Curate, connect, and discover
maverick knows his pilots miss him because of the little things they share. the texts he gets and the pictures. always at random, sporadic and unprompted.
things like —
fanboy telling him they nailed a test run for a new mission because of the way mav taught them to fly.
you two would’ve done that all on your own. proud of you.
phoenix telling him she’s up for promotion and hoping he can make it to the ceremony since it’s his fault she’s gotten even better in the air.
you were always going to soar, phoenix. i’ll be there.
coyote telling him, not for the first time, how grateful he is that maverick knows the importance of getting everyone home alive.
nothing wrong with a little hope, right?
just. small things that make mav’s chest ache every time with something proud and fond and soft because he may not be flying for the navy anymore, but these kids are absolutely making sure he still feels like he is.