Top Gun - Finding Out Our Feelings

8. The Talk With Viper

We arrived at Viper's. We got off his bike, he grabbed my hand and exhaled deeply. I intertwined my fingers through his, I squeezed his hand. "It's gonna be okay." I whispered and kissed his cheek. He gave me a small smile and nodded. We walked up to the door and Mav rang the doorbell. Viper's wife answered. "Hi, Maverick, Midnight, come on in. Viper told me about you guys and let me just say, I love it. I always knew you two would end up together. How are you? Sure you're feeling okay?" She asked. I smiled at her. "I'm great." Mav said. "Can I get either of you a drink?" She asked. "No, thanks." I said. "Make yourself comfortable. Mike will be right down." She said. Maverick walked in the living room, still holding my hand, he looked at the pictures on the wall. I looked over at them. "I flew with your old man. VF-51, the Oriskany." Viper said. We turned and looked at him. "You're a lot like he was. Only better... And worse. He was a hero." He continued. "So, he did do it right." Mav said. "Yeah, he did it right." He started walking out the door. He nodded to both of us, "You need to hear it, too." He pointed to me. I smiled softly and nodded. "Is that why you fly the way you do? Trying to prove something? Yeah, your old man did it right. What I'm about to tell you is classified, it could end my career. We were in the worst dogfight I ever dreamed of. Bogeys like fireflies all over the sky. His F-4 was hit, he was wounded, but he stayed. Saved three planes before he bought it." Viper told him.

"How come I never heard that before?" Maverick asked him. "The battle occurred over the wrong line on some map." Viper said. "So, you were there?" I asked him. He nodded, "I was there." "What's on your mind?" He asked Mav. "My options, sir." He said. "Simple. You've acquired enough points to show up tomorrow and graduate with your Top Gun class and I know someone who would love for you to graduate with her." He looked over at me. I chuckled quietly. Mav pulled me close to him. "Or you can quit. There'll be no disgrace. That spin would've shook me up." Viper continued. "So you think I should quit?" Mav asked him. "I didn't say that. The truth is, you feel responsible for Goose and you have a confidence problem. A good pilot is compelled to evaluate what's happened and apply what he's learned. Up there, we've got to push it. That's our job. It's your option, Lieutenant. All yours." Viper said. Mav nodded, "Sorry to bother you on a Sunday, sir, but thank you very much for your time." They shook hands. "No problem. Good luck."

We walked back to where his bike was and left. We stopped at the runway with the sunset in the background and watched the jets come into land. He turned around and looked at me. "I need your help, baby. Your decision is the most important to me." He said as he wrapped his arms around me. "Well, Viper's right, I would love for you to graduate with me, but I also understand how hard that could be for you." I said as I laid my head on his shoulder. He kissed my head. "Thank you for understanding. You're the only person that does." He said. I wrapped my arms around his waist. "No problem, baby." He lifted my head up and brought me forward for a kiss. I kissed him back. "Come on, let's go back to your place." He said. "Sounds good, Mav." I said as I laid my cheek on his back. He drove off. Inside my place, we both fell on the bed and sleep soon found us. We got up the next day, "I'll see you at graduation, alright?" He told me as he kissed my lips quickly. I nodded. He left. I got ready and headed out. I was seated beside Mustang, I overheard Sundown and Chipper talking, "Where's Maverick?" Chipper asked. "I don't know where he is." Sundown said. "You know what he's planning to do?" "I don't know. It's got to be hard on the guy though." My RIO nudged my arm, "You're in your own little world, everything okay?" He asked. "Yeah, I'm just wondering where he is." I said. "He'll be here." He said. I nodded.

Iceman and Slider won the Top Gun trophy. I looked behind me and saw Maverick. "I'll be back." I said to my RIO. He nodded and smiled. "I was wondering if you'd show up." I smiled. "Better late than never, right? I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier." He said. "Mav, you have no reason to be sorry. You're here now, that's all that matters to me." I said. He smiled softly and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. We walked to where everyone else was. He congratulated Ice and Slider. They thanked him. Viper smiled. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to him. He cupped my face and ran his fingers through my hair, "I'm so proud of you, baby." He whispered to me. He kissed me. I smiled at him. "And I'm so proud of you, baby. I'm glad you decided to come. Graduation wouldn't have been the same without you." I whispered. I leaned up and kissed him. He smiled. "I hate to break up the party before it really gets out of hand, but some of you have to depart immediately. We have a crisis situation." Viper said. "Ice, Slider, Hollywood, Wolfman. Maverick." Jester called the names. "Sir." Maverick went forward. "Maverick, you'll get your RIO when you get back to the ship. If you don't, give me a call. I'll fly with you." Viper told him. "Sir." Mav gave a small smile.

"Midnight." Viper called me. Mav and I turned around. "Sir?" I asked. "I want you to go with him. Keep him straight." Viper chuckled. I chuckled, "Hard thing to do sometimes, but I will." "Hey, I heard that." Mav chuckled. I smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'll be right back, okay?" He said. I nodded. He went over to Viper, "Sir, I need to ask something of you." Mav said. Meanwhile, Mustang's parents came and congratulated me. We talked for a few minutes until they had to leave. "What is it?" Viper asked. Mav pulled something from his pocket, a small box it looked like. "Will you please hold onto this for me?" Mav asked him. Viper opened it and looked, "So, you're gonna propose to her?" He smiled and closed it back and put it in his pocket, "I'll hold it for you." Mav chuckled softly, "Yes, I love her with all my heart, and I don't wanna spend another day without her." He said tearing up. "I think that's amazing. Congratulations, Mav." Viper said. "Thank you, sir." Mav said. "Enough with that, you two call me Viper from now on." Viper laughed. Mav smiled and nodded. He made his way back to me. He grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it. I smiled, "You seem happier. What happened over there with you two?" I chuckled. "I am happy. I got the best girl. We're graduated, and I can't tell you that. It's a surprise." He winked and kissed me. "Oh, and he said for us to call him Viper from now on." He told me. "A surprise, huh? Well, now I wanna know even more, baby. And alright." I kissed him. "Well, baby, you're just gonna have to wait." He chuckled and pulled me close. "Fine, baby." I pouted and chuckled. He kissed me harder, I kissed him back.

Ice and Slider came over, "I told you!" Ice said as he hit Slider's shoulder. We looked at them. "Told him what exactly?" I laughed. "That you two were together, he didn't believe me." Ice laughed. "Well, it's true." Mav said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. "Me and Wolfman knew all along." Hollywood said coming over. I laughed and shook my head at all of them. "Alright. You all have to go. Come on." I grabbed Mav's hand. We left.