FIC: In Front of God and Everyone (Top Gun, Iceman/Maverick, PG-13)

[carlyinrome]

TITLE: In Front of God and Everyone
RATING: PG-13
FANDOMS: Top Gun
PAIRINGS: Pete "Maverick" Mitchell/Tom "Iceman" Kazansky
SUMMARY: The day DADT is repealed, Maverick doesn't expect anything big to change. Written for Notchka88 for the prompt a kiss out of pride.

The day DADT is repealed, Maverick doesn't expect anything big to change, really. He and Ice have been together almost eighteen years at that point, and the things that have hurt about having to hide their relationship are all little things. Like how they have to keep separate places, or how they can't even list each other as their emergency contacts.

They watch the president's speech on television, and then they go immediately to a hop. And Maverick isn't expecting anything, but after they land, he waits for Ice on the tarmac same as always, but something's different. Ice walks to him, stride strong even with his limp, and he takes Maverick in his arms and dips him back, honest to God dips him back like that sailor on V-J Day in Times Square, and kisses him, long and deep, as well as he's ever been kissed. In front of God and everyone.

And damned if Maverick doesn't like it.

It's not like nobody knows. They're discreet, but it's coming up on two decades. Things get out. A few people on base know for sure, and among many others, it's kind of a funny because it's true joke that they tell when neither Maverick nor Ice are in earshot. They're well-liked, valued by the Navy and the community, and Ice's service record is enough that no one would fuck with them over something like that.

Things change after that, one at a time. The first thing they do is change all their paperwork to make each other their emergency contacts. It's a small thing, but it feels huge. Then Maverick sells his house, and Ice's place becomes their place. It's not like they haven't spent almost every night together since moving to Fallon at the end of '95, but now they don't have to hide. They spend every night in the same bed and wake up to each other every morning, and it's the best fucking thing in the world. Maverick's mail comes there, and he doesn't have to hide his motorcycle in the garage. In the morning, he can go outside in his pajamas to bring in the paper, and not worry he's cost both of them their jobs.

There's a big thing, though, that Maverick never thought would come up. It's about two weeks past the repeal, and he and Ice are in bed together. Maverick's on his back, looking up at Ice as Ice moves inside him, and out of nowhere, Ice locks on with that cool gaze and says, "I want to marry you."

And Maverick's so shocked, and maybe half of it's sex brain, but all he can think of to say is, "Now?"

It's a credit to their relationship that Ice still loves him after that, but he does, and he doesn't drop the issue.

It's been eighteen years. Eighteen years, most of it not even telling the people who see them every day, let alone writing it down at hospitals or banks or on their taxes. Maverick doesn't see the point, and he says so.

"We don't need a piece of paper to prove we love each other, and fuck anyone who says we do."

It's not even legal there. But it's just six hours to California if they just get in the car and drive, and they can fly commercial to San Diego in an hour. Back where they met, Ice says. It'll be romantic.

It's a fight for weeks. Ice crafts logical arguments about why they should get married, and occasionally breaks into the reasons he just wants to, which isn't how he usually fights at all. Maverick rebuffs him at every turn.

Then one night at dinner they're having the argument again, and Maverick brings out a ring box, and says, "Okay, you win. Will you be my husband, you pain in the ass?" and Ice is so stunned he can't answer for a full minute.

Three weeks later, they're in San Diego, and they stand in front of God and everyone and just repeat the promise they've been living for almost twenty years: It's you. It's only ever going to be you. And after the justice of the peace says it's official, Ice kind of hesitates for a minute, stuck just a second behind, like he isn't sure it's real. So Maverick steps forward, and he takes his husband in his arms, and he kisses him long and deep, as well as he's ever been kissed. And mostly Maverick did all this to make Ice happy, but damned if he doesn't feel proud as hell.