Cold Winter Days

Chapter VIII

Maverick had just sat through a berating by Jester about him not being in the sky. And that he's not doing himself any favours by staying as he is and mulling over his fallen comrade.
Jester didn't understand that Goose wasn't just a comrade, he was a friend- no, closer.
He was family to Maverick, he took him under his wing all those years ago, and no, maybe Maverick wasn't able to get over him as fast as they wanted him to, and no, maybe he couldn't go back up in the skies yet, and no, maybe he wasn't doing himself any favours by staying on the ground and only joining in with the lectures and the work, and not the flight lessons.
He hadn't been up there since July.
It was October.

"Hey Mav," Iceman says, opening the door a few minutes after Jester left.
Maverick sits there, closed off and looking oh so down.
"You okay?" Ice asks. "How'd it go?"
Maverick looks at him then back away to his hands as Ice sits next to him.
"Not good?"
Maverick shakes his head.
"Why not?"
"They keep telling me to get over Goose and I just... can't, I'm sorry," Maverick's voice is low as he explains.
"Mav.." Ice says. "I know,"
"You can just tell me to get over him, I know you want to,"
Ice is taken aback. "No, I wasn't gonna say that. Why would I?" He asks. "I know how much he meant to you,"
Maverick frowns at him sceptically. "But it's been three months,"
"Okay," Ice says patiently. "And?"
"...And that's a long time for someone still to be dwelling on what happened and letting it ruin their life,"
Ice says nothing.

"I just want to leave,"
"..Leave?"
"I'm doing no good to anyone just staying here," He states, frowning. "Christ I can't even look at the F-14's,"
Ice slowly lifts his hand up to rest it on Maverick's shoulder.
"I don't know what to do,"
"And that's okay,"
"Is it though? Is it really?" Maverick snaps, flinching away from Ice's hand.
Iceman looks down, uncomfortable but letting Maverick do what he needs.
"God, I'm sorry," He sighs, irritated at his own short temper. "I always manage to hurt you Ice- I'm sorry... I don't mean it,"
"I know Pete," Ice looks back up at him, his eyes concerned. "I know you don't mean it,"
Maverick takes a moment to form a reply, all the annoyed energy gone, replaced with a feeling of deep loneliness. "Ice.."
"..What?" He replies quietly, looking at Maverick's glassy eyes.
He sniffs. "I.. don't know,"
Ice doesn't reply, he just puts his arms around him, knowing it's what he needs.

Jester and Viper were being unfair to him, even Ice knows that. They weren't offering him any kind of help to get back up in the sky, they just expected him to one day be suddenly able to get in a jet and fly as perfectly as he did three months ago. Maverick was scared stiff of going up there, he didn't want to risk it.

And Ice understands that. He wouldn't want to fly again if he lost Slider. But some part inside him wants Pete to fly again. He loved it, it's who he was, it's who Maverick was. Maybe it'll take months, but Ice is willing to stay here helping him do it, even if he takes the smallest steps. They could do step one after Maverick comes back from visiting Carole and Bradley tomorrow night; which is going to see the F-14's. Just Ice and Maverick, with no one else to please.
He'd like that.

~~~

Maverick had been out with Carole the next day, and Ice had said that he'd meet him by the O Club at eight that evening. The O would be quiet, no-one would be out later than nine-ish on a Sunday night drinking. So Maverick would like the quiet after what Ice reckoned would be an emotional day. They'd agreed that morning before Maverick left.

Since no-one was about, Ice could sit on the railing near the front entrance and wait for him there. It was getting a lot colder than it had been over late August and September; and way, way colder than when they'd first met in June.
Ice smiles to himself, thinking of that time. It seemed so long ago, it sort of was.
Goose had said "Tom this is Pete Mitchell," and from the moment he'd caught Maverick's green-grey gaze, Ice was gone.