Mavdad - Blog Posts

new headcanon for the dialogue here:

rooster, pulling back from the hug, laughing to himself: “you know, I always dreamed of flying with you as a kid.”

mav, visibly touched, smiling like a doofus, probably concussed let’s be real: “hmm. and the verdict?”

rooster, exhausted smile, shaking his head, definitely concussed amirite: “absolutely never again.”

and then they laugh and the photo’s taken 📸❤️

maverick knows his pilots miss him because of the little things they share. the texts he gets and the pictures. always at random, sporadic and unprompted.

things like —

fanboy telling him they nailed a test run for a new mission because of the way mav taught them to fly.

you two would’ve done that all on your own. proud of you.

phoenix telling him she’s up for promotion and hoping he can make it to the ceremony since it’s his fault she’s gotten even better in the air.

you were always going to soar, phoenix. i’ll be there.

coyote telling him, not for the first time, how grateful he is that maverick knows the importance of getting everyone home alive.

nothing wrong with a little hope, right?

just. small things that make mav’s chest ache every time with something proud and fond and soft because he may not be flying for the navy anymore, but these kids are absolutely making sure he still feels like he is.

If Mav and Bradley made up before TG:M — how badly do you think Mav would tease Bradley about Hangman?

(timeline being: pulled papers - Jake/Bradley dating then breaking up - Bradley at Top Gun/Ice's diagnosis - Mav and Bradley making up for Ice's sake - Mav finding out about Jake - TG:M happening)

At the Hard Deck, Mav and Bradley are supposed to meet up, but Mav still hears the whole Bradley/Jake exchange and teases him miserably at home. You look good? Really, Bradley?

And then the next day, on the tarmac. Not the type I'd take you for, but I can see the appeal. And then, Dad, stop.

And then he keeps on pairing them up for training. You know, like a teacher who knows two of his students have crushes on each other but one of those students is his son.

And then on the beach. Do you need to borrow my sunglasses, Bradley? Do you want a tissue for that drool? Should I call you an ambulance for the heatstroke you're having? Is that sunburn or are you blushing? And a very embarrassed, you took this training to the beach on purpose, Mav.

(Meanwhile Jake is just really confused why the heck Bradley knows that old timer so well and why they're so close...)

maverick knows his pilots miss him because of the little things they share. the texts he gets and the pictures. always at random, sporadic and unprompted.

things like —

fanboy telling him they nailed a test run for a new mission because of the way mav taught them to fly.

you two would’ve done that all on your own. proud of you.

phoenix telling him she’s up for promotion and hoping he can make it to the ceremony since it’s his fault she’s gotten even better in the air.

you were always going to soar, phoenix. i’ll be there.

coyote telling him, not for the first time, how grateful he is that maverick knows the importance of getting everyone home alive.

nothing wrong with a little hope, right?

just. small things that make mav’s chest ache every time with something proud and fond and soft because he may not be flying for the navy anymore, but these kids are absolutely making sure he still feels like he is.

Maverick is the greatest Dad (disregarding that one mistake) not only to Bradley who he officially adopted when the other turned 16 and Carole Bradshaw passed away in a bright San Diego Hospital room, but to his unofficially adopted Dagger kids. Jake had even given him a Father’s Day card last June which is proudly hung up on his kitchen fridge.

But for as much as he loves his kids there’s 12 of them and he’s not had too great a memory since the great head bump accident of ‘89.

Aka Maverick calling his kids the wrong name for 5 minutes

-

“Jake pass me the salt it’s in the storage cabinet”

Javy “Coyote” Machado who had been leaning against the door way for the kitchen while he watched Maverick try and replicate one of his moms dishes- because he was feeling home sick and the older man confidently told him he could replicate it if he had the recipe- simply raised an eyebrow at the mistake.

“I hope you know my name isn’t Jake at this point in our relationship because if not it’s a little concerning”

Maverick just groaned as he leaned his head back before looking at him unexpectedly

“You know what I meant Javy just go get the god damn salt”

-

Maverick for as little as he knows about football, hosts Sunday football every season because he once caught Jake sulking on the ship because Sunday football started that Sunday and the ship didn’t have a stable internet connection so he had to miss it and since then his kids come and get drunk every Sunday at his house.

All of them were scattered amongst his living room (which used to only have one couch and an arm chair for Ice but has since been reorganized to fit 3 for his many long legged kids) watching some program Bradley had wanted to watch.

Said son was still holding onto the remote and as much as he loved him the game started in 5 minutes and Jake was fidgeting in anxiousness because of the possibility of maybe missing the game for some weird nature show about birds.

“Brigham- no shit, Billy fuck, Bob- BRADLEY”

4 heads turned his way confused at hearing their names and he just sighed annoyed he had to go through 3 different kids before getting to the one he need to talk to

“Damn it Bradley please pass the remote”

His legal son just chuckled before tossing him the remote and letting him change the channel, having been called too many wrong names to count at this point that he was very used to this name game.

Whatever it’s not his fault there are 4 different kids with a name that starts with ‘B’

-

“Natasha I swear to god I do not need glasses you guys are exaggerating, how could I have flown for 30 years if I needed glasses”

His daughter was currently driving him to her optometrist for an eye exam cause she swears that he needs glasses after bumping into his furniture a few too many times to count

“First of all my name is Callie, second of all bob has glasses and can go airborne, and third aging fucks up your eyesight gradually I’m sure you can see fine enough but it’s clearly getting worse and at this point you’d be a danger in the air so shut up and sit back you’re making me panic by leaning forward in the seat like that you child”

If maverick had leaned back and pouted at being scolded by someone half his age and then scowling for accidentally proving her point than that’s between him Callie and god so mind your business Ice I can already hear your loud cackle from up there.

-

Next time it happened may have been the most disastrous time yet because they were currently playing dogfight football and calling the wrong name to catch or pass a ball to him was just asking for a disaster.

“Hey bob ball!”

His brain did not in fact process that Bob had been 5 feet away from him and looked over in confusion as Jake who was his intended target was still facing the other way when he threw the pass and hit the Blonde square in the back of the head”

The newly injured blonde just looked around pissed while rubbing the back of his head, “Ow what the hell who hit me!”

He watched as 10 other hands pointed in his direction and in a panic pointed at Bradley who had been very offended at the false accusation

When Jake flipped him off he just rubbed his neck and apologized before they resumed the game and not 5 minutes later then hit Bob in the chest when he accidentally called out for Jake, whoops.

-

You would think this was only a verbal issue but unfortunately it turns out he still types in and calls the wrong name in his phone.

Last night he had walked into Bradley’s house hoping to talk to him about organizing thanksgiving when he had found a shirtless Jake Seresin in his son’s lap on the couch and kissing him so passionately that when they pulled away at the sound of the front door opening he saw one sliver of spit connecting their mouths before he backed straight out the door and decided it could wait for the morning

The issue however is that Maverick decided he would be a sensible adult and be mature enough to call Jake and have a proper discussion about him and Bradley, but accidentally typed and clicked on Harvards contact instead of Hangman’s

The man groggily picked up after 4 rings having clearly been woken up by the incoming call from his superior officer, “Hello sir d’ya need something”

“Listen son I like you a lot and I would do anything for the sake of your happiness but last night I saw you and Bradley kissing half naked on his couch and not to assume your relationship with him but I have many questions most importantly what intentions do you have with my son”

The blonde didn’t say anything for a couple seconds but he could hear shuffling so he knew the other was still on the phone

“Sir I did not have sexual relations with that man I would never do that to Jake, are you sure you’re calling the right person”

Only then after hearing his kids clear voice and not the jumbled half asleep croak it was a minute ago does he look down at his phone screen and see ‘Harvard’ written there and a picture of him smiling wide in a birthday hat and cake splattered over his face from his birthday

“Well it appears I have called the wrong kid my apologies Logan I’ll leave you back to your sleep”

“Yeah okay bye”

-

Okay so sure he messed up their names a lot but in the end of the day he loved his kids and they just accepted that this was another one of his long list of quirks they just have to come to accept and love, because for all his faults that’s their dad and they love him.

jakes about an hour late to the latest iceman-maverick (icemav for short, as phoenix has coined) barbecue, so he’s just passing through the kitchen, not even thinking as he tosses out an easy “hey pops,” to the hosts on his way towards the doors to the backyard.

two voices call back in response. “hey kid.” “good to see you jake.”

he feels the pause. his hand hovers uncertainly over the door handle. slowly, he turns.

iceman and maverick, happily married couple, have suspended all kitchenly duties to glare at each other. “he was talking to me.”

“no, he was talking to me.”

“everyone calls me pops,” ice says, eyes narrowed. “bradley calls me pops. mickey calls me pops. even cyclone called me pops that one time that was embarrassing for all of us.”

maverick waves a hand at ice, the hand also wielding a knife he was using to chop watermelon. “yeah, but jake calls me pops. he called me pops before he knew you. that gives me pops rights.”

jakes debating just slipping out the door when they both turn towards him. in unison like good wingmen.

“jake, buddy, sport, slugger, who were you talking to?”

he offers a shrug. “uh, both of you, i guess.” it’s the truth, he wasn’t thinking too hard about it, his mind focused on getting to the backyard where he has it on good authority that his loving boyfriend is sweaty and shirtless and waiting for someone to share his lawn chair with.

ice purses his lips. “that won’t do.”

“we can’t both be pops,” maverick agrees. “that’s ridiculous.”

“right,” jake says, “that’s what’s ridiculous about this.”

“a challenge then,” ice forges on, ignoring him. “to determine who’s the better pops.”

solemn as their air boss, maverick sticks his hand out (sans knife) to shake on it. in some funhouse mirror reflection of that one photograph that seems to be everywhere, ice clasps his hand back.

and jake is somewhere between laughing, running, and bursting into tears. because no sane person has ever had this argument before and certainly not over him. nobody’s ever fought to be jake seresin’s pops before.

no one except these two ridiculous, crazy old men.