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finelytaylored · 1 year

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Never felt like this before, take my name and make it yours.

Chapter 1: Nothing to lose, turns right into you.

Summary:

“Glad I don’t have to think of ways to keep your dad from having me dishonorably discharged and putting me six feet under for not wanting to date his daughter.”

Claire smiled and shook her head fondly. “He means well, and I can’t say he has bad taste in men” she said as her eyes traveled up and down Bradley’s body playfully. “But he really isn't equipped with the skills to read people as well as he should be able to.”

“Oh? What is it that he’s not seeing that you can?” Bradley asked, genuinely curious and engaged in the conversation now that he wasn’t worried about offending Claire with his disinterest in pursuing her romantically.

“Well, for starters, if he was as observant as he likes to think he is, he wouldn’t have wasted his time trying to set you up with me. He would have thought about personally introducing you to Daniel... and then If he was really paying attention he would have realized he should be trying to set you up with Jake right now.” Claire replied far too casually for someone that just turned his entire world upside-down. “It’s clear he respects you and would welcome you into the family, he’s just going about it the completely wrong way. Obviously.”

(read on Ao3) (Read full chapter below)

Admiral Kazansky and Admiral Seresin had never gotten along.

Admiral Seresin has never understood why Kazansky put reputation on the line time and time again for Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and how, despite that, he ended up being promoted to Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Despite his strong dislike towards Maverick and his disapproval of Iceman’s decision making whenever his other half was involved, Admiral Jacob Seresin Sr. had a great level of admiration and respect for Lieutenant Bradley Bradshaw. He was a skilled aviator - with the potential to be one of the best of his generation. If you asked Admiral Seresin, he would tell you Bradshaw was taught to fly by Kazansky. He didn’t take unnecessary risks in the air. Never pushed anything further than regulation permitted. He was unflinchingly calm and precise. Maverick never would have taught him to fly like that. He’d bet his wings on it.

At times he wished own son, his youngest child, Jacob Seresin Jr, flew more like Bradshaw. Jake looked up to Maverick and it took a lot of effort and string pulling and calling in favors for Admiral Seresin to keep him as far away from Pete Mitchell as possible when he could manage it.

When Kazansky needs to put a squadron together for a mission that requires the best of the best that the Navy has to offer, Seresin knows his son will be a candidate. He knows he deserves to be.

He knows his long, valiant effort of keeping his son away from Maverick will have to come to an end when he learns that somehow, he’d been assigned to teach and evaluate the candidates. His son would never forgive him if he did anything that jeopardized that opportunity. Getting called to Top Gun wasn’t something that came along all that often.

So, he lets it happen. He learns that Bradshaw will be among the candidates and can’t help but wonder how the Mitchell-Kazansky-Bradshaw household handled that situation. Even if he didn’t like the idea of putting Bradshaw in danger, Kazansky would’ve known he had to set aside personal feelings and select the candidates with the skills and experience that had the highest likelihood of successfully executing whatever was required. Maverick would have to do the same and compartmentalize while teaching and making the final selections. He couldn’t even begin to guess how Bradshaw was feeling, whether he was worried about being chosen and all of the other pilots thinking there was an element of favoritism, or if he was worried that he wouldn’t get chosen because Maverick couldn’t bring himself to send the boy that was practically his son into a situation he was highly likely to not return from.

His son Jake had met Bradley a few times before. Had complained about his flying being too safe, about the man hesitating in the air. About how he seemed fine settling for being a great pilot instead of trying to be the best pilot. The Admiral had always hoped the two of them spending time together during various deployments over the years meant some of Bradshaw’s flying style would rub off on Jake. It was just his luck that putting the two of them together seemed to have the opposite effect. His son saw Bradshaw as competition; someone who was capable of keeping up with him in the air and pushing him beyond what he believed his limits were. Part of him hoped the nature of this mission that called them both to Top Gun would be different. That they’d be forced into working together and finding a rhythm that wasn’t purely competitively antagonistic. He knew better than to hold his breath.

Being an Admiral, he was privy to a decent amount of classified information. He knew enough about what had happened on The Mission to privately relieved Jake hadn’t been chosen to fly it. He wasn’t at all surprised when he learned his son had disobeyed direct orders to save the lives of Maverick and Lieutenant Bradshaw, chalking up his second confirmed kill in the process. It was the first time Admiral Seresin had ever been glad to see his son emulate Maverick’s instinctual ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ style of flying while in the air.

Jake had received one hell of a verbal lashing from Cyclone but escaped without any disciplinary action or marks against his service record. He was to receive a service medal with the rest of the squadron that had flown the mission. The Admiral had always been proud of his son, but he was certain he had never been prouder than watching Jake stand on that stage being recognized for his exceptional service. He found it difficult not to get outwardly emotional and was thankful to have his wife & Jake’s mother Anne there to squeeze his hand and anchor him. Their eldest and middle children Daniel and Claire were also in attendance. It was a moment he’d never forget.

Admiral Seresin managed to call in a few favors to have the medal ceremony in Texas to make sure they could share that moment as a family. When he told Anne about it, she insisted he invite the squadron and their families to the Seresin home afterwards for a barbecue. She loved inviting guests into their home, and she knew this was the best and possible only opportunity to have their full family and all of the members of that incredibly special squadron together under one roof.

Admiral Seresin had planned on finding a moment to personally introduce Lieutenant Bradshaw to his daughter Claire. No one would ever be good enough for her, but he felt that Bradley Bradshaw was a man he believed could be worthy of her.

He was happy to see they seemed to hit it off right away, sitting angled towards each other, speaking animatedly and in their own little world.

They didn’t spend the entire night at each other’s sides, but they did keep drifting back together throughout the night, easily conversation flowing between them. He took it as a good sign that maybe he hadn’t been so far off.

At one point he had glanced over at them in time to catch Claire gently grasping his bicep as he leaned down to let her whisper something in his ear. A bright smile broke out on his face as she spoke. She pulled back to look him in the eyes, smiling just as widely at his response.

They all started to call it a night around 11pm, breaking off into groups with designated drivers to head back to the hotel for the night, Anne making the members of the squadron all promise to stop by for a casual brunch the next day before they all went their separate ways for the month of leave they had all been granted. Both Claire and Anne pulled Bradshaw into hugs before he was allowed out of the house for the night.

The following day, Bradshaw, Trace, Floyd, Fitch and Garcia all showed up to the house together around 10:00am. Machado, who the Seresin family had become very familiar with over the years had stayed over the previous night. Machado was the only one the Admiral had seen in civilian clothing prior to that day. It made them all look like a giant weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

Anne gave them all hugs as they walked into the kitchen, Claire greeting Trace and Bradshaw with hugs and flashing bright smiles to the rest of the group. They all made themselves at home in the living room. Trace and Floyd sat on the loveseat; Trace’s legs stretched out with her feet in Floyd’s lap. Fitch, Garcia and Daniel were on another couch, leaving Claire, Jake, Machado and the Admiral in various chairs that had been brought in to create more seating. Bradley was noticeably absent, having immediately insisted on being allowed to help Anne in the kitchen as she continued to put the finishing touches on brunch.

It didn’t take long for Claire to politely excuse herself and make her way towards the kitchen. She came back out 20 minutes later to announce the food was ready and they all stood up to help set the table.

Admiral Seresin wouldn’t find out until much later that Claire had gone to the kitchen to get some real alone time with Bradley - meaning time with Bradley away from him.

Brunch was a lively affair, with several conversations happening from across the table simultaneously. The group had truly bonded, and the Admiral could tell these were going to be lifelong friendships. He was glad to see Jake had found a group he was finally willing to let himself open up to. There had been real smiles on his face all morning, the trademark “Hangman” grins and smirks were nowhere to be seen. He had let his guard down and was letting himself just be Jake. The Admiral would never be able to repay the squadron for that, but they were honorary members of the family for life now and that felt like a good place to start.

Jake was even getting along with Bradshaw. There hadn’t been any bickering since the medal ceremony, and they were sitting next to each other at the table while they all indulged in the abundance of food that had been prepared. The Admiral hadn’t seen them interact prior to that trip to Texas but he’d listened to Jake bitch and moan about the other man for years; something had shifted between them since they returned home from the mission. Having someone risk their life to save your own or being on the other side of it and making an active decision to save someone else’s tended to change things; in this instance, it seemed, the change was going to be for the better.

Bradley knew there was a reason Admiral Seresin had made sure to personally introduce him to his daughter Claire after the medal ceremony. He had only ever met Admiral Seresin once before that night at the Seresin house and was introduced to the rest of the family for the first time. He had quickly discovered that Mrs. Seresin and Claire were very easy to get along with. Claire was witty and had a sharp sense of humor, and an absolutely devastating, charming smile to go along with it. If he was anyone else, he would have been over the moon that the Admiral was not-so-subtly trying to make something happen there. He was flattered for a lot of reasons, and he knew he had to navigate the situation very carefully.

Bradley had never come out to anyone he served with. The only people he had told – had ever felt comfortable enough to tell - were Ice and Mav.

It wasn’t that he was ashamed of who he was. He had grown up in a home that encouraged him to be exactly who he was, and he found comfort in the fact that his family would accept him no matter what, even if nobody else did.

The Navy liked to believe they had made a lot of progress after DADT was gone but the truth was you still had to watch your back. There were plenty of men and women in positions of power that would find any reason they could do derail your career or at least make your days in service a living hell if they knew your sexuality or gender identity and didn’t “agree” with it.

Bradley didn’t necessarily have any ambitions about becoming an Admiral or rising the ranks before he retired, but he also didn’t want to make things unnecessarily difficult for himself if he could avoid it. He knew that he was highly respected by a lot of the brass who had a lot of power and until he found someone he wanted to settle down with, it wasn’t worth it to give them any reason to reconsider their positive regard toward him.

He hadn’t necessarily decided not to tell the Dagger Squadron or any of his wingmen throughout the years. It was just something that never really came up. His time spent with the Dagger Squadron was the closest he’d ever come to considering it. He had formed more of a bond with them in a short amount of time than he’d ever managed to with anyone he’d been assigned to fly with in his career at that point. He had a feeling that none of them would treat him any differently if they knew.

Bradley had his suspicions that a few of them were queer as well. He was fairly confident he had Phoenix, Bob and Fanboy figured out and that they would understand him. Hangman, Coyote and Payback he was less sure about and had written them off as straight but hadn’t ever observed any behavior from them that would lead Bradley to believe they were bigoted in any way.

Which was a giant pain in the ass for Bradley. He’d clearly been saving up all his luck and good fortune for the moment Hangman flew in at the literal last second and saved his and Mav’s life. If he had any left to spare, he would have found himself infatuated with Bob or Fanboy. Unfortunately, the moment he had met the youngest Seresin all those years ago, he knew he was in trouble. The man had caught his attention immediately. Bradley was actually mildly offended at how attractive he was. Nobody outside of Hollywood should have been allowed to walk around in public looking like that. It also didn’t help that the guy walked into any room like he owned the place. Confidence rolled off him in waves. He had a witty response to every quip thrown his way. His smile was flawless and just a bit too sharp around the edges to be sincere, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that was impossible not to be intrigued by.

And he was an absolute menace in the air. Bradley never stood a chance.

Bradley had never seen Hangman leave with any men or women after nights out, he’d never brought any significant others to any ceremonies and Bradley had only ever seen the Seresin family show up to see him off for deployments.

But the same could be said for himself, and for the rest of the Daggers. He was purely operating off assumptions, and it was difficult to solidify any of the conclusions he had drawn when the entire group was so comfortable around each other. They were all playfully flirty and casually physically affectionate to some level. There was a lot of teasing and banter, and he was normally pretty decent at reading people. Coyote and Payback were the least flirty with the other guys in the group but still played along. Phoenix, Bob, Fanboy and himself were clearly the most comfortable with it but he couldn’t say that Hangman didn’t give them all a run for their money. It just felt different somehow.

Hangman flirted like he had a damn degree in it. It was polished and perfect, and it shouldn’t have worked at all with how rehearsed it felt. He never let it get personal and it still seemed to work every single time. He never changed his approach based on who was on the receiving end of it.

Well, almost never. It had taken Bradley a while to notice it, but Hangman was different with him. He figured it had something to do with their rivalry in the air. They constantly argued and gave each other shit over flying styles and techniques. Hangman never let Bradley forget that he was too careful, that he hesitated at all the wrong moments. Bradley made sure to remind him that being the fastest didn’t always mean being the best and that being the best meant nothing if you weren’t willing to adapt your flying style to fit with your team.

So, their interactions weren’t as fun and flirty and casual as their interactions were with everyone else. It felt more personal; like there was more at stake somehow. Like if they weren’t careful their jabs could actually hurt each other. Bradley knew they had both crossed that line a few times.

It helped Bradley keep himself in check. It was better for his sanity that they didn’t have an easy, flirtatious relationship. There was a far greater risk of him slipping up and showing his hand if that had been the case. He had every intention of keeping his frustratingly non-platonic interest in Hangman to himself and he had done a damn good job of it up to that point.

After The Mission, things changed. Bradley felt the shift happen almost immediately. He hadn’t had any time to adjust or to fully process it. Nobody had said anything, but he was sure that with how perceptive everyone was, they had all noticed it too.

It became less personal. There were no snarky comments about his flying. It was the same, effortless, charming remarks he’d been using on everyone else for years, and for the first time since they’d met, Bradley was on the receiving end of it. It had rattled him in a way he hadn’t been prepared for.

He knew it wasn’t real. He had watched the man use the same lines with the same delivery for nearly a decade at that point, but it had opened a box in the corner of his mind that he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to force closed again. He let himself start to wonder what Hangman actually flirting with someone he was interested in looked like. The man was not afraid of a challenge. He sought them out whenever he could, and the amount of focus he channeled into getting what he wanted was really something to behold. Bradley couldn’t even begin to imagine how overwhelming it would feel to be on the receiving end of that kind of undivided attention. He imagined it had to be similar to a strong, unrelenting current pulling you underwater that no amount of struggling against it would free you from. He couldn’t convince himself he’d even try to fight it, more than happy to let himself drown if it meant knowing what it felt like to have Hangman – Jake – look at him like that. Just once.

After being introduced to Claire, she made sure to let him know she had him figured out immediately, once they had found a semi-secluded area to sit down and talk.

“Before this conversation goes any further Lieutenant Bradshaw, you and I both know this” she paused to gesture between the two of them, “isn’t going anywhere, right?”

Bradley couldn’t help but laugh, caught slightly off guard by her bluntness. Having spent as much time as he did around her brother, he shouldn’t have been surprised. “Glad I don’t have to think of ways to keep your dad from having me dishonorably discharged and putting me six feet under for not wanting to date his daughter.”

Claire smiled and shook her head fondly. “He means well, and I can’t say he has bad taste in men” she said as her eyes traveled up and down Bradley’s body playfully. ““But he really isn't equipped with the skills to read people as well as he should be able to.”

“Well, for starters, if he was as observant as he likes to think he is, he wouldn’t have wasted his time trying to set you up with me. He would have thought about personally introducing you to Daniel… and then If he was really paying attention he would have realized he should be trying to set you up with Jake right now.” Claire replied far too casually for someone that just turned his entire world upside-down. “It’s clear he respects you and would welcome you into the family, he’s just going about it the completely wrong way. Obviously.”

“Obviously?!” Bradley choked on nothing, stuttering as his brain bluescreened in a flood of panic. “I – Claire, what- “

“Bradley – Can I call you Bradley? – Calm down, it’s okay.” She replied calmly, reaching out to place a hand on his knee. “You look like your entire life just flashed before your eyes. It’s not a big deal.”

Bradley took a few deep breaths as he desperately tried to get his thoughts in order. “Claire, it’s a huge deal. I’ve never been out in the Navy. I’ve never said a word to anyone my entire career, outside of family.” He calmly explained. “I just met you, and you read me like an open goddamn book.” He groaned, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I thought I had been so careful – so discreet. Now I’m starting to think everyone knows and just hasn’t said anything.”

“Knows about your sexuality or knows that you’re down tremendously bad for my younger brother?” Claire asked, not unkindly.

She was teasing him, but he could tell she was trying to ease the tension in his shoulders, not to make fun of him.

“Both? Either?” Bradley replied helplessly. “The first one I could live with. I’m not ashamed of who I am and if people already know and this is how my career has gone then I can’t really complain.” He said as he gestured to the ribbons and medals on his chest. “The second one… the second one would definitely be worse.”

Claire nodded in acknowledgement. “I know it’s not really my business, but can I ask why? I mean, I grew up with the idiot, I know he can be a lot to handle…”

Bradley snorted in amusement. “Him being a lot to handle isn’t the problem. For some stupid reason, I like that about him.” He couldn’t believe he was finally having this conversation with someone that wasn’t Mav or Ice and it was Jake’s sister of all people. “Like your father, I’d like to think I’m decent at reading people and I’ve just never… he’s never given me any reason to think it wasn’t a one-sided thing.” He said with a shrug.

“He’s never given you a reason to think he wasn’t straight, you mean.” Claire replied. It wasn’t a question.

“That’s always been a big part of it, yeah.” Bradley agreed. “I don’t have any aspirations of being an Admiral or a Commander or anything like that. I’m not afraid to put myself out there, but I need some sort of sign that there’s at least a mutual attraction. I don’t see the point in outing myself for someone who hasn’t given me any reason to believe they aren’t straight.”

Claire paused, a small furrow in her brow as she responded. “I can respect that. I hope you know that your secrets are safe with me. And for the record, I do think your friends may have already figured out your sexuality because you all seem very close… and I don’t think I can ease your mind when it comes to the second thing. It is possible I’ve noticed because we’re a close family and I pay attention, but if they have figured it out, it doesn’t seem like it bothers them.”

Bradley sighed. “To be fair, I don’t think I’m the only queer one in the Dagger squadron. We haven’t talked about it, obviously, but you’re right. We are close, especially after The Mission.”

“Alright, spill. I’m thinking … Phoenix and Fanboy are bi. Possibly Bob too, but I’m having a bit of a harder time getting a read on him” Claire replied.

Bradley leaned in a bit closer. “I think Bob might be gay, actually, but you could be right. We all flirt pretty openly with each other. Payback and Coyote aren’t quite as into most of the time, and when they are it’s more to indulge Hangma- your brother and his antics. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything though. Who fucking knows. We could all be queer and could’ve been talking about it with each other this whole time.”

“I’m sorry but that would be objectively hilarious. That would be the most predictable Navy bullshit ever. You know that, right?” Claire replied with a smirk.

“I hate how right you are about that.” Bradley replied. “I should probably just take one for the team and bring it up before we all go our separate ways for our leave. We’re supposed to be on assignment together after that, but who knows what’ll happen in the next month.”

“I know mom is basically forcing y’all to come over for brunch before y’all leave tomorrow. Maybe you could bring it up then?” Claire suggested. “At the very least I think it would make you feel better. It seems like you really care about these guys and I’m sure it would mean a lot to them to know you trust them that much.”

“I’ll think about it. See what the mood is like tomorrow.” Bradley replied.

“Now that we’ve cleared all that up, lets go grab a drink from the kitchen and you can tell me more about yourself.” Claire decided, standing and gently pulling him up by the wrist to follow her.

He was powerless to do anything other than what she asked at the point. Apparently, he just had a soft spot for the Seresin family. He was in so much more trouble than he could’ve possibly imagined.

The following morning, Nat, Bob, Mickey, Reuben and himself all crammed into one of the rental cars and made the way out to the Seresin home for brunch, as insisted upon by Anne or “Mama Seresin” as they had been instructed to call her if they weren’t comfortable being on a first name basis with the woman yet. It was a pleasant drive, everyone with a cup of coffee in their hands as they slowly allowed themselves to wake up, admiring the scenery as they drove by or quietly texting friends and family. Bradley had volunteered to drive as he figured he was the least exhausted and the grateful way they had all looked at him was all the thanks he needed.

Even though the car was void of any kind of conversation, driving gave him something to focus on and kept him from overthinking himself into a panic. He had meant what he said when he told Claire he would continue telling his squadron – his friends – the truth about his sexuality. He couldn’t bring himself to think they’d react badly but the idea of confirming what they probably already knew still made him nervous. Saying it out loud made it real in the part of his world that extended beyond his small, tight-knit family circle. If he went through with it, it was something he wouldn’t be able to take back.

After about 35 minutes of driving, they arrived at the house and Bradley parked off to the side of the driveway. He gently nudged Reuben awake, who had been lightly napping in the passenger seat, and the two of them exited the car and slowly brought Nat, Mickey and Bob back to the land of the living to join them.

Mama Seresin gave them all hugs as they walked into the kitchen, Claire greeting Nat and himself with hugs and bright smiles for the rest of the group. The group made themselves at home in the living room. Unsurprisingly Nat and Bob sat on the loveseat; Nat’s legs stretched out with her feet in Bob’s lap. The two had gotten very close in the short amount of time since Bob had been assigned as Nat’s back seater so it wasn’t an unfamiliar sight. Rueben, Mickey and the eldest Seresin brother, Daniel, were on another couch, leaving Claire, Jake, Javy, along with the Admiral in various chairs that had been brought in to create more seating.

As much as he wanted to spend time with his friends, Bradley had made his way to the kitchen, and immediately insisted on being allowed to help Mama Seresin in the kitchen as she continued to put the finishing touches on brunch.

He knew how much they all appreciated being invited into the Seresin home and being provided home cooked meals, the least he felt he could do was offer a helping hand if at all possible. He hadn’t thought about what it would be like to be alone in the kitchen with Jake and Claire’s mom, while her husband was trying to set him up with their daughter, while he was trying to pretend not to be infatuated with one of their sons. It was too late to back out of it now.

“You are a guest in this house Bradley Bradshaw. You do not have to be in here helpin’ me.” Anne assured, wiping her hands off on her apron.

“Yes ma’am, I’m aware of that, but this is the second day in a row you’ve welcomed us into your home with the offer of home cooked meals on top of that. It would be rude if at least one of us didn’t offer to help out, and trust me, you don’t want any of the others offering.” Bradley replied with a smile.

Anne laughed brightly, shaking her head. “You are quite the charmer. I can see why they like you so much.”

Bradley accepted the apron Anne held out to him before responding. “They, ma’am?”

“Oh, you stop that, Bradley. There’s no need for that kind of formality here. Anne or Mama Seresin. Take your pick.” She insisted with a kind smile and a look on her face that brokered no room for any arguments.

“If you insist, Anne.” Bradley replied. He knew most of the squad had opted to go with Mama Seresin, but he had his own personal hang ups that he still hadn’t gotten over when it came to using any variation of “mom” or “mama” in general. Maybe he’d be able to get past that at one point, but that day in the Seresin kitchen wasn’t going to be it. “What did you mean by ‘they’?”

“The family. It isn’t easy to get the stamp of approval from my husband, but you caught his eye quite a while ago. He has a lot of respect for you, and you earned it.” Anne explained. “From what I could see last night, you and Claire hit it off right away. Talked each other’s ears off practically all night.” She continued as she pulled a few items out of the fridge and handed them to him. “And Jake, of course. Your name has been brought up in this house since the day he met you. I felt like I had met you myself long before last night.”

Bradley cleared his throat as he felt a flush climbing up his neck and over his cheeks. “That’s – that’s quite a compliment. I’m not sure I know how to respond to that.” He replied. “I’ve had a lot of respect for the Admiral for a long time but obviously hadn’t had much of a chance to talk to him face-to-face until last night. I’m honored to know that he holds such a high opinion of me. Claire is a wonderful, terrifyingly clever woman. She reminds me a lot of Nat, so I’m not surprised we get along so well.”

Anne seemed amused by his response. “And Jake? I haven’t seen much of you two together but from what I’ve heard y’all are getting along a bit better than you did way back when.”

Bradley took a deep breath and fought against the urge to run a hand through his hair. At least he was helping prep the salad, so he had something to do with his hands. “I don’t know what he’s told you or what you’ve heard but things have definitely … shifted since we all got back from The Mission. I don’t really know how to explain it. I guess we were so competitive in the air and the rivalry we fell into just didn’t feel like it mattered after…”

Anne took pity on him and filled in the blank. “After he saved your life?”

Bradley swallowed thickly, keeping his gaze focused on the knife in his hand and the vegetables he was chopping. “Yeah. Even though I never actually hated him, we had put up this wall that was different from the friendships or work relationships we both had with everyone else. The moment I realized I wasn’t going to die – that he had put his life on the line for me, and for Mav – I knew I’d never be able to put that wall back up again but it’s the only way I’ve ever known how to interact with him.” Bradley admitted.

“I can’t begin to imagine what that feels like, after knowing someone for the better part of a decade, to have something like that happen and not know where y’all stand afterward.” Anne replied. “If it makes you feel any better, I think he’s struggling with it just as much as you are. It may not happen overnight, but it’ll all fall into place. You’ve just gotta give it some time. Which is easier said than done, I know.”

“She’s right, you know.” Bradley heard from over his shoulder and turned his head in time to see Claire walk into the kitchen. “Y’all will figure out what your new normal is. If you’re half as stubborn as Jake is, I have no doubt in my mind it’ll be sooner rather than later.”

Bradley flashed her a smile before he turned his attention back to the task at hand. “Come to help with the cooking?”

“Came to join in on the gossip.” She corrected with a wink. “Or to start it, if you two haven’t gotten there yet.”

Anne shoots Claire a look that Bradley doesn’t catch.

“You and I both know I would never hear the end of it if I started without you.” Anne replied.

“Am I going to regret putting myself in a position where you two can gang up on me and there’s nothing I can do about it? Because I feel like that’s what’s about to happen here.” Bradley asked, rhetorically.

“Probably.” Claire replied without hesitation. “But you and I are basically best friends now so you’re gonna have to get used to it. Might as well just accept it now.”

“Best friends, huh? What did I do to earn that title so quickly? It’s been like one day.” Bradley replied, lifting the cutting board and sliding the chopped vegetables into the salad bowl on the counter next to him.

Claire shrugged. “I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot more of you around this house, and I don’t know about you, but I quite enjoyed our conversations last night.”

“I did too, I’m just worried it gave your dad the wrong idea.” Bradley replied with a grimace.

Anne laughed. “Oh lord, don’t tell me he’s trying to set y’all up?” She said, glancing between the two of them.

“Dad has good taste, at least. I’ll give him that much.” Claire confirmed.

“We do have to at least give him credit for that, yes.” Anne agreed. “You do seem like you are quite a catch Bradley.”

Bradley felt himself blushing for the second time that day and ducked his head to try and hide it.

“I must admit I was actually hoping your father was on to something this time.” Anne replied. “We’ll just have to make you an honorary Seresin then, unless there’s another member of the family we can marry you off to.” She said jokingly.

Bradley felt the blush on his face get worse as it crept down to his neck. He heard Claire snort and then try to turn it into a cough to mask the laughter. He could feel two sets of eyes burning into his head and he forced himself to look up.

He wasn’t sure what exactly Anne saw when she looked at him in that moment, but there was an understanding in her eyes that told him she knew. “Oh. Oh.” She gasped.

She walked toward him slowly, closing the gap between them with just a few steps. He forced himself to hold eye contact with her, as much as he wanted to look away. Anne didn’t say anything, just continued to look at him, studying his face. Without warning, she reached up and pulled him into a hug. Bradley felt his breath catch in his throat and he only hesitated briefly before letting his eyes fall closed and allowing himself to wrap his arms around her and return the hug.

She gently rubbed his back. She pulled back and put a hand on his cheek, making sure he was looking into her eyes before she spoke. “You will always have a home here in Texas.” She whispered. “I know Pete and Tom take good care of you, but if you ever need anything, I expect you to call me. You understand?”

Bradley was overwhelmed, to say the least. He knew he was going to fail to keep the emotion out of his voice as he replied. “Yes ma’am.” He whispered, his voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat and corrected himself. “Thank you, Anne.”

Anne pulled back and removed her hand from his cheek before she glanced over at her daughter. “Claire, will you let everyone know brunch is ready? We could use some extra hands to get the table set.”

Claire nodded. “Of course. I’ll send them in. Might be a few minutes.” She replied, giving them a meaningful look.

Bradley was thankful he was going to have a bit of time to compose himself before the others came into the room.

Brunch was a lively affair, with several conversations happening from across the table simultaneously. It was obvious that the group had truly bonded, and Bradley was starting to believe this was the start of lifelong friendships, no matter where they ended up being deployed in the future. Bradley hadn’t realized how much he had ached for something like that in his life, and now that he had it, he was going to make damn sure he put in the necessary effort to keep those relationships in his life.

He wasn’t sure how, but he was convinced that Claire had something to do with the fact that he ended up sitting next to Jake when they had all settled down to eat. His suspicions were confirmed when he caught her eye from across the table and she winked at him.

“So, what do y’all have planned for your month of leave? Must feel like more time than you know what to do with.” Anne asked, glancing around the table as she spoke.

“I’m flying to Philly tomorrow morning to spend a few weeks with my family. The rest I’m sure I’ll figure out.” Nat replied, smiling softly. “I’m looking forward to not having any plans for the first time in a long time.”

“Amen to that.” Javy replied, reaching out for a fist-bump which Nat returned without hesitation. “I’ll be taking full advantage of this world-famous Seresin hospitality for a few more days. If I’m not home by the weekend my mom will fly out here and drag me to Baton Rouge herself.”

“Javy, you know we love you but if you keep your momma waiting that long, I’ll drag you to the airport myself.” Anne replied, shaking her head.

“What about you Bradshaw? I suspect Maverick and Ice don’t have a month of leave of their own.” The Admiral asked.

Bradley cleared his throat before responding. “Well sir, Maverick is supposed to have a month of leave, since he did the fly The Mission. He’s still technically recovering, probably should still be in the hospital, but it’ll be a miracle if we can keep him at home for more than a week, a week and a half tops.” Bradley replied. “Ice won’t have any time off as far as I know, but we’ll make it work. We always have.”

“So, you’re planning on spending your leave in California, then?” The Admiral asked.

“That’s correct, sir. They’re the only family I’ve got so it wouldn’t make much sense for me to go anywhere else.” Bradley was thrown off by the question but tried not to let it show on his face.

“Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten what Mama told you, Bradley.” Claire cut in.

“I’ll say it again if I have to darlin’, and I’m sure Claire will have no problem remindin’ you too. You all are honorary members of this family.” Anne said. “Now I’m not expecting to see everyone again during this month of leave, but I do expect to see each of you back here again soon.”

“Except for you, Bradley. You have to come back before your month of leave is up or I’ll never forgive you.” Claire added, a shit-eating grin on her face.

The Admiral looked delighted by the idea. Bradley wanted the ground beneath him to open up and swallow him whole.

“Wait a second, how am I the last to know that we’re apparently adopting Bradshaw into the family? When did this even happen?” Jake asked. Bradley would’ve laughed at the baffled look on the other man’s face if he wasn’t busy dying of embarrassment.

“You upset you weren’t consulted first? Pretty sure you would’ve been outnumbered anyway.” Claire replied, sticking her tongue out.

“You’re such a child. Aren’t you supposed to be older than me?” he retorted with a fond smile on his face.

It was a smile Bradley had only had the pleasure of seeing a handful of times in all the years he had known Jake. It was a devastating sight and he had to force himself to look away. He hated himself for it, but without the presence of the wall that had been between them pre-mission, he couldn’t trust himself. He was afraid if he stared just a second too long, he’d give himself away.

“Anyway, let us know what dates work for you and how long you want to stay and there’ll be a room set up for you.’ Claire said, looking away from her brother and over at Bradley.

Bradley knew this was a fight he wasn’t going to win and that whether he wanted to or not, he’d be spending some more time in Texas in the near future. “Yes ma’am.” Bradley replied, mock-saluting Claire as he spoke. She just laughed and he couldn’t help but smile.

The remainder of the conversation continued as the others talked about their plans for leave and what they were looking forward to the most about being home. Bradley was thankful to have the attention off him as he thought about the conversation he wanted to have with the Daggers once Anne and The Admiral gave them a few minutes alone.

That opportunity came about 20 minutes later when everyone at the table was convinced they couldn’t eat another bite of food if their lives depended on it and Claire hung back to help Anne clear the table and clean up. The two women insisted they all go out to the back patio and take advantage of the lounges and the shade. The Admiral excused himself to his office and the Daggers all made their way outside.

He watched Bob, Rueben and Mickey fall into a heap together on one of the lounges, while Javy, Nat and Jake sprawled out on the other one.

“You gonna join us, Bradshaw or are you just gonna stand there all day?” Javy teased, encouraging the rest of the group to jeer at him.

“I was thinking about it, but it doesn’t really look like there’s any room for me.” He replied, glancing pointedly between the two lounges.

Nat smiled and shifted closer to Javy, creating a laughably small amount of space between her and Jake. “Plenty of room for you right here stud.” She said, patting the spot with her hand.

Bradley took a deep breath, internally debating whether he wanted to do this standing in front of them like he was giving a speech or pressed up against Jake. They both sounded like terrible options, and he didn’t have an excuse to join the group on the other lounge instead.

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Nat.” He replied with a wink as he walked over to join them.

Javy sat pressed up against the back of the couch on one side, Jake mirroring him on the other. Nat sat up and shifted to give Bradley slightly more room to join them. He sat on the edge and let Nat direct him where she wanted him to go. He tried not to tense up when she guided him until his head was on Jake’s stomach. She then put her head on Javy’s chest and stretched out so her legs were resting on top of Bradley’s.

He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, trying to relax. Jake didn’t feel tense, didn’t seem affected at all by Bradley’s head using his torso as a pillow. Bradley wasn’t sure if that made him feel better or worse.

“There’s something I wanted to talk to you guys about but I – maybe it’s stupid, maybe you all know already.” Bradley paused, trying to keep himself from rambling. “But it feels important, after everything. Doesn’t make sense not to tell you guys at this point.”

He felt Nat shift, lifting her head from his chest to look up at him and resting her chin on her hand. “If it’s stupid, you know we’ll tell you it’s stupid and never let you forget it.” She said, looking at him like she knew his mind was racing. “But I have a feeling it’s not, and I’m never wrong, right boys?”

The various ‘boos’ and scoffs and jeering she got in response put him at ease and he smiled at her, hoping she understood how grateful he was for her in that moment.

“I guess I should start by saying I have Admiral Seresin to thank for this, and I should probably give Claire some credit because when she hears about this, she’ll disown me as her newly appointed best friend if I don’t.” He felt more than he heard Jake laugh. “Claire is easy to talk to, and has a great sense of humor, and is absolutely terrifying when she wants to be. And, don’t hit me Jake, but I do have eyes, so I know she’s beautiful.”

Nat snorted out a laugh and he heard amused chuckles from a few of the others.

“And while I was flattered by The Admiral making sure to personally introduce us, and we did hit it off right away, I spent most of last night trying to figure out how to break it to him that she wasn’t my type without ending up dishonorably discharged, six feet under somewhere, or both.” Bradley continued.

“I knew you didn’t have taste, Bradshaw. Those godawful Hawaiian shirts you constantly wear told us that a long time ago.” Jake replied. Bradley couldn’t see his face, but he could hear the amused tone of his voice that let Bradley know he wasn’t about to get punched for turning down Jake’s sister.

“I’d really like to say I’m surprised that you somehow gained the respect of Admiral Seresin without even really trying – and then on top of that, you get him to like you enough that he personally went out of his way to try and set you up with Claire. And you’re not even interested. But somehow that’s so you.” Javy replied, shaking his head.

“Gee thanks, Coyote.” Bradley replied flatly. “It’s not my fault, alright. My life would be a lot fucking easier if I could fall in love with Claire or someone like her and settle down but that’s just not in the cards for me.”

“Why not, man? I know we give you a lot of shit but don’t sell yourself short Rooster. You’re a good dude.” Mickey replied.

“Thanks man, I appreciate that.” Bradley replied. “If I had big career aspirations, I might be tempted to make something like that work for the sake of keeping up appearances. There have been a few women here and there that I’ve been into enough to have casual flings with but honestly, physical attraction is as far as that goes. I’ve only ever seriously dated or been in relationships with men.”

He felt Jake tense up beneath him but didn’t dare look up at his face. He kept his eyes locked with Nat, who was looking back at him like she was proud of him. She slowly reached out with the hand that wasn’t supporting her chin and grabbed the hand that was resting on his chest, tangling their fingers together. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before she spoke. “The longest relationship I’ve ever been in was with a woman. I’ve been in love with men and women, but god nothing has ever come close to how she made me feel when we were together.”

Bradley felt himself start to tear up and squeezed her hand in return. “I don’t know why I was so nervous to tell you. I had a feeling you’d understand, and I still couldn’t bring myself to just say it.” He knew the others were listening, but in that moment, he needed Nat to understand what her support meant to him, whether they had an audience or not.

“I get it. As much as I love being in the Navy, it doesn’t really feel like a safe space a lot of the time to talk about that kind of stuff.” Nat replied, “Even around people you trust.”

“If we’re doing this, then I guess I should put it out there that I’m hella gay. So, you’ve got my full support Brad.” Mickey admitted, a bright smile on his face.

“I mean, I wouldn’t have phrased it like that, exactly… but the same goes for me. In both cases.” Bob chimed in, a kind smile on his face.

“I am embarrassingly straight, as Jake likes to remind me, but if anyone tries to mess with any of you about the fact that you’re not, you better believe I will throw hands.” Javy added. “No one messes with my friends, especially not about that.”

“I am also a card-carrying member of ‘embarrassingly straight’ club and I second everything Javy just said.” Rueben chimed in, reaching across the space between the lounges to fist-bump the other man.

“As happy as it would make my father if I was, I am not a card-carrying member of that club.” Jake offered. “He’s always been supportive of me, in his own way. He’s never made me feel like I should be ashamed of it or anything like that, but he also knows I have career advancement aspirations before I retire and has made it clear that it’s better if I keep my personal life separate.”

For the first time since he laid down, Bradley looked up at Jake. He found he was surprised by how open Jake was in that moment. His guard was down completely, and he was letting his friends in on something he clearly didn’t talk about often. He was also processing the fact that Jake was not straight like Bradley had always assumed he was. He didn’t know what to do with that information and decided to file it away for later. Laying on the man’s stomach was not the time or place to have a crisis about it.

Jake was looking over in the direction of the other lounge as he continued. “Not all of us grew up with Iceman and Maverick as our support system, but now that I’ve gotten to know them… I’ve started to believe it might be possible to have both. The long, successful Naval career and the idyllic white picket fence situation.”

Bradley couldn’t help but laugh. “They are disgustingly domestic sometimes, so you’re not too far off there.” He felt Jake laugh in response and the rest of the group joined in, while also groaning about not wanting to know that much information about their former team leader and the Commander’s love life.

Bradley felt lighter than he had in years and pulled Natasha in close when she laid back down, placing her head on his chest instead of Javy’s.

“Oh I see how it is, I’m not a good enough pillow all of a sudden?” Javy exclaimed.

Nat huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes. She gave Bradley a kiss on the cheek before scooting back over to snuggle up close to Javy. He lifted his head slightly as he felt Jake shift underneath him.

“Sit up for a second.” Jake requested softly. Bradley did as he asked and took the opportunity to stretch his arms above his head. He heard shuffling and turned to see Jake had shifted to sit up a bit more than he had been. He nodded at Bradley, who took that as the signal to rejoin him. Jake patted his own chest with his hand.

Bradley shifted up as Jake lifted his arm to accommodate him. He laid his head down, unsure of which way he should face or how to position the rest of his body. Jake made the decision for him by wrapping his arm around Bradley shoulder and angling his body toward him rather than outwards towards Nat. In that position, the only place he could really place his arm was across Jake’s stomach. He didn’t have more than a few seconds to worry about it before eyes fluttered closed and he released a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding as a hand gently brushed through his hair.

The silence that fell over the group was comfortable and none of them felt the needs to fill it with anything. Bradley felt himself starting to drift off, the steady beat of Jake’s heart and the feeling of Nat pressed up against his side lulling him into a peaceful state of sleep.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he jolted awake, hushed conversation happening around him. He shifted to pull his phone out of his pocket and squinted at the screen. 1:17pm. He’d only been out for around 30 minutes meaning he probably wouldn’t end up regretting the nap later. There was one unread text from Ice and he swiped across the screen to open it.

Hope you’re having a good time with the rest of the Daggers. Just wanted to let you know we made it back home. Let us know when to pick you up from the airport. See you soon.

Bradley typed out a quick reply, letting Ice know he was glad they made it home and they he’d keep the updated on what time his flight was supposed to be landing later that night. Reluctantly, he was going to have to start convincing the group they’d need to head back to the hotel soon. All of their flights were going to different places and leaving at different times.

“I can hear you thinking from over here. Stop it.” Nat said, poking him in the side.

Bradley flinched slightly at the contact, batting her hand away. “As much as I’d love to not have to think about a single thing right now, someone here has to make sure we get back to the hotel because it’ll end up being my fault if any of you miss your flights.”

The chorus of groans he received in response made him laugh out loud.

“You’re such an old man, trying to get us to behave like responsible adults.” Mickey replied, making an exaggerated gaging noise to get his point across.

“Fuck off Fanboy, I’m not that much older than you guys.” Bradley replied, lifting his hand high enough so that the middle finger he was holding up could be seen from the other lounge.

“I mean, you are the only one of us here that’s over 30…” Javy replied with a grin.

He heard Nat choking on a laugh next to him.

“I’ve changed my mind. This whole group bonding session we’re having right now was a bad idea. I hate all of you.” Bradley replied, knowing he was fighting a losing battle.

Jake scoffed. “You wouldn’t last one day without us, and you know it Bradshaw.”

“I’m pretty sure you’ve got that backwards, Bagman.” Bradley replied. “None of you would last a day without me to drag your asses out of bed for training sessions before the sun is up or to remind you when you need to leave for the airport or to make greasy hangover breakfast none of you will admit you love even though you all get annoyed with me when I don’t make it.”

“Alright dad, you’ve made your point.” Nat replied. “Did absolutely nothing to help your case if you want us to stop calling you old man though.”

Bradley sighed, “Well, if it’s officially been decided that my youth is dead and buried, I guess it’s time for me to develop a ‘daddy’ kink. Find someone looking for an older man to teach them a thing or two.”

Loud groaning came from basically everyone and they all started talking over each other in their rush to heckle him.

“God dammit Rooster I did not need that image in my head…”

“I’m completely against kink shaming, but I may have to make an exception just for you dude.”

“Develop one? I call bullshit. No way that isn’t already a thing for you.”

“With those horrendous Hawaiian shirts and the whole pornstache thing being your trademark, why am I even surprised.”

“I am experiencing so much regret right now, remind me to never call you dad in any context ever again.”

Bradley’s cheeks were starting to hurt from how wide he had been smiling. Regretfully, he sat up and shuffled his way to the edge of the lounge. “Alright kids, I expect you all to be in the car and ready to head back to the hotel in 15.”

He stood, stretching his arms over his head and watched as the rest of the group slowly untangled themselves from one another and stood to join him.

Saying goodbye to the Seresin family was a lot more difficult than Bradley had expected it to be. Anne and Claire had welcomed him with open arms and within a matter of days had made their home feel like his home. No matter what happened in the future, the Seresin home would hold a special place in his heart for many reasons, but mainly the past hour the Daggers had spent bonding for the first time as friends. It hadn’t been a mandatory team building exercise they reluctantly participated in because their lives damn well depended on trusting each other. It was something they had chosen to do. It was something they wanted to do.

He owed Claire a lot for encouraging him to take that step. He supposed agreeing to spend a few more of his leave days in Texas was the least he could do, if that’s what she really wanted. Bradley couldn’t imagine why she would want that, but he had to admit it felt good to be not only accepted but embraced without hesitation. He didn’t have many friends outside of the military, mostly due to the hectic nature of his lifestyle that he had little to no control over for about 80% of the year. Even though Claire came from a military family, Bradley had a feeling she’d be more than happy to help him find some footing in the real world, if he asked; to actually feel grounded and comfortable in his own skin as a civilian.

He hoped a day would come when he wasn’t fucking terrified that the Admiral was going to banish him from the state of Texas, or the continental United States for not marrying his daughter, and could thank him for the introduction that, at the very least, had given him the gift of her friendship and a second place he could call home if he ever needed it.

#hangster #rooster x hangman #hangman x rooster #sereshaw #otp: you look good

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