Bradley Rooster X Reader - Tumblr Posts

Danger Meter [2]

》Crash《

▪︎Pairings: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

▪︎Pronouns: She/Her (Fem! Reader)

▪︎Warnings: Language, also probably some inaccuracies

▪︎Genre: Soulmate Au! Angst and fluff

▪︎Synopsis: Your soulmate rarely seems to be out of the High risk zone according to your mark, which makes you worry. Oh well— you already know that the same goes for him.

Note: Thank you for the likes/reblogs/comment! I couldn't help myself so here is part 2!

》 Masterlist 》 Bradley's Masterlist

》 Previous 》 Next

"Crash watch yourself, there's a-"

It was probably your fault, you were to pre-occupied thinking about what happened last night that you processed Hangman's warnings a little too late.

"Shit! Birdstrike! Birdstrike!" You yelled, looking at your controls. "Left engine is on fire! Climbing!" Hangman looks at you, growing worried about you by the second. "Don't tell me she's gonna try to fucking save it." He mumbled, keeping a close eye on you.

You'd try to save the plane even though you're literally about to nosedive into the ground. Hence the callsign 'Crash'.

"Throttling back! Shutting off fuel on left engine, extinguishing fire!" You informed Maverick and Hangman. Maverick can only utter an 'Oh my god' while Hangman could do nothing but watch worriedly.

Bob felt like someone dumped an ice bucket on him as he and his fellow naval aviators listened to the radio to know what's happening on air. His insides were twisting as he wanted to do nothing but to hurl and cry.

Everyone semmed to still as they continued to listen to the radio. "Bird strike..?" Payback mumbled.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Bob uttered, he can feel his head spinning and his hands get sweaty. Pheonix shot a worried glance at him.

Rooster, who was sitting in one of the chairs looked at Bob. "Crash's your girl, Bob?" He tried to read Bob's expression. Coyote intervened, "I think now is not the right time for you to be asking that, man."

Roster nodded as he muttered out an apology to the Weapons System Officer who was intently listening to the radio. As Rooster further observe Bob, he realized two things: Bob deeply cares for you, which makes him think you know each other personally, or you're both romantically involved. And the other one is-

He sure hopes that you and Bob aren't a thing.

Rooster was pulled away from his thoughts, hearing your voice on the radio. He felt a pit forming on his stomach as you yelled, 'Right engine is out! It's still spinning-"

'Crash! You can't save it!' Hangman's voice was heard through the radio. All of them perked up, they never heard Hangman scared before. Not even once, and the fact that he was worried for another person— considering he's Hangman, he'll leave you out to dry.

Rooster's worry grew by the second for his fellow pilot. He ran his hand through his hair, an action Coyote noticed, and without fail he saw something he thinks that's hard to believe.

Rooster's mark was an angry shade of dark red.

Coyote was stunned, his eyes widening as he tried to process his thoughts over yours, hangman's and maverick's shouting over the radio.

"No fucking way.." He breathed out, aviators beside him thought he was talking about what's happening over the radio. Boy were they wrong.

'I can't control it! I'm going down! I'm going down!' Panic and terror laced in your voice, Rooster can feel his chest tightening as he looked down and laced his hands together, finally noticing something wrong with his mark.

The stripe was almost black.

It can't be, what's happening? He looked at it, and looked back to the radio. His head was racing different thoughts per minute. He felt his breathing got labored as he tries to calm himself.

"No.. no.." Bob mumbled, clearly distraught as Pheonix offered a comforting squeeze on his shoulder.

Right, you and Bob are probably soulmates. He needs to put that into consideration, maybe it's just a coincidence? But, having your soulmate's danger meter almost turn black is rare. He read about a study that found out people who's soulmates have a high risk job (i.e being in the military) are reported to be the one experiencing red and black marks.

You— a naval aviator who's about to crash, and him, who's mark is almost black.

'You can't save it! Eject eject!' They heard Maverick yell as Hangman told the same thing. 'Crash! don't you dare join your jet crash!'

'Eject eject eject!'

Taglist [Closed]: @auszimbo

Danger Meter [3]

》Assumptions《

■Pairings: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

■Pronouns: She/Her Fem!Reader

■Warnings: Language, also probably some medical inaccuracies

■Genre: Soulmate Au! Angst and Fluff

■Synopsis: Your soulmate rarely seems to be out of the High risk zone according to your mark, which makes you worry.Oh well— you already know the same goes for him.

》 Masterlist 》 Bradley's Masterlist

》 Previous 》 Next

"Is she alright?"

"Lieutenant L/n is very lucky. She only sustained a few bruises, and a gash on her face. We would like to keep her overnight so we can continue to monitor her."

"I see... Thank you, doctor."

"The pleasure is all mine. I'll get going now, Lieutenant."

You heard the voices talking back and forth stop as you slowly tried to open your eyes— immediately shutting it as the bright flourescent light from the ceiling temporary blinded you.

"Where.. Am.. I?"

You could feel your throat was dry and your voice came out hoarse, cracking at the end.

"Y/n! Y/n! Can you hear me?"

Scrunching your brows, you snapped. "Can you stop shouting? I'm not deaf, statefarm. I'm surprised you got into heaven too." Your voice coming out softer than what you intent to be. You slowly opened your eyes again as you tried to adjust to the brightness of the room.

Hangman sighed, quite relieved. "Glad you're still the same. You're not dead, you're in the hospital. Also, excuse me?"

"You're excused."

"And here I was, about to grab you some water so you can properly talk." He scoffed, you looked at him and cracked a small, playful smile. "Do be a dear and get me one, Seresin."

Hangman grumbled but still complied, you took a long sip from the straw as he assisted you. "Thanks, Hangman. I appreciate it."

He flashes you with his signature smile, "Anytime, Crash. Just don't pull shit like that again." You rolled your eyes.

"I'm serious, all of us were about to have a heart attack."

"Sorry 'bout that." You took a second to scan the room for any sign of your best friend. "Where's Bob?" You asked, curious on where he is.

"He passed out."

"What?"

"I know. He'll be here soon." As soon as Hangman said that, a knock was heard along with 'Are you sure this is where she is?' Most likely from Bob.

You chuckled, "Yeah Robby, this is my room. Come on in." You heard the doorknob turn and there he was, your bestfriend who was not pleased as he scanned your current state. Hangman excused himself as he got called by Coyote.

Pheonix raised an eyebrow at you as she, and surprisingly Rooster entered your room, following Bob. "You and Bagman? Since when?"

You looked at her incredulously. "What? We're not together."

"Then why is he in your room?"

"Oh I don't know, let me guess— he's probably checking on me since I'm his wingman?" You asked sarcastically while Bob fretted over you like a mother hen.

"Hey Rooster, how are you?"

You cracked a small smile as you greeted your crush fellow naval aviator. Rooster smiled back, "Shouldm't I be the one asking you that, Crash?" He chuckled, resulting in you to blush and laugh. "Well, I think you already know I feel like shit."

"But you don't look like one."

"Tell that to me when I don't have this gauze on my cheek." You chuckled, trying not to let him see you flustered at his compliment.

Bob and Pheonix shared a knowing look to each other, which went unnoticed to you and Rooster .

"We were worried about you, Y/n/n." You heard Bob say. Turning to him, you sighed. "Sorry, Robby. I was quite scared myself too, I thought it was the end of me." You looked down at your hands. Noticing how the room changed into a more serious atmosphere.

"I probably scared my soulmate half to death too." You joked as Bob shaked his head. "I think you did."

Rooster perked up, you and Bob aren't soulmates?

As stupid as it sounds, he tried his best to look for your wrist secretly. Trying to see your mark. What he didn't expect was he felt his mark pulse when he saw yours.

He took a step back. What in the world? Why does he feel his mark pulse?

"Rooster? You okay?" Pheonix asked, taking note of his sudden change in demeanor. You and Bob looked to Rooster, seemingly confused.

"U-uh yeah, I just— I remembered I need to talk to Maverick about something." He mumbled as he took another step back before turning and leaving the room.

Bob could already sense the hurt and dissappointment rolling off you in waves. Pheonix furrowed her brows

"What is up with him?"

Rooster knew that was the most pathetic excuse he has given in his entire life.

Not only was it a half-baked plan, his body language gave it away. Hell he didn't even know why he told he'd be talking with Maverick, when he knows that they know there's a tension between them two.

He found himself walking into hard deck, going straight to the bar. Not paying attention to Penny and Maverick flirting across him.

"Bradshaw." He heard an all too familiar southern voice called out. Bradley turned to look around and saw Hangman from the table, a knowing smile on his face.

Rooster already know how this is going to go.

"Hangman." He mumbled, turning back his attention to the bar about to order a drink.

"You know, a little bird told me what happened while y'all were listening to us on the radio earlier." Hangman said, slowly coming over to where Rooster's at.

"And I heard something.. strange." Jake smiled, circling around Rooster as if he was a predator. Rooster looked at him, "I don't want to hear any of your bullshit, Hangman."

"Oh, don't worry Bradshaw. I won't take up too much of your time. I just wanna.. ask something." Jake said, an unknown glint present in his eyes. Without even letting Bradley speak, he continued.

"Your mark turned dark red to black. Didn't it, Bradshaw?"

Rooster felt his body went rigid as he heard those words uttered out by Hangman. He looked at the smirking blonde with anger slowly consuming him.

He heard Hangman laugh, "Don't even try denying it, Bradshaw. You already gave it away."

Bradley looked at him, eyes seething in anger. "What is it to you, Hangman?" The Texan boy hummed, "Well because I know who you suspect your soulmate is."

"That is none of ypur concern-"

"Oh but it is, especially if it's about her." Hangman's expression turned serious, as he stared down his fellow naval aviator.

Bradley looked at him, "I don't even know who you're referring to-"

"Crash. Don't fucking deny it, Bradshaw. I know you think she's your soulmate."

Rooster balled up his fists, every ounce of his being trying not to punch Hangman. Out of the corner of his eye, Coyote, Fanboy, and Payback slowly started to gather around him and Hangman, readying themselves in case a fight breaks out.

"What if she is? What are you gonna do about it?" Rooster challenged, standing up from his seat as he came closer to Hangman, not breaking their stare.

Hangman smirked, "I'll make sure you won't even lay a finger on her to find out."

Taglis [Closed] : @auszimbo @twsssmlmaa

Danger Meter [4]

》Guarded《

▪︎Pairings: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

▪︎Pronouns: She/Her [Fem!Reader]

▪︎Warnings: Language and Hangman being a jerk.

▪︎Genre: Soulmate Au! Angst and fluff

▪︎Synopsis: Your soulmate rarely seems to be out of the High risk zone according to your mark, which makes you worry.Oh well— you already know the same goes for him.

Note: Bob is my comfort character. This chapter is also a long one!

》 Masterlist 》 Bradley's Masterlist

》 Previous 》Next

"Rooster and Crash, you'll be paired for today."

"Fuck me." You mumbled, as Maverick announced the partners for today's practice regarding the Uranium Mission.

Bob nearly choked at your choice of words.

It's not that you don't want to be paired with him, you just don't think ypu'll be able to focus with him being your partner because of the stupid butterflies in your stomach whenever you hear his voice or catch a glimpse of him.

The fact that he's also as cautious as can be which means you won't be able to do the normal speed you and Hangman fly at.

It's gonna be a challenge.

You walked alongside Bob on the Tarmac, about to get into your jets. Time is ticking and you needed to execute the manuevers and speed for the success of the uranium mission.

You didn't have to say it out loud for Bob to know you're beyond nervous. Given it has only been a day since you ejected from that bird stike accident, you knew you aren't in your best shape.

"You'll be just fine, y/n/n." Bob offered you a gentle smile. You let out a huff, "You sure put a hell lot of trust on me Robby, heck I don't even know if I could trust myself."

"Don't doubt yourself. I know you can do it."

You offered him a smile, "Thanks Robby, it means a lot. You always know how to make me feel better." You patted his head as he hummed.

"You're acting as if I didn't know you your whole life, y/n/n." He chuckled, your conversation was cut short as you saw something out of your pheriperal vision.

"Wait, what happened to statefarm?" You motioned over to Jake Seresin who was currently checking on his jet while sporting a bruised cheek.

Bob sighed, "A fight broke out on Hard Deck last night." You widened your eyes, "What? Last night?! Who did he fight?"

"Rooster." Bob stated, answering you and greeting the pilot as he walked closer to you and Bob. Bradley gave a small smile and a nod to the WSO in reply.

"Hey Roo– " You felt a gust of wind as he walked straight past, completely ignoring you. "What was up with him..?" Trying to shake off the hurt and embarassment, you jogged towards your jet and waving bye to Bob who only sighed and shaked his head before walking to his and pheonix's jet.

Did Bradley felt like an asshole as he purposely ignored you? Absolutely, he wants to go back and kneel as he begs you not to think he's just another jerk and apologize. He feels like a first grader who's being mean to his crush.

Why did he do that? He also doesn't fucking know. He's trying to sort put his thoughts. Well, one of the few reasons is probably for the fact that he knew Hangman was hellbent on keeping you away from him, recalling their incident last night at Hard Deck.

"You don't have the right to control her, Hangman." Rooster spat out, "She's not yours." Jake glared, "I'm just protecting her, Rooster."

"Protecting her from what?"

"From you, you think I don't know how many girls you've been with?"

Payback looked around before apologizing to Penny, seeing how many people are now staring at them, his friends causing a scene.

Coyote tried pulling Jake back, "Come on man, Penny will kick us out if you both won't stop." He shrugged off his friends grip on him.

"Oh I'm not finished."

"I should be saying the same to you, Hangman. You're acting like you're her fucking boyfriend."

"I just don't want her to end up in your bed and for you to discard her the next morning, I know your little crush on her Bradshaw. And I know you want to put her to bed-"

Something inside Rooster snapped as his fist made contact with Hangman's cheek. Jake laughed, knowing that he pushed Rooster's button as he striked back, resulting Bradley's busted lip.

"That's enough! Lieutenant Bradshaw! Lieutenant Seresin!" Maverick yelled as he stood and immediately went between them as Hangman and Rooster were pulled back buy Coyote, Payback, and Fanboy.

"We will discuss what happened early in the morning." Maverick looked at them sternly as he heard the grunts of agreement of the two.

"Rooster, you gotta speed up. We're half a minute late by the target." You informed, looking at the screen in your jet.

"We're good, we'll get there. Just maintain your speed."

You feel like you're going on a stroll or sight seeing with Bradley. You're used to the fast-paced Hangman.

"Increase to 500 knots!"

"Negative, Crash. Hold your speed."

"Rooster, we're late!"

"We're alive, we'll make up time in the straightaway."

You are beyond annoyed and shocked, talking to him feels like talking to a brick wall. Your words are just like white noise to him.

"We are not gonna make it!"

"Just trust me, maintain your speed. We can make it."

You scoffed, "By the time we'll get there we'll be a minute late!" 'This guy is unbelievable.' You thought to yourself as you continued to follow him, maintaning your speed as you've got no other choice.

"Why are you dead?" Maverick asked Rooster, "You're team leader up there, why are you, why is your team dead?"

"Sir, he's the only one that made it to the target." Pheonix interjected, as she looked at their instructor.

"A minute late. He gave the enemy aircraft time to shoot him down."

"That's what I was saying. If it was the real thing then we would've been dead." You mumbled, crossing your arms and letting out a sigh.

Apparently, you weren't silent enough since Rooster turned his head into your direction, hard eyes glancing your way. "You don't know that."

"You're not flying fast enough. You don't have a second to waste." Hangman said, agreeing with you.

Even though you always bicker and fight with Hangman, it was nothing but playful. Although you gotta admit, he's an ass and can get under people's skin, but you're sure to keep him in check. Needless to say, you almost broke his jaw when you two first met because of his habit of pushing people's buttons.

You both make the perfect pair, as soon as you're up in the sky you both worked like a well-oiled machine. Both of you are fast-paced pilots, you're the only one that can keep up with Hangman while simultaneuosly keeping him in check.

Rooster looked at Maverick, "We made it to the target."

"And superior enemy aircraft intercepted you on your way out." Maverick said. Rooster won't back down, "Then it is a dogfight."

You scrunched up your brows, you couldn't believe what you were hearing. "Against fifth generation fighters?" You asked him, clearly in disbelief by his overly optimistic views.

"Yeah, we'd still have a chance."

"In an F-18?" Maverck asks, clearly getting worked up. Bradley looked at him, "It's not the plane sir, it's the pilot."

"Exactly."

The small smile on Bradley's face fell, the room grew silent. Maverick seems to realize his words as he looked away, not meeting anyone's gaze.

Rooster looked at him, trying not to lose his composure, "There's more than one way to fly this mission."

"You really don't get it." Jake looks at Rooster, "On this mission, a man flies like maverick here, or a man does not come back."

Hangman looked at Phoenix and Bob, "No offense intended" You really wanna punch him right now. Pheonix gave him a look while Bob, who was sitting beside her, leaned over to look at him. "Yet somehow you always manage."

Hangman looked back to Rooster, "Look I don't mean to criticize, you're conservative. That's all."

"Lieutenant." Maverick warned.

"Look, we're going into combat, son. A level no living pilot has ever seen." He turned to look at Maverck. "Not even him."

"That's no time to be thinking about the past." He turned to look at Rooster's direction. Shit, you already know this won't be good. Hangman and his mouth is a great fucking combo for a disaster.

"Hangman." You looked at him, knowing he's got shit up at his sleeve. Rooster looks taken aback as he slowly looks at Hangman. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I can't be the onky one that knows Maverick flew with his old man." Your eyes slowly widened, Maverick intervened. "Okay that's enough." Jake didn't listen.

"Or that Maverick was flying when his old man-"

Bradley went straight to him as everyone scrambled in their seats to prevent them being near each other. "Shit! Hangman that's enough!" You stood beside Hangman as you pulled him back. Rooster pushed him, the force knocking Hangman and you.

You winced, trying to hide it. Even though you weren't the one he pushed, you still got the receiving end of it, considering you got brusies littering your body, it did a number on you. Hangman immediately stands infront of you, glaring at Rooster.

"You son of a bitch!" Rooster yelled at Hangman, pointing at him angrily. He felt rage. Pure unadulterated rage consumed his body. As he stares at Hangman, his fellow aviators holding him back.

Hangman shrugged his fellow aviators off, "I'm cool, I'm cool."

Just as you think it's over, Hangman opened his mouth again. "He's not cut out for this mission." You seriously want to ductape it and only remove it when he has to eat or drink.

Everything that has happened is making your head hurt. Pinching the bridge of yoru nose, you took a step back and sighed.

"That's enough." Maverick told him. He just smiled to an agitated Rooster. "You know it." Hangman turned to look at the topgun instructor infront of them.

"You know I'm right."

Taglist [Closed]: @auszimbo @twsssmlmaa @looneylikesbooks

Danger Meter [5]

》Miscommunication《

▪︎Pairings: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

▪︎Pronouns: She/Her [Fem! Reader]

▪︎Warnings: Language

▪︎Genre: Soulmate Au! Angst and Fluff

▪︎Synopsis:Your soulmate rarely seems to be out of the High risk zone according to your mark, which makes you worry.Oh well— you already know the same goes for him.

》 Masterlist 》Bradley's Masterlist

》Previous 》Next

You pretended you couldn't feel Rooster staring at you from across the room.

You pretended you couldn't see the longingness in his eyes, as you laughed with Bob or joked around with Hangman.

You also pretended you don't think that he's your soulmate.

The past few days has been rough on you, the mental exhaustion evident on your face as the light from the Hard Deck illuminates your face.

"Robby, what brings you here?" You looked over your shoulder, leaning against your car that is parked infront of Hard Deck.

"I know what you're thinking, y/n/n."

You raised one eyebrow, "Care to be specific? I'm thinking 'bout millions of things, Robby." You chuckled, he neared you until he's next to you, leaning against your car.

"I know that you think he is the one." Bob answered, looking at the night sky. You stilled, damn, you couldn't really hide anything from him. Bob already memorized your actions, feelings, and thoughts like the back of his hand.

It's not like you're not the same to him, you know what he wants you to do before he can even say it out loud.

"You want me to test it out." You stated, which made Bob look at you and smile. "Who knows?" You closed your eyes and drew in a breath, a shaky sigh leaving your lips.

"I'm scared."

Bob reached for your hand and gave a comforting squeeze, urging you to continue. "Why?"

"What if he isn't the one? I'd feel like I'm betraying my soulmate because of my feelings for him, Robby." You looked down as Bob widened his eyes, "So you admit you like him?"

"Yes. I do like him, but he probably doesnt' like me." You confirmed as bob shaked his head, telling you that Rooster doesn't dislike you. He needs to talk to Pheonix about this later.

"As long as ypur soulmate isn't Bagman then they're okay to me." His statement earned a chuckle from you, but a thought crossed over your head which dampened your lightening mood.

"And with the Uranium mission coming up.. If I ever get picked for it, will I even come back alive? Will I ever come back at all?" You asked yourself, fear evident in your eyes.

"I want to meet my soulmate before I leave for the mission, I might never come back, Robby. Just once and I will be happy." You looked away. Bob knows exactly what you mean as he shaked his head.

"We will come home safe." Bob stated, as he gripped your hand and made eye contact with you. You could feel him determined, and somehow, his words bring you a sense of comfort.

"So hot." You moaned, fanning yourself with your hands. Jake who coincidentally walks past you, winked. "Thanks sweetheart." You made a disgusted face at him.

"What the.. I was talking about the weather. Shut your trap statefarm or else I'll make you eat sand." You shaked your head as he laughed, walking away. "That damn mouth of his, I swear." You grabbed your sunglasses as you sat at one of the beach chairs.

"Mind if I sit here?" You heard someone asked.

Looking over your shoulder, you repsonded "Sure, whatever. Don't think it's occupied anyway." Rooster looked at you for a long while and sighed, "Look, I'm sorry for ignoring yo-"

"Rooster, I forgive you. Let's just put it behind us, yeah? I'm sure you have your reasons." You mumbled.

"It still doesn't give me the the right to be a douche." He shaked his head, being sincere.

"Sorry about Hangman too, he's a fucking asshole, I know." You added. You heard the chair creak as he sat beside you.

He tried to look at anything but you. But his eyes seemingly cannot do it, he's mesmerized. The fact that this is one of the few times he got to see you without your uniform or flight suit is doing things to him. It's not helping that the navy blue sports bra and white shorts are complimenting your body.

And you acted like you don't know he was checking you out.

"You don't need to apologize on the behalf of him. He's not your responsibility." He stated. You chuckled, "Well, I feel kinda responsible."

"You and Hangman are getting into fights recently, I heard that you got into a fight at Hard Deck." You looked at him.

Rooster drew in a breath. Did you know the reason why they fought? Has Hangman already brainwashed you that he's no good for you and that he's a player?

"I don't know what ypu guys fought about but from what I heard what happened it seems serious."

Rooster stilled for a moment, opening and closing his mouth. You don't know? It's a miracle it hasn't reached you yet, considering almost everyone knows about it now. Bob and Pheonix did a good job at keeping things seemingly under the wraps infront of you.

"Yeah, it is." He mumbled.

"Care to tell me about it?"

"Well.." Bradley hesitates, he doesn't know how.

"I don't bite. Lay it on me, dude." You grinned. Rooster sighed, "We fought because of a girl."

He noticed your smile faltered, or maybe that was just his imagination? Maybe he's just being delusional.

"And? What? He likes the girl and you like her too?" You tried to act like that it didn't affect you. But it did, it felt like someone stabbed you as you listen to Rooster talk about this girl that he's head over heels for.

You weren't dumb, you can see that Rooster is hopelessly in love.

"I like her, I think she's my soulmate."

Tears sprang onto your eyes as you try to keep your smile and voice steady, thank goodness you were wearing sunglasses. Rooster didn't seem to notice it.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, but Hangman.. He doesn't like that idea."

You need to get out of here, you need to ne away from Rooster. Tears are threatening to spill from your eyes as you can feel your heart hurting.

"Oh, maverick's here.." Your voice cracked, before he can even ask what's wrong you were already jogging towards Bob and Pheonix.

"Rooster, do you realize how fucking dumb are you?" Pheonix asked, glaring as the taller man looked away.

"So that's why she wasn't her usual self earlier in the beach.." Bob mumbled, Rooster asked "Wasn't she just down because she didn't win?"

Pheonix rolled her eyes as she face palmed. "Are you that dense Bradshaw? It's clear that she's painfully inlove with you! You think she's upset over the football? No! It's because you were talking like you have another girl in mind that you like!" She threw her hands up in the air, almost smacking Rooster in the face.

"You think so?.." he asked, looking down.

"That she's inlove with you and that you're dumb? Abso-fucking-lutely."

He wants to fucking believe it, he wants to think that you feel the same way to him. He wants to think that there's a chance you like him and think that he's your soulmate.

"You better figure this out before the mission, Rooster." Pheonix shakes her head. "Do you have any intel, Bob?"

Bob looked at Pheonix uneasily, "This will be the first and last time I'm going to snitch on her, Pheonix."

He knows that snitching on someone isn't good, but he could endure you being angry at him for a few days than not say it. He knows that this is going to be the important key to stop the misunderstandings between you and rooster.

"Yeah I know Bob, get on with it!" Pheonix turned to look at Rooster, making sure he's listening.

"She likes you, Rooster."

Rooster couldn't process it, he blinked a couple of times. "Hold on, one more time." He urged Bob to repeat what he said, maybe he just misheard.

"She's inlove with you, Rooster. She thinks that you're her soulmate."

Bradley Bradshaw couldn't believe it, his mouth opened as he asked a quite ridiculous question. "Are you sure?"

Bob sighed, shaking his head. Love makes people dumb, he thought. "Look man, if you don't believe me then I don't know what to tell you except for find it out yourself."

"Try to touch her subtly, like brush your hands against hers during class and stuff like that. See if your mark will glow." Pheonix suggested, Bradley hummed, considering it.

"What should I do if I find out we're soulmates?"

"I- Rooster, does Bob and I look like an instruction manual for how to deal with your soulmate?" Pheonix facepalmed.

"I was just asking..-"

"Well then it's a dumb question!"

Taglist [Closed]: @auszimbo @twsssmlmaa @looneylikesbooks @krys-orion

Danger Meter [6]

》Come back《

▪︎Pairings: Bradley "Rooster Bradshaw x Reader

▪︎Pronouns: She/Her [Fem! Reader]

▪︎Warnings: Language, Navy Inaccuracies, Person going into shock, medical inaccuracies, and mentions of throw up. THIS IS A LONG CHAPTER

▪︎Genre: Soulmate Au! Angst and Fluff

▪︎Synopsis: Your soulmate rarely seems to be out of the High risk zone according to your mark, which makes you worry.Oh well— you already know the same goes for him.

Note: This is the last part of Danger Meter! Sorry if it feels a bit rushed, I'm trying to get this series to a close before going back to class. Thank you so much for liking/reblogging/commenting/reading this series! (If I have the chance I'll probably post what happened after danger meter to Crash and Bradley)

》 Masterlist 》 Bradley's Masterlist

》 Previous

"It's been an honor flying with you."

Maverick scanned the Naval Aviators infront of him. "Each of you represents the best of the best. This is a very specific mission." Out of the corner of your eye you saw Hangman look at Maverick, smiling. You already knew he thinks he'll be picked for the mission.

To say you are nervous is beyond an understatement. You think you're gonna puke, pass out, and faint at the same time worrying about your friends.

"My choice is a reflection of that and nothing more." Maverick said, "Choose your two foxtrot teams." You hear Vice Admiral Simpson tell to Maverick.

"Payback and Fanboy."

"Pheonix and Bob." You slightly perked up, half of you is happy to know that they got picked and that the topgun instructor realized their potential, but the other half is scared to death for them.

"And your wingman."

You saw Rooster beside you look down, you can already tell he's not confident he'll get picked. Every second maverick was silent had you growing nervous. You can tell he's conflicted, his eyes drifting back and forth from Rooster and Hangman.

"Rooster." You felt your breath hitch as you looked beside you. Rooster slowly looked up at Maverick.

"The rest of you will stand by the carrier for any reserve role that is required. Dismissed" Warlock announced, you walked over to Pheonix and Bob, uttering out words of encouragement before running off to find Bradley.

"Rooster." You called out, he stopped and turned to look towards you. Jogging to him, you gave him a smile. "You can do it." He nods, a small smile of his own forming on his face. "Thanks for believeing in me, Crash."

"I uh.. want to give you something." You smiled nervously, Rooster's eyebrows rose up in surprise.

"What is it, Crash?" Your hands went straight to your neck as you unclasped your necklace. He never noticed the jewelry, probably because it was tucked under your shirt most of the time.

"This, I want to give it to you. My lucky charm, I like to think this necklace is the reason why I'm always safe, even if I had to eject out multiple times in my career." You chuckled, staring at the silver paper airplane shaped pendant on your palm.

Rooster shaked his head, looking at the piece of jewelry that mean so much to you."Oh no no.. I can't take it, Crash. It's yours." You smiled, "Okay then, just borrow it. You can give it back to me when you come home." He bit his lip, contemplating on wether he sould accept or not.

"I want you to be safe, Rooster. I gave Bob a plane keychain too, it keeps him safe, he said. So you know, it's legit." You laughed, Rooster let out a smile as he stared at you. Without much thought, you grabbed his hand, palms facing up as you placed your necklace in it. You rolled his finger down his palm, closing and squeezing it.

That's when you both felt it.

When you touched his hand, a warm, comforting feeling was felt through the both of your marks. You can also see the some of the light peeking through the sleeve of your uniform. You stilled, trying to calm your racing heart. Did that just happen?

Rooster felt his breath got knocked out his lungs, a warm feeling was felt in his mark then travelled to his heart, filling his chest with warmth. He can see the glow of his mark.

You're his. You're his soulmate.

"I-i'll see you around, rooster!" You yelled, taking off, you couldn't hear his scream for you to come back as you tried to let what happened earlier sink in.

Your soulmate, Bradley bradshaw.

He's about to enter the most dangerous task in his entire career. On his mind, he can only think of one thing. You. He has to get home safe.

He will come back. He has to. For you.

You can feel a flurry of emotions in you. There it is, you found out your answer. He's your soulmate. He's yours.

You only then realized the heaviness of your situation. He's assigned to be the wingman in a dangerous mission, one that has a probability of him not coming back home. You felt your knees weakening.

You willed yourself not to break down until you get to your room. You felt your knees collapsed at the hard floor as you cried.

"Crash, what's wrong?" You headr Pheonix behind the door as she knocked frantically, "N-Nothing."

"Bullshit. I'm coming in." You heard the door open and you felt Pheonix engulf you in a hug. "What's wrong?"

"M-my soulmate.. Rooster.." You hiccuped, you can feel Pheonix tense up, "When did you.."

"Just now.." Pheonix rubbed your back, mind already going to worst case scenario judging by your reaction. "Do I need to beat him up?"

"N-no.. I'm just.. scared." Her eyes softened,

"Why? Rooster's a great guy. You don't have to worry."

You shaked your head, "I-I'm scared for him.. for all of you.." You sputtered out, she frowned, knowing what you mean. "He needs to focus on the mission, he can't have this soulmate thing distracting him.. that's why I ran away." You mumbled, Pheonix sighed.

"You do realize he's gonna go insane with you running away, right?"

"I don't even know if he noticed."

"Everyone can feel it. Anyone can feel their soulmate's touch, it's an experience you can't forget."

Rooster felt his heart break into two.

It seems like he can't move, his feet planted firmly on the ground as he watched your figure dissappear when you ran far enough.

Was he not good enough?

Did you suddenly realized you don't want him as your soulmate?

But then, why did you gave him your necklace?

He can feel himself clutching onto it, gripping onto the necklace so tight so that no one can take it away. It feels like that it's only thing that keeps him from going insane. He knows you care about him, but as what? As a friend?

He knew that you felt it too, there's no denying it. Yet, you ran away.

He can feel himself plop down in a sitting position at the ground, his hand slowly opening to reveal your necklace.

"Am I not good enough for you?" He rasped out, voice wavering as he tried to keep his emotions at bay.

"Bradshaw."

Rooster didn't even bother to turn and look at him. "Not now, Hangman." He couldn't bear to see the smug look pf Hangman.

"Bradshaw, whatever you're thinking right now-"

"Stop acting like you're comforting me, Hangman. I hope your happy." He spat out venoumously as he stood up. Hangman grabbed his wrist.

"Look, knowing Crash, she's probably worrying about you and she's trying to prevent you from getting distracted-"

"What? Does she think that I'll be able to focus on the damn mission if she runs away from me?" He looks at Hangman, "I feel like I was gonna die when she ran away.." Tears sprang onto his eyes.

This is the time Jake knew that Rooster is serious about you. Sure, he felt like a dick, being an obstacle to both you and Rooster but he did that because he wants to know if Bradley is serious about you or not. So to let his fellow naval aviator know that he supports the both of them, he pushed Rooster.

"Go get your girl, Bradshaw."

Bradley looks at him, taken aback by his actions. "Whatcha waitin for?" Jake raised his eyebrows.

That's all the needed push for Rooster as he ran towards where you're staying.

"Rooster." Pheonix opened the door, shocked that he's infront of your room. "You're not supposed to be here, you know. Male and females are not allowed to be in the opposite gender's quarters."

"I know, I know. Can I please talk to Y/n?" He pleaded. Pheonix looked at the hallways before pulling him inside and shutting the door. "She's asleep." Rooster deflated at her word. "If you want to see her, go." Mumbling 'thanks' to Pheonix, he went straight to your bed, he can hear Pheonix leave, giving him privacy.

"Y/n.." Rooster looked at your face, dried tear marks evident in your cheeks as you slept soundly. He gingerly took your hands into his as he sat down on the side of your bed.

"I know you're sleeping, but I have to say it. Give me a chance, Y/n. Give me the chance to prove myself to you, even if I have to spend the rest of my life doing that." He whispered, voice wavering as he ghosted his thumb over your knuckles.

"Once I come home from this mission, I promise to take you out, watch movies with you, take long walks on the beach, anything you'd like to do, my darling." He said, kissing your forehead.

"I'll make sure to come back home. I promise."

The day finally came for the Uranium Mission.

Watching everyone get ready made your stomach churn, everyone knew the danger awaits the Aviators. Standing beside Hangman, you both were ordered to be on stand-by, in case the mission didn't exactly go as planned.

You saw Rooster approach the both of you, he looked at Hangman. The pair seems to have a telepathic conversation as Hangman nodded, and pursed his lips. "Give 'em hell!"

Rooster looked at you the second Hangman left. You gulped, "Roo.."

Bradley felt warmth in his chest as the nickname for him rolled of your tongue. "I just want to say-" You were cut off by the announcement saying they need the Pilots and WSO's on their aircraft.

"We'll talk. After we come back from the mission." He offered a smile, you could only send a small one back as he went and got ready.

"Bullseye, bullseye, bullseye!"

A wide smile grew on your face as you and Hangman looked at each other, completely proud of your friends. "That's so cool." You breathed out, sitting in your jet. You heard Hangman talk to you.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Crash is falling harder and harder for Rooster." You rolled your eyes, "Shut it, Hangman."

The smile slowly fell on your lips, replacing it with a frown as you hear their status. Your heart dropped as you heard Rooster being out of flares while having two SAMs tailing behind him.

"Dagger one is hit! I repeat dagger one is hit!" You heard Pheonix yell, feeling your face go pale, you turned to look at Hangman beside you, making shre you heard it right. Judging by his facial expression, you knew what you're hearing is true.

"Dagger spares one and two request permission to launch and fly air cover." You hear Hangman request, you got ready to fly and scanned your jet quickly.

"Negative spares one and two."

You furrowed your brows and try to manage your annoyance, you can feel Hangman's frustration beside you. Then you heard a statement that shaked you to your core.

"Dagger two is hit. Dagger two is hit."

"Dagger two, come in."

"Dagger two, do you copy?" Still no response.

Rooster. You felt your hear rate pick up and your breathing became shallow.

No.. no. He promise he's come back home safe.

"This isn't happening." You mumbled, your hands shake as you gripped your flightsuit, cold sweat started to form on your forehead and hands. "No, this isn't happening." Hangman looked over to you. Noticing you slowly getting into shock.

"Crash... Crash! Dammit!" He hissed, seeing you get nauseous and spilling out the contents of your stomach. Luckily you were able to hunch over your jet as you throw up.

You can faintly hear Hangman call for a medic as you got down on your jet clumsily, kneeling and throwing up a second time on the tarmac.

Feeling light headed, you saw black spots in your vision as you dropped down. You can hear medical professionals run towards you, making you lay down as they put an oxygen mask on you. You feel the heaviness of your eyelids, you couldn't do anything as you slowly closed your eyes.

"Shit, I promised her I'd come back safe."

Rooster whispered, blinking away tears. He can feel your necklace sitting around his neck. This is it. He thought he would've been able to hold your hand one more time, kiss, and hug you.

A single tear rolled down his face, he can already hear the missle launch from the enemy's jet. And then he heard an explosion, as well as Hangman's voice. He felt his heart leap in joy, knowing he's coming back home, to you.

After the celebration, he quickly noticed you werent there, turning to Hangman, he asked him about your whereabouts.

"She went into shock, she's in the infirmary."

Rooster dropped his helmet. He never ran so fast than he did now in his entire life. His heart hammered against his chest, he looked down at his wrist. He needs to make sure you're okay. He was more than relieved as he saw it green, slowing down, he turned the doorknob to where the nurse had told him your room was and opened it.

There you were laying down, staring at a wall. Your lifeless eyes went over to the door to see your soulmate, still completely intact and alive.

"Rooster?" You whimpered, tears springing into your eyes. As you hurriedly sat up, Rooster gently pushing you back down.

Crying, you gently cupped your hands on his cheeks. "You're alive." He smiled and closed his eyes, relishing your touch, putting his hand on top of yours. Just a few minutes ago he didn't think he would see you again.

"It's hard to get rid of me, sweetheart."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Bradshaw." You pulled the fabric of his flightsuit and kissed him hard, loving the way your lips are pressed againt his as you can feel him smile and grab your hips, pulling you closer.

He came back home, to you. For you.

Taglist [Closed]: @auszimbo @twsssmlmaa @looneylikesbooks @krys-orion @cornishkat

ALL. THE. THOUGHTS 🫠🥵🤤🤸🏼‍♀️

There was a serious missed opportunity of rooster in the bar in his khaki uniform 😔

Wedding Day - Rooster

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw / Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: Mentions of Pregnancy, Third Person POV Focused on Rooster, Reader - only description is that reader is a woman, No Y/N

Summary: It's Bradley's wedding day and he can't wait to see his wife.

The Bradshaw wedding was a very long-awaited event for everyone involved. They had been engaged for about three years now, but there was a very good reason for delaying the actual wedding itself for so long.

And that was the arrival of one Caroline Bradshaw, who just happened to be born roughly nine months after her parents actually got engaged. So, you can do the math. They certainly did when they found out about their little surprise.

But the wedding was finally here and they were finally going to get married.

Rooster, dressed in his dress whites, followed the photographer’s instructions and stood on the end of the porch, facing the ocean. They were already at the ceremony venue, but Rooster had not seen a single second of his fiancée during the entire morning.

But now it was time for the first look and he couldn’t wait to see his fiancée in her white dress.

He didn’t want to spoil anything for himself. He always walked away or made some noise to try and change the subject when anything about the wedding dress was talked about in his presence. But ever since he found out that Hangman somehow already saw the dress, Rooster was antsy.

After all, she was going to be his wife. Not Hangman’s. And not anyone else’s either.

“Alright, you can turn around,” the photographer called out.

Rooster turned around, expecting to see his soon-to-be wife standing there in all her glory, but instead his eyes dropped down to the little girl in a blush pink dress trotting towards him. He let out a stunned gasp and bent down to greet his daughter.

“Hey, Baby,” he cooed, pulling his daughter in for a hug. “Oh, you look so pretty in your dress. Can you do a twirl for Daddy?”

“Yeah!” Caroline called, jumping around to show off her dress.

“Aw, you’re so beautiful in your dress, Care,” Rooster praised, picking her up and setting her on his hip. “Did you get ready with Mommy?”

Caroline nodded, playing with the medals pinned to Rooster’s dress whites. Rooster, even though he assumed that one of the bridesmaids was going to have a problem with it, pulled his hat off his head and placed it on top of Caroline’s before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“How’s Mommy doing, huh?”

“Good,” Caroline held out, grabbing Rooster’s collar to steady herself. “But it’s a secret!”

“A secret?” Rooster repeated, causing Caroline to nod furiously. “Oh, well, I don’t want you to get in trouble with Mommy.”

“Nope!” Caroline agreed, to which Rooster laughed and pressed another kiss to her cheek.

“You’re so pretty, Baby,” Rooster praised his daughter again. “You ready to walk down the aisle with all the petals like your Aunt Penny showed you?”

“Yeah,” Caroline giggled as Rooster nuzzled his nose into her cheek.

“God, I can’t wait to see your reaction on her wedding day,” Hangman commented, walking up to the father and daughter.

“You say that again and I’ll throw you in with the sharks, Bagman,” Rooster replied, dead serious as he hugged his daughter protectively to his chest.

“Noted. So, there’s a small change in plans. There was some issue with the dress and the future Mrs. Bradshaw needs some more time to get ready, so you’ll just have to wait until the actual ceremony to see her.”

“Is everything okay?” Rooster asked worriedly.

“Penny told me that everything is under control and I trust Penny, so I’m sure it’s handled.”

“Alright,” Rooster agreed, nodding along. “Well, then we better get to the ceremony.”

Thirty minutes later, Rooster stood at the front of the chapel, waiting patiently for his fiancée to arrive and walk down the aisle. Caroline already did her part and was happily sitting on Maverick’s lap, playing with her small bouquet.

But then the bridal suite started up and everyone rose to their feet. The doors opened and Rooster took one look at his soon-to-be wife and immediately started bawling. Holding a hand over his mouth to try and stop his lips from wobbling, Rooster couldn’t help how his body shook with absolute joy as the love of his life walked down the aisle to him.

The dress was everything that he pictured and more and frankly she could have been wearing a table cloth or a potato sack and he still would have married her right then and there with no questions asked. And when they locked eyes and he saw that she was smiling at him, hell, he nearly melted into the floor right then and there.

“Hey,” she greeted him softly, taking his hand and stepping up.

“You’re so beautiful,” Rooster choked out, absolutely radiating love and joy.

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she joked, trying to not burst out into tears herself.

They managed to get through the ceremony without too many more tears, even after Caroline trotted up with the rings. They held hands and faced each other with glowing smiles as the officiant finally declared them as a married couple.

“I know declare you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

And Rooster didn’t waste any time in gathering his wife—that’s right, his wife—into his arms and planting an emotional kiss on her lips. If he didn't pull back with a matching shade of her lipstick, he was going to be disappointed in himself. Cheers echoed around the chapel as the newlyweds pulled away from each other.

Waving at the crowd of their friends and family, the newlyweds made their way back down the aisle, holding hands and absolutely radiating joy. While their guests headed to the reception hall, the two of them posed for some more wedding photos.

“So, there was a problem with your dress this morning?” Rooster asked his wife, who smiled softly.

“Oh, yeah. I had to wait to get into it.”

“Why?”

“Well, I had to wait for my maid of honor to return with some pregnancy tests and—”

Rooster whipped around to face his wife with wide eyes. He nearly tripped over the grass and went tumbling, but she held him up, just like she did when she told him the first time.

“You’re serious?” Rooster asked her, holding her hips and sliding his hand around to her belly that wasn’t even there yet. “You’re pregnant?”

“That’s what the tests say,” she told her husband—that’s right, her husband.

And the wedding photographer made sure to get plenty of shots of that series of happy, tear-filled kisses for their wedding album. 

this has to literally be my favorite bradley bradshaw headcannon ever. i swear i would’ve reacted the same way

the stache deserves a freakin funeral

hey ☺️

the only thing on my mind is rooster shaving his mustache for whatever reason and gf reader is upset ! silly little blurb i luv ur writing muah

the stache incident.

BRADLEY 'ROOSTER' BRADSHAW X GN!READER

cw fluffy drabble ig :) NON-DESCRIPTIVE READER.

a/n ANON!!! ILY THANK YOU FOR READING MY STUFF <3333333 much love to you, MWAH!

masterlist | taglist

You're shocked, heartbroken, in shambles, you name it. The grocery bag almost slips from your fingers when you hear the horrid sound of the electric razor from the bathroom. You place the bags on the counter before practically running inside.

You want to douse your eyes with gasoline when you see the damage. Bradley had been mentioning here and there that he wanted to shave his moustache just to see how he'd look without it. You'd forbade such talk inside the house, and he chuckled before dropping the subject.

But what seemed to be your biggest fear was becoming your new reality. With your keys clutched in one hand, the other holding on for dear life at the door frame, you watch your dear boyfriend shave the last of his moustache over the sink.

He hasn't noticed you yet. Music is playing from his phone, but you can't bring yourself to recognise the tune. This situation is way too tragic. When the buzzing sound stops emanating from the vile machine, Bradley finally turns around, having heard your panting.

"Babe, this isn't what it looks like." He speaks with hesitation and guilt.

"What did you do?" Your every word is punctuated.

Bradley opens his mouth but closes it, and you shake your head expectantly. "Well?"

"I-I was trimming it, and Din here," he looks at your cat, laying on the floor as if he's the criminal here, "came between my legs and scared me, and I moved my hand, and I shaved more than I should. It didn't look good anymore."

You scoff, pushing yourself off the doorway and turning to walk to your bedroom. Not once did you believe Bradley.

"Babe? Baby, c'mon!"

"I am not talking to you, hairless cat."

You hear him chuckle. "Hey, it's not that bad!" Bradley follows you into the bedroom.

"Never said it was." You shrug, taking your shirt off.

He's behind you in seconds, kissing your neck, his hands encircling your waist and pulling you closer. "You called me a hairless cat."

"Don't have a problem with cats. I own one." You pause, looking up. "Now, I got another one! Hm! Look at that!"

"Hey!" Bradley blows a breath where your jawline meets your ear, causing you to shiver.

You spend a few seconds like this, his hands around you, your back pressed against his smooth shirtless chest, face buried in your neck. Feels weird without the stache.

"So, you don't like it?" You realise you've spoken aloud when he questions you.

You shake your head. "I think you look attractive either way." You turn to Bradley, never escaping his grasp. 

"I'm only joking. You look like a baby. It's adorable!"

Bradley looks offended. "Well, in that case, I am letting it grow and never shaving it ever again."

You grab the back of his head, kissing where he used to have perfectly trimmed hair. The spot is soft and smooth as a baby's butt.

You can't help but smile. 

[ taglist @roosterschanelslut @maverick-wingman @amnmich @mattyskies @wildcole @gretagerwigsmuse @bespinnn @oikawasblueearbud @rip--tide @barryswifey @fanboyluvr @spookys-girl @lonelywitchv2 @j-deimos @heywheresemily @avengersfan25 @piceous21 @sarahjoestewy-blog @n3ssm0nique @mouseymagines @xx-kate-xx13 @vaporub4ever @reading-rosa @marie1115 @dxvanadeline @plaboneruda @awesomebooklover17 @mxlsmith @mak-32 @torresbarnes @depressed-focker @kwanimations @magicstrengthandcourage @graysondanvers @danielmarie @giuliamunson @bordelhoe @studentville-struggles @melody-death @desert-fern @marvelsimps @darling-seraphina @erinnn-brry @mvnsons-slvt @darklordofthesimp @eberles ]

i’ve got the sudden urge for a beach day… anyone with me?

Hello my fellow hopeless romantics and fan fiction addicts alike ~

if you’ve noticed a lack of activity (congrats ily) if not that’s fine cuz literally why would you.

i mentioned on sunday that a lot of big things are happening for me right now. i’m prepping myself for a lot of big changes.

BUT- that’s not what this announcement is for.

i understand i’ve been MIA for a few days but in between my life stuffs i have been prepping more content for y’all. (aka i have a shitload of top gun gifs waiting to be posted) but i’ve also got a huge announcement that will be posted as soon as i reach 50 followers (mainly cuz i need more reach for it to be successful)

biggest thing is that i want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone in the past week as i’ve started actually posting here

the engagement has been insane and i really hope it keeps up

anywayssss, sorry for this long ass message

love y’all to bits

- Lee

ps. the book rec list is happeningggg

pps. don’t forget to sign up for my taglist

ⓒ onehopelessromantic, August 2024

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH YEESSSSSSSSSSSS

The Younger Kind Part 25 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley doesn't know how he will be able to function if Meredith wins custody. As Noah cries in the courtroom, he whishes he would have done more to ensure this never happened. But when he watches you, terrified but supporting him anyway, he knows what he really needed this whole time was you. 

Warnings: Angst, swearing, fluff, and age gap (18+)

Length: 4100 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more! The Younger Kind masterlist.

The courtroom was freezing cold. Your blazer was scratchy against your arms, and Noah was already crying. As soon as Bradley had to hand his son over to the court appointed counselor, Noah's tears started flowing. And now you were seated in the front row, right behind Bradley, but you couldn't slide down the bench to get to Noah. You couldn't even look at the back of Bradley's head for too long without feeling like it was suspicious. 

So you sat there and listened to Noah softly ask for his dad over and over again while Judge Greene listed everyone who was present today. When your name was called, Meredith and her lawyer both turned back to look at you with identical sneers.

Stay strong. Stay strong. You kept telling yourself you would handle this, but you didn't even have to do anything yet, and you already felt ready to fold. But the soft sobbing from Noah and the fact that Meredith hadn't looked at her son once kept you motivated. 

Both lawyers gave statements which were largely identical, each one claiming their client would be the better option to raise Noah. But you noticed that while Bradley was fighting for zero visitation rights for Meredith, she was doing the opposite. She seemed willing to have Bradley visit with Noah if she won today. And that made you nervous, because even to your untrained ears, it sounded like she was more flexible than him. She also made it clear she was going to fight for financial support. 

"Lieutenant Bradshaw, please stand and give your statement," Judge Greene commanded. You had listened last night at Bradley's kitchen table while he read over his personal statement with Tracy, but hearing his deep, raspy voice shake now had you squeezing your hands to keep calm. 

"My son turned four on April twelfth. For every single one of his birthdays, I have been the only parent involved in his life. If something needs to be done for him, I do it. I pay for everything. I care for him in every way. He only knows me," Bradley said, taking a deep breath. "His mother abandoned us. Both of us. And I know he's sitting right behind me and listening to everything I'm saying. And I can hear him crying, which is making it really hard to stand here right now. But I also know he has no idea who his biological mom is. I do not think it would be in his best interest to remove him from his home and the parent who loves him."

When Meredith stood to give her statement, you could tell she felt defensive. It was rolling off of her in waves. Her voice was harsh as she tried to make claims that you just couldn't believe. "Bradley has kept my son from me. For years I've tried reaching out to him, and I'm lucky to even get a response. So the idea that I could have abandoned them is preposterous. He never asked me for money, so I never gave it. Had he asked, I would have been more than happy to help provide. But along with that, changes in my lifestyle have meant that I'm ready to take full control of my son's custody. As his mother. And I'm more than willing to work with a court appointed counselor to ensure that visitation rights would be granted. I'm being more than fair. A mother is better equipped to care for her child than a father."

You were shivering in the cold room now, and while Bradley's posture had only incrementally changed, you could tell he was angry. But Tracy looked completely relaxed. How could that be? Meredith was a fucking liar! And Noah was whining for his dad! And nothing that was going on in this room was fair or just. 

The lawyers were going back and forth like a verbal wrestling match now. It was impressive. Mesmerizing. When one of them seemed to have the upper hand, the other made a swift comeback. The only problem was, Meredith was being made to sound like a saint. You couldn't understand why Tracy wasn't going for the kill right now. The sooner this was over, the sooner you and Bradley could take Noah back to his house and let things go back to normal. The three of you eating dinner together would help Noah forget about his tears. You wanted your boys to pretend today never happened.

You watched Meredith's profile as she sat there, completely aloof when Judge Greene called the counselor and Noah up toward the bench. Noah pulled his hand away and ran right for Bradley, tears in his eyes again. 

"It's okay, Bub," he soothed, dropping down from his chair to kneel in front of his son. "It's okay to go with them. It won't even take long."

"I want to go home," Noah hiccupped, looking between you and Bradley, knowing the comfort that one or both of you usually provided him. But none of that came right now. Bradley picked him up and handed him over with a soft kiss on the cheek. Noah wailed as he was carried off to the judge's chambers for some one on one questions with Judge Greene. 

And Meredith sat there like she hadn't a care in the world while Bradley cradled his head in his hands on the table in front of him. Tracy tried to get him to drink some water from her bag, but he wouldn't. You reminded yourself not to look at him too much, and that's when Meredith caught your eye again. She was fighting to try to keep the smirk from her face as she tried to appear serious. You knew what she was probably going to have her lawyer ask you. You knew it was going to be ridiculous. But you didn't like the way she was looking at you like you were the only thing between her and what she wanted. 

When Judge Greene returned empty handed, Bradley scrambled to his feet. "Where's Noah?" he asked, and Tracy was immediately trying to get him to sit down.

"In my chambers, coloring. He's just fine. Now, I'd like to call up some character witnesses."

You waited while three separate people spoke about Meredith like she was sunshine incarnate instead of a woman who left her son behind like he was nothing to her. Then your name was called. You made your way up to the seat near the front, and Meredith's lawyer wasted no time in trying to break you. 

"You're a character witness for Bradley Bradshaw?"

"Yes," you replied, mortified by the way your voice shook. "I am."

"And how do you know him?"

You swallowed hard. "I babysit Noah on occasion." It was the truth, but it felt like a lie. Saying you were just Noah's occasional babysitter was a wholly inadequate representation of what the two of them meant to you. Of how much you loved them. You had to swallow against the sick feeling in your throat.

"Is that all you do when you're watching Noah? Or do you stay? Earn some money by doing things for Lieutenant Bradshaw?"

Cold sweat broke out along your neck and chest, and your eyes shifted to Bradley without warning. He looked irate and red in the face, and you were already embarrassed after less than a minute of questioning. 

"I object!" Tracy called out, waving her hand in the air. "That's hearsay. And irrelevant." 

"Sustained," Judge Greene said calmly, as if there was no reason for you to feel like you were going to vomit right now. "Any further questions?"

But of course Meredith's lawyer had more questions for you. And they were all designed to make you look bad. 

"How did you pay for nursing school? Did Lieutenant Bradshaw offer to give you an outlandish salary to spend time with him? Do you actually have any experience watching a child that age? How are you qualified to spend time with him? What sorts of questionable things did you find in that house?"

You tried to answer each question with calm composure, but soon you felt like you couldn't breathe. Your eyes were burning. You turned to the judge, but she gave you a bland look. You were on your own. So you took a deep breath, determined to finish this even if your voice was shaking again.

"As a nursing student, you must have access to prescription drugs. Do you use them?"

"No!" you said, having had just about enough of this. Bradley was rubbing his hand along his face, barely keeping it together. Tracy was looking at you, eyes pleading with you to hold it together. "I do not steal or use prescription drugs. I'm studying pediatric nursing. I'm more than qualified to take care of Noah."

"Would you be willing to be drug tested?" the other lawyer asked. 

"Absolutely. You want blood? Urine? Hair? Depending on the lab, you could have results by the end of the day." Your jaw was clenched tight. 

"One last question," he said with a smile. "Is it true that you seduced Lieutenant Bradshaw? And that you're pregnant with his child?"

The audible gasp that came from you mirrored Tracy's. Bradley was now gripping the edge of the table in front of him. You were shaking as you said, "I'll take a pregnancy test, too."

You would do it if they made you. But it didn't seem fair. Your relationship with Bradley didn't have anything to do with how he cared for Noah. It didn't have anything to do with how qualified you were to babysit. Tears filled your eyes, but you had promised Tracy you wouldn't cry. You watched through blurry vision as she jumped to her feet and approached your seat. 

"He's badgering the witness with irrelevant questions!" she said, and Judge Greene told the other lawyer to sit down. 

Tracy must have been able to tell you were shaken up, because she asked, "Can we take a short recess?"

"No," Judge Green replied with a sharp shake of her head. "Let's carry on with your questioning."

Tracy took her time walking back to the table and gathering her notes, giving you a moment to catch your breath. Your hands were still shaking when Tracy asked you, "Did Lieutenant Bradshaw ever make you feel uncomfortable?"

"No. Never." 

"Did he ever criticize the way you cared for his son?"

"No," you said, your voice sounding stronger now. 

Tracy shuffled her papers and asked, "Does Lieutenant Bradshaw seem to be a loving and caring parent to Noah?"

"Yes," you replied with conviction. 

"Now, can you tell me a little bit about how you injured your arm in the parking lot at Meyer Park?"

You watched the color drain from Meredith's face as you recounted the way she had scared you, forcing you to run to safety with Noah.

"And was that the only time you saw her prior to this morning?" Tracy asked. 

"I saw her yesterday," you replied. "At the grocery store. I thought she was following me."

"Objection!" shouted the other lawyer. 

"Sustained," responded Judge Greene. Your head was swimming with what you were supposed to say and what you were supposed to stay away from. You couldn't remember. And you could barely focus on Tracy. But she wanted you to get to the point. You could tell.

So you blurted out, "Meredith asked me if I was sleeping with Bradley to get to his money. She mentioned a life insurance payout and his expensive car."

"It's actually a Bronco," Bradley muttered, raking his fingers through his hair as Meredith slammed her hand down on the notebook in front of her and started whispering to her lawyer. 

Tracy asked another question quickly while everyone else was distracted. "And what did you do when you left the grocery store?"

She was giving you an encouraging look, so you said. "I looked some things up online. About how her business filed for bankruptcy. And her home went into foreclosure. And she said in an interview after Noah was born that she doesn't have any kids."

"Objection!" the other lawyer shouted again. 

"Overruled," said Judge Greene, and Tracy looked like just won the lottery. "Please continue," she said, brow creased in concern now.

You felt like an idiot as you told Tracy that you used Google to search for information about Meredith, but you just kept going. 

"I found articles that suggest that her business went into bankruptcy because of mismanaged funds. And insider trading with her business partner. They were married, but it appears that he left her."

Every single time the other lawyer tried to object to what you were saying, the judge overruled it. And then Tracy urged you to continue. But you were shaking from a combination of anxiety and fear. 

"It sounds like she has no money," you said, voice quivering again as you met Bradley's eyes. You'd never seen him look so distraught or so hopeful before. He was silently cheering you on, like he knew how strong you could be. So you kept going.

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

Bradley was practically ready to crawl out of his own skin. He couldn't stand the way Meredith's lawyer kept yelling at you. He hated that he had to sit here in this horribly uncomfortable seat and just listen as your character got ripped to shreds. He wanted to take you and Noah home, order a pizza and watch a movie. You looked like you wanted to cry, but you didn't. And Bradley was so proud of how strong you were.

When Tracy started asking you questions, you sat up a little taller. You sounded a little bolder. And then Meredith was the one in a state of panic. 

"It sounds like she has no money," you said, as you met Bradley's eyes. "That doesn't sound like the right reason to fight for custody of a child."

The room went silent for a second after that. And then Meredith stood up and said, "I've lost everything, okay? Everything! But Noah is my blood, and I have a right to him, too!"

Then chaos broke out. When Bradley stood and said, "Why do you want him now that you're broke, huh?" he felt Tracy's hands on his arm, pulling him back to his chair. 

"Let her sink her own ship," she whispered, keeping a firm hand on his forearm. You were still sitting up in the front, perched on the edge of the seat like you wanted to run. He wanted to scoop you up like he always did, for your own comfort, but for his as well. 

He listened to Meredith rant and try to blame him for everything as her lawyer begged her to sit. He listened to her call you a slut and claim once again that you were pregnant. She said she knows you bought pregnancy tests at the grocery store. So what if you were pregnant? It didn't have anything to do with Noah or Bradley's ability to take care of him. It didn't have anything to do with that fact that Bradley would never abandon a child like she had. 

He watched Judge Greene remain completely calm as Meredith's lawyer finally got her to sit down. Then she stood and said, "Please bring me all written evidence. I'll have my decision shortly." Both lawyers handed her folders before she disappeared into her chambers. 

"Where's Noah?" Bradley asked Tracy immediately, accepting a bottle of water from her. 

"He's with the counselor. He's fine. And you did great."

"I barely did anything!" he growled, worried he hadn't done enough today. He'd done nothing compared to you. As you stood and made your way to the rows of benches behind him, you never met his eyes. He loved you. All he ever wanted to do was protect you from all of this. You shouldn't be here right now. If he lost Noah today, he didn't know how he was going to continue to exist. And you should have had no part in this nightmare. 

He'd forced this on you in a way. Every step he took since he met you led you here. Bradley had tried so hard to cut you out, end things with you, but he was so fucking weak. He should have been more focused on Noah. But he had been. He'd been trying to find someone to date who would make him and Noah complete, or at least better. And despite his initial reservations, that was you.

When he turned to face you, your eyes snapped up to meet his. He'd never be able to thank you enough for everything you'd done for both of them. But he wanted to have the chance. He wanted you to know what you meant to him and to Noah. 

"How long is this going to take?" he asked Tracy, wiping his sweaty palms on his suit pants. He could hear Meredith talking, but he kept himself focused on his lawyer.

"Hard to say," she told him calmly. "Just keep breathing. Focus on your breathing." 

So he did, and when he started to feel sick again, Tracy talked to him. And then Judge Greene was coming back out, and Bradley could see Noah through the door before it closed. Dread rose inside him as the judge had everyone in the room stand. He felt like his limbs weighed a million pounds as he faced the front of the room. 

Every second of silence made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He almost had to reach for Tracy when Judge Greene said, "In light of today's testimonies and evidence plus the collection of evidence I reviewed leading up to the trial, I have reached a decision regarding the custody of Noah Bradshaw."

Bradley had to close his eyes. All of his senses were overwhelmed, and he was afraid he was going to breakdown. 

"The following decision is a reflection of what is in the best interest of the child. Full custody is to be awarded to Bradley Bradshaw. There will be no visitation privileges. There will be no child support owed. The child's biological father is to be his sole guardian."

Bradley collapsed back down onto the chair as he cried. "Oh my god," he groaned, cradling his face in his hands. He was gasping for air as he felt Tracy's hand on his shoulder. He could see Meredith storm out of the room. He could hear you laughing and crying at the same time behind him as the counselor walked back out of the judge's chambers with Noah. 

And then he was out of his chair again, rushing toward his son and scooping him up. "I colored you a monkey," Noah told him as Bradley smothered his whole face in kisses. 

"I love it," Bradley promised him without even looking at the coloring sheet. "It's perfect, and I love it so much." He buried his face against Noah's neck and inhaled. 

"And I colored a unicorn for Princess."

"Yeah?" Bradley asked, holding him tight. "She's gonna love it, too."

"I know," Noah replied confidently. "I told them about how she brings me coloring books and cooks food like spaghetti. And how she plays blocks and reads and can sing good."

"You told them about Princess?" Bradley asked, turning to the back of the room. You were waiting patiently for them, a huge smile on your face as you bounced a little bit on your feet.

"Yep. I told them that she loves me and that you do too. Can we go home yet?"

As much as Bradley wanted to keep you separate from all of this, he needed you the whole time. And so did Noah. He rushed toward you and took you by the hand. "Now we can go home."

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

You unlocked the front door with your key, and Bradley kissed you again. A huge smile was still plastered all over your face as you watched how much he loved his son. He ended up on his back on the living room floor while Noah sat on top of him and laughed. Bradley's suit was a wrinkly mess now as you knelt down next to them. 

"You want spaghetti for dinner, Noah?" Your appetite was back, and you were ravenous. There was no doubt in your mind that Bradley could do with a good meal as well.

"Yeah! And ants on logs!" 

You kissed his chubby cheek and said, "Let me check on the raisin situation." Then you leaned down to kiss Bradley's lips, and he pulled you back for a second and a third. 

He murmured, "I love you," before briefly swiping your tongue with his. You ran your fingers back through his hair and let your forehead rest on his. 

"I love both of you." Then you kissed his nose and went to the kitchen, letting them have a little more time alone as they laughed on the floor. 

As you set a pot on the stove to boil some water, your eyes filled with tears. It felt like a combination of stress and relief and happiness. You sank to the floor with your back to the cabinet and cried. When you left the courthouse with Bradley, Meredith was nowhere to be found. Bradley had hugged Tracy with tears in his eyes, and she promised to be in touch with him soon to take some final actions. And then she told you that you had done a great job of staying calm and presenting evidence against Meredith while acting as a character witness. "I wish everyone was as professional as you."

Her words echoed in your head as you remembered that you didn't live here with Bradley and Noah. Not really. You were still going to need to finish writing your final papers for school and start looking for a job to support yourself. Because contrary to what Meredith thought, you hadn't been fucking Bradley to get him to pay your tuition. You had a mountain of loans to pay off now. And really, it would be better if you left after dinner tonight and went home. You'd have to get used to a routine where Bradley was your boyfriend with his own space. 

Noah came running in a minute later as you wiped your eyes. "I'm hungry," he informed you, sitting down on your lap. Bradley walked in without his suit coat on. His shirt sleeves were rolled up. His tie was loose, and his top few buttons were undone.

"How about I make dinner and you just supervise?" he asked, pulling you to your feet. "You had a long day, too."

So you nodded at him, and he picked you up and set you on the counter. And then he set Noah on your lap and started the playlist you made. You showed him how to brown the meat and add the sauce. You showed him how to keep the spaghetti noodles from sticking together.

And as he was plating the food, he paused and looked at you. "I forgot. I picked something up at the store the other day for us to celebrate with. Wait here." He dashed out of the room, and you slipped down off of the counter with Noah in your arms. You finished getting the spaghetti onto plates and pulled out the carrots to make him some ants, and then Bradley was back in the kitchen with the biggest bag of Skittles you had ever seen.

Laughter bubbled out of you along with another sob. "I'm happy, but I can't stop crying."

He tossed the Skittles aside and grabbed you by the hips. "That's because you really care about us. You always have. And you saved us today."

The prickle of his mustache against your skin had you parting your lips for him. He held you close, his thumbs stroking you through your pants as you worked your fingers through his hair. "I love you," he rasped, releasing your lips in favor of whispering the sexiest, loveliest things in your ear while Noah made a huge mess of spaghetti at the table. 

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

Ahhhhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhhh! Hope you enjoy your fic, @beyondthesefourwalls And thank you @mak-32 !

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