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Charlie was amused, and even a bit shocked, to see Maverick with such a different behavior.
He wasn't the usually cocky, flirty and grinning young man she was so used to seeing.
He wasn't, even, the strong, I-was-inverted pilot she had come to love.
Even Iceman was like he was a completely different person.
He wasn't so blank and stoic, able to give those sharp, humorless grins he usually gave in class.
He was genuinely laughing. And holding Maverick on his lap.
It was such an interesting dynamic, if Charlie was sincere with herself.
Maverick probably trusted her enough to make her witness one of his major vulnerabilities. One of his most vulnerable sides.
Him in little headspace.
She was a bit disappointed, she had to admit, that Mav didn't seem like he recognised her; when Ice asked him if he knew who that lady was, Mav had only shyly shook his head in dissent, face half hidden in the other's shoulder.
But it didn't take long for Mav to warm up to Charlie and the two quickly became friends, even if Maverick was mentally a toddler.
"Mav, why don't you stay with Charlie for a little bit while I make lunch?" Ice's voice was so soft and gentle as he set Maverick on the sofa next to him, a hand gently cupping the other's face as he patiently talked to him.
It was so un-Ice that Charlie's brain immediately snapped the name Ice, with Ice's actual name. Tom.
Because at the moment, Ice wasn't Ice. He was simply Tom, the best friend and caretaker of one Pete Maverick Mitchell.
She looked at how Mav seemed to ponder the question, eyes large and so so green, just looking between the two, almost as thinking if he could trust the woman.
Charlie put on her best encouraging smile, bending slightly down so her elbows were resting on her knees as she smiled at the other.
Maverick nodded hesitantly, but before Ice could step towards the kitchen, his arms wrapped against the taller man's legs, almost as a plea to not leave him alone.
"Mav, love, I'm just gonna make lunch. Aren't you hungry?" Right on cue, his belly growled and the boy nodded, still sitting on the couch with his arms outstretched, but not clinging to the other's legs yet.
"Hey Mav, why don't you show me your drawings?" Charlie had moved off the couch, crawling towards Mav and encouraging him to sit down with her.
The boy climbed off of the couch, still nodding happily.
Reaching over, he popped his pacifier in his mouth, before grabbing a rather huge stash of drawings.
"Wow, these are so good. Did you do them all on your own?" She knew that her voice was obnoxiously high pitched and dramatic, but Maverick was like a toddler at the moment, and toddlers enjoyed that voice.
She was rewarded with a giggling boy, his eyes big and bright, "Nuuuuh" he shrieked out, hands grabbing one of the many sheets of paper, "Dada did dis. And Uncle Sliwer did dis!"
Charlie cooed internally at how cute Maverick sounded, voice all high pitched and excited, missing many sounds, the cutest little lisp forming.
He also looked so cute, almost as if he was physically younger too; his eyes were big and bright, shining with such an innocent light that was warming Charlie's heart. His hair, usually quite neat as the military wanted, was all ruffled from where his head had laid down on the couch pillow.
Charlie had seen him in different outfits, from the military uniform, to his bomber jacket, but he couldn't help but find this version of him the cutest one; his legs were bare, his feet covered by bright blue socks and he was wearing an oversized black sweatshirt, obviously belonging to Ice.
Underneath he was wearing a diaper, which Ice explained that he needed when busy or overwhelmed or asleep.
Charlie hoisted him up and sat him down onto her lap, hand gently carding through the soft dark brown strands. Mav visibly relaxed into the touch, leaning back till her front was pressed against his back and her head was on his.
"Lunch is ready"
Maverick pushed himself off of Charlie's lap, running and stumbling as he made his way to Ice, a happy screech leaving his lips.
Ice laughed, picking him up, "I missed you too, buddy" he then looked at Charlie, "C'mon, lunch is ready" and she couldn't help but smile and follow them.
The afternoon passed without surprises, with Mav more and more close to the woman.
Obviously, not as close as he was with Ice, but Charlie was happy enough with him climbing on her lap and talking to her, babbling and giggling like a little child.
He even let her feed him his naptime bottle, body curled up on her lap, eyes half lidded and one hand gently playing with the curls on Charlie's head, while his other hand was busy clenching and unclenching in delight.
He didn't let her see, or better, Ice didn't, him getting his diaper changed shortly before going to sleep, but of course Charlie couldn't blame him, it was such an intimate thing, and although the two did have sex in the past, it was a completely different kind of intimacy.
"I'd like to babysit him, if you're busy," Ice had smiled gently at the proposal, "Mav would like that too. You're a great friend."
Charlie only smiled brightly, leaning over to hug the younger man, gently nuzzling him with her chin, before the two broke off with quiet chuckles, mindful of the mapping baby between them.
"Is he comfortable?" chuckled the girl, pointly looking at the snoozing baby; in true Maverick fashion, he could sleep even if a F14 was taking off next to his ear.
Ice laughed, shifting Mav in a more comfortable position, "Yeah, or else he would wake up."
Her eyes were soft as they passed over the curled up form of Mav's sleeping body, head tucked securely in the crook of Ice's neck, arms loosely wrapped around his shoulders and legs on either side of his hips.
He was suckling on his paci and looked completely dead to the world.
Ice gently kissed his forehead, arms securely wrapped around his smaller body and the two shared a knowing smile.
They were both gonna protect Maverick, no matter what.