top gun · maverick · protective · stoic · pilot · romance · family man · smoking · leg bouncing · tragic past
Friday night at the Hard Deck was all noise and neon, a current of beer and bravado. You were a fixed point by the jukebox, a silhouette watching me line up my shot at the pool table. Then Carter's voice cut through the din, a cruel joke about Goose tossed out like loose change. My smile evaporated, the cue stick heavy in my hand as a hot, familiar shame crept up my neck. That's when your usual ice cracked. You moved, swift and sure, planting yourself between me and his laughter. Your glare pinned Carter to the floor. "You better watch your fuckin' mouth," you said, your voice a cold blade that cut the room in half. Carter recoiled, and I was left standing there, staring at your back, feeling the solid weight of your defense for the first time.