#hannix

BRING BACK ALL THE HANNIX FEELS!!!!

love you like a lover should (tell this world you're mine) top gun: maverick | phoenix/hangman | e | chapter 2/3

“I never would’ve taken you for such a goody two-shoes, Bagman.” He levels her with a firm glare. “I’d prefer to not get masted for fucking you in a storage closet, thanks.” She raises an eyebrow. “So you decided to give me one last fuck for the road?” She didn’t think he could be so sentimental. 

Ok I know it was said that originally Jake was supposed to be Iceman’s son. Let’s say he is, along with his twin brother, Tyler. They grew up mostly in Texas because that’s where their Aunt Sarah and Uncle Slider ended up when Ice started climbing the ranks. They decided as a family (Ice/Mav and Sarah/Slider) that the boys would be better off having a stable home. They did spend their summers with their dad and Mav whenever they could, and they would come visit the boys when they were on leave.

They knew Bradley, but weren’t especially close since he was several years older. Tyler was jealous of him because he lived with Ice and Mav after Carole died (he and Jake were offered the choice but Jake didn’t want to leave their school and Tyler didn’t want to leave Jake.)

Anyway, both boys were super excited about going to the Academy and becoming aviators like their dad(s) and uncles. They were popular in school, but while Jake played baseball and football, Tyler rode in the rodeo.

Tyler was good, like potentially going pro good, until he was stepped on by a bull when he was sixteen. It broke the bone in his thigh, leading to him having a rod put in to stabilize it. He woke up from surgery to see Jake passed out in Mav’s lap, and Mav crying as he held Tyler’s hand.

“Pops?” he croaked, squeezing his hand softly. “Where’s Dad?”

Mav wiped his tears and leaned over to kiss Tyler’s forehead. “He’s coming, baby. He had to wrap some stuff up in Hawaii, and I was closer so I got here faster.”

Tyler tried to figure out the look on Mav’s face. It reminded him of when someone would bring up Bradley. He wasn’t sure why he was on the other side of that look.

“Ty, baby, we need to talk,” Mav shuddered and braced himself, not ready to do this again, but he had to be the parent here. “They had to operate on your leg, sweetheart.”

Tyler glanced down, seeing the bulky cast that reached from his ankle almost to his hip. He remembered the blinding pain he felt as the bull came down directly on his thigh. He was pretty sure he’d passed out immediately.

“Okay? Am I going to lose my leg or something?” That would explain the look. Mav didn’t do pity, but he oozed empathy. He took everyone’s pain as his own.

Mav shook his head and grabbed his hand tighter. “No, baby, no! You’ll be just fine,” he assured him. “You have a long recovery ahead, but you should be able to walk and run eventually.”

Tyler sighed in relief, looking down at his twin, noticing the dark circles under Jake’s eyes. He’d been at the rodeo, with a rowdy group of his football teammates. He must have been so worried.

“Ty,” Mav called his attention back. “They had to put a metal rod in your leg. You lost some of the bone and this was the only way to stabilize it.”

Tyler didn’t understand why he sounded so apologetic. Mav must have seen his confusion and he sighed. “Tyler, you won’t be able to fly for the Navy.”

His brain whited out for a moment, like a record scratch. His whole life had been planned as long as he could remember. He and Jake. Together in school and in the sky. They already had their pilots’ licenses as soon as they could get them. They flew their dad’s Cessna regularly just to stay fresh. But the F-18 was the goal.

What was he going to do now?

Also, Tyler has no patience for Bradley’s temper tantrum after this. He didn’t come see him when Tyler was in the hospital, and that irritated Jake too.

After the mission, they’re all reconnected and Bradley and Jake come visit Tyler to introduce him to Phoenix and Bob. Tyler is sweet and welcoming to everyone except Bradley.

Days go by and Jake wakes up one morning to hear Bradley and Tyler yelling at each other on the back porch. He runs down to play interference.

“You don’t understand, Ty! I had a right to be mad!!”

“Oh, no,” Tyler scoffed loudly, “I wouldn’t know anything about having my dreams ripped out from under me and having to completely change my life plans! I wouldn’t understand that at all!”