#top gun fanfics

[callsign-mayhem]

heartbreak feels so good (part 1)

Pairing: Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Reader Word count: 8081 CW: Shitty boyfriends, angst, fluff, slow burn.

Your boyfriend's callsign is Viper, which is fitting. Bradley doesn't know how much longer he can watch this man destroy you, but luckily for him, he doesn't have to wait too long.

Use of Y/N, but no description of reader. THIS IS A MULTI-PART FIC.

After another day of having your feelings totally ignored by your boyfriend, you were looking forward to some alone time. Elijah was so hot and cold that you felt as though you were in a constant state of fight or flight, just waiting for him to either make your day or ruin it completely. Most of the time, it was the latter, and although good days with him were few and far between, they were enough to make you stay. See, you didn’t half-ass anything—least of all relationships—so when you were in something, you were in it. You told Elijah that much after your first date. You’d been sitting in the front of his beemer eating ice cream, having the first of many deep talks. Between sweet, sticky kisses, you’d told him that you were dating to marry. He told you he was, too. 

He said, ‘I’m yours if you’ll have me, Y/N.’ And that was that.

And it was almost a year ago. You’d survived a somewhat tumultuous winter with him, desperately trying to cling on to the version of him he’d been during the summer. As time went on, he stopped putting his mask on, secure enough in your relationship that he no longer felt the need to pretend to be caring and considerate. The days were starting to get longer, and the weather was warming up again, but Elijah was so far from the man he was at the start that you might as well have been in a relationship with a different person. Every morning, you woke up with no idea what personality to expect that day, whether or not he was going to take all his personal drama out on you, even though you only ever loved and supported him. 

Today had been one of those days, and as you finished up with the F-18 engine currently in pieces in front of you, you silently prayed that he wouldn’t text you asking to come over. He was also a naval aviator, but you were working on different parts of the base today. Thank God. Elijah’s callsign was Viper, fitting since vipers prey on small animals by envenomating them and watching them die slowly. 

Coyote appeared behind you, helmet tucked underneath his arm.

‘Hey, we’re all heading to The Hard Deck for beers,’ he told you. ‘You comin’?’ You grabbed a rag and made an attempt to wipe some of the oil off. ‘I don’t know,’ you sighed. ‘I want to, but then I’ll have to bring Elijah, and I don’t really wanna see him tonight.’ ‘Why do you have to bring him?’ Coyote frowned. ‘He’s a lousy drunk and never lets you have any fun.’ ‘If he finds out I went out with all you guys, he’ll think I’m up to something.’ ‘Like gettin’ with me?’ He joked, wiggling his eyebrows. ‘Probably,’ you laughed. ‘You or one of the others. Or maybe he’ll accuse me of getting with all of you if he’s in a particularly bad mood.’ ‘Listen, if you wanna come, you’re welcome. We’ll just make sure nobody posts about it, and we’ll get you a fake moustache or somethin’.’

It broke your heart to think about all your closest friends having a fun night without you. Over the past year, you’d lost count of the amount of experiences you’d missed out on because you didn’t want to make Elijah upset or angry with you. The worst part was it was a double standard. He went out without you all the time, didn’t tell you where he’d gone or who he was with, and expected you to be okay with it. If you weren’t, you could kiss your peace goodbye; he’d spend the next week making your life a living hell, ignoring you entirely until you apologised to him for being hurt by his actions.

‘You know what Javy? Count me in.’ He grinned. ‘Thatta girl.’ 

It was hard to regret coming out when you felt this good. It had been months since you’d gone on a night out without Elijah, which was to say it had been months since you last enjoyed yourself. As you sipped your second sex on the beach, you mused that some kind of higher power must have been looking out for you because you’d yet to receive a single text from your boyfriend. Most of the time, when you spent the night apart, he’d call you incessantly. It was annoying, sometimes bordering on obsessive, and you didn’t need him to tell you he was checking on you, or rather, checking that you were alone in your apartment. That much was obvious. 

Dating an insecure man was not for the weak.

You were sat at one of the high tables next to the window watching Jake, Mickey, Javy, and Reuben play pool. Nat was opposite nursing a beer, glowing in the golden light of the evening. Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up, smiling at the notification. 

‘Rooster’s on his way,’ she told you. ‘He wasn’t gonna come out tonight, but I told him he didn’t have a choice. It’s not every day Y/N Y/L/N leaves the comfort of her apartment.’ You scoffed. ‘That’s not exactly how I’d put it.’ ‘No?’ Nat raised a brow. 

You hadn’t drunk in months, and despite only being on your second drink, the booze had loosened your lips significantly. 

‘No. It’s not that I’d rather stay home, it’s that staying home makes my life easier because then I don’t have Elijah breathing down my fucking neck.’

Little did you know, Javy had told everyone about your conversation earlier. Not because he was a gossip but because he was worried about you. It was rare for you to open up to the squad about your relationship, but it wasn’t hard to guess what happened behind closed doors. They all worked with Viper, for one, and they were familiar with his temperament. Not only that, but you dropped off the face of the Earth a few months after you started dating him, and it didn’t take a genius to put two and two together. 

‘I don’t know why you’re still with him, Y/N. He’s an ass.’ ‘I know,’ you sighed, frowning into your drink. ‘It��s just not as straightforward as just leaving. I still love him. If I can make this work, I don’t have to start all over again with someone else.’ Nat nodded in understanding. ‘I get wanting to make it work, but at what cost? You don’t see your friends, and he uses you as an emotional punching bag. You can’t even come to the beach with us without him checking on you every five minutes,’ she reached over the table and took your hand. ‘He’s killing you.’

This was the first time someone had spoken their mind to you about the situation. While you already knew all of it, hearing it from one of your best friends hit home. Vodka made you emotional, and if not for Bradley, you would have broken down there and then. 

He walked up to the table and engulfed you in a hug, practically pulling you off your stool. You pressed your face into his shirt, inhaling the scent of clean cotton and sandalwood. Half expecting Elijah to spring out and catch you in the act, you reluctantly pulled away. 

‘Hey, Bradley.’ ‘Hey yourself, stranger. Can’t believe you’re gracing us with your presence.’ ‘I know, it’s been a while.’ ‘A while? Try six months,’ he glanced at your almost empty glass and Nat’s empty bottle of Heineken. ‘Can I buy you lovely ladies a drink?’ ‘Do you even have to ask?’ Nat retorted.  ‘What’re you drinking, darlin’?’ He asked you. You smiled sheepishly. ‘Sex on the beach.’  ‘I can make that happen.’ He smirked.

Luckily, you didn’t have to come up with a response to that remark because he turned around and headed to the bar. You locked eyes with Nat, and both of you burst out laughing.

Just like that, all the negativity you’d been feeling dissipated like rain against hot tarmac. 

Bradley came back with the drinks, and the three of you took the opportunity to catch up while the others finished their pool game. You shouldn’t have been as surprised as you were to find out that you’d missed a lot. Bradley had started dating one of the medics, but the relationship had crashed and burned almost immediately. He hadn’t bothered trying to meet anyone else since. Nat, after watching all her friends have such bad experiences in the dating world, had decided she was better off alone. 

‘Honestly, I don’t blame you.’ You told her. ‘You should dump Viper,’ she said with a devilish grin. ‘And we can have a hot girl summer.’ Bradley laughed. ‘Can’t say I ever imagined you saying that, Nix.’  ‘Isn’t that what it’s called now? We can’t be that out of touch, surely.’ ‘I don’t wanna think about how old I am.’ You said, picking up your phone to see if you’d missed any texts from Elijah. You hated to think what kind of argument missing one of his calls would start.  Nat and Rooster shared a knowing look. ‘It rings, you know? Out loud.’

Being this transparent was embarrassing. 

‘I think I’m going to confiscate this for now.’ Ignoring your protests, Bradley swiped your phone and tucked it into his pocket. ‘If he calls or texts, I’ll let you know.’

You were tipsy enough not to try and take your phone back but not tipsy enough to be unbothered by the idea of Elijah calling and you not picking up.

‘If he calls, I need it back straight away,’ you told him sternly. ‘If I don’t pick up, I’ll never hear the end of it.’

Bradley rolled his eyes, but you knew it wasn’t aimed at you. He hated Elijah the most of all your friends. Perhaps sensing some tension, Nat slid off her stool and grabbed your arm, practically yanking you off yours.

‘Let’s go pick a song,’ she suggested. ‘We can get more drinks on the way back.’

Since it had been so long since you last visited The Hard Deck, she let you choose. You picked Rebel Yell by Billy Idol, your mum’s favourite. Admittedly, you’d been missing your home town a lot more than usual lately, perhaps because you were in such a weird place mentally. Things must be worse than you thought if you were considering running home with your tail between your legs. 

As the night went on, you got drunker and drunker. Bradley watched with a bemused grin as you dragged Bob off to the jukebox again, since he was the easiest person to coerce into doing things. How Bradley wished it was him you were clinging to. Not that he was jealous of Bob—because that would be like being jealous of a puppy—he just desperately wanted to be the object of your affection. 

While you and Bob went to change the music, Bradley struck up a conversation with Natasha and Reuben, who erupted into laughter when you pulled Bob’s arm so hard he almost toppled over. 

‘It’s nice to have Y/N out, huh?’ He observed. Nat looked at him like he was the biggest dickhead in the world. ‘Come on, Bradshaw. He might be an ass, but she’s got a boyfriend.’

Bradley sipped his beer, desperately trying to come up with a believable response. Reuben smirked knowingly, which only made Bradley more annoyed.

‘I don’t have a thing for Y/N.’ ‘Whatever helps you sleep at night, man.’ ‘Come on, Payback. You too?’ Reuben shrugged. ‘Doesn’t take a genius to work it out. You look at her like she’s God’s gift.’

The reason Bradley looked at you like you were God’s gift is because you were, but nobody was supposed to know that. 

‘Why do women stay with guys that treat them like shit?’ Bradley asked. ‘Depends on the woman,’ Natasha started. ‘But if you mean Y/N, it’s because she can’t do anything halfway. She told me earlier that it’s because she doesn’t want to start over with someone new, but I don’t think that’s it. She just loves so hard, and it takes a lot out of her. Why would she wanna start the process all over again if she already has someone?’ Bradley was incredulous. ‘Erm, I don’t know, maybe because he’s emotionally abusing her.’

You and Nat were close. In a way, she knew you better than you knew yourself, so she was the best person for Bradley to ask about things. Now, however, he was kind of regretting opening his mouth. Knowing why you were staying with a guy who treated you so badly didn’t make it easier to accept like Bradley thought it would; it only filled him with white-hot rage. 

‘It’s not as easy as just leaving. She has to come to it on her own.’ ‘Yeah,’ Reuben chimed in. ‘You can’t convince Y/N of shit.’ Natasha scoffed. ‘Yup, and believe me, I’ve tried.’  ‘So what, we just sit around and watch him ruin her?’ ‘Y/N’s a smart cookie and one of the strongest people I know. She’ll come to her senses, and when she does, we’ll be here.’ ‘You know, I read somewhere once that you can’t save anyone. You can only hold their hand while they save themselves.’ Nat raised a brow. ‘Damn, Payback. That might be the wisest thing you’ve ever said.’ ‘Hey, why do you sound so surprised?’ ‘You really want me to answer that?’

Bradley had a lot to think about. Realistically, he knew there was nothing he could do. His only option was to let things unfold naturally and have faith that things would work out exactly the way they were supposed to. The only problem was, that sounded too much like ‘sit back and do nothing,’ which didn’t feel right either. 

Bradley needed another drink. 

In fact, he was just about to head to the bar when you came bounding over, dragging poor Bob behind you. 

‘Roooooooooster.’ You cooed.

His heart just about melted when you started batting your eyelashes at him. 

‘What’s up, Y/CS?’

Everyone else was watching the interaction expectantly, waiting to hear what you were going to say next. 

‘You’re really pretty.’ Bradley laughed, hoping you were too drunk to notice the blush he could feel creeping across his cheeks. ‘Thank you. You’re really pretty, too.’ Nat, sensing the need to intervene, came around and gently grabbed your arm. ‘Hey, let’s get you a glass of water, huh?’ ‘But I need to tell Roo how pretty he looks.’

Bradley’s heart fluttered at your use of the pet name. He really didn’t want you to leave, but Nat was right. You needed some water and probably your bed. 

‘You told him already, Y/N. And when you get back, you can tell him again.’

She started leading you away, and Bradley immediately missed your presence. 

A very flushed-looking Bob took Nat’s empty stool. ‘That girl is somethin’ else.’ He murmured, pushing his glasses back up his nose. ‘I don’t think you should let her drink anymore.’ ‘I’m not her keeper,’ Bradley responded. ‘Can’t stop her from doing anything.’ Bob shrugged. ‘Maybe so, but you’re all she talked about. You and the fact that there’s no Fall Out Boy in the jukebox. Pretty sure she called it a ‘fucking tragedy.’’  Bradley leaned forward. ‘What did she say about me?’ ‘You know,’ Bob waved a hand dismissively. ‘You’re pretty. Her boyfriend is gonna kill her if he finds out she’s here with you because he thinks you have a thing for her.’ Bradley was at a loss for words. Reuben, however, was grinning like a fool. ‘What was that about not having a thing for her? Even her boyfriend’s caught on, man.’  ‘How many times do I have to say I do not have a thing for-’

An annoyingly loud ringing sound interrupted Bradley’s sentence. It didn’t sound like his ringtone, but the noise was coming from his pocket. It took him too long to remember that he had your phone in his pocket, and that it was probably Viper calling. Sure enough, when he took out your phone, he was greeted by a sickeningly sweet photo of you and your boyfriend on the beach. You and Nat were still at the bar, and he knew he should just let it ring so you could call him back later. 

But something had a hold of Bradley, and he answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear before he could really process what he was doing. 

‘Y/N’s phone.’ 

A beat of silence, then some of the most colourful language Bradley had ever heard in his life. 

‘Who the fuck is this, and why the fuck have you got my girlfriend’s phone?’  ‘Y/N can’t come to the phone right now. She’s at the bar with her friend, gettin’ another round of drinks, and I just know hearing your voice would ruin her night. It’s ruined mine, that’s for sure. If you want, I can take a message, and she’ll get back to you in the morning.’

Reuben was nearly on the floor, trying desperately not to laugh in case Viper heard him. Bob had paled significantly, like he’d seen a ghost—or worse. 

‘That you, Bradshaw? I just knew something was going on-’

Bradley hung up. The severity of the situation was beginning to hit, and despite the sick satisfaction he’d felt when he picked up the phone, he was regretting his decision already. 

‘Y/N is gonna kill you, Rooster.’ Bob told him. 

Nat made the sensible decision to cut you off, but she said you could stay out with them until closing if you promised to keep drinking water and stop fucking around with the jukebox. That was how you ended up in the corner of a booth with Bradley next to you to stop you from escaping.

Not that you’d want to escape. 

Mickey had joined, and the guys were playing cards while you and Nat talked. She was catching you up on her life, and it made a change to think about someone other than Elijah for once.

That’s when it hit you.

You hadn’t checked your phone in hours, and you dreaded to think how many texts and calls you’d missed. 

‘Bradley, can I have my phone?’

He set his hand of cards down on the table and reached into his pocket. When you reached out to take it, he pulled away.

‘Before I give this to you, I need to tell you something.’

A wave of nausea hit you. 

‘What? What’s going on?’ ‘Viper called about an hour ago. You were at the bar, and I didn’t know what to do, so I answered it.’ Reuben leaned forward in his seat. ‘Oh, this is about to be good.’

You thought you knew what panic felt like, but up until this very moment, you had no idea. Bradley was lucky you didn’t throw up in his lap from the nerves.

‘What?’ ‘I’m sorry, Y/N. I wasn’t thinking-’

You snatched your phone from him, ignoring the kicked-puppy expression he was sporting. A slew of angry text messages that were borderline abusive greeted you. You skimmed them quickly, not wanting to read too many in case you started crying in front of the entire squad. 

What started out as the best night you’d had in a while quickly turned into the worst. Your boyfriend's hateful messages reminded you why you never went out and why this was the biggest mistake you could have made.

The worst part was you saw it coming.

‘Move,’ you said, grabbing your bag. ‘Bradley, let me out now.’ ‘You can’t drive like this, Y/N. Let one of us take you home.’

Bradley sounded destroyed. You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him. 

‘Move.’

He nudged Bob, who stood up so Bradley could climb out of the booth. You were close behind him, and when your feet touched the floor, you nearly keeled over. Bradley reached out to steady you, but you shook him off.

‘Y/N. You can’t leave like this. How are you gonna get home?’

Ignoring his pleas, you made a beeline for the exit. Nat shoved Reuben into Mickey, trying to hurry them out of the booth so she could follow you, but you were surprisingly fast for a drunk person. Bradley was right about one thing: there was no way you could drive in this state. You ducked around the corner so Nat couldn’t see you and sank to the floor. Hot tears prickled behind your eyes as you did the one thing you didn’t want to do, but the only thing you could do.

You called Elijah. 

He didn’t answer the first, second, third, or fourth time. 

Half an hour passed, and you didn’t move. At one point, you heard Bradley, Nat, and Reuben talking around the corner, coming up with a plan for where to look for you. They knew you were on foot because your car was still in the lot, and since you’d disappeared so quickly, you couldn’t have gotten far. If the situation weren’t so tragic, it would’ve been funny that you were hiding ten paces away, and none of them could find you. 

It was getting very late. People were getting in their cars and leaving or jumping into Ubers. Soon, your Jeep would be the only car left. You couldn’t face the daggers, and you couldn’t drive home, so you picked yourself up and took a slow walk down the beach to where the water met the sand. 

What a beautiful night to have your heart broken. 

There was no way Elijah would ever forgive you for this, no way you’d ever be able to 

convince him that nothing had happened between you and Bradley. The sane part of you knew that it was crazy to feel guilty for simply enjoying a night out with your friends, but the sane part of you rarely won these days. The part of you that loved Elijah was always loudest and knew this could never have gone any other way. 

You were just about to resign yourself to calling a cab when you heard someone yelling your name from the top of the beach. 

You either had the best or worst luck in the world because it was Bradley. 

He made short work of the distance, giving you no time to come up with something to say. He looked otherworldly in the pale moonlight. His hair was slightly mused, and the same insane part of you that loved what it loved was whispering at you to run your fingers through it. 

‘We’ve been looking all over for you, Y/N.’ He sounded very concerned as he pulled out his phone and texted the others to let them know you were safe. ‘I’m sorry, I just needed to be alone.’

You hadn’t even realised you were shivering until Bradley draped his Levi jacket over your shoulders. 

‘You needed to be alone, or you needed to call Viper back?’ The tears threatened to make another appearance. ‘It’s none of your business.’ ‘What makes you think it’s not my business? I care about you and don’t want to keep watching you get hurt.’ ‘Then stop watching!’

Bradley recoiled, and you immediately felt awful. How Elijah spoke to you like that day in and day out without feeling guilty was a mystery to you. 

‘I’m sorry, Bradley,’ you sighed, pulling his jacket tighter around you. ‘I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just very drunk and very emotional right now.’

He softened immediately and seemed torn about whether he should let you stand there freezing or pull you close. You hoped he wouldn’t try to pull you close because you didn’t think you’d have the guts to tell him no. Good feelings had been so incredibly hard to come by as of late.

‘Why are you still with him, Y/N?’ Bradley asked almost pleadingly. 

Wow. He didn’t waste any time getting right to the point. 

‘That’s a loaded question.’ ‘I need you to explain it to me because it’s killing me.’

You thought about it for a moment, and Bradley waited with bated breath to hear what you had to say.

In the end, it was this: ‘I guess we accept the love we think we deserve.’ 

Until you said it out loud, this phrase held little meaning to you. Now that it was out in the open, it was very heavy. In the last few months you’d tried coming up with a decent explanation as to why you were staying with Elijah, and you fell short every time. Turns out all you needed to do was get drunk and have an honest conversation to figure it out. 

Coming to the realisation that what you’d just said was true felt like being in freefall. Everything in your life was changing shape to fit around this ugly truth. The good things in your heart shied away in the face of this monstrous fact. 

You didn’t think you deserved a healthy love. 

Somehow, Bradley was more hurt by this than when you’d snapped at him earlier. He was staring at the ground, unable to meet your eye like you’d just told him he wasn’t worthy of love.

‘You don’t think you deserve to be happy?’

Hearing him say it was somehow even worse.

‘Apparently not.’

You were both quiet for a moment, and then, for whatever reason, you laughed. 

‘This is news to me too.’

The waves crashed loudly, water lapping at your feet as the tide came in. You couldn’t stand out here having epiphanies all night. 

‘Listen, Rooster, I need to go home. I’m sorry for snapping.’ ‘I’ll take you home,’ he said quietly. ‘But we should talk tomorrow when you’re sober. Maybe we could get coffee.’ You shook your head. ‘After tonight, I don’t think that’s a smart idea. I’ll probably be spending tomorrow trying to salvage what’s left of my relationship.’ ‘You’re not serious.’ ‘I am.’

He opened his mouth to protest but then appeared to change his mind. You watched as all the fight he had left in him dissolved. There was nothing left for him to say, and he knew it. 

The irritating birds that constantly chirped right outside your bedroom window woke you up. It was too damn early, and your head felt as though it was splitting open. When you sat up, you were hit by a wave of nausea so strong that you had no other choice but to sprint to the bathroom, smashing into the corner of your chest of drawers on the way. 

Which was to say, it was a bad morning. 

After you had puked up the entire contents of your stomach, you jumped straight in the shower, brushed your teeth, and did your skincare. At least if Elijah showed up at your front door, you wouldn’t look like you got super drunk last night, even though he’d probably already guessed. 

When you checked your phone, there were still no notifications from him, and when you called, there was no answer. This wasn’t unlike him, but it had been almost twelve hours since Bradley picked up your phone, and you would have thought he’d have something to say by now. 

To distract yourself from your impending doom, you threw open all the windows in your apartment, made your bed, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher—all the usual morning tasks. It seemed a shame to waste such a beautiful Saturday, but you doubted you’d enjoy any of your hobbies when you were this anxious and hungover. 

With nothing else left to do, you set about making some breakfast. 

Just as you put your bagel in the toaster, somebody knocked on the door. 

Your stomach twisted itself into an impossibly tight knot. You were rooted to the spot, unable to move until whoever it was knocked a second time. 

You looked through the peephole, expecting to see Elijah standing there with his dark eyebrows knitted together in frustration. It was the only scenario that had crossed your mind, so when you saw Bradley standing there, you were very surprised. 

You took a deep breath and opened the door, greeted by the warm scent of sandalwood once again. 

‘Bradley?’

He was holding two iced lattes, which you were betting were vanilla—your favourite. Elijah hadn’t done that for you since the first week of your relationship.

‘Hey, Y/N. Thought you could use this.’

He wasn’t wrong. You ushered him inside, and he headed to the kitchen, where he 

perched himself on one of the stools at your kitchen island. This morning, he was sporting one of his more toned-down Hawaiian shirts and dark jeans. His eyelids drooped, and you wondered if he’d slept at all. 

‘I was just about to make bagels. Want one?’ ‘Sure, thank you.’

You busied yourself, putting bacon and eggs into a pan while he sipped his coffee, eyeing

you with the curiosity of someone who had come over to check you were all in one piece. Once he was satisfied that you were, he relaxed slightly. 

‘Thank you for bringing me home last night. I really appreciate it.’ You told him earnestly.  ‘You don’t need to thank me. You’d have done the same thing.’ ‘True, but still. And I’m sorry for snapping at you.’ 

Last night was gradually coming back to you in flashes, like a supercut. Each time you remembered a new detail, you cringed internally. 

‘You also don’t need to apologise. Has he called you?’ 

While the eggs and bacon were cooking, you toasted another bagel for Bradley and buttered yours. Even though you’d known him for years and been quite close until you got into a relationship, you were struggling to admit that you were pretty much being ghosted. It was already hard to walk around on base knowing that everybody was aware of how Elijah treated you. When you didn’t respond, Bradley took that as a no. 

‘Well, that’s his problem,’ he spat. ‘You did absolutely nothing wrong. Maybe if he were less of a control freak, you would have felt like you could tell him you were out with us rather than hiding it, and then he wouldn’t have found out the way he did.’

The toaster popped, and you jumped. It felt like somebody had run a cheese grater over your nerves. Bradley ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath, clearly trying to reign in his anger.

‘I should apologise too,’ he continued. ‘I shouldn’t have answered your phone. It was a dick move, and I regretted it the instant I did it.’ 

You buttered the second bagel, put one egg on each of the bottom halves, and stacked two pieces of bacon on top before adding the top part. You didn’t say a word the entire time, and Bradley was starting to get antsy. 

‘Y/N. Please talk to me.’ ‘I don’t know what to say, Roo. I’m struggling even to think straight right now. He knows it drives me fucking crazy when he’s having a go at me and doesn’t respond. I don’t understand why he does it, knowing how it makes me feel.’ Bradley sighed. ‘Because he doesn’t give a shit how you feel. He doesn’t give a shit about anything other than himself and how he feels.’ 

This wasn’t news to you, but again, it was more impactful to hear someone else say it out loud. Really, how long could you keep this up? Whether you thought you deserved it or not, you were starting to wonder if you might be better off alone than with someone who made living feel like walking next to a cliff with your eyes closed. 

You pushed Bradley’s plate across the counter and picked up your bagel. Eating felt impossible, but getting through the day with this headache would be excruciating if you didn’t at least try. 

‘Come and sit down,’ Bradley said. ‘It’s not good to eat standing up.’ Despite everything, you managed to laugh. And this time, it was a real laugh. ‘Why?’ A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. ‘I don’t know. My mum used to say it all the time.’

You did as you were told, and you walked around the island, taking the seat next to him. The two of you ate in companionable silence, periodically taking sips of your coffees. This was how easy it should have been with Elijah. 

When you were both finished, Bradley put your plates, pan, and utensils into the dishwasher. You were too tired to tell him to stop. 

‘Thanks for breakfast.’  You smiled. ‘Thanks for being you.’

Bradley’s smile mirrored your own. Unsaid words hung in the air, but you didn’t know what to say. His leaving didn’t feel right, but if he stayed and Elijah made an appearance, he’d most definitely break up with you. 

But wasn’t this radio silence all the confirmation you needed that things were pretty much over, anyway? You were starting to wonder if this weekend had all happened exactly the way it was supposed to. Your eyes were indeed open, that was for sure. Of course, you’d known that the relationship wasn’t healthy, but this weekend had really driven the point home. 

‘Do you wanna go for a walk along the beach?’ You asked, hopefully. ‘We could grab some ice cream at that little place next to the arcade.’

Bradley didn’t just look happy. He also looked relieved that you weren’t asking him to leave. 

‘I’d love to.’

It was a beautiful Spring day, perfect walking weather. Honestly, it was the last thing Bradley expected you to suggest, so he jumped on the idea before you could change your mind and send him home.

Because he really didn’t want to go home. 

He’d sensed that you didn’t want to talk about Viper, and you’d yet to bring up your conversation on the beach last night. Bradley was beginning to doubt that you even remembered everything you said—all that nonsense about not deserving a healthy love. Bradley didn’t take you as a liar, which meant you believed that you weren’t deserving of happiness. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt quite so sad and also angry at the same time. So many emotions were warring for the top spot in his heart, and as a result, his brain was incredibly foggy.

A walk along the beach with you was perhaps the only cure.

‘Did you hear about Hangman?’ Bradley assumed you hadn’t. ‘No?’ ‘He’s getting deployed. He’s leaving next month.’ ‘How long is he going for?’ ‘Six months.’ You whistled lowly. ‘Damn.’ ‘I know. I think he’s looking forward to it, though. I sure am.’ ‘You know, I don’t think you hate him half as much as you say.’ Bradley chuckled. ‘Maybe not, but being nice to him wouldn’t feel right. Even after everything that happened on the mission.’ 

The two of you walked down the beach, chit-chatting about anything that came to mind. You were about halfway to the ice cream place when your phone pinged. Bradley guessed it would be Viper, but he never could have guessed what the message said. 

It was a photo of you and Bradley walking down the beach, taken from behind. The picture had been forwarded to you from someone else. 

E<3: always knew you were a slut.

You inhaled sharply, obviously hurt by the words on the screen. Not two seconds later, he sent another text. 

E<3: PS: we’re fucking over.

The two of you had stopped walking. Bradley watched over your shoulder as you furiously typed a reply and deleted it again. You turned to face him, and his heart just about broke when he saw the tears streaming down your cheeks. You didn’t need to say a word. He pulled you close to him, wrapping you tightly in his arms. You stayed that way for a while, sobbing into his Hawaiian shirt as he rubbed your back soothingly. When you eventually pulled away, the first thing you did was apologise. 

‘There’s nothing for you to be sorry for, sweet girl. He’s the one who should be sorry.’ You sniffled. ‘I don’t know what to reply.’ ‘Leave it for now,’ he said. ‘We can go get ice cream, take a slow walk back to yours. Then I’ll help you think of something.’ ‘I don’t know if I feel like ice cream anymore.’ ‘Well, that’s too bad because I do. Ice cream is the best remedy for heartbreak.’ ‘Did your mum tell you that too?’ ‘She sure did.’ 

It turns out Bradley was right about ice cream being the best remedy for heartbreak. The two of you sat on the wall, watching the waves while he munched on a mint chocolate chip cone and you butterscotch. It was hard to tell whether it was the best ice cream you’d ever had or if it was because you were with Bradley. If you remembered correctly, you’d had ice cream from this same place with Elijah before, and it hadn’t been this nice.

Thinking back on your memories with him only made you want to cry, so you did your best to shove them to the back of your mind. Despite the fact that he was actually a very shitty person, he’d been a dream at the beginning, and that didn’t just go away. The happy moments didn’t just suddenly turn to ash, as much as you wished they would. 

‘What are your plans for the rest of the night?’ Bradley asked around his ice cream cone. ‘I don’t know, Roo. I’m kinda working on a minute-to-minute basis right now.’ Bradley nodded. ‘Okay, well, what would you say to junk food run and a movie night?’ ‘With you?  ‘If you want to. I just don’t think it’s good for you to be alone.’ ‘I don’t want you to feel like you have to babysit me.’ ‘Is that what you think this is?’ ‘No, but I don’t want to be a burden. Or a charity case.’ ‘Y/N, you’re none of those things. I always want to spend time with you. Just so happens I have a good excuse today.’ You frowned into your ice cream. ‘Okay. As long as you’re sure.’ 

The two of you finished your ice cream and took a slow walk back to your apartment. When you got in, the first thing you noticed was a framed photograph of you and your now ex-boyfriend on the side table in the hallway. When your bottom lip started trembling, Bradley picked up the photo, put it face down, and then proceeded to run around your apartment and take down any others. It didn’t feel like the same place you’d left a few hours ago. It was haunted by memories that would never look right in the light of day. Even the happiest ones from the start were tainted with the ugliness of his cruel words and actions. 

‘This place is so depressing.’ You grumbled.

Bradley stood in front of you with a stack of photos and one of Elijah’s t-shirts. 

‘It’s not. It’s your home, Y/N. We just have to pack away his stuff and put it all in a box.’ ‘An ex-boyfriend box.’ Bradley smiled sadly. ‘Yeah, exactly. It might be over, and he might be a dick, but it was still a big part of your life, and it’s important to keep the memories safe in case you wanna look back on them someday.’ ‘Or in case I wanna burn them.’ ‘That too.’ Bradley chuckled

So you helped him gather all the mementoes from your relationship and put them in an old Dr Martens box. It all looked pretty pathetic, packed away in a shoebox.

‘I found one of his hoodies and a few other things.’ You called from your bedroom. ‘Can you grab me a bin bag from the top of the fridge?’

You heard shuffling, and then Bradley was standing in the doorway holding out the bag you requested. 

‘Damn, he doesn’t even get one of the nice Trader Joe's bags?’ ‘No,’ you giggled. ‘He gets a trash bag because his stuff is trash, and he’s trash.’

You weren’t really at the stage where you believed that just yet, but saying it was really satisfying, and it felt good to laugh. Fake it till you make it or whatever. 

‘Want me to give it to him tomorrow?’ ‘Thanks, but I should really be the one to do it. I haven’t even texted him back.’ You thought about it for a moment and then continued. ‘Would it be cheeky of me to ask if you’ll come with me? Maybe Nat, too? I could use some moral support, and he’s less likely to make a scene if the two of you are there.’ ‘Of course I’ll be there. I won’t say anything unless you need me to or unless he starts. I can’t make that same promise for Nix, though.’ ‘I haven’t even told Nat yet,’ you sighed. ‘I don’t think I wanna talk about it right this second.’ ‘I’ll text her. Don’t worry about it.’

From your spot on the floor, you looked up at Bradley. The evening sunlight was streaming in through the windows, casting an ethereal glow around him. 

‘You should change your callsign to angel.’ A look of pleasant surprise flickered across his handsome features. ‘Why?’ ‘Because you’re literally my angel, Roo. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.’

Half an hour later, Bradley convinced you to go on a junk food run with him in the Bronco. He said tonight was a mandatory, post-breakup wallowing sesh because if you bottled up your feelings now, you’d explode later at a much more inconvenient time. 

The two of you had been screaming along to all the classic breakup songs: All Too Well by Taylor Swift (yes, he knew all the words), Who Knew by Pink, What About Now by Daughtry… He’d driven the long way to the store because you got so into it. 

Now, as you scanned the shelves in Target, you asked: ‘What is it about screaming sad songs that makes you feel better?’ ‘It’s cathartic,’ Bradley explained. ‘Helps you relieve the strong feelings.’ ‘You know a lot about heartbreak.’ ‘Well, I’ve had my fair share of sadness.’ You froze. ‘That was insensitive of me, I’m sorry.’ Bradley took the packed of Reeses Pieces from your hands so he could hold them. ‘Can you make me a promise?’ ‘What?’ You asked sceptically. ‘Promise you’re gonna stop apologising to me all the time. You have nothing to be sorry for.’ ‘Sorry.’ You smiled sheepishly.  He shook his head. ‘That’s not what you’re supposed to say.’ ‘Okay, fine,’ you huffed. ‘I promise to stop apologising all the time.’ ‘Thank you,’ Bradley said, releasing your hands reluctantly. ‘Now, pick out five more things.’ ‘Five? There’s already five things in the basket.’ ‘Did I ask?’ ‘I’m gonna get fat.’ ‘Don’t be so ridiculous. Wallowing means junk food, and I don’t know if you’re looking at the same basket I am, but that’s not enough junk food.’ ‘Christ Almighty, okay.’ 

He helped you pick out five more things, and then you headed to check out.

‘What movies are good for wallowing?’ You asked. ‘Well, we have to start with a couple of sad ones and then finish with a happy one.’

The cashier told you your total, and Bradley tapped his card before you could even get yours out. You gave him a withering look.

‘I would’ve paid for that. You paid for the ice cream.’ ‘So?’ ‘So we should take it in turns.’

Obviously, he carried the bags as well, and as you walked back to the Bronco, he couldn’t help but wonder if Viper made you take it in turns. If you were his girl, you’d never have to tap your card.

‘What’s your favourite sad movie?’ He inquired.  You opened the trunk for him so he could put the bags in. ‘Technically, it’s not a sad movie. But there’s this part in Inside Out…Wait, have you watched it before? I don’t wanna spoil it for you.’ ‘The part where Bing Bong gets forgotten?’ You gasped. ‘How did you know?’ ‘Because it gets me every single time.’

The way you looked at him in that moment, like he had hung the moon in the sky—God, it was too much. 

‘We’ll start with Inside Out,’ he told you, opening the passenger door so you could climb in. ‘And then we’ll think of something else.’

Without giving much thought to what he was doing, Bradley found himself buckling your seatbelt for you. You were holding your breath, and it dawned on him how easy it would be to kiss you if he were that sort of guy.

And as much as he wanted to kiss you, he was not that sort of guy. He wasn’t about to take advantage of the fact that some asshole had just taken a sledgehammer to your very beautiful heart. 

‘Can we watch Bridge To Terabithia?’ You whispered.

Bradley hadn’t moved, and you were so close that he could feel your warm breath on his cheek. 

‘Are you trying to break my heart, Y/N?’ ‘Yes. I want you to feel my pain.’ 

He was grinning the whole way around the car to the driver’s side and still grinning when he got in the car. You already had his phone in your hand, searching for more sad songs so you could continue your car concert on the way back to your apartment. He drove the long way again so the two of you could finish your rendition of ‘I Don’t Love You’ by My Chemical Romance, which Bradley didn’t know the words to. He tried his best, though, because you seemed to love it, and he couldn’t deny you anything. 

By the time you got home, the sun had almost entirely set. While he set the snacks out on the coffee table, you went around lighting candles and switching on fairy lights. He’d never seen your apartment in the dark, and it was incredibly cosy. Even though it was relatively warm, you dragged all your blankets and pillows from your bed and made a little nest on the sofa. You were so adorable, it was hard to believe that someone could treat you badly. 

If you were his girl, every night would look like this—except you’d be a lot happier, and there would be no tears. 

Halfway through Bridge To Terebitha, you fell asleep. Bradley had been trying to keep his distance despite wanting to wrap you up in his arms, yet somehow—in your sleep—you’d ended up with your legs in his lap. He’d frozen at first, but once he realised you were dead to the world, he allowed himself to rest his hands on your knees. Really, it was that or sit with his arms crossed, and that would be silly. 

For the duration of the movie, his attention flickered between you and the TV. Every time he tried paying attention to what was happening, his eyes wandered back to your peaceful face. He marvelled at your astounding beauty, the delicate way your eyelashes rested against the tops of your rosy cheeks. Bradley had always admired you, and you’d been good friends for years, but what he felt in that moment was something else entirely. By the time the end credits started rolling, he knew without a doubt that he’d set whole cities ablaze to keep you warm. Feelings as rapidly growing as his should have been terrifying, but Bradley wasn’t scared. Falling in love with you seemed to be as easy as wading out into a calm ocean on a warm summer’s day. 

He knew you’d yet to learn that falling in love and staying in love should always be this easy. He knew it was going to take some time to convince you that you deserved healthy love, that the right person would never run away from you and keep turning around to make sure you were chasing them. 

But Bradley was a patient man, and he would wait as long as he had to.

End of part one.

#top gun #top gun maverick #top gun fanfics #top gun imagines #top gun maverick imagines #bradley bradshaw #javy machado #mickey garcia #reuben fitch #natasha trace #jake seresin #pete mitchell #rooster x reader #coyote x reader #fanboy x reader #hangman x reader #payback x reader #bob floyd #bob floyd x reader #phoenix x reader #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #rooster imagine

[hotgirlmav]

Risky Business — Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky x Reader

Pairing: Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky x Female!Reader (18+)

Description: After being promoted to admiral, Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky has little to no time to do anything but work. Constantly stressed out and exhausted, you decide to give your husband something to cheer him up at work. Being afraid of being caught at any time but needing it more than ever, who is he to say no?

Warnings: Descriptive oral sex (m!receiving), explicit language, allusions to smut, slight exhibitionism, risk of getting caught, allusions to oral sex (f!receiving), MAVERICK CAMEO, reader trying Iceman, Iceman trying not to have a heart attack.

Word Count: 3,638.

A/N: Tom Cruise reference in the name because that man is attached to me by the HIP. ALSOOOO, this is my first time writing proper smut, so excuse anything that may seem shitty! Love youuuu!!! <3

Requests are temporarily closed!

Hearing the clearance to enter the office, you turned the doorknob with your free hand and slipped your way in, closing the door behind you with your foot.

“Is this part of your promotion? Forgetting your lunch almost everyday?” You teased your husband in a light tone, setting the articulately packaged containers on the corner of his desk.

Iceman, seconds away from drowning in the paperwork that cluttered his hardwood desk, forced a small grin on his face as a response to the remark that he was already forgetting. Though he was already two months into his promotion, each and every passing second carried a heavier workload than the last. He was always a man who was taken incredibly seriously, but at that moment in time, he was trying his damnedest to prove himself to be more.

After his promotion, Iceman felt as though the playful part of his youth no longer existed. Doing so much as referring to himself as his callsign made him feel as though he was disrespecting his new rank. From that moment on, he was Admiral Kazansky. He felt as though he desperately had to prove himself to both his inferiors and superiors, and in doing so, every second of his free time was lost.

Unfortunately, you were reaping the consequences of such a thing.

Each and every morning, he was gone before your eyes would even open. His vacant spot would no longer hold the inviting warmth that he had, thus proving just how long he had been gone. On a good night, he would come home around an hour later than he usually would. On his worst nights, he would come home while you were getting ready for bed. You initially wanted to be angry and berate him for such a thing, but something kept you from doing so. Your fury was defeated by the dark circles forming under his eyes, the exhaustion in his sultry, smooth voice, and the way his eyelids refused to stay up the second he sat down. Several nights in a row, you would find him fast asleep in his beloved chair in the living room with the television still on. The third time around, the laces on his boots were still tied as perfectly as they were when he left. The sight of it completely broke your heart.

Ever since then, you had been continuously begging the man to slow down. You begged him to breathe, to relax, to just— be. Of course, that was to absolutely no prevail. You knew your husband, and you knew he had to be the best at what he did. He would stop at nothing if it meant he was as respected as an admiral should be, but more importantly, he would make sure to deserve such respect.

Seeing the man you love adorned in stress was nothing short of horrible, yes, but fuck.

If that was not the sexiest thing you had ever seen in your entire life, you had no idea what was. Even at the current moment, you could not stop yourself from gawking. Scanning his face with your eyes for what must have been the millionth time, your heart began to race like it was the first.

The creases that formed as a result of his furrowed eyebrows caused you to tilt your head, completely disregarding the fact that you were outwardly admiring him. Your fingers longed to smooth them out for him, just as you always did. Such an action was typically followed by him letting his eyelids fall shut as the tension in his body smoothly dissolved. Ironically enough, Iceman would melt.

Your mouth watered in a way you could not even prevent if you tried; such an action completely went over his head. His look of concentration only intensified as he wrote. Your head was completely spinning in circles for the brief moment that your eyes were locked on your husband, but it was still long enough for you to figure out just what you wanted to do.

On nights when he would come home on time, you watched the man slowly rid himself of the uniform he wore to his demanding job, but he could never rid himself of the stress that came with it. His body was constantly adorned with it. He wore the agonizing repercussions of a man in his position like the most honorable badge, and quite frankly, you had enough of it.

Not for you, but for him.

Small, calculated steps were taken on your behalf; his concentrated stare was still fixated on the documents before him. You heard the soles of your shoes hit the ground beneath you in a way that felt crushing, but to him, it was just white noise.

Finally, standing behind him, your hands found their way to his shoulders. Even from the slightest touch, Iceman was already letting out a low, quiet exhale of relief. You could feel the tension in his muscles slowly decreasing as you pushed the tips of your fingers further into them, beginning to move them in a circular motion.

It took everything in the man not to completely drop his pen. Iceman’s eyelids dropped the exact way you knew they would, his head falling forward for a moment. One of your hands continued to work as the other stopped for a moment, his hand finding it the second it did. He held your hand in his right one on one of his shoulders and turned his head to face it, his excruciatingly soft lips pressing a kiss to your knuckle.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” The words fell from his lips in a raspy way, his voice cutting through the slightly chilly air like a hot knife through butter. You hoped that you could suppress the need to alleviate his stress, but after hearing the way you soothed him by just rubbing his shoulders, you couldn’t help but wonder what just a little more would do.

You rubbed circles into his shoulders in a way that you hoped would satisfy him. Each and every long, deep exhale that left his nostrils filled your pride in a way that even the most intricate compliment could not. Your heart began to both crack and melt as your mind shifted, causing you to begin to think about just how much the man deserved it. He had been physically and mentally torturing himself ever since he got promoted. The one minute you had been rubbing his back was probably the only moment of pure solitude that he had been granted in the past month.

That was all the motivation you needed to both reward the man for his incredibly hard work and remind him that he did not need to take everything so seriously. There was much more to life than professional success, both good and bad. You wanted to take a moment to remind him of the good.

Your fingers halted after the thought finalized in your mind, but Iceman thought nothing of it. He just figured you were going to be right on your merry way, and he had to get back to work. He picked up his pen once more as your eyes scanned around the beautiful office, your eyes landing on a picture of the pair of you resting on his desk just a moment later.

The blinds on all of the windows looking into his office were shut. The front of his desk made it impossible for anyone to see what was underneath. The fact that he had quite a bit of legroom underneath the desk was enough of a push.

Without even thinking, you slightly pulled his chair back, such an action being made easy by the wheels at the bottom. His face twisted in confusion as he looked over to you, the pen still in his hand. Neither of you had time to think before you were dropping to your knees right in front of him, your hands immediately beginning to fumble with the belt on his uniform.

“Are you insane?” He whispered to you in a hushed tone, his face mirroring that of a deer in headlights. Despite his evident shock, his eyes only followed you as you continued to very slightly rid him of his pants. He made no attempt to stop you.

Noticing that fact, you met his eyes with your own, your eyebrows slightly raising. “Do you want me to stop?”

You knew he didn’t. He knew he didn’t. By asking that very simple, yet very significant question, though, the ball rolled right into your court. You obtained the power in that situation, as opposed to how roles were typically assigned in that manner. He was yours for the taking, and both of you were just fine with that.

Within seconds, he was exposed to you. If anyone were to stand in the doorway, all they would see is the upper half of one Admiral Kazansky, probably as cool and collected as ever. The expression on his face, however, showed something different.

His green eyes were full of bewilderment as your eyes landed on his already semi-hard length, your heart racing as if this wasn’t just the millionth time you were going to blow your husband. Regardless of such, this time was supposed to be special. You had a goal in mind, and you would stop at absolutely nothing to achieve it. Perhaps that was one of the many things you and Tom had in common.

Your eyes flickered upward to gaze at him, the certainty and sheer lust in your eyes perfectly contrasting with the shock in his. The second you wrapped your fingers around his length by the base of it and moved your hand upward just once, the pen fell from his grip. You wasted no time in adjusting your head slightly and wrapping your lips around the tip, your eyes searching for his as you did so.

Iceman furrowed his eyebrows just as he usually did, but it was very evidently not out of frustration. His plump lips parted slightly as he felt your tongue lick a stripe along the tip of his cock, and his larger hand found solace on the top of your head, resisting the urge to just fuck your throat then and there.

The fear of being caught infiltrated his blood like a virus, but absolutely nothing was going to make him pull away from you. Especially with the way the very tip of your tongue flicked over the slit of his cock so briefly, causing him to suppress the most obscene groan.

At that point, all bets were off. He knew what you were doing, and he knew it very well. If you wanted to relieve him of the stress he carried, he was going to allow you to do just that. As a matter of fact, he was going to help you.

Your lips were fully wrapped around his tip as both of his hands moved to push a bit of your hair out of your face, being sure to hold it all behind your head with just one of them. The second he did so, you knew to remove your hand from his base. You knew exactly what he wanted to do, and you were going to let him.

Once your hand moved, Iceman wasted no time in bucking his hips upward, only part of his length fully filling your mouth and threatening to go down your throat. Due to being slightly caught by surprise, you let out the sound of a small gag against it, but still got ahold of yourself quite quickly. The sound only fueled the man much more.

“Try to be quiet, sweetheart.” His low voice filled your ears in a way that caused a small fire to burn in the pit of your stomach, his eyes essentially blazing into yours. “You wouldn’t want us to get caught, would you?”

You knew exactly what to do. Normally, you would respond with noises, but you wanted to toy with him just as much as he was toying with you.

Your hand found its way back to the base of his length as you slowly lifted your mouth off of it, using your hand to lightly and teasingly stroke it as you maintained a calm expression.

“No, Admiral.” You spoke just above a whisper, your lips curling into a shit-eating grin as you watched the darkest lust flash through his eyes. You took the tip in your mouth once more, and instead of beginning to bob your head, you let him do what you knew he wanted.

Your hands gripped the back of his calves as he held your hair in one hand, the other now resting below your jaw. In a way, it was helping you. He held your head in place as he clenched his jaw as tightly as he could, showing no mercy once he thrusted up into your mouth.

Even after years of experience, it still took you a minute to adjust to taking his length. To say that he was big was an understatement. It was more than understandable to know why his ego was the way it was.

You felt inches of him threaten to go deeper and deeper down your throat with each and every thrust, causing muffled gags to be released against his cock each and every time. The vibration he felt from the sound caused him to clear his throat, a vein now making an appearance on his neck.

Just when almost all of him was in your mouth and down your throat, you both heard a slight knock at the door. Immediately, you both froze.

Iceman’s eyes widened as he completely let go of you, but you were too afraid to move.

“Just a minute!” He wasted no time in calling out, frantically looking around his office. He suddenly motioned for you to scoot back underneath his desk, which you wasted no time in pulling back from his erection and doing so.

“Ice, it’s me.” You could hear the voice of Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell say through the door. From your position, you could practically hear your husband rolling his eyes. He pushed his chair inward slightly so as to make it seem he was sitting normally, but still in a way that wouldn’t hit you under the desk.

Getting caught was one thing, but by Maverick? Absolutely not. No fucking way, absolutely not.

After the both of you got settled, Iceman cleared his throat. “Come in.”

The second Maverick came in, your heart stopped. You knew their usual way of greeting one another was by embracing each other in a warm, yet brief hug. Seeing as Iceman’s pants were pulled down to the middle of his thighs, that would not be the best thing.

Luckily, Maverick only sighed and closed the door when he came in, taking a seat in one of the chairs right in front of the desk.

“What do you need, Mav?” Iceman tried to ask as normally as he could. His poker face was absolutely perfect, but he felt like the man in front of him could see right through him.

As Maverick began to inform your husband of the fact that he pissed off another superior, you could feel the tension in his body rising.

“This is the second time this month, Pete. I just got this damn position, and the most progress I’ve made is making sure you don’t get grounded.” Iceman stated in obvious annoyance as his eyebrows furrowed, sitting back in his seat. It was almost as if he forgot you were there.

“I know, I know.” Maverick sighed out in response, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I can’t thank you enough.”

As Maverick continued giving his explanation, a lightbulb went off over your pretty little head. With a small smirk on your face, your hand slowly found its way back to his length. He was still just as hard. If anything, the lack of attention given to his cock was almost making it throb. Immediately, you took the tip back into your mouth.

The very second he felt the contact, Iceman cleared his throat and sat right back up, clenching his jaw.

“You okay, Ice?” Maverick asked in pure confusion as his eyebrows furrowed, staring at the man in front of him, who seemed to be in some sort of pain.

Iceman cleared his throat once more and nodded his head once, trying his best to maintain eye contact as he blinked twice. “Muscle cramp. Please continue.”

Hearing the quick and polite save almost made you giggle, but you still wanted to toy with him. You wasted no time in slightly stroking the bottom half as you began to teasingly bob your head up and down, doing so as silently as you possibly could.

The way his boot would shift every few seconds as a way for him to release some form of reaction kept you going. Once you went down a bit further as a way of testing your own limits, you couldn’t help the small gag that came along with it. Your blood ran cold once you did it, but not even a full second after you did, Iceman let out quite a loud cough.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Pete asked in the middle of his own explanation, confusion more evident on his face than before.

Iceman nodded in response as he gripped your hair underneath the desk, causing you to widen your eyes slightly. The way it caught you off guard piqued your interest.

“Lot of dust in here.” He instantly excused himself.

After a few moments, Maverick was being lectured by the man in front of you, but both you and Maverick knew he would just end it by saying he would help him out. Low and behold, he did.

The second Maverick left his office and closed the door behind him, Iceman pushed his chair back from his desk and glared down at you. All of the rage in his eyes was completely lustful, and his remaining grip on your hair was still thrilling you to no end.

“You’re fucking insane.” He lowly spat under his breath, causing you to fight the urge to just smile at him. “What would have happened if he figured that out? Do you know how fucking bad that would have been?”

His tone was serious, but the look in his eyes said so much more. He parted your lips with his thumb and wasted no time in pushing it into your mouth, completely taking you by surprise. Within a matter of a second, though, you began to slightly run your tongue along his skin. You bobbed your head back and forth in a way that made him feel like you were just sticking your middle finger up at him.

“Fine.” He sharply stated below his own breath, retracting his finger from your mouth and using that hand to grip your jaw. Your mouth was still wide open and your eyes slightly widened in surprise.

“If you want to act like such a dirty little slut, show me what a dirty little slut you are.” He spat his beautifully venomous words at you, just before he aligned the tip of his length with your lips. Without a bit of a warning, he pushed it into your mouth.

You found your position as if it were as easy and natural as riding a bike. He sat back in his chair as he began to bob your head up and down by your jaw and your hair, causing you to quietly gag almost each and every time. For him, you didn’t care. You would have sawed your jaw clean off if he told you to.

His breathing became lighter the faster he did so. After a moment, he stopped so as not to cause any sort of serious strain to your neck, deciding that thrusting upward would be easier for the both of you.

Once he did so, the tip of his cock was hitting the back of your throat almost every second. You only held your mouth open as widely as you could, taking the shortness in his breathing as a sign that he was close.

“Fuck—” You heard the beautiful word carefully slip under his breath, causing you to brace yourself. You squeezed your eyes shut as you felt his load begin to fill your mouth, just knowing the way you were sending him over the edge as you began to swallow.

After a moment of the man trying his best to suppress the groans he wanted to let out as a result of him finishing, he lowly panted under his breath. You lifted your head and shamelessly wiped the side of your mouth, happily standing to your feet once he began to fix his uniform.

“You’re welcome.” You hummed to your husband in such a casual manner, pressing the softest peck to his lips before you turned to your things.

As you gathered your belongings and hooked your purse over your shoulder, you felt a cold hand slightly grip your wrist, causing you to turn back to him.

“Where are you going?” He asked in what seemed to be complete confusion, causing you to furrow your eyebrows and let out a small giggle.

“Home…?” You spoke in a way that came off as more of a question than a statement. The words that he spoke next made you both almost completely implode, and mentally pat yourself on the back for deciding to do what you did.

“No, no way.” He laughed out, shaking his head in disapproval before he stood from his seat, his eyes locking with yours as he did so.

“It’s your turn.”

#tom kazansky #tom kazansky x reader #tom iceman kazansky #tom kazansky imagine #top gun fanfics #top gun fanfiction #top gun #iceman x reader #iceman #tom iceman kazansky x reader #iceman top gun #iceman x you #iceman x female reader #val kilmer #val kilmer x reader #top gun maverick #top gun x reader #top gun imagine #top gun fanfic #top gun 1986 #tgm #maverick #top gun headcanons #top gun smut #iceman imagine #iceman x y/n #bradley rooster bradshaw #jake hangman seresin #pete maverick mitchell #iceman smut

[ruewrote]

𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙.

PAIRING: jake seresin x fem!reader WARNINGS: strong language GENRE: fluff SONG INSPIRATION: nonsense by sabrina carpenter WORD COUNT: 912

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this was now the fifth or sixth time that jake had tried to flirt with you, the previous attempts failing since you had shot him down.

you knew of his reputation and you weren't going to be another notch under his belt.

he probably thought you were just playing hard to get, but he got a little more frustrated every single time he got turned down, but was never forceful, he just didn't think he could like someone this much.

you didn't know what he was trying to prove or who he was trying to prove it to.

you already had enough on your plate, making drinks, wiping tables down. it was far from the first time an aviator tried flirting with you either for free drinks or for your number, of course you never gave it out because they all gave up quite easily or never put enough effort in.

not him though.

man was he persistent, it was nice just knowing that someone was thinking of you. yes he might think there's a possibility that he might be able to get into your pants, but a little flirting never hurt anybody, right?

fluttered eyelashes and small gestures like opening the door for you, him letting you walk in first not before sending you a winning smile.

tonight was no different then the others - well that was until a drunken dickhead decided to think it was a good idea to grab your ass.

as soon as it happened you turned around, fist meeting his nose knocking him onto his butt. shaking your hand a little whilst you kept staring at the creep on the floor.

grabbing his nose, he stood as the blood gushed out of his nose. his face full of rage, you soon regretted your punch when he towered over you, backing away he soon stopped when hangman slid in between the two of you, shielding you away from the guy.

"im gonna have to ask you to leave dude, you've crossed the line, the lady was lucky that she let you get away with just a bloody nose. i would've beaten you black and blue for that."

this just made the guy square up to jake, he stood a couple of inches shorted than the aviator, all jake did was firmly planted his feet where he stood, chest puffed out.

the coward ran out of the bar, seresin stood his ground making sure the guy was gone for good before turning to make sure that you were alright.

the whole bar went back to doing what they were doing previous to when the incident started, you didn't even realise that most people had stopped to watch what was happening - some of them ready to intervene if it had come down to it.

once he had scanned your body for any injuries his eyes landed on your hand, the one that had taken a blow not too long ago.

he lightly ran his thumb over your bruised knuckles as he held your hand, you slightly flinched trying to downplay the pain that you feel.

that led him guiding you to the backroom, penny smirking whilst giving you a nod which made you roll your eyes.

once you got there, he sat you down on a unopened keg, opening the freezer door finding an icepack.

you admired him as long as you could before he turned to make his way back over to you, gently placing the ice on your knuckles cradling your hand.

a sharp hiss left your mouth, which made him apologise profusely.

"ive never had anyone defend my honour before, honestly thought he was gonna lay me out flat after he stood up." that just made him shake his head with a small smile, keeping his eyes on your hand in his.

"you know i would never let anything happen as long as i was there."

you had never been this close to him before, so close that you could see the flecks of brown in his green eyes. feel his breath fanning your face, his eyes flickering down to your lips waiting for a response.

"i know. i believe that..." you both leant closer to each other, you were sure he could hear how fast and strong your heart was beating as your lips met his.

it was everything you dreamt of and more.

it felt right. you felt safe with him.

you pulled away with a wide grin on your face, a nervous giggle falling out of your mouth.

"worth the wait, now you stubborn woman will you please let me take you out on a goddamn date?" he playfully slumped himself against you, head on your shoulder.

of course your answer was yes, how could you say no to him?

after you walked out of the break room it must of been obvious that something happened from the hand holding, payback and fanboy started making kissing noises and rubbing there arms up and down their sides pretending to make out with someone.

everyone else in the bar started cheering which made you rest your head on jake's shoulder as a deep blush spread across your cheeks, all he did was shake his head and snaked his arm around your waist pulling you closer to him kissing your cheek.

"it's about damn time." looking over to see it was penny and pete smirking at you both.

the teasing was never ending of course.

© ruewrote.

#jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin oneshots #jake seresin imagines #jake seresin fanfics #top gun #top gun x reader #top gun oneshots #top gun imagines #top gun fanfics #top gun maverick #top gun maverick x reader #top gun maverick oneshots #top gun maverick imagines #top gun maverick fanfics #x reader #oneshots #imagines #fanfics #ruewrote

[foreveraweirdoneslife]

Masterlist - Top Gun Fics

~ unless stated otherwise, Ice lives in all my fics ~

~ So far, all my fics are consistent with each other but you can totally read each of them individually (just letting you know that they are all connected in my head) ~

(* contains smut as part of the story)

(** smut fic)

[icemav]

I Think We're Alone Now (formerly: You Can Be My Wingman Anytime)* (ao3)

(WIP, 14/?, switching POV between Mav and Ice, set between summer ‘86 and summer ‘87, word count: 24.4k+)

After their grand declaration of mutual wingmanship, Ice and Mav are constantly drawn to each other and it's really only a matter of time until they become more than friends. It's a venturous enterprise - being a gay couple in the Navy. They are determined to make it work but life is putting more than enough obstacles in their way. Or Icemav’s first year as a couple.

Like No Time Has Passed At All** (ao3, tumblr)

(complete, one-shot, Mav’s POV, set immediately after TG:M, side pairing: hangster, word count: 3.7k)

Old married icemav are having some fun in the bedroom while Bradley is in the house, too.

[hangster]

Weekend Trip* (ao3)

(complete, 5/5, Bradley's POV, set 5 months after TG:M ('22), side pairing: icemav, word count: 12.8k)

Jake's first weekend with Bradley in the Mitchell-Kazansky house. It's chaos and banter and maybe also a bit embarrassing but they nevertheless can't leave their hands off each other.

[Last updated: 04/25/2024]

#top gun #top gun fanfic #top gun fanfics #top gun masterlist #masterlist #fanfic #fanfic masterlist #tom cruise #pete maverick mitchell #top gun maverick #icemav #tom iceman kazansky #top gun 1986 #bradley rooster bradshaw #jake hangman seresin #hangster #sereshaw #hangster smut #val kilmer #icemav smut #maverick x iceman #iceman x maverick #jake x bradley #jake seresin #bradley x jake #jake hangman imagine #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw fic #hangman #hangman x rooster

[lovingbradshawafterdark]

The cost of the crown 1

Jake x reader (royalty au)

Summary: your kingdom needs aid and the only way to get it is to be wed to the future crown prince, Jake Seresin who rules with fear and will hang his enemies. Your people need help but can you heart take it?

Warnings: 18+ content ahead, eventual smut, mentions of pregnancy later on, depictions of Hanging and death. Other warnings to be added (love triangle too with Bradley because I like to make things complicated) Afab reader. Also arranged marriage

A/n: so this was based on this post by @lunamoonbby so this story will heavily revolve around that. I would also recommend @roosterscock take on this!

Taglist: @lovelybucky1 @discoseal @marchingicenotes7 @cyrene-world @rafemcameron1 @itmejado @harper1666 @hangmandruigandmav @uwiuwi @iluvweasleys

Jake had grown bored sitting on his throne. His chin rested on his hand as he waited patiently. For what exactly remained unsure, the moment an advisor walked in, a smirk appeared on his lips.

��What is it?” He asked, fixing his crown as his advisor, Bob, nervously fidgeted.

“They have agreed to our terms” Bob’s meek voice was as quiet as a mouse, and Jake just laughed.

“Did they now?” Jake rose from his throne, his footsteps nearing Bob. Jake watched as Bob’s Adams Apple bobbed from taking a gulp, “arrange a meeting” Jake's cape dragged across the ground.

“R-right away, sir!” Bob quickly scurried away, already starting to write a letter. Jake’s green eyes shimmered as the sunset. He’d have that meeting soon to settle the details.

Two days later

You had sipped your tea delicately. The garden was small, filled with roses. Natasha heard tiny footsteps approaching, quickly putting her tea down as she raised a sword and looked towards the bushes.

“Natasha, nobody would know we are out here except the other knights” You put the cup down and looked at her. She was always on edge now, especially with the threat of an invasion. Her eyes were transfixed as she saw slight rustling, her sword ready as she approached. You knew everyone was on edge, even the sudden proposal of a slight treaty between yours and Seresin’s kingdom.

“Show yourself!” She yelled, taking a swing. You flinched before a loud clink of swords.

“Jesus, Nat, warn a guy next time!” Bradley walked out as, blocking Nat’s sword. You let out a sigh of relief as both lowered their swords, “I’m not hangman or anything like that,” you gulped, feeling your throat tighten at that name.

“Bradley!” Nat hit him on the back of the neck, “you know-“

“It’s alright, Natasha” Your voice was slightly shaky as you took another sip, hoping the tea would calm your nerves. They both looked at you with worry, Bradley looking back, ensuring he wasn’t followed.

“You sure? I wouldn’t exactly be thrilled to have to make peace with that guy,” Bradley said, sitting across from you. Natasha went back to your side. You took a deep breath; you couldn’t keep it a secret from them.

“I said…yes” your leg bounced anxiously, and both eyes widened. Bradley gripped the hilt of his sword.

“Why would you do that?” Bradley asked. He noticed the sad look in your eyes. He knew why, but the last thing he wanted was for the kingdom to have anything involved with the hangman.

“Our kingdom needs the aid, and prince Seresin can provide us with that” you sounded way too much like your father, making Bradley roll his eyes. He hates hearing you take care of the kingdom before yourself.

“She’s right, Bradley; at least King Maverick allowed her some say in the decision,” Natasha said, almost scolding him. Bradley pinched the bridge of his nose.

“This would be different if it were some random loser, but this is hangman we are discussing here. We don’t know his motives,” Bradley rebutted as you sat in thought.

“For the crown prince to become king is for him to be wed,” you said as you stirred your tea, “and for Jake to have the most power available to him for our Kingdom to be safe.”

“But is that what you want?” Bradley asked, reaching out for your hand and squeezing it slightly. If you were being honest, no, you didn’t want that. What you wanted didn’t matter.

“I want all of you to be safe,” you whispered, retracting your hand from Bradley. He frowned as Natasha watched the sun.

“We should head back, the sun is going down, and I don’t want to risk it,” Natasha said as she walked over towards the horse and Carriage, “did you walk here?” Natasha asked Bradley, suddenly noting his horse was nowhere to be found.

“Yeah?” He looked at her, momentarily confused, before realizing he would have to walk back; Bradley had usually ridden with you in the carriage since he was a kid and a knight in training. It became a problem when he finally became a real knight as people began to spread rumors, none of which were true, but you had to tell him you couldn’t do that anymore. He doubled check to ensure room for two drivers yet quickly shot down.

“It’s alright, he can-“ You were cut off as sounds of horns were heard in the distance, you froze, and Natasha grabbed you like you weighed nothing. Bradley looked over the hill as several figures emerged. His hand hadn’t left his sword's hilt since he had sat down, finally drawing it.

“Bradley, get inside,” Natasha whispered while she threw you inside the carriage; Bradley gritted his teeth, “Bradley.”

“Go! I’ll distract them,” He said as he saw them charge down the hill. He walked towards the mass of knights at the top of the mountain, his armor rattling. His breath was steady, calming his nerves before gasping as Nat grabbed him by the neck and dragged him back to the carriage.

“Inside now!” She pushed him inside, and you made room for him as Nat closed the door. You were shaken up, and Bradley placed a hand on your knee.

“Eyes on me. Don’t look outside,” Bradley whispered; you frantically nodded and stared directly at him, pupils wide. You felt the carriage jolt, and the horse whinnied. The horses' hoofs rang throughout the valley as they ran down the hill. You nearly glanced out the window, yet Bradley gently cupped your face, “eyes on me,” he reminded as you gulped. You could hear Natasha curing under her breath quite loudly. You took several deep breaths before it all hit you at once.

“The tea set!” You gasped and tried to look back, but Bradley still wouldn’t let you. He saw your breathing getting uneven and pupils going even more expansive, “we have to go back to the tea set -“

“We have to get you back to the kingdom,” he whispered. Your eyes began to well with tears; Bradley gently wiped them away, “I’m sure your dad will-“

“That was my father’s set….” You whispered, voice shaky as you tried to get a sob from bubbling out of your throat. Bradley went pale, looking back as he saw the small table you had set up getting further from view. He kept looking back at you and the small garden. His chest tightened before looking at you.

“You are my number one priority right now. Going back would be too dangerous” You glared at him and balled your hands into fists. You wanted to tell him to go and get it, yet the words wouldn’t come out. He saw the tears stream down your warm cheeks “order me to go back for it.”

“I can’t,” You said immediately, and he shook his head. You never ordered him or Nat. They always took the initiative as it was a part of their training. However, you had to get used to ordering them, even over something minor.

“If you want me to get it, you have to order me to do it” Bradley’s voice was soft, yet you shook your head. He firmly squeezed your knee, “tell me to “

“I’m not letting you die like your dad!” You shouted at him, tears coming from your eyes like it was never-ending. Time froze, and Bradley soon kept his mouth shut. You covered your mouth out of shock as he said back, bringing his hands back to his sides, you wanted to say sorry, but nothing came out. Luckily the sound of the gates opening quite frantically assured you it was safe. The sounds of the guards were heard as the gates shut. You caught your breath as the carriage opened. You expected your father to be the one to do it; you felt your knees give out as you landed in front of an unfamiliar pair of boots and a cape. You slowly looked up. Your eyes widened, seeing who it was.

“I'm glad you're safe, Princess.”

“Prince Jake! I wasn't expecting you so soon” Jake offered his hand and gently helped you. Your heart pounded as Jake smiled, Bradley soon left the carriage as well, and Jake’s sword quickly drew as it was pointed at Bradley. You froze as make pulled you closer to him.

“I wanted to finalize the details with you as soon as possible. Now, who is this?” Jake asked as his knights soon brought Bradley down to his knees with much force. Jake delicately tipped Bradley’s chin with his sword, “someone I need to hang, perhaps?”

“N-No! He's my knight!” you quickly got in front of Jake, “he umm, I ordered him to protect from inside the carriage as we had to suddenly leave in such a hurry that he couldn't calm his horse!” Natasha glanced between you and Bradley, and soon people gathered around.

“So he won't cause us any trouble?” Jake moved his sword, his green eyes bearing into you.

“No, I will assure you he won't,” you promised and looked back to Bradley. He was glaring and about to say something, yet you gestured for him to keep quiet. Jake lowered his sword, putting it back in his sheath as tensions were lowered. You took a deep breath, looking around as the townspeople were whispering. You thought you were in the clear until you saw a stone thrown at Jake’s shoulder. You let out a squeak before backing away. Jake’s eyes lowered as he turned to face who did it. An old shopkeeper huffed as he crossed his arms.

“We don't want you here,” The old shopkeeper kissed out. Bradley stood to his feet as he stared. Jake’s eyes lowered.

“Princess, you have a gallows here, correct?” Jake asked coldly, his knights already walking towards the older man. Bradley tried to walk past you, but you stopped him.

“We do; we do not use them unless a person is found guilty of a crime,” You said, walking next to him, “this man has not committed any crime, but I will promise to have him punished for such rudeness.”

“So you do not have attacking royalty as a crime?” he asked, his knights already surrounding the man. His eyes were suddenly filled with fear, looking at you pleadingly.

“We do, but that is only for extreme circumstances!” you glanced at the man as he was grabbed and dragged over to Jake and you.

“What kind of circumstances?”

“Like assassination or assault,” you said as Jake glared down at the old man, who was now on his hands and knees.

“But assassination and assault are classified as two separate crimes, am I correct?” Bradley strolled over to where you and Jake were, “I thought you said your knight wouldn't be a problem?” Natasha pulled Bradley back. You couldn't look at the older man as he tried to plead.

“I'm sorry, your highness! I won't do it again; please spare me!” The older man pleaded, even kissing Jake’s boot and your delicate heel.

“That's what they say, yet I know what you bastards do in the shadows” Jake slapped the old man making you gasp, “I know what you plot!”

“That is enough!” you shouted and grabbed make by the arm, “this is my kingdom! And my father must have told you this behavior wouldn't be allowed!” Jake scoffed before getting out of your grip.

“He told me only to use my methods unless necessary, and this is necessary to set an example” Jake turned to the crowd and began to hike to the gallows, his knights not far behind him as he dragged the old man through the dirt right past you.

“That son of a” Bradley growled, yet you stopped him, pressing a hand to his chest, your aching.

“I order you and Natasha not to interrupt,” You whispered. They both looked at you and then back at each other.

“But-”

“No matter how much panic there is amongst the people, you are not to engage” you walked towards make, leaving Bradley and Natasha to watch. The townspeople stood back out of fear; the older man tried to escape yet was quickly caught again. The rope was quickly wrapped around his neck, pleading for mercy.

“Let this be a warning. It those who step out of line, this will be the punishment,” Jake shouted at the rest of the townspeople as they gathered. The older man watched as several people tried to come forward, yet Jake’s knights stopped all of them. He walked towards the lever, the older man crying before the floor dropped beneath him.

***

You were silent at dinner. Jake sat and glanced at you. You felt ill after what you had just watched. Your father cleared his throat.

“We should start making the wedding arrangements soon, and he said with a smile as you weakly looked at him.

“Yes, of course,” you put down your fork, “when would you like to be married, Jake?” Jake sat back in his chair, looking directly at you.

“Well, the people will try and stage something if today wasn't an indicator,” Jake said, taking a small but from his roasted beef. You just angrily stabbed your fork into yours.

“They will only be more fearful of you after today,” You hissed as you hit the table. Jake didn't move an inch, “now, because of your actions, I have to reassure them!” Jake did nothing, and he did not move.

“That’s enough! If this is to work, you both need to compromise,” Your father scolded you, causing you to stab your knife into the table.

“I'm, going to my room!” you stormed off and slammed the don't, leaving just your father and Jake, “we can discuss this tomorrow!”

You screamed into your pillow, and you hated this arrangement. You hated Jake, you hated-

“Pssst, it’s me!” Bradley said as he crawled through your window. You nearly shrieked at him, yet he held a hand over your mouth, “you want them to hear?”

“No, but you have to stop scaling the castle,” you whispered, touching Bradley’s cheek. The rumors people spread weren’t necessarily true, but some weren’t untrue. His lips softly kissed your skin as he tried to undress you, “Bradley! We can’t do this” you gently grabbed his hands.

“But I love you” he kissed your forehead, hand landing on your waist. He straddled you, his hands going towards your breasts, “am I going to have to do it with your dress on again?”

“You're not mad at me?”

“You were angry and a lot of pressure has been out on you,” he said getting frustrated as he tried to not tear the strings, “so am I going to do this myself?”

“No, just let me get out of it first” You giggled and pushed him off you. He sat on the bed and watched as you slowly began to take off your dress. It wasn’t anything fancy, easy to take off since it was just for leisure, “a little help?” you said, turning around and pointing to the strings keeping your dress clinging to your body. Bradley’s eyes didn’t leave as your dress fell from your body gracefully. He had gotten used to how your dresses worked for the most part. He guided your body to him, and you could feel his trousers tenting. He kissed your neck feverishly, hands caressing your skin. You enjoyed this, and you loved your time with Bradley. It was, however, controversial if people had found out you and one of your knights were doing this….if Jake had found out.

“Bradley,” You said breathlessly, your hand caressing the scars on his face; he was about to kiss your lips, but you stopped him.

“What’s wrong? You usually love when I kiss you” he frowned as you got off of him.

“We can’t do this, not when-“

“Not while the hangman is here?” He sat up, looking at your vanity; you sat on the stool and sighed.

“Yes, not while my future husband is here,” you mumbled, taking your elegant necklace off. It felt weird to say, foreign.

“You’re going to do it then?” Bradley whispered, that familiar ache in your heart returning.

“I don’t have a choice, Bradley….we need aid” you took your earrings off next, staring at your reflection. Your crown resting on your head like it weighed nothing, but it cost everything, “besides I’m sure plenty of people would love their fill of-“

“But I only want you,” his voice was soft and tender; you turned to look at him, his eyes sadly looking into yours, “only you.”

“Bradley….you can’t have me. My duties lie with-“

“To hell with duties! You should be able to have a life!” Bradley was almost too loud, and now you were too aware of Jake’s presence in the castle. He stood with anger and spite, “we can run away far from here, nobody will find us and-“

“This isn’t a fairy tale, Bradley” You looked at him and then at your hands; this next part wasn’t going to be easy to tell, “I…when Jake and I get married, I…I will” you were about to cry, and all the anger in Bradley’s disappeared, his only thought was to worry about you.

“When Jake and I are wed, this will no longer be my kingdom,” you said, still trying not to cry. Bradley was confused for some time, yet you saw the realization.

“You mean, you’re going away?” He asked softly. Your lip quivered, but you managed to nod. Bradley hadn’t seen you leave the kingdom since you were young, you had to be taken to somewhere outside the kingdom, but this wouldn’t be six months…this could mean eternity.

“But the king doesn’t have any more children! Our kingdom will die!” Your eyes sadly looked into his.

“My father…has always been orthodox with his methods, and you’ve been around me my whole life,” your father said, not saying anything to Bradley until after the wedding.

“You can’t be serious, and I’m not-“

“He trusts you, and at this point, many people view you as a possible successor” You glanced at the door, ensuring it was locked.

“But I wasn’t born into this family. They will-“

“I wasn’t either, I have no blood relation to my father, and the people view me as their princess” you gently took his hands and held them.

“You’ve been trained your whole life to be a princess, to be queen! I’m supposed to be a night I-“ you squeezed his hands and sadly smiled at him.

“Can you do one last favor for me, Bradley?” You asked as a breeze blew through your window, the night cold. He nodded with a gulp, “promise me when I married to Jake and leave…that you will take the crown.”

***

The ceremony came quicker than you thought, you’d expected a month, but Jake insisted on having it only a week after his arrival; there was no time to do it in Jake’s kingdom, so all had to be done in yours, or what would no longer be yours. You fiddled with the dress given to you, and it had been an heirloom of Jake’s family. The bastard brought it with him; your eyes were on the ground, tiny raindrops already hitting it. You were told that it rained on your wedding day. It was good luck. None of this felt excellent or lucky; you saw as the townspeople cleared the way making a path for you to walk. They were not happy; they were mourning. They would never have you as a future queen; you were Hangman’s now. You thought of the tea set you had lost; your fathers set well, in a way, he was your other father. Mav’s knight, Tom, or as you both called him, Ice, was close to your family. He had taught you while your father was off attending to duties.

“Of course, the impure would get married to a monster” someone whispered, making you stop. You hadn’t been called that in a very long time, “good riddance, she must have been born from a whore our king took pity on” that was always the theory, despite the fact your father had found you from a nearby village that was raided and burnt to a crisp. Your father had seen you wailing, hidden in a safe space, so the story goes.

“You dare say such things about our future king's wife?” One of Jake’s knights escorting you to the castle has said, raising his sword.

“Ignore them,” you told him. The knight stopped for a moment but looked at you. His helm had hidden his face, but he was confused.

“But my princess! This heathen has spoken treacherous lies!”

“And I order you to ignore them! If I am to be your future queen, you will listen to me!” You hissed with a glare that made him tremble; the knight stood with a sword in hand until another one of Jake’s knights placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Listen to what he says” that was all it took for the other knight to put his sword away and continue to escort you. Natasha was in the crowd, making sure none stepped out of line. She didn’t say a word, only glanced at the ground. The walk was painful almost as you finally made it to the castle doors; Bradley stood outside, and he looked at you. You paid him no attention as the doors were opened to you. Jake stood at the alter, his meer aura making you afraid. Your father stood by him as you gracefully walked up to the both of them, a veil covering your face. You didn't pay attention to the priest that Jake chose to officiate, your mind was swirling until you realized you had said all of your I do’s.

“You may now kiss the bride” Your kind cane reeling back at those words, the sudden weight crushed you. Jake’s green eyes met yours as he lifted your veil. Leaning close to you, everything was happening too fast. The safety of your kingdom mattered more, you knew that. The end of what you once knew ended as his lips pressed to yours.

#top gun #top gun fanfics #jake seresin x reader #hangman x reader #jake hangman seresin x reader #top gun maverick #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #top gun smut #jake seresin fanfiction #jake hangman seresin #jake hangman x reader #jake seresin imagine

[callsignrascal]

Oooo could I request a rooster x reader soulmate au where the reader is a bartender at hard deck and has multiple people hitting on her, so she doesn’t think anything of it until she realizes Rooster’s her soulmate? Sorry if that’s not the best prompt or doesn’t make sense!!

Iridescent

Pairing: Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw/Bartender!Fem!Reader

Summary: In this world, your soulmate’s first and last name is written on your left wrist. Reader is bartender at the Hard Deck, nearly desperate to find her soulmate. Little did she know that her name was etched into the wrist of a Navy pilot.

A/N: thanks for my first ever request anon :oo i was a bit confused with the prompt but i hope i did it justice !! so sorry the soulmate part is a bit boring of a concept though haha …

Warning: drinking, bad grammar, unedited :)

no use of Y/N

The San Diego breeze flew through the open patio door of the Hard Deck. It was a cool set off to even out the California summer heat. With the bar’s AC fighting to stay alive, it was much appreciated. 

“Slow night?” You asked Penny as you stepped behind the bar, tossing your bag next to the cash register. You grabbed your apron and secured it around your waist as Penny maneuvered around you, preparing drinks for some customers.

“For now,” she replied, “but it’s only 5, you know how it is.”

You’ve been working with Penny at the Hard Deck since she bought the place. As much as you enjoyed working with her, this wasn’t a permanent position. Penny was generous enough to put you through the work so you could pay for college in order to pursue your major. Your work schedule wasn’t too draining either, you had the leeway to choose your own shifts. Because of this, during the school year you were able to pick up shifts whenever possible. Lucky for Penny, it was the summer so she had your help daily.

You watched as some Navy sailors trickled in wearing their service khakis. This wasn’t a rare occurrence, the bar was the unofficial official stomping grounds for pilots. Hence, the name. In fact, both you and Penny came from Navy lineage. Penny being the daughter of late Admiral Benjamin. Your father did not rise in the ranks nearly as much, but still gave you the military brat lifestyle. Being raised on base, it was no surprise you’d find familiarity in the bar.

As you delivered a drink to a customer, you caught sight of a man at the other end of the bar flagging you down. You quickly took the money on the counter before you made your way to him.

“Hey there, sweetheart.” The man was a regular, so you didn’t mind the nickname. If you were nice enough to him, he tipped real well.

“How are you doing, Hangman.” You flashed him and his friend standing next to him a quick smile. “Coyote.” Very rarely did you call your pilot patrons by their real names, often opting for their call signs instead. “So, what will you two be having today?”

“I was hoping for you, but I know you’re not on the menu.” Hangman flirted with his signature smirk.

You laughed. “I’ll let you know the moment I am.” You were used to customers, including him, flirting with you. You had a pretty face and you knew how to use it. It’s part of the reason Penny hired you, brought in good business. And you could handle a couple hours of being hit on by sloppy drunks if it meant you could make your rent and student loans.

They gave you their orders and you jogged back to the bar to grab them. Looking over at Penny, you noticed her talking to a guy her age wearing an older leather jacket adorned with military patches. While she was friendly to most of her customers, this one was different. She leaned over the counter to talk to him and abandoned the wine glass she was cleaning. Eyeing his wrist, you saw the familiar name etched into his skin, ‘Penny Benjamin.’ Your eyes widened at the sight. This must be Pete Mitchell. Penny had the matching soulmate mark on her wrist. 

You remembered the conversation you had with Penny around the time you started working at the bar. You had seen her soulmate mark in the iridescent color instead of the normal black, which indicated that she had found him. You had assumed it was Amelia’s dad considering he was no longer in the picture, but Amelia had her father’s last name, and it wasn’t Mitchell. Questioning her about it, all she said was that they met when she was younger but he wasn’t ready. Of course, you regretted asking as soon as you did. 

You quickly eyed the name on your own wrist, sighing at the dull black color it stayed.  You envied everyone who found their soulmates and stuck with them. The thought of being with someone who was completely meant for you is a dream. Considering you work at a bar, it shouldn’t have been hard to find your soulmate, right? People come in and out all the time. But you knew it was wishful thinking. Sometimes you wondered if your soulmate was even real. I mean, what kind of name is ‘Bradley Bradshaw’? 

After handing Hangman and Coyote their drinks, you made your way back behind the bar with Penny to treat the customers sitting there. You had your usuals of course; the same men every week who would come in to drink and engage in small talk. You knew that they probably also liked to look at the two of you, which came along with the job. Most of the guys knew what the boundaries were though. They knew you’d flirt and talk to them just to get a nice tip out of them. You also knew that all of that worked well.

Before you knew it, you heard The Bell ring. You looked at Penny with a raised eyebrow but she just stared down with a smirk at the (supposed) Pete Mitchell. He didn’t look like he would disrespect a woman or the Navy so you weren’t surprised to see his phone laying on the counter. You chuckled at the exchange and got back to work.

As the night got livelier with promises of a free round, you and Penny rushed about behind the bar; taking orders, making drinks, and most importantly; sweet talking your way into more tips. It was an easy job with a crowd like this. Most of the patrons that made up the Navy crowd were men afraid of commitment, making it easier to flirt your way up to bigger tips. 

With a glance to the door, you feel your heart jolt straight out of your chest. Walking in like he owns the place was the prettiest man you’ve seen in your life. He wore civvies, a faded old Hawaiian shirt over a wife beater, but you knew without a doubt that he belonged to the group of military that huddled near the billiards. You observed the pride in the way he held himself that could only scream Navy. Or maybe it was the 80s pornstache he had on. No civilian would wear that so confidently. 

Penny walked up behind you without you noticing, “He looks like your type.” 

Out of shock you spluttered, “What- what do- what do you mean?” It came out a lot more panicked than you wanted it to. 

“Don’t know,” Penny’s eyes widened as she looked past your shoulder. “Maybe you’ll find out because he’s on his way over.”

”Shit, already?” You panicked a bit, but when you turned around and saw him walk over you tried to muster up some fake confidence. “Hi! What can I get for you?”

The mustache man raised an eyebrow at how fake your greeting was. He chose to ignore it, though, “Right now, just a Moscow Mule. But maybe your number later.” He winked at you.

“Real original, sailor.” You matched the raised eyebrow that he wore when you first spoke. 

“Pilot, actually.” The man leaned on his elbows atop the counter as you started on his drink. “The name’s Rooster.”

“Rooster? That’s unfortunate.” You teased, knowing that it was only a callsign, but you were a bit disappointed. You were wishing he told you his real name, in the hopes that it was scrawled on your wrist.

Rooster got up off of his elbows to wave his hands, “N-no. It’s just my call sign, like in the Navy we’re given-” He cuts himself off when he looks at your amused face as you shake his drink. “But you knew that. You work at the Hard Deck. Surrounded by military personnel.”

That ripped a giggle out of you. His embarrassed face mixed with him rubbing the palm of his hand on the back of his neck was enough to keep you happy for the rest of your life. Little did you know, was that your laugh had the same effect on him.

“Here you go, Mr. Rooster.” You pushed his drink across the counter to him, using his callsign to tease him.

He picked it up, taking a sip. “Thanks, but I didn’t catch your name.”

“I don’t think I threw it.” You smiled at his expectant face. “You can call me Gertrude.” He gave you his callsign, you gave him a fake name.

“Gertrude?”

“Gertrude.”

He obviously knew it was a fake name, but decided to settle with it. “Okay… Gertrude. I’ll see you later, then.”

“See you later, then.” You repeated. Rooster then walked off to meet the group that was now with Hangman and Coyote.

Penny bumped you as you stared off at him. She giggled when she caught your dazed face. A silent conversation went on between you before you both went back to the bustling customers. On this particular night, the bar began to pick up later on, customers trickling in and filling up the seats. You and Penny kept busy preparing drinks, talking, and laughing with each other. You glanced up at one point, watching the door as more customers entered the bar.

You and Penny were pretty occupied tonight, and while you wanted to make small-talk with the new guy for some reason, you didn’t have much of a chance now. You and Penny moved behind the bar, doing your usual thing as you mixed drinks and retrieved beer for everyone. Penny halted her work every now and then to talk to Pete. But she wasn’t the only one distracted. You often stopped to look up toward the pilots who have been congregating at the pool tables. Truthfully, your eyes always shifted to Rooster and you caught yourself each time, wondering why you couldn’t stop looking at him.

“Hey,” Penny started as you worked on an order, “That man has not stopped watching you since he walked in.” She bit her lip, nodding toward Rooster as if to draw your attention that way.

“Yeah, I was beginning to think he was just here to check out the goods,” you laughed as you thought about how he hasn’t ordered much alcohol despite being at a bar.

“Well, go give him the goods,” Penny replied, elbowing you lightly.

“Penny Benjamin!” You gasped. “Just because your estranged boyfriend came in doesn’t mean you have to meddle in my love life.”

“Hey, I didn’t say to sleep with him,” she defended herself, “I’m only saying that he likes what he sees and that means you’re getting paid tonight if you flirt a little.”

“Yeah, I know that. But we’ve got a pretty full bar. It’s not the night to focus on one group of guys that may or may not even tip.”

“He’s just your type,” she said in a sing-song voice, ignoring your statement. You followed her eyes over to the pilots, again letting your focus fall on Rooster. She was right at least, he really was cute.

You turned away. “Yeah,” you replied, “but he’s military. We both know how that could end up.”

Penny clicked her tongue, “Don’t let my misfortunes deter you from your fate.”

“Fate? What-” Before you could turn around to look at her, she was already attending to another customer. You rolled your eyes playfully as she moved over to Pete again and continued what you were doing.

The bar was pretty slow now, everyone already having drinks in their hands. You started wiping up glasses and spilled beer. Your head shot up when a bunch of customers complained about the jukebox being unplugged. Soon after, you heard The Bell ring once more. What surprised you was that it was towards Maverick again. Laughing at the indication that he wasn’t able to pay for the round of drinks. You watched with an amused smile as Hangman, Coyote, and a third pilot threw him out of the bar.

Instead, your attention was grabbed by a Hawaiian shirt sitting at the piano. The rest of the patrons crowded around him, so it was hard to see, but you pulled yourself up to sit on top of the counter. With everyone distracted, you and Penny were able to watch the show without anyone asking for a drink. 

Rooster sat at the keys starting to play a song you’ve heard a hundred times. 

Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis. 

Your dad was a Navy sailor in the 80s, of course you recognized the song. But he played it so expertly that you swore he’d be able to play upside down and with his eyes closed. 

He sang the song proudly, like it was second nature. You were shocked at his ability to command a crowd. Throwing his head back and belting out the song. You moved to get a better look at him. 

Singing the lyrics, “Kiss me, baby…” He locked eyes with you. He played the interlude waiting for something. And you knew what it was. You threw him some slack and blew a kiss to him from your position at the bar. He shivered, acknowledging that he caught it. “Ooh…that feels good, baby.” 

You laughed as he continued his song, making eye contact with you for nearly the whole thing. His Ray-Ban caravans slid down the bridge of his nose letting you see his eyes for the first time since he came in. The warmth of his eye contact made you heat up like the drink it shared its color with. You were sure that your skin had changed its hue because you felt like you were burning up. It wasn’t unwelcome, no, not at all. In fact, you kind of enjoyed it. 

But before you knew it, the song was over. 

–

The night went on, and hours later you still had a few of the pilots sitting mingling at the pool table along with a handful of other customers. You helped a few strays here and there as they stumbled into the bar, but for the most part, the night had wound down and the place was pretty dead. You figured you’d check with Penny to see if she wanted to check out early to go talk to the dude she threw out earlier. However, you stopped at the sight of Hangman and Rooster walking up to the bar counter through your peripheral vision.

“Bartender,” one of the men said. You turned back, sort of unamused that they were calling you by your profession and not the fake name you gave them.

“Well, that was rude. I do have a name, you know?”

“Well, you didn’t give me a name during introductions,” Rooster said.

“I did, actually. I said to call me Gertrude.” you replied.

“That’s not your name,” he smirked at you, “I know that’s not your name. That’s a fake name that women give out to creeps in bars.”

“Well, can you blame me?” You questioned, motioning around you to indicate that you were, in fact, in a bar.

“No, I don’t. I bet you meet a lot of creeps working here,” Rooster bit his lip, studying you as if he were trying to figure you out. You caught on to the way he looked you up and down briefly, lip still caught between his teeth.

“They’re not all creeps,” you replied as you leaned in closer to him, elbows now resting on the counter as you met his stare. You couldn’t be sure, but it seemed as if he might be hitting on you given the way he bit his lip as he watched you. If nothing else, you could at least encourage him to drink more and tip more if you made yourself look interested.

“I bet you’d tell the non-creeps your real name,” he said, watching your reaction. It was definitely a test, either you let him know he wasn’t creepy and tell him your real name, or you refuse to offer up your name and convince him that you definitely thought he was a creep; which you really didn’t want to do. He didn’t seem like a creep, none of these guys did. But past experiences with customers made you think carefully about your response.

“Well, then she thinks I’m a creep too.” Jake added, taking the last long drink of his beer. You remembered that you gave him the same fake name when he asked for yours the first time.

You laughed lightly at him as he slid you his empty bottle. “I don’t, but sometimes I wonder.” 

The men ordered another round of beers and you delivered. You stepped back once they had their drinks, now working on cleaning up since the place had slowed down a bit, just a little. You listened as the men chatted, enjoying their drinks and recalling the missions they went on. All within their military clearance, clearly. You went about your business, letting them take their time. You only hoped that if they kept you here any longer, they’d tip you well again. At least they were mellow people. They mostly just talked and laughed, leaving you as you prepared to close up for the night.

But, it wasn’t long before Rooster came back. “You closing your tab now, Roo?” You questioned, putting the last pint glass you were cleaning up into the cupboard above you.

“How’d you know?” He asked, pulling out his card from his wallet. 

“Work here long enough and everything becomes predictable.” You took his card as he offered it. “Thank you.”

“Even me?” 

“Especially you.” You lied and turned to the register.

Everything he’s done today has been a surprise. For one, was ordering a Moscow mule. For two, playing Jerry Lee Lewis for the whole bar. One thing you definitely did not expect was the name on his debit card. 

“Something wrong, bartender?” Rooster asked from the other side of the register. He looked over to see you holding his card. 

You stood there frozen as you clutched his card in one hand. Your other hand stayed paralyzed above the numbers of the cash register. The silver, raised letters on his card contrasted against the deep red of the Navy Federal Credit Union card. ‘Bradley Bradshaw.’ 

“Yeah, that’s me.” 

Oh shit. Did you say that out loud? 

You quickly punched in all the things needed for him to pay, not to mention giving him a generous discount. After what seemed like forever, to the both of you, you walked out from behind the register. Now that there was no cash register blocking your view, you could see Bradley’s confused face. 

Hopefully this will help him to understand. You passed his card back to him with your left hand, your wrist pointing face up for him to see. You watched as Bradley’s face contorted from a very muddled one to a blissful one. He stared in awe at his name on your wrist changing colors.

“My name’s not Gertrude.” You giggled. “But, I’m sure you know that.”

Then, in a similar manner, he looked into your eyes as he took his card back with a big dumb grin. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.” Was all he could muster out. Looking at his wrist as he took his card, you saw your first and last name etched into his skin. “It’s nice to meet you, ‘Not Gertrude.’”

“And it’s nice to meet you, Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw.”

Both of your wrists burned as the names turned into an iridescent color. Neither of you could even begin to care, though. Too distracted by the feeling of euphoria in your chests. 

“So… when do you get off?”

Before you could answer, you heard Penny yell from the other end of the bar counter. “Right now!” Making it obvious that she witnessed the whole interaction.

You looked around, hoping no one else did. But it was clear that, in fact, the whole bar did. Thankfully, it was only the rest of the pilots and a handful of others who were probably too drunk to remember it the next morning. You put your head in your hands, laughing out of embarrassment. 

Bradley made eye contact with his squad as they wolf-whistled and cheered at him. He chuckled at them and looked down at your bright red face. How lucky could he have gotten to have you as his soulmate?

Recovering from your embarrassment, you turned to look at Penny. “You sure?”

She nodded vigorously. “Of course, sweet pea. You go have fun,” Winking, she continued, “but not too much.”

You were about to revert back into a tomato before Bradley chuckled. “Thanks, Penny.”

“Of course, Bradley.”

And the shock was back. “Wait, so you knew the whole time?” You asked Penny. 

Penny giggled and shrugged. The crazy lady. She knew from the moment you showed her your soulmate mark. She was friend’s with Goose before his unfortunate passing, of course she would know his son. But you didn’t know that. 

She watched as you grabbed your bag from next to the register and headed out. Not before giving her a kiss on the cheek. Penny gently hit you with her rag on as you lifted up the bar counter to leave. 

Faintly, she heard your conversation on the way out.

“Your parents must’ve had a twisted sense of humor.”

“Why’s that?”

“Bradley Bradshaw.”

“Oh, okay, Gertrude.”

“You know that’s not my government name.”

“You could’ve come up with something better.”

“…”

“…”

“I hope you learned how to throw a right hook before going to elementary.”

“Oh my god.”

#top gun x reader #bradley bradshaw x reader #rooster x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #top gun fanfic #top gun fanfics #top gun fanfiction #rooster top gun #rooster #rooster x you #rooster imagine

[abliafina-18782]

something to come home to

After living and working in San Diego, you meet the handsome pilot Rooster at a bar one night.

Pairings: Rooster x Reader

Author’s Note: Watching Top Gun: Maverick pushed me out of writer's block hell, so I thought I'd try my wings on writing an "x reader" story. I've tried keeping it compliant with the movie though some things might not be accurate. I don’t consent to this being used or republished anywhere. Please fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride~

Warnings: mostly fluff but it has some elements of angst. Friends to lovers trope.

Word count: ~7k

You left your office in a huff, barely saying goodbye to your coworkers as you headed straight for your car with only one destination in mind. The Hard Deck. You rarely went to the bar on a weeknight. Hell, it took a lot for you to go on a regular Friday after work, however today had just been one of those days that required - or more like demanded - a drink. The day had been a cluster of meetings (and frankly most of them could probably have been summarized in an email) and you hoped Penny had a drink ready with your name on it. 

You worked as a team leader at one of the local call centers in San Diego. You had started out as a customer service agent, rotating between answering incoming calls and emails from the company’s different clients, and had quickly climbed the ranks and been promoted to team leader. You managed a group of about 15 agents and they all depended on you. They came to you with questions about the routines and it was your responsibility to provide them with the support they needed, except sometimes you felt like a single mother struggling to find time for her kids. You loved your team and they also simultaneously made you want to rip your hair out. This wasn’t exactly your dream job or what you had set out to do with your life, nonetheless for now it paid the bills and kept a roof over your head. 

On any other day you would’ve made it to the Hard Deck before the worst of the evening rush, yet the hectic work day had delayed you. Once you finally arrived in the parking lot, you could hear music coming from inside the bar. Somebody was playing the piano and, by the sound of it, had gotten the entire bar to sing along to whatever song they were playing. 

Annoyed, you ran a hand through your hair and debated whether or not that drink would be worth it. The last thing you wanted right now was drunken idiots trying to interact with you, you dealt with enough fools at work, and on the other hand you knew there was nothing waiting for you at home. You didn’t want to admit it to yourself, but you hated coming home to an empty apartment. You knew no one in the city since you'd moved here for work and hated that there was nothing to come home to. You'd considered getting a pet at some point but, living the busy life that you did, there was no time.

“Just one drink and then I’ll go home.” You said to yourself while looking in the rearview mirror of your car, your tired eyes reflected back at you. You sat there in silence in your car for a moment, almost as if you were waiting for someone to tell you what to do. With a sigh, you exited your car and headed for the Hard Deck. 

The place was packed, everyone seemed to be buzzing with excitement. A group of khaki dressed people had gathered around the, usually empty, piano and were singing along to "Great Balls of Fire". It was a song you hadn't heard in ages and there was something contagious about everyone's cheerfulness, you could feel your mood had started to improve just a bit. Even though the place was crowded, the bar's owner Penny still spotted you and waved. You liked Penny a lot, she always made it a point to get to know her customers and had a tendency to memorize everyone's usual order. Almost as if on cue, Penny held up a glass towards you and gave you a knowing look. You smiled and nodded as you pushed your way to the front. 

"Something tells me you're gonna need more than one of these if you willingly came in on a weeknight." Penny laughed and placed the drink in front of you. The glass felt cool against your skin from the condensation and you gulped down almost half of it in one go. "If only you knew." You sighed and put the drink down, mindful of the other customers around you, "though some of us have work in the morning so anything more than one drink is a bad idea."

"Come on (Y/N)! Someone already paid for a round so you might as well live a little." Penny gave you a nudge as if to encourage you to order another drink. 

"Oh really? Did this 'someone' buy a round out of generosity or did they put their phone down on the bar?" 

"Both. He also wanted to know when I got off work, so you better drink up now or else his 'generosity' will go to waste." 

You laughed, the first genuine one of the day, and downed the rest of your drink. "No point in arguing with that, get me a new one then when you can." Penny smiled and left to tend to another customer and you took the opportunity to turn around and look over the people in the bar.

It wasn't unusual for the Hard Deck to be busy like this, but most customers tended to come in on weekends. Your gaze landed on the khaki dressed group by the piano, and now you recognised them to be a part of the Navy. You saw a lot of soldiers in the city even though you didn't know any of them personally. The only one who wasn't wearing the khaki uniform was the man playing the piano. His skin was nicely tanned from the sun and he was wearing a white tank top with a beige Hawaiian shirt on top of it. He had a cleanly shaven mustache and a pair of golden and black aviators covered his eyes. This time he was playing a song you didn't recognize, nonetheless he and the soldiers around him sang along just as happily as before.

"Hey Penny, who's the pianist?" You asked as she came back to you with your drink, "I haven't seen him before." You turned back around to face Penny (you didn't want it to seem like you had been checking the guy out). She looked over at the group to find the one you'd asked about. "Oh him? That's Rooster, he likes to play the piano whenever he's here."

"Rooster?" Penny must've realized the confusion, before you could even question it she added- "His name is Bradley Bradshaw and he's also in the navy with the rest of that group. I'm pretty sure they're all pilots. Don't quote me on it though!" She shrugged before returning to serving the other customers drinks, so you were left standing there with your second drink in hand. 

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw, what a name. There was a part of you that was curious how a piano playing pilot could end up with a nickname like rooster. Maybe on a different day you would've gone up to ask however now was not the time for unnecessary social interaction. You just wanted to finish your drink and be out of here before it got too late. You had meant it when you told Penny you had work in the morning. A new song had started and people were still singing, with the exception of that you couldn't hear the piano accompanying it. Curiosity got the better of you, and you were in the process of turning around when-

"Did you want something Penny?" 

Shit.

It turned out that Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw was a lot taller than you expected, because there he was standing right in front of you. From the way you'd leaned across the bar, you came almost face to face with Bradley's chest when you turned around. You couldn't help but to give him a once-over. Not only was he taller than you expected, he was also stronger. You could see the outlines of his toned body under the tanktop, and it better have been because of the alcohol that you felt your cheeks heating up.

"No, sorry Rooster. (Y/N) was just curious who my new pianist was" Penny called out over the bar, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. Sometimes you wondered if Penny liked to play matchmaker with her customers. You’d noticed before how she would encourage people to talk to each other and now it seemed to have been your turn. 

It took everything in your power not to reach over the bar and give Penny a piece of your mind, except then you'd have to buy another round for the lot and then you definitely wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Even with the aviators on, you could tell he looked you over just like you'd done with him moments ago. 

"Lieutenant Bradley Bradshaw at your service (Y/N)" He gave you a mock salute and that brought you back to reality. "Really lieutenant? Did you run out of energy playing the piano?" I may be a civilian but come on." You tutted and shook your head in a fake disapproval. That definitely wasn't the reaction Bradley had expected and that didn't really surprise you. Humor and sarcastic comments was your natural way of deflecting awkward situations. 

You must've come across as confident, nevermind the fact you clutched onto your drink for support, because Bradley straightened up and saluted you properly like you'd seen other soldiers do. You mustered a small laugh at the silliness of the situation. 

"At ease soldier, maybe you can tell me how you heard us talking from all the way across the bar." It really had been a question on your mind. You could barely hear your own thoughts because of the noise level and it had been even louder before when Bradley still played the piano.

"It's quite simple, captain." You raised an eyebrow at how Bradley addressed you. It seemed like the bantering was going to continue. "-as a lieutenant I have to pay attention to every detail in my surroundings, just like I do when I’m up in the air. Additionally, someone shouting 'rooster' in a bar is quite hard to miss." He gave a professional, salesman looking smile, however couldn't contain it for very long. He burst out laughing and joined you next to the bar. 

Shit, he was right. With the bar humming from all of the different conversations going on, you must've been way above the normal conversational tone (and with a nickname as unusual as 'Rooster') it probably wasn't hard for Bradley to take notice. "You've got me, I admit defeat lieutenant." You held up your drink, "Cheers to your brilliant detective skills." 

It was your own way of trying to round up the conversation. Of course, you wouldn't have minded to stay and talk some more with this rooster guy now that you had his attention, still work was work and your alarm would ring at 6:30 tomorrow no matter how long you stayed.

"Captain, if you want me to toast with you, you better get me a drink." Bradley said and interrupted your thoughts. It seemed like the nickname was going to stick. This time though you definitely blushed because you could've sworn he winked at you. Sure you'd offered in the past when you wanted to make a move on someone and yet no one had ever asked you so bluntly (and confidently) to buy them a drink. Your immediate instinct was to say no and wrap things up, but remembering the earlier conversation with Penny, you decided to let loose and live a little. 

"Sure thing, I'll get you a drink if you explain to me why Penny called you 'rooster'." Bradley smiled in what must've been agreement. You waved Penny over and he asked for his usual, which turned out to be a beer, then he motioned you over to join him by one of the few tables that were still free. 

"I'm a pilot, so rooster is my call-sign. It’s how my colleagues refer to me when we’re up in the air." He explained as he removed his aviators. He hung them on the front of his tank top and had a sip of his beer. "Suppose that's easier than yelling 'Bradley Bradshaw' over the radio." You chuckled and had some more of your drink. 

It earned you another smile from Bradley and he held out his drink. The two of you properly toasted before returning to the conversation. "So your call-sign is like a nickname, got it, but how did you end up being called 'rooster'? Wouldn't 'Brad' make more sense?"

"Ah, we don't really get the call-signs from our names. Usually you get your call-sign based on a mistake you make when you start training and then you're stuck with it." Bradley turned around in his chair and pointed towards his colleagues, the khaki dressed group. "See that tall blonde guy over there?"

"The one who looks like he's a contestant on 'the Bachelor'?" 

Bradley choked down a laugh. "Yes, him. His call-sign is 'hangman' because he always goes off on his own when he's in the air and leaves the rest of us hanging. It’s a big no to do that as a pilot. The guy next to him is called 'coyote' because of a weird howling he did on his first flight."

He went through all of his colleagues' call-signs and their origin story. A lot of the stories made you laugh, mostly because of how absurd they were, like how one compliment led to a man being called 'fanboy' for the rest of his career. 

"- and last but not least we have 'Bob' over there. I don't really know him, he's a RIO pilot as well and I'm pretty sure he got the call-sign because his name is Robert."

"Wait so you mean to tell me your whole group ends up with a bunch of cool and fun nicknames, and he just gets Bob? That's so unfair!" You weren’t serious of course. Talking to Bradley had brightened your mood, to the point that the crap work day you had felt like ages ago, and you felt at ease with him "Why not call him Rocky or something like that?"

"Does he look like Sylvester Stallone to you?" Bradley had a look of surprise on his face, almost as if he pondered on the new call-sign for his colleague. You looked over at Bob again. "I’m sure I’ve seen a pic of Stallone with glasses on, however that’s besides the point.” You waved your hand dismissively before pointing a finger at Bradley, “This might as well be Bob's underdog story where he rises to the top and surpasses all of the other pilots!"

"I'm not really sure how he would do that as a RIO pilot, but hey who knows? Maybe all he needs is a training montage." That made you laugh again and you noticed the smile spreading on Bradley's face. It was full of warmth and highlighted his face in a different way. Maybe it was because of your weakness for a good smile, you wondered if your laughter was the reason for it

"So.. you still haven't told me how you got the name rooster." You fiddled a bit with your, now empty, glass. You felt nervous under Bradley's gaze and you weren't sure how to continue the conversation. 

Now it was his turn to feel nervous. He focused his eyes on his drink, as if the information there was the most interesting thing he’d read all day. He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "They call me rooster because when we’re flying in the air, I sit around and wait before I do something. It's.. it's not necessarily a bad thing but… It’s definitely not the origin story I would've wanted for my call-sign" 

His hesitation spoke volumes to you. He finished the rest of his beer in one swig and frankly he looked like he wanted to leave. You felt guilty for bringing it up and you wanted to reassure Bradley that it wasn’t that bad, except you knew far too little about aviation to even make an educated guess… 

“Hey, what do you think my callsign would be if I was a pilot?” Without really thinking, you reached out and touched his hand. It was warm and calloused, probably from all of the time he’d spent up in the air or working on airplanes. The touch was definitely unexpected because you could’ve sworn Bradley looked a little flustered. His eyes went from his hand back to you. “Considering how you bossed me around moments ago, ‘Captain' is pretty fitting.”, You saw the smile return to his lips, “But I guess I would have to get to know you before I can answer that properly.”

And he had gotten to know you. The two of you had been talking until closing hours at the Hard Deck and even after that you still didn't want to say goodbye to Bradley. You'd connected with him in a way that neither of you had expected. You shared a lot of common interests and had similar tastes, except for pineapple on pizza that he so willingly admitted to enjoy. He'd asked a lot of questions about you though so you were willing to look past the questionable culinary choice. 

Bradley had also been curious about your job and asked you about it. He even expressed admiration when you explained how you dealt with particularly nasty clients. Honestly it had felt bleak to talk about, knowing that he was a pilot and probably got to see a lot of exciting places around the world. He'd surprised you though when he said: "Seeing the world isn't that special when you have no one to share it with."

It reminded you of your own feelings. How you worked long hours and had to come home to an empty apartment every day. You weren't lonely exactly, you were becoming friends with your colleagues, but it didn't compare to the companionship of sharing your life with someone. You hated feeling this way but you didn't share it with Bradley. 

Eventually Penny had to shoo the two of you away so she could close. You'd been lingering outside of the bar with him and it didn't seem like he wanted the night to end anymore than you did. After exchanging phone numbers and agreeing to grab dinner together some day, you'd finally parted ways.

The days progressed and you and Bradley kept in touch frequently. It started with you sending him a fun meme about the US military and continued with him texting you every day after work to make sure you made it home okay. You'd told him multiple times that you didn't live far from your office, so it really wasn't necessary for him to always check in, but that didn't stop him. All you knew about his work was that he was back at the TOP GUN school to train after being called back from the VFA-87 Golden Warriors. He wasn't allowed to tell you more than that so you didn't bother asking for more information. 

Along with the regular texting, Bradley often sent you pictures of the different sceneries he saw while flying. The images were always beautiful and you felt an extra sting of jealousy when he sent you photos from the beach while you were stuck in the office. You responded with a pic of yourself smiling through gritted teeth, typing "not at all jealous", and he answered with a photo of himself that almost made your heart skip a beat. 

Bradley had his aviators on and smiled widely at the camera, but what caught your eye was the fact that he was shirtless. You saw the sweat that had gathered on his skin and it made him look radiant in the sun. The selfie was only from his chest and up but that, and the tiny wisp of chest hair, was more than enough to make you flustered.

Roughly two weeks passed until you saw Bradley again. For once, he didn't text you when you arrived home from work. You figured he must have been busy at the base but that didn't make you feel any less disappointed. In the little time you'd known him you had started to look forward to his check-ins, it made coming home feel less lonely for you. 

You waited a while after coming home, to see if he'd text you, but you heard nothing from him. You debated whether or not you should send him a message anyways. On one hand you didn't want Bradley to feel pressured (because he really wasn’t obligated to check in with you) and on the other… maybe it would let him know you appreciated his check-ins…

"I'm home, safe and sound😊" You typed out and sent the message quickly. You immediately put your phone down because it embarrassed you how long it had taken to choose a smiley. This could go either way and you felt nervous as well and hoped that Bradley wouldn't take it the wrong way. 

To distract yourself, you headed for the kitchen to figure out what to have for dinner. You looked through the fridge and there really wasn't much to offer. Work had been more busy than usual lately so grocery shopping hadn't been at the top of your priority list. Before you could make a decision on whether or not dinner would be another grilled cheese sandwich, your phone rang. 

It was Bradley. He was listed as "Lieutenant Rooster" in your contacts and you'd used his selfie from the beach as the contact picture. You fumbled with the phone as you tried to answer, surprised and nervous over the fact that he had decided to call you. "Lieutenant, to what do I owe the pleasure?" You'd continued to call him Lieutenant, you just couldn't bring yourself to refer to Bradley as 'Rooster'. 

"(Y/N)! Hey, I'm sorry for calling, but I just saw your text and…" Something was up, you tell by his tone. His voice was slightly pitched and he almost sounded a bit out of breath, like he was in a rush to get the words out. "-and I thought I'd give you a call! Hi." 

"Hi." Silence fell between you. You smiled awkwardly to yourself, you weren't entirely sure if you should ask him if he was okay. "What's up lieutenant?"

"Not much Captain-” Just like you had continued to call him ‘lieutenant’, he had continued with calling you captain, “-I just finished up for the day and I… look I was thinking about that dinner we talked about before. You still up for that?"

"Oh- of course! When?" You paced around in the kitchen, the suggestion had come out of the blue and you were also anxious since Bradley still sounded off. Was he nervous about asking you out to dinner? Surely that couldn’t be it…

"How about now?"

A billion thoughts went through your mind at once. You'd wanted to see him again ever since that night on the Hard Deck. You loved the idea of going to dinner with him, but you also felt worried since something seemed to be bothering Bradley.

"(Y/N)?" His voice was cautious, like he was wondering if you were still on the line with him.

"Yes! Sorry, right now works fine.” You laughed awkwardly as if to ease the tension. “I'd barely gotten through the door anyways." 

"Great!” It sounded like he sighed a breath of relief, “If you text me your address I can come pick you up in my Bronco, do you know any good places?"

"I do, there's a really lovely restaurant not too far from where I live."

"Okay I'll come pick you up. Should be on the road in about 20. I'll- I'll see you then Captain."

"Looking forward to it, Lieutenant!" You caught yourself saluting even though Bradley couldn’t see you do it. You slapped yourself mentally and were about to hang up the phone, before finally asking: "Bradley… is everything okay?"

He went quiet for a while. You wondered what had happened during the day for him to seem so off. "Yeah I'm fine, I just… I just need to get off base for a while. Change of scenery, you know. I'll see you soon "

You texted him your address and he answered right away with a thumbs up. Luckily for you, you didn't have to get ready since you were already in your work attire. The office had a business casual dress code, so your wardrobe consisted mostly of slacks and shirts in different colors. Today you had on a pair of nude coloured slacks and a white sleeveless blouse. 

It didn’t take long before Bradley arrived. Once you settled in the Bronco and you were on the way to the restaurant, you joked with Bradley about him violating traffic laws to not keep you waiting. He laughed but you could tell he wasn’t really into it, his head was somewhere else. You totally understood the need for a change of scenery but you also doubted it warranted such strange and standoffish behavior.

The restaurant’s main theme was comfort food, they served everything from mac and cheese to pies or breakfast burritos, and you loved going when you had the time. Even though your friendship with Bradley was strong and on the rising, you honestly had no clue what types of food he enjoyed. He seemed like the type of guy who would eat anything as long as it kept him fueled. 

Once the two of you had been seated and gone over the menu, you ordered your usual and Bradley ordered a bacon and cheeseburger, silence fell between you. He looked at everything except you and seemed really uncertain with himself. You wanted to ease the tension and ended up blurting out the first thing that came to your mind. 

“Did you know that all foods can technically be divided into four groups? Sandwiches, salads, soups and ravioli. Means that you’re really only eating a sandwich for dinner.” 

He was reaching for his phone but stopped and gave you a skeptical look as he processed this new information. Bradley was so silent that you thought he was about to call you weird, but all worries were swept away when Bradley's lips widened into an earnest smile. “You know I want to say that you’re wrong but it actually makes sense.”

And that was all it took for the tension to ease between the two of you. You went over the restaurant's menu while waiting for the food and debated which dish belonged to what group. Bradley argued that the pies belonged to the sandwich category due to its many layers, while you argued it could be classed as a ravioli since it was all wrapped in crust. The discussion continued even after the food was served. 

"I get that my burger would be labeled a sandwich, I mean it's bun, meat, condiments, bun, but what about my fries?" Bradley held up a single fry, "you've argued that if it's in one piece, it's a ravioli, but since there's so many fries wouldn't that make it a salad?" As if to emphasize his point, he ate the fry that he was holding.

It was like you were back at the Hard Deck again. Conversation flowed so naturally between you and Bradley, that you lost track of time. It wasn't until the restaurant staff informed you they were closing soon that reality came back to you. You had even ordered dessert just so that you'd have an excuse to stay longer and talk to him. When the two of you were leaving, Bradley wouldn't hear any of your protests and insisted on paying for both of your meals since it was his idea to go out.

He drove you home in a much better mood than when he’d first arrived. He cranked up the radio and loudly sang along to whatever that was playing. You enjoyed a lot of Bradley’s features, but his voice had to be one of your favorites. It was full of warmth and had a pleasant raspy tone that really came through when he sang. Watching him sing filled you with a joy you couldn’t even begin to describe, the music faded out around you and you only had eyes for Bradley. Mixed emotions ran through you and in your daze you began to wonder if maybe… maybe you had a chance with Bradley? Maybe you wouldn't have to continue coming home to an empty apartment… 

"Hello?" Bradley waved with his hand in front of your face, "You with me Captain?" 

You had been so lost in your own thoughts that you hadn't noticed that you'd arrived home. Bradley had parked next to the sidewalk of your apartment complex and was trying to get your attention. 

"I'm with you, Lieutenant." Your cheeks heated up and you felt a bit embarrassed, "just disappointed that the night is coming to an end. I had fun."

"Sounds like an opportunity for you to invite me in for a drink" Bradley had the audacity to wink at you and immediately you had one foot out the car, but he stopped you before you got any further. "I'm just messing with you (Y/N)! We can save the apartment tour for another day." He was smiling from ear to ear and you sensed he probably didn't want the evening to end anymore than you did. You tried to put on a serious face but it was hard to maintain it when Bradley looked at you with his playful grin. "You're such a smooth talking stud lieutenant, do you do this at work as well?"

Bradley's smile vanished almost as soon as it'd appeared. His brows furrowed and he looked lost in thought again, like when he picked you up earlier. He mumbled something that was barely audible, but you were able to make out: "that's what mom used to call him." 

Oh. He didn't speak much about his family, he'd only mentioned in passing that neither of his parents were alive. Of course you wondered what had happened to them but you were not going to ask unless Bradley wanted to tell you himself. "I'm sorry Bradley. I… I didn't mean to upset you."

Hearing you speak snapped him out of his daze. "No! You didn't, I just… it reminded me of them. What you said." He fell silent again and when he didn't elaborate, you dared to ask a question. "Do you think about them a lot?"

"Yeah. It's hard not to these days…" It took a lot for Bradley to admit that. He was tense and wouldn't look at you, his voice was strained and he struggled to find the right words. "Look, I'm gonna be honest with you, Captain. Some things happened today at work and it affected me, more than I thought it would…"

He shifted in his seat and turned slightly towards you. "Can I ask what happened? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Lieutenant." Maybe the nickname would make him more at ease. As a way to encourage him, you reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Phoenix and Bob nearly crashed today. They're fine but they could've gotten really hurt and it just-" While he spoke, he'd braided your fingers together and you noted how warm his skin felt against yours, "- it reminded me of how fragile life is. My dad died when I was 4. His plane malfunctioned and…" His words trailed off and he looked away. 

You wanted to offer him words of comfort but nothing you thought of felt good enough. No one should have to go through that, especially not a child so young. "I'm so sorry Bradley, I… I'm glad that you told me." You realized how it sounded and quickly corrected yourself, "I mean I appreciate that you feel comfortable enough to tell me, it can't have been easy."

He turned back to look at you with those beautiful brown eyes of his that you could get lost in. It was dark out by now, so he wasn't wearing his usual aviators, but the streetlight lit up his face and cast a soft glimmer over his iris'. "I'm being deployed soon and I couldn’t leave without seeing you again."

It shouldn't have come as a surprise but it upset you nonetheless. You remembered he'd mentioned being called back to train for a mission, so you assumed the deployment was it. You let go of his hand and looked down at your feet. A punch to the gut probably would've hurt less. There were a thousand things you wanted to ask, but the only thing you mustered up was: "Why?" 

Even though you were happy that he wanted to see you again, you worried that this was goodbye. Bradley had told you before that he moved around a lot due to his job and you didn't even know if he would come back to San Diego after his deployment. His friendship filled a certain void that you had dreaded for so long.

"Why? The same reason you agreed to go out with me." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Your eyes met and your heart nearly leapt out of your chest. Being with him felt like coming home, you realized. Bradley made you feel safe and you would be lying to yourself if you said you didn't have any feelings for him.

A look of determination came across Bradley’s face as he brushed a few strands of hair away from your face. His fingers lingered on your cheek, years of being a pilot had made his hands rough and calloused, yet it surprised you how delicate his touch was. It reminded you of how he played the piano with such assurance and grace. Luckily the streetlight didn’t illuminate your face because you were pretty certain your face must’ve been tomato red by now. His gaze fell to your lips and so did yours in response. A shy smile spread on your lips as you wondered whether or not his mustache would be in the way. There was only one way to find out. 

Bradley shifted in his seat and leaned closer to you, his hand still resting against your cheek. There was a need in his beautiful brown eyes, a need that you were certain shined from your eyes as well. You wanted to feel those lips pressed against yours… and yet when you were only inches away from each other, you hesitated and pulled away. 

“No… not like this.” Bradley’s hand dropped from your cheek and he immediately moved away to give you some space. “What’s wrong?” He asked, concern showing on his face. “Nothing, I just… I don’t want our first kiss to be like this. ”When he didn’t respond, you elaborated. 

“You’re about to be deployed, Lieutenant. I don’t know how long you’ll be gone and when I'll see you again. It could be weeks, it could be months. Besides, TOPGUN pilots don’t exactly have the best reputation in the city”

It was true to an extent. Several of your coworkers had talked about hooking up with pilots, only for them to be ghosted afterwards and never hear from them again. You’d even seen some of it in action down at the Hard Deck, how some pilots would come in with a different girl every night. Bradley had shown no signs of this behavior, but your anxiety got the better of you and you were worried he’d be like all of the other pilots… You liked him, you realized that now, and you didn't want to get hurt and lose that feeling of safety Bradley gave you. 

"I don't want to be mean but if you want this… if you're serious about me, I'll be waiting for you when you're back from your deployment." It was hard to tell what Bradley was thinking. His brows had furrowed and he seemed to have turned inwards and wasn't looking at anything in particular. You leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before exiting the car. "I mean it Bradley, if you're serious about this I'll be there when you come home." 

After that night you didn't hear much from Bradley. He checked in like usual to make sure you made it home, then he sent you a text a few days later to inform you he was leaving and that he couldn't be reached while he was gone. You didn't know if everything was okay between you two after the dinner, but you answered with a few words of encouragement and that you'd miss him.

"I'll miss you too Captain." He answered and that was the last you heard from him.

You weren't sure of how much time passed after that. It could've been days or maybe even weeks. Life returned to what it had been before you met Bradley. Every day felt the same and your dread of coming home alone worsened. You worked a lot of overtime to make the time pass but it didn't help sort out your conflicted emotions. 

The what if scenarios played on repeat. What if you'd let Bradley kiss you? You'd wanted it and so had he… In an effort to protect your own feelings you'd also managed to make them worse in some aspects, but you knew you also would have regretted the kiss if he ghosted you afterwards… "I'll miss you too Captain" The text echoed in your mind like a curse. 

After waking up to the sound of raindrops hitting your window on your day off that week, you decided to stay in and order some takeout for lunch. You placed an order from your favourite place and the app said the food would take about an hour to be ready and delivered. In the meantime you did some chores around the apartment, you did the dishes, vacuumed the living room, and watered your plants. The mundanity of it all felt reassuring to you after doing so much overtime at work. You were about to start a load of laundry when the doorbell rang. A quick look at the clock told you that only 40 minutes had passed, you assumed it was your order since you didn't expect anything else, so you were happy to receive the food earlier. You opened the door to greet the driver but the hunger was quickly forgotten though when you saw what was outside of your door, or rather, who. 

Bradley. The world came to a halt before you when you opened the door and in this moment, only the two of you existed. You couldn't believe your eyes but there he was, alive and well, aside from a few new scars on his throat. He was wearing his usual jeans and Hawaiian shirt combination, even though the weather was terrible. His hair laid almost flat to his head from the rain and the sheepish look he gave you reminded you of an awkward teenager about to pick up their date. You were so caught up in looking at him, admiring his every feature, that you didn't notice he was holding your takeout order. 

"Delivery for Captain (Y/N)." He smiled and held out the bag for you, "I met the delivery driver on my way up." That broke you out of your spell and you smiled back and threw your arms around him, overjoyed that he was back. If he hadn't said anything you probably would've remained in the same position for hours. You dragged him into the apartment and closed the door behind him. 

"You're back!" You practically clung to him due to the small space of your hallway, and Bradley had to be careful not to drop the food, "why didn't you tell me? I could've ordered something for you as well. How long have you been back? Are you staying? You haven't told me about your deployment!"

The excitement of being together with Bradley again made you ramble like a nervous teenager. You'd missed him terribly and the anxiety of if the two of you had really parted on the right terms kept nagging on you. What if he didn't want to see you again after insinuating he was some sort of a player? All of your worries escaped your mind though when he swooped in and captured your lips in a soft, sweet kiss. 

He wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him, and with his free hand he reached out to cup your cheek. The takeout was long forgotten by the both of you. As your lips moved together, his thumb stroked the skin of your cheek gently, reminiscent of the night when you almost kissed. You smiled, both from the happiness of finally being reunited and the tickling sensation that came from his mustache. There was a natural rhythm between the two of you and you knew that this was the right moment for your first kiss. You draped your arms over his shoulders and pulled him to you, needing him close after being apart for so long. Kissing Bradley was nothing like you ever could've expected. His lips were soft and he kissed you with a confidence that reminded you of heroes who rescued damsels in distress. Not that you were a damsel in distress. When you eventually had to let go to catch some air, you saw how Bradley's beautiful brown eyes shined with nothing but pure adoration for you, making you feel warm and fuzzy inside. To him you were nothing less than his equal. His reason to come home.

"You have no idea what I had to go through to do that, Captain." Bradley said with a small laugh, arms still around your waist. The hairs that formed his mustache were out of place after the kiss, you cupped his face with both of your hands and used your thumbs to adjust the strands of hair. "Something tells me I don't want to know." You said and smiled, "this is a nice moment, let's not ruin it lieutenant." 

This earned you another smile and a lighter kiss. Bradley lifted you up in his strong arms, without breaking the kiss, and carried you bridal style into the living room. A small giggle escaped your lips, amazed that Bradley still managed to surprise you. He laid you down on the chaise part of your sofa and kneeled next to you on the floor. If you didn't know better it looked like he was about to propose. 

"I thought of you every single day when I was away. What you said… it stuck with me, not in the way you think!" You'd been about to protest and apologise for ever doubting him but he stopped you before you got the chance. "You were right in what you said... I've been going from city to city for so many years now, I don't really have a place I call home. I never cared about making any connections outside of the Navy and when I was away… I couldn't stop thinking about you and I realised how much I wanted someone to come home to."

It was like listening to yourself speak. You had struggled with the same emotions and hearing Bradley speak about it made you speechless. You sat up and clasped your hands over his, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. He gazed into your eyes, he looked like he wanted to say a million more things but you stopped him this time. Nothing else needed to be said, except:

"Welcome home lieutenant."

#rooster x reader #rooster x you #rooster imagine #rooster fluff #rooster topgun #top gun fanfiction #top gun fanfic #top gun fanfics #top gun x reader #bradley bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw #Bradley rooster Bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw fluff

[pastabake017]

Bradshaw’s

hello there! i’m ollie and im just testing out my writing style here, i hope you enjoy!

summary: Robin and Rooster engage in an argument causing them to miss the warnings of a storm coming in⛈️

Pairings: Robin Bradshaw (my oc)X Bob floyd, established relationship(🤭)

warnings: swearing, arguing, injury (not detailed tho), Bit angsty lol!

Please lmk if there are any spelling or grammar errors 🫶

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“Rooster were falling really behind, we gotta move!” Robin shouted into her mask, desperate trying to get her team leader to pick up the pace. She knew if they failed the practice course again, flying the actual mission would be out of the question.

“No, we can make up time in the straight away, maintain your speed!” Rooster ordered back at her. To her annoyance, they reached the target but a minute late, meaning they had aloud time for the enemy planes to attack.

“Great, maverick is gonna kill us.” Payback sighed over coms.

“Maybe, but we reached the target how could he kill us for that.” Rooster barked back.

“You don’t get it do you? If we flew at your speed on the actual mission, we’d be dead right now.” Robin argued,

“You don’t know that!”

“Were not flying fast enough, the enemy would have intercepted us by now you stupid fuck!”

“Then it’s a dogfight!”

“Against 5th generation fighters? yeah right.” Robin scoffed. Between the twos bickering they’d failed to pick up on the strong winds they had flown into. Payback and Fanboy had been long back to base at this point, leaving the siblings to argue. They had been greeted by the other aviators who were confused at the absence of the Bradshaws. Especially a one WSO.

“Payback? Where’s Robin? Did you leave her and rooster out there?” Bob questioned the taller man as he walked towards to hanger, Payback just stayed silent, not wanting to escalate the situation,Bob lunged towards him in an attempt to strike his face but he was held back by Fanboy,“You asshole! How could you leave her? Did you even try to warn them?”

“Lieutenant Floyd, I think thats quite enough.” Cyclone shouted, allowing Payback to explain his piece.

Straightening his flight suit after the tussle, sending daggers towards Bob,

“We tried to warn them about the storm, but they were to busy arguing about speed and time to notice, Im sure they’ll be fine-“

Payback answered before being cut off by a sudden flash then thunder clap. A worried look adorned the aviators faces, racing to the communications room. Phoenix flicked on the radio to hear the panicked shout of Rooster.

“Robin! Eject! Eject!” he kept repeating but she wasn’t listening,

“No-I can- I can do it.” her voice was frantic, focused on trying to save herself from crashing. Her F-18 had been struck by lightning and her engines were starting to die one by one and she was getting to close to the ground.

“Robin you need to eject now! You can’t save the jet but you can save yourself! Think about Bob!” Rooster attempted to plead with her, when Robin heard Bobs name she looked down her the ring on her finger, remembering the promise she made to him. She knew she couldn’t fix it but ejecting from the plane seemed like the worst case scenario for Robin as it was the only part of flying she feared the most,the fear stemmed from her father and the stories her mother used to tell her about when he used to fly, and how an ejection from a jet going wrong was what killed her father. But with no other way of fixing the flames starting to creep up the wings Robin knew what she had to do to get back to Bob. A final attempt of re-engaging the engines failed and they all finally gave out, the jet fell eerily silent it was now too late for any Maverick type manoeuvre the only option was for Robin to eject, with a deep breath to clear her head Robin reached for the handles and pulled hard, sending her flying into the air away from her jet, away from her brother and away from where anyone could probably find her.

✮ ✮ ✮

Ringing. Was the first thing Robin heard when she came to. Her right cheek was pressed firmly into the dessert sand that had dried up signalling to Robin she’d been out here for a while as the storm was long gone. Waves of pain started to make their way across her body as she tried to move and assess her injuries, it took all her effort to just press her palms to the ground and try to sit up. However she only managed to flip herself onto her back, sending a shock of pain through her body. Attempting to look around was hindered impossible by the sun that was now beating down on her bare face, compared with the fatal storm that had brought her jet down in the first place. Looking down at her hands she noticed her ring still firmly on her finger, sighing to herself as she thought that she would’ve have definitely lost it.

She thought about the day Bob had gave it to her, it wasn’t long after they arrived at top gun. She had found a note attached to her helmet in the locker room reading that she should meet Bob on the beach after their class that day, unfortunately for Robin, Bob had not grown up near top gun so he got lost while trying to get back to where he’d set up his proposal. By this point Robin had figured out what he was trying to do and had said “Bob, i don’t care where we are or how you do it just ask me to marry you will you? i’ve been waiting too long!” Robin chuckled to herself as she remembered Bobs face when he found out she knew, of course she did, Bradshaw’s know everything.

Robin sighed to herself, bring her mind back to the present and her current situation, she couldn’t do anything but wait for search and rescue, as down here she couldn’t fully asses her injuries but by the amount of pain she was in she knew they weren’t going to be easy to fix. Pulling off her helmet she felt an agonising pain where her goggles had been, she brought a hand up towards her forehead running over where she thought the pain was coming from, she felt something drying onto and into her hair, blood. Her major senses were impaired, she couldn’t feel anything, hear anything other than ringing or hardly see anything due to her glasses being shattered when her head hit the ground.

The relief she felt when she saw the blurred out line of a search and rescue medic coming towards her was immense, she felt tears pricking her eyes. There was someone behind the medic dressed in a pilots uniform but Robin couldn’t make out who it was.

“Robin! Oh my god! Hey its gonna be okay, you’ll be okay. Don’t panic.” a muffled familiar voice said as they knelt down beside Robin. Rooster beckoned over to the medic that it was safe before attempting to comfort his sister.

She opened her mouth the speak but nothing came out, she wanted to scream and tell them how much pain she was in but she couldn’t make a sound. She wanted to tell him that she loved him and that she wanted Bob to know she loved him too, but her voice was course and quiet so Rooster couldn’t hear her over the helicopter propelers

The medic brought over a stretcher and called Rooster to help move the younger girl onto it. But the pain of being hoisted onto a flat surface overcame Robin and her world went black before they even reached the helicopter.

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#bob floyd #robert floyd #top gun maverick #robert bob floyd #top gun #lewis pullman #oneshot #i don’t know #please help #writing #top gun fanfics #fanfic

[babywitchofthesouth-responds]

Top Gun: Maverick Transcript

Well this is what I spent the last 48 hours on.

Written completely by ear just cuz I felt like it and I thought it was fun, and it pissed me off there was no (accurate) script.

Feel free to tag me if you use it!

#top gun #top gun maverick #top gun fics #fanficiton #transcript #top gun script #top gun transcript #top gun maverick transcript #top gun fanfics #bradley rooster bradshaw #pete maverick mitchell #rooster #maverick

[shelby-ltd]

Dear all the fanfic writers of Top Gun, please do write fanfics for Mickey Garcia aka Fanboy.

I remember everyone loved him on Falcon & Winter Soldier as Joaquin Torres but when he's in Top Gun people gone to nowhere and simping over Miles Teller as Rooster which i am too but i love Danny Ramirez as Fanboy too 😩

So please do write fanfictions for Fanboy from Top Gun Maverick.

#top gun maverick #top gun #fanboy #mickey fanboy garcia #mickey garcia #top gun fanfic #top gun imagine #top gun fanfics #joaquin torres #the falcon and the winter soldier #danny ramirez #fanboy top gun #top gun maverick fanfic #fanboy topgun fanfic #mickey fanboy garcia fanfic

[whiskeyswriting]

Top Gun (1986) Masterlist

Nick “Goose” Bradshaw

Tom “Iceman” Kazansky

Ron “Slider” Kerner

How To Be a Heartbreaker: Rule 1 | Rule 2 | Rule 3 & Rule 4

Memories of Secret Meetings

Slider x Whiskey Masterlist

Pete “Maverick” Mitchell

Rick "Hollywood" Neven

Leonard "Wolfman" Wolfe

- -

For link to series playlists, click here.

#mrsjaderogerswrites #mrsjaderogersmasterlists #top gun #top gun 86 #top gun fanfics #maverick x reader #pete maverick mitchell #iceman x reader #tom iceman kazansky #slider x reader #ron slider kerner #wolfman x reader #leonard wolfman wolfe #hollywood x reader #rick hollywood neven

[disturbedbeautywrites]

Frenemies - Natasha Phoenix Trace x dagger squad imagine!

Being an aviator is tough. When it comes to flying a plane, there are a lot of variables that come into play. Weather, weight, condition of your craft. Those are just a few of the things that you worry about on a daily basis. Add gender on top of that, and man oh man are you in for a ride.

Female aviators were still a very new concept when you were going through school, therefore it was even harder on you. You were constantly talked down on. Told to go back to the kitchen. Just overall harassed, that was until they saw you fly. “You’re one of the best damn aviators I’ve ever seen.” Your professors words still rang through in your mind as a daily affirmation every single day.

“We need you for a super special mission. You’re to report back to Top Gun immediately.” The words rang through your head as a wicked smirk adorned your features. “Yes sir. I’ll make you proud.” The words left your lips effortlessly and you were on your way back. Some of the best years of your life were spent there and you couldn’t wait to see what mission was in store for you.

As soon as you touched down and made your way back on base, you knew your first stop had to be the hard deck. It was a staple when you left and you had to see what the atmosphere was there. As you walked in, you had an air of confidence that was sky high. You kept your aviators on until you walked through the door, your eyes scanning the room as it landed on a head of black hair pulled back into a bun. You let out a humorless laugh as you stalked towards the female you were eyeing.

“Well, shit. Guess they just picked any old rusty aviator for this mission.” You towered over the shorter female, her eyes casting over her shoulder to look at you. Her eyes showed a sign of annoyance and frustration, her eyes narrowing. “You know, I wish they had told me it would’ve been a suicide mission. I would’ve been less intrigued to come.”

She just scoffed and rolled her eyes at you. Not wanting to give you the benefit of the doubt of seeing her mad. Though, she was failing miserably. You decided to take the teasing one step further, clacking your tongue before smirking again. “Oh, come on Pheony. Lighten up. It’ll be good for us to work together again.” The sarcasm dripped from your words like blood off a knife, venom lacing every syllable.

Phoenix gripped the pool cue so tight she thought it might snap, her fingers wringing as they turned white. This is when you saw a boy step up to her side, his torso adorned in a Hawaiian shirt that made him stick out like a sore thumb in the bar. “Awe, your little boyfriend is getting protective. That’s cute. Too bad he can’t save you in the air.” You shook your head and chuckled, walking up to the bar to order some alcohol before you walked off to go find some old friends.

“Who on earth is that?” Coyote’s voice broke the stunned silence, his eyes watching you cross the bar as you made landfall at a table with a couple of guys. Your cockiness was on a level even higher than Hangman’s, and it left everyone stunned. All eyes were now on Phoenix, waiting for an answer.

“Her call sign is Tiger.” She clenched her jaw and shook her head as her eyebrows narrowed as you made easy conversation with a group of guys at the table you were now sitting at. “We were both part of the same squadron once we both finished our top gun. We were both the best pilots the Black Aces had ever seen. Because of that, we both wanted to be the best. We were friends at first. Best friends, honestly. But then there was rumors that they couldn’t have both of us on the same squadron. Then, she completely turned on me and everyone else.” The tone of voice that Phoenix was using held an ice cold edge to it and the dagger squad could tell there was more to the story that would more than likely come out as you all figured out why you were all here. But, Phoenix remembered every single detail all too well and it ran through her mind as she watched Hangman decide to try and go flirt with you.

Once you were done training and ready to find a new place to land, you ended up among the Black Aces; strike fighter squadron 41. You were sent to the Naval Air Station Lemoore in California and you were ready to make your mark. You were one of the only female aviators that you knew of so far; until you met the one and only Phoenix. You and her struck up a quick and amazing friendship. You pushed each other, supported each other, did everything together. You were two peas in a pod; never far away from each other.

The two of you made life hell on the male pilots around you. You would not let anyone else be the best, ever. You trained night and day and were constantly making corrections. You shared a room with Phoenix; the two of you usually getting ready together and just overall bonding.

That was, until the meeting. One of the two of you was getting sent to another unit. The two of you were just too powerful to keep together and that’s when the rivalry started. You both loved your current squad and didn’t want it to be broken up. However, the decision was already made. Phoenix knew your every move and you knew hers. It made you both predictable to the other; causing a lot of clashing in the air and on the ground. You were both trying to prove your worth. You both wanted to be the best. That’s when the accident happened, and it’s when you both got grounded and you got sent off the next day.

You were flying a routine training mission, Phoenix flying right behind you. You were being reckless with your flying, you knew that. But as soon as Phoenix banked left and almost directly into your plane, it was when you absolutely lost your cool. You took to the airways, telling her how incompetent and stupid she was. Your higher ups did not take kindly to that, not one bit.

That was the last time you saw Phoenix up until now and you couldn’t wait to make her life hell. It was payback time and you couldn’t wait to make her pay up.

#natasha trace imagine #Phoenix imagine #dagger squad imagine #top gun maverick imagine #Phoenix one shot #top gun maverick imagines #natasha phoenix trace #Natasha Phoenix trace imagines #Natasha Phoenix trace fanfic #Natasha Phoenix trace fanfiction #top gun x you #top gun fanfics

[hotgirlmav]

Cyrano — Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Reader

Pairing: Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Female!Reader (18+)

Description: PART 2 OF PARTING GIFT! One night stands were never truly your thing. After passing your college midterms and celebrating at a bar, though, a one night stand ended up being just what you wanted. You picked the hottest naval aviator in the whole building and soon learned that he wanted you just as badly as you wanted him. He was set to deploy the next day, and you just wanted a cheap fix. What better way to ruin the convenience of a one night stand than him getting you pregnant?

Warnings: Explicit language, sexual undertones, abundance of angst, depictions of anxiety, vomit, alcohol, pregnancy, mentions of abortion, brief arguing, mentions of death, bits of fluff, Maverick and Iceman mention because I am WEAK.

Word Count: 4,684.

A/N: IGNORE THE FACT THAT I SAID I WOULD POST THIS LAST NIGHT, I TOOK A NAP THAT TURNED INTO ME SLEEPING FOR FIVE HOURS 😭 I also just wanted to take a quick second to thank you all for the response I received on the first part. The amount of comments, reblogs, and messages I got was just absolutely insane. You all genuinely make writing worth it. You have my heart.

Requests are still open!

From the very moment his words went through the phone and to your ear, you were in a state of panic.

Though it had only been a few days since he told you that he was coming, the thought of Rooster’s arrival left a deep wound right in the center of your chest. Fear had been your closest companion ever since you found out about your pregnancy, and over the past number of days, the dreaded nuisance of the emotion refused to part from you. You woke up with it at your bedside, you traveled with it throughout the day, and despite your attempts being to no prevail, you tried to make your peace with it at night.

While currently standing in front of the mirror in your bedroom, every emotion you had felt since you found out about your pregnancy was amplified.

Fear. Guilt. Sympathy for the baby inside of you. Slight excitement. You knew the situation wasn’t exactly ideal, but you refused to not be at least a little excited over what would end up being your child. You refused to let your baby suffer for what you believed to be your recklessness.

Only thirty minutes prior to your silent session in front of your own reflection, Rooster had informed you that he was quite ready to come get you for dinner. You had no idea as to whether he was very far from your house, very close to it, or even if he remembered where it was. In all fairness, he had only been there once.

Almost like he waited for you to doubt him, the sound of a knock outside the door pierced your ears in a way that might as well have been an explosion. You visibly flinched at the faint sound of his knuckles briefly hitting your front door and cleared your throat, trying to suppress the nausea you felt induced both by your baby and by the father. How fitting.

“Just one second!” You found yourself calling out to him, frantically looking around your bedroom. You rushed out to the living room and began to toss everything around in a way that would make it seem just a bit neater, pure panic coursing through your veins.

It took about a minute more until you raced to the door and sharply inhaled through your mouth, practically holding your breath once you opened the door.

Your heart completely stopped at the sight of him. Tanned, sun-kissed skin practically illuminating under the light provided by the sunset, hair so sandy yet golden. His mustache was very neatly trimmed in a way that told you he must have spent quite a few minutes on it, and for that, you fought the urge to grin.

His hazel eyes scanned you as his full lips curled into a cheeky smile, just before he furrowed his eyebrows. His large hand gripped the doorframe as he met your eyes with his own for a moment, then broke the intense eye contact just a second later, leaning his head inside of the doorway. Due to the fact that he was quite a bit taller than you, it was easy for him to do so.

His eyes scanned the now tidy living room, answering his internal question as to just what took you so long to open the door. The man was still essentially towering over you as he turned his head back to your face, gazing right down at you with furrowed eyebrows.

“You didn’t tidy up this well when I railed you.” He remarked in a way that made you let out a small gasp, earning a genuine chuckle from him when you swatted at his chest. Strangely enough, all of your panic evaporated into thin air once he spoke.

“Since you don’t appreciate my efforts, I shouldn’t have cleaned up at all. I should have made even more of a mess.” You teased him in a light tone, your lips already curling into a grin. With how good he looked, you refused to even try to fight it.

Rooster inhaled sharply, turning his head away from you as his face twisted in playful disappointment.

“Damn, and to think that I made a reservation for us.” He jokingly scoffed, shaking his head. He couldn’t even fight the smile on his face.

Your grin was playfully mischievous. You raised one eyebrow before you sharply inhaled as if to mimic the way he did before, pursing your lips slightly.

“Take one of your other girls. This ship,” you began in a light, yet firm tone as you used your index finger to point back and forth between the pair of you. “Has sailed.”

Rooster let out a chuckle that made your knees want to buckle, further proving to you just how easy it must have been for him to get you into bed that night. What he said next, though, that took the cake.

“I don’t want the other girls. I came here for you.” He told you so matter-of-factly, his tone reeking of casualness as he lifted his hand and momentarily stroked your cheek with his thumb.

From the way you couldn’t even fight the immediate beam that appeared on your face, Rooster let out a soft chuckle that came from deep within his chest. Your eyes rolled as your grin and your shyly flattered expression betrayed you, staring up at him through your eyelashes. You opened your mouth to jokingly insult him, but as your eyes landed on his face, you immediately found yourself stuck. At that moment, everything hit you like a ton of bricks.

The man in front of you was the father of your child.

You had only been considering his part in your pregnancy in a vague, common way, but everything was coming together in the most overwhelming way possible. Even if Rooster decided to have no part in your pregnancy and in the child’s life, your baby was permanently going to be partially made up of the man before you.

Noticing the way you fell silent, Rooster took the opportunity to take your smaller hand in his own, standing up straight. His grin remained intact on his beautiful face, blissfully unaware as to why you just fell silent.

“I will go fully fucking insane if they offer our table to someone else.” He casually chuckled under his breath as he motioned for you to come out, earning a small giggle from you as you did just that. Seeing as you had already been holding your purse, all you needed to do was lock the door.

After doing so, he led you to the quite beautiful Bronco, causing your lips to curl into a grin. You knew it was an older model, but it was taken care of as if it was brand new.

The car ride there went by smoothly. A few jokes were exchanged, your hand was being held, and the heightened part of your libido that came with pregnancy was really kicking your ass. You couldn’t look at the man for more than two seconds without shifting in your seat, causing you to look out of the window almost the entire time.

By the time you two had arrived, your table was perfectly ready for the pair of you. You silently thanked your lucky stars, as you just didn’t need him being even slightly cranky when you informed him of the parting gift he left you just two months prior.

You two sat down with ease and ordered soon after, but that wasn’t without any minor complications.

“Oh, no wine for me, please.” You quickly added once you heard Rooster order a bottle, earning a confused expression from the man. Even with the way your heart was skipping a beat, you still couldn’t bring yourself to make eye contact with him. His furrowed eyebrows and his broad shoulders under his open Hawaiian shirt just made you excited, and that was not an issue you wanted to deal with.

“Cramps.” You quickly excused yourself to aid his confusion, earning a look of understanding and a nod. Silently, you thanked yourself for the fact that Rooster was just another brainless man. You had to both love him and hate him for it.

Once you ordered your drink of choice and the server left, you tilted your head and sat back in your seat. You watched him sip the complimentary water that was given to you both, causing you to press your legs together under the table. You knew that if you didn’t break the silence, you’d just pounce on him.

“Are you going to tell me your name, or am I going to keep having to call you Rooster?” You questioned in a light tone, your lips curling into a soft smile as he chuckled at your question.

“It’s Bradley. Bradley Bradshaw, Rooster is my callsign.” He informed you in a low tone, raising his eyebrows slightly as you began to rub his leg with your own under the table.

“Wait.” You immediately stopped, furrowing your eyebrows. “Bradley Bradshaw…? Brad Brad?”

Seeing that you were fighting the urge to laugh, the man couldn’t even resist a chuckle of his own and shot you a warning glare. “Don’t even start.”

You let a soft giggle escape your lips as you gazed over at him mindlessly, tilting your head. It was almost as if you completely forgot what you had to tell him.

“You don’t even know my name.” You told him with a playful huff, immediately reaching for the complimentary bread that was just begging to be eaten.

“Sure I do.” He responded, reaching for a piece of the bread at the exact same time.

“Yeah?” You challenged him with an amused expression. “What is it?”

Like clockwork, there was a cheeky little grin on his face as he popped a piece of the bread into his mouth. His eyebrows furrowed as a way to fake concern for you. “Why, you don’t know your own name?”

You couldn’t help but let out a genuine laugh at his response, shaking your head as his chuckle matched your own. “Asshole.”

After a few moments, your food arrived, and your thoughts began to remind you of just what was going on.

You were pregnant. Waiting any longer to tell the man wouldn’t have made any sense. He was sitting right in front of you, and God only knew when the next time that would happen would be.

Your eyes glossed over the man as he shoveled bites of food into his mouth, your head tilting to the side as your eyes furrowed slightly. Not even noticing the fact that your eyes were glued to his face, he spoke in between bites.

“I haven’t eaten since I landed. Don’t mind me eating this like I'm scared of it walking away.” He casually remarked, his lips curling into a grin as he wiped them with his napkin once he heard the sound of your light giggle.

It was no wonder why you even brought him home to begin with. He was charming, he was witty, he was funny, he was insanely attractive; Rooster truly was a million dollar man with the smile to match. Though it would just pain you to admit it, in the deepest recesses of your heart, you were glad that he was the partner you were given in such a tricky situation.

“No, no, don’t worry.” You attempted to reassure him, silently hoping that his remark wasn’t made out of any discomfort. “I’m just admiring you.”

Had the lighting in there not been so dim, you would have realized just how shyly Rooster grinned at your words. His body was slightly tense from the light form of flattery that you bestowed on him, proving to him that he truly did like you. Something about you just seemed so— different. So special.

Dinner went by smoothly. An incessant amount of flirting took place at that table, fueling your devious little crush on him. Had you not been haunted by the fact that you were carrying his baby and he was still yet to know, you wouldn’t have even considered not taking him home with you.

You two were just absolutely smitten with each other.

The ride home, though, was absolutely painful. Your chest felt very tight from the fact that you still hadn’t told him, and the warmth from his hand on your thigh could only hold you over for so long. Before you knew it, you were home. The opportunity was slipping through your fingertips.

The car came to a halt in front of your house, both relief and guilt washing over your body as it did so. Though you truly did come to love the feeling of being with Rooster, you missed a warmth from your home that even the sun could not provide. Had you not felt guilty about the fact that you still hadn’t told Rooster about the fact that you were about to be the mother of his child, being right outside of it would have drowned you in pure euphoria.

You wanted to scream. You wanted to throw the words over at him like a game of catch, but for the most aggravating reason in the world, you couldn’t. Your hand was finding its way to the door handle, despite the fact that you were silently screaming at yourself to spit it out.

Almost like he could hear you, you felt a large, warm hand gently grip yours before he pulled you over. Luckily, you had just taken your seatbelt off, so there would have been nothing to restrain you when you leaned over per his physical request.

Before you knew it, the warmest and most perfect pair of lips were pressed to yours, causing your heart to just melt inside of your chest. You lifted one of your hands and slowly pushed your fingers into his sandy blonde hair as his lips danced with yours, your eyes threatening to fill with tears. You just couldn’t fathom that being the last time you kissed him. That very well could have been the last good moment you two shared as people who liked one another, and not just as co-parents.

“What’s the matter, pretty girl?” He quietly asked with a playful grin once he detached his lips from yours, the volume of his voice mirroring the way it sounded the morning you last saw him. His long fingers were now gently massaging the very back of your scalp, your eyebrows furrowing at just how good it felt. He let out a small chuckle at your expression and pressed yet another peck to the very corner of your lips, small strands of hair from his mustache slightly tickling your skin. “Thought I’d just let you leave without giving me a kiss?”

Just like that, you felt a bolt of electricity shoot throughout your body. People all around the world walked across hot coals, went skydiving, and rode rollercoasters to replicate the adrenaline that just consumed you. For you, all it took was a small kiss from Rooster.

“Bradley, I’m pregnant.”

Silence. Pure silence.

The second the words hit the air, some might as well have dropped a bomb in the middle of the street. You wasted no time in retracting back to the passenger seat, studying the look of shock and confusion on his face.

“I know it’s confusing, I know you’re shocked. Trust me, I wasn’t exactly relieved and jumping for joy when I found out. I guess we were just too drunk to use protection, but—”

“It’s mine?” He cut you off in complete and utter surprise, his face looking awfully pale. Suddenly, your body was filled to the brim with rage.

“Who the fuck else’s would it be?” You couldn’t help but scoff, your eyebrows furrowing. You couldn’t stand the look of shock on his face. Being shocked about the baby, you understood, but being shocked that it was his? That is how he thought of you?

Rooster clearly did not enjoy your tone. He shot you a small glare as your sudden aggression filled the air, taking his keys out of the ignition. “Don’t do that. Don’t give me attitude; I have every damn right to be surprised.”

As much as you wanted to argue back, you knew that he was right. He truly did have every excuse to be surprised. Seeing as you essentially collapsed upon finding out, he was taking the news much better than you did.

“Why don’t you come inside?” You asked him in a very soft tone, earning another glance from him that made you want to implode. “I can make tea and we can talk about it.”

The silence that filled the air was deafening. At that moment, you just wanted to be completely sucked into the ground. You didn’t know if he was just going to shun you and send you on your merry way, but whatever it was, you wished he would just speak.

Very suddenly, he took his own seatbelt off and opened the door, getting out of the car. Before you could even think to open your own, he did it for you.

Even in his state of shock, he was a gentleman.

You pressed your lips together as if you were scared of what would come out if you didn’t. Your heart was pounding out of your chest as you offered him a small form of gratitude for helping you out of the car, quickly retrieving the key to your house from your purse. The sound of crickets filled the night, and the scent in the air signified that it would rain soon. You usually loved smelling it when the rain was on its way, but at that moment, you felt smothered by it.

After unlocking your door with your key, you stepped inside and immediately rid yourself of your shoes, not being able to suppress the small grunt of relief when your feet were free. You were only two months along in your pregnancy, but the small heels you wore to pair with your black dress made you want to chop your feet clean off.

You tossed your keys into the bowl you had tastefully placed on an end table next to the door, rubbing your own shoulder as you heard the sound of Rooster closing and locking the door. He took his time in removing his boots, figuring you taking your shoes off was just a house rule. Had you had just a moment to recognize what he did, you would have sobbed about how sweet he was and begun to unzip his jeans.

“Which kind of tea would you like?” You asked in a soft tone as you made your way to your kitchen, feeling the presence of the aviator behind you.

“Whatever you have is fine.” He told you in a way that was not exactly cold, but certainly not warm. Regardless of that, you opened one of the cabinets and took a small box outside of it, setting it on the countertop. Once you turned to fill the kettle with water, you furrowed your eyebrows at the fact that it was missing from the stove eye it usually rested on.

Your head turned once the sound of running water hit your ears, and your lips parted at the sight.

While you were getting the box full of teabags, Rooster took it upon himself to prepare the kettle.

You didn’t have to ask, you didn't request that of him. Hell, you didn’t even expect it from him. To be quite technical, you served no greater significance to him than a woman whom he had a one-night-stand with.

Well— aside from the fact that you were about to be the mother of his children, but still.

In your house, doing his part in an action that you offered to perform, he assisted you in making tea. He wanted to. He wasn’t asked to, nor was he forced. He just— wanted to.

You knew the action was minuscule, and you knew that taking it as seriously as you were was foolish. You knew that the way tears began to fill your eyes was a bit extreme, but you were hormonal, goddamn it. In your pregnant mind, this was quite literally the nicest thing anyone had ever done for you in your entire life.

The symbolism of it all was what made you ache like no other. After spending what felt like ages in complete and utter fear of how Rooster would react to your pregnancy, the small action of preparing the kettle washed it all away like a wave crashing onto the shore. You were almost certain that the man would run out on you, or that he would simply refuse to take responsibility for his part in the situation. You knew it was wrong to assume that about a man you hardly knew, but you couldn’t refrain from fearing the worst.

The second you saw him with that kettle, though, everything changed.

He showed up for you. He was there for you, and you didn’t even have to ask him to be. Deep down, you wanted to laugh at yourself for making something as simple as filling a kettle with water and putting it on the stove into such a profound sentiment. Despite wanting to do so, you could not bring yourself to it. Just from the way he was there for you in the moment, you knew he would be there for you in the long haul.

Both of you.

“My dad died when I was still pretty young.” He broke the silence as he placed the kettle back onto the stove eye, turning it onto a high setting after doing so. He didn’t dare to look you in the eye. He refused to let you see the pain in his, and he was petrified of seeing whatever was in yours.

Your face fell at his abrupt confession, your heart now twisting in guilt as you blurted out the first thing you thought. “How old were you?”

“Two.” He responded almost immediately, his hands resting on the edges of the countertop as he leaned his head down slightly. From the way he was standing, his back looked incredibly broad, as did his shoulders. You knew the timing was awful, but the fact that you could see the slight curvature of his back muscles through his not-so-thin sweater made your mouth water. You were glad he wasn’t able to see the way you were devouring him with your eyes.

Immediately feeling guilty for the way you were lusting over a grieving man, you deeply inhaled and decided to carry the discussion a bit further. You knew that him bringing up such a topic was to slightly cover the topic of how little he knew about fatherhood, so you decided to push. “Did you have a father figure?”

“I guess, yeah.” He responded in a low tone, clearing his throat as he stood up straight. Practically feeling Carole scold him for his impoliteness, he finally turned his body to face you and leaned back against the counter very slightly. “My Uncle Tom was around as much as he could be. It was mainly my Uncle P—”

He fell silent rather abruptly, causing you to furrow your eyebrows. Before you could question it, he finished the sentence that formerly hung in the air. “Maverick. My dad’s old friend, he was flying when my dad died.”

Your eyebrows raised at his last statement. His words seemed to hold quite a bit of weight, and you would be lying if you said you weren’t curious as to why that was. You knew that pushing the topic even further would result in something neither of you would like. “And your mother?”

“Died two years ago.” He responded to you in a cool, casual tone. The fact that you brought her up after she had just crossed his mind was too ironic for him to laugh at it.

Immediately, the corners of your lips curved downward into a frown. Despite his collected posterior, you knew that the man in front of you was nothing short of haunted. With two deceased parents and an estranged uncle that formerly served as a father figure, Bradley harbored emotional trauma that would make even the strongest people wince. No one deserved that. Least of all, him.

At least he had an Uncle Tom, though, right? He seemed nice. Everyone loves Uncle Tom.

You took a deep breath as you found yourself shuffling over to the taller pilot, his gaze now tiredly placed on yours. Both of you saw what the other was trying to hide. His pain, your fear; once they were formally acquainted with one another, they disappeared. Your arms snaked around his torso before you simply laid your head on his chest, your eyelids slowly falling shut.

The warmth from his body almost completely consumed you. Rooster wrapped both of his rather strong arms around you without so much as one word. The two of you stood in each other’s arms silently, both silently scared and comforted by the fact that only you two could understand what the other was going through. It was your first embrace not as just soon-to-be parents, but as two people who cared about one another. The baby that was growing in your belly essentially acted as a Cyrano, forcing and tricking you two to realize that you were meant to be more for one another than you formerly realized.

“I don’t know how I’ll do it.” You took it upon yourself to breathe the silence with a whisper, your eyes still closed as you listened to the melancholic sound of his heartbeat mixed with the faint sound of the kettle.

“We’ll just have to figure it out, I guess.” Rooster muttered lowly to you in a way that made your heart melt, crack, drop, and burst all at the same time.

You furrowed your eyebrows in pure awe of his words. You had never felt so held by someone in your life, both physically and metaphorically. You lifted your head from his chest and looked up at the man, your desperately relieved eyes meeting his. “We will?”

“I don’t know if you know this, but I don’t think we have a choice.” Rooster teased you in a way that made you let out such a warm giggle, the grin forming on his face turning such a scary moment into something of pure beauty.

“Thank you so much, Bradley.” You abruptly whispered to him, your eyes still wondrously peering into his as you did so. “Thank you for being this nice about all of this, I— I was so scared of how you’d react. I’ve been doing nothing but panicking since I found out.”

Your voice began to tremble midway through your sentence as the sheer horror and exhaustion that you had undergone since finding out began to flash throughout your mind. You couldn’t fight the tear that fell out of your eye as you spoke, and Rooster immediately took note of it.

Before he could do anything, however, the sound of the kettle whistling to indicate that it was ready startled both of you. The pair of you looked over at the same time before you let out a soft laugh at how it tore the moment to shreds, watching Rooster simply turn the stove off. He returned to his prior position and instantly wrapped his arms around you just as he did before, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head once you laid it on his chest again.

The words he whispered to you would be engrained in your memory for the rest of your life. Any time the trials and tribulations of motherhood threatened your peace and your sanity, his words came back to you like a moth to a flame, calming you down completely.

“You don’t need to panic, pretty girl. I’m here.”

Yes.

Yes, he was.

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@rosiahills22 @mak-32 @ghxst-heart @gretagerwigsmuse @aurisnightmare @twsssmlmaa @alldaysdreamers @mushy-mushroom04 @castle-bookworms-world @lunamooncole @maggiedanikka @mattyskies @classyunknownlover @lovelyladymayyy @adhxmoony @astroponyo @londonbeachgirl @belledawnidk @hope-love-equality2 @je-suis-prest-rachel @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @ahintofkiwistrawberry @ebonyhogan24 @alana4610 @affabletimelady @double-j @mrsjaderogers @littlesoulintheuniverse @bluelicious

#bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #top gun #top gun maverick #top gun fanfics #top gun fanfiction #top gun x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster angst #bradley bradshaw #topgun #rooster x reader #rooster imagine #rooster headcanon #rooster #boyfriend rooster #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw x reader #rooster x you #rooster bradshaw fic #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x y/n #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #tgm #tgm x reader #rooster fluff #rooster smut #miles teller #miles teller x reader #jake hangman seresin #pete maverick mitchell

[maverickcalf]

Put your long posts under read more.

I am on mobile and it sucks to scroll through.

#top gun maverick #jake seresin #rooster bradshaw #tgm #top gun: maverick #top gun #top gun imagine #top gun imagines #if you don't you will be blocked #top gun fanfics

[foreveraweirdoneslife]

I Think We're Alone Now [icemav] - Chapter 14

(Formerly: You Can Be My Wingman Anytime)

So happy the new chapter is online now! It's really difficult to write this fic at the moment so I'm glad I finally finished this chapter.

Fanfic Summary: After their grand declaration of mutual wingmanship, Ice and Mav are constantly drawn to each other and it's really only a matter of time until they become more than friends. It's a venturous enterprise - being a gay couple in the Navy. They are determined to make it work but life is putting more than enough obstacles in their way.

Or

Icemav’s first year as a couple.

Pairing: Pete "Maverick" Mitchell Tom "lceman" Kazansky.

Content/warnings: 18+, pre and early relationship icemav, fluff, hurt & comfort, smut, banter, secret relationship, period-typical homophobia, very mild violence.

About the Chapter: Mav gets into trouble - twice.

CLICK HERE TO READ!

#top gun #pete maverick mitchell #top gun maverick #icemav #tom iceman kazansky #top gun 1986 #top gun fanfic #top gun fanfiction #tg fanfiction #tg fanfic #tg86 #top gun iceman #icemav smut #icemav fluff #long fanfic #fanfic #my fics #fanfiction #writing #top gun fanfics #icemav fanfics #tom kazansky #pete mitchell #maverick #iceman #maverick x iceman #iceman x maverick #top gun icemav #gay #gay fanfiction

[edensbuttercups]

200 follower celebration!

I have somehow hit 200 followers, and I am so so thankful for you all and all the kind comments, reblogs, likes or just the time taken reading, it means so much ♡

I thought a little prompt opening for drabbles and fics would be nice as a little celebration, so I have chosen two to go off of. So if anyone would like, just send me an ask, anon or not, with a character and a prompt (or more!) and I'll see what I can do :D

Here is the first prompt list

And here is the second one

Or, if you have an idea that isn't in these lists, feel free to send it my way! ♡

#top gun fanfics #top gun maverick fanfics #bradley bradshaw x reader #jake seresin x reader #rooster x reader #hangman x reader #robert bob floyd x reader #bob floyd x reader #natasha phoenix trace x reader #phoenix x reader #mickey garcia x reader #fanboy x reader #javy machado x reader #coyote x reader #reuben fitch x reader #payback x reader #stranger things fanfic #eddie munson x reader #robin buckley x reader #steve harrington x reader