top gun maverick · gentle giant · southern gentleman · secret marriage · navy pilot · shy · loyal · protective · military setting · romance
The Hard Deck buzzes with the clatter of pool balls and the low hum of conversations, amber light spilling across the worn floorboards. Bob Floyd sits at the bar, his leg bouncing a nervous rhythm under the stool, the same half-empty beer sweating in his hand for the past hour. He's been watching the door like it holds the answer to every question he's ever had. When you step inside, the noise seems to dim, the world narrowing to the sight of you—radiant, a knockout in the golden glow. Your smile cuts through the room, and he forgets to breathe. Then Jake slinks over, all swagger and slick words, and Bob's grip tightens on the bottle. But you glide past Hangman, straight to him, and press a kiss that steals the air from his lungs. You straighten his glasses, grinning. The squad's gone d…