Top Gun - Finding Out Our Feelings

5. Great Balls of Fire

I laid down, he laid down beside me. I turned over on my side, he got his wallet and got the picture of him and his dad out, "I don't even know what happened to him." I cupped his cheek and rubbed my thumb across it. "I'm sure someone knows, baby." I said. "Yeah, someone knows everything. Goose wants us to meet him and Carole later tonight." I laid my head on his chest, I nodded and kissed his chest. He wrapped his arm around me. "I love you." He said. "I love you, too." I looked up at him and smiled. "You know something baby, the fact that I get to do this Navy thing with you now as my girlfriend makes it all worthwhile." He smiled. "Does it now?" I asked. "Yes." He pulled me on top of him and cupped my face, rubbing his thumbs underneath my eyes, he kissed me. I kissed him back. "It is pretty fun to be able to say, 'I get to be with my boyfriend in the Navy'" I giggled. "Is that a fact?" He chuckled. "Yes, it is indeed a fact." I slid my fingers through his hair. "My girl is pretty awesome. Gorgeous, too." He winked. "My man's pretty awesome, too. And handsome." I leaned down and kissed him. He kissed me back. "I'm happy I get to go through this with you, sweetheart." He told me. "I am too, baby." I smiled. He sat up slightly and wrapped his arms around me. "They're probably waiting on us by now." He chuckled. "Yeah, you're probably right." I sighed and chuckled, "Let's go." I grabbed his hand. "Yes ma'am." He squeezed my hand, we got on his bike and went to the place where Goose, Carole, and Bradley were.

We were all sitting in a booth, Goose decided to get up and go to the piano, he picked up Bradley and set him on top. "Uh-oh. Here he goes." I laughed. Mav was between Carole and I, he had his arms wrapped around each of our shoulders. "Maverick, would you go fetch him. Doesn't he ever embarrass you?" She asked. "Goose, no way." He laughed. "You know he told me about a time, where you told him how much you loved her." She pointed to me. "You told him that?" I asked. "I did, but at the time I wasn't sure how you felt. So I never did anything. But that's changed, I now have you." He pulled me close and kissed my head. "Forever, Mitchell." I winked. "Forever's a long time baby." He said. "Yeah, it is. I'd rather spend it with you, baby." I said. "Me too, sweetheart." Mav said. I kissed his cheek. "You two have fun. I'm gonna go embarrass myself with Goose for a while." He smiled and went to the piano. "He's the sweetest. And I'm so happy for you guys. You two honestly belong together. He's so in love with you." Carole said to me as she put her arm around me. "I'm in love with him, too, Carole. I always have been, I'm glad I finally told him. He's the best." I said, smiling. She hugged me, I hugged her back. "What do you say? You wanna go embarrass ourselves with our boys?" Carole asked me. "You know I do." I laughed. "Hey, Goose, you big stud." She started. "That's me, honey." He said. "Take me to bed or lose me forever." Carole shouted at him. "Show me the way home, honey." Goose said. We both got up and walked to them. They were singing 'Great Balls of Fire' we joined in with them. I wrapped my arm around Mav's waist as he wrapped his around my shoulder. Carole sat in Goose's lap. "Goodness gracious great balls of fire!" We all sang out and laughed.

We left. We were on his bike, I had my arms around his waist, watching the marina pass by. He leaned back against me and touched my leg, he sped up. We laughed. He soon stopped, we were by the marina, he turned around to face me. I was kinda cold, he noticed. He took his jacket off, and wrapped it around me, I put my arms through the sleeves and smiled. "Thank you." He nodded, "You forgot your jacket, just so you could wear mine." He chuckled. "You caught me. But what can I say? Yours is more comfortable and it smells like you." I shrugged. "Uh-huh." He ran his fingers through my hair and kissed me. I wrapped mine around his waist and kissed him back. "I love you." I said. "I love you, too." He said. "Come on." He whispered. I nodded, he turned back around and we headed back. We arrived at my place, he held out his hand to help me get off, I put my hand in his, he interlocked his fingers through mine and pulled me to him. "Our training is almost over, baby. And I have to be up there with Iceman tomorrow." He rolled his eyes, I cupped his cheek with my free hand. "You got this, baby. I know you do. Just be careful, okay?" I said. "I will be, I promise." He leaned up and kissed me. I kissed him back and walked to my front door. I went inside and crashed.

I arrived at the school. I walked in and saw Maverick already in his flight suit, I ran up behind him and wrapped my arms around him. He chuckled, "There you are." "Good luck today, baby." I kissed his cheek. He turned to me, "I need all the good luck you can give me, baby." "Mav, I know you. You got this, I believe in you." I smiled. He kissed me quickly before Goose came and got him. "I'll see you when I get back, alright?" He said, I nodded. "Midnight, just the person I wanted to see." Viper said. "Sir?" I asked. "Someone told me you two were dating. I think you can guess who." Viper said. "Yes, sir. I think I can." I said. "I'm gonna tell you something as I'm sure everyone else has probably told you. It's about time." He laughed. "Yes, sir." I laughed. "You're one of the best. Continue to do so." He smiled. "Thank you, sir." I smiled and nodded. He nodded and walked off. "What was all that about?" My RIO came up behind me. "He knows about me and Maverick. And he said 'About time' just like everyone else." I chuckled. "I mean, it's true. It took you guys long enough." He chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I know." I shrugged. "Let's go hang out while your man's in the sky." He said. "Okay, come on. It's been a while, hasn't it?" I said. "It has. Let's go." He said. We went to my room. "So, how's it been with you?" He asked me. "Look, I can't believe graduation is in two weeks." He said. "It's been good. If I'm being honest, amazing. Being with Maverick is everything I've hoped for. We got to see Carole and Bradley, that's always fun. And I know, it flew by." I laughed. "How about you?" I asked. "Pretty good, actually. My parents came for a visit, but had to leave suddenly, otherwise they would've loved to see you again." He told me. "Aw, I'm sorry. I would've loved that, too!" I said. "No worries. They'll be at graduation, so you can see them then." "I can't wait. Your parents are awesome." I said.

Meanwhile, in the sky with Mav and Ice. "You up for this one, Maverick?" He asked. "Just a walk in the park, Kazansky." Mav said. "Contact, multiple bogeys. Two miles." "Looks like they're going away from us." "I see them. Right, two o'clock. I'm in." Maverick said. "I'm in." Iceman said. "He cut me off." Mav said. "Come on, Ice. Take the shot." Slider said. "Get out of there." Goose said. "I can't get the angle. I'm too close, switching to guns." "Fire or clear! I can take the shot right here." Maverick said. "10 more seconds then I've got him." Iceman said. "I'm moving in. I've got the shot." Mav said. "Come on, Mav. Get in there." Goose told him. "He's getting impatient, Ice. Take the shot." Slider told him. "Get out of there." Goose said. "Come off my right, I'm in." Maverick told him. "Five more seconds." Ice said. "I'm in." Mav said. "I'm off." "We're in his jet wash. This is not good. We've got a flame-out. Engine one is out, engine two is out." Goose said. "I'm losing control. I can't control it!" Mav said. "It's coupling up. This is not good!" Goose said. "Mayday, mayday. Mav's in trouble. He's in a flat spin heading out to sea." Ice said. "Altitude 8,000, 7,000. We're at 6, Mav!" Goose told him. "I can't reach the ejection handle! Goose, you're gonna have to punch us out. I can't reach the ejection handle." Mav told him. "I'm trying." Goose said. "Eject, eject! Watch the canopy!" Mav said.

Mustang and I were still talking until we heard commotion outside. I opened the door and saw Hollywood run past my door, I stopped him. "What's going on?" I asked. "Mav and Goose flew into Ice's jet wash and had to eject." He said. "What?! Are they okay?" I asked. "Maverick's okay. Goose, we don't know..." He told me. My eyes were tearing up. "Come on." He pulled my arm. In the ocean with Mav. "Goose... Oh no! Oh no." He grabbed him and cried silently. The rescue helicopter came and got them. "Sir, let go of him. You've gotta let him go, sir." They made it back. Viper saw me and walked over to me. "It's not good. Maverick's okay, but Goose didn't make it." "I heard." I whispered. "He's gonna need you more than ever now." He said to me. I nodded, trying my best not to cry. "I'm gonna go check on him. You make sure you do the same." He said. "I will." I said and walked back in the building. I leaned my back against the wall and slid down. Mustang sat beside me, "He's gonna be okay. He's got you." He said quietly. I nodded. "I just wanna see him." I whispered. Mav was in the bathroom, Viper came in. "How you doing?" Viper asked him. "I'm alright." Mav said. "Goose is dead." Viper told him. "I know." Mav said. "You fly jets long enough, something like this happens." "He was my RIO, my responsibility." "In my squadron in Vietnam, we lost 8 of 18 aircraft. 10 men. First one dies, you die, too. But there will be others. You can count on it. You've gotta let him go. You've gotta let him go." Viper told Mav as he patted his shoulder and walked out.