▪︎Warnings: Language and probably some inaccuracies
▪︎Genre: Soulmate au! Angst and fluff
▪︎Synopsis: Your soulmate rarely seems to be out of the High risk zone according to your mark, which makes you worry. Oh well— you already know the same goes for him.
WARNINGS: Enemies to Lovers, Angst, Cursing, and Fluff!
Summary: The days since your reconciliation with Rooster have been tough -- the training is extreme and the requirements are near impossible to meet. Right before you and your group mates are at the verge of defeat, your instructor plans a fun day out in order to raise morale, increase the team spirit, and, unexpectedly, spark feelings.
A/N: Part 4! Part 4! This part was so much fun to write since it holds a lighter, more fun tone than the rest. I hope you all enjoy <3
Word Count: 3.5K
The days that had followed that evening on the beach were, more or less, grueling. There were early wakeups, hours upon hours up in the air, and even hitting as high as 9 Gs, creeping in on the 10 that would be required for the mission. Every day was more of the same. Practice and nail the turns, fall behind on speed. Finally get the correct speed but breach the flight ceiling. Keep a low ceiling and crash into the simulated cliffs. It was frustrating and humbling, sending each and every one of you back to the locker room feeling less and less confident about the mission.
It frayed your fitness, both mental and physical, leaving you with droopy eyelids and a craving for a piece of tranquility. Each flight felt like a punch in the face to both you and Bradley, sending the two of you into a slight descent to madness as you stayed up late in the common rooms, pouring over the F-18 manual and previous mission archives to see if there was anything more you could do. Most nights, it ended up with one of you falling asleep and the other having to shake them awake, throwing the towel in for that evening.
It was like your first weeks of Top Gun all those years ago – the second you returned to your dorms, you barely had enough energy to grab a towel and shower, more or less change into sleep clothes. Your body just gravitated towards your bed and collapsed upon it, your flight suit still on.
Your alarm blared at that same time in the morning; too early. You stretched, rubbed your eyes, and rolled out of bed – only to find a little slip of paper that had been slid under the crack of your door. Perplexed, you pluck the thing from the floor and unfold it, revealing a message written in messy handwriting.
Meet at beach behind The Hard Deck at 1 p.m. – casual attire is required, rest of the afternoon’s yours.
- Mav
Apparently, the weary smiles you gave Bradley, and the rest of your squad, did not go unnoticed by your instructor. You felt like you could cry of happiness and you kissed the paper, throwing it up in the air and letting it flutter down. You found home in your blankets again and reset your alarm for 8:30, finding sleep again easily.
Pulling on a pair of athletic shorts, a sports bra, and an old t-shirt, you slipped your feet into some sandals and made your way to meet the rest of the crew. Rides were arranged between those of you who had cars, resulting in you, Phoenix, Bob, and Fanboy piling into Bradley’s car.
“I call shotgun!” you pronounce, darting between your squadmates and leaping into the seat beside Bradley’s.
“Seriously, Swan? Just because you and Rooster are friends again doesn’t mean that you always get to have the front seat.” Phoenix says, amusement dripping from her words.
“Yeah, she does.” Rooster says simply, making you grin and stick your tongue out at Phoenix. The windows were rolled down and the sweet summer breeze lulled you into a trance as the pleasantness mixed with the sweet tones of the radio, one of Bradley’s own playlists creating the perfect soundtrack for the trip. As the previous song dies down, the starting tones to the next one begin. And just from the first chord of the piano, your eyes shoot open. And of course, so does Bradley’s.
“Oh please don’t tell me you added this to the playlist.” Phoenix groans. It’s like alarm bells go off as the man driving tries to fiddle with the buttons in order to skip the song.
“Oh my god it’s my song.” You breathe, a mischievous smile spreading across your face.
“No, no it’s not, it’s just a random song we’re skipping-” Bradley begins, but you grab hold of his wrist to prevent him from altering the playlist.
“What’s the matter? I mean, it’s just Celine Dion, right?” Bob asks. Phoenix turns in her seat and Bradley looks at him through the rearview mirror. Chuckling and shaking his head, Rooster finally relents.
“Alright man, just know – you let this happen-”
“Baby, baby, if I kiss you like this! And if you whisper like that! It was lost long ago, but it's all coming back to me!” You belt, picking up where the song had accidentally skipped to after Bradley’s attempt to skip the song. Groans are heard from the backseat, but you’re just facing Bradley and singing towards him, leaving him with nothing to do but laugh and join in.
“If you want me like this! And if you need me like that! It was dead long ago, but it's all coming back to me!” The two of you sing together, him alternating from facing the road to facing you.
“We’re going to die because Rooster can’t keep his eyes on the road,” Fanboy snorts. You laugh and lean your head back, your head coming close to the window, causing your hair to whip around you.
“C’mon guys, you know you wanna join in.” You say, fixing the three in the backseat with puppy dog-like eyes. Phoenix rolls her eyes and leans her head against the headrest.
“It was gone with the wind, but it’s all coming back to me.” She sings, pretending to hold a mic, then holding it in front of Bob.
“It's all coming back, it's all coming back to me now. There were moments of gold and there were flashes of light!” Bob chimes in, metaphorically handing the “mic” to Fanboy.
“There were things we'd never do again, but then they'd always seemed right!” Fanboy sings, clapping Rooster on the shoulder.
“There were nights of endless pleasure, it was more than all your laws allow!” Bradley croons, holding out his hand for you. You grab hold of it, feeling the spotlight turn to you again.
“Baby, baby, baby!” You belt, garnering grins and laughter from the rest of the car, your own grin consuming your expression. It was only a couple more minutes until the beach, but the rest of the ride was full of singing and laughing and views through the lens of your Ray Bans.
“Welcome, to dogfight football.” Mav said, standing in front of your group. Behind him, waves crashed and pulled away and the sun was shining bright. A perfect day. Even one of your other supervisors had joined him, wearing a football jersey and a whistle around his neck. Murmurs flitted around until your instructor held up two waterproof footballs in his hands. “You’ll be playing this in teams, working on both offense and defense on the time. Each team will be hiking the ball to themselves at the same time and it’s your job to stop the opponent – while also getting a touchdown at the same time.” A grin worked its way onto your face as you looked up next to you to see Bradley. He was looking at your instructor with an indifferent expression, one that you understood instantly. While things had miraculously been patched up, and sewn even stronger, between the two of you, his grudge against Rooster was still there. Waning, ever so slightly, but still there.
You were split into teams easily, the two team captains being Rooster and Hangman. You gave Phoenix a frown as she trudged over to Hangman’s side since she was his wingman, and that was one of the rules. And, before you knew it, the game had started. While it was difficult to strategize at first, both teams started to develop ways in order to master both offense and defense. Sometimes it would sway in your team’s favor and sometimes it would go the other way, but above all, you were having fun.
The sun eventually got unbearably hot, so everyone ditched their shirts, creating an unforeseen distraction. Bradley Bradshaw was ripped. Not in the sense of him sporting just a six pack… oh no, he had the abs, and the back muscles, and his arms. Coupled with the fact that it was reaching the upper nineties, which meant everyone was sweating, you didn’t stop to think about whether it was fine or not to be staring at him. You just did. Unfortunately, though, he catches on.
“Hey there Swan, something catch your eye?” You wrench your gaze from his torso to his face, finding his smug expression. Immediately you felt your whole body flush as you shake your hands in front of you as well as your head.
“No, nope. Nothing. Nada.” You sputter, turning around to take your own shirt off.
“Reaaally?” He drawls, laughing and walking closer to you, “cause I think you’re full of shit.” You huffed and turned around to face him again, but this time, it’s him who can’t stop staring. You sported a simple black sports bra now and crossed your arms in front of you.
“Something catch your eye, Rooster?” You say to him, verbatim of his previous taunt. He swallows and shakes his head, making him turn around and walk back towards the game.
“Nada, nothing. No. Nope.” You laugh and follow him back to where the sand was damp, prepping for another round of football.
The weather was still warm even as the sun was setting on both the evening and your game, capping off what was, essentially, the perfect day. Yes, you were covered in sand, caked onto your body as it stuck to your sweat, but you were breathless and happy and feeling free. You felt the game, not only working to increase your already heightened sense of awareness, but knit your team closer together. In the end, Rooster was dancing around like an idiot as he got a touchdown, Hangman had basically graduated into friend status, and Bob was lifted into the air as he got the final points of the game. Bradley and Mav had even shared a moment. However fleeting it was, it was most definitely a step into the right direction. As Mav and your other supervisor left, the group of you was left to your own devices, which inevitably led to trying to dunk one another into the ocean. You had succeeded in submerging Fanboy and poor, unsuspecting Bob. Your first and only mistake, though, was letting your guard down. You were chatting with Phoenix by the shore about the mission, random things, everything – but what you didn’t notice was the glint in her eyes and the subtle look over your shoulder. Suddenly, you felt a tight grip around your waist and your eyes went wide, making Natasha erupt into a fit of laughter. You scream as you’re lifted over the person’s shoulder, your face facing towards the beach and your friend.
“Have a nice swim, Swan!” She chirps. You look down, finding your captor’s long jean shorts and immediately, you give him a not so playful slap on the back.
“Bradley! Oh my god, put me down, or I swear to God.” You hear him chuckle as he tightens his grip on you, beginning to wade deep into the waves. “Seriously, I will give you anything!” He stops pace for a second.
“Anything?” He asks, amusement obvious in his voice.
“Yes!” You confirm, kicking your legs. He’s silent for a moment.
“Nah, I’m good!” And in a flurry of motions, you’re tossed into the icy waves. The water’s a shock to the system, and after you find your footing, you stand up. Smoothing your wet hair behind you, your eyelids flutter open to reveal a grinning and satisfied looking Bradley.
“Oh, you are so dead.” Your plan of revenge was enacted as you leapt forward, tackling him into the water, submerging you both. Your laughter is in sync with his, producing bubbles under the water as you’re looking at each other. Eventually, you make your way back above the waves and so does he, only to reveal there was no one at the shore anymore. Your eyebrows knit in confusion as you splash your way out of the water, finding that there were no vehicles left in the parking lot for the Hard Deck except for Bradley’s car.
“Probably time we should head back, huh?” He says, a certain calmness in his voice that you haven’t heard in a while. You nod and wring out your hair, trying to make sure you didn’t get Bradley’s car too damp. You hum a tune while the two of you wander back to his Bronco, buckling yourselves in before he hits the brights and changes his playlist. This time it’s piano instrumentals – sweet seranades and symphonies that, if you could, you would fall asleep to.
It’s late when the two of you get back, trekking sand and leaving wet footprints in your wake. He walks you to your dorm, wishing you sweet dreams as you open the door. Only, you can’t. Sucking in a deep breath and slamming your palm to your forehead, you curse yourself for being so forgetful. Your dorm key was with your wallet. The same wallet that you put in Phoenix’s bag, with her permission, to keep safe and dry. The same bag that was probably locked away in her room and one that you could not retrieve in fear of waking her up.
“What’s the matter?” Rooster asks, leaning up against the wall. You close your eyes and lean your forehead against your door, fatigue wrapping you in its arms.
“I left my keys in Phoenix’s bag.” Bradley chuckles and shakes his head.
“Well, I guess you have no other option than to bunk in with me.” He says, making you peek up at him.
“I’m not taking your bed away from you.” You mutter, crossing your arms and staring at him.
“Yeah y’are.” He says, a certain twang making its way into his voice. It’s cute, you think, that when sleepiness is winning a fight against Bradley it makes him not care about his hidden accent.
“Nah, I’ll just sleep out here. That’s what soldiers are trained for – to sleep anywhere.”
“We’re naval aviators, I don’t think we were given that training.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“No it won’t.”
“Bradley.”
“Y/N.” He says, his voice bordering on a whine. “Seriously, you’re bunking in with me. If you stay out here, it’ll just keep me up worrying if you’re able to get sleep or not. You’re my wingman and my best friend, it’s my responsibility.” He states. You sigh and let your head fall against the door, knowing he’s won the argument. That, and you’re too tired to come up with another reason not to follow Bradley Bradshaw to his room.
“Fine. Lead the way.”
The trip to his room was short, since his dorm was just a hallway down. He fiddles with his keys and opens the door, letting you walk in first. Looking around, you smile. Where your dorm’s walls were bare, his were full of pictures, pennants, and everything in between. It was just so ‘Bradley’ that it made you giggle. When you turn around to find him, he’s digging in his wardrobe, producing one of his t-shirts and a clean pair of boxers.
“Here,” he says, handing you the bundle of clothes. Your face heats.
“O-oh, I’m okay in this.” You say, looking at your clothes. Your shirt and shorts were damp with no chance of drying before you went to bed, and Bradley cringed at the thought.
“No, it’s going to be so uncomfortable for you. It’s no problem, really, I have another pair of sleep clothes I can wear.” His drowsy smile makes you cave, taking the clothes and motioning for him to turn around. Peeling off the sea-soaked clothes felt great, but putting on his clothes felt even better. They were dry, warm, and smelled of him – mahogany and teak wood, you think, and something else.
“Okay, all set.” You murmur, letting him turn around again. He sucks in a breath and nods, quickly finding his own clothes to change into. You give him the same treatment he gave you, turning around so that he had the privacy to change as well. He gives you the green light to move freely, but both of your eyes go straight to the bed. Navy cots were always something you dreaded sleeping on, but the thought of two aviators trying to both fit was a nightmare. “If you have an extra blanket or something, I’ll take the floor.” Immediately, Bradley shakes his head.
“No, no way. You’re taking the bed, I’m taking the floor.” You roll your eyes and yawn, sitting down on the springy mattress.
“This is your room. I'm not taking the bed. There’s also no way that both of us will fit, so…” you say, trailing off. Bradley thinks for a moment before opening up the covers, laying down on his back. Your suspicions were correct – his body took up basically the entire thing, there was no way that you’d be able to fit beside him.
“Here, you can just… lay on me?” He suggests, hesitance clear in his tone. Your heart rate was now through the roof and your mind was saying ‘oh, Y/N, this might not be the best idea,” but was soon overridden by your feelings and the need for sleep. So instead of protesting, you agree.
“Okay,” you murmur, making your way onto the bed.Resting your head on his chest and letting your arms kind of hug him, Bradley wraps the two of you in covers, his own arms twining themselves around your waist. His heartbeat and breathing combines to make the most effective lullaby on earth. Bradley finds the light switch next to the bed and the room is enveloped in darkness. You’re tired, so sleepy, and was barely able to register his hands starting to play with your hair. But you do. You hum, the gentle tug on your head providing a massage-like feeling.
“Hey, Y/N?” He whispers.
“Hmm?”
“I, uh… I had a really great day today. The first great one in a while.”
“Me too.” you say, and then laugh a bit, “although I think Mav had a better one. I saw the way he was looking at Penny.” Even with the mention of the older aviator’s name, he chuckles.
“Yeah. You think they’re in love?” His question catches you off guard.
“Hmm. I think so, do you?” You feel him nod his head.
“Probably. I dunno, I can’t really tell.”
“Can’t tell when someone’s in love?” You ask.
“Nah, I know when that happens.”
“Tell me.” His chest rises, and your head does as well, when he takes a deep breath.
“Well…” he begins, “it feels like when you’re free falling in a jet. Like, you’ve entered a descent, but have completely abandoned the engine.”
“Sounds scary,”
“Not if you know what you’re getting into. Not if you know them like the back of your hand.” You freeze a bit at his comment, your heart begging to jump to a certain conclusion.
“Bradley?”
“Y/N?”
“Are you in love?” A few seconds pass.
“Yeah, I am. Are you in love?” Your breath stutters, but you keep your head laying on his stomach.
“Yeah.” Without any more words, his hand goes to cup your cheek, holding up your head softly and slowly.
“Tell me.” He says. “Tell me to stop and I will, I’ll forget this happened, I won’t bring it up again.” Your hand goes to limply hold the one that’s holding your face.
“Aviator, you’ve got the go ahead.” The second those words leave your lips, his own are on them. It’s soft and slow and in no way rushed, like he could spend the rest of eternity just like this. The gentle push and pull of the way he exchanges his breath with yours, holding onto you so delicately. The kiss doesn’t last long, only a few moments, but it’s enough for right now. There are no more words spoken as the two of you drift off to sleep. None are needed. In your deepest feelings and at the bottoms of your hearts, you knew you loved each other. Today was perfect. The sun was shining and there was laughter accompanying every step. But you knew tomorrow that would change. Four pilots and two WSOs would be chosen to participate in a near impossible feat, most likely resulting in death. So instead of speaking, you just held onto each other, knowing that tomorrow may be uncertain, but the present is known – and it is so damn lovely.
Summary: For his whole life, Rooster has had one special, defining feature - his heart eyes. Full of such love and adoration for so many things, he’s been told and teased countless times by his mother and friends for them. So when you, the niece of Penny Benjamin, walk into a garden party where he and his top gun buddies have been invited to with a smile on your face and the sweetest personality to boot? How can he help it - he just has heart eyes for you.
A/N: Idkkkk I had this idea and kinda loved it. Now, 2.8K words later, it’s all written and done! As always, I appreciate comments, constructive criticism, and support, so let me know what you think! Requests are open <3. Enjoy!!!!
It had been a part of Bradley for as long as he could remember. Other kids had defining characteristics to them – dimples on their cheeks, a buck-toothed grin, maybe even the cutest button nose to date. But Bradley, oh little Bradley, he has heart eyes. With so much love in his heart, his big, brown doe eyes would fill with so much compassion and adoration for things that he couldn’t keep it in him. He wore his heart on his sleeve and his love in his eyes.
His mother always used to tell him that he had them whenever his babysitter, Audrey, would watch him for the night. She was a high schooler who lived close by, always willing to lend a helping hand to Mrs. Bradshaw and her son. Bradley saw her as the prettiest girl alive – long hair, a kind grin, and always happy to let him talk to her about his new action figures.
“Oh honey, you’ve got heart eyes.” Is what she would always say, grabbing his chin gently and giving him a nose kiss. He’d blush and duck his head away, trying to hide the fact that he was utterly infatuated with his babysitter.
“No I don’t,” Bradley would protest, “She’s just nice, that’s all.” Sensing her son’s embarrassment, she’d switch topics quickly and let him show her how he organized his model planes. But anyone could see the way his eyes transformed when his babysitter would walk through the door and give him a big hug.
It followed him, of course, throughout his life. An easy source for teasing amongst his friends and something for his previous girlfriends to coo at, Bradley’s heart eyes were part of him every step of the way. Until he had his papers pulled and he spent those extra years trying to get back to where he was. Those heart eyes faded into a sullen, hard stare. Even when he went on dates and house calls to whoever he was seeing that week, nothing but lust entered his pupils – and lust wasn’t love.
But then he got called back to Top Gun and everything changed. He trained under the man that had screwed him over, and after getting chosen and landing in enemy territory alongside him, Maverick and Rooster had repaired the damage that had been previously inflicted. This repair was not one made with bandages, oh no, Bradley and Pete Mitchell’s relationship was now mended with super glue, duct tape, and reinforced by steel. Unbreakable.
Which was how he found himself, and his buddies from Top Gun, at a garden party hosted by Penny Benjamin. It was nice outside – not too cold to warrant a sweater and just warm enough to the point that one could wear a sundress or breathy polo shirts comfortably. Bradley, to the surprise of many, had traded in his usual open Hawaiian shirt and white tank for a light blue long sleeve button down – his mother always used to tell him he looked good in light blue – and a nice pair of navy slacks. For once, he didn’t look like he worked as a naval pilot in California – more similar to someone who worked in an office set in a metropolitan city.
“Looking good Rooster,” a velvety voice expressed, causing Bradley to roll his eyes. Turning to his side, Jake Seresin sauntered closer and held out his hand. Bradley grabbed it and gave him a quick hug.
“Not looking too shabby yourself, Hangman,” he quipped, seeing Jake in a similar outfit to him.
“Forwent the old Hawaiian shirt, huh?” He prompted, grabbing a drink from a nearby table.
“Well, I figured Penny wanted a more formal event than usual.” Jake nodded at Bradley’s answer. “Any idea why?” Looking around, Bradley didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. There were members of his Top Gun class dotted all over the beautifully decorated backyard along with employees from The Hard Deck. Penny and Pete were side by side with his arm wrapped around her waist, greeting everyone and trying to make the whole event less boring for Ameila.
“I think I heard something about Penny’s niece coming into town? She’s from the East Coast and they haven’t seen her in a while.” Bradley hummed in acknowledgement of Jake’s comment.
“Lookie here – the big boys are all dressed up.” Both Bradley and Jake spun around, finding Natasha Trace with her hands on her hips and a deadpan stare. Jake whistled as he looked her up and down, struck by the view of their friend in a maxi skirt and silk tank top.
“And she rises out of the ashes of those regulation shirt and pants,” Hangman simpered, a cocky smirk on his features.
“A shame, Bagman, that the same can’t be said for you.” Natasha rolls her eyes but gives both him and Bradley a hug. “Any idea why this is so fancy?”
“Something about Penny’s niece coming to town?” Bradley says, watching as Natasha’s eyes grow exponentially.
“Y/N’s coming?” Bradley’s face screws into one of confusion as Natasha was clearly very excited.
“Who?”
You never really loved these kinds of parties, but of course, you put up with them because your Aunt Penny threw them for you whenever you managed to come to California – and you loved your Aunt Penny. It had been years, probably nearing eight now, since you’ve last seen her. Eight years ago, you were just graduating from college and entering your professional field with confidence and a love for the hustle and bustle of New York City. Now? You were taking the success you had created in the city and moving to Miramar, California.
The reason why was, well… messy. It had started with your growing distaste for a city setting and morphed into unhappiness with the relationships you had been in, creating an unfortunate cocktail of misery. You were longing for sun and warmth – and not one that would pair with the stench of hot trash sitting streetside next to littered walkways. Freshness and a need for something brand new was what packed your bags and sent you on a one way ticket to California.
Well, the decision of California itself was more of Penny’s idea. She had promised you that her house could serve as a homebase for any endeavor – house hunting, a makeshift office, and a place to unwind. She had also said that she knew of the perfect person to help you familiarize yourself with a new atmosphere. A navy aviator and the godson of her fiancé, she described him as the most perfect boy ever to walk the Earth. And, yes, Penny may have mentioned that he was strapping and attractive and, as Amelia described him, yummy.
You stopped just outside of the big garden gate of Penny’s house and brushed out the skirt of the spaghetti strapped dress you were wearing. It was nothing too fancy – just a white dress with a small floral pattern to it – pastel blue hydrangeas. On the top of the shoulders were little bows; just enough to make the dress not entirely too simple.
Taking a deep breath, you swallowed that irrational nervous lump in your throat, and pushed the door open. Immediately, Penny’s and Ameila’s eyes found you and they both squealed with excitement.
“Y/N!!!” Amelia exclaimed, running and throwing her arms around you. You laughed into the hug with your little cousin.
“Ames! It’s so good to see you!” You twirled her around a little before you set her back down. “When did you go and grow up?” You say with a faux frown, making her laugh.
“Y/N, honey, look at you!” Penny marveled, wrapping you in a softer hug than Amelia’s more eager one. You grinned as she hugged you and then grabbed your hands, squeezing them. “My god, you’re just gorgeous.”
What Penny had said was an understatement. The second that Amelia had launched herself into you, drawing Bradley’s attention due to the noise, his eyes fell on you. A pretty, Y/H/C haired woman with a shine in her grin and a certain sparkle to her whole person. He was currently watching you as Penny smiled and told you something, making you respond with enthusiasm and hand movements to further emphasize your words.
“-ster. Rooster!” Bradley only registered Phoenix’s voice when she started to shake his shoulder, making him whip his head towards his friends. Blinking away the glassiness that took over his pupils, he cleared his throat.
“Yeah– yes?” He managed, his voice cracking just slightly on his first word. Phoenix, knowing when and when not to poke the bear, pursed her lips to stop a teasing smile from crossing them.
“That’s Y/N.” Y/N. That name when it crossed his mind now brought such a light and airy feeling to his whole aura.
“Well are you just gonna stand there and gawk at her or are you going to introduce yourself?” Hangman chuckled, pushing Bradley forward. He stumbled forward, shooting a glare at his friend, before making his way over towards Penny, Pete, Amelia, and you. Penny, of course, saw him first.
“Oh!” She exclaimed, a giddy smile on her face. She looked at Bradley, and then focused on you. “Y/N, this is Bradley Bradshaw. You know, the one I’ve been telling you about?” Your face immediately flushed and you felt hot all over in embarrassment. You opened and closed your mouth a few times before facing him. Your eyes widened as they fell on Bradley.
“I… uh,” you began, exhaling as your gaze befell him. He was tall – at least 6’0”, sunkissed, and his arms. You cleared your throat as it had become increasingly aware that you might’ve been staring for a moment too long. “I’m Y/N.” You feel stupid, your name being the only thing you could say to him, but he quells the churning in your stomach as he flashes a grin.
“Bradley,” he introduces himself, sticking out a hand to shake yours. You let him as you turn your face towards Penny, Pete, and Amelia. Penny’s face is the exact tone of enthusiasm that had been in her voice, Pete simply watched Bradley with a goofy expression, but Amelia… Amelia’s eyes were like a hawk on you, smiling mischievously.
“So!” You say loudly, effectively cutting the tension. “I hear you’re a naval pilot.”
“I am,” he smiles, turning towards your aunt, “you’ve been gossiping about me Penny?” He jokes.
“Only the best things,” she promises.
“C’mon Rooster, you gonna introduce us or what?” A voice from behind both of and Bradley calls out. You spin, finding a group of mostly guys, fixing the both of you with a smug and teasing look.
“Rooster?” You ask, feeling confidence enter your system again.
“My callsign,” he sighs. Reluctantly, he beckons the group over. It’s a flurry of tall guys and proud statures, all of them introducing themselves at lighting speed. Keeping up with both names and callsigns was hard, as was conversing with all of them exactly at the same time, but you were glad of one thing – Bradley Bradshaw stuck to your side for the entire evening, making everything so much easier.
The party was nearing its end as the sun had set, casting a dusky sky over top of Penny’s backyard. A few people lingered while most had already turned in for the night, mentions of an early morning making them grudgingly part from the event. Out of the corner of your eye, Penny and Pete were gathering the last bits of food and shoving them into tupperware and plastic bags, pushing some of it into the arms of naval aviators so as to make meal planning easier. Amelia, who had previously been busy updating you on everything in her life, was yawning and slowly making her way inside. That left just you and Bradley to take down the decorations and lights while Jake and Natasha were lugging tables and coolers inside.
“So.” Bradley says, folding paper lanterns into easily portable squares, “how long are you planning on staying in Miramar?” You sigh, gathering string lights.
“Hopefully, as long as I can. That all depends on if I can get a place, establish my practice here, and… other aspects of life.” Bradley pauses his folding to watch you coil the lights around your hand.
“Other aspects?” You turn to look at him and produce a small, but misty, smile.
“If I can see myself being happy here. If I can stand the always warm weather.” He laughs at your latter comment. “If I can meet the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with.” His amusement faltered.
“You don’t have someone?” He queried, leaning onto the fence nearby. You huffed and shook your head.
“I thought I did. Thought I was set. For three whole years, I was in a lie of a relationship, and when I found out…” you used your hands to simulate an explosion, a harsh laugh echoing from your chest. “But, that was about five years ago. I’ve had off and on relationships, but nothing really felt… right.” You explain. Bradley nods, his expression thoughtful.
“Well, Penny already told me about a nearby office begging for your practice. Are you gonna take it?” You beam, continuing to roll the lights in your hand.
“I’d be crazy not to. It’s about 20% more than my previous annual income and the benefits are through the roof.”
“And a place to stay?” He continued. You shook your head, starting to understand what he was doing.
“There are several listings bookmarked on Zillow.”
“Are you happy here?” He stepped closer to you, unfurling and retucking the paper lantern in his hands.
“I sure am right now,” you quip.
“And the weather?”
“I finally get to wear sleeveless stuff, so that’s certainly a plus.” You stop weaving the lights along your hand, knowing what the question that he was going to ask next.
“The person that you want to spend the rest of your life with?” He whispered, only a very minimal distance in between the two of you now. You bite back a lovesick grin.
“You just met me,” you point out.
“True,” he acknowledges, tilting his head back and forth a few times. “Does that make my judgment any more flawed than it would be a few days later? Because, honestly sweetheart, I think I’d be even more keen on you the more I got to know you.” You tilt your head back and laugh.
“It’s been less than seven hours and already you’re in love with me,” you tease, your hand creeping up towards his shirt to fold back his shirt collar.
“Oh? And how’ve you come to that conclusion?” He says, his voice now gravelly and full of unchecked confidence.
“I can see it right there,” you smile, pointing gently towards his brown eyes. “You’ve got heart eyes.” Suddenly, he’s startled – those very eyes growing wide at your words.
“Wha, what? What did you say?” Immediately, you squeeze your eyes shut and ball your fists. Of course, you had to go and make it awkward.
“Sorry!” you blurt, “Sorry, I just said that you had heart eyes. You know that look in someone’s eyes where it’s just kinda adoration and all… that… damn, now I’m rambling–” Bradley grabs your hands and holds them.
“No, no you’re right. I have heart eyes. I have heart eyes, and they’re on my face right now.” You stop talking at his confession, your cheeks breaking out into a sliver of a smile.
“Will you take me flying?” He barks out a laugh at the change in subject. “I’ve never been.”
“Sure I’ll take you flying, but not right now. Maybe in a few years.”
“A few years?” You say astounded, “why a few years?”
“Because,” he remarks as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “If I’m gonna be the person you spend the rest of your life with, we’ve got nothing but time.” He murmurs, placing a whisper of a kiss to your cheek. He steps away from you while also placing something in your hand, closing your fist around it. “I’ll be seeing you around, Y/N.”
Bradley walks away with an armful of paper lanterns and gives you a wink before joining Natasha and Jake, both of whom were nudging and slapping him on the shoulder in a not so subtle celebration. You’re left standing there with lights wrapped around your hand, a piece of paper with his phone number in your fist, and a memory of those heart eyes replaying in your mind, sending the fears of fulfilling that last aspect of life into a blissful end.
Request by Anonymous: can you write a rooster fic where the reader and him buy a new puppy and give it a bath… i dunno basically just pure fluff!!!!
Summary: You and Rooster have just adopted a new Australian shepherd puppy and have to give it a bath... a touch of chaos insues.
A/N: Thank you so much for the first request for my 1000 followers celebration! Also -- nothing about the reader p.o.v. was specified, so I just had the reader be Swan Song from Birds of a Feather!
This was a bunch of fun to write and I hope you enjoy!
Word Count: 1.3K
A content smile was all you could wear as you sat in the passenger seat of Bradley’s baby blue Bronco, feeling the warm wind on your face. You always loved car rides in his car – it made you feel like you were in a movie, set for a summer release. But this time? This time it was just made all the more better by the puppy asleep in your arms. Her little head was nestled into the crook of your arm and her belly was rising up and down, snoozing away.
“How’s she doing?” Your boyfriend’s voice brings you out of the trance your new Australian shepherd had so innocently lulled you into. Turning, you look at Rooster’s face. His eyes were hidden behind Raybans and most definitely on the road in front of you, but you could tell he so desperately wanted to look at his new dog.
“Perfect,” you coo, petting her gently. She stirs a little at the contact, but settles down again soon after that. “Any name ideas?” You inquire, tilting your head to get a better few of your puppy’s face. Bradley chuckles and shakes his head.
“Y/N, I know for a fact you already have a name picked out.” You pout to try and hide the smirk that started to take shape on your cheeks.
“I just want to make sure that, if you had any ideas, they would be heard.” He reaches over to grab your free hand. Of course, you let him take and raise it towards him so he can smack a kiss on the back of your palm.
“Honey, the floor’s yours.” Your smile spreads into a full-on grin.
“Piper.”
“As in Piper Aircraft?” You wince a little bit, rethinking your choice,
“Is it too on the nose?” Bradley shakes his head and smiles, taking a left hand turn into your neighborhood.
“I think it’s cute,” He reassures you, “very fitting for our little family.” Your gaze goes back to the Australian shepherd asleep in your lap. “You just have to promise me we'll name our first born ‘F18.’” You laugh loudly which makes Bradley only smile more.
“You’re just the sweetest little thing, aren’t you, Piper?” You lean down to press a kiss onto the puppy’s fur, but stop short. “Oh…” you mumble, wrinkling your nose and slowly leaning back up into your seat.
“Talk to me, Swan.” Is all Bradley says, trying to gauge the problem. You grimace a little bit and look at him through your own pair of shades.
“She needs a bath.”
Holding the door open for you, Bradley watched with adoration as you stepped in, carrying little Millie, as you nicknamed her, through the door. He pressed a kiss to your cheek and daintily scratched the puppy’s head before heading straight to the laundry room.
“What should I grab?” He asks as you make your way to the sink in your kitchen. It was one of your favorite additions to the house; a big farmhouse sink that, while it didn’t exactly scream California, was one of the things you had always loved about your childhood home. Placing the sweet little bundle of fur that was in your arms into the sink, you all but swooned at the high-pitched bark that she gave you.
“Some towels would be good! I think I also have that box of dog shampoo and a comb on top of the dryer as well.” You hear things being shuffled around before Bradley returns with an armful of towels and the box you had mentioned. Dumping the materials on the counter next to the sink, he wraps an arm loosely around your waist as you slowly turn the sink on, feeling the temperature of the water with your hand.
“Hangman and Phoenix already want to come over and meet her.” He remarks, turning his head so that his nose is in your hair, smelling your shampoo.
“We haven’t even had her home for more than half an hour,” you laugh, finally taking away your palm when you deemed it the perfect warmth for Millie.
“Vultures,” he mumbles into your hair, causing you to bump your hip with his lightly in amusement. You moved to the side a bit to grab a plastic measuring bowl, filling it with water.
“Can you hold her with your hands? I don’t think she’ll be annoyed by water since Aussie’s usually like it, but who knows.” Wordlessly, your boyfriend gently holds her, receiving playful nips and licks from Piper. You winced as you began to pour water over her coat, but to your relief, she seemed perfectly fine with the water, wagging her tail and panting.
It took a little while to give your puppy a bath because, while she was comfortable with the water, she wanted nothing more than to play. Her sleepiness from the car had morphed into unbridled energy, squirming and jumping about as you tried your best at rubbing the shampoo into her fur and giving her a nice thorough wash. Rooster, much to your chagrin, was not helping. Instead, he was encouraging Piper’s energy, waving around towels and tennis balls for her to grab onto and play tug. While Bradley was having fun, you were getting splashed so often that your shirt now clung to your stomach.
“Bradley, I swear, if you do not hold her down…” you grit, trying to wash off some lingering soap you saw on Millie’s belly.
“Aww, c’mon Swan, can’t handle a bit of water?” You turned your face slowly towards his, taking in that charming, smug expression on Bradley’s face. That cheeky smile lifted only the very corners of his mustache and his eyes held such a mischievous look that all you could do was give him a saccharine sweet simper… before flinging at him the water that had been filling up in the measuring cup. He stood there for a moment, his jaw dropped and hands held out in front of him as he’s dripping with water, not moving or speaking.
“Aww, c’mon Rooster, can’t handle a bit of water?” You parrot back, slotting a hand onto your hip and fixing him with a playful grin. Bradley blinks a few times, letting the shock wear off, before scooping water up with his hands and launching it at you. Shrieking with laughter you duck and turn around so it hits your back.
“Oh you are so gonna get it now,” he threatens sweetly, grabbing you by the waist and pressing a hard kiss into your cheek while stealing the measuring cup away from you, filling it back up, and dumping it on the both of you. Laughter and giggles was all that could be heard in your kitchen as your water fight concluded and you finished washing Piper together, not minding getting splashed once in a while. You towled the little puppy down, holding her in your arms and receiving tiny licks on the chin. All you could do was marvel in the joy of not only having a dog, which was truly, very exciting, but sharing her with Bradley. He hadn’t proposed, though you both were both certain of your love for each other, and talk of starting a family with children was pretty small due to the nature of your jobs. But Piper was perfect. One little soul that the both of you could pour your love into and cherish.
A towel was wrapped around your shoulders and Bradley tugged the edges so you were brought closer to him.
“Y/N L/N, you have just captured my heart and won’t let it go.” Your face heats and a smile melts onto your face.
“You have a way with words, Bradley Bradshaw. Has anyone ever told you that before?” You quip, but soothe the remark with a sweet kiss on the corner of his mouth. “I love you.” You feel him bring up a corner of the towel and wipe some water off of your forehead, placing a peck there afterwards.
