Belts Are For Safety
Fandom: Top Gun
Ship: N/A
Warnings: Implication of a panic attack
Summary: It's Bob and Phoenix's first flight back after their emergency landing, and Bob is more freaked out than he thought he'd be. Inspired by and dedicated to this Fighter Jet Anon! Day one of Miya and Mia's Tickletober: trap!
Bob heaves a long, deep breath when he and Phoenix finally land on the tarmac, the weight of the exercise melting off his shoulders. He closes his eyes, head pounding behind his eyelids, his heart beating in his ear. It’s their first flight back since the crash landing, and Bob is ashamed to say that, for a moment when he got into the air, all he could smell was smoke and all he could hear was Phoenix yelling his name like they were still there, looking up at the sky only half a mile from their burning plane. He’s not sure how Phoenix didn’t freak out, but then again she’s always been more well-adjusted than most of the crew. Maybe it’s because she was smart enough to start therapy before she enlisted, or maybe it’s something about toxic masculinity and being a military man.
He doesn’t realized how long his eyes have been closed, how long he’s been listening to his heart beat out of control even though they’re on the ground. He feels like he had been in fight-or-flight the entire exercise, and his body oozes with the tension he had been building up. He hadn’t even realized Phoenix had been calling his name, her face contorting into the worried look she used to give Rooster all the time, the one she gives to Jake or Javy every once in a while. Approaching ten minutes on the tarmac and Bob’s eyes are still screwed shut, all the pilots having gone to change except Phoenix, Rooster, Hangman, who stood beneath the plane, and Maverick, who slowly climbed up to get to the much younger pilot.
“Hey, Bob?” Maverick says, tentatively reaching out to touch Bob’s shoulder. Bob doesn’t respond until Maverick’s hand makes contact, his eyes shooting open.
Bob’s eyes shoot around, catching Hangman, Phoenix, and Rooster underneath the plane, taking in that the rest of the pilots have gone. “Thank god,” he sighs, breathing out.
“Hey, kid,” Maverick says, grabbing Bob’s attention again, “what’s going on?” Bob scrambles for his buckles but Maverick’s hands come up to stop him, “hold your horses, let’s talk for a second.”
Bob looks at Maverick before looking down at the other pilots again.
“It’s alright, Bob,” Phoenix says, “they came because they’re worried,” she pauses, looking at the ground before looking back up at her back-seater, “we’re worried.”
“I was just-” Bob awkwardly clears his throat, looking down at his hands in his lap, “I just got freaked out. I’ve never crash landed before, being up there just freaked me out.”
Maverick put a soft hand on the side of Bob’s face, bringing his head up so they could make eye contact. “It’s alright, kid. It’s totally fine to be a little freaked out right now. My first crash-landing terrified me, and so did my most recent one, it’s fine to still be a little shaken up.”
Bob nods, though it’s evident to Mav and the other spectators that he’s not entirely convinced. “I promise you, Bob,” Maverick starts, “you’re alright. The crash wasn’t your fault and it wasn’t Phoenix’s either, neither of you could have predicted that.”
“Yeah, but, how are we supposed to predict it the next time?” Bob asks, glasses beginning to fog.
From below them Hangman lets out a loud, obnoxious laugh, doubling over before he can reel it in. All eyes are on him now, Phoenix and Rooster glaring daggers at him. “I’m sorry,” he clears his throat, straightening his face, “I’m sorry. Bird strikes are like, pretty rare, Bobby-boy, the chances of you and Phoenix encountering another one is like, zero.”
“He’s right,” Phoenix nods, “though he didn’t have to be such an asshole about it.”
Hangman sticks his tongue out at her and Phoenix fakes like she’s going to kick him in the balls. Rooster tries to separate them and ends up pulled into the bickering, suddenly being asked to pick between his boyfriend and his best friend.
Maverick brings Bob’s attention back to him, lowering his voice so the others can’t hear him over their bickering, “between you and I, after my first crash-landing I was scared of water for years. I didn’t get over it until recently, but I know I missed out on some pretty fun times because of it.”
“Really?” Bob asks, tilting his head to one side, “I- I mean, I’m sorry.”
“All good, kid, all good.” Maverick smiles, “but what I’m saying is you shouldn't let fear control you. I mean, I didn’t even get to teach Brad how to surf, those pictures would’ve been great blackmail for you kids.”
Bob giggles, peeking down at his friends as their argument seems to settle down. Maverick shifts, getting ready to climb down, “alright, kid. We’re gonna talk about this, but first I want to get you out of this plane, and maybe get that smile to stick around.”
Before Maverick reaches the bottom of the ladder, Hangman shouts for Bob not to unbuckle, practically bouncing with impatience as Maverick makes his too slow descent. Hangman takes the ladder two steps at a time, hands grabbing at Bob’s where he had begun to unbuckle his thigh straps.
“Nuh-uh,” Hangman teases, squeezing the other pilot’s thigh. Bob squeals, trying to jerk away but finding himself trapped. “I think we need to get you a little giggly before we head back. Whad’ya say, Bobb-boy?”
Bob shakes his head frantically, cheeks developing a pale pink tint. He puts his hand on top of Hangman’s and makes an attempt to pry it away from his thigh, only to be given another squeak-producing pinch.
“Hmm,” Hangman says, stroking his chin, he looks down at Phoenix and Rooster, “he’s smiling, so that’s a yes, right?”
“I’d say he looks pretty giddy for it,” Rooster shouts, Phoenix hums in agreement. Watching as Bob turns redder and redder.
“Make sure to go for his tummy!” Phoenix supplies.
Hangman’s fingers dart down to Bob’s knees and splay over them, spidering around his kneecap and calves.
“Jahahake! Thahahat tihihickles!” Bob screeches, kicking his legs straight as much as he can. Jake’s fingers just follow him however he squirms, pinching and spidering over his legs.
“That’s great, it means this is working!” Hangman grins. Bob’s fingers scramble upward, hoping he can unbuckle his chest buckle and fold over to stop Jake from attacking his legs. Hangman’s fingers climb all the way up to Bob’s ribs, and it’s enough of a distraction for him to forget his task, throwing his head back and snorting through his laughter.
“STAHAHAP!” Bob giggles, shaking his head back and forth. All he can do is grab onto Jake’s hands and gently hold on, his restraints reminding him how safe he usually is in his plane, but also how trapped he is now that he’s at Jake’s mercy.
“Hmm… Are you ticklish here?” Hangman asks, leaning in and giving Bob a neck raspberry. Bob’s laughter rises in pitch and his shoulders scrunch in an attempt to block it out. Hangman moves his fingers down to Bob’s sides, “What about here?”
“Ihihit tihihickles! IHIHIT TIHIHICKLES!” Bob screeches, giggles freely flowing from him. “IHIHIT’S SOHOHO BAHAHAD!”
“Oh, really?” Hangman smirks, “do the seatbelts make it tickle more? You can’t even fight me off.”
“It’s not like he would,” Phoenix teases from below, “he always just lays back and takes it.”
Bob’s face is fully red now, all the way up to his ears, and his hands flop around as he tries to figure out whether he wants to cover his face or keep holding onto Jake’s hands. He’s giggling himself silly, and everytime he remembers that he’s practically strapped down it makes it so much worse.
As if reading Bob’s mind, Hangman starts to tease again, because of course he does, Bob just can’t win. “If the buckles are making this tickle more, just wait for this.”
When Hangman’s fingers dart down to Bob’s stomach, Bob absolutely screams, throwing his arms wherever in an attempt to dissipate the feeling. His laughter dips into silence, getting enough air every few seconds to hiccup amidst his laughter.
“Alright, alright,” Maverick calls up to Hangman, “he looks giggly enough to us from here, I think you might kill him.”
Hangman groans, pulling his hands away and ruffling Bob’s already too messy hair. “Alright, whatever you say, Pops.”
Hangman helps Bob unbuckle from the seat before scrambling down the ladder, making sure the other pilot is steady enough to come down after him.
Hangman meets Phoenix and Rooster at the bottom, while Maverick holds back to talk to Bob.
“Feeling better now, kid?” Maverick asks, slinging an arm around his shoulder. Bob nods, leaning into Mav.
“Yeah, a lot better. Thanks, Mav.” Bob says, looking up at Mav, blush still fiery over his cheeks.
In front of them they can hear Phoenix, Hangman, and Rooster bickering back and forth, voices raised and accusatory. Bob catches a few words, grinning.
“Just wait until we get you like that, Bagman,” Rooster says, “let’s see if you find it easy to take the tickling when you’re buckled up like that.”
The tips of Hangman’s ears flush, but he shakes his head anyways, all bravado and cockiness, “you’d have to catch me first, and with your old bones I don’t know if you could manage.”
Phoenix, in the middle of the two of them, pokes them both in the ribs, grinning at each of their high-pitched shrieks. “Enough boys, we’ll settle this another time.”
