After watching Top Gun Maverick for the first time, and noticing the behaviour between Rooster an Phoenix, I was convinced they had a thing for each other, but due to the fact I couldn't find enough fanfics of them together, I decided to add one myself.

Chapter 1:

Living the life on the beach, his beach chair set up, a cold one in his right hand. Shades over the eyes. The sun shining on his torso, waves crashing onto the sand, a gentle breeze between his ears, total… peace.

But that isn't all, emerging from the said waves, rising from the water, a soaking wet woman, dark hair stuck to her neck, shoulder and back. Seawater dripping off of her swimsuit, the wind blowing her wet skin dry as she heads towards him.

Lowering his shades to admire the beauty of a woman in front of him.

Slowly approaching him, a light sway in her hips, she went to stand in front of him, "Seems I forgot to set up my chair." Mischief sparkling in her eyes.

Immediately, Rooster cleared a spot for her, right on his lap. "You can sit right here, baby girl." He was grinning. Her alluring smile even made her male companion even more aroused, slowly, she lowered herself onto Rooster's lap.

Her soaked skin contacting his dry silk shirt, wet neck met with dry lips, her ocean-soaked fingers trailing from his cheek down to base of his throat.

"You know, I lost track of the number of times you said you love me?" she asked, her hand traveling down south.

"I lost track myself." He teased.

But a voice kept calling him, but from where?

He fired up, he was asleep behind the desk in his quarters, and dang, he had been dreaming of her again, he just couldn't help it, he was in love with her!

The hatch was open and there she stood the woman he wanted, but couldn't have, rules were important to him, but right now, he could give a rat's ass about the regulations.

"Something you need?" he asked.

She stepped inside and closed the hatch behind her, pulling the bun loose to make her hair flow down her back, two buttons loose on her uniform blouse, walking over to him, he was unsure of what was happening.

But before he could speak, her lips were planted firmly onto his. His eyes were wide, while hers were squeezed shut, as if she was afraid to open them, he had to take a second to realize what she was doing, but when he did, he shuts his eyes too.

"What's the idea?" he asked through his lips. But she didn't speak, she just kept kissing him, "I thought I lost you forever." Was all she said, before her lips contacted his again.

"I am okay, there's not much you can worry about." Rooster assured. But the lady wasn't convinced, in fact, she had a confession to make: "I am in love with you, Bradley, I have been since the day we met at Top Gun. And I can't imagine a life without you in it.".

He was silent, his dream has come true! It actually has!

"I feel the same way Natasha, I feel the same.".

He jumps from his sleep, knocking his head against the ceiling. "Ow!" rubbing the soar spot, and breathing deeply, he had another one of those dreams. "Ah hell, why do I dream of this kind of stuff?".

Luckily, he woke up just in time for breakfast, with a few stretches, and slipping into his flight suit, opening the hatch, and leaving for the galley.

On his way, Maverick joined him, "Hey kid, how are you doing?".

"Doing good sir, just a little hungry." The two walked in chatter to the galley, mostly about their near-death experience over that forsaken wasteland! But it was maybe the push they needed to get their heads out of their backsides and start talking.

Arriving, the galley was packed with people, getting a private seat would be impossible. But the two men managed, the table near the door was empty, so the two men sat down and relaxed, but then… she came in.

Poor Bradley nearly choked on his egg salad sandwich when she walked past him, and he couldn't help but stare at her, a look of longing in his eye.

Maverick, noticing his companion, gauging over her, waves his hand in front of Bradley's face.

Shaking himself from his trans, he forced himself to look over to Maverick, "Sorry, you said something?" he asked, trying to cover up his moment of desire. But he didn't fool Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.

"Spill it, kid. What's going on?" the highly decorated captain ordered.

Sweat ran down his spine, his ears ringing slightly, "IHADATHINGFORPHOENIXSINCEIMETHERINTHEACADEMY!" he blurted out. But ol' Maverick didn't catch it. "What?".

"I had a thing for Phoenix since the day I met her in the academy!" he repeated.

Silence…

"You're kidding me, right?" Maverick asked, hoping he heard wrong.

But Rooster wasn't kidding, as a matter of fact, he has been admiring her from afar, whenever she was in the room, he always tried to keep his cool, until he had a short-term affair with her, but when he was shipped out, he thought he would never see her again, up to the point when he saw her in the bar the day he was called back.

"Does… does anyone else know?" Maverick hoped no one else knew.

"No." Rooster felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "No one, I swear.".