A Ghost Playing Hangman

ten

Both alarms went off, but the two of you had been awake for the past few hours wishing the minutes would pass slower. The second you left the bed, reality was going to set in and the magical oasis the two of you created would vanish.

"I could lay here forever but I don't think the Navy would appreciate it." You tried to smile at Jake's weak attempt to lighten the mood, but you didn't have it in you. He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into his chest when you didn't respond.

"We are the best at what we do, and we were chosen for this assignment for a reason. If one of us or even both of us get picked, there is no doubt in my mind that we will breeze through this and be back by dinner." He wouldn't admit it out loud, but you knew he was trying to convince himself as much as he was you.

"We should get ready." Your words were short and dry as it was the first thing you said, and he wasn't having it. You went to get out of bed, but Jake sat up and grabbed your hand, stopping you from walking away from him.

"Hey, talk to me. What are you thinking right now?" This was new for you, having to worry about someone else and getting you out of your routine. As selfish as that sounded, your deployment routine was something that kept you focused and grounded. You knew if you got back in that bed or melted into the gorgeous man who was looking at you like you were the only thing that mattered, your head wouldn't be in it. And that could be life threatening.

"I mean this in the nicest way possible, but I can't be someone who is in a relationship today. I have to be a pilot or else my mind won't be where it needs to be to fly at the level that's expected. I love you but I just can't show that right now." As soon as those words left your mouth you knew you messed up. You didn't miss the way his eyes widened or his grip on your hand tightened when they registered for him.

You pulled your hand back out of his grasp and ran it through your hair in frustration, mumbling "shit" under your breath.

"Say it again." Your eyes cut over to him at his request and you saw a smile starting to form on his face.

You shook your head, "No. That is the complete opposite of what I meant when I said I couldn't do relationship things today." You took a few steps away from the bed putting space between the two of you, but you couldn't escape the look he was giving you.

"You love me. Good lord someone actually loves me." You had to stop when he said those words. You could hear the disbelief coming from him and your chest tightened at the revelation that he didn't think he was capable of being loved.

"Of course, I love you. You might not see it, but you are perfect in my eyes. Who couldn't love someone who was not only the best damn pilot in the US, but someone with the amount of determination and drive that you have to continue to be the best? You are attentive, compassionate, and selfless. I have never met anyone who put that much effort into understanding me and making sure I was cared for. So please get rid of any doubts you have about yourself, because you are perfect for me, and I would be crazy not to love you."

He was staring at you with nothing but awe and you knew he had never been told those words before. Every day you were learning something new about this man and today it was how deep his insecurities ran. You made a mental note to revisit this later.

Jake took a few steps towards you, and you held up a hand, "No boyfriend shit today. We can pick this up when we get back."

He stopped in his tracks and couldn't help but chuckle. "No boyfriend shit. Got it." He continued walking towards you and gave you a quick kiss on the cheek. "I have to head to my apartment and grab my stuff. I'll be back in an hour to pick you up." The heaviness was back and all you could do was nod your head.

You watched him as he walked out of your apartment and hoped to God that it wouldn't be the last time.

**

Everything had moved too quickly, and you were all lined up waiting to hear who would be chosen as the 4 daggers. After the stunt Maverick pulled, it wasn't a shock that he was chosen as the team leader. It actually gave you some reassurance that someone with that much experience would be leading the group and making the difficult calls.

But that meant there was only one solo fighter pilot position left.

You didn't know if it was disappointment or relief that washed over you as he called out Rooster's name. You had worked so damn hard to be chosen as one of the daggers just for it to be another failed attempt at being ready. It was almost a slap in the face. That no matter how hard you pushed yourself, you weren't good enough in their eyes.

But then you realized why Bradley was picked. With the history between him and Maverick, it was almost like a peace offering. Any pilot here was capable of pulling off this assignment, but the two of them needed this. It still left a bitter taste in your mouth though.

A hand on your shoulder pulled you out of your thoughts and Bradley was standing there with an almost guilty look on his face. "It should've been you. You deserve this." While you felt his words were true, agreeing wasn't what he needed to hear.

"Maverick needs to fly with someone he trusts and that happens to be you. He knows you can have his back and make the shot, so you sure as hell better believe that too. But you can buy me a drink when you get back." He gave you a nervous smile and you squeezed his shoulder.

"You got this. No more doubts, okay? Go out there and make your dad proud." He pulled you into a hug and thanked you. And as much as you wanted to be the one flying out there, Bradley needed this more than you.

You told the other pilot's good luck and stood back as you watched them start their preflight checks. "That was a nice thing you told Rooster." Jake came up next to you and stopped to watch his teammates load up. "He needed to hear it."

Jake looked over at you, impressed that you could be encouraging to the pilot who took your spot. When he didn't get chosen, he had to take a few seconds to compose himself before wishing his teammates good luck. But you made it look effortless.

"Hangman and Ghost." You turned around to see Admiral Simpson walking towards you. "You will both be dagger reserves. Get your preflight checks done and be prepared to deploy."

The nerves started back up at the chance that you might see some action but hated the reasoning why. The two of you would only be given the green light if things were going south. But what made it worse was that the man who you confessed your love to that morning would also be thrown into the chaos.

"Hey, look at me." You sighed and turned to face Jake.

"No one else I would trust out there to have my back. And you know I will do everything in my power to get you home safe." You knew that. And you also knew the actions would be reciprocated for him. He gave you a quick kiss on the top of your head and walked over to his plane.

But what you didn't know is how quick things could take a turn and that the two of you making it home in once piece might not be obtainable.

A/N: Thank you all so much for continuing to read this story!! I never thought it would have this many readers, but I'm thankful for each and every one of you! As we are getting close to the end of the movie plot, I had a question for you. Would you want me to continue Hangman's and Ghost's story after the mission or end it with the original movie timeline? I have two different endings in mind but wanted to hear your thoughts!