Maverick files in behind Goose. She times her steps with Goose to match his footfalls and hears a few whistles, a couple of cat calls among other things and then she heard Icemans iconic growling. He wasn't fooling her. Most of these boys hadn't seen action since they shipped out. Maverick figured most of them were single. Then she saw Ghostrider, or better known as Pete Mitchell. She did a small smirk at Pete and sat directly next to Goose, which ended up with Pete sitting at the table next to her with his Rio Sun down.

"Ghostrider." Maverick said.

"Maverick." Ghostrider said doing a subtle nod.

"Who's she??" Sundown asked the others.

"Top Guns first and best next gen fighter pilot." Answered Viper snarkily and nodded at Maverick.

"Viper." Maverick said nodding at Viper. She reflexively pulled her uniform sleeve over a fresh bruise on her wrist before anyone saw it. Maverick got comfortable and leaned back in her seat, looking around wearing her aviators, sizing up her competition. Her gaze lingered, a bit too long on the tall stoic, godly built toehead blonde pilot with the Callsign Iceman. He turned, Maverick shivered when she felt his gaze on her and she instantly felt like her fieriness was being iced over by Iceman. Mavericks lips thinned out into a line as Iceman smirked and nodded his head in acknowledgement. Goose sighed annoyed with Maverick and Iceman sizing each other up, clearly trying to assert dominance over one another.

"C'mon fellas." Goose said, "Stop it before one of you ends up pregnant."

Maverick instantly whipped her head around to glare at goose after tilting her sunglasses down her nose.

"Fuck you goose." Huffed Iceman.

"Don't think my wife would like that. No thank you." Goose teased Iceman.

"Well she's real pretty son." Iceman teased and smirked nodding subtly at Maverick again.

Maverick didn't even respond, too busy hiding the firey feeling in her cheeks and shook her head looking down as she did so.

"Boys...." Maverick whispered pinching the bridge of her nose until rhythmic footsteps got closer and she sat upright in her seat. Goose nearly said something.

"Can it goose!" Maverick said abruptly and the whole group of 5 boys erupted in laughter. One laugh she could recognize out of all the others, Iceman.

"You can hang with me anytime Maverick!" Iceman told her across the room.

Goose raised his hand and brandished his middle finger then covered it an then uncovered it.

"Sorry man, I hate it when it does that." Goose said teasing him again.

"Ha! I'm sure she'd prefer anyone of us over you Gooseman." Iceman said confidently.

Maverick stifled a chuckle at Iceman calling her Rio Gooseman. She fit in pretty well with the boys so far. Mav couldn't wait to get out on the strip and fly though.

"Break it up gentlemen!" Boomed the voice of Jester, the commander who would be introducing the speaker for today. Maverick was quickly at attention when Jester made eye contact with her first then he looked at everyone else and then rested his steely eyes back on Maverick. She knew both Jester and Viper outside of top gun. Both of them were like a father figure to her. Jester flew with her father and Viper too. Jester on more than one occasion, saved her skin when her parents had abused her so badly she had to sleep in the closet for fear of her dad coming back to hurt her even more. But there was no time to reminisce on the memories of growing up, Maverick had a job to do and do it well because she was the first female top gun pilot that the fighter school had seen in a while.

"Listen up gentlemen." Jester started, introducing the instructor for the introduction to flying lecture they were going to have.

"Your instructor for today will be callsign Charlie. Listen to Charlie, learn all you boys and girl can. Charlie has years of flying experience, flying credentials, clearance above your pay grades. So take Charlie seriously boys. And girl."

Maverick leaned back, she had heard multiple introductions to flight lectures before.

✈️✈️✈️✈️

Maverick was playing cards with Ghostrider on the table, playing Gin Rummy. Iceman sat on the edge of the table he pulled around Maverick. He was like a vulture swooping in for the kill. Goose was goofing off with Sundown, Flamethrower and Human Torch, Wolfman. Maverick smirked, feeling Icemans cold presence over her shoulder lingering then he leaned over her shoulder to look at her cards. She got a wiff of Mens Axe, Fresh Rain scented.

"Play that one Mav." He whispered in her ear and grinned at Ghostrider then sat on the edge of the table they were playing on.

"Gin Rummy!!!" Mav said proudly.

"Damnit!" Ghostrider said and revealed his cards since he lost instantly. Ghostrider lost to a woman, which made the whole thing even worse. Iceman smiled and patted Mavericks shoulder.

"I expect to see you at the bar later tonight Mav. You're one of us y'know?" Iceman told her. His every being frustrated Maverick, but at the same time Iceman intrigued her. She nodded and picked up her collective jaw off the floor as Ice got cocky, cockily putting the toothpick in between his lips never looking away from Mavericks brown eyes. If only she could see past his aviators then she'd know what Iceman was really trying to say to her.

"I'll be there." Maverick managed to say without sounding stupid. God that man's stupidly attractive and Maverick didn't know why he chose her to tease like that. She shook her head watching Iceman walk away with Flamethrower in tow. Maverick awkwardly cleared her throat and got up. The scrape of the chairs leg across the floor cause Gooses little group to look up.

"You play a mean game of Gin Rummy Mitchell, I'll give ya that. I'll see ya later tonight. Remember wear your dress whites."

"Good game Mav. And I won't forget. Find yourself a white dress, something pretty ok?" Ghostrider told Maverick.

"Oh I will Pete Mitchell." Maverick said putting her aviators on then left the hangar to get ready for tonight. But first she needed a white dress.