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averagewriter-inthedark · 2 years

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Strut Like You Mean It ✨| Pete Mitchell Imagine

Takes place after the events of TGM

TGM masterlist

Characters & Pairings: Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell x 80s/90s supermodel!reader (romantic), Dagger Squad x reader (platonic)

Content Warnings: profanity, fluff | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 4k

Premise: in the entire time the dagger squad have known Pete Mitchell, they never knew just who the famous pilot was married to. Sure they knew he was off the market but Pete was very private of his relationship and the lady who stole his heart when he was just a newly promoted Lieutenant. So when he finally invites them to his home and meet his wife, they are in disbelief that she’s not just one of the most iconic supermodels of all time, but she’s got her own history with the Navy that’s been kept hidden from the public eye her entire career.

Requested 📨 yes/no

Note: so to the anon who requested this I hope you don’t mind that I made the reader more of a 80s/90s high fashion model. I still mention VS a lot and say that the reader was one of the OG angels, just now that VS doesn’t do their fashion shows anymore the end scene I came up with worked better how I did it. I still made Y/n renowned VS model, but put more emphasis on her being a supermodel so I hope you don’t mind I did that. This is my first request so I’m sorry if it’s not up to par 🥹 -Bee 🐝

“So…let me get this straight….” Jake rubs his hands together in front of the couple seated on the couch. Around the pilot were his fellow daggers/friends, all of whom were showing expressions of straight bewilderment.

“You,” he pointed to the beautiful woman seated beside his Captain. It blew his mind she still looked nearly the same as she did in the 90s despite approaching the age of 60. Sure there were some age lines and gray hairs but they didn’t take away from her beauty. In fact it only enhanced her stunning features even more. Her striking eyes that were her staple caught everyone’s attention the second they met her. They were so stunned by the revelation Pete was married to one of the most renowned supermodels they completely disregarded the height difference between the two.

She was one of THE supermodels really. Discovered at age 26 while working as a naval air traffic controller, Y/n L/n never thought her life would take a 180 when she traveled to New York City for a weekend getaway with some colleagues she was stationed with at NAS Oceana. An agent of Ford Models spotted her at a restaurant and was like, “You are stunning. My God, have you ever modeled before? You’d be perfect for this campaign I’m working on.”

And so it was history. Going from an active duty Naval officer and transferring to the reserves so she could balance her careers. Having met her husband, aviator Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in 1986 at age 24, Y/n worried the relationship would become complicated, but Pete was the most supportive man she’d ever met and encouraged her to continue modeling. “I’ll miss hearing you in my ear when I’m flying, babe,” he joked, kissing her cheek when she made the decision.

“Don’t become too rebellious now, Pete Mitchell. Especially since I won’t be in your ear to talk you out of it.”

As a reserve member, Y/n only had to report to her duty station one weekend a month and two full weeks a year to the new job she was assigned. Being an air traffic controller was impossible now that she wasn't on full active duty, but she still wanted to be involved with planes so she was placed in maintenance. That was a challenge in itself with the type of people she worked with, men undermining her intelligence because of her looks. Wait till they found out she made ten times the money they made with her second job…

Eventually Y/n decided to separate from the Navy after 10 years. It became too much to balance the two careers when her modeling took off in the late 80s. People on base and in public started to recognize her, causing more challenges within her maintenance job. So, she made the best decision for herself and left the Navy. Though she loved her time and could say she was an officer, modeling brought her more opportunities and kept her busy. Pete supported her all the way, and whenever Y/n wasn’t overseas or New York for campaigns/shows she was with him wherever he was stationed.

An OG Victoria Secret Angel, Y/n one of the first to wear the iconic fantasy bras—her’s was worth $3.4 million. A muse of Gianni Versace alongside Naomi Campbell, she either opened or closed the Versace show during Milan fashion week. On the runway photographers loved her walk which was sassiness with a bit of flirt. Anytime she walked Yasmeen was behind her or vice versa which always had spectators in awe of the two. One of the best runway shows was when the lineup was literally the best walks of all time: Y/n, Yasmeen, Shalom, Naomi, Kate, Cindy, Claudia. One just had to be there to really feel how iconic it was.

The campaigns she did for Vogue, VS and Playboy were some of the most famous of the late 80s and dominated the 90s. Then in the early 2000s she basically was the face of VS until hanging up her angel wings in 2007. By then she was in her early 40s and had been in the industry for over two decades. Now in the year 2022 Y/n mostly did brand campaigns and was an ambassador for many. They ranged from clothing, to makeup, fragrances, you name it. Every now and then she walked a show for her favorite designers, who she was lucky to call friends, but she hadn’t done a full fashion week with several appearances in years. But..there were rumors circulating that she and many of the 90s supermodels were going to be reuniting at NYFW that coming February.

The poster of her 90s Victoria Secret campaign Jake had on his wall came to mind causing the pilot to blush a bit. She appeared amused by the whole scenario whereas the man was more embarrassed and shy. “You were in the Navy—a Lieutenant Junior Grade to be exact?,” she nods to confirm. “And that’s how you two met?”

“Yes,” she hums, nudging her husband with a smile. The memory of their first meeting flashed in her mind. Where a young, dashing Maverick waltzed up to her with Goose by his side and sang his typical rendition of ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.’ “Feels like it was only yesterday.” Pete had love in his eyes when he looked at her, the pilots not missing how their Captain was a man smitten.

He sure as hell hit the jackpot. They were one fine ass couple when side by side.

Phoenix still couldn’t wrap her head around it. She loved fashion growing up and Y/n was one of her favorite models. Every year she tuned into the televised VS fashion show just to see Y/n, Gisele, Ariana, Tyra, Heidi, and Naomi walk the runway in their stunning outfits with wings. Her favorite was the year it was all holiday themed, the same year Gisele wore the Fantasy bra. When the squad arrived at the house, the pilot was in disbelief at the sight of one of the many pairs of wings Y/n wore framed above the mounted tv. How could she have missed that her former instructor was married to her? “How long have y’all been together?” The couple thought for a moment before Mav answered, “about thirty-five years.”

“Married for twenty-five,” Y/n adds before winking, bringing her left hand up to playfully brush away stray hair. Her diamond ring was on full display, “I had to make sure he was a keeper first before letting him put a ring on it.” The comment had Mav blushing, while a smirking Phoenix made a sound of, “well damn.”

“Pops got game,” Coyote said under his breath in awe. He really wanted to be like Mav when he grew up.

“I just wanna say that yes, I knew about them the entire time,” Rooster waves his hands, “But I was sworn to secrecy.” Y/n rolls her eyes, though she’s smiling. Rooster had been in her life since he was a toddler. The guy was basically like a son to her and Pete. It amazed her that even when Bradley and Pete were estranged he still kept quiet about their relationship.

But then again Y/n threatened to kick his ass if he tried shutting her out.

“How come you wouldn’t tell us, Cap?” Mickey questions curiously, “I mean we’ve been a team for so long.” The others nodded, wanting to know the same.

Mav shrugs, “I didn’t really know how to go about it honestly. Quite frankly,” he glances at his wife with a knowing look, “we find enjoyment in people finding out on their own.”

Y/n giggles lightly, “In the beginning no one would believe Pete—especially in the 90s when the term ‘supermodel’ was becoming a big thing and everyone pretty much knew who was a supermodel. I was very private about my personal life—I still am to be honest because let’s face it, the media are vultures and will say anything to cause problems. I didn’t want Pete to have to deal with that nor did I want problems with his job to arise, so we simply kept our relationship quiet,” she pauses to let out a laugh, “It wasn’t until he came out to New York fashion week in ‘95 that we were spotted by paparazzi.”

“How did that happen?” Bob asks from his chair and Y/n turns to her husband, “Honey do you wanna say?”

“Um—uh,” His face goes tomato red, “I-well….I don’t think it really—.” Rooster took the liberty of finishing the job.

“They got caught making out at a nightclub and were seen leaving together,” Javy lets out an obnoxious laugh due to Mav’s reaction, while the others smirk and try to hold back their own reaction. “From what I was told, Mav looked to be on a mission—not like the ones we do—.”

“Okay, Bradley, thank you,” Mav stands up to leave, but Y/n takes his forearm and makes him sit.

“Oh honey, don’t be embarrassed,” she leans her head on his shoulder. “This is fun! I’ve been wanting to meet your friends for so long and it already feels like we’re gonna be a family!” She looks at the pilots with a grin, “We never had kids—with our jobs it just never seemed possible so forgive me if I treat you all like ones.” Murmurs sound of, “oh it’s no problem.” “I would be honored to be your kid.” “Y’all would be the coolest parents ever. No cap.”

Y/n clapped her hands, “This is exciting! Now that that’s settled, please please,” she laced her fingers together in a plea, “give me all the juicy details of what it was like having him as an instructor,” she pouts, “He won’t tell me no matter how much I beg.”

“Don’t you guys gang up on me now!” Pete points a finger when the pilots begin spitting out stuff all together. Y/n is in apparent glee at the sight, looking between the group and her husband with dazzling eyes.

For hours they talked, ranging from asking about Y/n’s decades-long career to her and Mav’s love story and all in between. “Guys, I was an air traffic controller once upon a time,” she pointed out when they were shook about her knowledge of aviation. “This face might be pretty and has gotten me far in life, but don’t think for a second my brains are nonexistent. In fact,” she gives a cheek look to Mav, “I probably know a thing or two more than hot shot over here.”

That started a whole other conversation, starting with Bob’s question of, “Do you miss the Navy at all?”

“Oh all the time,” she admitted, surprising them. “Don't’ get me wrong, I love what I do now and super grateful for all it’s given me. But the Navy is where my life started. It’s where I met Pete so I’ll always be grateful it brought us together. I loved aviation as a kid and being an ATC was challenging but I enjoyed doing it,” she then gives a tilt of the head. “Also had it not been for the Navy sending me to Virginia all those years ago, I would’ve never gone to New York and got discovered in the first place. So really the Navy is what made this all possible.”

“Wow,” Jake hummed, still in disbelief. Boy was this going to be something he remembered till he died. That his childhood celebrity crush was once an officer like him. Crazy how things could work out.

A text on her phone had the couple have to cut the conversation short. “As much as I would love to continue this night,” she stood up, the others following. Now they could really see the difference in their height. Pete stood at 5’7—maybe close to 5’8, but Y/n was pushing 5’10 almost 5’11. She was toe to toe with Jake and just about an inch shorter than Rooster and Bob. Payback was the only one who towered over her since he was 6’3.

“I have an early flight in the morning and need to pack,” she let out an embarrassed laugh at the fact she hadn’t packed yet. Pete playfully shook his head, Y/n was always packing last minute whenever she had a trip. She went to hug Bradley first, the pilot asking, “Where are you heading?”

“Miami,” she answered. “VS invited me to do a swimsuit campaign. I’m a little nervous,” she waves her hands, “It’s been years since I worked for them so I’m hoping it all goes well. I’m not young anymore you know,” she jokes lightly. It was true though, Y/n was just shy of turning 60 but she still looked amazing. With some touch ups to her hair and a little face powder she could easily pass for 30s/40s.

“I’m sure it will all be fine,” he assures her. “If anything you doing this is gonna have sales come in. They’d be lucky to have you on board.”

“Aw thanks honey,” she messes up his hair like a mom would, causing him to playfully slap her hands away.

“Stop,” he backs away, ignoring the looks of amusement from his fellow pilots.

“Anyways, it was lovely to meet you all and please don’t be strangers,” Y/n hugs them one by one, the team thanking her for letting them come to her home. “Now that we’ve finally met I hope we can have bonfires, dinners, the shabang. Hell, I would even love for y’all to come out to a show one time if you’re available.”

After they leave and she finished packing, Mav and Y/n had dinner before settling on the couch and turn on a random movie to watch. With his arm around his wife, Mav looks at her with knowing eyes, “You’re inviting them to fashion week, aren’t ya?”

She answers with a bashful smile, “Mayyyybeeee. Wouldn’t it be so fun?” Adjusting her position, her knees go on either side of hips so she’s basically straddling him. “Don’t tell them though. I want it to be a surprise.”

He makes a motion of his hand to his mouth, “my lips are sealed.” When his hand moves away Y/n kisses him lightly, Mav smiling into the kiss.

“You’re gonna be retired soon,” she runs a finger through his hair, “I know you wanna make as many memories with them before that happens and after. So, what better way than to have them sit with you at my show. That way you guys can witness something show-stopping together…” The trail off has Mav raise his eyebrows.

“What are you saying, Mrs. Mitchell?”

She leans closer to him, “That’s a secret I’ll never tell—just kidding I’ll tell you after it’s been confirmed. Until then,” she makes the same motion he did. “My lips are sealed.”

This was going to be fun.

Six months later—February 2023, New York Fashion Week.

“You think they’ll let me keep this suit?” Coyote whispered to Payback, who in return just nudged him with a shake of the head. The pilot was adjusting the cuffs of his Oscar de la Renta suit, which all of the guys were warming different versions of while Nat was in a gorgeous dress and trench coat. They looked like they belonged in a magazine with many around whispering with gazes of admiration.

It was the second week of February. New York Fashion week was in full effect with celebrities, photographers, models, and designers scouting every inch of the grounds. The naval officers couldn’t believe they were actually there and Y/n managed to get them spots at one of the shows last minute. She literally called them to the house and was like, “would y’all like to come to New York and see a show?” How the fuck could they say no to that? How the hell did she manage to pull that first of all?

But then again, when you’re a renowned supermodel like her anything is possible.

They were seated in the front row closest to the end of the runway at the Oscar de la Renta show. Anna Wintour was literally just a few seats down from them, sitting beside Chris Evans and Lenny Kravits. On the opposite end was Zendaya, Alexa Demie, and Sam Claflin. They weren’t the only stars in attendance. Pharrell was there as was Snoop Dogg. Spotted were the Kardashian/Jenners as well as the Jonas Brothers. Models like Bella and Gigi Hadid, Kaia Gerber, Yasmin Wijnaldum, and Adut Akech were seated in the front row. Anne Hathaway was with her husband, seated beside them was Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

Pete looked handsome in his own suit that the stylists provided. The rest of them were trying not to shit their pants with how nervous they were. The clothes they were wearing were double—maybe even triple the price of their officer paycheck. It would be a fortune to replace them if they were to spill anything on the material.

“My advice,” Reuben starts, keeping his attention on the entrance of the runway. The show was minutes away from starting. “Don’t mess it up just in case they do want it back.” Coyote huffs, but nods knowing he was right.

Seated in the middle of the row, Pete’s palms were sweating as he rubbed them together. The action has Phoenix ask, “You okay, Mav?”

“Just nervous,” he replied, adjusting the collar of his suit. “I always am when I see her walk. This one though,” he pauses with a look, “you haven’t seen this lineup since the 90s. I’m more nervous about what the reaction will be after.” He was referring to how the media loved to talk about the looks of aging models. They were still breathtakingly stunning even in their older age, but that didn’t stop the media from having to point out the fact they had gray hairs, age lines, wrinkles or the fact some of them weren’t as slim as they were because they had kids or just naturally curved out.

My God, everyone ages. Everyone’s bodies change. It’s a sign of life.

Thankfully Y/n didn’t give a fuck what the media said. She embraced her aging features and often told designers not to cake her with makeup on photo shoots and shows. Why hide it when it’s part of who she was?

But Pete, the sweetheart that he was, always worried about her. He knew what it was like to have people talk and point out flaws. The last thing he’d want is for his wife to be subjected to that.

Rooster pats him on the shoulder. “Well you don’t gotta wait any longer,” he says just as the lights dim and the logo for Oscar de la Renta at the entrance of the runway glows. Cameras are already flashing, spectators pulling out their phones to capture the memory forever.

Blasting through the speakers, David Bowie’s ‘Fashion,’ sounded in everyone’s ears. A fitting theme for the fact it was released in the decade most of the lineup was discovered. Oscar de la Renta was paying tribute to the supermodels of the 80s/90s, calling the show ‘The Muses’. They were going to wear designs from the 90s that given a more modern look.

No wonder so many stars were there.

Out first: the one and only Cindy Crawford. Cameras flashed all around, the stunning beauty coming to the end of the runway to do a typical 90s model turn. Nowadays models just turn around with any type of stop. But in the 90s? That stop and turn was every model's moment to shine. Following Cindy were icons Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista. Claudia Schiffer and Shalom Harlow, Shalom with her iconic sway in each step. Kate Moss still looked as delicate as ever followed by Heidi Klum. Tyra Banks came out with her fierce personality, with Carla Bruni and Beverly Peele right after.

Nat had to slap Jake when she saw he was drooling slightly. Bob looked flustered, unsure how to react at the beautiful women passing by. Admiration and awe was behind Nat’s gaze, in love with not just the models but also the stunning clothing they wore. Oscar made sure his muses were goddesses in his designs.

The final three were none other than Naomi Campbell, Yasmeen Ghauri, and Y/n L/n.

Naomi’s walk was perfect as usual, gliding across the runway like she owned it. The shock of Yasmeen making an appearance had gasps rang out in the crowd. The woman had retired after 1997 so seeing her walk was surreal. She still had that aura to her that drew people in, walking seamlessly to the end of the runway to the blinding flash of cameras. Lastly, Y/n had every eye on her as she strutted down the runway. Giving side eyes with her staple tiny smirk, Y/n had to hold back a laugh when she saw her husband holding up his phone to take a video of her. Pete looked like a kid in a candy store.

She kept her composure, passing by Yasmeen who was walking back up as she approached the end of the runway. Stopping, leaned her weight from one side to the other to show off the design before turning, walking just three steps before stopping again to turn so she faced the cameras once more. Smirking, she winked and did one last final turn before strutting her way back up. As the closer she was the last to exit, but seconds later she appeared from the entrance again. Though this time, the other supermodels were behind her as she led them in the final walk.

People clapped and whistled, the dagger squad was the loudest causing Y/n to giggle when she passed by. Each model gave a final pose at the end and Y/n led them back up where they were met with the cheers of the backstage crew. “We fucking did it!” She shouted, embracing Naomi and Yasmeen in a hug before doing the same with the others. When Oscar de la Renta went to wave to the crowd, he brought the three out with him and they each blew a kiss to the spectators.

After the show Y/n dressed in a different outfit, still by Oscar de la Renta, and met up with the squad for dinner. She was met with hugs, kisses from Pete and a cheek one from Rooster, and flowers from everyone.

“That was amazing!” Mickey shouted, being a gentleman and pulling out her chair for her. “I know the year just started but that was definitely the highlight so far.”

“Aw thank you, Mickey,” she said with a smile, sitting down between Pete and Phoenix. “Are you guys ready for the party?” Like every fashion week, there was going to be a party to celebrate the end of another successful year.

“Hell yeah,” Payback said for the group, causing her to laugh.

“Well let’s eat, drink, and then head over there to dance the night away.”

Mav raised a toast, the pilots all congratulated the model on an amazing show, and Y/n took plenty of pictures for her memory book she started to put together. It almost gave a full circle moment for the woman, remembering her days as an ATC with her pilots and husband. Young, wild, and free. Now here she was decades later having a similar moment take place. With the little family she found along the way.

Funny how life can bring you just about anything when you least expect it.

……………..

TGM Tag List: @avaleineandafryingpan, @caitsymichelle13, @poppyalice2001, @cutelittlepotatofry, @luckyladycreator2, @americaarse, @elenavampire21, @back-tooo-black

#Spotify #pete mitchell imagine #pete mitchell x y/n #pete mitchell x reader #captain pete mitchell imagine #captain pete mitchell #pete maverick mitchell #pete mitchell fluff #dagger squad imagine #dagger squad x reader #dagger squad #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun #top gun maverick imagine #top gun maverick #model!reader #supermodel!reader #tgm fanfiction #tgm imagine

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blue-aconite · 1 year

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let me drown || chapter III - bradley’s summer part III

Summary: People aren't always what they seem.

Warnings: Allusions to smut, jealousy, swearing, angst, cheating, drinking

Word Count: 6.3k

Pairings: Bradley Bradshaw x OC

Authors Note: It’s here. Enjoy. Minors DNI. Each chapter will be labelled with warnings individually.

Thank you to my amazing beta @writercole, this fic wouldn’t be what it is without you. I love you.

Virginia, Oceana Naval Air Station, Summer 2018

Bradley slammed on the brakes a bit harder than necessary, knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel too tight. Thea was quiet in the passenger seat, playing with the hem of her jean shorts as he sat in silence in the driveway.

Dinner had been tense, to say the least. Bradley’s mood had only gotten worse as Athena continued to pester them. At first she had taken an interest in Thea, asking her all sorts of questions. It was innocent enough but Bradley knew there was nothing innocent about his WSO. He had kept quiet though, hand resting on Thea’s knee as she answered Athena’s rapid questions.

Bob and Hangman had seemed oblivious to the tension at first, eager to catch up since they last saw each other. Bradley hated how well they seemed to get along. Like Hangman and Bob were actual friends. It felt wrong. Hangman wasn’t a friendly guy and Bob should know that. Especially if they spent months together on a carrier. He couldn’t exactly put his thumb on why it bothered him so much, but it did.

Hangman and Bob eventually ran out of things to talk about and turned their attention to Thea. To his dismay, his girlfriend and Hangman got along like two peas in a pod. Bradley hated it. He hated how Hangman made her laugh, trading life stories like they’ve known each other for more than an hour. And he hated the way Hangman looked at her. He shouldn’t be looking at her at all. Thea was taken. She was Bradley’s girlfriend and Hangman had the audacity to flirt with her when Bradley was sitting right next to them.

Bob hadn’t interfered, smiling and sharing anecdotes from his and Hangman’s time together. Bradley hated that too. Nobody had seemed to care that Bradley wasn’t really a part of the conversation. Nobody except Athena. She spared him the occasional glance, something vicious dancing across her features each time he caught her watching.

When Athena then veered into more intimate details of his and Thea’s relationship, Bradley slammed a fist on the table and told her to stay out of it. His outburst startled the occupants of the table, as well as several other patrons of the restaurant. He had excused himself to the bathroom for a chance to calm down. He hoped that Athena would keep her mouth shut while he was gone.

There had been a tentative knock on the door, Thea was hovering outside the door, worry etched onto her face. He stepped out of the bathroom, refusing to meet her eyes.

“Are you okay?” She asked as he closed the bathroom door behind him, not bothering to answer her as he tugged her into his arms, burying his face in her hair. “Bradley, please, what’s wrong?”

“Can we just go home?” He had asked instead of answering Thea’s questions. He wanted to go home, wrap Thea up in his arms and never let go. She sweetly told him to head for the car while she said goodbye, never the one to push.

The drive home had been quiet, Bradley’s anger still rushing through him. Thea shifted uncomfortably the entire way, opening and closing her mouth several times but never saying anything.

She exited the car and Bradley wondered for a split second if he should go back to base but Thea called out his name, stopping in the doorway. “Are you sleeping in the car tonight or what?”

He followed her into the bedroom and they got ready for bed in silence. At least she wanted him here. Thea was already in bed when he exited the bathroom, phone pressed to her ear.

“Yeah okay. Tell them sorry for cutting dinner short. ‘Kay, I will. I love you, goodnight.” The term of endearment threw him for a loop until he realised she was probably talking to Bob. He got under the covers, desperately wishing he could just pull her into his arms.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Thea kept her eyes trained on the ceiling, fingers fidgeting on top of the duvet. Bradley doesn’t know exactly what’s going on so he settled for the one thing he did know.

“I didn’t like the way he looked at you.” It’s childish and he knows it but it’s also true.

Thea frowned, turning onto her side to study his face. “What do you mean?” Bradley isn’t going to insult her by asking how she could have missed the obvious.

“Hangman. He looked at you.” Bradley’s tongue darted out to wet his lips, taking a deep breath. He could see Thea’s hand moving in the corner of his eye and when she made contact with his naked skin, he sucked in another breath.

“Babe, we were talking. Of course he was looking at me. Would have been quite rude not to.” She poked his side, trying to lighten the mood.

“He didn’t need to look at you like that,” He whispered.

Thea inched closer. “Like what Brad?” Her lips pressed against his bicep, ghosting over his skin.

“Like he wanted you.”

Thea barked out a laugh, coughing when she realised he was serious and didn't find the whole thing amusing. “Oh honey. He was being polite. That’s all. And even if he did look at me like that, it doesn’t matter. All I want is you.” Thea crawled on top of him, kissing his nose when she settled on his chest. When he didn’t answer, she continued to press kisses to his face, tongue darting out to trace his bottom lip.

Flipping them over was easy and Thea gasped his name when he pressed her into the mattress. He lets his hands roam, enjoying the way she shuddered when his fingers traced along the waistband of her underwear. Her touch faltered as his hand skimmed over her shirt clad stomach, their foreheads pressed together.

“Please.” He whispered against the hollow of her throat, lips finding her skin. He pulled back to look into her eyes, repeating his plea. It’s a cheap shot but he could try. She hesitated and Brad decided to throw caution to the wind as he pressed his hips closer.

“Thea. Please, I want you. Say you want me too. Say you’re mine.” He begged. Tell me you belong to me. Tell me you don’t want anyone else. Tell me I am the only one. Tell me you don’t want him.

“I love you, Thea.” He tried again, leaning back slightly. An uncomfortable tightness grew in his chest, very much unlike the tightness of his boxers. Her silence sent him into a downward spiral of doubt and insecurities, hands reaching inside his chest and squeezing his heart.

“Brad. Bradley. Look at me.” As if she could sense his panic, Thea reached up to frame his face, thumbs stroking his cheeks. “Promise me this isn’t because of what happened tonight. Promise me what you’re saying is how you really feel.”

“Of course it’s real.” It’s also so Athena would leave him alone but Thea didn’t need to know that. She didn’t need to know about the bet. But he did love her, so much he thinks there’s no room for him to feel anything else than this overwhelming need to constantly be with her.

“I love you, too, Bradley.” He didn't need to hear more, reaching down to press their lips together. Thea reached blindly for the light, the room descending into darkness as he slowly pulled the shirt over her head.

“I’m yours Bradley. I want you.”

“Nice of you to skip out on the bill, dickhead.” Was Athena’s way of joining the conversation he and Bob currently was involved in. The bar was packed with people, nothing new for a Friday night but Bradley had hoped to avoid Athena tonight. Even if he had made good on the bet, Bradley had hoped a single text would suffice and then everything could go back to normal.

He was nursing his fourth beer when his backseater joined him and Thea’s brother at the bar.

“I said I was sorry. And we did pay you back.” Bradley muttered, rolling his eyes. Athena waved down the bartender, asking for a beer, eyeing Bradley up and down.

Bob smiled politely when she joined them, munching on a few peanuts. “Isn’t Hangman here? We were talking about going to the golf course before dinner ended.” He angled the cup of peanuts towards her, a silent offer.

“No, he’s meeting someone tonight I think.” There it was again, the white hot jealousy igniting within him every time they mentioned Seresin. Everything about the man infuriated Bradley. His friendship with Bob, the very obvious way he looked at Thea.

“Well, I’ll see him tomorrow. You up for some golf Rooster?” Bob’s invitation was genuine but Bradley could think of a hundred other things to do before meeting Hangman again. He swallowed a mouthful of beer before answering.

“Sorry, but I’ve got some solo simulations to run.” There was no need to mention that he’d never played a single game of golf in his life, except on Wii. He detested the sport, there wasn’t anything remotely fun about it.

Bob smiled brightly, so like Thea’s smile. “Yeah, Thea mentioned that earlier when we spoke. Sorry man, totally forgot.”

Bob downed the last of his water before bidding them goodnight, citing that he and Seresin planned to meet up early the next day.

Athena pounced the moment he was gone, turning towards Bradley with a wicked glint in her eye. “So? Tomorrow’s the deadline, Bradshaw. Sealed the deal yet? If not, we could always call Jake. He’d be down to fuck her in a second, she’s all he’s talked about since dinner.” As always, she pushed the right buttons and Bradley forced himself to let go of his bottle before he broke it.

“Fuck him. I saw the way he was looking at her. She’s mine. Tell him to back to fuck off,” Bradley paused, letting out a heavy breath. “I did it. So you can back off now.”

“Nice. Honestly, I didn't think you had it in you chicken. I’m proud. Next round’s on me.” Athena smacked his arm, looking way too pleased. Bradley had a feeling she wasn’t going to behave any different. Before he could say something, Orca and Spot showed up, nodding their hellos.

“What is this I hear about you buying Simons? What did we miss?”

“Bet Bradshaw here free drinks forever if he fucked lil Floyd within three weeks.” Bradley choked on his beer, patting his own chest to get rid of the fluid in his throat. He turned to Athena, anger coursing through his veins. What the fuck was she doing?

“Hey look at that, big man Bradshaw. Good for you. Was she any good? She looks like she’s good.” Orca nudged his side, filthy smile in place, his blue eyes shining with interest. Bradley had every intention of walking away from the conversation but Athena clucked quietly under her breath, making crude gestures with her hands.

Spot grimaced, looking around the packed bar. “Tone it down man. What if Floyd hears? Don’t think he would appreciate listening to how Bradshaw railed his little sister.” He ended his sentence with a laugh, proudly accepting the high five from both Athena and Orca.

“Come on Rooster, share. She’s a pretty thing, isn’t she? She’s like a damn princess, all happy and shit.” Athena mocked, waving down the bartender for another round. Bradley sighed audibly, taking another gulp of his beer.

Orca and Spot laughed in tandem, making kissy faces at him. “Bradshaw, don’t go all shy on us now.”

“Maybe she was terrible. Fuck chicken, is that it? It was bad, wasn’t it? Fuck, I knew I should have let Hangman loose. You should have seen them at dinner. There were fumes coming out of this one's ears.” Athena patted Bradley on the arm. All three of them were laughing now, trading insults.

Bradley wasn’t drunk but he had consumed enough beers to have his judgement clouded. And when Athena once again mentioned Hangman, and his very obvious attraction to Bradley’s girlfriend, he had enough.

“Fuck you, Athena. Hangman isn’t coming anywhere near my girl, ever. And for your information, I fucked her until she cried. So shut the fuck up.”

Orca thumped him on the back, hooting wildly. “Hell yeah Rooster. Good man!” For a split second, pride filled Bradley and he joined in the laughter, reaching for another beer.

“Guess I misjudged you then, Bradshaw. As promised, I’ll back off.”

“Damn right you will,” he spat. “And no mention of any of this to anyone else, you understand? Any of you. I will make sure you’re all grounded.”

“Grounded for what?” Bob asked as he appeared over Bradley’s shoulder.

All eyes turned to Bradshaw as he squeezed his eyes shut for a second before turning to his girlfriend’s brother. “Nothing.”

There was a look on Bob’s face that said he knew more than he was letting on but Bradshaw was too impaired to begin to interpret it correctly. “Mhmm,” Bob hummed as he turned to the rest of the group. “I’m gonna head out. Behave, don’t make me come back to pick up any of you drunks.”

The group bid goodbye to the WSO and turned back to Bradshaw, the looks on their faces begging for details. Unfortunately for him, he was just drunk enough to give them what they wanted.

When Bradley woke the next morning, Thea’s side of the bed was empty and his head was killing him. Rolling over slowly, he spotted a glass of water and Advil on the nightstand, a note laying next to them.

Babe,

Golfing with Bob this morning, didn’t want to wake you. You came back pretty late last night. Drink plenty of water, there’s food in the fridge.

I love you, Thea

Guilt coursed through him as he remembered last night and how he had bragged about their sex life with the rest of his squadron. It was a private matter and he felt threatened enough by Athena to spill details that weren't his to share. Bile rose in the back of his throat and he threw off the covers before sprinting to the bathroom, emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet.

He heaved until there was nothing left, disgust and shame mixing with the hangover, filling his entire body. How could he have felt even a tiny bit proud last night as he shared the most intimate details of his and Thea’s relationship? How could he once again let Athena influence him? Each time he tried to step away, Athena was there, shoving another drink in his hand, mocking him quietly, out of earshot of the others.

Part of him had wanted to tell her how Thea was a thousand times better than Athena could ever hope to be, how he had never had what he and Thea shared while Athena and he fooled around. The other part wanted her to leave him alone, as promised.

Bradley sat back against the bathtub, head in his hands. He only had himself to blame for this. If he was lucky enough, his squad would keep their mouths shut and word would never get back to Bob about last night. He’d rather avoid a fist to the face. And either way, Bob was playing golf with Hangman today, so he wouldn’t be around the guys anyway.

Bradley frowned, swallowing thickly as he sluggishly moved back to the bedroom, reaching for Thea’s note. ‘Golfing with Bob this morning’ stared back at him, the nauseous pit in his stomach making itself known again.

If Thea was off with Bob this morning, it also meant she was hanging out with Hangman. Bradley crumpled the note in his hand, trying to calm his anger bubbling to the surface.

After Bradley had explicitly told Thea that Hangman wanted her, looked at her, even though she was with Bradley, she had gone off to spend the day with him. Without telling Bradley about it. She had deliberately kept it from him. Before he had left for the bar last night, he asked about her plans and Thea had just told him she was going to stay at home and catch up on chores.

Now she was off, meeting the one man Bradley had warned her off from. How could she? Maybe it had been her plan all along. Maybe Bob wasn’t even there, maybe it was just an excuse so she could meet Seresin alone.

Thea had told Bradley she loved him four nights prior but if she could lie about this, who knew if what she had told him that night was true? He was spiralling, mind going over every possible scenario. How Hangman probably had his hands on what was his right this second, how Thea had lied to him.

The ping of his phone interrupted his train of thought, alerting him to a new message. Scrambling, he pushed off the floor only to see Athena’s name flashing across the screen. It’s a picture attached in the text message and Bradley felt like vomiting again. In the picture, clearly taken from a distance, Thea is laughing, head thrown back and her hand on Hangman’s arm, matching smile on his face. Bob is there too but Bradley can’t tear his eyes from how she’s touching him.

Another message pops up beneath the picture. ‘Lookin’ cosy, don’t they?’ appears first and the three dots indicate that Athena is still typing. Fury fills his veins as she sends another picture, this time of Hangman and Thea getting into the same car, Hangman’s hand on her wrist.

Bradley threw the phone across the room, watching the screen crack as it hit the wall. His heart pounded against his ribcage, blood rushing to his head as he tried to control his breathing.

Somewhere he could hear the front door opening, Thea calling his name. Was she checking to see if the condo was empty? Was Hangman waiting in the car? Did she bring him here, thinking Bradley had already gone back to base.

“Brad?” He looked up to see Thea hovering in the doorway, concern written all over her face. “Babe, you look awful. Have you eaten?” She moved towards him but stopped short when Bradley stumbled to his feet, fire burning in his veins.

“Is he here?” He spat, nostrils flaring as he stared her down. He wouldn’t let her lie to him anymore.

Thea looked genuinely confused. “Is who here? Bob dropped me off but he couldn’t stay. Didn’t you see my note?”

“Oh I saw plenty!” Bradley laughed harshly. He moved then, bending down to grab his phone. The screen was cracked in three places but it miraculously still worked. He punched in the code, Thea’s birthday, opening his messages. The picture of her and Hangman getting into a car together lit up the screen.

“This! I saw this. What the fuck is going on? Why were you with him?” He showed the phone in her face, the pictures that Athena sent him on the display. Bradley watched her face closely as she studied the phone, brows furrowing.

“Babe, I told you. Bob invited me for a round of golf and Jake was there too. Apparently they’ve played together before and me and Bob always used to play back home. Bobby said he invited you too. He said you declined.”

Bradley snorted. “Yeah, and you obviously found that particular opportunity very good. A whole fucking day, alone with him!” Tired of being cooped up in the bedroom, he shoved past Thea and headed for the kitchen.

“An opportunity? Brad, that doesn’t even make sense. And Bob was there too? I don’t understand why you hate Jake so much. He’s been nothing but kind.” Her footsteps alerted him that he was being followed.

Bradley spun on his heel, making Thea smack right into him. “HE HAD HIS HANDS ON YOU!” The force of his voice made Thea take a step back, eyes wide. Bradley watched as confusion crossed her face, mouth opening and closing. She was stalling for time. To come up with yet another lie.

Brad swore, jaw clenching. “I saw you two. You let him touch you. You’re mine and you let him touch you!”

Thea blinked, lower lip quivering. “Babe, what are you talking about?” He fumbled for the phone again, showing her the other photo Athena sent.

“Brad.. where did you even get this? Look, he was joking about something, okay? I don’t understand why you’re so upset. We played and then we had lunch. Bobby drove me home afterwards.”

She’s lying. If she had sounded guilty, Bradley might have had believed her but all she did was sound confused. Probably to throw him off.

“Stop, just stop! Just admit you clearly came along just so you could see him. Tell me, did you plan this? When I went to the bathroom during dinner maybe, hm? Did you plan to meet up with him, and then let me fuck you the same night? You feel good now, when you’ve had us both?” He couldn’t stop, not now. Bradley needed to know the truth. The tears on Thea’s face might have hurt less if he wasn’t so angry, so filled with disgust and jealousy.

“Had you both? Bradley, there’s nothing between Jake and me. I love you. There isn’t anyone else.” She cried. Her tears did nothing to stop him.

“STOP LYING TO ME! JUST ADMIT YOU FUCKED HIM!” Bradley slammed his hand down on the counter, rattling the items on there. Thea shied away instantly, backing up until her body hit the wall. Bradley didn’t care, continuing his rant. “Was he good? Better than me? ANSWER!”

Thea pressed closer against the wall, sobs catching in her throat. “Please stop. Brad, please.” When he stayed quiet, Thea took a deep breath and straightened up.

“Look at me Bradley. Look at me. I don’t understand why you would think there’s anything between Jake and me. I’m with you. Okay? I’m right here. I love you. So please, just stop, just -“.

“SHUT UP!” Bradley grabbed the nearest item, hurling it towards the wall. He realised his mistake a moment too late as the glass crashed into the wall, Thea’s hand flying up to cover her mouth. The fear in her eyes was evident and Bradley immediately backtracked. He tried to apologise, moving towards her at the same time.

“Don’t.” Thea held out a hand, stopping him in his tracks.

Bradley’s hands shook as he tried to reach for her but she moved away, further from him. “I said don’t.”

He tried to say her name but Thea only shook her head, tears still streaming down her face. “I think you should go. You need to cool down.”

Her voice is quiet, barely above a whisper but Bradley heard her. The anger was still burning and he scoffed, reaching for his keys. “Sure. I’ll go. Don’t forget to text Seresin that I’m gone so he can swoop in.”

He turned on his heels, collecting his phone and jacket on his way out. Thea moved, asking him to stop it and just calm down. But he knows he’ll do something he’s going to regret, so Bradley opts for slamming the door behind him, rattling the windows.

He pulled out of the driveway, knuckles white as he tried to control his breathing. He arrived at Parlor Bar before his mind caught up and for a moment he sat in silence in the car. He should go back, get on his knees and apologise. Wrap her up in his arms and never let go. But Seresin’s hand on her stays in the front of his mind and with that, Bradley made up his mind. He needed a drink.

“Well, if it ain’t Bradshaw. What’s got you down?” Athena mocked as she joined him at the bar. Bradley is already 5 beers in and not interested in entertaining her. Thea’s betrayal still stings and he downed the rest of his beer, signalling the bartender for another. Athena ordered a beer as well, leaning back in her seat. He didn’t answer her so his WSO made her own conclusions. “Aw, did you and the princess have a fight?”

Bradley swivelled around on his stool, beer spilling from the glass. “Fuck off. Leave me alone. This is all your fault.”

Athena snorted, taking a sip of her beer. “I fail to see how it is. I delivered on my end. You fucked lil Floyd, and I backed off. If there’s a problem in paradise, I’m pretty sure it’s your fault, Rooster.”

“You did this. You forced me into accepting the bet.” Rooster argued, anger bubbling over. The bartender backed away after sliding an Old Fashioned in front of him and Bradley swept it down with one gulp.

"FORCED you?" Athena scoffed, a mirthless laugh following. "Bradshaw I didn't force you to do anything. Everything you did was on your own. Did I taunt you? Yeah. But you're a fucking Navy pilot, jackass. You should be above that. Guess they were wrong about you too."

Bradley stood suddenly, the stool rocking on its legs before clattering to the floor. "You fucking bitch. You can't handle the attention not being on you for three seconds and I'm the one who should be above it?"

Athena chuckled again, a mischief flashing in her eyes before she bit her lip and closed the distance between them. "You think I'm jealous of her? You think I’m jealous of your unicorn princess? You think I didn't have attention? Bradley, I've even had your attention this whole time."

"You fucking liar," Bradley spat. The room was spinning slightly, the amounts of alcohol he’s downed in rapid succession making itself known.

"Maybe," she smirked as her hands settled on his hips before one hand skimmed his waistline and down his zipper. "Or maybe you're trying to lie to yourself."

Bradley hadn't even realised his cock had hardened in his pants while he was fuming at his coworker. Neediness overtook him at that point, fueled by the alcohol coursing through his veins, nearly enough to have him seeing double. Flashes of Hangman touching Thea in his mind, touching his girlfriend, was enough. He crashed his lips to Athena’s and pressed his length further into her hand. "Your room. Now. Fucking whore."

Waking up hungover two days in a row hadn’t been Bradley’s plans for the weekend, yet he awoke feeling like he’d been trampled by a herd of elephants, throat drier than the Sahara Desert. Trying desperately to fight the nausea, Bradley rolled out of bed while shielding his eyes from the bright life, trying to navigate his way to the bathroom.

His head was pounding and he didn't remember how he even got home. After the fight, he hadn’t believed Thea would even let him inside the house, nevermind back into her bed. Regret flowed through his body and the pit in his stomach grew. A movement from the corner of his eyes caught his attention and he thanked every God there was for Thea letting him back inside.

He stumbled into the dresser, cursing as his foot caught on the bottom of it. There shouldn’t be a dresser there, Thea had hers by the entrance, not the door to the bathroom. Bradley stopped in his endeavour to reach the bathroom and rubbed his eyes, looking around the room.

A flash of panic went through him as Bradley realised this was not Thea’s bedroom. The silhouette of the body buried beneath the blankets moved, only to reveal the last person Bradley wanted to see. Athena.

His heartbeat accelerated, bile rising in his throat as he spotted his clothes strewn across the room, Athena’s naked body among the sheets. Pieces of the night before flashed before his eyes.

“No no no,” Bradley whispered, something foul and ugly building within him, “Fuck!”

He reached down to collect his clothes, trying to escape before she woke but the nausea wouldn't let him. Bradley sank to the floor, back against the wall as he tried to desperately stop the tears. His phone is buzzed in the pocket of the jeans, the cracked screen lightning up with Thea’s name. The bile returned again and Bradley scrambled to his feet and rushed into the bathroom before emptying his stomach over the toilet. After heaving what alcohol was left in his system, Bradley struggled to his feet, hands grasped at the sink.

What the fuck was he going to do?

“Good morning sunshine. You look like you’ve had better days.” Athena appeared in the doorway. He felt sick as he looked at her. More memories of last night popped up, his hands on her body, her mouth on his skin. He coughed violently, his throat still dry despite emptying the contents of his stomach moments before.

His face twisted. “What time is it?”

“Closer to lunch. Thanks for last night by the way. Nice to know the unicorn princess hadn’t turned you into a saint.” Bradley couldn’t stop the tears from falling when she mentioned Thea.

His heartbreak turned into anger when Athena laughed. “Oh, does the prince need a tissue, hm?”

“Fuck you.” He fumed, turning on shaking legs to look at her. Athena grinned, tongue darting out to wet her lips.

“You already did, if you don’t remember. I honestly thought it would prove to be a challenge to get you into bed, but you went oh so easily. Now, tell me. Who is better? Me or your little girlfriend?”

Bradley bit back his response as her words reached him. Get into bed?

“You planned this.”

Athena scoffed, leaning against the doorframe. “I wouldn’t say that it was a plan. You’ve always been so easy to manipulate, Bradshaw. I just had to press the right buttons. I did think you would change after meeting her but it seems like you’re just the same,” she pauses for a second, taking in his reaction, “honestly, I just wanted to see if I could.”

Bradley opened his mouth but words failed him. Athena took two steps, invading his personal space but his feet refused to move, frozen to the spot.

She patted his cheek. “Thank you for your service, Lieutenant. You can see yourself out.”

He had hoped Thea wouldn’t be home when he finally made his way over to her place, but luck wasn’t on his side.

“Brad, oh good, you’re back. Listen, I feel awful about what happened. I need you to know that nothing is going on between Jake and me. Okay? I’m with you and I love you. There’s no one else. He’s just a friend. And he didn’t do anything remotely close to flirting with me. Bob was there the entire time, you can ask him. Just.. please, I don’t want us to fight.”

Thea kept rambling and he felt sick to his stomach. “Thea, babe.. I am so sorry.”

She paused for a moment. “Thank you. I understand that you were angry but your words really hurt me. I don’t understand why you don’t trust me.” The sadness in her voice brought a wave of anguish. Bradley knew he needed to tell her, but how could he when she was trying to fix his mess?

“I do trust you.” Is the only thing he can say. He does trust her. His own insecurities are at fault here, his own stupidity and inability to deal with his emotions.

“Okay, good. Uh, you kind of stink. Sorry. Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll make some food and we can talk more.” Thea is already moving around the kitchen, pulling out various ingredients from the pantry.

“I’m so sorry.” He says again, not knowing what else to say.

“And I forgive you babe. I just want this to be over, okay?” Thea mixed the eggs into the pancake batter, eyes trained on the stove.

Bradley swallowed thickly. “I made a mistake.”

Thea slowed her movements. “What do you mean?”

Bradley bit his bottom lip, sniffling quietly.

“After you told me to get out yesterday, I went for a drink. At Parlor Bar. You told me to calm down, so I went for a beer. I thought it would help.”

Thea pushed the batter to the side. “Okay. Like I said, I can smell it on you. It’s fine Brad.”

“No it’s not. It’s everything but fine!” Bradley wailed, rising to his full height. His heart plummeted to his stomach as Thea’s face fell.

“What’s going on?”

Bradley hiccuped, wiping away the tears with the back of his hand. “Athena showed up. At the bar. She figured out that we fought. Uh, I had a lot to drink. I was still angry, and jealous. God, I was so jealous. He’s everything I’m not, you know? And seeing you two together just bugged me, I-”

“Bradley.” His name falling from her lips stopped him in his tracks. It’s cold and harsh.

Thea choked up, hurt painted across her face. “What did you do?”

“I’m so sorry.”

She’s quiet for a long time, long enough to make him fidget uncomfortably.

“Did you sleep with her? Did you fuck her?” In the short time they’ve been together, Bradley has never heard her speak like this. He keeps quiet, his eyes trained on the floor.

“Answer the fucking question, Bradley! Did you sleep with her?” Thea’s voice shook, the trembling of her voice breaking his heart in the process.

“Yes.”

Thea laughed, the betrayal swimming in her eyes. “So after you accused me of sleeping with Jake, after you asked me if I felt good about something I hadn’t even done, you decided that the best course of action was to fuck your ex?”

Bradley leapt from his place against the kitchen counter. “I was wrong, okay?” He paused, swallowing hard. “Sweetheart, listen, it didn’t mean anything. She didn’t mean anything. It was a mistake. I was drunk, and I was angry and -” He fumbled for the right words, trying to fix the mess he had created.

“I TRUSTED YOU! I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING BRADLEY! One fight and you run back into her arms?” Thea dipped her head back as she sniffled and tried to stop the tears. His heart broke as she cried, taking a step back as he approached.

“Sweetheart…-” Bradley tried to reach for Thea but she pushed him away.

“Don’t touch me. Don’t you dare touch me after you’ve been with her.” Her hands trembled, with anger or betrayal, Bradley didn’t know. All he knew was that she slipped further from him with each second. He had to make amends.

“Did it mean so little to you?” Thea whispered. “Did I?”

“No. You’re everything. I love you.” Bradley didn’t know what else to say at this point. At first, he thought that maybe she would forgive him but after her reaction, he knew that it’s over.

Thea laughed through her tears. They’re standing on opposite sides of the kitchen but the distance between them feels bigger. “If that was true, you wouldn’t have slept with her. You don’t do this to someone you love.”

Bradley’s chin meets his chest, head hanging low. “I’m sorry. If I could take it back, I would.”

“Stop saying you’re sorry. It won’t fix this.”

“What can I do? Please, tell me what to do.” He pleaded, trying to round the island but stayed back as she shied away from him. “Please.”

She huffed at his words. “You can’t do anything, Brad. It’s already done.”

“Thena, honey, please…-”

She looked up, hands balling into fists by her sides. The hurt in Thea’s eyes slowly burned into anger, her mouth twisting in disbelief and fury. “What did you just call me?” Fuck.

“Babe..-”

“We’re done.” Thea spat, face twisted in pain. There was an odd calmness in her voice and Bradley hated it. He wished she would scream at him. It would have felt better.

“You know, I’ve given you every part of myself. All of me. I trusted you. And in return, you’ve broken all those parts,” Thea whispered. Bradley cried, wishing desperately that he could turn back the time.

“Get out. This,” she pointed back and forth between them, “Is over.”

Bradley looked at himself in the mirror. His eyes were red and puffy. He looked as hollow as he felt. His image mocked him, a cruel smile twisted on his face.

His fist made contact with the glass before he could think about it. Blood mixed with glass crashed to the floor but it was only a dull ache compared to agony in his heart. It was overwhelming and he needed to feel something, anything else. With a swipe of his arm, he shoved the objects in his desk to the ground. He watched as they broke but it didn’t make him feel any better.

All he could think of was Thea’s face. The tears on her face, her anger and the betrayal he had committed. The damage was done, there was nothing he could do to fix this.

Bradley’s hands shook as he reached for his phone. He knocked over the bottle of Jack that sat on his nightstand but paid it little attention.

With trembling fingers he punched in a number he hadn’t called in years. As he waited, he both wished for the person on the other end to pick up and not pick up. He didn’t even know if this was the right number anymore.

“Hello? Captain Mitchell speaking.”

Bradley let out a sob. He’d almost forgotten what Pete sounded like. He swallowed hard before answering.

“It’s me. It’s Bradley. I’ve fucked up, I need your help.”

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#bradley bradshaw x oc #rooster x oc #bradley rooster bradshaw x oc #fe writes #fic: let me drown #oc: thea floyd #top gun maverick fic #top gun maverick #bradley rooster bradshaw

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kiloskywalker · 2 years

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SNEAK PREVIEW

Sneak Preview of my WIP: “Take My Breath Away” by @kiloskywalker A Tarlos/Lone Star Fic set in the world of Navy Fighter Pilots Full work coming late 2023, this is just a first draft All rights reserved ****** Naval Air Station Oceana Virginia Beach, Virginia Carlos Reyes loved flying, ever since he was a little kid. He can pinpoint the exact moment in his childhood that led him on the path to where he was. It was a hot summer day, and his parents decided to take an 8 year old Carlos to the Wings Over Travis County Air Show. He still can feel the thunderous sound of the fighter jet engines as they flew over him. He can remember how excited he was when he got to travel on a plane for the first time to visit his Abuela, and how he clung to the window watching as the plane took off and the world below him grew smaller and smaller. And he can remember the exhilarating feeling he felt when he first got into the cockpit of an F/A-18 Super Hornet.

Carlos would say to pretty much everyone that he was born to fly. The rush he would get at being higher than most birds, and flying at the speed of sound was better than anything he had ever felt.

He was practically buzzing with excitement as he zipped up his flight suit in the locker room of the flight line at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Today was a gorgeous day, clear skies and very little wind. The perfect weather for flying. He grabbed his helmet and walked toward the flightline and couldn’t help but smile as he checked himself out in the mirror. Today was going to be a simple flight with his wingman, up to 15,000 feet and up and down the Virginia coast.

“No showboatin’ up there, Ranger!” his wingman, Renegade, told him as they climbed into their respective jets. “Commander only wants to make sure that everything is in perfect order. So don’t muck up these multi-million dollar jets trying to impress the hot guys out on Virginia Beach doing all those low pass fly-bys.”

Carlos rolled his eyes fondly. “You know Renegade, I don’t need to use my flying skills to impress the guys. I do quite well with my natural assets.”

“Natural assets?” Renegade shot back. “Please enlighten me.”

“You know,” Carlos replied. “My charm, my looks, and my…personality.” He gave his partner a quick wink before saluting his ground crew chief and climbing up the ladder to the Super Hornet’s cockpit.

“Ah yes personality,” laughed Renegade as he did the same. “So that’s what the kids are calling it these days!”

“You just wait until later tonight! I’ll show you how many numbers I can get at the bar and I won’t even mention that I’m a fighter pilot!”

“You’re on Reyes!” ******

#911 ls fic #my wips #tarlos #tk strand #carlos reyes #carlos x tk #coming soon #i cannot stress how much this is a rough draft

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gerardlesudiste · 1 year

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Portrait de femme : La Lieutenante Amanda Lee, première femme pilote de jet de démonstration des célèbres et mythiques "Blue Angels" de l'US Navy.

Le lieutenant Amanda Lee est originaire de Mounds View, Minnesota. Elle est diplômée de l'Irondale High School en 2004, où elle a participé à des compétitions de soccer, de hockey sur glace et de natation. Pendant ses études à l'Université du Minnesota Duluth, Amanda s'est enrôlée dans la marine américaine en tant que technicienne en électronique d'aviation (AT) et a eu son premier commandement avec le Strike Fighter Squadron 136 (VFA-136) "Knighthawks". Elle a été sélectionnée pour sont admission en service en tant que pilote par le biais du Seaman-to-Admiral (STA-21) programme de mise en service en 2009.

L'année suivante, Lee a assisté à la Naval Science Institute (NSI) pour la formation des officiers à Newport, Rhode Island, et a commencé simultanément ses études à Old Dominion University à Norfolk, en Virginie, où elle a obtenu un baccalauréat ès sciences en biochimie. Amanda a obtenu sa commission dans la marine américaine en août 2013 et a fait rapport à la Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, en Floride, pour commencer sa formation de pilote naval.

Elle a suivi l'Aviation Preflight Indoctrinement (API) en Avril 2014 et a terminé la formation de vol primaire en novembre 2014 dans le T-6B Texan II au NAS Whiting Field tout en étant attaché au Training Squadron Two (VT-2) "Doerbirds". Ensuite, elle s'est rendue au NAS Kingsville, au Texas, où elle a terminé sont entraînement en vol intermédiaire et avancé dans le T-45C Goshawk tout en étant attaché au VT-22 "Golden Eagles".

Amanda Lee a été désigné aviateur naval en avril 2016. Après avoir gagné ses ailes d'or, Amanda a été intégré au Strike Fighter Squadron 106 (VFA-106) "Gladiators"a la NAS Oceana à Virginia Beach, Virginie, pour s'entraîner sur le F/A-18 Super Hornet. Sa première affectation à la flotte était avec le Strike Fighter Squadron 81 (VFA-81) "Sunliners" de la NAS Oceana, Virginie, où elle a effectué deux déploiements de combat à bord du porte-avions USS Harry S Truman (CVN-75) soutenant l'opération Inherent Resolve (OIR), l'opération Freedom Sentinel (OFS) et l'exercice Trident Juncture de l'OTAN. Parallèlement au vol, elle a occupé le poste d'officier des horaires, Officier du mess du café, officier de la division de ligne et normalisation de la formation et des procédures d'exploitation de l'aéronavale (NATOPS) Officier.

À la fin de son déploiement 2019-2020, Amanda est revenue au VFA-106 en tant qu'instructrice F/A-18 E/ Super Hornet, pilote (IP) pour former les aviateurs navals nouvellement ailés et les officiers de bord de la marine dans l'emploi tactique du Super Hornet. Tout au long de son séjour à VFA-106, Amanda a été agente des horaires, chef des opérations Représentant, officier de planification du détachement, officier de quart principal et chef d'équipe de démonstration de Rhino.

Amanda a rejoint les Blue Angels en septembre 2022. Elle cumule plus de 1 400 heures de vol et plus de 225 atterrissages arrêtés sur des porte-avions. Ses décorations comprennent quatre médailles d'honneur de la Marine et divers récompenses personnelles et unitaires.

Photos © US Navy.

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callsign-magnolia · 1 year

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Fic title: Now or Never

I had an entire car ride to and from class as well as the time I've spent getting ready for this concert to think on this one!

You and Rooster have known each other for a few years, meeting each other during your first deployment. The friendship came so easy to you guys, spending free time together, even living together for a little while when you were stationed together at Oceana Naval Air Base. You always knew there was a little more to your friendship, but always assuming Rooster never felt the same, you moved on. Never knowing that he had been in love with you for years.

A few serious boyfriends later, you both are called back to Top Gun. Your current boyfriend came with you, wanting to spend as much time as possible with you before this "Life changing mission". You trained hard, and played harder. Spending most nights with most of the team, usually you, your boyfriend, Rooster, Natasha and a few others. But when the time comes for you to leave, your boyfriend gets down on one knee on the dock and Roosters heart shatters right there.

You were very surprised by this, never discussing marriage with him, and feeling that this moment was a very inappropriate time for him to propose. "I love you, just think about it and you can give me an answer when you come home." Were the words he left you with, placing the ring box in your hand. You just nodded silently, letting him kiss you softly before you boarded the ship. Rooster avoided you for the most part after that, finding it hard to even look at you, knowing at this point his chances of making you his were practically non-existent. You were stressed, wondering why he was avoiding you. It was not a good state to be in before such an important mission.

"You have to talk to her Rooster. You can't do this to her right now." Phoenix said as she sat next to him. "Phoenix I can't bring myself to hardly look at her. Every time I do, it feels like everything is slipping away from me, like my entire world is just gone." Everyone was tired of him moping. They all knew about his feelings and have tried multiple times to get him to confess but to no avail. But one person in particular was over it. "Goddammit Rooster!" Bob yelled, making everyone jump in surprise. "Just fucking tell her how you feel man! She may feel the same way, who knows! But you won't ever find out unless you say something." Bob stood, going up to Rooster and grabbing him by the shoulders. "It's now or never man."

That set a fire in Rooster and he rushed to find you just before you were set to deploy. Finally he found you, rushing over quickly and grabbing you buy your upper arms. "I need to talk to you." You furrowed your brows, whiplash settling in because of his changing emotions. "What? What's going on Rooster?" He took a deep breath, staring into your eyes. "I love you. I have been in love with you for years and I'm regretting not telling you this sooner." Your eyes blew wide, shocked by his words. "What?" It was all you could say. "I love you." Before you could respond, everyone was yelling and you were being pushed towards your respective jets. You wanted so badly to talk to him, ask him what the hell he was thinking telling you something like that just before a mission. But you couldn't, so you waited patiently for them to come back.

But then he went after Mav, and his own jet was shot down. You spiraled out of control, crying frantically in your jet. It felt like the floor was ripped out from under you and the world slowed down. You barely processed that they were on their way back, not really until Hangman took off. You requested to go out as well, but were told no almost immediately. But before you knew it Mav and Rooster were skidding across the runway and you jumped out of your jet, rushing over with the rest of the crowd as tears soaked your face and your flight suit. "ROOSTER!" It was the loudest scream you could manage, hoping he would hear you. But his ears were always tuned into your voice, able to pick it out of the loudest of crowds. He turned to you as his feet touched the ground, barely managing to catch you in his arms as your legs wrapped around his waist. "You dumbass! Don't you ever do anything like that to me again!" He furrowed his brows. "Telling you I love you before we left or the crash?" You took his face in your hands, resting your forehead on his. He grinned as you did it, holding you tighter against him. "Both." You pulled him into a searing kiss, one that blocked out all the sound around you, making you feel like it was just you two in the world. "And I love you too, you dummy."

Send me a fic title, and I'll create a summary for it!

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numberonesaladperfection · 1 year

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Jim Lovell

James Arthur Lovell Jr. (/ˈlʌvəl/; born March 25, 1928) is an American retired astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot and mechanical engineer. In 1968, as command module pilot of Apollo 8, he became, with Frank Borman and William Anders, one of the first three astronauts to fly to and orbit the Moon. He then commanded the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970 which, after a critical failure en route, circled the Moon and returned safely to Earth.

A graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in the class of 1952, Lovell flew F2H Banshee night fighters. This included a Western Pacific deployment aboard the aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La. In January 1958, he entered a six-month test pilot training course at the Naval Air Test Center at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, with Class 20 and graduated at the top of the class. He was then assigned to Electronics Test, working with radar, and in 1960 he became the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II program manager. The following year he became a flight instructor and safety engineering officer at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and completed Aviation Safety School at the University of Southern California.

Lovell was not selected by NASA as one of the Mercury Seven astronauts due to a temporarily high bilirubin count. He was accepted in September 1962 as one of the second group of astronauts needed for the Gemini and Apollo programs. Prior to Apollo, Lovell flew in space on two Gemini missions, Gemini 7 (with Borman) in 1965 and Gemini 12 in 1966. He was the first person to fly into space four times. One of 24 people to have flown to the Moon, Lovell was the first to fly to it twice. He is a recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He co-authored the 1994 book Lost Moon, on which the 1995 film Apollo 13 was based. Lovell was featured in a cameo appearance in the film.

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rememberwincollection · 6 months

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Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Vintage Fighting 31 Tomcatters T Shirt Red.

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georgemcginn · 8 months

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DOD Featured Photos

Loving Arms A sailor reunites with family after returning to Naval Air Station Oceana, Va., Jan. 15, 2024, follo… Photo Details > Lighting Up the Sky Marine Corps UH-1Y Vipers participate in a training exercise aboard the USS Somerset in the Pacific … Photo Details > Window Work Airmen replace windows in a mobile control tower at Air Base 201, Niger, Jan. 8, 2024. The mobile co… Photo Details…

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hbhughes · 1 year

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Richard C. Huey, Jr.

Richard C. Huey Jr. passed away on June 21, 2023 at the age of 74 at Penn State, Hershey Medical Center. Richard fought a courageous battle against Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Just like he dealt with all experiences in life, Richard managed his illness with strength and dignity, and wanted to spend as much time with his loved ones as possible. On his final day, he was surrounded by his children.

Born in Kingston, PA; Richard was the son of Richard C. Huey Sr and Irene (Fechko) Huey. Richard was a proud Veteran of the Vietnam War. At the age of 17, Richard enlisted in the United States Navy as an Aviation Machinist Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic). He was stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach and served aboard the USS America. Richard was assigned to Fighter Squadron 33(VF-33). He valued this service highly and attained the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class. As part of this service, Richard was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Navy Unit Commendation ribbon.

After his time in service, Richard met and married Paulette Slabacewski. Together they shared 42 years of marriage. Richard was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing. Richard’s most treasured pastime was spending time with his family and friends.

Richard is survived by his son and daughter in law Richard C Huey III and Nicole Huey of Fort Drum, NY; daughter and boyfriend Rachael Huey and Bradley Rosenberry of Orrstown, PA; grandchildren Nikolas Huey, Nathaniel Huey, Matthew Malone Jr. and wife Shania, Annastashia Perez and husband Michael; and 7 great grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, Richard was preceded in death by his wife Paulette and his step sister Irene Fisanick.

A Celebration of Life honoring Richard, will be held on August 5th at 2 PM, at the Wyoming Hose Company No.2, 70 E 3rd St., Wyoming, PA 18644.

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duckduckg · 1 year

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Emblem of the U.S. Navy Landing Officer School at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

The Latin motto "Rectum Non Bustus" translates into "Don't Bust Your Ass".

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usafphantom2 · 1 month

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A U.S Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the “Gladiators” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 exhibits flow-induced vaporization at Naval Air Station Oceana. (mahmod)

@kadonkey via X

#f18superhornet #aircraft #navy #aviation #us navy #mcdonnell douglas aviation #boeing aviation #carrier aviation

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blue-aconite · 1 year

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let me drown || chapter II - bradley’s summer part II

Summary: The butterflies in his stomach didn’t settle, nor did the tingling sensation all over his body. Every time he thought of her, his heart sped up just a little. If this was how it felt being with Thea, spending time with her, he couldn’t wait for the rest of his life with her.

Warnings: Allusions to smut, jealousy, swearing, fluff, angst

Word Count: 5.6k

Pairings: Bradley Bradshaw x OC

Authors Note: Writer’s block has been hell. But it’s here. Minors DNI. Each chapter will be labelled with warnings individually.

Thank you to my amazing beta @writercole, this fic wouldn’t be what it is without you.

Virginia, Oceana Naval Air Station, Summer 2018

“I had a great time.” Thea whispered against his lips, hands fisted in Bradley’s shirt. He only hummed in response, deepening the kiss. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of kissing her.

Bradley knew he should be getting back to base but he didn’t want to leave. Not when Thea gasped as he pressed closer, trapping her against the side of the Bronco. Not when her hands snuck under his shirt, fingertips tracing his lower abdomen. He groaned as her hands continued their exploration, sneaking around back to map out the muscles of his back.

Thea’s nails dug into his skin as he left a trail of kisses down the side of her throat, teeth scraping lightly against her collarbone. “You taste good.” he murmured gently as he straightened up, pressing a featherlight kiss to Thea’s lips.

A breathless laugh left Thea, her hands leaving their place under his shirt. Bradley felt cold despite the weather, as if her hands on his skin had been his only source of warmth. There was a tingling sensation spreading across his body, following in the same trail that her fingertips had ventured.

Thea smiled, her hand finding his. He relished the way her hand felt in his, soft and small. “Well then, are you gonna walk me to the door or what?” she jested, eyes sparkling with mischief.

He wished for more distance between the bungalow and the Bronco. He didn’t want to let go of her hand, nor leave. He wanted to go inside, wrap Thea up his arms and never let go. He had never felt this way before. How could she have broken down the walls he’d built up so high after only meeting her two times? What had she done to make him feel like this?

“Well, this is me. I really did have a good time.” she traced the veins on his hand, making goosebumps break out. Leaning down, Bradley brushed his lips softly against Thea’s.

“I don’t want this to end,” he whispered against her lips.

“Well, I do hope there’s another date in the near future. It’s not like it’s the end.” Thea joked, cupping his face. “Maybe next time I’ll invite you in.”

“Or you could invite me now.” Bradley gave her waist a gentle squeeze, tilting his head. His heart was beating against his ribcage, awaiting her answer. When she didn’t immediately answer, he ducked his head towards hers.

“You do you deserve more dates but I’d really like to find out what makes you moan.” he said the last part teasingly, lips gracing her ear, enjoying the way she shuddered at his words. Bradley leaned back, hand coming up to tilt her head towards his. She whispered his name, making his cock twitch.

But instead of leaning into him, Thea pulled back. “I really like you Bradley. I don’t want to ruin whatever potential we have. You don’t mind waiting, do you?”

Bradley tried his hardest to mask the disappointment. His gut churned but he willed himself to take a step back from her. “I’m going to kiss you goodnight now. And then I’m going to leave. Because if I don’t leave, I’m going to take you in the hallway.” If he hadn’t been so focused on thinking about a cold shower, he might have seen Thea pale a little at his words.

“But of course I don’t mind waiting, sweetheart.” And with that, he leaned down and pressed their lips together. He kept it short and sweet, afraid that if he pushed for more, he’d never leave. “Goodnight Thea. Sweet dreams.”

He made sure she made it into the house before starting the Bronco, heading back to base. He tried to not be disappointed at the turn of events but told himself it was only a matter of time. He wanted her so bad, his entire body aching with need. A cold shower was very much needed.

As he stood under the cold spray, he couldn’t help but to think about what sounds she would make for him, what her body looked like beneath those pretty dresses she wore.

Shaking his head, he tried to think about something else. Thea wanted to wait and she wanted time. He could give her that. Beyond wanting her, Bradley was sure he was falling in love.

His heart raced each time he thought of her, beating so violently he thought it would beat out of his chest. Thea flustered him in a way he hadn’t experienced before.

His mother had always told him that she knew the moment she had met his father that he was the one. Carole had told the story over and over when he was a kid. How she knew almost immediately that Nick was her soulmate. Was this the way she had felt?

As he got ready for bed, Thea’s lips on his was on his mind again, her smile and touch taking up permanent residence in his brain. The memory of her didn’t leave him, even as he laid down to sleep. The butterflies in his stomach didn’t settle, nor did the tingling sensation all over his body. Every time he thought of her, his heart sped up just a little. If this was how it felt being with Thea, spending time with her, he couldn’t wait for the rest of his life with her.

“Oh, I know that smile. Did you get lucky last night? Kind of slutty to put out on the first date.” Bradley’s good mood washed away the moment Athena decided to join him for breakfast in the mess hall. She was smirking, a half eaten apple in her hand as she observed him. Bradley was halfway through a bowl of cereal, smile dropping from his face as he realised what his backseater said.

He frowned, spoon dropping onto his tray with a loud noise. “What’s your fucking problem Thena? What happened last night is none of your business.” Bradley tried to keep his voice down, so Bob wouldn’t catch their conversation. Thea’s brother was sitting two tables down with Orca and Spot.

Athena was getting on his nerves and it wasn’t even 7AM yet. He was still somewhat upset about the end of last night. She matched his stare, crossing her arms over her chest, a displeased look on her face.

“And for your information, no, I didn’t get lucky last night. Not in the way you mean it. I did however get lucky enough to spend the night with an amazing woman and I had the best date of my life. So in a way, yes, I got lucky last night. Now fuck off.” Bradley grasped at the edge of the table, trying desperately to control the anger bubbling beneath the surface. No need to show Athena how much it bothered him that he hadn’t gotten his hands on Thea last night.

Athena’s frown morphed into a smirk, pleased with getting under his skin. She uncrossed her arms, leaning forward, arms braced against the table. “Ha, so you didn’t fuck her? Damn Rooster, you’re losing your touch.” Athena laughed. “You’re fucking pathetic. I hope you know that. Think you’d get a good foot in with Floyd if you treat his sister like a princess?”

“Fuck. Seriously, what’s your problem? You said it was fine that we stopped sleeping together and yet you’re acting like a screwed over ex. We were never together, Athena. Stop acting like I’ve done something wrong. Stop trying to piss me off all the time. And stop trying to make Thea out to be a bad person. I really like her, might even love her, and I want a future with her. And that’s none of your fucking business.” Bradley didn’t manage to keep his voice down, attracting a few stares. He swore under his breath as he picked up his tray and headed away from the mess hall.

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice the footsteps following him.

“Rooster. Hey wait up.” Bob caught up to him, holding him back. Bradley wanted to shake him off, tell him to fuck off but it wouldn’t help, not exactly gaining him any points.

He shook Bob’s hand off him. “It’s fine Floyd.”

“I would argue that it’s not. You’re really that serious about her? After one date?” Floyd asked as sat down on the bench next to Bradley. It seemed like Thea’s brother had only caught the last of the conversation.

“I can’t explain it. I’ve never felt this way before. But she makes me want to open up, try and be a better man. I know it sounds crazy after only one date.”

Bob laughed then, a low sound that surprised Bradley a little. “It’s fine, Rooster. You don’t have to convince me to let you date her. Even if I said no, it wouldn’t matter. She’s got a mind of her own. I have a request though. If you’re serious about this, if what you’re saying is the truth-“

“It is the truth. I wouldn’t lie about this. Not about Thea.” Bradley interrupted.

“Okay. Just don’t break her heart.” Bob’s voice was soft but stern, arms crossed across his chest.

Bradley smiled, dragging a hand through his hair. “How do you know she won’t break my heart?” He asked jokingly, bouncing his leg.

“She might. But if she does, I don’t have to pick up the pieces.” Bob clapped him on the shoulder and walked away. Bradley felt a little better but Athena’s words echoed in his mind.

His phone vibrating interrupted the inner monologue he was having and he felt himself brighten up as Thea’s name flashed across the screen.

1 attached image Thanks again for last night. Want to do it again some time?

A picture of the harbour and what looked like a steaming cup of tea greeted him as he opened their conversation. Another image popped up below, Thea’s wide smile across his screen. His heart flipped in his chest, his own smile widening. He checked his calendar and his schedule before texting her back.

I’ve got late simulations tonight and tomorrow :( how abt Friday?

Aw handsome, I’ll miss you. See you Friday then <3

I might have time for a quick kiss tonight ;)

Who am I to say no to a kiss? You know where to find me ;)

“Bradshaw! Get a move on!” Athena shouted across the tarmac, standing impatiently by their jet. They were gearing up for the last simulation flight of the day and Bradley just wanted it to be over.

He was picking up Thea for their second date tonight and he was strangely nervous. When they texted on Wednesday, his nights had looked busy but it hadn’t stopped him from stopping by at least once a day, even if it was just to kiss her before leaving again. They texted and called as much as their schedules allowed but it wasn’t enough. He wanted her. Badly. But he’d settle for just holding her in his arms.

Athena shouted his name again and Bradley picked up the pace, jogging towards her. “Jesus Bradshaw, are you on drugs? What’s wrong with you?” Thena spat as he climbed into his seat.

“Nothing’s wrong, just got a lot on my mind.” He mumbled as he fastened the safety straps and gestured for her to close the canopy. Athena did as instructed and Bradley threw a sloppy salute to Orca and Bob as they rolled by before heading towards the runway.

“Yeah? Is it pussy? Is that what’s got your panties in a twist?” Thena flipped a few switches as he checked the landing gear. Her words made him see red, hands tightening around the stick. He closed his eyes, trying to clamp down on the anger seizing him. He refrained from answering her, opting to check in with the tower to see if they were ready for takeoff.

Athena snorted, obviously displeased with the lack of reaction. Bradley was glad she couldn’t see his face. Thena’s comments were getting on his nerves, an unshakable anger burning in his veins each time she opened her mouth. It only grew worse as she continued to spew her bullshit. Bradley tried to tune her out, shifting in his seat.

“I bet you’re only interested in her because it’s an easy conquest.”

Bradley’s vision blurred red. “Shut the fuck up!” He spat, no longer caring about keeping the emotions out of his voice. He pulled the jet to a stop, ignoring the voices in his ear questioning his actions. “Get the fuck out of my plane Simons.”

Athena snorted, leaning back and crossing her arms. “You’re not my superior Rooster. Get a fucking grip, I was joking. Now stop being such a bitch and let’s get this over with. I want to get home today, thanks.”

“Lieutenant Bradshaw, is there a problem?” Control crackled over the comms. Athena tapped the glass of the canopy. Bradley tried his best to swallow his anger, answering control before moving the jet again.

Athena stayed silent for the rest of the exercise, only speaking when needed. The tension was heavy and they made multiple errors during the simulation, showing how out of tune they currently were. Bradley tried his best but flying with Athena was the last thing he wanted.

As soon as they touched down on the ground and the plane stopped, Bradley unbuckled and skipped down the ladder. He ignored Athena’s call, pulling off his helmet while heading for the locker rooms. He didn't want to deal with whatever she had to say so he fastened his pace to avoid her.

He reached for his phone the moment he got his locker opened and felt all the anger draining away.

Excited for tonight, can’t wait to see you again! :)

Are we doing casual or fancy?

Nvm, I know you’re in the air. I’ll just pick something in between

I miss you.

He felt his heart swell as he scrolled through Thea’s messages, that warm and fuzzy feeling spreading through his body. Bradley eyed the clock, locking the phone before tossing his clothes in a heap by his locker. He had a date to get to.

He showered in record time, pulling on clothes and headed from the exit. But Bradley stopped short when Athena blocked his way out of the locker room.

“Are you lost? You’re down the hall, Simons.” He tried his hardest not to look at Athena, who had pulled off half of her flight suit, tying in around her waist. Her white undershirt was soaked, no doubt because of the blazing sun. Swallowing, he tried to forget about the times he’d pulled off her clothes. He was supposed to pick up Thea in less than an hour.

Athena caught his eyes, smirk firmly in place. “You can look. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before. Since the princess isn’t giving it up, I thought you might enjoy something on the side.” She mocked.

He groaned, rolling his shoulders. “Look, I don’t have time for your bullshit. I’m leaving,” Bradley picked up his bag, rolling his eyes as Athena blocked his path. “Thena, move.”

Athena studied him, eyes raking up and down. “Tell you what. You fuck that unicorn girl within the next two weeks and I’ll buy each time we go out.”

“I don’t need you to buy my drinks for me Thena. And stop insulting her. Stop getting in my private life, it’s none of your business.” He took another step but Athena didn’t budge. He had no desire to get up and close with her right now, so he hung back, waiting for his backseater to move out of his way.

“Fine. Three weeks,” she held up three fingers, “get her into bed and I’ll lay off. No insults, nothing.” Athena smiled in a way that made Bradley’s insides clench.

“This isn’t a game. She isn’t a game, Athena.”

“Living up to your callsign, Rooster. You fucking chicken.” Mirth laced her words and Bradley wanted to put his fist through the wall. He hated being called Chicken and Athena knew it.

“Don’t call me that.” He pushed past her, only to stop when she pretended to cluck, mocking him further. “Shut up Thena. Okay, fine. Three weeks. Just get out of my way and keep your fucking mouth shut.” Athena’s laugh followed him down the corridor and wouldn’t leave him alone until the roar of the engine drowned the sound out.

Throughout the date, Bradley kept replaying the conversation with Athena in his mind. He felt slightly bad for not being able to give Thea his full attention but he just couldn’t stop thinking about the mess he had gotten himself into.

“Bradley? Is everything okay? You seem a little… off.” Thea’s hand was warm against his arm, his skin buzzing at her touch. He failed to notice the momentarily insecurity flashing through her eyes as he kept his gaze on the ocean.

“I’m sorry. Today’s been rough, my mind is all over the place.” He turned to her now, giving her a reassuring smile. It wasn’t necessarily a lie, today had been rough. Bradley didn’t need Thea to know in what way though. He intertwined their fingers, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.

Thea smiled in that way that made his insides light on fire, the butterflies swarming in his stomach. “Anything you want to talk about?” Thea repeated his earlier gesture, lips grazing his knuckles.

Bradley’s heart seized ten times at the feeling of her lips against the roughness of his hand, a warmth spreading throughout his body. Bradley wanted to sweep her into a kiss that would never end, he wanted to drown in her, over and over again.

Reality set in when his mind registered Thea’s offer and the pleasant feeling quickly washed away. He could never once utter what had transpired between him and Athena. “It’s just work, I don’t want to bore you. Sorry I spaced out before, tell me about your day again, please?”

“You could never bore me, Bradley. I want to be someone you can talk to. I know that’s fast and we really haven’t known each other that long but -”

Bradley cut her off by cupping her face, drawing her in and pressing their lips together. Thea made a surprised noise before melting into the kiss, hands weaving into his hair. Bradley let his hands roam, grabbing her thighs so he could pull Thea onto his lap.

“Brad, there’s people around.” She mumbled against his lips but made no move to change their position.

Bradley smiled against her lips. “So what? I’m just enjoying a nice picnic with my girl.” He leaned back to catch his breath, enjoying the flush on Thea’s face.

“Never remembered you asking if I’d like to be your girl.” She laughed, resting her hands on his lower abdomen as she balanced on his lap. Bradley huffed a laugh, all his troubles forgotten as he studied her face.

“Well, this is me asking. Thea Floyd, would you like to be my girl?”

Thea didn’t answer him, hands coming up to cup his face as she kissed him again. A quiet yes was whispered softly as they kept kissing, chasing after the others lip’s when one pulled back.

Yet he couldn’t fully enjoy the moment as Athena’s words came back to haunt him. Three weeks.

“So, you’ve sealed the deal yet, Bradshaw?” Thena was lounging in the rec room, stretched out on the couch when Bradley stepped over the threshold. A week had passed since his and Thea’s date on the beach and things were good. Better than good. He just knew, he knew she was the one. It was early but Bradley knew what he wanted. There was only one problem. The damn bet.

“Not in the mood Thena. And you promised to lay off.” He muttered as he settled into the armchair, cracking his knuckles. Athena rolled her eyes, nudging his leg with her foot.

Snorting, she chucked a pillow his way. “No I didn’t. I promised to back off if you managed to fuck lil Floyd within three weeks. Nothing else was said. But based on your yet again awful mood, I’m going to take a wild guess and say that you haven’t. What’s wrong? Can’t get it up?”

Bradley opened his mouth to tell her off but the arrival of Bob and the rest of their squadron made him hold back. The last thing he wanted was for Thea’s brother to catch onto what was happening. He needed to find a way out of this. In the corner of his eyes, Athena smirked at him, gesturing vaguely with her hands. Mouthing for her to shut up, Bradley tossed the pillow back.

Athena rose, stretching her hands above her head. “Hey Orca, want to earn some money?” The man in question perked up, smiling widely from his seat. No fucking way. Bradley got a hold of Athena’s arm and pulled her up from the couch. Despite her protests, he dragged her from the room, ignoring the questioning stares of his teammates.

“What the fuck Bradshaw? Let go of me!” She pushed against his chest, pulling her arm from his grasp.

“Shut the fuck up. Are you insane?” Bradley spat, pacing back and forth. Athena had the nerve to laugh, that wicked smile lightning up her face. He shot her an incredulous look, wondering if she wanted him dead? Or was this just payback for breaking things off with her. He didn’t know. All he did know was that no one could find out about his moment of weakness.

“You know what? Bet’s off. This is ridiculous.” Bradley spat.

“There he goes, the chicken. Trust you to quit. I’m not surprised, it’s what you do.” Athena mocked. Bradley saw red, forcing himself to take a step back. He clenched his hands into fists, taking a deep breath. “Bradley Bradshaw. The man who always chickens out. You know, I never understood Rooster until now. You’re a fucking coward, that’s why.”

“QUIET! Call me chicken one more time, I fucking dare you Simons.” He advanced, crowding Athena against the wall.

She only laughed again, mirth dancing in her eyes. “What are you going to do? Punch me? C’mon chicken, you could never lay a hand on me.” She tsked, hand on his abdomen. “You disappoint me Bradshaw. Thought you were a man who didn’t go back on your word. Guess mommy and daddy would be mighty disappointed now, wouldn’t they?”

At the mention of his parents, Bradley’s resolve broke. “Fine. I’ll fucking do it. Happy? But don’t you ever talk about my parents again. And keep your fucking mouth shut.”

Athena smirked, knowing she had gotten under his skin. She knew it and he knew it. He hated how much Athena could influence him, how easy it was for her to push his buttons. Bradley should never have,-

“Everything okay?” Bob interrupted as he appeared in the hallway, observing them. Bradley knew what it must look like, him crowding Athena against the wall, one hand wrapped around her wrist.

“Just a misunderstanding, Floyd. It’s all good.” Bradley gruffed as he let go of Athena, taking a step back. She was still smirking, looking utterly pleased with herself. Bradley felt disgusted. His entire body was shaking and he tried his best to calm down.

Bob didn’t look convinced but after a moment’s consideration he decided to let it go. He nodded towards Athena, gesturing down the hallway. “Phone call for you. It’s Hangman.”

Athena didn’t spare either a second glance after nodding her thanks to Bob, marching away. Floyd then turned to Bradley, opening his mouth. Bradley beat him to it.

“It’s nothing. She’s just pissed. I’m handling it.” He uttered a smile, but judging from Bob’s face, it was probably more of a grimace than a smile.

“If you say so.” Bob turned on his heel, walking away. Bradley leaned back against the wall, sliding down until he was on the floor. All the fight left him as he tried to blink back the tears. What the fuck was he going to do?

Over the next two weeks, Bradley grew more and more anxious. Athena would find some way to remind him of the bet every time they saw each other. It annoyed him to no end. The deadline was looming and Bradley’s mood got grimmer. Flying was a catastrophe and he was glad they currently weren’t deployed. He and Athena were so out of tune he actually felt scared going up into the air with her.

Matters didn’t improve when she threatened to tell Bob about the bet if he failed to deliver. That particular threat had ended in a fight which landed them both in their superiors office. It certainly hadn’t helped.

Thea noticed something was off and voiced her concerns but he played them off as work issues, nothing he wanted to burden her with. Unlike Athena, Thea made sure he had his space but made sure repeatedly that Bradley knew he could talk to her. She made him feel seen and safe, which freaked him out.

He tried to back out twice more but Athena found more ways to get under his skin and he found himself furious that she would use the things he told her in confidence, against him.

Thea was the only thing that kept him grounded. He found himself seeking her out as often as he could, each time pushing just a little further.

While he hadn’t made good on the stupid bet yet, he had spent several nights at Thea’s condo. It was the best sleep he had gotten in years, sleeping with her wrapped up in his arms. He was convinced that he fell more and more in love with her as each day passed. And every time Athena’s voice popped up in his head, he tried his best to ignore it.

He tried to tell himself it wasn’t a big deal. Thea would never find out anyway, and sleeping together would happen sooner or later, only Bradley preferred it if it was sooner rather than later.

Sharing a bed with Thea had only strengthened his need for her. He wanted her, but she was still hesitant from them to take the next step. Part of him understood, things had moved incredibly fast for them but Bradley also knew this was it. Thea was it for him, the girl he would move heaven and earth for. He just knew. He knew from the way she laughed, how she looked at him, the way she touched him and made him feel like he was the only one in the world.

Athena refused to back down, mocking him whenever they were in the same space, which was a lot. It was getting on his nerves and Bradley just wanted the whole thing to be over. He’d get Thea to move forward with their relationship, Athena would back off and everything would be okay. Thea would never know what had transpired between Bradley and his WSO, and no one would be the wiser. It was a perfect plan.

Thea’s hand on his brought him back to the present. “What’s on your mind?” They had stopped for ice cream and were currently watching people walk by. Her feet were resting in his lap, one of his hands tracing her calf.

Bradley smiled, drawing a little heart on her ankle. “Just how insanely lucky I am.” Thea blushed and Bradley’s stomach fluttered dangerously.

“Well, would you look at this? Bradshaw!” Bradley groaned when he spotted Athena further down the pier, walking towards them. He had avoided bringing Thea anywhere near Athena, afraid what the consequences would be. Now it looked like he couldn’t avoid it. What made it even worse was the person walking next to his backseater. Hangman.

Athena had mentioned that her cousin would visit but Bradley hadn’t cared. He didn’t like the guy and since he and Athena never hung out anymore, he wouldn’t have to see him. Luck wasn’t on his side, it seemed.

“Hey guys. Fancy seeing you here. You must be lil Floyd? Rooster here never shuts up about you!” The fake smile Athena sported disgusted Bradley. It was sickly sweet, something that looked wildly out of place on her face. She stuck out her hand and Bradley wanted nothing more than to grab Thea and make a run for it. This was his worst nightmare coming true.

“Haven’t heard lil Floyd before but I guess that’s right. Let me guess, Athena?” Thea shook Athena’s hand, smiling politely at Hangman who was hanging back, observing the interaction. Bradley stood to his full height, wrapping his arm around Thea’s waist as he pulled her closer to him. He didn’t like the way Hangman looked at her, nor the smile he flashed her way. Thea was his.

“That’s me,” Athena nodded towards Seresin. “This is Hangman, my cousin.”

Hangman stepped forward, offering his hand. “Name’s Jake. Nice to meet you.” Both Bradley and Athena did a double take when Hangman offered his civilian name. Bradley remembered that he preferred his call sign most of the time.

“So you’re a pilot too?” Thea asked, withdrawing her hand. Bradley took that as an opportunity to pull her even closer, angling her away from Hangman. Athena was studying her cousin, something simmering behind her eyes. Whatever it was, Bradley didn’t like it.

“Yes ma’am. I’m stationed out in Lemoore, California.” Hangman was smiling, eyes crinkling at the corners. Bradley coughed slightly, drawing Thea’s attention away from the blonde. She smiled up at him, making him relax once again.

“We should get going.” Bradley mustered up a smile, pressing a kiss to the side of Thea’s head while reaching down to intertwine their hands. The light dimmed in Hangman’s eyes and a surge of satisfaction rushed through Bradley. Good. Let him know who Thea belonged to.

Athena chose to make her presence known again, clapping her hands together in a way that was very unlike her. “We're just going for dinner. Why don’t you join us?”

“No,” Bradley raised his voice. “I mean, no sorry, we’ve already got plans. Thanks for offering though.” They didn’t have any plans but there was no way he was sitting through a dinner, just the four of them. He’d rather get shot out of the sky with a faulty parachute as his only means of escape.

Thea’s brow furrowed as she shot him a look. “I don’t think takeout and Love Island count as plans. We can do that another night. Dinner sounds fun.”

No it didn’t. Dinner was equal to death at this point. Bradley could find a thousand reasons why dinner was a tremendously bad idea. When he didn’t say anything, Thea poked his side.

“Come on. I want to get to know your friends.” Hangman sure as hell wasn’t his friend and these days he could barely count Athena as such either. He opened his mouth to object again but Thea’s phone made a shrill sound and she apologised as she stepped aside to take the call. Bradley waited until she was out of earshot to swivel around, directing a glare at Athena.

“What are you doing?” He spat, jaw clenched. Athena's lip curled up, a devious look on her face as she raised her brows at Bradley. Hangman looked genuinely confused at their interaction, eyes straying back and forth between them.

“I’m just trying to get to know your girlfriend. We work together daily, Rooster, is it so bad I want to spend some time with the girl you never stop talking about?”

“Bullshit. Stop playing around.” He growled, taking a step closer. Athena’s smile widened. She matched his stance, getting in his personal space.

Leaning up slightly, she lowered her voice. “Careful chicken. We don’t want the unicorn princess finding out about our little bet would we?” Her hand settled on his belt but Bradley took a step back, disgust prominent on his face.

“Hey guys, is it okay if Bob joins us?” Thea returned but her steps faltered when she felt the tension between Bradley and Athena. “Everything okay?” She grabbed a hold of his hand, letting her thumb rub in a circular motion on the back of it.

Taking a deep breath, Bradley felt himself calming down at her touch. “Everything’s fine, babe.” He tried to reassure her but didn’t know if he succeeded. Hangman was still quiet, watching the situation. Athena looked mighty pleased with herself, probably because she once again managed to rattle him.

“Wait, Bob as in Bob Floyd? You’re Floyd’s little sister?” Hangman spoke up, shifting the attention to himself. Thea brightened up at the mention of her brother, nodding excitedly as she and Hangman started to discuss how he knew her brother.

Bradley was inexperienced in the ways of the sibling bond but he knew that the Floyd siblings shared something special. Thea and Bob's interactions put a pit deep in Brad's stomach, longing for that relationship, the unconditional love of a sibling, the forever friendship, the closeness.

“Honey? Bradley, hello?” Thea waved a hand in front of his face, gaining his attention. “Do you want me to drive? Bob asked if we could pick him up on the way.” She asked, excited by the prospect of driving Bradley’s beloved car. Not quite finding his voice, he settled for a nod as he wrapped an arm possessively around her shoulder. Bradley shot both Athena and Hangman a dirty look over his shoulder as they walked away, ignoring the sense of dread building in his stomach.

#bradley bradshaw x oc #rooster x oc #bradley rooster bradshaw x oc #fe writes #fic: let me drown #oc: thea floyd #top gun maverick fic #top gun maverick #bradley rooster bradshaw

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