Stars - Iceman (Top Gun)

Three

Sarah somehow found herself being dragged to a party with the other pilots. She had to admit though, the uniforms looked sleek. As she looked around, she noticed a lot of women here.

"This is what I call a target-rich environment," Pete said, smiling. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"You live your life between your legs, Mav," Nick said, leading him away.

"Goose, even you could get laid in a place like this," Nick's voice trailed off.

Sarah was left alone, so she decided to mingle. She spotted Hollywood and sat down next to him.

"Hey, how's it goin'?" She asked.

"Pretty good," He downed his drink.

Sarah scanned the room until she spotted the blonde-haired pilot from yesterday. Just the sight of him made her boiling mad. He looked over and noticed her, and she quickly switched her gaze over to Hollywood.

Pete called her over and she waved bye to Hollywood. She will get him to talk more one day.

Goose motioned over to the blonde-haired pilot. "Mav, you wanna know who the best is? That's him, Iceman."

Iceman, huh. She saw him take a sip of his drink, a lady on his arm.

"It's the way he flies, ice cold, no mistakes. Wears you down, get bored and frustrated, he's got you." Goose continued.

Sarah narrowed her eyes. She is going to win this competition. She looked back towards Pete.

Another man walked over and Goose said, "Hey, hey, Slider, thought you wanted to be a pilot, man, what happened?"

"Goose, you're such a dickhead, who's butt did you kiss to get in here?" Slider responded.

"Well, the list is long and distinguished."

"Yeah, well, so is my Johnson."

He threw back his drink.

"So, you're flying with Iceman, huh?"

"It's Mr. Iceman to you."

Ice suddenly walked over, and Sarah made to leave. "Hey, Mother Goose, how's it going?"

"Goin' pretty good, this is Pete Mitchell," Goose motioned to Pete, "Tom Kazansky."

Sarah started to walk away when Pete grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Why did he have to do this? She put a fake smile on her face.

"This is Sarah Woods, Tom Kazansky." Goose said to Tom.

"Congratulations on Top Gun, both of you," Tom said, shaking their hands. Tom's hand was rough and calloused, and her hand felt so small in his.

"Thank you," They both replied.

"Sorry to hear about Cougar, he and I were like brothers in flight school. He was a good man," Tom addressed Pete. Sarah wondered who Cougar was, but she saw that they clearly had no interest in her anymore. She walked away to the bar.

"Hey, I'll take some beer." She said to the bartender. He got her a bottle, and she took a swig. A few minutes later, she saw Ice walk towards her. Oh, give me a break.

"Sarah, is it?" He sat down beside her.

"Yeah, what do you want?" She replied, taking another swig of beer.

"I want to know what your problem is. Why do you hate me?"

"Well, for one, the look on your face tells me that you don't want me as a pilot because I am a woman. You're gonna have to suck it up and deal with me!"

Tom looked shocked. "I'm sorry, I'm just not used to seeing women as pilots. In fact, you're the first one."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I won't be the last."

She heard the voices of Pete and Nick at the other end of the bar. "Jeez, can I get a break around here?"

Tom looked at them. "They are crazy."

They started singing "You Lost That Lovin' Feeling", and all of the pilots joined in. Tom and Sarah looked at each other and laughed.

"No way am I doing this," Sarah said.

She saw Pete talking to a woman at the bar and could tell it was successful. She laughed again and Tom smiled. Why does his smile have to be so great?

He got off the barstool and waved for her to come over. She hesitated, but eventually went. They walked outside together and could hear the music from the bar playing.

"It got a bit loud in there, don't you think?" Tom asked, a glimmer in his eye.

"Yes..." Sarah looked at him. "Why do you want me here? You have all the women you want in the bar, have a go at them."

"You're different. You are a pilot. I want to get to know you better," Tom said, grabbing her arm.

With one fluid yank, she knocked his arm away. "Don't touch me. We can talk, but no touching. I don't fully trust you yet."

"Okay, well, what's your callsign?"

"Riser," she said, her voice cold.

"Riser? What inspired that one?"

"It's because I rise above the ranks, like I'm gonna do at Top Gun. I was the youngest pilot in my division back home, and they allowed me in here, since I am of age."

"Is that a challenge?" Tom smirked.

"Yes, it is, now if you'll excuse me, I've got someone to talk to."

She walked back into the bar, leaving Tom alone outside. He wished she could talk to him more. Maybe if he found out her likes and dislikes, it would help.

Sarah arrived beside Nick just as the woman Pete was talking to walked out.

"Your friend was magnificent," she said.

Nick and Sarah looked confused, and Pete walked out, adjusting his shirt and a satisfied look on his face. Sarah got the message. Nick looked at him. "Nahhhhhh", he said.

Pete went back to the bar and got a few drinks.

After the party, the group walked back outside. Tom was standing there. Pete and Nick waved goodbye to her, and she walked over to him.

"Were you... waiting for me?" Sarah asked him.

"No, I was just conveniently standing here." Tom said sarcastically.

"What is your end goal here?"

"To get to know you better. You left after I asked you your callsign."

"Well, this isn't 20 questions."

"I could say that to you, miss 'what's your deal?'"

A look of anger crossed her face. "Fine then."

Tom grabbed her arm. "Do you have a ride?"

Sarah didn't, but the thought of spending more time with Tom made her uneasy. "No, but I'll walk."

Tom pulled her to his car and opened the door for her. "After you."

Sarah felt a blush creep up, but she recovered quickly. She was not going to let him see her like this.

He got in and started the car. They drove back to the barracks. He dropped her off at her special quarters with a "good night" and drove off.

She walked into the building, changed, and sat on her bed with a sigh. Even though he made her mad, she did want to talk to him more. She refused to admit it.

She laid down on her bed, and as she drifted off, the echo of Tom's "good night" played on repeat in her head.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! If you have any suggestions, please let me know!