Rooster eases himself out of bed as quietly as possible. It is still pitch-black outside, so he does his best to navigate through the dimly lit room without running into anything. Once he makes it to the bathroom door, he slips inside and flips on the light.
He starts stripping down and is just about to step into the shower when his phone buzzes. Glancing at it, he curses under his breath. Another schedule change means there’s no time for a shower before he has to leave. So, he quickly pulls on his uniform and runs his comb through his sleep-tousled hair.
As he stares into the mirror, the man gazing back at him seems so much calmer and more composed than he feels inside. It is an ability he has mastered after years of practice. Because he knows he can’t walk out of this room with the terror and anxiety he is feeling about this mission etched on his face. He would never do that to you.
As he opens the door, he catches sight of the bed as it is bathed in the glow from the bathroom light. You are laying on your stomach, hair splayed across your pillow and over part of your face. One arm is stretched out onto his side of the bed, fingers clutching at the sheets as even in sleep you are searching for him.
Walking over to your side of the bed, he leans over and places a gentle kiss on your temple causing you to stir softly. Without opening your eyes, you mumble, “Mmm. What time is it?”
Rooster brushes the hair off your face as he whispers, “It’s only 4:30. Go back to sleep, baby.”
You nod slightly and roll onto your back. The movement causes your thin nightshirt to ride up, revealing the slight bump of your stomach. At only three months along, most people would probably not notice the slight swell in your midsection, but to Rooster, who knows your body inside and out, it stands out immediately. He knows that it is his child in there, a child that if things went wrong on the mission, he would never get to meet.
He had always been unsure about having kids. Knowing the dangers associated with his job, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to risk leaving a kid without a father like he was. Yet, the moment you had called and told him, all the doubts, all the fears instantly melted away and he was left wondering how he could have ever imagined his life without a child of his own. One that he created with you.
The two of you had been high school sweethearts, married right after graduation, and you had been with him through every major moment in his life and there was no one else he could picture having by his side for this one. However, this mission he was leaving for is more dangerous than anything he had ever flown before. And there was a good chance he wouldn’t be making it back.
Rooster thinks about his confrontation with Maverick just after Phoenix and Bob’s accident. He had thrown it in the older man’s face that Maverick didn’t have a wife or child to mourn him if something happened to him. And as much as he was referring to his dad’s death at that moment, in his head, he also meant it as what would happen to you and the baby if he didn’t come back from this mission. At least he still has photos and vague, fuzzy memories of time with his dad. But if Rooster was killed tomorrow, his child wouldn’t even have that.
That realization brings Rooster to his knees beside the bed. The idea that his child would never get to hear his voice, see his smile, feel his love….. Somehow this possibility had never crossed his mind until now. Slowly, he climbs onto the bed and rests one hand on your stomach, spreading his large fingers across your bare skin. He rests it there for a minute, silently trying to express all the things he wanted his child to know, especially how much he loved him or her.
Bending down, he lightly brushes his lips across the tender skin of your stomach, causing you to giggle softly. Lazily, you push at his head as you playfully whine, “Bradley, stop! Your mustache is tickling me and I’m trying to sleep.”
“Sorry about that. Is this better?” He slides up your body until he is able to press his lips against yours.
You hum softly against his mouth. “Yes, much better.”
He deepens the kiss, knowing he doesn’t have time but also knowing that just like his child, he needs you to know how much he loves you.
After a moment, you grab his arm and try to drag him further into the bed, but he reluctantly resists as he pries himself from your grasp and sits up. Seeing how his loving expression has slipped into something more somber, you sit up, suddenly awake. “What’s wrong?”
Rooster sighed. “Phoenix just texted me. They moved up our check-in time. She’s on her way right now to pick me up.”
The sorrow on your face shatters Rooster’s heart. “But… we were supposed to have the whole morning! I got those cinnamon rolls you like from the bakery for your farewell breakfast!”
He cups your face as you lean into his touch. “I know. I’m sorry, baby. But I have to go. Phoenix will be here any minute to pick me up.”
He runs his other hand gently across your stomach and you sigh. “You didn’t tell them, did you? Any of them, not even Phoenix.”
Rooster shakes his head. “If I did, they’d have found some excuse to not let me go.”
“And that’s such a bad thing?” you ask with a doleful scoff.
“Baby, you know I have to do this. It’s my job and I’m one of the only people who can do it.”
You tilt your head so it leans further into his caress. “I know. That’s why I’m not asking you not to go. I’m just asking you to come back.” You place one hand softly on your stomach. “I can’t do this alone. We need you.”
Rooster chuckles. “No, you don’t. Not really. You’re going to be an amazing mother, with or without me.”
“Oh, I know I’m going to be amazing. Don’t worry about that,” you tease before becoming more serious once again. “But don’t make me prove I can do this alone. That wasn’t a challenge. I need us to do this together.”
“I’m going to try my absolute best……. but I want you to keep this.” Rooster slips off his wedding ring and holds it out to you.
You stare at it in horror, tears springing to your eyes. “No, Bradley, no. I know what that means and I’m not taking that.”
He moves his hand closer to you, urging you to take it. “If something goes wrong, they may not be able to get it back to you and I want you to have it. Please.”
You began to shake your head forcefully. “Don’t ask me to keep that. You’ve never asked me to keep it before. You’re going to come home, and you’ll be wearing it when you do.”
“Baby, it was my dad’s, and if something goes wrong….. I want our kid to have it. I want you to be able to give it to them one day.”
Your lip begins to tremble as you stare at the ring. Then slowly, you reach out and take it from him. “Don’t you dare make me do that, Bradley Bradshaw. Don’t you dare…. This is going back on your finger in a few days, then it’s never coming off again. Do you hear me?”
He nods before gathering you into his arms. You cling tightly to him and bury your face into his chest as he leans over and rests his head on top of yours. The two of you remain silently wrapped in each other’s embrace, both trying not to think about the meaning behind what just happened.
Suddenly, Rooster’s phone buzzes. Glancing at it, he sighs. “Phoenix is here. I have to go.”
He places a long, lingering kiss on the top of your head before carefully extracting himself from your grasp. As he stands, he runs his hand softly over your stomach one final time. Then he walks over to the bedroom door. But just as his hand wraps around the door handle, he hears you whisper from the bed. “I could call Maverick you know. The second I tell him the truth, about the baby, he would ground you.”
Rooster sighs as he rests his head on the doorframe. “I know. But I also know you love me too much to do that. You understand what this mission means to me.”
“Apparently more than we mean to you.”
Rooster whirled around, his face shifting quickly between a dozen different emotions. “You know that isn’t true!”
You nod softly with your head down, but Rooster can still see the tears beginning to stream down your face. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I just….”
Another buzz of Rooster’s phone cuts you off. He quickly mutes it. “Sorry. Go on.”
But you shake your head as you purse your lips. “No, you need to go. You can’t keep them waiting.”
“Baby…”
He takes a step closer to you, but you hold up your hands, halting him. “Go, Rooster. You have a job to do, so do it and come home. Come home to us.”
Rooster. If you have resorted to calling him that, then there is nothing left to say. He nods and turns back to the door. As he opens it, he pauses for just a moment. Without turning around, he says, “I love you.”
There is a three-second pause that seems to stretch on for an eternity before you whisper, “I love you, too.”
And with that, Rooster walks out the door. As soon as it is closed, he hears you collapse onto the bed sobbing. But he can’t look back. If he does, he knows he will never leave. So instead, he places one foot in front of the other as he heads off into the unknown, hoping that one day soon, he will be walking back down into that room and into your arms once more.
Notes: Thank you to @loverhymeswith for beta reading for me! And a HUGE thank you to everyone who supported Part 1! The response has been amazing and it really means so incredibly much to me!
Rooster… It had been a faint sound, feeble and hoarse, but he had heard you whisper his name across the coms. You were alive. For now at least. And Rooster was determined to do everything in his power to keep it that way even if that meant risking his own life.
He had seen the look of pain that flashed across your face as the missile that was aimed at his plane suddenly slammed into yours instead, and he had managed to catch a glimpse of your limp body as it hung beneath your parachute after you ejected. As much as he had screamed into the coms for you to turn on your beacon, as much as he kept insisting to the others that you were alive, part of him didn’t believe it. So, the second he saw your location beacon flicker to life on his radar, his heart leaped in his chest.
Now, as he ignored everyone’s incessant calls for him to return to the aircraft carrier, he was circling the area around your beacon. It seemed luck was on his side because, while he was unable to spot where you landed amongst the trees, he was able to find an old service road that had been recently cleared of snow. It wasn’t his best landing, and he knew takeoff would be tricky on the uneven surface, but at least it was something he could work with.
His engine didn’t even have time to sputter to a stop before he was out of the cockpit and jumping to the ground. The signal from your beacon had placed you not too far from here, but as Rooster sprinted towards the location, he saw no sign of you. A million thoughts spiraled through his head. Maybe you had been captured. Maybe the beacon had fallen off your suit and malfunctioned, turning on by itself. Maybe he wasn’t going to reach you in time, wasn’t going to have the chance to tell you….
But just then, he spotted something to his right. You were laying on your side with your back towards him, crumpled at the base of a tree with your parachute tangled in the limbs high above you. As he rushed to your side, he noticed your entire body was shivering but whether it was from the cold, the pain, or some sort of shock, Rooster couldn’t tell. Normally this fact would have worried him, but at the moment, he was just relieved for a sign that you were alive. As carefully as he could, he eased you onto your back, before gasping in alarm.
Notes: Thank you to @loverhymeswith for beta reading for me! And a HUGE thank you to everyone who supported Part 1! The response has been amazing and it really means so incredibly much to me!
Rooster… It had been a faint sound, feeble and hoarse, but he had heard you whisper his name across the coms. You were alive. For now at least. And Rooster was determined to do everything in his power to keep it that way even if that meant risking his own life.
He had seen the look of pain that flashed across your face as the missile that was aimed at his plane suddenly slammed into yours instead, and he had managed to catch a glimpse of your limp body as it hung beneath your parachute after you ejected. As much as he had screamed into the coms for you to turn on your beacon, as much as he kept insisting to the others that you were alive, part of him didn’t believe it. So, the second he saw your location beacon flicker to life on his radar, his heart leaped in his chest.
Now, as he ignored everyone’s incessant calls for him to return to the aircraft carrier, he was circling the area around your beacon. It seemed luck was on his side because, while he was unable to spot where you landed amongst the trees, he was able to find an old service road that had been recently cleared of snow. It wasn’t his best landing, and he knew takeoff would be tricky on the uneven surface, but at least it was something he could work with.
His engine didn’t even have time to sputter to a stop before he was out of the cockpit and jumping to the ground. The signal from your beacon had placed you not too far from here, but as Rooster sprinted towards the location, he saw no sign of you. A million thoughts spiraled through his head. Maybe you had been captured. Maybe the beacon had fallen off your suit and malfunctioned, turning on by itself. Maybe he wasn’t going to reach you in time, wasn’t going to have the chance to tell you….
But just then, he spotted something to his right. You were laying on your side with your back towards him, crumpled at the base of a tree with your parachute tangled in the limbs high above you. As he rushed to your side, he noticed your entire body was shivering but whether it was from the cold, the pain, or some sort of shock, Rooster couldn’t tell. Normally this fact would have worried him, but at the moment, he was just relieved for a sign that you were alive. As carefully as he could, he eased you onto your back, before gasping in alarm.
mav keeping all those pictures of bradley and also goose and carole over the years. mav having flashbacks after bradley played great balls of fire on the piano at penny’s bar. mav canonically being bradley’s adopted father until he pulled his academy app. mav taking the blame because he’d rather bradley resent him for the rest of his life than carole. mav desperately not wanting to lose bradley like he did goose. mav and bradley flying that f-14 together. mav and bradley BOTH saying (variations of) talk to me, goose. mav and bradley still loving goose so fucking much. mav and bradley encouraging each other. mav and bradley saving each other’s lives and refusing to apologize for it or leave each other. mav and bradley repairing their relationship. Mav And Bradley.
Summary: Your boyfriend rooster has plans to propose, and the day of, you decide to do a crazy stunt and end up loosing connection with the tower, leaving rooster worried for your whereabouts. Will rooster’s proposal go as planned?
Request: (summarized) from the wonderful @tinfoilhat2719 “hey! could you write something where the reader and rooster are dating and he plans to propose. the reader is a pilot and one day decided to do a crazy stunt in the air, and of course rooster gets worried. when she lands….” (you will see;))
A/N: Well, I watched top gun: maverick again yesterday, and when I say I sobbed, I SOBBED. I got this request a couple days ago, and i’ve been busy working away at it since - sorry it took so song, i’ve been so busy these last few days with prep for visiting my uni this weekend (with me luck lol). I am in-love with rooster now, so enjoy this story that is chaotic but fun :) also, i’m not a professional pilot, so enjoy me trying to describe this flight maneuverlol.I LOVE YOU ALL xoxo - Mackenzie :) (ps, the readers call sign is “Shadow”).
Wordcount: 4.8k
“You got a ring and everything?” maverick asked, looking at a small blue box in the palm of roosters hand, “when the hell did you get so grown up?”
rooster flashed him a quick grin and then opened the box to show him the faded gold band, with a sparkling diamond in the centre and two smaller ones on either side. the ring was gorgeous and classy in an old fashioned type of way, and that was the perfect thing for his girlfriend, or should we say, soon to be fiancé??
As rooster slipped the box back into the pocket of his jeans, the air between him and maverick fell silent. “Do you have any advice on this sort of thing?” he asked maverick, who’s definition of commitment was a three month long fling involving motorcycle rides, steamy kisses (and rounds of forceful sex) , and singing along to the songs on the radio.
“Rooster,” he said, putting a hand on the young pilots shoulder, “I’m not the best at this kind-of stuff.” Rooster looked away, unsure of why he asked anyways. Maverick noticed and spoke up, “Look at me, it took me thirty years to finally realize that penny was all I had ever wanted in life. And we both know you’re way smarter than that.”
Roosters lips curled up sideways into a smirk, “You got that right pop.”
Any time someone - particularly one of his students, - would refer to maverick as ‘pop’ or 'old man’ they would get a light slap on the shoulder, and maverick would put on a show about how he hated being referred to as a senior. But whenever rooster call him that, his heart (yes, maverick has a heart) would swell a tiny bit just to know that Bradley thought of him as a father figure. And hell, he was here right now asking him for advice on his proposal.
“You’re a great guy Bradley,” maverick begun, “and y/n’s a great girl. the two of you make quite the pair!”
Rooster grinned, fumbling the wallet sized photo of y/n that he kept in his flight suit pocket. It was a photo of you on the beach, yes, thatbeach. The one beach in Italy that was a favourite spot of yours, where you would spend hours walking the sand and swimming in the sea with your lover. The portrait was of you in an airy white linen shirt, a pair of shorts, and your sun-kissed hair was messily kept beneath one of Bradley’s baseball caps. A smile, glowing brightly on your face. The sort of smile that came after a bought of laughter; the sort of smile in which your eyes turned up, and your nose was crinkled. The sort of smile that was only found on your face whenever rooster was near.
“I wish I had more experience in this type of thing,” maverick said, pinching the bridge of his nose, “but man, when you have it, you have it.”
“And hey,” maverick said patting rooster on the back, “You’ll be a great husband. Anyone who has you in their life is lucky, because rooster, you are one of the best people I know.”
…
“Are you going up today?” phoenix asked, tucking one final bobby pin in her dark hair.
“Yeah,” you said, “I’m thinking about trying out a new maneuver.”
Phoenix, one of the only other female pilots on base, and your wild roommate, always was keen on hearing about your latest plans to spice things up in the sky. “Really?” she asked, eyes bright, “I want to hear all about it!”
So, on your afternoon walk to the flight depot, you told phoenix everything. Every gruelling detail, and little insignificant note was spilled, and phoenix was glad to hear it. “That is so badass,” she said after you told her about your plans, “I haven’t even tried the cobra yet!”
You tucked a loose strand of hair back into your bun and grinned, “Hey,” you said, smirking, “I can be your wingman anytime.”
Phoenix laughed, having picked up on the saying that was often bounced around Captain Mitchell and Admiral Kazanzky, some inside joke of theirs from their old days at top gun??
“If I did that with bob in the back, he would neverforgive me,” phoenix said, putting on her favourite pair of aviators, “I love him to death, but he is so work driven that sometimes he forgets to have fun.”
You were glad that you flew solo, just you and your f-18 up in the sky. It also worked whenever you wanted to try something new, because with a bask seater, you have someone else to think about as opposed to just yourself and your jet.
“Be safe up there Shadow,” phoenix said, giving you, her friend and flat-mate a squeeze on the shoulder, “I wanna see you for drinks later tonight.”
You grinned, “Count me in.”
…
At the flight depot, you saw your boyfriend rooster standing there, all suited up in his flight gear which was identical to yours. “Hi,” you said, walking over, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.
“Hey,” he said, putting his arm around you, grinning at your sight, “Going up soon?” he asked.
You nodded, taking your aviators from the pocket of your t-shirt and putting them properly on, “I’m doing the flight by point Loma today, then the circle loop around generals bay.”
Rooster nodded, “I was out early this morning, so its just a fun afternoon of paperwork for me,” he smirked.
“I’m thinking about trying a new maneuver,” you said brightly.
Rooster shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose, “God,” he sighed, rolling his eyes as he laughed, “You and your crazy stunts. Your just like maverick!”
You laughed, “well, he was one of my first instructors!”
The clock on the wall read 5:35, it was time to get going, after all, you had booked the 5:45 flight slot.
“I gotta go babe,” you said, squeezing roosters shoulder, “Listen for me on the radio if you’d like. It might make your paperwork more interesting!”
Rooster always listened to the radio when you were up in the air. Even before the two of you begun dating, rooster always listened to the radios, back at top gun, even back in flight school where the two of you had first met.
One day in the cafeteria when you were trying to buy a protein bar from the vending machine, the machine wouldn’t take your quarters, and lucky for you, rooster was behind you and offered his one dollar bills instead. He got you the snack and instead of taking your change like you had insisted, he opted to hear about the cobra maneuver - which you had just tried the day before, and nearly succeeded - instead.
The two of you became friends and one night at the bar, a drunken almost-kiss lead for unfamiliar feelings for the both of you, which you were forced to face the next day in class when you were assigned a task together.
“About last night,” rooster had said, stopping in the corridor outside the classroom, “I’m not sure how you felt about that, but um,” he paused, unsure of what to say next.
But then you and your smart mouth interjected, “I like you too rooster.”
The two of you had laughed and then arranged a date, and since then, the two of you - despite the jobs taking place an oceans away- have remained close and very much in love.
“Just, be safe up there,” rooster said, kissing your temple, “alright?”
You gave him a nod, “You got it lieutenant Bradshaw!”
After doing all of the necessary and required pre-flight checks, the sound of your f-18 roaring to life was like music to your ears. Although, it was a rather gruff sound, that at times could be quite gruelling to listen to due to the power of the dual engines, but it served as a reminder of how hard you had worked to find your place as a naval aviator. Another reminder, one that made you incredibly pleased, was the sticker bearing your name “y/n "Shadow” y/l/n" beneath the canopy that you grinned at each time you stepped into your aircraft.
It wasn’t always the easiest thing being a female in a male-dominated career, but your name on this lustrous aircraft proved it was all worth it, now if only the pricks who thought that you didn’t belong could agree. The hurtful truth is that no matter how far you got in the navy, there would always be one person with a snide remark for you, always one who would choose to loathe you based on your gender, always one who would go out of their way to make you feel as if you didn’t belong. It was hard at first, but after you got a feel for who supported you, and wanted you to succeed, work was more enjoyable than it had been before.
A woman’s voice from the tower filled your ears; those four little words that made your heart swell, “All go for takeoff.” And with a big groan of force courtesy of the throttle, you were barreling fast and hard down the runway, and before you knew it, you were up in sky, pulling 3g’s right off the get go.
The gravitational force sent you back into your seat, a feeling that excited you although you were used to by now. You remembered at first, when you were learning how to fly, the feeling that would accompany takeoff. The feeling that your eyes were going to fall back into your head, and that your legs were being pushed away behind you. The coat of sweat and the tremors that would accompany the first pull into the sky. From time to time, you still found yourself getting nervous, but the more that you thought about being up in the sky, the less the impending thoughts seemed to bother you.
The sky seemed especially blue today, and the clouds were few but gorgeous. “On your six Shadow,” Payback said through the microphone, singling that he was behind you as expected.
Usually, when you were just going up for a flight, the commander would send another jet, just to have two eyes and ears checking out the sky. You weren’t looking for anything in particular but instead just practicing and maintaining your flight techniques. Today, your wingman was Payback, and his wso, Fanboy.
“Copy payback,” you said, turning in your seat, glancing back at the fellow f-18 behind you.
“On the way back, theres something I want to try,” you said, grinning.
In the other jet, coyote was shaking his head and payback was smirking, “Another one of your stunts shadow?” he asked lightly.
“Affirmative,” you replied, now soaring over point Loma.
“Hey,” payback begun, “at least its us and not Yale and Juno flying with you today. They hate that sort of stuff.”
“Not us though,” payback said, giving you his support, “we love the show!”
“why are you waiting until the end?” fanboy asked, clipping on his mask into the side of his helmet.
Good question? why am I waiting until the end of the flight to do my trick?
“How about I do it at generals bay?” you asked, “Give the people on the beach a bit of a show?”
Payback laughed, “No one flys like you do Shadow.”
Generals bay approached quicker than you had expected, and a glaze of sweat was beginning to coax your brow. You felt the sweat along the back of your neck, the wispy ends of your bun messily tangled in your helmet. God, its hot today.
You made the loop around the point, and on your way back north, payback and fanboy flew up beside you. “The stage is all yours Shadow,” payback said, fanboy in the back giving you a hearty thumbs up.
The'stage’or in this case, the clear clear almost-evening sky, was wide open for you, ready for your stunt.
So, giving the jet just a bit more gas, pulling the throttle back ever so slightly, you climbed higher in the sky, and then once at your satisfied altitude, you tilted the front of your jet to a near vertical descent, the water looking veryblue beneath you.
You felt yourself catch on the straps of your seat belt as your altitude began to drop, now it was time for the main attraction.
Plummeting towards the ground, you manoeuvred the jet in a spiral pattern, resembling a corkscrew type of wave, moving the control so the spiral turns would pull even more g’s than usual. A wave of thrill rushed over you as you approached the earth, the altitude giving you a play by play, each number being read aloud by the automated voice, “15,000, 14,000, 13,000.”
When the automated voice screeched that you were around 7,000 feet, you pulled up, but not in the traditional sense. You levelled off your jet to go at a straight line, but however, you were inverted, still facing the ground, the blood rushing to your head, a feeling you thrived to feel when upside down in a jet. At first it was disorienting, but after your third and fourth time upside down, you get used to it.
“How was that boys?” you asked your wingmen, “Like the inverted flying?”
Payback hollered into the radio and fanboy laughed. “There’s no one who flys like you y/n,” said fanboy.
“Well, maybe except mav!” Payback said.
“One last thing,” you said, puling the jet up, now you were going sparing into the sky, speeding beside the other f-18, making payback grip the controls just a bit firmer than he had before.
“What the hell!” Fanboy shouted, but you could tell he wasn’t mad, due to his laughter.
You brought the jet just a bit higher and then did a sort of loop in the sky, one that was quick in speed with high velocity. As you completed the loop, going upside down, facing the ocean for the third time today you felt a rush of adrenaline pump through your veins.
As you were finishing off the the loop, a light began to flash on the dashboard at a rapid pace, “left engine.” Then a god awful noise, that started off as a murmur, but grew into something loud and rumbling came from the back of the plane. “Payback,” you said clearly through the radio, “There’s something wrong with one of the engines!”
And just as you were levelling off, the radio made a loud shrill and then a crackling pop, and radio silence filled your helmet. You tired turning it back on, playing with the main radio in the jet, but it was no use, the light for the radio was dead.
“Fuck,” you said aloud, the sweat coming hot and fast, making a glossy film over your skin, “I’ve gotta get back.”
Noticing the check-engine light for the left side was flashing more rapidly now, you did what you were taught, and attempted to re-generate it, in hopes of it turning back on. At first, there was some hope, and that same gurgling sound from the back of the jet, but then a cloud of smoke was released into the sky, and you knew that your left engine would likely not turn back on.
Without dual engines, it was rather difficult to keep up with payback and fanboy, who were now long ahead. Even as you followed them from behind, you found it difficult to keep an eye on them as they barrelled along the pattern.
You tried another switch on the dashboard to try to get the radio back on, and for a second it worked, and you were able to scream out, “Request to land immediately, mayday, mayday,” but with the static cutting in and out, it was hard to tell what the people in the tower could hear. As you tried again, flipping the switch, the lights on the dash all went dim, something was seriously wrong with your jet.
“No, no, no, no, no,” you repeated to yourself as you tried any switch that would flip.
Back at the base, after hearing the stunt play out through the radio, rooster had attracted quite the crowd in the office room. A terrible feeling filled his head, and his heart was pounding once he heard the radio fall silent on your behalf. “y/n!” he said, grabbing the small box in-between both hands, and then he took off into the flight depot, to go find a commander.
On his way there, he ran into maverick, who was alarmed to see him pass by in such an alarmed state. “Rooster?” he asked, seeing him run by in a blur, “What’s going on?”
Rooster stopped hastily, looking at the captain with wide, scattered eyes that couldn’t seem to focus on anything in particular. Beads of sweat on his forehead, and that same nervous look on his face that presented itself every so often when rooster was particularly stressed or anxious.
Maverick recalled when Bradley was young, that same look - the one with the slightly raised brow and tucked lips, and trembling eyes that always seemed to drift from surface to surface - that usually seemed to present itself before a major baseball game or right before a math test that he hadn’t studied for. Even after all of these years, whenever rooster was distraught, he still looked at him with those same wondering eyes as when he was a child.
“Its y/n!” Bradley said, “She did some stunt and theres a problem with her engine. We’ve lost all contact with her. No one knows where she is.”
“But weren’t payback and fanboy up there with her?” he asked.
“Yeah, but last I heard, they were ordered to land immediately,” Bradly said, looking around for a commander or admiral, anyone with power who could help with the matter.
Then in the corner, the short greying commander Hinton, was sipping his evening coffee. “Commander Hinton!” Bradley shouted, running over to the old man, maverick following suit.
As Bradley begun to speak, his words coming out all slurred and jumbled, Commander Hinton hushed him, “Lieutenant,” he said calmly, but when rooster carried on, telling him things he already knew, Hinton said it more harshly, “Lieutenant!” which made the pilot straighten his posture and take a step back beside maverick.
“All we can do is wait and see if she makes it back,” the commander said dryly, leaving maverick to chase after rooster who was already in the process of running towards the airstrip.
…
There it was, the runway, the one you were incredibly glad to see, thankful that you were paying attention during takeoff to remember where you were scheduled to land.
The sky was now glowing in hues of golden orange, a heavenly shade of the tropics that you rarely got the chance to fly in. Usually, after a day of flying, the last thing you wanted to do was land, but tonight, after the flight you’ve had, you were more than relieved to see the landing strip.
The lights on the tarmac were flashing in a particular sequence, showing you where to go and when to do it. Having no radio connection to the tower made it tricky to land. You mainly were worried about another jet trying to land at the same time as you were, but when you finally touched down and parked in your designated stall, you could finally breathe.
You opened the canopy and descended the steps. Taking your first few steps on the concrete, your legs felt wobbly and unsure as you removed your helmet, setting it below the leg of your aircraft. A sigh escaped your lips,you were finally back down on earth.
From the main building, you could see rooster running out towards you at a rapid pace, his dark hair blowing in the wind, and the gorgeous night time sun reflecting on his skin. God, he’s so handsome.
Approaching you, rooster’s sprint slowed down to a jog and then later an abrupt halt, gasping for air, looking at you with his foggy eyes, displaying an unreadable emotion.
“What the hell was that?” he gasped in an distraught tone.
Rooster rarely raised his voice, especially at you, what was the matter with him? did something happen while I was up in the sky?
“What do you mean?” you replied firmly, “I landed the jet like normal!”
Rooster grunted, pinching that spot at the base of his neck that always seemed to collect stress, his arms flexing tightly in his black t-shirt. “No, y/n,” he spat, “That stunt. What the fuck was that! You disappeared from the radio!”
The force of the moment found its way into your veins, making your chest feel tight and head growing hazy. You rolled your eyes, taking a step towards your boyfriend, “God rooster, I had it all under control.”
A stout laugh escaped his lips, “Did you?” he hissed.
“Yes Bradley, I did!” you replied harshly, “I value my plane verymuch, and I took every precaution necessary to land safely!”
“You and your stunts,” rooster said hotly, shaking his head, “You’re so reckless, do you know that?!” Now he was staring at you, intensely, urgently, his eyes were pressed to yours.
You nodded, stepping forward’s rooster, “Yeah, I do! But I don’t know why you’re so mad at me?”
Rooster stepped back, letting a breath escape his lips, his face red and blotchy from anger, “Fuck y/n,” he said angrily, “You could have fucking died up there!”
“But I didn’t.Ididn’tdie, and I’m right here on the landing strip fighting with you.”
“God shadow,” rooster said, calling you by your call sign, still fuming, although now more relaxed, “What the hell would have happened if we were married? Your decisions could have killed you.”
married? hold on a minute, what did he just say?
“Married?!” you shouted, arms flailing in the air, “What the hell are you talking about rooster?”
Arms shaking, rooster shoved his hand into the pocket of his dark green trousers and pulled out a small blue box - a ring box. He opened it, flipping the top up with his opposite hand, showing it to you, “This, y/n!” he shouted, showing you the gold ring he had picked out last month, “I was going to propose tonight!” he said urgently.
You looked at rooster with quiet eyes, not making a sound, your mouth falling open from the shock of it all. did rooster justsay that he was going to propose?
Your eyes scattered down to the ring box, how it was held gently in roosters strong hands. “Rooster,” you said gently, “You were going to ask me to marry you?”
Rooster nodded, closing the box, “Yeah. I had it all planned out. We were going to walk down to the beach and just as the sun was about to set, maverick was going to do a fly-by in his p-51, and,” he paused shutting his eyes, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that stuff to you. God, I’ve just been so fucking nervous lately.”
You took a step forward, taking one of roosters hands gently in yours, “Rooster,” you spoke, voice trembling, “I’m sorry for what I said.”
He shook his head, “don’t be, I overreacted. I shouldn’t have said what I did.”
“No,” you said, “I should be more careful, and I’m glad you care enough to tell me that. I did over-do it tonight.”
“This whole thing was a disaster,” Bradley said, looking down at the box.
“You really meant what you said?” you asked, “You wanted to marry me?”
Rooster looked up, meeting your eyes, “I want to marry you y/n.”
He held your hands in his, “I want to know what its like to wake up with you beside me every day of my life. I want to spend all of my time with you y/n, because I love you, every part of you, even your reckless stunts!”
“You’re the most important person to me, and I don’t want to loose you,” he said, eyes misty, looking at you, only you.
If rooster wouldn’t have brought his hand up to the side of your cheek to wipe the tears streaming down your face, you wouldn’t have realized that you were crying. God, you of all people, didn’t think you would be capable of crying at your own proposal.
“What are you saying rooster?” you asked, smiling gently, already sure you knew what he was going to say next.
“I’masking, shadow,” Bradley said, grinning, “Will you marry me?”
As another fat tear rolled down your cheek, a smile spread across your face. You nodded, throwing your arms around Bradley, “Yes. I would love to marry you!”
It felt so good to have your boyfriend’s,fiancé’s arms around you, his hands on your back holding you tightly towards his body. You were consumed by his scent, the way it filled your head and suddenly brought you home. You loved the way strong arms were holding you, and the way he smiled into your hair. “I love you,” he whispered into your ear.
“I love you too,” you repeated, your tears getting sopped up in rooster’s tee-shirt.
You looked to rooster with eyes of salt, and brought your lips up to his. And there the two of you stood on the tarmac, kissing. The kiss was long and slow and made electricity buzz through your veins in a sweet low tone. No matter how many times he had kissed you, each time it felt new and entrancing.
When you broke the kiss, Bradley brought back out the ring box, concentrating with tears in his eyes, as he took the gold band out of the tan cushion it was held in. You held out your your hand, wriggling your wedding finger as rooster shakily slid the band up and over your knuckle. It was a perfect fit, it was made exactly for you.
You held your hand closer to your face and looked at the ring. The diamond shone brightly in the evening sun, and it looked gorgeous on your hand, nearly too beautiful to belong to a fighter pilot!
You grinned brightly at rooster, looking up from the ring, “I can’t believe we’re engaged,” you said, looking around, the moment finally setting in, “Oh my god! we’re engaged!” you screamed.
Bradley grinned, picking you up in his arms, which earned a squeal from you, “Bradley! Put me down!” you laughed to your fiancé who was carrying you towards the flight depot, one arm supporting your back, the other beneath your legs. As Bradley waded forward, the two of you couldn’t stop grinning and gazing at one another.
Under one of the canopies where rooster had carried you to, all of your friends (that were pilots and wso’s) were there, clapping and cheering for you.
Rooster set you down, and then put his arms around you, brining you into a hug from behind. “Everyone,” he said to the other pilots and crew, gathering their attention, “We have something excitingto tell you!”
You grinned, looking up at Bradley, who'e eyes were beaming, “I think they already know rooster!”
“You guys are getting married!” phoenix said excitedly, bring you in for an an embrace, her arms wrapping tightly around your torso.
“We saw the whole thing go down on the tarmac,” bob said, giving rooster a pat on the shoulder, “Congratulations!”
Just as you were showing your colleagues the gorgeous band that rooster had picked out especially for you, there was a loud noise in the sky. You looked up, it was a jet!
Up in the sky, one of the f-18’s was doing a fly-by, soaring loudly and quickly over the depot. You looked to rooster and exchanged a glance, “Maverick,” you agreed.
I guess part of rooster’s plan did go as expected, it was during the hours of sunset, and maverick flew overhead, although it wasn’t his stunning p-51 and just an ordinary f-18, the moment was perfect, and you were one step closer to spending the rest of your life with the most important and wonderful person, rooster, the love of your life.
