Chapter Text
“You want me to do what now?” Maverick looked up from his drink with a raised brow.
“You heard me,” Hollywood smirked.
“Nah, you saying something ridiculous is what I heard so please, repeat that.”
“I dare you to make Ice, Slider, Bradley, and Jake think you’re not coming home to them,” Hollywood repeated with an eye roll. “So yes, a little ridiculous but necessary.”
It was a Friday night and Maverick was currently spending the evening on Wolf and Hollywood’s back porch couch with a cold drink in hand. If he was honest, he was half asleep after they had spent the majority of the day having a water fight with the garden hose after attempting to garden but got distracted halfway. Maverick had offered to clean up their ‘jungle’ since neither man was very green-thumbed and he enjoyed the task anyway, but well, safe to say, they never truly grew up in some departments.
“Why?” Maverick sighed, wondering how they got to the current topic. Couldn’t a guy just enjoy a drink in peace?
“None of them are paying you enough attention.” Wolf shrugged with a huff, wrapping an arm around the smaller aviators’ shoulders. “They should know that you’re an affectionate self-sacrificing idiot by now. Honestly.”
“Hey!” Maverick grumbled. “They’re not…”
“You’re with us on a Friday night for crying out loud.” Hollywood groaned, mentally upset with how easily Maverick came to his family's defense while leaving himself high and dry. “Not that we’re complaining but still.”
“I do like hanging out with you, ya know?” Maverick pouted, leaning back into Wolf's embrace.
“We know Mav, we know.” Wolf smiled, ruffling his hair. “But this is the 3rd time this week you’re with us. It’s been like that for 2 months.”
“Your point?” Maverick sighed, clearly reluctant to admit to why.
“Bradley and Jake live with you, promise to have dinner with you, then ditch you last minute on the regular.” Hollywood starts to list off. “Ice is your husband and has spent more time on conferences across the country than by your side. Not all are mandatory either. And Slider has promised to take you out for various road trips and lunches but has yet to do so in what? 4, 5 months?”
“…6.” Maverick admitted.
“You should be spending time with your family Mav, not falling back on us.” Wolf tried to explain gently. “We love having you but…you’re lonely. Even we can see that.”
“…Jake and Bradley are a couple, they should be together.” Maverick tried to excuse his son and son-in-law. “They shouldn’t have to worry about an old man like me.”
“Not even after promising you dinner and movie nights then blowing you off multiple times a week?”
“Well…okay…you have a point there but Slider-”
“Has a life, yes, but he also has you.” Hollywood sighed. “He promised to always be there for you and yet he hasn’t been paying you any attention.”
“You make me sound like some sort of stray or abandoned pet.” Maverick pouted.
“You’re not that far off at this point.” Wolfe laughed. “Point is, he’s your friend yet he’s neglecting you.”
“I guess.” Maverick admitted. “But Ice-”
“Is in his work mode again and not thinking.” Hollywood shook his head. “Scare him a little Mav. Scare them all.”
“Scaring them with me not coming home is just going to make me an asshole,” Maverick grumbled but looks at them thoughtfully.
“Asshole with a point.” Wolfe grinned.
“Besides it’s a dare,” Hollywood smirked, tilting his bottle at Maverick. “Don’t tell me you’re going to back down from a challenge?”
"Pete Mitchell? Backing down from a challenge?" Wolf faked gasped. "Are pigs flying?"
“I know what you’re doing you know.” Maverick huffed. “I’m not stupid.”
“But is it working?”
“…they’re going to be pissed when they find out,” Maverick grumbled, throwing an arm over his eyes as he leaned back.
“But?” Hollywood urged.
“I guess seeing their reactions would be a little fun.”
“YESSS!” Hollywood and Wolfe whooped. “Let’s scare those assholes so much they’ll be on their knees, begging for forgiveness.”
“Not that far.” Maverick shook his head amused. “I doubt they care that much anyway.”
Pausing at that, Hollywood and Wolfe exchange worried glances out of their friend's sight but ultimately decide against fighting him for now. They knew from experience that actions spoke much louder than words for their resident menace. Those idiots were going to really have to step up their game if they wished to prove otherwise to Maverick. Unfortunately, they were well aware that those 4 men loved Maverick more than anything but each had the problem of getting caught up in their own things. Slider with his hobbies, Ice with his work, and Bradley and Jake with each other. Though…they weren’t completely faultless here. They should know how much Maverick needed affection and confirmation that his presence was needed and wanted more than the average person. Hell, Bradley, Slider, and Ice had all seen firsthand what neglect and miscommunication could do to the short stack. Hollywood and Wolfe care deeply for the tiny aviator. They were going to see to it that the other four paid a price for hurting the man. Intentional or not.
“You know Ice can track me right?” Maverick remembered. “I don’t even know how he does it. But he always seems to find me when I ‘disappear’ for a while.”
“The point isn’t them not finding you…sort of.” Hollywood shook his head. “The point is to scare them. Maybe leave a letter or voicemail for them. Something that will tip them off that something is wrong. You know? Maybe go radio silent for the ones you text regularly. See how long it takes for them to freak out.”
“This could go so bad.” Maverick groaned into his hands.
“Backing out already Mav?” Wolfe grinned, already knowing the answer.
“Hell no, but you two are my witnesses if I’m killed unexplainably in the next week or so.”
“Week?”
“We’re scaring them, right?” Maverick grinned. “Might as well go all the way huh?”
“That’s our Mav!”
“Good luck Pete.”
“Thanks.” Maverick chuckled. “I’m going to need it.”