The next couple of weeks went by fast, Flying then some lessons, debriefing, more flying, then study time, and nights at the Bar. Then doing it all over again, it was easy to get into the rhythm of it.
Things with BullDog have not been going well. I always seem to be doing something wrong every time I get in the cockpit. I expect him to grill me. Stress is gone, right? But I was wrong. After we first got Jester, I went to high-five him when we landed. He went over to Hollywood, WolfMan, and Slider to celebrate.
Mav and Goose dragged me to the bar that night to celebrate, drinking and playing a game of darts, which I was terrible at, but it was still fun. Iceman even came over offering to buy me a drink as a well done. Mav being Mav, asked him what he was up to, thinking Iceman was trying something when he was not,
Iceman has kept his word about what we talked about on the tarmac, and I've kept mine.
Today was just like any other we were flying in the morning, and everyone got their ass kicked by Viper. The man is a beast when it comes to flying. It turned into the last man standing more than anyone trying to get him, not that we did not try, I had Mav as my wingman, and we tried everything we could think of to outsmart him, but nothing worked, but in the end, instead of being upset about it we just laughed.
Our debriefing after that went on for some time, going over what we could have done better, learning that sometimes it's best to bug out than to stay in the fight when you know you won't win, best to go home and fight another day.
Lunch was fun. Myself, Mav, and Goose headed to a place close to the beach. We all got burgers and chips, not the healthiest thing. Still, they tasted so good, sitting in a small both Goose by himself and Mav next to me with his arm over the back of the back, stealing some of my chips since he ate all his. As we ate, Goose could not stop talking about how Carole and Bradley were coming to visit. He looked like a kid the night before x-mas, his face all bright. It made me happy to see him like that, but I was also excited. I love seeing them two. Carole is a fantastic sister-in-law, even if she does tease me about Mav, and Bradly is just the cutest nephew anyone could ask for.
Now in a quiet classroom part from the sound of an arm of fans cooling the room down in the San Diego heat, sitting at a table close to one of the open windows with Mav as Goose was off doing other stuff, I sat sideways on a chair next to him, leaning my back on his side which he did not mind, with my feed up on another chair bending my legs to use them to place my textbook on to read, as my notebook sat on the table net to me so I can write in, my left hand playing with my pen and my right hand fanning myself with a pace of paper I accordion folded into a make makeshift fan.
We talked now and then, I would ask him questions about something I read and what would be the best way to go about it, and he helped me, turning his head to read my textbook over my shoulder before talking things over with me, I find Mav to be a good teacher, he's not one to give you the answer right away. Still, he gives you hints to help you work it out yourself.
Charlie was in the room as well sometimes, she'll be at the desk reading or writing stuff down, or she is walking up and down the classroom checking in on people.
Slader was sitting at a table in fount of us, playing with one of the demonstration jet models as he had headphones on, listening to his portable cassette player. He looked around at us now and then, sending me a wink if I ever happened to look up to see him looking, Or he commented how I should come and sit next to him, that he makes a better back nest than Mav to which I just give him the finger, before going back to reading. Mav tells him to Shh and turns around.
I could hear Charlie's high heel tapping on the floor as she walked around, coming close to our table for what felt like the tenth time.
"A rolling Reversal would work well in that situation."
I heard her say as she stopped. I slightly move my head to look over my shoulder to see her standing there looking down at Mav's books. I felt Mav move the arm I was sort of lean on as he talked back to her,
"But if I reversed on a head cross, I could immediately go to guns on them,"
He replied, to which I nodded in agreement even if am not part of the conversation,
"Yeah, but at that speed, it's too fast. It's a little bit too aggressive."
Charlie commented. As she did, I could see her love Mav up and down, making me roll my eyes. I am starting to think she now into him when she said at the Bar she was not, and also, This is Mav we are talking about. This man does not know how to do anything slowly. I learned that the hard way, when he took me on his back for the first time speeding down the roads, the speed limit to him is just a goal he thinks he needs to go over.
"Too Aggressive, Yeah, I guess when I see something, I go right after it,"
I wanted to throw up at Mav's replies, but because I wanted to keep my food down, I went with nudging him in his ribs with my elbow and pretending it was by mistake as I tried to readjust myself on my set. Was it a childish jealous move? Yes, do I care no,
Mav just turned to look at me, telling me it was ok with his bright smile. I just smiled back before looking up at Charlie, who was writing something but looked up now and then,
"Maybe that would not happen if you were not sitting like that"
She said without looking at us. Mav just laughed, turning his head to look at me as I still had my head turned around,
"No, she fine, just where she is."
To say my face did not start to heat up at his words would be a lie. I needed to look away in the hops no one saw, but as I did, I caught eyes with Slider, who was smiling like a made man at me. I mouthed "Fuck off" to him, which only made him smile bigger,
Charlie did not say anything after that as she pleased down the paper she was writing on; hearing her walk away, I looked around again to see Mav holding a piece of paper with red writing.
"Dinner tonight 5;30 sharp, 100 laurel blach....... Leave the Shadow"
I could not stop the small laugh from my mouth when I read it. I'm guessing I am the Shadow, but it also made me laugh remembering Iceman's words to me on the tarmac calling Mav my shadow.
"I thought she was not interested."
I tell Mav as I look at my watch to see that the day is almost over. I moved off him as I closed up my books,
"I guess she changed her mind after seeing how well I can fly."
I shocked my head at his comments before hitting his shoulder,
"Your so full of yourself, Also Shadow? I'm a shadow now. How lovely"
I said out, not really asking him but just pointing it out. Mav smiled as he folded up Charlie's little love note placing it inside his book before stacking all his stuff up, reaching for his garrison cap and tucking it under his belt before picking his stuff up,
"You a lovely shadow Rose,"
I just rolled my eyes at him,
"Don't try and sweet talk me. It won't work. It's not aggressive enough."
I comment as I walk past him, hearing him hurry up behind. I then felt something pull on my belt, making me stop as a hard chest walks into my back,
"You love it."
Mav's voice said dangerously close to my ear. That hot feeling was coming back again,
"Hey, Mav, you ready to crash and burn in our volleyball game later."
Slider shouted, making Mav leave me, walking over to slider, lending on his table, taking one sniff of the air before telling Slider that he stank, making the person sitting in front of him laugh, as Mav walked back to me with a big smirk on his face I could see Slider sniffing his armpit behind him,
"You coming?"
Mav asked me once we were out of the room,
"Coming to what?"
"The volleyball game"
"Are you inviting me to watch you shirtless and sweaty running around in the sand, hitting a ball over a net with other shirtless sweaty men?"
I teased him as I was already going. Mav nodded his head,
"You know how to show a girl a good time, don't you."
"That not the only good time I can show a girl."
His comment caught me off guard, making me chock on air. I breathed in wrong as my face started to heat up for the third time that day. Patting my back, Mav just laughed.
"I don't need to know about that, Mav, but Charlie mite."
I speak out once I get my breath, at the Mav just surged his shoulder, making a funny face before doing his usual putting his arm over my shoulder as we walked down the hall,
Mav gave me a lift home on his bike, splitting way as I went to get a shower, and he wanted to change before heading to the beach, saying there was no point having a shower now when he was just going to get all sweaty again, I told him to go on a head that I'll be there soon,
I took my time to have a cold shower, one to cool myself down from Mav's comments and being so close to me, and also hot today.
Putting on a pair of denim shorts with a white t-shirt and trainers, putting my sunglasses on, I head off to the beach. I could see IceMan, Slider, WolfMan, and Hollywood grouped together talking by Iceman car as Mav and Goose were sitting at the bottom of one of the bleachers. I walked over, coming up behind Goose, sporting shorts and a t-shirt. I tapped him on the shoulder, making him jump,
"God dame id Rosie don't do that."
He called out, placing a hand over his heart. I laugh, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek,
"Sorry, Goosie, but I could not help myself."
I tell him as I sit down on a set up from them. Mav looks me up and down as he sits with his favorite blue jeans and a white t-shirt.
"Where mine?"
I looked at him for a moment, thinking if I should do it. I wanted to but should I when he would be having dinner with Charlie in a couple of hours? Against my best judgment, I did it anyway, leaning forward and kissing his cheek a little too close to his lips.
"Happy?"
I ask, to which he nods his head. I could see Goose looking between us, smiling a little. I wondered if Mav had told him about his dinner date. Before I could ask, Iceman shouted over to Mav, asking if he and Goose were ready,
"Good luck"
I tell them as they get up, Mav pulling off his t-shirt right in found of me, asking me to keep an eye on it. How can I do that when all I want to do is look at him shirtless? God, I feel like a silly school girl that saw a man shirtless for the first time,
I was so into watching the boys play that I had not seen or heard Hollywood coming up behind me until I felt the cold feeling of water being poured all over me, making me jump up and spin around to see him running off laughing at Wolfman, what a fucking prick, I looked down to see that the water has got on to the front of my t-shirt and of course White and water are not the best mixes I could see my sports bra clearly throw it,
Feeling self-conscious, I say back down, wrapping my arms around myself and bringing my knees up to my chest, trying to hide the front of my body as much as possible. I've never been one for showing off too much skin. Shorts are acceptable, but up top, no thanks,
After winning a game, Mav and Goose returned to sit and drink. Goose flopped down, taking a bottle of water and almost doing it in one go as Mav looked at me, clearly seeing the socking wet top. It's not like Mav has not seen me naked before. Me, he, and Goose, when skinny dipping once or twice back in flight school, we were crazy, still are.
"What happened to you?"
His asking Made Goose look around at me as well,
"Hollywood poured water over me. Now my shirt is see-through."
I felt silly saying it, I could see Mav looking around the place as if looking for Hollywood, but when he could not, he looked back at me again, picking up his shirt and bomber jacket, taking hold of my hand and pulling me with him,
Letting go of my hand once we were behind a small beach shed, Mav handed me his shirt and Held up his bomber jacket like he wanted to put it on me,
"What?"
"Put the shirt on. I'll hold this up to give you some cover."
Did my heart almost want just out of my chest as how sweet he was being? Yes, it did. I looked at his shirt and then at him to see that he had his head turned away,
"Not like you not seen it before, may."
I comment as I pull off my wet shirt, using what was still dry to wipe my chest down, before pulling moves over my head, and the moment I did, my nose was filled with his scent, making me dizzy.
"I know I have but am still a gentleman, but if you want me to look, just say the word sweetheart."
His words were not helping me right now. Why am I like this? How come I have spent years doing so good at suppressing my feeling for him, but now going to top gun that all gone away? Could it be because of Charlie and seeing Mav with her at the Bar and now her asking him to dinner,
"I'm done."
I tell him in a small voice, embarrassed at how my body was reacting and how over-sized his shirt was on me.
"You always look good in my stuff."
God, please stop,
"Mav, where are you? We got another game to play."
Goose shouted, saving me from having to say anything back to Mav. Walking around, Mav threw his bomber jacket back on his set as I sat down, taking a bottle of water out of the cooler and, doing the same as Goose and down the whole bottle in one,
As the game went on, I could see Mav checking his watch now and then. I knew what he was counting down to, and I hated myself for feeling jealous. I should be happy Mav got a date, but I can't, and I hate myself for wanting to hate Charlie. I should not be feeling that she has done nothing wrong, apart from asking the man I've had a crush on for years out, but I guess that what I get for doing nothing about my feeling, this is the universe's way of saying you had your chance now watch someone else talk it,
They were halfway in a game when Mav came running over, followed by Goose, picking up his jacket as if he was going to put it on, but he stopped. I could see his eyes on me through his sunglasses. He just looked at me as I looked back at him, trying to keep my eyes on his, but my eyes betrayed, moving down to look at his hot, sweaty, covered in sand chest that looked so sexy,
"Hey man, where you are going? We still got a game to play"
Goose asked him. Mav then places his jacket back down, opening the color box that was under it,
"I was just getting a drink. I could not wait till the end of the game."
Mav replied, pulling a bottle out, opening and taking a mouth full of water before closing it back up and placing it back in the cooler. As he was about to run off, he kissed my cheek,
"A Good luck kiss, Ice and Slier are burning us."
He said before running off. I just laughed at him before shouting,
"I thought a good luck kiss was the other way around."
"I'm trying something new."
That was all he said before getting right back into the game. I looked down at my watch to see the time. My eyes widened when I saw that it was 5;40 knowing Mav was late for his Date. Looking up, I saw Mav looking at me, so I tapped my Watch. He then looked at his watch and just shrugged his shoulder and winked at me,
Is this man about to keep playing a game and not go on a date. Should I be mad? He is blowing off a date to play around in the sand, but all I can do is laugh. Part of me did feel sorry for Charlie, but if she is going to get mad, Mav is the one getting it. He can't say I did not tell him the time.
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Bad Mav missing a date lol..
Also I love the Volleyball part of the film, I just can't help myself they all look so good.
Hope you all liked this chapter, let me know what you think, Good Or Bad =)
I had a little help in the foam of a cat LOL.
I've also update my Grammarly so hopefully that will help me more than just using the free one.
I saw Top Gun Maverick the other day and OMFG amazing film,
I think next chapter is going to be interesting, some new OC should be showing up soon,