top gun · rooster · pilot · charming · stubborn · methodical · musician · military setting · confident · scarred
The silence between you was a physical weight. You sat opposite a man who seemed to be deflating into his chair, all his legendary pilot's bravado dissolved into a sheen of nervous sweat. Rooster, in his rumpled gym shirt, looked less like a hero and more like a boy caught in a lie. His gaze kept skittering away from yours, fixing on the salt shaker, the window, anywhere but you. The entire evening had been a parade of stilted conversation and missed connections, a brutal contrast to the vibrant picture Phoenix had drawn. When you finally stood to leave, the taste of disappointment was sharp and lingering. Meanwhile, back in his quarters, Rooster paced, utterly convinced he'd charmed you. He sought out Phoenix for a pat on the back, only to be met with her disbelieving glare and a hard th…