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beth-yeet365 · 2 years

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“You’ll be the death of me” - bws

Pairing: Bradley Will Simpson x fem!reader

Genre: fluff

Summary: You’re Tristan’s cousin and just gotten together with Brad, Tristan’s bandmate. You share a flat with the both of them but during this honeymoon phase you and Brad find yourselves in, you also want some more umm... space;) Basically the three you and Brad try to get it on and the fourth time you’re successful

Word count: 4k+

Warnings: mentions of sex, implied sex, cheeky Brad and reader, alcohol consumption, motherly cousin Tris

A/N: This is sort of a part two to “We’re not finished” but you can read both separately. If you haven’t read “We’re not finished” you can find on my masterlist :))

my masterlist, if you so please

*flashbacks are in small italics*

THE FIRST TIME

You’ve recently moved into a flat with your cousin, Tristan, and Brad. It was for economic reasons since living in London is expensive but you and Tris always had such a close bond and you were quite fond of Bradley. Well, more than fond since he is now your boyfriend. How Tristan found out was less than fortunate...

You couldn’t think straight as his now swollen lips moved down to kiss your jaw and neck, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

He would suck, then lick your skin to soothe it.

To say the boy was talented was an understatement.

You could feel him smile against the skin on your collarbone when he found that spot that would’ve made you fall if you were standing up.

“We’re home again!“ Tris’ holler interrupted your little session, making Brad groan and fall on top of you.

“We brought the champagne!“ James then hollers.

You both moved away from each other and sat up.

“Coming!“ Brad yells back at them which you were grateful for because you didn’t trust you own voice.

“You go ahead,“ Brad tells you. “I have to just sort something out.“

You snicker at him.

“We’re not finished,“ you tell him before walking out the door, smiling like an idiot ‘cause you couldn’t contain your happiness and the feeling of bliss.

One thing you forgot before greeting them was checking yourself in a mirror before greeting the guys.

“Hey guys!“ You greet.

“Uh, hey Y/N,“ James greets you back, holding back a chuckle.

Connor turned away to try and calm his laughter.

“Brad! Why does Y/N have hickeys down her neck!?“ Tris shouts while walking to your bedroom.

And currently you find yourself in sort of the same situation.

Tris is out shopping which left you and Brad alone in the flat. You never wanted to have sex while he was home, out of respect, but also because you couldn’t bear to think about him overhearing you guys. There were a lot of things that you didn’t mind but that would be too awkward.

So here you both were, breathing heavily out of desire, on the sofa. You were straddling your boyfriend’s lap in just your jeans and bra, making out with your boyfriend. His hands around your waist, and yours around his neck. Brad’s hands then moved down to your butt giving it a good squeeze, eliciting a small giggle from you. You both broke away from each other.

Brad looked deeply into your eyes and brushed a lock of your hair behind your ear. “God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed out. “And much, much too good for me.”

You buried your head in the crevice of where his neck meets his shoulder, suddenly feeling shy. You could smell his almost intoxicating cologne. He brought his arms around your waist to bring you even closer to his body.

“Hmm, do I make you shy?” He playfully asks. You can practically see his cheeky smile. You nod, still tucked away in his shoulder.

“Damn you, for doing what you do to me, Bradley,” you mumble making him laugh. You weren’t a shy person. You always went after what you wanted and didn’t think about what others thought. Never afraid to speak your mind and great to start new conversations. Those are only some of Brad’s favourite things about you but seeing you so bashful from his compliment, seeing you hide yourself away made him laugh.

“And what, may I ask, do I do to you, y/n/n?”

The fucker.

You finally move your head up and meet his smile with your unimpressed look. “You know what you do.”

“Oh, yeah?” He asks and you nod. “Is it this?”

He moves his mouth down your neck with featherlight kisses. He moves both of you around so you end up lying under him on the sofa. As he continues his downwards towards your bra, you move your legs up and wrap them around his waist.

It quickly gets heated again and you both don’t hear Tris coming home with the groceries, too occupied with each other to pay attention to the world around you.

“Shit!” an exclaim break you apart. You end up kicking poor Bradley off of you and onto the floor. “I thought I said no sex on the couch, Jesus! I sit on that and the boys sit there!”

Tris’ clear exasperation makes both of you laugh out loud.

“We promise not to have sex on the sofa, Tris, don’t worry,” you manage to get out in between laughs.

“Yeah, we had plans to move it to the bedroom,” Brad adds to your promise.

“Well just to refresh your memory and please, for my sake, put your top back on y/n;” Tris says and throws you your top. You blush and put it on. Tris then walks away to the kitchen to put the groceries away you presume.

“You know, you have really strong legs, darling,” Brad referencing to you kicking him off the couch, nursing his hip. “Don’t make it a habit ‘cause it really hurts.

You only laugh more.

THE SECOND TIME

You were sat playing drums as usual. Your own personal outlet. You never wanted to pursue it like Tristan, it was only meant as a hobby. It’s an electronic set so you won’t annoy any neighbours but you will always prefer a real drum set to the electronic. It’s just not the same.

You’re alone in the flat as Brad and Tris are in the studio with Connor and James to work on songs, preparing for their upcoming tour. You decided to stay back to spend time to yourself and also let them work. Living with the guys was fun but sometimes it’s nice to have time to yourself.

You are working on new skills and playing along to songs. The set is in the living room as you didn’t quite have enough space in your own room and then the guys could also get some joy out of it.

You see the guys come in before you hear them as you’re wearing headphones. they both wave at you and you stop and take the headphones off.

“Hey, how’d it go?” you ask and get up from your stool.

“Oh, it was great! We actually finished a song and I wanna get your feedback on something, y/n/n,” Tris says, salutes you and walking to his room.

“Looking forward to it,” you answer, reciprocating the gesture. You turn towards your boyfriend. “How are you?” you ask him, giving him a peck on the lips making him smile.

“Oh, I’m fine what about you?” He asks back. “Saw you were whacking the drums you do know how much more attractive you are when you’re playing, right?”

“No but tell me more,” you smile, you lead him to the kitchen. “Want any tea?” you ask him to which he nods. You put the kettle on and put out the mugs and fetch the tea bags.

You see Brad leaning against the kitchen counter. You walk over to him and wrap your arms around his neck and he reciprocates by wrapping his around your waist. You kiss him and you stay like that for a little while.

“The studio was good?” you ask him.

“Yeah it was, we played around with some new techniques and Tris is really excited to show you what he’s working on,” he answers.

“Good to hear and I love seeing you talk about the things you love,” you tell him. “Your face lights up and you get this smile on your face and you get really passionate.”

The kettle starts howling and you move to turn it off. You pour the boiling water over the teabags and let them sit to draw for a while.

You move back to Brad’s warm embrace in the same position as before and brush some curls out of his eyes while he doesn’t say anything. He looks at you with adoration and leans down to kiss you. Your lips move together in perfect sync innocently at first and it gets a bit heated. His hands move once again down to your butt and give it a good squeeze. Though, this time you don’t giggle as it only drives you crazy.

“You know I never considered you an arse guy, Brad,” Tris disturbs you. You try to move away but Brad just pulls you back in again. You manage to pull away though to get your tea before it gets too strong. You fetch milk from the fridge for the both of you.

“Well, usually not but-”

“I beg you not to finish that sentence, Brad,” Tris interrupts him.

“Yes, me too,” you say to save yourself the mortification.

“What? You love it,” he says and smacks said body part. In front of Tris.

“Bradley!” you exclaim.

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t see that and burn that moment from my memory and go back to my room,” Tris tells both of you and does exactly what he said to do.

“You’re gonna be the death of me, Bradley Will Simpson,” you tell him.

He pulls you into him again, your back against his chest. “What a shame, I was hoping to keep you around for a while.”

THE THIRD TIME

Brad and yourself were getting antsy. You both wanted some alone time so you took every chance you got.

“I’m going out, see you guys later!” Tris shouts.

You hear the door slam shut and you and Brad quickly find each other. His hands on your hair and yours already under his shirt. Your desperation clearly portrayed in your kiss. You gripped his shirt and pulled upwards as to gesture for him to take it off. He took notice and broke away to take off his shirt. He threw it away somewhere while moving mindlessly to his bedroom. On the way, you bumped into various things surely leaving a trail of mixed items on the floor. He tugged on your shirt as if to ask if it was okay to take it off. You made a noise of consent and off it went.

You finally made it to his bed. The back of your knees met the foot of the bed and Brad gently pushed you down. Falling down on top of the duvet you crawled up to rest your head on the pillows. Brad crawls on top of you the messy curls on top of his head hanging down, too tempting not to play with his hair. You continue your make out like that until you roll around so you’re on top.

You move your lips down his neck. You could hear his labored breaths and you smile at the effect you have on him. His hands move once again down to your arse surprise. You move away from his neck and back up to his lips. When you pull away, his teeth lightly tug on your lips.

“You really are an arse guy, Bradley,” you tell him, your hands caressing his jaw. He lightly chuckles at that and gives it a good squeeze.

“Can’t help it,” he says. “It’s a nice place to rest my hands.”

“Doesn’t seem to be doing much resting,” you tell him.

“Yeah, maybe, but it is a really nice arse,” he shrugs. “Must be all the drumming.”

“Must be,” you laugh.

You go back to making out. His hands stay the same place as before but yours move down to his belt buckle. You fiddle with it for a while before finally getting it open. You manage to also unbutton his jeans.

You hear distant laughing but you think nothing of it because Brad’s hands move up to unfasten your bra. He does so with skill and easily manages to do so. The bra straps fall down your shoulders making it easy to take it off.

“Hey, did you guys forget these? WOAH that is way more of y/n that I ever wanted to see!” a voice yells.

You quickly roll off of Brad and turn away from who you recognize to be James in midst of the frenzy. He was stood there like a deer caught in headlights holding both of your t-shirts. You cover up your boobs, still with your back turned.

“Oh, fuck off, James!” Brad shouts and gets up from the bed and shuts the door. You hear some rustling and Brad hands you your bra.

“Thank you,” you thank him. You put it back on. It was very quiet in the bedroom. Too many thoughts were running through your head. You laid down on the bed with your hands over your face.

What just happened? What did he see and how much?!

Brad laid down beside you and moved your hands off your face. He gingerly kissed both of your hands.

“That was way more than I ever wanted James, or Connor for that much if it were to happen, to ever see of me,” you tell him.

“Yeah same,” Brad agrees.

“Pfft, you guys have probably seen a lot of each other on tour it’s not like he’s seen you in just your jeans before!” you sputter.

“Oh no no no, I meant you, you are only reserved for me,” Brad explains and pulls you into his side.

“You’re quite possessive, Bradley,” you chuckle.

“Well it comes with having a girl is gorgeous as you, love,” he tells you. He gently kisses you and you reciprocate. You break it off before it can go any further.

“We should probably go out and face them,” you say.

“Yeah, probably. Want a t-shirt?” he asks you.

“Yes, please I’m not going out in just my bra,” you answer.

Brad rummages through his closet and throws you an old t-shirt. You thank him and sort yourself out to make yourself look presentable.

You walk out with Brad, hand in hand. It’s very quiet in the living room. You assume that the guys are there. James most likely told them what he saw.

Oh God, I hope not.

“And the lovebirds have revealed themselves!” Tris announces.

“Filthy animals,” Connor remarks.

“Sorry to say but what were you expecting?” Brad asks, and sits down on the couch, taking you with him. You sit on his lap curled up, glad that he’s talking for you since you’re still recovering. “You clearly saw our clothes on the floor since James is still clutching them.”

“Did you forget that the boys were coming over?” Tris asks.

At that you look at each other sheepishly. You had forgotten the reason for Tris’ outing. Oops.

The boys were coming over because they were going on a UK tour in two weeks and wanted to talk some of the last things over before taking off.

“I’m so sorry, y/n,” James apologizes. “I did not mean to see all of... that.”

“It’s okay, James, but could we forget about this, please?” you ask. “And could we get our shirts back?”

“Yes, of course,” James all but throws you your shirts, clearly finding this situation extremely awkward. Well, it is awkward.

“We had something to ask you, y/n, though” Tris says. “Well, Brad, did.”

“Yeah,” Brad continues. “Would you like to go on tour with us?”

This caught you by surprise. You expected to visit them every once in a while but this was a great invitation. It would be lonely in the flat all by yourself and you would miss them for the few months they’d be away.

“Yes, of course I would!” You exclaim. Brad smiles brightly and pecks your lips kindly.

“We thought it would be nice and Lucy and Kirstie will be visiting a few times as well,” Connor explains.

“If you both can keep your hands to yourself on the bus,” Tris comments to both you and Brad.

“Of course, we promise,” Brad assures them.

“I think the problem lies with you, mister,” you tell him. He gasps, shocked at your accusation.

“It takes two to have sex, love, thought you’d know,” he teases.

“Not to go too deep into the topic but the amount of times I’ve caught you making out you have been the all too eager one, Brad,” Tris says. “I have seen too much of you groping my poor cousin.” he shudders with disgust.

Laughs are exchanged and the boys continue to poke fun at you and Brad.

THE SUCCESSFUL TIME

Things had gone well on tour. The boys were currently performing their last show at the O2 in London. You and Brad had kept your promise from that evening in the flat. It was fun being on the road with the guys and you got closer to Lucy and Kirstie. It’s also your birthday tomorrow and tonight is the big afterparty to celebrate finishing tour.

Currently you were watching the performance from the wings of the stage. They’re halfway through the last song before they bid goodnight to the crowd. You were there with Lucy and Kirstie dancing around since you aren’t allowed to sing while on the wings of the stage. You will never get tired of seeing Brad in his element jumping and dancing around the stage with the boys.

Sooner or later they were exiting the stage and Brad came running towards you, captured you in an embrace that lifted you off the ground. You laughed at his excitement. He set you down again and you give him a chaste kiss.

“You did great out there,” you tell him. “You all did.” You also hugged Tris which he reciprocated.

“Thanks, y/n, even though it is always nice to go on tour it’s nice to come back home to your own bed and such,” James said and kissed his wife Kirstie.

“I could imagine that,” you say. “I sure miss mine.”

“Your bed is also very nice, nicer than mine,” Brad agrees.

“Yeah, you should know all about that,” Connor remarks.

“Okay, enough about this we have an afterparty to get to and I have champagne!” Lucy says holding two bottles of champagne by their necks.

The boys cheer and Brad pulls you along as he rushes you to the dressing room where friends, family, and crew have gathered to celebrate the last show of the tour.

The music was pounding and the energy high. Everyone was dancing and drinking and there was a fully stocked bar to make your own drinks. You met new people and Brad’s sister, Natalie, and become good friends with her.

The clock soon struck midnight and the music stopped. You looked around, confused. Everybody else didn’t seem to think it was weird. In fact, they were smiling. You had been dancing with Lucy and Kirstie and they were smiling like cheshire cats.

“Happy birthday to you!”

You turn around to see the boys singing holding a cake with candles on top. You could not stop smiling feeling overwhelmed with happiness to have such good friends and a boyfriend like Brad.

“Happy birthday, dear y/n! Happy birthday to you!” They finish and hold out the cake for you to blow out the candles. They cheer and you hear loads of birthday wishes. You hug all the boys and leave Brad for last. You kiss him passionately not caring about the people watching.

“Thank you everybody and please help yourselves to slice!” you tell them and the party resumes.

You dance a bit with Brad, loving every minute of your birthday.

“Wanna do shots?” You ask him over the music. He nods in agreement and you pull him towards the bar. You hold two bottles up, one vodka and one tequila, as if to ask him which one. He pointed to the vodka one and you nod. You line up three shot glasses for the both of you and pour the liquid into the glasses.

You cheer and start downing the shots. You don’t flinch but welcome the burn of the alcohol and the effect it has on you. You both move back to the dance floor getting more frisky by the minute. Grinding on him, moving to the music and kissing and making out. You feel a tap on your shoulder, you turn around and see Tris.

“Can we talk?” He asks over the music.

“Yes, of course!” you answer. You kiss Brad on the cheek and follow Tris as he walks to the bar.

“Want a beer?” He asks and you nod yes and he hands you one.

You sit down on a bar stool and crack it open on the counter top. “What did you wanna talk about?”

“Just to be clear this is not a birthday present but it may feel like it,” he starts. “I’m crashing at Con’s place tonight... thought you might want some alone time with Brad. Some privacy.”

You smile at him. This is why you love having Tris as your cousin.

“Aww, thank you, Tris, that means a lot,” you tell him.

“You’re welcome, y/n/n,” he answers. “Wear protection! I wouldn’t survive having yours and Brad’s children running around.”

You only laugh and hug him. You go back to the dance floor and dance until the guests have left and stay with the guys to clean up.

“Really, y/n, you should go,” Connor tells you. “It’s your birthday.” You’re told for the fiftieth time this night.

“Yes we’ll handle it,” Lucy assures you, as does the rest.

“Are you sure though?” you ask them and they make sounds of agreement. “You ready to go?” you ask Brad. He nods and collects yours and his things. You hug them all goodnight and thank them for tonight.

Brad orders an uber to take you both home as you’re in no condition to drive home yourselves and have no car either at the arena. The car arrives and you hop in.��

“Isn’t Tris coming home with us?” Brad asks.

“Nope, he’s crashing at Connor’s,” you tell him. “He told me at the party. He didn’t tell you?” he shakes his no. Then smirks.

“Does that mean we have the place to ourselves until morning?” He asks an you nod.

The ride is silent but filled with tension. Brad’s hand moves up and down your thigh and you can hardly contain your thumping heart. When you arrive at the flat you quickly scramble out of the car and pay the driver.

When in the elevator you start making out. The elevator opens again and you both stumble out continuing your kisses. You manage to open the front door in your love-drunken haze. Inside, Brad slams it shut with his foot and make your way to the bedroom. You only leave a trail of clothes behind you not knocking things over this time. Desperation has filled you both long enough.

You’re pushed against a wall and Brad kisses down your neck, sucking and biting and soothing.

“Your room or mine?” you ask, out of breath.

“Yours,” he mumbles against your neck.

You push him out of there and pull him into your bedroom. You’re on the bed much like you guys’ first kiss.

“Have your way with me, kind sir,” you laugh.

“I think you’re wrong, y/n y/l/n, you’ll be the death of me.”

THE NEXT MORNING

You woke up to something tickling.

You open your eyes and see Brad looking at you. He was brushing some of your hair behind your ears. You smile at him and he smiles back.

“Didn’t mean to wake you,” he apologizes in his raspy morning voice.

How is it possible for him to already make your heart melt?

“Mmm, it is something I could get used to. What’s the time?” you ask.

“A bit over ten and happy birthday, birthday girl,” he says and kisses you.

“Thank you, Bradley,” you tell him. “Thank you for last night.”

“You’re welcome, love, birthdays are supposed to be special occasions. How are you doing?”

“’m okay, a bit sore though,” you answer. “But that is to be expected after the three rounds of sex last night.”

“You mean this morning,” he teases. “But it’s not too bad, right?”

His concern about your wellbeing is endearing and makes your heart fill with adoration. His hands move underneath your duvet and grip your naked waist and pull you closer to his warm body.

“No, it’s not too bad,” you ease his thoughts.

“Does that mean you’d be good for a round four?”

#brad simpson fluff #brad simpson imagine #brad simpson imagines #brad simpson x reader #brad simpson x y/n #brad simpson x you #bradley simpson imagines #bradley simpson imagine #bradley simpson fluff

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bloosomjoon · 9 months

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another idea idk walk and talk with me

okay, so i rewatched The Summer I Turned Pretty, and i have idea for any SMAU around the vamps? OR mcu!peter parker and avengers? idk help me and talk with me :((

#the vamps #the vamps imagines #bradley simpson imagine #tom holland imagine #peter parker x reader #mcu!peter x reader

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ddejavvu · 10 months

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Touch starved pilots of your choice cuddling their s/o headcanons

characters written: pete 'maverick' mitchell, nick 'goose' bradshaw, tom 'iceman' kazansky, ron 'slider' kerner, leonard 'wolfman' wolfe, rick 'hollywood' neven, beau 'cyclone' simpson, bradley 'rooster' bradshaw, jake 'hangman' seresin, natasha 'phoenix' trace, robert 'bob' floyd, javy 'coyote' machado, mickey 'fanboy' garcia, reuben 'payback' fitch

sfw, but cut for length. enjoy!

Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell:

depends on what age you're thinking!

if it's young!mav, he's probably just a liiiitle reluctant to let himself relax sometimes

he's sort of got his tough guy persona, and he's not used to dropping it, so when you get him alone he tries messing around at first

whether that's a few too many kisses, or a pinch to your side, he guards himself a bit before letting himself go

but when he does, oh, he's like a little kitten !

he lets you run your hands through his gelled hair (gross)

and it gets all misshapen and spiky

he probably just melts when you pet his hair like that, and he'll be snoozing on your chest in no time

now older!mav is definitely less of a tough nut to crack

he probably initiates the cuddling in the first place, he nudges you over to the bed and lays himself on top of you to crush you

you can push at his chest and splutter all you want, but he's made his choice on where he's going to lay, and it's on you

he likes holding you, but he wants to be face-to-face, so you can brush noses and bump foreheads

he probably tries sooo hard to stay awake so that he can soak in the time you're spending together but peepaw definitely crashes like 10 minutes in

Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw:

he also likes to be face to face!

buuut not for the same sweet reason as mav

he just wants to itch you with his mustache

he likes nipping at you too, he bites your nose to make you laugh

you won't be getting any sleep when you cuddle with goose, he just wants to talk and laugh and hold you the entire time

it's not a period of time to wind down, it's a big laugh-fest

and god FORBID you try to get up to pee

“Nick, I have to go.” / “Sorry, honey. I can’t let go. I think my hand’s stuck.” / “NICK!!”

Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky

he’s another one who probably has just a bit of trouble letting his guard down

he’ll cuddle with you no doubt, but he’ll probably always keep you in his lap or have some sort of upper hand in the embrace

it takes a while before he’s ready to be held himself

when he does finally give in it's so soft and sweet :')

he's had a really hard day and he comes home with his eyes drooping

you've planned a movie night but he doesn't even look like he could sit through an episode of a tv show

so you lead him to bed instead, and tell him you're sleepy, cause he won't 'ruin' the night by admitting that he is

you ask to play with his hair and he lets you, but he's not sure why 'cause you just said you were tired??

you basically have to trick him into being held but once his head is on your chest and your hands are in his hair he's gone.

he ends up mumbling something all sleepy and groggy like 'mm, that's nice' and his eyes are half shut and he's so endearingly tired :')

he wants you to do it all the time now, I'd say it's about 50/50 whether you fall asleep holding him or he falls asleep holding you

Ron 'Slider' Kerner:

slider's a big boy!!!!!!!

he's big and tall and muscly, the perfect cuddle buddy

he's probably more inclined to hold than be held

but he likes it when you face him so you can wrap your arms around his back :')

he probably likes it when he's able to bury his face in your neck/shoulder/against the top of your head

like he always wants his face snuggled in somewhere warm and nice smelling

and it just so happens his chest is an excellent place to get lost yourself

so you most of the time just nuzzle right into each other and get to snoozin'

i think he'd talk real soft, too, he'd murmur against your ear while you're drifting off, probably boring you to sleep with technical details of his flights but just before you crash for the night he slips in a little 'i love you, honey' and <33333

Leonard 'Wolfman' Wolfe:

he's a loser for his partner it has to be said

almost as teasing as nick is but not quite

he'll let you fall asleep he just wants to talk to you AllTheTime because he LovesYouSoMuch

he's a chatterbox and you'll be lucky if you get to sleep at a decent hour

he really likes it when you lay your head on his chest

'cause he likes playing with your hair and your face :]

sometimes he'll just use you as a little stress toy and squeeze your cheeks and pinch your nose and poke at your forehead

always making silly little jokes and telling you all about his day

down to, like, every comment one of his friends made...

'and then slider said he was gonna kill him but hollywood ran, so then they were just chasing each other around and iceman said-' / 'babe.. can we sleep? please?' / 'oh! right, sorry baby.'

Rick 'Hollywood' Neven

listen there's a reason he and wolfman get along so well

they're BOTH teases!!!

cuddling with hollywood is not really relaxing, because he's always pinching your sides or putting his nasty cold feet all over you, or pretending to knock you out by fake-punching you a bunch

you're just laying there and he's 'punching' your stomach, making fake punch sounds with his mouth, and if you push him away he'll pretend you've absolutely knocked him out, tumbling down onto the mattress with this dramatic thump and closing his eyes and sticking his tongue out of his mouth like he's a dead cartoon character 😭

he's like a dog you have to get his energy out before trying to rest with him or he just Won't Rest

when you DO get him sleepy, though, he's kinda incoherent when he's tired, so you'll be cuddled up together, maybe you're scratching his back, maybe he's playing with your hair, and he's just sort of mumbling nonsense until he finally drifts off to sleep

Beau 'Cyclone' Simpson:

will not be held

sorry! not happening

he's just so big and beefy and authoritative that he doesn't much enjoy being coddled

he loves cuddling with you though, he gets very relaxed just laying with you

he's a casual toucher, i think, so you can rest your head on his shoulder at the airport, you can hold his hand at restaurants, whether that be over or under the table, he lets you hang all over him however you want

he's not super into in-your-face PDA, though, so you'll have to be polite and considerate about it

actually in bed though, under the blankets at night?

he's so much more cuddly than you'd expect

he wraps his big strong arms around you and tugs you close and lets you melt all over him <33

your favorite place to lay your head is probably his chest 'cause it's so broad and firm and nice <3

he's a good back rubber so cuddles are always soft and cozy and sleepy

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw:

lord he's a cuddler

he's just a touchy guy, because he's probably gone without it for a significant amount of time so now that he's got you he's gonna enjoy it

big big big on pda, doesn't really care who sees

so that means cuddling in public, too

perfectly content to sit by the beach with you in his lap all cuddled back into his chest he doesn't care if anyone teases him

but back in bed he's a sucker for head scratches

if you have long-ish nails, enough to scratch at his scalp, he'll literally melt over you like an ice cream cone

his limbs go all gooey and he flops his head down on your chest, groaning and grunting while you scratch through his hair

he really enjoys sleeping on top of you, whether that be fully chest-to-chest 'you're suffocating me' cuddling or just an arm thrown over your stomach while he lays on his own

he likes being held, too, but probably prefers to hold unless he's having a hard day

Jake 'Hangman' Seresin:

big boy!! surprisingly fond of being held for everything we know about him

that cocky demeanor does not last under the sheets

he adores holding you, of course, he'll wrap his big arms around you and cradle your head to his chest

he probably plays with your hair, looooves it when you tangle your legs up with his own

he prefers if you talk to him rather than him talk to you if you're cuddling

cause he likes the sound of your voice and he loves hearing about your day

he tries to listen so attentively to what you're saying, but if you're taking a little too long telling him about that batty old customer that had visited the shop you work at today, his eyes are going to slowly start to droop and he's gonna let out a big ol yawn that means it's time for him to close his eyes

you always cut yourself off like 'sorry, jake. g'head, go to sleep'

and he insists you continue like 'nooo darlin' i wanna hear! keep going :]' except within two minutes he's dozing against the pillow while you talk about the old lady again

he's a simple man just talk soft and slow to him while snuggled up in his arms and he's gonna sleep no matter what you're telling him

Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace:

she really likes laying face-to-face with you!!

she's a fan of spooning, of course, she likes either burying her face in your back or letting you snuggle into hers

but she loves the intimacy that comes from being pretty much nose-to-nose with you

the type to lay there and chat with you mere inches away so that you're leaning in to kiss her all giggly and bashful every four seconds

she uses your cuddle time to tell you all about her teammates, what stupid shit jake said today, how bob almost tripped down the stairs, that fanboy's got a new girlfriend who wants to meet you, etc etc etc

but that means when you see them next you know all of the hot gossip about everyone and you giggle every time jake says something dumb and he's like WHAT.. WHAT IS IT.. WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME.. and you give nat this little ;) 'cause you'll definitely be talking shit about him later

she does this thing where she cradles the back of your head in her hand if you're face to face and she throws her leg over your waist and it gives you such intense butterflies that you need to close your eyes sometimes <3333

Robert 'Bob' Floyd:

cuddlebug <3

he loooves cuddling but if you do it face-to-face he's gonna need to be super close to you because he can't see without his glasses 😭

i'm taking like nose-to-nose so close that you have to cross your eyes to see him

otherwise he's pretty chill in what positions he likes

you love it when he reads to you

i think he might not be the most confident reader out loud but he does it anyways 'cause it puts you to sleep

he gets really sleepy really easily so sometimes it's best to refrain from cuddling in public

like you're out on the beach by a firepit and you're all snuggled up together but oops he can't enjoy his smores because he's sleeping on your shoulder

he loves it when you lay your head on his shoulder sm :'))

he wraps his arm around you and tugs you closer <3

Javy 'Coyote' Machado:

prefers holding to being held

probably a little less talkative than the rest, but that doesn't mean you never chat

he just has this insane ability to fall asleep anywhere, i'm talking slumped against the bus window, leaning against the wall, sitting on the ground, piloting his aircraft sorry

he likes staring at you, though, while he falls asleep :')

if you're talking to him he'll listen and nod and hum along and agree when he should, he's a very good listener

but slowly he'll start to fade a bit, and he'll sling his hand over your waist, smush his face into the pillow, and keep listening for as long as he can

slooooowly you start getting less responses from him, he's not reacting as much, but his eyes are always locked onto your face and he's got this lazy little smile on his face while he drifts off to sleep 'cause he gets to look at you the whole time :')

loverboy!!

Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia:

the most talkative in the whole wide world

cuddling with him is barely even cuddling, it's watching him act out his entire day

'and then payback went like this and- BAM! shot it down.'

and he's up on his knees in the middle of the bed with his arms out demonstrating exactly how they'd worked through their training exercises that day

and he is loud and energetic and you're half-asleep like 'that sounds awesome, babe.'

he isn't one to stay in one place really, he likes tossing and turning a bit before he falls asleep which means that you are also going to be tossed and turned

he's a really shifty sleeper too so you'll wake up with your face in his armpit

if you're really sleepy though, he'll settle down, he'll pull you into his chest and let you fall asleep there

but he'll probably be on his phone for a bit, he strikes me as a crazy night owl

Reuben 'Payback' Fitch:

out in two seconds

there is no conscious cuddling with him

why?

because the second his head hits the pillow he's snoring

you can cuddle up to him but if he's cuddling up to you he's doing it in his sleep

you're actually so jealous of him bc you lay down for the night and he tucks his chin over your head or he snuggles his face into your neck and that's it.

he's out.

he's a clingy sleeper, though, so if you wanna read for a bit or use your phone it might be kind of hard

honestly it really helps your sleep schedule to sleep with him 'cause sometimes he's entirely wrapped around you and you can't move

so there's nothing to do but sleep yourself

he's like a living furnace i KNOW that man runs hot

you probably wake up sweating a bunch if you're all snuggly with him

blanket stealer. he somehow manages to tear them off of the end of the bed where they're tucked in and cocoon himself

and then you wake up freezing cold

when i said he snores i mean it he snores loud

it's sort of comforting eventually? like at first it drives u insane

but over time you come to rely on it as white noise and you can't sleep unless he's all over you snoring right in your ear and drooling on your shoulder

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mamsieur · 6 months

Text

Don't mess with the Storm | Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

Summary : Sometimes, Cyclone could live up to his call sign. Especially when it concerned you, his youngest daughter, his little Storm.

TW : slight violence, mention of alcohol, family/domestic fluff

Length : 6753 words

AN : You can't make me believe that Beau Simpson isn't a family man with lots of kids. That's what he radiates.

posted on AO3 August 21, 2023

Your mom always said you took after your dad, but if he was a Cyclone, you were a Storm ; smaller and less destructive. Storm has always been your nickname.

It described you quite well as much in your way of doing things than in your personality. You were passionate about everything you did and you often left a mess after you.

Being a Vice Admiral, Beau managed to control himself for his work but when it came to you and your well being, he could literally destroy everything on his way. Not that your father was in any way abusive or violent, but he sometimes could over react.

You were your parents’ precious little baby.

You were the youngest of four children; you had three older brothers, all in the military. Two of them, Nathan and Jamie, were naval aviators, like your father, and one, Aaron, was a Marine Officer.

Needless to say, you were well taken care of ; you liked to think that you had a small ‘army’ for yourself.

But as much as they thought of you as their little princess, they never treated you like one, and you never wanted to be. You were tough and very capable of defending yourself. Your father always encouraged you in whatever you wanted to do.

You wanted to join the soccer team? Let's go. Switch to boxing lessons? Done. A new passion for karting? He had your back. An interest in mechanics ? He bought you your first tool box.

As long as you put your heart and soul into whatever you did, your family would support you.

So when you told them you wanted to work for the Navy after your engineering degree, they were as supportive as they could be.

You were a genius engineer - your mom’s word, not yours - and you loved working on jets, inspecting them, gathering as much data as possible to make them as efficient as they can be. Working at Top Gun was heaven. Since the pilots were supposed to be the best, you loved pushing them and their machines to be better and better.

Of course, the fact that you were working on the same base as your father had raised some eyebrows. But neither of you cared, and he got you no special treatment.

After the uranium mission, you were assigned to check the status of the Dagger Squad's F-18s. Everything seemed to be in good shape, and while your computer analyzed the flight data, you inspected the engines. You liked to work alone when you could, it helped you stay in your bubble of concentration.

The sun was slowly setting as you finished diagnosing the last jet. Being alone in the hangar, you took the opportunity to put on some music. You hummed and swayed a little while you waited for the analysis to finish on your screen and inspected the engine.

Your head was - quite literally - in it when you heard footsteps behind you. They stopped a few feet away from you to let you finish what you were doing.

"I'll just be two minutes," you muttered and then shrugged, getting no response. You finished inspecting the seemingly defective part and stood up. Your face was covered in dust and motor oil, and your hair was starting to fall out of your ponytail.

You sighed and turned to your mysterious guest.

"Oh! Good evening Lieutenant Bradshaw. May I help you?" you smiled a little and wiped your forehead with the back of your hand.

"Good evening Second Lieutenant Simpson, to tell you the truth, yes, you may..." he grinned charmingly, crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the plane, "I was wondering if you'd forgotten our date? It's 7:20, and we agreed to meet at 6:30 ?”

You stopped smiling and looked at the clock. Crap! You hadn't seen the time.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I was servicing the jets and didn't realize what time it was! I should have set an alarm, I'm sorry. Jesus, how could I be so stupid?"

You were starting to mumble excuses as you gathered your things when you felt his hand on your wrist.

"It's okay, I know how you get when you're focused on something. We’ll find another day for that. I'll wait for you at the bar, okay?" he reassured you with a grin.

"Uh yeah, yeah okay! I'll be quick!" you nodded and smiled back at him. He tucked a strand of your wild hair behind your ear, a few inches from you, making you blush slightly. His thumb stroked your cheek. He had that cheeky smile he always had when something was on his mind. He took your hand and kissed your knuckles, his beautiful brown eyes never leaving yours.

" Or , I can also wait for you in the changing-"

" Lieutenant Bradshaw, Second Lieutenant Simpson, what are you two still doing here? "

Your father's stern voice echoed through the hangar, taking you by surprise. Bradley took a quick step back and straightened his posture to greet him.

"I, uh-"

"Lieutenant Bradshaw forgot his keys, sir, he was out. I got carried away with the diagnostics, I'm almost finished here," you replied quickly as Cyclone’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Bradley then at you.

"Hm. You better hurry then, Second Lieutenant, overtime is not allowed. You're free to go Lieutenant Bradshaw."

"Yes sir!" you said in unison and Bradley left as quickly as he could, flashing one last smile in your direction before disappearing down the corridors.

As you started to clean up the mess you'd made, you heard an amused sigh.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. You're still living up to your nickname."

"Ha ha, very funny Dad," you rolled your eyes and closed your toolbox, "Don't wait for me, I'm going out tonight."

"Mmh. Is Bradshaw involved?" he asked as he helped you carry your stuff to the storage room.

"Yes? I mean the whole Dagger team is, I need to get to know them to understand how they work."

That was only half a lie. You knew they most likely were all at the Hard Deck, you'd met them there a few times. You got along well with them, especially Natasha, Bob and Mickey. And of course, Bradley... But it was different with him.

You'd known him for years and your very first assignment had been with him. Your friendship had evolved over the years into a kind of friends-with-benefits/fuck-buddies relationship until a few weeks ago. Since the uranium mission, he wanted more than that, and so did you. You two tried to keep your relationship secret because you suspected it could jeopardize either of your careers, and mostly because you knew your father would not approve.

He always thought the guys you dated were not good enough for you. And as annoying as it was, he was always right. He scared away some of them and when you thought back about it, it's a good thing he did.

Truth be told, you have been in love with Bradley for so long that sometimes it hurted.

You had tried to tell him so many times in the past, but you were afraid of losing what little intimacy you had with him. So when he asked you out, first thing after the uranium mission, it felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. The hope that your feelings would be reciprocated had invaded your heart and mind, and you felt like it was the first time you were in love. It wasn’t of course, but you were all giddy about it.

You didn’t like to lie to your dad, he knew you too much to know everything in just one look.

But it was worth it, wasn’t it ?

You hoped it was.

After a well-deserved shower, you changed into clean, comfortable clothes that actually suited you. You put on your helmet and rode to the bar with your motorbike. Your mother hated when you used that ‘death machine’ and your father wasn't really fond of it either. It reminded him of Maverick. He wasn’t fond of Maverick. It always made you laugh watching your dad trying to remain calm in front of the Captain. You’ve never seen a man getting on his nerves that much.

The Hard Deck was already busy when you parked ; a totally normal Friday night , you thought. Looking around, you spotted Natasha’s, Javy’s and Bradley’s cars.

Penny nodded at you with a smile as you entered. The Daggers were in their usual places and Bradley seemed to be winning the pool game against Jake. In a desperate attempt to break his concentration, Jake chuckled, "Your girlfriend's here, Bradshaw”.

The whole team had discovered your relationship, of course, but swore to keep it a secret. You were grateful to them, but Jake being himself, he couldn't resist taking a dig at you.

You rolled your eyes and took a seat next to Bob, watching the two eternal rivals finish their game. You caught up with Mickey and theorized with him on the last episodes of Kenobi then made your way towards Penny at the bar to buy your round of beers. As you waited for your drinks at the counter, you felt two hands around your waist.

"You're late, Second Lieutenant ."

"Had to fix your teammates’ jets, Lieutenant , tell them to be more careful," you grinned, leaning your back against your boyfriend's torso. You heard him chuckle softly as he whispered that you were an ‘idiot' and kissed the top of your head.

"Sorry about our date, I'll make it up to you."

"You bet your sweet ass you will," Bradley snickered at the squeal you let out as he spanked you a little, “But right now, you owe me a dance to celebrate my victory against Hangman.”

He took your hand as you rolled your eyes but followed him. Your whole body pressed against his, arms around his neck, the room faded away. All you could feel and see was him; one of his hands on the small of your back, the other on your hip, guiding you. The warmth of his body was like a spell that kept you close, not wanting to let go.His hands roamed down your back making you shiver. It felt like you belonged there.

You couldn’t let go of his eyes, hypnotized. He had such beautiful eyes ; those hazel brown orbs were magnetic, so infuriatingly charming.

One of your hands gently stroked his scarred cheek and he leaned into your touch, smiling like an idiot and humming the song you were slow dancing to. His smile always sent butterflies to your stomach and heat to your cheeks. It was almost annoying how easily you fell for his charms.

The two of you danced until the song ended and you pulled him by the collar to kiss him. You felt his hands slip into the back pockets of your jeans, shamelessly squeezing your ass, and his proud grin against your lips. You bit his as you pulled away from the kiss.

"Okay, lovebirds , get a room," Jake complained and you flipped him off, still in Bradley's arms.

"Don't be jealous Jakey, your time will come," you teased, making your partner chuckle.

"She's right Seresin, just wait till you're a big boy."

The evening continued quietly, with one beer after another, a few games of darts and pool, and a few songs on the piano for Bradley.

You watched him from the bar, mesmerized, an affectionate smile on your face. You still wondered how you'd managed to get his attention; this man could have anyone he wanted with his smile combined with a little song, the sweetness with which he spoke, his sarcasms, his eyes so soft and intense at the same time, his stupid, stupid, cocky grin... God, you were definitely and undoubtedly under his spell, mind and heart.

Your eyes never left his form for more than five seconds. You looked at him as if you wanted to learn every aspect of his physique; but to be honest, you already knew him by heart.

You could locate every beauty mark, every scar - and tell its story - and where his birthmark was. You could describe every shade of brown in his eyes, depending on the light or his emotions. You knew every expression on his face; when he was angry, frustrated, sad, or playful. You knew exactly where and how to touch him to make him putty in your hands, every positively sensitive area and those to avoid.

And yet, every time you looked at him, behind the piano, laughing with his friends, you discovered a new detail that made you love him even more.

The way he cared for all of them - even Jake, his "archenemy" - and knew just what to do to make them feel better and laugh. How he always listened to what they had to share, good or bad, and offered to help. How he'd always protect them as if they were his siblings, his rather hazardous family.

Speaking of hazardous family, it always made you laugh how Bradley could be so like Pete and like your dad. It was sometimes a mixture of arrogance and calm, defiance and seriousness. Part of you was sure that if they tried, your dad and Bradley would get along. But were they willing to ?

As you were lost in your thoughts, you didn’t notice a man, a little younger than you, sitting next to your stool. He started talking, trying to flirt, but you didn’t really pay attention, still absorbed by your boyfriend’s silliness, until he clicked his fingers in front of your face.

“Hey, ‘m talking to you doll. You should really pay attention when someone is talking to you, got it ?”

You sipped your beer and looked at him out of the corner of your eye. He continued his flirtatious attempts, bragging that he was one of the best in his class at Top Gun. He kept trying to get your attention by snapping his fingers or grabbing your arm. His breath was clearly too close to your face and stinked a mixture of beer and chips.

It really started to annoy you, so it was your turn to snap your fingers in his face.

"I'm not interested,” you snapped your fingers again, “If a girl ignores you, it's because she doesn't want to talk to you, got it ?"

You got off your stool, ready to join the Daggers by the piano. But a hand gripped your wrist and the man pulled you close to him. You could see a hint of anger and annoyance in his eyes, but it didn’t scare you. You were used to guys like him, thinking they own every woman they see.

“Listen doll, I was nice until now. Give me your number and I’ll forgive you,” he grinned, his buddies sneering behind him, as if they were proud of him. You couldn’t help but giggle at the scene. What kind of bad joke was that ?

In one swift motion, you released your wrist and pinned his arm behind his back. You bent him violently over the bar and locked him in that position, pressing down just enough to hurt and immobilize him.

"One false move and I will dislocate your arm," you threatened in his ear as a few glances turned in your direction. "Now listen to me carefully. This is the last time you'll talk to me or any woman like that. Understood?"

He grunted and struggled a little. You pressed harder and repeated, "Understood?"

"Okay! Okay, I understand! Get off me!"

The man growled again and you finally let go. Penny gave you a look that you understood as a warning and you smiled innocently to her. The man and his group walked away with a grunt, giving you one last murderous look. You smiled broadly and made a mocking curtsy.

Bradley raised an eyebrow as they passed him, muttering that you were a "crazy bitch". You joined him with two beers, one for him and one for you.

"What happened?"

"Nothing to worry about, just some big macho guy. He didn't like that I wasn't paying attention to him. I just put him in his place."

You shrugged with a smile and Bradley shook his head, laughing a little, knowing exactly what you meant. He put his arm around your waist and kissed your temple.

"I know you can defend yourself, but don't get yourself in trouble, Stormy."

"Don't worry, if I get in trouble, my knight in shining armor will come and rescue me, won't he?" you teased. He chuckled but nodded before taking you on his lap at the piano. He started a new song that had the remaining customers singing and dancing.

***

The end of the evening was a bit hazy.

You'd had too much to drink to get back on your bike, so it was Bradley who drove you home. You pulled your boyfriend into your small house - he offered no resistance - and kissed him as if your life depended on it, as if that simple contact made your heart beat. His hands roamed your body with hunger, and yours tore his Hawaiian shirt from his back. You thought of nothing but Bradley, his soft lips devouring your jaw and neck, leaving a few marks where he passed, his hands so warm on your skin, his breath making you shiver.

You wandered back to your room, kicking off your shoes, and your clothes ended up in a pile at the end of your bed.

You loved doing it with Bradley. He gave you everything you wanted and so much more. You'd never been as fulfilled as you were with him. It was as if he knew everything about how your body worked, that it held no secrets for him.

Your nightly activities have drained you both of what little energy you had left, and you fell asleep hugging each other, as if afraid the other will evaporate.

The next morning, it was not your massive headache that woke you, but the sound of several cars and children laughing outside your house. What day was it? Was it Saturday? It was Saturday!

You jumped to your feet as Bradley mumbled something unintelligible.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" You shook your boyfriend and wrapped yourself in a blanket as you heard the sound of a key turning in the front door lock.

"Bradley, get up!"

"Mmh, five minutes..." he mumbled, burying his face in the pillow. You heard the door open and small footsteps running toward your room. You panicked and shook him harder.

"We don't have five minutes! Get your ass up!"

You grabbed the first thing you could get your hands on: panties and Bradley's tank top. You stumbled to your bedroom door to get out before one of your nephews’ innocent eyes discovered their aunt and a man they didn't know naked as worms in her bed. You tried to look as natural as possible as you quickly closed the door behind you. Standing in front of you was Jack, your three-year-old nephew. He was Nathan’s, your oldest brother, son. He laughed as he threw himself on your legs to give you a hug.

"Oh my God, hi sweetie! You're early!"

"Dada said we'd surprise you, Auntie! And Pop-Pop is here too!" the little boy laughed.

"What a nice thought!" you tried not to sound too ironic as you picked him up to give him a kiss and rearrange his wild blond hair. "Auntie needs to get dressed, okay? Go wait with your dad in the living room!"

You gave him one last kiss and made sure he ran to the living room before storming back to your bedroom. How could you forget that your brothers were visiting today? You were so screwed! A million thoughts went through your head and one thing made you snap out of it; Bradley yawning and taking his sweet time getting up. You grumbled and attacked him with a pillow.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"We're in deep shit Bradley! My whole family is here! They weren't supposed to be up this early!"

"What?" he blinked and narrowed his eyes, trying to process what you'd just told him. You started to rattle on about how your brothers got their permission for your mom's birthday, but your brothers were here super early with their wifes, their kids, and your mom and dad. Bradley had trouble following what you were saying because you were talking really fast.

“Babe,” he tried to interrupt you, but you kept mumbling and pacing next to the bed, “Y/N, baby, calm down!”

He grabbed your wrist, pulling you to sit in front of him. His free hand cupped your cheek tenderly as he guided you into breathing to calm yourself down.

“Okay… mind explaining slower what is happening here ?”

You sighed and nodded before re-explaining the whole situation to him. “But they weren’t supposed to come here this early ! The surprise lunch for my mom was supposed to be at home, not in my flat ! And my dad is here. My dad ! What are we going to say ?”

You cursed again, rubbing your temples. Bradley took your hands in his to make you look at him and stole a kiss from you. You sighed against his lips, your tension going away slightly. He then pressed his forehead to yours, stroking your cheeks to soothe you.

“How about we get dressed and just… join them in the living room ?”

“You really want to face my dad ?” you raised one eyebrow, surprised but really relieved that he didn’t propose to just sneak out.

“Yeah ? I mean, the man already has doubts, you’ve said it yourself… and it’s your mother’s birthday, your whole army of men won’t be able to kill me. Not today at least.”

You chuckled at his joking tone and at the silly smile he has on his face. You pecked his lips with a grin. “Okay then Lieutenant , let’s get dressed.”

“Yes ma’am!”

He gave you one last tender kiss, and when the two of you went to get up, a little giggle made you both freeze.

“Auntie who that ? And why he nakey ?”

Your nephew’s voice asked. He was standing by the door, a playful smile on his chubby face, and his little finger pointing at your embarrassed boyfriend. Bradley quickly covered himself more, lifting the sheet at his chin, and you ran to get little Jack in your arms.

“How did he get here ??” Bradley scream-whispered at you, hiding himself while trying to get dressed.

“I don’t know !” you scream-whispered back before turning your attention back to the toddler who was babbling in your arms, “Jack, honey, why aren’t you with your dad and pop-pop ?”

Before he could answer, your sister in law was by your bedroom, apologizing. She didn’t notice Bradley right away, but when she did, a small cheeky smile curled on her lip.

“Hi there, sorry to have him interrupted you two.”

“Annie, it’s not what it looks like-” you blushed when you understood what she implied but Bradley interrupted you by presenting himself and shaking her hand with a wide smile. They chat while you put on a pair of jeans, keeping on Bradley’s tank top. Never in your life had you been this embarrassed.

Little Jack looked at your boyfriend with wide-eyed wonder. He loved meeting new people, and Bradley seemed fascinating to his young eyes. It was no wonder when every time Annie spoke to you, Bradley would make faces at the little boy and make him giggle.

Bradley already had him in his pocket, so that was a good thing. Annie seemed to like him too, at least you thought so from the mischievous looks she gave you.

As you crossed the hallway to join the rest of your family, a wave of nervousness ran through you. You grabbed Bradley by the sleeve of his Hawaiian shirt and turned him toward you. You pulled him into a hug to relax and to give yourself courage.

"Promise you won't hate me?"

"Why would I hate you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They'll probably try to impress you, my brothers I mean... and my dad... you know how he can be..."

"Oh honey... It takes more than that to scare me. I'll be fine."

He kissed your forehead and you walked into the living room.

You greeted everyone, your father not immediately aware of Bradley's presence. You introduced him to your brothers first, Nathan, Aaron and Jamie, and they didn't do anything strange at first; they were probably waiting for you to introduce him to your father to see what sauce to cook him in.

Beau and Vivian, your mother, were too busy admiring your niece, five-month-old Juliet, to notice Bradley's presence. She was fast asleep in the arms of Jamie's fiancée, Alice. She greeted you with a smile when you waved.

"Awake at last, Stormy?" your father asked before freezing and losing his smile at the sight of your boyfriend, " Lieutenant Bradshaw. ".

His cold, hard tone made you sigh a little as the two men shook hands in greeting.

“Good morning Vice Admiral Simpson.”

They were way too formal, it was ridiculous. Your mother had the same reaction as you and introduced herself to Bradley with a warm smile and a hug.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Simpson."

"Oh, please, just call me Viv!" she laughed a little, waving her hand. Then she turned to you, discreetly gave you both thumbs up and winked at you.

Good. Bradley seemed to have charmed your mother with just a smile.

Still, you could feel your father tense up behind you as Bradley got to know everyone. He remained very polite and smiled, even letting Jack, Oliver and Tommy - Aaron's twin sons - pull him out to play in the little garden. Your father grabbed your arm. "Kitchen. Now. We need to talk." He seemed a little upset, and you could understand; you'd lied to him.

"Care to explain yourself?" He crossed his arms on his chest, a stern look on his face.

You didn't like that look. He used to have it when he scolded you when you were a teenager, when you would sneak out of the house to go to a party or to meet up with your then-boyfriend. For a moment, you were 16 again, caught in the act.

You sighed at his insistent and questioning look.

"I uh... He’s... we’re... we've been seeing each other for… a few weeks..."

"A few weeks? So you've been lying to me for weeks?"

"I haven't lied! At least not completely..." you mumbled, biting your fingernail.

"Y/N. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Seriously Dad? You've made it pretty clear that you don't really like him, I mean outside of work."

"I never said that."

You widened your eyes, shocked at his bad faith.

"Are you kidding me? You've made it clear that you don't want me around him because he's too much like Maverick! Every time I mentioned him, you made your… disapproving face. The same one you made every time I mentioned my old boyfriends, or when I wanted to get a motorcycle, or when the boys tried to bleach their hair in high school !"

"I don't have a disapproving face," he grumbled, "and it's not because he’s like Maverick that I don't want you around him, it's because he can be called back on a mission at any time. I don't want that to break your heart."

"Oh ! But it's okay for Nathan, Aaron, and Jamie to break the hearts of their partners? Of their children? It was okay for you to risk breaking Mom's heart and ours? What kind of cardboard argument is that, Dad?" You raised your arms in disbelief as you started to walk out of the kitchen, but you stopped and turned back to face him. "I know you want to protect me, but... you can't do that about things like that. I know you know better than anyone the risks of this job, the sacrifices it requires. But Bradley knows them as well, if not better, than you do. And as much as it scares me, as much as it scares us... we want to try… And even if you don't like it, we'll give it a try. Because I almost lost him once without really being able to be with him..."

Your father sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. From the kitchen window you could see Bradley playing with your nephews, under your mother's and in laws’ amused and tender eyes. A small smile crept across your lips as the little ones called you over to help hold Bradley down. You hurried to join them, and your mother joined your father.

"Our boys and the little ones seem to like this Lieutenant…”

“Seems like it…”

“He reminds me a little of you when we first met..." Vivian chuckled to Beau as she hugged him.

"Really?" the man wondered, "and how?"

"Well, he has that same sparkle in his eyes... the one that calls for adventure, that gentle and loving look when his eyes land on our Storm... and he's also very good with children," she laughed at his slightly embarrassed expression, "You should give him a chance... our princess looks so relaxed with him... look at her… look at her smile…"

He lifted his head and watched the two of you having fun with the three little boys and sighed. His wife was right. You looked so happy in Bradley's arms, waltzing and laughing with the kids. He'd never seen you look so radiant, as cliché as it sounded. Your brothers also seemed to have accepted the newcomer without too much fuss. So Beau seemed to be the only one who was uncomfortable with the whole situation.

He nodded and kissed his wife on the forehead. "Okay, I'll try... but I'm not promising anything."

Vivian rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. She knew for a fact that your father would quickly accept Bradley as well.

Lunch went off without a hitch, Beau swallowing his pride not to be as awkward with Bradley as possible, although he did draw a few murderous looks from your father when he put his hand a little too high on your thigh or lower back. After dessert, he helped your brothers put the kids down for a nap and let them share the convertible bed in your little study. Your sisters-in-law and your brother-in-law, Evan - Aaron's husband - helped you with the dishes. They gently teased you that Bradley was a very handsome young man and that you had chosen well.

"I know I did. Look at you all, we Simpsons always have good taste," you sniped back with a wink and a teasing smile, making them laugh.

"Wait, wait, wait... So he was your regular booty call after your first assignment?" Evan seemed to realize. You shushed him and made sure that your parents didn't hear him say that. Annie laughed a little and grabbed your shoulder, making you look into her eyes.

"I can see why you qualified him as the best sex of your life after the upper body I saw this morning," she teased you again, making your face completely flush. You practically begged her to stop talking about your sex life, very embarrassed. But the three of them could be little bullies and they loved to tease you sometimes.

"Guys, please stop. If my father hears you-"

"Hear what, Stormy?"

You turned and paled a little under your father's cold gaze and tight smile. Your sister-in-law and brother-in-law took the opportunity to run off like teenagers, and of course Bradley arrived just then, smiling carelessly.

"The three cataclysms are finally asleep. Is everything okay in here?" he asked as he joined you in front of your father. He immediately wiped the smile off his face when he saw the look on Beau's face.

"You're lucky it's my wife's birthday, Bradshaw," he growled, his eyes staring straight into your souls, "but if I hear one more detail about your... nocturnal activities, I'm going to make sure that the two of you are as far away from each other as possible, even if it means sending one of you to Japan or Korea. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir," Bradley replied promptly, "Clear as day.”

"For God's sake, Dad, aren't you being a little extreme? I'm a responsible adult-"

"I'm warning you, I don't want another grandchild too soon. Keep it in your pants."

"Dad!!"

Just when you thought you couldn't get any more embarrassed, your dad had the right words. He left the two of you in the kitchen, muttering that he was getting too old for this.

"Oh my God..." You cursed as you hid your face in your hands and turned towards the sink. Of all the weird things that could happen, you'd really hoped no one would mention your sex life. You felt a little angry, but more than that, you were extremely embarrassed. You let out a shaky breath, your hands gripping the counter as you lowered your head. You felt the warmth of Bradley's body enveloping you as he wrapped his arms around your waist, his front against your back and his chin resting on your shoulder.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Why are you apologizing, babe? I told you it would take more than that to scare me off... Maybe your dad hasn't fallen for the Bradshaw charm yet, but I'm working on it..." he tried to cheer you up, "And now I have an army of kids who love me, I can order them to defend me."

You smiled, amused at his silliness. "You're really good with kids, but I think it's them who will command you..."

"Maybe you're right," he laughed a little and kissed the hollow of your neck, his mustache tickling you, "but your mother has already adopted me. I'm protected."

You laughed with him, your embarrassment and anger disappearing. You leaned against him, enjoying the hug he offered you. These simple gestures were so comforting that it was almost frightening how quickly he could soothe you. You closed your eyes as he hummed and softly danced with you in the kitchen. It was so cliché, right out of a rom-com, but you couldn’t care less.

After a few minutes, you regained enough courage to join the rest of your family in the living room. Your in-laws gave you apologetic looks, and your brothers were a little lost, but didn't dare ask.

For the rest of the afternoon, Bradley learned every little anecdote your mother had to share; whether it was about your brothers, you, or even your father, she was more than happy to share with him. Jamie and Alice had fallen asleep in the garden, making your mother smile in awe. Nathan laughed a little with Aaron. "We warned them that a newborn was exhausting, but they insisted on coming here their own way...".

You laughed a little too, it was true they looked exhausted. But little Juliet was so cute that they forgot how tired they were.

Speaking of her, the baby phone warned everyone that she was waking up. You volunteered to warm her bottle and Bradley went to get her. Alice had put the travel crib in your room so the other three children would not be disturbed if Juliet woke up.

When the milk was at the right temperature, you joined Bradley in your room. Your cheeks flushed and you felt butterflies in your stomach when you saw him holding the little one. He rocked her gently, stroking her cheek with his index finger. He seemed so natural that it made you fall even more in love with him.

You shook your head, your father's voice echoing in your head: "No more grandchildren for now.”

You joined him and let him gently place the baby in your arms. You smiled and fed the hungry five-month-old in your arms. Bradley leaned against the doorframe and watched you with a soft smile. You, too, were a natural with children. Juliet seemed so comfortable in your arms and you seemed so relaxed. He found himself daydreaming about the two of you having children together. He blushed as he imagined you pregnant with his baby... and Nathan giggled behind him. "Calm your horses Bradshaw, you're not putting a baby in my sister anytime soon."

Bradley's face turned as bright red as yours. "Nathan, shut up!" you yelled-whispered at him, careful not to disturb the eating baby in your arms.

“What? You heard our old man, "No more grandchildren for now!”” Nathan grinned and put his arm around Bradley's shoulders.

"I can't promise that..." Bradley mumbled softly, mesmerized by the sight of you holding Juliet against you as you burped her after she had finished her bottle. Nathan's eyes widened and he tried his best not to burst out laughing. "What did you say, Brad’ ? I think I misheard you?"

You blushed as you realized what your boyfriend had just said.

"I... Nothing!" Bradley defended himself weakly, very embarrassed. Nathan teased him until your mother told him to stop, threatening him with no cake after dinner. He immediately stopped and went to get his son after whispering to Bradley that he wouldn't forget what he had just said. You decided not to talk about it, feeling a little embarrassed as well.

It wasn't long before dinnertime arrived, and your father was relaxed and talking with Bradley. You even caught them laughing together. This interaction was reassuring for the rest of the evening.

As usual, your mother had cooked for a regiment, and your refrigerator was full of leftovers. She made Bradley promise to stop by the family home and look at the family albums and your childhood bedroom. He laughed a little but agreed.

You walked everyone back to their cars, helped them with the kids' stuff, and your dad gave you one last hug and said good night. He said goodbye to Bradley with a slight smile and a quick hug.

When everyone was gone, you collapsed on your sofa, drained of all energy. Bradley joined you with a smile and pulled you right into his arms.

"That didn't go so badly after all..."

You nodded, yawned and put your arms around him. You thought back to the day that had just passed, to that roller coaster of emotions, and laughed a little.

"So... eager to put a baby inside me Lieutenant?"

"Oh my God Y/N!!" Bradley blushed, hiding his face behind his fists in total embarrassment. You laughed and teased him about it. You preferred to take it as a joke because neither of you were anywhere near ready to have children of your own, you both agreed on that. Or did you?

He turned to you, a serious expression on his face.

"And what if I am? Would you... would you be on board to have kids with me? Not right now, of course, but... I... I can't imagine a future without you in it, and I'd like to have kids with you. I know we haven't really been together that long, but we've known each other for a long time... and oh my God, I'm rumbling," he groaned, rubbing his face before looking back at you. "What I mean is that I love you and I don't want to live without you. Maybe it's rushed, maybe you-"

You interrupted him, pulled him by the collar and kissed him. You didn’t know what came over you; maybe it was the fact that he had just admitted his feelings, or the fact that he was already planning a life with you. Maybe both. Certainly both.

"I love you too," you whispered between two kisses, "and I don't want to be without you either... and I would love to start a family with you someday, Lieutenant Bradshaw..."

You smiled, your forehead pressed against his, and he chuckled in relief.

"Today was really like you... a storm..." he sighed, smiling and stroking your cheeks.

"I know... are you sure you can keep up with my family?" you teased, "Now that you've messed with the storm, the cyclone will never be far away."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Stormy."

#top gun maverick #top gun imagine #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #beau simpson #family fluff #natasha trace #jake seresin #rober floyd #mickey garcia #pov second person #post movie top gun maverick

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saltsicklover · 6 months

Text

Title: Not a Cyclone, But a Monsoon

Part 2 of 2 - Completed

Find Part 1 HERE, and my Master List HERE

A request based off of THIS prompt, from the lovely @inkandarsenic

Romantic Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Fem!Reader Past Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Fem!Reader

Platonic Pairing: Beau "Cyclone" Simpson x Fem!Reader

A few uses of Y/N

Word Count: This part: 14k+ Total Fic:20k+

Rating: R

Warnings: Talks of death, minor character deaths, labor, loss of a child in utero, abandonment, drinking, talks of God and destiny, swearing, general military talk and lingo, descriptions of food and eating, coughing fits, talks of violence, actual violence, blood, vomit and throwing up, mention of near death experiences. ANGST

---

I DO NOT CONSENT FOR MY WORK TO BE REPOSTED OR TRANSLATED

Miramar, California. TOP GUN. The weekend before the organization of the Dagger Squad.

A cellphone is tucked between Monsoon's cheek and shoulder, the line trilling. She carries her duffle bags and kit, feeling like a battering ram as she makes her way through the crowd of people. The airport is packed and she can feel just how humid it is form how sticky she feels.

The hallways of the airport wind as she follows the crowd out of the baggage claim. The people around her move just a bit too slowly as they wheel their bags behind them, just begging for someone to trip over them if they dare pass. If there is one thing Monsoon did not miss about being at Top Gun, it's the trip in.

Fuck flying coach.

Fuck PSC Season and all of the families taking all the seats on the military flights.

Fuck the crying lady sitting next to her, who wouldn't stop sobbing at the shitty romcom she was watching, and fuck when she decided to start it over, just to watch it all over again.

But the best thing about coming back has to be seeing her surrogate father, Beau Simpson. Their relationship has only grown stronger since that night at the bar. They have spent countless meals together, drinking at bars when they are in the same place and always sending 'check in' emails. Phone calls have always been a bit dodgy between time zones and deployments.

Neither one knew exactly what they were getting into when the bond between them grew, neither really sure exactly what a parent/child relationship looks like, especially when the child is really an unrelated adult. But as the days went on, and the email chain got longer and longer, things seemed to just make sense.

The pair talked about everything, from work to dating, friendships and recipes. Cyclone opened up about June and their baby, sharing his favorite stories of their marriage. From how they started dating, to the day that June passed, Monsoon heard it all.

Calla lilies were June's favorite, the only flowers that Beau believes should ever be given to a woman, and Monsoon smiles at the memory of her graduation from Top Gun, and the way Cyclone smiled at her with the bouquet of lilies in his lap.

When Monsoon found herself in Vermont she carved out time to visit June and Baby Boy Simpson at the cemetery. She showed up with two bouquets of calla lilies and a speech to give them. Monsoon cleaned their headstones and laid the flowers delicately across their plots, speaking to them the whole time about herself, and Cyclone, and the world they live in.

Cyclone's phone buzzed in his pocket while in a meeting. When he snuck a peak, he was met with a photo of Monsoon, a light smile adorning her face as she sits just in front of the burial plots. The message read "With Mama June and Bubba, thinking of you, Pops". Cyclone had to excuse himself from the table with tears in his eyes.

As the years went on, the surfaces in Cyclone's office slowly began to fill with more photos of the two of them. The collection of frames started out sophisticated, it really did, but as time went on, the frames became more eclectic, more fun.

It's juxtaposes the rest of Cyclones office in a way that is almost comical. As he is shouting at someone for their latest fuck up, there are shelves full of silly frames just a few feet away. Cyclone's favorite just so happens to read "Clown College Class President" while Monsoon's favorite is one of those irregular shaped ones, with an oval opening for the photograph.

There is a photo of the two of them tucked in the cockpit of Monsoon's jet. It catches the mechanics off guard every time, but no one dare says a word about it- mostly out of fear that word would get back to Admiral. The photo depicts the two of them at one of those giant truck stops, posing with the large dinosaur sitting out front. She is sat atop of it, like a cowboy, with Cyclone leaning up against it, his shoulder near her thigh. They both wear larger than life smiles as the sun beats down on them. It was a silly thing, really. Both stuck in at little forgotten Air Base in middle America for a flight test, but the pair managed to make the best of it, remembering to take photographs as they went.

There is a postcard folded up in Cyclone's wallet. Once upon a time, it read the catchy saying "Why Not Minot?" printed across the front of it, with a cute little photo of a town square, a little forgotten town in North Dakota. It's one of those bases that people dread being stationed at, that much has always been true, but the little photo on the front of the post card sold a different tale. It wasn't the cutesy saying or the photo that made him keep it, the edges now worn and fibrous. On the back, written in neat blue ink, underneath a little blurb about how there is absolutely nothing to do in North Dakota, the sentence "I love you, Pops" sits next to a scribbly little heart.

The staticky, tolling, phoneline picks up after a few rings as Monsoon pushes around a family with one too many screaming toddlers. They have on those little backpack leashes and Monsoon almost gets close lined as a little dark haired child bursts in front of her without warning. She dodged, but she catches one of those damn rolling bags with her toe. Monsoon barely notices the glare the lady sent her way, but the lack luster wrath of a stranger isn't going to stop her.

"Hey, Kid," Cyclone greets over the line, the smile on his face evident through the sound of his voice. There is no need for an official "hello" to begin the conversation, both knowing full well that Cyclone had been watching the flight itinerary like a hawk to make sure Monsoon wasn't going to be delayed. The call upon landing is just expected at this point, though neither of them have mastered the cool,casual, its good to see you.

"I just landed," A woman walks right into one of the duffle bags hanging off of Monsoon's shoulders, throwing her completely off balance. She hikes the bag higher up on her shoulder, trying to rebalance the hefty weight she is carrying. Monsoon sways like she is at sea, attempting to get her balance back. There is something so familiar about the way she sways a bit, just like the jet carriers do as the waves bash against the metal of the hull.

"Fuck" she curses under her breath, steadying herself once again. For a Seaman, one might think Monsoon would have better balance. Cyclone rolls his eyes on the other side of the phone. "I'll be over for dinner tonight, if that's still the plan,"

"Sure is, I'm making your favorite,"

"Steak and potatoes are your favorite," Monsoon corrects.

"You can correct me without the side of guilt, you know," Cyclone is chuckling through the phone, earning him a roll of the eyes.

"I only meant to tease," There is a nonchalance to her voice, though she is the furthest thing from cool. Cyclone isn't either. His kid is coming home and they get to sit down for a meal for the first time in months and he is beyond excited.

"I'm going to drop my stuff off at my rental, then I'll be headed your way, you better be ready for me to eat enough for a small village," Monsoon heads right for the exit, ready to look for a taxi. "And Pops, maybe think about adding a-" The word "vegetable" fails to make it's way out of her mouth as Monsoon looks up as the double doors in front of her slide open. Cyclone is standing on the other side, a large sign reading "WELCOME HOME KIDDO" sits loosely in his hand, the other holds his phone up to his ear.

It's like one of those cheesy scenes from a movie, both wearing matching grins and laughing. Cyclone knew the whole thing would be a surprise; he took a leave day to make sure he would bet there to pick her up.

"Pops!" The name still makes Cyclone's heart swell, even if he had been responding to that very name for the past few years. It's funny, really, how easy it was for the pair to adjust to the name, though Monsoon waited for him to acknowledge it first before she actually said it.

The acknowledgement came from a recorded phone message, shortly after her first move after her Top Gun Graduation. Cyclone got stuck in on the highway with a dead car and no cellphone. The call came in from a payphone, an unknown number. Cyclone left a message, "Hey, kid, it's Pops, my car died and I am stranded. I could use an assist. Do you know anyone in Missouri?". That message is still saved on Monsoon's phone to this day.

"Hey, Kiddo!" And then Monsoon is stumbling closer, her bags swinging her center of gravity all over the place. He reaches a hand out to take one, ready to throw it over his shoulder, but instead, each one hits the pavement with a hard thud. Monsoon is quickly wrapping her arms around his body, one over his shoulder, one under his arm, meeting around his back and squeezing him hard.

The hug is returned in kind, both damn near trying to squeeze each other to death. It's playful, as they share "good to see you's" and "I've missed you's" .

"I hope you don't mind, Kid, but I invited another one of the recruits to dinner tonight," He speaks the words into her hair. Monsoon pulls back to look up at her Pops with furrowed brows. She doesn't have to say a thing, he already knows exactly what is going through her mind.

"I know it's unorthodox, but, Kazansky said it might be a good idea, and when the good Admiral says something like that, you set another place at the table,"

"Yeah, unorthodox is definitely a word for it," Monsoon is pulling out of Cyclone's embrace, dipping to grab her discarded bags from the pavement. Cyclone grabs one before she can, which earns him a roll of her eyes.

"Be nice, would you?"

"To you or the mystery guest?" Her words are dripping with sarcasm.

"Preferably both," Cyclone chides, poking her in the side with the welcome home sign. She swats it away with a quick hand, both laughing.

"I'll see what I can do,"

---

The sun is setting over the horizon, painting the sky orange with wisps of pink the lower it sinks behind the curve of the Earth. Monsoon is spread out on one of the lawn chairs, relaxing, well, more like waiting out her Pops' little outburst. She had opened the grill to check on the steak, making sure the edges wouldn't be too crispy, and Cyclone all but snapped the lid shut in the middle of her investigation. He banished her to the other side of the patio to wait for the food to finish cooking. Then, and only then, would she be allowed to touch the grill again.

If there is one thing to be true, Cyclone has a method when it comes to grilling. Monsoon had it all explained to her the first time he grilled for the pair of them. He has it down to a science, all from the temperature and the kind of charcoal to use, to the length of marinating time and spices to make even the worst cut of meat from the Commissary the most perfect dinner.

And Monsoon couldn't exactly tell him he was wrong. After all, every single thing Beau had ever placed in front of her tasted delicious, delectable even. Not only that, but Monsoon really couldn't have done it better if she tried. Her Pops wouldn't let her try, either, but that is beside the point.

Soon, everything is pulled off the grill and the pair are inside, Monsoon tasked with setting the table. All of the windows are open, the evening breeze cooling the inside of the house. As she places another fork down, Monsoon takes in the way the breeze dances across her skin. Goosebumps threaten to crest over her exposed arms at the chill the air carries. In that moment, she is thankful for the California air, the smell of the freshly made sides sitting in the center of the table, and the fact that she is setting the table in her Pops' house.

It has been too long since the pair got to sit together and share a meal. Cups of coffee over video chat were no where near as nice and Monsoon couldn't lie, she missed Cyclone's cooking. As she sets down the last knife, Cyclone is bounding down the stairs. His causal jeans and t-shirt have been replaced by a nice pair of brown slacks and a cream polo shirt, tucked in with a belt. He's even sporting loafers.

"Hey Pops, there is something I want to talk to you about tonight," Monsoon shouts down the hall. She tries to shake the bit of nerves rumbling through her chest like a handful of loan bees.

"Okay, kiddo," Cyclone calls back as he is rounding the corner into the kitchen, "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, promise,"

"Okay," It's a simple response as he walks further into the kitchen. He pats her on the shoulder as he passes, a loving gesture.

"Got a hot date?" Monsoon chides as she looks him up and down. She sets the bundle of flatware down on the table, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No," Cyclone is shaking his head, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at her words. "We are having company tonight, remember?"

"Oh, I remember, but I didn't think some random Lieutenant, that is only coming over because the good Admiral all but ordered him to, was someone worth dressing up for."

There is a shrug of her shoulders as her head sways down nonchalantly. Cyclone crosses his arms, mirroring his kid, with a stern look on his face. It's a look that Monsoon isn't used to seeing out of uniform. Maybe it should worry her, but the vein that would usually protrude from his forehead is nowhere to be seen.

"Remember, kid, you too are just 'some random Lieutenant'" Those words stir a bit of anger within Monsoon, but it dissipates as fast as it came.

"Well then, Admiral Simpson, sir," Monsoon stands up a bit straighter, dropping her hands to her sides, "Let me find something more presentable to wear for the strange man who's crashing out family dinner," She grimaces a bit, but they both laugh. Beau is just laughing, in that way that make's his whole body shake, his eyes scrunched closed while whole hearted giggles escape his lips.

"Go on, kid," He waves in the general direction of the hallway, towards the front of the house where she dropped her bags by the front door.

The zipper of her duffle bag slide open easily, the separation of the teeth vibrating her fingertips. Monsoon fishes out a sun dress and a cropped sweater, something to keep her warmer as the sun sets below the horizon. It's a nice enough combination, something that will surly look like she gives a fuck about her appearance without looking like she planned too much. Monsoon changes out of her sweat shorts and t-shirt in the half bath, emerging looking like a brand new woman, though the feeling of the plane still lingers on her skin.

Just as she is stuffing her travel clothing back into her bag, the doorbell sounds throughout the house, the bells tolling just a bit too loud.

"Jeez, Pops, could that doorbell be any louder?" Monsoon is yelling just as she reaches for the door. She pulls it open with a swift movement, a smile on her face. Then it falls as soon as she sees who is standing on the other side of the threshold.

Clad in a button down shirt, one with a pattern that would rival any rodeo clown, with one too many buttons undone stands Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw; a man she hasn't seen since a deployment five years ago, about six months after she graduated from Top Gun.

There is a gold chain hanging around his neck. It's just long enough to graze over the tops of his collar bones. His shirt is untucked, the bottom a bit wrinkly, like he has tucked and untucked it a couple of times trying to decide which looked better. He made the wrong choice, by Monsoon's calculation, the patterned shirt covering the top of his dark khakis. He looks a bit silly, really, from the chain down to his boat shoes. The thing that catches her the most off guard though, is the fucking mustache he has decorating, no, vandalizing his upper lip.

Her own mouth hangs open just a bit, her hand tightening it's grip on the door handle. Bradley shoots her that mega wat smile, that million dollar, dentist office poster smile- the one that made her swoon all those years ago. But now, now it makes her fucking angry. Or maybe it's resentment that she feels boiling up inside of her, steaming her insides with a sort of sick feeling that she hasn't felt in years.

The last time this strange, queasy feeling flowed through her she was wrapped up in the white sheets of her mattress on an aircraft carrier, somewhere out in the pacific. Her naked body feeding off of the warmth of spot that Rooster once occupied. When she awoke, there was a feeling of contentment that spread over her skin, until she reached over to find the spot next to her cold.

Their deployment relationship ended with a fucking post it note, "Duty Calls" is all it read, scribbled down in a mess of black ink, the pen itself skipping. Hell, the pen couldn't even bother to work long enough to get a complete message through- their relationship simmered down to nothing more than steamy nights together in a twin size bunk while the ocean waves rocked against the carrier.

The contentment drained from Monsoon faster than than the anger could take over, and for a moment there was nothingness in the spaces between her ribs.

And now, Bradley fucking Bradshaw is standing on her Pops' front porch, smiling at her like nothing has ever happened between them, holding a bottle of wine, and somehow she is just supposed to let him in!

"Hello," He scratches at the back of his neck, his brows pinched together just the slightest bit. "Is this Admiral Simpson's house?"

Words are caught in the back of Monsoon's throat, each individual letter sticking her in the esophagus. Monsoon stands there looking at Bradley, each growing a bit more uncomfortable as the seconds go by. But, she is on the inside of the doorjamb, she has the upper hand. Just as she goes to slam the door in his fucking ugly mustache, Cyclone catches the door.

"Mr. Bradshaw!" Beau booms, his tone friendly as he sends Monsoon a what the fuck look. She pinches the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, though it does nothing to relieve the rapidly growing headache that's taking over her skull.

"Come in, come in!" Cyclone practically ushers Bradley into the house. "This is my daughter, Y/N Mitchell, she is in the new Top Gun class as well!"

Beau is doing his best to defuse the tension in the room, between Monsoon's anger, and Bradley's overall discomfort from being in an Admiral's house, the vibes are askew. Bradley crinkles his brows at the information and Beau quickly jumps in with a chuckle, "No relation, but I claim her anyway. Introduce yourself, Son,"

"Brad-"

"We already know each other,"

The pair speak at the same time. Monsoon's tone is full of distain, like the words taste bitter and unforgiving on her tongue. She pushes past Bradley's outstretched hand and past Cyclone. Bradley can't help the fact that his face twists up in confusion as he wracks his brain trying to figure out where exactly he knew her.

The woman's definitely too upset to be a recent fling- hell, Bradley hasn't even managed to bring a girl back to his place in such a long time. Deployment really limited his prospects and she sure wasn't on the mission he just finished.

"Please, this way," Cyclone guides Bradley back to the kitchen, taking the bottle of wine from the younger man. They follow the path Monsoon took, down the hall and back to the large kitchen. She is standing at the sink, her hands braced on the counter top.

"Make yourself at home, Mr. Bradshaw. If you'll excuse me, I have to speak with my daughter for a second." Cyclone is moving before Bradley can acknowledge him. So, Bradley pretends to be very interested in the view just outside the kitchen window.

"What the hell, kid?" Cyclone carefully grabs Monsoon's elbow, leaning in just a little bit closer to fake some sort of privacy. He sets the bottle of wine on the counter. With all the tension blooming in the air around them, Cyclone decides alcohol is the last thing they need.

"It's complicated, Pops, just leave it be, okay?" Monsoon is running a hand through her hair, a shallow attempt to ground herself. "I can play nice for one dinner,"

"What the hell happened between you two? And it's not just one dinner, it's the next few weeks."

That fact is met with a grumble from Monsoon. It took her only a few seconds to convince herself that she would be able to make it though a dinner, but the idea of having to see Bradley fucking Bradshaw every day for the foreseeable future had a mixture of nausea and frustration swirling through her.

"Pops, trust me, this really isn't something you are going to want to hear about, nor do I feel like discussing it in your kitchen, at a whisper, while the man who doesn't even seem to fucking remember me is only a few feet away! No thank you," Monsoon pushes past Cyclone once more, picking up the bowl of salad from the kitchen island and bringing it over to the table. Cyclone is hot on her tail, speaking lowly after her.

"Y/N" That gets her to stop, Beau never uses her first name, "We are not finished discussing this,"

"After supper then," The words leave her tongue sharp, but they are met with a nod of approval. Then Cyclone is moving, ready for the night to move on as planned.

"Mr. Bradshaw!" Cyclone is turning his attention back to their guest, a makeshift smile plastered to his face, "Please, take a seat, I am just going to grab the food off the grill,"

And then Cyclone is disappearing out the back door, leaving Monsoon and Rooster alone, the room already threatening to burst from the rapidly accumulating tension. Monsoon chances a look at Bradley as she finished setting out the flatware that had been left abandoned earlier, suddenly a little bit glad that her Pops hinted at her to change clothes. She looks good, that much she knows, if only it mattered at this point.

Maybe, if it mattered, Bradley would look at her and realize just how much he walked out on. Maybe he would see the way Cyclone cares for her, and their little family that they've created and know that he threw away his chance to be apart of it. If only he could see just how happy she is now- yet he doesn't even fucking recognize her, and that makes her heart burn like cheap kerosene. It's like gulping down saltwater, the feeling of being forgotten, drowning right out in the open for everyone to see.

As Monsoon is drowning in thoughts of Bradley, he is just trying to remember her.

Bradley takes in the slope of her nose and the freckles that are smattered across her legs. His eyes wander over the frizzy bits of her hair, down the line of her shoulder and ending at the tips of her fingers. The way that she glances at him, her face still turned down as she adjusts the table settings, strikes him as familiar- but in a far off sense of the word. Familiar in the way his own face is reminiscent of his father's.

His father, Goose, and Maverick... Pete Mitchell... Mitchell!

"Mitchell?" Bradley breaks the silence, his gaze a bit wider, still locked on her downturned face. Monsoon's eyes shoot up at the name, locking with his dark brown eyes. They bore into her the same way they always had and a part of her aches.

"Are you-" The breath he sucks into his lungs burns a bit with hazy memory, "Are you Pete Michell's kid?"

An audible, pained groan leaves Monsoon's throat at the question.

"Not anymore," Are the only words she can manage, the flames of anger licking at her legs.

"But you were, once?" There is almost a ribbon of hope laces somewhere in his tone, but Monsoon pays it no mind. She walks away from the table, keeping her back to Bradley as she attempts to calm the heat of rage that's licking at her legs.

Why couldn't Bradley just ask her about normal things? Why aren't they talking about work, their partners, their friends. Hell, he could hit on her at this point and it would go over better.

If he wanted to talk about Maverick- Pete Michell, there were countless times when they were tangled up together in blankets, in the dark save for the crack of light breaking into the room from under the doorway.

He could have asked as they scurried up the stairs of the carrier, their gear smacking against their chests as they ran. Bradley could have asked then, as they bounded out into the early morning, salt soaked air.

Hell, Bradley could have asked over coms, high in the air as the wind whistled past their wings. They were just test flights after all, no enemy to contend with. He could have asked her then.

But he didn't.

"That was a very long time ago," She's turning to the fridge, pulling a pitcher of lemonade out. The sigh that leaves her lips is nothing but tension attempting to escape from the confines of her chest. It doesn't work, and Bradley doesn't catch the hint to just shut the fuck up and leave it be.

"We knew each other, right? When we were kids?" The question catches Monsoon off guard, almost as much as his initial presence did. She wants to laugh, really she does, at the ridiculousness of the situation.

He didn't remember that fact when they met on the carrier five years ago, and Monsoon tried not to let that bother her, especially when he was buried inside of her, moaning filthy things into her ear. But now? Now he remembers. But somewhere, the memory of their torrid love affair escapes the great mind of Bradley Bradshaw.

"Oh, for fucks sake,"

Though the whole thing is laughable; Bradley isn't laughing. He's holding his breath, too caught up in the scene in front of him, in the soreness of his chest and the way his heart thrums against the backside of his ribcage.

Fuck how his chest aches.

There is this part of his past, this piece that he once knew like the back of his hand, that's just in reach now- again, and Monsoon is laughing at him. The memory of her was erased with the sounding of artillery, the three volley's fired into the air. And now, he craves this memory like he craves the memory of his father, the pieces of his innocence having crumbling into his hands like ash.

It still stains his hands that sickly blackish gray, gritty against his skin, though he is the only one that can see it.

The sliding door opens once more and Cyclone is slipping though, holding a large platter of steak in his hand, the meat is grilled to perfection and he looks proud. Bradley looks at Monsoon with furrowed brows, questioning the words that she let slip past her lips. Cyclone steps between them, setting the plate of meat down on to the dinner table, more than enough food to go around.

"Please, Y/N, come and join us," Cyclone is pulling out a seat right next to Bradley, offering it to her. Reluctantly, she pads over, taking a seat next to Bradley who can't seem to take his eyes off of her face. He runs his hands up and down his pant legs, more out of anxiety than anything else. Cyclone takes a seat across from the pair, a tight smile on his face.

In any other world, it may look like a child introducing their significant other to their father, the way the tension hangs in the air between the trio. Cyclone awkwardly dishes himself servings of the food before passing it to Monsoon, who does the same before placing it down next to her, leaving Bradley to fend for himself. It's petty, that's true, but to Monsoon, it's a small act of defiance. A small fuck you for not remembering her, or the nights they spent together.

The Admiral knows something is going on right under his nose, just out of his understanding. He can see it in the way Monsoon shifts awkwardly in her seat while Bradley's gaze gets overly friendly with the plate in front of him. There's a question on the tip of his tongue, "kid, is Bradley your boyfriend?" but he knows better than to ask it. As he observes longer, he takes in the way his daughter tilts her shoulders just a little further away from Bradley, the arm closest to him resting elbow down on the table. The moment Cyclone notices the unpassed dishes sitting between the pair, he just knows.

"So," Cyclone clears his throat, "Are you two excited to be back at Top Gun?"

It's a reasonable question, very middle of the road. Monsoon opens her mouth to answer, but Bradley beats her to it.

"Yes, sir. It's good to be back stateside. Hell, it's good to be back on solid ground. I've been stuck on a carrier for the past nine months and I was beginning to lose my mind!" He's chuckling now, and Beau joins in right along side him, the deep chuckles of the men filling the air. "But you know how it can get on the carriers. It's hard to pass the time, no going to the bar with friends, no dating,"

Then, Monsoon's fork hits her plate with a metallic clank against the glass. No dating, yeah, right. Out of all of the things Monsoon pegged Bradley to be, a liar was not one of them, but then again not much could surprise her after the way he left.

"How about you, kid?"

"To be determined, Pops," The answer is genuine, spoken through grit teeth.

Maybe she shouldn't be so upset with Bradley's lack of remembrance for her. After all, it's not always the wrong time with the right person. Or the wrong place. Sometimes it's wrong, maybe he just didn't like her that much- more a deployment fling to get him through the lonely nights than a future.

"Well, I am excited you're back," Cyclone returns her direction, but Monsoon just shoves a fork full of salad into her mouth.

"Sir, can I ask what exactly they called us back for? And are there more of us?" Bradley asks between bites, his fork and knife busy against his plate.

"I am not obliged to share much, but I can tell you that fifteen of you have been called back, from varying Top Gun classes." The explanation leaves something to be desired, but both recruits are nodding on the other side of the table. Bradley eats another bite of steak, complimenting Cyclone on his grilling; Monsoon is just pushing the food around on her plate with the tines of her fork. It's easier than finding the appetite that was lost somewhere between the front door and the kitchen after Bradley's arrival.

"Are you teaching us this go around, Pops?" Monsoon's question is spoken quietly, in the middle of Bradley's sentence about his own grilling technique- there is no remorse for the interruption.

At her words, Cyclone visibly stiffens, his fork stilling on his plate. Then he's setting it down, eyes still locked with his plate. With a huff and a lick of his lips he looks across the table, met with two pairs of curious eyes. He knew this was going to be hard, but he didn't expect it to be quite like this.

"No, I'm not teaching," Cyclone takes another breathe, unsure who to make eye contact with, knowing the words he's about to say are not going to be received well, by either one of them. "We- Top Gun has decided to bring in-"

The doorbell is ringing loudly through the house, startling Cyclone in his seat. It breaks though the tension like a fucking bullet, the whole thing blasting apart on impact. The trio trade glances that last milliseconds, like someone just knows whos going to be standing on the other side of that door.

"I'll get it, Pops," Monsoon is already pushing out of her seat, placing her napkin next to her plate. She is a bit too eager to get away from the tension surrounding that table, not only from her question but from the way Bradley is basically staring out of the corner of his eye. Though she can't exactly see it happening, she can feel it- the way his eyes are boring into the side of her head, almost burning. She will take anyone being on the other side of that door if it means she doesn't have to sit in Bradley's swimming gaze any longer.

"No, you stay, I'll get it," Cyclone corrects, "You stay and chat,"

Then, Cyclone is pushing away from the table, heading right for the front door. He gives his daughter no time to protest. Cyclone leaves the slowly rebuilding tension behind him, and Monsoon is stuck having to sit back down, next to Bradley, left to simmer in it.

"We did know each other, right?" Bradley is quick to ask the moment Cyclone rounds the corner. It's a speed he's not used to- too used to sitting and waiting for the perfect timing that just doesn't come. But this isn't something he's willing to wait on, it's just something he has to know.

"Yes, Bradley, we knew each other. But that was a long time ago," Monsoon is shrugging, avoiding his eyes. The words should have hit him harder, from the way they all but flew from her lips, but the impact is almost gentle, like the comfort of them bore the brunt of it all.

"Do you remember my father?" The question is so innocent that it almost hurts; and Monsoon knows just how much throbbing pain there is inside Bradley. After one drunken night while on the carrier, he poured his heart out about his father, about how much he missed him and how he wished- hoped that Goose would have been proud of him. Monsoon sat and listened the to the whole thing, through the tears and drunken hiccups, reassuring Bradley that Goose would be proud of him.

After all, she knewhim, even if that was a million years ago- even if Bradley didn't know it.

She knows he would have been, because Goose was a good man.

A trait that seemed to have skipped over Bradley.

Good men remember their lovers. They remember their old friends. They remember the people who showed up to their mother's funeral- and have the decency to show up to their friends' mother's funeral.

Good men don't leave women in the dead of night, a break up message scrawled on a sticky note. They don't leave their friends to grieve alone. They don't forget.

"Yes, I remember him," Monsoon chances a glance at Bradley, unintentionally meeting his eyes. God, he's looking at her like she holds the fucking secrets to the universe and all she can feel is a sort of twisted up sickness, like her sternum is bound together with poisoned ropes. Bradley can see the stars that cling to her fingertips, the secrets to the cosmos, but can't seem to find the words to beg for their translation.

Cyclone is walking back into the room a second later, accompanied by another set of footsteps. Neither Monsoon nor Bradley look up when they walk in, both too busy staring at each other. Bradley looks curious, Monsoon looks hurt.

She looks away first.

A tall blond walks in behind Cyclone, his gaze focused on a set of files in his hand. He's reading over the top file carefully, running his free hand through his cropped hair. There is a toothpick in his mouth, resting between his teeth. Dressed in his tan uniform, his biceps are straining against the cuffs.

He's a Stetson model type, clean cut and masculine. The line of his jaw accentuated by the clean lines of his uniform. His jaw ticks with frustration as his brows furrow at the paperwork. There appears to be a word on the tip of his tongue by the way the toothpick bobs between his plump lips.

"Hey, guys, sorry for that, this is-" Cyclone swings his hand, introduction interrupted by twin gasps.

"Jake?!"

"Hangman?"

Hangman isn't sure who to look at first, but his eyes meet Bradley's form first, his eyebrows knitting together at the familiar face before shooting to his hairline when his eyes land on Monsoon sitting next to Bradley.

"Y/N, Doll! What are you doing here?"

Cyclone is whipping his head around in the way he might flip a jet. And Monsoon is pushing out of her chair again, ready to round the table and throw herself into the arms of the strong, blond man who just walked in, but her eyes meet the bewildered look on Cyclone's face, causing her to halt her movements. Hangman sets the paperwork down on the kitchen island, his eyes still locked on Monsoon, that damn smirk of his playing on his lips. Monsoon can tell he is holding himself back, fully aware of exactly who's house he is standing in, and the relationship between Monsoon and the Admiral.

It's been months since they've seen each other. Their goodbyes were said on the front porch of his little rental outside of Lake Hurst. Neither of them relished being in New Jersey, but they had each other and that's all that had mattered. They fostered a brand new relationship over a year, neither of them brave enough to label the nights spent together in that house.

Then new orders came down the pipeline, on a TS Need-To-Know. The pair were being separated with the flick of a pen. So, they labelled their year long relationship through tears standing on his stoop, the night the orders came down the channel.

They packed Jake's small house, and Monsoon's apartment, neither one knowing just what was to come. In the name of a temporary duty station, they got storage units next to each other, the closest thing to living together they'd be able to swing.

That was six months ago.

Monsoon did a little time in Pensacola while Jake got sent to Oak Harbor. Thousands of miles apart, their dates turned from late night dinners to quick conversations over the phone just to hear the other's voice.

Neither of them expected their reunion to be here, in Admiral Simpson's kitchen, with Bradley Bradshaw and the Admiral watching the whole thing, confused expressions written into their features.

"I got recalled to Top Gun!" Monsoon giggles a bit, her gaze still trapped with Hangman's.

"Me too!" The words leave Jake's lips and the pair are smiling. It's taking everything for them to hold themselves back from embracing each other, after months apart. Then, Cyclone is clearing his throat.

"Pops," Monsoon begins, clasping her hands in front of her, "God, this is weird. Remember earlier this evening when I said I wanted to talk to you about something?"

She had fully been intending on telling her Cyclone about her relationship with Hangman, in fact, she had been working up the courage for the past few weeks. But, Jake comes with a record, a reputation, and a respect problem, things Monsoon knows her Pops won't approve of.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?" The words are leaving Cyclone's lips almost too quick, but Monsoon is quick to reassure him that it is.

"Well, this isn't exactly how I saw this going, but, Pops, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Jake Seresin," Monsoon is gesturing to Jake now, a worried smile on her face. The pair know each other, of course they do. They had met the first time Hangman went through Top Gun. Cyclone was on instructor duty and Hangman didn't take overly well to being instructed; though he did finish top of his class.

Monsoon bobs up and down on the balls of her feet, the nervous energy flowing through her body. If she could push all the energy out of her and into the floor she would. Her soles grounding the electric current flowing through her, unapologetic and lightning hot. Monsoon would stand there in front of the three men who have played such a large roll in her life, back straight and eyes forward like the Navy trained her to do, if only she could coral that fucking energy and send it straight through the floor.

Monsoon bounces instead.

If she had the time, she could have prevented the look that crosses Cyclone's face. That look of you're not good enough for my kid that is so evident on his features. She knows that Jake saw it, clear as day from the way he almost winces. Everyone in that room knows the reputation that Hangman wears like a neon sign. The "voted biggest player" social life with the stellar callsign, the pilot known for leaving his wingman hanging, acting alone- selfish.

So much for putting off telling Cyclone; so much for easing him into the news.

Bradley is watching the whole exchange from his seat with his eyebrows raised, like a fucking soap opera but the whole spectacle's happening in real time. He lets his eyes shift from person to person, taking it all in. Monsoon looks hopeful, though she is waiting with baited breath for her Pops to blow a fucking gasket. Jake, on the other hand, looks absolutely cool. Though he is the reason for the interruption, and for the impromptu introduction, he is impossibly collected. Then, Bradley's eyes shift to Cyclone, who has backed up a few steps. He keeps looking between Monsoon and Hangman, like he is playing some sort of invisible game of connect the dots.

Hangman and his fucking reputation are courting his daughter, and Cyclone really isn't thrilled about the news.

Though Bradley isn't exactly thrilled to see Hangman here either, he's taking the whole thing in stride, as opposed to Cyclone, but the younger man can't exactly blame him. If it were Bradley getting this major bomb dropped on him, he wouldn't be sitting pretty, either. Bradley is bringing his glass up to his lips, his eyes still flashing between the trio.

"Monsoon-" Cyclone starts, but the sound of coughing interrupts. Bradley is coughing, choking on his water. He attempts to wave a hand, letting everyone know he's okay, but in reality, he's far from it.

Monsoon. The woman he left asleep in her bunk five years ago stands next to him now, and not only that, they fucking grew up together, at least for a little while. And she remembers his Dad, and she's Maverick's kid. And fuck, she's dating Hangman!

Things are moving just a bit too fast, and Bradley can't quite catch his breath between coughing fits.

The glass is quickly set back onto the kitchen table, but is sent over the edge as Bradley reaches for a napkin. The glass falls in faux slow motion, the liquid flowing from the cup as it hits the hardwood, shattering like a pinprick galaxy upon the floor. Bradley, still coughing, searches the new formation of cosmos on the floor for the answer to all the mixed up bullshit he has found himself in.

"Rooster?" Monsoon pats him harshly on the back, right between his shoulder blades. Then, she is rubbing his back, her hand full of warmth through the thin fabric of his shirt. His skin burns under her touch as he struggles to return his breathing to normal. There's still a knot in the back of his throat made of unsaid words and new revelations that he can't seem to swallow down.

"Rooster, are you okay?"

Hangman and Cyclone are quick to circle around the table, Hangman taking a knee next to Monsoon, his hand quickly finding her lower back. Cyclone is on the other side of Bradley, the glass crunching under his expensive leather loafers. Bradley is red from all the coughing, but an embarrassed blush still floods his skin from all the attention.

"Mons?" The nickname comes out all scratchy as Rooster wipes a newly formed tears from his eyes. The concerned expression morphs to hold a bit of shock before settling on some sort of mix of frustration and downright sadness. Monsoon tries to school her expression but her eyes still swim with emotion as they are locked with Bradley's.

"Yeah, Roos," Monsoon shoots his nickname right back, a confirmation that all but shakes the world around Bradley. She brings a tender hand up to squeeze his shoulder before pulling back, subconsciously leaning closer to Hangman, into the warmth of his hand on her back. She finds safety in her boyfriend's touch, the warmth of his skin pooling against her through the fabric of her dress.

The lack of contact makes Rooster feel cold, but the feeling is short lived as Cyclone is grasping at his other shoulder. A swivel of his head and Bradley is met with the furrowed brows of the Admiral.

"Are you okay, Mr. Bradshaw?"

"Yes, sir," Bradley responds, adjusting the collar of his shirt. "I'm so sorry about the glass, please, let me clean it up,"

As Rooster stands, he is pushed back down gently by Cyclone, his hand still on the younger man's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it, please," And so Bradley is sitting again, in the center of the standing trio, feeling completely out of place. "As for the two of you, take a seat, we have some things to discuss,"

The sound of chairs being pulled out against the hard wood floor is accompanied by the intense ringing of the doorbell once again. The group look from person to person, once again looking for any clue as to who could be at the front door this time. Cyclone is padding over to the door, the crunching of glass less evident the further away her gets.

Bradley attempts to clear the lump in his throat, now without the luxury of his glass of water. Monsoon takes her untouched glass and slides it closer to Bradley, a barely there smile on her face. Her expression holds more sympathy than anything. Bradley takes the glass with both hands, a little too careful as he brings it up to his lips.

"Let me get you a plate, okay?" Monsoon speaks to Hangman, her smile clearly wider, brighter, more full of life when it's directed his way. "Pops will give me so much grief if he comes back and that spot isn't set,"

So, Monsoon excuses herself from the table, leaving the men sitting in apprehensive silence.

With a strong tug from Cyclone, door swings open and there is no time for a 'hello' as the man on the other side is pushing in, a wild look in his eye, a vein on his forehead bulging with frustration.

"We need to talk Simpson," The tone holds misplaced authority. Beau runs cold at the sight of Pete "Maverick" fucking Michell standing in his entryway, looking pissed off enough to catch a charge.

"That's Admiral Simpson to you Captain," Cyclone's teeth are grit so hard they might crack under the pressure of his jaw. "You cannot be here right now,"

The raised hand does nothing to stop Maverick from pushing further into the house. There's a folder in his hand, wrinkling under the closing of his fist. Sweat clings to the Admiral's brow, a vision of the crown of thorns, droplets running down the side of his face. It might as well have been blood from the way his stomach twists as Maverick steps closer to him, pushing the paperwork, right against the center of his chest.

"Do you know who got recruited for this mission, huh?" The words are dripping with venom, "Do you realize who you've chosen for this fucking death wish of a goddamn mission?"

Captain Michell's tone is all accusatory and full fury. He's pushing into Cyclone's chest harder, his knuckles white under the pressure. Cyclone grabs at the older man's wrist, his own knuckles paling as he squeezes.

"Captain, I will not repeat myself, you cannot be here,"

"Who is it, Pops?" Monsoon is calling from around the corner, her voice full of curiosity. Cyclone isn't a praying man, especially after what happened with June and their sweet baby boy, but now Cyclone is praying to every god, every deity that crosses his mind, even those who's names he cannot recall, that his daughter will not walk around the corner to see Pete Mitchell standing in his entry way.

"Nobody, kid, I'll be there in just a moment," He calls before turning his attention back to the man in front of him. He tightens his grip on Pete's wrist before he's wrenching it away from his chest. He pushes it back into Pete's own chest, leaning in close, "My daughter is not to see you here, leave. Now."

One might think Maverick would get the hint, since he pulls his hand from Cyclones grip. But then, Maverick is throwing open the file, pointing at the first page's photo. There is so much frustration in the action, it bounces between the two men like they're sounding boards, building and building.

"See this? Jake "Hangman" Seresin? You really want to send somebody in the sky who has a pension for leaving their wingman? You want to send someone into the air with a guy like him when the mission is already guaranteeing a loss of life?"

That catches the attention of the trio in the other room. All motion stills as they strain to hear more.

Wide mouthed, pointed tongue, Maverick is yelling without a care in the world. It doesn't matter who hears as long as Cyclone is hearing it too.

"And how about this," The paper tears as Maverick turns the page, "Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw. You know about his father. You damn well know about Goose and you want to send his son to an early grave too?"

Jaws tick, fists tighten. Cyclone breathes deeply, thinking- choosing his words carefully as the older man continues to scream. It's not beautiful or noble like books would describe. There is no gift from God, no blessing, no one anointed with the ability to see into the future, to see just how this is going to play out. Instead, it's just words exchanged between mortal men, both too damn stubborn to back down with knives to each other's throats.

"And check out these two," Maverick is laughing now, leaning in closer to Cyclone, his breathe reeking of whiskey. Cyclone can see the way Maverick's eyes are bloodshot and weepy as he pushes him back. Sweat coats his skin leaving him clammy to the touch.

"Natasha "Phoenix" Trace and Robert "Bob" Floyd," Another strangled laugh escapes Captain Mitchell, "You really think this scrawny kid and a woman are up to the task at hand? Really? I can think of at least five better pilots and Wizzos who are better qualified than these two. And look! She's the pilot! Hell, I don't even know how they made it through Top Gun the first time around! The fucking Navy is getting soft."

"It's time for you to go, Captain Mitchell. Sober up. We will discuss this on Monday," Cyclone puts a hand to the older man's shoulder, attempting to usher him out without too much force. Cyclone can't risk Maverick being in his house any longer. He has already been gone too long and his guests are likely getting curious. "Time to go, Pete,"

"But, Cyclone, you haven't even heard the best part," Maverick can barely get the words out through drunken laughter. He's turning the page with clumsy fingers, the paper tearing under his touch.

The trio, Rooster, Monsoon, and Hangman round the corner as Cyclone is attempting to usher Maverick out the front door. They watch as the Maverick stumbles out of Cyclone's grip and further into the house.

"Pops?" Monsoon speaks as the strange man hits the floor, laughing as he does. The file has fallen open, scattering pictures of the newest Top Gun brain child called The Dagger Squad. They sit scattered all over the entry way like freshly fallen snow. Her eyes go to the paper that falls near her feet.

"Well if it isn't the prodigal child," Maverick speaks, pushing himself further off the floor. "How many strings did you have to pull to get your own daughter onto the squad? Are you trying to send this kid to an early grave like the last one?"

The three Daggers stand speechless. Monsoon is quickly folded under Hangman's arm, her face pressed into his chest. Rooster stands just off to the side of them, his eyes flashing to Monsoon.

The arguing doesn't stop.

"Shut your mouth," Cyclone spits, "You don't know a goddamn thing,"

Maverick stumbles to his feet, standing up at straight as possible to get into Cyclone's face, just to taunt the younger man.

"See, Admiral, that's not true, now is it? You and I both know that she isn't actually yours and this would be an easy way to get rid of her, right? Send her back to-"

His words are met with a swift punch to the face, the cartilage of his nose crunching under Cyclone's knuckles. The punch feels good, like it had been coming for a long, long time. Like it had been building within Beau Simpson for years, every single time Maverick missed out on a celebration of the amazing life Monsoon is leading. For every birthday, every graduation, every reenlistment and promotion ceremony, Maverick missed it all, and the rage built inside Cyclone. Now, it finally came out, popped like a Champaign cork, blood instead of the fizzy alcohol dotting itself over Cyclone's entryway.

A warm hand slips into Monsoon's; Bradley stepped closer, clutching onto her. He recognized Pete Mitchell the moment he got a clear view, both his anger and anxiety flaring. Bradley squeezed her hand once, nice and strong, before dropping it once more, stepping in front of her and Hangman.

"Captain Mitchell," Bradley begins, his voice firm, full of hurt.

The words make Monsoon's head spin. She leans away from her boyfriend's chest to get a better look at the bloody faced man and it sends a chill down her spine. Her Dad who she hasn't seen in years is now standing in a room full of people who can't fucking stand his existence. It's a fucking miracle that all he has is a bloody nose.

"Bradley," Pete spits a little bit of blood as he speaks, looking up at the younger man. He reaches a hand out, but it's dodged. "It's good to see you, son,"

"I'm not your son. It's time for you to go," Bradley is ready to grab Pete Mitchell by the collar and haul him out of the house. He's ready to throw him onto the lawn and leave him there to spit blood and sober up enough until he can walk himself home. Bradley has his own selfish reasons, his own grudge against the Captain, and now would be as good a time as any to feed into that frustration that he's been stewing in for years.

"I'm calling Admiral Kazansky," Cyclone declares to the room, then he's spinning on his heel the moment Bradley takes a step closer, clearly putting himself between Maverick and Monsoon.

The Admiral is ordering Hangman to move, to take his daughter anywhere else so that she doesn't have to see any more of the disaster that the night has turned out to be. He doesn't want her to see him throw Maverick out- hell, he didn't want her to see him punch the older man, but there's no going back in time.

As much as Cyclone wishes he could have protected her from this, he couldn't. One can't stop a speeding bullet, as they say, and the shot had already been fired the moment he pulled open the front door. And as much as he doesn't want to, Cyclone has to trust Hangman with his daughter, he just has to, now.

So, Hangman is all but carrying Monsoon away as she fights to stay put. She misses the order from her Pops, her blood thrumming too loudly through her ears. Hangman takes her through the house, dodging the pile of glass still glittering on the hardwood in the kitchen, hauling her out the backdoor and right to his truck. Monsoon flights the whole time, though it's unclear as to her reason to want to say behind.

The pair are pulling away from the house as Bradley and Beau are hauling Maverick out to the front lawn, his nose still pouring blood.

Jake drives in the direction of his apartment, holding onto her hand the whole time. He squeezes it reassuringly though there isn't much he can assure her of at the moment. Neither of them know what's going to come of Maverick, or of Cyclone's heated action against him. They don't know if Bradley is going to get caught in the crossfire, or if they are going to get called into the MP's office sometime in the middle of the night.

There is no clear answer, so, Hangman squeezes her hand and drives.

And drives.

As far away as he can get from that house, that situation, the feeling in his chest spurred on by the broken look in Monsoon's eyes.

He drives until the sun crests over the horizon. Pulling off onto the side of the highway, Hangman kills the headlights, the world around them just beginning to come to life. That's when the tears come, falling fast and hard from the pools of Monsoon's eyes. Hangman just holds her there, inside of the truck.

The world around them awakens as Monsoon's falls apart, crumbling like unquenched Earth between her fingers. Maybe that's what the whole situation is, after all, how many times have the great authors related relationships to gardens, to plants, to life. Without nurture, without care and tending, the soil dries out, the plants die. The whole garden becoming a wasteland for the decaying plant matter; the soil turning to clay as the days roll on.

But isn't decay an unescapable fact of life?

Miramar, California. TOP GUN. Two weeks after the organization of the Dagger Squad.

Hangman had completely expected to pretend like the whole fight at the Admiral's house didn't happen when he met up with the other recruits at the bar, save for Monsoon. He took a little too much joy ordering drinks for the team on Maverick's tab- the older man not seeming to remember him from the incident, even after Hangman sent him a wink and a "thanks, Pops,".

When Bradley strutted in like the world was full of golden promise, Hangman took it upon himself to act like it was the first time they had seen each other in years. Bradshaw was quick to get the memo: last week didn't happen.

There's no surprise that Maverick got thrown out of the Hard Deck that night, either. Hangman sure as hell wasn't expecting to be the one to throw Maverick out of the bar, but that part gave him a sense of pride that he can't quite put words to.

The feeling bloomed in his chest as he watched Maverick hit the sand. A wide smile spread across his face as he yelled for him to "come back anytime," if that meant getting more free alcohol and the chance to throw him out again. Then, as Hangman closed the doors behind him while Rooster began one hell of a rendition of "Great Balls of Fire", everything felt like it was going to be okay.

Oh boy, how wrong he was.

Tensions are high now, Hangman and Rooster's rivalry is back and stronger than ever. They have been at each other's throats since that night at the Hard Deck, though the reason wasn't the mission or the usual dick measuring contest, even if the other recruits would say that it is.

They have been battling it out over a woman. Monsoon, specifically. The team doesn't know about her involvement with Hangman, and the pair try and keep it that way. So, she sits in the back of the classroom, right behind Yale and does her best to pay attention. The mission seems more impossible by the minute, the deadline has been moved up, and nobody has been successful.

Rooster and Maverick argue about the plane vs the pilot and how he had been the only one to make it to the target, though it was a minute late.

Then, Hangman opens his fucking mouth, living up to that reputation of his. "It's no time to be thinking about the past,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rooster's expression is unreadable, though his brows twitch.

"I can't be the only one that knows Maverick flew with his old man!" Hangman continues through Maverick's pleas, "Or that he was the one flying when-"

Rooster is out of his seat in a matter of seconds, launching himself at his fellow Lieutenant. Hangman took it too far this time. Rooster gets one good push in before the rest of the squad are separating the two hot headed men from each other, everyone yelling for the fighting to stop.

Everyone but Monsoon, who sits in the back staring at the fight in front of her and can't seem to make herself move.

"You son of a bitch!"

"Hey, hey, I'm cool, I'm cool," Hangman reassures, pulling out of the arms of his teammates.

"He's not cut out for this mission, you know it... You know I'm right." He gets up into Bradley's face, a fucking smirk on his lips. The others are still holding Bradley back as he calms down, but it's that fucking smirk that spurs him on.

Bob's hands slip from Rooster's shoulders as he gets into Hangman's face. "You think you can talk shit about my family when it's your girl that's got the most fucked up situation of all," Bradley keeps his eyes trained on Hangman, but the blonde's eyes tick to the side, in the direction of Monsoon, who is still in her seat. It's Bob who notices the way Hangman's eyes shift, and he's the first person to look in Monsoon's direction. Then, Bob's nudging Phoenix.

They watch as Monsoon tenses in her seat, her jaw ticking. Her hands grip the arms of her chair, knuckles white. Then, Bob and Phoenix turn their attention back to the men as the screaming match continues.

"I'm not the one who broke up with her on a goddamn post-it note, Rooster," Hangman points out with a raise of his brows, that stupid little smirk still evident on his lips. Rooster is bringing his hands up to his temples, his expression scrunched.

"You son of a bitch," Rooster is cursing at him through grit teeth, his voice low.

The crowd of Aviators are still gathered around the two men watching them fight, Maverick's eyes flicking between them as words are exchanged. His mind flashes back to two weeks ago, when he broke down the Admiral's door and saw them standing there with Cyclone. He suddenly flashes his eyes back to Monsoon, only to be met with her piercing glare.

"What? Was taking her father for yourself not good enough for you? Did you have to break her heart too?" Hangman questions, watching as Bradley's face contorts, "You're just pissed because not only could you not keep your shit Rio of a father around, you couldn't keep the girl, either,"

"That's enough!" Monsoon shouts, her eyes finally leaving Maverick. The Daggers' eyes are locked on Monsoon at the back of the makeshift classroom, anger evident on her features. Then, with her hands firmly planted on the table in front of her, she is pushing up from her seat.

"Seresin," Monsoon begins, turning her eyes to him, "First, you will not speak about my uncle that way. Goose was a good man and a damn good Rio. Uncle Nicky would have moved the fucking Earth for Bradley, or for Maverick, or for me and my Mama, don't you dare think anything different."

Monsoon is moving closer to the group now, taking each step slowly, methodical as her words. There is a large, yellow envelope tucked under her arm as she approaches. She had been sitting with that envelope since their first class, no one having even the slightest idea what's tucked inside.

"Secondly, Rooster, my relationship with Jake is not your business, not now, not ever. What we had was over the moment you wrote that post-it and walked out the door. You didn't even remember the fact that we grew up together, for fucks sake. I get it, I was your little deployment fling, and that's all. Now, you get to live with the fact that's all I'll ever be. Hangman put you in your place, now say in it."

The crowd is too stunned to speak, but there is a rumble of laughter that escapes Maverick. He doesn't even try to hide it, thinking the tension in the air would be enough to cover it. But then, Monsoon is turning her pointed gaze to him.

"Finally, Captain Mitchell," There is a sick little smirk on her lips as she says his name, "I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. After all, Bradley had to get his pension for forgetting women from somebody."

Monsoon is standing toe to toe with Maverick now, eyes locked in on his, "After all, I've been in this class for what, two weeks, and I know you have had the roster for longer than that, considering that little stunt you pulled at my Pop's house. You think it's funny to forget someone when your own flesh and blood is standing right in front of you?"

Maverick furrows his brow, head cocking to the side. Monsoon can practically see the gears turning in his head with the way his eyes move across her features. She breathes deeply a couple of times, letting his mind piece the puzzle together.

"I asked you a question, but go ahead, take your time," Monsoon leans in just a fraction further, "After all, I'm told I look more like my mother, anyway," Wide eyes from the man in front of her stir out a strangled giggle from her chest.

"Wha- bu-" Maverick flounders, his mouth opening and closing, no words forming on his lips.

"Hi, Dad," The name is said with so much venom as she pushes the envelope against his chest with enough force to make him stumble. Monsoon doesn't wait for him to recover before she is turning to walk down the aisle of the makeshift classroom, paying no attention to the stares, the eyes burning holes into the back of her head. Instead she focuses on the momentary feeling of lightness that washes over her as she leaves the hanger.

It isn't until Monsoon rounds the corner that the tears begin pricking at her eyes. She takes off running as soon as the first one hits her cheek, the only thing she can hear over the rushing of blood in her ears is the thunking of her heavy boots on the pavement.

The Daggers stand looking at Maverick. He's holding the envelope to his chest, unsure of the emotions wracking though his body. Then, with a quick hand, he's crudely tearing at the envelope. The contents pour out over the floor of the hanger, looking just like that night at Admiral Simpson's house. Maverick tries to push that thought from his mind as his eyes focus in on the papers covering the floor.

Birthday Cards. Children's birthday cards.

The same ones he wrote to her for her first ten birthdays. He can't even get himself to bend down to pick one up, his neck aching from the way he stares down at them. He notices the little circles of wrinkled paper from long dried tears and his heart fucking breaks.

The image of Monsoon at four, at seven, that he can see clearly in his mind, but there's a gap missing. Still, Maverick imagines her sitting and rereading the cards at seventeen, at twenty-two, crying over them and the father she could barely remember. Tears prick at Mavericks eyes and he lets them, making no attempt to wipe them away.

It doesn't take long for the Daggers to figure out that the pile of cards is noticeably small, no more than nine or ten cards on the ground, though no one is near brave enough to say anything.

Moments like this remind Maverick he's still just a mere man. No matter how many records he breaks, aircrafts he tests, or brushes with death he encounters, Maverick is nothing more than a man with a skill set. He has flaws. He makes mistakes.

That fact is almost too much for him to take.

The memory of Goose flashes through his mind, the moments leading up to the failed ejection birth the feeling of ocean water weighing down his flight suit, soaking into the padding of his helmet as the water washes over them. So much blood where there should be none. And then Maverick is thinking about cleaning the scraped knees of his daughter, the blood bubbling up through the road rash. The tears, then, were hers as she begged, "Daddy, not the ouch-y cleaner, I don't like it,". But Maverick cleaned her wounds with the alcohol anyway, only to end up holding her against his chest in the same way he would hold Goose in less than a year.

Maverick's mind is a patchwork quilt of shit memories; stuck reliving them all, fragment by fragment.

"Class dismissed," Maverick manages, his eyes still glued to the floor. The sounds of fourteen pairs of boots, first loud then quieter as they go, leave the hanger, leaving him standing there, looking at the past he threw away illustrated simply in faded and forgotten birthday cards.

The hands of the clock circle once before Maverick moves. He walks right over the pile, his boots leaving angry, dark tread marks across the colorful paper. He doesn't look back once, not at the pile of cards, not at the hanger, not at the base.

He drives straight for the Hard Deck. It's the only thing he can think to do, and after all, maybe Penny has some sort of advice. She's the only person he actually knows with a kid- a daughter.

Maverick only makes it half way before he has to pull over. Quickly, he throws himself off his bike, his knees hitting the dirt as he empties the contents of his stomach. As a pilot, he should have a stronger stomach than this, but a choice he made almost eighteen years ago is coming back to haunt him.

He can still see Monsoon's eyes in the forefront of his mind. They haven't changed a bit from when she was a kid, Maverick realizes, as he's sat back on his haunches trying not to puke again. He wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand, grimacing at the feeling of his swirling stomach.

Maybe he should have stuck around, or at least circled back when he wasn't on deployment. After all, Maria left messages on his machine for almost two years after he up and left. It started with her begging to call which slowly turned into begging him to at least send a fucking birthday card. So he did.

Then, she stopped calling, and he stopped writing. Monsoon grew up.

It would be so easy to blame Maria. When she stopped calling, he stopped remembering. Between deployments and missions, flight tests and ceremonies, Maverick could pretend that it all got lost in the shuffle. But then, he remembers Maria and the way she always seemed to flawlessly manage her Naval carrier with raising their daughter, how she could juggle it all without his help when he was deployed and it was all okay. At least that's what he told himself.

So, he thought if she could do it alone already, no harm could come from putting in for extra duty. That turned into extra deployments, more time away from home. He knew it was all a lie, but he had to tell himself something to justify it.

It did get easier after a while, as his daughter slowly slipped to the back of his mind. It wasn't until one day, six years after he left that the realization hit him. Maverick hadn't thought of his daughter in months. He should have felt more guilty; he drank himself sick at the thought.

Two years later Maverick didn't even realize he missed her eighteenth birthday.

Or her twenty-first.

Over the years he convinced himself he did the right thing. That part of his past became a distant memory that he told himself he didn't miss. Maverick would be lying to himself if he still believed that to be true in this moment, sat on the side of the road after having been faced with the consequences of his long forgotten actions.

Maverick kept one constant reminder playing on repeat in his mind all those years, You can't be a bad father if you aren't there to be one at all.

And for the first time since he walked out, Maverick thinks he may have been wrong.

He sits on the side of the road until the sun sets, stewing in his misery. When he manages to pull himself back up onto his bike, he heads for home, knowing that if Penny knew the whole story he would be on the outs with her, too. And so, he drives slowly, back to an empty house, wishing for the first time in years that it wouldn't be empty when he got there.

---

When Monsoon finally reached Cyclone's office, eight blocks from the hanger, she almost collapsed in the entryway of the building. But, she pushed through the crowd, ignoring the calls of his assistant who insisted that Cyclone could not be interrupted while he was in a meeting. Monsoon couldn't find it in herself to care.

When she pushes the door to his office open, she is met with three pairs of eyes. Iceman, Warlock, and Cyclone's eyes meet her frame. She is breathing heavy from the mix of running and sobbing, though it's unclear as to which is causing the redness in her cheeks.

"Excuse me, recruit, but you can't-" Warlock starts, closing the file sitting in his lap. There is an edge to his tone, not taking too kindly to being interrupted.

"Hey, kid, what's wrong?" Cyclone is cutting off Warlock without a second thought. The moment he moves out from behind his desk, Monsoon is throwing herself into his arms, her barely contained tears now overflowing. Without a second thought, Cyclone is folding her into his arms, doing his best to hold her shaking form.

"I'm sorry, sir, I tried to stop her," Cyclone's assistant huffs, running a hand through his hair. Cyclone waves the younger man off, the door closing behind him with a click. Then, Cyclone is wrapping his daughter tighter in his arms, one hand coming up to rub between her shoulders while the other is wrapped securely around her waist.

"I'm sorry, gentleman, but the meeting will have to be continued another time," Cyclone speaks, his tone clear, unwavering. Warlock shakes his head but gets up to leave anyway. Iceman follows after him, nodding a sort of good luck to his fellow Admiral before closing the door behind him.

"Tell me what's wrong, kid," Cyclone is pulling back, his hands squeezing at her shoulders. Monsoon is rubbing at her cheeks, smearing her tears over the expanse of her face. It's the same ugly cry she had when they first met, and the connection make's Cyclone's heart twist.

"I-" She starts, sentence interrupted by a hiccupping gasp, "Everything is falling apart,"

Monsoon tries to wipe at her face again with her hands, but Cyclone plunges a hand into his pocket only to offer her a green pocket hanky a second later. She takes it with unsteady fingers, her heart still thrumming a mile a minute.

"Hangman and Rooster got in a fight in class. Jake said a shitty thing about my uncle Nicky, Goose, you know?"

"Bradley shoved Jake, which isn't exactly a surprise, but then he told everyone that my family situation is all kinds of fucked up, which it is, but it's nobody else's business. God, Pops, I know now that I made a mistake when I started seeing Rooster while we were on deployment together, but God, that was five years ago! It's in the past!"

Cyclone nods at her, listening intently while trying to keep calm. So much new information is being thrown at him with each sentence that leaves her lips and it makes him angry.

"Worst of all, though," Monsoon wipes at her nose with the hanky, "Maverick knows,"

"He knows?"

"I told him," She confirms with a whimper and a nod, not daring to meet Cyclone's eyes. If she managed to meet them, she would have been met with nothing but rage boiling behind his irises, red hot flames behind the dark brown of his eyes.

"I had to, everything was already coming out anyway," She laments.

"What did he have to say for himself?" The question is asked through grit teeth as he pulls her body tighter against his, a move meant to feel protective but does nothing to quell the flames burning Cyclone from the inside out. All Monsoon can do is shake her head "no" as she sobs against the denseness of his chest.

"I'm gonna kill him" is all Cyclone can think as he rests his chin against her hair. His jaw ticks as the flaming feeling overtakes his body. If he could, he would strip Maverick of every single one of his achievements, his medals, his rank. He would cut the older man down so far that he was nothing more than a civilian with a dishonorable discharge.

But he can't.

So instead, he holds his daughter as she cries. He lets her tears soak the tan fabric of his uniform top, the buttons scraping against her skin. He rubs her back and whispers into her hair, promises that everything will be okay.

---

Somewhere in the Pacific. The Uranium Mission. Three weeks after the organization of the Dagger Squad.

Moments after the Uranium mission is completed, the team piled on the aircraft carrier, all grateful to be alive. Monsoon and Hangman got sent up to shoot down the enemy aircraft, saving Maverick and Rooster. The whole thing left nothing but swirls of confusion and gratitude in Monsoon's heart.

On one hand, she is so thankful that everyone made it back home. There will be no funerals, no folded flags and no Taps to be played. Instead there will be celebrations, beer and cheering and one too many speeches for a job well done. The whole thing should be liberating as their impending doom has been starved off for the time being, however there is still a feeling of anxiety sitting heaving in her chest.

Now, Monsoon is stuck watching the pair climb out of the museum piece that they managed to land on the carrier. The wind is whipping past them as she watches the team embrace the two men. Her strangled feelings clog her chest as she makes her way into the fray, first approaching Bradley.

"Glad to have you back on the ground," Monsoon shouts over the crowd.

"It's good to be back, even if it's not quite the ground," Bradley attempts to joke, "But seriously, we owe everything to you and Hangman,"

"Nobody left behind," Monsoon holds her hand out to Bradley, a gesture of good will.

"Nobody left behind," Rooster echoes, taking her hand in his own.

As they shake hands, a sort of understanding forms between them. They share a look, one that reads no hard feelings and Bradley almost tears up. Then, they are pulling back from each other, sharing one last smile.

Monsoon watches Bradley disappear into the crowd, his tall frame quickly swallowed up by the sea of uniforms. She catches him shake hands with Hangman a moment later, the scene bringing a small smile to her lips.

Then, Maverick catches her eye, standing a few yards away. There are tears shining in his eyes, but he makes no effort to move forward. They share eye contact for a moment as people move between them. Monsoon offers him a half smile, her brows lifted just slightly. Before Maverick can return it, she nods at him. He nods back, then it's his turn to watch her disappear into the crowd.

It's not quite an understanding, but maybe it's a truce.

At the risk of breaking her own heart, Monsoon chances a look over her shoulder. She watches as Maverick pulls Bradley into a hug, or maybe it's the other way around, it's hard to tell with the swarming of bodies. Either way, the pair wear bright smiles as they embrace and Monsoon doesn't even try to fight off the tears that make their way to her eyes. They aren't tears of anger, no, they are tears of gratitude. Grateful that they all get to live another day, grateful that Maverick and Bradley are giving each other a second chance, and grateful that there isn't a looming cloud hanging over her head anymore.

She no longer has to wonder about her father, because now she knows he's exactly where he is supposed to be, and both of their lives are better for it. Instead, she has Cyclone, the best father she could have ever asked for, and that is more than enough.

Cyclone breaks through the crowd, pulling his daughter into his arms, more than thankful for her safe return. He shouts at her, over the crowd, about how well she did and how happy he is that she made it back. The pair hold each other tight for another few moments, neither ready to let go.

Maverick takes one more look at Monsoon, who's now folded into Cyclone's arms. It's an unfamiliar sight but not an unwelcomed one, for Maverick. One thing's for sure, she is exactly like her Pops- disciplined and talented in the cockpit of a jet. Even more, though, beyond being a good aviator, she is a good person and that's something that Maverick can't regret.

---

Miramar, California. TOP GUN. One year after the completion of the Uranium Mission and the organization of the Dagger Squad.

A year later, Cyclone and Monsoon find themselves sitting in The Flight Line Bar, her hand thrust out in front of her, ring glittering under the amber lights.

"You're going to give me away at my wedding, right?" There is a sort of apprehension to her voice as she sips on her beer.

"It would be my honor, kid," Cyclone slings an arm around her shoulders, pulling her sideways into him. He holds her there for a second before letting her sit back upright, a large smile on her lips.

"Y/N Seresin has a good ring to it," Cyclone adds, bringing his beer up to his lips.

"About that," Monsoon starts, causing the Admiral to set his beer down, "Jake and I had a conversation, and we thought that having two Aviators in the same squad with the same last name would get confusing, so it's going to be Y/N Simpson, if that's okay with you,"

The Admiral's eyes flood with tears before he can say a single word. They quickly spill down his cheeks and all he can do is look at his daughter, tears of her own overtaking her eyes.

"I take that as a "yes"?" Monsoon chuckles, wiping her eyes with a shitty bar napkin.

"Of course it's a yes, kid," Cyclone grabs her hand, holding it on top of the bar.

The pair sit, hand in hand , tears still wet on their faces and all Cyclone can think about is how fucking lucky he got, how blessed his life is. He finally has a daughter who is happy and in love, a daughter that he will get to walk down the aisle on the most important day of her life.

When he chances a glance over to her, Cyclone can see the frizz of her hair highlighted by the neon sign buzzing behind her, her cheeks bright red. For a moment, he can see June in the roundness of her cheeks and the brightness of her eyes. Cyclone thinks back to all those years ago, when he and Monsoon first met sitting in this same bar, but he doesn't entertain the memory very long, after all, he has so much to look forward to. So instead, he squeezed her hand.

"I love you, kid," Beau tells her earnestly, smiling though a few stray tears.

"I love you too, Pops," Monsoon returns, leaning her head on his shoulder, "Now and always,"

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callsign-dexter · 9 months

Text

Behind Closed Doors (18+)

Request: Hey sweetie 🥰 would you do an imagine for me where you're Phoenix's best friend and share an apartment with her (you're not a pilot) but have a secret relationship with Bradley which she doesn't know. One time you think you're alone at home when he is over so you have some fun, but when you both leave your room nearly naked you find her sitting there. You try to explain but she just glares at you both, but after a while she gives in and explains how happy she is for you?

Pairings: Bradley Bradshaw x Simpson!Reader

Warnings: smut, fluff, swearing

First Installment- Behind Closed Doors

Second Installment- Out in the Open

Masterlist

You are a high school teacher at Miramar High School on base. You had already lived in California for some years now and were loving it but you needed a roommate, rent on a teacher's salary was hard. You debated on whether or not to get a roommate but didn't want to end up with someone strange or serial killer. You had almost given up when Natasha came to Top Gun looking for a place to stay she called you up, and you immediately said yes.

Natasha took you to the hard deck when you finally had the night off from grading papers and essays, that's when you met the handsome stranger with a mustache and a Hawaiian shirt. She said that she wanted you to meet her friends and fellow coworkers and you were all for it. You both walked into The Hard Deck on a Friday night and the first thing you see where a sea of khaki uniforms, flight suits, and civilian clothing. You weren't a stranger to The Hard Deck, not in the least bit, you had come here a lot with other teachers and friends. You were no stranger to the Navy, not the least bit either, your father being none other than Vice Admiral Beau 'Cyclone' Simpson. You had really thought about going into the Navy but decided against it since the love of teaching and helping kids won over. She dragged you over to her group of friends to say hello. They introduced themselves and you did to them but your gaze lingered on Bradley Bradshaw.

"Hey guys! This is my friend and roommate Y/N!" Natasha said over the loudness of the music and you gave them a wave.

"Hi, I'm Bob. Natasha has told us a lot about you." Bob spoke up first and you turned to look at her.

"All good things I hope." You answered but looked at her and you both smiled and she turned her head.

"Very good things. I'm Bradley." Bradley spoke up and you turned your head to meet his gaze and you could've sworn you fell in love right then and there. You both locked eyes and the rest was history. Your attention was torn away from him when another voice came through.

"I'm Jake. You can call me anytime. You’ll be remembering it when I have you screaming it later tonight. " Jake said with a smirk and you just rolled your eyes.

"I won't be calling you at all or screaming your name because I don't do cocky aviators. Just be glad Penny didn’t hear that." You told him and everyone's jaw dropped there weren't very many people that could take Jake down a peg but they found one person. Jake was silent but still had that stupid smirk on his face.

"Oh, I like her." Jake said then another voice came through.

"I like you. You got Jake to shut up for once. I'm Javy." Javy said and you smiled and said hi back. Finally the last one spoke up.

"My name is Mickey. Sorry for Jake's behavior now and in advance." Mickey said and you laughed.

"No worries. I know how to deal with over confident cocky jocks." You said and Bradley spoke up.

"Oh? What do you do?" He asked curiously and you smiled at him.

"I'm a high school teacher on base. I deal with a lot of teenage testosterone every day." You told him and somehow moved closer to him Natasha saw this and shook her head and moved to stand between you and him.

"I don't think so. You're not taking my best friend." She said and grabbed your arm dragging you away from him "You don't have a drink. We need to get you a drink." She said and dragged you to the bar. Penny came over and met you. You told her your order and Natasha ordered hers and everyone else's. While you wanted you and Bradley stole glances at each other. That's how it went on for the rest of the night. Natasha tried to keep you away from Bradley but every now and then you would make your way over to him and both of you would flirt. It was funny when Natasha noticed you weren't there and would find you and grab you and drag you away, you would smile at Bradley and wave.

By the time everyone was ready to go come most of everyone was drunk. Except you, Bob, and Bradley. Bob assured you that he would get everyone else home safely and you nodded and you told him you would take care of Natasha. Bob started to round up everyone else while you rounded up Natasha that's when Bradley came up to you.

"You need any help?" He asked you and you shook your head but spoke up before he could say anything.

"You can walk us to the car though." You said and he smiled. You would come back later and close out your tab. True to your word he walked you to your car while you put Natasha in the passenger side. She was mumbling incoherent words but you just shook your head and shut the door after making sure she was buckled in and went to the driver's side where Bradley stood. You leaned up against the door and he took your hands and held them.

"So is there a chance I'm going to see you again?" He asked you and you nodded.

"There is a very good chance." You smiled "Give me your phone." You said and he dropped your hands while he dug his phone out and you did the same you both exchanged phones and put your numbers in. He saw your lock screen and wall paper.

"Wait.... that's Cyclone on there. Why would he be on there?" He asked curiously but not mad. It was true your dad was on there it was taken when you had graduated college.

"Because he would be my dad." You said in a matter-in-fact tone. "Don't tell the others. Only you and Natasha know." You said.

"Your secret is safe with me." He said and handed your locked phone back to you and you did the same. You smiled and he opened the door to your Jeep Wrangler. You got in and rolled down the window once you turned the key.

"Have a nice night Bradley." You said with a soft smile and he smiled back.

"You too, Y/N Simpson." He said and you laughed softly and backed and headed back to the apartment. Natasha was knocked out.

You arrived back and woke her up and helped her inside. You made sure the window was closed and the car locked. You helped her to her bedroom where she fell on the bed and went to sleep, you just shook your head and removed her shoes and socks. As you were getting ready for bed your phone buzzed with a notification.

Bradley Bradshaw: I'm really glad to have met you tonight. Any chance I can take you on a proper date?

You: Absolutely. Tomorrow night?

Bradley Bradshaw: Really? Tomorrow night is perfect. Favorite choice of food?

You: I'm not picky but love Thai.

Bradley Bradshaw: It's a date. I'll pick you at 7. I'm looking forward to it. Have a good night.

You: Sounds perfect. I'm looking forward to it too. You have a goodnight too.

You smiled and plugged your phone in and laid down. Looking forward to tomorrow night.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Saturday morning rolled around and you were the first one up. You started making coffee and breakfast when Natasha rolled into the kitchen looking hung over.

"Good morning sunshine." You said in a normal voice but she winced and you chuckled and smirked.

"Oh my gosh. I shouldn't have let Mickey talk me into tequila shots." She said and sat down at the counter and put her head down. You felt bad for you really did.

"Yea I noticed." She looked up when something warm hit her hand.

"Thank you so much." She said and took sip and practically moaned.

"Hey listen. I have a date tonight at 7 tonight. I won't be home until late." You said and that perked her up.

"Oh? With who?" She asked and you smirked.

"Someone I met at the bar last night. We really hit off." You said and she started to try and guess who it was but you denied her each time. She dropped it when you placed pancakes, eggs, and bacon in front of her. "Eat up. It'll help with your hangover." You said and started to clean up.

Once you cleaned up you walked past her and pushed her a little bit and got ready for the day. You got dressed and started cleaning the house. Natasha was currently in her room curing a hangover which you didn't mind honestly. You told her that you were meeting your dad for lunch and she gave a thumbs up and you laughed and headed out to meet him.

You met him at a little cafe. It was a tradition you had every Saturday afternoon. You walked in and he got up and hugged you when you met him.

"Hi, daddy." You said to him.

"Hey, sweetheart." He replied and let you go as you both sat down. It was silent for a moment. The waiter came and took your order and they left. Then came back with your drinks.

"I have a date tonight." You told him and he looked at you from putting sugar in his coffee and you did the same.

"With who?" He asked taking a sip, you were hesitant but loved your dad.

"You know him. He's an aviator. Bradley Bradshaw." You said and he stopped drinking.

"Sweetheart-" He started but you stopped him.

"No Dad. I really like him and we're going on a date tonight. You will also not give him a hard time at work understand?" You said making it clear. Right now you sounded just like your father and he was proud of that, then again you dealt with testosterone filled teenage boys.

"I understand." He said just as your food arrived. You all ate and talked and once you were done he paid and you both left. He walked you to your car and hugged you and kissed your head. "Drive safe sweetheart. I love you" You smiled and let go of him.

"Of course Dad. I love you too." You both got in your cars and took off. You ran a couple of errands and stopped by work to grab something and then went home. When you got there Natasha was up and sitting on the couch watching TV with popcorn.

"How was your lunch with your father?" She asked and you smiled while putting away your stuff and kicking off your shoes. You walked to her and joined her on the couch and she passed you the popcorn bowl.

"It was good. Told him I had a date. He didn't get much say in it." You said taking a handful of popcorn. She laughed you were probably the only person to make Cyclone go silent. He would do anything for you. The rest of the day and leading up to 7 PM you sat on the couch with Natasha watching movies and gossiping.

When it hit 5:50 PM you started to get ready for your date with Bradley. You walked to your closest and stood there looking at it then an outfit you absolutely adored made its appearance. You grabbed it and other things and headed to the bathroom conjoined to your room. You took a shower and then applied light makeup and put on the outfit. Your outfit was a pair of jeans with a cute flowing blue short-sleeve shirt. You looked at yourself in the mirror and smiled you were ready. Your hair was naturally wavy so you didn't have to do anything to it.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

7 PM came around and Natasha had other plans so it all worked out. Bradley came to the apartment door and knocked, you opened the door and he had flowers in his hands and that made you smiled.

"You're so beautiful." Bradley said and you blushed.

"Thank you." You replied.

"These are for you. I hope you like them." He said and gave you the flowers.

"They're beautiful. I love them. I'm just going to put them in a vase." You said and did just that and welcomed him in. You had your back to him when he started to speak.

"I found this awesome Thai place just right outside of the base. You're going to love it." He finished as you turned around and smiled.

"I've heard some good things about it. I've always wanted to go there but never have the time." You told him and he smiled.

"Well I'm glad I'm the first one that will be taking you." He said "You ready to go?" He asked and you nodded.

"Absolutely." You said and the both of you headed out the door and to his Bronco. You got there and he opened the door for you like a true gentleman. He shut the door and got into the driver's side and started it up and started to drive toward the restaurant.

You arrived at the restaurant and he killed the engine and got out and was at your door before you could get your hand on the handle. He held out his hand and you took it letting him guide you out and into the restaurant. You were taken back to your seats and sat down.

"So how do you know Natasha?" He asked you and you smiled.

"I met her when she first came to Top Gun. We hit it off pretty well. I was going to school and helping Penny out. She moved on but we stayed in contact." You said and never nodded. "I hope my dad isn't giving you any problems." You said to him as the waiter came over and took your drink orders.

"No, he's not." He laughed slightly. The waiter came back with your drinks and you were ready to order which you both did. "Does Nat know you're on a date with me?" He asked you and you shook your head.

"No, she does not but my dad does. Don't worry he's ok with it." You said when you saw his panicked face. "What do you say we keep this to ourselves and see how long it takes people to figure out?" You asked him with a mischievous glint in your eye.

"Let's do it. Nat is going to flip her lid." He said and your food arrived. You ate and talked making easy conversation.

The night ended too fast in your opinion because the next thing you knew you were back at your apartment. He gave you a goodnight kiss on the cheek and you both said that you would like to do it again.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

This is how it went on for 7 months but each time it got more intimate and staying over at his apartment started, you couldn't stay at your apartment because of Natasha. You both would be sneaking around behind Natasha's back but everyone else knew. Everyone else knew because they figured it out especially when you came to give your dad something during your lunch break and waved at Bradley, who smiled and waved back. Nobody else knew you were a Simpson either but they found out that day.

You had just walked into the building where your dad worked. You saw the group of pilots, besides Natasha. They saw you walk in and then Bradley locked eyes with you, you smiled and waved which he returned. You walked off towards the offices and everyone turned to Bradley.

"What was that?" Jake spoke up just as surprised as everyone else.

"You're going to have to be more specific Jake. She waved and I waved back." Bradley said while looking back down at the work that laid in front of him.

"Oh no. That wasn't just a wave to say that was a wave like you've been together and been sleeping around." Javy spoke up and Bradley stayed quiet not wanting to give anything away.

"Wait....... are you dating her?" Javy asked but Bradley stayed quiet.

"You are!" Jake practically screamed

"Keep your voice down." Bradley said finally looking over at the pilots. He didn't get to speak much more because Cyclone came walking in with his always neutral look and you on his left side. Everyone shoots up and at attention.

"At ease." He said and everyone relaxed and sat down. "This is my daughter, Y/N. I'm dropping her off here right now before she has to go back to work and because I need to get to a meeting. Be nice to her." He said and turned to you.

"If I don't see you again after I get out of this meeting, be safe driving back and I love you." He said and kissed you on the cheek everyone was surprised.

"I will. I love you too." You said as you pulled away from kissing his cheek. He turned and walked off. Everyone was looking at you. After making sure he was truly gone you tackled Bradley in a hug and kissed him hard. Everyone was shocked.

"Oh stop your staring. We're fine with it as along as Nat doesn't know. She'll flip her lid." You told them and they all nodded. You sat on Bradley's lap and you all talked about anything and everything until you looked down at your watch. "Oh shit! I got to go!" You said and scrambled off of Bradley "I'll text you." You told him and you were out the door. As you were hurrying Natasha popped up but you didn't have time to stop and chat. "Hey, Nat. Bye, Nat. I'm late." You said and she waved as you sped down the hallway. She just laughed.

Back in the room, everyone was shocked. Jake quickly got over it and a sly smirk came on his face. "You sly dog. You're fucking her aren't you?" He said and Bradley couldn't help but smile. "I can't believe you're hooking up with the Vice Admiral's daughter." He continued "Does he know?" He asked and Bradley nodded his head.

"She told him that we were going on a date. She said that he was good with it." Bradley said looking up at him just as soon as Natasha walked in having not heard any of the conversation and it was dropped but they gave Bradley a knowing look.

Every now and then Bradley would come up to meet you in your classroom just to see you or have lunch with you. On many occasions, he was still there when students started to roll in. Many of the female students stood there gawking at the handsome male aviator, who was either in his flight suit or khaki uniform.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Natasha did find out a week after that. It had just become your and Bradley’s 8-month anniversary of dating. You had thought she was going to be gone for most of the morning staying at the base for something she had to do that night, even though it was a Saturday night and Sunday morning. You thought you were clear and you were for the night but not the morning when she came back earlier than what was planned.

You and Bradley had just come back from dinner and sat down on the couch and turned on a random movie. You both weren't paying attention to it too busy with each other. It started with you wanting to watch the movie but then Bradley started by kissing your neck and then he was slowly turning you so that you were facing him. The kissing was slow and passionate. You could feel his one hand that wasn't holding your neck start to creep up your thigh.

"Wait wait." You said and he pulled back with a confused look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" He asked sounding hurt.

"No nothing is wrong everything is perfect. But if we're going to have hot passionate sex I want it to be in the bedroom and not on the couch." You said and watched his face relax.

"You got it, darlin." He said while effortlessly picking you up which made you let out a squeal and clung to him. He started to kiss you again and you kissed back. You could feel how hard he was getting and it only turned you on more. He stumbled his way to your room all of a sudden you felt the mattress on your back and he climbed on top of you kissing you and touching you. It was all too much but it was perfect.

"You're perfect darling." He said as he slowly took your shirt off followed by your bra. He attached to your left nipple and started sucking and gently biting it, which had you moaning and grabbing his head. Your fingers raked his scalp. He moaned and that sent vibrations through your body. He pulled off your left nipple and gave the right one the same attention.

"Bradley." You moaned his name. You could feel him smirking he suddenly pulled off and kissed down your sternum to the start of your jeans and then he started to unbutton the buttons looking up at you.

"You're amazing. You deserve everything." He said while looking up at you as he took off your jeans and underwear and you lifted up helping him.

"You're amazing too. You should be shown appreciation too." You said starting to get up but he wouldn't let you. He quickly shed his clothing and climbed on top of you. He kissed you and you kissed back then he attacked your neck which had you a moaning mess. He quickly made his way down your sternum and to where you needed him the most.

"Later but now it's all about you." He said and you could feel his breath hit your vagina. He licked a broad stripe up and you let out a photographic moan and you felt him smirk. You were wet already but this just made you wetter. He kept going and then he was suckinf on your clit which had that familiar rubber band feeling coming to you. Occasionally he would tease your opening with your tongue. What made that rubber band snap was when he gently bit your clit and your vision turned white and stars could be seen.

After a few minutes, you came down from your high and he was crawling up and kissing you letting you taste yourself. You only broke apart when you needed air. "You're amazing." You told him and he smikred.

"You are too." He replied as he moved one hand down to his now leaking pre-cum cock giving it a pump and lining up with your entrance and pushing in. You threw your head back and your hands when to his back and raked your nails down his back leaving marks, he hissed out but in pleasure. "You're always so tight. It's like you were made for me." He said through the pleasurable pain.

"Oh fuck." You moaned out "More." You said almost demanding.

"Yes, ma'am." He said loving that you were making orders. He started to thrust into you and he hit you in all the right places. He brought one hand to catch both of your wrists in his large hands and brought them up above your head. He started to attack your neck with hot passionate kisses. He used his other hand to attack your sensitive clit which had you spreading your legs further. By doing that he started thrusting deeper and hit your g-spot. You were quickly coming to your second orgasm. "I'm close darling." He said and you knew it was true by his thrusts getting sloppily.

"Cum in me." You said and he nodded. He started to pick up his speed in thrusting and on your clit until you both hit your peak. His hips stilled as his cum painted your walls rope and rope and you came on his cock.

You both came down and he gently pulled out and laid next to you and you laid your head on his chest. The room smelt of sex and all that could be heard was both of you heavy breathing. "I'm so glad to be with you. I love you." You said and he dropped a kiss on your forehead.

"Me too darling. I love you too." He replied and both of you fell asleep.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

It was the next morning and neither of you had to work since it was a Sunday. So you decided to pay Bradley a favor and show him the attention he deserved. You woke up before him and slowly kept down until you were at his flaccid cock. You slowly wrapped your hand around him and started to pump him until he was semi-hard, he started to moan but he was sleeping still. He took him in your mouth and started bobbing up and down and dipping your tongue into his slit. He started to thrust into your mouth and you hallowed your cheeks to take him further. It was a good thing that your gag reflex was almost nonexistent.

Bradley slowly opened his eyes and looked down at you. You had your eyes closed but sensed he was watching you and opened them and looked at him through your lashes. He put one hand on your head but didn't press down. He was close. He was moaning and almost panting. "Yes, Darling. I'm close." He said After a few minutes, you came up for air, but immediately went back and swirled your tongue around his tip, and that is what sent him over the edge. He came into your mouth, and you could taste his salty cum and swallowed it all. You pulled off of him when he was down and wiped the excess into your mouth. "What was that for?" He asked you.

"Well, you took such good care of me last night that I decided to repay you the favor." You said and he pulled you up to him and kissed him. He could taste himself. You pulled away for air.

"Get dressed, I'll make breakfast." He said and helped you get up. You slipped on your underwear after you found it, and on his oversized shirt, you forfeited the bra. He got up and pulled on his boxers. As he followed you out into the hallway you stopped short, because right in front of you in the kitchen was none other than your roommate, Natasha Trace. You stood there like a deer caught in headlights.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

"Natasha. I thought you weren't supposed to be back until later this morning." You said and grabbed a pair of sweatpants that just so happened to be in the hamper. Bradley had gone back to the room and grabbed his pants. You were wearing his shirt so he forgot about it, it's not like she hasn't seen him thought a shirt.

"I got done early." She said slowly back "What is Bradley doing here? Why are you wearing his shirt?" She asked she had a feeling what the answer was going to be.

"I think you should sit down." Bradley said from behind you and you both walked into the kitchen and you both sat down on the barstool and she sat down at the table.

"Ok. I'm sitting." She said glaring at the two of you.

"I'm just gonna come out and say it." You said, "Bradley and I have been dating for 8 months." You finished and waited for her to blow up but she was just glaring at the two of you.

"Do the others know?" Natasha asked and you nodded.

"They found out last week when I went to drop something off to dad." You said.

"Why was I the last to know?" She asked still glaring.

"I know you wanted me to stay away from him but he's been so sweet to me. I know you were just trying to protect but Nat, I love him." You said she was still glaring but nodded and then turned her attention to Bradley.

"If you dare hurt her or break her heart. I'll be coming after you. I know where you sleep, and work, and you know how I am in the air. Not to mention I know her father." She said to him and he nodded.

"I'm not planning on doing any of those things. I love her too much." Bradley said looking at you dreamily and you looked back at him with the same look. Natasha saw this and finally stopped glaring.

"I am really happy for you guys. Still upset that I was the last to know, but that can be settled with you two buying me a drink at The Hard Deck." She said and you both looked at her and nodded.

"Deal." You and Bradley said at the same time.

"I'm gonna start making breakfast. Nat why don't you go and change?" Bradley said and she nodded and got up and headed off down the hallway. As she was walking she called over her shoulder.

"You better not have fucked anywhere in the kitchen or on the couch!"

You both laughed and shook your heads. You haven't yet but time will tell.

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#bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #top gun fanfiction #top gun imagine #top gun x reader #top gun fandom #top gun fanfic #top gun maverick #top gun fan fiction #top gun fic #top gun fics #beau simpson x daughter!reader #cyclone x daughter!reader

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just-my-type-x · 9 months

Note

I want to write something with Brad these upcoming days because i miss writing and also i miss him, so if u have any ideas, drop them in my inbox (would love some smut too)

I would love to combine the ideas for an imagine// you work for the vamps and the reader and Brad start to notice they’re falling for each other

Most Feels Aren't Temporary

Based on these requests and on the songs Temporary by 6lack and Right Now by The Vamps

It's not an unknown fact for the Vamps team that Brad and I dated in my high school years. Even tho his career was taking off at that moment, we knew how to manage our relationship and we knew how to make the most of it. We decided to end our relationship in my first year of uni, when i was 19, the lack of interaction being too much for both of us. No more birthday show ups, no more show ups in important moments of each other's lives. He missed my graduation, i missed their biggest festival they played because of exams. It's safe to say we knew we were the right people at the wrong time, which broke both of our hearts to admit, but it was for the better.

But in life there are no coincidences. After i finished college, i met with the impediment of not knowing what path to take in life, i had no idea what job i wanted, i had no idea what was right for me anymore. I kept talking to Kirstie even after Brad and I parter ways, thing that helped me keep in touch with the band also and i couldn't be happier to see that we worked on our misunderstandings. Later the same year i finished college, Joe offered me a job as a PR assistant, as he didn't want to make the job public and he knew i could handle the boys in the best way.

It's been 5 years and I've upgraded from assistant to manager, but I'm glad i don't get crashed by the boys doing stupid stuff that goes out to the fans. Well maybe once or twice a month, but nothing outrageous.

"Hey", Brad smiles at me as he enters my office

"Hey", i lay back on my desk chair and look at his sleepy face

"Did you sleep in here last night?", he laughs as he checks the clock on my desk. It's barely 8 in the morning

"No, smart pants, i got in here earlier because i needed to get a report done for Joe. I can't work on reports on the road because i get sick", i close my laptop and pick up my documents, Brad helping with placing the chair close to my desk

"I know", he offers me a quick smile before yawning. "I didn't know why i couldn't pick you up from your home. When Joe told me you're here, i almost told him to give you days off just because", he motions to his head and mimics and explosion. I laugh at his words and i push the exit door with my shoulder.

"You didn't have to pick me up, i could drive myself to the airport.", i sigh when i drop everything in the backseat of the car, almost bumping into Brad as he comes by my side to help me with my stuff.

"No, put it like this please, at the first sudden break, this goes to shit", he rambles as he keeps repositioning my laptop and my bag in a way to keep them in place.

"But if you put them like this, if you hit the breaks all of a sudden, by backpack is going to get the laptop to shit", i roll my eyes as i reposition my things as well, but Brad's hands take mine away. It's the first time i realise how close we are, our shoulders and arms touching each other, our faces mere centimeters apart. His hands hold mine for a little while, as we take in each other's features. His dark chocolate eyes trace my face, piercing through my own and making me hold my breath. I watch his mouth slightly smiling, causing me to blush and smile back. His pink lips make me reminisce on the old days, a quick memory of us on a date coming to my mind.

We were on the rooftop of a skyscraper right outside of London, where the light pollution isn't as big as in other parts of the city. We were cuddled up, I was resting my head on his chest, while his arms were wrapped around me. As the night went on, the meteor shower we were waiting for finally took place. Tired and pretty cold, we both got up and watched millions of rocks light up small portions of the sky. I wasn't paying attention to Brad at all anymore, but he cupped my face and kissed me hard, like I'd runaway if he backed away. The kiss grew to be a passionate one, leaving us breathless and needy for more.

"I want this kind of show when i propose to you", he said, surprised by his own words

"What if it takes another 50 years?", i laugh, never looking away from his eyes, that were more sparkling than any falling star or meteor shower.

"That, i did not think through. Are they so rare?", we both bursted out laughing and continued to watch the sky light up every now and then.

His smirk grows wider as my stare is still on his lips.

"Thinking about something naughty?", Brad tries to joke, but he clears his throat right after. I just nod and take my hands away.

I take a deep breath, careful not to show any more emotion than the one i definitely did. "If i tell you what i was thinking about, you wouldn't be able to drive straight", i wink at him and take a seat in the passenger seat.

"Uh", he stops in his tracks and can't say anything else, so he just shakes his head laughing and getting behind the wheel.

The drive to the airport is silent and i can't ignore the past few months of me working with The Vamps, especially with Brad. 5 years ago, when i started, it was so easy to be around him, but i also blame it on the fact that i was so focused on my job and pleasing everyone, that i was basically unapproachable. Joe took me to the side and told me that I'm slowly becoming an workaholic and that i should also take some free time, have fun with the band while I'm at it.

I slowly grew out of my fear of Brad and i not getting along, but he was the one to actually show and help me that our past will not define our friendship then or in the foreseeable future. However, the past few weeks had been different. When i get to the studio with the boys, I'm welcomed by a cup of my favourite coffee and a curly head that's all smiley and in a good mood, only to miss out on a few days of accompanying them and Tris, James or Con to say how Brad was a menace because he didn't agree on anything with them. Being the overthinker that i am, i started to ask myself why he would act like that, only because I'm not there.

Slowly, Brad's gestures towards me made the usual butterflies that i feel in the pit of my stomach every time i see him go even wilder, which wasn't exactly what i wanted. If it didn't work out the first time, it doesn't work the second time either, right?

"Ready for Norway?", James asks as he pulls me in a hug.

"I'm always ready for travelling", i smile as wide as possible, my excitement making everyone laugh. "And i love Norway a lot, i missed visiting it", i look towards Brad who winks at me.

"Oh, you've been there before?", Kirstie's excited tone of voice leaves a bittersweet taste in my soul as i can't match her excitement on this one.

"We went there for our 3 year anniversary. After our european tour.", Brad answers before i get the chance and i look down at my Nikes

"As you can see it's been ages since my last visit so I'm definitely looking forward to getting there", i try to make light of the situation, an unsettling feeling fixing in my chest. Why am i affected by something that happened 8 years prior to this moment? Wasn't i ok with the situation?

***

The cold air hits us as we get out of the airport. Strong wind almost lifts us off the ground as we're trying to find our 2 cars to get us to the small cottage we rented.

"This is definitely not how i remember it", i say as i grab onto the hood on my head for dear life. I earn a few laughs from Tristan and Kirstie and i almost trip over my own luggage when the wind pushes it my way.

After a 40 minute drive, we get to our cottage and unpack for the week. Festivals and vacations are an amazing deal,especially when you actually love the people you work with.

As I'm also taking the wheel and replace both Joe and Evie, i talk through with The Vamps the plans for the festival, the hour when they'll start playing and additional meetings i worked on with the Norwegian press.

"Sounds lovely, great job", Con congratulates me and we fist bump as i put the paper with the information aside. "Anyone hungry?", i ask as i check the time to see it's close to 5PM. We all get to cooking, each of us having a certain assignment. As i run out of things to do for the first course, i end up deciding to bake cupcakes so i wouldn't just stare at everyone else doing something.

"Can you make my faves?", Brad's voice comes from behind me, one of his hands resting on my hip as i measure the flour. I feel my heart drop to the floor at his request, but nod and give him a smile. He rushes to the fridge to give me 2 bananas and a bowl of strawberries and i put them away for later.

As we're waiting for the cupcakes to bake, we end up finishing our food and we starts playing games.

"Ok ok, my turn", Tris almost yells to be heard through the wave of laughter. "I once left the store without paying for my stuff. I broke into my neighbour's property to get my ball from their yard. One of my ex's dad almost beat me up because he caught me with his daughter"

"Ohhh this is tough!", Kirstie hits the table lightly with her palms. "I honestly believe they're all true"

"Everything he said can be done by him", i agree with her and Tris rolls his eyes at us.

"Well thank you", he sarcastically says and we laugh at him

"We've known him for a lifetime and i still have second thoughts on this", James rubs his chin.

"Ok, i got it i got it", i say and look Tris in the eyes. "You got beat up, BECAUSE", i put a lot of emphasis on the word because everyone gets loud and laughs. "If you were dating her at that point in life where you were stealing from damn shops, her dad found out and grounded her. So i could only see you climbing up through her window like a lil Romeo and Juliet type of moment", i take a moment to let everyone calm down from my little story and i carry on. "AND, the next day when you were mad you got beat up by her dad, you went out to play football and your ball ended up on your neighbour's property. So all of them are true, you cheated Tris! You needed a lie", i pinch him slightly as he throws his head back laughing.

"What? They're true?", Brad laughs as Tris nods at the chaotic stories.

"But I'm not done because if all of those are true, I'm gonna say that the neighbour you trespassed into the garden was your girlfriend. And you snuck in there because if you would've knocked on the door or called, you'd get jn trouble again.", i finish my story and take a sip of my beer

"I hate you", he jokes as he throws a napkin in my face. I get interrupted by the oven bipping. I go over to the kitchen to get the cupcakes out. I feel Brad's gaze linger as i disappear behind the wall.

"Don't you have a picture or something to stare at? You're getting creepy", Con jokes and Brad flips him off.

"Shut up", a light pink creeps on his cheekbones.

"What's up with you lately?"

"What do you mean?", Brad shifts in his chair

"The sudden urges to follow y/n around, the request of her to make the cupcakes your favourite kind and i saw your hand on her hip.", Con eats a chip.

"And don't forget about his behaviour when she's not around. All moody and shit", James pops a grape in his mouth.

Brad sighs and shakes his head, looking at nothing on the table. "I'm fucked, that's what's going on. I feel like i messed everything up years ago when we broke up. I know i could've done better and could've saved our relationship but i didn't, because i was selfish at some point. I was too tired and i lied to her that i can't make it to her graduation because we were in another city. Initially, i wanted to surprise her and i didn't tell her we're gonna get back earlier. But when we actually did, i couldn't find the will in me to get up early again and leave. She shrugged everything off and didn't mind that i wasn't there, i think she lied, but it made me feel better. Then our schedule didn't match at all but i never told her to come with us at different shows. She offered to take online classes for a semester, i told her not to bother. She found out about these things after we broke up, it's safe to say she didn't speak to me a while.", he scoffs as he continues, everyone listening closely." And we're getting just fine now but i see the smile on her face every time she shows up to work and i know it's because we all maks her happy because she's here with her friends, but i can't say I'm not selfish, again, and i don't wish for that smile to be, at least once, just for me, because she feels the same as i do about her. "

"And what exactly do you feel?", James raises an eyebrow, almost a mischievous smile creeping in.

"I want her back. I want to try again with her, this is what second chances are for, right? To make things better and to prove that I'll turn the wrongs into rights. Even in her college years, it was so hard to see her hanging out with all these people, but i pushed whatever feeling away because i couldn't take her back and treat her the same way as before. To make things worse, lately i get all these flashbacks from when we were together and if i don't act soon, the memories will end up wrecking me.", he taps nervously on the table as everyone's silent after his confession.

"Ok, they're ready and delicious, but they're hot so be careful. Especially you, Tris.", i say as i come back with two plates full of cupcakes.

"What's that supposed to mean?", a fake hurt squeal comes from him

"Because you want to devour whatever is in front of you", we laugh and he agrees.

"I would've had a very naughty answer for you but i can't do this to someone at the table", he laughs and looks at Brad, who's nervously rubbing his chin.

"Oh by all means, i wanna know what you're capable of. Alice asked me about you, i wanna see if you're worthy of her time", i rest one hand on my hip and watch his eyes sparkle with interest.

"I would've said that if i wanted to devour everything that's in front of me, my dessert would've been you, not the cupcakes", be shoots me an innocent smile as i laugh and blush at his statement. We all laugh and i take a seat back next to Connor.

"You're a dead man", Brad says smiling and we giggle a little more before digging into our sweets.

***

Hours later I'm left alone with Brad in the big living room. I stretch myself when i get up off the couch and i yawn.

"No, don't go", Brad whispers as sleepy as me, as he grabs my hand and pulls me in front of him, looking up in my eyes.

"It's late, Bradley, let's go to sleep", i offer to pull him off the couch but he stays put. Instead, he pulls a bit more by my arms and i end up sitting on his lap, my legs on his side, as my hand are glued to his chest. I take in his scent and i close my eyes to take in the moment and the feeling of him.

"Can i sleep with you? Please? It's been so long since", he brushes his nose on mine and i hold my breath because of how intimate this moment is. "I miss you. And this", he puts a hand over my hands, "isn't enough for me. I miss your touches that are more than just mistakes because we want to grab the same thing, i miss your smiles that are just for me, not for everyone else in the room", he stops, cupping my cheek with his hand, making me look into his eyes. His thumb brushes over my lips, lingering on the bottom one and tracing its shape slowly. "And these lips, y/n you don't understand how desperate I am without them"

With no mind of my own, i press my lips on his, taking him by surprise, almost pulling away at my sudden action. He kisses me back, holding me by the back of my neck, while one of hands runs through his curls. He traces my lip with his tongue and i part my lips to let his tongue slide in. We bite on our lips, suck and taste each other and he helps me change positions to straddle him, his hands not going lower than the small of my back, earning a soft, annoyed moan. He chuckles at my reaction and pulls away. He kisses me one more time and i climb down from him. Confused, he raises a brow.

"Bradley, this won't work."

"It will, because I'm 100% ready to start again with you. The break up was mostly my fault, but i can assure you that my feelings for you weren't temporary. And I'm sure i wasn't supposed to feel this way in case my feelings were long gone", he confesses and i rub my forehead

"What are you feeling?"

"Love. I feel like i love you still, like we never broke up and like we are mature enough to face the reality. I never got over you and i don't know if it's because you work for us, but I'm sure i wouldn't had been able to move on from you ever. Give me one more chance to prove to you how much you mean to me. We don't have to do everything right just yet, but we're right now, in this moment and if i lose you, I'm afraid I'll never get you back. I can't let you slip away. ", his handa cup my face again and i cup his, brushing by thumbs over his cheekbones.

"Ok, and i promise to always be by your side ans support you more than i ever did in the past. I know i also did some wrong things, which i will always regret. I know you're right for me and as most people are temporary, i know we're not temporary for each other. ", i close the gap between us, as my lips glue to his, the familiar feeling of the shape of his mouth seems to have never disappeared in the first place.

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