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Maverick had scars on his chest, and they were beautiful.
Goose loved looking at them at the beach, and in the changing room and in the shower.
He thought they were the most beautiful thing in the world, he didn’t know what they were from but he loved them anyway.
Sometimes he thought about kissing Maverick, kissing his lips and his and his scars and every other beautifully handsome part of the man.
Maverick had a scar on his arm, it made his skin shine in the sun. A soft silvery tone that stretched round his forearm and sparkled when they played volleyball at the beach.
Goose always wondered what it was from, did it hurt?
It looked like it did. sometimes he got distracted when they flew, just staring at it when Mav rolled his sleeves up watching it shimmer as he moved his arm around their plane.
Once a month Maverick would sit on his bed and inject himself with something. He always kept whatever it was very well hidden, but it always made Maverick very happy. Sometimes Goose noticed changes about Maverick and he wondered, was it that mystery liquid that helped make that change?
Sometimes it was into his leg, sometimes it was into his stomach, sometimes he asked for Gooses help.
‘I’m scared of needles’ Pete would whisper, hands trembling as he held the shot.
Nick would get some ice from the freezer and pinch the skin holding it on until Maverick told him the patch had gone numb. Goose would pick up the needle perfectly calmly and insert the tip into Mavericks skin. Pete would flinch anyway and shake his head letting out a heavy breath.
“All done” Nick would reassure throwing away the needle and giving him a warm hug.
“Thank you” Maverick would always whisper shakily as he savoured the feeling of Goose’s warm embrace.
Pete had changed since when they had first met. he was a little taller now he had stubble, a deeper voice and a squarer face.
One time maverick disappeared for a month, a health issue their commanding officer told him.
When He came back he looked happier and suddenly he barely ever wore shirts, that was the first time Nick saw his chest scars.
It happened again a year later, and when he came back this time he had the scar on his arm, and suddenly Pete wasn’t afraid to not wear trousers in their room.
Goose wanted to kiss maverick.
He wanted to kiss him more than anything, and at that moment in time goose couldn’t think about anything else.
They were curled up on his bed, Pete clearly hadn’t had the best of days and Nick was more than happy to help.
Sometimes maverick would have bad days like this, bad days where goose couldn’t tell what was wrong and mav opted to wear baggier clothes, his old clothes.
“Talk to me mav” goose chuckled to himself running a hand through mavs hair “what’s up”
“Nothing” Pete mumbled back tracing over his jumper where his scars would be.
“Nothing?” Goose questioned, raising a suspicious eyebrow at maverick.
“I call bullshit” Nick smiled resting his head on mavericks shoulder. “Oh do ya now?” Pete chuckled.
“Yeah maybe I do!” Goose teased back pulling mav closer.
Pete turned his head to look at nick, their faces inches apart Nick desperately wanting to close that gap. He leaned in closer and closer until their lips brushed and mavericks breathed hitched in his throat.
Nick pulled back panicking, had he done something wrong why did Pete look like he was about to cry?
“Nick?” Pete whispered nervously, mind going a million miles an hour, his hands trembling with fear.
“I should tell you something…” he trailed off gulping and pulling his eyes away from gooses face.
How does he tell him though? That’s the real question, just say it, ask him about trans people, ask him if he knows we’re his scars are from? it was all so confusing…
God Pete was absolutely terrified, Nick had never brought up people like him. He had absolutely no clue on what Nick would think once he told him. He loved goose and he didn’t want to loose this friendship, but if goose had tried to kiss him surely that meant he was gay too right?
He hoped so, he really fucking hoped so.
But even if he was okay with it would he tell people? Pete couldn’t afford for people to know especially not people here, ice and slider would rip him to shreds. viper already knew of course he did he flew with his old man but still, would he continue to respect maverick if his secret got out?
“I-“ the words were stuck in his throat as he tried his best to figure out how the hell he could finally let go of this secret.
“Im a-“ he paused again looking around and checking nobody was outside before leaning into goose and whispering “Im a transsexual” his voice cracked and tears were beginning to roll down his face as he watched gooses face nervously for a reaction.
“Okay” goose seemed remarkably calm for the situation.
“O-Kay?” Maverick asked, puzzled. the stream of tears coming to a halt from pure confusion.
“Yeah.” Goose paused clearly thinking “uh, what’s a transsexual?”
Pete sighed, chuckling weakly to himself. Well that definitely wasn’t the issue he was expecting to encounter.
“Right okay.” He sighed sitting up and pinching the bridge of his nose.
“So I was born a girl.” He began flinching and refusing to look Nick in the eyes as he said it.
“But I don’t feel like a girl in my head, I feel like a guy-”
No, not feel like a guy, you are a guy Pete
“I am a guy” he corrected himself trying to regain some confidence.
“So I take testosterone once a month and I got my breasts removed and had surgery to give myself a cock.”
He held is breath looking at the sheets expecting a slap or punch of Nick yelling or just anything, but still Nick was silent.
“So you’re a guy?” Goose mumbled more to himself than maverick “but the doctors say youre a girl because that how you were born?” He asked finally looking up at mav.
“Yeah I guess” Pete shrugged looking up Nick.
“Well that’s dumb look at you, you’re more of a man that me these days!” He chuckled, bringing him in for a hug.
“You aren’t angry?” Pete mumbled into nicks shoulder shocked “hell no! youre my pilot mav! I ain’t gonna get mad at you just because god made a small mistake, it happens to the best of us.” Maverick laughed softly to himself
“Yeah I guess it does goose.”
“So can I kiss you now?” Goose was still grinning, god Pete did not understand how that man was so happy all the time.
“You still wanna kiss me?” Mavs' voice shook with nerves, what If this was actually all some sick joke?
“Course I do, no matter what changes I’ll always love you mav” ‘ always love you ‘ the words bounced around his head their lips now barely centimetres apart.
“Always?”
“No matter what” goose nodded firmly before finally leaning in for a kiss.
It was soft, as if Nick knew Pete didn’t get the most action, as if Nick was offering him a way out at any time.
But; Pete didn’t take it. He didn’t need to take it.
Because right now Pete ‘maverick’ Mitchell was loved.
Loved for who he was.
Loved for his scars loved for his face, his voice, his chest, his legs, his everything.
Pete ‘maverick’ Mitchell was a man, who was loved.