Chapter Text
Maverick knows it's unavoidable that he’ll run into Iceman at some point. They’re stationed at the same base, after 4 years apart, with barely any contact. It’s his fault, he knows it, but it doesn’t make this any easier. Still, he’s as prepared as he can be.
Or he thinks he’s prepared, at least until it finally happens, barely 5 days into his assignment.
It’s early morning and for once, he’s taking a stroll to the base, the bike left behind in a shop. The sun’s shining, a pleasant spring day, and he’s close to whistling before something smacks into his legs, causing him to wobble.
“Woah!” Mav glances down and comes face to face with a small body sprawled on the ground. It’s a boy, maybe 5 years old, with a head full of gold curls, huge green eyes staring up at him from the ground. Curiously, the kid doesn’t cry, but he crouches next to him anyway, panic rising in his chest. “Christ, kid, you okay?”
“Jake!” a familiar voice calls. Maverick startles and looks up to see Slider striding towards them, a worried frown on his face. It changes into shock at the sight of him, before sliding into neutrality. “Mitchell,” he nods at Pete, before gently hoisting the kid up. “I told you not to run.”
The kid can clearly hear fondness in Slider’s voice, because he just beams up at the man. “I’m okay! You were going too slow.”
“Okay, little man, it’s air jail time then.” In a heartbeat, Slider has Jake in his arms, even as the kid giggles and tries to break free. “Nu-uh, you ran so now you’re stuck here. Maybe that’ll teach you.”
“Never,” Jake denies immediately. “It’s not my fault grown-ups are so slooooow.”
Maverick can’t help but laugh, getting two surprised looks thrown his way. “You’re too right, kid. Nice to meet you, but be careful. Slider.” He nods at the man and almost runs away before the RIO can say anything.
His heart is hammering, his palms sweaty, and he knows he vastly underestimated the effect Iceman still has on him. This wasn’t even the man himself, but he’s a wreck anyway, purely from meeting his RIO. Years, almost half a decade of no contact, and Ice still stays in his heart, no matter how hard Maverick tries. It took him 2 years to realise it was futile to try and remove Tom, that he was in it for the long haul, but by the time it was too late already. Maverick has some strings to pull still, so he asked around and found out Tom had a new girlfriend, someone he was trying to go steady with.
That was a bit over 2 years ago, and Maverick knows they’re married now. Tom had always wanted a family, stability and love. It’s not a surprise he found it with someone else after Pete ran, but it does sting.
He manages to avoid running into the man for a whole week afterwards, but the stress takes its toll on him, and Maverick finds himself unable to sleep in the middle of the night. He groans, exhausted but too nervous to sleep, and decides to go for a walk. His bike is back, but driving leaves him alone with his thoughts, and it’s a pleasant night anyway. He dresses quickly and makes his way outside, breaking in the cool air. Maverick fights hard to keep his thoughts away from Iceman, but reality isn’t as merciful, and he stumbles into him right then and there, in the middle of the night.
Life really has a sense of humor.
“Ice,” he breathes, eyes wide, trained on a little body perched on Ice’s hip.
Jake’s sleepy and looks quite miserable, but he brightens up at the sight of him anyway. “You! Hello, Mister!”
“Hello, Jake,” Maverick says, helpless at the sight of his joy. He risks a glance at the tall blonde, and grows weak in the knees at the look in his eyes - half anger and half yearning, as if he can’t decide what he feels. Iceman’s always handsome, but he’s devastating with a kid on his hip. That’s when it clicks, and another piece of Mav’s heart breaks. “That’s your Dad?”
“This is Papa,” Jake says proudly. “He’s important man, people call him Iceman, but he gives the best hugs. You look like you need one, Mister.”
Both Maverick and Iceman make a small startled sound, exchanging panicked glances.
“Jake,” Ice finally says after clearing his throat. “This is Maverick, my old friend.”
Old friend. More than Maverick expected, less than he hoped for. It hurts.
Jake’s eyes grow so wide it’s visible even in the dim lighting of the street lamps above them. “You’re Maverick!? That’s so cool!”
“Shh, pup, it’s late,” Iceman soothes immediately, but his gaze is fond as he gazes down at his son. “Remember what you promised.”
The kid nods against his shoulder. “We go out if I’m quiet. I promise I’ll be quiet, Papa. Can Mister Maverick walk with us?”
It’s a question, but the tone is so demanding that Maverick immediately falls into place next to Iceman. The kid is adorable as hell, but clearly Ice’s son - bossy and confident, taking the world by the storm. Maverick’s heart aches.
“We need to go back home soon, Jake, I have work tomorrow,” Ice says gently. Jake whines, burying his face against his dad’s neck. “I know, I know. It should be getting better soon. At least it doesn’t hurt, hmm?”
“Yeah,” Jake murmurs sleepily. “Make sure Mister Mav doesn’t leave, okay, Papa?”
“Okay. Try to sleep, pup.”
They walk in silence as Jake dozes on his shoulder. From up close, Maverick can see the shadows under the kid’s eyes, his red nose and puffy eyes - he’s clearly sick, or just recovering, and the little walk is his way of trying to fall asleep. Yet another way that he takes from Ice, as Pete remembers a lot of late-night walks while the blonde was feeling bad but didn’t want to admit it.
He still can’t believe he left this all behind because of fear.
It isn’t until they’re almost at his house that Maverick realises something important.
“We’re neighbours?” he asks Iceman in a whisper, panic clawing at his chest. The blonde glances at the houses and gives a resigned nod. “Oh…”
“Don’t worry, Maverick, I won’t be making any unwanted moves on you. You can rest easy,” Ice says dryly, tearing Maverick’s heart cleanly in two. He stifles a whimper, because he deserves it, but it’s insane that the man thinks he doesn’t want him. “But Jake took a liking to you, so could you-”
“How about dinner tomorrow?” Mav suggests impulsively. “If Jake feels better.” Iceman stares at him for a long while, and he fights not to fidget. “If his- I mean, as long as your wife’s okay with it, of course,” he scrambles to add.
Ice raises an eyebrow. “There’s no wife,” he says. “I’m raising Jake on my own.”
Several things stop making sense, and Maverick is barely aware of saying goodbye and walking to his door, sliding down it as soon as it closes behind him. No wife. Iceman isn’t married (or he was, and she died?), he’s raising Jake on his own, and he’s Maverick’s neighbour now.
Jake likes Maverick. He’s going to go over for dinner the next day.
“What the fuck?” he asks a bit hysterically, hiding his face in his hands. “Mitchell, you damn fool-”
Because he still loves Ice. Maybe more than ever now, after the absence, after getting a glimpse of Ice being a parent, that hidden warmth of him coming to the surface. It’s like the last 4 years haven’t happened, or even worse, it’s like they simply intensified everything. Maverick desperately wants to know what happened - how did Ice end up as a single dad? Who’s Jake’s mother, and where is she? Would Ice maybe want to be friends again? Maverick knows better than to ask for more, especially when Ice has Jake to think about, but the last 4 years have been filled with loneliness, only broken up by Carole and Bradley, and he misses brightness in his life desperately.
He misses Ice.
His hands are trembling the next day when he knocks on Ice’s door, the quiet thumping of little feet his answer. The door opens and Maverick immediately smiles down at Jake, who raises his arms demandingly and settles against his chest easily.
“Hi, Mister Mav!” the kid chirps. “Papa said you’re here for dinner. Papa cooked.”
Maverick laughs, some part of him aching at the moment, at the weight of Jake on his hip, at the warmth of the house, the scent of home cooking in the air. Iceman comes out from the kitchen, dressed in simple slacks and a blue button-up, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing strong forearms. For a second, Maverick lets himself dream about coming close to Ice and kissing him, enjoying those strong arms wrapped around him and Jake.
It’s stupid and naive, and way too much for what’s happening, but- His stupid heart never quite got the memo.
“Mav,” Iceman says warmly, and he wants to melt into the floor. “Good to see you. Food’s only a second.”
It’s not hard to muster up a smile, especially when Jake wiggles to be put down, immediately dragging both of them into the kitchen.
“Papa made pierogi, you ever had them, Mister Mav?”
Maverick laughs. “Call me Mav, kid. And I did, yeah. Your Papa made them for me before.”
Jake’s gasp is full of excitement, his chatter filling the kitchen, and Mav’s eyes meet Ice’s over his head. The moment is fragile and unspoken, but there’s something that fills him with hope.
“Maybe,” Iceman whispers, just for him, as Jake’s busy running around looking for his toys. “You’ll learn how to stay this time, hmm?”
“I’ll do my best,” Maverick manages to say through the emotions threatening to choke him down. Their hands briefly meet, a simple squeeze before Jake’s back, but he feels like he could fly anyway.
He has no idea what the future will bring, but for the first time since he walked out on Ice, Maverick feels hopeful.