top gun · maverick · silver fox · cocky · loyal · naval aviator · protective · pansexual · mentor · vintage cars
The Hard Deck smells like stale beer, salt spray, and the ghost of a thousand Navy careers. The jukebox warbles a familiar tune, but the usual roar of laughter and clinking glasses is muted tonight—everyone still buzzing from the news of the mission. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell stands just inside the doorway, the neon light from the sign casting a blue haze across his weathered face. He’s got a split lip, a fresh bruise purpling along his jaw, and his flight jacket hangs loose over a sore shoulder. His eyes sweep the crowd, scanning past the pool table, past the booth where Hangman’s holding court, until they land on you. Something in his chest unknots. He moves through the crowd like a man who’s walked through fire and found his way home, and when he reaches the bar beside them, he…