"What Am I To You?"

Five

Ice and Maverick were now basically living in the hospital.

Ice hated being cooped up there. He hated the look, the smell, the feel, and the whole vibe of the hospital.

He just wanted to be back at home, healthy, and content with his grandkids.

He had an awful round of chemo that day, and just wanted to go home. He just... was tired.

He got back to his room and saw Maverick asleep in his chair. He smiled softly as the nurse helped him lay down in his bed.

He sighed and laid his head back. He then turned and saw Maverick waking up. "Ah you're back..." Maverick said as he yawned tiredly.

"Yeah... you alright?" Ice asked him.  Maverick simply nodded and got up. The nurse left as Maverick looked st Ice.

Maverick looked at him lovingly. Ice looked at him and rolled his eyes. "Stop looking at me like that... you know I don't look good. Don't force yourself..." ice muttered.

Ice felt very self conscious of how he looked due to the chemo causing his hair to fall, how he was much skinnier (he hated it despite trying to gain weight), and he just felt awful. so, he hated how Maverick looked at him as if he looked like the finest man he had ever seen.

"Ice... why do you do that." He said as he took Ices hand into his.  Ice held his hand back slightly. "I feel like a skeleton... I don't feel like the typical me... I don't even look like him." He said sadly.

Maverick sat next to him and looked at him. "Hun... lemme tell you something. You will always be the handsomest man to me. You could be paired up against ... that Ryan Reynolds's guy that hangman and Rooster won't shut up about and I'll always pick you over him." Maverick said as he kissed his hand.

Ice looked at him and sighed. "You know you're too much for my heart right?" Ice said with a sad chuckle.

"You've been telling me that since the beginning of our love story, and that makes me the happiest." Maverick said with a proud smile.

He then fell into a rant as to why he would never leave ice.

Ice simply watched him and then drifted to memories of when they were dating

"Ice!" Maverick yelled as Ice walked past his plane.

"What is it Mitchell!?" Ice yelled over the jet engines. Slider stood next to ice as he looked back at Maverick getting out of his jet.

"Come here for a second!" Maverick said. Ice looked at Slider. Slider smiled softly and took Ices bag. "I'll be by your car." Wolfman said as he walked ahead.

Ice smiled softly at Slider and then ran over to Maverick. "Yea?" He said as he got close.

Maverick grabbed his collar and pulled him down into a kiss. The two were hidden by the plane.

Ice smiled into the kiss and didn't break it.

Maverick broke it slightly and smirked. "Thought I'd remind you were dating." Maverick snickered.

Ice smiled slyly and looked at him. "Trust me... I'll never forget."

Ice looked at Maverick and felt immeasurable love.

He hit the jackpot.

Maverick was still ranting. "You understand?" Maverick said seriously. Ice simply nodded and chuckled.

"I understand." Maverick said. Ice nodded as suddenly Maverick had an idea.

"Imma sneak you out of here and are gonna go on a date!" Maverick got his jacket and pulled it on. He helped Ice get ready to go out.

"Date? Where?" Ice said as Maverick helped him into his wheelchair.

"Get ice cream and go by the ocean." He said as he wheeled him out. Ice simply chuckled and nodded.

Maverick acted all slick snd snuck him out. Mav wheeled him to the ice cream shack and had him get some ice cream.

"Can I have chocolate chip and strawberry please?" Maverick paid and waited for the cones to be ready.

Ice simply watched the water from there. He watched tiredly as he himself felt helpless.

He missed it when he could walk with no problem. He felt as if he was a burden to Maverick more than anything.

Maverick came over and handed him his strawberry cone. "Here you go handsome." Maverick said as he pushed him to the watch area.

Ice blushed faintly at that but he wouldn't admit that. Maverick parked his wheelchair at the edge of the concrete.

"Here, watch!" Maverick said as he ran down the hill to the sand on the beach. Ice watched a bit confused.

Maverick started making footprints in the sand. Ice watched now curiously as he licked his ice cream cone.

After about 8 minutes of watching Maverick basically get annoyed by sand and eat his ice cream, he saw the shape he made in the sand.

A heart. A lopsided heart.

Ice chuckled and pulled out his phone and took a picture with a smiling Maverick. He promptly made the picture his profile picture.

Maverick ran back up and smiled at his handiwork. "Pretty good if I say so myself." He said proudly.

Ice chuckled and nodded. "It is glorious. I love it." He said as Maverick stood by his side. Ice looked at the heart and then the water.

He loved the ocean, the waves and the animals he would find. He was  admiring it until Maverick got down to his level by squatting by his wheelchair.

Ice looked at him and sighed at his hopelessly romantic husband.

"I love you to the end of the galaxy and back." Maverick said.

"And I love you even further than that." Ice said in return. Maverick leaned forward and kissed him gently.

Ice kissed him back with a soft smile. He never wanted to leave this moment. The love of his life, on his favorite date, in his favorite place.

Could he stay here forever, he would.

Maverick broke the kiss slightly and then kissed his cheek and took a selfie. Ice chuckled as he looked at him and then the photo.

Maverick looked and smiled softly.

"You know ice.... You know what I see in this picture?" Maverick said

"What?"

"My very strong, handsome, powerful, persistent, and beautiful husband."  Maverick said as he looked at Ice. Ice looked at him and smiled softly.

"Really now?"