#lieutenant ford | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bradshawssugarbaby · 5 months

Text

Uptown Girl - Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

summary: Bradley is in love with the admiral's daughter. He needs to win her heart the best way he knows how - serenading her with the help of his friends.

pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x reader

warnings: swearing, Jake teasing Bradley about being old.

word count: 2k

“Man, I can’t just go talk to her.”

Bradley put his head in his hands as he sat at the back of the Hard Deck with his friends. Running his long fingers through his short, golden-brown curls, he sighed before looking up, his hazel eyes full of anxiety and frustration. He’d been pining after a girl who’d become a regular at the local bar for a while - the first day he’d seen her, he was smitten.

She’d come in with her long hair pulled back into a sleek, high ponytail, a warm, friendly smile on her features as she spoke with a few others in the bar. Bradley had wondered who she was, and where she’d come from, a question none of his squadron seemed to know the answer to. That was, until their team lead, and Bradley’s surrogate father of sorts, piped up with an explanation, having heard Bradley audibly swooning over how great she was to everyone in earshot.

“That’s Admiral Simpson’s daughter. I wouldn’t try your luck there, if I were you, Bradley,” Maverick had warned, smirking as he took a sip from his beer glass as he looked over between Bradley and his mystery girl.

Bradley had gone quiet upon learning this information, unable to even fire back at his friend Jake’s retorts and quips about how Bradley was punching above his weight on this one, even as a skilled aviator. In a way, Jake was right, no amount of skill or experience in the air, no number of awards for his service, or medals of honor could put him in the same league as the Admiral’s daughter. Her father had recently become the commander of the entire Pacific fleet, and Bradley was just a lieutenant, serving as an aviator for the past 19 years, his entire naval career.

At nearly 40, Bradley was beginning to consider retirement, weighing his options between becoming a flight instructor for Top Gun, the very flight academy program that he’d graduated from himself, or, ending his naval career to enter civilian life happily. With the exception of Maverick, the rest of his team were considerably younger than he was, the next oldest being Jake, at barely 35. Admiral Simpson’s daughter was easily a decade younger than him, if not more, and probably accustomed to much more in life than anything Bradley could offer her. Naval rank aside, she was likely much more used to living the life of luxury, where as Bradley had never really experienced it, outside of the odd frivolous purchase here or there, like his 1972 Ford Bronco, custom painted bright blue to restore it to its former glory when he purchased it.

Despite all these reasons why Bradley should just forget this juvenile feeling crush he’d developed on her, he couldn’t shake it. Every time he caught a glimpse of her stunning smile, or heard her infectious laugh, the sweetest sound his ears had ever come across, he couldn’t help but fall right back into it again, like a trap that was set perfectly for him. Bradley was head over heels, but worst of all,

“You’re fucked, man. You can’t win here.”

Bradley sighed again as he shook his head, bringing himself back to the present moment. He looked up at Jake, who, upon seeing the confused look on Bradley’s face, laughed and repeated himself.

“I said, you’re fucked, man. There’s no winning here, you either go in there, you say hi to this girl and you ask her out, her dad finds out and you get your ass shipped out to another base faster than you can salute, or you ask her out and she turns your old ass down, either way, you’re going to end up unhappy and not with her,” Jake shrugged as he sipped his beer, leaning on his pool cue.

Bob, the more shy, reserved of Bradley’s team, shook his head. He pushed his glasses up on the end of his nose, adjusting them as he set his plastic cup down on the bar counter, shrugging his shoulders as he interjected, a rare occurrence for Bob, most of the time.

“I mean…Bradley could probably win her over,” He said quietly, nodding his head, “It wouldn’t be hard, I mean, he has an impressive career record, he’s a nice guy, he’s not bad to look at,” Bob shrugged, “I think he could pull it off. It’s her dad I’d be worried about. But, maybe he wouldn’t care so much? It’s not like Bradley’s gonna – what’s that term again? Hump and go? Surf and turf?”

“You mean hump and dump?” Jake snickered, shaking his head, “I think Brad here’s a bit old to pull off the hump and dump nowadays anyways. Maybe 20 years ago.”

“Easy, I only just turned 39 in June, thanks.”

“39 is practically old enough to be a grandfather, Bradley,”

“Oh come on, it is not,” Bradley frowned as he looked at his friends. Bob fiddled with his glasses nervously, avoiding eye contact, Jake smirked as he held back a laugh, and Reuben and Mickey pretended they didn’t hear the conversation, focusing instead on their game of darts taking place a couple of feet away, “Is it?”

“How many years older than you is Mav, man?”

“I dunno,” Bradley shrugged his shoulders, “22, maybe? 23?”

“Right, so when he was 39, you were…?”

“Uh,” Bradley looks up at the ceiling as he counts in his head, trying to work out the math, “16?”

“Right…you see where I’m going with this?”

“Fuck, you’re right, I could be someone’s grandfather. Jesus Christ,” Bradley frowned, shaking his head as he sipped his beer again.

“Relax, you’d have to had a kid at like, 23 or earlier, who also had a kid young for it to work, but it’s not impossible, is all,” Jake nodded matter of factly as he sipped his drink. Jake grinned as he spotted the girl in question walking by their seats, his elbow sharply poking Bradley in the ribcage as he nodded his head slightly in her direction.

“Now’s your chance, loverboy. Take it now if you’re gonna shoot your shot,” Jake whispered with a smirk on his lips.

Bradley nodded his head once and took a deep breath as he set his beer bottle down on the table. With a nervous smile, he put his aviators down over his eyes to hide their anxious gaze before heading over to the piano. If there was one thing Bradley could do to win her over, it’d be serenading the bar with a fun, classic upbeat tune. Normally, he’d go for his favourite, Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lewis, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Bradley put a hand on Jake’s shoulder, his grip firm as he leaned in to whisper to him.

“How confidently can you sing Uptown Girl?”

“You mean like, “uptown girl, she’s been living in her uptown world, I bet she’s never had a backstreet guy…?” Jake laughed as he cocked his eyebrow, singing the chorus of the song in his slightly off key baritone, “Oh, you’re not seriously doing this, are you?” He drawled, shaking his head before shooting Bob, Reuben and Mickey a look of disbelief.

“I love that song!” Bob said enthusiastically as he stood to his feet, “We’ve got your back, buddy, let’s go win her heart!”

Jake rolled his eyes and laughed before following Bradley and his friends to the piano. Bradley took his seat on the piano bench, lowering his sunglasses to make eye contact with his dream girl’s gaze, a confident smirk on his face as he winked at her before putting his glasses back on. He wasn’t sure if it was the beer coursing through his veins or the sheer smitten head over heels side of him taking over, but his new found confidence had Bradley playing the opening bars of the 80s hit on the piano, his friends offering nothing but encouragement for his somewhat ridiculous idea. It wasn’t the smoothest way to get a girl’s attention, but, it was different, and would almost certainly stand out in her mind, he reasoned with himself.

“Uptown girl, she’s been living in her uptown world. I bet she’s never had a backstreet guy, I bet her momma’s never told her why,”

Bradley sang out, his deep, gravelly voice ringing out as he carried each note perfectly in tune as he played the song’s melody on the piano.

“And now she’s looking for a downtown man, that’s what I am,”

Bradley’s eyes met with hers as he sang, unable to stop himself from smiling wider than he probably should have as he belted the song out, making it clear that out of the crowd of people around them singing along, his full intent was just to get her attention on him.

“And when she knows what she wants from her time, and when she wakes up and makes up her mind,”

Bob, Jake, Reuben and Mickey harmonized alongside Bradley, making for a perfectly imperfect set of backing vocals. While none of the four of Bradley’s backup singers were particularly great singers, their harmonies were enough support for Bradley to carry his way through the song without looking like he’d just lost his mind and started breaking out into song.

“She’ll see I’m not so tough, just because, I’m in love with an uptown girl, you know I’ve seen her in her uptown world. She’s getting tired of her high class toys, and all her presents from her uptown boys, she’s got a choice,”

As Bradley continued to sing it out, with his friends as moral and vocal support, he noticed that his mystery girl was making her way closer to the piano, seemingly leaving behind whoever she had arrived with as she inched her way towards the man who was apparently serenading her in the middle of a crowded bar near a naval base. She flashed him a smile, her cheeks a soft blush as she raised an eyebrow at him. Bradley couldn’t tell if the blush in her features was from embarrassment or flattery, but he hoped it was the latter of the two.

“And when she’s walking, she’s looking so fine, and when she’s talking, she’ll say that she’s mine,”

Bob and Jake began dramatically singing with one another, using Jake’s empty beer bottle as a makeshift microphone, while Mickey excitedly drummed along with his hands on the wooden top of the piano. Reuben began dancing slightly as he sang along to the words, all four men now completely immersing themselves in their performance with Bradley, and all four likely contemplating how they’d get Bradley to repay them for their public humiliation in the name of getting him a potential date.

Bradley grinned as she approached the piano, her hands resting on the wooden top as he played the last few notes of the song, his eyes completely fixated on hers. To him, at that moment, she was the only person in the room. The only face he cared about in the crowded bar was hers, and now, it was right here, standing in front of him.

“You’ve got quite the talent,” She curled her sheer, gloss-coated lips up into a grin as she leaned on the top of the piano, looking directly at Bradley.

“I’m a man of many talents, this was just a couple of them on display,” He nodded his head once, trying to keep his composure as she leaned towards him, willing his eyes to not wander down her body, “I’m Bradley. Lieutenant Bradley Bradshaw, US Naval Air Force,” He said his title with a sense of pride that he hoped didn’t come off as bragging.

“Nice to meet you, Lieutenant,” She grinned, pointing to his empty beer bottle that sat atop the piano beside her, “Care to grab another one of those with me?”

“Absolutely,” Bradley said as he hopped off the piano bench at an almost breakneck pace, leaving Jake, Bob, Reuben and Mickey fighting off fits of laughter at Bradley’s eagerness.

#bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw x you

648 notes · View notes

sorchathered · 3 months

Text

Sacred New Beginnings (part 1)

This is a story over the weekend of Mav and Penny’s wedding, you and Bradley had been engaged and it had all gone to shit, with you back in town for the impending nuptials will you find your way back to each other? Or will you realize you were meant to be with someone else all along?

Pairing(s)- Bradley Bradshaw x reader, Jake Seresin x reader

Warnings- drinking, language, mentions of cheating, eventual smut. 18+

Song inspo- I bet you think about me- ts, the story of us- ts, Cornelia street- ts (yes I’m very taylor coded with this series lmao)

You’d begged Jake to keep it to himself, at least until you could get your bearings in North Island and talk to Bradley yourself. It had been 6 months since the two of you split, he’d put his mother’s ring on your finger and promised you a lifetime but it certainly didn’t turn out like either of you planned, crashing and burning before you ever got a chance to say I do. Now you were back in San Diego at the request of Maverick and Penny for their long awaited nuptials and no matter where you looked all you saw was Bradley Bradshaw.

Jake Seresin was your former front seater, the two of you flew a handful of missions together when you’d been stationed here before, you trusted each other in a way most people didn’t, going through countless near death situations will do that to someone. As you stepped out of the airport into the cool night air you could see him leaning against his ridiculous fully kitted Ford F-150, you could take the man out of Texas but he’d be a cowboy no matter where he went.

“There she is! Stormy girl you are a sight for sore eyes!” He scoops you up in a big bear hug and you finally feel yourself relax, tension melting away just being able to be with your best friend like this.

“Hey douchebag, missed you so much” you say punching his shoulder and letting him lead you into the truck, peeling out of the lot and onto the dark highway.

There’s just something about him that calms you down, everyone gets the big bad Hangman persona and while you’ve witnessed it more times than you can count he’s never once treated you that way. Being around him now feels like home and you need that more than ever knowing the heartache that’s bound to seep into what should be a fairytale weekend. You wring your hands nervously, you know you need to ask but you don’t want to pop the happy bubble you both are in. Time to rip off the bandaid.

“So please tell me you kept your damn mouth shut Jakey, last thing I want to do this weekend is cause a scene. Just want to watch Mav and Penny say I do and head back to Florida with no casualties.”

He frowns at you from across the console, mussing your hair with his hand, he loves having you back here, nothing has felt quite the same without you in his daily life. He knew you’d want to know about he who must not be named (yes Jake considers Bradley to be the Voldemort in your story, no he won’t apologize for it) but he had hoped you’d give yourself some time to adapt first.

“I promise darling, haven’t said a word, hand to God. We will make this weekend a blast and send you on back without a hitch, so long as ol’ Rooster keeps his nose clean we shouldn’t have an issue.”

Just hearing his name causes your heart to lurch, you’ve done so good about avoiding him; blocking his socials and refusing to stalk any of the daggers insta’s for pictures of your former lover.

“How is he?” You say quietly, inspecting your hands in your lap now, refusing to look up for fear that Jake will see your tells; he always does though.

He looks at you with furrowed brows, he wasn’t ready to break your heart again, so he rattled off a bare bones list of info you were looking for, not willing to succumb to the rumors floating around that would only rile you up. The last thing you needed was to spend the weekend drowning in what went wrong and what could have been.

“Recently got promoted to lieutenant commander, got a dog a few weeks ago, no I don’t know if he’s dating anyone and no I wouldn’t tell you if I did. We aren’t doing this to ourselves you hear me? You didn’t do anything wrong and self preservation isn’t a bad thing. Now you must be starving so let’s go get you some In and Out to celebrate my favorite girl being back home.”

Across town in a little craftsman style house by the beach, Bradley Bradshaw is pacing his halls. Mav asked him to be best man and he’s determined to make this speech perfect, but every time he tries to sit down and write out the words describing true love and destiny all he can think of is you. The two of you had been so happy, but then he *had* to go and fuck everything up. He knew you were the one from the minute he met you; all sharp tongue and attitude, truly the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. It wasn’t easy to get you to come around, you’d made it a rule not to date in your squad but somehow he had broken down your walls, when a particularly dangerous mission left him with substantial injuries you’d been paralyzed with fear. If he was just a friend like you claimed then why did it feel like your heart would explode if you never saw him again? The two of you danced around each others feelings for weeks after until one night of partying at Phoenix and Coyote’s you’d kissed him.

A year later he was standing on the beach with roses and Carole Bradshaw’s wedding ring asking you to be his forever, you’d said yes before he could even finish talking; fully confident in the choice you were making. Standing in his house now, no wife and no family he couldn’t help the tears that spilled down his face, regret flooding his senses at how he’d let it all fall apart.

He let his hubris get the best of him, he was the best at what he did, always making sure he went the extra mile to prove himself; constantly fighting living in Goose and Maverick’s shadow. So when a mission came up and you and Jake had been chosen, he’d felt deflated; why hadn’t he been picked? What made Jake the better pilot? What made you more qualified? He went to higher ups to plead his case, never once thinking about the aftermath and how his choices in this would affect you. Needless to say it ended badly, you and Jake being grounded and Bradley flying the mission, someone had let it slip at the bar one night that he’d intervened, costing you an important promotion opportunity and choosing his career over you.

You’d felt betrayed, how could you trust him to be your life partner if he couldn’t even support you in your career? You’d requested an immediate transfer, packed your things and left the ring in your shared home, a note briefly explaining your reasoning and that you’d never wanted it to end this way. He had ruined everything, tried to convince Jake to give him your new number but Hangman could be ruthless when he wanted to be. Refused to help in any way and made sure Bradley knew that he’d been the getaway car, he would always choose you and your happiness unlike Bradley who’d chosen career over love.

Bradley hated him, but he knew he couldn’t fault him for his decision. If he’d just given that level of care when it counted he’d probably still have you, instead of an empty house and a head full of what ifs. He’d been a terrible fiancé, sure he’d doted on you and always told everyone you were his everything, but he also loved attention. So he’d let girls at the bar flirt sometimes, make excuses that it was just his personality and that he didn’t mean anything by it because of course you were the only one for him. But he’d dulled your shine to lift himself up far too many times and he knew deep down he didn’t deserve a second chance. Giving up on his speech for the night he poured another scotch and made his way to bed, there was no mental preparation on earth that would make any of this easier.

Friday morning came bright and early, you stumbled your way through Jake’s apartment letting the smell of coffee carry you to the kitchen. He’d left a post it on the carafe, telling you to be ready by 6 for drinks at the hard deck and you laughed, some things truly did stay the same. Six pm rolled around all too soon and you were dressed in your favorite sundress, hair and makeup set to perfection and Jake pulled the two of you into the lot of the beloved navy bar. Pulling you from your thoughts he gave your hand a reassuring squeeze.

“If you start feeling uncomfortable you just say the word and we’re out, no muss no fuss. Just relax and enjoy tonight with our friends.”

You smiled up at him, grateful that he always seemed to know what you needed to hear.

“Come on Tex let’s get in there and celebrate our friends.”

The bar was closed to only friends and family tonight, everyone near and dear to the happy couple congregating for their rehearsal dinner. Stepping inside it was like being transported back to the past; sounds, smells, everything was the same as it had been when you left. Jake goes in ahead of you, keeping an eye out for a certain mustached aviator but as you both made it to the bar the general consensus was that he hadn’t made it yet. You greeted Penny and Mav with hugs and congratulations, both so glad that you could make it. Mav caught your eye as you ordered a drink from Jimmy, and you knew what he had to say before he even started.

“He-“

“I’m sure he does Pete. I wish it changed anything, but it doesn’t. This is your day, you don’t need to waste it worrying about the past, I’m ok I promise.”

He just wanted his godson to be happy, you knew that. But it wasn’t that easy, too much time had passed and you were uneasy enough thinking about having to see him tonight. So with a squeeze to his arm and a smile you made your way across the bar to the pool tables and your former squad.

Rowdy and full of mischief, that’s the best way you could describe them, whooping and cat calling you as you crossed the threshold, enveloping you in hugs and remarks at how you’d been missed. Phoenix sidles up to you now, bumps her hip against yours with a Cheshire Cat grin, the two of you had never lost contact during the past 6 months and you were grateful for another person looking out for you tonight.

“I’ve missed you cutie! It’s just not the same around here, still can’t believe you left me to take care of the kids by myself.” You both laugh at that, looking towards your boys now as they play fight and place bets at who can kick the others ass at pool, knowing without a doubt that Jake will take the winnings.

“It feels good to be home Nix, I didn’t realize just how much I missed everyone until I got here. Florida is nice, I love the group I have there but the daggers are my family.” You trail off, trying to suppress the tears threatening to leak from your eyes.

She pulls you in for another hug, kisses the side of your head. “It’s going to be a good weekend buddy, I can feel it.”

Bradley’s late. He knows he should have left earlier but he’d been dragging his feet. Mav had texted to tell him you were here and he had to pull over on the highway to empty his stomach. His nerves are shot, pulling the bronco into the lot with shaking hands he attempts to pull himself together, knowing you are just inside has him feeling faint.

“Get your shit together Bradshaw, don’t lose your cool.”

He sucks in a deep breath and opens the door.

After grabbing a beer and getting two pitiful sympathetic looks from Penny and Mav, he turns towards his group and lays his eyes on you. It’s like a punch to the gut, you have always been breathtaking but after having only the memories on his phone to look at he knows for sure they pale in comparison to the real thing. His feet begin moving of their own accord, brain hasn’t quite caught up to what he’s doing and it feels like a magnet is dragging him towards the one place he has longed to be. You are arm and arm with Coyote, animatedly telling him a story with sparkling eyes and Bradley is falling in love all over again. He skirts the outside of the group, settles in to a seat next to Bob and Fanboy hoping he can keep from startling you. But you feel his presence because of course you do, and he can tell the moment your energy shifts. You keep looking at him in the corner of your eye, arms wrapped tightly around yourself and it breaks his heart. His view is obscured by Hangman all too soon, leaning in to the table to catch his eye.

“Rooster”

“Hangman”

“We aren’t gonna have any issues tonight are we?” Jake asks with his signature smirk and lazy southern drawl, it’s charming to some but to Bradley it’s like nails on a chalkboard.

“I’m not here to make things uncomfortable bagman, just here to fulfill my duty to Mav as best man. Y/N is a big girl and doesn’t need a babysitter, if she wants to talk to me I’m happy to listen to anything she says, I’d be an idiot not to”

“You’re an idiot either way Bradshaw but if you make Stormy girl cry tonight you’ll be showing up to the ceremony tomorrow with a black eye, just keep that in mind.”

“Understood.”

Jake blinks back the shock, didn’t expect Bradley to be amenable towards him at all. They have avoided each other at all costs in social gatherings ever since the split, Jake knew nothing good would come from stirring it back up and Bradley looked like a kicked puppy most of the time. Shrugging it off, Jake nods to the group at the table and heads back to where you are, encouraging hand on your shoulder. He’d be damned if someone ruined your night, so instead of letting you wallow he scooped you up to pick a song on the jukebox and took you to the dance floor. Spinning you and reveling in your giggles and bright eyes, it almost made him forget that he wasn’t supposed to look at you the way he was now. He’s been so good about keeping it together all these years, making sure to have a date to keep him occupied when you were cuddled up to Rooster and firmly planting himself in the friend zone. He knew that’s what you needed and he’d always go above and beyond to make you happy. Even if it meant he couldn’t have you.

You have no idea how long you’ve been here, speeches have been given and far too many shots have been had; the room is too hot and slightly spinning so you make your way outside for some fresh air. He’s there of course, smoking a cigarette and watching the waves. Looking him over now you can see the little changes, he’s not as bulky anymore, face and torso are definitely thinner than they used to be. He looks tired, to the bone judging by the dark circles under his eyes and the way he seems to slouch in on himself, no longer the larger than life persona he used to project. You think for a moment you should go back in, but as he flicks the used up cigarette into the wind you are both face to face, pain clearly etched in his features as he takes you in.

“Hi.” It’s all you can make out, you think of how ludicrous it is that after 6 months of heartbreak the best you can scrounge up is a measly hi.

“Hi Storm, it’s good to see you.”

“Y-yeah it’s good to see you too, it’s been a while.”

He runs his hand over his scarred chin, looking you over and it almost looks like he might reach out for you but he thinks better of it.

“I’m sorry Bradley- I can’t do this, I know what you’re gonna say and I feel it too but it doesn’t change anything. We’re the same people we were 6 months ago, and love isn’t going to fix it.”

You were trembling, tears pouring down your face and Bradley couldn’t stand it. He’d broken your heart and let you go, but he’d never once stopped thinking of you. Just two steps forward and you could be back in his arms, and he thought of Mav’s saying “don’t think, just do.” So he closed the distance and pulled you into his arms, your beautiful face cradled in his hands as he wiped away your tears.

“Baby, my sweet sweet girl I know I fucked it up, and I’ve spent every day of the last 6 months thinking of what went wrong. I don’t deserve it; I know that but please even if it’s just for tonight let me love you.”

You didn’t know if it was the alcohol spurring you on or the fact that you’d missed his touch so much it physically hurt, but pulling his lips to yours felt like the easiest decision you’d ever made.

You heard the door swing open behind you and someone cleared their throat, causing you to jump backwards out of his grasp, moment over as quickly as it had begun. You spun around to find Jake, eyes full of anger directed right at Bradley and then he looked towards you; disappointment clearly etched in his features.

“I couldn’t find you, Payback said you’d gone outside so I came to make sure you’re alright.”

You feel your cheeks redden with embarrassment, you had promised yourself you wouldn’t be alone with Bradley and yet here you are less than 24 hours later letting him kiss you.

Jake is still staring you down, you shift a little feeling extremely small between the two people you love most.

“Everything’s ok Jake, let’s uh- let’s go home ok? It’s late and I’ve had more than I should have.” You grab at his elbow to steer him towards the lot to the truck, steely gaze still focused on Bradley but he lets you move him, starting a fight isn’t going to fix a thing and he knows more than he’s let on. Maybe it was time to play his hand and let you know just how much of a piece of shit your so called “Prince Charming” really was.

The ride back was eerily quiet, tension flooding the cab of the truck while you spent every second overthinking. Why had you let it get that far? You’d done so good, it’d been half a year without any contact and you’d folded *so* fast, it was so embarrassing. Ugh and for Jake to be the one that found you?! You knew he’d be pissed and expected a thorough lashing but he didn’t say a word. Just stoically stared at the road, no smart ass remark to be found as he white knuckled the steering wheel. He pulled into the drive and bolted for the door, didn’t even stop to let you out like he normally does. Taking a deep breath and mentally preparing for a long ass night trying to drag his feelings out, you made your way into his townhouse.

He’s nowhere to be found when you step inside, probably holed up in his room so he won’t pick a fight; you know the routine fairly well. He hates hurting your feelings so he shuts down and lets himself cool off before he talks to you, normally just acts like nothing ever happened because he’d rather not bring it all back up again. But when you go to check his bedroom he’s not there either; door ajar and completely devoid of Jake. Finally you head to the back porch, he’s there slumped in one of the lounge chairs, already cracked open another beer and staring down at his phone, determined to look anywhere but at you.

You plop down into the chair next to him, knocking one of your knees with his, hoping if you needle him enough he’ll tell you what’s wrong.

“Jakey”

“Don’t. Don’t do this right now Y/N, just let me be before I say something we will both regret.”

You know you should just let it go, but the harshness in his tone is so out of character but frankly you’ve had enough of everyone tiptoeing around you.

“No.”

“No?”

“No I want to do this now, what is it that you aren’t telling me? You seem to have forgotten that I know you better than your own mother Seresin and I can tell when you’ve been holding back. You looked like you wanted to beat Bradley into the ground earlier and I know I screwed up and let him get to me tonight but im a big girl Jake I can make my own mis-“

“You didn’t make any mistakes though!” He boomed, causing you to jump in your seat. “ you’ve spent this whole time blaming yourself for leaving, for not communicating but you have NO idea. This was never something to blame yourself for and the fact that you let him back in tonight knowing what I know makes me SICK.” He’s never had an outburst like this with you, chest heaving and shaking hands he can’t seem to stop, he knows it’s all about to bubble up but he can’t stuff the secrets back down.

“What do you mean, what you know? Jake what am I missing?” You whisper softly, you have a sudden glaring realization and it feels like everything is crashing down, it can’t be can it? You need him to say it to confirm but you wish the earth would swallow you both up; everything changes if he says what you think he will.

“He cheated on you, a month before the mission, and he thought he’d gotten away with it but apparently Fanboy caught him and Mirage fucking in the hard deck bathroom. He agreed not to say anything, but when you left she suddenly started showing up more, he wasn’t even trying to hide her y/n! Everyone knew he was taking her home after nights at the bar, and Fanboy couldn’t keep it in anymore so he told me. Bradshaw was jealous of your success, he took the mission away from you and to really stick it to you he fucked a fellow squad mate behind your back. As far as I’m concerned he’s dead to you, he has no right to come crawling back and you deserve to know it all so he doesn’t take advantage of you again.”

It all made perfect sense now, Bradley had had one too many late nights at work claiming he was shooting the shit with Mav, never interested in taking you to bed like he had been before the mission talk started up, but you’d chalked it up to stress. Always making excuses for him, assuring yourself that he wouldn’t dare cheat because why would he have given you his mother’s ring? He’d told you he wanted a love like Goose and Carole had, promised he’d love you forever. Of course he’d lied, he’d always been more concerned about his career path and his accomplishments, any time you did something of merit his congratulations always seemed tinged with something sour, but he was happy for you right? He loved you right? Now you didn’t know for sure.

You reeled back at the realization, all the puzzle pieces fitting together to make a heartbreaking story, and you felt a surge of nausea come up quickly rushing to the side of the yard to throw up. You could feel Jake’s cool hand holding your hair back, the other rubbing circles into your back telling you to breathe. He’d always been a safe haven in your life, steadfast no matter who he was seeing at the time. You came first to him, your friendship and partnership in the air like an unspoken vow between the two of you. You were being hit with one revelation after another tonight, and you jerked away from him suddenly; throat dry as the desert as you quickly made your way inside to the sink to rinse out your mouth.

“Hey hey, talk to me honey. I’m sorry, shit I’m so sorry you had to find out like this; I should have never let it get this far but you seemed happy in Florida and I didn’t want to open old wounds. Please Stormy, look at me baby I need to know we are ok.”

Now he’s the one wringing his hands, Hangman is never nervous, he’s always larger than life and the most confident person in the room. He looks so boyish now, standing in the dim light of the kitchen, the fear on his face so unnatural on his handsome face.

You couldn’t deny that he was beautiful, you’d always seen the way he attracted the attention of everyone in a room, like the definition of the word gorgeous come to life or the hero on the cover of a romance novel. Just classically handsome, and yes he was smug and he knew just how good he looked but he’d never put on any kind of mask when it came to you. Let himself be vulnerable, trusted you would keep his secrets and never make fun of him for his faults. Now looking at him in the quiet of his home, you realized that Bradley may have physically cheated; but maybe he wasn’t the only one that blew up your relationship. Some part of you from the day Jake Seresin had walked into your life had always belonged to him. Admitting it to yourself now was jarring; how long had you let yourself think he wasn’t everything to you? You found yourself terrified and excited at the thought, suddenly hyper aware of how close he was to you, knowing that if you crossed that line with him tonight you’d never be the same. You tilted your head up to look at him, reaching a hand out so he could close the distance, and watched him relax into your touch knowing you weren’t angry with him.

“Stormy-l-“

“Jake…Do you love me?”

He goes cold at the realization, oh God you had figured it out. He’d tried to suppress it for so long, but obviously with the clarity that had been gained tonight you seemed to be able to see the truth. He’d always been in love with you, but decided that having you in his life was more important than getting his feelings out so he’d gallantly put them aside. When he’d found out the truth about Rooster he’d been unmoored by the whole thing. How the hell could anyone ever hurt you like that? What kind of moron has the perfect girl and destroys her happiness? But he’d let you go, knowing you needed to run and find yourself in the aftermath; Jake was just grateful he could continue to be a part of your life in whatever way you needed. But oh God you knew now, he could see it on your face and since it had been a night for truth and honesty he told the consequences to fuck themselves, pulling you into his arms and pressing his forehead to yours.

“I could deny it, and we could just go back to the way things are if that’s what you need. We can continue this weekend like we have been and I’ll let you go back to Florida. Because you matter too much to me to be selfish with you, but oh angel I want *so* badly to be selfish. So you tell me what you need and I’ll do it.”

He’s so open, pouring his heart out to you and you can’t look away, his bright green eyes searching for any kind of reservation on your part, and when he doesn’t see any he grins that perfect lopsided grin of his, the one that makes your heart grow ten sizes. It’s not a rushed or sudden clashing of teeth and tongue, it’s a slow movement of lips molding together, hands mapping each other in a way that’s never been allowed before. It takes your breath away and as you gasp he slides his tongue against yours, reveling in the little noises you make as you grasp at the collar of his shirt, the need to have him closer overwhelming. After a while with the willpower of a god he pulls himself back from you a little, stroking your cheek and chuckling as you stagger forward trying to chase his kisses. He tilts your face to look at him and he’s warm all over, it’s everything he’s ever wanted and he has to tell you before he lets it get too far.

“I do Y/N, I love you. I always have baby. I want it all with you kid, and I know it probably feels sudden, but I can’t lie to you; I want everything with you. I’ll wait as long as you need because I’m in this no matter what, I don’t think I could stop if I tried.” He says with a watery laugh, and you realize he’s got tears in his eyes.

You are pretty sure you turned into a puddle on the floor, arms and legs feel like jello as he holds you up between himself and the counter. You could agree that yes it was sudden, hell you’d just let Bradley kiss you less than two hours ago, but you couldn’t deny that in all the times you’d kissed Rooster it had never felt like this. How were you ever supposed to go back to the way things were? Did you even want to? The thoughts were swirling around in your head now and he could tell you were lost. So he kissed you once more, just a featherlight peck and then stepped back from you.

“We’ve had a lot of big reveals tonight baby girl, how about we take a beat and sleep, let tomorrow figure it all out for us.”

He was right of course, it has been an overwhelming evening and you two should probably look it over with fresh eyes, so you let him lead you down the hall. He thinks you’re going to head to the guest bedroom but you surprise him, stepping into his bedroom and closing the door.

“Stormy, we can’t- not tonight honey you and i are wrung out-“

“Shhh, we aren’t doing anything tonight Jake, just hold me ok? I need to be close to you.”

He peels off his clothes and lets you change into one of his T shirts, tangling his arms and legs with yours as you snuggle up into bed. Drifting off to sleep, not knowing if he hears you, you whisper to him

“Jake I think I love you too.”

Jake Seresin Masterlist

Tagging- @attapullman

@bobgasm

@mamachasesmayhem

@roosterforme

@pinkdaisies1106

@angelbabyyy99

@nouis-bum

@djs8891

@purelyfiction

@86laura11

@shanimallina87

@floydsglasses

@floydsmuse

@nervousnerdwitch

@mygyn

@jessicab1991

@its-the-pilot

@dempy

#top gun maverick #jake seresin fanfiction #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin #bradley bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x reader #jake seresin x reader #top gun rooster #top gun hangman #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun fandom

209 notes · View notes

stinalotte · 9 months

Text

Happy 19th Birthday, Stargate Atlantis!

On July 16th, 2004, the pilot aired. Here's a handy little primer for anyone who doesn't know what the heckity heck this show is about. Everything is totally accurate, 100% true and very, very serious.

So.

This is the lost city of the Ancients, Atlantis, in the Pegasus galaxy, about 3 million light years from Earth. (The Ancients can go fuck themselves. Long story.) Atlantis is a city/spaceship approximately the size of Manhattan. She's semi-sentient, but not really, except actually yes, maybe, sometimes, totally. The whole city can go underwater or into hyperspace. Loves her humans. Home. Declaration of independence imminent.

The Atlantis expedition consists of civilians and military from at least 34 countries (in later seasons, the original expedition was just over a dozen). In no particular order:

Dr. Elizabeth Weir. The first leader of the expedition. The only adult. Sometimes. Okay, not very often. Is not above a little war crime for the good of the galaxy—or at least, for the good of Atlantis. Left a boyfriend and a dog on Earth, but we all miss the dog more than the boyfriend. Eats UN representatives for breakfast. Is terribly awkward on dates and really good at solitaire. Loves her chaos children. Which are:

Lt. Colonel Suicide Mission John Sheppard. Walked through the Gate and Atlantis said, "dibs". Thinks people who don't want to fly are crazy. Not good with emotional stuff. (He's getting better.) Loves his found space family and would die for them, often literally. Stop that. Also loves Ferris wheels, things that go fast, and Rodney McKay. And no, we don't know how he gets his hair to go like that.

Dr. Meredith Rodney McKay. Four degrees, two of which are PhDs, none of which are in social skills. Smartest man in two galaxies. Used to be an asshole, but got himself some friends who loved him such a stupid amount that he had no choice but to change. Still a work in progress. We love to see it. Blew up three quarters five sixths of a solar system. (It was uninhabited.) (Mostly.) Deathly allergic to citrus. Loves fully charged ZPMs, arguing with Dr. Zelenka, MREs, and John Sheppard.

Lieutenant Aiden Ford. Went ass first through the Gate with a grin and a whoop on his very first trip. One of the youngest members of the expedition. Is not allowed to name anything, ever. Mild case of hero worship when it comes to his commanding officer, which is totally understandable. A cautionary tale of how addiction messes up not only you, but the people around you.

Ronon Dex. Used to be hunted by the Wraith, lost his people in a terrible war, and is now a member of Sheppard's team where he gets to shoot things and beat up bad guys. Doesn't talk much, but when he does, he has something to say. Good friend. Excellent hugs, but have Carson check you out for any cracked ribs after. Is one bottle of Athosian wine away from staging an intervention regarding the Sheppard/McKay situation.

Teyla Emmagan. In possession of the team's one brain cell. Leader of the Athosian people. Will rock a baby to sleep and then go outside where a Wraith is dangling from the highest tower of the city and stomp on his hands until he falls 800 feet. Can either beat you up in the gym or force you to meditate on your problem, your choice. Has the aforementioned bottle of wine ready and loaded.

Dr. Radek Zelenka. Keeps the science team sane because Rodney sure as hell doesn't. Loves pigeons, cursing in Czech, and overseeing the thriving black market underground economy that has developed in the city. (Thanks @shaddyr for that lovely headcanon). Zachránil všechny naše zadky víc než jednou.

Chuck the Technician. Aggressively Canadian. Doesn't have a last name, doesn't need one. Is ALWAYS in the control room, seriously man, when do you sleep? Reads trashy sci fi novels on night shifts and organized a betting pool in 5 different currencies when Ronon was fighting Teal'c. Needs to share his eyelash routine because we're jealous.

Dr. Carson Beckett. The most Scottish Scot to ever Scot. Brilliant medical doctor who is not above the occasional unethical unorthodox treatment method. Sweet cinnamon roll of a man. Beloved by all. Loves his mom and wee baby turtles. Someone should take him fishing soon. 🥹

Colonel Samantha Carter. Member of SG-1. Legend. Awesome. Boss. Absolute BAMF. Punched a Goa'uld system lord in the face once. We all have a crush on her.

Dr. Jennifer Keller. Is very doctor-y, for better and for worse. Was all of us when she freaked out being on an alien planet for the first time, like a normal person would. Should totally have gone on a date with Captain Vega in that one deleted scene. [WE COULD HAVE HAD IT AAAAALL]

Jeannie Miller. Rodney's sister. Gave up a career in science to be a mom. Solved Rodney's math problem in her spare time, with finger paints. Loves her brother even when he's being an idiot. Fanfic canon says: her house is always open for him and certain Air Force Colonels to crash in. Don't you dare get a hotel room. Yes, the guest room has Only One Bed, Mer, what's your point?

Major Evan Lorne. If you are a moron and get yourself captured and imprisoned off world, he will swing by real quick with a couple Marines and bust you out. Co-parents Atlantis with Dr. Weir. Is actually a really talented painter. Needs a raise, a holiday, and a drink.

Colonel Steven Caldwell. Grumpy. Has to deal with Elizabeth's chaos children on a regular basis. Will make the enemy ship go away with a big boom and save your sorry ass in space. AGAIN.

Richard Woolsey. Used to be a New York City lawyer, one of the most ruthless creatures in the universe. His wife got the Yorkie in the divorce. Broke his heart. Is actually pretty cool if you let him do his thing (like get you out of an intergalactic war crimes trial by bribing the judges).

I know some characters and all the villains are missing, but this post is already longer than a trip on the Daedalus, so there you have it.

Stargate Atlantis. A show about wormholes, life-sucking aliens, ancient civilisations, space battles—and family, friendship, allowing yourself to love and be loved, and what it means to be home.

Happy birthday, fam.

#stargate atlantis #happy birthday #sga #found space family #elizabeth weir #john sheppard #rodney mckay #teyla emmagan #ronon dex #aiden ford #samantha carter #look I can't name them all

498 notes · View notes

gogobootz1 · 2 years

Text

Drive My Car

Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

Having made your living as a successful mechanic, you're not one to be underestimated. Rooster picks up on that quickly.

3.3k words Top Gun Masterlist

Lieutenant Bradley Bradshaw was in desperate need of a vacation. Having recently succeeded in an extremely dangerous mission, he felt he deserved a break.

Apparently so did the rest of his team. He wasn't quite sure how they did it, but when he mentioned he rented a house in Joshua Tree about half of the team invited themselves along.

So there he was, on his way to the rental house a few hours early to pick up the keys. The lonely highway was a pleasant drive. With expanses of desert on either side, the view wasn't bad at all. It was so beautiful he actually pulled over for a second to admire it and enjoy a quiet moment before the chaos that his vacation would surely be.

After a minute or two, he decided to get back on the road. But when a few miles passed the car sputtered to a stop. Clearly, he'd used up all his luck on the uranium plant mission. Rooster let out a huff, resting his head against the wheel. How could this get worse? He got his answer when smoke started coming from under the hood. In a flash, he was stumbling out of the car.

Rooster put his hands on his head, panicking. He was more than an hour away from home, there was no body shop in sight, and his car could not be driven.

"Need some help there?" A voice asked from behind him. He turned to see an older man hopping down from his tow truck. Rooster let out a sigh of relief.

"Yes, actually," he told the man. Together the two of them managed to get the Bronco on the back of his tow truck. The man, Marty, he'd learned, told Rooster he'd take him to the auto shop he worked at a few miles away.

They pulled into the parking lot of a big building with a large blue sign that read "Doc's Auto Shop." When they parked, Marty unloaded the Bronco from the back of the truck. Rooster looked around at the busy shop, taking in the vintage vehicles and the more modern ones he saw.

"Hey Johnny," Marty yelled from behind Rooster, "go get Doc!" He saw the young boy who had been drinking a coke put it down and race into the garage. At about the same time, he saw a woman walk out at the other end.

“Marty," you called to the older man, "what've you got over there?"

“Come see,” he said as you made your way over.

“She’s a beaut-“ You turned towards who you presumed to be the car's owner. He looked just as vintage as his vehicle. Not that you were complaining- you loved the oldies. Music, cars, fashion- it spoke to you. If nothing else, they sure did have style back then. “A 1972 Ford Bronco?”

Your words seem to catch him off guard. “You… know your stuff,” he nodded. "We're just waiting for the owner to come take a look." You raised your eyebrows.

"Really?" You asked.

"Yeah," he confirms, "it was pretty bad- smoke coming out from under the hood."

"Geez," you said, pretending to be worried. "I hope the owner can fix it for you."

"Doc!" You turned to see Johnny running up to you, out of breath. "Marty's looking for y-" the boy cut himself off when he saw you were already talking to him. He let out a huff, and his shoulders sagged. Johnny shook his head and turned to go back into the garage.

"Sorry, kiddo!" You called after him. Turning back around, you saw the man in the Hawaiian shirt looking at you with wide eyes.

"You're-?" He began to ask.

"This is Doc," Marty introduced you to the man, and his eyes cut to the sign over the door. You gave him your real name as you shook his hand.

"Rooster," he told you, then chuckled at the confusion on your face. "Bradley," he amended.

You smile, "Doc was my father, I've just inherited his nickname. And his business."

“She practically grew up under a car,” Marty says, clapping his hand on your shoulder, "she's earned it."

"Well, I really put my foot in my mouth, huh?" Rooster asked, looking sheepish.

You shook your head, dismissing his concern with a laugh. "Your Bronco's giving you trouble?" You asked, eager to change the topic. If you could get back to work you could stop awkwardly staring at the gloriously sun-kissed man before you.

Rooster ran a hand through his hair. The image of which surely would not leave you for a while. "Gave out on me in the middle of the road," he sighed, "I was lucky Marty saw me."

You nodded, considering what could've gone wrong. "Well, my last appointment just called and canceled, so I can take a look right now."

“Are you sure?" He asked, afraid to inconvenience you after he'd probably offended you.

"Absolutely," you told him. When you saw the worry on his face, you stopped. "I'll be careful," you tried to reassure him, "in the meantime, we have a very comfortable waiting room." Marty took this as his cue to lead Rooster away from the car so you could do your job.

About an hour later you entered the waiting room with some bad news. Based on Rooster's reaction, it clearly showed on your face. He stood up right away, waiting for your diagnosis.

"You've got a coolant leak," you grimace. His head fell forward in defeat.

"How long will it-"

"About a week," you told him regretfully. His eyes widened you smiled sympathetically. "I'll have to order you a new head gasket and it'll take a few days for it to come in."

You could see the gears turning in his brain. "Could it sit here for a few days if you finish it early?"

Your brow furrowed as you considered his question. Slowly you nodded, "I suppose-"

"Perfect- I have to make a call," Rooster says, rushing out of the waiting room. The bell jingled behind him and you turned towards Carol who sat at the desk, confused. She just shrugged at you.

In the parking lot Rooster scrolled through his contacts, attempting to find the only other person who would probably already be on the road.

"Phoenix!" He said joyfully when she picked up.

"What do you want, Bradshaw?"

"Did you happen to ignore my request to not come until later and already start driving?" He asked, hopefully.

"...Maybe," she said reluctantly.

"Perfect," he sighed in relief.

"Perfect?" Natasha asked him, confused.

"Perfect!" He confirmed, "I need you to come pick me up."

"What?!"

"Long story, car broke down, gorgeous mechanic fixing it, I'll send you my location." Rooster said, hanging up on her. He texted her where he was, then pushed back through the waiting room doors.

"Are you done for the day?" He asked, seemingly in better spirits. The question caught you off guard.

"Sorry?"

"Don't be sorry unless you're too busy to show me a good place to eat." He sends a charming smile your way.

"In that case, I'm not sorry at all." You smile at him. "You mind waiting for a minute?" He waves you off, and you run to change out of the clothes that'd been stained with motor oil.

Five minutes later you were back and better than ever. "So where are we off to?" Your companion asked as he followed you out of the waiting room.

"We're making the terribly long voyage across the street," you said. He chuckled at your poor joke.

"And what distinguishes this diner from every other one in small-town America?" Rooster asked you teasingly.

"Me," you replied indignantly, pushing open the door. "And some pretty sweet pie." A genuine smile crossed his face. You grabbed a seat in a corner booth and he planted himself across from you. Your friend, Jennie, brought two glasses of water over and promised she'd be back to take your order.

"So what brings you out this way?" You asked, taking a sip.

"I'm going on vacation," Rooster tells you.

"Exciting," you nod. His facial expression suggested otherwise. "Not exciting?"

"Well, it was supposed to be a relaxing solo retreat to Joshua Tree, but everyone in the Dagger Squad highjacked it." He huffed.

You paused, "your friend group's name is 'The Dagger Squad'?" You asked skeptically.

"They're my colleagues, really," he corrected you.

"Do you sell knives?" You ask, confused. "Actually, that would explain your nickname."

"I fly planes for the Navy." Your eyes widened at his words.

"Wow, I was way off." He chuckled at your words. "So one of your fellow pilots will pick you up and whisk you off to your vacation?"

"That's the plan," Rooster confirmed. "I'll pick up the Bronco on the way back if that's okay."

"Sure thing," you told him. Soon enough Jennie came by to take your order.

"The mac and cheese for me and the double burger with fries for the lady, please," she chuckled lightly at your order and nodded, heading toward the kitchen.

"I didn't realize we were close enough for you to order for me," he said snottily.

"Oh please," you waved off his words, "you would've ordered the wrong thing." Rooster's brows rose in an instant. "I did you a favor!" You insisted.

"We'll see about that, hon."

"It's actually pronounced 'Doc'," you said, and snickered at the unamused glance he threw you.

The diner wasn't crowded that early on a Tuesday, so your food came out in record time. When Rooster took a bite of his burger, he practically moaned.

You smirked at him, "See, aren't you glad I hijacked your order?' He glared at you.

"Shut up," he said, mouth full of food. You laughed at him as you dug into your bowl of mac and cheese. "Did you get that off the kids' menu?" He mocked, and you took an overly dramatic gasp.

"And what's so wrong with the kids' menu?" You asked him, brow raised.

"Nothing," he said, and you nodded happily, "if you're a kid." Your eyes widened at him, and he snickered at you.

"Oh, just eat your burger you animal," you snapped at him. He had practically already finished it.

"I was hungry!" He said defensively, and you shrugged.

"Some people like to maintain a certain level of decorum," you teased. He rolled his eyes at your words, still smiling.

"And you eating a seven-year-old boy's serving of Mac and Cheese just screams poise."

"Who needs poise when they have room for pie?" You were quick to shoot back.

"Touche." He nodded.

"So when is your friend coming?" You asked him, taking another bite.

Rooster checked his watch, "Phoenix should be here in half an hour."

"Great-plenty of pie time." He chuckled at you.

"Is it really that good?"

"You're gonna eat those words." You promised him. "Hey, Jennie!" You called from across the store, "a slice of pecan pie, please." She rolled her eyes and gave you a thumbs up.

"Hey now, how do you know I don't have a pecan allergy?"

"You're not the type," you dismissed.

"I'm not the type to have an allergy?"

"You're not the type to have a nut allergy," you specified.

"And why not?"

"Because you're all," you hesitated, "warm and rich and chestnuts roasting on an open fire." Rooster smirked at you for a second. "And you look like you eat Reese's cups for breakfast." His face turned with a frown.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"How can I-?" He was interrupted by a slice of pie being plopped between the two of you. You picked up both forks and graciously handed him one.

"Cheers," you clinked your fork to his and he snickered. The two of you took a bite at the same time. You watched as his eyes lit up and he instantly went to get more on his fork.

"That good?" You mocked his words from earlier. He hummed in agreement as he shoved more in his mouth. You let out a laugh at his antics.

"I'm gonna eat it all if you don't hop to," he said, mouth full of pie. You were quick to start eating it.

After a surprisingly pleasant dinner, which Rooster had paid for despite your protests, he received a text that said his friend was there. The two of you stood up to head out of the diner, but he paused.

"Would you mind giving me your number?" You raised a brow. "So I can check in, you know? When I'm missing my baby?"

"You're really attached to that Bronco, huh?" You asked, taking his phone and entering your number.

"You might say that," he said, with faux thoughtfulness.

"Well, have a nice vacation, Rooster," you told him with a smile, "try not to let your colleagues annoy you too much"

He groaned, "we'll see."

"And try not to spend too much of it worrying about your car," you said, "or texting me worrying about your car." This earned you a flirty smile.

"No promises, darling." He winked.

You rolled your eyes at him, grinning. "I'll see you in a week."

"Are you sure you won't see me in your dreams?" He teased.

"Be careful what you wish for," you said, shaking your head, "my dreams are weird as shit."

He let out a chuckle, "see you then." You gave him a wave as he climbed into the passenger seat of a Subaru SVU.

"What was that all about?" Phoenix turned to him as he pulled the door shut.

"What was what?" He asked, defensively.

"Oh I don't know," she mocked, "the goofy grin on your face, the mystery container in your hand."

"This is pie." He told her.

"That doesn't explain shit!" She insisted.

"Fine, fine," he gave in, "I'll tell you everything, but you have to drive away before it gets weird." Natasha rolled her eyes and started down the road.

"So?" She demanded after a minute.

"The Bronco broke down and I may be putting the moves on the mechanic."

Natasha sighed, "you get her number?"

He grinned from ear to ear and nodded at her. "Unfortunately there was no piano in that diner so I had to rely on charm alone."

"You're so insufferable, Bradshaw."

"Thank you, Trace."

It had been a few hours since you'd gotten off of work. After taking a shower and eating dinner, you'd settled in on the couch to watch some tv. Just as a new episode started you heard your phone buzz.

How's my baby?

You rolled your eyes. There was only one person that text could've come from. You shook your head as you typed out a reply.

Literally the same - how's Joshua Tree?

It'd be better if I didn't have to hide

????

I don't want someone to take my pie

you're ridiculous

In response to your snide comment, he a selfie with his slice of pie.

Ridiculously good at keeping my food away from thieves

good luck with that, Rooster

;) what are you up to?

watching a show 🤷‍♀️

Somehow he kept a text conversation with you going for a while. At least until you told him you were tired from work and were going to bed.

The next day he, of course, pestered you a few times about his beloved car. But you were not expecting him to start another casual conversation with you.

So what do you do when you're not keeping my car company?

Is your vacation really this boring?

Yes.

What are you up to?

making dinner

and what are you having?

come on- there's not a swimming pool at the house you rented or something?

fine. I'm making Kraft.

Do you only eat Mac and Cheese?

shut up

never ;)

you text like my twelve-year-old cousin

At least I don't have the diet of your twelve year old cousin

rude

true

who texts like a twelve-year-old now?

still you

You laughed when you saw the bubbles pop up on the screen. All you could assume was that he was typing furiously on the other side of the screen. For the next few nights, it was the same routine. He'd text some stupid question loosely related to the state of his car, then twist the conversation to actually talk to you.

You actually enjoyed texting him. To the point where you were considering "accidentally" misplacing the gasket that had just come in for his Bronco. But you quickly dismissed that notion. Just because you'd be sad after he stopped texting you didn't mean you could sabotage your own work.

Finally, a week after you'd first met him, he sent you a text saying he'd be by around noon the next day to grab the Bronco. You'd actually been too busy to replace the part yet, so you'd really have to dedicate the morning to Bradley's "baby" as he liked to call it.

As midday rolled around the next day, the car was looking pretty damn good. You'd gotten it all fixed up and were currently washing it. And no, that definitely wasn't overkill.

A whistle sounded from behind you, and you turned to see the man you'd met a week ago. The one who'd totally been flirting with you over text all week. You wondered briefly if he only wanted discounted service.

"Lookin' good"

"Well, I've been working on her all morning," you told him.

"You sure I was talking about the car, honey?" He asked. You raised a brow, then turned the hose on him.

"HEY!" He shouted. "Now what on Earth was that for?"

"Just a warning," you said playfully.

"Fine, then." He replied, approaching the vehicle. Before you knew it he had reached into the wash bucket and threw a handful of soap suds at you.

"Oh you are so in for it," you said as you started chasing him with the hose. He picked up the bucket and continued to throw soap suds in retaliation. After a few minutes of play fighting, he interrupted.

"Truce, truce," he said with his hands held up. You reluctantly agreed. "How do expect me to drive home when I'm soaked to the bone?" He asked you.

"Easy, just take your clothes off." You replied. He snorted.

"Now you want me to be arrested for public nudity?" Rooster asked you playfully.

"Everyone would be too busy staring to call the police," you assured him.

"Oh yeah?" He asked.

"Absolutely," you assured him.

"Well if you insist," he said, tugging his shirt over his head. That- you were not expecting. Nor were you expecting such a defined set of abs. You knew he was fit but goddamn.

"It seems to be working," he teased.

"Oh shut up," you said, smacking him with a towel you'd set aside to dry the car off.

"You're really gonna treat a customer like that?" He asked you, looking around, "where are your customers anyways?"

"We're closed on Saturdays," you told him softly, working on drying the Bronco off.

"Oh well, in that case," he said, grabbing your waist and spinning you around. Your eyes just about popped out of your head as you found yourself in his arms.

"Bradley?"

"Can I kiss you?" He asked, a contemplative look on his face.

"Are you gonna put your shirt back on?" His brows raised at your question.

"No," he shrugged.

"Then, yes" you nodded. He let out a laugh but was interrupted as your lips met his own. Instantly Bradley's arms wrapped around you, pulling you closer. Only, while you were distracted, he reached behind you to grab the bucket of soapy water. When you were least expecting it, he dumped it over your head and ended your temporary truce.

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

I'm so sorry, I know nothing about cars this was just for the vibe.

#rooster x reader #Bradley Bradshaw x reader #top gun maverick #top gun x reader #Bradley bradhsaw #top gun fic

1K notes · View notes

shitpostingperidot · 2 months

Text

How old is Carol Danvers???

(Inspired by a post by @blindluck which was in turn inspired by a post by me and @marvelsassbutts )

So I just found out the official Captain Marvel wiki places Carol Danvers’s birth date in 1965. At first I thought “that’s ridiculous” for reasons that will become clear through this long ass post. But then I saw they cited drawings by the assistant art director on Captain Marvel, found on her portfolio! That’s pretty official!

Wait what’s that at the bottom…

1984???? For Carol’s USAFA basic training???? This is impossible, the movie is wrong, and here’s why.

(Excerpt from my future video essay incoming)

There are no dates in Higher, Further, Faster; the marketing text on Amazon, Liza Palmer’s website, etc just says “80s.” So, we need to do some detective work.

We know that the 2019 film Captain Marvel takes place in 1995. Since it takes place in Southern California and Louisiana, the warm weather doesn’t tell us much about the time of year. Personally, I believe it takes place on March 8, 1995, because that’s the exact day I was born, and my birthday is the day the movie was released on to coincide with International Women’s Day. Regardless, Monica Rambeau is eleven years old in the film, putting her birth in 1983 or 1984. So, Maria’s pregnancy must have begun in 1982 or 1983.

Here’s a “fun” fact about US military academies: until less than one year ago (summer 2023, a full three years after Captain Marvel came out), cadets at USAFA who became pregnant were required to either drop out, have an abortion, or relinquish their parental rights to their child.

Dropping out also means reimbursing the government for your tuition for all classes you’ve taken up to this point, and giving up your ability to be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force upon graduation. Definitely not an option someone as driven as Maria wants to consider. In fact, we know this isn’t what happened, because this news article Carol hung up in her spaceship in The Marvels says that Maria Rambeau is a USAFA graduate.

We also know that Maria didn’t have an abortion, because, well, Monica Rambeau herself is tangible evidence. Theoretically, it is possible for Maria to have given up parental rights and adopted back her own child after graduation. Before the policy change in 2023 that allowed cadets to be parents, many found this to be their best option (see the article I screenshotted above). However, this process is really expensive and takes a lot of work with a lawyer over a period of months or years. From the little we know of Carol and Maria’s life pre-crash, (it was busy, they lived in an expensive area, and Maria only had Carol for support), I think we can assume that it’s less likely that Maria was forced to adopt her own daughter than that Maria graduated USAFA before becoming pregnant in 1982 or 83.

That still doesn’t answer the question of when this book takes place, though. The exact year is important, as the military had some major differences under the Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan administrations of the 70s and 80s, and one of the things I want to assess this book on is accuracy.

Oh wait, what’s that? Another discriminatory policy that helps us date this book? That’s right, USAFA didn’t enroll women as cadets until Public Law 94-106 went into effect in 1976.

What’s more, Carol and Maria cannot have been part of this first group of women cadets, because in the book, there is an upperclassman character who is a woman. Officer Cadet Chen is one of the leaders of Basic Training for Carol and Maria’s flight, a position cadets aren’t allowed to hold until their third or fourth year at the Academy.

So, Carol and Maria must enter USAFA no earlier than 1978 to be two or more years younger than Chen, and must graduate no later than 1983 for Monica to exist. To comply with the marketing blurb’s declaration that this book takes place “in the 80s”, let’s say that Carol and Maria’s first year is the 1979-1980 school year.

(End excerpt)

In conclusion, Maria and Carol were born in 1960 or 1961 (with pretty equal likelihood of which birthday makes them 18 at the start of the book, since USAFA basic happens the summer before the school year), not 1965. It would be impossible for them to have done basic training in 1984 as in the production drawing, because they would have to have already graduated and be well on their way to test pilot school which is a whole other policy can of worms before Monica’s birth in 1983 or 1984.

In conclusion conclusion, Carol is ~34 in Captain Marvel and ~64 in The Marvels, and the MCU should hire fans to fact check for them.

#thank u blindluck for bringing my attention to this wiki I had such a fun time on this rabbit hole #the marvels #captain marvel #carol danvers #maria rambeau #higher further faster book #carolmaria #danbeau #monica rambeau

76 notes · View notes

sga-mcshep-4ever · 6 months

Text

"Nothing?" "Nothing! Let's get him through!" "Got him?" "Yes." "This is Lieutenant Ford. The creature's successfully been removed from Major Sheppard, but we were unable to revive him. Both he and Teyla are now on the other side of the event horizon."

#sga #stargate atlantis #john sheppard #rodney mckay #teyla emmagan #aiden ford #1x04 thirty eight minutes #joe flanigan #david hewlett #rachel luttrell #rainbow sun francks #paul mcgillion #whumptober

119 notes · View notes

foolondahill17 · 4 months

Text

Annual Favorite Supernatural Fic Rec List of 2023:

I bookmarked 66 fics in 2023 (and read…a lot more than that), but only 9 were written/updated in this year of our lord. SMH we gotta pump out more content, friends. Seriously though, I’ve got several more 2023 fic reads in my Marked for Later, but some are still WIPs or I just haven’t gotten around to picking them up yet. I’m sure some (like the much-hyped Lighthouse Keeper AU where there is darkness by the talented quiettewandering [@wanderingcas on tumblr]) will end up on my Bookmarked favs…but, alas, they’ll just have to wait for the 2024 recap.

The list below is in no particular order, barring the first, which has joined the ranks of one-of-my-favorite-fics-ever:

A Cliff That Knew Too Many Tides by luulapants (@luulapants)

E, early series Dean/others, 94,508 words

Partial Summary:

A canon rewrite AU diverging from the events of Some Cruel Tide, in which a shifter disguised as his father used Dean's blind obedience to molest him. By the start of S1, Dean's relationship with his father is more strained, his devotion more intense, and his life consumed by the need to hide the parts of himself he is most ashamed of.

My words:

If you’ve been looking for a gay!Dean manifesto, you’ve found it. Obviously, the subject matter is dark: warnings for past childhood sexual abuse, internal and external homophobia, past suicide attempt, and traumatic outing. It is also beautiful and heart-wrenching and scratches the swollen, itchy, weeping rash on my heart in a way that only the balm of good Dean angst can.

Favorite part:

“I wasn’t acting out,” he blurted.

“What?”

“When I – I wasn’t trying to act out or anything.” Deacon’s presence hovered behind him like an aura, and Dean reminded himself, Don’t rock the boat. Don’t rock the boat.

Dad sighed. The line crackled, and Dean pictured him standing in a phone booth somewhere, probably huddled up against the cold. “Then what the hell would you call it?”

Dean tried out a few words in his head, imagining how they’d sound to Deacon. He ended up with, “I misunderstood. I thought I was supposed to.”

Asterism of an F-Series Ford Pick Up by disabled_dean (@disabled-dean)

M, Destiel, 17,408 words

Partial Summary:

When you've been to hell, desire is isolating and ugly.

Or: Cas drives his truck for a case and Dean is exceptionally horny about it

My words:

The way Dean’s PTSD is described in this fic, like a slow, oozing poison that awakens the longer he and Cas travel together, is tantalizing and masterful. Ostensibly, this fic is about Dean and Cas road-tripping to a case. It’s actually about how you, a monster-hunter, can come to terms (or not) with your body and soul when you think you’ve become the very thing you’re spent your whole life hunting.

Favorite part:

"Like everything will be going fine and then all of a sudden I just. Can’t. I can't stand it. And the more fine everything is, the worse it gets and I feel-" he breaks off, eyes on his hands like they aren't his hands, thumb rubbing over and over the ring on his index finger, "It's like everyone else is living this normal fucking life and I'm still back in the pit."

Personal Space: The Final Frontier by botley

M, Destiel, Star Trek AU, WIP, 63,570 words

Partial summary

"Captain's Log, Stardate 10918.8. Captain Ellen Harvelle reporting, First Officer… Castiel… attending. After a month of bargaining with the Gehennian government, efforts to permit a search party within the Rack facilities still proved unsuccessful. Although Starfleet’s orders dictated we tuck tail and leave, I elected to disregard this decision and beam a rescue operations team down for the recovery of Lieutenant Commander Dean Winchester.”

My words:

This fic has been on my rec lists before. It’s still a WIP, but it very unexpectedly posted an update after a 3(?) year hiatus, so I’ll cling to hope until my fingernails leave a bloody, mauled mess. This is basically a Star Trek AU where our favorite Supernatural gang are fucking around in Starfleet instead of the Midwest. Fantastic stuff – worth the read even if it does remain unfinished.

Favorite line:

"Dean made a face. Castiel decided the man was hideous."

Receding by minkmix

T, early season gen, 38,729 words

Summary:

After a visit to an old, abandoned theme park in the desert, Sam begins to notice strange lapses in Dean's memory. As his brother starts to disappear before his eyes, Sam must rush to find an answer before there isn't anything left to save... My words: A Lucky Charms fic if I’ve ever read one. Delicious, crunchy marshmallow goodness of some fantastic Dean!whump and panicked caretaker!Sam with the solid undercurrent of slightly sweetened amalgamized oat and corn cereal of a solid case fic. Yum.

Favorite part:

“Sammy?” Dean cut him off.

“W-What is it?”

“What’s Dad’s name?”

Sam’s chest heaved as he fought himself from sounding as stunned as he felt.

“John.”

Swan Upon Leda by kelsstiel (@kelstiel)

E, Destiel real-world AU, 174,096 words

Summary:

Pediatric Surgery Fellow Dean Winchester meets baby Jack Kline and neuropsychologist Castiel Novak his first week on the job. Dean’s been accused a time or two of caring a little too much in the past and it’s hard not to care about the neurotic adoptive father and his medically needy preemie. After a series of run-ins between the pair, Dean and Cas develop a friendship that everyone else around them suspect more from immediately, though it takes them a little longer to get the memo. When Dean struggles with a particularly devastating patient loss, their mutual understanding of loss and love bring them closer in a way that neither of them could have expected.

My words: A solid, old-fashioned romantic AU. It’s unpretentious, fluffy, heart-warming, authentic and the kind of could-have-been-a-novel goodness that makes up the heart and breadth of fanfiction. Warning for infant illness and death (not Jack).

Favorite part:

"I know they say there’s a chance, but I’ve just got this feeling .” She shook her head and looked down for a moment. She looked up again and took a deep breath as if steadying herself. “I wish I could see you grow up.”

five minutes to six by saintedcastiel (@saintedcastiel)

M, Destiel real-world AU, 23,383 words

Summary:

Castiel Novak has been the co-host of Good Morning, Lawrence! for a little over ten years when he stumbles across the story of a lifetime. But after a producer pulls the segment and tells him to forget it, Castiel begins to wonder who's really pulling the strings. Can he bring the truth to light while somehow managing to keep his co-host, and the man he loves, in the dark?

My words: Another Goddamn quality AU. This one is a little quippier and fast paced than the Hospital AU above, but it’s full of fantastic characterization and even a last-minute breaking and entering romp. Fun that’s perfect for the whole family!

Favorite part:

“Been asking you out all week.” Dean tells him, and Castiel realizes all at once he’s right.

“Oh my god.” Castiel laughs. “You have.”

This Is Not My Beautiful Wife by luckshiptoshore (@luckshiptoshore)

T, Destiel, one-shot, 4,755 words

Summary:

“Dean,” says the man again. “This isn’t real. You need to come with me, now.”

Dean’s been zoning out again. But he can’t escape the feeling that something’s very, very wrong … and wherever he goes, a strange man in a trench coat follows.

My words: You gotta love the Djinn dream trope. This one has everything you want in a caught-in-a-fake-reality-while-your-lover-pleads-for-you-to-return-to-the-waking-world story, plus an extra dash of on-point characterization and some truly imaginative scenarios for Dean’s alternate realities.

Favorite part:

“We could look into adoption,” says Cas. “If you’d like. Of course we could also simply take a child, but I think that’s frowned on."

we really shouldn't be doing this by LoversAntiquities (@tragidean)

E, Destiel, 17,138 words

Summary:

After Castiel goes missing for a week, Dean finds him in an abandoned cemetery in the middle of nowhere Kansas, suffering from a mysterious welt. Only, as the hours go on, the deeper the curse grows—and Dean finds more than he bargained for, namely on every surface he and Castiel can find.

My words: This is more straight-up (not straight) porn than I usual rec, but this is a fantastic take on the from-sex-to-love fic where everyone was already in love to begin with. There’s a hefty sprinkle of idiots-to-lovers and sex-curse. Also angst, which is my bread and butter.

Favorite line:

Castiel stares up at him, his eyes gone soft, hooded. Dean thumbs over his eyelid, just to watch it flutter shut. “I’m not solely interested in you for your hands, or your mouth. They are wonderful attributes, but I don’t long for them so much as I long for you.” He leans into Dean’s palm and kisses the center. “I don’t know when I fell in love with you, but it would take the death of the universe to get me to stop.”

Postpartum Prometheus by babbyspanch, saltslimes (@dragqueenpentheus @nifedick)

E, Destiel, technically mpreg, WIP, 18,959 words

Summary

Welcome to the Supernatural renaissance. Welcome to Castiel and the terrible naissance.

My words: warning for the fact that this is technically an mpreg fic even though Castiel is an angel and not really a man. Warning, also, because this is another WIP that hasn’t been updated since the beginning of the year, so I don’t know if it’ll be finished. Basically, Dean and Cas bump uglies to unexpected results. Cas kinda freaks without telling Dean he’s his baby daddy. He also yanks out his intestines so said baby can be nice and comfortable in there. Funny and angsty.

Favorite part:

“Are those—?”

“Yeah.” He waves his hand at the door again, starting to feel like one of those used car lot inflatable men, limbs akimbo. “A total murderer looking guy just bolted that way. And not like— the regular murderer-looking people who come in.”

“And he left his organs.” Dennis thinks a moment, and then shrugs, as if this isn’t the weirdest thing he’s ever seen. He’s been working here longer than anyone Henry knows, maybe it isn’t. He opens his mouth and Henry can’t help hoping some miracle plan of action is going to fall out of it. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Um. What?”

“I don’t want to offend you.” He pauses, brows furrowed. He rolls Henry’s cup over in his hand. “What is a ‘FABINISTA’?”

Add your favorite written-in-2023 fics in the tags or a reblog!

#supernatural fanfiction #supernatural fanworks #spn fanfiction #fic recs #fool's fic recs #destiel fanfiction

70 notes · View notes

averagewriter-inthedark · 1 year

Text

Strut Like You Mean It ✨| Pete Mitchell Imagine

Takes place after the events of TGM

TGM masterlist

Characters & Pairings: Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell x 80s/90s supermodel!reader (romantic), Dagger Squad x reader (platonic)

Content Warnings: profanity, fluff | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 4k

Premise: in the entire time the dagger squad have known Pete Mitchell, they never knew just who the famous pilot was married to. Sure they knew he was off the market but Pete was very private of his relationship and the lady who stole his heart when he was just a newly promoted Lieutenant. So when he finally invites them to his home and meet his wife, they are in disbelief that she’s not just one of the most iconic supermodels of all time, but she’s got her own history with the Navy that’s been kept hidden from the public eye her entire career.

Requested 📨 yes/no

Note: so to the anon who requested this I hope you don’t mind that I made the reader more of a 80s/90s high fashion model. I still mention VS a lot and say that the reader was one of the OG angels, just now that VS doesn’t do their fashion shows anymore the end scene I came up with worked better how I did it. I still made Y/n renowned VS model, but put more emphasis on her being a supermodel so I hope you don’t mind I did that. This is my first request so I’m sorry if it’s not up to par 🥹 -Bee 🐝

“So…let me get this straight….” Jake rubs his hands together in front of the couple seated on the couch. Around the pilot were his fellow daggers/friends, all of whom were showing expressions of straight bewilderment.

“You,” he pointed to the beautiful woman seated beside his Captain. It blew his mind she still looked nearly the same as she did in the 90s despite approaching the age of 60. Sure there were some age lines and gray hairs but they didn’t take away from her beauty. In fact it only enhanced her stunning features even more. Her striking eyes that were her staple caught everyone’s attention the second they met her. They were so stunned by the revelation Pete was married to one of the most renowned supermodels they completely disregarded the height difference between the two.

She was one of THE supermodels really. Discovered at age 26 while working as a naval air traffic controller, Y/n L/n never thought her life would take a 180 when she traveled to New York City for a weekend getaway with some colleagues she was stationed with at NAS Oceana. An agent of Ford Models spotted her at a restaurant and was like, “You are stunning. My God, have you ever modeled before? You’d be perfect for this campaign I’m working on.”

And so it was history. Going from an active duty Naval officer and transferring to the reserves so she could balance her careers. Having met her husband, aviator Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in 1986 at age 24, Y/n worried the relationship would become complicated, but Pete was the most supportive man she’d ever met and encouraged her to continue modeling. “I’ll miss hearing you in my ear when I’m flying, babe,” he joked, kissing her cheek when she made the decision.

“Don’t become too rebellious now, Pete Mitchell. Especially since I won’t be in your ear to talk you out of it.”

As a reserve member, Y/n only had to report to her duty station one weekend a month and two full weeks a year to the new job she was assigned. Being an air traffic controller was impossible now that she wasn't on full active duty, but she still wanted to be involved with planes so she was placed in maintenance. That was a challenge in itself with the type of people she worked with, men undermining her intelligence because of her looks. Wait till they found out she made ten times the money they made with her second job…

Eventually Y/n decided to separate from the Navy after 10 years. It became too much to balance the two careers when her modeling took off in the late 80s. People on base and in public started to recognize her, causing more challenges within her maintenance job. So, she made the best decision for herself and left the Navy. Though she loved her time and could say she was an officer, modeling brought her more opportunities and kept her busy. Pete supported her all the way, and whenever Y/n wasn’t overseas or New York for campaigns/shows she was with him wherever he was stationed.

An OG Victoria Secret Angel, Y/n one of the first to wear the iconic fantasy bras—her’s was worth $3.4 million. A muse of Gianni Versace alongside Naomi Campbell, she either opened or closed the Versace show during Milan fashion week. On the runway photographers loved her walk which was sassiness with a bit of flirt. Anytime she walked Yasmeen was behind her or vice versa which always had spectators in awe of the two. One of the best runway shows was when the lineup was literally the best walks of all time: Y/n, Yasmeen, Shalom, Naomi, Kate, Cindy, Claudia. One just had to be there to really feel how iconic it was.

The campaigns she did for Vogue, VS and Playboy were some of the most famous of the late 80s and dominated the 90s. Then in the early 2000s she basically was the face of VS until hanging up her angel wings in 2007. By then she was in her early 40s and had been in the industry for over two decades. Now in the year 2022 Y/n mostly did brand campaigns and was an ambassador for many. They ranged from clothing, to makeup, fragrances, you name it. Every now and then she walked a show for her favorite designers, who she was lucky to call friends, but she hadn’t done a full fashion week with several appearances in years. But..there were rumors circulating that she and many of the 90s supermodels were going to be reuniting at NYFW that coming February.

The poster of her 90s Victoria Secret campaign Jake had on his wall came to mind causing the pilot to blush a bit. She appeared amused by the whole scenario whereas the man was more embarrassed and shy. “You were in the Navy—a Lieutenant Junior Grade to be exact?,” she nods to confirm. “And that’s how you two met?”

“Yes,” she hums, nudging her husband with a smile. The memory of their first meeting flashed in her mind. Where a young, dashing Maverick waltzed up to her with Goose by his side and sang his typical rendition of ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.’ “Feels like it was only yesterday.” Pete had love in his eyes when he looked at her, the pilots not missing how their Captain was a man smitten.

He sure as hell hit the jackpot. They were one fine ass couple when side by side.

Phoenix still couldn’t wrap her head around it. She loved fashion growing up and Y/n was one of her favorite models. Every year she tuned into the televised VS fashion show just to see Y/n, Gisele, Ariana, Tyra, Heidi, and Naomi walk the runway in their stunning outfits with wings. Her favorite was the year it was all holiday themed, the same year Gisele wore the Fantasy bra. When the squad arrived at the house, the pilot was in disbelief at the sight of one of the many pairs of wings Y/n wore framed above the mounted tv. How could she have missed that her former instructor was married to her? “How long have y’all been together?” The couple thought for a moment before Mav answered, “about thirty-five years.”

“Married for twenty-five,” Y/n adds before winking, bringing her left hand up to playfully brush away stray hair. Her diamond ring was on full display, “I had to make sure he was a keeper first before letting him put a ring on it.” The comment had Mav blushing, while a smirking Phoenix made a sound of, “well damn.”

“Pops got game,” Coyote said under his breath in awe. He really wanted to be like Mav when he grew up.

“I just wanna say that yes, I knew about them the entire time,” Rooster waves his hands, “But I was sworn to secrecy.” Y/n rolls her eyes, though she’s smiling. Rooster had been in her life since he was a toddler. The guy was basically like a son to her and Pete. It amazed her that even when Bradley and Pete were estranged he still kept quiet about their relationship.

But then again Y/n threatened to kick his ass if he tried shutting her out.

“How come you wouldn’t tell us, Cap?” Mickey questions curiously, “I mean we’ve been a team for so long.” The others nodded, wanting to know the same.

Mav shrugs, “I didn’t really know how to go about it honestly. Quite frankly,” he glances at his wife with a knowing look, “we find enjoyment in people finding out on their own.”

Y/n giggles lightly, “In the beginning no one would believe Pete—especially in the 90s when the term ‘supermodel’ was becoming a big thing and everyone pretty much knew who was a supermodel. I was very private about my personal life—I still am to be honest because let’s face it, the media are vultures and will say anything to cause problems. I didn’t want Pete to have to deal with that nor did I want problems with his job to arise, so we simply kept our relationship quiet,” she pauses to let out a laugh, “It wasn’t until he came out to New York fashion week in ‘95 that we were spotted by paparazzi.”

“How did that happen?” Bob asks from his chair and Y/n turns to her husband, “Honey do you wanna say?”

“Um—uh,” His face goes tomato red, “I-well….I don’t think it really—.” Rooster took the liberty of finishing the job.

“They got caught making out at a nightclub and were seen leaving together,” Javy lets out an obnoxious laugh due to Mav’s reaction, while the others smirk and try to hold back their own reaction. “From what I was told, Mav looked to be on a mission—not like the ones we do—.”

“Okay, Bradley, thank you,” Mav stands up to leave, but Y/n takes his forearm and makes him sit.

“Oh honey, don’t be embarrassed,” she leans her head on his shoulder. “This is fun! I’ve been wanting to meet your friends for so long and it already feels like we’re gonna be a family!” She looks at the pilots with a grin, “We never had kids—with our jobs it just never seemed possible so forgive me if I treat you all like ones.” Murmurs sound of, “oh it’s no problem.” “I would be honored to be your kid.” “Y’all would be the coolest parents ever. No cap.”

Y/n clapped her hands, “This is exciting! Now that that’s settled, please please,” she laced her fingers together in a plea, “give me all the juicy details of what it was like having him as an instructor,” she pouts, “He won’t tell me no matter how much I beg.”

“Don’t you guys gang up on me now!” Pete points a finger when the pilots begin spitting out stuff all together. Y/n is in apparent glee at the sight, looking between the group and her husband with dazzling eyes.

For hours they talked, ranging from asking about Y/n’s decades-long career to her and Mav’s love story and all in between. “Guys, I was an air traffic controller once upon a time,” she pointed out when they were shook about her knowledge of aviation. “This face might be pretty and has gotten me far in life, but don’t think for a second my brains are nonexistent. In fact,” she gives a cheek look to Mav, “I probably know a thing or two more than hot shot over here.”

That started a whole other conversation, starting with Bob’s question of, “Do you miss the Navy at all?”

“Oh all the time,” she admitted, surprising them. “Don't’ get me wrong, I love what I do now and super grateful for all it’s given me. But the Navy is where my life started. It’s where I met Pete so I’ll always be grateful it brought us together. I loved aviation as a kid and being an ATC was challenging but I enjoyed doing it,” she then gives a tilt of the head. “Also had it not been for the Navy sending me to Virginia all those years ago, I would’ve never gone to New York and got discovered in the first place. So really the Navy is what made this all possible.”

“Wow,” Jake hummed, still in disbelief. Boy was this going to be something he remembered till he died. That his childhood celebrity crush was once an officer like him. Crazy how things could work out.

A text on her phone had the couple have to cut the conversation short. “As much as I would love to continue this night,” she stood up, the others following. Now they could really see the difference in their height. Pete stood at 5’7—maybe close to 5’8, but Y/n was pushing 5’10 almost 5’11. She was toe to toe with Jake and just about an inch shorter than Rooster and Bob. Payback was the only one who towered over her since he was 6’3.

“I have an early flight in the morning and need to pack,” she let out an embarrassed laugh at the fact she hadn’t packed yet. Pete playfully shook his head, Y/n was always packing last minute whenever she had a trip. She went to hug Bradley first, the pilot asking, “Where are you heading?”

“Miami,” she answered. “VS invited me to do a swimsuit campaign. I’m a little nervous,” she waves her hands, “It’s been years since I worked for them so I’m hoping it all goes well. I’m not young anymore you know,” she jokes lightly. It was true though, Y/n was just shy of turning 60 but she still looked amazing. With some touch ups to her hair and a little face powder she could easily pass for 30s/40s.

“I’m sure it will all be fine,” he assures her. “If anything you doing this is gonna have sales come in. They’d be lucky to have you on board.”

“Aw thanks honey,” she messes up his hair like a mom would, causing him to playfully slap her hands away.

“Stop,” he backs away, ignoring the looks of amusement from his fellow pilots.

“Anyways, it was lovely to meet you all and please don’t be strangers,” Y/n hugs them one by one, the team thanking her for letting them come to her home. “Now that we’ve finally met I hope we can have bonfires, dinners, the shabang. Hell, I would even love for y’all to come out to a show one time if you’re available.”

After they leave and she finished packing, Mav and Y/n had dinner before settling on the couch and turn on a random movie to watch. With his arm around his wife, Mav looks at her with knowing eyes, “You’re inviting them to fashion week, aren’t ya?”

She answers with a bashful smile, “Mayyyybeeee. Wouldn’t it be so fun?” Adjusting her position, her knees go on either side of hips so she’s basically straddling him. “Don’t tell them though. I want it to be a surprise.”

He makes a motion of his hand to his mouth, “my lips are sealed.” When his hand moves away Y/n kisses him lightly, Mav smiling into the kiss.

“You’re gonna be retired soon,” she runs a finger through his hair, “I know you wanna make as many memories with them before that happens and after. So, what better way than to have them sit with you at my show. That way you guys can witness something show-stopping together…” The trail off has Mav raise his eyebrows.

“What are you saying, Mrs. Mitchell?”

She leans closer to him, “That’s a secret I’ll never tell—just kidding I’ll tell you after it’s been confirmed. Until then,” she makes the same motion he did. “My lips are sealed.”

This was going to be fun.

Six months later—February 2023, New York Fashion Week.

“You think they’ll let me keep this suit?” Coyote whispered to Payback, who in return just nudged him with a shake of the head. The pilot was adjusting the cuffs of his Oscar de la Renta suit, which all of the guys were warming different versions of while Nat was in a gorgeous dress and trench coat. They looked like they belonged in a magazine with many around whispering with gazes of admiration.

It was the second week of February. New York Fashion week was in full effect with celebrities, photographers, models, and designers scouting every inch of the grounds. The naval officers couldn’t believe they were actually there and Y/n managed to get them spots at one of the shows last minute. She literally called them to the house and was like, “would y’all like to come to New York and see a show?” How the fuck could they say no to that? How the hell did she manage to pull that first of all?

But then again, when you’re a renowned supermodel like her anything is possible.

They were seated in the front row closest to the end of the runway at the Oscar de la Renta show. Anna Wintour was literally just a few seats down from them, sitting beside Chris Evans and Lenny Kravits. On the opposite end was Zendaya, Alexa Demie, and Sam Claflin. They weren’t the only stars in attendance. Pharrell was there as was Snoop Dogg. Spotted were the Kardashian/Jenners as well as the Jonas Brothers. Models like Bella and Gigi Hadid, Kaia Gerber, Yasmin Wijnaldum, and Adut Akech were seated in the front row. Anne Hathaway was with her husband, seated beside them was Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.

Pete looked handsome in his own suit that the stylists provided. The rest of them were trying not to shit their pants with how nervous they were. The clothes they were wearing were double—maybe even triple the price of their officer paycheck. It would be a fortune to replace them if they were to spill anything on the material.

“My advice,” Reuben starts, keeping his attention on the entrance of the runway. The show was minutes away from starting. “Don’t mess it up just in case they do want it back.” Coyote huffs, but nods knowing he was right.

Seated in the middle of the row, Pete’s palms were sweating as he rubbed them together. The action has Phoenix ask, “You okay, Mav?”

“Just nervous,” he replied, adjusting the collar of his suit. “I always am when I see her walk. This one though,” he pauses with a look, “you haven’t seen this lineup since the 90s. I’m more nervous about what the reaction will be after.” He was referring to how the media loved to talk about the looks of aging models. They were still breathtakingly stunning even in their older age, but that didn’t stop the media from having to point out the fact they had gray hairs, age lines, wrinkles or the fact some of them weren’t as slim as they were because they had kids or just naturally curved out.

My God, everyone ages. Everyone’s bodies change. It’s a sign of life.

Thankfully Y/n didn’t give a fuck what the media said. She embraced her aging features and often told designers not to cake her with makeup on photo shoots and shows. Why hide it when it’s part of who she was?

But Pete, the sweetheart that he was, always worried about her. He knew what it was like to have people talk and point out flaws. The last thing he’d want is for his wife to be subjected to that.

Rooster pats him on the shoulder. “Well you don’t gotta wait any longer,” he says just as the lights dim and the logo for Oscar de la Renta at the entrance of the runway glows. Cameras are already flashing, spectators pulling out their phones to capture the memory forever.

Blasting through the speakers, David Bowie’s ‘Fashion,’ sounded in everyone’s ears. A fitting theme for the fact it was released in the decade most of the lineup was discovered. Oscar de la Renta was paying tribute to the supermodels of the 80s/90s, calling the show ‘The Muses’. They were going to wear designs from the 90s that given a more modern look.

No wonder so many stars were there.

Out first: the one and only Cindy Crawford. Cameras flashed all around, the stunning beauty coming to the end of the runway to do a typical 90s model turn. Nowadays models just turn around with any type of stop. But in the 90s? That stop and turn was every model's moment to shine. Following Cindy were icons Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista. Claudia Schiffer and Shalom Harlow, Shalom with her iconic sway in each step. Kate Moss still looked as delicate as ever followed by Heidi Klum. Tyra Banks came out with her fierce personality, with Carla Bruni and Beverly Peele right after.

Nat had to slap Jake when she saw he was drooling slightly. Bob looked flustered, unsure how to react at the beautiful women passing by. Admiration and awe was behind Nat’s gaze, in love with not just the models but also the stunning clothing they wore. Oscar made sure his muses were goddesses in his designs.

The final three were none other than Naomi Campbell, Yasmeen Ghauri, and Y/n L/n.

Naomi’s walk was perfect as usual, gliding across the runway like she owned it. The shock of Yasmeen making an appearance had gasps rang out in the crowd. The woman had retired after 1997 so seeing her walk was surreal. She still had that aura to her that drew people in, walking seamlessly to the end of the runway to the blinding flash of cameras. Lastly, Y/n had every eye on her as she strutted down the runway. Giving side eyes with her staple tiny smirk, Y/n had to hold back a laugh when she saw her husband holding up his phone to take a video of her. Pete looked like a kid in a candy store.

She kept her composure, passing by Yasmeen who was walking back up as she approached the end of the runway. Stopping, leaned her weight from one side to the other to show off the design before turning, walking just three steps before stopping again to turn so she faced the cameras once more. Smirking, she winked and did one last final turn before strutting her way back up. As the closer she was the last to exit, but seconds later she appeared from the entrance again. Though this time, the other supermodels were behind her as she led them in the final walk.

People clapped and whistled, the dagger squad was the loudest causing Y/n to giggle when she passed by. Each model gave a final pose at the end and Y/n led them back up where they were met with the cheers of the backstage crew. “We fucking did it!” She shouted, embracing Naomi and Yasmeen in a hug before doing the same with the others. When Oscar de la Renta went to wave to the crowd, he brought the three out with him and they each blew a kiss to the spectators.

After the show Y/n dressed in a different outfit, still by Oscar de la Renta, and met up with the squad for dinner. She was met with hugs, kisses from Pete and a cheek one from Rooster, and flowers from everyone.

“That was amazing!” Mickey shouted, being a gentleman and pulling out her chair for her. “I know the year just started but that was definitely the highlight so far.”

“Aw thank you, Mickey,” she said with a smile, sitting down between Pete and Phoenix. “Are you guys ready for the party?” Like every fashion week, there was going to be a party to celebrate the end of another successful year.

“Hell yeah,” Payback said for the group, causing her to laugh.

“Well let’s eat, drink, and then head over there to dance the night away.”

Mav raised a toast, the pilots all congratulated the model on an amazing show, and Y/n took plenty of pictures for her memory book she started to put together. It almost gave a full circle moment for the woman, remembering her days as an ATC with her pilots and husband. Young, wild, and free. Now here she was decades later having a similar moment take place. With the little family she found along the way.

Funny how life can bring you just about anything when you least expect it.

……………..

TGM Tag List: @avaleineandafryingpan, @caitsymichelle13, @poppyalice2001, @cutelittlepotatofry, @luckyladycreator2, @americaarse, @elenavampire21, @back-tooo-black

#Spotify #pete mitchell imagine #pete mitchell x y/n #pete mitchell x reader #captain pete mitchell imagine #captain pete mitchell #pete maverick mitchell #pete mitchell fluff #dagger squad imagine #dagger squad x reader #dagger squad #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun #top gun maverick imagine #top gun maverick #model!reader #supermodel!reader #tgm fanfiction #tgm imagine

326 notes · View notes

qs63 · 2 months

Text

Amestris Military Real world Influence

This is the third of my series of long posts about the Amestrian Military. This is the post for the history nerds. There are plenty of real world references in Fullmetal Alchemist, especially pertaining to the first half of the 20th century. While Amestris and its military have often been compared to Nazi Germany (especially when it comes to the anime), the references in the manga are very diverse. Disclaimer, this is by no means an exhaustive list, there are too many for me to cover in one post, and I'm not a historian. So let me know if there's any reference I might have missed or if I got something wrong!

To see the rest of this meta series check out the Main Post..

Names

Probably the easiest reference to the real world is in the names of the military personnel. Almost all of them are named after military vehicles and equipment, mainly from World War II. Some examples:

Roy Mustang — P-51 Mustang (USA WW2 aircraft)

Riza Hawkeye & Grumman — Northrop Hawkeye E-2 Grumman (USA 60s aircraft)

Maes Hughes — Hughes aircraft series (USA aircraft company)

Black Hayate — Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Japanese WW2 aircraft)

Jean Havoc & Henry Douglas— Douglas A-20 Havoc (USA WW2 aircraft)

Heymans Breda — Breda M37 (Italy WW2 Machine gun) or HMS Breda (UK WW2 Yacht)

Kain Fuery — Hawker Fury (UK 30s aircraft)

Vato Falman — Farman aircrafts series (French aircraft company)

Armstrong Family — Armstrong Whitworth Whitley (UK WW2 aircraft)

Weapons and equipment

The weapons used by the military are also based on real world weaponry. Arakawa herself admitted to using references for weapons as well as for the vehicles.[1] Not all of them are a direct copy of a historical weapon, but all of them are at least inspired by one or more of them.

Pistol — Colt M1911A1 (USA 1924)

Hawkeye's pistol. [1]

Colt M1911 & M1911A

Rifle — Mauser Karabiner 98k (Germany WW2)

Hawkeye's Rifle. [1]

Mauser Karabiner 98k rifle

Hand grenade — Stielhandgranate M24 aka the potato mashers (Germany WW2)

Team Mustang's and their weapons. [1]

Stielhandgranate M24

Briggs' Tank

The Briggs' tank isn’t modeled directly after any specific tank, and rather takes inspiration from different WW1 to WW2 tanks. The manga and Brotherhood tanks take after different inspirations, with Brotherhood being more German coded than the manga tank. There's an excellent article in the tanks encyclopedia analyzing the Fullmetal Alchemist tanks if anyone's interested.

Military Cars —

We see a few military cars throughout the story. Once again the cars we see in the manga and Brotherhood are quite different, and they appear to be based on models from the late 1910s to the late 1930s.

The manga’s standard issued military car looks at least partially inspired by the American Ford model A of 1927.

Mustang's military car(manga).[2]

1927 Ford model A.

The Brotherhood art sketches have two different drawings of military cars. The first one, the one we see Mustang use, is based on the French Citroën traction avant 11CV of 1935.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood military vehicle version 1.

1935 French Citroën traction avant 11CV.

The second car seems to be inspired by the Italian Fiat Tipo 5 of the 1910s. Perhaps even inspired by one of the American made Fiat models.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood military vehicle version 2.

Fiat tipo 55.

Ranks and insignias

With the exception of the Führer-President, the Amestrian military ranks appear to be a mix of the USA WW2 officer ranks:

General,

Lt. General,

Major General,

Brigadier General,

Colonel,

Lt. Colonel,

Major,

Captain,

1st Lieutenant,

2nd lieutenant;

As well as the Imperial Japan NCO ranks:

Warrant officer (Special Sergeant Major),

Master Sergeant,

Sergeant,

Corporal.

The history of the Imperial Japan Warrant Officer rank is a bit confusing and complicated. In the 79 years that the Empire lasted, the Warrant Officer rank saw a lot of changes, being its own category at times, a Senior NCO at others. The NCO Warrant Officers seem to have been specialized Sergeant Majors (also translated as Master Sergeant) that basically functioned as the most senior of the NCO ranks. Aside from this the one modern country, I could find, that has Warrant Officers as NCO is Malaysia.

The rank of Führer-President (大総統 - Daisōtō in Japanese) replaces the rank of General of the army in the USA officer classification. While the English translation is a direct reference to Nazi Germany, the Japanese word is a lot more nuanced.

The word Daisōtō actually refers to the president of the 1912-1924 Republic of China, and if you Google it, all you will get is images of Bradley himself. The term used for “Führer” is 総統 (Sōtō), without the 大 (Dai) which is instead used in the word president 大統領 (Daitōryō), this is probably the inspiration for the Führer-president title of the official English translation.

However, Sōtō isn't used to refer just to Nazi Germany's Führer, but rather to any fascist associated head of state. As such Germany's Sōtō is the Fuhrer, but Italy's Sōtō is the Duce (Mussolini).

The effect is technically the same (you still think of Hitler and fascism), but the Japanese word is not a direct translation of Führer, nor a direct reference to Nazi Germany, it's more subtle than the English translation. I imagine Führer was used in English (in absence of a more subtle unifying word) as it is more recognizable to the English speaker than other fascist titles like: Duce, Caudillo, Generalísimo, etc.

The WW2 imperial Japan ranks also included superior private, first class private, and second class private, but they were their own class, called soldiers, below the NCO ranks, and were mainly composed of men serving their conscripted time. This might explain their absence in the Amestrian official ranks as Amestris doesn't seem to have conscription.

The rank insignias themselves are pretty much a copy of the imperial Japan ones.

Amestris rank insignias.[3]

Imperial Japan ranks insignias.

Uniform

In terms of the uniform there's not one single reference or perfect match for the design, but the closest to it is probably the WW1 French infantry uniform.

Amestris military uniform. [1]

Early WW1 French uniform

Late WW1 French uniform

Aside from the color of the French uniform, the long skirt, flaps and boots are very similar to the Amestrian uniform.

The Amestrian short jacket itself seems to be inspired by the WW2 USA Ike jacket.

USA WW2 Ike jacket.

Furthermore the white lining of the Amestrian uniform reminds me of the Imperial Japan formal uniform jacket, which is itself Prussian and French inspired.

Imperial Japan Major General formal uniform.

The Briggs uniform is very much WWII winter gear inspired.

Briggs uniform.[3]

Soviet WW2 winter uniform

Finnish WWII sniper.

Out of every uniform variation, the one most German coded is, to no one's surprise, the Führer-president’s. His trench coat looks similar to the WW1 Prussian one.

Bradley in uniform.

WW1 Prussian soldiers.

In general the uniform has a very World War I vibe to it, down to the impractical, decorative parts of it like the skirt. This is an uniform that obviously predates modern warfare, very apt for the time period the story is “set on”. This makes an interesting contrast with the weaponry which seem to be mostly World War II inspired.

Other references

Ishval war of extermination

First of all trigger warning for genocide and human experimentation. Just skip this section if you're sensible to these topics.

Just like the Ishvalan are an amalgamation of many cultures and ethnicity, the Ishvalan civil war seems to reference multiple conflicts and events.

Plenty of comparisons have been made with the Jewish genocide in the hands of the Nazi (and the 03 anime leans especially hard on this). There are also similarities with the Herero war and genocide at the hand of the German empire which just like the Ishval Civil war ended in 1908. Another possible reference is the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Ottoman empire, which also involved a minority living at the border of a nation the country was at war with and being suspected of colluding with the enemy. Both the Armenian and the Ishvalan soldiers serving in the army were dismissed, incarcerated, and eventually executed.

Another more clear cut reference made in the Ishval civil war is Mustang's and Knox’s experimentation. This would be a reference to the horrendous experiments done by both the Nazi and Japan's infamous unit 731. Both which included burning people to test treatments and the limits of the human body.

I am sorry to end up on such a hard note, but I think it's best we move on to other — less traumatic — topics.

Source

Fullmetal Alchemist Manga

Chapter 38: a counter attack signal [2]

The Complete art of Fullmetal Alchemist [1]

Fullmetal Alchemist perfect guide 3 [3]

Training Regime post

#fullmetal alchemist #fma #fma meta #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #amestris #my work

28 notes · View notes