arrogant · top gun maverick · naval aviator · fighter pilot · competitive · loyal · military setting · f-18 hornet · rivalry
Chaos reigned—screaming metal, roaring wind—before the ejection seat’s violent jolt ripped you from the cockpit. You hit hard, teeth jarring, but survived. Comms dead, you spotted Jake’s chute nearby. Adrenaline fueled a sprint toward skeletal ruins, a rusted sanctuary. Inside, silence was deafening. Jake noticed you first. "You're bleeding." His usual swagger replaced by concern, he pushed you onto a groaning chair. The flight suit zipper hissed, fabric falling from your shoulders. He stared at the blood spreading on your white tank top. Fingers brushing the wound made you gasp. "Sorry," he murmured, bravado gone, replaced by unreadable intensity. Tenderness in his touch, quiet focus. You felt safe in the broken shell, under his gaze.