#Rooster x Maverick daughter

[sebastianstangirl01]

One Man’s Loss is Another Man’s Gain

Title: One Man’s Loss is Another Man’s Gain

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Wife Reader

Warnings: Language, Fluff, Bradley being put in his place, Protective Jake

Summary: When the best pilots in the navy get called back to Top Gun for a special detachment and it’s learned that Pete Maverick Mitchell is the instructor Bradley Bradshaw looks forward to seeing his old crush again so he can finally confess his feelings, Y/N Mitchell. Too bad Jake Seresin already swept her off her feet and made her Mrs. Seresin.

Requested: Yes!

When you first heard about this special suicide mission it’s safe to say you were terrified for your husband and father. You and Jake had been married for around 3 years now and you’re currently 7 months pregnant with your first child. The idea of being left a widow killing you inside, but not as much as the chance of your son growing up without his father.

You and your father Pete Mitchell have a strong relationship, he was the only constant in your life for a long time after your mother abandoned you on his doorstep. Growing up you and your dad spent a lot of time with Carole and Bradley, Goose passed away 3 years before you were born and Carole and Pete sometimes joked that Goose sent you to them because he knew they needed you.

Carole was the only mother figure you ever had in your life and when she passed away when you were 16 it rocked your whole world, as far as you were concerned she helped raise you and you loved her like a daughter loves her mother.

Bradley. He was a different story, though you’re 6 years younger than him you two grew up as best friends. He was your first crush when you turned 13 and actually noticed how cute he was, but he was in college then and was always going out to parties with college girls, so you never saw him much. When you were 15 you finally realized how dumb your crush was, he was 21 and you were still basically a child playing softball and hanging out with your friends at the movies and the beach. For your own sanity you let the crush go and just focused on being happy to see him when he came home on breaks.

One day everything changed though. Bradley had written you off completely out of the blue, you tried getting in touch with him but your calls wouldn’t go through, you even tried the old fashioned way and sent him a few letters but never got a response. You tried asking your dad what happened but he refused to give you any details. As much as it hurt, you refused to let yourself feel bad and reach out over and over again when you got nothing in return. So you just stopped trying.

You went to college at UCLA where you played softball all four years and got your teaching degree in elementary education, you moved back home to North Beach where you got a job as a 1st grade teacher at Miramar Elementary School on base, thanks to a few strings pulled by your Uncle Ice to insure you’d be close to home.

You met Jake at the hard deck when you were 23 and he was 26, you had gone out to spend some time with Penny and your dad had just gotten back from a deployment so you all were celebrating. Jake had just graduated from Top Gun at the top of his class and came out with a few of his fellow graduates to celebrate. When you two locked eyes the attraction was instant.

Jake spent almost a month trying to get you to go out with him, you had heard of Jake Hangman Seresin’s reputation from your dad who heard it from Uncle Ice. So you wanted to play hard to get and make sure he actually wanted to be with you and not just get into your pants. He proved himself though when he took you out for a picnic on the beach followed up by a walk on the board walk with some ice cream.

You two dated for around 3 years before getting married, you had a small intimate ceremony with just your family and a few close friends. You two lived in a old fashioned farm house and turned it into your dream house, about a year into your marriage you adopted a golden retriever puppy from the pound named Lady and a tabby cat named Wendy and you two were fine with just being animal parents for a little while.

You spent these last 3 years of marriage building your family home. You and Jake decided to live permanently in San Diego regardless of his deployments. Jake worked as hard as he could for the Navy making a name for himself, while you worked just as hard at your teaching job welcoming kids into your class year after year who left feeling like your very own children. Maverick has his hangar around 20 minutes away from your house and you all have Sunday dinners every week without fail.

When you found out you were pregnant you were surprised but nonetheless thrilled, sure you two weren’t actively trying for a baby but you weren’t really doing anything to avoid pregnancy either. You immediately went to the doctor and got checked out learning that you were 8 weeks pregnant and left with a wide smile and some ultrasound pictures. When Maverick found out he was going to be a grandpa he just about passed out from excitement. But nothing beats Jake’s reaction when he found out he was going to be a father.

You had been anxiously waiting for Jake to get back from training, you found out about the pregnancy around a week ago and you were dying to tell your husband but wanted it to be memorable.

You brainstormed and then remembered the two things he loved almost as much as you. Your animals. You’ve seen other people use their animals as a pregnancy announcement and knew that this was the way to go.

You ordered Lady a thin sweater that read “Big Sister” and Wendy a collar that had baby booties on it since you knew better than to try to put your cat into a sweater, learning from past mistakes. You also found three of the cutest onesies at target, one read “my best friend’s have paws” the second one read “my daddy is a pilot” and the last one read “I love mommy and daddy”. You of course had to get all three, and you wanted to make a box to put them in so you got your pregnancy test and ultrasound picture and put it in the box on top of the folded onesies.

Jake is suppose to be home at 7 and it’s currently 6:50, you felt butterflies in your stomach as you sat on the couch with Wendy resting on the back of the couch near your shoulder and Lady laying across your lap asleep, with the box laying on the coffee table. You were excited but nervous about Jake’s reaction, you knew regardless he would be excited but you may have to scoop his unconscious form off the floor before the excitement hits him.

Before you could think much longer the door opened and both animals lifted their heads to look towards the door as Jake stepped inside. You quickly grabbed your phone and pressed record , wanting to get his reaction on video before urging Lady off your lap.

“Hey baby! How was your day?” You asked standing up

“It was something. I’m just glad to be home with my girls.” Jake smiled setting his bag down at the front door.

“We’re glad your home too. I have a surprise for you.” You smiled making Jake cock his brow

“What? It’s not my birthday, it’s not our anniversary, I didn’t get you anything.” Jake stressed making you chuckle

“This is for me too. Lady go see daddy!” You nudged Lady in Jake’s direction and the dog immediately stumbled towards Jake who squatted down with open arms while he was distracted by the dog you grabbed the box and held it patiently

“Lady girl! There’s my girl! What does mommy have you wearing? What is this?” Jake asked in a baby voice making you smile as he gripped the fabric to try and read it, Wendy had made her way over to the two and was rubbing her head against Jake’s leg purring. “Big Sister?”

You could see the gears in Jake’s head turning as he stared at the sweater before looking down at Wendy’s collar, his head snapped up towards you with wide glossy eyes.

“Baby? Is this what I think it is? Are you pregnant? Am I going to be a dad?” Jake asked slowly standing to his feet

“Open the box.” You smiled feeling tears burn in your eyes as you handed him the box. “Daddy.”

“Oh my god.” Jake mumbled as he looked at the contents of the box. “Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh baby!”

Jake carefully but quickly sat the box down on the ground before pulling you into his arms making you laugh tearfully as he spun you around.

“Oh my god! We’re having a baby! We’re having a baby! There is actually a baby inside of you right now!” Jake exclaimed cupping your face as your tears spilled over. “I love you so much. This is so perfect, I love you.”

“I love you too.” You smiled pulling him into a kiss

Jake has doted on you your whole pregnancy, he’s been to every doctor’s appointment, any craving you have he’s out the door to get it, any ache or pain he’s giving you a entire body massage, when your hormones are too much he holds you tight and litters your face with kisses, and pregnancy sex is out of this world.

You’d just hit your 7 month mark and felt like a whale, your ankles were swollen, your back always aches, your breasts are sore and tender, and you officially can’t stand or walk without supporting your bump because it feels like the weight of your bump is going to send you to the floor. You had recently just had a small gender reveal with your dad and some of Jake’s family and learned that you were having a little boy.

Jake has been busy training for the mission and your dad has been busy being the instructor for the mission, which has led to some long days and nights with Lady and Wendy as your company. You had heard from Jake’s nightly complaining that your estranged best friend Bradley Bradshaw is back for the mission and of course they’ve been butting heads, Jake is fiercely protective of you and after learning how hurt you were when Bradley tossed you to the side Jake made it his personal mission to be the biggest ass to him he could be.

Your dad had called you and told you about the fight between Jake and Bradley and how your name had been brought up, and that Jake bragged about how you were his. You smacked Jake on the head that night but quickly got over it when he brought up the idea of a hot bath and a back rub.

Today Penny had practically begged you to come see her, she was your favorite of all your dads conquests growing up and have always kept in touch she was more your mother than your actual mother. You hesitantly said yes, not really feeling like leaving the comfort of your bed but wanting to spend some time with her.

You took a shower and washed your hair and body, since your pregnancy makes you feel sweaty and disgusting at every moment a shower did you some good. You were feeling more energized after your shower so you even did your makeup routine and did a cute braid in your hair. You got dressed in a flowered blue sundress and some sandals and put your regular jewelry on, barley managing to get your wedding band on your swollen finger.

Since Penny loves Lady you decided to bring her with you, and Jake’s been training her since the beginning of your pregnancy to be your watch dog, a job that Lady takes very seriously. You got her in her harness and leash before grabbing your purse and keys and walking out to your white Rang Rover. You opened the passengers side door and patted the seat.

“Up Lady! Good girl!” You smiled giving her a treat and kissing the top of her head securing the leash to the seatbelt before closing the door and walking around to the drivers side.

You drove towards the hard deck with with windows down bobbing your head to your Taylor Swift playlist, the breeze blowing some of your flyaways into your lipgloss.

When you pulled into the hard deck you furrowed your brows when you saw both your dads bike and Jake’s truck in the parking lot. You got out of the car and walked around grabbing Lady’s leash and getting her out of the car before you two walked inside.

“Pen! Penny!” You called out seeing the bar empty

“Out here!” Penny called from the back deck

Lady jerked on the leash at Penny’s voice and you chuckled lightly before dropping the leash letting the energetic dog run out the back door.

“Lady!” Penny exclaimed as you walked outside seeing the golden retriever giving the woman some love. “Hey sweetheart, how you feelin?”

“Pregnant. Very pregnant.” You chuckled taking a seat beside her. “Whatcha doing out here?”

“Just taking in the view.” Penny smirked and you furrowed your brows before following her gaze to see the aviators on the beach playing football

“Oh. That’s why dad and Jake’s bike and truck are out front. I thought they snuck away to day drink.” You said making Penny chuckle

“Nope. They’ve been at it for about an hour. Jake’s already laid Rooster out twice.” Penny raised her brow and you chuckled

“That man. I told him not to be a dick, I swear he holds a grudge worse than any woman I’ve ever met.” You shook your head playing your hands on your swollen belly. “Your daddy’s a little bit of a drama Queen.”

Penny chuckled and turned her head back to the team of aviators and smiled when she saw them walking towards them.

“Looks like they’re heading this way.” Penny nudged your shoulder making you look up

Lady perked up when she first caught sight of Maverick, the dog stumbled in the sand towards him. Maverick smiled and crouched down allowing the dog to run into his embrace, licking his face in greeting.

“Lady girl! You’ve gotten so big in the last week, you just keep on growing.” Maverick smiled rubbing the dogs head

You got up with Penny’s help and walked onto the beach towards your dad, you saw Jake still down by the water with a few other pilots so you figured you’d make your way down to him.

“Hey dad.” You smiled as you walked over to him, Lady coming right back to your side

“Hey kiddo. How’s my grandson?” Maverick asked giving you a hug and kissing your forehead

“He’s being pretty lazy today, he hasn’t moved around much and when I pressed around to try to get him to move he just gave me one big kick basically telling me to shut up.” You chuckled rubbing your belly where your baby had just given you a kick, probably knowing you were talking about him

“It’s those Mitchell genes, he’s gonna be a stubborn one.” Maverick smiled gently patting your stomach

“God help us.” You shook your head. “How’s training going? I hope Jake isn’t being too much trouble.”

“It’s going. Jake’s being Jake. He’s definitely giving Bradley a hard time.” Maverick said

Jake was the one who put you back together, when you met you had some serious trust issues and were battling some depression as well. Even before you finally agreed to date him, Jake was always protective of you and when you finally opened up and let him in he swore no one was ever going to hurt you again.

“He’s just protective, you know that.” You sighed and Maverick nodded

“I know. I’m glad he looks out for you.” Maverick said looking slightly over your shoulder making you smirk

“You know, she still loves you.” You said making him snap his gaze back to you

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Maverick shook his head and you chuckled

“She’s been like my mother my whole life. I wish you’d make it official.” You said kissing his cheek before making your way towards Jake

“Y/N?” A voice asked from behind you making you pause, you knew that voice it’s one you’d never be able to forget no matter how hard you tried

You slowly turned around and saw Bradley standing in front of you, he was wearing his dads old aviators and some cut off jean shorts without a shirt. He’s grown up since you saw him last, now sporting the mustache that looked so much like Goose’s.

“Bradley.” You nodded managing a small smile, you felt Lady settle herself right on your side nearly sitting on your foot in a protective position

“Look. I don’t want any trouble. I know I screwed up so bad, cutting you out of my life was one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done. I was just so mad about what had happened that I didn’t even think that you might not of known about it I just decided that you had just as much to do with it as Mav and that was the end of it. You didn’t deserve that, I know that now.” Bradley sighed sadly looking down at your bump that you were cradling

“You’re right. I didn’t deserve that. I loved you Bradley, I honestly thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with you. You were my best friend and I know you were going through a rough time losing Carole and then your papers. But I lost her too, she was the closest thing I had to a mom and I loved her so much. I was grieving and then I lost you too.” You paused to clear your throat. “I don’t know. Maybe if you had stuck around I never would’ve met Jake, and I wouldn’t trade him and our life together for the world. I don’t want to bring my son into the world with any hard feelings, I don’t want any grudges to be passed down to him. So, I am willing to try and move past this. You were family once Brad, I think that maybe we could be that again.”

Bradley cleared his throat and looked away before looking back towards you.

“I would really like that. I’m happy for you kid, as much as I hate to say it I’m glad that you have Jake and happy that you found someone who will love and take care of you. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make this right, I promise.” Bradley said and you nodded reaching down to pet Lady when she nudged your leg

“I think we can do that.” You smiled softly one that Bradley mirrored

“Congratulations. I remember how you always talked about being a mom.” Bradley said gesturing to your stomach

“Thank you. It’s a little boy.” You smiled adoringly down at your stomach

Before anything else could be said, a familiar presence was felt behind you before arms wrapped around your waist and gently cupped your stomach pulling you back into a warm firm chest.

“Everything good here?” Jake asked leaning down to kiss the spot right under your ear

“Everything’s fine.” You nodded towards Bradley who nodded in agreement

“Yeah. Uh, congrats on the baby.” Bradley told Jake who nodded

“Thanks.” Jake said before taking Lady’s leash from your hands. “Want to get some food?”

“Yes. I’m starving.” You said and Jake chuckled taking your hand into his

“Let’s go then, I’m sure Penny would make you that burger you love.” Jake said pulling you towards the hard deck

“I’ll see you around.” You told Bradley who nodded watching as you left with Jake’s arm now wrapped around your waist

Bradley watched Jake lean down to kiss your forehead gently as he led you and your dog back towards the hard deck where everyone else was standing around the back deck talking. He watched your smile as you talked to Phoenix and Bob and as you were introduced to everyone else. He smiled softly, he fully expected to be filled with jealousy when he saw you and Jake together.

But seeing how happy you were, your bright smile and sparkling eyes as you cling to Jake’s side. You deserve the world and if Jake can give it to you then that’s enough for him.

Taglist

@daughterofthereaper02

@luckyladycreator2

@calpurniatypes

@littlebadariell

@qnfluvr

@raefoxiegirl

@maverick-wingman

@avada-kedrava-bitch

@army24--7

[heartsofminds]

my life is changing every day, in every possible way

“She’s a cranberry,” he exaggerates his pronunciation of the word for extra emphasis, “Has Ocean Spray become a relic around here?” or It's Halloween, Bradley has a precocious eleven-month-old daughter, and he might be in love with her impromptu babysitter.

A/N: soooo here's a halloween thing that i kind of just threw together? i'm OBSESSED with bradley being a girl dad and just love this little girl i came up with (@gretagerwigsmuse knows that we love quincy in this household). anywho, enjoy some poorly written dadley and this super pointless halloween drabble? hope y'all had a good holiday and am sooo looking forward to writing more of this daddy/daughter duo !

“Whatever it is, Bradshaw, you’re not excused this time.” 

Jake Seresin slams his locker shut and shoves his wallet in the back pocket of his jeans. The heel of his boot is kicked up, making a soft “thud” on the hollow metal as he leans his back against it. He crosses his arms to lie in front of his chest and adjusts his watch.

The small wooden bench screwed into the linoleum tile perches Bradley Bradshaw, who sits with his elbows digging into the tops of his thighs and his back aching something awful. He softly grunts before he turns to release some of the pressure there. The resounding crack it makes causes Jake to grimace a little before his face returns to the snarky default position it always seems to have. 

“I’m sorry I’m an adult? And have responsibilities?” Bradley rolls his eyes and traces his index finger around a watermark on the wood next to him. 

He notices his Nalgene water bottle sweating and subconsciously picks it up, using the bottom of his t-shirt to dry the wet spots it left in its wake. Jake and Natasha watch him without his knowledge and share a knowing look with each other, but remain silent. Sometimes it’s hard to determine if Bradley’s behavior is because he’s in a vastly different life stage than they are, or if it’s just a Bradley thing. 

Trying to figure it out makes everyone’s brains hurt so they often just let it be. 

The blonde groans again. “You say it like flying a billion-dollar aircraft every single day isn’t a huge responsibility,” he licks his lips before throwing his head back, “Can you take that huge stick out of your ass for once and let yourself have fun?” 

“I have a baby, shithead. I can’t just stop being a dad to go to a Halloween party.” 

Javy slams his locker shut and prances over to Jake and Natasha. A wrinkle in his eyebrows starts to form as he thinks over Bradley’s statement. He finds himself standing next to Jake; his stance is identical and his bargaining skills are tuned and ready to be used. 

“It’s hardly a party at all, man. It’s a costume, a couple of beers at Pen’s place, and maybe one other bar for like an hour,” he speaks and pats Bradley’s shoulder, “Live a little.” 

Bradley sighs; the puff of air housing a hint of playfulness and a hint of annoyance. He knows he’s already lost and that there is absolutely no way he’s getting out of it this time. And so help him God, he can’t believe he’s thinking this, but maybe what Jake and Javy are saying doesn’t sound like too bad of a plan. 

It would be good for him. It would be good them. It would be good for Quincy, and if any of the parenting magazine articles (that he’s kind of ashamed to have budgeted for paying for the subscriptions, if he’s being honest) had anything to say about it, children thrive when their parents are thriving. 

Besides, Penny and Mav have kinda been on his ass about it. Because yeah, she goes to daycare during the day and yes, she’s technically been around other kids and for sure has had her share of being around adults, but she’s one anxious biting attack away from being kicked out of daycare and all the people Bradley trusts (outside of Miss Charlene at the daycare who is a friend of Penny’s and was his babysitter when he was small) are up in the sky so he’s really running himself dry with options. 

Natasha calls it separation anxiety but Bradley calls it a bond. Which is true, Nat had agreed, but it wasn’t just about Quincy being attached. It was also about Bradley being just as attached, if not more. 

In the eleven months that Quincy Elaine Bradshaw had been on this Earth, Bradley hadn’t left her side for longer than four hours at a time. 

And he doesn’t know if it’s because he’s never really had anyone to call his own before or if it’s a “Papa Bear” thing or if there’s some unexplained biological phenomena that won’t allow him to be away from his daughter without spiraling, but he hardly thinks its a problem. . . .

Except when he leaves on his lunch break to go see her at daycare and she’s in a fit of hysterics whenever his hour break is up and he has to return to work. Or when she’s eleven months old and has never slept by herself in her own room before (which is why his back is so fucked, but he’ll never admit it). Or when she’s biting kids and teachers because she’s so anxious she doesn’t know what to do with herself. 

So, yeah. Maybe it is a problem and maybe the root of it all is guilt. 

He can’t let his daughter out of his sight because he can’t help but feel guilty for raising her the same way he was and giving her a ghost that she never asked for – a parent whose approval she will always seek despite never knowing who that person truly is. 

Something about that makes him feel like he has to make up time for two as a punishment for only being one, and being the one who can’t provide her everything she’ll ever need as a growing girl and eventually as a woman. 

“I don’t know,” he says lamely. He wraps his finger around the loose thread on his t-shirt and pulls it in one fell swoop. 

“Okay, fuck. You need to get out. What do you need?” Natasha pipes up, rolling her eyes before sitting down next to him. 

He raises his eyebrows and opens his mouth to answer but she cuts him off before he can. “What’s it gonna take? Do you need a sitter? A lobotomy? You need to live a little, dude.” 

“Well, we know the sitter’s not the issue. The kid’s cute as shit,” Jake speaks up and Bradley scoffs. 

“She’s so fucking cute,” Javy agrees and Bradley has to hide his grin despite being annoyed. 

He helped make the cutest baby ever. Who wouldn’t be obnoxiously proud about that? 

“Absolutely adorable. People are lining up to babysit her,” Reuben Fitch interrupts and joins the group of aviators which further puts a pin in Bradley’s desire to decline the invitation. Rueben doesn’t involve himself in Jake or Javy’s bullshit very often, but when he does, it’s evident that the idea isn’t absolutely batshit crazy. 

Bradley gives him a playful middle finger before straightening his posture and coming to the realization that maybe Jake was right for once. 

“Yeah.” Holy fucking shit. “Rueben’s wife would put her in her pocket and take her home if you let her.” 

And the golden rule is that if Bob is game for something, then everyone else should be. So now he really has no excuse to not go out on Halloween night because he has the Southern Californian equivalent of the fucking Pope giving his two cents on to why he needs to go. 

Fuck you, Bob Floyd for always being the voice of reason. 

“See? Everyone agrees. You’re the odd one out so it’s only fair,” Jake taunts again. Everyone around Bradley seems to be shaking their head in agreement to which he realizes that he’s stuck and there’s no way he won’t be in attendance to the group’s Halloween plans. 

“But it’s her first Halloween,” he tries to reason, “I can’t leave her alone on her first one.” 

Javy sighs. “She’s not even gonna remember it. Yeah it’s a holiday but she’s not missing out on much. She doesn’t even have teeth yet.” 

Jake laughs sarcastically. “Q-dawg’s been chompin’ away on all of her little daycare friends. Haven’t you heard?” 

Bradley narrows his eyes. “Fuck you! I thought you left the room when I was on the phone with the daycare.” 

“Her business is our business now, Bradshaw. Aren’t we allowed uncle duties?” Reuben teases. Natasha clears her throat to interrupt him. “And aunt duties?”  

“Auntie Nat reigns superior and we all know it, but holy shit. She’s biting people? How is she more badass than her dad?” Nat goads and shoves the back of Bradley’s head playfully. She chuckles at how slow his head pops back up and he mocks her laugh and sticks out his tongue at her. 

“Guys, c’mon. I can’t leave her with a sitter on her first Halloween.” Although he knows he sounds silly (and he feels silly saying it, too), his daughter is his best friend in some ways. Despite her not being able to walk yet and only having a vocabulary of a few words, he can’t help but know how deeply he loves her, and how much everything about her matters to him. 

“Then don’t,” Bob says, “Just bring her to Hard Deck for like an hour and then you can run home, meet the sitter, and then meet us wherever else we decide to go.” 

And sometimes Bradley hates how much sense Bob tends to make and wishes that he was wrong. That no, the Hard Deck isn’t a suitable place for a baby, and no, there’s absolutely no way Quincy would keep her cool while being there during one of the busiest nights of the year. 

But he knows it’s a lie because her grandparents are the owners, everyone loves her and fights over having their turn to hold her or even catch a glimpse of a baby smile directed at them, and the fact that Quincy has been to the Hard Deck enough to have developed an affinity for diluted cranberry juice over the Mott’s Tots apple juice sitting in his pantry. 

“Fuck, fine. But you’re finding me a fucking babysitter,” he speaks, pointing a finger between Jake and Natasha before standing up abruptly. He turns on his heel and makes his way toward the door, knowing the only way he can make sense of the predicament he’s put himself in can be solved by seeing his joyous baby girl. 

The sounds of muffled chuckles and shoes squeaking on the ground fill the silence of Bradley’s absence; all of their eyes flitting to each other to decipher if they actually made the most stubborn man alive give into their bidding with minimal effort. 

“Did we just make Rooster. . .cave?” Reuben speaks, his arms coming up to cross in front of his chest. His thumb rolls his wedding band around on his ring finger as he waits for someone else to speak up.

“Huh,” Jake huffs, “I think we did.” 

“So I’m guessing the lobotomy is out of the question,” Mickey ponders out loud, “Y’all better know a damn good babysitter.” 

Natasha and Jake’s eyes widen in realization. They better find a damn good babysitter soon.

Carrying a baby is harder than it looks. 

Bradley swears that his daughter is an eighty-year-old woman trapped in the body of a drooly and overly excitable eleven-month-old.

It's not the worst thing in the world, he figures. 

But God, is she giving his arms a workout from the amount of times she’s tried to contort her small body to get a good look at all the ruckus and excitement going on around her. It’s when Bradley feels a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck that he realizes the costume he’s picked may not have been the smartest move; especially when no one seems to get what he’s supposed to be. 

Secreting sweat by the gallon seems like an unfair exchange to be dressed in what he thinks is the greatest daddy-daughter costume of all time. The flannel shirt he has on and the overwhelmingly hot coveralls to go with it was a good idea in theory (that theory being how frigid the Halloweens he used to spend in northern Virginia were when he was a little kid). 

He finally makes it to the saloon-style doors of the bar and is met with “Thriller” by Michael Jackson playing from the overhead speakers above him. Every surface seems to be decked out in cobwebs and dark purple and neon green spiders, and Quincy stares in awe at all the patrons meddling about around her before making grabby hands at the faux snakes dangling around the jukebox. 

She almost slips out of Bradley’s grasp before being wrangled back to a stable position by her chunky rolled arms. 

“Jesus, girl,” he gasps, swallowing the lump in his throat while Quincy giggles in his face. “You tryna kill me here?” 

“Well look who it is!” Penny’s teasing voice sounds in his ears. 

Quincy’s little eyes catch the figure of her faux grandma and she begins to squeal in her father’s ear before reaching her arms as far out as they can go; reaching and moving so frantically it looks as if she’s attempting to swim in midair. 

Penny moves closer to them and raises her eyebrows. Her arms instinctively reach out and she grabs Quincy from Bradley. Her fingers trace the burgundy felt of her costume before she tickles the baby. Quincy erupts in a fit of laughs. 

“What has your crazy daddy got you dressed as?” she teases, her elbow coming out to knock Bradley in his ribs playfully. “Are you an. . .apple?” 

Bradley huffs and rolls his eyes. His gaze instinctively lands on his daughter who clasps her hands on Penny’s face and traces her chubby (and insanely sticky) baby fingers across her red lips. She puckers her lips and chuckles to herself at Quincy’s amazement of red lipstick. 

“She’s a cranberry,” he exaggerates his pronunciation of the word for extra emphasis, “Has Ocean Spray become a relic around here?” 

Penny’s eyes flicker between Bradley and the baby she holds in her arms. The splotchy rosy cheeks and honeyed hazel eyes tells the tale of twins, and she’s reminded of the little boy she used to casually see around Fightertown all those years ago dressed in different variants of the same dinosaur on Halloween. 

“Sweetheart, you’re saying it like it was the most obvious thing in the world,” she starts, simultaneously giving her attention to Quincy and the million and one different things going on around her, “I almost thought she was one of the cement balls outside of Target but realized the red was too dark.” 

He groans, his eyebrows furrowing together and a slight scowl forming on his face. Penny’s heart is warmed because his daughter has a propensity to make the same face when she’s frustrated. 

A beat absent of dialouge passes. Hoots and hollers fill the silence as well as strangers stopping by to coo at Quincy before being on their way to the pool table of their desire. Quincy babbles and talks as if she’s a lawyer prosecuting a case and Bradley’s heart softens at how animated she is. 

Her awkward tongue pushes out more saliva than what would be socially acceptable and the drool begins to gather on her face. He reaches out and wipes her mouth with the sleeve of his flannel while she flops like a dead fish away from the makeshift napkin in protest. 

God, this girl is so dramatic. 

“I handmade it,” he says softly. He runs a dry part of his sleeve across her lips more firmly to ensure he had gotten all the wetness. 

Penny hums in acknowledgement. “And you did good.” 

And he doesn’t know why he’s expecting it; why he’s waiting on Penny (of all people) to see him picking a scab and rub more salt in the wound. He knows that she would never do that and he knows that most of the people (if not all of the people who he considers close to him) see him that way. He knows that people know he’s trying his best and that he’s doing everything he can. 

Bradley knows but he just can’t make himself feel it, and he can never figure out why. 

Maybe it’s because he’s a single dad. Maybe it’s because he’s a single dad without a “real” mom or dad to show him the way. Maybe it’s because he’s finally gotten used to having someone around who relies on him and needs him and loves him unconditionally, and he’s terrified of doing something that will make her sit on a couch in a therapist office and say the words that he’s trying his best to avoid: “My dad doesn’t love me enough.” 

Bradley knows what it feels like to not be loved enough. Bradley knows what it feels like to not be liked enough. But Bradley doesn’t know what it feels like to not try hard enough, and that is something he is determined to never stop doing when it comes to his baby. 

“You’re saying it like I didn’t though.” 

Penny’s face falls and she shifts her gaze from Bradley’s daughter to him. 

“Oh, Bradley,” she sighs, her open palm coming up to cup his face, “I didn’t mean it like that. You’re an amazing dad and you’re doing a fantastic job.” 

He grabs her hand with his and gives her a weak smile in return. 

“Doesn’t feel like it, though.” 

He’s usually not one for feeling sorry for himself. He’s never been too keen on throwing pity parties and inviting everyone he knows to them, and in all actuality, he doesn’t know why this bid for reassurance that he’s serving Penny is even coming up. 

“No. Stop it. No,” she playfully chides, tickling Quincy to make her erupt into a ball of silent baby chuckles. “You’re an amazing dad and everyone knows it. You’re her world and that’s all that matters.” 

Bradley opens his mouth to respond but can’t find the words to accept her compliment. He simply nods his head before the already loud noise of the bar is split by an even louder whistle. 

His neck cranes around to see his group of friends waving him over to the pool table and the anchored weight of doom starts to sink in his stomach. He remains frozen with his hands in his pockets and his body emitting heat from his personal heater of rubber waders. He feels like a seven year old at the park again; his mother standing before him and wordlessly encouraging him to go play and make friends. 

The high pitched scream of his daughter is heard as Maverick approaches. Both Penny and Bradley wince more and watch as his daughter mindlessly babbles and almost flies out of Penny’s grasp in favor of him. 

Pete smiles to himself before grabbing her from Penny. She rolls her eyes at him and he playfully sticks out his tongue. 

“Like father, like daughter,” he says, “M’never not a Bradshaw kid’s favorite.” Quincy sticks her chubby fingers near Maverick’s mouth and squeals as he pretends to bite them. 

“Did the past fifteen years just. . .not happen?” Bradley quips. In the past, the snarky comment would have made Maverick freeze on the spot but since they’ve repaired their relationship, (and Quincy’s frequent stays at Nana Pen and Papa Mav’s on the weekends) the insult rolls off Maverick’s shoulders into oblivion. 

“You’re making fun of the old timer, but I’ve been havin’ myself a grand ole time and you’re in the corner pouting like you’re in timeout,” he comments back, “Don’t you have friends or something?” 

“I’m just – taking my time to get over there.” They all look as Jake lets out an obnoxiously loud holler after hitting the eight ball into the pocket to win his pool game. “M’trying to choose joy tonight.” 

“And choosing bad costumes too.” Maverick holds his granddaughter out in front of him to get a full fledged look at her costume. She kicks her legs in the air gleefully before he pulls her back to his chest. “Who makes their kid the…Target balls?” 

Bradley lets out a groan and rubs at his temples. “Oh my God! She’s a cranberry!” 

“Love you to pieces, kid but I think you need your vision checked. You can’t put a kid inside a red sphere and call it a cranberry,” his finger comes out to poke his granddaughter and he’s met with a giggle, “A quack doesn’t always mean duck.” 

“Aren’t you, like, 5’4 –” 

Penny interrupts the conversation with her hands and quickly grabs Quincy from Maverick’s hold. He flashes her a small pout and is met with the ice cold glare of his girlfriend. 

“Bradley, go talk to your friends, babe. We’ll bring her over in a second,” she says, squeezing Pete’s bicep to drag him with her to the bar. 

“But –” they both begin to complain in unison. Penny gives them a pointed look that immediately shuts them both up. 

“Let’s go get some cranberry juice! How does that sound?” she asks Quincy who begins to smile and clap her hands in approval. Penny turns on her heel to head to the back while Maverick stands frozen in front of his nephew. 

“Do you really think I’m only 5’4?” he meekly asks, genuine concern covering his face. 

Bradley shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest. The paper  “Ocean Spray” label he’s taped onto his waders bends and he mentally cringes at the crease he knows will probably be there. 

“I mean, sometimes when you turn to the side it’s hard to imagine that you’re actually 5’7.” 

“You don’t mean that.” 

“I said, let’s go get some juice!” Penny’s yells, annoyance dripping off her tone. Maverick claps Bradley on the shoulder before retreating to go accompany Penny in getting Quincy copious amounts of diluted cranberry juice. 

With Maverick’s departure, Bradley realizes that he actually has to go interact with his friends. After all, they’re the reason that he’s here. But when he takes in the swell and dip of the loudness that is contingent on the World Series playing on the televisions around him, he wonders if he’s made the wrong choice tonight. 

He imagines that he would’ve taken Quincy up the street to trick or treat at a few houses before her impatience and curiosity made her lose interest in the activity. They would have abandoned trick or treating and ended up on the couch where she would be cuddled up beside him with her feet tucked somewhere in between his ribs (because she seems to have a talent for finding the most tender spots on his body to lay) and stroking the tip of his mustache with her perpetually sticky fingers as she begins to doze off. They would be probably watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown before her bedtime came, and she would be read three books, tucked in, and off to sleep before he caved and pulled her from her crib and let her sleep with him in his bed. 

While it’s mundane and certainly not what he would have considered the epitome of “fun” even two years ago, he feels a weird ache in his chest knowing that he’s missing out on that reality. But he has to snap out of it if he doesn’t want to be miserable and ruin everyone’s night. 

Besides, Jake and Nat promised him free drinks all night and they already found him a babysitter and paid her for him. He’s in too deep to back out now.

Bradley takes a deep breath before approaching his friends and tries to ignore the ringing in his ears as Jake and Mickey scream as the Texas Rangers score their first homerun of the game. 

“Look who finally decided to show up!” Reuben teases, forcing a beer into his hand that had been on standby until Bradley’s arrival. 

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get too excited,” he deadpans before moving around the group and telling everyone hello. 

He’s met with joy and little jabs about graduating to “old timer” status that he playfully ignores. Bradley knows that they’re all just joking with him and that they mean no harm by their comments. Even he’s slightly surprised that he went through with coming out tonight; not to mention coming out while wearing a costume. 

His eyes catch Jake slyly handing over a twenty dollar bill to Javy accompanied by a middle finger before he turns his attention to Bradley. 

He can already sense the half-assed greeting he’s about to get from him before Jake even begins to speak. 

“Got a lot of questions for you but I’ll start with this one,” Jake begins and Bradley rolls his eyes before he finishes his statement, “What the fuck are you supposed to be?” 

He groans before pointing to the crumpled “Ocean Spray” label taped to his front. “Fucking Christ. Does no one know where the fuck cranberry juice comes from?” 

Jake laughs before taking a long swig of his beer. His ridiculous belt buckle and cowboy boots tell Bradley exactly what he’s supposed to be. Well, that and the fact that for as long as he’s known Jake, he’s always the same thing every year for Halloween. 

Leave the Texan to always be a cowboy. 

“My first guess was one of the guys from “Deadliest Catch” but since you wanna be a diva about it. . .I’ll just pretend like the Ocean Spray farmer was beyond fuckin’ obvious” he takes a long swig from the beer bottle he has in his hand, “But that’s not important. Where’s our girl?”

Bradley sighs and looks around near the back of the bar where he knows his baby is being given the spotlight by all the older Hard Deck patrons that can’t believe that, “Little Bradley Bradshaw has a baby now!” He’s known that he’s always had a knack for attention, but his daughter lives for the limelight. He’s never known anyone in his life to be so incredibly outgoing, nevermind the fact that Quincy is already the life of the party and she can’t even speak coherently yet. 

“Pen and Mav took her to get cranberry juice,” he emphasizes the word and Jake rolls his eyes at him this time instead of the reverse, “They’re gonna bring her by in a bit.” 

Natasha makes her way over to the two men; extra smiley and smelling like she had bathed in tequila. Natasha always parties hard but never lets it keep her down. Her ability to drink liquor like a fish and be perfectly fine the next morning has always been a mystery to Bradley. She’s called Phoenix for a reason, he knows. 

“Bradley!” she cheers. Her dark hair is hidden by a copper colored wig and he almost wouldn’t recognize her if he hadn’t known her face so well. The green eye makeup and the plastic vines wrapped around her shoulders and legs cue him into the fact that she’s dressed up as Poison Ivy.  

“Hey!” he cheers back, matching her enthusiasm. 

“You’re the fisher guys from “Deadliest Catch”! That’s so clever!” 

Bradley’s face drops and Jake begins to lose his composure beside him. Natasha’s eyes immediately soften with worry and she starts to search for the words to profusely apologize. 

“No I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings! I swear it! I was just – I thought — I think that it’s really cool and the overall thingies look great on you! I’m so sorry,” she word vomits and Jake continues to laugh hysterically. 

“Nat, it’s okay. I’m not mad,” he speaks gently, “Just calm down a little.” 

She takes a deep breath and Bradley can physically see her brain wipe the incident away as if it had never happened. He’s been her best friend for years and knows what she looks like when she’s close to being black out drunk. There’s maybe a thirty-five percent chance she even remembers this interaction at all. She blinks blankly at him before getting distracted by the baseball game and almost topples over with how fast she turned her head. 

Jake lightly smacks Bradley’s chest with the back of his hand. “I’m gonna go grab her a water. You want anything?” he asks, gently. He doesn’t want Natasha to overhear him because they both know that she’ll refuse his help no matter what state she’s in. 

He shakes his head “no” before hearing the clunk of his boots carrying him to the bar, leaving him and Natsaha alone in the pocket of the bar that their friend group has claimed as their own.

Natasha’s eyes follow Jake’s path to the bar and Bradley has to hide his grin and hold his tongue to not set her off while she’s so vulnerable. Natasha has always been the tiniest bit sweet on Jake but is too stubborn to admit it. Even with all the logical circuits in her brain turned off, she refuses to let herself ponder on this fact for longer than a few seconds. She catches herself staring at the blonde in a half-assed Halloween costume before she returns her attention to Bradley. 

And just as expected, she changes the subject as if their earlier conversation had never even happened. 

“Where’s Quincy Wincey?” she asks and Bradley chuckles. 

Even with no coherent thoughts in mind, Natasha still loves his daughter and wants nothing more than to see her. 

“She’s behind the bar with Pen and Mav. She’ll be here shortly.” 

Natasha nods before opening her mouth again. “You know, you’re a great dad, B.” 

Her sudden revelation takes the words out of Bradley’s mouth. He’s known Natasha Trace for nearly fifteen years and he has never known her to give out genuine compliments half-assed. He has half the mind to ask her what she means by it, but knows that it’s no use given the state she’s in. 

All that matters is that she really means it, so he settles for a simple “Thank you” instead. 

Jake announces his return by forcing a cup of ice water into Natasha’s hand which she gripes about but begins to drink anyway. 

“Your daughter’s back there chummin’ it up, by the way,” Jake states simply and Bradley pauses. 

“What do you mean?” His hands come out to rest on his hips. 

“Well, for starters,” he begins, unwrapping a toothpick and putting it in his mouth, “She’s got people handing her candy and peanuts into a little paper bag. She’s being pretty efficient about it if I say so myself. Had half the mind to grab her from Mav while I was up there cause I wanna see her, but I didn’t wanna get in the way of her business efforts.” 

“She’s what?” 

“Paper bag. Candy. Peanuts,” Jake lists, “C’mon, man. Keep up!” 

Bradley stalks toward the bar to go get his daughter. He’s not angry, in any sense of the word, but kind of disappointed given that she’s technically trick or treating for the first time and he’s not there to witness it. Part of him is starting to feel restless at his lack of interaction with her and wants her back in his arms immediately. 

“Hey, don’t insert yourself in her business endeavors! Be happy your daughter is likable. We all know she doesn’t get it from you,” Jake shouts before returning his attention to the World Series playing out in front of him. 

By the time Bradley arrives to the bar top, he takes note of exactly what Jake had seen upon his visit. There is his daughter with ruddy cheeks and a toothy grin absolutely hamming up her cuteness at some captains and their wives with Maverick holding her up so she can stand semi-confidently on the table. Her little fist holds a brown paper bag that Penny uses for her peanuts and is full with candy and crinkled due to her lack of a proper graspar reflex. 

His daughter is a world class charmer and she has an equally charming grandpa to help her do her bidding. 

“Bradley!” Maverick cheers, turning Quincy his direction so that she can have eyes on her dad. 

Like magic, she abandons the little bag she was holding in favor of the arms of her father. He grabs her without hesitation and she glues herself to his side as if it’s her permanent position. 

“You better not be making my baby a con artist, Mav,” he weakly threatens. He coos at Quincy and marvels in the way she lays her head on his shoulder. 

“Hardly. She’s a people magnet, kid. Everyone would be happy to do anything she wanted them to do.” 

Bradley sighs, knowing that he’s missed one of her milestones. This is the price he’ll have to pay forever with being a more than single parent with the kind of job he has. He swallows the disappointment down and saves it for later. He knows that it’ll come up another time anyway, so why even bother with addressing it now? 

“You’re treating my kid like a Kennedy, Mav. Don’t get any ideas on how to sneak her onto base to get you out of trouble.” 

Pete laughs and holds up his hands in defeat. “Can’t make any promises,” he simply says, “Don’t you have to go meet the sitter soon?” 

Bradley groans at the gentle reminder his uncle is giving him. Maverick doesn’t know what it’s like to be a parent in the slightest, but he knows what good parenting looks like. He had seen it with Goose and how much he had cared for Bradley in the very short amount of time he was given, there’s no doubt in his mind that Bradley is the best dad that Quincy could ever ask for. 

But what he also knows is how perfectionistic and borderline obsessive his nephew can be. He deserves a break and a break Maverick knows will be spent in good company with people who love him. 

Bradley deserves this, and he knows that Mav’s gentle reminder is more of an order telling him to be kind to himself. 

He looks down at his watch and sees the little hand inching towards the eight. “Yeah. We need to get going.” 

Pete leans over and gives Quincy a kiss on the head as a “goodbye” before shoving the paper bag of candy into her father’s hand. 

He closes his hand around Bradley’s fist and gives it a firm shake. “Have fun tonight. You deserve it.” 

Bradley nods before bidding goodbye to Penny who is beyond excited at the idea of Bradley finally going out, baby free, for the first time since he found out he was going to be a father. 

And when his daughter incoherently hums along to “The Girl is Mine” by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney in the backseat, Bradley knows how hard leaving her alone tonight is truly going to be. 

She shouts at him which he knows is her trying to get his attention to sing along with her. 

“You ready, babe?” he asks, eyes flitting up to peek at her in his rearview mirror, “Because, the doggone girl is mine.” 

Quincy bursts into a fit of baby giggles as he tries to ignore the feeling of impending doom brewing in his chest. He grabs a piece of chalky bubble gum from her candy bag and pops it in his mouth. He cringes as he chews. 

Who the fuck gives gum to a baby? 

Bradley doesn’t know why his heart is pounding out of his chest. 

He knows that he’ll only be gone for two hours maximum and that Quincy will probably sleep the entire time anyway. She may be precocious and charming, but she loves bedtime more than anything, and from the active night she’s had, he’d be surprised if she even made it fifteen minutes before passing out somewhere on the living room floor. 

He trusts Natasha’s judgement (and Jake’s, he’ll begrudantly admit) and he knows the sitter they found for him is nothing less than amazing. You’re a childhood friend of Natasha’s that had recently moved to the area and had been Jake’s date one time to the Navy Ball six years ago (which he had learned from an Instagram post dated from 2017). 

And Bradley will say he doesn’t know much about you (outside of his deep dive stalk that he had done days before, but that remains beside the point, he thinks) but that would be a big fat lie. He feels a little pathetic to admit that he had created a faux LinkedIn profile to be able to look you up and see your credentials as well as finding every mutual follower you had amassed between Natasha, Jake, Javy, and Bob. 

And it’s a little creepy, he admits, but he’s only just looking out for the safety of his daughter! Just because you know his friends doesn’t mean that he knows you (which he knows is wildly untrue given the overwhelming amount of Internet stalking he had done on you in the past week). 

Bradley is burning a hole into his living room floor by pacing back and forth with his daughter in his arms. As anticipated, she’s started to doze off and he chuckles to himself. Quincy loves bedtime and that remains uncontested by the way her little lips are pursed and she lets out light snores. 

The sound of a car door opening and shutting keys him into being aware of your presence and he scares you half to death because he opens the door before you can knock; your knuckles almost coming into contact with his chin had you not been paying attention. 

“Oh,” you mummer, “Ummm. You’re Bradley, right?” 

And you’ve never felt as dumb as you do now because of course he’s Bradley. You know what he looks like and the baby asleep on his shoulder and the last name “Bradshaw” printed on the doormat outside should be enough for you to deductively reason that that’s him right in front of you. 

Not to mention, you’ve been Internet stalking him and know what he looks like for a fact because of the amount of photos Natasha has of him on her Instagram and in her story highlights. You had always found him attractive whenever your eyes graced those pictures, but that’s all it was; a fleeting thought that was never watered and was gone as soon as it was there. 

But now that he’s in front of you, now that you’re getting a really good look at him holding a precious baby on his hip and somehow making rubber waders look amazing, your mouth starts to get dry and your heartbeat starts to quicken. 

“You must be the sitter,” he declares and he mentally kicks himself for how cold he’s coming off. His nerves have a tendency to put him into fight or flight and the pressure of being in your presence merely adds to that. 

He clears his throat when he notices your lips forming a thin line and rejection teeming from your body language. 

Fuck. Why do I always do this? 

“Oh! Uh – Come in,” he steps aside and closes the door behind you as you walk in. 

From what you know about Bradley, you know that he’s a single dad who had a less than stellar record for wanting female companionship. When Nat would come to Williamsburg to visit you all those years ago when you were fresh out of undergrad and working as a TA, barely scraping enough money to pay your rent, she would lay on your floor and crone about how she had a friend who never seemed to be able to keep a girlfriend. 

But he was amazing, she would insist, and he’s such an awesome person, she would say. Somehow though, Bradley always seemed to be heartbroken and searching for the next way to smash what little he had left of it into unsalvageable pieces. 

Even though that was close to a decade ago, you know that the fact remains true when you peer across the pictures in his living room. Photos of a blonde couple and a dark haird little boy that you know are his parents. Photos of him with the infamous and insane Maverick. Photos of him with his daughter, but no photos of him and his daughter’s mother; let alone a girlfriend of any kind. 

“So she’ll probably sleep the entire time. Don’t put her in her crib because she’ll scream bloody murder and not calm down for a long time so you’re free to keep her on the couch or put her in my bed,” he lays her down in the corner of his couch and puts the large blanket laying there on her lower half, “She’s allergic to strawberries but I don’t think she’s gonna be eating anything while you’re here and I don’t have strawberries in the house.” 

He pauses, wracking his brain for more information to tell you that wouldn’t just be him retelling his daughter’s entire life story. “Oh! This is kind of weird, but if she wakes up and won’t go back to sleep, just play “The Girl is Mine” –” 

“The Paul McCartney song?” you question. Your eyes search his face and are full of amusement. He can’t help but feel his chest flutter at the little glimmer they give off. 

Focus. You can’t flirt with the babysitter. What’s wrong with you? 

“Well, it’s Michael Jackson’s song featuring Paul McCartney but yeah. It usually calms her right down and she’ll settle enough to doze back off.”  

He knows that his daughter is more than quirky. Sometimes he settles for the word “particular,” but he knows quirky is the right one to use. 

You start to laugh a little. “That’s so –” 

“Weird?” he inserts, “Yeah, I know. I’m raising a sixty-year-old but there could be worse songs. Be grateful she’s phased out of only wanting to listen to “Break Free” because there’s nothing worse than listening to EDM on a loop at three AM because she won’t fall asleep unless it’s playing.” 

You shake your head and agree. “Well, I promise that we’ll behave ourselves and not get into anything too crazy. She’s adorable, you know, so if she asks, I don’t know if I can stand it to say no.”

You can’t flirt with her dad. You can’t be the babysitter that’s trying to get banged by the dad. What’s wrong with you? 

He chuckles and crosses his arms over his chest. “I’ll see to that. Her sitter is pretty cute too so I think I’d be pretty forgiving.” 

And fuck. Is he, is he flirting with you? 

You’re left speechless before his phone rings and he rolls his eyes before grabbing it off the entryway table. 

“Hang on a sec,” he says before swiping across the screen to answer. “Don’t get your panties in a twist, Jake. I’m on the way.” 

He grabs his keys and starts heading toward the door, his cell phone wedged between his shoulder and ear and you have to stop yourself from drooling. “Calm the fuck down, dude. I’m leaving like right now. . .Yes, I’m literally walking out the door – Can you chill? I’ll be there when I get there?” 

He bids you goodbye with a simple wave before shutting the door and running to his car. The sound of the front door closing instantly wakes Quincy who shoots her head up and frantically swivels it around in pursuit of her father. When she can’t spot him, her bottom lip droops and starts to wobble. 

He bids you goodbye with a simple wave before shutting the door and running to his car. The sound of the front door closing instantly wakes Quincy who shoots her head up and frantically swivels it around in pursuit of her father. When she can’t spot him, her bottom lip droops and starts to wobble. 

She spots you and immediately lifts her arms up, telling you that she wants to be held. You graciously comply and coo softly to her and marvel in the way she instantly koalas to your side as if she had always had a spot there and had always known you. 

Part of you thinks that it’s fate. That in some way, you’re meant to be in her life and meant to stick around but you know that this silly schoolgirl thinking will only get your heart smashed to pieces. You decide to ignore it. 

Besides, Natasha would kill you if you ever expressed to her how hot you found her other best friend. 

Some things just aren’t meant to be. 

Bradley jogs into the next bar that his friends had decided to go to with a slight smile on his face. He scans the crowd and spots Jake and Bob trying to hold up a beyond inebriated Natasha. 

“You’re awful happ — Oh dear God. Don’t tell me you screwed the sitter,”  Jake greets and Bob looks away bashfully once the statement leaves Jake’s mouth. 

Bradley mocks him before helping them guide Natasha to a booth. 

“Can you ever just say "hello" like a normal person? Do you always have to be bitchy?” he remarks. 

Jake lets Natasha rest her head on his shoulder and looks down to check on her. “It was just a comment. You know we picked her because we wanna set you guys up, right?” 

Bradley’s world stops. He raises his eyebrows and feels his mouth go dry. 

“You what?” 

“I mean, she’s cute. She’s smart. She loves kids and she obviously didn’t vom on you from getting a look at your face, so I assume it went well,” he starts listing his reasonings on his fingers, “You also bounced in here like you have a can of jumping beans shoved up your ass so you’re giddy about something.” 

Bradley scoffs. “I do not have anything shoved up my a– Why do you care so much about who I’m seeing?” 

Jake looks at Bob who starts to shrink a little in his seat. He instantly knows that the set up wasn’t all just Jake and Nat. It was probably the entire squadron. 

“We want you to be happy, dude. I mean, this is a good opportunity for you and for Quincy,” Bob starts and Bradley knows that he needs to listen and take it into actual consideration if he knows what’s good for him. 

Jake and Natasha are class A meddlers, but everyone else getting involved shows how much this matters to him.

“You’re doing great and I know for a fact I’m not half the man you are, but you also gotta cut yourself some slack. You have to let yourself be happy, too. Life isn’t all just about sacrifice, you know?” 

“And we made a reservation for you both at that one rooftop restaurant downtown. There’s a $250 cancellation fee so you kinda have to go,” Jake adds and Bob facepalms himself at their friend’s lack of tact. 

“You did what?” 

“Also she thinks you’re hot. She texted Nat about you ten minutes ago and she’s way too drunk to respond so we did for her and as of now, “He totes thinks you’re hot too. Make a move when he gets back.”” 

Bradley’s mouth opens and closes as he tries to find the words to say. 

“Thank us when you’re getting us together about the proposal.” 

There’s something about the way that life flashes before your eyes and there’s never anything you can do about it. 

You can take photos or collect trivial keepsakes. You can talk about the events in past tense and have the story change slightly every single time the words leave your mouth. You can dream about it in watercolor memory and try to make sense of it all. 

But no one ever tells you what it means when you’re standing before your daughter, a dark haired beauty with such elegance and spunk that it’s impossible to put a label on it, as she embarks on a journey to truly be her own person. 

No one ever tells you how to cry so you don’t smudge your mascara. No one ever tells you the hole in your heart this day will give you but the rainbow of joy that supersedes it when it’s all said and done. No one ever tells you how all the times she had a nightmare or scraped her knees or needed you sit at the forefront of your brain. 

And when you stand before your daughter dressed in a white dress and getting married to the love of her life, you can’t help but recall the night that you fell in love with her and remember the little baby she was all those years ago. 

So around all the orchids and wedding guests and happy tears, you settle to retell this moment in the only way you know how. 

“The first time I met my daughter, she was dressed as a cranberry.” 

And somehow, that statement is all you need to explain the love between the two of you. 

[mamsieur]

Used to it | Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Reader

Summary : Being Pete Mitchell's daughter has never been easy. But maybe one mission could bring you back together ?

TW : angst and fluff, angst with a happy ending, mention of alcohol, panic attack, canonical character death, age gap (reader is 27 and Bradley is 35)

Length : 7156 words

AN : I'm sorry for making Pete seem like a bad father but that man is not stable enough to handle a child in my opinion.

posted on AO3 July 12, 2023

You were 7 when your mother left your father, Pete Mitchell. 

You didn't have many early memories of him. There were only the arguments with your mother, his departures on missions that left you in tears, the missed birthdays and Christmases. It’s all you’ve ever known so you were used to it and being a child, you found it normal.

You were 7 when your mother decided to move out, leaving your whole life behind. You remember crying your eyes out in protest. As your mom tried desperately to get you out of the house, you clung with all your might to Bradley. Bradley Bradshaw was 15 and your regular babysitter, though your mother thought of him as a son, Carole and her were really close. They liked to remind you that when you were 4, you proudly announced that you were going to marry him. Bradley was almost always around, and Pete was his godfather, and they had a bond you envied. Despite the eight-year age difference, you remember being very close to your "Bradbrad" . He never pushed you away, was always ready to play Lego or other board games with you. He even took you to the park or with him when he went to the theater with his friends - when the movies were kids friendly -.

You were 7 , and your whole world shattered. No more Bradley, no more hanging to the naval base to have a glimpse of your dad and his incredible plane, no more aunty Carole and her sweet singing. You had hated your mom for years before understanding you left for the best.  She was finally happy ; not completely, she missed her friends and sometimes your father, but you could feel that she was happier away from the hustle and bustle of the navy, of your dad. You were not used to the strange calmness of the city, but your grandparents made it easy to adapt. Soon enough, you got used to the loving cocoon your mother succeeded to create around you.

You were 16, at your mother's funeral, when you had to accept the fact that you had to go back to live with Pete. When the two of you finally found each other in the crowd, he didn't say much, just gave you a few brief updates. You asked him about Bradley, a bit sad to not have seen him here, and he didn't have much to say. Only that the two of them were no longer as close as they had been.

The silence between you was uncomfortable. 

Of course, Pete had kept in touch over the years, calling on your birthdays, sending a little something. You spent some Christmas with him when he wasn't working and a few days during the summer break ; but Pete Mitchell loved his work too much to focus on you. As long as you lived with your mother, Pete's absence from your life wasn't something you suffered from, at least not really. 

You were used to it. Used to the absence, used to the missed calls, used to the Christmases with the attention of other aviators and their families but the ignorance of your dad, used to the unanswered phone calls.  Used to his silence.

But now your mum was dead... and you were dreading having to join your father in California.

You were 16 and you didn't want to live with him, you already knew what would happen ; he'd go flying, on a mission or for his own pleasure, leaving you alone at home - if you could call it home. The hangar where he lived now was something you'd always hated . It had no place for anything or anyone other than his passion for the sky, for planes and speed. You didn't want to leave your new life, even though you loved California. Your school, your friends, your family, your routine. But you didn't really have much of a choice. You were 16. He was now your legal guardian and you didn't want to drag your grandparents into a custody battle.  Even though part of you told yourself that your dad would probably agree to let you stay with them, you didn't want to take that chance. And you hoped he'd be more present, that you'd finally have the father you'd dreamed of, that your other friends had. If other military parents could be there for their children, why couldn't Pete?

Perhaps because Pete loved flying more than anything else in the world.  The sky was his one true love.

Even though you knew it, you held out the faintest hope that he would finally take his responsibilities as a father. Unfortunately, Pete was still Pete. He wasn't cut out to be a father. A fun uncle, maybe. A parent, no. The fact that Bradley no longer spoke to him proved that.

You were 18 when you packed your bags and headed off to the naval school in Maryland. You wanted to be a pilot too. And you wanted to get away from that bloody hangar, so empty, so alone.

Pete wasn't there when you left.  Not even a message or a note. Nothing at all.

You weren't even surprised.

It was Tom Kazansky - Uncle Tom - who had taken you to the airport. He had been more present in your life than your own father, even though you rarely saw him. You knew your relationship with Pete was a sensitive subject, and you knew when Tom gave him a hard time. Pete was suddenly more present - too present . He'd pop into your life for a few days, trying to be the cool or bossy dad, but it always ended in a fight. 

You hated it when he did that. You hated the way he would act like your friend, or like a strict parent, talking about curfew and how no boys were allowed in his 'home'. You hated the way he would try to be the father that he had never been in your whole life. You hated the way he tried to convince you that he was trying to change, that he'd be there for you.

But you couldn't blame Uncle Tom for trying to shake your father. He had children too, but despite his love of the air, he had been a present parent to them.  

But some days were not as bad as others. Sometimes, when he was in a good mood, Pete would take you flying. And even though it was hard to admit, you were a bit of a flier yourself. The feeling of freedom, of being alone in a comforting way. It was mesmerizing.

So, without him knowing, you decided to join the navy after graduation. You took your mother's name, Evans , so that you would not attract attention. Only Tom knew, so your dad wouldn't and couldn't pull your papers like he did with Bradley. 

You found out that he had done this when you saw Bradley one day in the summer before you made your choice. At first you did not recognize him.  He was 26 now. He was taller, more muscular and had a 80s mustache that suited him well - puberty had treated him really good. He was the spitting image of his father, whom you'd only seen in photographs and heard about when Tom and Pete reminisced over drinks about the past.

But Bradley had the same look in his eyes as his mother, Carole. 

As a child, you adored Carole. She was always there to comfort you when your parents were at odds, picking you up from kindergarten when your father was on a mission and your mother was at work… She was kind of a second mom. You went to her funeral with your mother eight years ago, you never cried so much.

The summer of your reunion with Bradley had been the summer of his return from the Naval Academy, which he had graduated from with honors. He was a very good pilot and would soon be going on a mission. The day before he left, you snuck out of the hangar to meet him at a nearby bar. He had celebrated his departure with you and a handful of friends, promising to keep in touch as often as possible.  As he left, you realized how much you'd missed your Bradbrad.

You were 18, and you remembered how quiet the ride to the airport had been. Part of you wanted to stay.  You loved California. It was close to the ocean, the people were friendly, and at the Navy base everyone knew you.

You'd even earned a nickname, the call sign you hoped to use soon : Tempest .  It was a bittersweet memory of a stormy night when Pete "forgot" to pick you up from baseball practice. You had landed on the base, mad as hell, soaked to the bone. You'd yelled at your father as hard as the storm had raged. It had been a huge fight. And of course, everyone had heard. Surprisingly, many had defended you rather than your father. You were relieved then. And to cheer you up while your dad was embarrassed, Tom took you to your favorite fast food and laughed with you about the scene. "You walked in there like a damn storm, a tempest ! Heck, that should be your call sign when you join the ranks !" You smiled as you remembered his raspy laugh and all the stories he told you about his days at Topgun . 

It was through those stories that you learned a little bit more about your father, The Maverick . His accomplishments, his reckless attitude in the air, his urge to always define what’s possible and pushing the limits.  Your desire, your need , to join the Navy to become a pilot only grew, digging a hole of longing for the sky deep inside you.  You wanted your father to see you, to acknowledge you. You wanted to be more like him.

You were 27 years old when you were called to the NAS North Island for a "top secret" mission that required "the best of the best". To your surprise, you were one of the youngest and one of the only women. But you'd missed California too much to worry about such details.  Like many pilots, you had joined the Hard Deck for a drink the day before training began. You soon met Natasha "Phoenix" Trace and Jake "Hangman" Seresin. Two strong personalities. Then came Javy “Coyote” Machado and Robert "Bob" Floyd. He was discreet, a bit shy. And before you could introduce yourself to the others, someone entered the bar and caught Jake's eye.

"Bradshaw. As I live and breathe."

"Hangman. You look... good." His voice was behind you and you didn't dare turn around to see him. 

"Well, I am good. I'm very good Rooster ."

You let the two men talk, then Bradley greeted Natasha and the others. At last, his gaze landed on you. You couldn't help but smile stupidly. He looked so surprised and happy. "Y/N Tempest Evans?!"

"Hey Bradbrad ..." you smiled and happily accepted his embrace. He squeezed you against him and asked you all about your journey, which you happily did, while in the distance the bell rang, indicating that a customer couldn't pay his bill and had to be kicked out. Out of the corner of your eye, you thought you recognized your father, but Jake and Javy had already grabbed him by the arms and dragged him outside. You didn’t have the time to really think about it, Bradley taking you by the hand to sing with him at the piano. You laughed and followed him with the others in his Great balls of fire ’s reprise. It had been a great night.

The next day, at the first meeting, you thought your heart stopped when you saw that your instructor was actually Pete... and from the look on his face, he wasn't happy to see you there. Before the meeting was over, you heard his voice call your name ; it had a barely disguised note of anger. "Lieutenant Evans. You’ll stay after training, we'll have a word."

Bradley looked at you, concerned. He knew that you had never told Pete about the Navy, but he didn't know that even after nine years, your father was still unaware of your career. The others were confused and you could feel questioning gazes on you. Great way to begin this thing , you thought.

You were 27 and a very good pilot. An excellent one. One of the best. That's why you were here after all, wasn’t it ? You walked in your father’s footsteps, perhaps as talented as him at that age. But you were also as reckless as him, living up to your callsign. A tempest was never soft or delicate, neither were you. You had risked your life so many times in your five years of service. Tom often told you that you were just like your father and that it scared him. You didn’t think, you just did , you wanted to go faster, higher and further. Acting like the storm that you were, leaving your enemies confused by what had just happened. The adrenaline, the speed, the immensity of the sky, the feeling of freedom... you finally understood why Pete loved being in his plane so much.  You felt a little closer to him in those moments.

And yet, in nine years of absence, he had never once contacted you. You had disappeared one day and he hadn't even looked for you.  Your uncle had promised not to say anything about your career, but Pete hadn't even been interested in why or where you were going.

Seeing him angry made you furious . How could he have the nerve to be mad at you? 

After the training and the 200 pushups you had to do because - of course - you didn't beat your old man, you stayed on deck and waited for the others to leave. Bradley gave you a little squeeze on the shoulder, as if to give you strength, and reluctantly left. You heard Hondo telling Pete to calm himself before saying things he might regret out of anger.

Once again, the silence between you and your father was heavy. 

You couldn't take your eyes off him, waiting for him to finally speak. You could see that he was trying to stay calm. But you already felt like exploding . You could feel the reproaches, the so-called concern. You could feel that he wanted to push you away . 

"Y/N... how did you... you went to the Academy behind my back?!"

"Iceman," you replied simply, your eyes and voice cold. "And you never asked where I was either."

"You-?! I should have known, you lied to me." 

“It’s not lying if you’re not asked.” you mutter, “You taught me that.”

“Now’s not the time to play that game Y/N,” he snapped, "you can't be here."

"With all due respect, Captain, that's not your call."

You really tried to remain calm, knowing that the others must have been listening nearby - especially Jake. You didn't want to draw any more attention, but you felt your blood boiling under your skin.

"I will talk to Vice Admiral Simpson about this. I don't suppose anyone's made the connection between us. But now there's clearly a conflict of interest-"

"You have no right to take this mission away from me. It's not fair," you gasped, eyes wide.

"I am your father ! I can and will do it."

"What ?! No ! No, you can't ! 9 years of nothing but silence and now you're acting like a worried father ?!" you snapped, moving towards him and pointing an accusing finger. A nervous laugh escaped you and you sighed, pursing your lips. "Why do you always have to act like this ? You've never acted like a father to me, except to get in my way !"

"Get in your way ? No ! I care about you-"

"Really ?!" you cut him off, raising your voice, "Then where have you been for 9 years ?! What did Tom have to say to you that you weren't even lookin' for me ? Where was all this care when I left and you were not here ? Where were you huh ?! Where was all that concern ?!"

Pete's eyes widened and he searched for words. He should have known that he could not argue with your point so he just huffed then scolded. "I'm your captain, Lieutenant Evans ! Keep your voice down !"

"Oh, now it's not my father talking ?!" you couldn't hold back a nervous, fake laugh. "You see how you are ?! Always twisting things your way ?! Why are you avoiding that conversation ? Why are you running away again ?!" you’re almost screaming, inches close to him, eyes locked in his.

"Lieutenant Evans !" he growled. You grumbled and let out a heavy sight, calming yourself. You stepped back and clenched your fists along your body.

"Will that be all, Captain Mitchell ?"

You clenched your fists even harder, your knuckles turning white. You wanted to physically shake him to finally have answers. But you couldn’t, at least not here, not now.

"Y/N..." he huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Will that be all, Captain ?" you repeated, your voice slightly trembling. Tears of rage threatened to fall. You held them back, too proud to cry in front of him. Pete looked at you and sighed quietly. 

"You're dismissed Lieutenant Evans..."

You left the deck with a quick stride. Your heart was pounding in your chest, a mixture of anger, frustration and sadness. Of course, the rest of the squadron was there, already clean and changed. Seeing the anger in your eyes, no one said a word, not even Hangman. He just stared at you, confused, as you slammed the door of the changing room. 

Later that evening, as the squadron relaxed at the bar, Jake couldn't help but bring up the earlier scene. 

"So our dear Tempest's dad is the famous Maverick?"

" He's not my father ," you muttered, finishing another beer. "My genitor maybe. But he's not my father."

"Why Evans if Mitchell's your old man?" Jake insisted. 

You could hear Bradley and Natasha telling him to drop it, but he kept coming back. You could feel your anger rising again.  You downed another beer and slammed the empty bottle down on the table. 

"Tell me, Bagman , weren’t you taught to keep your mouth shut about things that don't concern you? I'm sure your mama taught you some manners, didn't she? Now shut up before I put my fist through your face," you growled, half drunk, half angry. Jake scoffed and held his hands up in defense while Bob stopped you from approaching him. Seeing your father enter the bar only made you feel worse. And it took all your patience not to slit Jake's throat on the spot as he continued his overly curious and unpleasant comments with his snide attitude.

Bradley went with you to get some fresh air as he wasn't too keen on seeing Pete either. When you arrived at the beach, a wave of sadness washed over you. You knew that your father would do everything in his power to get you out of this mission, but what was worse was that he didn't even try to talk to you, to reconnect. Your shoulders shook and you couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Only a sobbing hiccup betrayed you and Bradley rushed to take you in his arms. You felt the strength leave your legs and the two of you ended up sitting in the sand, crying your eyes out and clinging to Bradley. "I've got you... Let it all out..." he murmured between two kisses on the top of your head. His big hands gently stroked your back, letting go of all your pain. "It's okay, baby girl... it's okay..." 

Bradley and you practically lived together now. You’ve inherited your mom’s old house by the ocean and it’s confier than being on base. So those kinds of pet names were almost common now. But this time you didn’t blush at it, your emotions a mess.

You cried against him for a long time, as you hadn't done for many years. Rooster held you until you calmed down.  "It's not fair..." you whispered, sniffling. "He's going to take me off the mission..." 

"He won't be able to... Ice recommended you... there's nothing he can do about it..."

You shrugged, not really sure if Tom could help you. He was very ill and you didn't want to tire him out with your disagreements with your father.

“He’s just an old dickhead, don’t worry…” Bradley tried to cheer you up but you’re too distraught to play along. After a little less than an hour later, you find the force to get up and you head home with him. You fall asleep in the car and wake up the next morning in your bed.

There wasn't much time left before the mission. Training sessions were coming up and so were your fights with Pete. Cyclone hadn't pulled you out of the mission, but you weren't sure if it was to spite your father or because he felt you were capable of succeeding, just like your comrades.

Days passed at an alarming pace. The team slowly bonded through group exercises and moments of relaxation, especially with the game your father had invented: dogfight football.

You couldn't lie, it felt good to have such moments. But your father still didn't talk to you and you were still angry. You remained professional, but you couldn't stand his fatherly attitude towards you.

All your hopes of renewing real ties disappeared when you learned of Tom's death. You had seen him the day before and he had made you promise to try to take care of Pete. His funeral was one of the hardest moments of your life.

And because bad news never comes alone, the mission was moved up by a week. Pete was temporarily relieved of his duties, as Admiral Simpson still believed his plan of attack was doomed to failure. Of course, your father, in his legendary arrogance and cockiness, proved him wrong with an unauthorized flight. Hope rose in the team but it was still a very risky plan. 

Cyclone decided to make Pete team leader, and not surprisingly, he didn't choose you as his wingman. Part of you was angry because you felt you could do it, and another part of you was mortified when he announced that his choice would be Bradley. This mission was suicide, and you couldn't afford to lose them both. You couldn't afford to lose anyone in the squadron, but these two, it was just too much.

You didn't catch up with Pete as much as you wanted to, there were still so many questions left unanswered, so much time to make up for… You hadn't been able to make things right with your dad, you hadn't been able to tell him that you had this passion for aviation because of him. You hadn't been able to tell him that you regretted not telling him about the academy, that you regretted the 9 years of distance between you...

And you didn't spend enough time with Bradley.

Sure, you were always glued to each other in your free time, taking walks on the beach, talking and singing together at the Hard Deck piano, having movie nights... but you didn't want it to stop. Not after you'd half confessed how you felt about him after a few too many drinks, telling him that your 4-year-old declaration still stood. He laughed and told you that he hadn't forgotten either.

On the day of the mission, you barely managed to find your way to your father. "Captain?" your voice was louder than you had expected.

"Lieutenant Evans?"

"I... Before you go, I'd like to talk-"

"We'll talk when I get back."

"... Promise me you'll come back." 

For a moment, you were that five-year-old girl again, watching her father leave. Pete must have seen it in your eyes and climbed down from the cockpit to take you in his arms. "I promise I'll come back in one piece, kiddo..." You hugged him tightly and nodded in agreement. After a few seconds, you let go and let him settle down.  You ran to Bradley and made him promise you the same. He smiled confidently, even though you knew he was stressed. "Don't worry, we've got a Star Wars marathon to watch," he smiled before gently and discreetly kissing your forehead. You blushed and nodded, a worried little smile on your face. 

Reluctantly, you left the track and joined Jake. You were glued to your radios, following the progress of the mission.  Everything was going well until two enemy fighters spotted them. 

You stopped breathing. 

First they had Bradley in sight and locked on. 

The enemy fired. 

But your father took the brunt of the missiles and saved Rooster.

Your brain didn't know how to process all this information and shut down when you heard Bradley's decision to go after Pete before getting shot down too.

You don't remember much else. All you knew is that Jake had to leave in a hurry to find and rescue them. When they landed with that really out beat up F-14, you rushed out on deck to greet them, swallowing all your worry and anger at their unconscious behavior for the moment.

Once ashore, the entire crew decided to celebrate their success at Penny's Bar, dragging Pete with them. You stayed close to Bradley, as if afraid that it was all a dream and that he wasn't really there. He wouldn't let go of you either, his arm tight around you. You felt like a schoolgirl, it was stupidly comfortable. You looked at Pete, who was happily chatting with Penny and other members of the team. You didn't want to spoil the evening with a discussion that was out of your control…

Around one o'clock you went out for some fresh air, leaving Bradley to play with those who hadn't returned home yet ; Reuben, Natasha, Mickey and Javy.

As a cold shiver ran through you, you felt a heavy jacket on your shoulders. You immediately recognized the peculiar smell ; old whiskey mixed with motor oil and a hint of cologne.

" Dad ? "

"I thought you wanted to talk ?" he asked quietly, moving toward the beach. You nodded and took his pinky with yours like a child, searching for your words.

"I'm sorry..." you breathed, holding back your tears. "For going to the Academy behind your back and not telling you… not talking to you for almost ten years... I know that giving news is supposed to go both ways and all, but... but you weren't even there when I left... and I guess... I guess I resented you as much as I wanted you to be there, you know ?" you sniffed before continuing your monologue. "I just wanted you to see me . ‘Cause… it’s because of you I wanted to go down this road, you gave me this love for flight, for speed, for the sky. I... I just wanted you to be happy that we finally had something in common, but... but you had already pulled Bradley's papers, so I didn't think and I just did what seemed most logical and easiest. Take Mom's name, ask Ice not to tell you. I know it was stupid… but I also know it would have hurt too much if you had stopped me. And... And then no news for nine years... It hurt even more. The Academy and my first years of service weren't what I thought they would be... it was rough and sometimes I just… I just wanted to call you to come and pick me from there… but… but I wouldn't change that for the world. Because I’m still a Mitchell and Mitchells never quit right ?” You took a few seconds, your gaze meeting his, to see if he wanted to intervene but he didn’t. He just looked at you, taking all the information you gave him. You let out a shaky breath, playing with the sleeves of his jacket nervously. “And I know you must and may resent me for the rest of my life, but… but I just wanted you to be proud of me and... and for us to finally be a family." You bit your lip, trying to calm the flow of emotions that came through.

The sky began to rumble and your father remained silent after your speech. A few tears rolled down your cheeks as he couldn't find the words.

"Please, Dad, say something..." you sighed, your voice breaking.

The rain began to fall slowly and Pete's silence was too much for your heart to take. He couldn't even look at you anymore. You thought you could take it ; you were used to his silenced treatment, used to the fact that he couldn’t express his feelings. But right now, you needed him to speak, to ease your worries, to confront you.

"Dad... please... I'm begging you... talk to me…" you repeated desperately.

You broke down again and cried like a little girl in front of your mute father. You hated that he couldn't open up to you and you hated that he saw you so frail, so fragile.  Your sobs mingled with the rain, which grew heavier, the wind and waves making the silence deafening. You bit your lip and wiped your eyes with the back of your hand, in vain.

"I know I'm not... I know you didn't plan… you didn’t want to have me with mom-"

"No, it's true... I never planned to be a father... The very idea of having children terrified me and still does," Pete interrupted you, "but... you're one of the most beautiful things, if not the most, that has ever happened to me. And I'm petrified of anything happening to you, I'm helpless on so many levels... and I... I didn't know how to be there when you needed me... I know I must have let you down a lot..." He sighed, catching his breath and holding back his own tears. "I thought... it would be best for both of us to let you have your freedom... but the weeks, months and years went by and I didn't have the guts to try to contact you. I was too ashamed... but Y/N, I never stopped loving you... you're my daughter... and even if you have my damn temper and your mom’s stubbornness," you couldn't hold back a little laugh and a slight smile despite your tears, which your father tenderly chased away with his thumb, "you'll always be my little girl, too eager to get on our little plane for a ride, passionate and fierce… I don’t resent you… I think I would have done it your way if my old man put me in this situation…" He allowed himself to cry as well as the two of you finally hugged each other, relieved of an enormous weight.

"I love you too, Dad... sorry for everything..." you mumbled against his shoulder.

"No, no… I’m sorry… It's my turn to apologize, sweetheart..."

The two of you lay embracing in the rain for a while, making up for years of distance in a few minutes. You were the first to let go. You once again took his hand like a child.

"We better get back before Hangman starts gossiping..."

"Or before Bradley starts worrying," Pete teased. You blushed and looked at him with wide eyes. "What? Like I haven't noticed the way you two look at each other. I'm not that blind kid!" He laughed “Ah… your mom and Carole would have been thrilled !”

You returned to the bar, soaking wet, chatting about anything and everything. Seeing you, Bradley's expression changed from worried to relieved, then back to worried as he noticed you were shivering a little from the cold. He politely left his conversation with Mickey to join you.

"Are you okay? Do you want to go home and change?"

"That would be a good idea..." you smiled at him. You had to admit you were exhausted from this rollercoaster of emotions. You said goodbye to the others from a distance, then to your father in a final hug, and followed Bradley back to his old blue Bronco. The two of you made your way to your small house. 

Bradley was a good roommate. You each had your own room, but you often fell asleep together in front of the TV or on one of your beds after long late-night discussions. You liked the routine you created. And you hoped with all your might that nothing would change. But your feelings for him were becoming more and more obvious in your mind and heart. You wondered how much longer you could hide it.

Seeing you so silent, Bradley placed his hand on your thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Are you all right, lil’ Tempest?" 

His eyes never left the road as his thumb traced small circles on your jeans. A shiver ran through your entire body and you wished this contact would never end.

"Everything's fine Roo... don't worry..."

"Okay..."

He squeezed your knee again and left his hand on your thigh. The warmth of his palm made you shiver and you placed your hand on top of his shyly. Once again, you felt like a teenager. It was stupid.

The ride home was rather quiet, in a comforting way, Bradley driving carefully in the pouring rain and humming the song that passed on the radio. When he parked, you stayed in the car for a moment. You sensed that he had something he wanted to say to you, and he sensed the same thing on your side. After a few minutes of silence and shy glances, he smiled at you, got out of the car, and you followed. He ran to unlock the door and waited for you under the porch.

You wanted to run as well, but your legs felt heavy. That's when your anxiety decided to take over. The stress and worry of the past few days were finally catching up to you. As you saw Bradley step out into the rain with a worried expression, the conversation on the radio played in your head. Your father's F-18 had exploded, and Bradley was on his way to pick him up. And now it was his turn to go down. A huge pressure on your chest stopped you from breathing and new tears rolled down your cheeks. You couldn't move, pinned to the pavement. Silent sobs shook you as your vision blurred. You couldn't see or hear Bradley any more. You felt so alone, so cold. Your panic attack froze you under the heavy rain and you couldn't get out of it. You couldn't hear anything except the intense ringing in your ear. You wanted to throw up. The world spun around you as your mind screamed what the communications officer had said earlier, "Maverick's down ! Rooster's down !" 

They were dead. 

For the long forty minutes or so that followed, they were dead .  And you were stuck in that loop. One minute everything was fine, the mission was a complete success. The next, the last two most important people in your life were dead. The ground began to feel strangely unstable as you fought harder to breathe. Eventually your legs gave out and you felt yourself fall, but you didn't hit the ground. You felt two arms around you, holding you securely but not too tightly, then lifting you up as if you weighed nothing. The buzzing in your ears slowly faded away and you didn't feel the rain on your skin anymore. You gasped for air when you finally heard Breadley call your name, concern in his voice. As you raised your eyes to look at him, a sudden relief washed over you and you couldn't help but sob again.

He was home. You were home. With him.

"What's going on, Y/N? Hey... Breathe... breathe and talk to me..." he said quietly.

"I thought... I thought you and Dad... you... you were dead..." you managed to say between sobbing hiccups. You clung to his shirt, afraid he would fade away. He smiled a little and kissed the top of your head as he cupped your cheeks with his calloused hands. Then he took your hands and laid them flat on his heart. You could feel it beating at a regular pace.

"I'm here. I’m okay. You're okay. I'm very much alive, Mav is too, and you're stuck with me, with us, little Tempest..."

"Yeah ? Promise ?" you sniffed, your lower lip still trembling.

"Yeah... Promise." he smiled at you again then hugged you tightly. 

He nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck, the bristles of his mustache tickling you a little. One of your hands reached up to his neck, your fingers brushing his little hair. The two of you stayed like that for a moment, absorbing each other's presence. You felt so relaxed in his arms, as if you belonged there. Your heart fluttered as you heard him hum one of your favorite songs and then felt him beginning to slow dance with you, taking you peacefully to the bathroom.  You were too exhausted and shaken from your panic attack to even ask him what he was doing. You just obliged and listened to him, hypnotized. He declared that you needed a long relaxing bath and in the meantime he would order pizza. He helped you take off your shoes and socks, then your hoodie. He kissed your forehead and let you finish undressing, leaving the bathroom to give you some privacy. 

You couldn’t stay too long in the bath, your mind being too loud. You knew you would break down again if you weren’t close to him .  Bradley made you feel safe, secure, grounded. That was what you needed to relax. You were so used to being alone before, used to the silence, the empty rooms. But since he decided to kind of move in with you, you couldn’t bear the loneliness. The house was so warm now, so welcoming and comfy.

As you crossed his room after you’ve washed, you noticed that old hoodie you bought him one Christmas when you were in naval school. It’s a silly one, the hood designed to look like a rooster. An amused sigh escaped you and you took it to wear. It was still as soft and comfy as the day you bought it. 

“Stealing my clothes I see ?” he chuckled when you joined him in the kitchen.

“Stealing my beers I see ?” you teased him back, pointing at the bottle in his hand, “I thought cranberry beers were for chicks ?” 

“Mama Carole didn’t raise me to be picky” He scoffed in défense, with a smirk.

“Oh I know she didn’t. And my mama didn’t raise me to steal, I’m just borrowing that hoodie.” you smiled, putting the hood on. “Look, we’re twins now, Rooster !”

The both of you laughed at that stupid joke. He then smiled at you and put a strand of your hair behind your ear. 

“Feeling better sweets ?”

“Yeah… sorry about that I… I think these past days were a bit too much for my brain…”

“Don’t be sorry… it’s normal to break sometimes… everyone does.” 

You hummed and nodded, but before you could talk, the doorbell rang. “Must be the pizzas ! Get yourself comfortable on the couch and choose a movie Y/N, I’ll be right back !” He kissed your cheek, close to your lips - too close - and ran to the door. You stood there for a moment, cheeks and heart warming up, before doing what he asked you.  Once again, you felt like a schoolgirl at her first sleepover with her crush. You couldn’t help but feel butterflies fluttering in your stomach and your face turning a bit red. 

You should tell him.  But you risked losing that friendship you had. And at the same time, you wanted more than that. You wanted to feel his arms around you, his lips - oh those lips - on you, to wake up next to him each and every morning in your bed… You fantasized about a life with him for a minute, not noticing him getting back with the food. You jumped slightly when he waved his hand in front of your eyes to snap you out of your reverie. Your gaze locked with his as he asked if everything was all right.

"Yes, yes... I was just lost in thought..." you smiled shyly, your cheeks flushed, letting him settle in beside you. He took the plaid to cover both of you, then put his arm around your shoulders.

"And what were you thinking about? Or who?" He teased.

"About us, actually..."

"Us?" He said, a little surprised.

Your cheeks were crimson. You'd said too much already. You couldn't run anymore. You just nodded, not daring to meet his gaze.  You felt him come closer and turn a little towards you after a few seconds of silence.

"Me too, I have to admit..." 

"Really?" you almost whispered, looking up at him. He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah... to tell you the truth, I like it here, but... I don't want to be just another roommate anymore. We're pretty similar in a lot of things, Phoenix even says we look like an old married couple that's always jammed together." You chuckled a little but couldn't help but agree. Bradley smiled a little before continuing, a little nervously. "And... the crash, almost getting killed... It made me realize a lot of things... like the fact that I didn't want to lose you. And that... maybe... the fact that I felt so comfortable with you meant... meant more than friendship..."

Your heart raced in your chest. Was he going to confess what you were thinking? You bit the inside of your cheek to prove to yourself that you weren't dreaming, and before he could continue, you pulled him by his collar and crushed your lips against his. The kiss was desperate, as if you needed it to keep on living. Bradley didn't waste a second in responding, one of his hands sliding up your cheek and the other down your back to press you against him. You would have liked that moment to last forever, but the lack of air forced you to pull away a little. He pressed his forehead against yours and let out a small laugh. "I guess it's mutual, then?"

"You're a little genius aren’t you ?" You couldn't help but tease him before kissing him again.

You felt so good against him, kiss after kiss. You felt complete, soothed. 

And you could easily get used to it .

[thedarkworldofhananerea]

I'm new to this whole tumblr thing, but I have some ideas about some shots on Bradley Bradshaw or Jake Seresin, help me, we know we deserve it

[justabigassnerd]

You Are Still My World

Pairing - Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Mitchell!reader

Word count - 3,310

Warnings - feelings of abandonment, mentions of Carole & Goose, mentions of death, angst

Summary - 17 years after Bradley took off after your dad pulled his papers, he waltzes right back into your life like nothing ever happened

A/N - hey y'all! sorry it's been a minute since I last uploaded a fic, I was in a slump and y'all's lovely comments managed to bring me out of it. this was an anon request that I hope I did justice because the idea was so cool. As per y'all, please send in requests, feedback and enjoy!!!

As you grew up, the adults that surrounded you always joked that you and Bradley Bradshaw were joined at the hip. Where one of you was, the other would not be far behind. You were the best of friends and you adored Bradley. He was a couple of years older than you but didn’t let it bother him even when people teased him for hanging out with someone who wasn’t in his grade at school and he always bit back, defending you wholeheartedly. Bradley was such a staple in your life that you couldn’t imagine life without him.

Until one day, everything changed.

Your dad, Pete Mitchell, better known as Maverick, pulled Bradley’s papers to the naval academy. You had no idea that he did it until a year after Bradley stopped talking to you. You had seen him on your way to school and waved at him but he just rolled his eyes and continued on his run, making your heart shatter in your chest. You had just been talking with him yesterday, helping him navigate the recent loss of his mother and now he wanted nothing to do with you? Worry and confusion ate away at you the whole school day, since Bradley had just graduated that summer you couldn’t corner him at lunch to get an answer out of him. You now instead had to wait until you could head around to see him at his house. As the day progressed you couldn’t help but wonder if it was just part of his grieving process. You knew anger was one of the five stages when it came to processing grief so maybe he was in that stage and just taking it out on you. Then your thoughts started to shift into more negative ones, and you started to wonder if you did something to upset him the last time you saw him. You replayed every word of the last conversation you had with Bradley and thought about whether anything you said could’ve come across as rude or upsetting to him and you just didn’t know. The second school was over you couldn’t have gotten out of the building any faster and you headed to Bradley’s house, stopping on the path when you noticed that his beautiful blue Bronco was missing from the driveway, indicating to you that Bradley wasn’t home. You chose to bite the bullet and head back home, hoping your dad might have some answers to your questions.

“Hey dad, do you know if I did something to upset Bradley? I saw him on my way to school this morning and he completely blanked me.” You asked as you ate dinner, you had your focus on your plate as you cut up your food so you missed how your dad tensed up at your question.

“No sweetheart, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Maverick replied, smiling softly over at you as he took a sip from his beer bottle as the angry words Bradley had yelled at him earlier echoed in his head repeatedly.

“You sure?” You ask timidly, wanting to know if there was anything you might’ve done that you didn’t notice but your dad did.

“Positive. Give him a little space, I’m sure he’ll come back before the week is up.” He said, his smile warm and encouraging as you nodded and continued to eat your dinner.

You would not speak another word to Bradley Bradshaw until almost twenty years later.

You didn’t follow in your father’s footsteps when you grew up. You instead became an elementary school teacher and found yourself living in San Diego, mere minutes away from Top Gun. You spent most of your childhood growing up in this area so it felt like returning home after coming back after a few years at college and then teaching in Vermont. You had found yourself missing California more than you cared to admit and when you found out about a teaching job at the elementary school near the naval base you knew you had to move back. You figured that not only would it be nice to come back to the place you called home, but since you were a military kid too, you could help the young children with parents in the navy when their parents went away on deployments. You got the job and moved back to San Diego with a smile on your face.

A few months after you got settled into your new job and your new house, you got a call from your dad, telling you that he had been called back to Top Gun to teach a bunch of Top Gun graduates how to fly a mission. You had offered to let him stay with you when he told you but he declined your offer, telling you that he already had quarters to live in but he promised he’d be visiting often. It was nice to have your dad back in town again, he’d been away on a fair few deployments recently so you enjoyed having him around again, and the fact he wouldn’t be flying the mission put you at ease slightly because, from the way he described it, this mission was one of the most dangerous ones he would’ve flown.

What Maverick didn’t tell you, was that Bradley was one of the Top Gun graduates who was a candidate for the mission. He knew that despite how much you tried to hide it behind your anger, you were still hurt by Bradley leaving and cutting you out of his life. And he knew that you still loved and cared for Bradley, and you would hate to hear that he would potentially be putting his life at risk if he was chosen for this mission.

A month after the uranium mission had been completed and Maverick and Bradley had repaired their relationship, you bumped into Bradley again for the first time in seventeen years. Dagger Squadron was now a permanent fixture in San Diego with Maverick staying too, not only for his team but because he reconnected with Penny and started going out again. It was nice to have your dad around permanently, and seeing how happy he was with Penny made you happy too.

You were in the shop when you bumped into Bradley again. You were browsing the aisles, searching for new stationery for your classroom since your spare pens never seemed to return when you lent the pens to your students after they realised, they had lost their own pens. You grabbed a large pack of ballpoint pens and turned around where you quickly collided with another body.

“Oh, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to.” You apologised quickly, steadying yourself as the person you bumped into chuckled.

“No harm done.” Your heart plummeted at that all-too-familiar voice. You lifted your head to see those honey-coloured eyes you had loved so much growing up. Bradley had grown significantly since you last saw him, he’d filled out with muscles, his broad shoulders showing through the Hawaiian shirt he was wearing, evidence to you that he’d inherited his dad’s sense of style. He was now sporting a moustache that reminded you of Goose’s. As you stared at him you couldn’t stop thinking about how much you had missed him and how much of his life you had missed. But those feelings were overtaken by the anger you still held deep down at his abandonment of you. Before Bradley could say anything more, you turned on your heels and retreated, leaving Bradley standing in the middle of the stationary aisle with a confused expression. Bradley did a full sweep of the shop in the hopes he’d find you and be able to talk to you but you had left. Bradley had called Maverick on his way out of the shop, asking why he didn’t tell him that you were in town and why you were ignoring him. Maverick chose to tell Bradley that he wasn’t getting involved, that if he really wanted an answer then he had to talk to you himself. Bradley couldn’t help but groan as he hung up the phone with Maverick, knowing you’d seemingly rather talk to a pack of rabid wolves than talk to him with the way you hightailed it out of the shop. Bradley didn’t know why you were refusing to talk to him, he could’ve sworn the last time he spoke to you everything was okay between the two of you. Yes, he could admit that it had been a while since you last spoke with him but he only avoided talking to you because he was so angry at Maverick that he didn’t want to take anything out on you, and then he moved away to college before reapplying to the naval academy again. Bradley headed home, plotting ways to approach you and get you to talk to him.

After seeing Bradley in the store, you seemed to keep bumping into him everywhere you went. You tried to avoid him, ignoring him calling after you and brushing past him when he attempted to corner you. Every time you did, you felt your heart breaking more and more. You still held so much love in your heart for Bradley and it broke you to walk away from him every time you saw him. But every time you thought about hearing him out, you reminded yourself of the pain you felt when he not only ignored you but moved away without saying a word. You could understand why Bradley had been upset all those years ago, when your dad had told you that he pulled Bradley’s papers you got angry on Bradley’s behalf but soon came to understand your father's reasoning but that didn’t stop you from being at least a little upset that he did it because of the fallout it caused.

After a couple of weeks of you avoiding Bradley, he was reaching his breaking point. He was yearning to have you back in his life after so long without you. He knew he missed you when he left but he didn’t realise the severity of how much he missed you until he saw you again. He eventually figured you weren’t going to talk to him unless he could corner you somewhere. He hated himself for it, but he was growing frustrated with you avoiding him, he was trying to mend the bridge between you, and you were seemingly taking dynamite to the metaphorical bridge and destroying it further. He managed to coerce Maverick into giving him your address. He figured you’d be more comfortable talking to him in the four walls of your house and the worst you could do was slam the door in his face. He decided to wait until a Friday evening, deciding to skip Dagger Squad’s usual get-together at the Hard Deck and instead headed home after training to freshen up before heading to your house. He arrived at your house and walked up towards the house, going over what he wanted to say before he stopped in front of your front door, taking a deep breath before reaching to ring the doorbell.

Your eyebrows furrowed when you heard the ring of your doorbell. Your dad always called or texted before he came around, Penny too. You hadn’t invited anyone around nor had you ordered any food to be delivered, although you were sat on the sofa of your house staring at the takeaway pizza menu. Figuring it was one of your teaching assistants, swinging by to run something by you or check something with you before the weekend officially began, you dragged yourself off the sofa and towards the front door, pulling it open to reveal Bradley on the other side. Your face dropped at the sight of him and you went to close the door but he was quick to brace his hand on the door and prevent it from closing. Despite how much effort you were putting into closing the door, Bradley had more muscle than you and had a much easier time keeping the door open than you were having trying to close the door.

“y/n, please talk to me.” Bradley pleads, his eyes full of concern and sorrow as he stared at you.

“I don’t want to talk to you.” You say firmly, attempting to close the door once more but when he continues to hold the door open you give up, sighing heavily and stalking back towards the living room with Bradley hot on your heels after closing your front door behind him.

“y/n, I’ve been back in San Diego for a couple of months now and you’ve not spoken a word to me since I bumped into you in that shop. I tried to speak to Mav about why you’ve been avoiding me but he won’t tell me so I’ve been trying to talk to you so I can find out what’s going on here because last time we spoke-”

“Was almost twenty years ago Bradley.” You say, a sharp tone to your voice as you turn to face him, folding your arms over your chest as you stare at him.

“I don’t understand. I had to do what I could to get back into the naval academy after your dad pulled my papers. You know he did that, right?” Bradley counters, wanting you to understand why he did what he did.

“He told me a year after you left. I understand why you felt you had to do that but you didn’t need to cut me out like that. Like I meant nothing to you. Who am I kidding? Maybe I was nothing to you.” You scoff, turning away from Bradley when you feel the tears pricking at your eyes.

“y/n…” Bradley starts, aching to reach out and pull you into his arms but held himself back, knowing that was the last thing you wanted him to do.

“You never meant nothing to me.” He manages to continue, watching your movements carefully, seeing how you were fighting to keep the tears back and he silently hated himself for being the cause of them.

“Oh really? Sure felt like I did.” You mutter angrily, turning to walk into the kitchen with Bradley following behind like a lost puppy.

“You know, you meant the world to me. I loved you so much. Still do love you so much, more than I probably should. Growing up you were my best friend, the one person I wanted to spend my time with and you just left without so much as a goodbye. The last time I ever saw you before you left, you rolled your eyes at me when I tried to say hi. I spent a year of my life thinking I had done or said something that drove you off. Dad only told me what he did because he watched me blame myself for a year. Bradley, you broke my heart. But as much as I want to hate you, I can’t. Every single bit of anger I had towards you is gone because seeing you after so long reminded me of how much I love you and how much I missed you while you were gone.” You say, tears finally rolling down your cheeks at your confession and you saw as Bradley’s face softened at your words.

“y/n. I’ve been a shitty friend, I know that. I don’t deserve your forgiveness and I certainly don’t deserve your love, especially after what I put you through. You were never the cause of why I stopped talking to you. I was a coward. I was scared that because of how angry I was at Mav I was going to take it out on you too. I know now that I should’ve just talked to you but by the time I realised that what I was doing was stupid, the damage had already been done and I was packing my stuff to go to college. I should’ve reached out to you and talked to you way before now because you deserved to know the truth. Don’t ever say I didn’t care about you because I did. I still do. You are still my world. I couldn’t stop thinking about you since I moved away. I thought I’d never get to see you again. That I’d never get to tell you just how much I loved you, because it’s a lot. I am so sorry y/n.” Bradley’s words make you look up at him, his now teary eyes locking with yours. Every memory you had with Bradley flashed through your mind. Memories of spending hours at the beach together. Memories of how he protected you fearlessly when people picked on you. You were seeing your Bradley again in front of you. You took a step towards him and wrapped your arms around his torso, squeezing him tight. Bradley let out a shuddering breath at the hug before gingerly wrapping his arms around you, tugging you a little closer when you show no indication of letting go any time soon. Bradley then dips his head into the crook of your neck and allows his pent-up tears to fall.

“I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry y/n.” He mutters over and over again. His voice muffled by the soft material of your shirt.

“It’s okay, Bradley.” You mumble, one of your hands reaching up to run through his hair to try and calm him down. Once both you and Bradley had calmed down, you moved to sit on the sofa and you could tell from his expression that he wanted to talk about the massive elephant in the room. Both you and Bradley had just confessed your feelings for each other.

“So, we just admitted we loved each other, huh?” You say quietly, laughing lightly at yourself as you look up at Bradley. You had kept your love for him a closely guarded secret, kept behind walls in the confines of your heart but the second you were alone in your house with him, your walls came crumbling down and you poured your heart out to him.

“We did yes. I meant it. I’ve loved you as more than a friend since we were teenagers. But I totally understand if you want nothing to do with me after what I did to you.” Bradley says, gaze lowering in shame as he speaks.

“I meant it in that way too. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever say it to your face but here we are.” You chuckle weakly, lifting your hand to cup his chin so you could direct him to be looking at you instead of at the floor.

“Can I kiss you?” Bradley asks suddenly, his eyes widening when he realises what he said. As he opened his mouth to apologise and backtrack, you pressed your lips to his, pulling him impossibly closer as he reciprocates the kiss. When you pull apart, you press your forehead to his, lips mere inches apart as you grin happily at each other.

“I’ve been waiting seventeen years for you to ask me that question.” You tease as Bradley’s grin grows playful.

“Well, I guess we’ve got a lot to catch up on then.” Bradley says playfully, pulling you towards him as he falls back along the sofa, you lying on top of him in a giggling heap. You cuddle into him instantly as his arms remain firmly wrapped around you. Bradley’s arms felt like home. Like nothing could harm you and you were safe from whatever the outside world could throw at you. As you cuddled into Bradley’s chest, he smiled to himself as he tightened his grip slightly. His world was back in his life and this time he wasn’t ever going to leave you again.

[crowdedimagines]

Risk it All - Bradley Bradshaw

bradley bradshaw x reader 2.4k :)

“Each one of you is the best of the best. This is a very specific mission.” My dad’s voice loudly bellows through the hauntingly quiet room before announcing the foxtrot teams and his wingman.

“This seems like a conflict of interest or something.” Hangman mumbles loud enough for the group to hear. It’s just been announced who would be flying the mission that we’ve spent weeks training for. My father loudly announced that Fanboy and I would be flying with him and Rooster would be leading Phoenix and Bob. I don’t miss the connection he has to the selected team.

I shove off Jake’s shoulder before leaving the room to clear my head. This mission doesn’t have room for ego and that’s lost on him. I’ve flown lots of missions, that's why I was called back to Top Gun in the first place. But never have I flown one this dangerous with my father and boyfriend in the mix.

“You ok?” I turn to see which one was feeling brave enough to follow me out.

Rooster.

“I think so.” I answer honestly, I lean against his chest when he pulls me close against it. “I’m proud of us, but god do I wish we weren’t the ones taking this risk.”

“I know.” His hand runs reassuringly up and down my back.

“I think you should speak with Mav before we leave. Clear the air before we’re in the air.” Things between my dad and boyfriend have been strained in the years that followed Mav pulling Brad’s papers. He stiffens for a second in my arms, I look up with a grin so he knows he’s caught.

“Fine.” He presses a kiss down on the top of my head, we enjoy the peace of looking out at the water for a few minutes before we get called to the top of the carrier.

I look over my aircraft going over a checklist I’ve reviewed thousands of times before hundreds of missions, somehow it’s the first time the pen shakes in my hand. I catch Bradley walk up to my dad out of the corner of my eye. His eyes look pleading but the conversation is cut short with all the commotion going on to prepare.

They disband and Maverick turns in my direction before I climb up the ladder.

“You listen to me and stay with me, okay?” He pulls me in for a tight hug. He’s both my Captain and my dad up in the sky.

“You’re the boss up there.” I grin.

“Yeah, and you’re the boss just about everywhere else.” He teases pinching my side lightly before letting go.

I climb the ladder and Fanboy gives me a thumbs up that he’s good to go. I put my helmet on and blow a kiss to Bradley who is directly to my right. All daggers call off ready before getting the clearance to take off.

We eventually dip below radar levels and get into formation for the flight. My dad leads us as the Tomahawks fly overhead. Rooster falls in behind me, and Phoenix and Bob behind him.

“First SAM sight up ahead.” Maverick announces as we curve through another bend in the mountains.

“We’ve got two minutes to target.” Fanboy informs, keeping track of the time.

“We're a few seconds behind, Rooster.” Phoenix’s voice is confident, “We need to pick up speed.”

“We’ve got two long range bandits” Comanche advises.

“Fucking hell, where did they come from?” I mutter, they also inform us the tomahawks just made contact with the airstrip meaning they know we’re coming.

“We need to increase speed.” Mav decides.

I pick up speed to follow him closely but Rooster who was already falling behind in pace lets the gap widen.

“Daggers two and four are falling behind.” They announce over the radio.

“C’mon Rooster, we have bandits inbound now that we made contact.” Phoenix pleads.

“Roo!” I call out loudly on the comms getting an idea, “Keep me in sight baby, speed up and eyes on me.”

It clicked in his brain suddenly. His fear was holding him back from what he was the most afraid of. Losing her.

“Don’t think, just do.” The mantra is said by Mav, but Rooster swears he can hear his dad.

“I’m coming, baby” He calls, picking up his speed drastically re-engaging with the mission.

“Jesus, Rooster who knew you had it in you.” Phoenix teases and I crack my first smile since we left the carrier.

“I did.”

We manage to pop up over the mountain with success and get eyes on the target in time to drop the first set of bombs with a direct hit. The strongest pull of the Gs hit as we fight to climb back out of the mountain. My arms shake as I fight for control. I can hear that Rooster has to drop blind from wherever they are behind me but all I can focus on is staying steady enough to make it to coffin corner. That’s when all hell breaks loose.

“Smoke in the air!” “Dagger one defending.” “Rooster, status?” “Break right!” “Deploy countermeasures!” “Two more on your six.” “Dagger three defending.”

“Shit, I’m out of flares.” Rooster’s voice calls out of the chaos making my heart fall flat.

“What?” I cry.

“Rooster, evade! Evade!” Maverick yells.

“I can’t shake them!”

Before my eyes Mavericks pulls up over Brad’s jet using his flares to defend from the SAMS, getting shot down in the process of saving him. An explosion of smoke bursts and we’re soaring past it in an instant at our speed.

“Dagger one is hit, I repeat dagger one is hit!” Phoenix calls out for everyone standing by. I gasp as if I was the one taking the physical hit.

“Status? What’s everyone’s status?” Cyclone asks, demanding answers and information.

“Does anyone see him?” I question only to be met with silence, “Oh my god.”

I shudder and disregard the fact that everyone can hear me struggle to catch my breath.

“We have to circle back.” Rooster commands.

Comanche recommends they leave. There’s nothing they can do with bandits in the air. Cyclone agrees and commands us not to agree.

“He’s gone?”

I can’t even process what’s being said or asked as I think of what I just witnessed. “I can’t leave him.” Rooster cries and I turn to look at him flying to my left, “I love you, baby.”

Rooster veers off and down to the left where Maverick’s plane has gone down in smoke. The tears don’t stop streaming off my face as I process the fact that he’s going back for him, against orders.

It crushes me to hear them call out ‘dagger two is hit’ not long after he left my sight. Wordlessly Phoenix leads back towards the carrier as the second plane of ours goes down in smoke today.

“This can’t be happening.” I argue, “They need assistance! Send Hangman-”

“Y/callsign-” Cyclone cuts off. “We already have seen two planes fail and bandits are closing in. Return to the carrier immediately.”

“But sir-” My voice tight.

“That’s an order Mitchell, return to the carrier.” Cyclone commands.

My vision zones out on the back of Phoenix's jet heading in the direction of the carrier. Somewhere vaguely behind us are a pair of fifth generation fighter jets that pose little option for us. We’re back over water now, likely only a few miles from the carrier at this point. The shock takes over as autopilot carries us home.

“Rooster’s signal just came back on!” Bob announces and my heart skips a beat.

“What?” I smile.

“He’s airborne, in a F-14!” Fanboy comments further.

“F-14 has Mav written all over it!” I smile even wider, they’re still alive!

“They still have bandits on them.” Comanche notifies.

“I can go back!” I yell.

“Mitchell, you have already been ordered several times to return to the carrier, until confirmed this has changed nothing.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I argue.

“You’d be outnumbered anyway. You’re ordered to return.”

My hand drums on the control wheel while I debate in my head.

“Do it.” Fanboy says, answering my thoughts I didn’t even have to voice for him to understand. I need to go back for them. I can’t just leave them behind unsure.

“We don’t have clearance.” My voice hypnotic.

“That’s not gonna stop you. We both know that.” He reaches a comforting hand on my shoulder giving it a squeeze, “Plus you’re a Mitchell, they should know they can’t order you to do shit.”

I pull hard to turn around, suddenly blocking out the yelling in my ear and focusing on the blinking dot on my radar, clueing me in on their location. I lock in and take off getting low as they weave the terrain. Surprising the pilot from behind while he was closing in on Mav. My missile locks in and I take the shot watching it combust in front of me.

“Would you look at that!” I tease, our radio’s now connected to theirs.

“If it ain’t our angel from above.” Bradley grins looking at me in the back seat of the F-14.

“Truly, we were out of missiles and guns.” Maverick nods down at the plane they’re flying.

Their F-14 blares out a loud alarm signaling someone closing in on radar.

“Where are they?” I call out, looking for anything on the horizon while Fanboy looks behind us.

“He’s on our nose.”

Suddenly our aircraft signals warnings as well.

“Y/n, what do you have left?” My dad asks eye’s never straying from the approaching plane.

“One missile, no guns.” I clear my throat, “One round of flares.”

This doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for failure with this. I’m still only flying a F-18 which is lightyears behind anything fifth generation in the air. He cuts between the two of us, sending us apart.

“Y/cs, cobra! Make us an easy target!” Mav instructs and I know what he wants immediately. Nothing we’ve ever practiced of course, but a risky move he invented and I mastered.

We fall into formation, Mav flying behind me as a barrier while the enemy plane circles back. I watch and wait for him to lock in on them, closing in on his target before pulling up and back as hard as I can. It sent us propelling backward and behind the enemy plane giving me a brief window to get a lock on him.

The familiar chime rings out letting me know I’ve won. I fire and take down the threat to both of the men in my life. I cheer a sigh of relief pulling up next to them again as we continue towards the carrier. The flight tower cheers as we’ve all made it home.

“That’s my girl.” Both men say in unison. Mav turning around in his seat as best he could to glare at Bradley.

I roll my eyes and pull ahead so I can land first. They lost their landing gear at some point in their escape so they need a little assistance with their landing. I stand at the front of my plane while I wait for them to climb out. The cheers of the crew is deafening as they pull us in for hugs and handshakes. I weave my way through people as I make my way up to them.

“Man, what would you boys do without me?” I tease.

“We’d be somewhere in the Pacific right now.” Dad grins, pulling me in for a tight hug before Rooster can. Rooster just smiles looking at me over his shoulder.

“Thank you, baby.” Rooster cuts in for his own hug and kissing the top of my head. He squeezes me a little tighter before letting go.

“Yeah, you better thank me now. I’m a dead girl walking, but it was so worth it.”

Bradley pulls back a little so he can see my face and so I’ll clue him in on what I’m talking about.

“They didn’t give me clearance to turn back.” I admit, “I had to disobey orders in order to save you guys.”

“What?” Bradley asks shocked.

“So worth it!” I reach up so I can pull Bradley down for a real kiss.

“Lieutenant Mitchell.” Cyclone’s voice bellows. I quickly pull away and straighten my posture.

“Listen she-” my dad attempts to defend me but Cyclone holds up a hand to cut him off.

“What you did was disrespectful, disobedient, and unreliable. You put another pilot at risk by what you did. It was selfish to Fanboy to go back. With that said, I’m grateful your skill proved me wrong and brought these two men back home.”

I clear my throat to swallow, unable to find the words to respond. How should I take that? He reaches out a hand to shake mine and I meet it with a tight grip. He nods and walks off, the second he does the celebration begins again.

“Hey, I’ve been told worse!” Maverick teases, pulling me in for another hug.

“Yeah, like father like daughter apparently.” I laugh.

It takes a couple days for us to return to land, but it feels like a breeze now that we don’t have the mission hanging over our heads anymore. It’s also been amazing to brag to Hangman that I officially have more air combat kills than him.

“Whatever, you were a legacy anyway.” He rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, a legacy with double the air combat kills you have!” The competitive nature definitely runs in the family.

Rooster grins at his girl loving how she defends herself and how badass she is. She did save his life which is not lost on him.

“What’re you thinking about?” I ask, pulling Roo from whatever thoughts had him staring out on the horizon with such focus. I curl my hands through his hair and he closes his eyes in bliss for a few seconds before responding.

“How scary this week was. How grateful I am for you. You risked it all for me. And your dad. Even though you know both of us would’ve been crushed if anything had happened to you.”

“I know.” I press a kiss to his cheek, “I think you owe me a drink at the Hard Deck.”

He rolls his eyes, knowing he buys nearly all of them anyway.

“Yeah, I think I can manage that.”

“I like this!” I continue to tease, “How long can I hang this over your head?”

“Forever sounds alright to me”

y'all it's literally been so long so be forgiving lol i just needed to write something because i miss it dearly! love you guys

[callsign-dexter]

Safe and Sound

Request: Helloo dear 🥰 hope I can send you an idea as Im having such a shitty day :( so you're Mavericks adopted daughter and also a pilot but he always wants you safe and without danger. But he cannot protect you from falling in love with Rooster and he can't protect you when you get hurt during a mission. Both men stay by your side and Mavs heart blooms when he sees how careful and lovable rooster treats you, so he just knows he is the right for you. Just some angsty fluffy love if that's okay with you 🩷

Pairings: Maverick x Daughter!Reader, Bradley Bradshaw x Pilot!Reader

Callsign: Fearless

Warnings: angst, fluff, swearing, inaccurate military talk, plane crash

Masterlist

Y/N POV

"It's been an honor flying with you. Each one of you represents the best of the best. This is a very specific mission. My choice is a reflection of that and nothing more." My dad said while looking around the room and every now and then pausing to look over at me. I very quickly looked over at Bradley and he saw him looking at me, we nodded to each other and looked back to my dad. Despite everything that has happened from dad pulling his papers to Rooster not talking to him, we never stopped talking to each other. It drove my dad insane and he tried to keep us away but we loved each other and we fooled around here and there but never officially got together. I was so lost in thought that I almost jumped when Cyclone started to speak.

"Choose your two Foxtrot teams." Cyclone said in a loud demanding voice. Dad looked around and nodded and looked at Payback and Fanboy. My heart was speeding up each time he looked around the room.

"Payback and Fanboy." He said and Payback sighed and lowered his head and while closing his eyes and nodded. "Phoenix and Bob." He added Bob slowly looked at Phoenix and she looked back at him. I was happy they were going but also scared.

"And your wingman." Cyclone stated. I continued to stare straight ahead hoping and not hoping Rooster would be chosen. I looked over to Rooster and he had his head down and then I looked over to Hangman and his jaw ticked hoping he would be chosen.

"Rooster." Dad said and I watched Cyclone look over to Rooster and watched his head slowly come up.

"Since this is a dangerous mission I want you to pick a 5th Dagger for safety." Cyclone said. That threw us all off. Dad nodded.

"Fearless." Dad said and my heart stopped and made me jerk my head to the front. That can't be right. Why would he pick me?

"The rest of you will stand by on the carrier for any reserve role that's required. Dismissed." Cyclone said but I was so in shock that I almost missed what he had said.

I needed air once I practically rushed out of the room and into the salty sea air and walked to my jet. I wasn't hearing anything and just lost in my head. Before we left they brought us back and explained what we needed to do and how to execute the mission.

"This is what you've all been training for. Come home safely." Cyclone said we were dismissed again and I was walking to my jet not thinking of anything but the mission and why dad chose me when all he wanted to do was keep me safe. My jet was on the other side of Bradley's they couldn't see me and I could hear them talking.

"Sir." Rooster said the first time and didn't get dad's attention so he tried again "Sir?" which got my dad's attention. He turned and looked at him "I-" he started "I just wanted to say-" but was cut off by the announcement saying we were almost ready to go and people started to run around.

"We'll talk when we get back." Dad said and turned around to get into his jet. Rooster turned around to do the same when he spotted me and was started to quickly walk over to me when dad called out.

"Hey Bradley! Bradley!" He shouted and Bradley stopped "Hey you got this!" He finished. Bradley nodded and walked over to me.

"You be safe and remember I love you." Rooster said and kissed me which I returned.

"You be safe too and I love you too." I replied. What we didn't know was dad caught the whole thing and even though he didn't want us together and he voiced this several times. We parted and got into our jets I looked over at dad as the canopy slowly closed.

"Dagger One up and ready on catapult one." Dad said

"Dagger Spare standing by." Hangman said.

"Dagger Four up and ready." Payback said.

"Dagger Three up and readey." Phoenix announced.

"Dagger Two up and ready." Rooster said and I knew it was my turn.

"Dagger Five up and ready." I said feeling the nerves slowly starting to come a light but I couldn't show it.

In control room

"Support assets airborne. Strike package ready. Standing by for launch decision." The control center announced. Warlock looked over to Cyclone.

"Send them." Cyclone said.

Back to the Daggers

The next thing I knew everyone was catapulting off into the air one by one. We were flying when I heard my dad start speaking.

"Comanche Dagger One. Standby check in." I heard dad say.

"Comanche 11 set. Picture clean. Recommended Dagger continue." They said

"Copy. Daggers descending below radar." Dad said and we all looked at each other except Rooster, I could hear his breathing and was worried but knew he had this. "Here we go. Enemy territory up ahead. Feet dry. 60 seconds Comanche Dagger One. Picture." Dad continues.

"Comanche. Picture clean. Decision is yours." Comanche said.

"Copy." Dad said and looked over to Rooster than me. "Dagger attack." He replied. I looked up and saw the tomahawks fly past us and into the enemy airbase. There was no turning back now. "Daggers assume attack formation." Dad said and we all fell into line. Phoenix and Bob are behind dad, Rooster behind them, Payback and Fanboy are behind Rooster, and I behind them. "Dagger set. Proceeding to target. Two minutes and 30 seconds in three two one mark." He said.

"Two mark." Rooster said

"Three mark." Phoenix said

"Four mark." Payback said

"Five mark." I said

We started to go into the canyon. The twists and turns were hard and took my breath sometimes but this is what we trained for. Everything was running smoothly.

"First SAM site overhead." Dad said

"Looks like we're clear on radar Mav." Phoenix tells him.

"Let's not take it for granted." He replied.

We continued when suddenly Fanboy comes through.

"More SAMs! Three o'clock high!" And then Bob comes in.

"We got two minutes to target." Then Fanboy comes in.

"Copy. We're a few minutes behind Rooster, we've got to move." He was starting to concern me.

"Come on Rooster. You got this." I said over the coms so he could only hear me.

"Daggers, Comanche. We're picking up two bandits. Single group two contacts." Comanche said.

"Comanche what's their heading?" Phoenix asked.

"Bullseye 090 50 tacked southwest." Comanche said and Rooster after a long silence answered.

"They're headed away from us. They don't know we're here." He said.

"The second those Tomahawks hit the air base those bandits are gonna move to defend the target. We have to get there before they do. Increase speed." Dad answered. He increased his speed and so did Phoenix and Bob. I was prepared to increase speed but Rooster was still going the same speed which made Payback, Fanboy, and I fall behind.

"We got you Mav. Don't wait for me." Phoenix said.

"Don't wait on me either Mav. I'll be here when things get rough." I also said.

Comanche came on and said "Bandits are switching course to defend the target."

"Rooster where are you?" Dad asked

"Come in Rooster! Bandits are inbound. We got to make up time now. Let's turn and burn." Fanboy said.

"Come on Rooster you got this! Speed up." I pleaded.

"Heads up Phoenix." Dad said over the comms.

"Guys we're falling behind! We really got to move!" Fanboy exclaimed.

"If we don't increase our speed right now those bandits are gonna be waiting for us when we reach the target!" Payback added.

"Rooster listen we really do need to increase our speed. You can do this! We trained for this!" I said hoping to get through to him.

"Talk to me dad." I faintly heard him say.

"Come on kid you can do it. Don't think just do." I heard dad say and then Rooster, Payback, and Fanboy all increased their speed which made me increase mine.

"Jesus Rooster not that fast!" Payback said and I really wanted to tell him to shut up but restrained myself.

"That's it kid that's it. All right let's go." I heard dad say.

"Damn Rooster take it easy!" Fanboy exclaimed and again I wanted to say shut up but again restrained myself.

We were catching up to them. I was so proud of him. I heard dad say he was close to the target and asked Bob for the laser and he confirmed it but I was more focused on not crashing into the rear-end of Payback and Fanboy.

"Watch your heads!" Rooster said through the comms.

"Holy shit!" Fanboy exclaimed

"Payback you with me?" He asked

"Right behind you. Fearless you with us?" He answered and asked I didn't respond right away. "Fearless?" He asked again.

"Right behind you! My comms went out for a minute!" I said. Something wasn't right with my jet and it had been throughly checked over.

I heard dad talk to Phoenix but again I was focused on being on time and not crashing. My jet was starting to make a rattling noise but I ignored it. I heard Bob say they got a direct hit and was so happy about it but had no time to celebrate.

"Dagger two and five status." Dad asked.

"We're almost there Mav!" Rooster answered

"Right behind them!" I quickly answered

"Fanboy where is my laser?" Rooster asked him.

"Rooster there is something wrong with this laser! Shit deadeye, deadly, deadeye!" Fanboy exclaimed.

"Come one guys we're running out of time! Get it online!" Rooster exclaimed.

"I'm trying." He exclaimed.

"Rooster I can get it!" I said but Fanboy quickly answered.

"Nearly there! Nearly there!"

"Come on Fanboy get it online!" Payback said to his WSO.

"There's no time! I'm dropping in blind!" Rooster said.

"Rooster I said I can get it!" I said

"No time Fearless! I'm dropping in blind!" I clenched my teeth but didn't answer.

"Rooster I got this!" Fanboy came back.

"No time! Pull up!" Rooster said.

"Wait!" Fanboy said.

"Bombs away! Bombs away!" Rooster exclaimed. He released his bombs and thankfully they hit and we started to make the climb.

"We're not out of this yet! Here it comes!" Dad exclaimed. SAMs started to deploy. I could hear them talking and giving what positions they were at.

"Rooster, Fearless status." None of us answered.

"Oh my god." Rooster exclaimed and I was thinking the same thing. "Smoke in the air! Smoke in the air!" He exclaimed.

"Break right Payback!" Fanboy exclaimed to his pilot.

"Breaking right!" Payback exclaimed.

I tuned them out and gave them answers whenever I could but my comms were still going out. I was watching them and defending myself and them.

"SAMs at five o'clock, Fearless!" Rooster said

"Deploying countermeasures!" I said and hit the flares. Everything was chaotic and everyone was talking at once. Then my heart dropped when Rooster said he was out of flares and said that he couldn't shake them. I watched in horror when dad put on his breaks and let Rooster fly under him and take a hit.

"Mav! No!" Rooster exclaimed and then I couldn't hear anything my dad just went down. I couldn't hear what Rooster or anyone was saying afterwards. My hearing came to when Bob came through.

"Rooster he's gone." Bob said. No he couldn't be gone! My dad couldn't be gone. I needed to go back to the carrier my jet was not fit to fly anymore. I watched as Rooster disobeyed the orders and fly back for him. I wanted to but couldn't.

I started to fly back when all of a sudden my right engine stopped working. This was definitely not good. I had to let the others know.

"Guys go on without me. My right engine is down. I'll just slow you all down." I said.

"No way are we leaving you." Bob said. I loved that man but they needed to go on.

"No go on I'll meet you all there." I said and they go ahead this time. Next thing I knew I was by myself. I was just trying to get back to the carrier when all of a sudden a bandit popped up on my radar, this was not good.

"Dagger Five. This is Comanche. You have a bandit coming up on your two o'clock." Comanche said though I already knew that.

"Thank you, Comanche. I see them." I told them. The bandit was getting closer to me and was not being friendly I knew this was going into a dogfight. As I got closer it was clear that they wanted to fight. If this is to end how I think it is then I'll have 3 confirmed kills.

The bandit started to close in and start to get behind me. I couldn't let that happen. I jerked my jet to the left and started to evade and that started the dogfight. My jet was groaning with the turns and the twists. Smoke was coming out of my right engine.

"Come on Fearless, you're a Mitchell. You got this." I told myself. I didn't get to think long because the bandit started to shoot and it hit my right engine and I barely missed it but my plane was riddled with bullet holes.

"Control center. Dagger Five. My right engine is on fire and in a dogfight with a bandit." I let them know.

"Copy Dagger Five. We-" The command center replied but my comms went out as the bandit shot more and hit the left side of the jet, the left engine was starting to make noise as I moved to try and evade the bullets.

"Damn it." I said and tried to get my comms back up and trying to evade. Then I remembered that I was still carrying missiles. I pulled my jet up and got behind the bandit and shot the missile but they turned and it flew passed them. "Damn it, Mitchell. Get it together!" I yelled at myself. I continued to follow the bandit even tho my jet was protesting. I tried my comms again. "Command center this is Dagger Five. Do you copy?" I asked but all I got was static. Damn.

Every now and then I would shoot my gun and it would miss them and hit them. I must have them at least once because their jet was smoking. I was quickly running out of bullets. One last chance to take them down. I got behind them again and shot the missile again and it hit them and blew their jet up. There it is my 3rd confirmed kill. I tried the comms again and thankfully they were working again.

"Command center this Dagger Five. I'm coming back to the carrier." I said and then the adrenaline was wearing off and pain was radiating off of my left side and quickly looked down and saw dark red growing my flight suit. "I would also like to add that I'm hit and wounded and will need medical support." I said my voice shaky and growing weaker.

"Copy that Dagger Five. Medical support is waiting." They replied. I sighed thankfully and saw the carrier coming up but I was also growing tired and light-headed. I was able to put my tail hook down and the wheels and slowly guided the jet down. The jerk of the tail hook jeering my plane made me groan and start to blackout it came to a stop and I was able to open the canopy and then everything went black.

Third POV

The canopy opened and in an instant, the medical team was at her side getting her out and onto a stretcher. The entire carrier was silent. They could see her bullet-riddled jet and her engines were still smoking and a crew instantly put the fire out. They pulled her jet off the side where it was normally at.

In the medical wing, they were quickly getting her stabilized and unzipping her flight suit to find the bullet wound and no exit wound. The medical team was quick to hook her up to an IV and start to get the bullet out. Everything outside was blocked out and everyone had a grim look on their face.

Maverick and Rooster crashed landed onto the carrier and opened the canopy to get out everyone circled them and congratulated them but not as perky as they would have thought. What they noticed was weird was that Cyclone was there as well. He walked to them with a look on his face.

"Fearless is in the medical wing. It's not looking good." He told them. That's why everyone looked sad. Maverick and Rooster looked for her jet and when they found it they paled, it was riddled with holes. They both quickly rushed to the medical wing where they were just finishing up.

"She's stable but she'll need to go to the hospital quickly." One of the medical team said. They both nodded. Rooster went to Y/N and held her hand. Maverick looked on and couldn't help but see Goose and Carole in them. Cyclone comes in.

"Medical helicopter is here. You're both welcome to fly with her to the mainland. You both can debrief back at base." Cyclone said and walked away. The medical team comes and starts getting her ready to move.

Maverick's POV

I can't believe my daughter got hurt. I didn't want to pick her for the mission but she excelled in everything. I was proud of her and I knew Ice was too. I could tell she and Rooster loved each other. I didn't want them together because he was unstable and I wanted to protect her from everything but seeing them together was starting to change my opinion.

We walked with her to the medical helicopter. We both go in next to her. They refined us from touching her until on solid ground.

"She'll be out of it for a while until mainland. It'll help with the pain and the jolting around." The medic said. I nodded.

30 minutes later we were landing on the roof of the Navy Hospital and the hospital staff instantly took her out and right into the hospital to the OR. A nurse stayed back with us to take us to her room.

1 hour later they were bringing her into the room and set her up. The doctor explained what happened and what they did.

"She'll be out of it for a few minutes. Call when she wakes up." The nurse said and walked out of the room. Rooster went to her right and held her hand and sat down I stayed back a little but walked over and sat in the chair on the other side. He was so sweet to her, they were destined to be together. I was so lost in my thoughts looking between him and her. What jolted me out of thought was her groaning and moving around.

"Hey, sweetheart. You're ok." Rooster spoke to her. She opened her eyes and looked up at Rooster and smiled and then looked at me.

"I'll go and get the nurse." I told them. I stepped out of the room and went to the nurse's station and got the nurse. We walked back to the room where I stayed outside of the room they looked so happy together. The nurse walked out and smiled at me and I smiled back. I walked back into the room and they looked at me.

"Dad, I know you don't like us being together but I love Bradley and he loves me. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I just hope you can accept that one day." Y/N said to me.

"It's true Mav. I love your daughter so much. I want to marry her one day and have kids with her. I've hated you for a long time but after what we've been through, I've forgiven you and I hope you allow us to be together." Rooster said and I knew he meant it. They both looked at me.

"Listen guys I didn't like you being together at the start but seeing how sweet, loving, and caring to each other. I have come to the conclusion that I can't stop you from being together. I see so much of Goose and Carole in you that I'm willing to put my differences aside with both of you and be happy with you being together. I just hope you can accept me to being back into your lives. I love you both." I said pouring my heart out to them.

"Of course dad. You're my father. I was never truly mad just disappointed." Y/N said to me.

"Of course Mav. I know you only did it to protect me but I love you anyways." Rooster said and I smiled. Y/N cleared her throat.

"Now you want to tell me what happened to you both?" She asked. Rooster and I looked at each other.

"It's a long story." We both said at the same time. We all laughed.

"We will tell you after you tell us what happened to you miss 3 confirmed kills." Rooster said and she blushed almost embarrassed.

"We got time." She smiled the smile I loved seeing.

So we began telling our stories to each other. Happy we were all safe and sound.

[saltsicklover]

Title: Not a Cyclone, But a Monsoon

Part 1 of 2 - Completed

Find Part 2 HERE and my Master List HERE

A request based off of THIS prompt, from the lovely @inkandarsenic

Romantic Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Fem!Reader Past Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Fem!Reader

Platonic Pairing: Beau "Cyclone" Simpson x Fem!Reader

A few uses of Y/N

Word Count: This part: 6k+ Total Fic:20k+

Rating: R

Warnings: Talks of death, minor character deaths, labor, loss of a child in utero, abandonment, drinking, talks of God and destiny, swearing, general military talk and lingo, descriptions of food and eating, coughing fits, talks of violence, actual violence, blood, vomit and throwing up, mention of near death experiences. ANGST

---

I DO NOT CONSENT FOR MY WORK TO BE REPOSTED OR TRANSLATED

Miramar, California. TOP GUN. Six years before the organization of the Dagger Squad.

The Officers Club, better known as The Flight Line Bar sits on post in Miramar, frequented by the big brass and educators at Top Gun. The whole place glows with amber light from the buzzing light fixtures that hang from the rafters, dusty and hot to the touch. This half of base, on the far side of the air field has yet to be updated, evident by the chips in the glasses and the inconsistent flickering of the halogen bulbs. The wallpaper is peeling; discolored around the old neon signs that have slowly begun to fizzle out. If it were any brighter inside those four walls, one might be able to see the discoloration of well walked floors and one too many spilt beers.

Two loan pool tables sit in the center of the bar, their felt faded from use and tearing, flanked by a couple of dart boards, their cork crumbling from age. The patrons look about the same, old and wrinkled with age, lines worn into their faces that read closer to distinguished than wary. That's what the military does to a person, wears itself straight into the skin and makes a home there, the ghosts of lost wingman and battle buddies still looming in the whites of their eyes. Too many memories are stuck in the deep folds of their uniforms, worn in around the elbows and shoulders, the creases worn from friction- salute after salute.

It's really a hard to believe that people still frequent The Flight Line Bar. After all, there are so many better places for the students of Top Gun to meander into, just off post where they don't have to risk rubbing shoulders with their instructors- or heaven forbid, hit on their guest lecturers.

After all, It's all fun and games, flirty touches and smooth words until you're slapped with a SHARP report.

The students always figure out the good places to drink after class, shortly after their arrival after one too many moments spent inside the crumbling bar. The drinks are good in taste, better in price, but not worth it at the risk of saying just the wrong thing to just the wrong person.

The new recruits arrival happens like clockwork, and it's a ritual the newly minted Admiral Beau "Cyclone" Simpson loves to witness. He has been watching the little ordeal for the last four years, with each new Top Gun class, even choosing to mark the date on his calendar after having almost missed an incoming class last year.

The new Top Gun recruits wander into The Flight Line Bar in gaggles. Most still clad in their uniforms if they had been lucky enough to get issued a drinking order. The wide eyed aviators would file up to the bar, uneasy looks on their faces as they took in the ranks drinking around them. If the Flight Line Bar was a small pond, the Top Gun inductees are guppies surrounded by some very big fish. One year, a young aviator even tripped over the base commander's seat and was met with a glare that even Cyclone would have been nervous to stand on the receiving end of.

The recruits each drink a beer, the brave ones chancing a second, before they're heading for the door. Cyclone loves to see the discomfort that would roll off of them the moment they crossed the threshold back into the parking lot. Some would even shiver, which always seems to pull a hearty laugh out of the Admiral.

This year, however, Cyclone is met with a very different scene before him when he himself broke the threshold of the Flight Line Bar. Having been stuck in a meeting with Admiral Kazansky, Cyclone ends up arriving later than the usual crowd of recruits. So, when he finally wanders in, he is met with the fleeting glances of some top brass, but no new eyes. He can't fight the way he almost deflates; after the shit day he managed to barely claw his way through, the one thing he was looking forward to were the wide eyes of the newest, freshest meat that Top Gun managed to recruit.

As if today of all days wasn't hard enough to begin with.

Instead, it looks like a regular Friday night, which wouldn't do the leg work needed to actually flip his day around for the better. But he's already there, the drinks are cheap, and he really, really needs a drink. So, he orders with a silent wave of his hand, the borderline elderly man behind the bar meeting the wave with a nod of his head. Cyclone plops down unceremoniously onto one of the rickety barstools. It almost sways under his weight, however it does creak weakly as he settles. His temple meets his knuckles as he lets out a deep sigh as the beer being set down in front of him. Cyclone can only manage a nod to the bartender before lifting the glass to his lips.

The question of why he still drinks here, in this lousy bar, floats through his head for a moment, but he doesn't put fourth the energy to grant himself with an answer. Maybe it's the cheap beer and half price shots. Or, maybe the fact that he doesn't have to fight off the happy hour drinkers or the five o'clock somewhere partiers that seem to be carried in with the wind. Again, he doesn't entertain the question long enough to form an answer.

Cyclone doesn't even have to glance around the bar to know the crowd this Friday night hosts. Top brass, tired officers, and disgruntled wives, each drinking their own bad days away.

The glass feels about a hundred pounds and it meets the bar top with a loud thunk, the amber liquid sloshing around inside. A bit of foam sneaks over the rim, running down the crack in the glass. Cyclone scratches at it with this thumbnail, wondering how the hell the bar is still getting away with using nearly broken glassware. The thought doesn't last long, not many seem to this evening, and he is bringing the impossibly heavy glass back to his mouth for another sip.

As he tips it back a little further this time, the sulking woman a few seats down catches his attention. If this were a normal Friday night, Cyclone might make bets with himself on just why a woman might be crying, in this bar, all alone. He might puzzle that she is a soon to be ex-wife, her spouse making the choice to cheat on deployment. Maybe she is a daughter, or a sister, or a cousin, her base escort hiding in some other corner of the bar, or of the base. But tonight is not a normal Friday night, regardless of the absence of the new incoming class or not.

The Admiral can't help but watch her lazily out of the corner of his eye. She brings a shitty bar serviette up to wipe at her cheeks, sniffling as the paper touches her skin. Cyclone should feel guilty about how much the sight comforts him. At least, he thinks, someone else seems to be having just as bad of a day as he is.

Then, she catches him staring, his beer lost in the space between his lips and the counter. His fingers are sticky against the chilled glass as he holds it there, still watching her. Cyclone doesn't look away, no point in it now. Then, she breaks the disillusioned bubble forming between them with a sniffle and a hiccup.

It's not a pretty sound, but then again, the sight of the woman in front of him isn't exactly pretty either. After all, it's hard to be pretty when snot is rubbed up over the tip of her nose, catching the light as she sniffles again. Her hair is akin to a nest, like her fingers have been making their way through it over and over again until it is more mess than style.

"I'm sorry, Admiral, Sir," Her voice is straining from holding back tears. There is snot dripping from her nose again, and she wipes it with another flimsy napkin. A half effort is made to sweep back the hair in her face, her well kept fingernails catching in newly formed knots as she pushes it back. The woman doesn't break eye contact with him, even as the sight of him begins to swim through her newly forming tears.

"Hey, kid, it's okay, don't worry about it," His eyes meet the fluttering neon sign behind her, not wanting to lock eyes with her again. It lights her in a halo of sickly blue and Cyclone can see the fizziness of her hair in it's light- it's a half distraction from the way she is still looking at him with those tears in her eyes. He can't stand it when women cry, not after watching his wife, June, sob through her entire pregnancy. It's really the way their eyes glaze over- that helpless look where he can just tell they are fighting with everything they are worth, deep down knowing that it might not be enough. Though, it warms his chest a bit to call her "kid", like he has always been meant to use the term.

The Admiral's brown eyes go misty, locking onto the chipped portion of his glass as the memory of his wife, six months pregnant, stuck in a hospital bed as hot tears carved their way down her face invades Cyclone's memory like a plague. He will never forget the crimson staining her cheeks from the exertion as she fought. And fought. And fought. The way her skin was more chapped than smooth from the constant flow of tears- the way the light would catch the shininess of her skin from the petroleum jelly that he lovingly spread over her weeping skin.

She didn't make it home.

Neither did their baby boy.

And now, as this woman sits a couple stools down, crying in a way that's anything other than gentle, corralling her sobs into the fence of her chest; her face that same color he used to be so used to seeing, that same damn sheen to her skin and Beau feels sick. His eyes snap down to her hands and he watches as her fingers push through the soggy material of the napkin, a sight that makes him grimace a bit. Gross is not the word to use to describe a crying woman, that is fact he has to remind himself of, but the way her fingertips slipped right through that soggy excuse of a napkin is damn close. Cyclone schools his mouth into a tight line, knowing that anything he might say could make both of their day's spiral downwards even faster.

"Admiral," Cyclone wills himself to look her in the face, but his pupils dance around, not locking in on one spot too long. The frizz of her hair, then over the puffy skin under her eyes, then back up to the buzzing neon just over the top of her head. Anything to keep from looking into the woman's eyes. He manages a nod in her direction, rewarded with a hiccup from behind her glass.

A couple more used napkins are tossed up onto the bar, adding them to her steadily growing pile. Her beer is cold, and she can feel it travel all the way down, chilling her burning insides with each swallow. Cyclone takes a drink of his too, waiting for her to continue her thought. He closes his eyes as he tips back the glass, the image of the crying woman in front of him replaced with one of June, and he's not really sure which is worse.

Thunk goes the glass again.

"Can I ask a favor?" Her tone is so sweet, yet so, so sad. He thinks of June, then he nods, his body doing the motion for the sake of his heart, even though his brain is screaming at him. He was taught a long time ago that there are people who don't just ask for favors, specifically strange women in bars, new recruits, and the big brass. But, the woman looks about the age his son should have been now and his chest constricts with the realization that he could have been sitting here drinking with him if things had turned out different.

"How can I help you, kid?" The glass is hitting the bar top just a little bit too hard again, the splinter in the glass growing a millimeter. It's quickly covered by the large pad of Cyclone's thumb.

"I- well, I'm supposed to be here celebrating my Mother's leg-legacy," Another sob-full hiccup breaks up her sentence. Cyclone waits patiently for her to finish. She wipes at the tip of her nose with the back of her hand.

"And, she really liked to shoot whiskey," The explanation is coming out too wet and not at all concise, but Beau is nodding along anyway. The woman is rubbing at her eyes again, this time with her fingertips. She carefully runs her nail along the underside of her waterline, trying to catch the new tears before they streak down her cheeks with the rest of them. It doesn't really work, or even if it does, Cyclone can't tell. New tears fill up the spaces the freshly wiped away ones once occupied.

Despite the unclear delivery, Cyclone gets the message. Ordering two double shots of Tennessee whiskey, his wife's favorite, Cyclone offers his best sympathetic smile to his new drinking companion. Then, as the whiskey is being poured and he is shuffling over to the bar stool next to hers. That one creaks and sways too, but he tries not to pay it too much mind.

"What's your name, kid?" There's that warmth again, breaking through the tightening feeling in his chest.

"Lieutenant Y/N "Monsoon" Mitchell," Monsoon raises her shot glass to Cyclone, offering him a nod. It's such an informal introduction but both are thankful for the lack of salute, the lack of military theatrics, tradition, that they are usually stuck to upholding. After all, what is tradition except peer pressure ringing through from years past.

Cyclone knows her, well, her name, this recruit- on paper at least. Suddenly he feels a bit worse for feeling less alone when he spotted her crying.

"Beau "Cyclone" Simpson," He raises his own glass, moving to tap them together. It's a risky move with the state of the glasses, each sporting chips in their rims and hairline fractures down their side. They share sullen, makeshift smiles, neither putting any sort of heart behind the expression. It's a knowing sort of thing, the look they share, one that says I won't say anything if you won't.

"To my Mama, Lieutenant Maria Davis, the best damn medic the USS Vinson ever saw," Monsoon's toast is simple, but she means every single word. Beau's mouth turns up at the corners, nodding to her in acknowledgment of a good job.

"And too my wife, June, and our baby boy, god rest their souls."

The bottoms of the glasses hit the table before the rim makes contact with their lips. The alcohol goes down with a burn, but it's a welcomed sensation. Anything feels better than swallowing grief and there's too much in the air right now. Cyclone chases the shot with a gulp of his beer. Monsoon doesn't. She rests the cool glass against her warm cheek, squeezing her eyes shut. It's a refreshing feeling, almost like she is being rinsed from the inside out.

The alcohol settles deep within them. She is buzzing, he is a bit queasy. Neither need to say a thing about it. It kind of feels like church- like a well spoken sermon where one sits in the pew the furthest from the crowed, tucked away in the back, poking holes in each lesson the preacher delivers. After all, it's not really God's plan, is it? More dumb luck than divine circumstance. Yet, they are both still there, sitting on stool that could give out at any moment as the lights above them buzz and the world feels a little smaller.

"I was watching the class today. You're a damn good pilot, Monsoon," Beau speaks after a few beats of silence, not quite sure what to say. Go with the truth, right? It would be rude to move back to his original seat, especially after the woman next to him just got control of her tears, so small talk is the next best option. She cracks her eyes open, trying to read the expression that follows the compliment. It looks genuine, if not a little proud, so she nods.

And then the world is a bit smaller, still.

"Thank you, Admiral, sir," She sets the glass down, gentler than he has done the whole night, "That means a lot, coming from such a talented pilot as yourself, sir."

And then Cyclone is chuckling, his chest vibrating. That feeling being the closest thing to godly he has felt in a long time, but it's more Zeus, more Jupitar, than it could have ever been God. Monsoon's words are so genuine and it catches him off guard. Most people who say something like that are trying to kiss his ass so hard that there they all but wear marks on the backside of his trousers.

"Are you getting excited to graduate? The ceremony is next week, right?" He asks, bringing his eyes back to the neon behind her. The light above them flickers, neither one acknowledging it. There is a sort of kinship between the way their souls feel and the state of the bar, where living feels like the flickering of a light, tonight.

"Sir?" The question comes with a tilt of her head, her fingers wrapping loosely around her beer. He watches the condensation drip down the glass, the water disappearing behind her fingertips.

"To graduate," he explains like it's the clearest thing, "To finish Top Gun,"

"Oh!" Monsoon almost chuckles, but her soul is too heavy. She settles on a small smile, as kind as she can manage.

"I don't graduate for another six weeks. Today just wrapped my seventh week here, but halfway done does feel good," He can tell she is holding something back with the way her eyes are pinched at the corners, the smiles on her lips straining a bit under her words. Monsoon looks like she almost doesn't believe the words that are leaving her own mouth, but when Cyclone catches her eyes again he can see that look again, I won't say anything if you won't.

"Oh," Beau's hand comes up to scratch the back of his neck, all of a sudden feeling like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "In that case, you are one of the best pilots I've ever seen,"

The words fall from his tongue like they are the simplest thing in the world. His eyebrows are still raised as he downs the rest of his beer. He contemplates Monsoon's career in his head, attempting to think back to files he knows are sitting on his desk, but the alcohol swirls the statistics together in his brain.

"Thank you, sir,"

"Is your father planning on coming to your graduation?" The question is so simple, the next plausible question after toasting to her Mother's life. Monsoon bristles at the question, her expression becoming impossibly more tight, pinched.

"He's uhm," The foam in the bottom of Monsoon's glass is the most interesting thing in the room. Tears are flooding her eyes again, and she's turning back to the shitty bar napkins in the even shittier dispenser. Cyclone knows his question hit a nerve based on how she is frantically pulling napkin after napkin out of the dispenser; and the Admiral's guilt swims to the surface. He is sure that the horizon of it can be seen in his iris's, if Monsoon were to look past the evident sadness that has made a home there. He's pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, blue in color and perfectly folded. He offers it to her and it's taken with a slightly shaky hand.

"M.I.A. or AWOL?" Cyclone asks. There's a bit of humor to his question that neither of them comment on.

"He went AWOL when I was seven," She doesn't take her eyes off the popping foam in the bottom of her glass, "Then I suppose he went M.I.A. three years later, when he stopped sending birthday cards,"

Cyclone hates the way her shrugs are all noncommittal and vaguely unbothered. He would have killed for a chance to raise his child, hell, he would move the Earth if that meant he even had a chance to do something. The fact that a man would walk out on his family, on his own child, it makes him sick. There is still something else Monsoon isn't saying; the way she chuckles is almost wax poetic with the way she rolls her eyes. Cyclone raises an eyebrow at her as he gestures to the bartended for two more on tap.

"I was in Admiral Kazansky's office today," She chuckles again, eyes glassy and unfocused. Cyclone slides the new beer over to her. He brings his up to his lips as she breathes deeply, trying to order the words together in her head, words she can't believe she is about to say out loud.

"There's a fucking picture of my father on his desk," Then she is downing the beer in quick, deep gulps. It's half gone before she sets it back down. Cyclone's brain is working on overdrive, swerving the hazy clouds of intoxication, searching for the mental picture of the Admiral's desk. Monsoon is chuckling in quiet disbelief, picturing the damn photo on his desk, her father and the Admiral shaking hands during their time at Top Gun. It makes her sick, really, but she doesn't need to say it based on the way her face feels, all contorted and ugly.

"I didn't even want to be a fucking pilot," Cyclone doesn't know if she is speaking to him anymore, or if the words are meant for her half empty glass. Hell, the way she speaks them they could be meant for the universe, for Khaos, for the air itself. There's a chip on that glass too, in the smooth side if of it, where it tapers down. He watches as Monsoon rubs her fingertip over it again and again and again.

"What did you want to do?" The question is leaving Cyclone's lips before he can stop it, common sense kicking in too slow. He is kicking himself.

Then, her thumb is stopping.

"I wanted to be a RIO," The glass is lifted to her lips again, her eyes rolling at the mere thought, "I wanted to fly with my Dad,"

The laughter that leave Monsoon's lips is dry as autumn air. Her lips crack too, under the stretch of her half hearted smile- one that holds no joy, it's all lukewarm and apathetic. He watches the skin of her lips crack and separate- it looks painful, and Cyclone has to fight not to grimace at the sight. Blood slowly begins to leak through the new flesh wound, bright red as it crests over the fullness of her bottom lip. He remembers watching the same thing happen to Maverick in the back of a helicopter as the wind whipped around them. But then, Maverick wore a truly joyous smile, one that rounded out his cheeks with a rosy hue that went deeper than the wind burn.

Then it hits Cyclone like a ton of bricks- like pulling 6 G's in a fucking barrel roll. Mitchell. This girl in front of him, this broken, fatherless girl is Pete Michell's kid. As if Cyclone needed another reason to hate the reckless man.

Beau wants to punch Pete Michell so hard that the only thing the man can make out in his field of vision is stars. Either the ones in the sky as he is planted with his back in the dirt, or the ones that would no doubt sparkle behind his eyelids. He wants to watch as the other man bleeds from the nose, the lip, the inside of his mouth. Cyclone can almost see the way the blood would pool in the spaces between Maverick's too white teeth, turning them a sickly vermilion. He would take a little too much pride watching the blood drip out of the corner of Pete's mouth, or down the crest of his chin.

Hell, Pete Michell, bloody, is a justified sight in Cyclone's book.

But that wouldn't help her right now. So Cyclone takes a breath, calming the flames of anger, of Hades that often lick at his legs, at his hands, whenever he so much as thinks about Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.

He's a bastard, that much is for sure. And it doesn't seem that Monsoon needs reminding of that fact.

"Well, kid," Beau is hunting, hurting for the right words, "If it's not wrong of me to say- your talents would have been wasted as a fucking RIO, especially for that son of a bitch," That gets Monsoon chuckling. She wants to ask if her grandmother was really that bad, but she doesn't make the joke. Though the laugh sounds a bit strangled as it untangles from the dense pain in her chest, Cyclone is happy to hear it. Something small swells in his heart at the sound.

Somewhere, deep in the cavernous spaces of his soul, a broken part of him feels like a father for the first time in years, even if it isn't exactly proper and the woman in front of him isn't his kid. Cyclone feels like a father, not even in a pseudo sense of the word, but truly like a father, and the feeling warms him from the inside out. It overtakes his whole body, leaving him almost buzzing.

Now it's his turn to chuckle. It's sour with pain and longing, but it's still there. Like joy is trying to crawl it's way out, lukewarm and dripping wet.

"Well, Admiral, sir," Monsoon's voice is a little lighter now, sweeter maybe. Cyclone is watching as she's pulling her coat over her shoulders, "Thank you for the favor, and the drink,"

She's nodding her head in the direction of the half full glass still dripping with condensation.

"Thank you for remembering them with me, too," They share a knowing smile, it's a little broken but it is still warm. Again, it's one of those I won't say anything if you won't looks shared between the pair. They lock eyes one last time before Monsoon is turning on her heel, ready to head right out of the front door.

For just a second Cyclone wonders if Monsoon will shudder with relief in the same way the new Top Gun recruits usually do, or if something as simple as that will effect such a skilled pilot. He wonders if anyone will be there for her on graduation day, or if she will be stuck alone in the seas of families and friends- just like he was all those years ago.

I won't say anything if you won't. Yeah, that's not a chance he's willing to take.

"Wait," Cyclone calls after Monsoon, his voice a little too loud and not at all hesitant enough. Monsoon chances a look back, confusion written into the furrow of her brows. He becons he back with a wave of his hand. Cyclone pulls a business card from his front pocket. "I am going TDY, but I should be back for your graduation," The words don't make sense to Monsoon, and neither does the card that he's presenting her between his two fingers. She is cocking her head to the side again, eyebrows furrowed. Cyclone tries to not notice how much she looks like her father.

He notices anyway.

"Email me, remind me of the date, and I'll be there," He is presenting her the card again with a shake of his wrist. Then, she reaches out, grabbing it with nervous fingers.

"Oh, uh-" There are new tears forming in Monsoon's eyes at the words, the card now swimming in her vision. "Thank you, sir,"

"Oh, better yet," Cyclone plucks the card from her fingertips, a move that may have been considered crass but Monsoon can't help but find a little bit funny. Cyclone quickly scribbles down a phone number in messy loops of blue ink, the numbers taking up a little too much room on the back side of the card. Then, he blows on it carefully to make sure the ink won't smudge before handing the card back out to her in the same manner as before.

"Text me the reminder, so it doesn't get lost in my email," Cyclone's smile is so kind and there is a ribbon of hope, a glimmer, really, shinning through the lightest parts of his irises. Monsoon can barely hold back her tears at the sight, and so the card becomes the most interesting thing in the room, held between her shaking fingertips. "You deserve to have a parent there, kid,"

Those are the last words they share that night. They don't need to say anything else. After all, how do you explain the want to stand in as a lost family member? Beau would never admit just how much he's dying for a kid to support, to cheer on and celebrate. Monsoon knows the feeling too, the want to be a daughter who isn't seen as an inconvenience, a burden.

The next time they see each other, Cyclone is sitting in the front row at her Top Gun graduation, a small bouquet of calla lilies on his lap. There is a proud smile on his face and the moment Monsoon sees it there are tears in her eyes. She wonders if this is the feeling she had been missing out on, a father's pride, his love. She tries not to dwell on it, even as walks across that stage.

When the pair meet in the crowd, Cyclone doesn't hesitate to pull her into a hug, one that may not have been professional or regulated, but he feels a weight come off her shoulders the moment he pulls her in. He feels a little more whole too. The hug is short, quick, really, but there are tears in both of their eyes when they pull back.

Cyclone has so much pride for her, and God, Monsoon can feel it. From the way he beams at her to the way he shoves a camera into the hands of his battle buddy, tucking her under his arm. Both clad in dress uniform, posing for the camera as she holds the flowers against her chest to try and quell the beating of her heart. They both sport tears in their eyes, cheeks round and plump red as they smile too wide.

That photo makes onto his desk a week later, displayed in a beautiful mahogany frame.

USS Stennis. Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Four Years before the organization of the Dagger Squad.

The first time Monsoon calls him Pops, it's an accident. She got shipped out to an aircraft carrier somewhere in the Pacific. The tour is lonely. She doesn't know the team, the group who have been stationed there for the last six months, and they weren't overly keen on the 'new girl'. Monsoon made it through three months before she started to feel like a part of the team. It's a conscious choice, really, to keep working at fitting in. But in the end that team, those people, they aren't her family and they aren't going to remember her after she ships back stateside.

Emails to and from Cyclone kept her going, as he reassured her that life on the carrier isn't easy on anyone. He urges her to try and make better friends with those who hold a more permanent position on the vessel, so she does her best to take the newbies under her wing. If she wasn't welcomed, that was out of her control, but she can sure as hell make sure that the newbies are.

The plan starts off a little rough, the new sailors unsure of the overly friendly Lieutenant amongst the standoffish seasoned crew of the vessel. But days turn to weeks, trust is earned and the long days and nights onboard get easier to swallow.

Then, Cyclone gets shipped out to the carrier for a briefing. He can't help the rumble of excitement that tracks through him. He might get to see Monsoon, his kid, and he's going to do everything in his power to track her down on board. 

There is too much joy on his features as he touches down on the carrier. Too much joy for the briefing he is getting ushered into. It drags on longer than necessary as they hash and rehash out plans for missions. He knows he should care, he really does, but it's not like people's lives are on the line this mission. It's all practice runs and jet maintenance, and how could anyone expect him to focus when his kid is on the same vessel and he is just fucking sitting there. Cyclone barely sits still, knowing the clock is ticking down on his time aboard and if this meeting goes on any longer than planned he is going to miss his chance to see Monsoon.

Around suppertime, Monsoon is heading to the canteen, desperate for some sort of nourishment. It has been a long day, trial after trial, and thankfully for her, she's fairing better than some of her other wingmen. At least she hasn't puked over the side of the carrier since her first week aboard.

She guides one of the newer pilots, Story, down the stairs from the flight deck, her stomach rumbling as they go. The new Lieutenant on board hot on her heels as they make their way down the stairs.

"I know, Story, but you're going to get through this," Monsoon's voice is low as they wind their way through the tight hallways of the lower decks. "You're a good pilot, there is nothing you can't do. So what if you need a little more practice. That's why we're out here, right?"

The younger man hums in agreement, disappointment scribbled all over his face. They are both coated in sweat, Monsoon's hair sticking to her sweat soaked skin. She craves a shower almost as much as she craves food. Her body is weighed down with flight fatigue as she drags her feet.

The halls of the ship begin to smell more and more like hot biscuits and butter the closer they get to the mess hall. Their stomach's rumble in unison at the smell wafting down the hallway. Monsoon is rounding the corner with her front turned towards Story, not bothering a glance in the direction her feet are heading. A second later, her back meets a hard body, a grunt coming out of her mouth at the impact.

Story goes white at the sight of his new friend running straight into an Admiral. Monsoon doesn't like the look on his face, he looks like he's just seen a ghost, or maybe prophesied a murder. So she turns around slowly, so, so slowly. Her eyes are scrunched as she turns. There is already an apology on her lips as Monsoon peeks to see just exactly who she just ran into.

Eyes go wide, and smiles break out over their faces.

The need for food, a hot shower, and sleep dissipate from her body as she looks up at the man in front of her, joy overtaking.

"Pops!" The name comes out a little too quick, catching them both of guard. Monsoon's cheeks flush dark with embarrassment, realizing what she just said and who she just said it to. Without warning, Cyclone is pulling Monsoon into his chest, wrapping her into a warm, tight hug, just the kind of hug a Dad would give.

"Hey Kiddo,"

TAG LIST

@its-the-pilot

@t4medicroe

@inkandarsenic

[jackiequick]

I’m Already Gone | Top Gun Maverick Fanfic 📄

Pairing: Bradley Bradshaw & Jennifer Mitchell

Summary: It happened in a blink, it happened in a flash, as that night ran cold and old as she had ever seen. What happened that night the papers were pulled? Heartbreak.

Timeline: Post Top Gun—Pre Top Gun Maverick

Characters mentioned: Pete Maverick Mitchell, Tom Kazansky, Carole Bradshaw, Dane Bradshaw, Austin Mitchell and etc

Song inspired fic: Already Gone by Sleeping At Last

——

It wasn’t supposed to end like this.

In tears.

Sore throats from all the screaming and crying at 3 in the morning.

But it did.

Here’s what happened…

…it was a cold decision based night at The North Island. Pete was out pulling an all nighter, Austin was at Dane’s house doing god knows what and Jennifer was alone. At home, getting calls every few hours from her father to see how she was doing.

To be honest, she was doing fine. It was a rare occasion for the house to be quiet that late at night, usually there was some kind of noise being heard across the halls. Either from the boys or one of her friends.

But tonight, it was pure silence. You can hear the windows cracking from the drips of water outside, the sound of the wooden floor creek every once in a while, and the rumbling of car engines driving past the streets right outside her door. In the living room, she can hear it all too well.

It felt like a odd film she was placed in but she didn’t expect to be thrown in.

Her one thoughts were about Bradley. She knew he was sorta stressing the past few days about getting into the academy and proceeded in his dreams of becoming a pilot. She knew from stories that he always wanted to fly, just like his father Goose and unofficial uncle Maverick.

But Jennifer also knew the concept of events and consequences coming into that role. Deployment across the country, flying into dangerous territory, long distance trips from home and safe housing wasn’t always the best for pilots. Usually in secure parking areas but still.

A part of her wasn’t sure if she was ready to give that up yet, not having Bradley around everyday.

She didn’t know if she wanted that for herself either. She loved the idea of being in the air, cool tricks and taking a knowledgeable look at the world from the cockpit of your plane, it was a rush you can only imagine. But she loved being on the groundwork for things too, surrounded by family and friends. Teammates.

Jenny decided that whatever happens with that paperwork, she will be happy for him. It will hurt to see him leave her to go fly out into the world but she loves him either way…

Jennifer cleared her thoughts turning down the lights on the first floor and headed upstairs to her bedroom, free falling onto the mattress as she climbed underneath the covers, deciding to get some rest. It was late. Midnight. And she was still awake. So laying her eyelids shut for now, she curled up against the pillows and slowly nodded off.

~~~~

Remember all the things we wanted

Now all our memories, they're haunted

We were always meant to say goodbye

~~~~

The next moment happened in a flash, gently being awakened by the sound of footsteps on the first floor and small grunts. She couldn’t tell if that was her father’s footsteps or not, but just for precaution Jenny swiftly escaped the bed and grabbed the baseball bat from behind her door as she walked downstairs.

Even though she was groggy from sleep she held the baseball bat in her grip tightly, ready to swing at the figure she found in the kitchen sipping a glass of water. It confused her as she squeezed her eyes a couple of time, trying to wake herself up swinging a hit at the tall fellow who ducked.

It took Jenny a second to realize who it was, hearing a gulp a second later.

“Bradley?!” She asked, lowering her bat a bit.

“Yes? Who else do you think it is?” He exclaimed, sounding annoyed.

“S-sorry..w-what in heavens are you doing here it..it’s 2 in the morning.”

“Couldn’t sleep. Don’t worry I’ll be gone and out of your hair soon.”

“No? You came here for something..what was it?”

“I was looking for you and Maverick.”

“Why? What did i do?”

~~~~

Even with our fists held high

It never would have worked out right, yeah

We were never meant for do or die

~~~

Instead of saying a word, Bradley handed Jenny a slip of paper that seemed to be a bit wet and crumbled at the corners. It was at the same time, she noticed the look on his face. His hair was wetter than expected, patched of droplets over the shoulders of his shirt as his sweater lay on the chair next to the kitchen table and he was wearing sweatpants.

He had small bags under his eyes. His eyes were dropped onto her hands, as if he wanted to hold her.

To tell the truth, Bradley was craving from physical touch from her in the smallest way, shape or form. He has been a wreck all of a sudden after recycling that letter from the bin at home, that he grumped and threw away. He didn’t want to believe the words said on that paper, nor the fact that his suspicions were correct.

But a part of him told him they were.

He watched as Jenny read the letter, her expression changing every once in a millisecond from shock to sorrow all wrapped into one. He noticed her biting her bottom lip for a moment, as if she’s trying to take it all in with a scoff. A hint of a ever so tiny half smile was tugged at her lips, it was quickly changed but it was there.

He saw it.

Finally after a deep breath of silence waters, she looked up at him, her fingertips playing with the edges of the paper.

“I’m sorry Bradley..” She said in a soft whisper, as if she was gonna wake up a dog within the house, “..I know how much you wanted to fly..”

“I can’t do that now..” He replied with a soft haze voice, looking away for a second.

“You can always apply again, right? I mean, dad can pull a strings to have your application be seen early or maybe Ice do it?…”

“No. Don’t even mention Maverick.”

“Brad, honey, it’s not the end of the world. You will get other chances..i know you will.”

“Not with Maverick around.”

“W-what?”

~~~

I didn't want us to burn out

I didn't come here to hurt you now

I can't stop

~~~

He sighed and scoffed, “Jen, baby, don’t play dumb with me right now. You may be saying all of this but i don’t believe you. We both know how much you want me to stay here, we discuss it before!”

“That was a while ago! Yes it will take some time getting used to..b-but I wouldn’t stop you from flying!..wait you think i had something to do with this?” She asked, soften her gaze at the question.

“Did you? I mean it wouldn’t be the first time you pulled a stunt like that to protect me.”

“No. No, no, no! I-i would not do that. You can trust me on knowing that I wouldn’t go behind your back for that.”

“Jen..you are the closest person here to know if something that was up..d-did you have a feeling this would happen?”

“..I honestly don’t know. But you don’t get to come into my house in the middle of the night and accuse me for such a thing.” 

“Did you know that Mav would do this?”

“I..no. H-he would’ve pulled my papers too..”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he does or, he already did it and you just don’t know it yet! Maverick Mitchell has always been shown to be my biggest supporter but all of a sudden he pulls something like this? And the fact that i don’t know if i should believe you right now is what ticks me off.”

“Bradley wait..”

“I..you didn’t think i saw that little smile as you read the paper? Huh?!”

~~~

I want you to know

That it doesn't matter

Where we take this road

Someone's gotta go

~~~

Jen wouldn’t admit it but she did smile reading the whole thing, she didn’t want him to leave just yet especially at this young of an age. Tears slowly being welcomed into the corner of her eyes came despite on request.

But she wanted him to fly, enjoy his life even if she left to pick up the pieces at home.

“Okay, maybe i did smile, huh? Cause i don’t want to see you go or worse, have you slip away from my fingers the second you get the green light to do so?!” She yelled, as her temper started to reach up her back.

“I’m not going to leave you!” He replies back, with furrow eyebrows.

“You don’t know that! Austin’s planning on flying like dad, Dane wants to go into engineering planes and high tech jets! You’ve been ready to fly past the 7 seas since you were 8…i just thought maybe..maybe this was a sign that we will be alright..that i don’t have to say goodbye, yet..so yeah, blame me. Go ahead!”

“..blame you?”

“Mhm. Blame me..since you need someone to yell at..”

“Jen..i don’t..I don’t know what to think, okay? B-but I’m..The Navy is my dream, i always wanted to fly..but I can’t wrap my head around not knowing if I actually really got a chance to be there..and i want you there..with me.”

“Then why have you been so busy and in a hurry to get out?..but..not once have you mentioned about it was gonna be us there..just you. You alone, Brad.”

“It always occurred to me that you would be there..”

“It occurred to you that i would just be there with you?! W-what I didn’t want to?..i love you, Bradley, i do and I understand why you feel this way about everything but..there has to be something else right? Why are you in a hurry to get out?”

~~~

And I want you to know

You couldn't have loved me better

But I want you to move on

So I'm already gone

~~~

Bradley was silent at the question being repeated. He looked down, as his eyes finally watered. The sound of his sniffles could be heard as clear as day.

She can only guess the reason.

It’s been a less than a hectic year since his mother died. Carole Bradshaw death recked everyone. Leaving a painful scar in the family’s overall built, where it still felt a fresh opened wound.

She was like a mother to Jenny. Treating her with as much love, care and compassion than anyone can ever imagine. Hugs and kisses among all of the kids as her smile can light up the whole night sky.

And her laughter bringing souls together in a lifespan, just wanting to dance around the room. From her sass, to her wit and gossipy cheer.

“..my parents.” Bradley simply said, almost choking on the words.

“..Goose and Carole..that’s why you fight to hurry and fly..to chance that wish to be there..in the there with them.” She answered, looking away.

“Is it bad..? Is it so bad i want to touch the clouds like my dad did and come home to your waiting arms?”

“No..it’s not. It’s a dream but..I don’t know how long i can take waiting for you to come home..w-what if you don’t come home? A-a-an-and i get a knock on the door from a solider with—”

“Don’t. Don’t finish that sentence, Jennifer. It’s not gonna happen! I will come home, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to take the risk to see the world and be a pilot. You know that right?”

She walked away from the kitchen and into the living room as she sighed, “Here we go again..”

“What?” He asked, followed behind her.

“Again with the whole pilot talk! I get that, you want to be like your father but there is more to life than just flying Bradley!”

~~~

Looking at you makes it harder

But I know that you'll find another

That doesn't always make you wanna cry

Started with a perfect kiss

Then we could feel the poison set in

Perfect couldn't keep this love alive

~~~

~~~

You know that I love you so

I love you enough to let you go

~~~

He raised an eyebrow and scoffed loudly, “You’re serious? If it was anyone else, i would say you’re possibly right but you’re father is Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell. If anything you know better than anyone how important that is!”

“And what if it isn’t?!” She spin around and yelled back, with a glare having enough.

“You’re hilarious.”

“I’m being serious!”

“You don’t get it, do you?”

“No, you don’t get it. I understand you very well and i love you for everything you stand for..but what if it’s short lived? I can’t watch you die, Bradley..I understand you’re mad at my father, you’re more than hurt and you might not trust what I’m saying right now but a part of me knows I’m sure..”

“..w-what are you saying? That your right here and I’m wrong? Cause i do get it! And I’m more than mad right now, I’m furious but whatever happens next..that’s my decision to make, Jen. I need you to know that.”

“..okay. I’m just trying to protect you Bradley but I won’t be there when you yell in my dad’s face tomorrow for pulling your papers..i want you to be okay.”

~~~

I want you to know

That it doesn't matter

Where we take this road

Someone's gotta go

~~~

At this point, her eyes were patchy with tears and her nose was reddish as she watched his face changed.

They were both on two different ends of the slightly aggressive disagreement. The two each had their reasons and doesn’t matter how many times they had to repeat them, until they got a point.

It was late.

They have been screaming and yelling at one another.

Their eyes were puffy and throats were dry, sore even.

Yes, they both wanted to touch the sky from the seat of their cockpits but they their reason weather or not to do so. Of course Jennifer wanted to fly just as bad as he did. But her fears and experiences from the family held her back.

The long distance trips, deployment, people she cared about dying young and old, and the navy not always living up to their truth.

She looked down at her necklace Bradley gave her months back on Valentine’s Day as a present, taking a deep breath removing it from her grasp and watching his face as she did.

Bradley’s eye furrowed in fear, annoyance and grief. His eyes flickered between every single way but meeting her gaze. He gulped, as the finger he used to point at her dropped and hesitated to raise again.

He shook his head, blinking twice walking forward in strives as his face said it all. He reminded himself at that moment how much love and respect he had for her, realizing how he basically bashed her more than once.

He didn’t mean to be this way. But watching her remove that single piece of jewelry he gave her the year before his mother died, the one was supposed to be used as a promise to her.

Well, it hurt.

~~~

And I want you to know

You couldn't have loved me better

But I want you to move on

So I'm already gone

I'm already gone

Already gone

You can't make it feel right

When you know that it's wrong

~~~

“W-what are you doing? J-Jen don’t. Please, don’t.” He said, standing in front of her glancing at the clock, “..i love you. Don’t do this.”

She sucked in a breath and held out the necklace, “I know you do. But I can’t hold you back. As much as we love one another, and will always be in each other’s lives..right now, we can’t.”

“I want you!”

“You want to fly.”

“I want both!”

“You want to have it all but it can’t happen right now. I can’t be the one holding you back..”

“Jen please..I’m begging you. I’m sorry, we can work it out!”

“Not with your anger and pride taking over..”

“T-think about this! You’re making a mistake here, Jen. I can’t let you be gone.”

“I’m already gone.”

“You’ll regret this!”

“And so will you.”

~~~

I'm already gone

Already gone

There's no moving on

So I'm already gone

Already gone

Already gone

Ooh, oh

Already gone

Already gone

Already gone, yeah

~~~

Bradley didn’t say another word, closing the gap between them as he looped a finger underneath her chin and pressed a kiss onto her cheek.

He felt a salty tear run down her cheek and reach his fingertips wiping the other way. The other hand took the necklace from grasping palm, fumbling with the chain for a moment.

Jennifer wrapped her around his middle and pressed her face against his neck huffing, holding back a sob as she ran her fingers across his golden brown curls.

She kissed his cheek and then forehead gazing softly into his eyes. He half smiled, leaning into her touch and hummed.

She didn’t want to say goodbye either, but she could bare to witness this any further than what thoughts appeared in her heard. The hint of his cologne entered her nose as she sighed deeply.

Both didn’t want to pull away from another’s light grip.

~~~~

Remember all the things we wanted

Now all our memories, they're haunted

We were always meant to say goodbye

I want you to know

That it doesn't matter

Where we take this road

Someone's gotta go

~~~~

Bradley was the first to pull away noticing the white letters on the coffee table, one being addressed to her as he picked it up.

He signaled for her to open it. He knew she didn’t like to open mail late at night but he couldn’t leave without knowing she got in or not.

Either way, he will comfort her.

She hesitated for a moment, shaking her head but her actions speaker louder than words as she ripped opened the letter to expect something different yet familiar.

Her eyes ran across the page, handing it to Bradley as she gasped, hovering a hand over mouth. He read it quickly, eyesore scanning the sheet of paper to only sigh.

Same as him. She didn’t exactly get in.

The only thing he did was held Jenny in his arms, rubbing her shoulder as she let out a sob she was holding back. Tears rolled down his own face, baring his face into her hair mumbling a few things as they both sucked onto the couch.

No words were said, just soften noises escaped their lips. Resting her head against his chest, as he hummed staring at the wall.

Once again, their throats were sorely lacking as their faces remained dried up with fallen tear stains.

3 am.

They have been doing this for an entire hour.

Closed to almost 3:29am when Bradley stood up from the couch, resting a blanket across Jenny’s body.

Her eyes were nodding off as she whispered a soft, “..i love you..”

“I love you too..” He replied pressing a kiss to her forehead, “..get some rest.”

“You too..please?”

“I will..”

Without a second later, he walked out of the house with a small sigh and looked up at the sky that shined only a few stairs.

She reached over to the small lamp turning it off as her eyelids finally dropped, nuzzling against the throw pillow with a slight sigh.

~~~

And I want you to know

You couldn't have loved me better

But I want you to move on

So I'm already gone

~~~

~~~

~~~

-> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the fic tell me what did you think about in the comments below.

-> Remember to like, share and reblog for more stuff like this!

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[ofstoriesandstardust]

winner takes all

or: How Ice became Rebel’s godfather

like father, like daughter masterlist

warnings: this takes place during the brief time Ice and Mav worked at Top Gun together, a little angsty, Mav doubts if he’s good enough for his daughter but it’s brief, icemav if you squint because i’ve got an agenda

word count: 1.3k

He raps on the door of his co-instructor’s office. "Ice.” 

The blond lifts his head from the paperwork he’s looking over, grinning when he sees him. “Hey Mitchell. Headed out for the day?” 

He nods, taking a tentative step into the room. “Yeah, I just had a quick question for you about my kiddo.” 

Ice chuckles, putting his pen into the holder on the desk. “How’s she doing?” 

Maverick shrugs. “Pretty good. Lost her first tooth yesterday, so we got a visit from the tooth fairy last night.” 

“Good for the little rascal. Well, what’s your question?” 

“Do you want- Well, would you- Would you be her godfather?” 

He finds himself unable to keep Ice’s eyes, falling to the clock behind him as it falls silent in the room. The longer Ice takes to respond, each second ticking by, he scrambles to pull himself together, to apologize for asking, to forget about it-

“What would she need a godfather for? She’s got you.” Ice says, standing up from his desk. He shrugs, averting his gaze to the floor. 

“You know, I just- I just want to know that if something happens to me-”

“Nothing’s going to happen to you.” Ice says firmly, a finality in his tone he usually can’t argue with. 

He continues on like Ice didn’t say anything. “-and I don’t come back down, she’s got someone on the ground to take care of her and I can’t really put that kind of ask on Carole, not after-” He stops, swallowing. “Well, she loves you anyways, so you felt like the obvious choice.” 

“Where’s her mother? She shouldn’t she be around for this kind of thing?” He says with a wave of his hand. 

That earns Ice his gaze, scowling as he raises his head. “I hope Natalie never comes back into the picture, because if she does it’s going to be because she’s trying to take my daughter from me.” 

Ice is silent again and Maverick watches the minutes tick by, growing more uncomfortable with the time that passes every second. 

“Look, don’t feel pressured to say yes or anything, you don’t even have to- to think about it.” He pauses as his eyes flicker back to Ice, the tall man frowning. “Actually, forget I asked.” 

-

The doorbell rings. 

“Brad, that’s Ice, would you go grab it?” He asks, the vegetables sizzling on the stove. The boy nods, slipping off the chair, Hardy Boys book in hand. It’s only a few more minutes before Ice appears in the kitchen doorway, Bradley’s nose still tucked into his book. 

“Guess, I’m not worth saying hi to anymore.” He chuckles. 

Maverick shakes his head. “Don’t mind him, he’s had his head in that thing since we left the library this afternoon.” 

“Uncle Icee!” His kid screeches and Ice turns, barely catching the toddler barricading into his knee. Ice reaches down, picking her up as a wide grin spreads across his face. 

“Hi kiddo. You’re awfully dirty.” He glances up from the food on the stove to see his kid covered in dirt. Her hands, which look oddly sticky, make messy work of pushing her hair out of her face. 

“Playing pirate outside with Batman.” He hears the dog in question come in through the sliding glass door of the Bradshaw home, Carole following. She appears in the kitchen doorway a moment later. 

“Hi Tom.” She says, offering him a warm smile. 

“Hi Carole. How are you?” 

“Good. Mav, you're burning the broccoli. Move.” She grabs the spatula out of his hand, nudging him away from the stove and he follows, leaning up against the opposite countertop as Ice watches his kid chatter excitedly, an enthusiastic smile on his face he nods along. 

As Carole finishes the food, his daughter tugs Ice to the table, demanding he sit right next to her. 

He quietly observes the way Ice goes willingly, the way Ice listens to everything she has to say, and even eats the broccoli off her plate so she doesn’t have to. 

“He give you an answer yet?” Carole whispers as they watch their kids help Ice clean up dinner, Ice insisting he do the dishes since they cooked for him. 

He shakes his head. “I wish he would. He’d be good for her.” 

Carole sighs, looking at him. “Not any better than you are for her, Mav.” He shrugs and Carole sighs again. “Oh c’mon Mav, that girl loves you and she would be lost without you.”

He tilts his head, conceding to her words. “She needs someone who can look after her and I can’t give her that. You know I don’t want to stay at Miramar-” 

“Mom! Can we have a sleepover?” Bradley asks as Ice lifts him up to sit on the counter next to his daughter. “Please! Tt’s Saturday and I want to stay up watching Scooby Doo cartons.” 

Carole shrugs. “Up to Mav.”

He sighs, shooting the woman a glare. “Why do I have to be the bad guy?” 

“Dad!” His daughter whines, pouting. He sighs as Ice chuckles, all knowing he folds anytime she makes those eyes at him. 

“Honey, you’re filthy.” 

She shrugs. “So?”

“So I’m not going to let you dirty up Carole’s house. Plus, I’m sure Ice wants to get out here.” 

“Don’t drag me into this Mitchell.” Ice says, pointing a soapy fork at him. 

“How about this? We go home and get you a bath and next Saturday you and Brad can have a sleepover then?” 

His daughter sighs, crossing her arms. “Fineee.”

-

There’s a sharp knock on his office door. “Mitchell.” 

He glances up from the box he’s packing. “Hey Ice.” 

“Hear you’re leaving.” 

He shrugs, avoiding eye contact with the man. “You know how it is, head in the clouds, all that.”

“I’ll do it.” 

He pauses, toy airplane Bradley had given him sitting heavy in his hand. “Do what?” 

“I’ll be her godfather.” 

He shakes his head, setting the plane down in the box. “You don’t gotta do that just cause I’m leaving Ice. She’s in good hands, Carole’s watching her. Bradley’s thrilled.” 

“You’re right that she needs someone on the ground looking out for her.” 

He shrugs, setting the lid on top of the box. “It’s still a huge ask. I shouldn’t have asked that of you.” 

“Do you not want me to be her godfather?” Ice says with a frown. 

He’s quiet for a moment, eyes remaining on the wooden desk. Finally, he sighs. “You’re good for her Ice. And she loves you so much.” 

“Maverick, I adore your daughter and I have ever since she dubbed me Uncle Icee at Goose’s funeral.” Ice takes a tentative step into the room. “But I am not her father and I would never take that from you.” 

“I know.” 

Because he does, knows Ice loves his kid, loves Bradley, but he would never overstep. 

But sometimes he wishes he would. Overstep, fight him for his daughter, because Lord knows Ice could give everything he can’t to his daughter. 

“Maverick, raising a kid isn’t just about being the best parent all of time. It's about doing right by your kids, making sure they’re growing up happy and loved and safe.” Ice takes another step closer to him. “Is she happy?” 

“She is.” 

“Is she safe?” 

“Of course.” 

“Is she loved?”

“Absolutely.” 

“Then you’re doing enough for your kid.” 

He gives the man a watery chuckle. “When’d you get so smart about all this parenting shit, huh?” 

Ice claps him on the back. “Gotta stay single to impart all my wisdom on to you.” Ice sighs, his hand falling from his back. “I’ll be her godfather on the condition that you do right by your kid in always coming home.” Ice fixes him with a stare. “Your daughter deserves to grow up with her father. Don’t lose yourself so much up there that you don’t come back down here.” 

Ice’s words stay with him the rest of his life. 

[spinningelectro]

Mark my word Hangster's kid's first word would be Tom Kazansky like that baby Boo in Monster Inc. movie that yells "MIKE WAZOWSKI" every time the cyclop shortie comes up.

[hangmansgbaby]

Songbird P R O L O G U E

Masterlist

"This is what I call a target-rich environment." Maverick smiles as they walk through the bar, their white naval uniforms on.

"You live your life between your legs, Mav." Goose replies to him.

"Goose, even you could get laid in a place like this." Mav smiles patting his back 

"I'm telling you, I'd be happy to find a girl who'd talk dirty to me." Goose replies walking up to the bar counter. He looks up and spots a pilot from earlier. "Mav, you want to know who the best is? That's him. Iceman. That's the way he flies, ice-cold, no mistakes. Just wears you down. You get bored, frustrated, do something stupid, and he's got you." Goose points out taking a swig of his beer before turning around. "Hey, hey, Slider. Thought you wanted to be a pilot, man. What happened?" Goose asks, playing with Slider's badges.

"Goose, you're such a dickhead. Whose butt did you kiss to get in here?" Slider questions.

"Well, the list is long but distinguished." Goose jokes.

"Yeah, well, so is my johnson." Slider returns, downing a shot.

"So you're flying with Iceman?" Goose asks.

"It's Mr Iceman to you." Slider bounces back.

"Hey, Mother Goose. How's it going?" Iceman says, shaking hands with Goose.

"Good, Tom." Goose shakes before introducing Maverick. "This is Pete Mitchell. Tom Kazansky."

"Congratulations on Top Gun." Iceman replies, turning to Pete.

"Thank you." Peter shakes his hand.

"Sorry to hear about Cougar. He and I were like brothers in flight school. He was a good man." Tom tells him.

"Still is a good man." Pete says.

"Yeah, that's what I meant." Tom replies.

"Thought so."

"Say, you need any help?" Tom asks Pete.

"With what?" Pete asks.

"You figured it out yet?" Tom questions, a smile on his face.

"What's that?"

"Who's the best pilot?" Tom smiles.

"No, I think I can figure that one out on my own." Peter returns.

"I heard that about you. You like to work alone."

"Mav, you must've soloed under a lucky star? I mean, first the MiG, and then you guys slide into Cougar's spot."

"We didn't slide into Cougar's spot. It was ours, okay?" Goose interjects.

"Yeah, well, some pilots wait their whole career just to see a MiG up close. Guess you guys are lucky and famous?" Slider takes another shot.

"No, you mean notorious. I'll see you later." Tom tells Maverick and Goose before him and Slider walk away.

"You can count on it." Pete replies. 

"They were abused children." Goose tells Pete.

"We're gonna have a good time." Pete smiles, clinking bottles with Goose.

"Always." Goose smiles before both take a drink.

"Okay, I guess it's my turn, isn't it?" Maverick says as a couple of girls smile and wave at him and Goose.

"All right, the bet is $20." Goose directs.

"$20." Pete nods.

"Right. You have to have carnal knowledge of a lady this time on the premises." Goose gives Pete.

"On the premises." Pete looks across the bar to see a blonde woman sit down, he smiles in her direction.

"Come on, Mav. A bet's a bet." Goose pushes, spotting who Maverick is looking at.

"I don't know, it just... It just doesn't seem fair. For you, I mean. But..." Pete places his hand on Goose's shoulder. "...she's lost that loving feeling."

"She's lost... No, she hasn't."

"Yes, she has."

"She has not lost that..."

"Goose, she's lost it." Pete walks away picking up a microphone.

"Mav. Come on." Goose follows him. "I hate it when she does that. Shit."

"Excuse me, miss." Pete taps the girl on her shoulder.

"Hey, hey, hey." Goose jumps between them with his aviators on. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this." 

"You never close your eyes any more, when I kiss your lips."Pete starts to sing.

"There's no tenderness, like before in your fingertips." Goose sings as the two boys rock back and forth snapping.

"You're trying hard not to show it." Pete sings.

"Baby but, baby Believe me I know it You've lost that loving feeling Whoa, that loving feeling You've lost that loving feeling Now it's gone, gone, gone Whoa, whoa, whoa Ba-doom, ba-doom ba-doom boom boom ba-doom." the whole bar starts singing along.

The girl smiles and nods to the seat next to her. "Sit down." Everyone cheers and claps as Pete takes a seat.

"Ba-doom ba-doom boom boom Ba-doom, ba-doom... Baby, baby get down on my knees for you Ba-doom, ba-doom Ba-doom boom boom."

"I love that song. I've never seen that approach." The girl smiles facing Pete. "How long have you two been doing this act?" She asks.

"Oh, I don't know, since..." Pete tries to come up with an excuse.

"Puberty?" She questions.

"Right, puberty." Pete laughs.

"I'm Charlotte Blackwood." She smiles.

"I'm Maverick." He introduces himself.

"Maverick? Did your mother not like you or something?" She laughs.

"No, it's my callsign."

"You're a pilot." She gasps.

"That's right, a naval aviator." He replies, matter of factly. 

"Oh." She nods.

"No, actually, we've only done this, twice." He tells her.

"Oh, how'd you do?"

"Well truthfully, I got my little girl out of the first. Not much else." Pete nods. 

"And second?" Charlie asks.

"I don't know. I'll tell you tomorrow. But it's looking good so far."

"Well, uh, Maverick, my friend's just arrived, so it's been great talking to you." She turns to her friend and hands him her things. "Oh, I'll be with you in just a second, okay?" She turns back to Pete. "Listen, can I ask you a personal question?"

"That depends."

"Are you a good pilot?"

"I can hold my own." Pete answers

"Great. Then I won't have to worry about you making your living as a singer." She smiles and walks away from him.

"I'm gonna need a beer to put these flames out. Yo! Great, Mav. Real slick." Pete sighs, taking a drink from his bottle. He notices her get up from the booth and walk to the bathroom and he follows her immediately after she makes eye contact with him.

"It was a long cruise, was it, sailor?" She asks, washing her hands.

"It was too long." He smiles walking up to her.

"What did you wanna do, just drop right down on the tile and go for it?"

"No, I actually had," he tests the durability of the bathroom counter, "had this counter in mind."

"Great, that would be very, very comfortable. Yeah." She says, throwing away the paper towel.

"It could be." He smiles moving closer. "Actually, I came in here to save you from making a big mistake with that older guy."

"Really?" Charlotte asks. "So I could go on to a bigger one with a young guy like yourself?"

"Maybe. No?"

"I've gotta be at work very early in the morning." She turns to walk away.

"Then what are you doing here?" He asks following her.

A few moments later she walks by Goose who sits at the bar with a beer.

"Your friend was magnificent." She tells him, walking by. Pete walks up to stand beside him as Goose looks between his best friend and Charlotte's retreating figure. Maverick holds a smug smirk on his face.

"Nah. Nah."

"You still awake?" Goose asks, walking into Maverick's place.

"Yeah. What's up?" Maverick asks.

"Can't sleep." Goose says sitting on the arm of one of the chairs. "You know, when I first realised that we were going to Top Gun, all I could think about was getting that trophy." He sighs. "I gotta be straight with you, Mav. Right now, I just hope we graduate. I got a family to think about. I can't afford to blow this." Goose sighs. "Hell, you've got that little girl to think about."

"Yeah, I guess that flyby wasn't such a big hit, huh?" Maverick laughs lightly.

"Look, man, I know it's tough for you. They wouldn't let you in the academy because you're Duke Mitchell's kid and you have to live with that reputation. But it's like every time we go up there, it's like you're flying against a ghost. It makes me nervous." Goose tells him, pausing before he continues. "Ya know, she's turning into you day by day. Carole called me and I could hear her in the background tell Carole that she wants to fly like you. You gotta change the Mitchell reputation, otherwise she's gonna struggle like you are."

"I know," Pete sighs. "Ya know you're the only family I've got, right? I appreciate what y'all have done for us. I'm not gonna let you down. I promise you." Goose laughs before getting up to leave. "Get out of here." Goose leaves and Maverick goes back to thinking about the days events. The hop, breaking the hard deck, Viper's words. 

"Lieutenant Mitchell. Top Gun rules of engagement exist for your safety and for that of your team. They are not flexible, nor am I. Either obey them or your history."

He sighs, turning out the lights before going to bed.

"This music." Pete smiles listening to it in the Sun Room of Charlie’s home.

"An old friend?" Charlie asks, sitting down after turning on the music.

"My folks loved it. I haven't heard this in years. My mother used to call down from her room and have me play this over and over again. I got so sick of it. But not her, she... Just sit up there alone, just listening, hours. Just listening. She died shortly after him." Pete explains from the doorway.

"What happened to your father?" Charlie asks, sitting up from the bench.

"I guess I kind of figured, with your security clearance, you'd know more about him than I do." Pete tells her.

"Well, I didn't get that far."

"Well, it's a big mystery. He disappeared in an F-4, November 5th, 1965. The stink of it was, he screwed up. No way. My old man was a great fighter pilot. But who the hell knows? It's all classified."

"Somebody must know." Charlie says

"Yeah, somebody knows everything." Pete mutters.

"Is that why you're always second best up there?"

"You are direct, aren't you? I'm sorry I was late." Pete apologizes

"I'm sorry for being direct." Charlie apologizes.

"No apologies." Pete mimics her.

"Well how about your daughter?" Charlie questions. "You kind of mentioned her at the bar."

"Oh Delilah? She is awesome, honestly the best 4 year old you will ever meet." Pete laughs.

"Does she live with her mom? Ya know since you're so busy in the air?" Charlie asks.

"No, actually her mom passed away when Delilah was born. She, uh, was a naval aviator too, and was on maternity leave at 8 and a half months pregnant when there was a massive emergency and no other pilots available to go up and help so she jumped on a jet and rushed out to help, completely disregarding the orders being shouted at her." Pete looks down while he talks. "She got hit, both engines out, she ejected and hit her head in the landing. " By the time they found her they had two options, save her or save the baby. Obviously they chose Delilah." Pete laughs slightly, looking down at his shoes.

"What's she like? Delilah, I mean." Charlie asks.

"She's a handful. I don't know a whole lot because of how little I've been around since her first birthday. She stays with Goose's wife and his son during my missions. But, uh, she told Carole that she wanted to be a pilot just like me. And gets into a lot of trouble at daycare cause she doesn't like being told what to do. Her words, literally." Pete laughs.

"Sounds like someone I know." Charlie laughs.

"Yea," Pete laughs. "I honestly can't wait to see her, Carole is flying in with the kids tomorrow."

"Oh that's great." Charlie smiles.

"Yea, I should uh, get going." Pete stands. 

"Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna take a shower. Thank you. I enjoyed being here." Pete smiles before grabbing his jacket, climbing on his motorcycle and leaving.

"I told her how tough it is here." Goose says, talking to Maverick. They sat in one of the booths at the airport. "You know, my ass dragging like an old, tired dog. I told her that you didn't even have a woman here." Goose says.

"Oh, really." Pete laughs picking up his gift for Delilah.

"You know what she said?" Goose starts laughing as he picks up a toy plane and a single rose. "Said, 'Oh, he probably doesn't have one, he's got eight'." The boys laugh as they walk out the doors to the tarmac. Goose takes off running at the sight of Carole and the kids.

"Ahhhhh hi!" Carole screams as Goose places the rose in her hand and wraps her in a large hug. 

"Daddy!" Bradley and Delilah shout simultaneously, Goose squats down to give Bradley a kiss on his head before picking him up in a huge hug. Delilah talks off running towards Pete, he smiles and drops down to her level as she reaches him, her arms wrapping around his neck quickly.

"Hey kiddo." Pete has a huge smile on his face and Delilah holds him tightly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." The 4 year old leans back and looks at the toy in his hand. "Is that for me?" She questions softly.

"Of course it's for you, my future little pilot." He hands her the toy F-14 and plants a kiss on her cheek. Delilah giggles as she plays with her new toy. Carole and Goose walk up to them with Bradley in Goose's arms. 

"Uncle Pete!" Bradley shouts, reaching for Pete. 

"Bradley!" Pete cheers as Bradley jumps into his other arm.

"So, Maverick," Carole says as they walk out of the airport. Both of the kids are still in Pete's arms while Carole and Goose carry the luggage. "Goose tells me you're in love with one of your instructors."

"Is that right?" Pete asks glaring at Goose before walking off with the kids.

"I... I didn't tell her that." Goose defends himself.

"Yes, you did." Carole replies.

"I can't believe you said that. That was a secret." Goose mutters to her before kissing her again.

Goose, Carole, Charlie, and Maverick sit in a booth with Delilah and Bradley sat in between Charlie and Carole. 

"What should we get?" Bradley whispers behind the menu to Delilah.

"Our usual." Delilah giggles, tucked behind her menu. 

"I like your thinking, princess." Bradley calls Delilah by his nickname for her. No one quite knows where the 4 year old boy learned that but they find it adorable how the two are with each other.

"Looks like I won't be chasing any boys away when they are older, Goose. Bradley here will be doing it for me." Pete laughs, his arm slung behind Charlie on the back rest.

"That or you'll be chasing Bradley from Lilah." Goose laughs.

"What can I get y'all?" The waitress asks. All of the adults order before Carole looks at the kids. "Honey what do you want?"

"My girl and me want chicken strips, please." Everyone busts up laughing.

"I'll get right on that." The waitress smiles.

"Oh I'm definitely in trouble." Pete laughs.

"Shall we dance, my lady?" Bradley offers to Delilah.

"We shall." Delilah giggles as her and Bradley crawl under the table and onto the dance floor, dancing together.

"Now where did our son learn that?" Carole laughs.

"Oh honey I think he's watching us a lot closer than we thought. Shall we dance, my lady?" Goose asks his wife, pulling her from her seat and onto the dance floor. 

Soon Charlie and Maverick join them laughing and dancing before Pete interrupts Delilah and Bradley's dance to pick up his daughter and dance with her. Goose picks up Bradley and sets him down on top of the piano as the music ends. Suddenly Delilah is up there too before Pete sits down with Charlie and Carole.

"You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain! Too much love drives a man insane." Goose sings, playing the piano. The kids singing along. "You broke my will. Oh, what a thrill! Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!" 

"Maverick, would you go fetch him?" Carole asks, jumping in her seat at Goose's singing. "Doesn't he ever embarrass you?"

"Goose? Hell, no." Maverick answers. "Well, there was the time..."

"Admiral's daughter." Carole elbows Mavericks side.

"What?" Pete reacts.

"Come on. He told me all about the time you went ballistic with Penny Benjamin." Carole laughs, causing Charlie to start laughing.

"Did he? Well, that's great." Maverick smiles softly, looking at Charlie.

"He tells me about all of them, Maverick." Carole laughs. "How my little angel, Goose, goes home early for church, and you, you always go home with the hot women."

"All right, thank you, Carole." Pete's cheeks flush as he gets up. "I'm gonna go embarrass myself with Goose for a while."

"Dancing!" Bradley and Delilah cheer from their spots.

"You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain!" Pete joins Goose and the kids, messing with the kids while singing. "Too much love drives a man insane! You broke my will, oh, what a thrill! Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!" Pete shouts with Goose, his head next to Goose's while they make funny faces making the two 4 year olds laugh.

"I would love to be able to warn you off about Maverick, but I just love him to death." Carole laughs. "You know, I've known Pete for a lot of years now, and I'm telling you, one thing's for certain. There are hearts breaking wide open all over the world tonight."

"Why?" Charlie questions.

"Because unless you are a fool, that boy is off the market. He is 100 percent, prime-time in love with you." Carole points to Charlie before turning back to the boys and kids. "Hey, Goose, you big stud!"

"That's me, honey." Goose calls back from the piano.

"Take me to bed or lose me forever." Carole calls back.

"Show me the way home, honey." Goose calls, still playing the piano. "Come on, kids, sing with the family." Goose looks up at the kids as Carole comes up to them and sits in Goose's lap."You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain! Too much love drives a man insane! You broke my will, oh, what a thrill! Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!" Everyone sings as Charlie joins the group.

Taglist: @kmc1989 @og-baby-ob-14 @merishfit @mamamaystbr @atarmychick007 @hiireadstuff @els-marvelvsp @erospecies @mariaenchanted

[sebastianstangirl01]

Hey I was just asking if you could write a Pete Mitchell x daughter reader??

Like the reader looses her wingman in the same way her dad did and when it happens she attempts to close everyone out in the same Mitchell fashion. But Maverick isn’t buying it so he pushes her to the breaking point in order to get her falls to crumble and he is there to help her and lend a pair of arms for her to cuddle and seek comfort in.

Thank you

150 your choice

I Think I’ve Seen This Film Before

Title: I Think I’ve Seen This Film Before

Pairing: Mitchell!Pilot Reader x Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Implied Rooster x Reader

Summary: History repeats itself and the reader does her best to put up a wall to hide her true feelings, but Maverick refuses to let his daughter make the same mistake he did.

Warnings: angst, character death (Falcon, readers WSO), depression, self blame, guilt, Maverick comforting his daughter.

A/N: Readers callsign is MJ (Maverick Junior)

After the uranium plant mission the dagger squad became permanently assigned to top gun, either to train new pilots or to fly high risk missions. You and you’re WSO Falcon we’re picked as the 2nd bravo team alongside Phoenix and Bob, it was your job to fly with your father Maverick while Phoenix and Bob were with your honorary brother Rooster.

It had been 6 months since the mission and now there is a new group of Top Gun students coming through the program. All week you had all been taking turns doing flight trainings and now it is you and Falcon who are going to be leading this dogfighting exercise.

You and Falcon were walking side by side with his arm slung over your shoulder as he showed you a new picture he was adding to his cockpit.

“Kate’s 20 weeks, can you believe that? Me? I’m going to be a father.” Falcon chuckled shaking his head in disbelief making you smile

“That’s going to be the luckiest kid in the world, because they have me as godmother. Obviously.” You smiled making Falcon laugh and squeeze your shoulder

“Obviously. Not because they have the funniest and sexiest guy in the world as their dad. It’s definitely because of you.” Falcon said and you nodded

“Exactly.” You said before looking back down at the ultrasound picture. “But seriously. I’m happy for you, you’ll make the best dad.”

“Thanks MJ. That means a lot coming from you.” Falcon smiled

The two of you climbed up into your F-18 and got situated in, clipping your helmets on and double checking all your systems were in tiptop shape. Before you knew it you were taking off and souring across the sky.

“Alright Aviators, today MJ and Falcon will be leading you in dogfight maneuvers. You will have to evade MJ and if she gets a lock on you then you are out, report back to the tarmac for 200 push-ups. Good luck.” Maverick spoke over the radio as he flew a little ways behind you

“Talk to me Fal.” You said as you glanced around your surroundings looking for the other planes

“Looks like we’ve got 2 bogeys, about half a mile southeast.” Falcon said and you nodded before immediately flying that direction

“Gotcha, I’m in pursuit.” You said said as the two other planes came into view

“Shit! MJ’s on our tail!” One of the TopGun recruits, the WSO Flame spoke

“Damn right. Better make a move.” You smirked getting ready to perform a radar lock, you could have easily already taken them out but you wanted to give them the chance to make a move

“Break right, Dutch!” Flame instructed her pilot, Dutch

“Copy! Breaking right!” Dutch replied and did as he was told

You were already 1 step ahead though, anticipating the turn you got ahead and were able to get a lock on them making them groan in defeat, while Falcon laughed.

“You can’t beat the best.” Falcon chuckled shaking his head and you just shook your head fondly

“Nice try Dutch. Good communication Flame. Both of you head back to base.” You instructed as you flew behind them

“Copy.” Dutch spoke before increasing his speed

You followed behind them increasing your speed when suddenly your jet shook and alarms started blaring.

“What the fuck!” You exclaimed having no idea why this was happening or what this even was

“Shit! We flew into their jet wash!” Falcon exclaimed from the back as your jet shook

“I can’t control it Fal! Something wrong with the control system!” You exclaimed jerking the controls but nothing happened, it was like your jet was on autopilot and there was nothing you could do about it

“Left engine failure! Right engine failure! We’ve lost both engines MJ!” Falcon exclaimed as your jet suddenly began to spin

“Mayday! Mayday! MJ and Falcon are in trouble! They’re in a flat spin heading out to sea!” Dutch exclaimed over the radio

“The engines won’t restart! I can’t control this thing!” You exclaimed while you and Falcon both groaned as your jet kept spinning

“Altitude 8,000. 7,000. 6! We’re at 6, MJ!” Falcon exclaimed, his voice strained

“MJ! Falcon! Eject! Eject! You can’t save the plane! Eject damn it!” Mavericks voice suddenly exclaimed over the radio

“Fuck! Falcon, I can’t reach the ejection handle! You need to punch us out!” You exclaimed feeling yourself pinned forward against the controls because of the G force

“I’ve got it!” Falcon exclaimed reaching up for the ejection handle

“Watch the canopy!” You warned before you were ejected from the plane, everything from that moment happened in slow motion

Your head flipped backwards from the force of the ejection making you groan, you caught sight of Falcon as he ejected and your heart dropped and a bile raised in the back of your throat as he smacked right into the canopy. It was exactly how your father explained how Goose died all those years ago, you never knew the full extent of how your dad felt until this very second.

Falcons parachute deployed first lowering him down into the water and then yours did immediately after, you hit the water with a start the cold water shocking you momentarily. You felt your arms hit some of the debris that already fell from your plane, cutting your skin but none of that mattered.

“Falcon!” You exclaimed swimming towards his limp body. “Oh! Oh no! Falcon!”

You got to him and pulled him into your arms, his helmet was busted open and blood was leaking from a deep head laceration, his head bobbed around limply and you could feel the deep sense of dread bubbling to the surface.

“No! You can’t die! You can’t die! Please! Please! Goose! Goose please don’t take him! Please!” You screamed hysterically, feeling your emotions bubble up knowing what you feared was true. “Oh god!”

There was nothing you could do for Falcon. He was dead, just like that. No warning. No preparation. He was just gone. You held him tight and let your head rest against his as the tears flowed.

The rescue helicopter appeared and it took everything in you to get yourself together and shove your emotions down, Falcon was dead and he may have been your best friend but you weren’t the one who would miss him most. His pregnant wife and their unborn child will miss him most. He’ll never get to be the great dad you know he would have been.

And it was all your fault.

When the rescue helicopter landed at base the first person you caught sight of was your father. Maverick looked like a mess, his eyes were rimmed red and his hair was all out of place like he had continuously ran his fingers through it.

The medical team rushed towards the helicopter and unloaded Falcon onto a stretcher and rushed him into the infirmary. You numbly accepted the hand of another medic and felt Maverick wrap his arms around you tugging you to his chest. He held you against him, one hand on the back of your head while his other rested on your upper back. You could feel your resolve slipping and quickly pulled away, spotting your dads frown as your helmet clattered to the tarmac before you rushed into the building feeling that bile rise in your throat.

You busted into the bathroom and dropped to your knees in front of the toilet before throwing up everything that had been on your stomach, which wasn’t a lot but it was enough to have you heaving into the toilet bowl. After you were done you flushed the toilet then flopped back against the wall. Your adrenaline was wearing off and you could feel the ache in your limbs and around your stomach.

You pulled yourself up off the ground and stood in front of the mirror, your skin was blotchy and red and you could see a bruise starting to form around your eye from the force of hitting the water. You splashed some water on your face before unzipping your flight suit leaving you in a sports bra and a pair of spandex shorts as you kicked your flight suit over to the side along with your boots.

You looked at your reflection and saw a bruise forming around your ribcage more than likely from the force of your parachute deploying. You had cuts along your arms so you filled the sink with warm water before grabbing some of the disinfectant soap and a wash cloth, you dipped the wash cloth in the water and squirted some of the soap onto the washcloth before dabbing your wounds. All while blankly looking into the mirror watching yourself.

You looked away as someone knocked on the doorframe, Warlock was standing there giving you a sympathetic look that made you immediately look away from him. He sighed and stepped towards you settling beside you and leaning against the sink.

“Falcon is dead.” Warlock informed you and you just blankly nodded

“Yeah. I figured. It didn’t look good.” You said pausing to look up and catch his eyes before going back to what you were doing

“Your father went to inform Falcon’s wife about the accident. He said she might take it better from a familiar face.” Warlock said and you scoffed shaking her head

“It doesn’t matter who breaks the news. In the end her husband and the father of her unborn child is dead. This is going to be the worst day of her life regardless of who tells her.” You snapped before sighing and resting your head against your crossed arms on the sink. “I’m sorry sir. I didn’t mean to snap.”

“I understand MJ. These next couple of weeks are going to be tough on you and I want to let you know that there are people you can talk to. At least one person knows what your going through. One is a lot closer than the others.” Warlock said giving you a knowing look before patting your back and leaving.

You sighed and finished cleaning your wounds before grabbing your discarded flight suit and boots before leaving, you walked into the locker room and spotted Rooster waiting for you leaning against his locker. He sighed in relief when he saw you and got up to pull you into a hug.

“I’m so glad you’re ok.” Rooster said kissing your forehead

“Yeah.” You mumbled tightening your hold around his waist

“I heard about Falcon. I’m so sorry baby.” Rooster said cupping your cheeks and you nodded

“Yeah me too. He was a great WSO.” You replied before pulling away and moving to your locker, you dropped your flight suit into the hamper beside it before grabbing your clothes you brought to change into and changing ignoring the look of worry Rooster was giving you. “I just want to go home.”

“Ok. Yeah. Let’s go home.” Rooster nodded and wrapped his arm around your waist leading you out of the locker room.

“Y/N.” Maverick said as he jogged up to you and Rooster. “Can we have a second Rooster?”

“Yeah. Sure. I’ll go start the car.” Rooster said kissing you on the forehead before leaving allowing you to turn back to your father

“I know what your thinking right now. But this wasn’t your fault, it’s impossible to recover from a spin like that. Trust me I’d know.” Maverick said making you sigh

“I am the pilot. It’s my job to keep my WSO safe and I didn’t do that. So yes it is my fault. I guess I really am Maverick Junior. Killing our WSO’s is just a Mitchell thing I guess.” You said shaking your head as you felt tears form in your eyes before rushing away, not noticing the heartbroken expression on Mavericks face.

The next few days have been the longest of your entire life, there was a hearing about the accident and it was ruled that there was nothing you could have done to avoid or recover from what happened and were put back on full duty. You were immediately told by Cyclone that you would be flying today and you just wanted to get it over with and go back to normal.

You were flying solo today in a F-4 instead of your normal F-18, they thought it might be a good idea to try something different instead of jumping right back into a F-18.

You had just taken off and were flying in formation with another one of the TopGun pilots when you felt it. Your chest was so tight it hurt to take a breath, your heart felt like it was about to beat out of your chest, you were shaking and sweating. You didn’t know what was happening but you knew you couldn’t focus.

“MJ, you alright?” You vaguely heard one of the pilots ask you but you couldn’t respond

“I think somethings wrong with MJ.”

“MJ?”

“MJ report.”

You could hear everything everyone was saying but couldn’t bring yourself to respond, all that was going through your head was flashes of the accident.

“Altitude 8,000. 7,000. 6! We’re at 6, MJ!” Falcon exclaimed, his voice strained

“MJ! Falcon! Eject! Eject! You can’t save the plane! Eject damn it!” Mavericks voice suddenly exclaimed over the radio

“Fuck! Falcon, I can’t reach the ejection handle! You need to punch us out!” You exclaimed feeling yourself pinned forward against the controls because of the G force

“I’ve got it!” Falcon exclaimed reaching up for the ejection handle

“Watch the canopy!” You warned before you were ejected from the plane, everything from that moment happened in slow motion

Your head flipped backwards from the force of the ejection making you groan, you caught sight of Falcon as he ejected and your heart dropped and a bile raised in the back of your throat as he smacked right into the canopy. It was exactly how your father explained how Goose died all those years ago, you never knew the full extent of how your dad felt until this very second.

Falcons parachute deployed first lowering him down into the water and then yours did immediately after, you hit the water with a start the cold water shocking you momentarily. You felt your arms hit some of the debris that already fell from your plane, cutting your skin but none of that mattered.

“Falcon!” You exclaimed swimming towards his limp body. “Oh! Oh no! Falcon!”

You got to him and pulled him into your arms, his helmet was busted open and blood was leaking from a deep head laceration, his head bobbed around limply and you could feel the deep sense of dread bubbling to the surface.

“No! You can’t die! You can’t die! Please! Please! Goose! Goose please don’t take him! Please!” You screamed hysterically, feeling your emotions bubble up knowing what you feared was true. “Oh god!”

There was nothing you could do for Falcon. He was dead, just like that. No warning. No preparation. He was just gone. You held him tight and let your head rest against his as the tears flowed.

“MJ! Hey snap out of it. Y/N! Honey look at me!” Maverick exclaimed and you managed to look over and saw your fathers jet right next to yours. “You’re ok. Everything’s going to be ok, follow me back to base. I’ll be with you the whole way.”

You somehow managed to land your plane and immediately jumped down onto the tarmac ripping your helmet off and gasping for air as you lowered yourself to your knees. Arms wrapped around your body and you were met with the smell of cedar wood and jet fuel, your dads scent.

“I’ve got you honey. I’ve got you.” Maverick soothed rocking you back and forth like he did to calm you from a nightmare when you were a child.

“I don’t think I’m ok.” You shakily admitted and Maverick gave you a understanding smile

“I know. You won’t be for a little while, but eventually it will get easier. Not much easier but it will be more bearable. I’ll be with you the whole way.” Maverick promised kissing your forehead

“I love you dad. I’m sorry about what I said.” You guiltily spoke, remembering the comment you made about Mitchell’s killing their backseaters

“I love you too. It’s ok.” Maverick assured you. “I’m going to help you get through this. I promise.”

Taglist

@daughterofthereaper02

@luckyladycreator2

@calpurniatypes

@littlebadariell

@qnfluvr

@raefoxiegirl

@maverick-wingman

@avada-kedrava-bitch

[justabigassnerd]

I'm (Not So) Fine

Pairing - Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x daughter!reader

Word count - 1,720

Warnings - feeling ill, lil' bit of angst, fluff, Bradley's a good dad

Summary - you try to hide feeling unwell from your dad until it backfires

A/N - it's time for another request y'all! I feel I need to formally apologise to the anon who requested this because it's taken me this long to get it out. I hope this was worth the wait. I based this on something I've dealt with a few times in my life (I still to this day have no idea what causes them or what they were but they scare me every time they happen). as per y'all, please send in requests, feedback and enjoy!!!

From the moment Bradley saw you dragging your feet as you entered the kitchen for breakfast, he knew you were sick. You looked pale and when Bradley placed your plate down in front of you, you could barely stomach half of it before it became too much.

“y/n, are you feeling okay, sweetheart?” Bradley asked after taking a sip of his coffee, watching you carefully.

“Fine.” You mutter, head down as you take a sip from your glass of water before abruptly standing from your chair, grabbing your school bag, and slinging it over your shoulder. Bradley hurriedly put the plates and glasses away before rushing to say goodbye to you like he did every morning.

“Have a good day at school, sweetheart. If you need me, text, or call me.” Bradley says as he hugs you goodbye. He knew you weren’t feeling well, and he wasn’t going to push if you insisted you felt okay enough to go to school, so his best option was to give you the choice to contact him if school became too much. With one last kiss to the top of the head, Bradley let you go before packing up what he needed for work and heading out to the Bronco to drive to work where he was sure he was in for a long day.

You, however, were in for a longer day than your dad. The second you reached the doors of your high school you wanted to go home. Your head was throbbing, and your body was achy. You could barely process anything that any of your friends were saying to you without asking them to repeat themselves at least twice. Despite your body feeling like it had been run over by a truck, you were determined to get through the day without contacting your dad or heading home early. You figured if you chugged enough water your headache would calm down and then once you got home you could take some painkillers to help your aching body.

By the time you made it to the end of the school day, you were definitely feeling a lot worse than when you started the day, but you were still determined to prove to yourself that you weren’t unwell. Your head was still throbbing but the copious amounts of water you had drank had eased the pain slightly, but it didn’t do much for your achy body. Walking home only served to make everything ache more but you pushed through everything knowing that you could take some painkillers and then you can do your homework. When you cross the threshold of your house, you head straight upstairs to the bathroom to find the medicine in the first aid cupboard and then head back down to the kitchen to take the painkillers with some water before making a start on some homework.

You were sure the painkillers had taken effect by the time you heard your dad walk through the door. Your head was feeling clearer, and you weren’t so achy anymore and you couldn’t help the smug smile that briefly covered your face. You proved to yourself and your dad that you weren’t ill. It was just a moment of weakness.

“Hi, sweetheart. Good day?” Bradley says as he comes into the kitchen, pressing a kiss to the top of your head as he walks past on his way to put his travel mug in the dishwasher.

“Hi, dad. Yeah, I had a good day. How was your day?” You reply, smiling up at him as he smiles back.

“Can’t complain. Are you feeling okay?” Bradley says, crossing to you and gently pressing the back of his hand to your forehead, watching as you roll your eyes lightly.

“Dad, I’m fine I told you this morning.” You say as Bradley removes his hand from your head, fighting back a frown. You didn’t have a temperature, but you still looked a little too pale for Bradley’s liking. Respecting that you didn’t want him hovering over you and your insistence that you were fine, Bradley backed off.

“Okay, I’ll leave you alone. If you need me, I’ll be in the living room.” Bradley says, pressing one more kiss to the top of your head, heading up to his room to shower and change into something more comfortable before heading back down to the living room and settling himself down on the sofa to watch some tv and relax. You get through your homework, put all your books and stationery back into your schoolbag and then stand up, ready to head into the living room to join your dad. As you walk, you suddenly freeze in the doorway, your eyesight growing filled with dark spots that quickly make you unable to see, your ears begin ringing and your hands fly out to brace yourself against the door frame as panic begins to grasp at you.

“Dad?” Bradley was on his feet instantly when he heard your worried tone. He headed in your direction instantly and stopped in his tracks when he saw you in the middle of the doorway, clinging onto it for dear life.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Bradley asked cautiously, taking in how pale and shaken you looked.

“I can’t see anything. My vision’s gone black, and I have this ringing in my ears. Help me dad, please.” You plead, eyes quickly filling with tears as Bradley springs into action. He carefully pries your hands from the doorframe and carefully leads you to the living room.

“I’m bringing you to the sofa, okay? You can have a lie-down and I’ll bring you some water.” Bradley says softly, his heart breaking when you tearfully nod at his words. He carefully leads you to the sofa, easing you down and helping you lie down before sliding a pillow under your head.

“I’ll be right back.” Bradley promises, pressing a quick kiss to the top of your head before heading to the kitchen to grab you a glass of water. When he returned to your side, your eyes were squeezed shut and he gently reached out, calling your name softly and rubbing the hand that wasn’t holding the glass up and down your arm. Your eyes blinked open, and Bradley smiled softly.

“Here, let’s get you sat up a little so you can have a drink.” Bradley says, helping you sit up enough to take a couple of little sips from the glass before you lie back down, and Bradley places the glass on the coffee table behind him.

“Thank you.” You mumble, looking up at your dad with a small smile.

“How are you feeling now? Any better?” Bradley asks softly, watching you like a hawk as you nod ever so slightly.

“My vision is back, and the ringing has stopped.” You admit quietly, slightly ashamed of being seen in a moment of weakness.

“That’s good. Are you feeling unwell or is there any pain?” Bradley then asks, making you fight the urge to roll your eyes. Had your grandpa not inspired your dad to join the Navy you were sure he could’ve made a career for himself being a doctor or a nurse with how much he was fussing over you.

“A little achy but I’ll live.” You say, moving your gaze to the floor.

“So you weren’t feeling well this morning, were you?” Bradley gently probes, making you nod before lifting your gaze to look at your dad once more.

“So why didn’t you tell me? You could’ve stayed home, or I could’ve picked you up from school. You know Mav would never mind if I had to leave early to take care of you.” Bradley enquires, reaching out and running a gentle hand through your hair, his eyes displaying vast amounts of concern that he was trying to keep from his expression.

“I thought I was fine. I don’t like being ill, so I thought if I pushed through it, I’d be fine.” You explain, watching as your dad lets out a soft exhale through his nose before a gentle smile appears on his face.

“Well, now you know not to push through anything. If you feel unwell you should always rest up and take care of yourself.” Bradley says, watching as you nod lightly, understanding his point fully.

“Got it.” You mumble.

“Do you need anything? Food or painkillers?” Bradley then asks, he was fully aware he’s bombarded you with a million and one questions but he wanted to be sure you were okay and help you however he could.

“I think I just need a nap.” You say, shaking your head with a small smile. Bradley then nods, prepping himself to stand up.

“I’ll leave you be then.” He says softly, beginning to stand but stopping when you speak up.

“Stay. Please.” You request, looking up at him with the puppy dog eyes that would get him buckling within seconds. You had been doing it since you were a baby and Bradley struggled saying no to you the moment you figured out the effect, they had on him. He could also tell what you wanted. Bradley had often bragged that his hugs had healing qualities and you clearly wanted one of those magical healing hugs.

“Okay, sweetheart.” Bradley says with a smile, helping you sit up so he can sit where your head had previously been. You immediately curled into his side, burying your face in his chest as Bradley grabbed the blanket off the back of the sofa to drape it over you.

“I love you, dad.” You whisper, voice mostly muffled by the material of Bradley’s shirt.

“I love you too, sweetheart.” Bradley whispers back, watching as your eyes begin to flutter close, soon being followed by your breathing beginning to even out. Bradley watched you for a moment, pleased to see no signs of discomfort as you slept.

Bradley had spent the majority of his day worrying over how you were and while you had a small scare while at home, he was there to help, and you seemed to be improving already. Bradley pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head as you unconsciously snuggled closer to him.

He’d be there to look after you on all your bad days, and all your good days.

[writing-until-i-drop]

A little more detail

Rooster x Single Mom!OC

After divorcing her gay, marriage of convenience husband, Olivia and her teenage daughter move to North Island. Her daughter's one wish for Christmas? A hot step dad. And damn, if Rooster's Hawaiian shirts don't look like the perfect wrapping paper.

[Chaotic teenager daughter plays wingman | Rooster has total dad vibes | Olivia's exe just wants her to be happy | Olivia really needs to get laid | Her exe and daughter agree | Lots of domesticity | Olivia is the best mom to her gremlin daughter | Fresh start at life]

Rooster x Wingman!OC

Addison "Finch" Winchester was already on a mission when the uranium mission came down the pipeline but as trouble stirs, she is called back to Top Gun to join the Daggers. While she's excited for the mission, she's less excited to be reunited with the golden retriever wingman who wouldn't leave her alone the first time they were at Top Gun. Rooster on the other hand, can't believe his luck.

[Grumpy/Sunshine | Dangerous flying | He falls first | Bradley Bradshaw has no respect for personal space | Finch really likes her personal space | So does Bradley unfortunately]

Hangman x Marine Corpsman-Devil Doc!OC

Every time Fiona "Kitten" Reid is deployed, something bad happens. Win-a-medal type bad. And when Warlock is looking for a survivalist instructor for the Daggers during the uranium mission, he's shocked that the top recommendation from his colleagues is a young medical corpsman the Marines she served with dubbed "Kitten." After making a grand entrance at the expense of Jake's older brother and Bob's sanity, Fiona finds herself squarely in Hangman's sights. But he better pay attention in class because her lessons come from more than a textbook...

[Its classified sweetheart | Tequila makes her want to dance on elevated surfaces | Fiona has a Meredith Grey level disrespect for her own well being | Jake really wants to know how Fiona knows his brother | Fiona prepares the Daggers for being shot down in enemy territory | Warlock is a chaos enabler | Lots of Marine slang | Big Gibbs vibes | She once ran towards gunfire with a stethoscope around her neck | Bob is a great dancer | Penny will kick Jake's ass personally if he hurts her | She'll also kick Fiona's ass if she hurts him | Penny needs a raise]

[callsign-dexter]

Love's Second Chance 18+

Request: Ok girl.. I made the mistake and started top Gun to make the best out of my evening 😭 now I hope you're up for another Rooster idea hehe. You and him were inseparable since childhood but then lost contact after his issues with Mav (you're his adopted daughter). Then you visit Mav someday at the base, not knowing all pilots are there. So it happens you meet Bradley again, both being stunned about the other as some time had passed. First Jake takes his chance flirting with you but you can only focus on Bradley. He's more than happy to see you and invites you to the Bar with everyone where you hit it off and afterwards spend the night together. The next morning you're all cuddled up and he admits that he loved you since playground times and you get a happy ending ? Jeeez I'm sorry it's so long but my brain can't stop making ideas 😅

Pairings: Bradley Bradshaw x Adopted!Mitchell!Reader, Maverick x Adopted!Daughter!Reader

Warnings: fluff, angst, smut, cursing

Masterlist

A/N: Thank @talesofreading for requesting this and also you and @imagine-all-the-fandoms need to prepare yourselves!

San Diego, California. So warm compared to Quantico, Virginia. It's been a while since you had been in California and the last time it was not a great memory. The last time you were here you had a huge fight with your childhood best friend, you had just found out that your adopted dad, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, had pulled your best friend, Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw, papers to the Naval Academy. He blamed you and took his anger, not physically, out on you. That's also when you told him you were planning on going to college and straight to NCIS. You hadn't spoken to Bradley in months, almost years and it hurt you but that's the decision you made. He didn't try to contact you and neither did you but with your access with NCIS you kept tabs on his career and you were happy for him. The reason you were back in San Diego was because you had just finished a case that had you traveling there, normally you don't but it involved Navy personnel so it was required. You loved San Diego but you loved your NCIS family just a little more. “So, Y/N..” Tony DiNozzo started smirking and you turned to him.

“What?” You asked 

“Do you have anybody you're interested in?” He asked smirking and you knew what he was getting out. He always did this. 

“Not happening DiNozzo.” You said as you picked up your gear.

“I wasn't even suggesting that. Besides, we already slept together.” He said 

“You are always suggesting that. Also, that was one time and I didn't know you would be my partner.” You said and you glared at him.

“DiNozzo stop bothering Mitchell.” Jethro Gibbs said 

“What? I'm not!” Tony tried to argue.

“Yes, you were.” Timothy McGee said

“Shut it, Probie. I was not.” Tony said 

“Was he trying to get you to go out with him?” Ziva David asked and you nodded. “Tony.” She said, shaking her head.

“I was not!” Tony shrieked and you chuckled and then turned to Gibbs.

“Do you mind if I go see my dad? I haven't seen him in a while. He's on base.” You asked and Gibbs actually smiled and nodded.

“Of course. You come back whenever you're ready. Just say the word and I'll have a plane ticket for you.” He said and you smiled and nodded grateful for him. He had turned into a father figure for you. 

“Thank you.” You said and started to walk out of the building still clad in your NCIS gear. You got into the issued car to you and the team and headed to base. When you got there you gave them your ID and they immediately granted you access.

“Have a good day Special Agent Mitchell.” The guard said and you smiled.

“Thank you. You have a good day too.” You said and pulled through the gate when it was lifted. You drove through and got to the Top Gun building and smiled as you parked. You got out and heard jets taking off and landing and it smelt like jet fuel, you always loved the smell. You smelt it for the first on your father and your Uncle Goose and you fell in love with the smell. You walked into the building and saw all the pictures of your dad's Top Gun class. You smiled looking at them all and then you got to Thomas ‘Iceman’ Kazansky’s photo and you smile grew. 

“Well, isn't this a surprise.” A familiar voice sounded and your smile grew wider.

“Hi Uncle Ice.” You said as you turned around and saw him. He pulled you into a hug and you hugged him back.

“It's been a long time, Kid. How is NCIS treating you?” He asked and you smiled.

“Treating me well. We have an agent named Tony DiNozzo and he can be so annoying. He's a ladies’ man if that tells you anything.” You said chuckling and he nodded.

“Like your dad when he was younger.” Ice said and you chuckled smiling.

“Speaking of dad. Where is he?” You asked 

“He just got done teaching so he should be in his office or in the cafeteria. Want me to take you to him?” He asked and you pulled a face.

“I don't want to inconvenience you.” You said and he chuckled and shook his head.

“Nonsense. Come on.” He said ushering you and you followed.

“So, he's actually sticking with teaching?” You asked and he chuckled.

“He is. He loves it. The last round of pilots put him through his paces. Bradley is here.” He said and you grew quiet.

“Oh.” You said and he took notice.

“They made up you know?” Ice asked

“They did?” You asked and he nodded.

“After they both went down and got saved by Hangman. They made up.” He said

“Hold up. Dad didn't tell me about him being shot down or anything.” You said slightly angry.

“Well, it was top secret mission. Nobody was supposed to know.” Ice said

“Well, I guess I could've looked it up.” You said and he chuckled as you both walked into the cafeteria.

“There she is.” He said side hugging you. “Ahh there is your dad. Well, I leave you to it.” He said and kissed your temple and left. You took a deep breath and walked over to him, his back was turned and he was a little ways away from the pilots that you had yet to see.

“Are you supposed to be doing that?” You asked him and he was quick to turn around and his face was priceless. At first it was scared but then it was smiling.

“Y/N! Look at you!” He said loud enough for you and him to hear and he hugged you.

“Hi dad. Long time no see.” You said and he chuckled.

“It has been. Look at you. You must've made a name for yourself.” He chuckled as he pulled away. 

“It's been great.” You said “Everyone has been great. Tony and you would get along so well he's like a version of you when you were younger. He's hit on me several times and keeps doing it.” You said, chuckling, shaking your head “But he's a great agent and he's actually a good guy and saved my life several times.” You added.

“Saved your life?” He asked and you nodded.

“Yea…. That's a story for another time.” You said

“We'll talk about this later.” He said and you chuckled and nodded. “Come on, I want you to meet the last group of pilots I trained.” He said and started to usher you over to them. You turned around and your eyes met Bradley's and he met yours. He's changed and grown up to be handsome. He grew a mustache just like his father's and he looks so much like him it was scary. You were in awe of him and he was in awe of you too. You haven't changed much but you've changed. Gone is that nice girl that was pushed around and now it was a girl that took no shit from anyone and got the job done when it needed to be done. 

“Pops, who is this gorgeous woman? Hi I’m Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin.” A blonde-haired, green-eyed aviator now known as Jake asked. He had a charming smile but you knew his type and weren't phased by it and that is because you worked with Tony DiNozzo big time flirt.

“This woman can introduce herself. I'm Y/N Mitchell, Maverick’s daughter. Well adopted.” You said

“You were never just adopted to me; you were and always will be my daughter no matter what.” Maverick said and you smiled.

“Thanks dad.” You said and hugged him.

“So, are you here on business?” Jake asked using his charm once again.

“I was but we just got finished. Came over as soon as we got done.” You said 

“Mmm so you got time for me to take you out on a date then.” He said using his southern charm but you just rolled your eyes and leaned against the table getting close to him.

“I'm gonna tell you what I keep telling DiNozzo. Not going to happen. Besides, I got my eye on someone else.” You said and then got up and looked at Bradley totally missing Jake's fallen expression since he's not used to being turned down but heard others snickers. Truth is that you've been in love with Bradley ever since you were kids and what you didn't know was, he was too but both of you thought that neither of you were interested in the other so nothing was done about it.

“Oh, I like her.” A woman with black hair said and you looked at her and smiled.

“I deal with a Jake at work all the time. His name is Tony DiNozzo.” You said and she smiled.

“I'm Natasha Trace. Callsign is Phoenix.” She said 

“Oh, I like that.” You said and then everyone went around introducing themselves. You really liked Ruben, Mickey, and Javy but Natasha and Bob were your favorites alongside Bradley. Jake was fun but no way would you date him. 

“Y/N I have to go to a meeting. Are you ok with staying with them? I'm sure when you leave Bradley can walk you out.” Maverick said and you smiled.

“Of course I'm ok with that.” You said and he smiled and kissed your temple and then left. You all talked and laughed and you really connected with them so easily. 

“So, Y/N what made you go NCIS and not Navy?” Bob asked and you smiled at him.

“I thought about going into the Navy but decided against it after Goose died. I couldn't do that to dad. I found I really liked solving cases and helping people so I went to college, got a degree in Criminal Justice and interviewed for NCIS. I'm now Special Agent Y/N Mitchell. My team is great and I wouldn't ask for another. Tony is very much like Jake and my dad when he was younger so he helped me grow immune to charm and guys like them. Tony tries so hard to get me to go out with him but I turn him down all the time.” You said 

“That is so cool. It's amazing what you do.” Bob said and you smiled at him.

“Thank you. It's amazing what you all do too. I could never do it.” You said. “Although I've been on ships before.” You added. You kept glancing at Bradley as you talked but his eyes never left you. You answered everyone's questions and then you looked down at your watch. “I gotta go. It was nice meeting you all. Hopefully we can get together soon.” You said.

“Maybe sooner than later you and I can get together.” Jake said, trying to shoot his shot one more time.

“No.” You said and he frowned.

“Oh, come on.” He said

“Not happening.” You said as Bradley started getting up and gathering trash to throw away. 

“Damn.” He said as Bradley came to stand beside you.

“Ready to go?” Bradley asks you and you nod and he smiles and gestures to you to follow him and you do. 

“It’s nice to see you. You’ve changed.” You said as he threw his stuff away and you both were far enough away from the group.

“It’s nice to see you too. I’m sorry for cutting you off too. Maverick explained that you had nothing to do with it after we made up. I tried to contact you but it never went through.” He told you and you looked down in shame as you both continued to walk out of the building.

“I may have blocked your number. You hurt me so bad that I was mad at you for the longest time and I never wanted to speak to you again. But then I saw you today and my anger was still there but it quickly disappeared. I’ll unblock your number and you can watch me.” You said as you arrived at your car and you did so.

“I’m sorry Y/N/N.” He said using his nickname that he had given you. “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I'll tell you what come to The Hard Deck tonight with me and I’ll show you I’m sorry.” He said and you paused and looked at him considering it and you nodded.

“Ok.” You said 

“Ok?” He asked and you nodded.

“I’ll come to The Hard Deck with you.” You repeated

“Great, I'll pick you up at 7:30?” He asked and you nodded.

“Sounds great.” You said and then pulled out your phone to text the group. “I have to admit you turning down Jake was amazing.” He said and you chuckled.

“Like I said, I deal with Tony and he is like Jake.” You said and he chuckled. “I gotta get going. I’ll see you at 7:30.” You said and he nodded “Goodbye Bradley.” You added.

“Goodbye Y/N/N.” He said using your nickname again and then you were getting into your car and then leaving. He watched you leave with a longing look in his eye. He really did miss you. As he was standing there his phone vibrated and he pulled it out. It was a text from you.

You: See you at 7:30  

He smiled and then a second text popped up and it was a picture of you in your NCIS cap and jacket and he smiled. He saved the photo and put it as you contact pictures.

Bradley: Can’t wait

Exactly at 7:30 there was a knock on your hotel door and you were rushing to open it and there stood Bradley Bradshaw in jeans and an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt with a white shirt underneath. He had a pair, Goose’s pair, of aviators on and his hair was styled perfectly. “Hey.” You said and he smiled down at you.

“Hey.” He said 

“You look good.” You said and he smiled.

“So do you.” He replied and you blushed and looked. You were in a black t-shirt that was tucked into jeans. He then saw your bags packed. “You can bring your stuff if you want.” He said and you looked at him and smiled.

“Thank you. Are you ready to go?” You asked after a few seconds and he smiled and then grabbed your things before you could. Tony, Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee had all gone back to Virginia and they had taken the cars but you told them that you had a ride, Gibbs was hesitant but he trusted you.

“After you.” He said and gestured toward the parking lot and then you noticed his car, Goose’s Bronco. 

“You still have it?” You asked and he nodded as you started to walk out of your hotel room.

“I never got rid of it. Sure, she needs to be fixed up every now and then but it is doable.” He said and you smiled as you reached the vehicle and he put bags into the Bronco. You still had your gun and badge but they were properly put away. Bradley opened the door for you and you got in and then he got in as you buckled up. “I’m so glad you had said yes to coming to The Hard Deck with me. I missed being with you.” He added.

“I missed you, Bradley. I just wish you would’ve listened to me when I said I had nothing to do with having your papers pulled.” You said 

“I know and I was a bumbass. I’m sorry but tonight to make up for all of those times, hopefully.” He said as he drove.

“Hopefully it will.” You said and then he was pulling in a parking lot of The Hard Deck and parking next to a truck.

“Ready?” He asked as he killed the engine and you nodded and then the both of you were getting out and heading into the bar. Memories came flooding back when you stepped into the building especially when you saw Penny. You walked up to the bar.

“Hey Penny.” You said and she turned around hearing your voice.

“Little Y/N is that you? It’s been forever. I need a hug.” She said as she came out from behind the bar and hugged you.

“Yea, it is me.” You said 

 “Look at you! You’re all grown up. Pete has told me you’re with NCIS now.” She said as she pulled back and looked at you, ignoring Bradley by you for the moment.

“That is right. It is great. I have a teammate that if he was here, you would be ringing that bell so many times. Think of him as a version of Jake and a younger version of dad.” You said 

“Oh, that’s bad.” She said and you nodded “What can I get you to drink?” She asked, walking back behind the bar. 

“Whatever Bradley is having.” You said and she nodded and grabbed two beers. You took both and handed one to Bradley.

“Everyone is over by the usual hangout. Your dad should be here later.” She said and you nodded and smiled.

“Thank you, Penny.” Bradley said 

“Yes, thank you.” You repeated after him and she smiled.

“Put them on my tab.” He said and she nodded.

“You got it.” She said and then the both of you were heading over to the group.

“Y/N! I’m so glad you made it!” Natasha exclaimed and hugged you and you hugged back as best as you could. “Finally, another female to cut through all of this testosterone.” She said and you laughed and then everyone said hi to you and Bradley and then the evening got started. Throughout the night many drinks were drank and many games of pool and darts were played and let's just say you won most of the games especially against Jake which he took as a challenge. Everyone loved that Jake had met his match. When you weren’t playing pool or darts you were hanging by Bradley’s side. 

“So, Y/N.” You heard Jake’s voice and you turned to look at him. Man, he wouldn’t take a hint but you were used to it, thank you Tony DiNozzo you said to yourself.

“Yes, Jake?” You asked 

“What do you say we get out of here and grab something to eat and head back to my place?” He asked using his Texan accent and smirk and you leaned in closer to him letting him get his hopes and then you started to speak.

“Jake Jake Jake Jake.” You sighed, shaking your head “How many times am I gonna have to tell you that it is never going to happen. You just need to give up on me. Also like I said that I have my eye on someone else.” You said and leaned back up and everyone was watching especially Bradley and he had a smirk on his face.

“Damn. Every time.” He said and then walked off but it didn’t take long for some girl to come up to him and it was like your conversation with him never happened and everyone went back to their own thing.

“Man, he sure moves on fast.” You chuckled, looking at Jake and some girl and then at Bradley.

“He sure does. So, what do you say about getting out of here with me?” He asked and you smiled.

“I would love that. Lead the way.” You said and he took your hand and headed to the bar to close out his tab with Penny as you quickly bid a goodbye to the group. While at the bar you spotted your dad. So, you decided to talk to him while Bradley dealt with the tab. “Hey, Dad.” You said and he looked up and smiled at you.

“Hey, Sweetheart. Having fun?” He asked and you nodded and smiled.

“I am. Bradley and I are about to head out for the night.” You said and he smiled.

“I’m so glad the both of you have made up.” He said and you looked up at Bradley and got that dreamy look in your eye.

“I am too.” You said and then Bradley turned around and looked at you.

“Ready to go?” He asked and you nodded.

“Yup.” You turned to your dad “I’ll see you before I leave.” You said and he smiled.

“You better.” He said and hugged you “I love you.” He said.

“I love you too.” You replied and then he turned to Bradley.

“Take care of her.” Maverick said and Bradley nodded.

“You know I will.” He said and Maverick smiled.

“Good. See you both later.” Maverick said and you both smiled and bid your goodbyes to him and Penny and then you both walked out of the bar to the Bronco. Once you reached the Bronco you both stopped, your back to the beautiful vehicle. 

“Thank you for tonight. I would say it made up for everything.” You said and he smiled.

“I think so too.” He said “You look so beautiful.” He added and put a loose strand of hair behind your ear. You looked up at him and the streetlight made him glow and it just made him all more perfect. “Damn you’re so beautiful.” He whispered.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” You whispered and then he was slowly leaning down and you were meeting him halfway and then both of your eyes closed and lips touched. Sparks flew through the both of you. At first it was slow and passionate and then it turned heated. Your hands went to his hair pulling him further into you and his hands went to your hips pushing back against the Bronco. He licked your bottom lip asking for permission and you granted it tongues fought for dominance until he won and then you both were pulling up for air. Both of your pupils were blown and cheeks flushed pink and heavy breathing was heard between you. “That was amazing. You’re amazing.” You said breathlessly.

“I could say the same for you.” He said in a deeper voice “My house?” He asked.

“Your house.” You confirmed and the both of you were scrambling to get into the Bronco. You both made in but kissing was involved which made it harder but you both succeeded in getting in and buckling in. He started the vehicle and you hand went to his thigh and rubbed it as he pulled out of the parking spot and out of the parking lot onto the main road. Your hand traveled higher until it got his bulging cock and you slowly rubbed and he jerked making him jerk the wheel but he corrected himself. 

“Keep doing that and we won’t make it to the house.” He said and you smirked but kept going.

“Then you better get to the house fast.” You said as you started to unzip his jeans and dipped your hands into his underwear grabbing his cock and squeezing and again, he jerked the wheel and corrected it. 

“Oh, Baby. I can’t wait to have your pretty lips wrapped around me.” He moaned as you stroked him.

“You don't have to wait. Keep driving and act like nothing is happening.” You said as you took him out of his jeans and then got comfortable and bent down taking him in your mouth. Bradley tried to keep his composure but when your hot mouth took him in, he moaned and jerked. “Careful.” You said letting him go for just a minute to look up at him through your eye lashes.

“I'm trying. Your mouth feels so perfect wrapped around me.” He grunted. Both of you were glad it was dark out and you were close to his home. You hummed and that sent vibrations down his cock and that made him buck into you. His cock hit the back of your throat and you moaned. You continued to move up and down on him while licking underneath his shift and the tip. “Keep doing that and I won't last, Baby.” He grunted and smirked as best as you could. One of his hands came to the back of your head and he slightly added pressure as you moved up and down him. You relaxed your throat to take him deeper “Goodness gracious baby. Take it all. Fuck.” He moaned as he hurriedly parked in his driveway. He was quick to kill the engine and throw his head back. His hand that was in your hair was now gripping it and he was helping push your head up and down. You decided to grab what was left of the shift that wasn't in your mouth with your hand and worked it squeezing it occasionally. Your other hand went to his heavy balls and played with them. “Holy fuck.” He moaned and bucked his hips up. You were no virgin, that was for sure your first time having been with Tony DiNozzo, yes, the arrogant cock bastard, but that was before you knew he would be your coworker. Both of you had been at a party and then one thing led to another and he was taking your virginity. Both of you agreed not to say anything and put it behind you. It did lead to him being slightly protective over you even if it meant that he hit on you constantly and you didn't care it was comforting plus it helped you resist so called playboy charm, like Jake. “We're here. As much as I want you to finish in your mouth. I wanna finish in that tight pussy of yours.” He grunted as you were pulling off of him. You wiped your mouth as he tucked himself in his jeans and it hurt because he was so hard. You both managed to get out and stumbled to the door high on sex. As he was unlocking the door you were kissing him and running fingers through his hair. 

“Damn you are so sexy.” You moaned out as you ran a hand over his heavy aching cock. 

“So are you.” He moaned and the sound made you clench around nothing and squeeze your thighs together. 

“Fuck me.” You moaned 

“Oh, I plan on it.” He said as he pushed his door open and then slightly pushed you in and closed it. He turned you around and pushed you against the door and attacked your lips with his. Hands on your hips and yours back in his hair messing it up further one of his hands traveled down to your aching core and he cupped it. Sparks flew through you and you moaned in his mouth and it got louder as he started to rub you through your jeans. He pulled away just for a minute giving you both time to catch your breath.  

“Bradley.” You moaned out as he took his hand away and unbuttoned your jeans and slipped his right-hand in. You were no doubt soaking and you confirmed it when he ran a finger through your folds. “Oh fuck.” You moaned as he started attacking your neck with his mouth kissing and nipping and soothing, you had turned your head giving him more access. His other hand snaked its way under your shirt and under your bra and to your left breast. “Fuck!” You moaned as he pinched, pulled, and rolled your nipple with his finger.

“You like that, Baby?” He asked 

“Fuck yes.” You moaned as he slipped a thick digit into you and he watched your face. He smirked as your mouth fell open, eyes closed, and head thrown back. 

“You're so pretty getting finger fucked.” He said as he leant down and nipped your neck and that made you squeeze his fingers. “Squeezing me so tight and I haven't started.” He said with a smirk and you could hear it. He added a second thick finger.

“Fuck. Stretching me so good.” You moaned, the stretch was welcoming and there was a slight pain but it quickly turned into pleasure. If his fingers felt this good you couldn't wait for his cock to be inside of you.

“Oh, Baby. Just wait until I'm inside of you.” He said into your neck as he moved his fingers in and out of you. He curled his fingers and then used his thumb to rub your clit and that had you releasing a loud moan. “That's right, Baby. Let everyone know how good I'm making you feel.” He said and then followed it with a nip to your neck and that had you squeezing him. He decided to add a third finger.

“Fuck, Bradley. So full.” You moaned and bucked your hips. “I'm gonna cum.” You moaned out. He suddenly pulled away and out and you quickly opened your eyes and glared “What the hell?” You asked.

“I want to taste you and I want you to cum with me.” He said and then got down on his knees and pushed down your jeans and underwear. Cold air hit your slicked core. He undid your shoes and threw them off with your socks and then jeans and underwear. He was aching hard but he could wait, he needed to taste you. He bent one leg and threw it over his shoulder so that he was eye level with your core. You made quick work of your shirt and bra and your nipples went rock hard in the cold. “Look at you. All wet for me. Who made you this wet?” He asked placing a kiss to your sensitive clit.

“You did.” You moaned and apparently, he didn't like that answer because you were met with a nip to your clit “Fuck.” You moaned.

“Louder. Let the neighbors know.” He growled out.

“Bradley Bradshaw made me wet!” You yelled out and were rewarded with him licking a broad stripe up your folds. His mustache scratching helped with the pleasure. He ate you out like his life depended on it. “Fuck! Feels so good!” You moaned out and was rewarded with him going faster. He pushed two fingers in and you almost came right then and there. “Fuck, Baby! I'm so close!” You exclaimed and then he pulled away and stood up and that made you growl. “Fuck you asshole.” You said.

“You will just hold your jets.” He said quickly removing his clothes and shoes. You looked him up and down and practically drooled especially when his aching hard angry cock came up and slapped his abs.

“Fuck you have really grew up, didn't ya?” You asked and he chuckled.

“So have you.” He replied and then he was stepping close to you. “Jump.” He said and you obeyed and you could taste yourself as the both of you started French kissing as he started to carry you to his bedroom. Each step his cock threatened to slip in. He walked into his room and to his bed where he fell onto the bed gently on top of you. Tongues fighting for dominance. His hips spread your legs further and he grabbed your legs and threw up over his shoulders. 

“Bradley. Baby. I need you.” You moaned into his mouth.

“You have me.” He said as he stroked himself once and guided himself in you. The stretch stung but it was welcomed all the fingering helped slightly but he was girthy and long. 

“Fuck! Filling me so good!” You moaned out as he bottomed out and settled. He leaned over you pushing your legs up to your shoulders making himself go deeper. Your hands went to his shoulders and fingers dug into them. 

“You're squeezing me so tight. Taking me so well. Gonna fuck you full.” He moaned and started moving as he caged your body in and he rested on his forearms. 

“Been waiting for this for so long.” You moaned as he thrusted in and out of you. 

“Wanted to be with you when I knew what love was but you were already gone.” He said 

“You have me now.” You said and you got a sharp thrust as a response. “Fuck. Do that again.” You said and he did so. “Faster, I'm close.” You moaned and he obeyed.

“Fuck taking me so deep and so well.” He moaned and you squeezed him as he thrusted faster. 

“That's it right there.” You moaned as nails raked down his back making him hiss.

“Feels so good. I'm gonna have scratches there for weeks.” He said and you smirked.

“Good. You have something to brag about especially to Jake.” You said and he thrusted hard.

“Don't bring his name up.” He growled

“Why not? What are you going to do about it?” you asked 

“This.” He said and sped up to a pace that had skin on skin as the only sound filling the room. He then latched onto a nipple and sucked, pulled, and bit it while he played with the other and once satisfied with that he switched. 

“I'm close, Baby.” You moaned as he pulled off of your nipple. 

“Cum with me.” He said and picked up his pace and brought a hand to your clit and started to rub, pinch, and pull on it.

“That's it right there.” You said and then his thrusts were starting to become sloppy.

“I'm cumming, Baby. Cum with me.” He said as he finally stilled inside you. Once you felt his warm sperm spill inside of you and the added pressure from your clit being pleasured you came.

“Fuck!” You moaned as that knot exploded and he put your shaking legs down as you both were breathing heavily as you were coming down from your highs. He slowly pulled out of you as he kissed you. “Damn you came deep in me.” You said and he chuckled as he laid beside you and pushed what came out back in and you moaned at the over stimulation. 

“What can I say? I didn't want to waste a drop. I wanted every drop in you.” He said as he laid beside you and you turned over to look at him. Both down from your high. 

“I missed you.” You whispered 

“I missed you too.” He replied

“I'm sorry for blocking you.” You said

The next morning you were waking up early. At first you didn't know where you were but then you saw Bradley sleeping peacefully in front of you and you smiled. You shifted and you felt the soreness and smiled. Last night Bradley rocked your world and it was amazing. You then had the brilliant idea of making breakfast. You kissed his lips and then rolled over and started to get out of bed hoping not to wake him up but you did not succeed because you were being pulled back against him. “Where are you going?” He asked, opening his eyes.

“Well, I was going to get coffee going and start some breakfast.” You said but now you were having second thoughts not wanting to get up from his embrace “But being in your arms feels kind of nice.” You said as you turned over to look at him. 

“I like you being in my arms too.” He said then it went quiet and you could tell he wanted to say something.

“What is going through that pretty head of yours?” You asked 

“I have to ask. When did you lose your virginity and to who? You don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to.” He said and you smiled and shook your head.

“No, it's fine. As to who took it, it was Tony.” You said and you waited for him to process it.

“As in Tony DiNozzo, the guy you work with?” He asked and you nodded.

“Yes, him. When he took it, I had just arrived in Virginia and wanted to go out with some friends that we had gone to school with. They took me out to a party and then we went to a bar, it was a really nice bar almost like Penny’s.” You explained. “After a few drinks and some crappy karaoke, I was approached by him and me being slightly tipsy and so was he. I said yes for him to take me home. We ended up having sex and he knew it was my first time and he was so sweet about it. The next morning, I got up and left without him knowing and then I started my first day on the job and turned out he was my teammate, we talked about that night and both promised not to make a big deal about it but Tony being Tony he started hitting on me and I turned him down so it's a thing between us. So yes, he was my first time; to be honest I wanted it to be with you but you never saw me that way and you had cut me off so I gave up hope so I gave it away.” You explained and you could see hurt in his eyes.

“Y/N/N-” He began but you cut him off.

“It’s ok really. I should be going anyway.” You said and started to get up but he wouldn’t allow it. “Bradley, you don’t have to take pity on me.” You said looking at him and he shook his head.

“I’ve loved you ever since I knew what love was and that was when we were little and we could play on the playground. From what little time I had with my dad I saw how he loved my mother and treated her and that is when I knew what it was. I wanted to be with you but I didn’t want to ruin what we had and now I do. I want to be with you.” He said

“But I’m in Virginia and you are here in California.” You said and he shook his head.

“We can make it work.” He said and you looked hesitant.

“I live a very stressful life, Bradley.” You said and knew you shouldn’t have said it because he lived one too.

“I live one too. Never knowing when I will deploy or if I will be shot down. Please I want to be with you and I know you want to be with me too. Let’s try.” He said caressing your face and you leaned into his touch as you thought about it.

“Ok. Let’s give it a try.” You said and he smiled and his eyes lit up no trace of sadness anywhere.

“Great! I promise this will work, Baby. I love you so much.” He said and kissed your forehead and you smiled.

“I believe you. I love you too.” You said snuggling into him and the both of you got comfortable again. As you laid there thinking about every worst possible outcome your love for Bradley kept shooting back to the surface and made all those thoughts go away. 

You knew it would work out but those thoughts of doubt still surfaced and scared you. You couldn’t wait to start your life with Bradley even if it was long distance but you knew that you could come out here and visit and you knew he could come to you. So, in the end everything was perfect and you would be a fool for not taking the chance. It was a chance you were glad you took it. You weren’t going back now and you didn’t want to go back. You are perfectly content being with Bradley and he was perfectly content with you. Everything was perfect.

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