Now And Always (Top Gun, Iceman)

[Wolfwings22]

It’s been just a bit, but I wrote another Top Gun Fanfiction. I just can’t get these boys out of my head and wanted to write some pure fluff. There will be a good bit of sneezing too, so I hope it is to everyone’s liking. I hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prompt—C’mon, let’s get you back to bed.

 

Maverick wakes up to find Ice out of bed and decides to go looking for him.

 

 

    

    Normally Maverick was a deep sleeper. He could sleep through nearly anything and never be disturbed. It could’ve been due to his childhood, though Maverick would always chalk it up to his life in the military where sleep was sometimes a gift and not a given. Spending his time in different aircrafts through numerous deployments had helped him learn to sleep at anytime and any place from sitting upright in a cargo hold to in the infirmary while soldiers cried and coughed around him. Either way he counted himself lucky that when he closed his eyes for the night that he almost never awoke until the next morning.

 

    Tonight, though, that wasn’t the case.    

 

    A wet nose blow followed by a sigh surprisingly roused Maverick from his slumber. He blinked the sleep from his eyes as his head lifted, a hand coming up to rub at each eye in turn. His attention was drawn to the opposite side of the bed, fingers slipping over the sheet to find no body there.

 

    “Isch! Itcsh! Itscsh! Itscsh!”

 

    Maverick shook his head to clear it and forced himself into a sitting position, legs already swung over to the side of the bed. His arms reached over his head as his fingers interlocked, his arms swinging from side to side until he felt a small pop in his lower back. Maverick arched his ankles before setting his feet on the floor as he shuffled forward, jaw locked in an attempt to stifle a yawn.

 

    He pushed the bedroom door right open and headed down the hallway and into the kitchen to find his husband hunched over the edge of the island, a wad of tissues pressed against the lower half of his face. His hair was wild and he shivered despite wearing a long sleeve shirt and cotton pajama pants. It was rare to see him look so disheveled as even in sleep he always seemed so put together in Maverick’s eyes. To see him otherwise was....disconcerting.

 

    “Icsh! Itcsh! Itcsh! Itsh! Itcsh! Itchs’SHiew!” The man in question bent over further and interrupted the fit with an impressive blow. While the hoking hardly sounded productive and Maverick was willing to bet that the congestion was already beginning to clog in his upper sinuses, refusing to give him any relief.

 

    “Bless you, Ice.”

 

    Ice immediately jumped upon hearing his name, attention turned over his shoulder to Maverick as the shorter man inched closer. “Did I wake you?”

 

    Maverick shook his head. “Leg cramp. Just so happened that I woke up with it and noticed you weren’t in bed.” He drew closer and slipped his arms around Ice’s waist. “You know I worry when you aren’t in bed with me.”

 

    Ice’s breath suddenly caught as he turned away from Maverick and brought the tissues back up, forcing them against his nose and clamping it shut. “Icgxght! Itghxght! Itcght! Itxxght! Icxght! Itxcght!”

 

    “Hey, hey, you don’t need to do that,” Maverick chided as he reached his hands up and grasped Ice’s wrists before bringing them down from his nose. “It’s not like you have to be quiet anymore. I’m already up.”

 

    Ice’s watery eyes narrowed, a retort clear on his lips before he ducked back down with the collar of his shirt pulled over his face. “Itcsh! Itcsh! Itcsh! Itcsh! Itcsh! Itcsh!” A scissoring breath caught him off guard as he began to pant desperately, his hitching growing more high pitched the more the fit prolonged itself. “Itcsh! Itcsh! Itcsh! Itcsh! Itcsh! Itcsh! Itchs’SHiew!”

 

    Maverick rubbed at his upper arms. “Gesundheit. Damn was that a lot.”

 

    Ice shrugged as he reached for another stack of tissues that he had at the ready for when this happened. He lowered his shirt and switched it out for the tissues. “You dknow I always sneeze too buch.”

 

    “I wouldn’t say you sneeze too much,” Maverick argued as Ice blew his nose. “It’s just that those softer sneezes you have can’t get rid of the tickle so it takes more times. Nothing weird about it.”

 

    “Lucky be,” Ice muttered with a roll of his eyes, the blow doing nothing to help with the congestion.

 

    Maverick gave a pout as he pressed a kiss to Ice’s temple, not liking the heat that was already rising from him. “How long have you felt sick?”

 

    Ice shrugged. “Wasnd’t too bad undil lasdt dnight,” he answered. “Thed I woke ub and I jusdt couldn’t stob sneezing.”     

 

    “It always hits you hardest the second day.” Maverick lifted his hand and brushed a few stray hairs from Ice’s forehead, frowning at his husband’s fever. “And the sneezing is always the worst then too. It makes you congested.”

 

    Just the mention of the added congestion seemed to give Ice’s nose permission to run and he ducked back to the side, back of his hand coming up to his nose to catch the few wayward drips. “Ub, excuse be.” Ice raced over to the sink and grabbed a wad of napkins from the dispenser next to the sink and brought it up to his nose, blowing heavily. He dropped the napkins into the nearby trashcan once he finished, the faucet then forced on to the hottest setting as he shoved his hands into the steady stream, teeth sinking into his tongue to stop himself from gasping at the heat.

 

    Maverick didn’t hesitate to dart forward and turn the knobs to the off position. “Hey, hey! You’re going to burn yourself,” he gasped as he grabbed a nearby dish towel and wrapped it around Ice’s hands. He brought them up to his face and kissed them through the towel, squeezing Ice’s hands tightly. “Sweetheart.”

 

    Ice looked away, head tipped upwards. “I have to wash my hands, Mav.”

 

    “I’m not saying you don’t. I’m just saying that you don’t have to burn yourself in the process. Warm water not scalding, honey.”

 

    Ice appeared like he wanted to say more, perhaps even counteract Maverick’s argument with one of his own. However that was lost on him as his breath started to hitch and he took the dish towel off his hands and brought it up to his mouth, breathing heavily into the folds as his abdominal muscles contracted. He had always had intense buildups, which often foretold how harsh the fit was going to be, and all Maverick could do was rest a stabilizing hand on his shoulder and prepare him for what was coming as much as possible.

 

    “Hitcsh! Hitcsh! ItcSh! HicsH! ITcsh! Itchs! Itcsh! Itcsh! Hih-hih-hih.....” Ice’s sneezes momentarily tampered off, the harshness of them not lost on either himself nor Maverick. Still, Maverick continued to rub his shoulder comfortingly, knowing damn well that this wasn’t the end of the fit by far.

 

    Maverick couldn’t help but rest his chin on Ice’s shoulder, taking in a deep breath. “Bless you.”

 

    That was all it took for Ice to wretch forward, the side that was facing the counter latching onto it desperately for support. “Hitcsh! EthcSHew! EthcSHew! EstcshShiew! EstchShiew! EitcsH’ew! Eetich’Shiew! EitchsH’ew!”

 

    They were much stronger than his usually itchy sneezes, though it wasn’t all that unusual considering that illnesses always tended to hit him hard and had an effect on his sneezes. Normally Maverick was never one to comment on this fact as it embarrassed Ice to no end, yet the exhaustion combined with a rather strong hint of impulse was enough to chase those thoughts away.

 

    “Those were intense,” Maverick commented.

 

    Ice wrinkled his nose after he blew it into the towel, forcing it down against his side with a huff at Maverick. “That was mean.”

 

    “What? The blessing? It worked, didn’t it.” Maverick made a show of standing on his toes and stole a faint kiss on Ice’s too warm lips. “C’mon, let’s get you back to bed. You need some warmth and rest.”

 

    Ice hummed as his head slumped sideways against Maverick’s, chest rising and falling evenly. His gaze roved downwards to stare at Maverick, resignation on his face. “Alright.”

 

    Maverick did everything in his power not to show his relief. Instead, he merely looped his arm around Ice’s and led him forward. Ice stopped only to grab the half empty box of tissues and tucked them under his opposite arm as he followed Maverick to their room, coughing periodically as his throat screamed in protest. It was uncommon that he would still have a sore throat a day after his symptoms first appeared, but he was too tired and achy to look too much into it.

 

    Once they slipped back inside the room, Maverick closed the door behind them and was quick to help Ice sit back in bed, stacking a few pillows against the headrest.

 

    “To help with your breathing.” Maverick laid a kiss on Ice’s temple and took the tissues away from him to set it on the nightstand closest to him. He then kneeled down and took Ice’s legs and helped lift them onto the bed. Ice’s mouth opened as though he wanted to retort but thought better of it when Maverick pulled the sheets and comforter up to his chin. “Warm enough?”

 

    Ice nodded slowly. “Thank you, Mav.”

 

    Maverick frowned as he noticed the catch in Ice’s voice. Could it be a sign of a chest infection? Bronchitis maybe? It took all of Maverick’s self control not to voice his concern, and instead left Ice’s side and retreated into the master bathroom.

    

    Ice watched him as he left surprised. Maverick was Maverick and didn’t always do straightforward things, at least that’s how Ice justified things. He tried not to think too much about it as he pulled some tissues from the box and lifted it to his face to blow, relieved that some of the congestion loosened even if it still left him unable to breathe through his nose.

 

    Maverick returned not too long after with a jar that looked like it was twenty years past its due date. He swore by it, though, often refusing to allow Ice to buy an updated version after he claimed that if this worked for him when he was a kid that it would do wonders for them now. Ice knew when to pick his battles with Maverick, and this wasn’t one of the things he wanted to fight for.

 

    “Vapor rub?”

 

    “Only the best.” Maverick waggled his eyebrows as he came to sit beside Ice only to straddle his waist a moment later. He felt Ice instinctively tense from under him and he tipped his head curiously as he took the jar in hand and began to unscrew the lid. “Think it’ll set you off?”

 

    Ice gave a weak cough. “I know it will. I’m just debating whether or not it’s worth it or not.”

 

    “I can make anything worth your while.”

 

    Ice’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he lifted his leg and snapped it against Maverick’s groin without much force, yet it still made the other man grunt in pain and teeter toward the side, flashing Ice an expression that would’ve been void of all amusement had Maverick not started chuckling a moment later.

 

    “That’s not fair,” Maverick exclaimed through pants. “Or very nice.”

 

    “Poor baby.”

 

    Maverick let out a growl and took his place where he was prior, straddling Ice as he leaned forward and nipped playfully at his exposed throat. Ice was quick to turn away, the light pressure just enough to cause him to cough. This fit was slightly more controlled, though Maverick could see the exhaustion it brought him and reluctantly decided that anything further would have to wait until Ice was feeling better. They would have plenty of time, that much he was certain, or they would make time. There was always time for that.

 

    Once Maverick’s blood went from down below finally back to his head, he snapped back to what he was doing. The lid was pulled the rest of the way off and his pointer and middle finger sunk deep into the gelatinous material. The aroma that wafted from it was unmistakeable, sharp and filled with eucalyptus and menthol. Maverick wasn’t even the one with the stuffy nose and he was willing to bet the smell alone would clear him out too.

 

    Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one to smell it.

 

    Ice’s eyes began to water as he wretched his head to the side, hand clamped fiercely over his nose and mouth. “Ecght! Eckght! Egkght! Eghckt! Eghtk! Ecght! Ecght! Ixght! Hxght!”

 

    Maverick laughed to himself as he waited for the fit to pass, fingers spreading the gel across his hand. “Finished?”

 

    “Is that your new way of saying ‘bless you,’” Ice quipped with a gurgle filled snuffle.

 

    “Perhaps.”

 

    Ice huffed in exhaustion and lifted his hands upwards to play with the edge of his shirt. He began to pull it down to allow Maverick better access, but Maverick merely battered his hands away and took the collar of his shirt in his own hand, lifting it just enough for him to spread the gel generously over Ice’s chest before starting up his throat. He perhaps used more than was needed, yet Maverick wanted a thick layer, one that he could work into the skin and be able to smell on Ice the next morning too. When it came to the vapor rub there was no such thing as too much.

 

    The scent continued to plague Ice as Maverick continued, not wanting to interrupt he tried to keep it to himself. He blinked the moisture from his eyes as he continued to work. He could tell that Maverick was in some sort of trance, focused only on the work at hand and seeming to dissociate from everything else. Ice couldn’t blame him; it even calmed him to know that Maverick was that transfixed with something.

 

    Ice held back as much as he could, for as long as he could until he was forced to lift an elbow and duck into it desperately, nose buzzing thanks to the menthol. “Hisch! ITcsh! Hitcsh! Hitcsh! Hitcsh! Itcsh! Hitcsh! Itcsh!” Ice managed a shaky exhale just as he felt tissues being pressed into his hand. His opened long enough that he hoped he conveyed gratitude before bringing them up to his nose and convulsing into them with a rapid triple. He cut off anymore with a fierce blow, trying not to show his frustration with his own body.

 

    “Bless you,” Maverick murmured as he screwed the cap back on the jar and admired his handiwork. “Breathing any easier?”

 

    Ice rolled his eyes, hand with the tissues coming down beside him. “It’s a little early for me to be able to tell,” he joked fondly.

 

    “Yeah, well, I knew that.”

 

    “But do you know what might make me feel better?”

 

    Maverick immediately brightened, eyes wide and eager to please. “What?”

 

    Ice weakly patted the spot beside him. Ordinarily he may have made more of an effort to make a grand gesture, or to ask in a way that Maverick couldn’t refuse. All of his strength had vanished and he could barely think straight, let alone find a way to ask Maverick in a way other than just looking at the spot beside him and hoping that he understood what he was trying to say.

 

    If there was one thing that Maverick was fluent in, it was Iceman. A grin spread over his face as he reached over Ice to set the vapor rub aside before leaping beside him and burrowing under the covers in almost one swift movement. His head poked out from under the covers as he wriggled over to Ice’s side, latching onto him like an octopus, a mess of limbs and digits as he held onto Ice for dear life as if when he let go that the older man would vanish from existence.

 

    Ice turned his head to the side and rested his chin atop Maverick’s head. “It’s just a cold, Mav,” he told his partner softly. “You don’t have to worry.”

 

    “Well, that’s where you’re wrong. I always worry about you no matter what.” Maverick gave a determined nod as he tucked his head in the curve of Ice’s shoulder. He could smell the menthol, though he could also pick up the faint tang of Ice’s shampoo and even his aftershave. The scents mulled around in his head and eased the tension that he carried when it came to worrying about Ice.

 

    “Then I suppose that is mutual,” Ice whispered back, unable to stop himself from kissing Maverick’s forehead.

    

    Maverick melted under his affection, not caring for a moment if he ended up catching Ice’s cold. Although, that didn’t sound too terrible considering that would mean that Ice would be forced to stay with him in bed all day. At least that was what Maverick hoped would happen. There was no one in this world that took care of him better than Ice did, and he looked forward to anytime he was able to experience it.

 

    A light cough suddenly bubbled from Ice’s lips, though they were pressed together so tightly that hardly any sound came out. “Sorry,” he sputtered. “I might end up keeping you awake tonight.”

 

    “So? The more time that I get to spend with you the better.” Maverick squeezed him tightly until Ice grunted for breath. “You’ll tell me if you need anything?”

 

    Ice nodded. “Of course.”

 

    “Good! Because I want to take care of you now and always.”

 

    The End

 

[spn27695]

Oh I'm so glad you're back! I've missed your stories so much❤️❤️ 

[RemedyBane]

My Loves!! I loved this! You did a wonderful job! Obsessed!! XOXOXO I love it when you write!

[Alexmeiai774]

Fun fact, but my father is a hospital chaplain and one of his patients was val kilmer! Mr. Kilmer actually liked my dad so much that he wanted his number to keep talking but my dad had to refuse because of hospital policy. Anyways, great story! I loved how you captured each character! 

[RemedyBane]

@Alexmeiai774 tell us everything! That’s so freakin’ cool! Was he nice? 

[Alexmeiai774]

5 minutes ago, RemedyBane said:

@Alexmeiai774 tell us everything! That’s so freakin’ cool! Was he nice? 

Apparently he was really chill and artsy! He liked my dad because he treated him just like any other patient. He was rlly sick but I think he is more of an artist and an eccentric guy than his movie characters portray him as. 

[Wolfwings22]

On 5/16/2023 at 1:34 AM, Alexmeiai774 said:

Fun fact, but my father is a hospital chaplain and one of his patients was val kilmer! Mr. Kilmer actually liked my dad so much that he wanted his number to keep talking but my dad had to refuse because of hospital policy. Anyways, great story! I loved how you captured each character! 

Wow that is so cool! Definitely will be thinking about this the rest of the day haha