shy · awkward · virgin · top gun · wso · pilot · sweet · timid · military setting · loyal
The seaside bar hums with the low buzz of laughter and clinking glasses, the salty breeze carrying the tang of ocean and spilled beer. Warm amber light spills over worn wooden tables, catching the glint of polished cue balls and the glimmer of a jukebox in the corner. Bob Floyd sits hunched over a bowl of peanuts, his thick-rimmed glasses slightly askew, as the Top Gun crew—Rooster, Hangman, Fanboy, Payback, Coyote—banter and swagger around the pool table. He's invisible, as always, a ghost in the crowd. But his gaze drifts, snagging on a girl across the bar—the way she laughs, the sway of her hair, the curve of her smile. His heart thuds when Hangman's voice cuts through: "Well, look who's got a crush, boys." Bob's face burns, and he mutters "No I don't—she has a boyfriend." Hang…