Top Gun: Maverick | Miles Teller & Tom Cruise

22

"You can go, I'll just lay here for a second." He said and we chuckled. I walked over to Lina and took her hand as we walked out of the cafeteria.

"You did good up there." She said and I smiled softly as she leaned onto the wall.

"Wished you would've been up there instead of Hurricane." I said.

"Well, since my jet crashed and they found smoke in my lungs, they wanted me to stay on the ground for a few days." She explained.

"Yeah and I agree, shouldn't be flying around on antibiotics." I said and she smiled softly.

"Ehm..... can I stay with you for a couple of days?" She asked and I looked at her with a soft look.

"Of course." I said.

"It's just with the funeral coming up and all..." She said looking down at the ground and I placed my hand on her jaw.

"You can stay for as long as you want." I said and she smiled softly.

"Thank you." She said and I kissed her forehead.

"How about I'll come and pick you up at your place tonight, we'll invite a few of the cast members over for some beers and just hang out for a bit?" I asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, sounds nice." She said and I smiled softly.

"It'll be okay, I promise. You are strong, strongest person I've ever met and I will be there for you the whole time, you hear me? I'm here for you." I said looking her straight in the eyes and she nodded.

"I'm here for you." I said and she nodded.

"I love you." She said with a small smile.

"I love you too." I said smiling and kissed her softly.

"Come on my crazy aviator, let's watch the others vomit." I said and she laughed as I put my arm around her shoulder, kissed the side of her head as we walked out.

I parked my car outside her apartment later that night and I saw her come out of the building with her suitcase. Her aviators were down on her nose as she walked over to my car looking down. I looked out of the windshield and my brows furrowed. A few feet away I saw two paparazzis. How the hell did they find her apartment? I got out of the car, flipped down my sunglasses and walked around over to her.

"Hi." I said with a small smile and looked over at the paparazzis.

"Hey." She said and she noticed me looking elsewhere.

"Paparazzi?" She asked as she found where my gaze was at.

"Yeah." I said and grabbed her suitcase and put it in the trunk. I opened the door for her and shut it as she had sat down. I sat down in the driver's seat and closed the door.

"I just don't get how they know where you live." I said.

"Maybe they followed your car." She said.

"Maybe." I said. I wasn't a big fan of the paparazzi, they mostly intruded my personal life. So far I hadn't had that many insane experiences with them but they definitely were in the way.

We drove by the store real quick to get some things for tonight and for the next few days before I drove us back to my place, not being able to shake the whole paparazzi thing. I didn't like that they were following me and had found her home. I didn't like that feeling at all. I parked the car and when I got out, I saw a few more paparazzis. I sighed as I walked back to the trunk and got out Lina's suitcase.

"No sense of personal space." I mumbled as I walked up to her.

"Just ignore them." She mumbled.

"If you react they want more, just like in high school. Give the mean girls attention and they won't leave you alone." She said and I nodded. I put my hand on her back as we walked inside the beach house I rented. I closed the door after us and shut the blinds for the windows that was aimed towards the front of the house.

"Paranoid?" She asked with a cheeky smirk.

"No, just not a fan of personal intrusion." I said and she chuckled. She walked up to me and hugged me from behind as I was peaking through the blinds.

"You don't mind them?" I asked.

"Of course I do, I just don't give them the attention they want." She said and I turned around and placed  my hands on her waist.

"Stop being so wise, you are belittling me." I said with a cheeky smile and she chuckled.

"Can't get unwise now, it's too late." She said and I chuckled.

"God, I love you." I said and hugged her tightly.

"I love you too." She said with a small smile. We unpacked the groceries and got everything set up for tonight. The wine and the beer was cooling in the fridge while the chicken was on the grill and the potatoes in the oven. I watched my girl in the kitchen, making a salad while I was out on the patio making sure the chicken wouldn't burn. I took a sip of my beer as I felt so incredibly lucky with the sight that was in front of me. This is exactly what I wanted in life. Her. This. Making dinner together. Having friends over. Drinking beer and wine. Laughing. Making memories.

Just the life I've always pictured for myself.