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Rooster's P.O.V
Rooster was not someone who had actively ever sought out love from a partner. He'd sought pleasure before, but he was never someone who was able to put the work into a relationship to make it work. His job didn't allow it, his own mind didn't allow it, and his heart certainly didn't allow it. He'd always thought his heart belonged to one person and one person alone, and would remain that way until the day he died, whether he wanted it to or not.
But Pete Maverick Mitchell always found new ways to tip Bradley's world on its axis.
Just when he and Maverick had started to figure themselves out, the 22-year-old time fugitive had managed to fall from the sky in an entirely busted F-14 Tomcat directly into their metaphorical laps, with his dark hair sticking up in all directions asking where he was.
It was one thing to be faced with a Maverick who didn't even acknowledge his feelings, but to be faced with one who had no idea who Bradley was and was smitten with him from the moment he landed? Following him or Maverick around like a shadow, the casual flirting-- all of it began to build upon one another until Bradley found himself realizing that no matter the timeframe, he loved Pete Maverick Mitchell regardless. Something that is a bit trickier to handle when two exist.
Which is why when Pete had kissed him so abruptly that fateful afternoon in September he had never imagined it would turn from something so complicated to something that felt as easy as breathing.
It had started a little rocky, with Maverick having walked in on the scene just to rush out of it with Rooster quickly following, dragging him back. It had taken some convincing, but when it came to reasoning with Maverick, nobody could do it better than Pete. Something that Rooster was counting his lucky stars over considering he would've had a hell of a time convincing the older pilot to consider his feelings otherwise.
He looked up from the griddle towards the table of their little dining room in the Airstream as Pete slumped into the seat next to Maverick who was nursing a cup of coffee with a much more awake expression on his face.
While they both were technically the same person, just from different times, they couldn't be any more different when it came to their habits and personalities. They were of course both still Pete Mitchell, daredevil son of Duke Mitchell, and royal pain in the ass, but they were set apart in their own unique ways that only time could create.
Maverick was a practiced veteran of waking up before the sun while Pete preferred waking up after 10 AM. Maverick was a bit more lax in his personality whereas Pete was a bundle of energy, constantly wanting to go out and do things in a way that put even Rooster's youth to shame. Even the clothes they wore kept them starkly contrasted-- with Maverick sporting a white tee and jeans nearly every other day, and Pete sticking to more eccentric choices. Rooster still couldn't get over the younger's adoration of cowboy boots.
He'd always been the oldest in his class at Top Gun thanks to Maverick, but being around Pete was an entirely new experience. With nearly a ten-year age gap between them, it was Rooster's turn to feel like the old man whenever Pete was around, with his limitless energy and ability to eat nearly anything without consequence.
It had taken some time to figure out how they all could co-exist together, but Pete fit perfectly into their dynamic, providing a bridge between him and Maverick that he hadn't realized they'd so badly needed.
"Morning," Rooster said with a wry smile, placing breakfast plates down before the men in front of him before turning to dish himself a plate fresh off the griddle.
Pete grunted in response, mumbling a "thank you," as he took the fork Maverick passed to him.
"Now that our ball of sunshine is finally present, what's the plan for today Captain?" Rooster asked roughly, voice still scratchy from his own reluctance to wake up in the mornings as he slid into the spot on Pete's other side, one arm around the younger man.
Maverick glanced up from where he was happily munching down on a strip of bacon, not entirely unlike a small rodent, swallowing before saying "Well, I was thinking we could cover some ground this afternoon, maybe stop for dinner in Weimar and then catch a drive-in movie if you two are feeling up to it. I know I always enjoyed those when I was younger," Maverick glanced towards Pete who had perked up the very second it was mentioned.
"Sounds good to me," Rooster said with a small smile as the thinly-masked excitement passed between his two Mitchells.
The differences were still as clear as ever, but every now and again he was reminded in these small instances that his heart still belonged to only one other-- despite the fact there were now two of them.
If someone had told Bradley when he was younger, just out of the academy-- still with a betrayed burning hatred for Maverick-- that he would one day be dating two of them he would've laughed in their face. But now he couldn't think of anything more perfect than being in a cramped Airstream, travelling across the country with his partners beside him, making plans for the day like they were a genuine family.
He had never thought this would be possible, and it shouldn't be, but whatever miracle had happened for it to work out this way Rooster was grateful for it.
He'd spent most of his life forcing himself to be content with the idea of always being alone and always keeping the people he cared about at arm's length. Never stayed with anyone for more than a night or two. Never let his mind trick him into starting a relationship he knew he wouldn't be able to maintain. He didn't keep in contact with distant relatives. Didn't make friends, or at least not ones he stayed in consistent contact with, no matter how much Phoenix tried.
But now?
Rooster gently brushed a thumb over Maverick's thigh as he kept his eyes on the road, other hand on the steering wheel of the Bronco as the sun began to set on the horizon in the rearview mirror, reflecting off the Airstream being pulled behind them.
He felt like his life was just starting to begin, Pete's chin on the back of his seat despite him telling the younger that it was dangerous to do that, to which the man had simply stated Rooster wasn't driving fast enough for it to matter (although he changed his tone when Bradley threatened to turn the whole rig around back the way they'd come).
God help him he had two devils to keep track of now, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
Roadtrips weren't something they'd gotten to do often in the time since Pete had crash landed in their backyard, but they'd been invited to fly at the Halloween Air show in Houston Texas and had decided instead of catching a commercial flight for once (something they couldn't really do anyway with Pete's current legal status) they would drive (and not be forced to leave Pete at home and risk the consequences).
The only problem with going on road trips with two Mavericks was the fact that both of them were easily bored and hyperactive as fuck. And when Mavericks were bored they became more insufferable than usual. Pete more so than Maverick himself, who could be convinced into napping, but Pete was challenging Rooster to every road game known to man and then some.
He couldn't ever remember a time when his 'Uncle Mav' had been as rambunctious as Pete was, but given the fact this Pete had never really experienced what it was like to lose Goose, he could understand slightly better where the other man was coming from.
It was somewhat strange to think about the fact he'd never truly known Maverick before then. How happy the man was before the stress of losing his best friend to the consequences of actions he felt accountable for. But this Pete was untouched by that hardship.
"What are you doing?" Rooster sighed as he felt Pete's chin once again occupy the spot just above his shoulder, arms gently wrapped around the driver's side seat of the Bronco.
"Just drive careful," Pete said simply, weakening Rooster's resolve with how his breath would ghost gently over his neck.
"For the record, I don't condone this," Rooster huffed but allowed, gently bumping his head against Pete's as the other let out a low chuckle at Rooster's retaliation.
When Pete fell asleep there not long after, Rooster continued to let him stay against Rooster’s better judgement.
Sometimes it felt strange to be looking at a man whose face felt like it was directly from a memory or an old photograph, but being confronted with this young version of Pete again felt like a second chance. The opportunity to get to know a man he could've known if he'd forgiven Maverick sooner.
He glanced towards the man napping against the window in the passenger seat, eyes closed but not quite peaceful.
He'd held Maverick through the night enough times by now to know that whenever the man fell asleep it was almost always far from a restful experience. There were many times he'd had to reassure him he was safe after waking up from night terrors.
The years he'd missed. The life events. Traumatic memories. Ups and downs that he could only hear about now whenever Maverick let him in on those hidden facets of Maverick’s life. Rooster regretted not being there now, especially after Maverick had explained exactly why he'd pulled those papers all those years ago. It seemed benign now, having wasted so many years apart when they could've had this instead.
Maverick had been through far too much-- much more than Rooster had ever thought-- although it was the last mission they'd flown together that seemed to be the one that recurred in the night terrors the most. He would often catch his own name on the man's lips before Maverick woke up. Always clinging to him afterwards as though letting go would cause Rooster to disappear.
Thankfully Maverick seemed to sleep better in these short bursts when they were on the road with the three of them, although he kept his hand on the older pilot’s thigh still, hoping that there was a chance the man could feel his presence there, willing any nightmares off.
He turned into the drive-in just a few minutes after sunset, with the lot already beginning to fill up with cars from the surrounding towns and rural areas.
They weren't given the greatest spot with the Airstream still being towed behind them, but none of them minded it as they put the seats in the Bronco down so they could lounge on the backseat bench with the top off, Pete stretched out across both of them, head in Maverick's lap while Mav's head came to rest on Rooster's shoulder. He wasn't even sure what movie they were watching, but he didn't much care either way.
Rooster leaned his head back to look up at the clear night sky, picking out the constellations Ice had taught him when he was younger. He remembers trying to teach them to Maverick when he'd been more ambitious, but the other man had never truly caught on to what Rooster had been 'teaching' as a child, instead simply nodding along as though he had understood.
"You okay?" Maverick murmured against his neck, pressing a gentle kiss just beneath his ear as Bradley pulled his gaze away from the sky to look down at Maverick, the stars reflected in the deep blue of his eyes.
"More than okay," Bradley said with a small smile, leaning down the little ways between them to press a chaste kiss to the man's lips.
"Cheesy," Maverick scoffed, still smiling at him all the same with that billion-dollar smile that always made Bradley's heart soar.
"You love it," He grinned, pressing another kiss against the man's lips, not surprised to feel Maverick smiling into the kiss, making Bradley feel entirely intoxicated with affection for the two men sitting in the backseat of his car.
One of which had completely fallen asleep yet again.
Bradley chuckled as he put an arm around Maverick, looking down at Pete who was entirely knocked out, Maverick's hand gently running through Pete’s hair from where it rested in his lap.
"How did we get this lucky?" Bradley murmurs into Maverick's hair, pressing a kiss there for good measure.
Rather, how did he get this lucky to not have just one Pete Mitchell, but two of them?
Maverick didn't answer him, just put his head back on Rooster's shoulder as Rooster leaned back once more to look up at the night sky, eyes catching on a bright shooting star dashing across the inky black canvas.
When it came to thinking up a wish though, all he could think about was how he wished nothing would ever change with the three of them. Nothing could get better than this, he was sure of it.
"I love you, Mav," Bradley murmured quietly, tucking Maverick a little closer to him.
"I love you too," Maverick said, a little breathy, his motions faltering slightly in Pete's hair as the younger man stirred, still half asleep.
"Love you two." Pete muttered sleepily, leaning back up into the hand in his hair as his eyes continued to remain closed, making Bradley smile like a lovesick fool at the amount of adoration he felt for the two people next to him.
This was where he was meant to be and this was where he wanted to stay for the rest of his life.
Maverick's P.O.V
Pete was practically buzzing with energy between them as they each got their admittance wristband.
They'd seen signs for the Harvest Festival as they'd been driving along the highway on their way to the air show and immediately Pete had begged them to stop so they could see the festival for themselves. Truth be told he was a bit intrigued as well.
He didn't often go to festivals. The last one he'd been to strictly for the fun of it and not for plane-related reasons had likely been when Goose was still alive, which was a means to say it'd been a long damn time.
All of them had been surprised to find it was a rather big event, with carnival games scattered all over, several go-kart tracks weaving around various attractions, food stands in every direction-- even a Ferris Wheel-- alongside all the stereotypical harvest festival events like petting zoos, corn mazes, and haunted house attractions.
Pete in particular was eyeing the corn pit, which Maverick refused to allow him to go towards, firmly holding his hand despite the younger's insistent pulling that direction as though he were a child, laughing the whole time as Maverick tried to pull him back.
"You do not have enough spare clothes for that," Maverick argued with a grin, already knowing the kid would ruin his current clothes beyond disbelief in a giant corn-filled pit.
"Yeah, besides, go-karts are way cooler than corn. Bet I could beat both of you in a race." Bradley said with a grin, meeting Maverick's eyes with a look that Maverick recognised as Bradley acknowledging he'd already lost but still wanted to do it anyway.
Pete perked up at the idea of a competition, a sly smile sliding onto his face, "Oh yeah? Let's add some stakes to it then. Winner gets to ask a favor of their choice."
"Within reason." Maverick tacked on with a glance towards the two of them, knowing how outlandish a favor could get between them. And god forbid they ask anything of him-- not that he planned to lose.
He'd been racing go-karts and actual race cars for more years than he had fingers and he had no intention to lose to his inexperienced younger self and the boy he'd let sit at the front of his motorcycle.
Maverick missed doing fun things just because he could.
By the time he actually got in the seat of the little go-kart he was thrumming with the adrenaline that always accompanied him whenever something became competitive. He had the desire to win and the talent to do it; he only hoped this tiny cart could keep up with the pace he wanted to set.
But in the end neither Bradley nor Pete had stood a chance with the way he took the corners of the little go-kart track.
"Best two out of three," Pete argued as Bradley grinned up at him from his own kart, clearly knowing that neither of them was going to beat Mav but not bursting the younger's bubble.
By the time the third race was concluded, Pete had given him a good run for his money, but ultimately still lost to Maverick's superior wisdom when it came to the nature of vehicle go fast.
"How about this, you win the go-karts, but can you beat us in the carnival games?" Bradley asked with a cocky smile, Pete looking mildly displeased to part from the go-karts but otherwise happy at the prospect of being able to best his older self at games of luck. And although Maverick was more partial to the racing games, he wasn't one to put a stop to their fun.
"You got yourself a deal."
The ring toss was pure luck, but Maverick managed to pull the big prize as Bradley and Pete struggled, with Pete at the very least managing to score one of the smaller prizes (which he gave to Bradley, seeing as Maverick clearly already had his own prize).
The balloon darts were an easy victory, considering Maverick had probably placed more money on games of darts in his life than most people ever dared gamble. Bradley was a close 2nd and Pete had the raw talent for it, but neither of them were able to take his crown.
The same could be said for the carnival game of 'shoot the pop-up,' in which Maverick entirely destroyed his competition, despite Rooster's valiant attempts. He may be a pilot, but he'd held the top marks of his class in more ways than just flying.
"Give in yet?" Maverick teased, watching as Bradley scanned the area for carnival games that Maverick no doubt wouldn't be good at but ultimately coming up with nothing if the crease to his forehead had anything to say about it.
"What if we did all or nothing?"
Both of them turned to look towards Pete with apprehension. Maverick knew himself well enough to know what he was up to, and Bradley had lived with both of them long enough to know the warning signs of a Mitchell.
"If you win then you can ask for anything you want, no restrictions, but if one of us wins then all your past victories mean nothing. Winner takes all," Pete proposed with a smug look in Maverick's direction, intriguing both Maverick and Bradley, the latter of which looked much more wary than Mav was.
"And what are you suggesting we play?" Maverick asked with a raised eyebrow, following the finger pointing towards a raised tent where several people cheering could be heard.
"A mechanical bull." Bradley deadpanned as Maverick grinned, high-fiving his younger self as he started to feel the eagerness of the adrenaline flooding his system again, curious how he'd stack up against a version of himself that was three decades younger.
On one hand, Maverick was from a small town, he knew he'd been up to all sorts of trouble when he was younger and hustled plenty of men off devices like that, but did his extra years of experience cancel out Pete's youth?
"You're on."
Entering the tent the atmosphere immediately shifted to something similar from Maverick's own memories, a vibrant and slow southern hospitality to it, with the bartender not looking like she put up with anyone's shit and customers that were entirely wasted and laughing their asses off, getting thrown left and right as people lined up to try their luck on the bull, which was clearly the center of attention.
"Do I even try?" Bradley asked with a sour look on his face.
Maverick felt sort of bad for dragging the kid in here given the fact Bradley had always been a bit lanky and awkward, which had never been a trait that transferred well to these types of things.
"Kiss for good luck?"
Maverick glanced over in surprise at his younger self's confidence in a place like this, knowing he had little to no confidence being that open in front of this many people in an area that was less likely to be accepting, but Pete easily wrapped his arms around Bradley, with the taller man pulling him into the kiss.
Maverick was almost worried they'd get kicked out then and there, but the most he heard were a couple of wolf whistles as the two of them kept the kiss deep, only breaking apart when Pete pushed Bradley towards the mechanical bull with a wide grin on his face.
Although he couldn’t help but glance away towards the bar as he tried and failed to suppress the insecurity that always reared its ugly head whenever he saw how Pete could kiss Rooster with no reservations. He couldn’t kiss either of them like that in public, not without drawing weird looks or comments to the two people he cared for most.
When he'd accidentally walked in on them the first time all those months ago he'd been so shocked that he had done nothing but stand there in sheer disbelief, unable to comprehend the fact his younger self and his godson were suddenly passionately making out in the middle of the Airstream.
It'd scared him in all honesty, like many things did when it came to Bradley.
He was scared of that idea in his head, scared of what it made him feel, scared that it meant Bradley and Pete would move on without him, and above all else, scared that the feelings he'd shoved to the very back of his head might just be reciprocated.
So he'd turned right back around and left as fast as he could, not wanting to face the hundreds of feelings that he couldn't untangle from one another, heading for his bike and planning to leave at the very least for the night to give the two of them time away from him. But Bradley had sprinted after him, not slowing down even when he saw how determined Maverick was to leave.
The fierceness Bradley's eyes had held when he finally caught up to him would be something Maverick would never be able to forget, and never wanted to.
It was like being able to touch a fantasy.
But in just as many ways as it was euphoric, it also was something he'd never imagined happening, and Maverick had never thought about how much guilt he'd feel for getting what he wanted. It wasn't ever supposed to be attainable, but all those thoughts escaped him the second Pete kissed him or Bradley had him flat on his back in bed.
He wanted them more than anything, and he had them.
But the doubt still remained on whether or not he was really something that belonged between the two of them.
He knew he was old, even if he didn't always look it, and even with his own age-related issues aside, he was most definitely breaking rules by not only dating and engaging in a sexual relationship with his dead best friend's son but also another version of himself. It had to be violating some sort of cosmic rule of the universe.
Maverick shut his eyes as he tried to shove out thoughts of how good it had felt to break cosmic universal rules when he had Pete looking at him in ways that were far too explicit to be thinking about in public places.
"You alright?" Pete asked with a slight frown, causing Maverick to open his eyes again as he tried to play it off, clearing his throat and nodding towards Bradley.
"How long do you think he'll last?"
Pete was back to smiling, both of them throwing out numbers as Maverick did his best to shove his feelings far back into the recesses of his brain where they'd never be uncovered.
In the end, he and Pete tied, with the bull coming to a stop before either of them ever fell off.
There was a lot of talk about what the two of them would end up doing with those said favors, but Maverick could only smile and nod about what Pete was threatening Bradley with as the two of them horsed around on the way back to the Bronco.
After everything Maverick had done, did he really deserve this?
Pete's P.O.V
Pete watched and cheered along with the rest of the crowd as Maverick and Rooster completed a rather elegant downward spiral above the large field being used as the grounds for the annual Halloween Air Show.
It was surreal knowing that it was his older self flying like that, still doing it with all the same vigor as the younger pilots even though he was pushing 60. It was a little painful too, knowing that he couldn't have that. At least not yet, although Pete didn't have much hope for getting to fly anything other than the P-51 anymore. That ship had sailed the moment he'd crashed into 2019 with his hair on fire.
But those were thoughts he pushed aside in favor of cheering his boyfriends on, the grin permanently stuck on his face as he acknowledged that even if he didn't get to fly those kinds of planes anymore this was still better.
He'd trade all the planes in the world for his two pilots.
"Maverick?"
Pete whirled around to face a man that was no doubt mistaking him for his older counterpart, the man's eyes blown wide as though he had seen a ghost.
"You must know my great uncle?" Pete awkwardly asked, hating to use the family excuse but if this guy really did know Maverick then Pete had to tread carefully.
"I- uh, Yes. We flew before he went off to Top Gun, back when things were still run out of Miramar." The man chuckled, seeming to have moved past the overall shock and was now just looking at him with uncertain intrigue. They were at least past the point of suspicion.
"You just look so much like him, kid. Jesus."
…Or not.
"Us Mitchell's all look the same, a family curse really," Pete replied with a good-natured smile, wondering how on earth he was meant to get out of this situation without coming across as overly rude or suspicious.
"Guess you're here to watch your uncle fly then huh?"
He really didn't want to drag this out any longer, but with both Rooster and Maverick still in the air he didn't have much of an excuse, feeling anxious as Maverick did a particularly tricky maneuver, causing gasps and cheers from the crowd.
Maverick truly was a brilliant pilot, so much so that Pete hardly even saw the other man as himself most days. They were far too different to be the same, despite their appearances. And yet--
"I mean you guys just really, and I mean really, are uncannily alike." The man said with a shake of his head.
"And who exactly are you again?" Pete asked, deflecting the conversation away from himself as he tried to not let the irritation get to him. He was sure whoever this guy was had been a great friend to Maverick and was just caught off guard is all.
"Oh! My name's Cougar, or that was my callsign anyway."
"I see," Pete said uncomfortably, wishing he had a better excuse to ignore the man.
Thankfully the man seemed to get the hint and went quiet as they watched the rest of the air show, with this being some of the first in-person experiences Pete had gotten to have with the newer planes.
"You know I've got two grandkids about your age. I'll have to introduce you three at some point, maybe see about getting some of the boys back together--"
Pete did his best to ignore the small talk as he watched Maverick and Rooster fly, torn between both wanting them to be done sooner and wanting to see them continue flying.
But the jets came down eventually and Rooster spotted him in the crowd soon enough, quickly grabbing Maverick and pointing him out unbeknownst to Cougar, who was still talking.
He could only guess what the look shared between both Maverick and Rooster meant, tuning back in to hear Cougar who was rambling on about some story regarding Maverick and him flying in the Indian Ocean together.
"It really was a shame what happened to Goose though. I wasn't there when it happened, but--"
That's when Pete found himself being whipped around and pulled into a deep and needy kiss, his mind going blank as he subconsciously realized it was Rooster kissing him like a dying man.
They almost never kissed like this, especially not in public. But Pete found he didn't mind it in the slightest as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's neck and moved his body weight to the tips of his toes, leaning up into the kiss to chase the heat of it, feeling the tips of his ears burn and his mind go fuzzy.
He couldn't deny that he was sometimes a bit nervous that he was the intruder between Maverick and Rooster, or the unwanted guest, but then there were times like this where he felt like he could feel just how much Rooster loved him in just one action and all those doubts went away.
In his own time, he'd never felt entirely needed. He'd always been the outcast kid who talked a big game and had plenty of grit to take on whatever the world threw at him, but at the end of the day he went home alone or he went home with a girl he didn't truly care about.
This felt like being the missing piece to the puzzle. Like he was prized. Loved.
Rooster broke the kiss first, Pete subconsciously chasing him as Rooster kept their foreheads together, chuckling as Pete leaned into the touch of Bradley's hand at the side of his face, forgetting that they had an audience as he looked up into the deep coffee brown of the older man's eyes.
"Did I scare him off?" Rooster asked quietly as Pete raised one eyebrow. "That guy who was talking to you," Rooster murmured, leaning down slightly to ghost the words over Pete's ear.
"You're saying you didn't just feel like kissing me senseless in the middle of a giant crowd?" Pete said with an easy smile, noting the fact Cougar had most definitely left the premises after a show like that.
"Well, you do look pretty hot in these jeans too," Bradley mused, Pete's arms still draped around his neck, keeping him close.
"You looked pretty hot doing all those stunts," Pete said lowly, looking up at him through his lashes as Rooster chuckled at his boldness.
"We still have to go find Maverick," Rooster said with a small smile, pushing Pete's baseball cap further down over his head as he scoffed, following after Rooster as the other began to step away.
"I'm told you're a rather avid funnel cake fan," Rooster said unprompted, entwining their fingers when Pete catches up and pulls Rooster’s hand into his own, enjoying the way Rooster's hand made Pete's look small threaded together like this.
They got a few strange looks, but Pete basked in the attention, daring someone to say anything about how much he loves the man next to him, ready to take on anyone who would get in the way of how happy he was with his partners.
It was somewhat frustrating when it was the older version of himself that was the shyest out of the three of them, and he himself was the most open, but he supposed he hadn't lived through the same struggles that his older self had. Hadn't been ridiculed as much or threatened. He'd of course come from a time when it was seen as normal to mock those who preferred men, but Pete had never been deterred by those things. He wasn't deterred by anything, period.
"That was some pretty fancy flying captain," Pete said with a big grin as he spotted Maverick sitting at a picnic table beside a food cart, funnel cakes already waiting for them.
"Hopefully it wasn't too discouraging being on the ground for it. I promise I'll let you take the Mustang on a joyride when we get home," Maverick tried to assure, nervous eyes looking up at Pete's as he felt another gap start to seal itself in his heart at the genuine concern in Maverick's eyes.
"I'm fine, promise. I enjoyed watching you guys up there," Pete swore, sliding into the spot next to him, maybe pushing the boundaries of close just a little bit as he nudged shoulders with the man, trying to get him to relax a little.
"I just don't want you to feel left out," Maverick said with a small smile, one that was growing ever bigger as Pete gave him an unimpressed look.
"Let me be happy for you, old man. I'm living vicariously through you today," Pete teased, taking a large bite of his funnel cake as Maverick shook his head with a genuine smile at Pete's antics.
He snuck a glance at the older man after taking another large bite of his funnel cake, noticing he was now holding an undisclosed soft drink, looking around the area with an uninterested look that Pete knew well.
It was still a bit strange to see himself as someone else, although between the crow's feet, the wrinkles, and the greying stubble, he still had to admit that while he saw Maverick as himself, he also saw someone else entirely. Someone else he adored for who they were and all the tiny details and events that had made up Maverick’s life before Pete had ever gotten to meet him.
"What? Is there something on my face?" Maverick asked with a small frown, giving Pete a confused look that the younger simply smiled at, quickly leaning in to kiss the man's cheek before he could realise it was happening-- getting swatted for his efforts after the fact.
They were an odd trio to behold, but nobody could argue that they were head over heels for one another.
Eventually, when the sun began to set further down along the horizon and the stands began to close up for the night they started to make their way back towards the Bronco, with Pete piggybacking off Rooster after having eaten too many funnel cakes, face buried against his shoulder.
He was only really half aware of his surroundings at this point, focusing more internally on not throwing up as Rooster carried him back to the car on his back, Mav brushing up against the both of them with how close he walked beside them.
He cracked open an eye though when he felt Rooster tense all of a sudden, his steps faltering slightly when they got near the Bronco.
Cougar was there, standing beside a van as several people that appeared to be his grandkids and relatives fought over who could have the two middle seats.
"Maverick?" He asked in surprised delight, gaze growing more uncertain when he saw just who was standing next to him.
"Hey! Cougar! Long time no see," Maverick said with a grin, although Pete knew him well enough to see the uncertainty that rested there in that smile too.
"Yeah! It's been forever, although it was amazing to watch you fly again. I know I couldn't do it at this age anymore," Cougar said with a laugh as Maverick smiled politely at the statement.
"It's great to see flying stuck in the family though," Cougar said with a grin, gesturing to Rooster and Pete as Maverick's smile grew slightly tighter.
"Yeah, Rooster is a pretty amazing pilot. And of course Mitch is an aspiring pilot as well."
Pete screwed up his nose at the thought of being Mitch Mitchell but otherwise didn't interject.
"Well, the Navy could always use more Top Gun pilots," Cougar said towards Pete, changing his focus to Maverick as he said, "It really is just like seeing you and Goose back in the day, scarily similar," looking between Pete and Rooster as though he still couldn't believe that they weren't Maverick and Goose.
"Oh I'm sure the Navy would love to have more Mitchells among its ranks," Maverick said with a mischievous grin, Pete listening only with mild intrigue at the thought of the pilot he could've been had he remained in his own time.
"Well, I've got to get the kids home before they start falling asleep on me. Looks like you've got one headed that way already," Cougar chuckled, gesturing to Pete who frowned at being referred to as a kid. He was 22, not 12.
"It was good seeing you Cougar," Maverick said with one last smile, reaching out to take the man's hand in a firm handshake.
"And you as well. We'll have to get together another time, introduce the kids and make an event out of it," Cougar said with a laugh, Maverick clearly only smiling out of sheer determination at this point.
It was one of the few times Pete had ever gotten to see the visible discomfort on his older self's face, wondering if he really was that bad at keeping his discomfort hidden or if he just knew himself well enough to know.
Either way, the car ride back to the campground they were staying at was an awkward and quiet one, with the radio only playing old rock songs at a low volume, cutting in and out as they drove.
Pete met Rooster's eyes in the rearview mirror and could tell they were both thinking the same thing.
Maverick was hurting.
He couldn't say why exactly, but he could feel the discomfort that permeated around the man like a thick storm cloud.
Pete wondered what he could say or do to take away the pain he knew the other man must be feeling, wondering if Maverick would ever feel comfortable with the situation the three of them were in. If Pete had been a little older would things be different? Was it the looks they sometimes got? The judgement?
He wondered vaguely where this fear of rejection had come from and how someone like himself could develop something between now and then.
It certainly wasn't from an encounter with his superiors, because he was far from concerned about them, but perhaps a past lover? Someone close to him that could've been as close as family? An old friend who'd lost touch?
Pete's eyes strayed to Rooster again as he thought over the rocky state their relationship had been in when he'd first gotten here.
They'd been on edge and dancing around one another while still trying to make some platonic fake father-son relationship work when he'd gotten here, although it had been so awkward Pete could hardly watch it, especially when he could easily see what was happening.
It was the kind of stuff they wrote textbooks on. As painful as watching two children try to ask one another out.
But that still didn't explain this walking-on-eggshells behavior Maverick kept portraying. A lack of confidence he'd never thought he'd see in himself like this.
They pulled into the parking spot beside the Airstream just as the sun was starting to disappear, all three of them unnaturally quiet as Maverick was the first to get out of the Bronco.
"Mav."
Pete and Maverick both looked towards Rooster as he made the first move, stepping closer to gently reach for Maverick's hand.
But Maverick stepped away.
Pete had to give Rooster credit when he didn't flinch at the gesture, simply backed off on attempting to touch him.
"Are you alright?" Rooster asked quietly, voice soft as though talking to a cornered animal that was looking to escape.
"Me? I'm fine, just tired after all the flying is all," Maverick quickly deflected, not even seeming to be aware of how watery his own eyes were getting as he tried to forcefully elevate his tone of voice.
"It's okay if you aren't," Bradley said carefully, stepping forward to take both of Maverick's hands in his own, slowly guiding the man in close as Maverick started to look anywhere else besides them, clearly stressed about something.
"You don't have to pretend with us, you can tell us what's on your mind," Bradley continued, Pete stepping closer to sink against Maverick's side to let him know he was there, his body quickly tucked against Maverick's as the other pulled him close into a comforting side-hug.
"Sometimes I just think I'm doing this all wrong," Maverick started with a sigh. "You two are young. You could get married, adopt some kids. The world wouldn't judge you for that, but me in the equation..?"
"You feel like you don't belong?" Rooster asked with a small frown.
"I don't just feel like it, I know I don't."
There was a beat of silence as both Rooster and Pete let that statement sink in.
"Bullshit you don't. Mav are you kidding me? I've been crushing on you since middle school and you think you don't belong here?" Rooster scoffed, Pete seeing the spark of defiance in his eyes that he hoped wouldn't end poorly.
"Bradley you have Pete--"
Have Pete?
"And what about me? I'm just supposed to be fine with this?" Pete asked with a raised eyebrow, knowing with his whole heart that Maverick was saying this because he thought this was what was best for them, not because it was what he wanted.
"You both have each other, and you wouldn't have to worry about me intruding on that--"
"Mav." Bradley stated with finality, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance as he glanced down at the two of them, Pete still tucked against Maverick's side.
"We both love you. Unconditionally. Alright? If you genuinely want out because we make you uncomfortable then tell us that. But I don't want you leaving here-- leaving us-- because you feel like you don't belong, okay? Because if you feel that way then that's our fault and both me and Pete will do everything we can to fix it," Rooster said as Pete nodded along with what he said as the taller man looked towards him for confirmation.
Maverick sighed, slumping slightly against Pete in unspoken defeat, "One day this is all going to blow up in our face, you both know that?"
"The good days far outweigh the bad and you know it, you're just being a stubborn old man about it," Rooster huffed, garnering a laugh of surprise out of Maverick as he gave Rooster an irritated but fond look.
Pete could see it in the way Maverick’s shoulders had relaxed and his forehead wasn’t quite as creased that the man was doing better. Maybe there were doubts still there, but Pete knew he and Rooster would be keenly aware of them now. There would be challenges he was sure-- all relationships had them-- but Pete was more than eager to face the future with the two people next to him and he knew with the heart he and Maverick shared the older man felt the same.
"Last time I blew up it worked out for me in the end so I couldn't care less," Pete added smugly, happy to see the smile beginning to return to Maverick's face again as they made their way as a trio towards the Airstream.
They still had a lot to learn about one another, but he knew the three of them were meant to last a long time.
As they fell into bed that night with promises of talking more on the drive back to California, Pete could only think one thing as he breathed out a sigh of relief in the center of the bed, safe and protected between his two boyfriends.
He was glad to be home.