Helping Each Other

Summary: Mav and Ice constantly run against each other. But their relationship is still important to both of them
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for the movie; sexual references; AU
Pairing: Iceman/Maverick
Authors: Carly and Cat2000

###

Ice had woken up fairly early and left to get breakfast for himself and Mav. He brought the food back with him, letting himself quietly into their rooms in case the other man was still sleeping.

Maverick rolled over on his back as Ice closed the door, giving him a sleepy once over. "You're so sexy when you bring me food. Hey, Ice, are you the sun?"

"I'd melt the sun." Ice gave him a cocky grin. "You getting up to eat? I'm not bringing you breakfast in bed."

Maverick looked at him from under his lashes. "How come? It'll do something very important, which is keep us in bed."

Ice snorted softly. "We don't have today off, Mav. You'll need to get up sooner or later."

Maverick grinned. He gripped his erection. "You can get me up. You can keep me up, too."

Ice laughed softly. "We don't have time for that, Mav. Not if you want us to take our time over it."

Maverick sighed dramatically. "All right. I swear, though, it must be exhausting being so unfun all the time. I feel like I'm being proctored."

"I know how to have fun." Ice brought him over a coffee. "Why don't we have a race later, once the work day's finished?"

"Don't do me any favors, Kazansky."

"A favour would be telling you I'll give you a head start," Ice replied. "Come on, Mav. Breakfast will get cold."

"Yes, dear," Maverick said, and hoisted himself out of bed.

Ice handed him the coffee and moved over to begin eating his own breakfast.

Maverick took a bite of his muffin. "You know, this is great and I appreciate you as a provider, but I would rather be eating you."

"Later," Ice replied. "If you're good."

Maverick pouted, but he nodded. "Yeah, okay. I can be good. Probably."

"I'm not so sure about that." Ice smirked, showing he was joking. Mostly.

Maverick kissed him. "You'll love me either way." He paused. Worried his lip. "Right?"

Ice wrapped his arms around Mav's waist and pulled him close, into a deeper, longer kiss. "Right," he agreed.

###

Their break hadn't gone as planned. Ice had been all ready to go up, to race against Mav...and then he'd been called for a meeting that he couldn't resist. He'd left; reluctantly, but he'd still had to leave.

And the meeting had gone on for longer than Ice had hoped, so by the time he was free...it was too late for the race he'd hoped to have.

Maverick had left base before he'd gotten out. Ice returned to his office to find a sticky note with the word PROCTOR written in Maverick's harried scrawl covering up his rank on his office door.

Ice sighed and pulled the sticky note free. He considered waiting for Mav to return...but really, there weren't that many places outside the base Mav would go. So he decided to check them.

He found him at the O Club, at least half a beer down. Maverick caught sight of him and saluted sarcastically. "Done boot licking for the day, Kazansky?"

Ice frowned. "That's not fair, Mav. You know I wouldn't have left if I had a choice."

Maverick tugged at the label of his beer. "I want to be your choice."

"You are." Ice stepped over to Mav and placed a hand on his shoulder. "But sometimes, other responsibilities come up. It doesn't have to ruin our time together, though. We might not be able to race in the air tonight, but that doesn't mean we can't do something else."

Maverick leaned into his touch, but only a tiny bit, only as much as he could without anyone noticing. "Okay. Let's do something."

Ice stepped back and gave him a quick, cocky grin. "Race you back to the base?"

Maverick downed the rest of his beer. "You're on."

"What are the stakes?" Ice asked.

Maverick waited until they were outside and out of everyone's earshot to answer. "Winner tops."

Ice's grin widened and he jerked his head. "Let's go."

Maverick ran to his bike. As he fit his legs around the body, he thought of how satisfying, how fucking good, it was to fit his legs around Ice's body as he sheathed his cock inside him, and the desire to win burned in him. He started the bike, felt it purr beneath him, and peeled out of the parking lot before Ice had even gotten into his car.

Ice wasted no time in reaching his own car and it was only seconds after Mav was peeling out of the lot that Ice was doing the same, driving fast back to the base.

Maverick caught Ice's car out of the corner of his eye, and weaved through traffic to beat him to the light. Maybe it wasn't 100% fair, but the bike was more maneuverable than Ice's car, and Maverick would take any advantage he could. He made the light before it turned, and Ice, stuck several cars back, missed it.

Ice saw Mav get through the light before it turned, but instead of waiting for the light to change, he took a turning that would lead him to a shortcut back to the base.

They ended up pulling into the driveway at the exact same time.

"I win," Maverick said breathlessly, jumping off his bike with almost enough force to knock it over, and approaching Ice's car. "My front tire crossed onto the driveway before you even turned in."

Ice quickly got out of the car. "It was clearly a draw, Mav. We got here exactly the same time. I think that means we get to take it in turns." He smirked.

Maverick huffed. "Why do you get to decide? You've been bossing me around all day."

"I'm not deciding anything." Ice reached out and snaked his hands around Mav's waist. "I'm stating facts. It was a draw. So we take it in turns."

Maverick sighed. "Then why do I feel so out of control all the time?"

"Come on, Mav. Let's go inside." Ice began leading the way. "We've had a lot going on today. I have an idea to help you relax."

Maverick followed him inside and down the hall to the bedroom.

Inside their bedroom, Ice drew Mav into a kiss, squeezing his waist. He then led Mav towards the bed.

Maverick let himself be led. Despite his complaining about Ice bossing him around, he liked it when Ice took control like this.

Ice reached the bed and took a seat. He drew Mav round and over his lap, beginning to rub the other man's back before tugging his pants and underwear down.

Maverick whimpered. "C'mon, man, I—I don't want a spanking, Ice, please … I mean … okay, I know I haven't really been on my best behavior today, but …"

"This isn't about punishment, Mav." Ice rubbed his hand over Mav's back and over his bottom, before delivering a carefully-controlled swat and then rubbing the spot he'd just swatted.

Maverick murmured as Ice soothed the place he'd smacked. "Then what's it for?"

"To help you settle. To help you relax." Ice rubbed a bit more and then delivered another swat at the same mild force, on the opposite side, rubbing again.

Maverick exhaled slowly.

"Okay," he said softly. "I trust you."

Ice continued to swat and rub after each smack. His other hand pushed Mav's shirt up, so that he could rub the tense muscles of his back.

Maverick's backside was heating up. Each swat stung, but then Ice's gentle rubbing soothed the sting. The flesh beneath, though, was starting to ache, and Maverick fought the urge to squirm. He wanted to be good for Ice, because Ice was taking care of him, even if his approach was unconventional, and Maverick hadn't had that since he was a small child. Someone who wanted to take care of him. He'd never been able to tell Ice how much he craved that, how much he appreciated it, how much it meant to him.

"You don't need to do anything, Mav." Ice spoke in a low, reassuring tone as he continued to swat and rub. "Just relax and let me take care of you. We didn't get to spend as much time together today as I would have liked, but we have the rest of the evening. We have tomorrow. We have the rest of our lives together."

Maverick began to cry. The rest of their lives? Ice really wanted him forever? He'd thought it himself, ached for it, but never dared to think Ice would reciprocate. Maverick's life was defined by impermanence. He was the kind of guy you left.

Hearing the tears, Ice stopped swatting altogether and just rubbed Mav's bottom. "I love you, Mav. I won't be leaving you. I won't walk away from you," he promised.

Maverick sobbed. "You can't just say things like that…"

"Why?" Ice asked. "Haven't I proven myself enough to you already?"

The words hit Maverick like a bullet to the sternum. He'd been so afraid that he hadn't exactly been fair to Ice. But, if he could push past his fear long enough to look through an unclouded lens, he could see that he'd done him a disservice. Ice was the most genuine person he'd ever met, and every day—every day—he worked to show Maverick his love and devotion.

"I'm sorry," Maverick whispered. "Sometimes it's hard to see past my fear. I don't doubt you. I doubt myself."

"I don't want an apology," Ice said softly. "I just want you to believe in me. Believe that I love you and that I'm here for you. For the good and for the bad. I know it's not easy, but I'm not going to give up."

Maverick struggled up, so he was sitting up in Ice's lap rather than laid over it. He put his arms around him and held on tight. "I do. I will. Please just be patient with me when I mess up. I love you. I want to be everything you deserve, and I'm trying."

"I know you are." Ice hugged Mav tightly. "But you don't have to try. You already are." He placed his hand against Mav's cheek and kissed him gently.

Maverick rested his forehead against Ice's. He felt safe and loved and home.

###

It was a few days later and Ice was feeling stressed. The day had been long and tiring. Too many meetings. No chance to go up in the air.

Now, he was in the room he shared with Mav. Trying and failing to relax, but unable to release the stress he was under.

Maverick came over to sit with him, shoulder to shoulder, taking Ice's hand in his. "What's up, buttercup?"

Ice sighed and leaned into Mav, squeezing his hand. "I haven't been able to relax all day," he admitted. "Too many meetings. I'm tired, but too wired to sleep. I wish we could have gone up today."

Maverick frowned. "Me too." They sat for a moment in silence, then Maverick said, "Hey, Ice. I've got an idea to help you relax."

He took Ice by the hand and by the shoulder, and gently guided him over his lap.

Ice didn't fight, didn't struggle. He took a slow, deep breath and allowed himself to relax over Mav's lap.

Maverick rubbed Ice's back for a moment. Feeling him surrender took a weight off Maverick's heart.

"I'm gonna help you, baby," he said, and then tugged Ice's pants and underwear down, baring his bottom.

Maverick had never given a spanking before, so he decided to start soft and slow and then increase in speed and force as Ice's reactions suggested. He rubbed Ice's bottom for a moment before raising his hand and delivering a short smack.

Ice didn't really react to the swat; it registered, but as little more than a pat. Still, he kept his body relaxed...trusting Mav to help him. Trusting his lover.

Ice was still, so Maverick put some more force behind the next smack. There was a CRACK as skin met skin, and a little blush bloomed on Ice's right cheek.

The harder swat was more of a surprise and Ice jumped, his breath expelled in a near soundless gasp.

Maverick almost apologized, but then he reminded himself that this was to help Ice. Ice needed this.

"I've got you," he said, and began smacking his hand down with the same force across Ice's ass and upper thighs.

It didn't take much for the tears to spring to Ice's eyes. They'd been so close to the surface, all they needed was a small push. He shifted, a little; more in reaction to the swats than trying to get away.

Maverick felt Ice move, and he paused for a moment, ran his hand up Ice's spine, putting some strength behind it, not just petting him.

"I've got you," he said again. Then: "It's almost over. Just let go, okay? You're safe. I'll catch you."

He started spanking him again, putting a little more force behind it, a little more speed.

"I...know." Ice's breath hitched. The stress that had been tearing at him, clawing under the surface, was gradually seeping away. Each swat brought it to the surface. Each tear allowed it to seep from him. He slumped over Mav's lap, crying out the stress that had been tormenting him.

Maverick heard Ice start to cry in earnest, and he gradually tapered off the smacks until the spanking was over. Then he rubbed Ice's back slowly, with good pressure.

"You're okay," he soothed. "It's all over, and you're okay. I've got you and you're safe. Everything's okay. I love you."

It took quite a while, but Ice's tears eventually slowed and died down completely. He lay still limp over Mav's lap, though, not wanting to leave the comforting touch just yet. "Thank you," he whispered, voice sounding a little hoarse from his tears. "I love you too."

Maverick kept rubbing his back. He'd keep Ice here as long as he wanted.

Finally, Ice was able to push himself up. He leaned in and wrapped  his arms around Mav tightly. "Thank you," he whispered again.

Maverick held him. "You're welcome. I'll do whatever I can to help you, Ice. Anytime."

"I know," Ice replied. "And I'll do the same for you, Mav. Anytime."

Maverick ran his hand gently through Ice's hair. Pressed a kiss to his cheekbone.

"Hey, wingman," he said softly. "Is it too early to remind you that you said we should take turns topping…?"

"I remember," Ice said. He breathed in deeply, tightening his arms around Mav. "You wanting to top now, then?"

"Nah," Maverick said. "You go first, since, you know, you're the one with the sore ass. Better for you to be on top."

Ice snorted softly and gently pushed Mav down onto the bed, leaning in to kiss him. "I'll take that."

Maverick grinned and kissed him back. "Bring it on, baby."

The End