Tailspin: A Top Gun Love Story

Chapter 2

Tom Kazansky leads you through the doors to the hangar, his hand on the small of your back. He's asked that you join him on the base today so he can show off his flying skills. You've brought a book with you just in case it won't be as spectacular as he's promised it to be.

When it's his and Slider's turn to take to the skies, you find a spot where you can watch them take off, observing as they strap themselves into the cockpit while the maintenance personnel run checks on their F-14 Tomcat.

Once your boyfriend and Slider are in the air, you take your book out of your bag and settle into one of the desk chairs facing the runway. However, no sooner do you flip to your desired page than you hear the scrape of the adjacent seat as someone parks themselves right beside you.

"Good book?"

You look up when you hear Maverick's familiar voice. He's smiling confidently, as if last night's exchange between the two of you never happened. "Probably, if I get to read it," you respond.

His eyebrows converge over his dark aviators. "Ah." He breathes, leaning back into the seat. "I suppose anything is better than watching Iceman's boring, old routine up there." He nods up toward the sky where Tom's plane soars in and out of the low hanging clouds.

You close your book slightly, following his gaze. You take several moments to admire your boyfriend's undeniable skill as a pilot. "Doesn't look boring from where I'm sitting."

"Is that why you brought reading material?" Maverick smirks when you glance over at him.

"This is in case I have to watch you too," you respond, returning his playful grin.

He chuckles. "In that case," he says, reaching over his desk to take the book from your lap. "You're not going to need this."

You raise your eyebrows. "Are you not flying today?"

He shakes his head. "Grounded."

You nod, unsurprised. "Sneak out past your curfew?"

He raises his eyebrows and takes off his sunglasses. "How did you know?" he asks, still smiling.

You laugh. "I was joking."

He shakes his head. "I wasn't."

"Well," you say. "I can't just take your word for it. Tell me when you'll be flying and I'll have to see for myself just how good you are."

Maverick's smile widens. "When it's me up there, you'll know."

You lower your gaze, unsure why you've had more fun with Maverick in the last two minutes than you've had with Tom for the past two days.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asks mischievously.

Your eyes snap back to meet his and suddenly you're no longer aware of the deafening boom of aircraft shaking up the skies. Suddenly, everything is muted, distant, except for his eyes that hold your gaze defiantly, daring you to try and look away. You take a shallow breath and force yourself to speak. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

He tightens his lips, slightly taken aback. "Not at all," he responds. "The opposite, actually."

"Why?"

"Excuse me?" he says.

"Why all this interest in me?" you ask.

He laughs. "You think I'm interested in you?"

"I don't mean in that way. I just mean, why are you talking to me?"

Maverick shrugs his shoulders, squinting up into the sunlight where Tom is still performing a dangerous looking series of air combat maneuvers. "Well," he says, "I figured somebody had to entertain you." He watches Tom's jet pointedly, grimacing as if he's severely unimpressed.

You roll your eyes but can't help the smile tugging on your mouth. Maverick's self-assurance is extremely attractive, even if he is a bit of an ass. You've always been attracted to confidence – it's why you started seeing Tom Kazansky. But Maverick seems different, even if they are both full of themselves. Maverick doesn't take himself too seriously and, if you were being honest with yourself, you could use a little levity in your life.

"You know," he says. "Ice keeps a photo of you in his locker." He sucks in his cheeks to hold back a grin. "Talks about you nonstop."

You nod slowly. "So, that's how you knew me."

Maverick can't contain his smile. "We were all really looking forward to meeting you," he responds.

You raise your eyebrows. "I need to see this photo."

He laughs. "No, you don't."

You give him a soft punch to the shoulder. "Describe it to me," you say, intrigued.

He shakes his head and bites his lower lip. "Words aren't really my thing."

You cock your head. "Try."

Maverick watches you wistfully. "As good as that photo is," he says, "you're better in real life."

You purse your lips, trying to contain a chuckle, and then look out to watch Tom's F-14 swoop down to a dangerously low altitude in an attempt to lose the two bogeys on its tail.

"So," Maverick says after a little while. "What are you doing tonight?" He looks over at you with a rebellious sort of grin.

"What do you think I'm doing?" You shake your head. "Hanging out with my boyfriend."

Maverick makes a face. "Aren't you sick of him yet?"

You give him a humorless look. "I just got here." You reach for your book and he pulls it back slightly so that you're leaning over him. You blink up at him and your eyes meet. His smile wavers slightly as he watches you.

Suddenly, a roar resonates through the station and a rush of air sends your hair flying in a vortex of wind. Maverick slides the book into your hand and reaches up to tuck a strand of your unruly hair behind your ear. "Time's up," he says quietly, his eyes still glued to your face.

He rises from his seat and you release an uneasy breath, finally looking away. You glance up at the cloud of smoke surrounding the fighter plane that's just landed. The horizon looks like it's swimming in behind. "We'll probably be at the bar," you say, not looking up at Maverick.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see him put his hands into his pockets. "See you there, then," he responds. And then he walks away.

.....

A/N: Yay I'm so excited that there is interest in this story! It means I'm not the only one obsessed with Mav ..sigh.. Leave me a comment so we can gush over him together <3

And don't forget to vote because that makes you the best of the best (just like Mav & crew)!

Muah!