name 1 character you would've wanted to not die. (non-determinant deaths)
1 character you think would've been better in a different season.
1 character you think was written to perfection.
Twig 😭 autocorrect killin us
(SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO DIDNT PLAY)
1: Uhh for the first, probably Omid(dont wanna say the obvious), I can imagine he'd be a good help in season 2 (i get for plot reasons he got popped but cmon now), say he either escapes with clem or goes to save christa. If he's with clem, i guarantee its much easier + he knows kenny a bit, so maybe itd be less hectic with the reunion. Or Chuck, he was such a real one and he just dies :/
For the second, Uncle Pete. Level-headed, keeping the group more in check. Actually likes clementine off rip.
For the third, Mariana. For similar reasons, as she'd play peacemaker and (hopefully) be capable in the fights, also keep the family kinda together. The non-determinant deaths are a bit slacky in this season anyways.
For the fourth, I'm not too sure. There's only a few non-determinants. Marlon I think was too far gone, and keep him prisoner may or may not help. Brody wasnt bad, but her anxiety and paranoia, while understandable, wasnt helping especially with the air surrounding the events of a year ago. Mitch, as much of a dick as he was, had some kinda balls, and with some sort of combat experience, mightve been able to at least fend off lilly. His bomb idea also helps most of the group.
2: i feel like every character kinda fits the seasons they were in, sure some could fit in multiple, but i dont know about switching one to another.
3: Javier Garcia. YES he only gets a season, but they did really well with him. From a reject who lost it all and turned back to his family after being absent, to a man of morals, family, and survival. From the start where he desperately runs to the house and gets berated, up until the point where he accepts the responsibility of being Richmond's leader, he's as well written as any other.
Characters: Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace x Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw (Brace)
Summary: Brace after mission success. Mentions of medical stuff. Fluff. Or: Natasha is formally introduced to Uncle Pete Mitchell, not Maverick.
BMAC!
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After the adrenaline of a successful mission wore off and the deck began clearing, Rooster’s shoulder began to hurt, a deep pain that was building with each step. His chest was still pounding from the G-forces, and he felt so dizzy like he was still spiraling from the missile on his tail. He lagged behind the team, forcing his ragged breathing to finally come down for the first time in hours since he had last stood on this deck. His gaze faded in and out on the matted black strands of hair that had fallen out of her bun, as Natasha and Bob joked about something he wasn’t able to hear twenty feet in front of him. If he could focus on her laugh echoing on the deck and get to the sick bay before he threw up, he would be fine. He didn’t want anyone to worry about him, especially her.
He was relatively content watching the pair bump shoulders, until Bob hit her a bit harder and knocked her off balance. She caught her momentum with a spin, stopping short as she found Bradley stumbling behind. Her eyes immediately knit in worry. She looked back at their group; none seemed to pay any mind to them so she met him halfway.
“Rooster, you okay?” She breathed quietly, spinning to tuck her shoulder underneath his. He immediately let out a quiet whimper as a shock of pain shot through his arm. She recoiled away. “Are you hurt? Bradley-”
“S’kay, Phe,” He mumbled through gritted teeth, but her face continued to show concern, stopping him in his attempts to save face. He sighed, closing his eyes as bile rose again. “Sick bay.”
Her eyes softened, concern still laced in every inch of her being. “Oh, love, yeah. Let’s get you there. How’s your other shoulder?” He nodded slowly, eyes still closed. She shuffled to guide him through the ship, slowly making their way to the medical wing. He focused on her hand around his waist - more proximity to each other than they normally got in public, but he wasn’t complaining. He hated not being able to touch her, hold her hand, play with her hair at all hours. Especially after a day like today.
“‘Tash, I wanna kiss you, but I don’t feel so good.” He whispered into her hair as she led him down a flight of stairs. His head was pounding with each step of his heavy boots on the metal floor. He was going downhill fast.
The shorter pilot let out a small laugh, but was trying to rush them as fast as possible. He was declining quickly and that made her very worried. “I know, Roos, I know. I think you have a concussion.”
“Mmm, probably.”
When they finally reached the entrance to the sick bay, Natasha forced her way through with the taller pilot. She shoved Bob and Fanboy out of the way, paying no mind to their checkups as she met the head nurse.
“Fix him.” She commanded, and the nurse looked stunned at the brunet pilot turning green next to her. “He was shot down, the rest of them can wait.”
Bradley’s only protest came when she let go of his hand so they could lead him away, but he couldn’t vocalize it. The medic led him back to a gurney, grabbing as many nurses as he could in the wing who weren’t attending to the other pilot who had been shot down. They asked him a bunch of questions, and he could barely focus straight but still somehow answered them. He felt an IV pinch into his arm, and his shoulder finally went numb.
He slipped in and out of consciousness for a while, the stress of the day catching up with the lack of sleep he had the last few days. When he finally woke up, he was in a private room, and one person sat in the chair at his side.
“‘Nix?”
Her head shot up with a wide smile. “Hey Roos.” She shut her book and stood up, stretching her limbs back out after sitting for so long.
“How long was I out?” Bradley mumbled, acutely aware of the bright lights in the room.
“A couple hours. You were in and out for a while. You were right about the concussion.” She seemed to notice the squinting of his eyes, so she shuffled over to the lightswitch. Bradley let out a breath as the harshness died down. Natasha then moved to his side, tightening a hand around his. “Your shoulder is pretty badly bruised, but thankfully not broken.”
He squeezed back with a soft smile, taking in the sight of his love in front of him. “Are you okay?” He could see that Phoenix fire in her eyes, the one that had more to say than she was letting out.
She looked down at their entwined hands. “Yeah, I’m cleared. Nothing worse than a bird strike, right?”
“Nat.” Bradley’s voice was stern. He wasn’t asking about her physical injuries.
Phoenix looked back up at him. “I thought you were a goner.” She confessed. “Being on this side of your partner going down is a lot worse.”
He gently kissed her fingers. “I’m sorry for worrying you. It was a stupid decision, but-”
“You wouldn’t have done it any other way.” Natasha smiled reassuringly. “I know you, B. That’s the kind of man I want to marry. And you’re still here, that’s all that matters now.”
Bradley shuffled on the cot, patting the space next to him. “C’mere, please.”
“We might get caught.” She rebutted, but her eyes flicked down to his lips longingly.
“I don’t care anymore.”
Phoenix smiled quietly, happily fulfilling his request but not before she laid a big kiss on his lips. He wrapped his good arm around her tight as she squeezed in, her hand falling across his undershirt; his flight suit was abandoned at some point. Her fingers traced across his chest, both humming in the quiet warmth of one another. Hiding their relationship wasn’t easy to do, and after two years of exhausting secrets, maybe it would do them some good to finally stop caring. Bradley laid gentle kisses into her hair as the stress of the day fell off of them.
“I love you.” She mumbled into his neck. Her warm breath against his skin only centered him back to the ship, brought him out of the spiral he was replaying in his head over the snowy landscape just mere hours before, reminded him that he did, in fact, survive. And Maverick did, too.
“I love you, too.”
The couple couldn’t help but doze off slowly in the dark room. When Phoenix woke up from a quiet noise, she was startled awake by a dark shadow looming in the door frame. She sat up quickly, hand pressing hard into Bradley’s core to propel herself forward. He lurched up with her, letting out an uncomfortable gasp.
The figure at the door let out a laugh, both pilots recognizing it to belong to none other than their Captain, Maverick.
“Sir” Natasha scrambled off of the bed, “We weren’t- we-”
Maverick put his hand up to stop her. “I was coming to check on you, see if you were awake.” There was a softness in his eyes as the younger male sat up in the bed.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Just need to rest this arm for a bit.” Bradley said sheepishly, moving the slinged arm gently. Natasha was grateful for the low light in the room; she was sure she was blushing like a schoolgirl, especially when she felt Rooster’s fingertips land on her bottom gently. Stone cold Natasha Trace, blushing from being caught. God, she could laugh at herself if the circumstances were different.
“Good to hear.” Maverick said lightly, keeping his focus on Rooster. “Do you need anything?”
“I’ve got everything I need here.” Her lover’s hand tightened around her waist, pulling her in not so discreetly.
The Captain nodded slowly, eyes falling to his feet briefly. There was no longer tension fuelled by anger between the two men; instead it filled with awkwardness. He turned towards the door. “I’ll - uh - leave you two alone.”
“Wait, Maverick-” Rooster called suddenly and the older pilot turned back. Phoenix caught the longing in his eyes as the hall light illuminated his tired face, but she was quickly pulled out of her thoughts by fingers slipping between hers. Bradley cleared his throat, sitting up to look at her with a soft face. “Nat, this is my Uncle Pete. He was my dad’s pilot. Mav, this is my fiancee, Nat.”
Natasha let out a breath, surprised by the confession to their superior officer. She knew enough about their falling out to not ask any questions, but seeing them both in the flesh was something that would take some more getting used to. Bradley smiled lovingly up at her; she cupped his cheek. Both felt the weight of a thousand worlds fall off their shoulders - the world would know.
She turned back to Maverick, the gentle smile on his face breaking the anxious cloud of doubt in her stomach, only to be left with warmth and happiness in her core.
Maverick stuck his hand out to her. “It’s good to officially meet you, Nat. Thank you for taking care of him.” She shook his hand gently before looking back at her fiancé. She understood the look on his poor concussed face.
“Wedding is in May, if you’d like to come? We’re going to tell the team, too. Invite them out. Just wanted to get through this mission first.” Natasha said softly, confidently, excitement blooming within her at the prospect of inviting his family finally. Maverick was the only family she knew that Rooster had left, and their rift meant that Bradley would have been alone at their wedding. She didn’t want that. Now, hopefully, he wouldn’t have to be.
Maverick cracked a wide smile, laughing as he did. “Yeah-yeah, if you’d have me. I’d love to.” He looked at Bradley for confirmation, who nodded. Maverick’s smile got impossibly wider. “Thank you.”
“Anything for family.” Nat said. Both men nodded slowly.
“I’ll - uh - I’ll let you guys have some quiet. Get some rest tonight. We fly back at 0600.” Maverick stopped at the door. “Want to have dinner when we get back?”
Bradley nodded as Natasha squeezed their still-entwined hands. “That would be great. You still make that killer chicken parm?”
Maverick smirked. “It’s only improved over the years.”
And with that, Maverick left the young couple alone, smiling to himself as he heard Rooster’s echoing voice.
