Rooster Top Gun A Love Story

E V E R Y S I D E O F U S

The door to the classroom opened. Maverick had been searching for Rooster after he landed. He knew how much the team meant to the kid. Especially too himself, Maverick really cared for his students.
"Phoenix and Bob are in the hospital, few scratches and bruises, but they'll be fine," Maverick informed his godson.
"That's good," Rooster said. He sniffed. "I've never lost anyone, and I don't know if I could handle it," he let a breath out. His voice was strained. By loss, he meant his close pilots.
"Well, you can rest now," Maverick said instead. He didn't know how to answer his question, and even if he did, how would he even know what to say? Kid, forgive me? Your father's death will always haunt me?
"That's not what I meant," Rooster couldn't believe what he was hearing. He got on his feet, his eyes wide with hostility yet unbelievable for Maverick to be so selfish. "You think it's so easy, huh? You have no one to mourn you. That must be sad. No wife, no kids, no friends!"
Maverick knew this was coming. "Go home, get some rest," he flatly turned toward the door when Rooster yelled at him. "Why did you pull my papers out of the academy?!" Roosters blood began to boil.
"Rooster..."
"You had no right!" Rooster growled through his teeth, cutting him off. "You think you know anything about me?" He pointed angrily at him.
Now, it was Maverick's turn. "Oh, I do," he clenched his teeth. "I know exactly who you are!"
Roosters jaw set.
"Seeming that lately your anger has done nothing but make me understand why I did it! You aren't ready! I tell you why? You think too much! Don't think!" Maverick yelled.
Rooster got in his face. "My father trusted you, but I won't make that same mistake," he hissed venomly.
It was as if a knife had punchered right through Maverick's chest.
Out in the hallway, Admiral Simpson heard a commotion coming from within the classroom. He was making his way around toward his office when the noise grew loud. When the admiral opened the door, he saw Rooster angrily towering over Maverick.
"Is there a problem here?" He glared over at the men. Though both men weren't his favorite, he could not have a training elite fighter pilot behave in such a matter to his captain.
Rooster turned to Admiral Simpson. "No sir,"
"That's not what I see!" He marched into the classroom and walked over to Rooster.
Vice Admiral Simpson looked him in the eyes and then glanced over to Maverick. "Whatever shit argument this is, it stops now!" Admiral ordered. He kept his eyes on both men.
"And if I ever hear any of this ever involving my daughter... again." He turned to Rooster, who stood tall and stared ahead. "I would gladly dismiss you two," He got on Rooster's face. "What my daughter sees in you, I can't figure out, but hear this Bradshaw, you better not f**k it up!"
Rooster gave a stirn nod. "Sir!"
"You two are dismissed!"
The next day, Ava looked at the new menus she had been working on. Plus the new photos for the website.
"It's a bar," Ava told hereslf, trying not to overthink it. "Ayi porque me ago esto," she grunted.
Amelia liked this side of her. "You really think that this menu." She lifted a square one. "Is more likely to open customers' eyes than this red one?" Also, when are you going to teach me spanish?"
Ava rolled her eyes. "Menus are still in. Not everyone uses a QR code, you know," Ava reminded the little brat, then sighted. "And you already know Spanish better than I do,"
"Not like you, you sound better..."
"That's because you think I sound good," Ava laughed. "If you put me with other people who speak it properly, then you'll see what I'm talking about,"
"Fine, let's do both," Amelia teased, trying to lighten the mood.
"Aunt Penny, what do you think of this special, will it sell?" Ava wondered. Pointing at the lobster tail with rice veggies on the side and garlic butter. Changing the subject to the food.
Penny looked down at the menu Ava was working on. If it wasn't for Ava, the place would be older than Penny, and it was.
"We can go ahead and design the tables this way. Instead of round ones, we can get wooden booths and wooden tables," Ava had told her aunt a few months ago. She showed her Aunt Penny her tablet, where her blueprints for the updated bar were being held.
Penny had received a large amount of money from her divorce, and she was finally using half of what was left to renovate her business.
"This menu is so short and simple," Amelia complained.
"You see, you have to stir away from a long menu, keep what sells best, and drop whatever doesn't," Ava recalled, learning this while watching Gordon Ramsay's kitchen nightmares.
"You know you should be in marketing,"
"Let's be honest she should just stick to photography," Amelia noted.
"Amelia," Aunt Penny scolded her with a disappointing stare.
"What?" Amelia defended. "I miss your photos," she turned to face Ava. She hoped she could understand. "You used to take a lot of pictures, remember?"
"I take pictures, I took one the other day," Ava pointed.
"Not the way you use too," Amelia sighted.
"Your fiesty today!" Ava tapped her cousins forehead.
Penny lifted a box of beers. "Amelia, give me a hand," It was not a request, but an order both disappeared around the bar.
Ava never considered taking up photography again. When her mother walked out on her father seven years ago, that's when she had completely stopped. The want for it disappeared, and her main focus was to work on the bar with her aunt. But would she consider it? A passion long gone now? At least that's what Ava thought. Sometimes Rooster pulled it out of her, and she thought back when they had just started dating.
They were already five months in when Ava stayed late one evening she had been looking at her instant photos, and while doing so, Rooster began to play the piano gently in the back.
He hadn't realized that Ava was taking pictures until he heard the sound of the shutter.
He played softly and heard her humming softly. Rooster stopped playing around the keys and went over to see what she had been working on. He was blown away by it all.
"This is your work?" Rooster had asked her.
Ava nodded.
"This is art, baby," he lifted a picture of old wrinkled hands tossing dough.
"That's the cook," Ava pointed, and that's..."
"Me," Rooster whispered, looking down at the photo that resembled his father. That one wasn't the one Ava had pointed to. "That wasn't for you too, see,"
"This is amazing," he murmmered, realizing just how much talent she had.
"Hey," Maverick greeted.
Ava looked up, coming back to her senses in the present. "Oh, hey,"
Maverick pulled one of the newer menus toward him. He looked it over and squinted his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping well.
"I'll have the steamed fish with rice and veggies on the side. He ordered. Maverick gave her forty bucks. "Keep the change,"
Ava put in his order. "It will be right out." She told him and watched as he stepped out into the outdoor patio and took a seat on one of the chairs. Ava couldn't help but wonder why he looked so beat up. She grabbed two beers and went over. "I would say it's on the house, but you gave me more than enough to get you going with more beer," Ava handed him the beers.
Maverick nodded softly before taking it. "Aunt Penny is out back," she told him. She knew about him and Aunt Penny, sneaking around trying not to get caught, like desperately in love teenagers running off with one another into the distance. Ava was okay with it for now. It was cute. Maverick hadn't taken off yet, so that was a plus. And her aunt was smiling more each day.
"Admiral Simpson's daughter," Maverick said instead, eyeing her. He couldn't believe that little girl he remembered who once wanted to be a pilot was now dating his godson.
Ava smiled. "Hard to believe a man such as my father be a dad, huh?" Ava took a seat across from Maverick. She wasn't offended. Her dad had quite a reputation. Besides, Maverick went way back with Beau.
"No," Maverick chuckled, shaking his head. He took a drink from his beer. Not knowing how much he needed one. He held no hatred toward Simpson.
"So you and Bradley," he was curiously looking at her. He had obviously been wanting to ask her. Penny gave him the inside scoop.
Ava crossed her arms against her chest.
"I know, Rooster in love?" Ava teased. Still, she grew defensive. Then, she got over it. Rooster had been known to be very reserved when it came to dating. But he always told Ava that the moment he saw her, he knew.
"No, not at all," Maverick assured her. He took another gulp of his drink. "I'm glad he gets to have someone who can love him back, especially if it's you," Maverick loved that kid, and Ava was a very exceptional person. He cared about her, too. She was good for him. She kept him in his place, and Maverick could see how much she loved him. Though he had seen Ava only once, a summer back, he would have never guessed that pennys neice, the Admirals' daughter, would be Roosters future. He was around that summer, trying to fine Carole. Maverick fell in love with a family he knew wasn't his, so he left.
"Are you okay?" Ava asked softly.
Maverick had so much going on that he wasn't going to tell her how much her father and him didn't meet eye to eye. That's what was bothering him, but it wasn't enough to make him worry. What worried him was his pilots. The incident with Phoenix and Bob.
Ava caught on. "She's fine," she whispered. "Nats always been tough like that," she assured Maverick. Though Ava couldn't say the same for hereslf. She has been fully aware of how crazy it had made her. To think she could have lost her. Ava was also glad Bob was okay.
Maverick smiled slightly. "I know, He sighted. "So Rooster, he went back to that topic.
Ava nodded. "I care about him a lot,"
Maverick smiled warmly. That's all he wanted for the kid. "Good, good,"
"Why don't you talk to him?" Ava broke the small silence.
"Believe me, I've tired," Maverick sat up straight. "He, uh, hates me,"
"You aren't trying hard enough," Ava told him. "He doesn't hate you," she lied.
Maverick chuckled. He sure wanted to believe her.
"Rooster really is a great guy, I just don't know where he gets that thick head stubbornness, mood swings from," she chuckled. "He gets annoying, and I just want to...ugh,"
"From his mother," Maverick chuckled, remembering his dear friend.
Ava could genuinely see the warmth in Maverick's eyes when he spoke of Rooster's mom.
"What we're they like?" Ava asked. "I never really ask him, but he always tells me his mom would have loved me," She hoped, and she wondered a lot.
"Rooster is exactly like his mother, aside from the stubborness and moodswings his fun side, the piano, he gets that from his father, oh and his looks," Maverick found himself saying. It had been thirty-five years since he spoke of Goose. "He was so funny and calm about everything." He paused. "He was my wingman," his eyes got lost in the distance overlooking the waves.
Ava felt like she had stepped into something very personal. "Sorry," she got on her feet. "I overstepped my boundaries,"
Maverick didn't mind. He hadn't spoken to anyone about this except with Penny. "Every side of us is known to come out sooner or later." He pressed his lips into a thin line. "I can see why Rooster loves you,"
Ava smiled.
"And I agree with him, Carole would have loved you,"
Rooster walked into the bar, wearing a blue, short, sleeve button-up, fresh material shirt that complemented the outlines of his chest and stomach muscles. Rooster saw Ava standing against the rail, smiling over at someone sitting on a chair. He didn't think anything of it. "Hey Penny," Rooster greeted the bar owner.
"Rooster, hey sweetie," she smiled.
"Been busy?" He wondered, looking around. A few regulars he always saw. 
"Hmm," Penny bobbed her head. "It's been smooth sailing, speaking of..." Penny said. "Ava and I were actually going to go sail my boat, and I need a sailor to help me,"
"Well, you know I can't pass on that," he said sincerely. "Let me go get Ava,"
Ava was already coming back inside when she spotted her boyfriend. "Hey,"
Rooster leaned forward to kiss her. "Hey,"
"Your aunt was telling me we were going to go sail the boat?"
"Oh," Ava slightly turned her head over her shoulder. She had just invited Maverick.
"We don't have to go..."
But it was too late. Maverick was already coming behind her.
Ava watched as Rooster jaw set, but he didn't say anything. "Mave," he greeted. Rooster could see that Ava really wanted to go, and he did, too. So, Rooster promised himself that there was going to be no issue at all. He hadn't gone sailing in a while.
"You all ready, or are we going to gawk at one another?" Aunt Penny said.
Ava followed behind her. Once on the boat, Ava watched as Rooster gave Aunt Penny a hand. She had wanted to help, but Rooster said he had volunteered back at the bar. As they skipped through the water, Ava looked toward Maverick, who looked a little out of place. "It doesn't hurt to smile, Mave Rooster isn't going to bite,"
"Ha," Maverick chuckled mockly at her statement.
"Oh, come on," Ava walked toward him. "You're are a grown ass man, besides it's now or never you should take this as a chance to go talk to him," Ava pressed.
Maverick persisted a little, then nodded more to himself than to her. Maverick made his way over to Rooster and Penny.
"You two need any help?"
"Nope," Rooster answered so fast Penny didn't have a chance to say anything. Penny's hair was up in a ponytail, but the wind kept pushing her hair into her face.
"I'm good with my hands," Maverick informed.
Penny grinned at his words. She knew he was, oh was he good. 
Rooster grew slightly disgusted at their little moment.
"I don't take you for a sail type of guy," Rooster said. "You can help Ava add fish food on the rod hooks," he suggested.
Ava did not agree. She glared up at Rooster and raised her eyebrow. She didn't have to say anything for Rooster to catch on. If he did, they would probably end up arguing.
"Yeah, I guess you can help me,"  Rooster agreed.
Penny quickly walked toward Ava. "Honey, they haven't been meeting eye to eye at all,"
"I know," Ava sighted. "How are you and Maverick doing?"
Penny made a lovey dovey face. She felt like she was twenty all over again.
Then, an argument broke between both men as Rooster didn't agree on how Maverick was lossening the sail sheet. "No!" Rooster yelled, but it was too late. The sail sheet went towrd the men, and both went over the boat.
Ava screamed as Penny yelped. Both ran to tighten the sheet. "Hurry, check if they are alright while I hold the wheel,"
Rooster and Maverick both popped up to the surface.
"You alright!" he swam over towards Rooster.
"Yeah, I'm fine, what about you?"
Ava and her aunt were filled with relief as they swam over to the lower side of the boat, near the steps.
"You guys okay?" Ava rushed to them.
"Yeah baby, we're good," Rooster helped Maverick up first, then he lifted himself upward and climbed up. He gazed over at Maverick, who nodded a thanks.
"Let's head home." Aunt Penny said.