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1
Maverick glared at Ice from across the room.
Top Gun had started a few weeks ago, and in those weeks Mav had grown no fonder of Tom “pretentious dick” Kazansky.
At first the rivalry was a fun and exciting prospect for him; but not only was Ice actually really good at flying, none of Maverick’s taunts seemed to phase him. (Naturally, this defeated the point of messing with him, not that he stopped.)
But the thing that got to him him the most, more than the arrogance or the maturity or how he was taller: the thing that really made him want to strangle Ice was the fucking gum.
It was so distracting. Like, it definitely wasn’t Mav’s fault he was being distracted.
There was some important lecture going on, something about new protocols or blah blah blah. All that Mav could focus on was the annoying rhythmic pop…pop of Ice chewing his stupid gum and blowing continuous bubbles. Goose nudged Mav with his elbow.
“ Stop glaring at Kazansky you weirdo. ” He whispered, pulling Mav out of his thoughts. Though, his eyes were considerably harder to pull away.
“ Why does he have to fucking chew gum the whole time? ” Mav whispered back.
“ Sundown AND Hollywood are also chewing gum Mav…”
Now that he mentioned it…Ice wasn’t the only one with gum in the class.
But boy, was he the only one that made Mav’s blood boil.
2
Ice’s jaw muscles rippled as he chewed the gum, drawing Mav’s attention in ways he didn’t want to think about.
The gum-chewer in question was currently in a heated debate with Sundown and Hollywood about what type of gum was the best.
“Stick gum is real gum.” Ice pompously decreed.
Sundown shook his head, “Nah, what about the little pellet kind? Those are way better.”
“I like the gumballs you get from those crusty machines in the back of grocery stores.” Hollywood said way too proudly.
Ice recoiled.
“Dude, that's so nasty those things are like relics from the 60s.”
“Yeah but there is the element of ~surprise~.” Hollywood emphasized the last word with a flourish of hands.
“What’s the ‘surprise’? The 50/50 chance of choking to death on some musty-ass rubber balls?”
Despite Ice’s cynicism, Hollywood didn’t back down.
Goose joined in the conversation ( traitor ) to say that his favorite form of gum was “The tape dispenser kind.” To which Hollywood agreed and no doubt gave Ice’s superiority complex a nice boost.
This little group continued their light-hearted bickering and Mav felt very excluded. Not that he wanted to be included. It was such a dumb thing to talk about anyway.
“Gum is so gross. It’s just chewing your own cud.” He interjected.
That killed the conversation nicely.
Ice turned in his seat, giving Mav the classic mean-girl look over.
“Well, I feel sorry for every poor girl that’s had to kiss you and your bad breath.”
“Yeah right, Kazansky.” Mav rolled his eyes, trying not to think about the blush creeping up his neck. What a dick.
“Well I’m just saying,” Ice smirked, chewing while he talked. “ I’ve never gotten any complaints.”
Mav glared, stop blushing why are you blushing . “Neither have I.”
3
It was now day 9,730 of Ice and his stupid gum chewing. At least, that’s how it felt to Mav.
Every classroom they shared, every after hop briefing, every hangar was full of the stupid cocky pilot and his arrogant display of bubble-blowing prowess.
Even worse was the times when Ice would converse with Mav, his face sooooo uncomfortably close, and masticating that piece of rubber like there was no tomorrow.
The group was toweling off in the locker room after a hop, chatting freely.
“You guys sucked today!” Chipper laughed, pointing a joking finger at Wolfman and Hollywood.
“ Whatever. Hey, who wants to get a burger? I’m starving!” Wolf called out.
Someone probably replied. Mav didn’t know. He wasn’t actually paying attention so everyone sounded like the parents in Peanuts cartoons: wah wa wuh wah…
As was his tendency now, he was fixated on Ice who was actually – shit, he was talking to him –. “...that’s why me n’ Sli are getting that Topgun plaque.”
Yeah…Mav didn’t need to know what the beginning of that sentence was. Instead of responding to said taunt, he growled out a simple “Quit the chewing, Kazansky.”
Ice raised an eyebrow, asking “Why?” even though of course he knew.
Mav rolled his eyes.
“Because you sound like a fucking goat.”
A chorus of Ooh s and Damn s followed that zinger.
Of course, Ice wasn’t phased.
“Yeah?” Ice smiled, “I just think you’re just jealous.”
“Jealous? That what– you can blow a stupid little bubble?” Mav scoffed. “ Please .”
Ice reached into his pocket and pulled out a stick of gum like it was a grenade that he was daring Mav to juggle.
“Prove it.”
Mav looked steadfastly into his challenger’s eyes. He swiped the stick of proffered gum out of Ice’s hand, unwrapping it quickly and pushing it into his mouth.
The minty flavor seared at his tongue.
I’ll show him . He thought defiantly.
He pursed his lips and blew.
The gum-wad shot out of his mouth and landed with a dull plop on the concrete floor. Basically everyone stared in silence at the tiny green blob, until, of course, everyone burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Mav looked in horror at the little blob that had just single handedly made him the lamest guy in the universe. Well, he thought, guess I have to jump off a bridge now.
Goose quickly grabbed Mav by the flight suit and hauled him away from the scene of the crime.
4
“Ok, what happened yesterday was truly a…well…blow to your bad-boy image. Pun not intended.”
Maverick glared at Goose. After several hours of Mav planning: ideas included; handing in his wings; jumping off a bridge; plotting to stage his own death and start a new life in Mexico; Goose had finally intervened.
“Instead of your colorful ideas to escape this situation, I’m going to teach you how to blow a bubble.”
Shockingly, this solution had never crossed his mind. But–
“Now I know what you’re thinking, ‘But Goose! My image is ruined! The damage is done!’” Goose said this in a horrible impression of Mav’s voice. Gee thanks. Goose continued.
“But never fear! With my skills you can simply pretend that you meant for that mishap to occur. I'll give you the power to mesmerize, nay, enchant ! people who watch–”
Mav cut him off. “Okay! Jesus Goose I give in.”
Goose dumped a pile of gum in various forms on the table.
“Ok, let’s begin.”
“Ok so chew the gum until it’s like, together in a wad. Then with your tongue, like, kinda flatten it into a disk on the top of your mouth. Then, like, push the tip of your tongue into the disk to create a divot and blow air into that. Make sure that you don’t let your lips open too much this time.”
If this were a videoed piece of media, there would be a montage of Mav trying and failing to blow a bubble. The first attempt ended within seconds, with the gum once again shooting out of his mouth. A handful of clips of him just spitting everywhere and the gum not budging. Somehow he managed to eject the gum and then blow a raspberry. Finally, he got the sad start of a bubble, but it was too thin and so it gave way as soon as it formed.
The montage closes with Goose shaking his head dramatically. Hopeless .
5
Enough time had passed that the squad had started ribbing him only occasionally about the notorious “Gum Incident”. Ice, however, had been oddly quiet on the matter.
Maverick, had he bested Ice, would have lorded it over him forever. The odd restraint (read: maturity) his rival was showing was unsettling.
Mav tried to make up the cool-points he lost in the air: flying circles around everyone else and climbing steadily at the top of the class. On the ground, he just tried to ignore Ice altogether.
Maverick was content with this arrangement.
Mav saw Ice in the hallway and cursed, trying to turn and go the other way before he was spotted.
“You avoiding me Mitchell?” Ice called. Damn.
He turned to face the taller man.
“You would think that.” Mav feigned a self-assurity he did not currently have.
Ice, gum in tow, would not let this be.
“Are you still upset about the gum thing?”
Mav scowled. “Well it hasn’t stopped being annoying.”
Ice stepped closer. “I still think you’re jealous.”
Mav took a step of his own, his stupid heart beating stupidly fast.
“In. your. dreams.”
Ice pursed his lips ( fuck why are his lips so perfect. Mav cursed to himself) and blew a large pink bubble right in Mav’s face.
Then, in a move that he would be proud of for years to come, Mav stuck a finger out and popped it, causing a thin film of semi-transparent pink to splat on Ice’s now not-so-smug expression.
Mav grinned wildly to himself as he walked away. Ice left standing behind, stunned.
6 Ice’s pov
Ice leaned against his locker with his arms crossed.
Today was a good day. Him and Slider had finally beaten their way back to the top of the class. Maverick was clearly not happy about it– which made the win that much better.
Wolf was congratulating him and Slider on their win, but Ice was focused on the sore-loser sulking in the corner. With how cocky Mav had been acting recently, Ice relished the sight.
Deciding to be even more of a dick, he waited until Mav shot a glance his way before very pointedly taking out a stick of gum and popping it in his mouth.
The others had begun to take notice of this showdown happening. After last time, this promised an exciting show.
Ice took a few chews and then, with practiced skill and eyes locked on Maverick’s, blew a bubble with a pop.
Mav pushed off the bench where he was sitting and stomped over to Ice. Then, with everyone watching, Mav gripped Ice’s neck, yanked his head down and planted his mouth firmly on Ice’s.
Ice’s eyes went wide as Mav slipped his tongue through Ice’s lips and into his mouth. His stomach was doing flips, both from the incredible kiss (seriously this man was an artist) and the very present awareness that they were in a room full of other people.
Hollywood was the first to let out a whoop followed by Wolfman’s howl of laughter. The rest soon joined in, whistles and jeers accompanying Ice getting his face sucked off.
Then just as suddenly as it started, Mav broke the kiss and stepped away from Ice.
Unlike Ice, who was now standing in a blushing flustered state of shock, Mav was as cool as a cucumber and had something between his teeth.
Wait.
Ice’s brain had just enough time to register that Maverick Mitchell had just stolen his gum out of his fucking mouth , when the incredible happened.
Mav blew a bubble.
The crowd went wild. Someone started a Maverick! Maverick! Chant and everyone was clapping him on the back. No doubt the occasion would have been significantly less applauded had it not been the Iceman that he defeated.
Honestly though? Ice didn’t even care. His lips were still buzzing from the kiss and watching Maverick’s smug grin as he chewed Ice’s gum was making him feel things .
Just when he thought the cheering couldn’t get any louder, it turned into a deafening roar as Mav grabbed Ice by the hand and pulled him out of the room; whistles flying and Ice stumbling after Mav out the door.
The second they were in the hallway, Mav spit out the gum, pushed Ice’s back into the wall, and kissed him again. Ice was 1% more coherent this time, enough to snake his hands up Mav’s back and bunch in the brunette’s hair.
Mav pulled back and looked up at Ice, satisfied.
“You know Kazansky, if I knew you tasted like that , I’d have kissed you a long time ago.”
Ice only had the brain cells to raise his eyebrows.
“But Watermelon gum? From the Iceman? I gotta say I’m surprised.”
“Oh shut up Mitchell.” Ice scoffed and pulled him in for another kiss. This time he noticed that Mav’s mouth now tasted like watermelon too.