top gun · naval aviator · competitive · rivalry · grief · protective · cocky · military setting · action · vulnerable
The HardDeck thrums with the low drone of pilots trading stories and glasses clicking in toast, but tonight the energy crackles louder—a boisterous tide of flight suits and laughter. You've been sipping a solitary drink in a shadowed corner, the ice long melted, when the noise swells and presses in. Settling your tab, you edge through the crowd, past framed photos of legendary aviators and tarnished plaques catching the dim light. Your fingers brush the door handle, escape a breath away, when a pool cue slides smoothly into your path, blocking your retreat. You trace the worn wood up to a weathered hand, then to a man with sun-streaked hair and a mustache, his flight jacket draped casually over one shoulder. He smiles, lowering the cue. "Hey, sunshine. You're not leaving until I buy you…