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itskotka · 2 years

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we keep this love in a photograph

part 2/2

part 1 here

bradley “rooster” bradshaw x civilian!reader

summary: the one where they get married (featuring lots of fluff and match making)

w/c: 4.1k

a/n: sorry for the long wait on this one! it’s very much fluff, maybe a few hints of angst. also not proofread because i didn’t feel like it. definitely one of the happiest things i’ve ever written (to summarize: i went overboard)

The day of your wedding a couple of months later was pure chaos but in the best way possible. It was thrown together quickly with the help of all your friends and family. Natasha was your maid of honor alongside Penny and your older sister. You had asked Maverick to walk you down the aisle in place of your deceased father, to which he gladly agreed with tears in his eyes. (“Are you crying, Mav?” “I would never.”) Everyone was frantically getting ready for the ceremony when someone knocked on your door. You carefully got up to get it, trying not to trip on your dress. When you opened the door, it was Bradley. He was leaning against the doorframe, dressed in a finely pressed tuxedo with slicked back hair, and it nearly took your breath away.

“Look, I know we said no first looks but I-” His voice trailed off as he gazed at you. His eyes traveled across your face, down to your dress, and landed back on your eyes. You swore a tear pricked the corner of his eye, but he blinked it away quickly. “I’m marrying you?” He whispered as if it hadn’t been comprehended in his head.

“Yeah, Bradshaw, you are.”

“You look-”

“Save it,” you interrupted. He laughed softly, a trace of a smile never leaving his lips. “Although you do look pretty good yourself. Who are you trying to impress?”

“The prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.” It was a reference to the night that led you here; the night you shared your first kiss.

“And who would that be?”

“You.”

“Well Rooster, be glad I love you too, or else we wouldn’t be getting married.” He leaned in to kiss you, but you put your finger up to his lip. “Bradley, can’t wait another 20 minutes?”

“I guess,” he jokingly complained. “I should probably go and pretend I wasn’t in here. I just wanted to see you. I can’t wait to make you my Mrs. Bradshaw.” His words weren’t much, but they made you want to cry. It felt like you were somewhere in the future, replaying this moment of happiness in your head. You wanted to savor the moment, but you knew he had to go.

“Yeah, yeah, I love you too, but you gotta go before I ruin my makeup.” You pushed him out of the door before he could argue, or make you cry before the ceremony even started. He obeyed and casually started making his way back down the hall. You turned back to yourself and grinned. There were no words to explain how much love you felt for him, and how you knew he felt it too. It was something just between the two of you; the most beautiful secret.

Another knock on the door, except this time it was Natasha.

“You ready?” You nodded and made your way to the entrance to wait. Maverick stepped in line with you, avoiding eye contact. You could tell he was already choked up.

“He loves you so much,” he whispered to the air. You turned to face him, tears already forming in your own eyes. “He won’t admit it, but when we were gone all he could think about was you. It was sickly sweet, really.”

“Mav.” You didn’t want him to continue, or else you would be crying before the ceremony started.

“He went to see you already, didn’t he?” You dropped your gaze to the floor, but it didn’t go unnoticed. “Of course he did.”

“I don’t know if it’s ever gotten through to you, but I really am grateful,” you said, ignoring his remarks. “You brought him back.”

“That’s my job.”

“No, you brought him back,” you repeated. “He missed you, more than he would ever admit to anyone. Since he’s come back, he’s been so much happier. And I owe that to you for not screwing it up this time. Bradley loves you, Mav. So much.” He finally met your teary eyes with his own. You could see the relief and pure shock written on his face, and it warmed your heart.

“Oh kid,” he exhaled, taking you into a comforting hug. “Thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for?”

“Everything.” You could’ve lost it right then and there, but you managed to hold yourself together once more. You pulled away from him and dabbed underneath your eyes.

“Why is everyone out to make me cry today?”

“That’s the nature of weddings.” You laughed until the familiar sound of the piano piece you picked cut you off. Maverick looked to you as if to ask if you were ready, to which you smiled and linked your arm with his in response. You slowly stepped into the doorway and felt your face flush as all your friends and family stood and turned to look at you. But you were focused on one thing, and one thing only: the smile on Bradley Bradshaw’s face. He was beaming as he watched you walk down the aisle in the poofy dress he’d already seen minutes before. And that was the moment you truly lost it. The tears poured down your face and you weren’t exactly sure why. Maybe it was the fact that a few months ago, you thought you’d never get to experience this. Or perhaps it was simply that Bradley was the perfect man for you, which he was. Either way, it made you cry in the happiest way possible. He was the love of your life, and you were his. Finally tying the knot after 5 years of loving each other was your version of a dream come true. Spending forever with him was all you ever wanted to do.

You reached him at the end of the aisle and he was quick to start drying your tears. You passed your bouquet of white roses and dusty rose dahlias to Phoenix, who looked about as happy as you did. Maverick returned to his spot behind Bradley as one of his groomsmen, letting you both go with a tear in his eye.

“You okay?” Bradley whispered. You sharply inhaled and shook your head.

“Better than okay.” You reached for his hands and matched his loopy grin. The priest started the ceremony, introducing you and speaking about what marriage meant. Quite frankly, you weren’t listening. You were simply overcome with love as you stared into Bradley’s eyes. It didn’t seem real that you were getting married; solidifying forever with your forever love. It went by in a blur and within what felt like seconds, he announced for you to start the vows. “I choose you, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, and I’ll choose you forever. You’re the love of my life, and I promise to hold and treasure you for as long as I’m alive and breathing. I promise to always wait for you to come home and love you through the tough times ahead of us. I want you to never give up flying for me, but do everything you can to make it out alive because the truth is, it’s impossible for me to exist without you.

“When I thought I lost you, I didn’t know what to do. I thought I’d go my whole life without getting to experience our life together. But you came back as the same old Rooster I know and love, and you don’t know how impossibly happy that made me. How impossibly happy you make me. Thank you for showing me a side of myself I never imagined I could be. You’re the most genuine and sweet man I’ve ever met, and I know you’ll be the best husband imaginable. You bring out the best in me, and you’re my best friend. I don’t think I’ve ever told you this, but the girl you met on the beach normally wouldn’t have accepted dinner from a man who hit her with his football. But she did because she knew he was the one. Bradley, you are the one. I cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives together and love you each and every day of it. It won’t be easy, because love isn’t, but we’ll get through it together. I love you more than I can say, and I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have you as my husband.”

You couldn’t exactly read the expression on his face as you finished your drawn-on vows. He had a twinkle in his eye and a strange smile on his lips. You didn’t mean for them to get that long, but you wanted to express your love in the best way you could. It must’ve worked though because he was soon shaking his head and wiping his own tears. “What?” You mouthed to him.

“You always do this to me,” he mouthed back. “It’s my turn now.” You were taken aback and slightly scared. If there was one thing he was better at than flying, it was charming you to the point of tears. The priest motioned for him to start. You drew in a deep breath. “You’re the best thing to ever happen to me. From the moment I met you, I knew that you’d be a part of my life. I never knew that you would soon become the biggest part of my life. I can’t even imagine where I’d be today without you, because I’m hopelessly in love with you. I promise to always make you feel as special as I know you are. I promise to choose you every time and continue falling in love with you for as long as I can. You’re the light of my life, my best friend, my wingman.

“I’ll always fight for you till my dying breath. The last time I left, I almost didn’t come back. The only thing that kept me going was you. I thought to myself that leaving you was more terrifying than death. It broke my heart, picturing you in pain that I brought. So I fought, and I promise that I’ll do that forever if it means I’m coming home to you. I mean it when I say that I never wanted to settle down until I met you. You showed me that there’s so much more to life than flying off to nowhere. You showed me that I could experience what my parents had. And to think that you were just the gorgeous girl I mistakenly hit in the head. But it was the best mistake I’ve ever made. You’re the most generous and inspiring person I know, and you show me that every day. I love you with everything I have, and you truly make me both the happiest and luckiest guy ever. I promise that I’ll never let you go and I promise to always be there for you. I can’t wait for you to be my wife. I’m your forever wingman.”

You were left speechless with a single tear rolling down your cheek. He had always had a way with words, but today shocked you. The way he could put all the same things you felt about him into words was magical. You briefly shut your eyes to savor the moment. A hand brushed your cheek and wiped the tear away, and you practically melted. That same hand placed a wedding band on your finger moments after and mouthed an ‘I love you’ while the priest was pronouncing you husband and wife.

“Bradley, you may now kiss the bride.” He wasted absolutely no time pulling you into him and sealing your vows with a breathtaking kiss.

“Finally,” he breathed out. You kissed him again, feeling all the eyes of your cheering friends and family on you. He quickly lifted you into his arms to carry you back down the aisle and you coughed out a laugh.

“I told you not to do that,” you protested even though you didn’t truly care.

“And I told you I’d do it anyway.” You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t even pretend to be upset. “You’re so gorgeous,” he whispered into your ear. Your cheeks flushed red and he threw you a confused look. “What? I would’ve told you earlier but you said I had to ‘save it’ so I did.”

“Oh whatever.”

“You love me.”

“Yeah, I do.” You were so lost in the conversation that you didn’t notice your friends circling around the two of you. They were louder than anyone else there, cheering and patting your shoulders. If Bradley hadn’t already swept you off your feet, they definitely would’ve.

“Rooster’s finally hitched,” one of the boys called.

“Let’s let them finish getting out of here before we scare them away,” Natasha chimed in. They listened to her and backed away, allowing Bradley to put you down and gather at the entrance. “I’m so happy for you,” she simply stated, giving you both hugs.

“Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw,” Jake announced, nodding. “Congratulations.”

“C’mon Bagman, that’s all you got?”

“Don’t expect me to go soft on you just ‘cause you got married.” He rolled his eyes, but gave you a quick hug. “Is your sister single by chance?” He mumbled to you, just out of earshot from anyone else.

“Jake!” You hissed. “Buy her a drink at the reception. She likes cocktails.” He pulled away and smirked, leaving Bradley confused.

“What did he say? Did he hit on you? I swear to-”

“Rooster!”

“It was a valid question.”

“Sure it was, honey.” He laughed, still greeting everyone else who came to congratulate you. Your mom was in shambles about her baby getting married, but she couldn’t have been happier. She’d always accepted Bradley as one of her own anyway. The rest of your family was overjoyed and commenting on how sweet your vows were. Seeing everyone so happy for you made your heart burst with joy. When Maverick finally made his way over with Penny, he had tears in his eyes.

“Nature of weddings, am I right?” You choked out a laugh and let him turn to face Bradley. Without saying a word, Bradley leaned into his chest and quietly began to cry. You purposely turned towards Penny so you wouldn’t eavesdrop, but you caught Maverick saying “I love you kid.”

“He really does,” Penny whispered to you, agreeing.

“I know.” There was an indescribable bond between him and Maverick that everyone could see, but would never mention. You knew that it stemmed from the loss of his parents and how Maverick always meant so much to him. He was the one who carried all the stories and memories. He was the one who was still alive, and that was more than enough. Penny gave you a tight squeeze as they pulled away and joined the group of pilots nearby. You continued on, looping your fingers into Bradley’s and squeezing his hand.

Before you knew it, you were taking dozens of pictures outside. Pictures with almost all of the guests, and many with your new husband. It was exhausting, to say the least, but worth it. It was even more worth it when Bradley slung his jacket around your shoulders for some of them. “Because I’m all yours, darling,” was his explanation, to which you kissed him to shut him up. Soon after, you were ushered into a car to head to the reception. To your disappointment, you didn’t get to share a car with Bradley, but it made the reunion much sweeter.

“Hi,” you whispered to him by the doors of the event center you rented. There was a low hum of chatter and music all around you already, filling you with excitement.

“Missed me already?”

“You were gone for like, 10 minutes. But yes, I did.” He softly smiled. The early evening light from the windows made his face glow. It was another moment you wanted to store in your memory and keep forever.

“You ready for this?” You sharply nodded and grabbed his hand. He opened the door for you and you instantly felt blasted by the music and laughter. Everyone cheered as you walked inside, hand-in-hand.

“Everyone give it up for Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw!” The DJ announced, cueing even louder cheers (mostly from the dagger squad, as you liked to call your group of friends). “Please clear the floor as they prepare for their first dance of the evening.” Bradley led the way to the dance floor, designated in the middle of the overly large room as per request from him. You originally were mortified at the thought of dancing in a quiet room in front of everyone, but in the moment, you couldn’t have been happier. Your song choice was Photograph by Ed Sheeran, a fitting choice considering the circumstances that led you here. As the first few notes played, Bradley brought you closer to him and started humming along.

“Don’t think, just do,” he joked, whispering into your ear. You rolled your eyes. It was a classic Maverick line he often reused, mostly for the sake of irony because he didn’t follow the advice himself. But you decided to listen this time, letting your body relax into his and sway to the rhythm. You never were a strong dancer, but Bradley always made you want to be one. He twirled you and pulled you back into a close hug, a move you hadn’t practiced before. You tossed him a skeptical glance and all he could do was laugh. “We made these memories for ourselves,” he sang along quietly. You brought your hand up to his cheek and let it rest there. He leaned into your soft touch, still singing and slow dancing. The amount of love you had for him forever and at that moment was overwhelming. He was your version of perfect. “What’s that look for?” He asked.

“Nothing.” You shook your head. “This is just… so perfect.”

“That’s you and me, baby.” You glanced down at his lips, wanting so badly to close the distance between you. “Save it,” Bradley quipped. You rolled your eyes at him. He was a hypocrite, however, because he brought you closer and put his mouth to your hair.

“You big hypocrite.”

“What can I say? I love my girl.” He smiled and spun you around again. It was all so dizzying: the happiness, the dance, him. It was, like you said, perfect.

The dance was over far too soon and you were once again enveloped into a crowd of excitement. They rushed you to your table at the front of the room where they spoke a few words.

“All I’ve got to say is that it’s about time,” Jake spoke, calling for a toast. Others made longer and sappier speeches that made your heart swell with joy, all while you sat next to the only man who could literally sweep you off your feet. You keep your hand in his for as long as you can before Jake downed his champagne and called Rooster out for a dance. You let him go with the boys and turned towards your sister. Her eyes were scanning the dance floor curiously, and you were about to bring her to dance when you noticed who she was looking at. Jake.

“No,” you gasped. She turned to you, shell shocked.

“He… he bought me a cocktail.” You couldn’t contain your smile. He was a genuinely good guy underneath his layers of cockiness, and you secretly had hoped he was serious about her.

“The next slow song you will dance with him.” Her cheeks flushed.

“Says who?”

“Says the bride, a.k.a. the best sister in the world.” The song ended up winding down right after you said that, as if it was meant to be. “Well. Now you have to go.” You pulled her up from her seat and pushed her onto the floor. Jake was quick to pick up on it and immediately swept her into a dance. Bradley took a step back to meet you and you returned to your seats to watch them.

“Look at us being matchmakers,” you said, wrapping his arm around your own shoulder.

“You’re my best match.”

“You are seriously so bad today.”

“Fighting like a married couple already?” Natasha joked, sneaking up from behind. You rolled your eyes with a small smile. “I love you guys.”

“We love you too,” Bradley spoke for the both of you.

“Can I steal your bride for a dance?”

“You go have fun,” he said, directed to you. You leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, and let Natasha take you to dance. It seemed like that was all you did for the whole night, but it was the best. It was all you had imagined and more.

“Did you seriously set up your sister with Bagman?” Nat asked in an accusing tone, as soon as you stepped away for a break.

You shrugged. “In my defense, he asked if she was single.”

“Poor girl.” She coughed out a laugh. You glanced over at the happy “couple” as they closely danced. You didn’t want to admit it, but they looked happier than you’d seen either of them in awhile.

“And who do you want to be set up with? I’m known for making great couples.” She shook her head, but you watched her eyes slide towards the other aviators - specifically Bob.

“Nope, don’t even think about it.” You quickly formulated a plan in your mind. The group needed a couple or two to get married after you and Bradley anyway.

“Okay, fine. I’ll let it go,” you lied through your teeth. “Let’s go dance.” It was towards the end of an upbeat song, which happened to work perfectly with the plan. You directed her close to the group, and the second the song ended and it transitioned to a slow song, you dipped and the other boys did too. “Someone wants a dance,” you whispered to Bob before leaving to find Bradley.

Bradley sensed your weird mood immediately as you pulled him into a dance. “What did you do?”

“What makes you think that I did something?”

“You’ve got that look on your face. The extremely cute look you make when you’ve executed a plan. Spill.” You gave it up and nodded towards Bob and Natasha, who were now dancing awkwardly, but smiling nonetheless.

“I had to do some more match-making. Some people just need a little push. They can’t all be like us.”

“‘Like us,’ huh? I guess I am pretty lucky.”

“I’d argue that I’m the luckier one, Roos.” He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on your lips. “See? I think I’m the luckiest.”

“Think that all you want, sweetheart.” You kissed him again and the song was abruptly over. “I’m gonna catch up with Mav again, but I’ll catch you for our last dance?”

“I’m afraid we’ll never have a last dance. You’re having too much fun,” you joked. He started walking away from you.

“Ha-ha. Just admit you’re having as much fun dancing as I am.”

“My lips are sealed.” He rolled his eyes and left you to your own devices. You wandered around, talking to everyone else you had missed, until Bradley snatched you once again. Your DJ announced it was time for the private last dance - queueing everyone else to leave. It was your biggest request for the reception because you just wanted to soak up the experience with him, and him alone. The music started playing and Bradley led you into yet another dance. “I’m so happy that this… that this happened.”

“Me too.”

“I don’t even wanna think about the fact that it almost didn’t. You’re seriously the best thing to ever happen to me.” He cupped your face with his hand and kept the other on your waist, pulling you further into him.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I love you, and I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Really. You’re here and that’s what matters.” He enveloped you into a tight hug, still slowly swaying to the song.

“You’re the best. And don’t argue with me on that.”

“Fine, I won’t.” He twirled you and wrapped his arms tighter around your hips. There wasn’t anything left to say that hadn’t already been said, so you just gazed into his eyes. He was your everything. The song was almost over already, and you couldn’t help but want more. He spun you again and ended with a dip, pulling you back up slowly. The music died and the only sounds were your jagged breaths. His eyes scanned your face as if he was seeking approval. “Mr. Bradshaw?” You hesitantly asked.

“Yes, Mrs. Bradshaw?”

“What do you say we go home?”

“Honey, anywhere with you is home.” You didn’t even have it in you to roll your eyes at his corny joke. You simply loved him too much to even be phased by it. “But by all means, lead the way.”

#x reader #rooster #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster x reader #top gun x reader #top gun #tooth rotting fluff #fluff #top gun movie #miles teller #fanfic #self indulgence at its finest #self insert #it all comes full circle

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