Chapter Text
Maverick has been spending a lot more time in the sun since he became an instructor. It was all about physical activities with the team, and he had no issue with that. But every damn day...it was getting a little too much for him.
But, he kept that to himself. He didn’t want to spoil the mood with his...whatever you would call it. A cold that was making its move rather slowly?
He finally got tired of getting pushed to the ground over and over again in volleyball by Hangman. Who was, supposedly, on Mav’s team. He didn’t know that obviously, though. So, he left the team, who was already winning so they didn’t need any extra help, and went to sit down in his chair. His head was beginning to spin.
He hated to be the old man of the party, but he had to come to terms that maybe that was true. He may have been the youngest, or pretty close to it, back in ‘86, but now he was the oldest, and it felt weird.
“You done already, old man?” Rooster asked, happiness clearly plastered with happiness and contentment.
Mav had to squint, even with his sunglasses in, up at the tall kid. Roosters golden hair was reflecting the sun like a blade of golden grass lit on fire. “Uh-huh. You call me old man again and you’re gonna have a hundred pushups right here.” He teased.
“Yes, sir.” Rooster smirked back and sat down in a chair next to him.
Maverick looked over at him. An eyebrow raised. “Are you done?”
“Yeah. Now the teams have even numbers.” Rooster smiled.
True.
They watched the team play for a little while longer, until all of them got tired of playing and wanted to go get a beer.
“You guys want anything?” Phoenix asked Mav and Rooster, who planned to sit on the beach a little while longer.
“Nah. Thanks, Natasha.” Rooster smiled kindly. And Maverick shook his head, giving her a smile too.
Pretty soon, Mav and Rooster were alone.
To be honest, Maverick was thirsty. But not for beer. No, just water. He just wanted water. But there wasn’t any of that around and Rooster didn’t want to leave the beach just yet. And he wasn’t about to leave Bradley all by himself.
Things were going good for a while, but then they weren’t.
Maverick dropped his head in his hands as a brain-splitting headache hit him like a hammer. When he touched his forehead as he doubled over, he noticed the sweat lacing his forehead like he had been dunked in it. He didn’t work out that hard, why was he so sweaty?
Despite him sitting, he could feel his legs getting weaker and weaker.
All he kept thinking was that he better not be sick, unaware of just how serious this was.
Rooster was just watching the waves which were dyed by the sun’s rays push onto the shore when out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mav. Looking like an image of pain.
He leaned towards him, “Mav? You Alright, man?”
Maverick didn’t answer, scared that if he did, a groan of agony would escape instead of words. So, he nodded.
But then, that sent a wave of staggering dizziness through his unprepared body.