(Published July 28, 2022)

   Pulling up in front of The Hard Deck, I found myself taking in a shaky breath.  It had been three long years since I had seen Mickey Garcia.  I had written to him at least twice a month (he always teased me about my 'old fashion handwritten letters') and we had talked on the phone on holidays.  But even with that, he had felt too far away. 
   I had spent many days worrying about if I was holding on to a fraying rope.  Thankfully, he sent me a handwritten letter only a week before, which just made me love him more!  He wanted me to visit him while he was stationed at Top Gun for training.  I had gotten on a plane to California four hours after I had read that letter! 
   Now that I was here, though, I was nervous.  A lot could happen in three years.  I didn't know what to expect!  Still, it was too late to back out now, not that I wanted to.  Climbing out of the Uber, I stepped out into the evening air.  California felt so different from home!  It was kind of exciting, seeing new places. 
   As casually as I could, I entered the bar.  It was crowded and surprisingly upbeat!  Music blared, the sounds of a pool game interrupting it now and then, and ever so many voices filled the air.  I quickly looked past all this, searching for one man. 
   I moved to the bar, hoping the view from there would be better.  I quickly found out that climbing onto it was the only way I'd be able to see anything.  So, I settled onto a bar stool and hoped he'd find me.  Since I was shorter than he was (and he wasn't tall), the masses of people kept me from seeing much beyond the bar. 
   "Can I get you anything?" The bar tender asked as she approached me. 
   I nodded.  "Do you have cherries here?"
   "We do."  The brunette looked confused. 
   "Can I get a water with a cherry in it?" I asked. 
   The bar tender quirked an eyebrow and smiled.  With a nod, she moved towards the cups to fix my weird drink.  I knew it was weird!  But I liked to at least look like I was drinking something fancy.  If anyone asked me what it was, I always told them it was a Maraschino.  It never failed!
   "There you go." The still smiling lady placed my drink on a napkin before me, and I nodded my thanks. 
   I glanced at the clock on the wall.  For the eleventh time since I landed, I checked my phone for signal, but I had no bars.  I really needed to upgrade to a larger phone company with better service.
   "You know, texting has it's perks."
   I smiled at the sound of his voice and turned around on my stool.  There he stood, his arms crossed as he grinned at me. He was dressed in a khaki uniform and he was more muscled than I remembered.  He was just as handsome, though. 
   "You know I hate technology," I shook my head.  "Besides, you found me!"
   "I did, with help." He chuckled, claiming the empty bar stool next to mine.  "I asked Penny to tell me when a beautiful girl order water with a cherry in it.  I think she thought I was crazy at first."
   I laughed.  "No, I'm the crazy one!"
   His smile softened, his eyes still gazing at me.  "I missed you."
   "I missed you, too," I replied, blushing a little. 
   "You cut your hair," He noticed. 
   I pulled the dark strands over my shoulder and nodded.  "About a year ago, but it's already growing back fast."
   "You never mentioned it in your letters."
   "I-I guess I figured if I did, you'd want a picture."
   "Naturally!"
   "Well, me and technology..." I trailed off, making him laugh. 
   "Guess I'm going to have to invite you to all my stops in America, in case you do anything else crazy," He grinned.
   "If I could afford it, I would." The thought of the money I spent on this trip made me wince inwardly. 
   He fell quiet, dropping his gaze.  I hesitated a moment, wondering if I should ask him what was wrong.  We were interrupted before I could, though. 
   "Fanboy, who's this pretty lady?" A dark skinned Navy guy walked up to us, smirking.  "Don't tell me this is Mara-"
   Mickey quickly cut him off.  "You know it!  Ella, this is my pilot, Payback."
   I stuck out my hand.  "Nice to meet you."
   "It's great to finally meet you!  Ever since I asked him why he never flirts with anybody, he's been telling me about you.  Not much, bits and pieces, but I knew you had to be special to keep his eyes off the girls around here." Payback rambled, grinning from ear to ear. 
   Mickey pressed his palm to his face.  "Dude, you gotta chill."
   "So you were high school sweethearts, huh?  And now best friends or what?" Payback asked, looking from me to Mickey. 
   "It's complicated," I said in a rush, trying to keep things from getting awkward. 
   "Hey, Payback!"
   We all turned towards the call to find a Navy woman beckoning him with her hand. 
   "It's your turn," She called. 
   "Alright," Payback grinned as he nodded to us and headed over to the woman.  I watched as Mickey mouthed 'thank you' to her, and she winked in reply.  Then, the two vanished in the crowd and Mickey turned his attention back to me. 
   "So, how's Navy life?" I asked, sipping my drink. 
   "Good.  I love being in the air." He smiled at the thought before changing the topic.  "You wanna get out of here?"
   "Yes."
   A crowded bar was not my preferred place to hang out.  When I got to my feet, he reached out and took hold of my hand.  My stomach flipped at his touch, just proving that I was still in love with him.  I tried to ignore the feeling as he led me through the mass of people to the front door. 
   Once out in the quiet parking lot, he led me to a dark Chevy Cobalt.  He didn't release my hand until he pulled open the passenger door for me.  I smiled genuinely at him, which he returned. 
   "Thank you," I murmured as I ducked in the little car. 
   He carefully closed the door behind me and jogged around to the other side of the car.  Climbing into the driver's seat, he started the engine and quickly turned down the radio before it could blare from the speakers.  Then, with a little smile in my direction, he began backing out of the parking spot. 
   "Where are we going?" I asked, folding my hands in my lap. 
   "Somewhere we probably shouldn't go." He chuckled nervously. 
   "Mr. Garcia, are you planning on getting me in trouble?" I gasped playfully. 
   "No, but it doesn't hurt to plan for every outcome."
   I laughed quietly, looking over at him.  His profile was sharp in the evening light.  I found myself trying to memorize his features, staring a little too long.  He noticed after a minute, glancing at me quickly. 
   "What?"
   I shook my head.  "Just looking at you!"
   "Honey, you were staring," He grinned. 
   I tried to ignore the way my heart stuttered when he called me 'honey'.  "Maybe I just like your looks."
   He snorted.  "I'm going to have to remember that one."
   We rode in a relaxed silence for the rest of the drive.  To my surprise, he drove me to a small air field.  Without a hint of worry on his features, he pulled up to the hangers and parked outside of a partially open door.  I waited in my seat until he turned off the car and climbed out.  Once I was sure that was the intent, I clambered out, too. 
   "So this is what you meant by us getting in trouble," I teased, following him as he headed towards the hanger door. 
   "I know the guy who owns this, so I'm not too worried," He assured me, pushing open the hanger door a little more. 
   Moonlight poured into the hanger, showing me a sturdy white plane with green stripes streaking its body.  Mickey held out his hand to me and I took it.  Our fingers entwined was a feeling I had missed greatly.  Tugging on my hand, he led me towards the plane, a large smile on his features. 
  "Someday, after my time in the Navy, I want a bird like this." He stated, coming to a stop only a few feet from the side of the plane. 
   "He's a beauty," I acknowledged.  Before I could ask what it was, he spoke up again. 
   "But only if you're okay with it." He turned to face me. 
   "Me?  You love flying, Mick, no one should take that from you!"
   "Except you.  If I had to give up flying for you, I would."
   I shook my head, taking a step away from him.  I ran my free hand over the plane's wing, trying to form the right words to respond in my mind.  He wasn't done speaking yet, though. 
   "You're not...  You're not in a relationship, right?"
   I shook my head, wishing I could speak.  I wanted to tell him that I was honestly in love with him.  But I couldn't get the right words to come out. 
   "Ella," He trailed off, also seeming to have a problem with finding the words. 
   Deciding I was just going to say it whether it made sense or not, I turned around to face him.  I hadn't realized he had stepped closer, though, and ended up less than a foot away from him.  My breath caught in my throat.  He seemed startled, too, staring at me for a moment.  Then, his eyes flickered down to my lips briefly, sending my heart into hyper-speed. 
   "I love you, Ella," He whispered.  "I didn't want to trap you in a long distance relationship, but it drives me crazy not being your guy.  I'm trying to not be selfish.  I've never felt anything before like what I feel for you, though."
   "Be selfish," I whispered back, wrapping my arms around his neck.  "Because I love you, too."
   He let out a small sigh of relief before quirking an eyebrow.  "Can I kiss you?"
   "Any time you please," I cheesily repeated the words I had said to him five years ago when he asked to kiss me for the first time. 
   With a knowing smile, he slowly leaned closer.  I closed my eyes, letting his embrace pull me into him.  His warm lips softly met mine, moving slowly as we both fell into the familiar feel of each other.  Before long, there was a hint of urgency in his kiss as he began to kiss me harder.  I melted into his arms, kissing back with a hunger I hadn't known I'd felt.  Three years had made me miss his kisses!
   His tongue suddenly slid across my bottom lip, asking for entrance.  I granted it, and our tongues danced together.  My heart hammered in my chest and my hands seemed to move by themselves, one curling over his shoulder while the other slid up the back of his neck to his short hair.  His own hands ran up and down my back slowly, since he was mostly focused on the kiss.  I hummed happily as he nipped softly at my lip.  After one more emotion-filled kiss, he released my lips and rested his forehead against my own. 
   "I think you missed me." He murmured after he had regained his breath. 
   "Immensely," I breathed. 
   "Will you wait for me?"
   I pulled back and looked up into his eyes with a smile.  "Yes.  And I'll keep writing and I'll try to visit when possible, too."
   "We'll make it work." He pulled back and grabbed both of my hands.  "And I'll discuss with you before I make any further career plans."
   "We don't have to worry about that just yet, though," I pointed out. 
   "Not just yet," He agreed.  "But soon.  Neither of us are getting any younger!"
   "You're a voice of optimism, aren't you?" I laughed. 
   "Just being honest." He shrugged.  "Plus, planning our future will help me cope with missing you."
   "I love you," I blurted out, unable to stop myself. 
   He just smiled affectionately.  "I'll never get tired of hearing that."