Into Your Arms

Done

You woke up energized the next morning, ready to take on the day. You had class today, but it would all be indoors, going over more aspects of the mission. You put on a pair of jeans, an Aerosmith t-shirt that you had gotten from a concert years ago, and your Birkenstock sandals. You put your hair into a high ponytail before grabbing your first cup of coffee for the day. You still had some time, so you walked out onto the patio to enjoy the sunrise.

To your surprise, Pete had already been sitting on your patio with his cup of coffee. You chuckled at the sight. "What're ya doing here Mav?" He smiled; he loved when you called him by his callsign. "I couldn't sleep, so I figured I may as well wait for you to get up and we could start the morning together." You sat down next to him. A silence ensued, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. You both took sips of your hot coffees, and just enjoyed having someone sitting there. "I get it. I get why you do this every morning," he laughed, "it honestly feels kind of amazing to start the day out like this." He breathed in the fresh morning air, and exhaled with a grin. "It helps me center myself before the chaos of the day flows in," you responded, feeling lighter already.

Pete had taken off before you to get a head start on todays material. You lagged behind, not wanting to show up early enough to give Bradley a chance to get you alone, that is, if he even wanted to. You weren't sure at this point what to think.

You pulled in and parked. You saw the baby blue bronco parked already, and knew everyone would probably be ready for class before you entered. You walked up to the podium and saw a Starbucks sitting there with your name on it. You smiled instantly. The gesture was nice whoever it was from, but the caffeine..fuck yes. Pete broke the pin drop silence. "You see, women aren't hard to understand at all. Surprise 'em once in a while, and maybe you won't get your ass kicked that day," he laughed. He had the entire room chuckling, except for one, of course.

You were getting your things together on the desk when you heard whispering floating around the room. You looked up when you heard Phoenix "Why aren't you two a thing? You're so compatible! I only hope to meet someone who gets me as much as Mav gets you, Blaze." You blushed at the comment. You knew you needed to address your relationship with Pete. You both did understand each other, but you've known each other for years, it wasn't just a coincidence. "I guess it's time that we address the elephant in the room, which I'm sure many of you have already had questions or assumptions about, like Phoenix over here," Pete stated with a small smile. "Blaze and I grew up together. We dated, got married, and actually are recently divorced. With all of that said, we came back to our roots, here at Top Gun, and rekindled a platonic friendship. I'm seeing someone currently."

There were again, remarks around the room, sighs, and gasps. "So, that means, Blaze is up for grabs?!" Hangman was the first to speak, and of course it was something to cause an eye roll. However, you couldn't deny that he was a fine specimen of male and testosterone. But, you wouldn't ever let him know that.

"Yes, she is a single woman," Pete couldn't help but join in. "She's also one of the best people I've ever met. I cherish all of our memories. And I want nothing but the absolute best for her. Now with that said, let's begin."

Class seemed to drag. You weren't in the mood to listen, and you weren't in the mood to instruct. You almost felt like taking a sick day and hiding under your covers. You randomly turned and eyed Bradley a few times, and he never once made eye contact with you, not taking his sights off of Pete. It was time to break for lunch, and Pete was meeting Penny at the Hard Deck. You decided to stay behind and get ready for afternoon lecture, not feeling up to eating. Bradley took off once dismissed. You can't deny that you had hoped he would have stuck around. You were wondering what had happened last night because that would determine your situation. You were startled when Phoenix spoke up, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."