Tom "Iceman" Kazanski had never been one to brood about his problems.

This problem, however, merited at least a small amount of brooding. It's not like he would describe it as a problem so much as an ever-present-distraction-kinda-thing-that-he-wanted-so badly-but-couldn't-fathom-what-would-happen-if-he-was-wrong. Which was strange, because he usually just took what he wanted, not so much asking permission as flashing a pure white tigerlike grin.

This thing that was causing him so much grief? Just a certain dynamic pilot named Pete Mitchell a.k.a. Maverick.

And there couldn't have been a more fitting callsign for the renegade pilot. Everything about the man screamed Maverick, from the way he looked in his darkened sunglasses to the recklessly artful way he flew. But what had drawn Ice to the short pilot in the first place was that unshakable air of danger about him. There was something alluring about that his devil-may-care attitude that shattered Tom's normally calm and cool nature and left him rambling. He'd get lost in those blue eyes and the game was over, folks, go on home. Tom Kazanski knew that even he was among the best at Top Gun, Pete Mitchell was his real rival in skill as well as something else, some other tangent that Iceman didn't want to breach.

As all these thoughts were rattling around in his mind, he had been absently peeling the label off of the amber-colored bottle in front of him. Ice was at one of his familiar haunts, a small but rather noisy pub an easy couple blocks' walk from the school. However, on this particular night; the bar was empty save for Tom, the bartender, an older man at the end of the bar, and a young couple sitting in a booth.

At that moment, a slow song came on the jukebox, echoing about the empty room with a lazy beat and a rather sorrowful-sounding woman's voice singing the words. The song progressed for a few moments before the young couple got up and moved to the center of the empty dancefloor. There the young man put his arms around his girlfriend's waist and she leaned on his chest and they swayed there in that place, the very picture of careless love.

Ice gave a small smirk, jealous deep down of the couple's place on the floor, wishing it to be him and Maverick instead. At that thought, Tom could feel his face flush deeply and instead turned to the bartender. He needed something stronger to deal with all this. The bartender, noticing Iceman's gaze, got up from his perch on a stool behind the bar and approached the pilot.

"What can I get you tonight?"

"Give me two of your strongest," Ice replied, keeping his head down. He heard the bartender pour a liquid into two tiny glasses on the bar in front of him and retreat back to his stool. The melancholy song on the jukebox ended and gave way to another song with a slightly faster tempo, but with a male singer and a steady drumbeat accompanied by a light acoustic guitar.

Ice looked up at the two shotglasses on the bar in front of him, glittering with a seemingly innocent clear liquid. He picked up the first one and whispered under his breath, "Maverick. Pete Mitchell. Here's one to tell you," he tossed back the shot quickly and half-coughed as the alcohol burned its way down his throat and simmered in his stomach. Tom picked up the next glass.

"And one to make you believe."

He couldn't decide if the second one was better or worse than the first, but damn did it burn anyways. The song on the jukebox seemed to be encouraging him with a refrain of 'go on, say it right...'

And Tom Kazanski wondered if he really could say it right.

A/N: Hoo! Finally, I wrote this down. This plot popped into my head one slow day at werk (yes, I spell 'work' that way when I'm referring to my job, what of it?) and I just had to pursue it. So there it is. I like this pairing so much. It's canon as far as I'm concerned. :pouty face:

So the songs on the jukebox. The first one is 'Heart of Chambers' by Beach House and the second is 'Go On, Say It' by Blind Pilot. I love them both and think they fit here pretty well. I might continue with this, but it's a one shot for now.

***I own neither the songs listed above nor anything pertaining to Top Gun. So there.***

R&R is always appreciated, lovely readers. Cake and wishes for everyone!