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Mav knows he's well and truly fucked when the ocean starts reminding him of Ice's eyes, instead of it being the other way around. When he looks out over the edge of the flightdeck on a gray day and thinks of Ice. It's the death knell of his ability to be in denial any longer, at least.
It isn't like the distance has helped, either. He's out on the middle of the ocean and Ice is stationed ashore.
Hell, if anything, it's probably made it worse. Instead of shooting the shit with Ice in the mess at dinner, or on the radio during a hop, he just spends the nights laying in his bunk staring at the ceiling and thinking of him.
Goose is probably glad he's not out here, still recovering back home. At least that's what Merlin keeps saying, and Merlin's the one who has to deal with his pining. Except Mav can't even tell him who it's about, so that probably just makes it a hundred times worse. For both of them, really.
So when it finally comes time for them to use a little shore leave, Mav doesn't even hesitate in where he wants to go. He doesn't even know if Ice feels the same - he probably doesn't, who is he kidding? - but he also trusts Ice. Trusts Ice not to just push him away, and, maybe more terrifyingly, trusts Ice with the truth about him. That even if Ice doesn't feel the same, he wouldn't use Mav's secret to get him discharged, wouldn't look down on him for it.
He calls Goose when he's on solid ground, checking in on him and planning to spend the later half of his leave with him and Carole and Bradley.
And because Goose knows him better than anyone else on the planet, he doesn't even need to ask where Mav's going first. Just asks him to call when he can and says he's looking forward to seeing him again - and that he'll try and keep his impending arrival a secret from Bradley, but to likely expect failure in the attempt.
Then comes the more nerve-wracking call. Ice picks up on the second ring, and Mav thinks he's figured out something's up by the second word, but at least he sounds happy to hear from him.
He's almost feeling brave by the time he wraps around to asking if Ice is free to spend some time together this week, hell, today?
Ice has looped back around to sounding a little suspicious when he says yes, but Mav just tells him to bring his bike and he'll meet him at his place in a couple of hours.
Which barely gives him enough time to drop his stuff at his assigned housing and catch a ride to the storage unit he'd left his own bike in. It's for the best, probably - it means he doesn't have much time to spiral and regret setting this all in motion, at least.
He's not sure he knows where this is going, anyway. Maybe they'll just go for ride and get some drinks. Mav's missed letting his bike take him for hours on end, riding along the coast. Especially after his world has been one tin can at sea for the past months.
He refuses to let himself be nervous as he pulls up to Ice's housing, parking in the driveway and walking up to the front door.
It's just his wingman.
He's still telling himself that when he knocks and Ice opens the door.
And then he's struck wordless for a moment at the sight of him, at the warm grin Ice meets him with. At those eyes, the color of the ocean Mav has been treading water in for months.
"Hey Mav," Ice says, and drags him into a hug.
"How's my wingman?" Mav asks, hugging him in return, a moment that ends too quickly with a platonic pat on the back.
"Busy," Ice replies, stepping back, looking him up and down like he's searching for something. That Mav's been alright for the past almost-year, maybe? "Don't ask how many meetings I had to reschedule so I could get off early today for you," he adds, with a knowing smirk.
"I'm flattered," Mav grins. He'd forgotten how easy it was, to just be with Ice. "And you're welcome," he says, nodding sagely. "The weather's too nice to waste the day in stuffy conference rooms," he insists.
"I suppose you have a point," Ice says magnanimously. "So, what's the plan?"
"I've been stuck on a boat for months, I just wanted to go take a long ride somewhere," Mav says with an easy shrug, projecting a confidence he's only mostly sure he feels. "Thought it'd be more fun with you," he adds, searching Ice's expression, wondering if he'll read into it.
Ice just smiles, something friendly and warm, but that's all. "Got somewhere you want to go in mind?"
"There's a road up the coast that the cops never lurk on," Maverick offers, grinning wider.
Ice rolls his eyes, though there's no actual disdain in his expression, just warm fondness. "Of course," he says, as if he isn't also immediately excited at the thought of how fast they'll be able to go. Maverick knows him - he's just as much an adrenaline hound as Mav himself is, no matter what he pretends.
"You ready to go?" Maverick asks. Ice looks to be dressed for riding, so he assumes the answer is probably yes.
"Yeah, let's," Ice nods, snagging a helmet from where it must have been sitting behind the door.
Maverick hops down the couple of steps, heading for his bike and climbing on, waiting for Ice before he backs his way down the driveway and into the road. Ice is just behind him, and once he's at his side, Maverick nods with a grin and takes off.
He behaves while they're on base, and he can almost hear Ice ribbing him for managing to practice restraint for once.
God, he's with him and he still can't stop thinking about him. It hasn't made his affliction any better, that's for sure. He's not sure why he thought it would, honestly. Some vain hope he could possibly be normal about his wingman, maybe.
They get onto public roads, and Mav heads for the coast at an easy pace, settling back into the rhythm of riding. Of how good it feels. The only thing that beats it is flying. Ice is there with him every step of the way, on his wing, and whenever they stop at a light and he glances over at him, he spots Ice looking back with something unreadable in his expression. He can't quite see his eyes through his sunglasses, but he takes solace in the fact that Ice probably can't see through his, either.
"Think you can keep up?" Mav asks at the last light, just before they turn off down the coastal road.
"Of the two of us, I've been riding more recently than you," Ice reminds him, his eyebrow curving up over his sunglasses, unimpressed.
"I look forward to seeing you try," Mav grins, and then the light's green, and they're off.
The first curve of the road takes them into the open, the ocean appearing on their left, the late-afternoon sun glimmering off the surface of it. The wind kicks up, and Mav speeds up, taking the curves by instinct and intuition alone. He hasn't been on this road in forever, but it doesn't matter, he feels like he's home.
They tear off up the coast, riding too fast, following the curves of the cliff in perfect sync. It almost feels like he's flying again with Ice on his wing.
It's too perfect, and he wishes he could bottle this moment and keep it forever. Even if he fucks up everything after this, he'll always have this memory.
They're getting close to the destination he had in mind, and he resists the urge to slow down just to draw it out a little longer.
And then he spots the lookout vista, and he slows down, signaling with an arm for Ice to see where he's taking them. He makes sure there's no oncoming traffic before crossing over, pulling up to the edge of the fence protecting the public from toppling off the edge of the cliff.
He turns his bike off, hesitates for a moment, and then stands up, kicking the stand down and getting off his bike. Ice is just pulling his helmet off when Mav turns to look at him.
"Did you need a break?" Ice teases, grinning crookedly.
It's an out, and Mav could take it. But he wouldn't be who he was if he bailed and ran instead of taking the shot. "No," Maverick says with a too-casual shrug. "Thought this might be a nice spot to stop."
Ice stands too, then, now that he's realized this isn't a momentary pit-stop. "That so?" he asks, dragging a hand through his hair to lift it from where the helmet had flattened it a bit. He comes up to where Mav's standing by the fence, looking out over the water.
Maverick hums in agreement, pulling his sunglasses off and letting them rest on the top of his head. "Heard it had a nice view."
"It does," Ice agrees, glancing over at Mav, before pulling his sunglasses off too.
Mav still can't read what's in his expression, and he's not sure what to make of that. What to make of Ice.
"Did you bring me here to watch the sunset, Mav?" Ice asks after a moment, once he's taken in the view, the sun hanging low in the sky.
Maverick shrugs, glancing away. "I planned to come here and watch the sunset anyway. Just happened to invite you along," he answers, which is both true and utter bullshit in equal measure.
Ice hums curiously, and the sound is a little bit like he doesn't believe him. But he doesn't call him on it, not directly.
Mav snatches a moment of bravery, turning to look back to Ice as the sky starts to bleed orange and red.
Ice is watching him, not the sunset. Not the view. Maverick swallows hard when he realizes it, when he catches that blue, blue gaze, and doesn't think he'll ever be able to look away again.