#phoenix x rooster

[sluttyhenley]

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

[sweetwhispersofchaos]

Eject

Summary: Ejecting from your plane in the face of danger? Expected. Forbidden love amongst pilots? Not so much. Will they bond or will this break them for good?

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Natasha "Phoenix" Trace All the Daggers, Mav x Penny, Amelia, OC's Warnings: Language. Assault (not by a major character). Injury. Eventual smut. Alcohol consumption. Smoking. Discussions of mental health. (Its a rollercoaster. You've been warned!) MINORS DNI!!! Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Thank you as always to @doc-k83 for not only reading my work and being a sounding board but putting up with me in real life ;) Enjoy!

[boasamishipper]

my personal favorite highlights from the official top gun: maverick script:

meek engineer's name is simon and is dating someone at the pentagon which is how they found out about the drone ranger coming to shut the darkstar project down

"That's...blue sky up there, Mav." "Yeah, but dark blue. Ominous."

mav also called darkstar 'angel' and 'girl' which i'm glad they cut otherwise i would have died in the theater then and there

"Hondo stares at his monitor. He knows his friend well." 🥺🥺🥺

"y'all built one hell of a plane" oh mav ❤️

"For anyone unfamiliar, it’s obvious there is story here - Glory and ghosts." g o d

admiral's aide do you MIND he's having a MOMENT

warlock is described as "an affable, brilliant two-star" hell yeah

i personally think it's hilarious that cyclone was apparently top of his class in '88 but in the script he's in his forties?? even if he's 49 the film takes place in 2019?? that would make him 18 in 1988?? mr mcquarrie sir the math ain't mathing

"Maverick has had about enough of this shit" if that doesn't just sum up both movies

as a macheresin shipper the fact that hangman and coyote were planned as besties from the get-go,,,,,,,my heart is Full

"sorry i couldn't be there" oh ice 🥺🥺🥺

mcq's love for casablanca continues to shine through

penny's dad is alive and retired and still hates mav

"Keepin’ it tight, I see, Phoenix" hangman is such an ASSHOLE i HATE him (affectionate)

bob's description is "human wallpaper" i am DYING

"shit, that's fritz" i DEMAND to know why fritz's arrival elicited that reaction from fanboy!! show me the fritz&b-team daggers cut!!

"Maverick sees a ghost. From this angle, the kid is a dead ringer for Goose, just as gawky and gangly, loving life." and what if i Bawled

MAVERICK REQUESTED HONDO SPECIFICALLY

HONDO WAS GONNA MEET UP WITH A LADY IN RENO WHO IS 'AN ACROBAT' AND 'VERY FLEXIBLE'

"I need at least one person on my side here" MAV

"I'll stand somewhere else" HONDO

mav originally ran the entire class through the contents of the F-18 NATOPS 👀👀👀

in the original script rooster gave hangman his callsign...personally gonna stick with the headcanon that phoenix (if it had to be one of the daggers) was the one who gave it to him, but Very Interesting nonetheless.

rooster calls phoenix 'fee' brb peppering this into All my fics

PHOENIX IS THE MAV OF THE MOVIE CONFIRMED

I DEMAND TO KNOW IF THERE IS FOOTAGE OF GLEN POWELL SINGING 'HOT FOR TEACHER'

genuinely cannot believe mcq wrote this. he is on galaxy tier levels of thinking i could never even hope to reach.

rooster being protective of phoenix you know that's right

theo the yellow lab was originally named "t" in the script,,,,,,,,t for tony scott,,,,,,,,,

"You're a warrior, Ice. A fighter." bury me ALIVE

"(Note: Important we include PILOT POV establishing gray-out in the lead up to G-LOCK)" this script is tighter than a snare drum

"Kinda like your ass depended on it" GET HIS ASS MAV

phoenix and bob refuse to even IMPLY that mav was in any way at fault for them having to eject,,,,,,,,they are Ride Or Die

as a warlock/hondo shipper i am also Delighted they actually got some screentime together

MAV WAS SUPPOSED TO GIVE THE EULOGY AT ICE'S FUNERAL 😭😭😭😭😭

mav and hangman were apparently supposed to talk after mav chose hangman as his wingman but i'm glad that scene got cut because a) showing vs telling and b) hangman is Not emotionally aware or mature enough to say what he says here out loud and you can't convince me otherwise

"Hondo stares at him. Maverick stares back. Something unspoken passes between the two men." and mavhondo shippers everywhere rejoiced

"HONDO squeezes his fist tightly, feeling something crack. He opens his hand to see the crystal of his stopwatch is crushed, the second hand frozen. An omen." HEY MCQ WHAT THE FUCK

"CLOSE ON Hondo, reflecting on his last moment with Mav." see above

"How we gonna get this bag’a ass in the air?" "Just hang on. Cause this bag‘a ass is about to go ballistic."

"Rough Rider, this is, uh...Ghost Rider" *cries in callbacks*

"The minute Hangman touches down, pull the trip wires and have the barricade stanchions ready." (silence) "HE DOESN'T HAVE A GODDAMN TAILHOOK." (OH SHIT FUCK OKAY RUNNING NOW)

lowkey like the parallel between cyclone nodding at mav and hangman and rooster shaking hands. they still don't like each other, but they respect each other a little more now. as the script says, that's enough.

"Among the pictures is one of Goose and Maverick in the bloom of their youth - their whole lives ahead of them." ��😭😭😭😭

WE WERE ROBBED OF PHOENIX JOINING ROOSTER AND PENNY AND AMELIA AND MAV AT THE HANGAR I REPEAT WE WERE R O B B E D

"TIME CUT as Phoenix holds two model planes, demonstrating air to-air combat to a very interested Amelia." ooooh amelia has a cruuuuuush

"Rooster turns, looks at the make-shift family taking shape in this makeshift home…And he smiles." 😭😭😭😭😭

[incorrectopgun]

phoenix: it's too late

rooster: ... what is?

phoenix: i already sent good vibes your way. there's nothing you can do to stop it

rooster: that's the most threatening way i've every been cheered up

phoenix: accept them.

[autumntouched]

TGM Masterlist

photo via @babyrooster

Welcome to my TGM hyperfixation! I guess it's not going away anytime soon. Call me Autumn. While I love the TGM guys, this is also a Phoenix stan account and most of my fics are from her POV.

I'm here to interact with my readers and love getting to know you all so please never hesitate to jump in with an ask, message, comment, or reblog. I love those, and I promise that you are beyond cool enough to talk to me and no idea that you have about any of my fics is too overthought or trivial to share. Personally, I enjoy writing for other people so the more I hear from you, the easier it is for me to deliver. After some thoughtful conversations, I understand “likes” mean many things and allow people to express their appreciation in ways that they are comfortable. That said, because likes mean so many things, I find it helpful as a writer to get a line every so often. So, if you’re comfortable, I’d love to know what you love, what you resonate with, or any thoughts you have. If you want to say “I loved this” but do not want a reply from me, you can use 🌷

My asks are open, but I ask that if you're dropping something there, please at least take a moment to let me know what you like about how/what I write so I can give you more of it!

Alright, onto the fics below!

Tumblr Crash Course/Welcome - if you're new here!

28 Days of Phoenix Fics

Ode to Phoenix Masterlist

Phoenix + Hangman a.k.a. Hannix

Talk to Me Masterlist - multi-chapter, wip, also on AO3

Hannix Football Rivalry AU Series - 18+, NSFW (includes Your Jersey or Mine?)

Every Time It Comes Around - 18+, NSFW

Every Time It Comes Around Pt. II - 18+, NSFW

Every Time It Comes Around Sequel - 18+, NSFW

Every Time It Comes Around Sequel Pt. II - 18+, NSFW

Phoenix + Rooster 

Surprised You Back (unfinished fic)

Welcome to the Family, You’re Getting Teased

Cookie Monster

Phoenix + Rooster + Hangman a.k.a. the Throuple Series

Have You Heard How Much I Love You

Celebrate Me Home - Part of @notroosterbradshaw​‘s #hellodecemberplaylist challenge

Love in the Small Things - AO3 user @Unk365 prompt

Hangman

I’ll Make It Worth Your Pain (Hangman x GF!Reader) - 18+, NSFW

If Lost Return to Jake (Hangman x GF!Reader)

Headcanon

Top Gun Headcanon - The Twins Edition

Based on Talk to Me for now

Talk to Me Easter Egg Chapter 12

Talk to Me Easter Egg - Chapter 3

Talk to Me Easter Egg Chapter 1

Top Gun Headcanon - Hangman Edition (warning: sibling death, death, grief)

Top Gun Headcanon - Birth Order Theory Edition

Top Gun Headcanon - Astrological Signs Edition

TGM Fic Recs

2022 - Favorite Top Gun Fanfics

2023 - Phoenix Fics & Writers

Old Pinned Masterlists

Feb 2023

AO3

Other AO3 fandoms

[foreverrandomwritings]

Okay wait I’ve gotta know about our baby girl too. Some sad and maybe happy

★ - sad headcanon, ✿ - Sex headcanon, ☮ - friendship headcanon

Oof hurting our baby girl for the sad one is gonna be rough. You made up for it with the sex and friendship though😘 I’m also wearing my Bob and Phoenix crewneck for this.

Warnings:

Talks of death at the beginning.

Super fluffy in the middle.

🚨!!!18+ at the end!!!🚨

★ Sad Headcanon

~The worst day of her life was when her grandmother died.

~She and her 2 younger brothers had been raised by their grandparents when their mother and father both passed away in a car accident.

~So losing yet another member of her family was gut wrenching.

~She had her first ever true panic attack that day.

~Luckily Bradley was there to calm her down as she had gotten the news during their time stationed together.

~When she went back home for the funeral she was on autopilot for most of it.

~She had to take the reins on planning everything as her grandfather was much to weak and heartbroken to do it.

~The middle brother was unable to help due to the fact he was in prison once again for something she didn’t care much about.

~Her youngest brother had just had a set of twins with his wife so he wasn’t able to help much either.

~Everything was hazy for her up until she got the cremains from the crematorium.

~She cried in the car with her grandmother sat in an urn next to her.

~She has a ring, necklace, bracelet set with some of the ashes in them.

~Bob asked her about them once and she bittersweetly told him about her grandmother.

~All of the amazing memories she had of her as she was growing up.

☮ Friendship Headcanon

~Growing up she didn’t have that many friends other than the ones that were on her soccer team from middle school to senior year of high school.

~They no longer talk however as when she went off for the Navy they all lost touch.

~However the Navy has brought her 2 of the bestest friends in the world.

~Bradley and Robert.

~It will be war picking who will be her best man out of the two when she gets married.

~Bradley was there for her when her grandmother died.

~That honestly meant the world to her. She will never be able to thank him enough.

~Bobby boy even though freshly her back seater has become her 2nd pea in a pod.

~They do pretty much everything together.

~Grocery shopping, running, working out, dinner, brunch, breakfast, road trips, visiting family, living, shopping, you name it they probably do it together.

~The first time Bobby boy gave her a rock she was Uber confused but put it in the center console of her car anyways.

~Now she has quite a few of them.

~Sometimes if she finds a cool rock she’ll pick it up and give it to him.

✿ Sex Headcanon

~Okayyyyyy this one is 🥵🥵

~She normally likes to be the dominant one during sex.

~She fucks dumb. You could be the smartest person alive and by the time she’s done with you you’re brain is blank.

~Likes to tie you up and do orgasm denial or orgasm overstimulation.

~Will use a Bluetooth vibrator on you while out at the Hard Deck or grocery shopping or something.

~Red, yellow, green for how you’re feeling.

~Loves to eat you out. Will be like a women starved. Completely unhinged feral.

~Will growl when you pull her hair or scratch her back.

~Gets a little peeved if you leave a hickey that’ll be on display when she’s at work.

~However she’ll leave bite marks on your thighs.

~Knows every little spot that makes you tick.

~Will finger you at any given opportunity.

~Loves to fuck you with her strap on.

~When she lets you be the more dominant one she will melt into a puddle.

~Becomes a moaning and whimpering mess.

~Loves having her nipples played with.

~Lick them, suck them, roll them, pinch them anything and she’s a complete mess.

~Her aftercare will be top notch.

~She’ll gently clean you up with a warm rag.

~Will ask you how you’re doing.

~Will make sure you use the bathroom afterwards.

~Gets you a glass of water or something to up your electrolytes if it was an especially rigorous session.

~I can’t think straight when I think of baby girl and sex. My brain is literal fuzz.

Tags(open): @wkndwlff @angelbabyange @theeleggymeggy

Headcanon Ask Game

[bumblebeaglewrites]

I forgot to post on Monday but Chapter 4 is finally up!

[startrekfangirl2233-fic-recs]

Brace Recommended Fic Masterlist

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace

Key:

❤️‍🔥 - Smut

☁️ - Fluff

💢 - Angst

🍬 - Sweet

📚 - Multi-Chapter

Told You by @barbiewritesstuff ☁️🍬

You're Phoenix and Rooster's daughter and your teacher doesn't believe that both your parents are navy pilots.

Surprised You Back by @autumntouched 💢

Phoenix is actually hurt that Rooster didn’t tell her he would be stateside.

Trace Family Values by OneOfaKind33 (AO3) ☁️ 💢 🍬 📚

A series of all the times Rooster went home with Phoenix and joined in on Trace family traditions during different holidays.

As mentioned in RSVP: Two Christmases, a Thanksgiving, and an Easter that also included two birthdays and a Christening.

+Bonus

RSVP by OneOfaKind33 (AO3) ☁️ 💢 🍬 📚

Phoenix has more important things to worry about than remembering to RSVP but try convincing her sister of that. Luckily, Rooster always has her back.

[fleuurave]

Top Gun Ao3 fic recs

Some of my latest favorites, mostly hangster / icemav

pheasant room. by pine_wars - 8.7k (Maverick & Hangman, Rooster/Phoenix, Rooster/Hangman)

(gen, angst, hurt no comfort, unrequited, misunderstandings) Perfect angst!

Bradley speaks up, “Hang-”

Jake cuts him off, shaking his head.

“It’s not Nat,” he rasps out. “I’ve always loved her like a sister.”

“It’s not Nat,” he repeats and laughs emptily before looking back down. His eyes are still wet— whether from the hysterical laughing fit he just had or his own despair, he’s not too sure of it.

“It’s you, you fucking asshole,” he spits out.

like, what up, I got a big cock by ricciardosdaniel - 9.4k (Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw/Jake "Hangman" Seresin)

(humor, smut) A classic and must read series

“Wait. Why is your callsign Rooster, anyway?”

Phoenix snorts beer up her nose.

or, what happens when Hangman doesn't know how to quit when he's ahead.

flat spin, heading out to sea by Saengak - 52k ongoing (icemav, Goose&Mav)

(mature, a/b/o dynamics, mcd, angst, noncon) Brings a whole range of emotion

In a world where omegas are nothing more than property, Maverick doesn't know whether to be terrified or flattered when Iceman approaches Goose with a sky-high offer to buy him.

[emma-perlman]

champagne problems - Chap 1

champagne problems

takes place after the bird strike. It reveals the behind-the-scene story of Phoenix and Rooster while still sticking to the plot of the TGM movie.

The bird strike affects Phoenix more than it should, triggering the worst of her weaknesses, making her doubt herself more than she should. As for Rooster, it never occurred to him that he could lose Phoenix. The bird strike showed him how naive he was and shifted the course of their relationship for both of them.

This is my first time posting on Tumblr so if my posts look wildly immature, you know why. 

I have been writing this fic for a long time and I finally decided to start posting after going through everything for thousands of times. Still, I welcome every feedbacks and comments about the story. They sure power me to continue writing since the fic is yet to be finished. 

Beside this fic, I also take prompts. Hit me up with anything you’re currently having in mind, whether it’s Brace or any other couple in TGM. I appreciate every idea since one can really take me places. 

Hope you enjoy this

[heavierthnheavenly]

i love them sm

incorrect quotes 7/? because sometimes you have to roast your bestie

[sluttyhenley]

“I was thinking,” she says into the warm quiet, “this doesn’t have to change anything.” He lowers his mug. “What?” Phoenix shrugs and looks down at the contents of her own mug. “It was fun right? It doesn't have to mean anything,” she explains. “It was just sex.” “Yeah. Right,” he agrees.

Or: It's perfectly acceptable to have sex with your best friend. It's not okay to fall in love with him.

can't tell your best buddy (that you love him) a rooster/phoenix fic by @sluttyhenley

[sweetwhispersofchaos]

Eject Chapter 1

Story Summary: Ejecting from your plane in the face of danger? Expected. Forbidden love amongst pilots? Not so much. Will they bond or will this break them for good? Chapter Summary: Post bird strike. Rooster has a lot on his mind. Especially about a certain female pilot.

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Natasha "Phoenix" Trace All the Daggers, Mav x Penny, Amelia, OC's

Warnings: Language. Assault (not by a major character). Injury. Eventual smut. Alcohol consumption. Smoking. Discussions of mental health. (It's a rollercoaster. You've been warned!) Chapter Word Count: 5299

Eject Masterlist I do not own anything except the original characters.

The dark room seemed suffocating. The longer he sat there, the heavier his chest felt and the harder it became to make his lungs inflate at a necessary rate. He continued to stare at the comms radio, long after the crash. Long after all the other pilots had left the room. They tried to get him to leave as well, but he was stuck.

Frozen.

Waiting for some sort of news. He knew the radio had gone black for a reason, but every fiber of his being was holding out for some sort of crackle. Static. Anything to let him know she was ok. He kept replaying the last few seconds of transmission over and over in his mind. Bob yelling about fire. Phoenix fighting her plane, trying to extinguish the fire and control it. Maverick yelling “eject”. This noise continued to ring into the dark. It was like a horrible case of Déjà vu.  

Rooster met Phoenix in flight school. She was an academy graduate, just like most of the others. Less than a week into school and she had proven herself calm, rational, smart, and above all, razor sharp. She had a smirk that could stop traffic, an understated sense of humor you never saw coming, and instincts that made most of her male counterparts jealous. But not Rooster. He wasn’t jealous. He was impressed. He had never met a woman so in tune with herself, so self-assured. Phoenix was the whole package and then some. He spent the entirety of their time in school and training afterwards in complete awe of her, both as a person and as a pilot. She was firm but friendly, kind but just, and she could hang with the guys without anything being awkward. He would never forget their first day of flight training after the six weeks of classroom work had finished. Phoenix rounded the corner into the hangar in her flight suit and gear and he fell. Rooster was a lost cause for her. But there’s that unwritten, unspoken rule. Pilots don’t date. They don’t become a thing. It’s hard to stare death in the face, day after day, with the person you sleep with every night flying the 32,000-pound death trap next to you.

After two years of training, they were stationed together for a while. Then they attended Top Gun at the same time. He couldn’t get enough of her. They became good friends. Close, but not too close. He liked what they had. It was quiet but confident. He would feel from afar but never cross that line. Then, he was PCS’d. The Navy moved him to Japan and he had to leave her. Their last night before he left, they sat in silence on the deck of her apartment in China Lake, drinking beers and not saying much. He wanted to hold her, tell her what he felt. But, just like his inability to commit behind the stick of his plane, he found himself saying goodbye without telling her anything other than “I’ll be seeing ya”.

This lack of commitment was hanging heavy over his brow when the door opened, and a figure walked in. It certainly wasn’t the person he wanted to see, but if Maverick had news, he’d listen. Begrudgingly. “They’ll keep Phoenix and Bob overnight for observation. They’re gonna be okay.” Maverick says gently. Rooster wanted to jump from his perch on the arm of the couch and shout his praises to the heavens. He wanted to laugh, cry, or hit something. Someone. That was tempting at the moment with Maverick standing so close. But he just hung his head with a sigh of relief and then responded, “That’s good.” He contemplated his next words briefly, knowing it could lead the conversation somewhere he really didn’t want to go. He and Mav shared a history that was painful when it came to this particular subject. “I’ve never lost a wingman before.”

 Mav replied immediately. “You’re lucky. Fly long enough, it’ll happen. There will be others.”

There it was. The thing Mav could say to set him off. This wasn’t about Phoenix and Bob now. This was about his Dad. He knew better than to start down this path, and yet he let himself slip and Mav just waltzed right into it without hesitation. “Easy for you to say. No wife. No kids. Nobody to mourn you when you burn in.” He glanced over at the aging pilot as he spoke and he froze in his tracks. Good old man. Let that sink in. You don’t get to feel flippant about the things you’ve done to me.

“Go home. Just get some sleep.” Maverick started for the door but there was no way in hell Rooster was going to let it go now. No turning back. “Why’d you pull my papers at the Academy? Why did you STAND in my way?” He shouted, too loud, at Mavericks back. Superior officer be damned. He deserved a real answer.

“You weren’t ready.”

“Ready for what? Huh? Ready to fly like you?” He advanced on Maverick in the dark. “No. Ready to forget the book. Trust your instincts. Don’t think, just do. You think up there, you’re dead Believe me.” Maverick spit as he turned to face the seething young man in the dark. His mind raced, and the words fell out of his mouth so coolly “My dad believed in you.” He could tell he hit Maverick where it hurt. “I’m not going to make the same mistake.” They stood, staring at each other. Roosters anger boiling quietly through his eyes to a dismayed Maverick. He hurt his father figure where it counted. And at that moment, he wasn’t the least bit sorry.

Before Maverick could respond, Warlock opened the door and called him away. Rooster was left standing in the dark, the heat of his anger radiating off his body. He turned to look at the lights of the tarmac outside, the lights of home. Those lights always meant he was where he felt the most at home. The closest to the dad he barely remembered. They always comforted him even on his hardest days.

After a few long, calming breaths he snapped out of his angered trance, grabbed his Bronco keys, and almost sprinted for the door. He had to get to the hospital. He had to see her.

******** The drive across base to the small hospital was quiet and he was ushered to her room after a brief wait in the lobby. It was late so not much activity in the hallways and the cracked door to her room let out no light. Shit. He didn’t want to disturb her. But the huge tugging sensation behind his navel was so strong. He needed to see her. Just to make sure she was, in fact, ok. Not just physically. He needed to know that her solid resolve was still intact. Because unbeknownst to her, he relied on her steadiness to keep his own level head. After a few moments of staring at her door, he decided a peek wouldn’t hurt. He placed his hand on the door and gently pushed, peeking his eyes around the door frame. In the dark there was a faint light from the bed. Phoenix looked up over her phone in the dark and smirked that smirk that melted him the first time he saw it. “Hey” came a raspy, struggling voice. “Hey yourself” he said, continuing to stand in the doorway. “Are you just going to stand there holding the door up or come in and talk to me?” she said, coughing and wincing as she sat up more in the bed. He pushed the door open enough to slip in and walked to a chair on the opposite side of her bed, taking a seat as she placed her phone on the little table beside her. “I guess my call sign gained all new meaning today, huh?” she smiled at him. He realized up to that point that all he had been doing was staring at her. Rooster cleared his throat, chuckled, and spoke barely above a whisper “How are you?” She quirked an eyebrow “Well I’ve had better days but I can mark slamming my plane into the side of a mountain off my bucket list.” He felt sick and did not reciprocate her humor. She must have sensed his uneasiness because her eyebrow lowered and he realized from his lower peripheral that her hand had reached out from the bed, beckoning his. Rooster looked down, staring at her hand, and eventually decided this was ok. He reached up his hands and took hers in both of his. She was clammy and his hands felt so warm on hers. She looked down at their hands then up to his face. When their eyes met, she spoke again. “I’m fine. Really.” He lowered his eyes again, watching his thumb trace lines across the back of her hand. He didn’t even register he was doing this for a very long time as they sat in companionable silence. Suddenly the panic set in. Alarms like the dash of his plane began to ring out through his mind. This isn’t ok. He shouldn’t be this close, this intimate, with her. He decided that was enough. Rooster slowly slipped his hands off of hers and stood. Just for a moment he thought her face showed disappointment as she stared at her hand, looking empty without his large warm hands on hers. “Maybe I should be going. Let you rest.” She opened her mouth to say something but stopped. Choosing a single nod of her head in agreement instead. His hands slipped into his jean pockets as he whispered, “Gimme a call if you need anything. You get out tomorrow, right?” Her blank face met his and she nodded again. “Ok well, maybe I’ll stop by your quarters tomorrow, check in on ya?” Her lips curved into a sad sort of smile. “Ok” As he walked across the room her quiet voice rang out “You bring the beer. I’ll bring the cue stick.” He smiled as he remembered the sucker punch he took to the gut at the back end of her pool stick when he first arrived in town for this mission. She didn’t know he was coming and was probably a little irritated he hadn’t called, he reckoned. He looked slightly over his shoulder and whispered back “Deal” then ghosted out of the room. ********

“Ice is dead?” Rooster couldn’t believe the words as they fell in disbelief from his mouth. He had no sooner walked through the main door of the pilot quarters on base when a distraught looking Payback met him in the hallway. He could see most of the pilots and WSO’s for their special mission were sitting around in the common room at the end of the hall, some crying, some staring at the wall in silence. That’s when the fellow pilot dropped this bomb on him. He knew the Admiral had been sick before, but had no idea something like this was coming. His mind wandered to Warlock interrupting his rift with Maverick earlier and now knew why. He almost felt bad about their forceful run in. Almost.

Rooster walked past Payback and instead of joining his cohorts in the  common area at the end of the hall he turned to his right and headed up the stairs to his room. As soon as he was through the threshold of his quarters, he slammed the door shut. His back came to rest on the door and then he slid down until he was sitting on the floor, his elbows on his knees, hands running through his hair. The tears came barreling from their ducts like a missile from his jet and there was fuck all he could do to stop it. Today was a bad day. The pressure of the mission. The near loss of not only Bob but the woman he wanted to be so close to yet couldn’t. His blow up with Maverick. Then the loss of someone he had looked up to since he was young.

Iceman wasn’t particularly close to Bradley. Not like Maverick had been. But he sent birthday gifts and checked in on him with his own wife and kids occasionally. His mom even made a road trip with Bradley when he was in junior high to spend a weekend at the Kazansky home. He remembered this trip fondly because he received his first kiss from the Admirals slightly older daughter.

Iceman called to congratulate him when he commissioned and when he completed flight school. Ice told him many stories of his dad over the years and he would forever be grateful for those stories. Rooster hadn’t spoken to him in a very long time, and now he never could again. His heart felt like it was ripping from his chest. As his sobs subsided he realized that Phoenix probably didn’t know this development. He glanced over at his bedside clock. 10:35PM. Maybe she would still be awake? Rooster picked his phone up from the floor where it landed as he slid down the door and decided to text her. Hey. You awake? He stared at the illuminated screen as the three little dots appeared at the bottom. Well, I am now dickhead.

He choked on his chuckle and contemplated his next message. Have you heard? The dots appeared again quickly followed by one word: Yes. He sighed and raised his head to look at the ceiling, watching the fan make slow circles. What he wouldn’t give to be drawing those slow circles on her hand again right about now. His phone buzzed again, and he looked down to see another message from Phoenix. I’m sorry. I know he was important to you. Yes. Yes, he was. And so was Maverick. And so was his dad. And so was she.

And yet it was all so fucked up. He wanted to say something but decided he couldn’t trust himself in this moment. He kicked his shoes off, pulled his shirt over his head, crawled across the floor to his bed, and his eyes slammed shut as soon as his head hit the pillow. He needed the world to shut up for a little while. And it did.

The next morning came way too soon. A knock at Roosters door jolted him from his deep, dark slumber. He rolled over in his bed and practically fell out, shielding his eyes from the sunlight beaming through his blinds. He felt hungover. No. He felt downright drunk. Grief does strange things to the human body, even worse sometimes than the G’s he pulled in his plane.

There was another knock at the door and he checked the clock on the bedside table. 7:15AM

His flight wasn’t supposed to be until later so who the hell was waking him this fucking early?

When another, more insistent knock came, he hollered “Just a damn minute” and headed to the door, still in nothing but his jeans from the night before. As he swung the door open and let out an exasperated huff, the smirk on the other side of the door brought him up short and sobered him up quick. Through his fog he saw her standing there in her PT shorts and a Naval academy t-shirt, hair pulled back in a loose, low ponytail, and flip flops on her feet. In the daylight he could see a few bruises on her face, neck, and legs and a tiny cut above her left eyebrow. He must have been staring for too long because her eyebrow quired and the smirk turned to a small smile.

“Morning sunshine. You should try answering your phone.” She sauntered past him into the room and stopped to look around. At that moment he wondered what sort of dirty laundry he had lying about but chose to ignore the embarrassing thought.

As he shut the door and turned to face her, he said lazily “Sure, come on in. You DO know what time it is, right?” Then he walked over to where his phone lay on his bed and glanced at the three missed calls from Phoenix and one from Payback.

“It’s 7:15 in the morning, you’re already out?” he asked, not looking up from his bed.

He felt her eyes on him but chose to continue looking absently at his phone. He had suddenly realized there was a tingle between his legs and the familiar waning of a morning woody. He needed to concentrate on anything but her eyes on his shirtless body at that very moment. She replied, still smirking. “Good behavior. So, how are you? I’m sorry about Admiral Kazansky.” He looked up at her with a sorrowful look and muttered “Thanks.” Before looking at the window across from him.

Phoenix moved, rather slowly and with effort, to sit in a small arm chair on the wall opposite Roosters bed. Realization that she must be very sore reached his core and he took two steps across his room to help her. Placing his right arm around her shoulders he reached his left hand across and placed it on her waist to steady her. She stopped and swayed and his grip at her waist tightened. She glanced down at his hand then up at his chocolate eyes.

Rooster was lost momentarily in her face, drowning in her beautiful eyes, and that sinful smirk. Then he realized this was the closest they had ever been physically and he became flustered.

“Uh, sorry. You seemed a little unsteady.”

“Being fired out of your plane and the massive jolt of the harness digging into your body as your chute explodes open then landing on the side of a mountain will do that to you.” She smiled a half hearted smile and began to walk. He held her all the way to the chair and she sat unceremoniously with a little bit of a grunt.

“Sounds like fun.”

“I don’t recommend it.”

Her eyes were on him again. He turned and walked to the small en suite bathroom, realizing his breath must reek. He prepped the toothbrush and placed it in his mouth then walked back to the door way of the bathroom. She had her head resting against the back of the chair, her eyes closed, her breathing slightly labored. She seemed so peaceful. That fiery woman kept at bay by the pain, and most likely pain meds. She must have sensed him watching her, because one eye slowly opened to look back at him.

“Funeral is tomorrow. 3PM at Miramar National. We have to be in blues downstairs at 1:30 to catch a van to the cemetery.” She opened both eyes now and watched him carefully.

Rooster continued to brush his teeth while leaning on the bathroom door frame. He merely nodded his head in recognition then returned to the sink to rinse and spit. Suddenly a thought crossed his mind and he returned to the door. “It’s early morning, you just got out of the hospital, how do you know all of this!?”

She chuckled lightly and gave him a smug look “You never downloaded the Group Me app did you?”

Confusion crossing his face, he picked up his phone off the bed again, unlocked it, and opened the Group Me app. There it was, a notice from Cyclone almost word for word of what Phoenix had just said. He crossed to her perch, turned the phone to face her, and made a smug face at her.

“I’m so proud of you.”

“Yeah, I’m proud of me too”. He returned the phone to the bed, turned to face her and asked “So, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“I’m hiding. I didn’t want everyone knocking on my door and bothering me today. I’m off flight status until after the funeral tomorrow evening. Taking first hop out next morning. Figured this would be the right place to hide.” She smiled an almost wicked smile and his heart faltered.

He thought over her words for a moment then offered up his bed so she could lie down instead. She agreed and he stood to help her again.

“I can walk the 4 feet to your bed ya know?”

He put his hands up in feigned defense and chortled “Pardon me ma’m”. She shot him a dirty look as she carefully lowered herself onto his bed, bringing her head to rest on his pillow. There it was again, His heart faltered.

Before his mind could get too carried away he turned to the small set of drawers behind him next to the chair and pulled out a dark navy blue tshirt. Once over his head and resting snuggly on his body he moved to the side of the bed and knelt in front of her where she lay on her side.

“You hungry?”

“I could eat. I could use some coffee too.”

“I supposed I could handle that. Eggs, bacon, and some fruit? Coffee black?”

She smiled up at him. This time the smile was less a smirk and seemed more, sweet.

“Look at you being all chivalrous.” She brought her hand up to brush some of his hair off of his forehead. “Yes, that sounds perfect. Thank you.”

He wasn’t sure what came over him, but he reached up meeting his hand to hears, pulled it in, and kissed the back of her hand very lightly. His mustache tickled the back of her hand, and her eyes met him, wide. All of a sudden, he felt like a fish in a very small bowl. Why did he do that? Was she ok with it? It felt right but he didn’t know if it was a kosher thing to do. His heart was pounding, and she was just staring at him. He dropped her hand, stumbled to his feet, and mumbled as him slid his tennis shoes on “I’ll be back, get some rest.” And then he was gone, without looking back to see the warmed expression on Phoenix blushing face.

*******

Rooster was gone way longer than he intended to be. After making the quick jog across the street to their designated dining facility he ran into half the squadron. All of them wanted to stop and offer condolences. He made for the start of the line, grabbing a to-go container, but Payback, Fanboy, and Coyote followed him. They were asking if he had seen Phoenix and Bob yet? Did he see the funeral information? Why was he taking his food to go?

He tried to be as vague, and as quick as possible. The conversation lasted at least 10 minutes, maybe more. Finally, Hangman walked in and Rooster was NOT in the mood for his shit this morning. When Hangman called out to Coyote as he sat at the table with the others, Rooster saw his out. He turned quickly and moved down the line to where hot food waited. He loaded the container with enough food for both Phoenix and him then moved to the coffee stand on the opposite side of the food line. He filled two large cups with coffee then, placing them on top of the to-go box, turned and bid them farewell. He practically sprinted out the door, leaving the rest of the pilots and WSO’s looking after him with confusion and some concern.

When Rooster reached the landing at the top of the dwelling stairs, he realized his hands were full and he couldn’t reach his keys in his back pocket. Then he realized he was being watched. From across the hall Bob had appeared out of his room and was walking towards the pilot.

“Need some help?”

Rooster hesitated. “Ahhh yeah. Do you mind holding this so I can get my keys.”

Bob slowly reached out and took the coffees from the top of the box. Rooster was trying to stay cool, hoping Bob wouldn’t ask why he had two coffee cups. He reached into his pocket with his right hand while his left still held the box of hot food. Then he unlocked the door, opened it with the same hand, and attempted to slip inside without opening the door too wide. He didn’t need her WSO seeing this. What would he think? Would he tell?

Rooster sat the box of food down on a small table he kept his keys on next to his door then reached very carefully with one arm through the barely opened door to get first one cup, then the other, from Bob.

He hadn’t noticed the grin on Bob’s face through all of this hurried interaction. When the last cup was handed off, he looked up to say thanks but Bob beat him to the punch.

“I know she’s in there.”

Rooster was brought up short. He flashed his eyes to the sleeping figure in his bed then back to Bob, stunned but unsure what to say.

“We talk. It’s cool. I’m glad she’s getting some rest.” Then he turned to head back across the hall his room, moving gingerly much like Phoenix had moved earlier in his room.

“Hey man. I’m glad you’re ok. Thanks for the help.”

Bob didn’t turn but merely held a hand up in response before disappearing into his room and closing the door.

FUCK.

Bob has never seemed like the gossiping type but this scared the shit out of Rooster. He was already on edge just by having her here. Now the man across the hall, her back seater, also knew. Did anyone else know? Maybe someone saw her come in this morning? Did she tell anyone else?

The most important question suddenly flashing through his head like a bright set of headlights coming straight for him: Does she care that anyone else knows shes in here?

Realizing he still had a cup of coffee in his hand and the door ajar, he nudged it close with his elbow and turned to place the coffee on a TV tray next to the chair Phoenix had occupied earlier. He moved next to the bed to check on her. She was breathing deeply and steadily. Good. She didn’t hear the interaction at the door. He turned to grab the food box and sit. The next half hour he mindlessly chewed on food and drank his coffee while watching her sleep peacefully. This was nice, he thought.

*******

Rooster was reading over one of the mission handouts he had tossed next to the chair when he heard a rustle from his bed. She had been asleep for just shy of two hours. He glanced up without moving and his eyes were met with her groggy gaze.

“Where’s my food?” She asked through a haze.

“Right here” he said as he nodded his head to the side towards the box on the TV tray, never taking his eyes off of her. “But it might be a little cold now.”

“How long have I been out?” She started to push herself up to a sitting position on the bed, but visibly winced with pain while doing so.

Rooster rose and grabbed the plate of food “Couple of hours. I got your coffee too. But, its probably cold too.”

“I don’t care. I just need sustenance. Gotta have something with my meds. Hey, can you grab them. There’s a little bottle in my duffle.”

She had dropped a small bag on the floor when she first entered his room. He hadn’t thought much about it and now it seemed like he was going to be trespassing into forbidden territory. He moved to the end of the bed where the bag was and bent down to unzip it. Her rolled up flight uniform was crammed in there and on top of it was a small medication bottle. He pulled it out, walked back to the side of the bed and handed it to her.

“Need some water?”

“Sure.” She said as she dug into her eggs and bacon.

He grabbed a bottle of water from a package under the bed and handed it to her. Then he sat back on the floor next to the bed and watched her eat. She finally broke the silence after a few bites of food, swigs of coffee, and tossing back her tiny white pill.

“It’s going to suck tomorrow. I can’t take any more pain meds after today so I can be flight ready. Funeral. Pain. Fun.”

He nodded his head but didn’t say anything. He was too mesmerized by the way she bit tenderly into the side of the plum he had brought her. His mind began to wander, wising his mouth was on the other end of that tender bite. He watched her mouth chew slowly before swallowing, in turn causing him to swallow the lump that had grown in his throat. Who knew a piece of fruit could be so enticing?

She ate her fill then closed the box, taking another swig of her coffee then setting both on the bedside table. She stretched her arms carefully, first to the side, then over her head. She winced when her arms reached their highest level and he sat up to one knee quicky, asking “You ok?”

Arms still over head she turned her head slightly and cocked her eyebrow “Nothing that’ll last long. But thanks for asking.” Then she brought both arms down, her right coming to rest in her lap, the left brushing lightly across his check and coming to rest on his jaw. The tension between them seemed to send electric currants through every fiber of his body, from the spot where her hand rest to the tip of his toes. They sat in this position for what seemed like an eternity, just staring at each other. Her face went from sweet to sad in an instant.

Then her hand was gone.

She was moving to stand on the other side of the bed. He stood too but didn’t move. Just watched her. She walked to the end of the bed and started to bend down to get her bag. About halfway into said squat though, she started to lose her balance. As she her wobbling became more intense, she reached a hand out to the end of the bed to steady herself. Instead, a large, strong hand grabbed hers while another muscular arm reached under her other arm and came to rest around her waist, lifting her back up.

Suddenly they were face to face. Mere inches apart, his arm pulling her close to him. Time simply stopped. Their eyes searched the others and his arm tightened around her waist. They just stood there, holding on and watching the other for a reaction. His mind was screaming at him to stop, this wasn’t right. He may have wanted her bad but there was no way it could work and this wasn’t ok. This was going too far. Before he could find any words to say, her lips came to rest on his cheek, then pulled away. “Thank you, for taking good care of me.”

Rooster said nothing. His mind was too busy gasping for air. He just knew she could hear his heart pounding out of his chest. While still holding his other hand, she stepped back to free herself from the arm around her waist, bent over to get her bag, then stood to face him again. She squeezed his hand, turned around, and slowly exited without a look back or another word.

He just stood there, mouth slack, completely shocked at the morning he just had. He needed to go back to bed. Or take a cold shower. Or both.

Chapter Two ->

[boasamishipper]

"mav meets his granddaughter for the first time" PLEASE i am begging!!!!

"Phoenix and I were thinking Nickie'd call you Grandpa," Bradley says, and Maverick's knees go weak on him. "You and Ice." He gulps and rocks back on his heels, offering an awkward grin that was pure Goose. "If...if you wanted."

Maverick tries to speak, but can't quite make any words come out. He swallows and looks down at Nickie again, her little pink face, the balmy, soapy smell of her skin, the wisps of dark brown hair peeking out from under the knit cap. The light blue of her eyes and the bow of her lips, a sweet little echo of Carole’s face. Carole's granddaughter. Goose's granddaughter.

His granddaughter too, if he wanted.

"What do you think, sweetheart?" Nickie blinks up at him and smacks her lips together, whining. Maverick laughs, shifting his hold so she can be more comfortable. "Huh? That sound good to you?"

send me one of my WIPs and i'll tell you all about it!

[sweetwhispersofchaos]

If I ever get back to them. It’s been several months now since I’ve written on my story and even I am desperate for new additions.

My characters when I finally decide to come back to my wip after weeks of not working on it

[autumntouched]

Day 18 of Ode to Phoenix

It's Girl Scout cookie season! irl, not the fic lol

Summary: Natasha's having a bad day and looking forward to taking comfort in her Samoas. But she can't find them when she gets home

Pairing: Natasha "Phoenix" Trace x Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

Warnings: Mention of period sex but nothing explicit

A/N: From my brain to the page with few edits.

Cookie Monster

Natasha hates flying the first day of her period. She can feel the changes in pressure more intensely and her cramps tweak a little sharper. Plus her tampon leaks no matter what absorbency it is. On top of that, being insatiably hungry makes her cranky. So she’s not in the best mood when Commander Hodgens calls her into his office to reprimand her for something she’s told one of the ensigns more than five times to watch out for during their hops. 

Instead of complaining about a hardheaded pilot, she keeps her face neutral and thinks about the last row of Samoas Girl Scout cookies waiting for her at home. The season of little girls hawking overpriced but addictive cookies outside of grocery stores is long past, but she’s kept this last box in the freezer. Today is the perfect day to enjoy the last of the batch and forget what a shit day it’s been. She’ll have two of the cookies when she gets home and the last three for dessert.

“Is that clear, Lieutenant Trace?” Hodgens says pointedly, watching her over his glasses like he suspects she is only half listening.

“I’ll remind the team,” Natasha promises. 

“Thanks,” he dismisses her. She nods and pivots out the room. Natasha skips the locker room shower and finishes off her work so she can head out as early as possible.

Bradley isn’t home yet. She dumps her boots, washes her hands, and heads directly to the freezer. But the cookies aren’t on the door where she remembers leaving them. There isn’t much in her freezer, a few frozen dinners and ice packs, but she moves everything around just in case.

No cookies.

Trying to remain reasonable, Natasha checks the refrigerator. Maybe she or Bradley moved them? Maybe Bradley moved them because she would remember if she had. They’re not in any of the cabinets. With growing suspicion, she rummages through the freezer and fridge again. No fucking cookies.

She puts her hands on her hips and forces herself to take a breath. There has to be a reasonable explanation for why the treat she’s been looking forward to all day is missing. But if Bradley ate her last five Girl Scout cookies, she’s going to murder him. 

Natasha stomps to the shower, hoping that washing off the day will calm her down some. Instead, she becomes even more angry that she’s not savoring the lingering chocolate and coconut on her tongue while the hot water washes over her. 

She’s fuming, planning Bradley’s untimely murder, when the subject of her violent fantasy opens the bathroom door. 

“Hey, Sash—.”

Natasha yanks back the curtain to confront him. His eyes go wide watching her stand before him entirely naked except for the soap suds dripping down her body and not at all interested in seducing him into joining her. “Did you eat my cookies, Bradshaw?” she demands, straight to the point. 

Bradley pales, but at least has the courage to open the door all the way. “Cookies?” But she can tell from his voice and the way he rubs his neck he knows exactly what she’s talking about.

“My Samoas,” she clarifies with deadly precision.

She can see the “oh fuck” bulb go off in Bradley’s head, but at least she will do him the courtesy of letting him own up to what he’s done.

“Patch—.”

“Don’t fucking ‘Patch’ me, Bradley Nicholas Bradshaw!” she practically yells. “Yes or no, did you eat my Samoas?” And because she is past angry and wants him to know just how big of a dog house he’s landed himself in, she adds, “Without asking me.” 

He gulps and takes a step back from her soaked fury. Water splashes out the tub across the floor. 

“Yes.”

“All of them? All five of my last cookies?”

Bradley looks like he wishes Maverick hadn’t found that F-14 Tomcat and left him to try his chances at survival in enemy territory. He probably had better odds. 

“I only meant to have one,” he pleads, “and I kept thinking just one more and then—.” He shrugs helplessly.

“And then you ate all my fucking cookies and didn’t even have the balls to tell me!” she finishes for him, her voice rising into a shout. “I spent this entire shitty day thinking about getting home to enjoy just a little treat only to find out that my boyfriend didn’t have the decency to leave something that was clearly mine alone!” 

She marches out of the tub. “What part of ‘this is the last box’ did you not understand! I even told you I was saving them.” 

Bradley holds up his hands as she advances on him. “I’m really sorry, Sash.”

“Sorry doesn’t bring them back!”

Her fists are curled in front of her, and she wants to punch him but she knows it won’t hurt him half as bad as she wants it to. And she’d rather not have to explain that she sprained her wrist and can’t fly because she punched her stupid boyfriend over cookies. But she wants to. 

“Can I make it up to you?” he offers. “I’ll go get you ice cream? Cheesecake? Tiramisu?” 

“If I wanted those I would have gotten them! But I didn’t. Because you know why?” He flinches. “Because I wanted Samoas! Can you go get me Girl Scout cookies? No!” 

She won’t punch him, but she will shove him. Natasha pushes him out into the hallway. Bradley doesn’t resist and stumbles back. She slams the door and locks him out then stomps back to the shower. 

“Sash,” he calls through the door. “Hon, I’m so sorry.”

“You have nothing to say to me until you’ve replaced my cookies!” she yells back and yanks the shower curtain closed. Is she overreacting? Maybe. But he shouldn’t have taken something he knew wasn’t his to finish. 

Of the two of them, Bradley is most likely to use the silent treatment when he’s upset about something but Natasha is not feeling her usual forgiving or diplomatic self when she gets out of the shower. 

Meekly, he tells her he’s going to pick up her favorite pasta for dinner. Because she’s angry, she tells him she needs to finish the leftovers. He’s already placed the order so he goes anyway.

And as soon as he’s gone, Natasha can’t help but notice how cute Bradley looks when he’s in the dog house. Part eager puppy and part groveling boyfriend. Committed to her fury, though, she fixes herself a plate of leftovers even though she’s actually been craving the pasta he ordered. Maybe she can try to look forward to that if he doesn’t eat it.

An hour and a half passes, and Natasha goes from being glad she made her own food to worried. It shouldn’t have taken him more than 45 minutes even if the order wasn’t ready when he got there. 

Unable to enjoy her anger while anxious her boyfriend is bleeding out in a ditch, Natasha calls him. 

“Sash!”

“Are you okay?” she cuts past his excuses. 

“What? Yeah?” 

“You’re not currently bleeding on the side of the road or in a totaled car or in any way harmed?” Natasha confirms.

There’s a hint of amusement in his voice when he answers. “I promise that outside of feeling awful about eating your cookies, I’m fine.”

“Good,” she snaps. “Stay that way. I love you.” And she hangs up on his chuckle. 

Natasha puts on a movie while she waits for him to get back, but she keeps checking her phone. It’s over an hour later when he walks through the door. 

“I hope you don’t think making me afraid for your life—.”

Bradley pulls a box of Samoas from behind his back. “I remembered Crockett’s niece is a Girl Scout. His sister-in-law helped me track down someone who still had a couple of boxes, but it was a little bit of a drive to get them. And I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find them so.” He holds up his other hand filled with bags. “I got you cheesecake, creme brûlée, tiramisu, and the pasta. It’s cold but you said—.”

He lets the bags fall to the floor to catch her. But he holds onto the box of cookies and tucks it between them before she kisses him. Bradley returns it eagerly, his mustache scratching her upper lip. 

“Ask next time,” she says softly when she comes up for air. His hazel eyes are hopeful and uncertain. “Or at least tell me.” 

He holds her tightly, large hands firm and comforting on her thighs. “I’m sorry, Sasha. I didn’t mean to be part of your bad day.” He kisses her chin. “Next time I’ll tell you before you throw a naked right hook at me.”

She chuckles and smoothes the sad furrow of his brow then kisses the bridge of his nose. “If you don’t mind getting a little messy, you can make it up to me after you put all my treats in the fridge.” A grin spreads over her face at the effort he put into his apology. 

Bradley raises interested eyebrows. “Period?” Natasha nods, and he kisses her neck. “My gorgeous girl, I’ll spend all night making it up to you. After you’ve had your cookies.”

She opens the box. “I love you.” When he doesn’t respond she looks up.

He feigns a look of surprise. “Oh, were you talking to me or the cookie?” 

Natasha smiles and pops a Samoa into her mouth. “The cookie then,” she says, mouth full, as he laughs and kisses a shred of coconut off her lip.

Ode to Phoenix Masterlist

Tag List: @melodiousoblivionao3