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1.
Living with Maverick isn't at all what Ice expects.
He’s neater, for one thing. Not just in common areas, but the rare peek that Ice was able to take into his room showed just an ordinary space. A stack of books on his desk and clothes haphazardly hung off of the hooks on the back of the door. He even does the dishes without being passive-aggressively prompted.
Ice has roomed with plenty of dirtbags and slobs and Mav is a pleasant step up.
And then there’s his priorities. For the most part, Ice kind of assumed that like him, Mav eats, drinks, and breathes being an aviator.
And he does, for sure. But he also wants more outside the Navy, Ice learns. Sure, most of those goals revolve around motorcycles, classic cars, and owning his own plane. But it's still more than the "wife, two kids, and a dog" that most guys just rattle off when asked.
There's also the phone calls.
Every Wednesday at seven o’clock at night exactly, Maverick waits in their kitchen to answer the phone to have a mostly one-sided conversation with Bradley Bradshaw.
Ice isn't sure he'll ever forget the teary-eyed toddler clinging to his mother's side, lost in grief as they were led around the halls of Top Gun.
But there's giggles coming through the phone in the kitchen, with Mav's honking laughter answering like a call-and-response.
Then Ice hears his name. He peeks around the entryway to the kitchen and sees Maverick nodding his head while still answering questions from a toddler.
“Uh huh. Ice. Iceman. No, not right now, sweetheart,” Mav tells him, a little apologetically. He sees Ice through the door and gives him a wave, but keeps talking for another few minutes.
Ice can’t really follow the conversation too well, but that’s part for the course for him when it comes to talking to children. Mav and Bradley seem to cover a variety of topics, including clouds, the neighbor’s dog, Carole Bradshaw’s new nail polish, and the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo for some reason.
“He wanted to know who I was living with,” Mav tells Ice, answering the unasked question as he hangs up the phone, the smile on his face far from fading. Ice hasn’t seen Mav this upbeat since maybe…ever. “And he remembers you. He asked to talk to you, that's all."
"Why?" Ice asks, unable to stop himself. He can't fathom why a small child, who must associate with him with an awful time in his young life, would want to speak to Ice.
"He liked you. And he likes planes. Honestly, Bradley is pretty easy to please." Mav is smiling like he's remembering dozens of conversations with the talkative toddler. "It's all right, I can tell him you're busy on Wednesdays. Dates, a book club, that sort of thing."
"A book club?"
"You know what I mean." Mav waves Ice's concern away, but he finds that he's not interested in being set to the side for this.
"I'd love to talk to Bradley," Ice says before he can change his mind. “If that’s all right.”
He's not surprised by the expression of disbelief that Mav quickly hides from him. He's even given a pat on the shoulder for his trouble.
“Next time then.” Mav grins at him. "Better brush up on your Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles knowledge."
"My what?"
2.
"And then, and then," Bradley pauses to take a deep breath in the middle of his story.
Ice has been making the appropriate noises for the last five minutes or so as Bradley has recounted the great tale of how his Uncle Mav tried (and failed, depending on who is telling the story) to make him the world's largest pancake.
The phone speaker is up on the highest setting because, even though it's Ice's turn to talk to Bradley, Mav can't get enough of the kid. He insists on leaning against the kitchen wall next to Ice, trying to stifle his laughter so Bradley doesn't realize he's being overheard.
"They're so good too, right Unca Ice?" Bradley asks earnestly.
"You know what, Bradley?" Ice says, eyeing Maverick carefully.
With the same gut instinct that makes Mav a great pilot, he suddenly stands up straight, knowing exactly what Ice is about to say.
"Your Uncle Mav hasn't ever made me pancakes,” Ice says in an exaggerated melancholy tone.
There's a tiny gasp over the phone and both aviators try not to laugh, Mav smacking at Ice's shoulder. Ice tries to shove him back, using his shoulder as leverage but as they settle, Mav stays close, practically plastered against Ice’s side.
"Traitor," Mav hisses as Bradley insists he be put back on the phone so he can chastise his godfather for not ever making his wingman his famous banana chocolate chip pancakes.
Ice smirks at Maverick and he lets the phone dangle from his hands, the cords twisted around his fingers.
"Turns out that you've been holding out on me, Maverick."
3.
“Kazansky-Mitchell residence,” Ice says into the telephone receiver.
“Tommy,” Carole says warmly.
She doesn’t address them by their callsigns, not like she used to. Ice found that he doesn’t mind. He likes being Tommy for the Bradshaws and he’s just glad Carole talks to him at all.
Bradley still uses Uncle Mav and Uncle Ice, but Ice does wonder sometimes if Carole winces when she hears the names.
“Mav is running a little late but he’ll be home soon, I swear.”
“Oh, Bradley won’t mind. He loves talking to you.”
“I…I also like talking to him. He’s a sweet boy.”
“He is, isn’t he?” Carole says proudly. “I’m sure I’ll chat to Mav when he’s done with the both of you. Have a good night, Tommy.”
And that’s where Mav finds Ice, tipping back the kitchen chair he’s sitting in and listening to Bradley talk all about his new cassette player. Apparently, Carole’s boss got his kid a new one and the older model was just collecting dust. It’s Bradley’s new favorite thing and, “Mama taught me how to tape songs off the radio, Unca Ice.”
“Oh wow, from the radio?” Ice repeats with a hum. “That’s pretty cool. What kind of music are you listening to?”
He grins when he sees Mav come through, kicking off his boots and already eager to get in his time with Bradley. Ice happily hands the phone over so they could both listen, waiting for a break in the explanation on the tape player buttons so Mav can make his presence known.
Later, when Mav has said goodnight to both Bradley and Carole, Ice already is formulating a plan. He just needs to know if it will be well received and there’s nothing else to do but ask.
“When’s Bradley’s birthday?” Ice asks first. His idea doesn’t have to correspond with a birthday or holiday, but Mav’s talked before about Carole’s pride and he wonders just how well the hand-me-down cassette player went over in the first place.
“Why?”
“He’s got the cassette player. The walkman,” Ice corrects himself.
“My first Sony,” Mav sings the commercial jingle. “Yeah, Carole says he’s been carrying it around with him everywhere too. Cute as a button."
“Would it be too much…” Ice trails off, still trying to figure out how exactly to word what he wants to say.
“What?” Mav asks gently. He waits patiently for Ice to sort out his thoughts.
“We’ve got tapes. I mean, I think Slider does. Of Goose singing at the academy. They’re not great quality but it’s still Goose singing. We should have some from later too. You know, Goose,” Ice laughs at the memory and it doesn’t sound as hollow as it would have a few months ago. “He sang anytime he got the chance. We can make Carole copies of the videos too, of course. But if Bradley has a cassette player, I thought maybe we could make him a cassette of just Goose singing.”
“Oh,” Mav breathes and Ice isn’t sure if it’s a positive or negative response.
“It’s just an idea, I don’t”—
"That. That would be good, I think,” Mav interrupts him, blinking away some tears. "Even just for him to have. For the both of them to have."
Ice thinks that his eyes are a little watery too. He’s not sure when Mav grabbed his hand but he squeezes and Ice squeezes back.
"Thank you."
4.
"Hey Carole,” Ice answers the phone without much fanfare. He sighs before continuing, “Sorry, but Mav is asleep and truthfully, I’m not inclined to wake him. He’ll hate me for it, I know, but I think it's the flu."
“Oh dear,” Carole murmurs.
“Yeah, it’s hitting the base hard this year. Nearly a whole class was out yesterday.”
Thank god too, because if they had shown up, Ice would have been too exhausted to teach them. He certainly isn’t letting them up in any jets anytime soon. Not until they can walk in a straight line across the hanger.
“You’re still standing though?” Carole prods at him and Ice is, thankfully, sitting in a well-placed kitchen chair.
“So far,” he allows. “I’ll take any recommendations you’re willing to offer though.”
“Soup, meds, rest,” Carole says simply.
“That’s all, huh?”
“As much liquid as you can get in him so he doesn’t dehydrate. He’ll hate you for it, but sometimes you just have to flood it out.”
Carole sounds like she’s speaking from experience and Ice realizes that she probably is. He wonders how often they’ve taken care of each other, even before Goose was in the picture.
Hot soup, medicine, and plenty of rest. Ice can handle that. He hopes.
“Thank you, Carole. I appreciate it.”
“I’ll explain it to Bradley.”
“I can still talk to him,” Ice offers. “If that’s okay.”
“You sound like you’re going to fall over, Tommy,” Carole says gently. "Are you sure you're all right?"
“I’m already sitting down though, so it wouldn’t be too big of a deal if I fell,” Ice tells her all in one breath. He thinks maybe he’s more exhausted than he had previously thought.
Ice hears Carole vaguely mutter something about stubbornness and well, she's one to talk. But still, she puts Bradley on the phone and it soothes Ice more than he expected. It’s not a chore to talk to Bradley, though sometimes he worries that he’s not entertaining enough for the kid.
“Can you give Unca Mav a hug for me, Unca Ice?” He asks sweetly.
“Of course, Bradley,” Ice promises. “I’m sure that’ll help.”
“I always feel better when Mama hugs me,” Bradley tells him, very matter-of-fact, like he’s a little disappointed that hugs weren’t the first thing Ice went for when trying to make Mav feel better.
When Ice finally hangs up the phone, he braces himself before standing up from the chair.
One step at a time, he tells himself. It’s an unsteady walk back to the bedroom and Ice thinks maybe Carole was onto something. It wouldn’t be too big of a shock if Ice caught Mav’s flu, especially since they’ve been sharing a bed for the last few weeks.
Ice crawls into the bed that’s now more theirs than Mav’s and wraps himself around his exhausted boyfriend. He squeezes hard enough for Mav to make a confused squeak of a noise. It doesn’t deter Ice, who can’t bring himself to move now that he’s horizontal, regardless of if he’s squishing Mav.
“That’s from Bradley,” he mumbles.
Mav’s hum goes a little high-pitched, acknowledging that he heard Ice.
“Warm. Nice,” Mav manages to get out. “Stay?”
“Staying,” Ice agrees, tucking his nose against Mav’s neck and settling in to finally fall asleep.
5.
It’s not that they’ve forgotten that it’s Wednesday. Since Ice and Mav started sharing a housing assignment, Wednesdays have been the highlight of their time together. Part of the routine they’ve been making since building a life together, for however long they’re allowed. Until deployments and other obligations get in their way.
Not that it’s going to stop Ice from hanging onto Mav, god willing, but it won’t be the same as sharing night after night together, and answering the phone to talk to a toddler who thinks the world of them.
Still, when the phone rings, Ice and Mav are wrapped around each other, basking in the glow of finally being together after a long day of hops and failing certain aviators out of the program all together.
Ice turns to look at Mav, who freezes.
The room immediately descends to chaos.
Mav gets tangled in the bedsheets even as he chucks a pillow in Ice’s face to try and slow him down. Ice grabs onto the sheets that are still wrapped around Mav’s legs and yanks him back down onto the mattress.
He sprints to the kitchen with Mav close behind, cursing him and their blankets even as he stumbles through the doorway.
“Hello?” Ice asks breathlessly. He shoots out a hand and wraps it around Mav’s waist, dragging his partner to his side as they both try to sound like they haven’t just been sprinting.
Laughing even as he holds the phone out to Mav, Ice can’t help but grin. Mav leans forward, talking a little too loudly as Ice presses against him.
"Hey Bradley! How did your recital go?"
+1
“Are you sure about this, boys?” Carole looks between the two of them and under her appraising gaze, Ice isn’t too chicken to admit that he’s less sure about the whole thing than he was when it was first suggested.
Bradley spending a whole four day weekend with them in their housing as Carole attends her sister’s wedding in the city.
“Don’t we look sure?” Ice asks instead and Carole snorts. Still, she sets down Bradley’s little suitcase and peers out the front door where Mav getting the guest of honor out of his car seat. They both watch as Bradley wiggles, insisting to be put down, even as he clings to Mav’s pants as they head inside.
Seeing his mom settles him a little bit but Bradley scoots behind Mav a little bit when he sees Ice for the first time in months.
“Hi,” Ice says, immediately chastising himself for not saying literally anything else.
Mav puts a hand on Bradley’s shoulder and leans down to talk to him.
“Bradley, you know Ice. You talk on the phone every week.”
Bradley nods but doesn’t move forward. He watches Ice carefully, like he’s waiting for him to make the first move.
Well, that’s easy enough.
Ice squats down, so he’s eye level with Bradley. It works and intrigued, Bradley peeks out from where he’s hidden himself against Mav’s jeans, rubbing his nose against the denim. Ice holds up his hand to mock whisper, as if Carole and Mav can’t hear him at all.
“Do you think we can convince Uncle Mav to make us pancakes for dinner?” Ice asks.
Bradley’s eyes light up and he nods like bobblehead.
“Yes, please.”
“Already ganging up on me? It’s been two minutes,” Mav complains, but he’s smiling at the two of them, especially as Bradley leaves the comfort of hiding behind him to take Ice’s hand.
“Looks like you’ve got your hands full,” Carole tells him.
Ice looks up through his lashes and judging by the fond expression on his face, Mav doesn’t seem to mind at all.
Even as he says, “It’s always the blonds.”
“Be good, boys.”
“Bye, Mama!”
Carole kisses his cheek and scoops Bradley up in a hug. He shrieks in delight, allowing her to press kisses all over his face. He’s still smiling as he’s set on the ground, taking Ice’s hand to head into the kitchen.
Ice turns around and sees Maverick watching them go, heart full to burst.