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#special mission aviation
nocternalrandomness · 3 months
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Lockheed HC-130J fueling an HH-60W Jolly Green II
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defensenow · 5 months
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The vast majority (99%) of the 281,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2 equivalent) estimated to have been generated in the first 60 days following the 7 October Hamas attack can be attributed to Israel’s aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by researchers in the UK and US. According to the study, which is based on only a handful of carbon-intensive activities and is therefore probably a significant underestimate, the climate cost of the first 60 days of Israel’s military response was equivalent to burning at least 150,000 tonnes of coal. The analysis, which is yet to be peer reviewed, includes CO2 from aircraft missions, tanks and fuel from other vehicles, as well as emissions generated by making and exploding the bombs, artillery and rockets. It does not include other planet-warming gases such as methane. Almost half the total CO2 emissions were down to US cargo planes flying military supplies to Israel. Hamas rockets fired into Israel during the same period generated about 713 tonnes of CO2, which is equivalent to approximately 300 tonnes of coal – underscoring the asymmetry of each side’s war machinery.
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David Boyd, the UN special rapporteur for human rights and the environment, said: “This research helps us understand the immense magnitude of military emissions – from preparing for war, carrying out war and rebuilding after war. Armed conflict pushes humanity even closer to the precipice of climate catastrophe, and is an idiotic way to spend our shrinking carbon budget.”
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Even without comprehensive data, one recent study found that militaries account for almost 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually – more than the aviation and shipping industries combined. This makes the global military carbon footprint – even without factoring in conflict-related emission spikes – the fourth largest after only the US, China and India.
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imthebadguyyy · 4 months
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so high school
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pairing : bradley 'rooster' bradshaw x reader
fandom : top gun
synopsis : being in love makes you feel oh so high school!!
series : the tortured poets department
warnings : smut
a/n : loved loved loved writing this!! happy reader
you couldn't quite tell what it was about bradley 'rooster' bradshaw that had you hooked. but something just did. the world of naval aviators was close knit, and you had been friends with phoenix and fanboy for as long as you could remember, even graduating top gun together.
it wasn't until many years later that you received a letter, asking you to go to fightertown san diego for a special mission. thats it. thats all they told you.
so before you knew it, you were cruising down the coast in your bike, hair whipping in the breeze, trying to find the bar phoenix had told you she would be at. you spotted it soon enough, glimmering brightly near the shining sea, and you parked and made your way inside.
it was packed full of other aviators, you spotted phoenix, hangman, coyote, payback and fanboy playing a game of pool and making snarky remarks at each other.
"cherry!" a cheery voice called you, and you offered your best friend your sweetest smile. "hi phoenix! i missed you" you laughed, pulling her into a hug, that she reciprocated, kissing your temple affectionately.
"cherry!" fanboy said, wrestling you into a tight hug to rub your head affectionately as you pretended to be annoyed, swatting at his arm.
"didn't know you were here too hon" phoenix said, offering you a bottle of beer.
"yep, got the call to ride at dawn" you said dramatically, sinking into a chair, shaking your jacket off your shoulders, draping the black leather jacket over the back of the chair.
"well if they're calling in the big guns guess the mission must be important" pheonix teased, affectionately rubbing your shoulder again.
"cherry, meet bob, phoenix's new backseater from leemore" payback said, gesturing to a quiet man with glasses who was eating peanuts in the corner. "hello, I'm bob" he said, smiling at you and shaking your hand. "I'm y/n, cherry" you smiled.
just as you were about turn to greet coyote, the door opened and a man clad in a hawaiian shirt walked in, aviators hiding his eyes, with a slight swagger to his walk as he walked in, sliding his glasses slightly lower down his nose as he greeted phoenix . he had the most perfect looking moustache you had ever seen, and for a split second you wondered how it would feel brushed up against every part of you.
you bit back a giggle as phoenix hit him in the stomach with her pool stick, that instantly had his eyes snapping to your face.
bradley didn't know what hit him as he looked at your face. well, apart from phoenix's poolstick. he felt like all the wind has been sucked from his lungs as he looked at you, drinking in your pretty eyes and curved lips, plush and full, seeing the way your hand was wrapped around a cold bottle of beer. he felt his heartbeat speed up so fast he had to steady himself on his unsteady feet. you looked ethereal.
"and who are you?" he asked, taking his aviators off to tuck them into his pocket as he leaned against nat's shoulder, offering you a smile that had your heart beating way faster than it should have.
"y/n, cherry" you smiled, extending your hand for a handshake. bradley grabbed your hand, pressing a delicate kiss to the back of it that had a warm flushed heat creeping up to your cheek.
"I'm rooster, bradley" he said, sinking into a chair next to yours.
"nice to meet you" you smiled at him, draining the last of your beer. "can I get you another?" he said, already getting ready to stand. "thats okay rooster, I'll go get one myself" you hurried to get up as well, but he just took you by the elbow, leading you to the bar. "please let me. what sort of a gentleman would i be if I didn't buy a pretty girl a drink?" he smirked mischievously and you forced down a smile, hiding it with an eye roll.
"please, nat talks about you and I know for a fact how much of a ladykiller you are" you said, smiling at the woman behind the bar who introduced herself as penny. "put it on my tab, penny my dear!" rooster called and earned a smile from the woman.
"damn, phoenix is destroying my shot before I even had a chance huh? he sighed, only a little resigned. "but I promise, I'm not like that anymore, I'm older and wiser now" he said, looking at you hesitantly. you couldn't help but laugh, seeing the sincerity in his eyes.
"I'm just messing with you" you giggled, accepting the cold beer gratefully and clinking your bottle with his.
you found yourself lost in conversation with him, laughing and chattering like long lost friends. you told him all about knowing nat and fanboy, about your hobbies, what got you into aviation. he spoke about his love for music, his love for aviators, and surprisingly, about his dad.
he watched the way your eyes softened, not in the way that people did with pity, but with understanding. and you reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'm sorry that happened to you bradley" you said, voice as delicate as a feather. "thank you" he said, stroking a hand over your thumb.
"hey,wanna see something cool?" he asked, already leading you over to the piano. "you gonna play a song bradshaw?" you laughed, choosing to lean against the piano as he settled into the seat. you recognised the opening notes of great balls of fire.
bradley's voice was as warm as whiskey, rough around the edges and ragged in a way that took your breath away and made a little something spark in between your thighs.
"kiss me baby!" he sang, throwing you a cheeky wink that had phoenix nudging your side. "that feels good, baby" he smirked, letting his tongue wet his lips as he watched your body twitch a little.
"I'm off to love you like a lover should" he crooned, fingers dancing across the ivory keys as you hummed along.
after he finished, you watched him get swarmed with people, and whooping and cheering for him, before the chants of "rooster! rooster! rooster! rooster!" filled the room and you clapped along before slinking back to the bar.
"hey whered you go?" bradley's warm voice made his way over to you. "just wanted a moment and another beer" you said and he grinned, already passing you a cold one again, letting his fingers brush yours again.
"cmon, let's go on a drive" he said, gently tugging your hand and paying his bill quickly. "thanks for that, by the way" you said, beaming up at him gratefully. "anytime pretty girl" he said, leading you put to where a beautiful Bronco was parked.
"thats a beautiful car" you said, stopping to admire it. "whose is it?" you continued, staring curiously. "it's mine" he said proudly, grinning when you gasped. "it's so pretty!"
"thank you, it's my baby" he said, and you felt your heart flutter. "come, let me show you the sights" he said, getting your car door for you in a way that had you feeling a little ooey gooey on the inside and had you thinking "isn't that sweet?"
and as you drive off into the night, the moon illuminating the sea, you felt oh so high school.
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the hard deck was buzzing with energy, music playing in the background as the squad enjoyed a rare night off. you, bradley and the rest of the team were gathered around a large table, laughter and banter filling the air.
"hey, cherry, can you grab me another beer?" bradley asked with a playful grin, his eyes twinkling.
"only if you say please," you teased back, giving him a mock-serious look.
"please," he replied, drawing out the word and giving you an exaggerated puppy-dog look that made you laugh.
as you headed to the bar, nat nudged you with her elbow. "you know, Cherry, you’re not fooling anyone, especially me" she smirked.
you raised an eyebrow, pretending not to understand. "what do you mean?"
phoenix gave you a knowing smile. "come on, it's so obvious you have a crush on Rooster. the way you two flirt, it's like watching a rom-com. and as your best friend, you know I can read you like an open book" she said, leaning across the bar to grab your three beers.
your cheeks flushed a little, but you couldn’t help but smile. "Is it that obvious?"
"To everyone but you two, apparently," phoenix said, chuckling. "just go for it. You two are great together."
meanwhile, back at the table, the boys were giving rooster a similar hard time.
"rooster, man, you are so into cherry," jake "said, shaking his head. "the way you look at her, it's like you're in the notebook or something."
"yeah, dude," bob added. "It's written all over your face. you look like a little kitten with a ball of wool" he said and analogy made the other pilots roar with laughter.
rooster tried to play it cool, but he couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. "what can I say? she's special."
as you returned to the table with the beers, you noticed the boys smirking at rooster, who was giving them a playful glare. you handed bradley his beer, your fingers brushing briefly, sending a small thrill through you.
"thanks, cherry," he said, his voice softening a bit, reaching up to pinch your cheek playfully.
"anytime," you replied, your heart fluttering.
phoenix gave you a knowing look, and you felt a rush of warmth. surrounded by friends and filled with a sense of joy and possibility, you knew this was just the beginning of something truly special between you and bradley.
and that feeling made you feel like a high schooler, feeling oh so high school.
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training and day to day encounters with bradley became the norm, and he found himself actively seeking you out more and more.
"hey cherry" his voice rang sweetly in your ears as he plonked himself down next to you. "hey rooster" you greeted back, settling comfortably into the chair, waiting for maverick to come and start the training session.
"looks like we're paired up for today's exercise" he said, trying to dim the bright grin that graced his face, drinking in the amused look in yours.
"sure looks like it" you grinned back, laughing when he pumped his fists in the air. "excited much?" you joked, leaning slightly into his shoulder. "oh, very. it's not often i get to fly with a wingwoman as beautiful as you, pretty girl" he cooed, fingers dancing across the loose strand of hair that had fallen out of your bun and tucking it back in.
you felt your breath hitch and your heart speed up like a train, feeling the warmth radiating from his body as he leaned in slightly closer, eyes trained on yours, gleaming in the sunshine. you leaned in as well, torso moving forward as your eyes fluttered ever so slightly. bradley felt his heart hammering, palms sweating slightly as he repeated a mantra of "holy shit this is actually happening" repeatedly in his head.
just as your noses brushed, a sharp voice cut the tension in the room, and you jumped back as if you had been scalded. you felt your body heat up as the grinning faces of hangman and coyote and maverick came into view, making you shoot away from bradley to keep a respectable distance between you two.
"well, well, what do we have here?" hangman’s teasing drawl filled the space, a smirk playing on his lips. phoenix elbowed him in the ribs, rolling her eyes at his lack of tact. "damnit bagman, couldn't you have waited for a second?" nat's voice reached your ears and you tried your hardest not to simply evaporate on the spot.
maverick raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "did we interrupt something?"
coyote chuckled, shaking his head. "looks like we did."
bradley's hand remains on your shoulder, a reassuring touch. you couldn't help but feel a mix of embarrassment and amusement at the situation.
"har har guys, why don't you move it along now cmon" rooster said, dramatically gesturing to the door.
a chorus of laughs and giggles embraced you, with natasha stopping to stoop by your ear and say "never seen you look so captivated cherry" and giving you a playful wink which you returned.
"well...where were we?" bradley said, after ensuring the squad had truly left. "i believe you were about to kiss me?" you said in a hushed whisper, reaching for the zipper of his flight suit, standing up to pull him flush against you.
you let your body sink against the tiny podium mav used to give his motivational speeches, letting bradley's weight sag into you as he leaned closer, and closer and closer...
right until his breath was warm on your face, searching your eyes for the same desperate adoration he felt and he saw it there in full reciprocity.
"god, will you kiss me already?" you whined, tugging him forward by the collar.
bradley turned to you, his eyes filled with a mix of determination and vulnerability. he took a step closer, his gaze locking onto yours. "I've been wanting to tell you something," he said softly, his voice steady despite the emotion behind it.
your heart raced as you nodded, body high on the palpable tension, waiting for him to continue. "ive felt this way for a while now," he confessed, taking your hand in his. "and I can't keep pretending it's not there." he continued, breath in ragged gasps as he inched so much more impossibly closer to you.
before you could respond, he gently cupped your face with one hand, his thumb brushing over the swell of your cheek. the world seemed to slow down as he leaned in, his eyes never leaving yours. you closed the distance, your lips meeting in a soft, tentative kiss, charged with sweet emotion.
the first touch sent a shiver down your spine. it was sweet and slow, as delicate as spun sugar, both of you savoring the moment you had been waiting for. bradley's other hand moved to your waist, pulling you closer as the kiss deepened, the other still grasping your cheek.
his lips were warm and inviting, and you lost yourself in the sensation, your arms winding around his neck. his mustache, his oh so perfect mustache brushed against your top lip, in a messy kiss that felt so good you couldn't breathe. his hand crawled up your back to rest in your hair, cradling your head in his hand while yours continued to grip his collar and his chest tightly, tongues now clashing as the kiss grew more heated.
just as bradley let his hand down to squeeze the flesh of your ass, the sound of footsteps and a horrified "oh!" had bradley breaking apart from you, eyes never leaving your heaving form as he glanced over his shoulder to see an extremely flustered bob.
"oh shit rooster, I'm sorry i-" he began, stammering and stuttering as his glasses began to slip down his nose from the nervous perspiration gathering on his nose.
"bob, just leave" he murmured, going back to your lips as he let his mustache brush your lip in a way that had you giggling.
"right! right! I'll leave god rooster I'm sorry-" he continued rooted to the spot, eyes widening at the way bradley's lips trailed to your neck.
"bob?" you called sweetly, ignoring the way rooster smirked against your neck. "yes cherry?" he said, still stuttering.
"as much as I like you, please fuck off and let me makeout with rooster in peace" you said firmly, and he was scurrying out like a mouse.
bradley laughed against the skin of your neck, pressing one last smacking kiss to the juncture between your shoulder and neck, before leaning up to peck your nose.
"darling, let me take you to dinner" he begged, grasping your hand in his own palm.
"when?" you asked, still heaving to take deep breaths of air. "now. today. an hour, god, I'll just go shower and change and I'll come and pick you up and we can go now, today, now" he said, punctuating each word with a soft kiss to your lips.
"okay" you breathed, slowly backing away to just admire the man before you. "pick me up at 7 then" you said, pushing him away with a smirk, before walking towards the door, hips swaying purposefully. "and maybe tonight, you'll get to kiss more of me" you winked, and made your way out.
rooster sunk back into a chair with a groan.
god, you made him feel like a lovestruck teenager, giving him butterflies
it all felt oh so high school to him.
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bradley bradshaw had planned the perfect first date, and as the sun began its descent, casting a warm glow over Fightertown, you found yourself eagerly anticipating the evening ahead. he had picked you up right on time, his charming smile and easy confidence immediately putting you at ease.
he drove you to a secluded stretch of beach, the sound of the waves creating a serene backdrop as he unloaded a large picnic basket from the trunk. "i thought we'd do something a little different," he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "a beach picnic seemed like the perfect idea. you mentioned you've never had one before" he said, a note of shyness in his gaze.
"i love it," you replied, genuinely touched by the thoughtfulness of the gesture.
he spread out a blanket on the soft sand, arranging the picnic essentials with meticulous care. as you sat down, you couldn't help but admire the beautiful scenery—the ocean stretching out endlessly, the sky painted with hues of orange and pink.
bradley handed you a glass of sparkling champagne and raised his own in a toast. "to new beginnings," he said, his gaze meeting yours with a sincerity that made your heart skip a beat.
"to new beginnings," you echoed, clinking your glass against his.
the evening unfolded with an easy, natural flow. bradley had packed an impressive spread: fresh fruit, gourmet sandwiches, cheese, and even a couple of your favorite snacks, and to your mirth, a whole container of cherry candy. you both talked and laughed, sharing stories and learning more about each other.
at one point, he playfully fed you a strawberry, and you couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "you're really going all out, huh?" you teased.
"only the best for you," he replied with a wink, his tone light but his expression serious.
as the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky turned a deep, velvety blue, and bradley lit a few candles, their gentle flicker adding to the romantic ambiance. you found yourself inching closer to him, the warmth of his presence and the sound of his voice creating a bubble of intimacy that felt both exhilarating and comforting.
he glanced at you, his eyes soft and filled with an emotion that made your breath catch. "you know, I've wanted to do this for a long time," he admitted, his voice low and earnest.
"really?" you asked, feeling a flutter of excitement.
"yeah," he said, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair from your face. "there's something about you, cherry. from the moment we met, I knew you were special."
your heart swelled with happiness as you looked into his eyes. "i feel the same way, bradley."
he smiled, a slow, genuine smile that lit up his face. "im glad," he said softly.
as the night continued, you sat together, sharing quiet moments and watching the stars appear one by one in the sky. It was the perfect first date, a beautiful beginning to what you both hoped would be a wonderful journey together.
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bradley couldn't remember the last time anyone had left him so simply awe struck and feeling like a teenager in love the way that you had. he knew the moment he set eyes on you in the hard deck that you had stolen his heart in every sense of the phrase.
so flash forward to three months after your first date and there you were, pressed up against his body, leaning into his warmth with one of your ankles looped around his own, both your feet propped up on bradley's coffee table. his house had practically become yours, you spent more time there than at your own pathetic little rented apartment.
bradley inhaled the scent of your perfume, bergamot and oak, vanilla and of course cherry. he didn't know how much he loved the scent of cherry till you came into his life like a cherry scented whirlwind.
it was a Saturday night and that meant neither of you had to go into work the next day. he had asked you to come over to his place after a few drinks at the hard deck. he had cracked open a nice bottle of red wine and had ordered in some of the burritos you loved so much, topped of with that spicy salsa you loved.
a bowl of nachos sat between the two of you, and the burritos waited on the table for you two to stop gazing lovingly into each other's eyes.
the classic 'american pie' was playing softly in the background, but neither of you could really pay attention. your fingers traced over his muscled thighs, absent mindedly tracing your initials on the exposed skin, his denim shorts giving you more than enough room to gently trace the skin.
his arm was around your shoulders, gently tracing mindless circles on the exposed skin of your shoulder, and occasionally dropping kisses to the skin as well, letting his tongue dart out to earn a giggle from your pretty lips.
"ya having fun pretty girl?" he asked, brushing a loose strand of his hair back. "mmhmm" you nodded burrowing into his chest in a way that had his heart singing.
"i love how stupidly interesting this movie is" he confessed, and you laughed, affectionately kissing his nose. "i do too, it's the perfect movie to unwind to" you agreed, settling into his chest again as you took a sip of the cabernet he had poured you.
he adored these little moments with you. how he would love to have them with you every damn day. he wanted you to just be with him for ever and ever.
of course, the both of you had forgotten about the iconic scene in which vicky finally...achieved new highs. bradley's eyes went wide as he choked on his wine, watching as the explicit scene played out on tv, feeling your body tense beside him and your breathing quicken as she reached her peak on screen.
he felt red hot arousal course through his body, and the fact that your perfectly plush body was resting against him in a way that was just right was not helping him. his pants were becoming uncomfortably tight around his groin.
he heard you gulp beside him, eyes blown a little wide as your eyes shifted to his face, flushing a little when you saw he was already looking at you.
"sweetheart i hope that doesn't make you uncomfortable?" he asked, stroking your cheek in concern. he missed the way your thighs pressed together, but he did hear the whimper that left your lips.
"oh darling..." he cooed, thumb stroking your cheekbone. "you want me to do that to you pretty girl? want me to eat your pretty pussy?" he asked, smirking when you whimpered again softly, turning so you were both face to face.
"answer me darling " he said, moving the glasses away to pull you flush into his lap. you tried to stifle your sigh of pleasure when his large hands grabbed your hips, settling you snug against him.
"please?" you asked, hands trailing down his muscled chest. "please what, pretty girl?" he asked, hands reaching to the back of your shirt. "please can you eat me out, lieutenant bradshaw?" you cooed, feeling confident as you rolled your hips on his.
"fuck baby girl" he grunted, making quick work of undoing your bra and flinging it off off you, hands going slowly up and down your sides. "I'd love that" he groaned, slowly setting you down flat on the couch and resting one knee between your legs. he dragged your top off, and you hissed when the cold air graced your nipples, hardening them to peaks.
his eager tongue descended upon them, flat of it pressing against the sensitive buds and sucking them between his lips to flick at them in a way that had you gasping and gripping his luscious hair in your hands, chest arching high.
he bucked up into you then, hands holding your hips still as he stiffens against you. "you’re fucking sexy, ya know that?" he said "so. fucking. sexy." he punctuated each word with a flick of his tongue, teeth grazing the nipple and sucking it, letting his saliva coat it before pulling it, making you hiss in pleasure.
although it took him seconds, it felt like an eternity, as bradley travelled down the valley of your breasts, down to your stomach where he stopped, and licked slow circles around your belly button until you shuddered almost continually. his tongue dipped into your belly button and your foot jerks. his mouth travelled lower.
he took a minute to settle down, settling down to his knees in front of the couch, to become eye-level with your clothed cunt, while maintaining a cozy sort of closeness. once again, he gently stroked the waistband of your panties, and, with expert hands, eyed the pale blush pink colour of your underwear.
"i don't know if i tell you often", he moaned into your thigh with squinted eyes. "but you’re the prettiest fucking person ive ever seen" he said, biting the flesh of your hip. "prettiest fucking thing ive ever seen" he repeated, and your heart began to thud at an irregular pace against your chest as you watched the special show.
"tell me you want me baby" he asked, stopping his movements and panting on his knees. he looked like such a fucking angelic mess in that moment, voice raspy, chest heaving and hands gripping the flesh of your hips.
"i need to hear you tell me you want me and need me" he begged, slowly drawing your knees apart.
"please roos, i need you so bad! i want you!" you acquiesced, desperately reaching for his hand, which he immediately linked with your own.
"now, i have only one rule" he murmured pressing another kiss into your skin, this time even lower. he tilted your hips up just a bit higher, so they’re level with his nose; eyes just barely peeking over your mound. he inhaled sharply.
"you have to be as loud as you can or i stop. just please, fuck, please don’t hold back on me" he whispered, stroking your knuckles on the hand in which your fingers were entwined, his cheeks pink in the sparkling lights.
and with your nod, he’s dove in. you felt his tongue slip out, softly licking at your already swollen clit, and you realized this feeling was unlike anything. it was heaven and it's hell, it was sanity and insanity, and you loved it. your chest dipped hard with every aggressive rise, and the more it obscured your view of rooster, the more you adjusted yourself so that way it doesn’t. you wanted to see him.
his mouth wrapped around your clit and he gently sucked at it, his chin grazing your hole as his tongue explored the unfamiliar territory. he moaned out loud in surprise of how fucking sweet and tart you tasted.
"fuck sweet girl, you taste like cherry candy" he grunted, his own hips grinding against the coarse material of the couch.
he continued with his ministrations, pulling soft moans out of you. it was a melody, a harmony. a symphony of low groans and raw moans and desperate whines leaving your lips. each and every noise; every perfectly composed addition giving way to how your pleasure builds. "fu—oh, my god, roos!" you managed to gasp out, remembering his rule, head pressing against fluffy yellow cushion he had given you.
he’d barely touched you. hadn’t even quite moved on from your clit, and yet? you were a fucking mess. your breathing, uneven, your heart erratic. it was a dizzying experience everytime he sucked on your clit.
he alternated, tightening the control on his lips or flattening his tongue, lifting your legs to rest them on his shoulders.
your legs felt heavy against his shoulders, knees buckling from the pleasure. the noises that came from him are pornographic, to say the least. obscene and dirty, muffled by your puffy lips. it was wet, and it sounded like heaven.
"you’re doing great, pretty girl. so fucking good" he growled into your pussy, lapping at your juices.
then suddenly he was mouthing at your cunt, tongue dipping into your aching hole with fervour, trying to learn what made you feel good, what made you jerk, what made you tick. about your reactions. about your ethereal sounds. as much as his brain could take. he made you absolutely melt into putty with his experienced touch.
an unexpected high-pitched moan escaped your swollen mouth, and your breath caught in your throat. "holy shit! rooster! bradley! ah—fuck, just, you’re…right there" your hands clutched the leather between your fingers, and you were pretty sure you had ripped a hole in the velveteen couch.
a familiar warmth was beginning to pool in your tummy, fingers running through his hair in response, scratching at his scalp and pulling his hair roughly.
the veins in his arms began to strain and protrude and you almost came right there on the spot. you yanked on his hair again, and with a loud groan he jerked up into you. a dangerous glint gleaming in his eyes as he shot up to meet yours and he lifted himself off of you. "you’re playing a dangerous game, darling" he whispered, fingers trailing down your thighs.
his tongue swirled along your ribs, the place where you’re most ticklish, and it revealed his new favourite sound in the world - your laugh. over the curve of your breast, covered with hickeys and bites, and then finally right above your heart. where he lived, where he loved and could be loved. his home.
he snuck back down, fingers slipping into you, pressing against your g spot before his tongue began to suck harshly on your clit.
the familiar band of pleasure began to build in your belly and you whined in desperate pleasure. his tongue began to suck on the little pearl harder, and soon you were thrashing above him as the band snapped and you came all over his pretty face.
"thats it darling, nice and slow, come for me" he murmured, licking you through your orgasm. "mm-ah! roos!" you groaned as the sensitivity grew between your legs.
bradley stood up panting, moustache gleaming with your sparkling juices, and his tongue picked out to lick it away, the sight so obscenely perfect.
"you're my new favourite thing to eat in the world, sweet girl" he cooed, pressing his lips to yours in a delicate kiss.
gasping and panting, you kissed his back, gently stroking his hair. "thank you, that was amazing" you breathed, giggling when he sunk into you and the both of you descended into the plush couch.
"don't thank me baby girl, it's a pleasure to give my girl the best head of her life" he said, cracking a grin when you hid your face in his chest.
"god I adore you. i love you" he said, breathing the scent of your perfume again. "I love you too baby" you whispered, kissing his nose.
"c'mon, let's get up and cuddle now" he said, scooping you up and throwing you over his shoulder. you squealed in laughter as he tickled your side, hanging over his shoulder, playfully swatting his butt as he made his way up the stairs.
this was the kind of romance you'd only read bout in high school.
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the hard deck was alive with its usual blend of laughter and lively conversation as you and the squad gathered for another fun night out. the air was filled with the familiar buzz of camaraderie, and everyone was in high spirits. but tonight, there was a special gleam in bradley's eyes that you couldn't quite place.
as the evening progressed, he excused himself and made his way to the old upright piano in the corner of the bar. you watched curiously as he sat down, his fingers lightly grazing the keys, testing the feel of the instrument. the room began to quiet down as people noticed him at the piano, a sense of anticipation building.
he looked up and caught your eye, his expression softening. "this one's for you, cherry," he said, his voice carrying across the room. a few murmurs of surprise and interest rippled through the crowd as he began to play a slow, romantic tune.
the familiar notes of heaven by Bryan Adams began to play.
as the melody filled the bar, you felt a warm blush spread across your cheeks. bradley's playing was beautiful, each note filled with emotion. his eyes never left yours, and it felt like the rest of the room faded away, leaving just the two of you connected by the music.
when he began to sing, his voice was smooth and heartfelt, the lyrics speaking of love and longing. it was clear to everyone that this was a song from the depths of his heart, and the dedication to you made it all the more special.
"and baby, you're all that I want,
when you're lying here in my arms,
im finding it hard to believe,
we're in heaven,
and love is all that i need,
and I found it there in your heart" he crooned softly to you and you felt an overwhelming love settle in your heart for the man at the piano.
the squad couldn't resist teasing. jake leaned over to phoenix and bob, a playful grin on his face. "hearts are breaking in the world tonight," he quipped, eliciting a round of chuckles from the group.
"yeah, looks like rooster's got it bad," phoenix added, giving you a wink.
bob nodded in agreement, smiling warmly. "It's like a scene out of a high school movie."
despite the teasing, there was an underlying sense of genuine happiness from everyone, seeing how much bradley cared for you.
as the song drew to a close, bradley's final notes lingered in the air, and the room erupted into applause. he stood up and walked back to you, his gaze never wavering.
you met him halfway, feeling a rush of emotions. "that was beautiful, baby" you said, your voice soft with gratitude and affection.
he smiled, his eyes shining with sincerity. "I'm glad you liked it, cherry. It was all for you."
as the squad continued to tease and make light-hearted comments, you and bradley shared a look that said it all. in that moment, surrounded by friends and wrapped in the warmth of his music, you both felt like high schoolers in love, caught up in the sweet, innocent magic of the night.
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rooster had invited the entire squad over to his place for beers n barbecue, but it was just an excuse to play grand theft auto with the boys. nat and you had just rolled your eyes and decided to play monopoly.
rooster kept glancing over his shoulder towards the two of you, smiling when he saw you laugh, throwing your head back and exposing the skin of your neck to him. he inhaled deeply when you bit your lip, teeth sinking into the flesh in concentration.
he groaned as hangman shoved him in the shoulder to make him lose in the game, and he stood up to head to the kitchen.
"baby you want a beer? nat, what about you?" he asked, walking over to you to drop a kiss to your shoulder.
"please" nat groaned, looking up from the board. "cherry's been kicking my ass at this stupid game for an hour" she said, making you laugh as you picked up the bowl of nachos you had been sharing to refill it.
"I'll be right back babe" you said, taking your empty beer bottles and following rooster to the kitchen.
"you having fun?" he asked, dragging you to him by your belt loops and dropping a kiss to your forehead. "i am! i missed spending time with nix" you said, kissing his cheeks and walking over to check the apple pie you had put in the oven.
rooster bit back a groan as you bent at the waist to check it, and before you knew it he was pulling you in, pressing your front against the counter. his fingers slid to the front of your jeans, slowly zipping them down.
"bradley! what in the world are you doing!" you hissed, hands settling on top of his own. "our friends are literally right there playing GTA!" you exclaimed, gasping when his finger slipped into the band of your cotton panties.
he dipped his finger to your clit, smirking when he felt the wetness on your clit. his fingers began to rub deft circles and your knees buckled, a soft whimper leaving your lips when his lips dropped to your ear to nibble on the shell.
"my my, you're a dirty little girl aren't you? getting fingered in the kitchen while our friends are in the next room?" he purred and your head dropped into his shoulder.
"fuck baby.." you moaned, and he sucked a hickey into your neck.
"god i love seeing you like this" he groaned, fingers speeding up against your clit, thumb settling on it, slipping one finger in at a time, pressing against your spongy walls, taking in the symphony of your moans.
"fuck I'm so close" you whined, pressing harder against his fingers. "cum for me darling, cum all over my fingers" he said and you came undone with a shudering gasp, chest heaving.
"hey cherry I'd like my beer cold please!" pheonix's voice cut the air and you almost jumped out of your skin.
rooster laughed as you heated up against him, pulling the zipper of your jeans back up before leaning back against the counter to lick his fingers, that had you playfully glaring at him.
"hey, bradshaw! you just died in the game man!" hangman's smug voice cut in, and the both of you laughed and pulled away.
"I'll see you again later honey" you said, kissing his cheeks. "love you" he said, nuzzling into your cheek.
"Jesus, get a room!" payback exclaimed as he stepped into the kitchen, looking for more popcorn.
"let them be! they're so cute together!" phoenix said, walking in, with her arms crossed. "cherry, babe. it's been fifteen minutes. are you brewing the beer from scratch?" she joked, walking over to the fridge to pick up the beer herself.
"sorry, she got distracted" rooster grinned and you nudged him in the side. natasha grimaced and payback pretended to gag.
"you're like two horny teenagers" fanboy commented as he walked in too.
"what can I say?" rooster shrugged. "she makes me feel oh so high school" he smiled.
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you sighed dreamily, watching bradley's pretty shirt flutter in the sea breeze. he had taken you out to a cute restaurant on the beach, which had outdoor seating and was decorated in quiet finesse.
the ocean's edge had been a charming and elegant beachside restaurant known for its stunning panoramic views of the sea. as the sun had set, casting a golden glow over the water.
the sound of waves gently lapping against the shore had provided a soothing backdrop to the evening, along with the rhythmic hum of the Bryan Adams song playing in the restaurant.
soft candlelight had flickered on your table, illuminating the beautifully set plates and the fresh, exquisite dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients. the ambiance had been both romantic and serene, perfect for an intimate dinner with rooster, where every detail had been crafted to enhance the dining experience by the sea.
the candlelight danced in his eyes, which were filled with warmth and a hint of mischief. you both leaned in close, sharing quiet laughter and soft, playful touches. your conversation flowed effortlessly, akin to two teenagers in love, filled with lighthearted teasing and genuine curiosity about each other's lives.
rooster's hand occasionally brushed against yours, sending a pleasant shiver up your spine. you found yourselves lost in his eyes, which reflected your own dreams for the future. there was an innocence and purity to your interaction, each smile and glance brimming with affection. the way he looked at you, with unguarded admiration, made you feel like the most important person in the world.
bradley leaned in a little closer, his expression turning slightly more serious but still filled with warmth. "you know," he said his voice soft and earnest, "i've been thinking a lot lately."
"oh? about what?" you asked, a hint of curiosity and amusement in your voice.
"about us," he said, his eyes locking onto yours. "about how much I love spending time with you, how much you mean to me."
your heart skipped a beat, and you felt a warm flush spread through you. "i feel the same way, bradley."
he took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "I've been thinking... I don't want us to just have these moments in between missions and busy schedules. I want more of this. More of you."
you felt a flutter of excitement and anticipation. "what are you trying to say?" you asked, excitement and anticipation bubbling in your chest.
he reached across the table, taking your hand in his. "i want you to move in with me," he said, his voice filled with sincerity. "I want to wake up next to you every day, to come home to you. I want us to build a life together, not just in moments but every single day."
your eyes welled up with tears of happiness. "bradley, are you serious?"
he nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "I've never been more serious about anything in my life. I love you, and I want us to be together, always."
tears of joy streamed began to well up in your eyes as you squeezed his hand. "I love you too, bradley. yes, I would love to move in with you." you exclaimed and he laughed, tilting your chin to capture your lips in a tender kiss.
"one day," he whispered, kissing you softly, "I'm gonna put a ring on your finger" he promised, eyes boring deep into your own.
you felt your heart hammering again, melting into a puddle of warm, happy goo.
"I'd want nothing more" you whispered back.
you could so get used to this. because being with bradley just felt oh so high school.
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a/n : here we go! the first of the tortured poets department project! i hope you enjoy reading it as much I loved writing it!! as always, comments, likes, reblogs, feedback etc is always appreciated!! 🤍 also this is my first top gun work so please!! be kind!!
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Boeing’s deliberately defective fleet of flying sky-wreckage
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I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TOMORROW (May 2) in WINNIPEG, then Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), Tartu, Estonia, and beyond!
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Boeing's 787 "Dreamliner" is manufactured far from the company's Seattle facility, in a non-union shop in Charleston, South Carolina. At that shop, there is a cage full of defective parts that have been pulled from production because they are not airworthy.
Hundreds of parts from that Material Review Segregation Area (MRSA) were secretly pulled from that cage and installed on aircraft that are currently plying the world's skies. Among them, sections 47/48 of a 787 – the last four rows of the plane, along with its galley and rear toilets. As Moe Tkacik writes in her excellent piece on Boeing's lethally corrupt culture of financialization and whistleblower intimidation, this is a big ass chunk of an airplane, and there's no way it could go missing from the MRSA cage without a lot of people knowing about it:
https://prospect.org/infrastructure/transportation/2024-04-30-whistleblower-laws-protect-lawbreakers/
More: MRSA parts are prominently emblazoned with red marks denoting them as defective and unsafe. For a plane to escape Boeing's production line and find its way to a civilian airport near you with these defective parts installed, many people will have to see and ignore this literal red flag.
The MRSA cage was a special concern of John "Swampy" Barnett, the Boeing whistleblower who is alleged to have killed himself in March. Tkacik's earlier profile of Swampy paints a picture of a fearless, stubborn engineer who refused to go along to get along, refused to allow himself to become inured to Boeing's growing culture of profits over safety:
https://prospect.org/infrastructure/transportation/2024-03-28-suicide-mission-boeing/
Boeing is America's last aviation company and its single largest exporter. After the company was allowed to merge with its rival McDonnell-Douglas in 1997, the combined company came under MDD's notoriously financially oriented management culture. MDD CEO Harry Stonecipher became Boeing's CEO in the early 2000s. Stonecipher was a protege of Jack Welch, the man who destroyed General Electric with cuts to quality and workforce and aggressive union-busting, a classic Mafia-style "bust-out" that devoured the company's seed corn and left it a barren wasteland:
https://qz.com/1776080/how-the-mcdonnell-douglas-boeing-merger-led-to-the-737-max-crisis
Post-merger, Boeing became increasingly infected with MDD's culture. The company chased cheap, less-skilled labor to other countries and to America's great onshore-offshore sacrifice zone, the "right-to-work" American south, where bosses can fire uppity workers who balked at criminal orders, without the hassle of a union grievance.
Stonecipher was succeeded by Jim "Prince Jim" McNerney, ex-3M CEO, another Jack Welch protege (Welch spawned a botnet of sociopath looters who seized control of the country's largest, most successful firms, and drove them into the ground). McNerney had a cute name for the company's senior engineers: "phenomenally talented assholes." He created a program to help his managers force these skilled workers – everyone a Boeing who knew how to build a plane – out of the company.
McNerney's big idea was to get rid of "phenomenally talented assholes" and outsource the Dreamliner's design to Boeing's suppliers, who were utterly dependent on the company and could easily be pushed around (McNerney didn't care that most of these companies lacked engineering departments). This resulted in a $80b cost overrun, and a last-minute scramble to save the 787 by shipping a "cleanup crew" from Seattle to South Carolina, in the hopes that those "phenomenally talented assholes" could save McNerney's ass.
Swampy was part of the cleanup crew. He was terrified by what he saw there. Boeing had convinced the FAA to let them company perform its own inspections, replacing independent government inspectors with Boeing employees. The company would mark its own homework, and it swore that it wouldn't cheat.
Boeing cheated. Swampy dutifully reported the legion of safety violations he witnessed and was banished to babysit the MRSA, an assignment his managers viewed as a punishment that would isolate Swampy from the criminality he refused to stop reporting. Instead, Swampy audited the MRSA, and discovered that at least 420 defective aviation components had gone missing from the cage, presumably to be installed in planes that were behind schedule. Swampy then audited the keys to the MRSA and learned that hundreds of keys were "floating around" the Charleston facility. Virtually anyone could liberate a defective part and install it into an airplane without any paper trail.
Swampy's bosses had a plan for dealing with this. They ordered Swampy to "pencil whip" the investigations of 420 missing defective components and close the cases without actually figuring out what happened to them. Swampy refused.
Instead, Swampy took his concerns to a departmental meeting where 12 managers were present and announced that "if we can’t find them, any that we can’t find, we need to report it to the FAA." The only response came from a supervisor, who said, "We’re not going to report anything to the FAA."
The thing is, Swampy wasn't just protecting the lives of the passengers in those defective aircraft – he was also protecting Boeing employees. Under Sec 38 of the US Criminal Code, it's a 15-year felony to make any "materially false writing, entry, certification, document, record, data plate, label, or electronic communication concerning any aircraft or space vehicle part."
(When Swampy told a meeting that he took this seriously because "the paperwork is just as important as the aircraft" the room erupted in laughter.)
Swampy sent his own inspectors to the factory floor, and they discovered "dozens of red-painted defective parts installed on planes."
Swampy blew the whistle. How did the 787 – and the rest of Boeing's defective flying turkeys – escape the hangar and find their way into commercial airlines' fleets? Tkacik blames a 2000 whistleblower law called AIR21 that:
creates such byzantine procedures, locates adjudication power in such an outgunned federal agency, and gives whistleblowers such a narrow chance of success that it effectively immunizes airplane manufacturers, of which there is one in the United States, from suffering any legal repercussions from the testimony of their own workers.
By his own estimation, Swampy was ordered to commit two felonies per week for six years. Tkacik explains that this kind of operation relies on a culture of ignorance – managers must not document their orders, and workers must not be made aware of the law. Whistleblowers like Swampy, who spoke the unspeakable, were sidelined (an assessment by one of Swampy's managers called him "one of the best" and finished that "leadership would give hugs and high fives all around at his departure").
Multiple whistleblowers were singled out for retaliation and forced departure. William Hobek, a quality manager who refused to "pencil whip" the missing, massive 47-48 assembly that had wandered away from the MRSA cage, was given a "weak" performance review and fired despite an HR manager admitting that it was bogus.
Another quality manager, Cynthia Kitchens, filed an ethics complaint against manager Elton Wright who responded to her persistent reporting of defects on the line by shoving her against a wall and shouting that Boeing was "a good ol’ boys’ club and you need to get on board." Kitchens was fired in 2016. She had cancer at the time.
John Woods, yet another quality engineer, was fired after he refused to sign off on a corner-cutting process to repair a fuselage – the FAA later backed up his judgment.
Then there's Sam Salehpour, the 787 quality engineer whose tearful Congressional testimony described more corner-cutting on fuselage repairs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP0xhIe1LFE
Salehpour's boss followed the Boeing playbook to the letter: Salehpour was constantly harangued and bullied, and he was isolated from colleagues who might concur with his assessment. When Salehpour announced that he would give Congressional testimony, his car was sabotaged under mysterious circumstances.
It's a playbook. Salehpour's experience isn't unusual at Boeing. Two other engineers, working on the 787 Organization Designation Authorization, held up production by insisting that the company fix the planes' onboard navigation computers. Their boss gave them a terrible performance review, admitting that top management was furious at the delays and had ordered him to punish the engineers. The engineers' union grievance failed, with Boeing concluding that this conduct – which they admitted to – didn't rise to the level of retaliation.
As Tkacik points out, these engineers and managers that Boeing targeted for intimidation and retaliation are the very same staff who are supposed to be performing inspections of behalf of the FAA. In other words, Boeing has spent years attacking its own regulator, with total impunity.
But it's not just the FAA who've failed to take action – it's also the DOJ, who have consistently declined to bring prosecutions in most cases, and who settled the rare case they did bring with "deferred prosecution agreements." This pattern was true under Trump's DOJ and continued under Biden's tenure. Biden's prosecutors have been so lackluster that a federal judge "publicly rebuked the DOJ for failing to take seriously the reputational damage its conduct throughout the Boeing case was inflicting on the agency."
Meanwhile, there's the AIR21 rule, a "whistleblower" rule that actually protects Boeing from whistleblowers. Under AIR21, an aviation whistleblower who is retaliated against by their employer must first try to resolve their problem internally. If that fails, the whistleblower has only one course of action: file an OSHA complaint within 90 days (if HR takes more than 90 days to resolve your internal complaint, you can no have no further recourse). If you manage to raise a complaint with OSHA, it is heard by a secret tribunal that has no subpoena power and routinely takes five years to rule on cases, and rules against whistleblowers 97% of the time.
Boeing whistleblowers who missed the 90-day cutoff have filled the South Carolina courts with last-ditch attempts to hold the company to account. When they lose these cases – as is routine, given Boeing's enormous legal muscle and AIR21's legal handcuffs – they are often ordered to pay Boeing's legal costs.
Tkacik cites Swampy's lawyer, Rob Turkewitz, who says Swampy was the only one of Boeing's whistleblowers who was "savvy, meticulous, and fast-moving enough to bring an AIR 21 case capable of jumping through all the hoops" to file an AIR21 case, which then took seven years. Turkewitz calls Boeing South Carolina "a criminal enterprise."
That's a conclusion that's hard to argue with. Take Boeing's excuse for not producing the documentation of its slapdash reinstallation of the Alaska Air door plug that fell off its plane in flight: the company says it's not criminally liable for failing to provide the paperwork, because it never documented the repair. Not documenting the repair is also a crime.
You might have heard that there's some accountability coming to the Boeing boardroom, with the ouster of CEO David Calhoun. Calhoun's likely successor is Patrick Shanahan, whom Tkacik describes as "the architect of the ethos that governed the 787 program" and whom her source called "a classic schoolyard bully."
If Shanahan's name rings a bell, it might be because he was almost Trump's Secretary of Defense, but that was derailed by the news that he had "emphatically defended" his 17 year old son after the boy nearly beat his mother to death with a baseball bat. Shanahan is presently CEO of Spirit Aerospace, who made the door-plug that fell out of the Alaska Airlines 737 Max.
Boeing is a company where senior managers only fail up and where whistleblowers are terrorized in and out of the workplace. One of Tkacik's sources noticed his car shimmying. The source, an ex-787 worker who'd been fired after raising safety complaints, had tried to bring an AIR21 complaint, but withdrew it out of fear of being bankrupted if he was ordered to pay Boeing's legal costs. When the whistleblower pulled over, he discovered that two of the lug-nuts had been removed from one of his wheels.
The whistleblower texted Tkcacik to say (not for the first time): "If anything happens, I'm not suicidal."
Boeing is a primary aerospace contractor to the US government. It's clear that its management – and investors – consider it too big to jail. It's also clear that they know it's too big to fail – after all, the company did a $43b stock buyback, then got billions in a publicly funded buyback.
Boeing is, effectively, a government agency that is run for the benefit of its investors. It performs its own safety inspections. It investigates its own criminal violations of safety rules. It loots its own coffers and then refills them at public expense.
Meanwhile, the company has filled our skies with at least 420 airplanes with defective, red-painted parts that were locked up in the MRSA cage, then snuck out and fitted to an airplane that you or someone you love could fly on the next time you take your family on vacation or fly somewhere for work.
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If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/01/boeing-boeing/#mrsa
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Image: Tom Axford 1 (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_sky_with_wisps_of_cloud_on_a_clear_summer_morning.jpg
CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en
--
Clemens Vasters (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:N7379E_-_Boeing_737_MAX_9.jpg
CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
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lieutenantfloyd · 2 months
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Top Gun: Maverick Fic Recs
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Hey y'all! Here are 21 of my favorite TGM fanfics of all genres and ships, listed in no particular order.
Some of these fics are 18+ so read at your own risk. None of these works are mine and all credit goes to the amazing authors! <3
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X READER
Safe Zone by @sunlightmurdock — (Series // Rooster and Hangman x reader)
A team of elite naval aviators holding down the fort at the North Island Air Base while they wait for reinforcements after a virus sweeps the continental U.S. - only, it’s been three months and no one has shown up.
Hold My Hand by @labyrinth-runner — (Series // Cyclone x Reader)
Jag! Reader is assigned to defend a pilot, finding the job to be more complicated than she thought.
Rooster’s Flight or a Manual for the Marooned by DontLetThemTakeYouAlive (Series // Rooster x Reader/OC)
"Rooster's Flight: A Manual for the Marooned" follows Madeline, a pastry chef escaping scandal in Amsterdam, and Bradley, a lost naval aviator stationed in Japan. Fate brings them to sunny San Diego, where their friendship blossoms amid career challenges and a clashing of characters. Madeline's culinary journey intertwines with Bradley's self-discovery, navigating love and loss.
Resilience, self-discovery, and the unpredictable paths of career and matters of the heart shape their narrative in this tale of second chances and unlikely connections.
Fine Piece by @dragon-kazansky (Series // Cyclone x Reader)
You have it bad for Vice Admiral Simpson. But to prove you’re fit for the job; you need to put that aside and focus on the flying.
Someone Special by @fanboygarcia (Oneshot // Cyclone x Reader)
What happens when the Dagger Squad catches on to the fact that known grump turned lovesick fool Admiral Simpson has someone special in his life?
Invisible String by @halfway-happyyy (Oneshot // Rooster x Reader)
the one where rooster’s about to leave on a mission he doesn’t know if he’ll be back from, and he wants you in every way imaginable. as always, soft feelings ensue! 
Do you wanna make somethin’ of it by @theharddeck (Oneshot // Rooster x Reader)
turns out, our favorite WSO has a side hustle, as quinn's favorite cowboy.
@bullet-prooflove's entire TGM masterlist
Everything she writes is outstanding, but the Beau x Ally fics (The First Time Series, The General Series, Deployment!Series, and Syria!Series) are something I think about literally everyday.
i don’t know, blame the air force? by @gretagerwigsmuse (Oneshot // Rooster x Reader)
in which lieutenant commander bradshaw feels his girlfriend’s wrath after she gets her year end bonus and uncle sam takes a pretty penny out of it
There Are Rules by @tongue-like-a-razor (Series // Maverick x Reader)
Your risky flying seriously pisses off your instructor at Top Gun and you're about to find out why.
Through the Hourglass by @bratshaws (Series // Rooster x OC)
Rooster x Plus Size OC!
Happy Birthday, Mr. President by @rhettabbotts (Oneshot // Bob x Reader)
after a hard week, the last thing bob wanted to do was attend his birthday party. so instead, he plays out one of his biggest fantasies with you.
Whoever's in Lemoore by @cherrycola27 (Oneshot // Bob x Reader)
A fic based on the Reba McEntire song "Whoever's in New England"
Angels Don't Always Have Wings by @bradshawssugarbaby (Series // Rooster x Reader)
a series of oneshots revolving around baseball player!Bradley Bradshaw x reader (nicknamed Angel)
Do I? by @bradshawssugarbaby (Oneshot // Cyclone x Reader)
Inspired by Do I? by Luke Bryan. (this fic was so good I had to go take a walk after reading it for the first time)
Road to Perdition by @sailor-aviator (Series // Hangman x Reader)
The Great Depression wasn't called a depression for nothing. Jobs were scarce, and the price of food and other necessities were rising higher and higher with each passing day. What little money you were able to make went straight to the bank and out of reach from your booze-swilling lech of a brother. It's on one such run that you come face to face with members of the infamous Dagger Gang; a group of, admittedly handsome, men who steal from the banks to hand it back out to the poor. You want nothing to do with them, but that blond-headed devil might just have something to say to the contrary. (1930s!Mobster!AU)
His Best Friend's Wedding by @ereardon (Series // Rooster x Reader)
Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw has been your best friend for a decade. He’s also your fiancé’s best man. So when he shows up at your hotel room the night before your wedding, it’s just because he’s your friend, right? 
OTHER SHIPS
Mistaken Identity by @ladylanera — (TGM x Mission: Impossible crossover)
What should be a joyous homecoming quickly unravels after it's discovered a nefarious, unknown group has put a hit out on Captain Mitchell, mistaking the Navy captain for being a covert IMF operative by the name of Ethan Hunt who has an uncanny likeness to the captain for some reason. Enter a twisty web of lies that threaten the very existence of the family as we know it.
**Fic contains spoilers for Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One**
Flower Power by ReformedTsundere — (Icemav)
Flowers, Pete reminds himself, slamming the last of the books closed, are the worst.
New Chat Created: North Island Daggers by Comin2U — (gen fic)
Harvard: why Whatsapp and not just a basic text message? Hangman: because one of us has an android and ruins the ability to message with just internet. Coyote: Screw you too hangman. ________________________________ In which 12 daggers, the best of the best of naval aviators, are all a bunch of kids and thrown in a group chat.
come fly with me (let's fly, let's fly away) by GatheringBlue — (TGM x 9-1-1 Crossover)
It's a common misconception that Buck trained to be a Navy SEAL. For as long as he could remember, flying had been his dream. Most little kids wanted to be a firefighter or an astronaut, but Buck had always wanted to be a pilot. He wanted to fly far, far away from home, where his parents’ comments that might as well have been slaps for how badly they stung couldn’t get to him. Flying was his way out. His escape. If he was thousands of feet up in the sky, way up with the clouds, then his parents couldn’t touch him. No one could. When Buck got pulled from the reserves just after the lawsuit, it seemed like perfect timing. There was nothing left for him in LA. Not anymore. So, it looked like Buck was heading back to Top Gun.
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mamsieur · 11 months
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Don't mess with the Storm | Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader
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Summary : Sometimes, Cyclone could live up to his call sign. Especially when it concerned you, his youngest daughter, his little Storm.
TW : slight violence, mention of alcohol, family/domestic fluff
Length : 6753 words
AN : You can't make me believe that Beau Simpson isn't a family man with lots of kids. That's what he radiates.
posted on AO3 August 21, 2023
Your mom always said you took after your dad, but if he was a Cyclone, you were a Storm ; smaller and less destructive. Storm has always been your nickname. 
It described you quite well as much in your way of doing things than in your personality. You were passionate about everything you did and you often left a mess after you.
Being a Vice Admiral, Beau managed to control himself for his work but when it came to you and your well being, he could literally destroy everything on his way. Not that your father was in any way abusive or violent, but he sometimes could over react.
You were your parents’ precious little baby.
You were the youngest of four children; you had three older brothers, all in the military. Two of them, Nathan and Jamie, were naval aviators, like your father, and one, Aaron, was a Marine Officer. 
Needless to say, you were well taken care of ; you liked to think that you had a small ‘army’ for yourself.
But as much as they thought of you as their little princess, they never treated you like one, and you never wanted to be. You were tough and very capable of defending yourself. Your father always encouraged you in whatever you wanted to do. 
You wanted to join the soccer team? Let's go. Switch to boxing lessons? Done. A new passion for karting? He had your back. An interest in mechanics ? He bought you your first tool box.
As long as you put your heart and soul into whatever you did, your family would support you.
So when you told them you wanted to work for the Navy after your engineering degree, they were as supportive as they could be.
You were a genius engineer - your mom’s word, not yours - and you loved working on jets, inspecting them, gathering as much data as possible to make them as efficient as they can be. Working at Top Gun was heaven. Since the pilots were supposed to be the best, you loved pushing them and their machines to be better and better.
Of course, the fact that you were working on the same base as your father had raised some eyebrows. But neither of you cared, and he got you no special treatment.
After the uranium mission, you were assigned to check the status of the Dagger Squad's F-18s. Everything seemed to be in good shape, and while your computer analyzed the flight data, you inspected the engines. You liked to work alone when you could, it helped you stay in your bubble of concentration.
The sun was slowly setting as you finished diagnosing the last jet. Being alone in the hangar, you took the opportunity to put on some music. You hummed and swayed a little while you waited for the analysis to finish on your screen and inspected the engine.
Your head was - quite literally - in it when you heard footsteps behind you. They stopped a few feet away from you to let you finish what you were doing.
"I'll just be two minutes," you muttered and then shrugged, getting no response. You finished inspecting the seemingly defective part and stood up. Your face was covered in dust and motor oil, and your hair was starting to fall out of your ponytail.
You sighed and turned to your mysterious guest.
"Oh! Good evening Lieutenant Bradshaw. May I help you?" you smiled a little and wiped your forehead with the back of your hand.
"Good evening Second Lieutenant Simpson, to tell you the truth, yes, you may..." he grinned charmingly, crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the plane, "I was wondering if you'd forgotten our date? It's 7:20, and we agreed to meet at 6:30 ?” 
You stopped smiling and looked at the clock. Crap! You hadn't seen the time.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I was servicing the jets and didn't realize what time it was! I should have set an alarm, I'm sorry. Jesus, how could I be so stupid?"
You were starting to mumble excuses as you gathered your things when you felt his hand on your wrist.
"It's okay, I know how you get when you're focused on something. We’ll find another day for that. I'll wait for you at the bar, okay?" he reassured you with a grin.
"Uh yeah, yeah okay! I'll be quick!" you nodded and smiled back at him. He tucked a strand of your wild hair behind your ear, a few inches from you, making you blush slightly. His thumb stroked your cheek. He had that cheeky smile he always had when something was on his mind. He took your hand and kissed your knuckles, his beautiful brown eyes never leaving yours.
" Or , I can also wait for you in the changing-"
" Lieutenant Bradshaw, Second Lieutenant Simpson, what are you two still doing here? "
Your father's stern voice echoed through the hangar, taking you by surprise. Bradley took a quick step back and straightened his posture to greet him.
"I, uh-"
"Lieutenant Bradshaw forgot his keys, sir, he was out. I got carried away with the diagnostics, I'm almost finished here," you replied quickly as Cyclone’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Bradley then at you.
"Hm. You better hurry then, Second Lieutenant, overtime is not allowed. You're free to go Lieutenant Bradshaw."
"Yes sir!" you said in unison and Bradley left as quickly as he could, flashing one last smile in your direction before disappearing down the corridors.
As you started to clean up the mess you'd made, you heard an amused sigh.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing. You're still living up to your nickname."
"Ha ha, very funny Dad," you rolled your eyes and closed your toolbox, "Don't wait for me, I'm going out tonight."
"Mmh. Is Bradshaw involved?" he asked as he helped you carry your stuff to the storage room.
"Yes? I mean the whole Dagger team is, I need to get to know them to understand how they work."
That was only half a lie. You knew they most likely were all at the Hard Deck, you'd met them there a few times. You got along well with them, especially Natasha, Bob and Mickey. And of course, Bradley... But it was different with him.
You'd known him for years and your very first assignment had been with him. Your friendship had evolved over the years into a kind of friends-with-benefits/fuck-buddies relationship until a few weeks ago. Since the uranium mission, he wanted more than that, and so did you. You two tried to keep your relationship secret because you suspected it could jeopardize either of your careers, and mostly because you knew your father would not approve.
He always thought the guys you dated were not good enough for you. And as annoying as it was, he was always right. He scared away some of them and when you thought back about it, it's a good thing he did.
Truth be told, you have been in love with Bradley for so long that sometimes it hurted. 
You had tried to tell him so many times in the past, but you were afraid of losing what little intimacy you had with him. So when he asked you out, first thing after the uranium mission, it felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. The hope that your feelings would be reciprocated had invaded your heart and mind, and you felt like it was the first time you were in love. It wasn’t of course, but you were all giddy about it.
You didn’t like to lie to your dad, he knew you too much to know everything in just one look. 
But it was worth it, wasn’t it ?
You hoped it was.
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After a well-deserved shower, you changed into clean, comfortable clothes that actually suited you. You put on your helmet and rode to the bar with your motorbike. Your mother hated when you used that ‘death machine’ and your father wasn't really fond of it either. It reminded him of Maverick. He wasn’t fond of Maverick. It always made you laugh watching your dad trying to remain calm in front of the Captain. You’ve never seen a man getting on his nerves that much.
The Hard Deck was already busy when you parked ; a totally normal Friday night , you thought. Looking around, you spotted Natasha’s, Javy’s and Bradley’s cars.
Penny nodded at you with a smile as you entered. The Daggers were in their usual places and Bradley seemed to be winning the pool game against Jake. In a desperate attempt to break his concentration, Jake chuckled, "Your girlfriend's here, Bradshaw”.
The whole team had discovered your relationship, of course, but swore to keep it a secret. You were grateful to them, but Jake being himself, he couldn't resist taking a dig at you. 
You rolled your eyes and took a seat next to Bob, watching the two eternal rivals finish their game. You caught up with Mickey and theorized with him on the last episodes of Kenobi then made your way towards Penny at the bar to buy your round of beers. As you waited for your drinks at the counter, you felt two hands around your waist.
"You're late, Second Lieutenant ."
"Had to fix your teammates’ jets, Lieutenant , tell them to be more careful," you grinned, leaning your back against your boyfriend's torso. You heard him chuckle softly as he whispered that you were an ‘idiot' and kissed the top of your head.
"Sorry about our date, I'll make it up to you."
"You bet your sweet ass you will," Bradley snickered at the squeal you let out as he spanked you a little, “But right now, you owe me a dance to celebrate my victory against Hangman.”
He took your hand as you rolled your eyes but followed him. Your whole body pressed against his, arms around his neck, the room faded away. All you could feel and see was him; one of his hands on the small of your back, the other on your hip, guiding you. The warmth of his body was like a spell that kept you close, not wanting to let go.His hands roamed down your back making you shiver. It felt like you belonged there.
You couldn’t let go of his eyes, hypnotized. He had such beautiful eyes ; those hazel brown orbs were magnetic, so infuriatingly charming. 
One of your hands gently stroked his scarred cheek and he leaned into your touch, smiling like an idiot and humming the song you were slow dancing to. His smile always sent butterflies to your stomach and heat to your cheeks. It was almost annoying how easily you fell for his charms.
The two of you danced until the song ended and you pulled him by the collar to kiss him. You felt his hands slip into the back pockets of your jeans, shamelessly squeezing your ass, and his proud grin against your lips. You bit his as you pulled away from the kiss.
"Okay, lovebirds , get a room," Jake complained and you flipped him off, still in Bradley's arms.
"Don't be jealous Jakey, your time will come," you teased, making your partner chuckle.
"She's right Seresin, just wait till you're a big boy."
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The evening continued quietly, with one beer after another, a few games of darts and pool, and a few songs on the piano for Bradley. 
You watched him from the bar, mesmerized, an affectionate smile on your face. You still wondered how you'd managed to get his attention; this man could have anyone he wanted with his smile combined with a little song, the sweetness with which he spoke, his sarcasms, his eyes so soft and intense at the same time, his stupid, stupid, cocky grin... God, you were definitely and undoubtedly under his spell, mind and heart.
Your eyes never left his form for more than five seconds. You looked at him as if you wanted to learn every aspect of his physique; but to be honest, you already knew him by heart. 
You could locate every beauty mark, every scar - and tell its story - and where his birthmark was. You could describe every shade of brown in his eyes, depending on the light or his emotions. You knew every expression on his face; when he was angry, frustrated, sad, or playful. You knew exactly where and how to touch him to make him putty in your hands, every positively sensitive area and those to avoid.
And yet, every time you looked at him, behind the piano, laughing with his friends, you discovered a new detail that made you love him even more.
The way he cared for all of them - even Jake, his "archenemy" - and knew just what to do to make them feel better and laugh. How he always listened to what they had to share, good or bad, and offered to help. How he'd always protect them as if they were his siblings, his rather hazardous family.
Speaking of hazardous family, it always made you laugh how Bradley could be so like Pete and like your dad. It was sometimes a mixture of arrogance and calm, defiance and seriousness. Part of you was sure that if they tried, your dad and Bradley would get along. But were they willing to ?
As you were lost in your thoughts, you didn’t notice a man, a little younger than you, sitting next to your stool. He started talking, trying to flirt, but you didn’t really pay attention, still absorbed by your boyfriend’s silliness, until he clicked his fingers in front of your face.
“Hey, ‘m talking to you doll. You should really pay attention when someone is talking to you, got it ?”
You sipped your beer and looked at him out of the corner of your eye. He continued his flirtatious attempts, bragging that he was one of the best in his class at Top Gun. He kept trying to get your attention by snapping his fingers or grabbing your arm. His breath was clearly too close to your face and stinked a mixture of beer and chips. 
It really started to annoy you, so it was your turn to snap your fingers in his face.
"I'm not interested,” you snapped your fingers again, “If a girl ignores you, it's because she doesn't want to talk to you, got it ?"
You got off your stool, ready to join the Daggers by the piano. But a hand gripped your wrist and the man pulled you close to him. You could see a hint of anger and annoyance in his eyes, but it didn’t scare you. You were used to guys like him, thinking they own every woman they see. 
“Listen doll, I was nice until now. Give me your number and I’ll forgive you,” he grinned, his buddies sneering behind him, as if they were proud of him. You couldn’t help but giggle at the scene. What kind of bad joke was that ?
In one swift motion, you released your wrist and pinned his arm behind his back. You bent him violently over the bar and locked him in that position, pressing down just enough to hurt and immobilize him. 
"One false move and I will dislocate your arm," you threatened in his ear as a few glances turned in your direction. "Now listen to me carefully. This is the last time you'll talk to me or any woman like that. Understood?"
He grunted and struggled a little. You pressed harder and repeated, "Understood?"
"Okay! Okay, I understand! Get off me!"
The man growled again and you finally let go. Penny gave you a look that you understood as a warning and you smiled innocently to her. The man and his group walked away with a grunt, giving you one last murderous look. You smiled broadly and made a mocking curtsy. 
Bradley raised an eyebrow as they passed him, muttering that you were a "crazy bitch". You joined him with two beers, one for him and one for you.
"What happened?"
"Nothing to worry about, just some big macho guy. He didn't like that I wasn't paying attention to him. I just put him in his place."
You shrugged with a smile and Bradley shook his head, laughing a little, knowing exactly what you meant. He put his arm around your waist and kissed your temple. 
"I know you can defend yourself, but don't get yourself in trouble, Stormy."
"Don't worry, if I get in trouble, my knight in shining armor will come and rescue me, won't he?" you teased. He chuckled but nodded before taking you on his lap at the piano. He started a new song that had the remaining customers singing and dancing.
***
The end of the evening was a bit hazy.
You'd had too much to drink to get back on your bike, so it was Bradley who drove you home. You pulled your boyfriend into your small house - he offered no resistance - and kissed him as if your life depended on it, as if that simple contact made your heart beat. His hands roamed your body with hunger, and yours tore his Hawaiian shirt from his back. You thought of nothing but Bradley, his soft lips devouring your jaw and neck, leaving a few marks where he passed, his hands so warm on your skin, his breath making you shiver. 
You wandered back to your room, kicking off your shoes, and your clothes ended up in a pile at the end of your bed. 
You loved doing it with Bradley. He gave you everything you wanted and so much more. You'd never been as fulfilled as you were with him. It was as if he knew everything about how your body worked, that it held no secrets for him. 
Your nightly activities have drained you both of what little energy you had left, and you fell asleep hugging each other, as if afraid the other will evaporate.
The next morning, it was not your massive headache that woke you, but the sound of several cars and children laughing outside your house. What day was it? Was it Saturday? It was Saturday!
You jumped to your feet as Bradley mumbled something unintelligible.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" You shook your boyfriend and wrapped yourself in a blanket as you heard the sound of a key turning in the front door lock.
"Bradley, get up!"
"Mmh, five minutes..." he mumbled, burying his face in the pillow. You heard the door open and small footsteps running toward your room. You panicked and shook him harder.
"We don't have five minutes! Get your ass up!" 
You grabbed the first thing you could get your hands on: panties and Bradley's tank top. You stumbled to your bedroom door to get out before one of your nephews’ innocent eyes discovered their aunt and a man they didn't know naked as worms in her bed. You tried to look as natural as possible as you quickly closed the door behind you. Standing in front of you was Jack, your three-year-old nephew. He was Nathan’s, your oldest brother, son. He laughed as he threw himself on your legs to give you a hug.
"Oh my God, hi sweetie! You're early!"
"Dada said we'd surprise you, Auntie! And Pop-Pop is here too!" the little boy laughed.
"What a nice thought!" you tried not to sound too ironic as you picked him up to give him a kiss and rearrange his wild blond hair. "Auntie needs to get dressed, okay? Go wait with your dad in the living room!"
You gave him one last kiss and made sure he ran to the living room before storming back to your bedroom. How could you forget that your brothers were visiting today? You were so screwed! A million thoughts went through your head and one thing made you snap out of it; Bradley yawning and taking his sweet time getting up. You grumbled and attacked him with a pillow.
"Hey! What was that for?"
"We're in deep shit Bradley! My whole family is here! They weren't supposed to be up this early!"
"What?" he blinked and narrowed his eyes, trying to process what you'd just told him. You started to rattle on about how your brothers got their permission for your mom's birthday, but your brothers were here super early with their wifes, their kids, and your mom and dad. Bradley had trouble following what you were saying because you were talking really fast. 
“Babe,” he tried to interrupt you, but you kept mumbling and pacing next to the bed, “Y/N, baby, calm down!” 
He grabbed your wrist, pulling you to sit in front of him. His free hand cupped your cheek tenderly as he guided you into breathing to calm yourself down.
“Okay… mind explaining slower what is happening here ?”
You sighed and nodded before re-explaining the whole situation to him. “But they weren’t supposed to come here this early ! The surprise lunch for my mom was supposed to be at home, not in my flat ! And my dad is here. My dad ! What are we going to say ?”
You cursed again, rubbing your temples. Bradley took your hands in his to make you look at him and stole a kiss from you. You sighed against his lips, your tension going away slightly. He then pressed his forehead to yours, stroking your cheeks to soothe you.
“How about we get dressed and just… join them in the living room ?”
“You really want to face my dad ?” you raised one eyebrow, surprised but really relieved that he didn’t propose to just sneak out.
“Yeah ? I mean, the man already has doubts, you’ve said it yourself… and it’s your mother’s birthday, your whole army of men won’t be able to kill me. Not today at least.”
You chuckled at his joking tone and at the silly smile he has on his face. You pecked his lips with a grin. “Okay then Lieutenant , let’s get dressed.”
“Yes ma’am!” 
He gave you one last tender kiss, and when the two of you went to get up, a little giggle made you both freeze.
“Auntie who that ? And why he nakey ?”
Your nephew’s voice asked. He was standing by the door, a playful smile on his chubby face, and his little finger pointing at your embarrassed boyfriend. Bradley quickly covered himself more, lifting the sheet at his chin, and you ran to get little Jack in your arms.
“How did he get here ??” Bradley scream-whispered at you, hiding himself while trying to get dressed.
“I don’t know !” you scream-whispered back before turning your attention back to the toddler who was babbling in your arms, “Jack, honey, why aren’t you with your dad and pop-pop ?”
Before he could answer, your sister in law was by your bedroom, apologizing. She didn’t notice Bradley right away, but when she did, a small cheeky smile curled on her lip.
“Hi there, sorry to have him interrupted you two.”
“Annie, it’s not what it looks like-” you blushed when you understood what she implied but Bradley interrupted you by presenting himself and shaking her hand with a wide smile. They chat while you put on a pair of jeans, keeping on Bradley’s tank top. Never in your life had you been this embarrassed.
Little Jack looked at your boyfriend with wide-eyed wonder. He loved meeting new people, and Bradley seemed fascinating to his young eyes. It was no wonder when every time Annie spoke to you, Bradley would make faces at the little boy and make him giggle. 
Bradley already had him in his pocket, so that was a good thing. Annie seemed to like him too, at least you thought so from the mischievous looks she gave you. 
As you crossed the hallway to join the rest of your family, a wave of nervousness ran through you. You grabbed Bradley by the sleeve of his Hawaiian shirt and turned him toward you. You pulled him into a hug to relax and to give yourself courage.
"Promise you won't hate me?"
"Why would I hate you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"They'll probably try to impress you, my brothers I mean... and my dad... you know how he can be..."
"Oh honey... It takes more than that to scare me. I'll be fine."
He kissed your forehead and you walked into the living room.
You greeted everyone, your father not immediately aware of Bradley's presence. You introduced him to your brothers first, Nathan, Aaron and Jamie, and they didn't do anything strange at first; they were probably waiting for you to introduce him to your father to see what sauce to cook him in.
Beau and Vivian, your mother, were too busy admiring your niece, five-month-old Juliet, to notice Bradley's presence. She was fast asleep in the arms of Jamie's fiancée, Alice. She greeted you with a smile when you waved.
"Awake at last, Stormy?" your father asked before freezing and losing his smile at the sight of your boyfriend, " Lieutenant Bradshaw. ".
His cold, hard tone made you sigh a little as the two men shook hands in greeting. 
“Good morning Vice Admiral Simpson.” 
They were way too formal, it was ridiculous. Your mother had the same reaction as you and introduced herself to Bradley with a warm smile and a hug.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Simpson."
"Oh, please, just call me Viv!" she laughed a little, waving her hand. Then she turned to you, discreetly gave you both thumbs up and winked at you. 
Good. Bradley seemed to have charmed your mother with just a smile.
Still, you could feel your father tense up behind you as Bradley got to know everyone. He remained very polite and smiled, even letting Jack, Oliver and Tommy - Aaron's twin sons - pull him out to play in the little garden. Your father grabbed your arm. "Kitchen. Now. We need to talk." He seemed a little upset, and you could understand; you'd lied to him.
"Care to explain yourself?" He crossed his arms on his chest, a stern look on his face. 
You didn't like that look. He used to have it when he scolded you when you were a teenager, when you would sneak out of the house to go to a party or to meet up with your then-boyfriend. For a moment, you were 16 again, caught in the act.
You sighed at his insistent and questioning look.
"I uh... He’s... we’re... we've been seeing each other for… a few weeks..."
"A few weeks? So you've been lying to me for weeks?"
"I haven't lied! At least not completely..." you mumbled, biting your fingernail.
"Y/N. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Seriously Dad? You've made it pretty clear that you don't really like him, I mean outside of work."
"I never said that."
You widened your eyes, shocked at his bad faith. 
"Are you kidding me? You've made it clear that you don't want me around him because he's too much like Maverick! Every time I mentioned him, you made your… disapproving face. The same one you made every time I mentioned my old boyfriends, or when I wanted to get a motorcycle, or when the boys tried to bleach their hair in high school !"
"I don't have a disapproving face," he grumbled, "and it's not because he’s like Maverick that I don't want you around him, it's because he can be called back on a mission at any time. I don't want that to break your heart."
"Oh ! But it's okay for Nathan, Aaron, and Jamie to break the hearts of their partners? Of their children? It was okay for you to risk breaking Mom's heart and ours? What kind of cardboard argument is that, Dad?" You raised your arms in disbelief as you started to walk out of the kitchen, but you stopped and turned back to face him. "I know you want to protect me, but... you can't do that about things like that. I know you know better than anyone the risks of this job, the sacrifices it requires. But Bradley knows them as well, if not better, than you do. And as much as it scares me, as much as it scares us... we want to try… And even if you don't like it, we'll give it a try. Because I almost lost him once without really being able to be with him..."
Your father sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. From the kitchen window you could see Bradley playing with your nephews, under your mother's and in laws’ amused and tender eyes. A small smile crept across your lips as the little ones called you over to help hold Bradley down. You hurried to join them, and your mother joined your father.
"Our boys and the little ones seem to like this Lieutenant…”
“Seems like it…”  
“He reminds me a little of you when we first met..." Vivian chuckled to Beau as she hugged him. 
"Really?" the man wondered, "and how?"
"Well, he has that same sparkle in his eyes... the one that calls for adventure, that gentle and loving look when his eyes land on our Storm... and he's also very good with children," she laughed at his slightly embarrassed expression, "You should give him a chance... our princess looks so relaxed with him... look at her… look at her smile…"
He lifted his head and watched the two of you having fun with the three little boys and sighed. His wife was right. You looked so happy in Bradley's arms, waltzing and laughing with the kids. He'd never seen you look so radiant, as cliché as it sounded. Your brothers also seemed to have accepted the newcomer without too much fuss. So Beau seemed to be the only one who was uncomfortable with the whole situation.
He nodded and kissed his wife on the forehead. "Okay, I'll try... but I'm not promising anything."
Vivian rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. She knew for a fact that your father would quickly accept Bradley as well.
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Lunch went off without a hitch, Beau swallowing his pride not to be as awkward with Bradley as possible, although he did draw a few murderous looks from your father when he put his hand a little too high on your thigh or lower back. After dessert, he helped your brothers put the kids down for a nap and let them share the convertible bed in your little study. Your sisters-in-law and your brother-in-law, Evan - Aaron's husband - helped you with the dishes. They gently teased you that Bradley was a very handsome young man and that you had chosen well. 
"I know I did. Look at you all, we Simpsons always have good taste," you sniped back with a wink and a teasing smile, making them laugh.
"Wait, wait, wait... So he was your regular booty call after your first assignment?" Evan seemed to realize. You shushed him and made sure that your parents didn't hear him say that. Annie laughed a little and grabbed your shoulder, making you look into her eyes. 
"I can see why you qualified him as the best sex of your life after the upper body I saw this morning," she teased you again, making your face completely flush. You practically begged her to stop talking about your sex life, very embarrassed. But the three of them could be little bullies and they loved to tease you sometimes.
"Guys, please stop. If my father hears you-"
"Hear what, Stormy?"
You turned and paled a little under your father's cold gaze and tight smile. Your sister-in-law and brother-in-law took the opportunity to run off like teenagers, and of course Bradley arrived just then, smiling carelessly. 
"The three cataclysms are finally asleep. Is everything okay in here?" he asked as he joined you in front of your father. He immediately wiped the smile off his face when he saw the look on Beau's face.
"You're lucky it's my wife's birthday, Bradshaw," he growled, his eyes staring straight into your souls, "but if I hear one more detail about your... nocturnal activities, I'm going to make sure that the two of you are as far away from each other as possible, even if it means sending one of you to Japan or Korea. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir," Bradley replied promptly, "Clear as day.”
"For God's sake, Dad, aren't you being a little extreme? I'm a responsible adult-"
"I'm warning you, I don't want another grandchild too soon. Keep it in your pants."
"Dad!!"
Just when you thought you couldn't get any more embarrassed, your dad had the right words. He left the two of you in the kitchen, muttering that he was getting too old for this. 
"Oh my God..." You cursed as you hid your face in your hands and turned towards the sink. Of all the weird things that could happen, you'd really hoped no one would mention your sex life. You felt a little angry, but more than that, you were extremely embarrassed. You let out a shaky breath, your hands gripping the counter as you lowered your head. You felt the warmth of Bradley's body enveloping you as he wrapped his arms around your waist, his front against your back and his chin resting on your shoulder.
"I'm so sorry..."
"Why are you apologizing, babe? I told you it would take more than that to scare me off... Maybe your dad hasn't fallen for the Bradshaw charm yet, but I'm working on it..." he tried to cheer you up, "And now I have an army of kids who love me, I can order them to defend me."
You smiled, amused at his silliness. "You're really good with kids, but I think it's them who will command you..."
"Maybe you're right," he laughed a little and kissed the hollow of your neck, his mustache tickling you, "but your mother has already adopted me. I'm protected."
You laughed with him, your embarrassment and anger disappearing. You leaned against him, enjoying the hug he offered you. These simple gestures were so comforting that it was almost frightening how quickly he could soothe you. You closed your eyes as he hummed and softly danced with you in the kitchen. It was so cliché, right out of a rom-com, but you couldn’t care less.
After a few minutes, you regained enough courage to join the rest of your family in the living room. Your in-laws gave you apologetic looks, and your brothers were a little lost, but didn't dare ask. 
For the rest of the afternoon, Bradley learned every little anecdote your mother had to share; whether it was about your brothers, you, or even your father, she was more than happy to share with him. Jamie and Alice had fallen asleep in the garden, making your mother smile in awe. Nathan laughed a little with Aaron. "We warned them that a newborn was exhausting, but they insisted on coming here their own way...". 
You laughed a little too, it was true they looked exhausted. But little Juliet was so cute that they forgot how tired they were. 
Speaking of her, the baby phone warned everyone that she was waking up. You volunteered to warm her bottle and Bradley went to get her. Alice had put the travel crib in your room so the other three children would not be disturbed if Juliet woke up. 
When the milk was at the right temperature, you joined Bradley in your room. Your cheeks flushed and you felt butterflies in your stomach when you saw him holding the little one. He rocked her gently, stroking her cheek with his index finger. He seemed so natural that it made you fall even more in love with him. 
You shook your head, your father's voice echoing in your head: "No more grandchildren for now.”
You joined him and let him gently place the baby in your arms. You smiled and fed the hungry five-month-old in your arms. Bradley leaned against the doorframe and watched you with a soft smile. You, too, were a natural with children. Juliet seemed so comfortable in your arms and you seemed so relaxed. He found himself daydreaming about the two of you having children together. He blushed as he imagined you pregnant with his baby... and Nathan giggled behind him. "Calm your horses Bradshaw, you're not putting a baby in my sister anytime soon."
Bradley's face turned as bright red as yours. "Nathan, shut up!" you yelled-whispered at him, careful not to disturb the eating baby in your arms.
“What? You heard our old man, "No more grandchildren for now!”” Nathan grinned and put his arm around Bradley's shoulders.
"I can't promise that..." Bradley mumbled softly, mesmerized by the sight of you holding Juliet against you as you burped her after she had finished her bottle. Nathan's eyes widened and he tried his best not to burst out laughing. "What did you say, Brad’ ? I think I misheard you?"
You blushed as you realized what your boyfriend had just said.
"I... Nothing!" Bradley defended himself weakly, very embarrassed. Nathan teased him until your mother told him to stop, threatening him with no cake after dinner. He immediately stopped and went to get his son after whispering to Bradley that he wouldn't forget what he had just said. You decided not to talk about it, feeling a little embarrassed as well.
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It wasn't long before dinnertime arrived, and your father was relaxed and talking with Bradley. You even caught them laughing together. This interaction was reassuring for the rest of the evening.
As usual, your mother had cooked for a regiment, and your refrigerator was full of leftovers. She made Bradley promise to stop by the family home and look at the family albums and your childhood bedroom. He laughed a little but agreed. 
You walked everyone back to their cars, helped them with the kids' stuff, and your dad gave you one last hug and said good night. He said goodbye to Bradley with a slight smile and a quick hug. 
When everyone was gone, you collapsed on your sofa, drained of all energy. Bradley joined you with a smile and pulled you right into his arms.
"That didn't go so badly after all..."
You nodded, yawned and put your arms around him. You thought back to the day that had just passed, to that roller coaster of emotions, and laughed a little.
"So... eager to put a baby inside me Lieutenant?"
"Oh my God Y/N!!" Bradley blushed, hiding his face behind his fists in total embarrassment. You laughed and teased him about it. You preferred to take it as a joke because neither of you were anywhere near ready to have children of your own, you both agreed on that. Or did you?
He turned to you, a serious expression on his face.
"And what if I am? Would you... would you be on board to have kids with me? Not right now, of course, but... I... I can't imagine a future without you in it, and I'd like to have kids with you. I know we haven't really been together that long, but we've known each other for a long time... and oh my God, I'm rumbling," he groaned, rubbing his face before looking back at you. "What I mean is that I love you and I don't want to live without you. Maybe it's rushed, maybe you-"
You interrupted him, pulled him by the collar and kissed him. You didn’t know what came over you; maybe it was the fact that he had just admitted his feelings, or the fact that he was already planning a life with you. Maybe both. Certainly both.
"I love you too," you whispered between two kisses, "and I don't want to be without you either... and I would love to start a family with you someday, Lieutenant Bradshaw..."
You smiled, your forehead pressed against his, and he chuckled in relief.
"Today was really like you... a storm..." he sighed, smiling and stroking your cheeks.
"I know... are you sure you can keep up with my family?" you teased, "Now that you've messed with the storm, the cyclone will never be far away."
"Wouldn't have it any other way, Stormy."
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luxu1230 · 5 months
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Top Gun Maverick AU in which Jake knows sign language and Ice miraculous lives (let's say his wife dies instead)
Jake "Hangman" Seresin doesn't make it known to others he knows sign language and why should he? It doesn't impact his job as an aviator and it's not like he's around people who need it.
Well that was before he met thee Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.
////
Jake knew how to sign before he was even able to walk. Having a parent and siblings who are deaf will do that. He was born to a Father who was deaf and a Mother who was in the Navy. Growing up meant he had to know sign language with a mother who was hardly ever around even when she was back home on the ranch they had in Texas he needed it so he could communicate with his dad.
The only time he ever properly saw his mother was when she was on her paternity leaves for the twins (Michael and Johnathan) who were born deaf and the youngest (Lily) who could hear. After that they barely ever saw her as she was "Too busy trying to move her career along" (and isn't it funny that in the future the son she ignored managed to get a higher ranking than she would ever get).
So he had to step up. He was 5 years older than the twins and 11 years older than his baby sister and he knew his dad was struggling. So he helped teach his siblings sign language, he made sure that Lily didn't turn into one of those little brats he saw at school who thought they were special just because they fit within the norm of human society. And if he sat down with his dad when he was 18 and told him he was going to enlist so they wouldn't have to worry about money (since his mother never seemed to help out with her salary). His dad broke down crying telling him he hopes his son would return (That's when Jake finally settled in his heart, that woman was not his mother). So when he joined he made sure that every leave was spent with his family and he could never regret it even if his leave synced up with her's.
/////
Fast forward a few years and it's after the suicide mission that his sign language comes into use.
What's even funnier is that this story goes down in the history of how one Jake Seresin gets promoted at the same time as getting two Naval legends to finally realise their feelings for each other.
////
It was after the mission and everything was left in the past between Jake and Bradley. (Yes he can call his boyfriend by his real name NATASHA. No calling him by his Call Sign is not foreplay BOB). So he's surprised but not surprised when the squad gets a permanent home at Top Gun as a specialist unit with the help of Admiral Kazansky and phtff Admiral Mitchell (Thats a funny story within itself but that's a story of another time).
So to celebrate they all get smashed at the hard deck and if he's sat cuddled up to Bradley in a booth as Ice and Mav talk with Ice using a text to chat on his phone he can't help but notice every time Ice signs 'i love you' to a complete and utter oblivious and confused Mav. He can't help but sigh as he feels Bradley trying not to bust out laughing as Jake had done the same thing until Bradley came up one day and shoved flowers into his chest and signed it back his face red.
So he grabs Bradley's hand and stands up at the end of the table. Looks Mav right in the eye and goes "He's signing he loves you dumbass" and drags off a wheezing Bradley behind him leaving Mav stuttering and Ice blushing. He barely remembers the rest of that night.
So he's presently surprised that after a week he gets a call saying he's getting promoted to Captain due to his great service to the country. He can't help but sign in exaggeration as Bradley bursts out laughing when they find out Mav was the one who promoted him.
And if he proceeds to go up the ladder with his husband by his side and realise that when he reached Admiral he reached a rank his mother could never reach by ignoring his family. Who knew hiding his sign language would get him this far.
(if anyone would write this I would honestly love to read it)
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Stuck on the Past | Part 2
Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Ex-girlfriend!Reader
Summary: You never thought you'd see Bradley Bradshaw again, especially the way things ended between the two of you. So what happens when he's suddenly back for a special mission and is determined to win you back too?
Warnings: Angst (ish), adult language, drinking
Length: 2.5k
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"You let him give you a ride home? Are you insane?" April screeched over the phone. You were stood outside your office building, about to go into work.
"Look, I don't know how it happened, okay? I was gonna say no-"
"But you can't resist him." April huffed, "He's not a bad guy, but you can't go back there again."
"I know." You sighed, "I don't have to see him again anyways. Plus, he actually had the nerve to flirt with me in the car! Can you believe that? Said that I was his favourite ex-girlfriend or something."
April groaned, "He's an ass, but I'm not surprised. You're this hotshot journalist now and you looked hot the other night. Of course he flirted with you."
You chuckled, "I have to go. I'll message you later."
You said goodbye and hung up the phone, walking into the building and eventually finding your desk. Maybe April was right. You've got a good job and you certainly looked a lot better than you did in your 20s. But then again, so did Bradley.
Before you could log into your computer, one of the interns was at your desk. "Mark wants to see you in his office." She said. You thanked her, and made your way to your bosses office.
You knocked and carefully opened the door. Mark was grinning from behind his desk, which usually meant he'd found a juicy story for you to cover. Things were looking up.
He beckoned you inside, "Sit down. Do I have something great for you!"
You were lucky, Mark was a great boss. He'd been in the business for a while and helped you work your way up when you'd started writing for him. He was older and could be stern when he wanted to be, but he was always okay with you.
You sat in front of him, "What's the story?"
He leaned forward, "A real investigation." He grabbed a file from his drawer and placed it in front of him on the desk, leaning forward to face you again, "You'll never believe it. We've been tipped off that Top Gun are hosting the best in the business right now to help them with a top secret mission."
Your face fell, "I haven't heard anything about that." You forced out, trying to sound casual.
"Of course you haven't!" He scoffed, "No one has, the only info we have right now is that the mission is serious, and some of the best aviators in the country are training for it as we speak! You're gonna find out the other details. I wanna know what they're up to."
You squirmed in your seat. Mark was a great boss, sure, but something like this? He was never gonna let it go. "Sir, with all due respect, why have you got me on this? I mean, I don't know a whole lot about aviation, I'm sure I wouldn't even understand the ins and outs of the mission if someone laid it out in front of me." You chuckled nervously.
Mark leaned back in his chair, "A little birdie told me that's not strictly true." He grinned, opening up the file in front of him until there were pictures on display. He pushed it in front of you and you realised it must be pictures of the Top Gun graduates going on the mission. You spotted Bradley straight away. He really did look good. "You know one of these aviators right? I hear you dated while you were studying?"
Shit. It must have been Anna that let it slip. She had studied journalism the same year as you. Probably saw Bradley pick you up a few times. You'd probably gushed about him to her while you were at school. There was no getting out of this.
Your cleared your throat, "I was involved with one of them, sure."
"Then you are the perfect person for this!" Mark was practically giddy. He was one of those constantly questioning the government and how they spent 'good tax-payers' money, of course he would jump at the chance to out some special mission, "You have a way in!"
Your mouth fell open. You couldn't remember a time you'd felt more embarrassed than this. You glanced down at Bradley's photo. "I - He's.. I don't even know how big of a role he's playing in this. I saw him the other night but-"
"Perfect!" Mark jumped up, "You interview him, get on base, I don't care! Do whatever it takes to get some information."
You stood up too, "But, I mean, what if it's completely boring? You know, not even worth writing about? I bet it's probably something really routine, there's no need to be looking into this." you rambled, knowing that ultimately, your fate was sealed.
"This is big." Mark said, smiling, "I can feel it. They're training for something important and you're gonna find out what it is."
You stood facing him, trying to think of anything else you could argue, "Maybe I should-"
"Nope!" Mark said, walking you towards the door and shoving the file into your hands, "You get straight on it, I won't hear another word. Do what you need to do. Take one of 'em out for a drink if you have to, I don't care! Go! Get started."
Then before you knew it you were stood outside the building again, waiting for April to pick up her phone. When the call finally connected, you didn't even say hello.
"I'm screwed."
-
You couldn't believe your luck at this point. First seeing Bradley after all these years, then being forced to ask him for his help. Even if he agreed to see you, there was no way he was going to tell you all the details of his mission. He wasn't that stupid.
It was late by the time you left work. Your mind had been running wild all day. You'd done as much research as you could, but you couldn't help but think that you'd been given an impossible task.
As you worried about how you'd get in touch with Bradley again, or if you even should, you noticed a new car parked outside your apartment block. Once you pulled in outside, you realised it wasn't a new car at all, it was Bradley's bronco.
Maybe this wouldn't be as difficult as you thought.
You stepped out of your car and walked to his drivers side, tapping on his window. He jumped and you stepped back so he could get out of the car.
"Why are you parked outside my apartment? Decided to stalk me now?" You huffed.
Bradley held his hands up in surrender, "No, sweetheart, I just came to apologise for the other night."
"Don't call me that." You frowned, "How long have you been sat out here?"
"Not long. I saw your neighbour, she said you'd be getting home from work within the hour." He shrugged, "I felt bad. I wanted to see you."
You pinched the bridge of your nose. How was this happening? Raising your eyes to meet his, he had this boyish grin on his face, like he knew he was playing with fire, but he didn't care.
You began to walk towards your apartment building, when you turned to see Bradley hadn't moved, you sighed, "Are you coming or what?" He smiled and hurried to catch up with you. This was definitely a bad idea.
-
"Nice place." Bradley stood by your couch whilst you were trying to make coffee with shaking hands. He was in his flight suit and you couldn't stop staring. April was right, you really couldn't resist him. For the sake of your job, you'd have to try.
You handed him a cup of coffee and the two of you sat down on your coach, "Thanks. It's not much, kinda small, but it's all I need."
Bradley nodded, taking a sip of coffee and placing it on the small table in front of you both, "I still remember that first place you had, remember your old neighbour? God, what was her name?"
"Evelyn!" You smiled nostalgically, "She was so miserable, always used to yell at me when you came over."
"That's because we made way too much noise." Bradley smirked and you rolled your eyes.
"We weren't that loud."
"You definitely were, sweetheart." He grinned.
You gave him a playful glare, glancing down at the coffee cup in your hands, "This is so weird. Seeing you." You looked up, meeting his eyes, "When we... When you left, I-" you sighed, "I never thought I'd see you again."
Bradley's eyes softened as they met yours. Truthfully, he didn't think he'd see you again either. In fact, he promised himself he wouldn't come back for that very reason. He knew you deserved someone that would always be there for you and he couldn't be that person, not when he always had a deployment looming over him. You'd grown so much in the time you'd been apart and so had he, he'd often thought over the years that his younger self had made too quick of a decision to leave. Maybe.
He cleared his throat, "I didn't think I would ever come back here, maybe it's fate." He tried to joke, but the air just got thicker, the silence more awkward.
"Bradley." You said, lips forming a tight line, "Why are you here? I mean, right now, on my couch. You didn't have to come and apologise for the other night. You know that. So why are you here?"
Bradley groaned, leaning back on the couch and turning away from you, running a hand through his hair, "I'm out of my depth here with this mission. It's stupid but... I needed someone to talk to and I don't know many people here. I couldn't stop thinking about you."
Your ears perked up at that. You felt mean, but maybe this was how you'd get some information on the mission. Just enough to satisfy your boss, you didn't need to dig that deep. "Why? What's wrong with the mission?"
He turned to look at you, "The mission isn't exactly the problem. Maverick is teaching it."
You almost choked on your coffee. You'd never met Maverick in person, but you knew how hurt Bradley was by what he had done. It had taken him a while to open up to you about it back then, and it looked like he was just as hurt by it all now. "Maverick? But I thought he.. Wouldn't he have retired by now?"
Bradley let out a loud laugh, "He won't retire. He'll never retire, as much as I wish he would." He sighed, "He's trying to.. make things right. He pulled my papers, how can I forgive him? He'll never give me a fair shot at this mission. He doesn't trust me in the air."
"I think you'll find a way." You answered simply with a shrug, "Forgiveness takes a lot sometimes. Maybe being closer to him will help you get there."
His eyes met yours. He was searching for something, you didn't know what, until he said, "What about me? Have you forgiven me?"
Before you could answer, someone buzzed your apartment. You apologized and went to answer, when April's voice came blaring through the speaker, "I thought I'd surprise you! I brought wine!"
You glanced from Bradley and back to the buzzer, "I'll buzz you in." You said, knowing that April was likely about to unleash hell.
"Who was that?" Bradley asked, turning to face you from the couch.
You opened your mouth to reply as April knocked the door. When you opened it, she grinned, holding up the bottle of wine she'd brought and walking towards the lounge, "I was gonna message you but I thought why not be an amazing best friend and-" She stopped quickly when she saw Bradley sat on the couch, "What the hell are you doing here?"
Bradley just grinned like nothing phased him, "April. It's been a while."
She placed the wine onto the coffee table and crossed her arms, "I don't know what's going on here, but I don't like it."
You came to her side, muttering her name until Bradley stood, "I'm not surprised. You never did like anything much, did you?" He chuckled, "I'll get going, get out of your way."
You nodded, "I'll walk you out."
When you reached your front door, he turned to you, "That didn't go exactly as I'd planned." He smiled, "I've still got your number, if you haven't changed it, mind if I call you sometime?"
"I haven't changed it." You replied with a shrug, "I don't mind."
He grinned, "Good, maybe we could grab dinner soon? I'd like that a lot."
You nodded, not giving him a definite answer, before saying goodbye and closing the door, walking into the lounge to face April. She was stood in the middle of the room, flipping through the Top Gun folder, "What is this?"
You frowned, grabbing it from her, "Where did you find that?"
"You left it on your kitchen counter." She faced you, crossing her arms, "So is your big explanation that you invited him over to help you with this article your boss is making you write?"
"No." You sighed, "He doesn't know about the article. I don't know whether to tell him. He wants to go for dinner."
Her eyes widened, "The only reason you should go to dinner with him is to professionally discuss his mission. That's it. Otherwise, you'll only end up getting hurt again."
You shrugged, "Maybe not. He's older, we're older. More mature..." You groaned, flopping onto the couch, "April, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm over him! I've been over him for years and then he just randomly shows up here and-"
"Calm down. Drink up." April poured a glass of wine and handed it to you, "You need to be strong here. He might have been your big love, but he needs to prove he's grown up before you assume that he has."
You nodded and sipped at your wine. Bradley definitely seemed grown up, but deep down was he still the boy that broke your heart? The boy that decided to leave when things got too tough? You didn't even know if he was interested in anything with you or if he was just trying to be friendly. You couldn't stop thinking about him either. Especially now you'd seen him in his flight suit.
April was right.
You needed to calm down.
-
You lay awake staring at the text you'd been sent nearly ten minutes ago.
Still thinking about you. Let me know when you're free
What could you even say to that? You didn't want to admit you'd been thinking about him. You could barely admit that to yourself yet. Your boss had hounded you the last couple days, asking if you'd spoken to anyone or found anything out yet. You'd said you were working on it.
Did late night texts count as working on it?
You messaged him back before you could regret it.
Tomorrow night?
You put your phone down on your bedside table, picking it up not even a minute later when it buzzed.
Pick you up at 7.
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hangmansgbaby · 2 years
Note
Hi!!! Can I request a one shot where reader is mav’s daughter/Bradley’s “sister” but she doesn’t have a good relationship w either because she’s always been in Bradley’s shadow. Instead of her moving around w MAV she was sent to boarding school and Bradley always says that Mav just didn’t want to deal w her and things like that. Reader and Jake are dating (bonding over daddy issues lol) and it’s apt of angst between Mav Bradley and reader and fluff between jake and reader 😭
Always Darling | 1 | J.Seresin
Summary: No one was prepared for what was going to happen walking into the Hard Deck that day. Maverick wasn’t prepare to see in daughter and nephew for the first time in 20 years nor the memories seeing them would bring up. Bradley wasn’t prepared to see the girl he saw as a little sister, let alone see her all over Hangman. Willow was not prepared to see both of them in class that next morning, let alone how small she’d feel like she was back in perfect Bradley Bradshaw’s shadow all those years ago. But when she finally confronts him? Their mission may be in jeopardy.
Pairings: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x OC!Willow "Vixen" Seresin, brief mentions of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell x OC Daughter!Willow "Vixen" Seresin and Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x OC God Sister!Willow "Vixen" Seresin
Warnings: angst, fluff, daddy issues
Note: none :)
Apr 2024 note: I did end up updating this into an OC as I dont write my series as a reader insert anymore.
Word count: 1.4k
Masterlist | Always Darling Masterlist
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"What do we have here?" Hangman shouts smugly. "If it ain't Phoenix!" Hangman leans against the pool table as the Phoenix walks up to him.
“I missed you!” Willow hugs her.
“I missed you too.”
"And here I thought we were special, Coyote. Turns out the invite went to anyone." Willow elbows her boyfriend's ribs, walking straight back over to the table.
"Fellas, this here's Bagman." Phoenix introduces him to the boys behind her.
"Hangman."
"Whatever." Phoenix smiles sarcastically. "You're looking at the only naval aviator on active duty with a confirmed air-to-air kill."
"Stop." Hangman acts humbled, causing Willow to laugh.
"Mind you, the other guy was in a museum piece from the Korean War."
"Cold War. Different wars, same century."
"Not this one." Willow smiles, pulling the pool cue from Coyote’s hands.
"Who are your friends?" Coyote asks.
"Payback."
"Fanboy." There's a brief pause before he questions, "Who’s she?”
"Vixen.“ Jake answers, pulling her around the table to stand in front of him. He positions her to where her back is against his chest. “My beautiful girlfriend.” Jake kisses her temple as she laughs, pulling away from him.
"Hey Coyote." Phoenix greets.
"Hey."
"Who's he?" Phoenix asks.
"Who's who?" Coyote questions before the attention is turned to the man sitting in the barstool nearby.
"When did you get in?" Coyote asks.
"Oh, I've been here the whole time."
"Man's a stealth pilot." Hangman chuckles.
"Literally." Coyote chimes in.
"Weapons system officer, actually."
"With no sense of humor." Hangman sighs, handing Phoenix his pool cue, walking to the bar.
"What do they call you? Willow questions.
"Bob.”
"No your callsign." Payback asks.
"Bob."
"Bob Floyd? You're my new backseater? From Lemoore?"
"Looks like it. Yeah." Bob nods.
"Nine ball, Bob." Phoenix hands him the pool cue. "Rack'em." She takes the extended cue from Willow who walks after her boyfriend.
“Penny my dear. I’ll have 4 beers on the old timer.”
“Better be getting one for me too.” Willow bounces up to the bar top.
“I could never forget my best girl.” Jake’s southern drawl flutters out. Willow leans into his side as Penny returns with their drinks.
“Hey Willow! You back too?” Penny questions, wiping down the bar as they pick up the bottles.
“Yea. How have you been?” Willow smiles.
“Good, ya know I just saw-“
“Willow?” Willow glances behind Penny to see none other than her father sitting on the other side of the bar.
“Maverick.” She nods curtly.
“Sweetheart-“ Maverick tries but she shuts him down.
“Don’t. Not here.” She shakes her head, turning away from the bar. “Let’s go Jake.”
"Bradshaw!" Phoenix calls. "Is that you?" Willow snaps her head around.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” She groans. The pornstache and tacky Hawaiian shirt caught her eye.
"This is how I find out your stateside?"
"Yeah, I just thought I'd surprise you." Bradley smirks, walking up to the pool table just in time for Phoenix to pull back on the pool cue causing Bradley to double over in pain from the impact.
"I guess I surprised you back." Phoenix says, turning around.
"It's good to see you." Bradley smiles, as he stands up.
"Good to see you too."
"Bradshaw, as I live and breathe." Hangman says, returning from the bar. He hands out the beers he brought back before removing the pool cue from Bob's hands.
"Hangman. You look good." Rooster nods at him, already annoyed.
"Well, I am good, Rooster. Real good. In fact, I am too good to be true." Hangman answers looking around at the group. Willow groans, sitting in one of the barstools nearby.
"So, anybody know what this special detachment is all about?" Coyote asks.
"No, mission's a mission. They don't confront me. What I want to know: Who's gonna be team leader? And which one of y'all has what it takes to follow me?" Hangman says, making a couple shots on the pool table.
"Hangman, the only place you'll lead anyone is an early grave." Rooster retorts.
"Well, anyone who follows you is just gonna run out of fuel." Willow snarks.
Hangman leans against the pool table. "But that's just you ain't it, Rooster? You're snug on that perch, waiting for just the right moment, that never comes." Hangman says, stopping when he is inches away from Bradley's face. "I love this song." He smiles, walking away.
"Well he hasn't changed." Phoenix says.
"Nope." Bradley eyes Willow, offering her a smile. She just scoffs and walks towards the door.
“Darlin, where are you going?” Jake calls, pulling her to a stop.
“I…” she struggles with the words, hearing the piano radiate through the room. “Fuck.” She groans, glancing behind Jake as Bradley starts singing. “Can we just go home? Please?”
“Yea, baby of course. Let me go pay off our tab. I’ll meet you at the truck.”
“Okay,” Willow nods, quickly walking out of the Hard Deck.
“Willow! Wait up!”
Willow glances behind her to see her father following behind her. “No. I’m not doing this with you now.”
“Willow, come on. You can’t still be mad.”
“You sent me to boarding school!”
“You were a trouble stu-“
“Right, troubled.” Willow scoffs, laughing lightly. “I just wanted my dad to see me. Treat me just like he did perfect little Bradley Bradshaw.”
“I didn’t treat you any differently.” Pete defends.
“Oh really? ‘Bradley’s going to state champs,’ ‘Bradley got straight A’s,’ Bradley this and Bradley that!” Willow shouts. “But did I get any praise? No! I get one B and immediately it’s ‘well when Bradley took that class!’ I am so sick of you comparing us! He’s not even your son!”
“He’s been through a lot.” Mav says, but it only makes Willow’s anger worse.
“So have I!” Willow shouts. “I lost everything. Mom! Uncle Goose! Aunt Carole! You! I lost people too!”
“Me?” Mav questions.
“Yes you! You left as soon as you dropped me off at boarding school and never came back!”
“I did what was best for you!” Mav retorts, yelling.
“Yea, whatever helps you sleep at night asshole.” She mutters, turning away from him. “Go back to perfect Bradley.” Mav had since walked away but only to be replaced.
“You think I’m perfect?”
“Piss off Bradshaw! I am not in the mood.” Willow groans, still walking towards Jake’s truck.
“Come on! You seemed to have plenty to say a minute ago.”
“You know what? I am so sick and tired of you thinking you’re better than me!” Willow shouts. “Always telling me how I should feel, or act. You’re nothing but a spoiled ass little orphan who can’t take no for an answer.”
“Same old Willow. I don’t blame your dad for leaving you at that school. You were always too much to handle.”
“Oh that's it!” Willow goes to charge him but is interrupted by Jake walking up.
“Everything alright out here?” Jake asks, jogging up to Willow.
“Yea, let’s just go home.” Willow pulls him with her to the truck, immediately climbing inside.
“You okay?” Jake questions after about 5 minutes, halfway to the condo they rented.
“Yea, just… can we not talk about it?”
“Of course.” Jake smiles, his hand rubbing circles into her thigh.
Willow retreated to the master as soon as Jake parked the truck.
“Darlin?” Jake followed her in. He quickly dropped their things by the door and followed her into the room. “Darlin what’s wrong?”
Willow immediately curled into the bed. “I don’t wanna talk about it.” She sighed, willing herself not to cry.
“That's fine. We can just lay here, okay?” Jake sits on the bed, opening his arms for Willow to slide into him and she does. Her cheek resting in his chest, one arm over his torso while both of his wrapped around her. “You know I love you right?”
“Of course. You know I love you?”
“Always darling.” He plants a kiss on her forehead as she slowly drifts to sleep. “We’ll get through this detachment. Together like everything else.” Be gently kisses her head again before drifting to sleep himself.
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callsigndragon · 2 years
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Christmas Gift | Robert 'Bob' Floyd
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Pairing: Robert 'Bob' Floyd x Teacher!Wife!Reader
Summary: Bob gets the most special christmas gift ever.
Word count: 1215
Warnings: fluff. BOB. Bob should be a warning. BUT I'M SAYING BOB IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. baby on board
Tag list: @tayrae515 @alexxavicry @xoxabs88xox @mercurio23 @shrimping-for-all @abaker74 @smells-like-perfect-senses
(if you want to be in the 'All TGM' tag list, send me an ask!)
A/N: Is this an attempt to stop y'all from suing me? yes. Hope you like it!
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“How is the wife doing, Bob?” Hangman asks while walking to the parking lot. 
“I don’t know. She woke up sick this morning. Perhaps the sushi we had last night was spoiled,” Bob answers, checking his phone to see if there was any message from you, but you haven’t talked to him all day. 
“Oh, damn. If you need us to raincheck the Secret Santa party, call me.” He says while patting Bob’s back.
“I’ll ask her when I get home and I’ll text you” 
“Sure. Say hi to Bobette for me” 
Bob nods, walking to the car and dialing his wife’s number. 
“Robby?” 
"Hey, Mrs. Floyd. How are you feeling?” He asks, opening the car door and sitting inside. “If you’re still sick I can take you to the doctor” 
'Honey, I'm fine. I think it was the sushi,” you reply quickly, trying to stop his worry. “I was just about to jump in the shower and get ready for the party” 
“And you were gonna shower without me? Miss, do I need to remind you that we need to save the planet and use water wisely?” He can almost hear your smile from the other end of the line. 
“You have fifteen minutes to come home,” you challenge him, and Bob smirks. 
“Make it ten” 
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One shower and a few hours later, Mr. and Mrs. Floyd are walking hand in hand towards Hangman and Coyote’s house. A few weeks ago, both of them brought up the idea of celebrating Christmas with the squad. Of course, that included you as an honorary member of the squad through marriage. There were rumors of an upcoming mission that will happen during the holidays, so Coyote thought that they could celebrate some Secret Santa and exchange gifts two weeks before Christmas instead of doing it on Christmas Eve. 
Today is the day. 
You have been a bit worried about your gift for the past few weeks, not knowing what you should give them. But then, a few days ago, the answer came to you unexpectedly. 
Coyote opens the door, smiling at the sight. “Look at you, my favorite married couple.” He hugs you tight. “If you two ever get a divorce I’ll stop believing in love” 
“Javy, why are you talking about divorces?” Phoenix asks from behind him. She pushes the pilot away and pulls you close to hug you tightly. “Look at you, you’re beautiful! Are you using a new highlighter or something?"
You look at her with a puzzled expression. “Uh… no? Why?” 
“You’re literally glowing.” she adds. 
“I just got out of the shower, Nat. I’m not even wearing much makeup” 
 “Unbelievable” she grabs your hand and leads you inside. 
You hug and say hi to all the aviators, not having seen them in a while. It’s been crazy with the final exams, the Christmas play at school, and tons of different things. You all sit down, Nat offering you some hot chocolate that you gladly accept. 
“So, are we giving the presents now?” Fanboy says, almost jumping in his seat from the excitement. 
“What are you, five?” laughs Rooster while stealing some Christmas cookies from the tray that Jake left on the coffee table. 
“Look, I’ve been waiting two weeks for this. I need my gift now.” Fanboy states, and all of you chuckle a bit at his antics. Fanboy truly loves Christmas. 
“Okay, go get the gifts, we’ll be here” Payback says, leaning back on the sofa. 
“But there’s a lot?” the wizzo retorts. 
“You wanted the gifts, go get them” 
“BUT-” 
“OH LORD I’LL GO WITH YOU” exclaims Phoenix getting up from her seat and going with him to Jake’s room where all the gifts have been carefully placed. 
When they come back, you feel a bit nervous. It’s a very significant gift. Maybe you shouldn’t have bought that. 
You watch as Rooster opens his gift first. Inside the box, there’s the most ugly Hawaiian shirt you’ve ever seen. 
“Wait, are those actual roosters?” you point to the birds in the shirt, and Rooster laughs out loud when he sees that yes, those are actual roosters.
“Oh my god, I know who gave me this” he looks directly at Nat. “Was it you?” 
“Look, I hate your shirts. But I know you love them, so I had to give you a very special one” she says, getting up to hug Bradley. 
Nat is now opening her gift. It’s a helmet for her motorcycle, with the same stickers as her aviator helmet. Bob bought a helmet the other day. Yes! You were right! Bob had Phoenix. 
“Oh. my. God. This is the best gift EVER” she tries it on, and immediately goes to hug Bob. “I don’t even have to ask. You know my helmet better than me” 
“I was worried for a second that it wouldn’t fit you” he smiles and pats the helmet. "It looks good on you." 
“Thank you so much, Bob. It's perfect," she says as she grabs a white box with red dots from the table. “I think this one’s yours, buddy.” 
 Bob grabs the box and sits next to you, opening it slowly. He has the most beautiful smile on his face. But it drops instantly when he sees what’s inside the box. 
“Bob? It’s an iPad, bud. That’s awesome!” Coyote announces, not understanding the wizzo’s reaction. 
“It’s mine. I bought it last year,” he explains, looking at you. “Y/n?” 
“Just open it,” you simply reply. 
When Bob unlocks the iPad, a video begins to play immediately. It’s an ultrasound. 
"Oh, my god,” Nat says, covering her mouth in surprise. 
Bob is still looking at the screen, looking at the 11-week-old baby that will soon keep the both of you awake during the night. “You’re pregnant?” 
You nod, tears filling your eyes. Bob drops the iPad in the box and hugs you so tight that it almost hurts. “Babe, too tight” 
He pulls away, tears welling up in his eyes. “I’m sorry, darling. It’s just… Oh my god. You’re gonna be a mom. I’m gonna be a dad! We’re gonna be parents,” he is rambling at this point, and it’s just so cute. 
“And we’re gonna be uncles!” exclaims Hangman. “Oh my god, I have experience. I can change diapers. And babysit. You better name him Jake.” 
“I don’t even know if they’re a girl or a boy,” you laugh. 
Bob kneels down in front of you, carefully moving his hands toward your belly. “We showered together; how come I didn’t notice?” 
“You can suck your belly in, even if you’re pregnant.” 
His hands caress your belly, and he lowers his head to leave a soft kiss. “Hi, Bob” 
“Did you just call them Bob?” 
"Yeah, it's their call sign, Baby On Board," he says, and you can't stop yourself from kissing him. 
“Hey! That’s what I call you! I should be the godfather.” Jake protests, ending in a heated debate between Rooster, Payback, Fanboy, Coyote, and himself, fighting for the godfather position. 
“This is the most wonderful Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten, darling. Thank you so much,” he whispers, kissing you softly, his hands never leaving your belly. 
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call sign: tennessee whiskey | rooster x fem!reader & hangman x phoenix | chapter one
summary: phoenix has always wanted to set up her two best friends in the navy -- ones that have, for whatever reason, still never crossed paths. that's all about to change when you get called back to TOPGUN for a special mission.
warnings: enemies to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, swearing, mentions of death, strong possibility of military inaccuracies, second person pov, no use of y/n,
wc: 4.2k
a/n: not me having the audacity to take a crack at a top gun: maverick fic. this is what happens when i watch tgm 7x in one week. a fic is born. and in my defense, this cast has so much damn chemistry how could i not?! this is a oneshot idea that turned into a series that's turned into a series and a sequel? oops. 10/10 recommend listening to the song tennessee whiskey by chris stapleton.
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masterlist | the playlist | chapter two
She’s shocked but she knows better than to be surprised.
At least that’s what Phoenix reminds herself as she watches the heated interaction between Rooster and Hangman at the pool table. It can’t have been more than five minutes since Rooster’s arrival for the two of them to get into it. And the way he looked at her just a moment ago? With his smug, annoyingly handsome, overconfident face right before taking another dig at Rooster?
She hates it. 
And she hates that it made her feel something. 
She can’t put her finger on it: disgust, unadulterated rage, whatever the hell else would make you want to kiss and kill someone at the same time.
She exchanges unamused glances with Rooster once again, shaking her head in the beyond cocky fighter pilot. 
“Well, he sure hasn’t changed,” she scoffs, watching as Hangman makes his way back to the jukebox to select another song. 
“Nope. Sure hasn’t,” Rooster agrees with dismay. 
“Check it out. More badges,” Payback says, turning his attention to the way of the new arrivals. “That’s Harvard, Yale, Omaha… shit that’s Fritz.”
“What kind of mission is this?” Fanboy asks, taking note as the best of the best continue to arrive at the Hard Deck tonight.
As Phoenix asks the question everyone is wondering – who the hell the US Navy plans to teach the top 1% of fighter pilots – she notices Rooster’s disappeared from the conversation around the pool table. It doesn’t take long before someone’s cut the power to the jukebox causing a collective groan to ring out within the four walls of the Hard Deck. 
A smile creeps across Phoenix’s face as she knows exactly where Rooster’s gone. The sound of a few riffs on the piano being played catch her attention, and she excuses herself from the pool table. She joins her good friend she met at flight school, in all of his Hawaiin shirt-clad glory. 
“You missed me, Trace?” Rooster says, stealing a glance from the side of his old friend. 
“Not even a little bit,” she teases him in return. 
But Rooster understands. 
What she means is ‘yes I have,’ and ‘you could’ve called.’
The commotion of Maverick being thrown out of the bar interrupts their brief reunion, and while Phoenix watches, Rooster occupies himself with the task at hand. His large aviators that cover his eyes make it easier to ignore the fact that the closest thing he’d ever had to a father figure had been called back to North Island too. His long fingers run over the keys of the barely-in-tune piano of the Hard Deck, unwilling to acknowledge the presence of the man. Instead, he charges forward, noticing how easy it is to slip into the familiar rhythm of being back at TOPGUN. 
Outside of the bar, Jake’s having a little too much fun throwing the old aviator overboard with Payback and Coyote. As he heads back inside, he doesn’t join Payback and Fanboy at the piano with the rest of them, instead choosing to head to the bar for another round of beers. He leans back against the bar, watching as the whole bar seems wrapped in singing along to Rooster’s personal anthem. Hangman takes another swig of his beer amused by the sight. 
He’s not sure why he’s so hesitant to join in on the fun but he doesn’t move – can’t let Rooster have this one. Hangman lets his gaze linger on Phoenix from a distance as she dances (in his opinion) a little too closely for his liking to Rooster. 
He’ll never admit it, but he’s always been entranced by the woman he met at TOPGUN all those years ago at his graduation. She was a part of the incoming class, the one right behind his, and he’s not sure how, in the same damn khaki uniform as everyone else, she’s always looked this good. 
Her eyes light up as someone or something across the room catches her attention, and she’s practically jumping up, sprinting across the Hard Deck and into the arms of another naval aviator. 
And for the first time tonight, a genuine smile spreads across his lips. 
He wondered when you’d show.
As soon as he got the call, you’d texted him immediately asking if he’d gotten the same request for this mysterious special op. Earlier, when he’d watched Harvard and Yale roll in with Halo, your WSO he knew your arrival was almost moments away. But you’d never been the most punctual when it came to your personal life, so he wasn’t surprised that you were running behind. Jake chuckles to himself thinking about all the trouble you used to get into at the academy for not being on time. Almost got you kicked out a few times too, if he recalls correctly. 
It'd been too long since he’d seen you last, now that you were stationed at Lemoore. He loved teasing you about what a Californian you’d turned into, now that you’d been out of Texas. 
“Gonna start callin’ you Phoenix if you spend any more time in California, kid,” he’d teased you during your last phone call, referencing the LA native you both admired. 
But Jake’s almost forgotten about how close you are with Natasha – the three of you always circling around each other, never quite in the same place at the same time. He’s definitely forgotten (or at least tried to) the time you called him a lovesick idiot after he wouldn’t shut up about a certain fighter pilot he’d met during a certain deployment. 
What could he say? 
His first deployment with Phoenix had left… quite the impression on him… and you knew him well enough to call him out on it. 
Of course, Phoenix had wanted nothing to do with him at the time. His usual tricks – that Southern Charm and perfectly symmetrical face – only seemed to repulse her even more and he had to admit that it made him like her even more. 
“Whiskey!” she practically shouts, as Jake watches the two of you embrace. 
“Sorry I’m late. I would’ve come earlier if I knew there was a singalong,” you smirk, taking in the sigh of the more than jovial crowd huddled around the piano. “But once I hit LA traffic. Shit. That’s what I get for leaving for wanting to take my own damn car.”
“Oh I think he’s just getting started,” she replies, nodding towards Rooster. 
Before you can say anything else, before you can take a good look at the man behind the piano, Hangman’s cut your reunion-for-two short. 
“Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in,” he croons, his Texas drawl prominent in the way he says each word. 
“Hangman, you son of a bitch!” you squeal, meaning the last part in the most endearing way possible. 
“Hey, kid,” he greets you with the biggest smile you’ve seen all day. 
You immediately wrap your arms around his neck, jumping into his arms. Jake picks you up, spinning you around before setting you back down on the ground as you laugh. Your public display of affection earns a few looks your way, and Phoenix pretends to vomit on the floor in response. 
You laugh again, “You think I’d get a free pass after putting up with this one for over ten years.”
“This… is something I’ll never understand,” Natasha replies, gesturing towards the space between the two of you.
“You jealous, Phoenix?” Hangman asks, a confidence behind his words.
Nat sends a snarky look his way before answering, dryly:
“Only in your dreams, Bagman.”
“You’re right about that,” he flirts shamelessly, giving her a wink. 
“Oh gross!” you say with an eye roll. You playfully punch Jake in the chest, pushing him away from you and Natasha. 
“Get your own friend. Besides, Nat and I have some catching up to do and I’m in need of a drink,” you continue, earning a groan from Jake. 
“What? I can’t watch?” he smirks, earning another fake vomit from Phoenix. 
“No, Bagman,” you tease, using the callsign you know Nat loves to demean him with. “We’re gonna talk shit about you.”
He shoots you a look, shaking his head at your snarky remark. He knows it’s out of love – at least from you. He concedes, tipping his beer towards you as a form of ‘cheers’ before taking a few steps away. 
You and Nat exchange a laugh, before linking arms and heading towards the bar.
“I don’t know how you’ve put up with him for more than five minutes,” she remarks, searching for an available bartender. 
“He’s not all that bad once you get past all the bullshit. And there’s a lot of it,” you reply honestly. 
“No thanks,” Phoenix dismisses, before flagging down Penny.
You watch as she orders the two of you a round of beers and you can’t help but find it funny how quick she was to dismiss Jake. It’s true: you’ve always thought the two of them were more alike than they were different. Sure, Jake made questionable decisions on the daily. But even after all of these years, he still had more heart than anyone you’d met this side of the Mississippi. 
“How was your trip?” you ask Phoenix, making small talk to start. 
“It was alright. Came in a few days earlier to see some family in LA first,” she answers with a shrug. 
“How’s your mom?” you ask, curiously. 
And Phoenix answers, filling you in that her mom is doing much better than the last time you talked, and her brother and his wife are moving back to LA. You tell her that you’re finally getting used to California, while the two of you wonder about this top secret, special mission that you’ve all been called back to TOPGUN for. 
“Oh! Speaking of the best of the best. Uh… my best friend is here,” she starts with a smile on her face. 
“Excuse me. I thought… I was your best friend… at least in the Navy,” you tease her. 
She rolls her eyes playfully, “No, I mean. Rooster. I’ve actually been wanting to introduce the two of you for years...”
Phoenix gestures towards the man behind the piano still going at it, and you move over to get a good look at him. He’s hot. You’ll give her that. And you’re not usually into the whole mustache thing but it somehow seems to make him even more attractive. His oversized aviators are hanging off his face as he pounds away at the keys of the piano and you can’t imagine what grown adult man would wear Hawaiin shirts by choice. 
And yet, everything about him you’d normally find cringe-worthy in a man, he seems to pull off.  
He knows it too. 
There’s a group of girls gathered around the piano that are gossiping as they watch him riff on another instrumental song. 
And boy is he eating it up: the attention, the praise, he knows he has the ears of everyone at the Hard Deck tonight. 
“The piano player. From flight school?” you question, curiously, as you begin to connect the dots. 
“Yeah!” she answers, her eyes lighting up at your immediate recognition. “Yeah that’s where we met. Reminds me of you, actually. Just the way we both clicked instantly… and you’ve both become life-long friends.”
You think back to your first deployment as a naval aviator. You and Phoenix were sent on a mission in Sarajevo and had become fast friends. At first, you wondered if you grew so close so quickly because you were the only women on that deployment, but you’d discovered over the years that your friendship with Nat was unique. While you’d usually expect a fast friendship to fizzle out, your relationship with Nat had only grown stronger over the years. 
“Hm,” you sound in response, giving Rooster another lookover. 
Nat’s other best friend. 
Sure. 
Nat’s hot other best friend. 
“What’s with the porn ‘stache?” you ask, playfully. 
She chuckles, “Long story for a different time.”
“C’mon! I’ll introduce you to everyone else,” Phoenix encourages you, grabbing your hand and practically dragging you over to the pool table with her. 
“Gentleman,” she says cooly, greeting the uniform-clad men that surround the pool table. 
“This is Whiskey,” she announces, introducing you. “Top of her class at TOPGUN and the only person on the planet that can get me to drink the worm at the bottom of a bottle of tequila.”
“Yo, I’ve heard about you,” Payback says, immediately recognizing your callsign. 
“I could say the same about you, Payback,” you reply, and he’s surprised to see you already know his callsign. “Coyote, ‘s always a pleasure.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he nods to you. 
“Wait. You two already know each other?” Payback asks, looking from you to Coyote. 
“Texas,” you both answer at the same time, exchanging a smile.
“Us Texans gotta stick together. Especially at the top,” Coyote clarifies.
“I’m Fanboy. And this here is Harvard and Bob,” Fanboy says, finishing his introduction of at least the aviators engaged in the game at the time. 
“It’s nice to meet you two,” you reply, looking from Fanboy to Harvard. 
You notice that it seems like Rooster’s little performance has ended and the jukebox has been plugged back in. It doesn’t surprise you that Hangman’s slipped out, probably to cue up his own personal soundtrack for the night. Bob is busy lining up his pool cue, but you already know him from Lemoore. He and Fanboy continue their game, and you wonder where Halo snuck off to. 
Bob shoots his shot, missing miserably with a sigh as the rest of the aviators cry out in supportive disappointment for him.
“Bob, ya really can’t do better than that, huh?” you hear the Southern drawl of Jake heading your way. 
You and Phoenix exchange a look, knowing just how much Jake is going to enjoy picking on the little guy.  
“Let me show you how it’s really done,” Jake smirks, snatching the pool cue out of Fanboy’s hands as he struts towards the pool table. 
You decide that someone needs to humble him, and you know just how you’re going to do it. 
“Easy there, Seresin,” you say, intercepting his gait. You stand your ground, right between him and the pool table, blocking his way. 
Jake stops in his tracks, as you stand toe to toe with him, barely inches apart from each other in a battle of the egos. Coyote lets out a whistle and you can hear Phoenix and Bob snickering in the corner as they watch on. 
“You see, I can’t let you do that because… it’s my turn, actually,” you challenge him, a rebellious look on your face. “So you’re just going to have to wait for yours.”
“Damn. You gonna let her talk to you like that, Hangman?” Coyote whistles, always amused by how willing you are to throw yourself in front of the moving bus that is Jake Seresin. 
“Don’t let her fool you. Whiskey’s always been sweet on me. Ain't that right, kid?” he coos, his eyes never leaving yours. 
“HA!” you hear Nat laugh loudly, as you raise your eyebrows up at Jake.
You don’t dare break eye contact. There’s no way in hell he’s winning this one. 
He shoots you a look that says, ‘you really want to do this right now?’ and you shoot him a look that says, ‘you’re being a bully.’
“Bullshit. She’s got you by the balls, lieutenant,” Phoenix hollers. 
“And he wouldn’t have it any other way,” you say, winking in her direction. You refocus your attention back on your best friend, pressing your lips together in a thin line “Besides, we all know that Hangman here has a soft spot for women who degrade him.”
You grab the pool cue out of his hand before bringing your opposite hand to tap him twice on the cheek, eliciting another round and whoops and hollers from the group of guys. 
“Ain’t that right, Bagman?” you throw in, parroting his condescending phrase from earlier. 
Jake shakes his head, knowing that you won this one as he watches you move around the pool table to set up your next shot. Bob watches on, impressed with the way you stood up to Hangman like that, especially in defense of himself. 
“If nobody warned you, Bob, the ‘T’ in Texas stands for trouble,” Coyote remarks, nudging Bob as he settles in next to the WSO.
While you’re busy celebrating your win with Bob, Fanboy, and Phoenix, Rooster’s across the room, closing out his tab and grabbing his last beer of the night. He eyes you carefully. He’s never seen someone standup to Hangman like that, nor has he witnessed Hangman take it. He’s heard about you – remembered what Nat’s said over the years: that you were her other best friend, that you were one hell of a pilot, that he should stop making shitty decisions with women and just let her set the two of you up. 
And after what he’s seen tonight? He’s intrigued. 
You’re electric, and he’s impressed. 
What he doesn’t remember is Nat ever mentioning that you knew Hangman – let alone this well. Were you and Hangman a thing? He can see a closeness between the two of you – a kind of intimacy he’s never seen Hangman have with anyone, despite the revolving door of women he seems to keep around whenever they’ve been deployed together. But it doesn’t make sense, because why the hell would Phoenix want to set him up with someone if she were Hangman’s girl?
Rooster makes his way over to the pool table after you and Hangman’s confrontation, his lips pressed to the top of the glass bottle. 
Hangman’s hanging out on the edge of the group, flipping through something on his phone with his right hand and nursing a beer in his left. 
He doesn’t want to sound too interested, but curiosity gets the best of him as he asks, “What was that all about?”
“What?” Jake shoots back, looking up from his smartphone. 
“You and Whiskey…” Rooster says, trying not to sound too desperate for information. 
But Hangman picks up on Rooster’s interest in his best friend immediately. He smirks, knowing that his relationship with you is just another thing he can use to get under Bradshaw’s skin. 
“Spent a little time at the naval academy together, that’s all,” Hangman replies vaguely. When he’s met with silence, Jake knows that he’s got something here. He turns to his rival, scanning for a reaction on Rooster’s face. 
“What? You interested?”
Instead of answering, Rooster just shakes his head, taking another swig of his beer. It doesn’t take long for Natasha to steal Rooster away so that she can introduce the two of you, her eyes glimmering with excitement and the gears turning in her head. 
“Call it a rescue,” she mutters under breath as she drags him away from Hangman’s presence. 
Much to Nat’s disappointment, the introduction isn’t much. Just an exchange of hellos, names and callsigns before Halo comes to find you for a catch up.
The rest of the night goes on, accompanied by Hangman’s pick of tunes, and it’s filled with old friends, catch ups, and a few more rounds of pool. It’s good to be back here. In a way it feels nostalgic, and anyone would be lying if they couldn’t admit that being selected to be a part of this mission was a huge boost for the ego. While it’s cool to have some Lemoore buddies with you, it’s good to see your old friends too – the ones you don’t get to see as often – like Jake. Like Phoenix. These are bonds forged in battle, and people you’d trust with your life. 
It’s not till the end of the night that you realize that you may have had one too many, so you step out for some air. San Diego is perfect almost year round, you think, as you watch the waves crash against each other. 
“You good? I saw you slip out,” you hear a voice say. 
You’re surprised to find Rooster standing behind you, just outside of the entrance of the Hard Deck. You hadn’t gotten much time to meet him, despite Nat’s best efforts. 
“Yeah, I just think I’ve had a little too much to drink. Wanted to get some air,” you reply with a small laugh. “Thanks though. For checking in.”
“Can’t have you gettin’ into any trouble. Nat would kill me,” he says, taking a few steps toward you. 
This time, you fully turn towards him, resting your back against the railing, as he holds out a cup of water. 
“Thought you might want a glass of water too.”
“You’re a good friend. At least that’s what Nat’s said about you,” you say with a smile, taking the glass of water he’s offered you. 
“She said that?” he asks, only a little surprised. 
You nod in response. 
Rooster joins you, standing side by side, his back pressed against the railing, mirroring your body language. 
There’s a long silence between the two of you as you drink your water. After a big night of friends old and new, it’s nice to have a moment of quiet too – the waves being the only sound between the two of you. 
“So… you and Jake?” Rooster asks, interrupting your momentary shared silence. 
“Oh!” you gasp, another laugh following. 
You’re not sure if it’s the alcohol or the question that makes you feel a little warmer as you contemplate how to answer his question. Between your greeting upon arrival and your standoff at the pool table, you can imagine why Rooster would think that. You can’t blame him. The two of you get mistaken as a couple all the time, especially when you’re out and about in your civvies. 
“No, there's-, there’s no me and Jake. I mean. We… met at the naval academy. He was two years ahead of me and kinda took me under his wing when he found out that I was a fellow Texan. We’ve been close friends ever since,” you clarify, trying your best to explain your uncommon friendship with Hangman. 
Rooster scoffs, a blush running across his cheeks as he mutters an unconvinced yet conceding with, “Okay.”
“What? You don’t believe me,” you ask, turning your head to watch his reaction.
“No, it’s not that! I uh… I’ve just… never seen Hangman let anyone talk to him like that. I just… made some assumptions, I guess. Sorry,” he apologizes, almost embarrassed that he asked in the first place. 
“No it’s okay,” you reassure him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder before crossing your arms over your chest. “In your defense, there was one kiss at school back in the day that ended promptly when I laughed him out of my dorm room.”
Rooster laughs, the idea of it completely contradictory to the playboy persona Hangman portrays to the world. 
“Now that’s a story I want to hear,” he smirks. 
You shake your head, “There’s not much to tell. I promise.”
“He always been this much of an ass?” Rooster asks, stealing another glance your way. 
“Oh yeah. And he’s always been this fucking annoying too,” you add playfully. 
He agrees and the two of you exchange glances again. You’re starting to see why Phoenix has raved about him all these years and you’ve barely had a real conversation with him. 
“Then why do you put up with him?” Rooster asks again, this time a little more seriously. He’s not sure why, but he really wants to hear that you don’t have feelings for Jake. 
“Because… there was a time we were both just dumb kids, y'know? Because he may be an annoying, self-centered, overconfident little shit... but he's my annoying, self-centered, overconfident little shit. And I’m stuck with him,” you admit, genuinely. 
Your capacity for empathy leaves an impact on him. He’s going to be thinking about this conversation for a few days. 
“Fair enough.”
“So what’s the story behind your callsign?” he asks, changing the subject. 
You raise an eyebrow, “What’s the story behind yours?” 
Instead of answering, he just shakes his head and you laugh, knowing he’s not going to tell you. You don’t answer either, taking another sip of the water he’s brought out for you. 
*
“Hooooly shit,” Rooster marvels, watching as you pull of an extremely tricky maneuver in your two-seater F/A-18. 
It’s you and Halo paired up with Harvard as your wingman for this round of the dogfight exercise. And while you may be impressive, you’re still no match for Maverick, as he gets you with a killshot just for trying to show off. 
“You got to give it to her. That was smooth,” Fanboy admires as the rest of the aviators watch the exercise from inside the watchtower. 
Jake chuckles in response. You’ve always been full of surprises and he’s always finds it amusing when someone new discovers it. 
“Like Tennessee Whiskey, fellas,” he answers, his Texas drawl a love letter to your shared home state. 
He shakes his head watching you fly before adding:
“Some things never change.”
read: chapter two
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A/N: HI ITS ME. How're feeling up in this club and why is everyone so hot and have so much sexual tension? Anyways... should I continue this or nah??
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nade2308 · 1 year
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Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, USN, Naval Aviator, "Top Gun", 1986
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Lieutenant Junior Grade Daniel Kaffee, USN, JAG Corps, "A Few Good Men", 1992
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Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, Geman Army, "Valkyrie", 2008
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Roy Miller/Matthew Knight, CIA operative, "Knight and Day", 2010
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Ethan Hunt, IMF agent in disguise as General Anatoly Fedorov, Russian Army, "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol", 2011
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Jack Reacher, ex-Major and investigator for the 110th Military Police Special Investigation Unit, US Army, "Jack Reacher", 2012
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William Cage, public affairs officer and Major, US Army, "Edge of Tomorrow", 2014
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Jack Reacher, ex-Major and investigator for the 110th Military Police Special Investigation Unit, US Army, "Jack Reacher: Never go back", 2016
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Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, USN, Naval Aviator, test pilot and flight instructor for the Navy, "Top Gun: Maverick", 2022
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Barry Seal, airline commercial pilot for TWA, "American Made", 2017
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"A man becomes the creature of his uniform."
- Napoleon Bonaparte
@thethistlegirl @malewifebillcage
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topgun-imagines · 1 year
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Day 15: Cut Me Open
Pairings: Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x fem!reader, Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x fem!reader
Synopsis: After losing Bradley nine months ago, he finally comes back into your life. But have you already moved on?
Warnings: mentions of death, torture, experimentation, interrogation, scars, crashes, capture & wounds.
Note: a special thank you to @alitheia-foxes for helping me with this story!
Word count: 1.4k
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Nine months. That was how long it had been since you last saw Rooster. Nine painfully long months ago, he and Jake were on some top-secret mission that none of the other Daggers were allowed the details to. You didn’t think much of it. After all, it was nothing new for secrets to be kept regarding mission status. The mission was scheduled to take three weeks and before you knew it, the day that they were meant to arrive came. Only, when Jake stepped off the carrier, Rooster never followed. The entire squad had gone down to pick up your boys. When one of them wasn’t even there, everyone began to panic. Jake couldn’t say anything, but the look in his eyes told you everything you needed to know. Rooster was gone.
Even after all the debriefs that he had been through, Jake still wasn’t allowed to share any details with anyone about the mission. Not even you. Which meant that you were none the wiser as to why your boyfriend suddenly dropped off the face of the planet.
Coming to terms with the new reality had been hard at first. Needless to say, you had lost yourself. You were once a happy, bright person. Now, you were a shell of that person. She was long gone. However, you weren’t necessarily alone in that fact. Ever so slowly, you watched Jake turn from a fun, cocksure pilot to a hollow aviator. One that followed the rules exactly as they were in the book. Nothing less, nothing more. The two of you weren’t living anymore. At this point, you were just existing.
Regardless of whether he was supposed to tell you or not, Jake had given you a few details about what happened to Rooster. He knew that you needed the closure. Rooster’s plane was shot down just as the pair were completing the mission. As far as Jake knew, he was killed in action.
As you grieved the loss of your boyfriend, you and Jake grew exceptionally close. The two of you sought comfort in each other, knowing that you were the only ones that could truly understand the loss. Jake had lost his wingman. Hell, he had been in the air when it happened. You had lost the love of your life. The morning that he left, you were still asleep, meaning that you never got to say goodbye to him one last time. That thought ate you up inside every single time.
However, Jake was the one person that could pull you out of those terrible thoughts. He was the shoulder that you could cry on in the early hours of the morning when the world was still asleep. He was the one that you could share fond memories of your boyfriend with over a cold beer. Sure, there may have been tears running down your face at times, but you had never laughed harder than when you were with Jake.
Around the fourth month after Rooster’s disappearance, you realized the feelings you had for his blond wingman. While a part of you was horrified at the thought of moving on from Bradley, the other part of you welcomed the change. You had always thought that there was something about Jake that made him different than the others. But you could never quite put your finger on it. Little did you know that you would get the chance to see what that something was.
After nearly a month, Jake had finally confessed his feelings for you. The pilot asked you out, taking you to a romantic dinner at a small restaurant at the beach before taking you on a lovely walk down the shore. It was a picture-perfect date. For the first time in nearly five months, your mind hadn't been fixed on Rooster. It was refreshing to be able to enjoy a night out without being reminded of the love that you had lost. Jake made it his top priority that you were focused on enjoying yourself.
Slowly but surely, the two of you returned to the people you once were. Now, you weren’t just existing anymore, you were loving your life. Did you miss Bradley? Of course you did. But that didn’t mean you couldn’t be happy with Jake.
However, no matter how happy the two of you were, you decided against telling the rest of the Dagger Squad. You were afraid that they wouldn’t see the situation the same way that you and Jake did; afraid that they would judge you for finding comfort in each other during this difficult time. So, you kept the two of you a secret. Except for Natasha. Needless to say, the pilot would be waiting longer for permission before entering either of your rooms.
Today would mark the four-month anniversary of your and Jake’s first date. Even though you couldn’t tell any of your friends, you still wanted to celebrate the occasion. Phoenix helped you plan a dinner at one of Jake’s favourite restaurants a few miles out of town. You were absolutely giddy all day. You tried your hardest to compose yourself at work, brushing off your sudden happiness like it was no big deal.
About halfway through the day, both you and Jake were called into Cyclone’s office. The two of you walked nervously toward his office, hands brushing against each other. When you first stepped through the door, you found Cyclone sitting behind his desk and Maverick standing beside him. Mav offered you a strained smile. There was another man in the room, standing straight as a pole and staring out the window. Jake’s hand landed on the small of your back protectively.
When the man turned around, you nearly fell over. Jake actually had to catch you to prevent your knees from buckling. Standing in front of you, very much alive, was Bradley Bradshaw. He looked so different than when you last saw him. There were scars all across his face and you could see a long, angry gash peeking out from under his T-shirt. It clearly had never healed properly. The older men in the room shared a look.
“We’ll give you two a moment.” Maverick muttered. He placed a hand on Jake’s shoulder and led him out of the room.
The two of you were left alone in the dark room. Bradley was the first to speak. “Really? Seresin?” But he didn’t sound angry. Through your tears, you could see the small smile on his face. A sob bubbles out of your mouth. “Hi Honey.” You fell into his arms, crying into the smooth fabric of his shirt.
“What happened to you?” You hiccuped. With a sigh, Bradley smoothed his hand over your hair.
You waited patiently, still crying, for him to explain. “After I went down I was captured,” He started. “They wanted information. Stuff about the mission. I didn’t even understand half of what they were talking about,” One by one, Bradley pointed to each of his scars, depicting how he revived each one. The stories behind some of them made your stomach churn. The people that captured him had performed horrendous experiments on him, leaving Rooster with permanent scars to remind him of his pain. No matter if the scars faded, though, he would always have the memories. He saw them every time he closed his eyes.
However, Bradley didn’t tell you any of this as you fell apart in his arms. You were finally moving on, becoming happy again, and here was the love of your life. The man that you thought was dead. He cradled your head against his chest, allowing you to let out everything you were feeling.
Even though Jake was standing mere feet away, your mind was nowhere near him. The blond pilot's head thudded against the wall as he realized what was happening. He was going to lose you. Now that Bradley was back, everything that the two of you had built would be destroyed. While Jake may have been terrified at the thought of losing you, he understood what Bradley meant to you. Never in a million years would he blame you for following your heart. He only hopes that you loved him enough to choose him.
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