#carole bradshaw x daughter!reader

[callsign-dexter]

The Sibling Connection

Summary: Now 23 and 38 the Bradshaw siblings come back to Miramar and see an old face. Feelings come up and surprises are revealed.

Pairings: Bradley Bradshaw x Sister!Reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, swearing, very inaccurate military talk, and timing

Masterlist

First Installment- Brotherly Love

Second Installment- The Sibling Connection

A/N: Italics mean that they are up in the air or getting ready to be up in the air.

Y/N wasn't at The Hard Deck when her brother arrived; this is due to her being fresh out of flight school and now officially a pilot. She had just been at her base in Fallon, Nevada for 3 days when she was told she would be helping out at Top Gun for a secret mission. She exceeded all of her training but then again what do you expect when you have an uncle that is the Commander of the US Pacific Fleet and taught you everything to know about flying?

When Y/N turned 18 she applied to the Naval Academy but first talked with her brother about it. He wanted her to chase her dreams and so he helped her even though he didn't get in, he wasn't gonna hold her back like Maverick did to him. He supported her the entire time. She kept him updated with everything and also Maverick too but it was mostly about her and not Bradley, per his request, and she respected that. When she told Bradley that she wanted to fly he was ecstatic, when she told him she wanted to fly the F-35B he was a little disappointed it wasn't a F/A-18E Super Hornet but didn't make her switch, they even joke about it and play fight. 

The next day when everyone showed up to class, Bradley looked around for his sister but she wasn't there and he frowned slightly. He really didn't pay attention to what was going on but he was listening.

"Attention on deck!" Someone said and everyone scooted their chairs back and stood at attention as Warlock and Cyclone. 

"Morning." Warlock said and everyone sat down "Welcome to your special training detachment. Be seated. I’m Admiral Bates, NAWDC commander. You’re all top gun graduates. The elite. The best of the best. That was yesterday. The enemy’s new fifth-generation fighter has leveled the playing field. Details are few, but you can be sure we no longer possess the technological advantage. Success, now more than ever, comes down to the man or woman in the box. Half of you will make the cut. One of you will be named mission leader. The other half will remain in reserve. Your instructor is a top gun graduate with real-world experience in every mission aspect you will be expected to master. His exploits are legendary. And he’s considered to be one of the finest pilots this program has ever produced. What he has to teach you may very well mean the difference between life and death. I give you Captain Pete Mitchell. Call sign: “Maverick.” Warlock finished as Maverick walked up the aisle and Bradley's frown deepened. 

"Good morning. The f-18 natops. It contains everything they want you to know about your aircraft. I’m assuming you know the book inside and out." Maverick said Bradley was listening but wasn't happy about Maverick teaching him. Oh how he wished his sister would show up.

"Damn right." Jake said and another person said "Damn straight."

"You got it. So does your enemy." Maverick said threw the book into the trash.

"And we’re off." Warlock said

"But what the enemy doesn’t know is your limits. I intend to find them, test them, and push beyond. Today we’ll start with what you only think you know. You show me what you’re made of." Maverick continued "Before we continue Cyclone has something he wants to add." He said and took a step away and to the side as Cyclone walked up.

"Since this mission is dangerous and high stakes, we are bringing in another pilot. She will be flying the F-35 but will not be running the mission with you but will be training with you. She will be back up in the skies only and will take off with everyone else. She will assist if she needs to." Cyclone said and Bradley could feel his smirk, mood lightening, and sitting up straighter. "She has exceeded her training and has graduated early from pilot training and is now a stealth pilot. Everyone, I would like you to meet Lieutenant Y/N Bradshaw. Call sign: Sparhawk." Cyclone said as you reached the front and turned. You smiled and waved at the rest and then your eyes turned onto Bradley who had a smirk on his face and you smiled back at him.

Everyone was dismissed. Y/N was already out by her F-35. She would be going up with every hop to pose as another enemy along with Maverick. She saw Bradley get stopped by Maverick but wasn't able to hear anything. Bradley walked away from Maverick and came up to her. 

"Took you long enough." He said playfully and she laughed and smiled.

"I wanted it to be a surprise." She told him which is true he knew she was coming but just not when. He smiled and shook his head.

"You haven't changed one-bit little sis." Bradley said.

"I haven't but you have." She shot back she missed the playful banter. He just smirked.

"If you need anything. Let me know." He told her and she nodded her head.

"You got it, bro. Be safe up there." She said and turned to get up in her jet.

"You too sis." He replied and headed to his own jet. 

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The training was going well. Each hop was different from the last since each pilot had different flying skills. Y/N stayed unseen which was doable since she had a jet that was almost completely invisible from radar. There were a few times that she had freaked out the others by flying right next to them and they didn't even know. She especially liked to freak out Jake. 

It had been when Jake, Natasha, and Bob were up for one of the hops. Jake was looking over at the other two and that's when Y/N silently flew up next to him. Both Natasha and Bob were smirking.

"What are the two of you smirking at?" Jake asked and they said nothing but Y/N's voice came into the comms.

"Why don't you look to your left, Bagman." She said with a smirk on her face and you could hear it. He looked to his left and saw her there and he jerked his jet to the right and almost hit Natasha and Bob but he corrected it before he crashed. 

"Geez, Spawhawk. Where did you come from?" He asked, "You almost gave me a heart attack." He continued and she laughed. 

"I've been here for at least 10 minutes." She said with a smirk on her face. 

"Warning next time would be nice." He said and she laughed.

"That would beat the purpose of it being a stealth jet." She responded back with sass. They didn't get to speak much longer because Maverick's voice came on the comms. 

"Ok enough chit chatting. Sparhawk, time to start." Maverick said and she nodded even though he couldn't see it. 

"You got it Mav." She said and dropped her speed and seamlessly disappeared but in reality she just dropped down below the other jets and let them speed past her. She flew to Mav and settled right next to him. They decided to make the others sweat and they switched to private communication. 

"So an F-35?" Maverick asked her and she smiled though he couldn't see it. 

"Yea I figured it would be a nice change of pace and I like stealth." She said and he laughed. 

"You sure do. Are you ready to take them down?" He asked her. 

"Absolutely." She replied and off they went. Mav was the distraction while she stealthy came up behind them and toned them. This went on for several hops. 

Bradley was the toughest but eventually he was toned too. When Coyote went into g-loc she thought she was going to have a heart attack along with the bird strike, but in the end everyone was ok. 

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Not much time was given to hang out except when Maverick made time for dogfight football. It was wild and Y/N loved it. She always had a competitive side with Bradley and just in general. Getting to hang out with hot sweaty, shirtless, muscled, 6-pack abs, and sun-kissed skin guys wasn't bad either.  

After Y/N and her team won against Bradley they all sat down to cool off and some even went into the ocean. Bradley came over to her and threw an arm around her and she made a face.

"Bro you're sweaty. Get off of me." She said and pushed him away and he laughed.

"Look who's talking. You're just about as sweaty as I am." He pushed her back and smiled. They eventually stopped and talked until the sun went down and they headed home. What they didn't know was that Maverick was several feet back watching them smiling. He was glad Y/N stayed in touch and sad that Bradley didn't. He was surprised that she went into the Navy but couldn't blame her. 

Everyone left the beach and headed home to continue the next day. Then they were off to do the mission and come home, safely.

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The time has come for the mission. Everyone was nervous but ready for it. Maverick picked his team and Y/N was shocked when Bradley's name was called and her stomach dropped. She already knew she would be going but she feared for her brother. They all started to go out towards their jets when Cyclone stopped her.

"Lt. Bradshaw, stay back for a few seconds." She stopped and turned to look at him as the other left and Bradley gave her a questioning look. He also stopped Maverick before he left  "Captain Mitchell a word." He said as he was getting ready to leave.

"What can we do for you?" Maverick asked and then Warlock walked up to them.

"We have decided to send Lt. Bradshaw out before the Daggers." Both Maverick and Y/N were shocked, this was not the plan.

 "Captain Mitchell, you will still be leading the Daggers. Once everyone gets to the opening of the mountain, Lt. Bradshaw will drop out and do air control." They both were silent as Warlock spoke about the change of plans.

"Understood." Both of them said.

"Dismissed." Cyclone said and both Cyclone and Warlock walked out of the room followed by Maverick and Y/N, but not before looking at each other. 

When they got to their jets and Maverick and Bradley talked, Bradley walked up to his sister. "What was that about?" He asked.

"You know I'm not allowed to say. It's just the plans have changed. You'll see once we get up in the air." She said and he nodded but he could tell that she was nervous, they could always tell when something was up with the other it was just the sibling connection they shared. The announcement came on telling them that they were ready to launch. They hugged each other. "I love you, big brother." She said and he hugged her tighter.

"I love you too little sis." He replied and then let go of her and they went and got in their jets getting ready to take off. 

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They had Y/N's jet taxi to the catapult and she could feel the eyes of her teammates on her. They would be asking questions later. "Safety Dagger up and ready." She said into her comms. They gave her the go and the shooter gave the command and she shot off the deck and into the sky. Once she was far enough away they gave the ok for the other Daggers. She could hear Maverick talking but wasn't paying attention. She was on the lookout for bandits but found none. She saw the missiles fly above her and once the opening of the canyon, she dropped down and let the now-in-formation Daggers go ahead of her. She broke right and went around the mountain monitoring the skies. 

She was far enough away from the mountains but still close enough. As she was monitoring the skies she came across one of the bandits. "Safety Dagger this Comanche. You have a bandit at 3 o'clock." She looked at her radar and so behold there it was.

"Comanche, this is Safety Dagger. Copy that. Will not engage unless need to." She said into her comms.

"Copy that Safety Dagger." Comanche said. Everything was going smoothly until they spotted her and it was game on. 

"Comanche bandit is engaging, Safety Dagger is responding." She said.

"Copy, Safety Dagger." They said to her, she dropped her speed and dropped altitude. She was trying to disappear from their radar and it was working. 

She got behind them and got tone but she was still far enough away from them they couldn't see her. She got closer and they panicked and started to try to lose her. Each move they made she made. "Can't shake me. Our jets are practically the same." She said to herself. "Oh you're good but I'm better." She said and after a few minutes and a few missile shots and gunshots, she got the final tone and shot, taking them down. Her 1st confirmed kill. She still has a lot of ammo left. She had this feeling that something was right and boy was she right when she started to hear all the commotion going on and then Maverick went down and her heart dropped. She saw Natasha, Bob, Mickey, and Javy emerge but not Bradley. She flew up beside them. "Where is my brother?" She asked any of them but they remained silent "Answer me." She almost growled. 

"He went back for Mav." Bob finally said and boy was she angry. She quickly pulled her jet to the left and headed towards where they were last. When Cyclone came over the comms 

"Safety Dagger, return to the ship." He said and she was pissed.

"What's the point of a Safety Dagger if it's not going to protect the fellow Daggers?" She replied and Cyclone knew she was right and she might be in trouble but be damn with it. 

"Safety Dagger you are clear to proceed." Cyclone said and she nodded and proceeded to her brother. She flew around but couldn't see them. She practically growled. "Safety Dagger, report." He said. 

"Plane wreckage but not shoots or bodies." She said looking through the bottom of the plane thanks to her extremely up to date technology helmet. She then saw an F-14 on the runway and knew it was them but didn't say anything. She didn't want to alert the enemies. 

The F-14 took off and was in the sky. Once far enough away from the base she flew up beside them scaring the crap out of them. But once they saw she was friendly they were relieved. "Thought I would never see you again boys." She said into the comms. Bradley laughed. 

"What made you come looking for us?" He asked.

"Let's call it the sibling connection kicked in. I knew that you were still alive and I wasn't about to not help." She said to her brother and pseudo father. 

"Well, I'm glad it's still working. Let's go home." He said and that is exactly what they did but not before running into several bandits. They put up a good fight. Y/N could give them that but she had a jet of the same technology as them. She broke away from them and took off after the 3rd bandit and they watched her in a dogfight, and they were impressed, while they were fighting off on their own. They quickly got rid of their first one and they watched her take down the 3rd one, which was behind her but she shot a missile and it shot out but it went up and behind her hitting the 3rd bandit, they were impressed, confirming her 2nd kill. The second bandit was now chasing Maverick and Bradley through the canyon but she had another problem, a 4th bandit showed up and she was in another dogfight.

Y/N and the 4th bandit were chasing each other just as soon as she took down the bandit, Bradley and Maverick came back without the bandit and knew they would be ok. The 4th bandit was her 3rd confirmed kill. A 5th bandit showed up and Maverick and Bradley were out of ammo she put up a fight for them as they tried to invade and damaged the bandit but soon ran out of ammo.

Just as soon as they thought they were done for the plane that was in front of them but now behind them, after turning avoiding gunshots, them blew up and Jake came out of the smoke. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman, this is your savior speaking. Please fasten your seat belts, return the tray tables to their locked an upright positions and prepare for landing." Jakes voice came through the comms.

'Hangman , you're looking good." Bradley said

"I am good, Rooster. I'm very good." Jake said to him being the cocky son of a bitch that he was. They all headed back to the ship, first Jake then Y/N, and then finally Maverick and Bradley. Once Bradley and Maverick crashed landed they got out of the plane and everyone cheered.

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Once they debriefed and got onto solid ground everyone gathered at The Hard Deck, except Cyclone, Warlock, and Maverick. They all chatted about and making plans for their well deserved team when Y/N silently slipped out on to the deck and looked out over to the ocean. Her brother noticed the absence of his sister and went out to her. He slung an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his embrace. "Warlock tells me that you have now 3 confirmed kills." and she smiled and nodded.

"That would be correct." She said and he smiled.

"I'm proud of you. I know it was hard to take a life. Mom, Dad, and Uncle Ice would be so proud of you too." He said a laid a kiss to her hair. They heard the others cheering but didn't pay attention to it they were enjoying their sibling time together.

"You're right it wasn't easy but it was necessary." She said. Maverick walked out onto the deck and joined them smiling at them before walking up beside them.

"You missed the announcement." He told them. Bradley and Maverick were working on their relationship it would take time to heal but it was going in the right direction. They both looked at him.

"Oh?" Y/N asked as Bradley spoke up. "What's that?" Bradley asked at the same time.

"Yes. I just got out of a meeting with Cyclone and Warlock. They have decided to make this squad a permanent one. He also said that Y/N will also train and learn to fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet." Maverick said to the both and they all smiled. No words were needed. They all looked out into the ocean and setting sun.

Bradley hugged his little sister tighter and dropped another kiss to her head. Y/N leaned further into her brother enjoying the warmth from him and the familiar scent that she had grown up with. Maverick looked out into the sunset just thinking that Goose and Carole were up there smiling and begin glad that they had him in their life, even though there was rough patches. Occasionally Maverick would look at them and smile. He was glad they were together again and they were safe.

Bradley and Y/N truly did share the sibling connection. Now they don't have to be away from each other. Now Bradley could protect his little sister from guys, especially guys like Jake and Jake. Y/N had her big brother and pseudo father right there when she needed someone to go to when things get rough. The family was back together again.

Tag list:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx20

[mamsieur]

Used to it | Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Reader

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

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

Length : 7156 words

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

posted on AO3 July 12, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

The silence between you was uncomfortable. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You weren't even surprised.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Bradshaw. As I live and breathe."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Will that be all, Captain Mitchell ?"

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

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

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

"You're dismissed Lieutenant Evans..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And you didn't spend enough time with Bradley.

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

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

"Lieutenant Evans?"

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

"We'll talk when I get back."

"... Promise me you'll come back." 

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

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

You stopped breathing. 

First they had Bradley in sight and locked on. 

The enemy fired. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

" Dad ? "

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Are you all right, lil’ Tempest?" 

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

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

"Okay..."

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

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

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

They were dead. 

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

He was home. You were home. With him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Feeling better sweets ?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

"About us, actually..."

"Us?" He said, a little surprised.

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

"Me too, I have to admit..." 

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

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

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

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

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

And you could easily get used to it .

[sebastianstangirl01]

Hi I was wondering if you could write a Pete Maverick Mitchell x daughter reader? I was thinking from the first top gun movie but it is your choice. Just something simple like he is at top gun and he gets a call from the hospital saying the the baby sitter had to bring the reader in because she got very sick. So Mav is scared because he just lost Goose and he doesn’t want to loose his baby too. Then when he finally gets to the hospital the reader is scared and all of Mavericks fears turns into the need to comfort his child. Once the reader feels better she is able to go home to finally sleep in her own bed but not without cuddles from her loving dad.

I was thinking maybe the daughter/readers age is around 3-4

Thank you and 100% your choice

Fatherhood Fears

Title: Fatherhood Fears

Pairing: Pete “Maverick” Mitchell x Daughter Reader

Summary: When Mavericks 3 year old get sick and rushed to the hospital by Carole while he is working as an instructor at Top Gun, Maverick is beside himself with worry and immediately rushes to the hospital. He realizes that he needs to put his fears behind him so he can be there for his little girl.

Warnings: sick kid, mentions of throwing up, dehydration, the flu, worried Mav

It had been a pretty normal day so far for Maverick, he and Goose along with Iceman and Slider are permanently stationed at TopGun as instructors who only go on high profile missions. If you would’ve asked Maverick 3 years ago after his time as a TopGun student if he thought he would be here today, working as an instructor he would’ve called you crazy.

He’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell for gods sake, the man that can’t be tied down. That was until his little girl came along. The little spitfire Y/N Mitchell was a surprise to Maverick, after things with Charlie didn’t workout and she went back to DC the pilot went back to his old ways by sleeping with any woman with a pulse. Which then resulted in the little bundle 9 months later of Y/N.

From the moment Maverick held you in his arms he knew he whole world was going to change, but in that moment nothing else mattered to him than you did. He welcomed the change, he settled down and got his permanent assignment at TopGun so he could get a home for you to grow up in so he wouldn’t have to miss a single minute of you growing up.

As you grew older a system was made. Maverick worked 5 days a week and had weekends off so he could be with you, while he worked you stayed with Carole since Goose and Maverick insisted that they had to live next door to each other.

Bradley was in 1st grade so he wasn’t home much when you were there but you always got to go with Carole to pick him up from school and you two always had playdates on Saturday’s and your families had Sunday dinner together. Bradley was like your built in best friend, despite the 3 year age gap. He was exactly like Goose while you were the spitting image of your father. It’s like a match made in heaven.

Days like today were ones that Maverick always dreaded, a new group of pilots were coming to TopGun meaning that instead of spending time in the air Maverick was stuck in his and Goose’s shared office working on new flight strategies.

“I think I would rather get stuck in another dog fight like the one after our Top Gun graduation than fill out one more paper.” Maverick sighed dropping his head to the desk

“If you’d work as much as you wined we would’ve been done by now.” Goose chuckled as Maverick groaned

Before Maverick could retort his desk phone rang he groaned and sat up before answering the phone.

“Captain Mitchell.” Maverick answered

“Mav it’s Carole. Listen don’t freak out, but I had to bring Y/N to the hospital.” Carole said and Maverick could hear the hustle and bustle of the er in the background

“What? What happened? What do you mean you brought her to the hospital?” Maverick sputtered off as he sat up straight catching Goose’s attention

“Shorty after you and Nick left this morning and we got back from taking Bradley to school Y/N got sick. She threw up a couple of times and spiked a fever, it was 103.3 so I brought her to the hospital to get checked out. They took her back a little bit ago and now I’m just waiting.” Carole said

“I’ll be there in 5 minutes.” Maverick said as he stood up

“It’s the one on base, have Nick drive you please. The last thing we need is you in here too because you drove like an idiot.” Carole scolded

“Ok ok. See you soon.” Maverick said before hanging up the phone. “We need to go to the hospital, Y/N’s sick.”

“Let’s go.” Goose immediately stood up grabbing his keys as he and Maverick hurried out into the parking lot after shouting to Ice and Slider to cover for them and that Y/N was sick

When they got to the hospital Maverick and Goose rushed up to the poor woman at the front desk almost giving her a heart attack.

“Can I help you?” She asked looking at the aviators who were still in their flight suits

“My daughter was brought in a little bit ago. Y/N Mitchell.” Maverick explained and the woman nodded

“Right. The woman who brought her in just went back a few minutes ago to see her, she’s in room 213.” The lady recited from the chart

Maverick immediately took off in that direction, leaving Goose to say thank you as he eagerly followed after his pilot. When they got to the correct room Maverick immediately rushed inside and saw his little girl curled up in the hospital bed asleep, clutching Carole’s hand as she sat next to her bed and soothingly stroked her back.

“How is she?” Maverick asked rushing to the other side of the bed and grabbing her hand

“The doctor just left. She tested positive for the flu, they said she was dehydrated and they have her some fluids and medicine to help with the nausea. She should be able to go home in a couple of hours.” Carole explained as Goose came to her side and reached up to gently pat Y/N’s leg

“My poor baby. Thank you for taking such good care of her.” Maverick told Carole thankfully

“Absolutely, she was so brave.” Carole smiled proudly

“Of course she was. Look at who her dad is.” Maverick grinned making the married couple roll their eyes

“Well we’ve got to go pick Bradley up from school, I’ll leave my car here for you.” Carole told Maverick as she handed him the car keys

“Just don’t reck the car please. Or drive it like you drive your bike.” Goose grimaced and Maverick rolled his eyes

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.” Maverick said as Goose and Carole got up

“We’ll bring over some of my chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight when you guys get home.” Carole said leaning to kiss Y/N’s forehead before kissing Mavericks as well

“Thanks. See you guys later.” Maverick said as they left

Once they were gone Maverick turned back to his daughter who was fast asleep, she looked so peaceful and most importantly not in any pain or discomfort.

“Daddy.” Y/N suddenly mumbled as her eyes blinked open

“Daddy’s here baby. I’m so sorry you got sick, how are you feeling?” Maverick asked as Y/N tried to cuddle into him

“Seepy, my tummy hurt real bad but then the nice doctor gave me some medicine and then she gave me a lollipop.” Y/N smiled sleepily making Maverick smile

“What flavor was it?” Maverick asked and Y/N smiled brightly

“Cherry! My favorite!” Y/N exclaimed and Maverick laughed

“The best flavor.” Maverick smiled. “I’m so proud of you, Auntie Carole told me how brave you were. I’m so sorry daddy wasn’t here baby.”

“It’s otay daddy. Can you pwease cuddle me.” Y/N asked holding her arms out

“Oh baby, because daddy feels so bad about today you can have anything you want.” Maverick shook his head as he carefully climbed into bed next to his little girl, being careful of the wires and her iv

“Really? Can we go to Disney World with Auntie Carole Uncle Goosey and Brad Brad?” Y/N asked giving Maverick her puppy dog eyes

“I’ll see what I can do baby.” Maverick chuckled and Y/N cuddled into his side accepting his answer. “Get some more rest for me, then when we get home Auntie Carole will have her special chicken soup.”

“Otay daddy. I love you.” Y/N mumbled as she snuggled into his chest

“I love you more baby.” Maverick said kissing her forehead

That night when they got home as promised Carole and the Bradshaw boys were waiting with her homemade chicken and noodle soup. After they ate Bradley wanted to make sure Y/N was feeling better so he made her a card and they sat together on the couch watching Y/N’s favorite movie Peter Pan.

When it was time for bed Maverick decided to let Y/N sleep with him in the big bed as Y/N likes to call it since he was still worried about her and wanted to make sure she was alright.

“Goodnight baby sleep tight. I love you.” Maverick said as they cuddled up in bed

“Goodnight daddy. I love you too.” Y/N said as she rested on Mavericks chest with small puffs of air coming from her mouth as she let herself fall asleep

Maverick watched her for a few minutes to make sure she was breathing ok before he let himself fall asleep as well. Just so happy his pride and joy is ok.

[jackiequick]

Duck, duck, duck, duck, Goose! | Top Gun Fanfic 🧸

Top Gun AU✈️

——

Pairing: Nick Bradshaw x Carole Bradshaw , Pete Mitchell & Tom Kazansky

Summary: When it came to kids Carole, Iceman and Maverick only had to worry about two. Bradley and his young brother, Dane. Then came Jenny. It seemed fit, 3 for 3! But when another Mitchell kid, came along they realized they had more on their hands. 4 for 4!

Characters mentioned/include: Audrey, Buzz, Wraith, Slider, Hazel, and the rest of the 86’ class

Timeline: Post-Top Gun (1986), Pre Top Gun Maverick

Warning: Canon character death mentioned

Fic type: Fluff and humorous, with small moments of angst

Previous fic —> Click here

———

There were moments like this where if you told Maverick and the others years ago, that kids would be part of the agenda they would’ve laughed at you so hard and through you were crazy.

But then the kids started coming over the years.

It started with Goose and Carole. High school sweethearts destined to get married and have kids of their own, where everyone can only wish to have a portion of what they had.

Of course, they had little Bradley Bradshaw or baby goose as he was nicknamed.

Adorable little blonde boy with cubby cheeks and a curious little smile that meant determination. He looked just like his father in every way, Maverick would tell his nephew that years to come.

It was great being a little group of 4. Memories made and laughs saved.

But sadly, then Goose died after a training accident while Carole and Bradley were there to visit them. Maverick felt horrible, so did Iceman, Audrey and the rest of the 86’ class. Gloomy painful days were to come after that.

However there was a flip side, a little surprise to come after the clouds were blowing away.

And that little beam of sunlight became Dane Bradshaw many months later.

Carole didn’t know she was pregnant at the time until Audrey pointed out how fuzzy she felt lately and honestly they couldn’t have been happier in that moment.

Maverick lightly joked, “Wow! I guess Goose really take you to bed.”

“Oh Mav, play nice and that was a little secret.” Replied the Carole with a smile joking back.

Sunset chuckled, “And made sure to leave a bag of surprises afterwards.”

—

Goose really did leave a bag of surprise afterwards but they didn’t know that yet until years later.

Duck, duck, duck, duck, Goose!

—

Dane Bradshaw was the spitting image of his mother with such a warmth and gentle smile to him, he was nicknamed pooh bear.

Him and Bradley were only 2-3 years apart in age, but there will be moments where they acted like they shared the same brain cell. Being silly little ducklings, surprising people with their charm and sweet tactics.

There were days Carole would come home to the kids (along with Maverick) causing a mess in the house baking. Days where the boys will go playing with water guns and end up getting Audrey’s clothes wet.

Or with Iceman, where Bradley would show their uncle an idea for an airplane to build with boxes and other items in the house. Meanwhile Dane would collect all the ideas, wanting to go big or go bold enough to shine with their plane where Ice couldn’t have the heart to say no.

Other times, Dane was the sweetest thing in the whole entire world. A gushing image is a gentle breeze holding up flowers to his aunties such as Hazel and Audrey, making get well cards for his mama. Hugging his uncle Mav and teasing his uncle Ice with a little grin.

But he was also very protective, him and his brother, being a guard dog when it comes their mother. That goes for Hazel, Valkyrie, Audrey and whatever other lady in their lives.

————

Speaking on ladies, they were surprised at the time she arrived. It was an unexpected surprise indeed as for she came at an old hour of the night. No alert, no phone call or an letter from the post man.

Just an knock on the door in a carrier held the first half of The Mitchell-Bradshaw clan. Jennifer Penelope Mitchell, or as she was nickname princess.

Don’t worry she gets a handful of nicknames later on, so do all the kids!

Pete and Ice were in total shock at the bundle of joy brought to their attention but welcomed her with open arms nonetheless.

It took Maverick a long couple of hours, even days to fully get his head around the fact he had a daughter.

It wasn’t until Carole met her and saw the cheeky little smile that she said, “Yup, Pete she’s yours alright!”

“Yes she is.” Audrey added, blowing raspberries into her cheek.

The girls fell in love with Jenny overnight, engulfed by her sweetness but since she was Mav’s kid the girl hated to sleep and very silly. According Iceman she was stubborn like her father but Audrey would say she’s stubborn like him instead.

When Carole brought the boys to meet their cousin/future best friend, Bradley was taken back by Jenny and Dane was curious rather shy about the ideas.

“Mama! Does that mean I have to share a room with her too?” Bradley asked pointed to the girl.

“Wha’ she do?” Dane added, his vocabulary and grammar not very accurate yet.

It was silly, since Dane Bradshaw was close enough be to around less than 2 years older than her but he was curious about the situation, not wanting to share the spotlight with anyone. Same thing when for Bradley, even though he was the oldest.

Carole had to correct them saying, “No boys, you don’t have to share a room with her. And she is just a baby, so she doesn’t do much yet. But I think you guys are gonna like her a lot.”

And as always, Carole Bradshaw is correct!

Since Bradley quickly warmed up to Jenny wanting to show her everything and take the girl everywhere he went like the big brother he is to Dane. Especially when Jenny got older he got to joke around, watching over her and and play with her a lot more.

Bradley nicknamed her Jenny Penny.

Dane, since they were somewhat closer in age range per say, the two were pretty close. Dane being softer, very silly toward the girl and more importantly being protective, catching up on new things with things he learned at school and playing with her a lot of the time.

He nicknamed her JenJen.

Eventually the boys would give her the classic nickname and future callsign, JenPen.

But Jenny Mitchell wasn’t the one who got nicknames, because to her Bradley was Brad Brad and Dane was Danny Boy.

Even though as the years went on, her nicknames for them changed to Chicken and Engineer.

———

Soon enough Baby Goose, Pooh Bear, and Princess had a 4th to complete the group (hopefully)…

…Daffy Duck!

Other name being used for Austin Mitchell.

If one Mitchell kid wasn’t enough, look no more to a second one! That was another surprise that left Carole, Iceman, Audrey and Maverick himself flabbergasted at the news. But it’s wasn’t an total surprise since Maverick was known for being in the dating scene a long time, falling in and out of love with several women because the attraction was a strong thing.

Like a lot things, it never lasted too long ending up in heartbreak, loneliness and confusion, thinking it was a short fling.

But as we learned that every actions has an equal opposite reaction. That resulted in his son, in which he chuckled and sighed in awe of the little smile that entered his world. He fell in love with his kid the moment he met him.

Slider joked, “Alright, either Maverick needs to do something about the love making around here or Goose had an grand ol’ conversation about bringing four ducklings with the big man upstairs when he left?!”

Iceman glared at his best friend jokingly, “Very funny, buddy. There is no way Mother Goose had this all figured out and planned for this to happened. It was just fate!”

Maverick shut them both up carrying his son in his arms and said, “Oh shut it you two! Before we know it you’re popping out kids of your own.”

Carole smiled, “My husband wouldn’t do such a thing, even if he did I think theses were gifts. Look how cute they are!”

~~~~~

Two blondes and two brunettes, all wrapped into a cute little gift baskets from Mother Goose himself.

“Yeah no Slider’s right, Nicholas Bradshaw brought down four ducking after his departure!” Audrey added a few minutes later.

~~~~~

Austin Mitchell was a spitting imagine and reminder of his father, times 10! From his brownish-green eyes to his nose, even the floppy mess of chocolate brown locks. His smile was no different, giggling about his favorite things and moving around with so much energy that he could become the next marathon runner for god’s sake.

But like any kid here, especially a kid that belongs to Maverick Mitchell, Austin was a clumsy boy knocking into everything and getting himself stuck in troubling situations. It was cute but also kinda annoying.

“A little tornado warning should come with him.” Joked Wraith once he met the boy with a smile.

Nonetheless he was loved. Jenny was only two years old when she got her baby brother, wanting to parenting him and keep the little guy out of danger with a pout. But then again, she was also very clumsy and cheeky herself so they both ended up in a little sticky situation.

Seriously, both kids were found in the kitchen once eating one of their father’s favorite sweet treat, being honeybuns, while on the floor giggling.

Iceman snorted so loud seeing his niece and nephew happily eating the dessert that his only questions was, “How did you two get your hands on it in the first place?”

“Unca Iceee!” Austin only yelled with a little smile and sticky fingers.

“You wan’ some?” Added Jenny with the similar little smile.

Other times, Austin would be the only one brave enough for certain things, dragging Bradley along to meet new people such as when they met Wraith or Buzz for the first time. Austin scared poor Wraith with his chaotic tendencies meanwhile Buzz laughed his ass off.

Plenty of times, that chaotic charm the young boy naturally held would bring a smile to the faces he meets, like when he met Ark and Hazel. When Austin finished hanging out with Hazel, she wanted to keep this boy for herself.

…but there were some moments where Austin’s shining personality mixed with the wrong crowd.

Let’s just say Ice and Mav enrolled him into little league baseball practice for one week, but midway through that same week the coach had to call Audrey to take the kid back home. Because due to Austin’s style, tiny temper and competitive nature when his team wasn’t winning, he decide to use his baseball bat and hit one of the kids from the other team with it.

The kid went as far as to chase the other children around the field in revenge and when Audrey heard that, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. She knew it was a bad thing and they probably had to enroll him into a different sport, but the image in her head of her nephew chasing the other kids around like a Looney Tune character was too funny.

“Yup, he was definitely Pete’s son.” She said with a smile, picking up her nephew to take him out for ice cream and a small lecture onto how it’s not nice to hit people.

Let’s just say Audrey wasn’t the only one laughing at the news that day about why Austin Mitchell might not return to baseball practice that week.

————

Speaking of Austin, since he was hopefully the last baby for now at least, they decided to set up a color coordinated system for the kids.

That meant if gifts were given, certain items were being delivered, and everyday things like cups, hats, sweaters, backpacks, socks and or etc. each child had their own version of one.

Hell, each kid had certain days set on the calendar, where they all had to do something the other wanted. Like park, mall, trips to the beach and or going to the movie theater.

It was Carole’s idea! So there were no fighting, especially since they were all so little at the time.

Bradley’s things always had a cherry red dot, cute little red label or red post it note on them. (Sometimes apple or red-orange color)

Dane’s things always had a sunny yellow dot, little yellow label or yellow post it note on them. (Sometimes bumblebee or yellow-green color)

Jenny’s things always had a rosy pink dot, little pink label or pink post it note on them. (Sometimes lilac or pink-red color)

Austin’s things always had a sky blue dot, little blue label or blue post it note on them. (Sometimes olive or blue-green color)

And honestly, it was pretty helpful at the time when they were just little kids. Since they knew once they got older, all four of them would pick certain colors to wear, act differently for types of situations and understand the concept of what is not their stuff, don’t take.

But of course like any set of children, no matter what you did or how many times you had to lecture them about a topic, they will always fight about something. Like toys, bedding, backpacks, clothes, food and things to do together.

Like when Bradley and Dane were fighting over a certain Star Wars backpack they saw at Walmart to take for back to school time.

Or when Austin and Jenny were arguing about a DC LEGO sets they both wanted to buy, Batman or Superman sets.

They were kids! You can’t prepare for everything, so the parents always stepped in making the decision for them or had to settle on a small compromise on what’s the verdict. 

——

Nonetheless, they were good kids that’s what matters.

Yes, they were all different ages with vastly different views on things and personalities but that’s what makes them unique.

They care about their children way too much and thanked Goose for sending such a wonderful set of surprises and memories to come.

But the question that the adults tend to have on their minds was, how would the world handle their set of ducklings as they grow up?

What kind of experiences they will have?

Who will fall in love and who will get their heart broken?

Will there be friends or foes that come they’re way?

So many questions but only time will tell…

———

Thank you so much for reading this! 🎬 I know, it’s not exactly formatted like my other stories per say but it was an interesting way to introduce theses kids.

What was your favorite part? 💕

Please like, share and comment for more stuff like this! ✈️

Tags: @gcthvile @msrochelleromanofffelton @gaminggirlsstuff @topgun-imagines @starkleila @whitewiccan @comfortzonequeen @sherloquestea @theloveoftoms @mandylove1000 @mallowbee4 @rooster-84 @djs8891 @novavida and etc

[roosterforme]

Aim for the Sky Part 16 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley never imagined he'd get to have even one all encompassing love of his life, let alone two. But he could barely put Rose down for more than a minute, already wrapped around her tiny fingers. He couldn't wait to take both of you home.

Warnings: Fluff, angst, adult language, lactation kink, swearing, DILF Roo

Length: 3800 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

Aim for the Sky masterlist. This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots and other series, but it can be read on its own! Check my masterlist for the reading order.

Exhaustion washed over you like a wave as soon as your daughter was born. The pain started to subside only to be replaced by a bone deep desire to close your eyes and not open them again for a very long time. You were sweaty and damp everywhere, and your head felt fuzzy. But as soon as you heard your daughter start to cry, it felt like a jolt of adrenaline hit your nerves.

The sound of Rose wailing made you smile even as tears streaked down your cheeks, and Dr. Morris said, "Congratulations. A perfect little girl. Time of birth, 1:02 a.m. on March twenty-second." She was officially here.

Your husband's smile matched your own as he whispered, "That's our perfect little girl, Sweetheart."

"It's Rosie," you sobbed, and Bradley kissed your lips while you tried to catch your breath. The nurses were weighing and measuring Rose, and you wanted to hold her, but your arms felt so heavy, you weren't sure you would be able to. But you were just in awe of her. "We have a daughter."

"A Nugget," Bradley replied with a nod, his voice shaking slightly with emotion. Rose was naked and crying, and your husband had the softest look you'd ever seen on his face. His excitement to become a father made your entire pregnancy easier, because you didn't feel alone. He'd been worshipping your body and writing in the notebook for months, promising you he was ready for this. And now, as the nurse approached both of you with your daughter, it was his time to get exactly what he wanted.

"You hold her first, Daddy," you whispered, and he was instantly reaching out to take her. She looked perfect in his arms.

"Oh my god. Look at her," he gasped as she tried to snuggle against him.

"She really is perfect," you whispered, and he nodded as he watched her yawn with a big smile on his face.

"Rose Carole Bradshaw," he said, voice deep with emotion as he carefully placed her in your arms. "We already love you so much."

You gasped as the weight of your child pressed against you, and Bradley ran his fingers along her fuzzy hair as one of the nurses started to untie your gown and open it. "Try some skin to skin contact with the baby," she said softly, wiping Rose clean as she curled up against your bare chest.

Your hand came to rest on her back, and you weren't even surprised to find your vision was blurry again. "She's so small," you marveled as she puckered her lips and rubbed her face against you. When you met Bradley's gaze, he was still kneeling next to the bed with the sappiest, lovesick smile on his face.

"She looks like you," he whispered, tracing her tiny shoulder with his index finger. "God, she's so cute."

You looked up at the nurse, realizing you were going to be leaving the hospital in the next day or two, at which point you and Bradley would be completely on your own. Your nipples were leaking like crazy at the moment as Rose let out a soft cry. "Is she hungry? How do I know if she's hungry? Am I supposed to just like put her on my boob?"

Bradley grunted in response, his finger trailing up Rose's arm. He probably thought he was in for a treat hours ago when your water broke, but now he was cracking his back and trying to stand, wincing as he stretched. Luckily the nurse had mercy on you and helped you get Rose into position while Bradley leaned on the bed next to you.

"If she's hungry, she might latch right on. If she doesn't seem to be getting the hang of it, you can talk to a lactation specialist in a few hours."

But you didn't think that would be an issue. Your daughter seemed hungry and also seemed to know what she needed to do in order to be fed. "Oh!" you gasped at the feel of her. It was foreign but not unpleasant, and really nothing you'd ever seen before was as adorable as your own baby. Her little fingers were curled into a fist which was resting on your chest as she ate.

When the nurse walked away, Bradley leaned down to kiss your forehead. "Don't worry," he murmured, running his nose along your cheek, "if you've got any issues, I'm actually something of a lactation specialist myself." You couldn't help but laugh as he let his hand come to rest on top of yours where you were holding Rose in place. "You did this, Sweetheart," he whispered, clearly already entranced by his daughter. "You made my life better than my wildest dreams."

You wanted to argue and tell him that you did it together, but Rose seemed to be getting tired which was making you tired. Her tiny yawn was too cute for words, and now her nose was pressed into the side of your boob as she made herself comfortable.

"Close your eyes," Bradley whispered next to your ear. "I'll watch over both of you. I won't go anywhere."

Within minutes, you fell asleep in the hospital bed, mostly naked with your daughter occasionally wriggling against your chest and your husband's hand in yours.

--------------------------------

"You're something else," Bradley murmured with a chuckle. You dozed off and on for the rest of the night while he held Rose, handing her over each time she got fussy, looking for something to fill her belly. "But you're just so damn cute."

"Don't swear in front of the baby," you murmured as you curled up on your side, watching him. "I don't want her to have all of your bad habits."

As if you couldn't teach a class on Creative Cursing, especially considering the things you said when you were in labor. Bradley kissed Rose's tiny fist and said, "Mommy doesn't know what she's talking about about. I don't have any bad habits."

"Okay," you said a bit sarcastically. "Then what would you consider a potty mouth? And snacking all day long?"

Bradley laughed. "Well, she has the snacking thing down already. Can't keep her away from your tits for more than an hour or two." He kissed her soft skin again. "Just like your old man."

She yawned and curled up, wrapping her fingers in his bit of chest hair. He'd taken his undershirt off, wanting to try the skin to skin thing for himself, and that's when he realized just how relaxing it was. This must have been why you fell asleep so easily earlier with Rose on your chest. She was like a heating pad. Or a little blanket that smelled sweet.

"Has she been in her bassinet at all?" you asked. 

Bradley looked at the metal cart on wheels with the bassinet on top of it and shook his head. The thing looked cold and uncomfortable, nothing like the crib waiting for her at home. But he smiled when he read the card that had been placed in the side of it. 

Rose Carole Bradshaw

Born: March 22nd, 01:02

Length: 19 inches

Weight: 6 pounds, 14 ounces

"No, I've been holding her. Why would I put her down?"

You and Rose yawned in unison. "So you can change out of your flight suit and get some rest."

The fabric was rough, but the sleeves were tucked out of the way; he wouldn't make his perfect little girl touch anything that wasn't soft. "I'm fine," he promised, his boot squeaking on the floor as he adjusted his foot. He carefully stood with Rose held firmly against his chest and murmured, "You didn't even give Daddy a chance to get changed after work. You were too excited to stay put any longer."

"Work," you gasped, looking around the room. "Where's my phone? Did I leave it at home? I need to tell Bickel I won't be at work. Oh my god, I need to call my parents!"

"I took care of it," he replied softly, walking around and bobbing a little bit so she would stay asleep. "Bickel has been texted. Your parents have been, too. Jake and Nat and the others all know I'm the proudest dad in the world. I took a bunch of pictures on your phone, and now it's charging by the window. I've got this. Just relax."

That's when two of the younger, female nurses walked in again. The ones who seemed to gawk at him whenever he greeted them. Bradley nodded in their direction while he unplugged your phone with one hand and held Rose with the other.

"Just checking to see if you need anything," one of them said, eyes trailing down to where his flight suit was bunched up around his hips. At least the second nurse was attaching the blood pressure cuff to your arm as she stared at him. 

"My wife probably wants breakfast," he mused. "Do you have any little packets of hot sauce? I forgot to pack some in the overnight bags."

"I'll take care of it," the first nurse said, almost running from the room before she even asked what you wanted to eat. When they were both gone, you laughed at Bradley as you stretched and got out of bed. 

"They can't handle how hot you look," you told him, walking around carefully. You'd obviously be sore for a few days, and he didn't want you lifting a finger for a single damn thing. But as you made your way toward him with a smile on your face, his heart beat a little faster. 

"I can't handle how hot you look," he murmured, still bouncing slightly in place as Rose snoozed.

You glared at him. "I just delivered a baby like seven hours ago. I look gross. I smell disgusting."

"You're perfect."

He collected you against his side and watched as you leaned in close until your nose barely touched Rose's, and a smile found your lips. "How did we make something so cute?" you whispered, hand coming to rest on Bradley's bare abs. "I can't stop looking at her."

"Right? I mean, my god, Sweetheart... I'm never going to be able to put her down."

You rubbed his flat tummy and whispered, "Look, she's waking up. I want a turn," as you tried to reach for her. Rose immediately started crying, and Bradley laughed.

"Better get your tits ready. She's hungry."

Of course the nurse showed up just in time to hear that and see those beautiful tits as you settled on the small sofa with Rose. The baby calmed down again immediately when she realized you were going to feed her, and Bradley collected the enormous breakfast platter with a smile as the nurse stared at his bare chest.

"Thanks," he murmured when he saw the tiny bottles of hot sauce. "My wife loves hot sauce."

The nurse looked at you a bit wistfully as she turned to leave again, but you were completely absorbed with Rose. "She's adorable," you crooned. "Even her crying sounds kind of cute."

"I didn't want to say anything before," Bradley said, almost relieved, "but it's a very cute cry." 

He took a few enormous bites of the bacon, eggs and pancakes, realizing he was running on pure adrenaline and about to crash if he didn't get something in his stomach. Then he loaded up the fork with eggs dipped in hot sauce and carefully fed it to you, cupping his hand over Rose's head so he didn't make a mess while she enjoyed her own breakfast.

The bead of milk forming on your nipple was highly distracting, and Bradley grunted as he watched you feed her until she was full and drowsy again. He wanted to ask you if you'd let him taste you again when he got the three of you home, but your parents called while you were finishing your pancakes. When he switched the call over to facetime, both of your parents started crying.

"Rose! She's beautiful," your mom said, wiping at her eyes with a tissue.

"How's everyone doing?" your dad asked, leaning in closer to get a better look at their granddaughter asleep in a onesie in Bradley's arms.

You started to tell him that you were feeling pretty good when your mom cut you off. "When can we come out to San Diego? Tomorrow? Next week? I need to hold that little girl in person as soon as possible."

Bradley chuckled while you sighed. "Mom, just let us get settled at home with Tramp for a day or two, okay? And then we can decide?"

She nodded, but it didn't seem like she was listening as her head tilted to the side with a sigh. "She's just perfect, isn't she?"

"Just like my wife," Bradley remarked, and your mom swooned a little bit more.

You spent the next five minutes trying to get them to end the call before you promised to send dozens of photos throughout the day, but it wasn't until Dr. Morris arrived that they actually agreed to go.

"You gave us a bit of a scare with your blood pressure," your doctor remarked, checking it one more time for herself. While she did so, she looked at Bradley and said, "You can send the baby down to the nursery for a bit if you need a break."

He stared at her and snuggled Rose a little tighter. "No, I'm fine." He couldn't fathom that anyone would want to put their newborn in one of those bassinets and send them to the nursery. He could sit here with her all day.

"How is my blood pressure now?" you asked as Bradley kissed the top of Rose's head over and over again while she slept.

"Much better," she promised, and Bradley let out the breath he wasn't really aware he had been holding. "I'll probably send you home tomorrow morning, but I'll leave some information with you now that you can start reading." She turned toward Bradley as she handed you a folder and added, "The nurses in the nursery are there specifically so you can get some rest. And they know how to wrap the babies up in their receiving blankets like tiny burritos."

"Really?" Bradley asked, suddenly intrigued. "Could they teach me how to do the burrito wrap?"

"I'm certain they could," she said with a smile before leaving.

"Do not put hot sauce on our child," you said, tossing your hospital gown aside and standing there naked. It was strange to see your belly this way as he held the child in question. You were somewhere between your normal state and your fully pregnant state, and it was just something he would have to get used to seeing. "I'm going to take a shower."

Bradley reached for your hand, and you let him have it. "I'm going to turn our child into a burrito."

"Please put a shirt on first. It's really too much, Roo." You smirked before ducking into the bathroom. 

Very, extremely begrudgingly, Bradley set Rose down in the uncomfortable looking bassinet for the very first time while he dug around in his overnight bag for a shirt. Then he carefully rolled her to the nursery where one of the nurses wrapped Rose up into a very soft pink and blue blanket. It was striped and reminded him of the Nugget notebook, and she looked snug and sleepy in it.

"Can you make sure I do it right?" he asked the nurse. "I want to impress the hell out of my wife."

She smiled and carefully unwrapped the baby so he could try. Rose stretched her fist up toward the light and smiled when he ran his fingers along her cheek. "She's your first?" the nurse asked him while he got to work.

"Yeah," he replied, grinning. He paused before adding, "She was born less than twelve hours ago, but it feels like she's been around since I first learned about her. Been getting excited since July." He tucked the end of the blanket in and patted her. "Looks just like a burrito."

The nurse laughed. "It's called a swaddle, and you're very good at it. Do you want to leave her in the nursery for a little while so you can get some rest?"

Bradley looked around at his surroundings. The room was cozy and clean, but he shook his head as he picked Rose up again. "Nah. I just can't seem to put her down for more than a minute or two," he replied, kissing her nose before she yawned again.

"You'll be a good dad."

--------------------------------

You lounged around in the hospital room in the robe you got from Nat, feeding Rose whenever she started to cry for you. Bradley was never too far away, opting to hold her as much as possible. As afternoon turned into evening, he eyed you up and down and said, "Do you want to put on some real clothes from your overnight bag?"

"Why?" Then there was a soft knock at the door, and you sat up in the bed. "I thought we said we'd wait until we got home to have visitors?"

"Well, this one wouldn't take no for an answer," he replied with a bit of an eye roll. He had Rose pressed against his chest with one big hand, and he opened the door to reveal Nat holding an enormous bouquet of colorful roses.

"Oh my god," she gasped, tossing the flowers onto the foot of the bed as soon as she saw the baby. "She's really here. You're really parents!"

Bradley held up his palm and said, "Go wash your germy hands," as soon as his best friend reached for the baby.

"Roo," you scolded with a smile. "Ask her nicely. She's Rosie's godmother."

Nat's dark eyes went wide and then welled up with tears as she ran into the bathroom. Bradley leaned down to give you a kiss. "Thanks," he murmured.

"I wanted it to be her, too," you insisted. "I mean, look how excited she is."

Nat ran back out of the bathroom, gave you a kiss on the cheek, and then plopped down on the couch. "Please?" she asked, making grabby hands at Bradley and Rose.

After he handed her over, your husband finally took the time to take off his boots, and he went into the bathroom to replace his flight suit with a pair of gym shorts. Then he climbed into the bed with you and murmured, "I'll just rest for a few minutes while Nat's holding her."

His heavy hand rested on the tie of your robe as you whispered, "I think that's a great idea." Three seconds later, he was snoring softly. He'd been awake for thirty-six hours, and he was the only one who seemed unable to admit that he was exhausted. But he was as entranced by your newborn as you were, and you didn't want to tell him he should put her down and rest when he was having the time of his life. 

You ran your fingers through his messy hair as Nat cooed softly at Rose. "You are adorable," she said before looking up at you. "Seriously, she's so cute."

"Bradley hasn't set her down for more than twenty minutes since she was born, and even then it was just so I could feed her or have a chance to hold her myself."

"Sounds like you got your dad wrapped around your tiny fingers already."

"She really does," you replied softly, tracing the scars on Bradley's cheek while he slept. You didn't rush Nat out of the room, and she didn't seem to want to leave. When Rose started fussing, she handed her over to you so you could feed her, and Bradley continued to snore. Once her belly was full, Nat walked her around until she burped, and soon she was yawning again.

"Should I just set her in the bassinet so everyone can sleep for a bit?" Nat whispered.

"Please."

She put her down as carefully as you would have yourself, then she rolled the cart over until it was right next to the bed. "Call me if you need anything once you get home. Groceries, someone to walk Tramp, a break from the baby, anything."

"Thanks, Nat," you said over Bradley's snores.

"I take godmothering very seriously."

---------------------------------

"I still can't believe you tricked me into sleeping all night."

"You were exhausted, Bradley."

"But I missed out on hours with the Nugget."

"But now she's about to go for her first ride in the Bronco. This is even more exciting."

Bradley was still pouting a bit as he drove the three of you home in his vintage Bronco the next morning, going about fifteen miles per hour. He'd never driven this slowly before in his life that you knew of, and you were getting impatient in the backseat with Rosie. She had her fingers wrapped around your thumb while you read through your discharge paperwork from Dr. Morris.

"This says we have to take Rose to the pediatrician within the next week. And there's a bunch of information on how we need to place her in her crib at bedtime. And we can't have sex for six weeks while I heal."

You were met with a few seconds of dead silence as you watched Bradley's face go pale in the rearview mirror. "Oh."

You pressed your lips together so you didn't snort. "Is that going to be a problem for you?"

Once more, silence. He cleared his throat. "Of course not." More silence. "But you can't seriously think that medical professionals expect me to live with you and not want to fuck you? Like, that's not accurate."

You laughed as Rose stared back at you from her car seat. "It's not like I'm going to leave you hanging, Roo." But you honestly didn't know how you were expected to get your husband going when your body looked like it had been weirdly deflated. And when you were this tired. And when you had to take care of your baby without the help of a full staff of nurses. 

Bradley coasted carefully into the driveway and parked next to the red Bronco. In an instant, he had the back door open and was helping you down. He kissed you hard on the lips. "You never leave me hanging. Ever. But I'm not concerned about that right now." You wrapped your arms around his neck, and his lips ended up teasing your ear as he said, "Let's get Rosie inside. I've been dreaming about showing her around her nursery for months."

--------------------------

We have a Rosie. We have a DILF. We have a MILF. We have a godmother. We just need a godfather. Thanks @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 17

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[justabigassnerd]

Caught

Pairing - Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell x daughter!reader, Bradley Bradshaw x Mitchell!reader

Word count - 1,626

Warnings - swearing, mostly fluff

Summary - you and Bradley had kept your relationship a secret... but what happens when Goose and Maverick find out?

A/N - it be time for another request y'all! I'm so sorry with how long it's taking me to get through these but I really am trying y'all I swear. hopefully, I'll get into a groove and be able to pump more fics out for y'all. anyways I won't ramble, as per y'all please send in requests, feedback and enjoy!!!

Growing up with Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell as your father, you’d been taught from an early age that you could tell your dad anything. He never let anything you wanted to tell him about feel unimportant. If you babbled to him after preschool about how Sarah had pushed over Tom in the playground, he was giving you his full attention and voicing his own thoughts on the matter. As you got older, you knew you could talk to your dad about any problem that would plague your mind. If someone was bothering you, Maverick would be there to listen and offer advice if you wanted it. He always made an effort to be there for you.

However, despite the trust you had in your dad. There was one thing he didn’t know about you.

Maverick was ignorant of one thing that was going on in your life and that was your relationship with his RIO’s son, Bradley Bradshaw. You’d been raised alongside Bradley, nothing more than half a year between the two of you and while Goose had constantly joked, much to Maverick’s annoyance, that you and Bradley would get together, he never thought it would actually happen. Not until the two of you moved out at least.

You and Bradley were quiet about your relationship, holding hands underneath the dinner table when over at each other’s houses and sneaking kisses when your parents were in another room. On the weekends, when Goose, Carole, and Maverick would go out for most of the day, you would either spend time at Bradley’s house or vice versa, or you would go out on little dates to places you knew neither your parents nor any of your dad’s team frequented, so you’d remain undisturbed. For the first few months of your relationship, this arrangement worked smoothly, and no one was clued into your relationship with Bradley. It wasn’t that you were embarrassed to share your relationship, it was more worry about how both your dad and Goose would react to the news. Carole ended up finding out about your relationship a week before your dad and Goose did, Bradley wanted some motherly advice on relationships, and he had asked beforehand if you were okay with Carole knowing which you were fine with, with the condition she kept it quiet until you and Bradley found the best moment to tell Goose and Maverick.

The moment that your dad and Goose found out came sooner than you and Bradley would’ve liked. One weekend, your dad and Bradley’s parents had agreed to meet up at the beach with Iceman, Slider, and their significant others while you and Bradley had opted to stay behind under the guise of wanting to study together and do school work. After the adults left the house, you and Bradley waited for a minute before shoving your books aside and moving to the sofa. You immediately curled into Bradley’s side as he switched on the television, looking up at him softly as he moved his gaze to look down at you.

“You okay, baby?” He asks softly, his gentle smile never leaving his face as you nod.

“I’m more than okay. I’m perfect.” You reply in a soft whisper, leaning up to press a soft kiss to his jaw.

“You missed.” Bradley says teasingly, leaning down to capture your lips in a sweet kiss which you reciprocate immediately, shuffling in his embrace to kiss him easier as you wind your arms around the back of his neck and Bradley’s hands rested on your hips. However, because you were engrossed in each other’s presence with the tv blaring in the background, you both failed to hear the jangling of keys in the lock and your dad entering the house.

“What the fuck is going on here!?” The shocked and raised voice of your father makes you and Bradley jump away from each other, worry crossing both of your features.

“Dad, what are you doing home? You literally just left.” You say with a nervous chuckle, attempting to diffuse the obvious tension that was filling the room.

“I forgot my wallet and it’s a good thing I did. Now answer my question, what is going on?” Maverick asks, and the moment you open your mouth to try and find a response he holds his hand up to stop you talking.

“Actually, you can explain it to Goose and Carole as well.” He then says, crossing back to the front door and throwing it open to see his RIO and Carole in Goose’s Bronco.

“Goose, get your ass in here! Carole, you too. Looks like a Bradshaw-Mitchell meeting is needed.” Maverick calls out to his friends and waits for them to come into the house, closing the door behind them and ushering them into the living room while you and Bradley remained frozen in place like a deer in headlights.

“Mav, what’s this about? Ice will kill us if we’re late.” Goose says as he enters the living room, barely batting an eyelid at you and Bradley sat closely together while Carole offered a sympathetic smile to the two of you, knowing what you’re about to endure.

“I just caught these two kissing. Like full-on kissing.” Maverick says, an accusing finger pointing at you and Bradley as Goose’s jaw drops, eyes widening as Maverick’s words sink in.

“Wha- these two?” Goose splutters, making you bury your head in Bradley’s shoulder in an attempt to escape the embarrassment.

“Hey, I need a bit of space between you two, back it up.” Maverick says, making you pull away from Bradley slightly to glare at your dad.

“Dad, are you serious?” You ask, and that’s when Carole decides that now is the time to step in.

“Boys, you two need to calm down.” Carole intervenes, getting both Maverick and Goose’s attention on her.

“But they hid this from us for who knows how long? How are you not angry?” Maverick manages to say, running a hand through his hair. At the silence that follows Maverick’s question, Goose connects the dots and turns to his wife.

“Honey, did you know about this?” Goose asks hesitantly, both Maverick and Goose watching Carole carefully as she nods.

“Bradley came to me a week ago. They wanted to tell you, but they were scared about how you would react and just from what I’ve seen their worries were proven right with the way you two have reacted.” Carole says, an accusing glare fired the men’s way as they exchange a look.

“y/n is my little girl.” Maverick weakly argues, making your face heat up at his words.

“Bradley’s my baby boy but I still want him to be happy and if he’s happy with y/n and she’s happy with him that’s all we should be focused on.” Carole says and it was Bradley’s turn to blush now, glancing down at his lap as you slip your hand into his and squeeze it softly.

“Brad, are you happy with y/n?”

“y/n/n, are you happy with Bradley?” Both questions leave Goose and Maverick’s mouths simultaneously. All eyes were on you and Bradley as you briefly glance at each other, smiling softly before looking back over at Goose and Maverick.

“Yes.”

“Yes.” The answers left your mouth in tandem as Bradley ran his thumb over the back of your hand. Goose and Maverick exchanged a look before shrugging.

“It probably was bound to happen, wasn’t it?” Maverick says, a slight chuckle escaping him as he speaks while Goose nods.

“Well I did call it, but I thought they’d at least wait a year until college so we wouldn’t have to be victim to their teenage PDA.” Goose says, receiving a soft slap on the arm from Carole at the teasing aimed at you and Bradley.

“Oh hush, you know we were just as bad. And it’s not like these two haven’t grown up seeing us kiss, honey.” Carole says, leaning up to give Goose a kiss to accentuate her point. With the tension now gone, you curl back into Bradley’s side, smiling as he presses a feather-light kiss to the top of your head.

“Just don’t break each other’s hearts.” Maverick warns gently, glancing between you and Bradley as you nod.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Mav.” Bradley says, his smile never leaving his face.

“I don’t think I ever could. I love him too much.” You affirm, looking up at Bradley before giving him a soft, gentle kiss.

“Alright, we’ll leave you to it. But I don’t want to be a grandad at this age so be careful you two.” Maverick teases as you groan and toss a pillow at him, missing and narrowly avoiding hitting Goose in the process.

“See that, Bradley? Don’t piss off a Mitchell.” Goose says with a laugh as Maverick rolls his eyes and jokingly shoves him.

“We should make our way to the beach, boys. I’m sure the others are wondering where we are.” Carole says, diverting the attention and both Maverick and Goose nod as you detach yourself from Bradley to find your dad’s wallet and give it to him before he pulls you into a hug.

“I love you, sweetheart.” Maverick whispers, pressing a kiss to your temple.

“I love you too, dad.” You reply before pulling away with a gentle smile. After pulling away from the hug, Goose, Maverick, and Carole bid you and Bradley goodbye and make their way out to the Bronco.

“When we get to the beach someone remind me that Ice now owes me twenty bucks now that we know y/n and Bradley are together.” Goose says as he turns the key and starts the engine while Maverick nods.

“Got it… wait, you made a bet?”

[sarahsmi13s]

Duckie

Chapter 9

pairing: jake ‘hangman’ seresin x bradshaw!reader; bradley ‘rooster’ bradshaw x twin sister!reader

characters: y/n bradshaw, nick bradshaw, jake seresin, penny benjamin, serenity hart, denver miller

word count: ~10.7k (don't kill me i know the chapter lengths are all over the place, i'm sorry)

warnings: language, parental doubts, canon character deaths mentioned, drinking, thunderstorms, jake being an absolute sweetheart

a/n: i want to apologize that is has been 8 months since i have last updated the main story, i really didn't think it would take that long... but i just wanted to make sure i was proud of the chapter and i really do think i am proud of it. so thank you for your patience and i hope you enjoy 💜

series summary: daughter of goose and carole and twin sister to bradley ‘rooster’ bradshaw, y/n bradshaw also got her papers pulled when she tried to enlist in the Navy. which turned out to not be as bad as she thought.

chapter summary: a week after duckie and jake went on their "not-date" she is seriously regretting not getting jake's number before he left -- considering they haven't seen each other since. though, as fate would have it, that weekend they see each other at the beach and as duckie is walking away jake gets a push from his friends to get her number. little does he know he'll be getting much more than that from her

'duckie' universe

previous chapter || next chapter

It had been a hectic week since your ‘not date’ date with Jake and honestly… you were missing him. Nick was missing him too, hugging the cowboy manta ray every afternoon when he napped. You were really kicking yourself for not getting his number, you had no way of talking to him. And you both were busy, you with school stuff and softball practices and Jake with his Top Gun classes. So you just had to bet on the off chance of running into him again.

Late that Saturday morning, you and Nick were walking the beach, occasionally splashing in the surf. You wanted to tire him out so when Serenity came over later to babysit, he wasn’t too much trouble.

At some point when you had been distracted, Nick had run off without you noticing, most likely seeing something he liked or wanted.

When you do notice his absence, it’s because you don’t hear giggling and splashing. You look down next to you and panic shoots through you when you see that your son isn’t right at your feet. 

“Nick? Nick! Nicky!”

Your chest heaved with your panicked breathing, thoughts running through your mind a mile and a half a minute as you shouted and ran across the beach like a mad woman – shouting for your son.

How could this happen? How could you not notice that your toddler wasn’t right next to you? What kind of mother gets that distracted that she doesn’t even hear her child run off? How did you not notice? Why didn’t you hear him? Why did you let something else pull your attention away that fast and for that long?

Maybe those middle aged mothers in the store were right? Maybe you were too young to be a decent mom… Maybe you shouldn’t–

“Han’man!” 

The small, but excited voice shut your thoughts off in an instant, relief flooding your entire body as you ran in the direction you heard your son – nearly tripping over your own feet in the panic. 

You spotted the classic beach volleyball court and saw Jake pick him up, looking equally as confused as he was happy. 

“Nick where’s your-” 

“Nicholas Jacob!” You called, adrenaline still pumping through your body.

Your son yelped a little and turned into Jake’s neck upon hearing you shout as the pilot cringed. The first and middle name? Never a good sign. 

“Oooh, someone’s in trouble,” he mumbled, instinctively rubbing the child’s back in order to keep him calm. 

The other aviators noticed this and gave Hangman a confused look. They were in the middle of a volleyball match and then boom a toddler’s running into the pilot's legs. And now he was comforting said child, not something they would expect from him usually.

Nick threw his arms around Jake’s neck, not turning to look at you as you ran over, sliding a little as the sand shifted under your heavy steps. “You can’t just run off like that! Do you know how worried I was?!”

The other pilots probably should have looked away, minded their own business. But now they were very intrigued as you came up to Jake as he held your son. 

And by the time you got in arms reach you had calmed down slightly, trying to channel your mother to help you handle this situation.

“Nicky,” you coaxed, as you got closer and reached out to rub his back. He just buried his face into Jake’s shoulder, a small cry coming from his lips as he hugged the pilot tighter. He hates yelling, he doesn’t like it when people are mad at him. You played with his curls, knowing that he thought you were angry, “Baby, I’m not mad… You just worry me when you run off like that. You are too much like your Uncle.” 

Nick looked at you finally, but still rested his head on Jake’s shoulder. His eyes were red and you sighed, knowing that he still thought you were mad. “I’m sorry I shouted, Nicky. Mama’s not mad at you. I promise.” He sniffled and reached out for you. You smiled softly and took him into your arms, then he promptly buried his face into your shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, guys,” you apologized, looking around at all the pilots. “I don’t know how he got away from me.” Jake shook his head, waving it off with a flick of his wrist, “It’s okay. I was winnin’ anyway.” You laughed, bouncing Nick instinctively, “Alright, well, we’ll leave you to it.” You adjusted Nick on your hip, smiling at the men before walking away.

Jake watched you walk away before turning back to his classmates, clapping his hands together and ready to start the next match. But he was met with crossed arms and expecting looks. “Okay let’s – What?” 

“You’re in so deep, Hangman,” Denver, also known as ‘Ransom’, said with a teasing scoff. “Have you gotten her number yet?” 

The blond shook his head, “No but I figured she’d offer it when she was ready.” The other pilot rolled his eyes. “Seresin, since when have you ever waited for her to make the move?” Jake huffed, “She’s different. I don’t want to move too fast. I want her to know that I’m all in first.” 

Denver crossed his arms, “Hangman, go ask her. Show her you’re all in. She won’t know if you don’t tell her. And I’m pretty sure she’s a little nervous to ask you. You know… given that she doesn’t know!” 

Jake’s eyes widened in realization, making the brunette laugh as Jake jogged after you, “Hey, Y/N, wait up!”

You turned as he called out to you, Nicky looking up as well from his spot on your shoulder. Looking up at him as he slowed down to a stop in front of you, you tilted your head a little, “Yeah?”

He took a few deep breaths, talking with one hand as the other rested on his hip, “First I want to preface, it’s totally cool if you say no. But we’ve been getting to know each other, and I was wondering if I could get your number?” 

You looked at Nick then back at Jake, thinking about your response carefully. “I’ll be at the bar tonight. Come by and we’ll talk about it.” 

Jake nodded, and smirked, “I look forward to it.” He ruffled Nick’s hair before going back to the group.

You smiled, eyeing him as he walked away – a little more confidence in his step as he walked up to his friend. 

You know you were kicking yourself before for not getting his number, but now that he’s asked you… you were hesitant, you felt like you had a lot you needed to tell him before you took this step. Sighing a little, you adjusted Nick on your hip again and made your way back to your car.

During the drive home, Nicky was quiet and played with the shells he had found on the beach.

You knew he was still upset from when you yelled, and you knew that he didn’t quite understand why you were so worried. He was only three after all, and he had so much wonder that it was a miracle he didn’t run off to squash his curiosities more often.

He did need to understand why you had shouted and why you were so worried, it was important that he knew that.

But neither of you were ready to give nor receive that conversation. You were still thrumming with that anxiety from the 90 second eternity it took to find him and he was still upset from when you yelled at him. You just needed to wait for when you got home after you both calmed down.

When you got home, you gave Nicky his bath in near silence as you made sure all the sand was gone and he was clean of salt water.

You had thought through your side of the conversation and decided on how you were going to talk to him.

After getting him bathed and getting some comfy clothes picked out, you knelt in front of him as you helped him dry off.

“Nicky? Can we talk about what happened at the beach?” 

He sniffed, nodding his head under the little shark hood of his towel. 

You smiled softly at him and gave a gentle squeeze to his arms. “You know Mama isn’t angry right?” “You yelled… people yell when they’re angy…” His voice was soft and timid, he was trying not to cry again. 

“Oh baby…” You tilted his head up and cupped his cheek. “Sometimes people yell when they’re angry or mad. But not all the time.” Confusion flashed over his tearfilled eyes and you sighed. 

You sat back on your heels, wiping his tears away with your thumb. “People can yell for a lot of different reasons, Nick. Sometimes we yell or shout because we’re excited, we’ve done that before haven’t we? Like when you saw Hangman and shouted because you were so excited to see him.” 

He nodded, using the towel to wipe his other eye as you gave him an encouraging smile.

“It all comes down to how we say something, and I know that might not make sense just yet, because you’re three, but it will and we’ll talk more about it then. But I know you don’t like yelling when people sound angry or mean, it’s loud and it can be scary, right?” He nodded again, sniffling a little, “Yeah…” 

You nodded, dipping your head a little to look him in the eye. “And Mama’s sorry if she sounded angry or mean, that wasn’t my intention. But you running off like that scared me, it really really scared me. I didn’t know if you were hurt or lost.” 

“But I was safe with Han’man… I was okay Mama…” 

“I know that now. But in the moment I was really worried about you and I didn’t know where you had run off too. That’s why I shouted.” 

You rubbed his arms, making sure to hold eye contact. “You can’t just run off like that without telling me. It makes me worried for your safety.” 

The dam finally broke and Nick started sobbing. “I’m sorry Mama… I-I jus’ saw Han’man an-and wa-wanted to s-say hi…” 

“I know, I know baby,” you cooed, wiping his tears as they fell. “And Mama forgives you, I know you didn’t mean to. And I know there will be times where you’re really really curious and you want to explore, but you have to tell me so I, or someone else, can make sure you’re safe. And there will be times I’m gonna yell, but I still love you okay? And I will do better to control my tone in the future.” 

He sniffled and hugged you tightly, his little arms wrapping around your neck in a grip that rivaled a grown man. You smiled and adjusted your legs, crossing them before wrapping him tighter in his towel and pulling him into your lap.

You sat on his floor for a while, holding him close and rocking back and forth as you pressed kisses to the side of his head.

It wasn’t too long after that conversation that Serenity was using her spare key to come in, finding you and Nick giggling in the living room as you watched Kung Fu Panda.

“Looks like I’m missing all the fun,” she laughed, sitting her backpack down on the bar. 

Nick sat up, a wide smile on his face, “Ren!” She smiled and walked over, her arms out wide for a hug, “Nicky J!” He got off the couch quickly and ran to her, hugging her with a high pitched giggle. 

You smiled as you stood up, “Oh I don’t know about missing the fun, just a little late to the party.” 

“Well, I guess I have some fun to catch up on,” she said as she ruffled Nicky’s curls. “And Mama can relax a little bit.” 

You nodded because now that she was here you could take a shower and get ready to go to the bar. You needed the moment of solitude to collect yourself after your mild panic attack on the beach. Needed to take a second alone to let the parental mask slip and just let yourself feel.

“Yes, and I will be showering and getting ready to go to the bar. You both can finish the movie and give me the rundown when I come back.” 

Serenity nodded, “You got it, we’ll take notes. Won’t we buddy?” Nicky nodded, “And we can act it out for you too!” You smiled and played with his hair, “Yes you can, and I look forward to it.” Nick giggled, running back over to climb on the couch and continue watching the movie.

You looked at the college student, brows raised as you let out a breath. She arched her eyebrow inquisitively, “Mama need me time?” You nodded, rubbing your hands on your thighs. “She needs so much me time. Had a bit of a scare at the beach and I need a minute to process it, without him two feet away… God, that sounds so bad doesn’t it?”

She shook her head, grabbing your wrist gently, “Not at all. You need space to breathe, that’s why I’m here – well, and cause I love that little man over there.” You both laughed, glancing over at the couch where Nick was zeroed in on the TV. 

Her grip tightened momentarily to gain your attention again. “And you’re doing great, Y/N. Don’t ever question that.” 

A rush of tears filled your eyes, a weight you hadn’t realized was sitting on your chest lifting ever so slightly and allowing you to actually breathe again. Biting your lip to keep from crying in front of your son, you hugged Serenity letting out a heavy exhale that released the obsessive thoughts that rattled in your head. 

“Thank you…” 

Your voice was no louder than a whisper, but your gratitude was nothing short of a scream. 

Serenity rubbed your back, “And I will fight anyone that says otherwise. Even you. Understand?” She pulled back only when you did as you nodded and wiped your face. “Good,” she nodded towards your bedroom with a smile. “Now go shower.” 

You nodded, squeezing her shoulder in thanks before jogging towards your room.

She smiled after you before turning to your son, clapping her hands as she walked over, “Okay Nicky, let’s make sure we get all the details for Mama.” 

After your much needed shower, taking the solitary moment to breathe and let more tears fall to just release the stress, you got dressed in a pair of jeans and an old band t-shirt you had held onto from when you went through your mom’s things. And you added a black jacket because it had clouded over while you were in the shower. 

And of course, Nicky gave you the rundown of what you missed of Kung Fu Panda while you got ready before going back to let you finish up.

You took a deep breath as you clasped the guitar pick necklace behind your neck, letting the engraved gold rest against your sternum. Kendall had gotten it for you for graduation, having your favorite lyric of Great Balls of Fire engraved on the front – because he indeed drove you crazy and vice versa. For Christmas, Penny went and had Kendall’s initials engraved on the back, knowing that you’d be giving the necklace to Nicky once he was old enough.

Letting the breath out and calming yourself down, you stepped out of your room and slipped your jacket on as you walked to the door. “Okay, I’m heading out. It looks like it might rain, so just call me if anything happens or you need me to come home, okay?” 

Serenity nodded from her spot on the couch, popping a goldfish cracker into her mouth “Got it, go have fun.” 

You squatted down and Nicky ran over to give you a hug. “Bye Mama, have fun with Han’man.” You smiled and rubbed his back, “I will. Be good for Ren okay? I won’t be back until after you go to bed, so I love you baby.” You gave him kisses all over his face, “Mwah, I love you sooo much.” He giggled and kissed your temple, “I love you too Mama.” 

You shared a smile and he ran back to the couch to curl up in his corner.

“Okay, you know all the numbers Ren. If I don’t answer, call Penny or the bar. Okay, I’m gonna head out now, see if I can beat the rush of pilots that are gonna get grounded soon. I love you both, bye.”

They both waved at you as you grabbed your purse and walked out the door.

About 90 minutes and one Amarello after you arrived, you watched Jake stroll into the bar, his green eyes finding you leaning on the bar immediately despite the crowd in front of him. 

“Howdy,” you greeted with a smile as he walked over and leaned on the bar next to you. “Hi, Darlin’,” he replied, grinning down at you.

You glanced around, the bar wasn’t as packed as you thought it would be, but it was still full of pilots since the surprise showers grounded their classes for the rest of the day. 

You looked back at Jake, remembering his question from earlier today on the beach. As you drove over and the hour and half you had to yourself at the bar, you had tried your best to prepare your speech, get everything you needed to say in order so you didn’t fuck anything up and miscommunicate your feelings.

Sighing, you closed your eyes, recalling everything you had lined up to tell him. You didn’t look in his eyes, keeping your gaze centered on his chest, knowing his green irises would wipe your memory. 

“I’m gonna be honest here Jake…” 

He held up his hand, gently interrupting you, “I get it, Y/N. If you still aren’t ready for a relationship, I understand. But I still want to be a friend that you can call, whether it be just to talk to me or if you need help.” 

You sighed, relief filling your chest knowing that he was willing to wait, but you still wanted, no needed, to tell him how you were feeling. 

You finally looked up in his eyes, swallowing the word vomit of emotions that wanted to escape, “Jake, you have done a lot these past few weeks. You’ve taken the time not only to get to know me but to get to know Nick. That means so much to me, more than you know. And I can tell that Nick already likes you, so I can’t just let you out of our life easily.” 

Jake smiled, bashfully looking down at the bar as a chuckle broke through his lips, “I try my best. And I’m a little offended that you thought getting rid of me would ever be easy.” 

You rolled your eyes before continuing. 

“And I do like you, Jake. I like you a lot. While you are cocky as hell, you’re sweet and a gentleman. It’s just…” You rocked on your feet, thinking of everything you needed to say but couldn’t put into words – your rehearsed lines disappearing into thin air now that Jake was here. Damn those eyes.

You hung your head, trying to see if looking away from him would help re-materialize the pre-coordinated words. 

But Jake ducked his head to meet your eyes, showing you he was listening and chasing away your coherent thoughts, “It’s just what, Y/N?” 

You glanced at Penny, receiving a reassuring nod from her and sending a short one back. “I’m gonna step outside really quick Pen, watch my drink?” She nodded and gave you a small, encouraging smile. 

“Follow me,” you patted Jake's shoulder, and slid your hand down his arm to grab his hand. 

You pulled him outside to the covered deck and leaned on the railing, taking a deep breath to inhale the scent of the rain – trying to reign in your racing thoughts.

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” Jake’s whiskey smooth voice asked as he leaned on the railing as well, his back facing the clouds.

You cleared your throat, dropping your head to look at the damp sand as you pieced together the puzzle of emotions and words in your head. 

“My dad died when I was 4… He left my mom alone to raise 2 kids that were too much like their father. I told myself that I need to stay away from service men, definitely pilots. But you, and your perfect teeth and perfect hair, those damn green eyes…” 

Jake was flattered but he could feel how this was going to end. You’d build up his ego to cushion his fall when you turned him down.  

“You have become an exception to my one rule.” Okay… Jake certainly wasn’t expecting that. “A rule that I gave myself on my own. I’m just scared, Jake. Nick and I have grown so… close to you and I’m afraid–” 

Jake lifted your chin, cutting you off, and quietly spoke to you, noting the thin line of tears in your water line. “Hey… I understand. But I’m a damn good pilot, I ain’t goin’ down easy.” You laughed, shaking your head fondly before smiling up at him, “There’s that ego.” 

He chuckled softly, his trademark half-smile flashing a canine, “What can I say? But seriously, I will do whatever it takes to get back to you both safe. If that’s what you want.” 

You nodded, stepping closer, unconsciously straightening your back to be closer to him, “I want it, I do.” You bit your lip, a shuddering breath escaping your lips. 

His soft gaze hardened slightly, reading your body language, but it softened again as he tilted your chin up. “Then why are you hesitating?” You shrugged, shaking your head subtly, “I don’t know.” 

You knew why, deep down you knew why you were holding back. Why you wanted to spray the butterflies in your stomach with vinegar. Your brain knew why. But your heart was pounding on your ribcage, trying to get to your brain to tell you it was okay. That you could love again, and it would all be okay.

Jake leaned down, seeing the fight in your eyes. “Is this okay?” You nodded, your breath mixing with his as you looked from his eyes to his lips and back again.

There was a soft eagerness, a puppy in those green eyes waiting to run around, bouncing as he waited for his command – a command only you could give. It was familiar but completely new at the same time. But it felt safe.

Instead of giving him the words he was looking for, you rested your hand on the side of his neck and pressed your lips to his – letting your heart take the wheel.

The kiss was soft, but it didn’t change the fact that butterflies went wild in both of your stomachs. Jake couldn’t help but smile against your lips as he cupped your jaw and tasted the hint of Amaretto on them.

You pulled away, needing to get air into your lungs but Jake chased your lips, catching them in their minty trap. It was clear he came prepared for anything, not that you minded. 

Your free hand fisted in his jacket, wafting his cologne into the air – an all consuming, but not overwhelming scent.

You both finally pulled away from the chaste kiss, light headed and breathless. You stayed close, your noses brushing against each other. 

“What’s gonna happen when you leave?” 

Jake smirked, his breath still tickling your lips as he pulled out his phone, “Well, I’m not sure, but it’d be a hell of a lot easier with your number.” You laughed and finally looked up at him, stepping back a little to take his phone, “Smooth Lieutenant. Very smooth.”

As you and Jake held eye contact a smile settled across your face before you looked down at his phone, typing in your number and sending a text to yourself.

Jake couldn’t help the blush that darked his tanned cheeks at the sparkle of your smile that not even the rain could dim. 

You weren’t like anything he’s ever seen before; a strong, single mother that did everything for the sake of her child and someone that had gone through so much at such a young age.

“You’re amazing…” 

Jake hadn’t realized what he said out loud until you giggled and looked down at the deck with pink tinted cheeks. 

“I said that out loud, didn't I?” He laughed at the end of his question. You nodded, “You did. But I’m flattered, so thank you.” 

You messed with his jacket, “And you’re good, Lieutenant. Maybe too good to be true.” 

“You’re stroking my ego, Darlin’.” You giggled and gave him a quick kiss, “I better head back in.” He grabbed your waist, “Do you have to?” “Do you want to have fun or not?” He bit his lip and you patted his chest and walked in. 

He watched you walk in and shook his head. Laughing to himself he adjusted his posture and went in and straight to the pool table.

You and Jake hung out at the bar for hours after that, having the time of your life. 

You danced to the music that came from the jukebox, played darts and you watched him play pool. You drank and ate, Penny keeping an eye on you both because you had to drive back home to your son and Jake did not need a hangover in the morning.

But you didn’t need the drinks to have a good time. Like right now. Jake had suggested another round of darts, but this time, you added a few spins before your throw. Almost like kids getting ready to hit a pinata at a party.

Jake grinned as he spun you around a few times. “Okay, now that you’re properly dizzy, why don’t you try and get a bullseye?” 

“You’re kidding me,” you giggled as you swayed a little on your feet. “I doubt I’m gonna hit the target. I can’t hit it when I’m standing straight, what makes you think I can hit it when I’m dizzy?”

He shook his head and turned you by your shoulders to square up to the board. “Who knows, maybe you’ll be better?” You snorted as you raised the dart, “I highly doubt that.” He scoffed playfully, “Just throw the dart, Y/N.”

You giggled, “Okay okay.” 

Your tongue poked out of the seam of your lips as your vision swam a bit and you lined up your shot. 

Taking a few balk throws, you finally get ready to actually throw it when there is a harsh crack, followed by a loud, booming sound – loud enough to rattle the windows.

“Oh shit!”

Any attempt you had made to actually aim the dart didn’t matter, because when you jumped at the harsh thunder the dart was sent on its own journey.

You laughed at your reaction to the sudden thunder and leaned back against Jake, “I can blame that horrible throw on the thunder, right?” He looked over your shoulder, seeing the dart about a foot and a half under the board in the wall.

“You sure it was thunder?” 

Your jaw dropped and you smacked his chest with the back of your hand, “That was uncalled for Seresin. But I walked into that one.” You both laughed as Jake nodded, “Yeah, I guess I can give you another shot Bradshaw.”

“Well, thank you oh so gracious Hangman,” you sassed a little as you readied another dart. “I’m actually gonna try this time.”

He chuckled and crossed his arms as he watched you repeat your process, his eyes drawn to your lips as your tongue once again pokes out. 

You managed to throw the dart just as the lights flickered out. 

“Are you fucking serious? The weather really doesn’t want me to hit this board,” you grumbled as you pulled your phone out to use your flashlight. 

Jake did the same, him immediately shining it at the dart board.

“Look at what we have here, you actually hit the board,” he teased as he walked up to the board. “Not a bullseye, but you hit it.” You flipped your hair, “Look at me go. Mama’s still got it.” 

Jake gave you a look, his face deadpanned and his brow low. You held his eyes, yours playfully squinting. 

It was a standoff for about 20 seconds before you both started laughing.

“C’mon Mother Goose, let’s go to the bar,” he chuckled as he grabbed your hand gently.

You froze for a second, confused as to where he got that nickname from – forgetting it was just a nursery rhyme to everyone else at that moment. 

He looked at you, frowning in concern, “Hey, sweetheart, you okay?” 

You shook it off, swallowing as you nodded, “Yeah, yeah… I’m okay.” 

With a furrowed brow, he stepped closer, tilting your chin up with a crooked finger, “You’re not afraid of the dark, are you?” 

His light tease pulled you back fully. 

“N-No, I’m fine, it’s okay,” you said softly as you shook your head. He cupped your cheek, “Are you sure?” You nodded, “Yeah, yeah, just thought of Nicky… He’s not the best with storms sometimes.” 

“Do you wanna check in on him? Make sure he’s doing okay? Especially now that the power’s out.” 

You chewed on your lip, your thumb and pinky tapping rhythmically on your thigh. “Are you sure it’s okay?” 

Jake nodded, “Of course it is! That’s your baby, do not question if it’s okay. It’s always okay.” You immediately open your contacts, “Thank you.” 

He smiled, squeezing your hand, “I’ll be at the bar when you’re ready, if you gotta go home, that’s okay.”

You gave him a smile and mouthed a ‘thank you’ as your phone rang, waiting for Serenity to pick up. 

Jake nodded again before going over to the bar.

Penny and Jimmy were turning on battery powered lanterns and setting them up around the bar. 

“You guys need some help?” Jake offered as he leaned on the bar.

She looked up at him as she sat a lantern down on the bar, “You don’t think you could get the power back on, could ya?” 

Jake laughed lightly, “If my call sign was Sparky, I might be able to give it a shot. Unfortunately, it’s not.” Penny shook her head with a laugh, “It’s alright Hangman, once we get these set up, we’ll hopefully get the generator up and running.” 

He nodded, “In the meantime, I’ll take two waters, if you can spare them.” She nodded with a smile, “Coming right up.”

As she got the bottles out of the ice bucket she prepped after looking at the forecast, you came over after finishing up your call.

You sighed a little as you sat down. 

“Hey,” Jake greeted as he rubbed your knee. “How’s the little man holdin’ up? He alright?” You nodded, smiling as you rested your hand on his, “Yeah, Serenity said he was snuggled up on the couch with his turtle and his manta ray, watching movies with plenty of goldfish crackers.”

Penny popped up, “You have power?” 

“Nope,” you laughed a little awkwardly. “He’s watching it on Serenity’s laptop. Which I told her she didn’t have to let him do that. She’s got stuff to do for summer classes but mine was dead. I just hope she doesn’t get behind.”

She gave you your water, “She’s a good kid, I’m sure she’ll be okay for one night.” You nodded and sipped your drink, “Yeah.”

You looked around noticing that everyone started to mellow out since the place was practically pitch black – save for the lanterns.

“Man… seems the lights weren’t the only thing the storm took out. How long until the generator is up and running?” You asked, leaning on the bar. 

Penny shrugged, “I don’t know. It depends, we haven’t used it in a few years. It shouldn’t take too long, I think Jimmy checked on it after the clouds rolled in and the forecast changed.”

You nodded and looked around, “Well, maybe some live music can hold everyone over until then.” Penny and Jake furrowed their brows as you grabbed a lantern and went over to the piano.

“What? Did you seriously think that Bradley was the only one of my father’s kids that could play? C’mon now Penny, you should know better than that,” you teased with a playful wink over your shoulder.

Jake furrowed his brow, “Have you been holding out on me Mother Goose?” His tone was entirely playful as he came over to piano with his phone flashlight on as a fresh toothpick hung from his lips.

Penny blinked and looked up, a rush of nostalgia hitting her, “Wait did you just call her ‘Mother Goose’?” Jake looked up at her and nodded as he rolled the toothpick to the other side of his mouth, “Yes ma’am I did.” She nodded and glanced at you as she wiped down the bar, “And um… w-where did that nickname come from?” 

He shrugged, “She’s got a little duck on her keychain and she’s a mama. Just kinda makes sense, I guess. Why do you ask?” 

You couldn’t help but smile a little as you tapped the keys. 

“Oh I was just-” Penny started but you cut her off gently.

“Goose was my dad’s call sign, Jake. A lot of his friends from the Academy and flight school called him ‘Mother Goose’,” you said, emotion present in your voice but you weren’t sad.

Jake stumbled over his words a little, “Oh I-I had no idea. I can stop if you w-want me too.” 

You shook your head, a smile gracing your features as you looked up at him, “No no, it’s okay Jake. It definitely shocked me when you called me that earlier, but it’s… nice.”

He smiled back at you and sat down, “I’ll call you whatever you want, Darlin’.” 

A giggle slipped past your lips and you were now thankful that the poor lighting hid the blush on your cheeks as you tested more keys.

You took a breath and readied your fingers on the right keys, “Okay okay, let’s get these people fired up.”

Jake arched his brow but then you played the opening notes to a song he heard non-stop in flight school when the class went out to a bar.

“Jerry Lee Lewis? You really are Bradshaw’s sister,” he laughed, gently nudging your shoulder but not so much as to mess you up.

You just rolled your eyes before jumping into the song. “~You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain!~”

Jake chuckled as people in the bar began to cheer, a few patrons jumping in to sing with you. He looked around, seeing that the flashlights on phones had been turned on and everyone’s moods seemed to flip on dime.

“~You broke my will! Oh what a thrill!~”

“~Goodness gracious great balls of fire!~”

His eyes landed back on you, watching you play the piano like he had only ever seen your brother play. It was lively, bringing an energy to the bar that got zapped out with the electricity. Almost as if the lightning hit you and you soaked up all the energy in the bar, and now you were returning it when it was needed.

He felt himself singing along, unable to escape the way that your infectious voice seemed to latch on to everyone that heard it. 

Jake had always fought the urge to ‘feel the music’ when it was your brother. Be the one person in the bar unaffected by him. But here with you, he didn’t fight. He didn’t want to fight it. And he was unashamed to be sitting next to you on that piano bench, singing a song that you were sure your brother had played to death. 

He saw you smile at him when you noticed it, feeding off of his energy just as much as he was feeding off of yours.

You found yourself looking only at him to see if he was enjoying himself, using him as a reference point for how the rest of the bar was feeling. That your attempt at entertainment was working.

It felt good to see everyone having fun because of you.

Now you could understand why your dad and Bradley did this so often.

Your smile never left your face as you continued to sing, though you hated how the song was coming to an end so soon.

Jake met your eyes as you started the last verse, his smiling matching yours. 

“~I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs!~”

“~Real nervous but it sure is fun!~”

He watched your eyes light up as he sang the words back to you and the blush crawled up your neck. You clearly weren’t expecting him to sing that line to you – telling you how you made him feel through the song.

So, he continued to look at you, holding eye contact as he sang through a wide, infectious smile, using the lyrics to convey what he had trouble putting into words once again. 

“~Come on, baby! You’re drivin’ me crazy!~”

His heart fluttered when you seemed like you were at a loss for words, despite them already being written for you – all you could do was smile as your muscle memory continued to play.

“~Goodness, gracious! Great balls of fire!~”

You played the last string of notes, your face dangerously close to Jake’s as the soft glow of the lanterns and phone flashlights illuminated his features almost angelically, the lights creating a halo around him and blurring the crowd like a camera focusing in on the subject of its image. His green eyes, though casted in a shadow, twinkled softly as he looked your face over like you were the only thing in the room – and to him, you were.

He was seeing the same thing. The blues of LEDs and the yellow of the lanterns created a harsh but gorgeous contrast on your face as your chest heaved when you attempted to catch your breath and the light sheen of sweat made your skin shine in a way he never thought about before. Your eyes were illuminated, but they held a shine of their own when you looked him over.

The cheers behind him all melded into one sound, one that Jake could confuse for his own heartbeat if it wasn’t pounding against his ribcage.

There was no hesitation this time as he pulled you close by the nape of your neck and pressed his lips to yours with breathless passion.

Your outside hand fisted in his Henley shirt, the fabric warm but a little rough under your fingertips. His heart was thumping rhythmically against your knuckles, giving the butterflies in your stomach a beat to dance to.

His hand moved down to the side of your neck, his thumb finding your pulse point. The sensation of your heartbeat under his fingertips was mesmerizing.

The kiss felt both like an eternity and not long enough when you finally pulled away, both of your lips damp and as your breath mixed as your foreheads rested against each other.

Around you, the crowd was still buzzing with energy, talking to each other as they started mingling again. 

But you and Jake couldn’t hear them, not when you're so consumed with one another right there on the piano bench. You were in your own little world, a small sanctuary in the middle of the bar. Just you and him.

Smiling, you can’t stop the giggle from escaping as you try to smooth out where you had gripped his shirt. “That was um…”

“Electrifying?” Jake offered, his dimple appearing as he smirked playfully.

“That’s one way to put it, yeah,”  you said with a light, slightly breathless laugh.

He chuckled and opened his mouth to say something else, but the overhead lights flickered for a split second before they stayed steady and the sound of the jukebox started up again.

You both sat up straight, looking around the bar as the patrons started back up in their games they abandoned.

“Would you look at that – one song and you managed to light up the whole bar, literally,” Jake said as he looked from his surroundings and then back to you, taking in how you smiled at everyone having fun again.

You hummed, turning your head with a playful glint in your eye, “Well, thank goodness it was only one song. I don’t know if I could’ve played another one. Unless Twinkle Twinkle Little Star counts.” 

Jake laughed as he stood up, offering you a hand to pull you to your feet. “Well, if Nick was here, I’m pretty sure he would have a blast if you played that.” 

“Oh, yeah, he definitely would,” you said with a laugh as you pushed some hair out of your face. “Another drink?”

He nodded, fluffing his shirt a little. “I can go for another.”

You grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bar, “Penny!”

After you got your drinks, you and Jake went to a booth by the windows.

“That was really impressive, Y/N. I knew Rooster was good, but he’s not that good,” Jake complimented as he sipped his fresh beer. The bitter liquid soothed his throat, his voice a little raw after singing.

You shrugged and sipped your Amaretto, the warm liquid warming you up from the chill of the rain outside. “I don’t know about that. He’s been playing since he was little. I started getting into piano in, like, middle school. And then in college I um.. I picked up a little guitar.”

Jake watched you bite your lip, your nails tapping against the glass of your drink. He wasn’t entirely sure what caused that far off look to appear in your eyes, a fogginess he wasn’t familiar with. But one thing he did recognize was that flicker of love, a shine of longing and admiration peaking through the fog – like a lighthouse on the shore.

He didn’t know much about Kendall, just what you had told him. He knew that you had met in college, you had been friends before you began dating, and that Kendall played the guitar – his favorite one tucked into the corner of Nick’s bedroom.

You cleared your throat, blinking the fogginess away and pulling Jake out of his thoughts. 

You rubbed your hands on your jeans before resting your elbows on the table to talk with your hands, desperate to keep the conversation flowing.

“But like I was saying, Brad and I are very different when it comes to singing and playing the piano. He definitely channels our dad a little more than I do.”

He chuckled and leaned forward, resting his upper body on his forearms, “Well, I think I’m a little biased when it comes to that. But don’t sell yourself short, Darlin’, you put on quite the performance.” He added an unnecessary wink, but it didn’t stop you from smiling and looking at the table to hide your blush.

You lifted your head and smiled at him, sniffling just a little. “Thank you, Jake. That means a lot.”

Jake reached over and squeezed your hand, “Anytime.” He cleared his throat, “If you don’t mind me asking, that song clearly means a lot to you and Rooster, why-why is that?”

Tears stung your eyes a bit, again, but your smile didn’t falter. “Our dad, he um… he played it all the time. And I mean all the time. I’m surprised our mother stayed sane.” Jake reached up and wiped a tear that slipped through. You leaned into his warm palm slightly, as you continued.

“One of our last memories with him was sitting at the piano as he sang that song. Our mom in his lap singing with him without a care in the world about who was watching…” Your voice was a little heavier as you neared the end of your sentence, the memory making you a little emotional.

He smiled and squeezed your hand again, his thumb rubbing your knuckles, “That’s beautiful.” You gave him a soft smile and squeezed his hand back. 

“Can I show you something?” He asked softly, not wanting to disturb the moment too much.

You nodded and sat up a little straighter, wiping your eyes as you spoke, “Of course.” 

Jake nodded his head towards the window and your eyes followed the direction. 

The glass was a little foggy, sweating as the cold temperature of the rain was meeting the warm air of the bar and the glass acting like a mediator between the two.

Your brow furrowed in immediate confusion though you weren’t going to question Jake just yet. There was certainly much more to it.

And he proved your suspicions by bringing his finger up to draw in the condensation.

It was a quick drawing, a simple sun with a smiley face and a little heart next to it. But the look on Jake’s face told you it was so much more than just a little doodle on a window.

“That’s really cute Jake,” you said softly, as you smile at him.

His grin widened and he shifted in his seat. “When I was little, I was never good with storms. My sister was even worse. She was scared and I was upset because I couldn’t go play in the rain.” 

You couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up when he said that, the picture of a young Jake pouting in his room as he watched the rain out of his window in your head – he definitely picked out two droplets to race against each other, maybe even him and his sister picked one and had a competition.

He just smiled at you before continuing.

“My grandma and my mom had this routine with us where they would have us by the bay window in the living room and we would draw in the condensation. And I, of course, rubbed my wet hand on my sister’s face,” he said with a small chuckle.

“That I’m definitely not surprised by. Bradley pestered me too, still does, it’s a brother thing.”

Jake nodded, “Oh yeah, for sure. But aside from that, there was a purpose to why my mom and grandma had us do this. Because as you can see now-” He pointed to the drawing, seeing that it was already dripping and disappearing, more condensation taking its place. “-it’s already going away.”

Your brow furrowed in confusion. You still weren’t exactly sure where Jake was going, but it was clear this was something he held onto and cherished. Especially for him to bring it up now, years later. Plus, he had you roped in now, you were invested in this little smiling sun. 

“The whole point of drawing in the fog was because it doesn’t last forever, and neither would the storm outside. Or any storm, really. As I got older, we stopped the window drawings, but my mom kept it up with us for little things. Like when my sister was going through a break up, she drew a sun with a little heart on a note and put it in her backpack. I can bet you that she still has every note, because I know I do.”

Tears pricked your eyes a little bit, “That’s really really beautiful, Jake. Your mom and grandma sound like very wise women.”

Jake nodded, a proud smile pulling at his lips, “They are, I’m lucky to have them.”

You mirrored his smile and you both went back to conversing with each other, planning out ideas for your next ‘not’ date.

“There’s so much to do here, so much it’s like there’s nothing,” you said, laughing as you sipped your drink.

You had listed off a lot of places to go nearby and all the things you could do together, but it all sounded so fun that you were having trouble deciding.

Jake nodded, rubbing his face a little as he laughed, “Yeah, seems like it.” He glanced around, noticing a pool table nearby. “Hey, how about we think on it some more later and just play a game of pool?”

You hummed a little and glanced over your shoulder at the pool table. 

A sly smile came over your face as an idea popped into your mind. 

You turned back to face him, biting your lip a little, “I um… wow this is embarrassing, I haven’t really ever played pool before.”

Jake squinted at you, almost analyzing you to see if you were just fucking with him. But you just played it up by hiding your face in your hands, hiding the grin that you knew would give you away if he spotted it.

“You’re serious? You’ve never played pool before?”

His tone was inquisitive, but it also had a laugh behind it that he was hiding as best he could and it almost had you laughing.

“No no, I have played before. But it’s just been too long. Last time I played it was maybe 10 years ago when I was in high school, and I was awful.”

Jake’s laugh finally broke through at that.

“Hey! Don’t laugh!” You whined, holding back giggles of your own.

He nodded, trying to stop himself by clearing his throat. “You’re right, you’re right. It’s not funny. It’s… it’s kinda sad actually.”

You dropped your jaw and reached over the table to swat at his shoulder. “Oh shut up!” 

He chuckled as he dodged your hand, and you couldn’t help but smile as the corners of his eyes crinkled and his dimples poked through. “Okay okay, I’m sorry. But c'mon let’s play at least one game,” he proposed as he slid out of the booth and stood. He offered you his hand, a wink accompanying his next words, “And I promise I’ll go easy on you.”

You rolled your eyes and took his hand, “Fine, one game.”

A victorious grin crossed Jake’s face as he pulled you to your feet, squeezing your hand as he turned and pulled you to the table. Your lips pulled up in a similar fashion as you stumbled a little when he drug you behind him. 

“Okay,” he said as he came to stop at the pool table. “I don’t have to explain the rules, do I?” His brow arched with his question, only using it to further his teasing. You rolled your eyes, hand going on your hip, “No, I know that much, Seresin.” The sass in your tone made Jake laugh, “Alright, Bradshaw, let’s play.”

You nodded and grabbed the two pool cues, “Let’s.”

He chuckled and shook his head playfully as he quickly racked the pool balls. Once they were all in order, he took the triangle off and tossed it on a table as he walked over to you.

His fingers wrapped around the taller cue, his warm hand encapsulating yours. 

How had you not realized how large his hand was until now?

“Y/N?”

You shook your head, not having realized that you froze, “Oh um, sorry, sorry.”  You let go of the pool cue, clearing your throat as you pushed some hair behind your ear. He chuckled at your sudden shyness, “It’s alright, darlin’. It’s cute when you get all blushy.” You huffed, though a smile pulled at your lips as you shoved his shoulder. 

Jake laughed and held his hands up in defense, only slightly jostled by your shove. He gestured to the table and grabbed the cue ball, “Okay, okay, you wanna break?” He punctuated his question by putting the ball on the table with a *clack*.

You bit your lip, still feigning nervousness as best you could. You nodded and walked around to the end of the table beside him. 

Tossing the cue up and catching it lower, you leaned over and nearly fell into muscle memory – letting the end come down and rest easy in the dip between your thumb and pointer finger.

You rolled your shoulders a little bit, moving your hand much lower on the stick so you would have less control of the cue. You relaxed your shoulders, letting them drop as your right hand tightened its grip. The maple cue rested on the walnut of the table, using it as the support for the middle of the stick. 

Jake tilted his head, taking in your posture. It was… unconventional, and maybe a little awkward. But he wasn’t going to step in just yet, because maybe that stance just worked for you. And the look of concentration on your face was just too cute for him to interrupt.

Much like earlier at the dart board, your brow furrowed and your tongue poked out from between your lips. Jake grinned at the sight, and he couldn’t help but wonder if Nick made the same face when he focused on something. Like if his nose crinkled like yours did when he colored or if he stuck his tongue out when he did a puzzle. 

Then his mind wandered a little further. 

The image of a little girl appeared in his head, basically a clone of you in your lap as you sat at the piano. You guiding her hand along the keys, then having her repeat the order on her own. Her tongue sticking out as she tries to remember. 

But before he can fantasize any longer, he shakes himself out of it once you take your shot.

He watched the tip of the cue whiff the ball as the butt nearly became perpendicular to the floor. “Woah there!” 

You covered your mouth with your hand, doing your best to feign embarrassment at your ‘failure’. “Oh.. my.. gosh.. I can’t believe that just happened,” you snorted, laughing at yourself as you looked up at the ceiling, hoping that a blush was covering your cheeks to really sell it. 

Jake came over to stand next to you, chuckling just a little. “So um… is that how you held it in high school?” He leaned against the table, the cue snug against his side as he crossed his arms, looking down at his boots as he crossed his ankles before looking up at your profile.

You swallowed as you kept your eyes on the ceiling, and Jake couldn’t help but watch the column of your throat move with the action. 

Sighing, you looked at him, “I mean, kinda, like I said, it’s been awhile. But that felt so wrong.” You looked away from him and focused on your cue. “And now I’m embarrassed… because you just saw that.” 

He sighed gently, a smile pulling at his lips. While you were embarrassed, he couldn’t help but admire the blush on your skin. He didn’t like the reason, because you shouldn’t be embarrassed, but you looked cute.

He reached out and turned your head to face him, smiling softly at you. “Hey, you don’t have to be embarrassed. It happens, and I guarantee that is not the worst shot I’ve seen.” 

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.” 

He sighed and propped his cue against the wall, “C’mere.” He adjusted the cue ball again and gently pulled you to him when you hesitated to move closer. “I don’t bite, unless you ask,” he whispered the last half of that in your ear, his accent slightly thicker as you felt his lips curl into a smile against the lobe of your ear.

His warm breath raised goosebumps on the skin of your neck, a shiver going down the nerves of your spine. He chuckled, his chest rumbling against your shoulder and making you giggle as a genuine flush covered your face and neck.

“Okay,” Jake said, turning you gently so your back settled against his chest. His hand rested on your hip and everything just felt right. Both of you slotted together like a puzzle piece, it was comfortable.

He looked down at you, “Am I too close?” 

Your head shook almost embarrassingly quickly. If anything he wasn’t close enough.

“No no, you’re okay.”

He nodded, smiling at you, “Alright, just let me know, okay?” You swallowed, nodding back, “I will.”

“Alright, now, I’m gonna show you how to properly hold a pool stick. Do what you were doing before.”

You nodded, bending back over and mimicking the stance you had done previously.

Jake looked at you gaging what to adjust. “Okay, so one issue is, your back hand is too low. Don’t shake hands with the bumper.” He took your wrist and tried to slide your hand up but it barely moved. “And you don’t need a death grip on it, it’s not going anywhere unless you move it.” You nodded and relaxed your grip to let him adjust your hand placement. 

He moved it to about the middle of the weight and watched your guiding hand adjust itself to a bit more of a natural position.

Smiling, he glanced down at you, “There we go, how does that feel?” You nodded, “A lot better, definitely more comfortable.”

“Perfect, and that’s how you know you’re doing it right. Before you were uncomfortable and it threw off your control. You guide the cue, it doesn’t guide you.”

You snorted a little, hanging your head as you laughed, “You sound like a therapist, or a yoga instructor.” Jake laughed along with you, “Unfortunately I’m neither of those. Not qualified nor flexible enough.”

You arched a brow and looked at him over your shoulder, a cheeky smile on your lips, “Not flexible enough? Oh, that’s a shame.” His eyebrows raised, almost as if he was sizing up a challenge, “Oh is it now? I mean, I’m sure with enough stretching, I’ll be good to go.”

You laughed before shaking your head, “Okay okay, let’s stay on task, Lieutenant, yeah?”

“Right, right, of course.” 

Jake cleared his throat as his fingers wrapped around your shoulders, “Okay, being relaxed is fine. But you’re too loose and that makes it awkward.” He slowly pulled them out from their slouched position, straightening your back a little in the process. “That’s better.” 

You swallowed a little, the heat of his chest against your back making you both nervous and excited.

“Do you feel more in control?” You nodded at his question, not trusting your voice to be steady. “Good, now, let’s test this.”

Worry shot through you for a moment, afraid he might step back and let you do this on your own – squashing the mini fantasy that you created.

But your worry was smothered when Jake adjusted his own stance, his knees nudging the backs of your thighs. His right hand encased your own as his left hand acted as a stand for yours – keeping your guiding hand steady.

“Loosen your grip, Duckie. It’s not gonna change your power. In pool, the speed determines the power.”

Jake’s voice was steady, but it was raspy as he spoke in your ear again. His breath fanned along your ear lobe and your jaw, raising goosebumps once again.

He felt your wrist and hand relax a little, and he just hoped you couldn’t feel his heart beating against your back. 

“Alright, there we go. Now, all you gotta do is bring it back and–”

His sentence fell short as the felt tip collided with the cue ball and he felt a vibrating sensation against his hip.

“See? So much better. And now, if that’s your phone in your pocket, I think you’re getting a call.”

He stepped back and let you stand straight as you pulled your phone out.

Your heart dropped slightly when you saw Serenity’s contact flash across your screen. 

Did something happen to Nick? Was he okay? Did something happen to the house? What went wrong?

Jake must have noticed that your face changed on dime, because his face fell into one of concern. “Y/N? What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” 

Was it Serenity? Was it Bradley? Was it a chaplain? Or hell an NCIS agent?

“It’s Serenity,” you said as you pressed the green answer button and brought the phone to your ear. “Hey Ren, what’s up?”

Jake sighed in relief, his worst thoughts going off to the wayside in favor of just worried thoughts.

You brought your hand up, chewing on the edges of your nails as she spoke.

“Hey, Y/N, everything’s okay–”

Jake watched your body visibly relax, your hand rubbing at your mouth much like he’d seen Bradley do when he was stressed.

“Nicky’s okay? Nothing’s on fire?” 

“No, nothing’s on fire. But Nicky is not wanting to go to bed without you here. I think it's the rain, the storm I should say. He doesn’t want to go to his room. Won’t even get up off the couch.”

You sighed but nodded, “Okay, I’ll be there in a little bit. Get his turtle and his manta ray, then get my body spray and lightly spritz a blanket and let him curl up on the couch until I get there.”

“I’m so sorry Y/N, I know you wanted to have a fun night out… I just didn’t know what to do.”

“Don’t apologize, I’m glad you called. I’ll be home in a little bit.” 

You hung up and looked at Jake, “I’m so sorry, Jake. Nicky is–”

He held his hand up, “Nope, no apologies, go be with your baby. We can meet up later. Tell Nicky I said ‘hi’.”

Your heart skipped a few beats as you smiled at him. He smiled back and nodded towards the front door, “Now go Mother Goose, you got a duckling waiting on you.” 

The look in his eyes was nothing short of fond, the yellow overhead lighting making his eyes a comforting shade of green. 

He wasn’t upset at all, no disdain for your sudden departure on his features. Was he disappointed? Yeah, but you were always going to be a mother first. He couldn’t and would never get in the way of that, or try to change it.

You hugged him, and he didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around your waist in reciprocation. 

“Thank you,” you kissed his cheek in thanks as you pulled away from the hug. “You don’t have to thank me, Darlin’. Just text me or call me when you get home safe, okay?” He said with a smile, gently squeezing your shoulders.

You nodded, matching his smile, “Of course, as long as you do the same?” He winked, “You got it.” 

He grabbed your purse for you, “Drive safe, Sweetheart.” You nodded, “I will. Bye Jake.” “Bye Y/N.”

You smiled at him again before going over to the bar, patting the top with the palm of your hand. You opened your mouth to get Penny’s attention but she was already smiling at you. “Heading out?” Your head tilted as you nodded, “Yeah, how’d you know?” She shrugged, nodding down to the bag hanging off your shoulder, “Lucky guess.” 

Chuckling, you pulled your wallet out, “Nicky won’t go to bed, the storm is keeping him up.” You pulled out a fifty, “For my drinks and Jake’s, the rest is your tip.” Penny shook her head, pushing the money back towards you, “That’s way too much, Duckie. 25 is plenty. Plus, Jake’s tab is open and your drinks are on it.” 

“Penny Benjamin–”

“Y/N Bradshaw, don’t argue and go home to your son,” Penny pointed to the door to punctuate her order, the damp towel swaying slightly from her movement.

Huffing out a ‘fine’, you put the fifty away and put a ten on the bar, “I’m still tipping you, because I love you. Not as much as you deserve, but you’re gonna fight me on it.” She smiled gratefully at you, taking the bill, “Thank you, now go home. Text me when you get there.” 

You patted the bar again, “Yes, ma’am. I’ll see you later, don’t let Jake get too drunk.” 

With that you walked to the door, though Penny stopped you with a shout. 

“That was an Oscar worthy performance by the way!” 

You rolled your eyes, waving to her as you slipped your jacket on, “Bye Penny!”

phew!

that was a long one huh? but hey, we finally got a kiss! they kissed!! and before hand we got a little peak into duckie's insecurities as a mom. though we can all agree she's pretty great right?

i hope you guys liked this chapter and are ready to see where the next chapter takes duckie, nicky, and jake!

hi darlings i know it's been a long time, too long, but like i said before -- i wanted to make sure this was a chapter i was proud of and lately my creative battery just wouldn't behave and it's been hard to write and like what i write. but i think... i think i did it here.

my ducklings <33:

@roosterscockpit @milesdickpic @luckyladycreator2 @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @hisredheadedgoddess28 @malindacath @avengers-fixation @shawnsblue @caitsymichelle13 @classycolorpeach @mamachasesmayhem @bobby-r2d2-floyd @twsssmlmaa

@horseshoegirl @startrekfangirl2233 @babyreads​ @amatswimming @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo @hangmansgbaby​ @callsignwidow @kmc1989​ @goodstuff28​ @pjngpp3501​ @lunamoonbby​ @joyfulpandamiracle​ @craftyinfluencersandwich @averyhotchner​ @emily-roberts​ @teenwolf01 @sunderland-6​ @bethabear12

@coldmuffinbanditshoe​ @dempy​ @djs8891​ @ingoaliesitrust @novavida @tigerfan24 @lynnestra44​​ @lilmonstrjedi @yourlocalloser-core @adventures4ever @onlyheretowastetime @mygyn @buckysvinyl @allyyssaa @clockworksficstoread @elisha-chloe @abaker74

[livbedum]

ex fiancé!reader headcanons [x]

DISCONTINUED!

cw: sexual innuendos , mentions of cheating ( it didn’t really happen ) , bradley being a dick and leaving our girl at the altar , best friend!oc ( danny kazansky! i’m gonna picture chace crawford and if i end up using pictures that’s who that is but imagine whoever you’d like! ) , and i think that’s it for now

18+ minors dni

♡ saying this right now , bradley ‘obsessed with his fiancé’ bradshaw did not plan on calling the wedding off! i def think not getting married was something that he thought of because of his job and what happened to his mom , but he didn’t truly want to leave reader and not in the way he did ( a one-shot will be coming soon )

♡ reader is ron kerner’s daughter

♡ danny was your man of honor , bradley’s best man was one of your shared friends from college

♡ carole loved you , would poke fun at the two of your before you got together saying, “i can see it now. the two of you getting married is a nice thought.”

♡ idc what any of y’all say , ex fiancé!reader got carole’s house , and she still lives in it to this day and it probably kills bradley

♡ i just feel like reader still has the ring

♡ bradley NEVER MOVED ON. he didn’t sleep with anyone , he didn’t go on dates. nothing. mans was miserable and he did it to himself

♡ you did move on — well , you slept with danny. and that kept happening. over and over again. oops!

♡ danny is definitely still close to bradley because he’s also in the navy and they grew up together , but you still got him in the ‘divorce’

♡ the 1 coded to the max

♡ you moved back to san diego and back into the house and opened up a little bakery , but you also help out penny when she needs it at the hard deck because you love her

♡ you didn’t know bradley was coming back — you made all of your friends promise to never mention him ever again , and they did just that

♡ you’re both idiots in love with miscommunication flowing between you

♡ you and bradley were each other’s first everythings. like everything. you grew up together and it just happened that way and then you fell in love

♡ speaking of firsts — bradley got really good in bed. he discovered everything you liked and made mental notes he would never forget. y’all had a good ol’ time in bed trust

♡ after the wedding to be , danny had to convince you that it wasn’t because bradley was cheating on you

♡ it’s giving meredith grey after derek died the way you disappeared for a month without a trace. danny was the only one who knew where you were at all times and even then you were actively communicating

♡ slider was pissed when everything went down… your mom was with you while he was chewing bradley’s ass out in the groom’s room

[ohtobeleah]

Baby R: A Terms of Endearment Story

-> Terms of Endearment Masterlist

Summary: Riley Carole Bradshaw makes her big entrance to the world when Jakes in Texas and Bradley isn’t sure if he’s ready to be a dad twice over.

Warnings: Birth. Pregnancy trope. Inaccurate medical information. Bradley x F!reader. Jake x Platonic!F!reader

Word Count: 5.7k

Author Note: Y’all don’t know how long this took me to write. It had been sitting in my drafts for MONTHS. I’d say pre wedding, because that’s the last time I made pumpkin & prosciutto pasta.

“Pumpkin and Prosciutto Pasta?” Bradley liked to play a game whenever he’d come through the threshold of his humble abode after a long, long day of work. He wouldn't ask you what's for dinner, he’d simply place his keys in the keybowl by the door and stop to smell the aroma of whatever you had cooking in the kitchen. Some nights it was some new recipe you’d decided to tackle from your favourite cookbook. Five minute healthy family meals. Other nights it was chinese takeout or whatever two for one special Penny and Amilia had concocted at the Hard Deck. 

But most nights, like tonight, when Bradley was stuck working back late racking up the much-needed overtime he was pulling with your second daughter ready to join you earth side any day now–he came home to the familiar smell of some of his favourite dishes. 

“Yep!” You called out from the kitchen as Rooster kicked off his boots by the door. “Should be ready in a few minutes, everythings done but the pumpkin. It's almost ready though.” He could hear the smile on your face before he even saw it. That was just you. Simply Y/n. His Y/n. His beautiful Lieutenant ‘Felix’ Bradshaw. 

“Tooster!!” Odette cooed as she came racing around the corner, this was her favourite time of the day. Bradley groaned as he crouched down so that his daughter could slam herself into his warm embrace. With large arms that kept her safe, Bradley wrapped the four year old up and held her close. This was his favourite time of day. “I missed you.” It was barely audible as she buried her face into Roosters chest before she looked up at him looking down at her. Taking in the all too familiar smell of jet fuel masked with that Giorgio Armani cologne he kept in his locker. 

Then Odette did what she did best, she threw you right under the bus with no remorse for her actions. She snitched on you, your own daughter. A snitch if there ever was one. Jake swore if he looked up the very definition of a snitch Odettes name, age, weight and height would be right fucking there. She’d gotten him into some serious trouble as of late with Amilia and he was not vibing the four year old mini you that he swore blind was out to get him. 

“The baby in mama's tummy has been hurtin her today.” Fuck. It wasn't like Bradley wasnt ready for another baby, he was. He was as ready as he’d ever be. But although Odette was his daughter just as much as baby R was–this was still Rooster's first pregnancy. It was his first biological child. This was the first newborn he’d experience, first birth he’d witness. He was ready for baby R to arrive, but Rooster wasn't sure if he was ready for all the firsts he wasn't around for with Odette. 

“Has she darlin '?” Bradley cooed as he rubbed his nose against his daughters. Dot giggled softly before she was wriggling out of his grasp. “Has the baby in mama’s tummy been hurting her?” Bradley repeated what his daughter had told him as he walked with her hand in hand into the kitchen where you stood– mid contraction, breathing through it as best you could. “Might be time to take mama to the hospital so that baby can come out of mama’s tummy.” 

“Nope–” You shook your head. “I'm fine, they're just Braxton Hicks Roo.” You argued softly as your contraction subsided. Bradley watched the way you leaded against the countertop and rocked your hips side to side to feel some sort of relief. You normally didn't do that with Braxton Hicks. 

“Braxton Hicks she says.” Bradley smiled as the corners of his lips pinned to his cheeks. He rounded into the kitchen, swiping up the oven mit as he did so before opening the oven to fish out the roasting pumpkin. “Baby, I love you, but I've seen your Braxton Hicks, and that little wiggle you just did there?” Bradley turned back to look at you over his shoulder, all knowing and ready to put his husband pants on. “Is new.”

“I'm not in labour Bradley.” You stood with a sigh, waddling over to where he stood before you eyed him off. The only thing that stood between you and your husband was your thirty nine week baby bump. The bump he had helped create. “But what I do have is a toddler who's decided she doesn't like spaghetti.” Rooster raised his eyebrow at your statement before he was degloving his hand from the oven mit. 

“What four year old doesn't like spaghetti?” Bradleys hands slowly crept up to touch your stomach. With gentle palms he felt just how low your unborn child had dropped, just how hard your stomach had become. Fuck. You were in labour, weren't you? But it was either denial or delusion at the wheel right now. Regardless of that, his baby was coming. 

“Our four year old, she wants the shell pasta.” You explained. “I'm sure if she gets hungry enough the spaghetti will do.” Rooster agreed—knowing his daughter and her tendencies to eat like a garbage truck come collection day. 

“How long have you been having contractions for?” Bradley changed the subject to what really mattered. You were having your baby, his baby. There was a moment of silence shared between the two of you as you mulled over whether or not you were going to tell the truth, or continue to run from it. Your last birth experience hadnt been the best, that type of trauma stays with a person. And even though you had all the faith and trust in Bradley that the world could provide–you were still beyond terrified to have to give birth again. He knew that too. 

“Since around lunch time, they’re super far apart.” You explained softly as tears began to fill your eyes, eyes that told Bradley you were scared. “I'm not ready to have this baby.” You admitted as you shook your head and held your hand over his. “At least tonight I’m not.” 

“Okay, that's fine.” Rooster wasn't gonna argue with his pregnant wife about what she could or couldn't do with her body. He’d learnt to pick his battles and this just didn't seem like a hill that he was ready to die on. Besides, regardless or what you were or weren't ready for? Baby R was coming. It was only a matter of time. “How about I finish up here and I'll run you a bath?” 

“Jakes in Texas–” Oh? What did Hangman being in Texas have to do with you running a bath? Oh! Bradley thought to himself. Jake was your person. He was your person during your last birth. “But yeah, yeah a bath sounds really good right now, my back is killing me.” Without much more of a fuss, you padded out of the kitchen and ventured upstairs while Rooster got the rest of dinner assembled and ready to serve. He eyed off the four year old by his side. The little shadow he’d had in his life for what felt like an eternity. His best buddy. 

“So help me god kid you better eat your spaghetti.” 

“I don’t wike sketti—“ Dot replied with a grimace. Bradley just sighed and shook his head with a deep sigh. “It’s yucky.” 

“Big girls like spaghetti Odette.” Rooster tried to make it make a little sense to the little girl who stood beside him, looking up at him as if he was her entire world. In some way he was. “And if you eat your dinner you can have a chocolate paddle pop before bed.” 

“Ahhh!” At the sound of your cries, Rooster took off running up the stairs. He dropped the tongs into the bowl of roasted pumpkin and scooped up Dot and booked it every second step until he was busting through your bedroom door. 

“Honey? What’s wrong?” He asked when he saw you on the floor, crouching down beside the bed in tears. But he already knew. “Hey I can’t help you if you don’t tell me?” Rooster tried again as he sat down beside where you were sobbing. Only once the contraction settled did you let out a breath and sit beside him with your backs against the side of your shared bed. Odette sat between Bradley’s legs, her little hand came to rest utop your stomach—all she knew was that there was a baby in her mums tummy. “Fe—“

“She can’t come without Jake here.” Was all you said. You knew it was stupid, somewhat ironic and a whole lot of crazy, because your husband and the father of your child was sitting right next to you. Ready and willing to help you through this. “He said he’d be there.” 

Bradley took your hand in his, he intertwined his digits with yours and smiled at you with the softest of looks in his big stupid brown puppy dog eyes. 

“I want you to find some comfy clothes, and I’m gonna run you a bath.” He explained all the while Odette drank in the love her parents shared. “And while you’re in the bath, I’m gonna ring Hangman and I’m gonna see if he can come home a little earlier.” 

“What if he can’t make it?” It was all you cared about, you couldn’t do this without Jake. You had barely done it the first time. “I can’t do this without him Rooster I can’t—“ 

“Hey, look at me honey.” Bradley cooed as he tilted your chin up so you could see he was right there. “He’ll make it, now I need you to just get in the tub yeah? Baby’s gonna come when she’s ready and we don’t need you to be stressed about things you can’t control.” 

You couldn’t have been more thankful for Bradley Bradshaw. He knew the bond you and Jake shared was simply platonic and a little psychotic at times, you didn’t need to give him an explanation as to why it was so important to have him there, because he knew and understood why. 

Bradley was your husband and father of your child, sure, but Jake Seresin was your person. So, once you were in the bath with warm water soothing all your aching contracting muscles, Bradley pressed on the one contact in his phone besides yours that got the biggest workout, his brother in arms, Jake Seresin. 

“I need you on the next flight out.” It wasn’t a can you type of question but rather a demand. A nonnegotiable statement that made Jake drop the beer in his hand as he locked eyes with Amilia from where she sat with his mother. 

“Oh she’s not is she?” Was all Jake said. He had a dream last night you went into labour while he was on annual leave. The twin bed Jake used as a child wasn’t big enough for the two of them, so when Jake shot up, he had accidentally caused Amilia to fall face first onto the floor beside the teenage bed. 

“Yep—“ Bradley replied. “Delusion is very much at the wheel and she’s adamant she’s not giving birth until you're here.” It brought back a lot of uncomfortable memories from Odette's birth, but Jake was racing up the stairs before he even got off the phone. “How soon can you—“ Before Bradley could even finish his sentence, Jake was answering the ever looming question. 

“We’re on the next flight out.” 

***~***~***~***~***~

“Hey munchkin!” Phoenix cooed as Bradley opened the door for the women who kept all the men in her life on their toes. “Ready to have the best sleepover ever?” The little four year old was apprehensive at first to leave you and Tooster, but once she was promised that you would bring her home a baby sister to love unconditionally forever, Odette seemed more comfortable with the idea of spending some alone time with her Aunty Phoenix. “How’s Fe?” 

“She’s alright—“ Phoenix could tell by the lines on Roosters forehead that he was getting nervous, really nervous. “Her contractions are still pretty far apart, according to her they’re just Braxton hicks.” Phoenix laughed softly as she shook her head and kicked off her boots. 

“Sounds like her.” She replied as she watched Rooster rubbed the back of his neck nervously, still holding the front door wide open. “Rooster, you guys are having a baby.” 

“My mum used to tell me all the time that when I was born, dad took me around the maternity wing to show me to all the nurses.” Phoenix could see the teary look in her wingman's eyes. “That he was nothing but excited, ecstatic even.” Rooster paused as he shook his head and sighed to himself. “And I’m just—“ 

“Scared?” Phoenix knew what Bradley was about to say as he nodded in agreement. He was terrified. 

“Beyond belief, yeah.” 

“Rooster, you’re allowed to be scared.” Phoenix tried her best to bring a little comfort to the expecting father of two. “You’re about to be a dad twice over, you’re officially about to be even teams.” 

“What if I’m not good at it?” Bradley groaned as he ran his hands through his hair as little Odette pulled at his T-shirt just wanting to be picked up. “What if—what if I’m not good at all the firsts? The newborn stage, the feeding, the burping, the cradling the diaper changes the—“ 

“You’re gonna be fine daddio.” Phoenix chuckled as she watched Bradley bend over to collect the four year old he loved more than life itself. “If I was having this conversation with Rhett I’d tell him never to procreate, but you?” Phoenix smiled. “You’re gonna be fine, Dot turned out okay, I’m sure this one will too.” 

“Yeah well, I wasn’t around for the first few years, they’re kinda important for development, what if—“ Again, Phoenix didn’t want her best friend spiralling when you needed him to be as present as he could be. 

“You, Bradley Bradshaw, are going to be an amazing father.” It was as sincere and genuine as it could've been. “We watched you step up, no questions asked for Odette, hell if anything that’s just a testament to how great of a father you already are!” Bradley had to stop and take what his best friend was saying, in. He loved Odette so much, as if she was his own. She was his. He was the only father she’d ever really known. “It’s okay to be scared, I’d be more concerned if you weren’t, but Fe’s gonna need you for support so I’d give yourself like five minutes to freak out and then you gotta put those feelings aside and be her rock while she births your child.”

Bradley followed Phoenix out to her car that she’d parked in the drive, he trailed not too far behind her with Dot on his hip as he frowned. 

“You really don’t think Rhett should have kids?” He asked cautiously, that could be a bigger jab than Natasha probably meant it to be. Braldey wondered if her and Rhett were doing alright, those two were always on their own wavelength. 

All Phoenix did was sigh as she threw Odette's overnight bag into the back seat. Last time she saw Rhett it had ended in an argument over his inability to express his feelings besides anger. 

“Ask me again when I’m not ovulating.” 

***~***~***~***~***~****~***~

“Sorry Oz–” Jake recognised that Amilia had said something but wasn't exactly sure what it had been with the way he had completely zoned out while waiting for their flight in the domestic terminal. They were able to get a last minute flight, but Jake wasn't holding his breath about getting back to you in time to be there for the birth of baby R. “What did you say?” 

“I asked if you'd ever thought about having your own kids one day?” Amilia asked as she handed Jake the packet of Lays original she was snacking on. Flying made her nauseous but it always helped to have something in her stomach prior to take off. It seemed a little counter intuitive, but there was a method to her madness. 

“Uh–yeah I have.” Jake replied as he reached into the bag for a few chips. “Two kids, but I wouldn't be opposed to more if the circumstances were right.” Jake didn't hesitate with his answer, it was the whole ass truth. “But I mean it all comes down to work and if–” That's when Jake did hesitate. Amilia caught on right away to what Jake was about to say, it didn't take an engineering degree to figure out where he was going. 

“I've always wanted kids.” Amilia didn't mean to sound so chipper, but it was hard not to be. “Two kids, but yeah I think I'm the same as you, I wouldn't really mind more or less depending on the circumstances.” The two had never really spoken about kids before, or marriage, or the next big steps in life. Jake and Amilia were kind of just going with the flow, but if the flow led to kids, to marriage, to the white picket fence in suburbia, Amilia wouldn't mind. Not with Jake at least. 

Jake was the same, he hadn’t really thought about marriage before. Ever since you had little Odette he had thought about children from time to time. But when Amilia stepped into his life Jake found himself thinking about that diamond ring more and more. 

“Boys or girls?” Jake asked, he didn't want this conversation to end. “Hypothetically, what would be your perfect family?” Jake Seresin had never been one to fall in love so heavily, but as he sat in the middle of the domestic terminal with his girlfriend, he knew he was down bad. So head over heels in love with Amilia Fisher that he knew when he saw Rooster he was gonna ask him to help him find the perfect ring for his Oz. The girl with a thousand different sayings he still hardly knew the meaning of. The girl who came into his life like a whirlwind. 

“I've always been told I look like a boy mum.” Amilia replied with a smirk as she placed another chip in her mouth with a small but proud nod. “I used to work a little in the kids' creche at work when we were short staffed and I was always able to rangle the boys a little bit more than the girls.” Amilia shrugged with an unsure expression. “Not sure why though, maybe it's just my mannerisms and cool personality.” She teased only to knock her shoulder against Jakes. 

“That checks out–” Jake smiled ear to ear as a small but audible chuckle escaped his lips.  “I can't say the same, Fe says I'd make a good girl dad.” It was from all the time spent with Dot, You’d never seen Jake with any children besides Dot. You only had your own experiences watching Jake love your daughter like his own. 

“Well–” Amilia cooed as heart crept across the apples of her cheeks, sunkissed and tanned. “Hypothetically then, one of each to answer your question.” Jake knew what his girlfriend was getting at, and although they never truly mentioned each other, there was a deep understanding that they, in that moment, had just both taken another step forward together. 

“Sounds perfect Oz.” Jake cooed as he sat back and wrapped his arms around Amilias shoulders, pulling her closer into his side. “Sounds perfect.” He mumbled before planting a gentle but loving kiss to her temple, Hoping that one day, maybe their hypothetical would become a reality. 

***~***~***~***~***~****~***~

“Are you sure you don't want the epidural Mrs Bradshaw?” One of the labour and delivery nurses on duty asked as you rocked your hips back and forth while you let your elbows rest on the hospital bed. Bradley stood behind you, pressing his thumbs into your hips hoping to relieve just an ounce of the pain. 

“No–no epidural thanks.” You struggled out as you tried to ride out your latest contraction. “I’m fine–” 

“Okay, well you're getting awfully close to ten centimetres, I'd be getting pretty excited for baby to arrive in the next few hours.” Bradley knew deep down you were trying to delay giving birth for as long as you could, but he knew that once the ball started to roll there was no stopping it. You were having this baby whether Jake was here or not. 

“How about some ice chips Honey?” Bradley asked as you stood and let out a loud but warranted sigh of relief as your last contracts passed. They were getting closer and closer, so close it was only a few seconds of reprieve before the next wave of pain and emotional distress came about. 

“Ice chips would be great.” You relied as a thin layer of sweat covered your entire body. Bradley looked to the labour and delivery nurse with pleading eyes. She knew what he was requesting. 

“I'll be right back with your ice chips.” She cooed through a smile. She had seen a million labouring mums come through this L&D ward and it was always the mothers who opted not to utilise the epidural that ate the most amount of ice ships. 

“You did this to me you know–” You groaned as you got into bed. “This baby has been crushing my organs and making me piss myself for the last three months and now shes gonna tear my fucking vagina in half because she got your big ass head.” All Rooster could do was laugh as he leaned in to kiss your forehead. 

“I specifically remember you asking me to quote unquote ‘Put a baby in you’” Bradley teased as he pulled away. “But sure, im entirely to blame even though you seduced me and vice clamped my–” 

“I’m back with your ice chips mama–” Carrie the labour and delivery nurse cooed just before Bradley could finish his crude sentence. “How are we doing on our back?” 

“Alright.” You sighed as you ran your hands across your stomach. “I'm starting to feel like I need to push though.” 

“Might be go time then, i'll get your legs up and have a little look see.” It was then you looked up at your husband with a worried look in your eyes, one he recognised immediately. With lips pressed together and a sympathetic expression, Rooster tried to soften the blow. 

“His phone's off, I’d assume he's in the air mama–” Bradley pushed your hair away from your forehead. “You can do this–”

“What if something goes wrong?” Your eyes welled with uncertain tears. “He needs to be here.” 

“I won't let anything go wrong.” Bradley replied as he reached down to take your hand in his. “You're not alone, I'm right here, Jakes on his way, baby R is happy and healthy and is ready to join us earth side.” it was the pep talk you needed to hear. “You’re gonna do this because you're my wife now and I love you so much I can't even begin to explain it, you can do this mama, I believe in you.” 

“Suck ass–” You chuckled back as Braldey let his forehead rest against yours. “I love you so much Roo, I really do.” Bradley smiled softly before he pressed his lips to yours. He was about to be a father of two very beautiful girls, but this time felt different. This was his first biological child. He’d never experienced this kind of love before, the birth of a child. But as Bradley pulled away he handed you the small cup of ice you’d requested, his best friend, the love of his life, the mother of his children. 

“Eat your damn ice chips.” 

***~***~***~***~***~****~***~

“Jesus Jake at least wait until the taxi stops!” Amilia gasped as she unclipped her seatbelt. Jake was basically out of the car before he’d even pulled the handbrake. “Thanks mate–” Amilia smiled as she pulled out her wallet to pay the taxi driver. Jake was already fishing out their bags from the back of the cab. 

“Fucking hell i hope she hans’t had the baby yet–” Jake was as flustered as he could be. “I don't even know how many hours it's been since Rooster called.” 

“It's been about seven.” Amilia replied as she placed her hand over Jakes. “Stop, I've got this, Fanboy’s coming to pick me up to take me back to Phoenix's.” 

“Baby no.” Jake tried to argue. “Stay?” 

“This is something you need to do for Fe alone flyboy.” Amilia reached out to run her thumb across the scruff of Jake's cheek. “Go, call me when baby girls here and crying and gunk free alright.” 

“Alright, I love you, let Mick drive, don't get behind the wheel.” Jake just had to have a little dig, he couldn't help himself as he leaned in to kiss his girlfriend's lips. It was a tender loving moment as Amilia reached around to tease the baby hairs at the back of Jake's neck. 

“I love you, and fuck you.” Jake didn't stick around for very long as he smiled and turned on his heels. The texts Rooster had sent were short and simple but told Jake everything he needed to know. You were progressing quickly, you were in room 103 in the maternity ward, you were cussing him out and that he better hurry the fuck up and get here because you were fighting the contractions. 

Jake had no idea where he was going but he was running. He knew he was raising eyebrows and turning heads as he raced through the North Island Base Hospital looking for one, the maternity ward and two, your specific room. The memories of when you had gone into labour with little Odette had been plaguing Jake's memory since Bradley had called. Oh how times had changed. The only thing that had stayed the same was the unbreakable bond your and Jake shared. An unconditional support and love that couldn't be broken. 

“Hello!” Jake grinned almost out of breath when he reached the nurses station in the maternity ward. “Im looking for–” Before Jake could finish his sentence, a loud painful scream echoed down the hall. He knew those lungs. “Fe? That's my sister! I think, uh–can I go?” It seemed like an odd thing to ask even if Jake was in the labour and delivery ward. 

“You must be Jake?” Theu nurse trying to eat her breakfast of what was left of it asked as she looked up at the flustered blonde man with piercing emerald eyes. 

“That's me.” Jake replied as the nurse before him nodded. She knew only two people were permitted inside your birthing suite. Bradley Bradshaw was already present and accounted for. 

“Down the hall to the left, maybe she’ll finally give in and push now that you're here.” Jake frowned at the idea that you were trying to hold out on giving birth because he wasn't here. He understood trauma bonding or thought he did from the way his therapist explained it, but he never stopped to think about the idea that having another child would bring up significant trauma from your first experience. 

You'd never mentioned it, being scared to give birth again. Although, Jake had never really asked. Since Bob's death Jake had been dealing with his own trauma. He was dealing with night terrors and survivor's guilt that kept him up into the early hours of the morning. For all the good that had happened since, Jake often stopped to ask himself if he was scared to move on from the day he unintentionally took another man's life. Being here for you when you welcomed your second daughter into the world felt like the world was moving on without Bob Floyd, and that made Jake want to spiral into a fit or uncontrollable rage. 

It wasn't fair. 

“Ahhhhh!” “Mrs Bradshaw you have to push!” 

But keeping you waiting wasn't fair either. Jake stood at the threshold of the slightly jaw door. He took a deep breath in and said a small prayer to the only man he hoped was listening and barged right on in. 

“I'm here!” Jake's voice cut through the heavy and thick air that was your hospital room. There was a woman between your legs, assessing the situation, another by your bedside, and Rooster, looking seven colours of bad shit because this time it was his hand that was being crushed and not jakes. He felt little sympathy for the man you called himself your husband. Jake knew what it took to make babies and he was pretty damn sure he’d walked in on the very act that was the time baby R was conceived. 

“WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN!?” You shouted at the top of your lungs almost without even realising it. 

“Oh thank god!” Bradley sighed as he looked into the eyes of the man who had become more of a brother than a friend. “Honey, Honey look, Jakes here–you gotta push now alright? Baby needs to come out.” You had been fighting this for the better half or the last two hours. Bradley knew the nurses were getting worried, to the point one had even pulled him aside and said that she was considering an emergency c-section if you continued trying to delay your body's ability to deliver naturally. 

“Jake? At first you thought it was just your mind playing tricks on you from the pain. Delusion had set in and you were just imagining your best friend. But the second Jake's hand touched yours, the one Bradley wasn't already holding for moral support, you cried a little harder as you let your head fall back against the back of the hospital bed. “You made it.” 

“I did, I'm right here, what? You thought I was gonna miss this? Never Fe never.” 

“Took your sweet ass time man.” Bradley teased as he held back tears. This was the birth of his daughter, you were bridging another life into the world, one he’d helped create. Jake was your person, you were Bradleys. “This is it honey, this baby is coming–” 

“Oh god it hurts!!” You shouted through gritted teeth. “I can't do this! I can't!” 

“Oh you're gonna have to Mrs. Bradshaw, baby’s almost here.” The doctor between your legs cooed. “Heads almost out, on three I need you to push mama and push hard alright?” 

“No–I–I can't do it.” 

“Hey, look at me?” Jake cooed as he looked down at you, his best friend, the guy who loves you more than life itself is standing right next to you, you aren’t alone anymore, you'll never be alone again, baby’s gotta come out and you're the only one who can get her out.” 

“AAAAHHHHHH!” You cried out as you squeezed down on both Jake and Bradleys hand. Bradley wipes your face with a damp cloth the nurse had given him. He wanted nothing more to take your pain away. “Roo!! I hate your big ass head!!!” 

“That's it mama let it out.” Bradley smiled. “Come on baby, I got you, she's almost here.” 

“I'm never letting you touch me again!!” 

“Okay okay, breathe Y/n, breathe.” the woman between your legs interrupted. “Good job mama, I reckon your little girl is gonna be here on your next push–but just breathe for a minute, hard parts over, heads out.” 

“I remember when Odette was born.” You mumbled out as Bradley kept patting your face down with that damp cloth. It was a comforting sensation, cooling and calming. “I was so upset Jaidyn wasn't there, I wondered what I’d done to upset him so much that he wou–would miss his daughter's birth.” 

“I love you so much Y/n, so much you hear me.” Bradley cried as tears fell down his face. “You’re so unbelievably strong.” 

“I need to push!” You replied, the sudden urge that you were going to shit yourself and tear in two overwhelmed you entirely. 

“This is it Fe, absolutely no turning back now super mama.” Jake cooed as you held his hand as tight as you could. 

“Push Y/n, this is it, baby’s coming!” Your doctor smiled as you pushed as hard as you could. The scream you let out was otherworldly and like nothing Bradley had ever heard before. It was all consuming, all encompassing, all telling of the sacrifice you were giving in order to bring his baby girl into the world. In that moment, Bradley Bradshaw knew he’d do anything to protect you and his growing family. He'd already done the extreme once, but now? He’d do it all over again.

“Annnnd baby girls here!” You fell back against the bed completely spent as tiny cries filled the room. Your baby girl's lungs sure did work wonders. “Congratulations Mr and Mrs Bradshaw.” it had only been a few moments before your baby girl was placed on your chest for the first time.

“Oh.” She was so tiny, so pure, so full of love. “Oh hi baby girl.” You cried as she cried too. “I'm your mama baby, hi sweet girl, my tiny little Riley.” 

“She's so small, oh my gosh.” Bradley had never seen a tinier human before in his life, but his whole heart was so full of love. “Hi Riley, hi baby girl–” Bradley wasn't sure if he was ready to be a dad twice over. He wasn't sure if he was ready for all the firsts he missed with Odette, but what he did know as he saw his daughter for the very first time, the same daughter you had carried for nine long months, was that he was gonna try his hardest to be the best dad he could be. 

“You did so good Y/n, I'm so proud of you.” Jake leaned in to kiss your forehead, he was just so glad he could be here for you. “You did it.” Jake could only watch on as he stepped aside to let the new parents of two fall in love with their gunk covered daughter. His job as your person was done, but he’d do it all again. For you. 

“I'm never giving birth again.” You sighed as you fell more in love with your second daughter:

Riley Carole Bradshaw. Baby R:

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~**

Tags: @a-serene-place-to-be @lilyevanswhore @thescarletknight2014 @blindedbythelightt @averyhotchner @emma8895eb @blairfox04 @caitsymichelle13 @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo @teacupsandtopgun @aemondssiut @akalei349 @notjustsomeblonde

@americaarse e @avaleineandafryingpan @phoenix1388 @xoxabs88xox @je-suis-prest-rachel @pono-pura-vida @rosiahills22 @starset21 @anarchyrising @caidi-paris @starkleila @criticalroleobssedperson @enchantingdreamergothprune @flrboyd @emma8895eb @endofdays56 @seresinsaint @topguncortez @mandylove1000 @clancycucumber230

[cowboybeepboop]

Through the window

“Fuck you”

“Baby thats what youre gonna do”

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x fem!reader

Genre: smut

Word count: 2214

Summary: Late night self pleasure turns into more than self pleasure.

Warnings: p in v, mainly porn with some plot, disgusting words for clit cause it got a little awkward at 1 am, use of vibrator, age gap (like three years), major daddy issues, kinda some Voyeurism, roughness from Bradley but with sweetness, praise kink, hair pulling, getting caught.

A/N: Literally just me writing this while sobbing to Shawn Mendes songs, also I wrote most of it while sitting out in front of my school 💪😩💪 I’m a fucking vibe. I don't know if there's like a big fandom on here anymore considering Top Gun Mav has been out for a while now but yk who cares. Also lowkey have been binging Harry Potter and the last of us so maybe I’ll write some of that later. Not proof read like ever

Bradley has been your built-in best friend, being Mavericks daughter means that you spent the majority of your childhood eating dinners with Carole, having Carole brush your hair and tuck you into bed. Carole Bradshaw became your adoptive mom, she taught you to cook, bake, sew, she helped you with your homework and made sure you knew your worth.

Mav was hardly ever around, he put his heart and soul into being a better person so that Goose wouldn’t be disappointed in him, this being said he forgot about the responsibility of actually taking care of his child. But you never blamed him for it, maybe it’s because when he was there with you all he ever wanted to do was cuddle on the couch watching your favorite films. Sometimes he would come home and lay his head on your lap and you would brush and braid his hair.

So, because of your sometimes absentee father, Bradley filled in. He was there with Mav for every milestone, kindergarten graduation, elementary school choir concerts, he even took time from his busy schedule to come to your highschool graduation.

Which makes your sexual attraction to him all the more disgusting, he basically was your stand in father, even though he was only 3 years older than you. But when Maverick finally realized he had a responsibility to spend more time with you, Brad stopped being like a father figure and more like an older friend who you had the hots for.

Bradley hasn’t been home for months-or longer, you totally haven’t been counting, and it totally hasn’t been exactly 8 months 3 weeks and 5 days. He isn’t planning on coming back any time soon, at least if he is he hasn’t told you, which is why you’re stuck pouting with your face between your hands as a few people purchase drinks from the bar.

You work at Penny’s bar, The Hard Deck, which is lowkey awkward considering your dad used to date her. But nonetheless she treats you like her own daughter. The only thing you dislike about working with her is the fact that she scolds you when you flirt while working, it's understandable but makes you want to roll your eyes.

Maverick walks in with a small smile on his face, sitting down at the bar in front of you, “How’s your day Y/N?”.

“It’s pretty good Mav, Penny might want to talk to you though,” winking at him you walk away, heading in the direction of the dart board.

“Hey boys, need a refill?” you smile sweetly, tapping your heel against the wooden floor softly.

“Thank you, baby girl,” Hangman smirks as he hands you the empty bottles, “you know which tab to add it to right?” he nods toward Coyote.

You give a small nod and head back to the bar to grab two more beer bottles, you add the total to Coyote’s tab. He lost in darts, even after covering Jake’s eyes, one more night and you don’t think you’ll be able to withstand his charm any longer.

“Y/N it’s time for you to clock out, if you want to beat the rush and get to your date on time,” your eyes light up.

“Thank you Pen!” you smile gathering your things before clocking out. “See you tomorrow evening.” Penny nods at you, smiling at you softly as you rush out of the door.

__________

Hours have passed along with another failed attempt at online dating. Both things have led to you lying in your bed holding your breath as you imagine what it'd be like if Bradley came home and surprised you.

It started off innocent, him holding your waist close to him, the heat radiating from his chest as you sucked in a deep breath. Basking in his mahogany, sandalwood and vanilla musky scent, it made your knees weak, your eyes roll into the back of your head.

Your body felt hot, like you were boiling from the insides out. Squeezing your legs tightly together to keep your panties from soaking your bedsheets.

While biting your lip you carefully open the shoebox hidden underneath your bed, grabbing your bright pink bullet vibrator. If your dad came home, you’d know, so locking the door wasn’t a big priority.

Sucking in a deep breath you relax against your plush mattress. Licking your lips you spread your legs being gentle while unbuttoning your shirt, being slow with each button to build up the tension.

Once you finally peel off your blouse, you throw it to the side of the room before leisurely unzipping your skirt. You’re starting to become impatient, every part of your body is aching to be touched by Bradley’s calloused hands.

“For fucks sake,” a soft whine escapes your parted lips, squeezing your eyes shut you begin roaming your hands all over your body. You squeeze the soft part of your body, moaning Bradley’s name as you do so.

Spreading your legs, you pull down your panties, running a finger through your soaked lips. Once you find the bundle of nerves you start rubbing soft and steady circles into it, this causes your hips to jerk a little while your eyes roll back.

You wrap a hand around your neck putting a comfortable amount of pressure on it, soft moans spill from your lips as you push your hips up begging for more friction. You press the smooth button, listening to the faint hum, you press down two more times. The soft hum from before has become more intense and slightly louder.

Let’s be honest, masturbation is nothing compared to sex. Especially the sex you’ve been dreaming and lusting over since age 16.

A soft smile forms on your lips as you press the rough tip against the hood of your clit, your muscles all tense up while your breathing stops for just a second. It sounded like a rock or something else small had hit your window, after waiting for a few seconds you decide it's probably nothing and press the vibrator against your nub.

You bite down on your lip harshly, squeezing your neck roughly. Sadly, you have a shitty toy because desperate times call for desperate measures so there isn’t much more it can give. Removing the hand from your neck, pushing two fingers into your pulsating hole.

Unbeknownst to yourself, there was now a visitor in your room, one who snuck in from your open window. Hiding in the dark corner next to your window, a hand clasped against his mouth as he absorbed the sight of you desperate and needy begging for more.

“Bradley harder!” you moan loudly, as you pick up the pace of your fingers,your back arching. Cum spills from your pussy, you sink back into the mattress, sighing discontentedly.

“Oh, Sweetheart.” the familiar voice rings through the now silent room. You instantly throw your hands over your chest and squeeze your legs together tightly. “If you needed some help you could have just asked for it.” Bradley walks out into the middle of your room, staring down at you with darkened eyes.

“B-bradley, when did you get in here?” you try to play it cool but sweat is forming on your forehead as you rapidly cover up with a blanket, eyes shifting to the window.

“Do you mean, how much did I see? Or rather how much I heard?” He raises his eyebrows with a smirk, you nod as your cheeks turn a deep red. “Not much, just you pleading for me to be rougher, is that really how you like it princess?”.

“Bradley! Shut up,” you cover your face with your hands while trying to figure out the best thing for you to do now. “Look, I didn’t know you were stopping by. I’m sorry that you, uhm, that you saw what you saw.” Your voice cracks while you barely take a breath, his shoes clack against the floor as he makes his way to you.

The dip in the bed being the sign that he’s next to you. “Y/N, I really don’t care.” He pries your hands off your face. “I know you didn’t know I was coming into town, because it was a surprise.” He sucks in a deep breath, “I just didn’t know I was the one who would be surprised.”

The room fills with silence, just your accelerated breathing and the ticking of your alarm clock. “Hey Brad… Can you please leave?” you push your face into your knees.

Bradley licks his lips, “I think I have a better idea,” he runs a finger down your spine while pressing kisses into your shoulder. Your body relaxes into him as you sigh quietly, he pulls your face from your legs “Look at me, my pretty girl,” you slowly open your eyes while avoiding making eye contact,

“Darlin’ I want you to look in my eyes,” biting your lower lip you look up at him innocently, his hands move to cup your cheeks and pull you into his face. “Fuck, you’re so hot,” he grips your neck and leans into kiss you.

You move onto his lap while tangling your fingers in his hair, he groans into your mouth before pulling back. Bradley pulls away from your lips and moves to kiss your neck, using his body to push your back against your bed. You gasp as he explores your body with his mouth, calloused fingers pinching your nipples.

Arching into him you moan loudly as he pushes a finger into your throbbing pussy. “You like that?” his voice low and seductive, using his thumb he presses your nub softly. Bradley presses kisses all over your stomach, groaning at the sight of you so needy under him, pre cum leaks from his tip as he grinds against the bed.

“I need you right now, please,” you grab Bradley by his face and pull him up. Kissing his lips passionately while grinding down on his fingers.

“Oh what a needy little slut you are, huh?” He pushes two more fingers into you, “is this what you needed? Or is this a little more up your alley.” He smirks while wrapping a hand around your throat, applying ample pressure.

“Fuck you,” you groan, lips parting as your chest heaves, gasps pouring from your mouth.

“Baby, that's what you’re gonna do,” he taunts, Bradshaw has had enough. He finally lays down and pulls you onto his stomach, his hands massage your thighs as he lifts your hips up.

“Bradley wait,” your hands rest on his chest, “ condom, left middle drawer”. He leans over grabbing the small golden wrapper, ripping it open with his teeth, fumbling with the latex as he squeezes it over his tip.

“Thanks for reminding me princess,” he tucks your hair behind your ear, “now ride me babe,”.

Lining your hole up with his tip you begin to lower yourself down on him, moans leave your parted lips. He furrows his eyebrows, hands moving up to cup your breasts, you sink down on his length, wincing at the uncomfortable stretch.

“Fuck, good girl,” bradley groans, his shakey breathing fills your senses. You lift your hips slowly bouncing on his dick, he grabs your ass squeezing roughly. Your hands explore his abs as you use his body to steady your own.

Your eyes squeeze tight, body tightening up around him. Twirling your fingers into your hair you grasp the strands pulling at his roots.

Bradley flips the pair of you over, his eyes dark and dominant as he hovers over you, his hips thrust into yours at a steady pace. He lowers his head to suck on your erect nipple, one hand wraps around your neck squeezing just enough to slow your breathing.

Your arms wrap around his neck as you pull him to you, kissing his lips passionately, your nails dig into his back. Bradley presses his middle finger into your clit, rubbing rough circles into it, while trying to hold back moans you bury your face in his nape.

His thrusts become sloppy, bradleys hand tightens around your neck causing you to arch into him, he leans down sucking dark hickeys into your neck. “Darling, I’m so close,” the sound of skin slapping fills the room as you nod in response.

“Me too Bradley,” you whine quietly. Bradley uses his middle and pointer finger to rub sloppy circles into your sensitive nub, causing your body to jerk forward and your eyes to flutter shut, soft moans fill his ears.

He runs his hand through your hair pulling your head back. Bradley throws his head back in pleasure, you begin to tighten up around him drawing out a long groan. “Rooster,” you chant his name, “more, please I need more,”, he complies with your desires and angles your bodies so he hits even deeper.

Hugging your body close to his, he thrusts a couple more times before you cum around him, Bradley slows down as he cums. His body jerks softly, “Thats the best welcome home present ive ever gotten love,” he whispers into your ear.

Your bedroom door opens, revealing Maverick, “Get your clothes on and meet me in the living room,” his stern voice shakes you to the core.

Well shit

[callsign-dexter]

I'm Already There Pt. 2

Summary: Now that Carole knows she is pregnant she has to deal with the pregnancy without Nick but her wanting to go through this together she moved to Maryland. Now they’re back home for the last month of the pregnancy where they learn some exciting news.

Pairings: Nick Bradshaw x Carole Bradshaw, Carole Bradshaw x Daughter!reader, Nick Bradshaw x Daughter!reader, Bradley Bradshaw x Sister!reader

Warnings: fluff, inaccurate military talk

Masterljst

I'm Already There

The, now, Carole Bradshaw was ecstatic learning she was going to be a mother and Nick was going to be a father. Everything was perfect, except the morning sickness. It wasn’t terrible but it was there. Nick was back home finally after graduating from the Naval Academy. She had one more month of being pregnant and that means one more checkup. She had all of her appointments in Virginia since that is where they wanted their child born. They were currently at their last appointment and getting ready to do the ultrasound.

“What do you think the baby is going to be?” Nick asked his, now, wife who was sitting on the chair in her medical issued gown.

“I honestly don’t care as long as they are healthy.” Carole said, rubbing her swollen stomach and smiling at it. The sight made Nick smile.

“What if we end up having twins?” Nick asked coming over to stand next to his wife. Carole smiled and looked up at him.

“Then it would be perfect. Boy and a girl.” Carole said and smiled. Nick was about to answer when the doctor walked into the room and greeted them while shutting the door.

"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw. How are you today?" Dr. Lake asked them.

"Really good. Excited to see what we are having." Carole said smiling which made Dr. Lake smile.

"Well let's get started shall we?" She asked and Nick being the over excited man he nodded enthusiastically which made them both laugh. Carole had already been sitting on the chair so all she had to do was lift her shirt. Dr. Lake put the gel on her stomach and moved it around until she found the baby or in this case babies. "Oh." She said and that freaked the soon to be parents out.

"Oh?" Nick asked for both of them.

"Well it seems like there is a second baby. I don't know how we missed it unless the other one was hiding behind the other." Dr. Lake said "Do you want to find out then genders?" She asked.

"Absolutely!" Carole said and they watched the babies move at the sound of their mothers voice. One even kicked where the ultrasound wand was. They all laughed at that.

"Well it looks like the one in front is a little boy and the second looks like a little girl. It looks like brother is hiding sister." She said and both Carole and Nick looked at each other. The rest of the appointment went by with a breeze. They were just so happy they were getting twins.

When they got home Nick was all about taking care of his wife and his babies. He was good at it and Carole wasn't going to complain, although he could be overbearing at some points. Now they knew the gender of the babies, they knew their names and couldn't wait for them to be here to spoil them.

June 27 1984 couldn't have come any faster. It was in the middle of the night when Carole's water broke. "Nick!" She tried and got nothing. "Honey!" She shoved him a little bit and got a grumble and rolled over she sighed frustrated. She grabbed her pillow and hit him "Goose!" She yelled and that woke him up. When he told her the callsign he had gotten she laughed but said that it fit him. She also had met Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell and they instantly became friends.

"I'm up. I'm up. What's wrong?" He asked sitting up and looking over at his wife.

"My water broke." Carole said calmly and it took a few minutes and then it clicked and he was shooting out of bed. He started to run around getting stuff and throwing stuff in and Carole just sat there and looked at him like he was crazy, which he was but she loved him. He finally stopped and looked at her.

"Are you ok? Do you need anything?" He asked and she just looked at him.

"Yes I need to go to the hospital. We're fine." She said and before they knew it they were out the door and on their way to the hospital with Nick going as fast as he could.

When they got there they took her straight back while Nick called Maverick, who was there in a instant. He also called their parents who also came down. They all waited in the waiting room while Nick went back to his wife. Carole was sweating and had hair stuck to her but to Nick she couldn't have looked more beautiful.

"I can't believe I let you do this to me!" She yelled at him and hit him but he didn't take it ro heart.

"Just think, Darling. We'll have two wonderful babies here soon. They're going to be so loved." He said and ran a hand through her hair.

"I still hate you for doing this to me but I'm gonna love those babies." She said just as another contraction hit her. She squeezed his hand and hard and he tried to show it but he was in pain.

"Ok, Darling. Let up on the strength. I have to have my hand for my career." Nick said trying to joke and keep the mood light but she just glared at him and he shut up. Dr. Lake came in as she was glaring at her husband.

"I take he said something offensive." She chuckled and Carole nodded. "They always say the wrong things at the wrong time. Ok, I'm gonna check you." She said and Carole nodded.

"I'm ready for them to be here." Carole said as another contraction hit and while she still had a hold of Nick's hand but he didn't say a word.

"Well it looks like your fully dilated. Ready to see your babies?" She asked and both Carole and Nick nodded.

"Absolutely!" They both said at the same time.

"Next contraction I want you to push." Dr. Lake said and as the next contraction hit she started to push. "That's it momma. You're doing great. Dad you doing ok?" She asked not taking her eyes off the babies.

"Doing great." He said trying to hide the pain.

"I see the head of the first baby." Dr. Lake said "I want you to do the same thing as before." She said and as the next contraction hit Carole did what she was told.

"I'm never letting you touch me again." Carole told him and eveyone just laughed knowing it wasn't true.

"Ok, Darling. I love you." Ncik said and she turned to him seething.

"I see the head. You got this momma." Dr. Lake cut in and Carole pushed and the first baby came out screaming and crying "Congratulations! It's a boy!" Dr. Lake said "Dad you want to cut the cord?" She said and Nick nodded. She showed him where to cut. The baby boy was placed on her chest for a brief moment until Dr. Lake announced that the second baby was on its way and she could already see the head. "Wow. I've never had this happen before." She said.

"Have what happen?" Carole asked a little panicked.

"Nothing bad don't worry. It looks like they're going to be born at the exact same time." Dr. Lake said "It looks like you have come competitive babies." She said with a smile and they chuckled. "Ok, you know what to do." She said and then Carole started pushing and the second baby came out screaming and crying just like her brother "Congratulations! It's a girl!" Dr. Lake said "Dad?" Nick cut the cord. Both babies were crying and wouldn't stop until they were laid upon their mother's chest together, when they touched each other letting each other know they're there that's when they stopped their crying. Both of them were already cleaned up.

Once everything was settled and Dr. Lake and the nurses left is when they got to actually be with their kids. "They're perfect." Carole said while she held the boy and Nick held the girl.

"Just like their momma." He said and Carole chuckled.

"They're also like you." She said and he smiled. He looked down at his little girl and she wrapped her hand around his finger and it brought tears to his eyes. A nurse came in and checked on them and asked them for the names so she could write them on the card.

"The boy is Bradley." Carole said looking down at him smiling he opened his eyes and smiled at her. The nurse smiled.

"What about the girl?" She asked and Nick was just smiling away.

"Y/N. Her name is Y/N." He said and she smiled in her sleep and snuggled into her daddy. The nurse wrote down the names and then left. A few minutes later they let their family and Maverick in to see them. They were in awe. They were perfect.

Carole, Bradley, and Y/N stayed in the hospital for a few days making sure they were ok. Nick never left their side and surprisingly Maverick was there as well. He was cherishing those moments that he was getting with them because you never know of it's going to be your last.

3 days later they were allowed to go home and honestly, they were pretty easy babies. Bradley and Y/N never wanted to be away from each other, this just proved to the parents that they were going to be there for each other and Y/N had a brother to look after her. The parents couldn't wait to see them grow up and see what they become.

Tag List:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx2021

@grandstrangerphantom

[sebastianstangirl01]

One Man’s Loss is Another Man’s Gain

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

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Wife Reader

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

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

Requested: Yes!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Out here!” Penny called from the back deck

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Taglist

@daughterofthereaper02

@luckyladycreator2

@calpurniatypes

@littlebadariell

@qnfluvr

@raefoxiegirl

@maverick-wingman

@avada-kedrava-bitch

@army24--7

[ereardon]

That Summer || Epilogue [Bradley Bradshaw x Reader]

A Bradley Bradshaw AU

Synopsis: One night during the summer you turned eighteen, you woke up to a surprise. Your father, a retired Navy Admiral, had posted bail for the son of a former colleague who was now orphaned and had gotten himself mixed up with the law. Instead of letting him get lost in the judicial system, your father signed himself up as Bradley Bradshaw’s guardian to prevent him from going to juvie. You were explicitly told to stay away from the boy in the attic room. But as the summer went on, you and Bradley struck up an unlikely friendship that turned into a forbidden relationship. Bradley tipped your world upside down, challenging everything you had once thought you knew. How could the two of you think it would end any differently than it did when your father called the cops the night he found the two of you in bed together?

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Reader 

Warnings: Cursing, angst, illusion to smut, happy endings, time jumps, premature baby, hospital scene

Chapter summary: Twelve years after the night they're torn apart, Bradley and Birdy reunite in San Diego

Wordcount: 4.5K

Series masterlist here; Part Ten here

“Do you know him?” 

You looked at Amanda and then back to where you had been staring. 

You’d recognize him anywhere. Even though it had been twelve years since you had last seen him. Even though you hadn’t heard your voice falling from his perfect lips since that late August night, all those years ago, when your world was turned on its axis. 

Bradley Bradshaw was a part of you. Your thumb automatically touched the gold ring around your fourth finger. 

You watched as Bradley slid the sunglasses off of the bridge of his nose, squinting into the distance, trying to place you. 

And for a fleeting moment it was just the two of you, standing in a hospital parking lot. And you were eighteen again, with everything spread out in front of you, a future that you were desperate not to do alone. 

You dropped your gaze and shook your head. “No,” you whispered. “Not anymore.” 

*the aftermath*

You went off to Stanford three weeks later. 

It was the longest three weeks of your life. 

By the time you got to the police station a few hours later, Bradley was gone. No one would tell you where he was or what had really happened. 

You spent the first week in a daze, barely speaking. And then, one night, drunk off of a bottle of stolen Sancerre you had pilfered from your mother’s stash, you barged into your father’s study. 

“Tell me what you did,” you demanded, swaying from side to side, a dull ringing in one ear. 

He looked up, dejected. “Not now, Y/N.” 

“Yes, now,” you countered. “Tell me or I never speak to either of you ever again.” 

He sighed, folding his hands on his desk. “Fine. You want to know the truth?” 

“Yes.”

The story your father wove sounded improbable. Unbelievable for the Bradley you had known. 

He said that Bradley had stolen. From him and from others at the debutante ball. A pilfered wallet here and there. Pierce’s wallet. That he had found Bradley in his study a few nights before the incident, combing through his files. That when he confronted him, Bradley denied it. 

Your father shook his head. “You’re better off, Y/N. We tried, your mother and I. I owed it to his parents to try. But he was an unruly kid, just like I expected. Look what he did. He corrupted you.” 

You lifted your gaze. “He didn’t corrupt me, daddy. I love him.” 

His face hardened. “You’re too young to know love, Y/N.”

“Were you too young when you fell in love with Carole?” 

He was silent. The air in the room stilled. 

Finally, your father looked up. 

“You can hate me,” he said, “for the rest of your life, if you want. But it’s never going to change the fact that I did what I did because you’re my daughter and it is my duty to protect you. Your mother and I, we just want the best for you.” 

“Did you ever stop and think that maybe Bradley was the best thing that ever happened to me?” you asked, standing up and crossing the room to the doors, flinging them open. “And that maybe instead of saving me, you broke my life apart?” 

You stormed out of the study and up the stairs, to the third floor. Louise had cleaned out Bradley’s room. All that remained was the bed, stripped of sheets and pillows and comforters, just a mattress on a rickety metal frame. You laid down on the bare mattress and cried. There was nothing you could do to bring him back. 

*Four years after*

“Are you sure you don’t want to come back? Texas A&M is only an hour away.” 

You frowned. “I got into Stanford’s medical school. Why would I decline that?” 

“Because Texas is your home.” 

You shook your head at your mother. “No, it’s not. Not anymore.” 

“Y/N.” She laid a hand on your arm and you brushed it off. The California sun was strong as it beat down on your shoulders. Graduation had taken nearly three hours and you had only just packed up the final box in your car. 

“Mother,” you said coolly, “it’s done. I’m not coming back. California is my home now.” 

“Is this still about that boy?” 

“Do not speak to me about Bradley.” Your voice was sharp. 

She sighed. “Y/N, it’s been years. You can forgive us now.” 

“I will never forgive you,” you whispered and the simmering violence beneath your words scared her. You could tell by the way she inched backward. 

“Leave her be, Evelyn.” Your father stepped forward, closing the trunk door. “She’s made up her mind.” 

“But–”

He cut her off. “We dug our grave, Evelyn. Time to lie in it.” 

You opened the car door. “I’ll see you in November for Thanksgiving.” 

“Can we at least help you move into your new apartment?” your mother asked. 

You shook your head. “The movers are there, and so is Ivy. Nothing more you can do.” You looked at the two of them. Bright under the blinding sun. In four years they had aged. So had you. 

Leaving Texas had been the best decision you ever made. Going back after Bradley never felt like an option. 

You sank into the driver’s seat and pulled out onto the road. In the rearview, your parents grew smaller and smaller, until they were only specks in the mirror. 

You blinked, and they were gone. 

*Six months after*

“Bradley Bradshaw,” you repeated into the phone. “He would have come in on August twenty fifth.” 

“Sorry, ma’am, that’s classified information.” 

“I just need to know where he was released,” you begged. “Any information you can give me would be so helpful.” 

The receptionist sighed. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I can’t.” 

You hung up, frustrated. Your phone was clamped so hard in your hands that you thought you might break it. Leaning back on your dorm-issued bed, you pulled up a new Safari window and pressed return, finding a phone number instantly. 

“Hello?” 

“Hi,” you said, voice shaky. “My name is Y/N Sullivan. Admiral Sullivan’s daughter. I’m looking for any last known address for Bradley Bradshaw. His father was a Top Gun instructor years ago, Goose?” 

“Ms. Sullivan,” the voice on the other end of the line said. “One moment.” You jiggled your knee. “The last known address we have for the Bradshaws is here in San Diego.” 

“Can I have it please?” 

You grabbed a pen and your biology lab notebook, scribbling it down on the corner. After hanging up the phone, you sat there, looking at the address before ripping the corner piece off and tacking the triangle of scrap paper to the corkboard above your desk. 

*Five years after* 

Bradley smoothed his hands over his hair. He locked the door of his rental car and started up the familiar driveway. 

Galveston has taken on an ethereal quality in his mind. He closed his eyes and saw you – swimming in the ocean late at night, laughing with your hair thrown back under the skylight, eating breakfast in the kitchen nook, driving with one hand on the steering wheel and the other fiddling with the radio. 

Being back felt like bursting that bubble. 

It felt duller. Even the house, which held so many memories, felt like it had faded with the years. 

He knocked on the door, heart beating erratically. 

It opened and Bradley gulped. Your father stood with one hand on the large wooden door frame. “Bradley.” 

“Admiral.” 

The two men looked at each other. Finally, your father stepped to the side. “Come in.” 

Bradley nodded, ducking his head. Inside, the house felt like a time capsule. Everywhere he looked, Bradley saw you. And yet, you were nowhere to be found. 

If he looked closely, he could see the chip in the wood trim of the doorway where his handcuffs had scraped the night he was dragged out of the house. 

The last time he saw you. 

The two sat down in the study, staring at each other wordlessly. 

Finally, Bradley opened his mouth. “I report to Pensacola next week for training.” 

Your father’s mouth drifted open. “So you finished at the Academy.” It was a statement, not a question. 

Bradley nodded. “Yes, sir.” 

“Will you become a WSO, like your father?” 

He shook his head. “Aviator, sir.” 

Your father took him in for a moment. Then, “I always knew you’d come back.” 

“Did you?” Bradley asked. “I didn’t.” 

“What we did, son, we did for her own good.” 

Even at the slightest mention of you, Bradley’s breath caught in his throat. He wanted to attack your father with questions. How were you? Where were you? Did you remember him? Were you seeing someone? But he settled with, “I understand.” 

“You do?” 

He nodded. “Now, yes. Back then I didn’t.” Bradley folded his hands in his lap. “I loved her, you know. It wasn’t some kind of game.”

“I know it wasn’t.” Your father stood up, pouring himself a drink and handing Bradley a second glass without him ever asking. “She never forgave us for that night. And I don’t know if I can blame her. I did what I thought was right. But now, I don’t know.” 

“Why did you do it?” Bradley asked. “Was it just to keep me away from her?” 

Your father shook his head. “You were a thief, Bradley. Why would I want that for my daughter?”

“I thought it was the only way to provide for her,” Bradley said. “I’m ashamed of what I did, sir. I thought, I don’t know. That maybe I could go with her to California. But to do that, I needed money. I wanted to provide a life for her. I just didn’t know how.” 

“You were a child, Bradley,” he said. “A child can’t provide for a woman. A wife.” 

“I know.” Bradley hung his head. “Is she?” 

“She’s happy,” your father said. That was all he said. It was enough and they both knew it. 

Bradley stood up, setting down the glass. “I just came here to say thank you.” 

“For what?” Your father let the shock ring through his voice. 

“For protecting her,” he said. “It forced me to grow up. To be realistic. I appreciate you taking me in. But having you kick me out did more for me than shelter ever would have.” 

Your father nodded. Bradley stepped out into the foyer and opened the door. “Son.” 

He stopped, looking over at your father in the doorway to the office. 

“Thank you.” 

“For what?” 

“For knowing when to walk away.” 

*Twelve years after* 

“Dr. Sullivan, triage on room five says the baby isn’t breathing.” 

“Fuck.” Your sneakers squeaked along the linoleum floors as you sprinted down the hallway. You rounded the corner, tugging on a gown, skidding through the door. “I’m here, walk me through.” 

A nurse gave you the verbal run down as you approached the baby on the warming table. 

“She needs a trache. Call anesthesia, tell them we have a thirty-three week preemie and page an attending.” 

“Dr. Kettering is with a patient in OR two, uterine hemorrhage after a c-section.” 

“Shit,” you whispered under your breath. “OK, gloves.” 

You carefully sliced a small opening in the baby’s neck, inserting a tiny breathing tube, waiting with baited breath until her chest inflated. 

You sighed, hair sticking to the underside of your scrub cap. “Page Dr. Kettering and tell her to meet us in OR three. Tell her we’re bringing in baby Katherine.” 

“Yes, doctor.” 

You watched the nurses wheel away the baby in the warmer before peeling off your gloves, stepping over to the woman in the bed near the window. “Mrs. Yates? Are you doing OK?” 

The tiny brunette shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “She’s too small. It’s too early.” 

You patted her hand softly. “It’s going to be OK. We talked about this. We’re ready. Right?” 

She nodded. Behind her, her husband had the same look of apprehension. You recognized it instantly. It was the same with most patients. 

“I’m going to go see your daughter. Get some rest, I’ll be back soon.” 

They nodded weakly. Five hours later, you returned in a sweat-drenched pair of blue scrubs. Mr. and Mrs. Yates looked up the moment you walked in. 

“Katherine did perfect,” you said and they collapsed into each other with joy. “Our team is closing right now and then you can go visit her in the NICU. One of the nurses will take you down there.” 

“Thank you.” The husband gathered you into his arms and you hugged him back. When he pulled back, there were tears in his eyes. “Seriously, thank you.” 

You grinned. “It was my pleasure.” 

***

The sun was blinding. Sinking down against the sky toward the water. You stepped out of the hospital doors and took in a deep breath. 

“Birdy.” 

Every atom in your body froze. Then, you turned, eyes wide. 

Bradley stood ten feet away, wearing a long-sleeve shirt and jeans. He smiled and you felt it in your toes, your stomach, your inner ear. 

“Bradley,” you breathed. So it had been him the other day. Not a mirage like you thought. 

He smiled and it lit up his entire face. “Birdy.” 

A part of you wanted to jump into his arms. Toss your hands around his neck, breathe him in deeply. Make up for lost time. But you held back. What if he was married? Or engaged? 

Instead, you smiled back. 

“Hey there.” 

He pushed his right hand into his pocket. You fiddled with your badge. “Are you, uh, do you work here?” 

You nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

“That’s great.” Bradley couldn’t take his eyes off of you. “Sorry, I just—” 

You shook your head. “I know, it’s been a while.” 

“Are you going somewhere?” he asked. “Can we get dinner? Drinks? Whatever you want.” 

You frowned and Bradley’s heart broke. 

“Or if you can’t, I understand.” 

“No, that’s not it,” you said and he brightened. “I just, are you here with someone?” 

“My friends had a baby,” he said, “but she’s out of surgery and doing OK, I guess.”

“What’s her name?” 

“Katherine.” 

You smiled. “I did her surgery this afternoon. She did great.” 

“You did her surgery?” 

A nod. “Well, there were a few of us in there, but yeah.” 

“I always knew you’d be amazing,” he said softly. And suddenly you were eighteen again. Lying on your bed holding hands with Bradley, dreaming of the rest of your life. “Listen, I should go tell Mel and Jim that I’m heading out. I’ll meet you for dinner. Charlie’s, by the water. Do you know it?” 

You smiled. It was less than a five minute drive from your house. “Yeah, I know it.”

“OK. See you there in like thirty?” 

You nodded. As you turned to leave, Bradley reached out, grabbing your wrist lightly. The electricity of his touch set you on fire. 

He smiled. “God, I missed you.” 

“I’ve missed you, too, B,” you whispered. 

“I don’t want to let you go,” he admitted and you chuckled. “Promise me I’m not going to show up to an empty table?” 

“I promise.” 

***

By the time you arrived, wearing a light linen dress and a pair of sandals, Bradley was already there. He stood up when you came into view and waited until you sat down to take a seat. 

“You look great,” he said softly. 

“Thank you.” You opened the menu, trying to stop your heart from racing. Peering over the top of the menu, you caught Bradley staring. “You look good, too.” 

He blushed. “I’m sorry, I’m probably being so awkward.” 

“I am, too.” 

Bradley held out his hand across the table, palm up. You set the menu down, sliding your hand into his. It was the easiest thing in the world. He looked down, fingers tracing your ring, before looking up with wide eyes. “Is that?” 

You nodded. “I never took it off.” 

Bradley could barely breathe, let alone speak. “Just to be clear, you’re not dating someone, are you?” 

You laughed. “With all my spare time? No, I’m not. There’s barely enough time outside of the hospital to do laundry, let alone meet someone.” You paused. “Are you?” 

He shook his head. “Same here, never really had the time.” Bradley took a sip of water before lifting his gaze. “Besides, why bother when I know it’ll never live up to what I had and lost?” 

“Bradley,” you breathed. 

His hand squeezed yours. “It’s you, Birdy. It’s always been you.” 

“Tell me what happened,” you whispered. “That night. All of it. I spoke to my father, but I want to hear your side.” 

Bradley squeezed your hand before letting it fall back onto the table. “Of course. You deserve to know the truth.” 

Your gaze was locked on Bradley as he recounted it all. How he had pilfered one wallet at the debutante ball out of desperation so he could afford to go to California with you when you left for Stanford. That he had gone into your father’s study, but only to look for documents about his parents. How he had floated for a minute before finding his footing, using his father’s connections to reconnect with his father’s best friend, a man named Maverick, who had taken him under his care and helped Bradley get into the Naval Academy. How he had gone back, five years later, to your parent’s house in Galveston, to apologize. That he had wanted to ask for your contact information, but when your father said you were happy he decided to let you be. He had lost you once. It was more important to him that you were happy, than that you were his. 

“I thought about trying to find you,” he said softly. The plates in front of the two of you were empty. Most of the other dining patrons had cleared out. Once again, it was just you and Bradley, sitting hand-in-hand, two of you against the world. “A hundred times. A thousand, even. But I was always worried that if I did, maybe you wouldn’t want me anymore. Or worse, that I would ruin your life all over again.” 

“You didn’t ruin anything. Not then, and not now.” 

Your heart was fluttering. 

And then the waiter came around. “Check?” 

You smiled, pulling out your wallet. Bradley slipped his card onto the leather bill holder with a frown. “I’m paying, Birdy.”

“Things have changed,” you whispered. 

“Some,” he said softly, signing the check and standing, holding out one hand. “And some things are the same.”

You took his hand. “Can we talk more?” 

“Yes, please.” 

“Follow my car, I live just a few miles from here.” 

Bradley squeezed your hand before letting go. You slid into the driver’s seat, setting off down the road. A few minutes later, you hit the blinker, turning into the shallow driveway of the blue bungalow. Bradley’s Bronco appeared in the rearview, slowly before parking behind your sedan. Bradley stepped out of the truck, his eyes locked on the house. 

You unlocked the front door, ushering him in and sliding off your shoes. “Wine?” 

“Sure.” 

“Make yourself comfortable.” 

You stepped toward the back of the house to the galley kitchen, pulling out a bottle of white wine and two glasses before making your way to the living room. Bradley stood in the center of the room with one hand pressed against his jaw. He turned around. “Honey, I have to tell you something.” 

You set the glasses and wine bottle down. “What is it?” 

“I, um, I used to live here,” he said quietly. “When my parents were alive.” 

“Bradley?” 

“Yeah?”

“I know.” 

He squinted. “You know?” 

You nodded, sitting down on the couch and patting the space next to you. Bradley sat down. “I called Top Gun that summer, trying to find any way I could to reach you. They gave me your last known address and this was it. I bought it after my first year at Stanford and used it as a rental property until I finished medical school and got my residency at UCSD.” 

“I–” Bradley shook his head. “I don’t know what to say.” 

Nerves flooded your body. “I hope it’s not weird. I just, I wanted to feel closer to you. I thought maybe one day you’d come back and you’d find me.” 

He placed one hand on your bare knee. “I lived in your house. Only makes sense that you would live in mine.” 

“I never thought about it that way.” 

The two of you sat in silence for a minute. Bradley’s hand was warm on your bare skin. “I’m sorry,” he whispered after a moment. 

“What are you sorry for?” 

“I made you promises I was never going to be able to keep,” Bradley said. “I just loved you so much, I wanted to make you happy. Even if that meant telling you what I thought I should say instead of what I could say.” 

“Bradley,” you whispered, reaching out softly, placing one hand on his cheek. He had a mustache now, and the stubble scraped against the skin of your palm but it felt right. There were small crows feet in the corner of his eyes from too much time in the sun. Your fingers slid back toward his hair. “You made me happy and that’s what mattered. We were both naive. It wasn’t either of our faults. We were just kids back then.” 

“You always seemed ahead of things,” he murmured. “When you set your mind to something, I knew it would happen. That’s why I really thought we might be able to do it. Run away together. Instead, I was just running. I think I was always running.” 

“When did that stop?” you asked.

“Four hours ago,” he said and your breath caught in your throat, “when I saw you again.” 

“Oh.” 

Bradley’s fingers trailed up your extended arm, from where your fingers were threaded in his hair, down past your elbow, toward your shoulder, tugging you in closer until his face was only a few inches away. “I know it’s been twelve years, Y/N. I know that in reality we’re strangers. But I think a part of me stopped growing without you. It’s like I was on pause and I’ve only now gotten the remote back and I can press play again.” 

“I know what you mean,” you whispered. “Even though it was crazy, somewhere in the back of my mind, I think I’ve always been waiting for you.” 

Bradley had both hands pressed to either side of your face. He smelled familiar, but with something else, something new. You thought about the men you had been with since him. How empty it would feel after, or even during. How you’d lay there in the darkness and think about what it had been like with Bradley. 

“I thought maybe everyone has something like we did when they were young,” you murmured. “That I needed to stop comparing everyone to you. Because maybe your first love is just different. I didn’t know if what we had was real, or if it was just powerful because it was the first time.” 

His thumb stroked your cheek delicately. “It was real, Birdy. At least for me it was.” 

“It was real for me, too.” 

“This is going to sound crazy,” he said, lips pulled back in a smile. You remembered the first time you saw him smile. The first time the two of you swam in the ocean together. 

“I like crazy.” 

He grinned. “I still love you, honey. I never stopped loving you.” 

You held him tightly. “I know,” you whispered. “I never stopped either.” 

And then his lips were on yours as you fell back against the couch cushions, Bradley’s more muscular and defined body slotted between your legs as he pressed you back against the couch, his kiss powerful and familiar and perfect. 

You melted into him. His scent, his touch. A tear slid out from your eye as Bradley’s lips moved slowly, choreographed, against yours, his hands smoothing over your body slowly, as if he was reminding himself about the lines of your figure, tracing a path to a map he had read once but never forgotten. 

Twelve years disappeared in a fleeting moment as you and Bradley moved together, your fingers tight against his biceps, his mouth trailing wet, open kisses to the bare expanse of your neck as the two of you clung to each other tightly. 

You would know Bradley Bradshaw anywhere. You would know Bradley Bradshaw with your eyes closed. You would know Bradley Bradshaw until the moment you died. 

He was bonded to you. He was infused in every single atom in your body. He ran through your veins alongside your blood. He haunted your dreams. He patrolled your memories. His touches were tattooed on your skin like a glow-in-the-dark map that only you could see.  

He was your home. 

THE END 

A/N: Thank you to everyone who read this!! I originally was going to do it as a simple one shot but it truly took on a life of its own.

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His Little Girl | Bradley Bradshaw x Reader P.88

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Hi besties! As promised, here is the second post for this week! We are getting closer and closer to the end of an era 😔 I’m sad, but we will all get to see the kiddos grow up and see more of a different perspective with the goose and Carole universe! Thank you all for still being here and reading my story! I love you all so much 💕 Happy reading and enjoy! ❤️

A/n: Ringing in the New Year with the Bradshaws (-ish 😂)

Word Count: 2.3k

Warnings: Cursing, mentions/hints at death, anxious past, some what drunk characters, crying (good crying), and so much love 🥰

Please don't take my work, I will find you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pinterest

New Years

A week has passed since Christmas. The Christmas decor was stuff up, but it was going to be taken down in a couple of days after new years. It was New Years Eve and you all were excited to go into the new year together. 

The last year brought a lot into your life. You met new people. Make more friends. You were reunited with the love of your life. Your daughter finally got to meet her dad, his friends, her papa Mav, Penny, Amelia. You got to marry Bradley. You live with him. You guys got a dog for your daughter and best of all, you welcomed two little boys. Expanded your family. Moved to a new place. 

The year also brought a lot of hardships. You had to be away from your newly husband just after a month of marrying him. You had to leave your best friend behind. You nearly lost your husband. You went and are still watching him make his recovery and baby steps towards his career. But, all in all. This year brought you so much more purpose in life. 

Bradley was at work getting some paperwork done for his officers. Jake, Nat, and Austin were getting ready for the night out. They asked if you wanted to join them for a couple of hours, and Phantom and Evelyn offered to watch the kids for the night. But you opted to stay home so you could give kisses to all three of them. 

Austin, Nat and Jake came down the stairs all dressed nicely for their night out. Nat came from behind the couch and wrapped her arms around your shoulders. 

“You sure you don’t want to come with for a couple of hours?” 

You laughed and patted her hand. “No you all go ahead. I’m going to stay back with the kiddos and wait for Bradley.” 

All three of them gave you a kiss on the cheek. “We will all see you in the morning.” Jake squeezed you a little tighter. “Happy New Year, Y/n.” 

You patted Jake’s arms and smiled. “Thank you, Jake. Have fun you guys! Be safe!” 

The three of them went to go and say bye to the kids as they played. You watched as they picked each of them up and kissed them and wished them a happy new year.

The three kids were playing on the floor. The boys sitting in their half donut pillows to help support them as they sat on their own, played with their toys. Leia was laying on her tummy reading a book from school. You were sitting on the couch watching them all play as you watched TV and drank some tea. 

———- 

Bradley’s POV

I had been stuck at work all day trying to finish up paperwork for the new year. I couldn’t wait to leave and go home to spend time with my family. I looked over at the clock in my office. 1845. “Damn I’ve been here for nearly 13 hours.” I stood up and stretched my back and looked out my window to the tarmac. A couple of the officers were down there doing their last checks on their planes before leaving for the day. There was a knock at my door. 

“Bradshaw? You in here?” Phantom came in as he knocked on the frame. 

I turned and smiled. “Right here, sir.” He came in and shook my hand. “You leaving for the day?” 

He chuckled. “I’ve got another hour before I head out. Would you like some company or help with anything?” He sat at the chair in front of my desk. 

I made my way around my desk and sat in my chair. “I should almost be done. Just going through some last minute changes for some routes the pilots are gonna fly in the new year. But the company will be nice as i finish it out.” I laughed as i continued to read the new route routine. 

“You and y/n want Eve and I to watch the kids tonight?” He sat back in the seat and made small conversation with me. 

I chuckled. “No, you, Eve, and the girls don’t have to do that for us. Y/n and I planned on staying home with the kids tonight.” 

Phantom picked up my little model f-14 on my desk. “Awh the boys first new years!” 

I nodded. “They’re getting so big now. And it is their first!” I signed a couple of route routines and put all the paperwork away. “Finally finished.” I neatly stacked all the worksheets and papers i had gone through in a pile. 

“You done for the day, Brad?” Phantom placed the f-14 back in its place. 

I sighed and nodded. “Finally. I’ve been sitting in this office for the last 12 hours finishing and pushing paperwork.” 

Phantom started to laugh. “How do you like being a senior officer?” 

I smiled and laid back in my chair. “It is a whole lot of paperwork, but it is a nice change of pace.”

———-

When we finally left the office, it was 1915. Phantom and I said out goodbyes and wished each other a happy new year. 

“See ya next year, Rooster.” Phantom waved at me before hoping into his car.

I laughed. “Yea, see ya next year.” I shook my head and smiled. I got into the truck and headed to the store. I went in and grabbed a couple of New Year’s party hats and crowns. I grabbed a couple of bottles of apple juice and apple cider. I also grabbed some poppers and a couple of noise makers for the kids. I loaded the bags into the truck and headed home to you. 

1950. “Finally home.” I got down from the car and grabbed the bags from the back. I opened the door. “I’m home, my loves!” I set the bags down and started to take off my shoes and hung up my hat. 

“Daddy!!!” Leia came running through the house and jumped into my arms. I covered her in kisses. 

“Hey my little love. I missed you today.” I started to make my way over to you. You picked up both boys and walked over towards me. “Oh baby, don’t pick both of them up.” I let Leia down and grabbed Luke from you. “Hi, baby. I missed you.” I gave you a kiss and then kissed the boys. 

“I missed you too, Brad. How was work?” You smiled and wiped your chapstick from my lips. 

I grabbed Bradley from your grasp and held both boys. “Busy as usual, honey. Just glad to be home.” I smiled and kissed the boys over and over again. We all made our way back to the couch and we all sat. Leia in between us and the boys on my lap. I looked around and listened. “Did the three older kids leave already?” 

You started to chuckle. “Yes, our three eldest left already to go out.” You rested your arm on the back of the couch and laid your chin to your hand. The other reaching over to fix Luke’s tag coming out from his shirt. “They asked if we wanted to join again.”

I laughed and laid back as I watched the boys play with each other’s hands. “They just miss being with us, is all.” Brad put his fingers in my mouth. I gasped and munched on them gently as he started to laugh causing Luke to laugh too. “You boys are so big. Stop growing already.” I grabbed their little hands and gave each of them a kiss. 

I leaned over and placed a kiss on Leia’s head and on your cheek. “I’m gonna go and clean up, sweetheart. Get out of this uniform.” I smiled at you as you nodded. I placed the boys back up against their pillows and headed up stairs. 

———-

As I finished cleaning up, I looked at the time again. 2030. The time was flying by. I headed back down stairs in some sweats and a white t-shirt. You were getting dinner ready for us. I came into the kitchen and grabbed you from behind. I placed kisses on your neck. “What you making, mama?” I placed my chin on your head. 

You giggled. “Leia wanted some Mac and Cheese so I’m making that, along with some chicken and rice.”

I took a deep breath in and smiled. “That is my favorite. Need any help?” 

You turned around in my arms and shook your head. “I’m okay. But you can try and feed the boys their rice cereal today.” You poked my chest and smiled. 

I nodded. “Yes ma’am.” I gave you a kiss before going to get the boys. I put their high chairs next to each other and went to get the boys. I placed each of them into a chair and put on their silicon bibs that had a food catch. I gave each of them a toy to play with while I got their food ready. 

“Leia Rey, come and get your Mac and Cheese, babe.” You had a bowl ready for Leia. She ran over and grabbed it and then went to go and take a seat with her brothers. 

I went into the fridge and grabbed one of their bottles that had your milk in it. I poured the whole bottle into a bowl and went to the pantry to grab the tub of the boys rice cereal. I brought it back out and started to scoop some to put into the bowl of milk. Then I mixed it and nuked it in the micro for 45 seconds. When it came out i tested it to make sure it wasn’t too hot for the boys. 

“Alright boys. Let’s try today. Can you both eat this for daddy?” I said in the mushiest baby voice I had, causing them to both laugh. I placed the bowl onto the table and sat in a chair in front of the both of them. “Baby brother first.” I scooped some with he spoon and blew on it. 

“Here we go Bradley boy. Open wide, babas. Here comes the fighter jet.” I started to mimic the noise. My mouth mimicked the movements little Brad’s mouth made. He spit a little bit up but i scooped it and put it back in his mouth. My eyes went wide. 

“Babe! babe! He ate it! Bradley had his first dose of solid food!” I gasped and you ran over. “Now Lukey-Bear. Open up big boy. Here comes the airplane!” I mimicked noises again and my mouth mimicked Luke’s. He ate the whole spoon in one bite.

“OH MY GOSH!!!!” You and I jumped up in unison. Our baby boys had their first dose of solid-ish food. You and I hugged and Leia ran over to join. Leia gave her brothers kisses. I kissed your forehead and wiped your tears. “They did it, babe!!”

———-

2330. This was the latest all of us had stayed up in a long while. We were all practically falling asleep on the couch waiting. Leia was cuddled up on you, the boys both cuddled into my chest. Our kids were fast asleep. You and I were in and out of sleep as we patiently waited for the TV to show the ball drop. Frozen was playing on the TV as we all fell asleep. 

———-

Phoenix’s POV

Austin, Hangman, and I stumbled back into the house around 0115. We were laughing because Hangman had just tripped up the drive way and fell face first into the front patio. Austin and I couldn’t breathe as he started to get up. We opened the front door shushing each other so we wouldn’t be loud. 

I grabbed Hangman by one arm and Austin grabbed the other. We held him up because he was laughing so hard from falling. 

“I feel like such a dumb ass! I hope the neighbors didn’t see that!” He barely whispered through his laughs. 

We all walked over to the living area and the lights were still on. Austin went and grabbed us all water from the fridge. Hangman and I saw that The Little Mermaid was playing on the TV. Then we looked down on the couch and saw all 6 of you sleeping on the couch together. Leia cuddled up with you. Bradley with the boys cuddled up on his chest. Gunner in the middle of Bradley and you.

I gasped. “Oh my gosh! How cute!” I said in a whisper. Austin came over to see what the commotion was about. 

“That is so precious. They fell asleep before the New year.” He handed us our waters. 

I snapped a picture and went to grab blankets. We placed blankets onto all of you and gave everyone kisses. “Good night you guys. Happy New Year. See you all in the morning.” 

Jake turned the TV off and left a couple of lights on for you all. The three of us went upstairs to change and get ready for bed. The three of us opted to stay downstairs with you all and sleep, just in case if you guys needed the help. 

———-

Your POV

The next morning you woke up and saw you all had fallen asleep on the couch. You stretched slightly and sat up. You saw Jake, Nat, and Austin sleeping on the floor in front of you. you started to laugh. You laid Leia down on the couch and covered her with the blanket. Bradley heard you stirring around and he woke up. He looked around and looked at you. 

“Did we fall asleep down here?” He was shocked. 

You nodded and laughed. “Yes we did. And before the new year.” 

Bradley started to chuckled. “Of course, we did, sweetheart.” He puckered his lips and you went to give him a kiss. “Happy New Year, my love. And the many more to come. I can’t wait to see what this year holds for us. I love you, forever, honey.” He smiled up at you as he continued to hold the boys on his chest.

“Happy New Year, Bradley. I love you, always.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy late new year besties! I hope you all enjoyed ringing in this (late) new year with the Bradshaws! (Kind of 😂) I hope you all have had a blessed and great start to the new year! I’m so glad you’re here ❤️ Would you have spent the New Year at home with the Bradshaws, or would you have gone out with Jake, Nat, and Austin? I’ll see you all in the next chapter! 🫶🏼

The sleep crew is in the comments 🛌

[roosterforme]

The Deployment Diaries Part 25 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley takes you to the cemetery where his parents are buried. It's bittersweet, but he gets to introduce you to them as their future daughter-in-law.

Warnings: Smut, angst, fluff and swearing

Length: 4600 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots! Check my masterlist in my profile for the reading order!

You didn't think you would ever stop smiling. You were shocked and surprised and happier than you could have ever imagined.

Covered in dust and surrounded by boxes, you sat straddling Bradley's thighs as he sat back against the wall of the storage unit, mirroring your grin with his own as his hands caressed your back. 

"Roo," you whispered, pressing your lips to his over and over again and running your fingers through his hair. "You're my fiancé."

He smiled against your lips. "Say that again, Sweetheart." His arms tightened around your waist, pulling you snug against him as his hands crept under your shirt. He nipped your lips, always so needy for you.

"You're my fiancé! We're going to get married," you told him, and the words sounded so surreal. 

"Keep saying it," he told you, running his fingers along your lower back. 

"I'm going to be your wife!" 

Bradley ran his lips along your neck and moaned. "That's the sexiest thing I have ever heard." He kissed his way up your neck to your mouth. "I'll never get tired of hearing that."

You giggled and held his face in your hands. You couldn't stop looking at the beautiful ring. Your beautiful ring. It had once belonged to Carole Bradshaw, a woman who lived in your mind like a legend, or some sort of mythical princess. 

But Bradley never took his eyes off you. "That ring fits you perfectly."

You smiled. "It really does."

"And it looks perfect on your hand."

"I love it."

Bradley smiled and caressed your legs through your yoga pants. "She made me promise to keep it. I didn't want to. I wanted to bury her with it, but she wouldn't let me. She told me I would need it for my wife someday. I can't believe she was right. I've been trying to get here to pick up the ring for months, Baby Girl. And I couldn't wait another minute to give it to you."

You curled up against his chest and breathed him in. "This was perfect, Roo. This was so fucking perfect."

"Should we call you parents?" he asked softly. 

"Yes!" you gasped, scrambling to get your phone out of your pocket. "They are going to be as shocked as I am!"

Bradley just chuckled as you unlocked your phone. "Nah. I already talked to your dad about it."

Your hand froze over your phone screen as you looked up at him. "You did?! When?"

"When we went to visit them for Christmas."

"Are you serious? That was like seven months ago! You've been thinking about this for seven months?" You were so shocked, you set your phone down and gaped at him. He nodded and gazed at you with those lovesick puppy eyes. 

"I've been thinking about it longer than that. I've been thinking about it since the beginning."

"The beginning?" you whispered. But you knew deep inside he had always been yours, as long as you wanted him. 

"Yes, Baby Girl," he replied and rolled you onto your back on the dusty floor. You smiled as he settled between your legs, and you made out with him for what seemed like a very long time. 

--------------------------------------

Bradley couldn't stop kissing you. He kissed your left hand and the ring on your finger while he drove. You finally managed to call your parents, and he couldn't stop laughing as your mom and dad both screamed Congratulations into the phone. You had to cut your mom short, as she was already asking about wedding planning when Bradley pulled up to the entrance of the cemetery. 

As far as he was concerned, he would marry you today, covered in dust from the storage unit. The details did not matter much to him, and he let you know that as you hung up the phone with the promise of calling your parents back soon.

"We don't need to plan anything fancy if you don't want to, Sweetheart. We can go to Maryland when you're ready and get married there. Just don't make me wait too long, okay?" he asked softly as he parked the horrible rental car near the gravesites. 

Bradley took your hand after you grabbed your backpack off of the back seat, and he led you silently down a winding path to where his parents were buried. Once you saw both headstones and read them, you wrapped your arms around his waist and squeezed him tight. 

"Thank you for bringing me here," you whispered against his neck. 

Bradley kissed your messy hair. "I'm sure they are absolutely shocked at the moment that I brought my future wife to meet them," he said with a chuckle. 

"I doubt they are shocked, Roo. You're the most lovable person I've ever known," you replied with a kiss to his lips. Then you turned away from him and went to sit in the grass, facing both headstones with your backpack in your lap. Bradley watched you rummage around for a few seconds before you pulled out two envelopes and some silk flowers. 

"What are you doing?" he asked, sitting down next to you. 

You handed him two bundles of red and yellow flowers tied with white ribbons. "I have flowers for them. Artificial ones, but I figured they would last longer. And I wrote them each a note." You set your backpack to your other side, and Bradley felt tears in his eyes. The engagement ring caught a ray of sunlight and glittered as you showed him envelopes that had Carole and Nick written in your handwriting. 

Bradley pulled you onto his lap and held you, most likely smashing the silk flowers. "Thank you," he whispered, kissing your hair over and over.

"For what?" you asked softly. 

"For being you. I don't know, Baby Girl," he said as he let some tears fall into your hair. "You make everything better and easier."

He held you for a while until his breathing evened out again, and then he situated you on his lap, so you were facing the headstones again. "Mom, Dad, meet your future daughter-in-law."

----------------------------------------------

You sat with Bradley and talked to and about his parents for a long time. You learned a lot more about them as Bradley spoke, and he answered all of your questions as well as he could. When Bradley's stomach started growling, you set the notes down under the bouquets and you both stood. On the walk back to the car, Bradley asked you what you had written in the notes.

"I just told them how much I love you and let them know I'll take care of you," you said with a smile. 

You ordered sandwiches from a deli while Bradley went next door to buy some sturdy shipping boxes and packing tape. Then you made your way back to the storage unit in the afternoon heat to eat and start packing things up. 

Bradley sorted through everything with you, standing behind you with his arms wrapped around your waist. You held up items and he told you keep or donate, placing kisses on your neck and shoulders as you went. 

"More Hawaiian shirts!" you squealed when you came to the box he pushed aside earlier. "Definitely all keepers. Let's take them home in the suitcase so nothing happens to them."

"I agree," he said, taking them and neatly folding them. "We'll take them and some of the photos back with us. Everything else we can ask Brenda to mail to us."

"And all of that hideous furniture that belonged to your grandparents can get donated. Sorry, not sorry." Bradley was delighted that you agreed with him about that. 

Once the rental car was loaded up with everything you wanted to keep, including Carole's wedding dress which was packed neatly in a box, Bradley drove you to the hotel. 

Once inside the elevator, you climbed into his arms and started kissing him. He carried you blindly down the hallway with his lips on yours, fighting with the key card and the suitcase once he located the correct room. 

"I want to have sex with my husband-to-be," you whispered as he set you down and literally threw your bags into the room. You watched him throw the suitcase inside and said, "Damn, Roo. You're worse than the TSA."

But his lips were on yours again as he scooped you up. "Gonna carry you over the threshold, and then I'll give you anything you want, Sweetheart."

You giggled. "I don't think the threshold thing matters until we are actually married," you whispered before peppering kisses along his neck. 

"No harm in practicing," he groaned, carrying you swiftly inside and kicking the door closed. He set you down once more and started undressing you, your discarded clothing ending up all over the floor. "Now tell me what you want, Sweetheart. I'll give you anything you want. Always."

Moaning for him, you pulled him into the bathroom and rubbed your naked body all over him. "Get undressed, Roo," you whispered. You did your best to keep kissing him while he was peeling his clothing off, but then you broke away to turn the shower on.

He came up behind you, wrapping his arms around you as he whispered, "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me." 

You coaxed him into the shower with you. "Well, I'm not going anywhere, Roo," you said with a smile, holding up your hand with the ring. "So I guess I'll just keep on happening to you over and over again."

He grabbed your hips and pulled you hard against him. "That's all I want," he murmured against your cheek and your neck as the water washed away all the dust and grime from both of your bodies. His lips connected with yours as he took your left hand in his right one, running his thumb across your ring. "I was made to be with you, Baby Girl." You moaned and pulled his lips back to yours. "It just makes so much sense," he told you between kisses. 

You could feel his hard length against the soft skin of your belly, and you caressed him as he made love to your mouth with his. He pushed you back against the wall, teasing your breasts with his hands before letting them trail up into your messy hair.

"I love you, Roo," you told him, earning a look of adoration. His chocolatey brown eyes explored your face as you ran your hand along the scars on his neck and cheek. Then you turned to face the tiled wall, pressing your butt back against him. Bradley leaned into you, smashing your breasts to the cold tile. He took both of your hands, pressed your palms flat against the wall, and placed kiss after sweet kiss to the ring on your left hand.

"Roo," you moaned as you turned your head to watch his lips connect with your hand and wrist, his mustache brushing against the diamonds. 

He covered your left hand with his, fingers splayed with yours, pressing you against the wall. His right hand glided over your wet body, touching you as the steamy water cascaded over you both. 

"Roo, please," you hissed when his fingers found your clit. Your head tipped back against his shoulder. 

His fingers dipped inside you. "You're so wet for me, Baby Girl." 

"You always make me like this," you whined, rocking your hips back against him. He always did this to you, made you needy beyond belief. You'd never given yourself so completely to a man before him. You never wanted anyone else. 

His mouth worked against your neck. "I'm gonna be such a good husband to you. Always take care of you. Always give you what you want," he promised, nudging your legs apart with his knee, his right hand reaching down to tease your pussy from behind before thrusting into you.

Bradley fucked you with the promise of tomorrow on his lips. He made you come as he gripped your left hand and the ring he had just given you. And then he came with your name on his delicious tongue and his hand caressing yours.

------------------------------------

Bradley could not stop touching your hand where you were wearing your ring. That ring had always provided him so much comfort in his life when he was a kid, and it was doing that and more for him now too. Every time he kissed your fingers, you giggled. 

"Let's get married tomorrow," he kept saying, and you smiled at him every time. 

"Do you really want to?" you asked him while he was in a delirious state of bliss as you washed his hair in the shower post sex. "I mean... we could?"

He opened his eyes and looked at you as he shook his head. "No way. You deserve to have your parents there. Hell, I want your parents there, Sweetheart."

"You're right," you agreed, kneading his scalp just like you always did, making him groan. "But our layover on Sunday is in Vegas... just saying... I wouldn't be opposed to Elvis marrying us. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches and champagne?" 

"You're a fucking dream. You know that, right? Like, better than anyone else who exists. So much better than everyone else, it's not even fair."

When you smiled up at him like you were doing right now, he knew he would do anything for you. For his fucking wife to be. So he dried you off, wrapped you in a fluffy robe and carried you to bed. 

"Are you hungry?" he asked you as he pulled on clean underwear and jeans.

"Kind of. Why are you getting dressed?" you asked, reaching out to him with grabby hands. "I thought we were going to cuddle."

"We will," he promised, kissing your nose. "But I'm going to pick up a pizza unless you want something different. I'm starving, and I'll need energy to make love to my fiancée all night."

You giggled and let yourself topple back against the pillows, the robe riding up your thighs. "Pizza sounds yummy," you said, watching him as he paused with his shirt half buttoned. Now he was distracted by your pretty pussy on display for him.

He grinned at you as he put one knee on the bed. "Pizza can wait a little longer," he whispered as he crawled up the bed and pushed the robe up to your waist. "This looks yummier. And I am starving." You bit your lip and eased your legs further apart for him, and he immediately buried his face in your wetness. 

Bradley ate your pussy, his mustache glistening as he licked and sucked. Your hands were in his damp hair, tugging him to the exact spot you needed him. "Oh, Bradley," you whined, moving your hips back and forth so his nose bumped your clit over and over again. He grabbed the backs of your thighs and spread you open further. 

"So pretty," he whispered, kissing you all around your thighs and lower belly. He shoved two fingers inside you, and you cried out. "God, I love this pussy," he said before licking broad, lingering stripes across your clit. You were crying out in earnest now, squeezing around his index and middle fingers. "Can't wait to call you my wife." 

After that, you just lay on the bed, moaning his name, completely fucked out, diamond ring sparkling in the lamplight. He gently kissed your legs before leaning over your body to kiss your lips. He felt your tongue dart out to taste yourself on him. 

He moaned against your lips. "I'll be back soon with some food, Baby Girl. You need anything else while I'm out?" 

You shook your head, your eyes still closed. A smile danced along your lips as you whispered, "Just come right back. I still want you to snuggle with me."

"I will," he promised before placing loud, sloppy kisses all over your face and neck. You were still laughing as he closed the hotel room door behind him. 

-------------------------------------

After Bradley left, you sprawled out across the bed on your stomach, staring at your ring. "It's beautiful," you whispered. You let your mind drift, thinking about where you might want to marry Rooster and who you would invite. The guest list would be quite short. No more than twenty people, unless Bradley would want to invite his extended cousins. You hadn't been kidding; you would marry Bradley tomorrow if he said that was what he truly wanted. 

You closed your eyes, and it wasn't hard to imagine Nick buying this ring for Carole. You thought about everything you had learned about them. You only knew their love through Bradley, but you loved him so much, you knew they must have been wonderful too. You felt tears in your eyes. You let yourself feel sad that you would never get to have in-laws. You'd never get to know Nick and Carole except through their son. 

You wiped away some tears just as Bradley arrived back with a pizza box in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other. He ran over to the bed. "What's wrong?" he asked, setting everything on the floor. 

More tears fell as you shook your head, "I was just thinking about your parents. I wish I could have met them." You sniffed as he collected you into his arms. 

"I thought maybe you already changed your mind about marrying me," he whispered against your ear with a chuckle. 

"No!" you told him as you swiped at more tears. "Never."

"Let's snuggle and eat some pizza. And I'll tell you more about Carole and Nick," Bradley told you as he got situated on the bed with you sitting back against his chest. "I like talking about them when I miss them. It helps."

So you relaxed back against his body as you nibbled on a slice of pizza, the vibrations of his raspy voice soothing you. And then you shared the bottle of chilled champagne that Bradley bought, pressing your lips to his between sips with more frequency until you told him you needed him again. 

He loved you all night long, just grinning every time you reached for him again. "Whatever you want, Baby Girl," became his motto, and you decided you could certainly get used to this. You could certainly get used to having him as your husband. 

You were both pretty exhausted by the time you got to Brenda's house the following afternoon. Bradley had his hand at the small of your back, smoothing the fabric of your pretty sundress while he introduced you as his fiancée. 

When Brenda shrieked and pulled you in for a hug, you laughed and let her squeeze you. She examined Carole's ring on your finger and hugged you again. Bradley smiled and introduced you to everyone else as well, all of whom were lovely and so happy for you. 

Brenda served dinner and drinks, and it made you feel good to meet some of the people who had known Bradley his entire life. And then Brenda promised to mail the shipping boxes to you on Monday. When Bradley tried to give her cash to pay for it, she insisted it would be an early wedding gift from her. 

On Sunday, you asked Bradley if you could stop at the cemetery again. You ended up stretched out in the grass with him, sharing even more of your secrets and learning more of his. That's how it always was with Bradley. Everything came so naturally, you couldn't believe you tried to fight this feeling in the beginning. But you seemed to have no fight left in you when it came to him now. You loved being with him. You loved how he made you feel. 

----------------------------------------

After the long flights back to San Diego on Sunday evening, Bradley was happy to be back home with you. Bob had dropped Tramp off after dinnertime, so the pup was already waiting for you both.

"Mommy and daddy are getting married," he told Tramp over and over as the dog licked both of your faces. "Gonna get you some human siblings soon, too."

You kissed Bradley's lips, and he watched you take your engagement ring off of your finger as you walked to the bedroom.

"What are you doing?" he asked, setting Tramp down and following you. 

"Getting ready for bed, Roo. It's late, and tomorrow's your first day back at work," you reminded him.

"But why are you taking your ring off?" he asked, wrapping his arms around you from behind.

You just grinned at him as you set it on your nightstand. "So we can give everyone a proper surprise tomorrow night. Let's get everyone to meet us at the Hard Deck to celebrate your first day back at work since your injury." You turned in his arms and rested your cheek against his chest.

Bradley smiled and kissed the top of your head. "And then we can tell them we're getting married? Surprise them all?"

"Mmhmm," you hummed, wrapping your arms around his waist. "We can celebrate both of those things."

------------------------------------

As soon as Bradley got to sit in his F/A-18 the following morning, he sighed in relief. The past month of being grounded had been unbearable at times. You were the only thing that got him through it. He ran his gloved hands over all of the controls, preparing for a clean take off. 

And when he wore his flight suit home and saw your eyes light up when he walked in the front door, he pulled you against him for a kiss. You were wearing your ring again which made him simultaneously lovesick and horny. He kissed your hand and ran his thumb over the diamonds as you started to undress him. 

"Everyone meeting us at the Hard Deck later?" you asked as your hand met the bare skin of his chest. 

"Yeah. How about Cam and Maria?"

"They'll be there, ready to celebrate your healed injuries." 

"Excellent," Bradley whispered as you led him to the couch. "Now let me celebrate you."

He sat down with his flight suit and underwear around his ankles, socks and boots still on, and watched you undress in front of him. With each bit of your uniform you dropped to the floor, Bradley grew harder. As you straddled his thighs and teased yourself with the tip of him, his cock jumped in your hand. 

"Someone's eager," you whispered, slipping your wet pussy down around him. 

"Always eager for you." He held your hips and ass in his big palms as you rode him, your tits brushing his tongue and mustache every time you slid along his length. 

Bradley pulled your nipple into his mouth and teased you with his tongue. You moaned and held his head to your breasts. "You feel so fucking good, Baby Girl," he whispered, grinding his hips up to meet yours and teasing your other nipple. "Always so good."

You rode him until you came, squeezing his cock and drawing out his own orgasm. Then Bradley watched you pull your underwear on, and the idea of that cream pie inside you was going to stay with him for the rest of the night. 

"I'm going to make you Marry Me Rooster for dinner," you said with a laugh as you slipped your bra into place. "Seems appropriate now." 

He smiled as he stood and started to collect his flight suit. "Yeah, I'm gonna marry you. I was hooked by the first time you made that for me."

-------------------------------------------

You and Bradley arrived at the Hard Deck right after dinner. "You ready?" he asked, and you nodded with a smile. You jumped down from the Bronco and he took your left hand in his right one, leading you across the parking lot.

"I'm so excited," you told him, and you both shared the kind of smile that you knew would be stuck on your face for the rest of the night. 

"Nat's gonna cry," Bradley told you as you walked across the deck and through the doors into the noisy bar. "And so will Mav."

"You really think so?" you asked him and you both strolled toward the pool table where most of your friends had gathered.

"There he is! Lieutenant Commander Rooster," Jake called out to Bradley. "And his face finally looks normal again. Not good or anything, but normal."

"Thanks a lot, Bagman," Bradley replied, but his smile was still stuck on his face. 

"You had a good first day back?" Bob asked as he snacked on some peanuts. But Phoenix was eyeing you and Bradley with suspicion, her eyes even darting to where he was rubbing the pad of his thumb along your ring. Her gaze flew up to meet yours. She knew the two of you had gone away for the weekend, and now she was smiling too. 

"Yeah. Being grounded sucked," Bradley said loudly, and now Cam and Maria were heading over as well. "The only good part was," Bradley announced, kissing your cheek, "Getting to spend so much time with my wife-to-be."

You laughed and held up your hand, and a chorus of cheers erupted in your own private corner of the bar. "It's about damn time!" Phoenix yelled, jumping up and down and spilling her drink everywhere.

You felt yourself being hugged and congratulated, and you watched as Maverick appeared and pulled Bradley into a hug as well. He had been right, there were tears in Mav's eyes as well as Phoenix's. 

Jake pulled you in for a tight hug, and now you were crying a little bit too. "Congratulations, Angel. I knew he'd love you forever," he whispered in your ear. Then he pulled back and loudly told you, "It's probably a good thing you didn't go out with me. I would have ruined you for Bradshaw."

You scoffed and rolled your eyes at the cocky grin on his face. "Thanks for being sweet, Jake," you said, earning a kiss on your cheek.

Bradley shared a hug with Jake before Nat tearfully wrapped her arms around his waist. "Bradley, can I be your best maid? Or woman of honor? I don't know what it's called, but I love you so much, Soul Sister."

"Of course, Nat," he told her, smiling at you as you got hugs from Cam and Maria. 

Then Penny announced, "Champagne for everyone!" and the bar erupted in a loud toast. Bradley held you snug against him, running his hands along your back and kissing you while everyone cheered. 

He never stopped touching you, even as you sipped on identical beer bottles and showed your ring off to everyone who asked to see it. He never stopped kissing you for more than a minute, seemingly unable to be away from you right now. And that was okay with you, because you wanted him by your side. 

"Any wedding plans yet?" Maverick asked, thumping Bradley on the shoulder. 

"Not yet," you replied. "But hopefully this year?"

Bradley looked at you with narrowed eyes. "Definitely this year. And I already have some very strong opinions about the honeymoon," he whispered, just for you. "How about two weeks, Hawaii, me and you and nonstop sex?" 

You blushed and pressed your lips together as his mustache brushed your neck. "You just want an excuse to wear all of your shirts in their natural habitat."

"No. I want an excuse to be undressed with my wife for as many days as possible. Now let me play you a song, and then we can go home so I can love you."

----------------------------------

Thank you so much for reading this series!! I have loved this crazy ride! More B&BG content is now posted with Suddenly and Unexpectedly!

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[justabigassnerd]

Protective Friend

Pairing - Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell x daughter!reader

Word count - 2,182

Warnings - physical violence, mentions of cheating, blood, angst, mentions of Goose, fluff

Summary - after someone picks on Bradley one too many times, you handle the situation and secretly impress your father

A/N - it's been a minute huh, y'all? I think I'm doing a bit better (no promises), so maybe I'll be uploading more fics. anyway I won't bore y'all with a long A/N so as per y'all, please send in requests, feedback, and enjoy

Growing up alongside the Bradshaw family, it was basically inevitable that you would become best friends with Bradley Bradshaw. After all, you’d practically known the family since birth with your dad working alongside your Uncle Goose and it had devastated you when Goose died, understanding the finality of it all even at a young age. After Goose passed you made even more of an effort to be a good friend to Bradley, doing your best to keep a smile on his face.

However, the kids at your school were not nearly as kind. They had found out that Goose had died one day during an activity in the build-up to the summer holidays where your teacher gave you the freedom to make Father’s Day cards to store somewhere safe until the day came and Bradley had innocently asked your teacher what he was supposed to do. When the teacher had crossed the room to crouch down alongside him to ask why he couldn’t write a card for his dad, some kids had overheard him saying that his dad was dead and apparently thought it was the funniest thing to them. The teasing started off light before it got worse, but you could tell it bothered Bradley all the same, especially given the sensitivity of the topic. You ended up telling your dad about the teasing and bullying and without hesitation, Maverick had gone straight to Carole to make sure she was aware as well. Carole, of course, wasted no time going to the principal and telling him about how he needs to be doing better in making sure the bullies get punished.

When the principal did nothing about it, nonchalantly saying he couldn’t control kids’ actions, Carole went and tracked down the parents of the kids who were picking on Bradley after you gave them their names. Once again, Carole reached a brick wall as when she spoke to the various parents of the kids, they just shrugged her off and said that both Bradley and Carole needed to stop being so sensitive over something that happened years ago and that a bit of friendly teasing wasn’t hurting anyone so according to them, Bradley simply had to man up and learn how to take a joke. It took everything within Carole not to slap anyone when she heard the same answer multiple times. Her son was being bullied and no one was doing anything about it when this was the time to step up and do something. She didn’t care if had been ten minutes or ten years since Goose’s passing, he was still Bradley’s father, and her son was allowed to mourn the loss he suffered.

When Carole next met up with Maverick and filled him in on what had happened, Maverick immediately offered to give it a try himself, more than willing to be assertive and to even drag Iceman into it if needed. Carole told Maverick not to worry about it, and that he probably wouldn’t get much further than she did, even with Iceman.

“Do you want me to sleep with their wives?” Maverick had jokingly suggested which resulted in Carole hiding her giggle as she lightly slapped Maverick on the shoulder.

“You wouldn’t dare.” She replied, continuing to laugh as Maverick shrugged jokingly.

“All I’m saying is I could give them the best night of their lives, end it then and there and then ruin their marriage. That’ll teach them for picking on Bradley.” Maverick says nonchalantly, leaning back against the sofa with a grin.

“Mav, I love you, but no you can’t ruin people’s marriages over this.” Carole says as Maverick holds his hands up in mock surrender, both of them chuckling lightly.

“It was a good idea though.”

A couple of days later, one Saturday morning, you managed to coerce Maverick into taking you to the local playground and when you asked if Bradley could come with you and so he walked you over to the house just down the road and asked Carole if Bradley wanted to come to the park with the two of you. Carole was of course extended an invitation to join you all, but she politely declined, saying she had housework she needed to do. Now with Bradley in tow, the three of you make your way to the park, entering the gated park and both of you immediately head over to the swings while Maverick sits himself on a bench just outside of the park, watching you play with a soft smile.

However, at the most crucial moment, Maverick found himself distracted by a pair of attractive women who smiled flirtatiously at him as they passed, deciding that since both you and Bradley were happily playing in the park, he had the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation with them.

In the park, a boy that was in your grade named Johnny decided he wanted to pick on Bradley, calling over to him and once again picking on him for the fact his dad was dead the moment, he realised you had crossed the park to talk to another one of your friends.

“Stop it.” Bradley said firmly, standing from the swing and attempting to stand up for himself against the bullies.

“What are you going to do? Tell your dad?” Johnny said before eyeing the way Bradley’s hand clenched around something hanging on his chest.

“What’s that?” He then asked teasingly, eyes glinting with glee as Bradley took a step back, fist tightening around the dog tags that once belonged to his dad. With nothing more than a look exchanged between them, Johnny’s two friends put a hand on Bradley’s shoulders and forced him to the floor, while Johnny pried Bradley’s hand open and removed the precious dog tags from around his neck, inspecting them and chuckling to himself.

“Goose? What kind of stupid name is that?” Johnny says, reading the callsign displayed on the tags.

“Give them back!” Bradley cries out, attempting to get up and grab his dog tags but Johnny’s friends were quicker, forcing down on his shoulders harder to prevent him from moving.

Across the park, you had heard Bradley’s demand and so glanced over and immediately removed yourself from your conversation and immediately rushed over to Bradley’s defence, taking less than a second to realise what it was Johnny had stolen.

“Give it back, Johnny!” You say firmly, holding your hand out expectantly and gritting your teeth when Johnny just laughs in your face.

“And why would I do that?” He taunts, sniggering as he glances over at his friends who laugh too.

“Because you’re not going to like what I’m going to do next.”

Just as Maverick was bidding goodbye to the two women, making sure to give each of them a cheeky wink as they went, he turned to look back at the park and instead came face to face with a rageful-looking mother who had a boy alongside her who was holding a tissue up to his bleeding nose.

“What do you have to say for yourself?” The woman all but yells in Maverick’s face, barely giving him space to breathe, let alone process what she is saying.

“I’m sorry, what?” Maverick says, trying his best to calm the tension. He had recognised the kid instantly; you had pointed him out to your dad one afternoon when you had first told him about the bullying.

“Your brat of a daughter punched my sweet Johnny for no reason! I can’t believe you’d raise a child to think that’s okay.” The mother says, glaring at Maverick who takes a moment to glance over at you where you were crouching down alongside Bradley, clearly talking to him before taking a moment to look over at your dad with a worried expression.

“y/n wouldn’t hit someone.” Maverick says, getting up from the bench to be more level with the woman.

“She punched him!” She repeats, even louder and begins to get looks from people surrounding them.

“Okay, okay, cool your jets. I’ll speak to her.” Maverick says, waving his hand dismissively before crossing to the park gate, opening it and catching your eye before gesturing you over and waiting patiently for you to approach.

“Hi, dad.” You mumble, glancing down at your shoes to avoid looking Maverick in the eye.

“Hey squirt. So, I heard you punched that Johnny kid. Want to tell me what happened?” Maverick says, crouching down to be at your level and gently encouraging you to look at him. You mumbled something in response but none of it was audible to him.

“You gotta speak up kiddo.” Maverick encourages gently, reaching out and resting a hand on your shoulder and squeezing lightly, silently promising you he wouldn’t get upset.

“He took Uncle Goose’s dog tags from Bradley.” You say, a little louder so that Maverick can hear you. Upon hearing the reason you had lashed out; Maverick knew he couldn’t be mad at you at all, but he also knew he had to try and dissuade you from using violence in the future.

“Okay, sweetheart, you can’t punch people. I understand why you did it but if you’re ever in a situation like this, you come and get me, Carole, Ice, whoever. We’ll sort it out. I’m sure you did try but make sure you use your words. Punching people isn’t okay, no matter what it is they do.” Maverick says softly, watching as you carefully take in his words, nodding softly.

“Yes, daddy.” You say before Maverick gently pulls you into a hug.

“Go and grab Bradley and get ready to head back home. I’ll speak to Johnny’s mother.” Maverick says quietly before releasing you from the hug, letting you go over to Bradley then standing up and heading back over to Johnny and his mother.

“I didn’t see you disciplining your daughter. How do you know she won’t do it again?” Johnny’s mother says firmly, gripping her son’s shoulder and pulling him closer to emphasise the injury.

“I spoke to her, and she knows it’s wrong. But she did tell me that your son took something that was special to not only Bradley, but his family and my family too. And when your son clearly refused to give it back, she did what she thought she had to do. She won’t do it again, but I won’t say she wasn’t justified.” Maverick explains, folding his arms across his chest and raising an eyebrow as he anticipates her freakout.

“She hurt my son and you’re saying it’s justified?” The shock and horror was painted all over her face as she yelled at Maverick.

“I’m not going to lie to you and say she wasn’t justified in what she did. Your kid stole something special from Bradley and has been bullying him for a while. You have refused to teach your kid better so no I will not punish her for standing up for her friend.” Maverick says firmly, deciding then and there that the conversation is over and turning to find you and Bradley.

“Come on you two, we’re heading home!” Maverick calls over to you and Bradley and when you and Bradley rush over to him, he wraps an arm around each of your shoulders and ushers you away from the woman and her son and begins the walk home. First, you drop Bradley off at his house, both of you greeting Carole as she opens the door. Just before Bradley heads inside, and while Maverick is explaining what happened earlier to Carole, Bradley turns to face you with a small smile.

“Thank you for getting my dog tags back.” Bradley says softly, making you smile before hugging Bradley.

“You don’t need to thank me.” You insist gently, squeezing Bradley softly before releasing him from the hug and letting him head inside with Carole while Maverick wraps an arm around your shoulders and encourages you to head home with him.

When you make it home, Maverick guides you into the living room and asks you to stay put while he grabs you an icepack. He soon returns with an icepack in hand, sitting down alongside you and taking the hand you had punched Johnny with and placing the icepack on the knuckles, biting back a frown when you wince slightly.

“This should help with any swelling.” Maverick says tenderly, his voice quiet as he lets you hold the icepack in place.

“Are you mad at me?” You question quietly, eyes fixed on the icepack to avoid looking at your dad.

“No sweetheart, I’m not mad. I do wish you had handled it a little differently, but I can’t be mad at you for standing up for Bradley.” Maverick admits, watching as you finally get the courage to look up at him.

“I wish I didn’t punch him. But it was satisfying.” You say quietly, a shy smile covering your face as Maverick lets out a soft chuckle before carefully pulling you into a hug.

“Well between me and you. I think he had it coming.”