Maelle Kazansky-Mitchell

Pete hadn’t been home since the funeral; couldn’t stomach it.

Not to his little hideout, nor to Tom’s mansion… but to their home. A small single-family home renovated over the years. Trophies, triumphs and memories all displayed on the walls, and in glass cases.

Pete thumbed the dog tags in his pocket as he walked. They were, of course, Tom’s. Gifted to him right after he put those golden wings into the wooden casket and said farewell to the love of his life.

Each step up to the front porch was heavy. The door creaked open and Pete was hit with the smell of home. Rustic pine, cool mint, and everything that usually calmed him down. It smelled like Tom as though he’d never left.

The door shut softly behind him, but all Pete could do was stand in the small foyer and look around. His vision blurs with unshed tears when the realization slammed into him.

No one would ever greet him again.

No one would ever hold him at night.

There was no one to have his back. To bring him down. To stop his spiral.

It took a few minutes of him fighting back sobs to finally start walking around. Memories surrounded him. Pete decided to head to their bedroom, and passed the office as he did so. But then, he stopped just after passing the double glass doors.

There was something on Tom’s desk.

Sitting on the dark, wooden surface was a large, clasp envelope. On top of it sat a smaller, white envelope. Both had Pete’s name written so eloquently on the front. His heart seized in his chest. What was this?

His fingers curl softly around the small envelope, bringing it up just so he could trace the letters with his other hand. Then, he carefully opened the envelope so it wouldn’t rip and ruin the writing.

Inside was a letter. Tom’s perfect handwriting.

And Pete began to read.

“Pete,

This is probably the first time you’ve been home since I passed. I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t be able to step foot in this house without you here either. Selfishly, that’s why I went first. I’m sorry. I did not want to leave you, but we all know life has a funny way of working.

Every day, I have regretted the silence we held over our relationship. Even as society became more accepting towards cases like ours, the fear of losing everything we worked hard for triumphed over us. I’m sorry we did not marry in this lifetime, Pete. Time wasn’t on our side- on my side, especially. I should have stepped up. Should have taken the chance.

And although it’s likely too late now, I am doing just that.

The large envelope on my desk contains our marriage license. Signed by me, officiated, notarized. All it needs is your signature. It also contains two rings. Identical, except for the engravings of our callsigns inside the bands. I had them specially made with gold and bits of scrap metal from an F-14. Something personable for us both.

I’m sorry that I can’t be around to wear mine, but I had it put on a chain in case you ever wanted it close to your heart.”

Pete swallowed the lump in his throat as he kept reading the letter from Tom. Tears slip down his cheeks. He could feel his heart ripping with every word he read.

“I promise you that I will find you in every life and I will fall in love with you all over again. I will find you in the afterlife and I will hold you tightly for eternity.

Don’t follow me too quickly, Maverick. That’s my final order to you. Live. For yourself, for me, for Bradley.

I love you, Pete Mitchell.

Yours always,

Tom Kazansky.”

Silence filled the room.

Then, the shuffling of the large envelope as Pete opened it and took out the items. The rings, one by itself and another on the chain. He swallowed again before slipping one onto his finger and followed by the chain around his neck. The marriage license sat there, waiting for his signature.

But all Pete could do was cling to the ring around his neck and sink to his knees behind the desk. He choked on a sob, but finally let it free.

Pete watched as his husband had started to fade. Slowed breaths, subtle movements. He held Tom tightly as the sun began to set on the horizon.

“Are you scared?” He whispered softly. Tom shook his head slowly.

“I am at peace in your arms, Pete.”

Pete felt his throat tighten. He continued to hold on as if clinging to Ice would keep his soul tethered to his body. By the early morning hours, Tom’s chest had stopped rising and falling. He was gone.

Wet trails stained Pete’s face for hours after his husband’s last breath. He cried in pain, in loss, in grief. How was he supposed to do this without his wingman? The love of his life? The one who grounded him and made him feel safe, and whole.

Morning came quickly. The sun rising over the horizon just as it fell hours ago. Pete looked down at Tom. His body still warm from being clung to all night long. “Take me with you,” Pete whispered, brokenly.

He knew that Ice would want him to live on. To be there for everyone, especially Baby Goose. But… Pete just couldn’t. He stared at his husband with a type of brokenness that couldn’t be fixed. The pain started slow but gradually increased.

He grasped at his chest.

Too tight.

Too painful.

His heart snapped. Pete didn’t fight it. He was at peace.

Later that morning, paramedics found the two men snuggled together. They knew Tom passed away from his sickness, but Pete? His death was caused by Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. Broken Heart Syndrome. A mirror to a heart attack.

What if Ice is actually good at dancing so while at the clubs or bars he’s just grooving to the music and then in comes Pete Mitchell just dancing like a mad man and having the time of his life. Over the course of Top Gun as Tom and Pete are falling deeper in love, Tom starts joining him on the dance floor. He matches his “perfect” dancing to Pete’s “erratic” dancing so it all flows smoothly and he gets to dance with his secret boyfriend

But then LATER AS THEY’RE TOGETHER for a long time, Pete finally learns to slow down because he can do that with Tom

And so at their wedding, their song together is a slow dance

And then later it becomes fun songs for dancing because Pete still wants to boogie and Tom is right there with him

Fast forward to when Mav and Ice are dating. One night at the bar, the theme is Hawaii and a Hula song starts playing. Mav, drunk as fudge, starts to Hula dance.

Ice is just staring with a beer in hand, eyes wide behind his aviators. He’s captivated by how smooth and perfect Mav is moving with the music. Everyone else is just having a BLAST and laughing and trying to copy Mav.

The next morning, Mav wakes up with a massive hangover and asks Ice what happened. And all Ice can manage to say is that he fell in love further with Mav.

Mav is so confused but he doesn’t find out what he did until Slider tells him that afternoon. He was morbidly embarrassed but Ice tells him not to be and that it was gorgeous and sexy.

So now on rare occasions, Mav will Hula dance for Ice in their little home because he can be is fullest truest self with his boyfriend.

…

Anyone…?

But then, Slider and Rooster step aside…

Tom and Pete see each other all dressed up, matching colors, heavy love in each other’s eyes.

Pete can’t help but tear up, and he can see Tom’s emotion being held back just barely.

They then rush to each other, and hug tightly.

“Enough delaying this,” Ice murmurs

In another universe, Mav and Ice are married. Ice still gets sick and he passes away. Mav can’t handle this. He lost Goose, he lost other friends he served with… but Ice? He couldn’t handle losing his husband, and his best friend. So, Pete suffered from broken heart syndrome and passed not even a day after Tom.

People mourned him, of course.