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Is It Working For You? | Rooster x Reader

My first Top Gun fic, please be kind!

Check out my Masterlist

Summary: Rooster has had his eye on you all week at work, and now you're at the Hard Deck looking too good to be true.

Warnings: some swears, adult banter

Length: 2700

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

Part 2 is now available as well!

"Rooster! You're up, man!"

Bradley quickly shifted his gaze away from where you sat laughing at the bar with two of your friends. He had seen the three of you around base ever since he had been called back to Top Gun about a week ago. You and the other two lieutenants who had been working as the lead engineers on the upcoming attack on the uranium enrichment plant seemed to be letting loose on this Saturday night.

He was already used to seeing you take charge of the software interfaces and answer Mav's questions during preflight briefings, but seeing you drinking at the Hard Deck felt strangely intimate.

"Come on, Rooster! You're holding everyone up," Payback whined as he handed over the darts.

Bradley wasn't even sure why anyone agreed to play darts here at all, as it was just a revolving door of everyone taking turns losing to Hangman.

"Calm down, Payback. Hangman will have us all smoked within the hour anyway," Bradley retorted back.

Jake aimed his annoyingly cocky grin toward the other aviators as he toasted his beer in the air toward Bradley. "Glad you're finally able to acknowledge who is the superior man here, Rooster."

Bradley rolled his eyes and aggressively threw a dart. Twenty-five points, not bad. "I'm only acknowledging that the reason you are terrible at everything else in life is because you've spent so much time perfecting your damn dart game. But if you want to take that as a compliment, be my guest." The Dagger squad erupted into laughter around the dartboard.

Phoenix and Bob tried to reel in their giggles as Hangman shot them a scathing look, but Natasha, being the good friend she was, simply said, "He has a point, Bagman."

Bradley winked at Phoenix, and then threw his second and third darts in quick succession. "I need another beer," he said as Hangman got ready to take his turn.

Bradley hoped nobody would notice that he had walked all the way around the bar to flag down Penny for a beer. He wanted to be closer to where you were perched on your barstool, legs crossed and conversing with your coworkers. Your skirt was kind of short, definitely a departure from your khaki Naval officer uniform. Your hair was down and kind of messy, definitely a departure from the tight buns that you sported during work hours. God, you looked sexy, and the best part was, it didn't seem like you were even trying to.

"Get you another one?" Penny called to Bradley, pulling him away from his thoughts.

"Please," Bradley replied with a grin to his favorite bartender.

As Bradley set his empty bottle down on the bar, you turned slightly to your left, brushing your hair over your shoulder. He froze as your eyes met his from a few feet away. A look of recognition passed over your face, and a smile curled along your lips as you placed him as one of the aviators you'd been working with in Top Gun's Dagger squadron. You lifted your fingers into a casual wave in his direction.

Hi, you mouthed with another soft smile before turning away from him once again. Bradley felt like someone had punched him in the gut.

"It was just a wave and a smile, get it together," he muttered as Penny returned with two identical beer bottles. She set one down in front of Bradley and one down in front of you.

Bradley's mind went a little blank as he watched you pick up your bottle and take a sip. You liked the same beer that he did, how hot was that? He watched your throat as you swallowed. He thought about pressing his lips against your neck.

"Oh no, not you too?" Phoenix asked, effectively tearing Bradley's mind away from thoughts of running his cold bottle of beer along your neck and licking the condensation off your skin.

"Huh?" he grunted, finally turning toward Phoenix.

Phoenix just laughed at him and shook her head. "You're into her, too? I mean, I get it, she's very pretty and extremely smart. But if this is just going to become another thing for you and Bagman to get competitive over, I'm going to scream."

"What are you talking about?" Bradley asked, but he could feel his throat getting a little tight around the words. The idea of Hangman being interested in you made his skin crawl, and he felt his fingers tighten around his beer bottle.

"Bagman asked Lieutenant Y/L/N out yesterday. I overheard him do it," she replied casually.

Bradley's lips pressed into a thin line underneath his mustache. "You're not serious," he growled after a couple seconds. He couldn't help glancing over his shoulder to where you sat, head tilted back in laughter.

Phoenix suddenly gave you a sympathetic look. "Oh my goodness! You actually really like Lieutenant Y/L/N. That's interesting. Been awhile since I've seen you this interested in anyone. Usually it's just a local for the night."

Bradley glared at her and stole another glance at your gorgeous face. "Damn, I can't believe I fucked this up before I even did anything. But I guess that seems on brand for me," he said with a self deprecating shake of his head. Fucking Jake making a fucking move on you after only a couple days.

"She told him no," Phoenix informed him with a smirk. Bradley's heart pounded a little faster as his friend continued. "He asked her if she wanted to go out with him sometime, and then she looked him up and down and flat out told him she was not interested. It was the funniest thing I've seen in awhile!"

"Why didn't you lead off with that information!" Bradley sputtered. "I've been sweating over her all week long."

"Because I didn't even know you liked her until right now! You could have told me! I ate lunch in the cafeteria with her and some other officers the other day. She's very nice and funny and single," Phoenix said with a bright smile.

"Yeah, I know you sat with her! I was three tables away practically drooling on my lunch, trying to think of something to say to her," Bradley muttered before finishing his beer. "I don't even know that she's my type, being an officer and all. Plus, smart girls are intimidating."

"Well, go talk to her now. Buy her a drink. Tell her you love her," Phoenix said as she pushed Bradley through the crowd of people currently trying to get drinks at the bar.

"I can't say that! Quick, help me think of something normal to say!" But it was too late. With one final shove, Phoenix managed to push Bradley's large frame directly into the back of your barstool.

"Hey, watch it!" you yelled as some of your beer sloshed onto your bare knees. Since the Hard Deck was a Naval officer hangout, it didn't usually get too rowdy, but some of the guys here could be a bit aggressive at times.

As you spun your stool around to glare at whoever slammed into your seat, you came eye to chest with that cute aviator from Top Gun. The one you had noticed on the very first day of the mission. As your eyes travelled up, you saw that his sunglasses were hanging from his Hawaiian shirt, and his cheeks were flushed in embarrassment as he looked at the beer dripping down your legs.

"I-I... I'm so sorry!" he finally managed to say. "My friend is a clumsy menace who apparently can't walk correctly," he told you with a wince as he gestured toward Phoenix who was running away cackling.

It was funny, because you had enjoyed talking to her at lunchtime on Wednesday, and she hadn't seemed all that clumsy at the time.

You decided to let him off the hook and smiled up at him as you grabbed a napkin and wiped your legs dry. "It's not a problem. I just wanted to make sure I sounded really tough in case some guys were starting a fight behind me or something. You're Rooster, right?"

Bradley froze on the spot, flustered that you actually remembered his call sign. Not many non-aviators cared about using them. "Yeah. I'm Rooster. Or Bradley. Or Lieutenant Bradshaw," he blurted out. Why did he suddenly seem to have no control over this conversation?

You cocked your head up at him and pursed your pretty lips. "You want me to call you Lieutenant Bradshaw right now? While we're at the Hard Deck?"

"No! Um, you don't have to, obviously." God, he sounded like a moron. "Let me get you another drink," he managed to say while raising two fingers toward Penny. She nodded, acknowledging the drink order, as she looked between you both with a slight smile.

Bradley took a deep breath and said, "Please, just call me Bradley. Or Rooster. I'm not picky.

"And you can just call me Y/N. I don't have a fun call sign," you said with a laugh.

Bradley already knew your first name, but he felt a little giddy that you had given him permission to actually use it. "Okay, Y/N."

You smiled brightly up at Bradley just as one of your coworkers placed her hand on your shoulder. You turned toward the now vacant barstools where your good friends from work had just been sitting. "Hey, we're going to go. It's getting late," Lieutenant Wilson said with a wink as she turned to leave.

"See you both later," Lieutenant Harvey added before he turned toward the exit as well.

You just nodded toward them before turning your attention back to Bradley. It was nearly midnight, but you really had no desire to leave now that he was sliding into the newly vacant seat next to you. As your beers arrived, you took a minute to check him out. He was tall. Like really tall. And his muscular arms and tan skin were hard to look away from. His curly hair was practically begging you to run your fingers through it. And there were some scars on his face and neck that your hands were aching to touch. Maybe you'd had too much to drink? You should have left with your friends.

"It's cool if I sit for awhile?" Bradley asked you as he slid one of the identical beers in front of you with a hopeful smile.

"Of course," you replied, certain he had noticed you checking him out. "And thanks for the beer. You didn't have to."

Bradley just shrugged as he took a drink. "It was my fault you ended up wearing your last one. And I'm just happy you have good taste in drinks."

You grinned into your beer bottle as you took a sip. Then you noticed Phoenix pop up directly across the room from where you and Bradley sat. She was giving you both an appraising look as Bradley narrowed his eyes at her before turning his stool toward you and completely ignoring her. Phoenix eventually made her way back toward the pool table where all of the aviators seemed to congregate. Well, everyone except for Rooster who now had his large body mere inches from yours.

The bar was still packed, and it felt like everyone was pushing the two of you closer and closer together. The music from the jukebox blended with all of the conversation, muffling everything into a pleasant hum as you looked up at Bradley. His brown eyes snapped up from gazing at your body to meet yours.

"You look really pretty," he told you. "I mean, you look nice all the time, even in head to toe khaki." Bradley's helpful brain quickly reminded him just how good your ass looked in your uniform pants.

You laughed, "Wow, what a compliment. The Navy really does not discriminate when it comes to making everyone wear the same horrible khaki color." You carefully reach out your left hand and run it along the fabric of Bradley's colorful Hawaiian button down. "What's with the shirt?"

Bradley tracked your hand with his eyes as it brushed against his shirt fabric. Surely he was dreaming. There was no way this was actually happening to him. He was alone with you in a tiny mythical bubble inside the Hard Deck, and you were touching his clothing. You. The officer who he'd been gleefully staring at all week any time you were in the meeting rooms with him. And now he knew how sweet you smelled and what your laugh sounded like.

"What, you don't like my shirt?" he asked you teasingly, feeling a little bolder as your wandering fingers grazed his arm.

"I didn't say that. It's just not a look many guys can pull off," you replied with a quirk of your lips.

"Oof, that's harsh. So is it working for me or not?" Bradley asked you as he leaned in a little closer.

Your heart was pounding in your ears as you tugged lightly on his shirt collar. "Yeah, it's working for you." Had you actually said that out loud, to Bradley? You really needed to pay your tab and leave before you said anything else.

Bradley's eyes went a little wider before narrowing and locking with yours again. He licked his lips before asking, "But more importantly, is it working for you?"

Your jaw dropped open as you gaped at him for a few seconds before you snapped your mouth shut. You had to force your gaze away from him as you managed to say, "It's not not working for me."

"I'll take that as a good sign," he whispered with a chuckle.

You could tell your face was bright red. Bradley Bradshaw was clearly a shameless flirt. He probably did this with every single girl. But you were still eating it up. You couldn't even help yourself. You literally had butterflies, something Hangman hadn't given you, even when he'd touched the small of your back and asked you out.

Meeting Bradley's eyes again, you asked, "And what's with your mustache, Rooster?"

He grinned at you as he set his empty beer bottle on the bar. "Is that working for you too, Y/N?"

"Surprisingly, yes. It is working for me," you managed to say as Bradley's leg rubbed against your bare knees.

"I like the sound of that," he said, his voice getting raspier. Then he added with a slightly bashful smile, "Everything, every single thing, about you is working for me, too."

You were certain your body was going to melt right off the stool and onto the floor. The look Bradley was giving you was enough to make you combust. Sure, you'd thought he was very cute when you met him last week, but now he was making you feel scalding hot. This banter felt like foreplay, and you had not planned on a night like this.

A loud roar of cheers came from near the pool tables, slightly breaking the tension around the two of you. "Well Rooster, on that note, I'm going to head out before I say anything I might regret." You desperately wanted to grab him by his shirt collar and yank him outside. And the only problem with that was the fact that you actually kind of liked him, and you still had to work with him for the next few weeks.

As you left some cash on the bar to cover your tab, Bradley stood and reached out for your hand. You let him walk you to the door, and he lightly held your hand the whole way there. "Thanks," you murmured as you dared to meet his eyes. "I'll see you on Monday."

"I can't wait for Monday morning," he said with a huge grin as he released your hand and briefly let his fingers run along your wrist as you turned to leave. With one last smile over your shoulder, you vanished through the door.

"That looked very, very promising," Phoenix said as she had somehow materialized next to Bradley.

"I am a goner," he muttered as he ran his hand along the fabric of his shirt where your fingers had been.