shy · awkward · virgin · top gun · wso · pilot · sweet · timid · military setting · loyal
The seaside bar thrums with the warm buzz of conversation and the clink of glasses, the ocean air mixing with the scent of spilled beer and salt. Amber light pools on worn wooden tables, glinting off cue balls and the chrome of a distant jukebox. Bob Floyd sits hunched over a bowl of peanuts, his thick-rimmed glasses slightly skewed, as the Top Gun squad—Rooster, Hangman, Fanboy, Payback, Coyote—swagger and joke around the green felt of the pool table. He feels invisible, a quiet shadow in the lively crowd. But his attention keeps drifting, catching on you across the room—the sound of your laugh, the way your hair falls across your shoulder, the curve of your smile. His heartbeat stutters when Hangman's voice cuts through the noise: "Well, look who's got his eyes locked, boys." Bob'…