Calian

Don't think about about Slider who is not burying Admiral Kazansky but Tommy, the 7 year old boy he met when he was a kid, with scraped knees and a gaping hole where his front teeth should be, Tommy the 16 year old who showed up on the Kerners porch with a split lip and nowhere to go, Tommy the 26 years old who finally let himself love and whose smile Slider would never forget.

Don't think about Hollywood and Wolfman, holding onto each other's hands tightly as they give the man who saved their lives and united them in sickness and health, one last salute, wobbly and half assed because Ice always gave them shit for it and there was no way he would accept a crisp one from them now.

Don't think about Slider bringing Ice's helmet to Mav&Ice's after the wake - the helmet Ice had worn on their last ride together and that they had decided to exchange, Slider's own sitting proudly on the shelves in Ice's now vacant office.

Don't think about him putting it on the coffee table once everyone has settled, nor about Sunny placing a shot of Ice's favorite vodka next to it, tapping the glass gently against the helmet, just once, with a wet whisper of 'cheers, kaz'.

Whatever you do, don't think about that shot of vodka, staying untouched for three days until Mav accidentally knocks it over after bumping into the coffee table.

Don't think about him saying 'no no no no no' under his breath, setting the little glass upright with trembling fingers.

Don't think about Slider finding him kneeling there when he comes around to check on him the next day, hunched and still sobbing minutely despite having no tears left to cry.

Don't think, don't think about Slider unable to hold back his own when Mav just says they need to pour another because Ice didn't drink it, Mav spilled it, they need to pour another and god, Ice always hated to waste thing, even cheap vodka, Sli, he's going to be annoying about this if he finds out.

Don't think about Slider patting Mav's head with a shaky hand, 'sure thing, short stack, but we need to clean up first', kneeling next to him, not knowing anymore for who his heart was breaking - Mav, Ice, himself.

Don't think about the flyboys taking turns spending the day there, for Maverick's sake but also for their own, because they didn't bury a colleague that day, they buried Ice, they buried family.