two rival aviators make it their mission to set up their top gun instructor and his old flame in hopes of them falling in love again. they didn't exactly plan to fall in love either.
set it up au x top gun maverick
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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐊. The mission was tomorrow, causing the team to soak in the time they had left. Harper's gaze flickered to Hangman, dressed in his white uniform and hat. She donned the same outfit.
They crowded around the pool table, the same routine, but with a underlying sense that nothing would be the same. Harper found herself looking at Hangman more than ever, at his cocky smiles. Would he be chosen? She wondered. She couldn't think of the worst, but no matter how hard she tried, her mind wandered.
"Losing team has to buy the first and only round we'll be having." Fanboy exclaimed as they gathered around the pool table, earning laughter from everyone. Futile efforts were turned to the pool game with Harper, Payback, and Rooster winning. Whoops were heard from the winning team as the losers, Hangman, Fanboy, and Phoenix made their way over to the bar.
The squad wandered out to the dance floor, Third Eye Blind playing from the jukebox faintly. A few bust out some moves, Fanboy enthusiastically dancing. Harper stood there awkwardly, she'd never been the best at dancing. Her gaze wandered to Hangman. Of course hes good at dancing.
"How are you so good at that?" Harper laughed. Hangman danced like nobody was watching.
"Just stop thinking, nobody cares. Just do it, look at all these assholes." Hangman continued to dance, swaying his arms and hips. Harper muffled her laughter with her hand. The others in the Dagger squad danced, Fanboy and Payback doing some elaborate dance together that involved a lot of twirling and a lift.
"Says you." Harper shouted over the increasingly loud music. She gave her best shot at dancing, but judging by the horrified look on Hangman's face, it wasn't successful. The song began to fade out.
"Now you just look like one of those blow up airman outside the car wash." Hangman chuckled. Harper was about to fire back a comment, but the song died down. A slow song started playing, "Romeo and Juliet" by the Dire Straits. Not many people knew it, it was one Harper would blast down a calm drive to the beach.
People shuffled to their partners, a cozy vibe taking over the dance floor under the glistening lights of the Hard Deck. Harper glanced around, seeing Phoenix, partnered with Bob, shoot her a look.
Hangman held out his hand, earning a look from Harper. "Don't be weird."
She took his hand. Hangman pulled her closer, placing a hand on her waist and the other holding hers. Harper placed her hand on his shoulder, the other holding his. They met each other's eyes briefly then looked away. They swayed to the music. It was... nice.
"I wonder what Mav and Penny's 'and yet' is." Harper mumbled absentmindly.
"What?" Hangman turned his gaze back to her.
"Its like the love despite thing. When there are all these reasons why it shouldn't work out, but they don't care." Harper smiled softly, looking into his eyes.
"I think they already had their 'and yet.'" Hangman smiled at Harper's eyes widening with excitement. "Amelia caught Mav sneaking out of Penny's window."
"Wait seriously? We did it?" A bright smile crossed her face. At Hangman's nod, she exclaimed. "We did it!"
"Shh." Hangman hushed her but he was smiling as she bounced with excitement.
"I must say this experience was an eye-opener. You know, you're kind of a douche and yet you're tolerable." Harper teased, earning a mock offended look from Hangman.
"You talk way too fast and you are way too nice to everyone, except me apparently." At his words, Harper smirked proudly. "And yet...you are a terrible dancer."
"That's not how it works!" Harper exclaimed, but Hangman was already twirling her and wrapping his arms around her. Her back was pressed against his chest. The crowd around her seemed to fade away.
For a moment, it was just them. And then Hangman twirled her away. She laughed, spinning out of his arms with his hand still in hers.
Her eyes caught on Maverick dressed in the same uniform as them, leaning against the bar and whispering to Penny. Maverick looked somber, Penny had a dawning sense of worry on her face. Oh no. Maverick was going on this life or death mission. And she had just set them up for a lot of grief if he failed.
"Sunny?" She could hear Hangman's voice, confused at her frozen state. His voice seemed distant, her thoughts wrapped around the couple. He followed her gaze to Maverick and Penny.
"Harper?" Hangman's voice was soft. She watched Maverick and Penny make their way through the crowd, watched the Hard Deck doors close behind them as they headed to the beach.
"Maverick's going on this mission?" Harper's voice was faint when it rang out. She stared at the doors that they had left through.
"Yeah, Cyclone put him as team leader instead of firing him." Hangman said, as if it was nothing new. Harper turned to him, eyes widened.
"We set them up. If Maverick dies, we set Penny up for grief." A look of worry flickers across Hangman's face at Harper's tone.
Harper knew her fear was irrational. She knew it had gone beyond Penny and Maverick now. If Harper lost Hangman on the mission, she realized she wouldn't know what to do. But she hates Hangman, ever since high school. All there'd ever been was competition between the two.
Hangman was her rival, and yet he had turned into something more.
"You don't know that. Maverick can survive, he's the only one who successfully flew this mission." Hangman stared at her, her hand still in his.
"But-" She's was cut off by Fanboy wrapping an arm around her and dragging her towards the pool table. Her hand slipped from Hangman. Coyote pulled Hangman away to a game of darts, missing the look of confusion on his face.
In the energy filled room of the Hard Deck, there was a tension among the team. A realization that not everyone could come home. Harper soaked in the time she had with them, in case it was their last. She laughed and chatted with Bob. Phoenix and Rooster played pool. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Hangman playing darts with Coyote, Fanboy, and Payback.
When the Dagger squad gathered around the pool table for one last game for the night, Harper wanted to freeze the memory. She scanned everyone's faces, grateful for the people she's gotten to know as friends.
Nobody mentioned the mission, despite the uniforms they wore that clearly reminded them. Harper had always been an optimist, but she couldn't help but see how the mission could possibly fail, leaving the Dagger squad without one of them or more.
Harper locked eyes with Jake across the pool table. They didn't speak but they didn't need to. They both knew there was something unsaid.
