#rooster pregnancy imagine

[roosterforme]

The Younger Kind Part 55 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley can't get enough of the adrenaline rush that is accompanying his special mission, but he has reached the point where the excitement doesn't outweigh his desire to return home. Every day feels the same for you, until one of them starts to feel much worse.

Warnings: mentions of blood, pregnancy topics, potential pregnancy complications, swearing, angst, fluff, and age gap (18+)

Length: 4300 words

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

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

Every day was the same now. Every morning started out with a hopeful feeling in your chest. Your engagement ring was still noticeable on your finger, although you figured that would fade with time as it became a permanent fixture. At first, you woke up to the delicious feeling of being pregnant and engaged to Bradley, but when you rolled over to reach for him, the rest of the bed was cold. The covers were untouched. His pillow was still in the exact same place you left it when you made the bed yesterday.

Tears stung at your eyes. You knew exactly how many days he had been gone, because the updated number was practically all you could think about. The days had become a week. Then two. And now that hopeful feeling was starting to vanish only to be replaced by dread almost immediately after you cracked your eyes open.

You whispered, "I miss you," and climbed out of bed without even looking at the vacant side now. You started to dress in your scrubs without a smile on your face, and then you went into the bathroom which was completely silent. You thought that if you just had an inkling, the barest idea of when Bradley might be returning, you'd feel much better, but you had no clue.

You and Noah had only had one brief conversation with him over the phone. The connection had been pretty bad, and you knew someone was sitting right there with him monitoring every single word. He'd told you that much before his personal phone had been taken away from him the day he arrived. You had to pause as you put toothpaste on your toothbrush, because the tears were going to start if you didn't get yourself under control. 

Bradley had hung up a few post-it notes around the house for you and Noah to find. Most of them were reminders of how much he loved you, but the one on the bathroom mirror took your breath away every time you saw it. It said April 25th with a heart around it. And above that'd, he'd drawn a crown. The fact that you had no idea how much of your pregnancy he was going to miss threw you off every single time. You ran your fingers over the note, but you didn't move it.

"Mommy?" Noah called out, and you heard him jump down from his bed. It was so obvious how much he missed his dad; he was extra clingy with you right now, even shedding a few tears now when you tried to drop him off before you went to work each day.

"I'm in the bathroom," you called out as best you could with your toothbrush still in your mouth. You opened the door so he could come in with you, and he immediately wrapped his arms around your thigh.

"Is it daycare today?"

You spit out the toothpaste and rinsed your mouth. "Yes, Sweet Noah. You have daycare today."

"I want to go to the park with you and Daddy."

That sounded so perfect, you wanted to scream. "As soon as Daddy comes home, we can all spend a whole day at the park. But not today." You didn't even want to tell him that you had to work an extra hour and a half and as a result would be picking him up later than usual. You agreed to cover some extra shifts all week long even though you were tired enough that you'd been passing out in bed right after Noah went to sleep each night. 

When he sniffed and looked up at you with watery eyes, you could barely handle it. Bradley had been gone for less than three weeks, but you were already getting a little desperate. You knew you would feel like a failure if you reached out for help at this point, even though Natasha and Penny had both been texting with you to check in. Bradley even had Tracy emailing you in case you needed anything, and you couldn't decide whether you had to make more friends to get him off your back or simply be appreciative that he cared enough to set things up.

"I know," you whispered to Noah, running your fingers through his soft curls. "But we can make ants on logs later. And we can take Skittles for a nice walk." When you said her name, the pup appeared in the bathroom doorway, her brown eyes also a little sad without her favorite person at home.

"I'm hungry," Noah murmured against your scrub pants. You bent to scoop him up into your arms and carried him to the kitchen where you got breakfast ready for everyone. It was going to be a long day for you, and you'd been so wrapped up in your feelings, you almost forgot you were going to have to see Casey. 

You groaned at the thought of her, and you immediately lost your appetite and scraped your eggs into the dish on the floor for Skittles to enjoy. After you packed yourself a lunch and got Noah ready, you realized you were kind of running late. Everything felt ten times harder when you had to do it all yourself. 

"I don't know how Bradley managed," you whispered as you zipped down the block in your car. A soft smile played at your lips as you thought back to how adorably hopeless he had been when you first met him. He hadn't eaten a good meal in probably months before you started babysitting Noah for him. At least he could cook a little bit now, even if he still couldn't figure out how to use his phone. 

When you took Noah inside his daycare, Casey's eyes were immediately glued to your ring as it shone in the sunlight. She slid the clipboard to you and watched you sign Noah in while you held his hand. Then you knelt down and kissed his cheek and whispered, "I'll pick you up later. I love you."

He smiled, and then you let Casey walk him inside. You stood there long enough to make sure he started to hang up his bag like you always did, and when she walked back out into the lobby, she was smirking. "Did Bradley leave you? He hasn't been here in weeks."

You rolled your eyes as you said, "He's deployed. We've been over this before."

She held up her hands in mock surrender. "I'm just saying, it kind of looks like he left you and Noah in the dust."

"In what world would that man leave Noah?" you practically shouted. 

"That's true," she replied with a smile. "Bradley would never leave his adorable son, but I could see him ditching you and your make believe baby."

You rubbed your temples and took your phone out of your pocket to check the time. You'd barely make it to work before the first patient if you didn't leave right now, but you couldn't help yourself. "I'm done, Casey. I've had enough. Which of the owners is here today? Because I'm not going to listen to you talk to me like this for one more minute."

Her face went ghostly white and she muttered something that you couldn't quite make out. "Speak up," you snapped. "Or apologize to me and don't bother talking to me again unless it's completely necessary."

"Sorry."

"Great," you told her loudly. "Have a great day, and when I pick Noah up later, just keep your mouth shut."

You took in the stupid looking expression on her face before you turned to leave, storming out the door and across the parking lot to your car.

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

It didn't take Bradley long to get used to the sleek controls and seductive design of the sixth-generation fighter jet that everyone appropriately referred to as Shadowhawk. By the second morning on base in Yokosuka, Admiral Palmer was singing Bradley's praises. He showed up early and did as he was told, hoping to spend as much time in the air as he could each day.

It was an adrenaline rush every single time. He was going substantially faster than he ever did in a Super Hornet, and all of his readouts were being recorded. He had to pass a quick physical and stress test every morning before he was allowed to fly, and then he was hooked up to monitoring equipment and let loose. He and Shadowhawk were flying the same loop far out over the pacific ocean at insanely high altitudes, and each time he fell a little bit more in love with being in the air. He could maneuver through rolls and dive into an attack formation faster than he could even imagine. 

When he was flying, it was easy enough to focus on the task at hand. He knew if he wasn't one hundred percent focused, it would be dangerous. He might not snuff out the launched missile in time with his flares or his guns. He might lose sight of his targets. But as soon as he had any sort of mental reprieve, he was thinking about you and Noah and Skittles and his bungalow tucked away on a side street in Coronado.

"Fuck," he muttered as he unloaded from Shadowhawk one day just as the sun was setting. He was drenched in sweat and exhausted, and all he could think about was taking a shower with you before dragging himself off to his king size bed that always smelled like wildflowers and falling asleep in your arms. He let the peripheral staff detach all of the cables and heart monitor from his flight suit before he found an officer who spoke English. "Is there time for me to make a phone call tonight?" he asked. 

It was about three o'clock in the morning in California, and he knew he wouldn't be able to talk to Noah, but he was dying to hear your voice. He knew he'd wake you up, but the ache was so strong, he absolutely needed to if he could. He'd been allowed to make exactly one call so far, and that was already more than two weeks ago.

All he got in response to his question was a quick shake of his head. "Tomorrow," she responded. That's what they told him every day. The lack of communication felt like a prison sentence at times, but there wasn't much he could do but accept it. All of the data they were collecting as well as Shadowhawk itself were considered proprietary and top secret. He practically had to sign his life away every day before he was allowed to touch the thing.

"Tomorrow," he repeated. "But will it actually be tomorrow? Or does that mean a week from now?"

"Tomorrow," she said more firmly, and he thanked her quietly before heading up to the tower to debrief with the admirals. There wasn't much else he could do.

The next day was a lot more of the same, and the routine was starting to grate on his nerves now. The aircraft still felt incredible, beyond his wildest dreams. He was still happy to be here, but at the same time, he was ready to go home now. They weren't giving him any updates on the progress of this assignment or when it might end, so he just decided to approach Admiral Palmer directly.

"Sir, I'd really appreciate a ten minute phone call, if that can be arranged." Once again, it was the middle of the night for you, but Bradley needed it.

The older man eyed him closely and cleared his throat. "It's a liability, Lieutenant. I'm sure you can understand that."

Bradley felt his fingers flex into fists at his sides. "Sir, someone would be monitoring me the entire time. And I'm just asking to talk to my fiancée and my son. That's it. Any time of any day."

The answer of, "There's no guarantee," did not sit well with Bradley. He had to bite his lip until he was tasting blood to keep himself from talking out of order, but he was sure the other man could read the frustration on his face and in his posture. "Maybe a very brief call, but we could be wrapping up our preliminary testing on Shadowhawk any day now. Either way, I'm sure you'll be able to finish out this temporary assignment like a professional."

Bradley swallowed down every retort that came to his mind, saluted Admiral Palmer, and left for his tiny room in the barracks. But another week passed, and Bradley knew there was no end in sight. And perhaps no phone call either. 

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

"Is this normal though?" you asked Natasha over the phone one night after Noah was in bed. You'd thought about taking a long bath, but you were so tired from working late almost every day, you could barely hold yourself up. You were already in bed at 8:45 with your phone pressed to your ear. "I haven't heard from Bradley in almost a month."

The words made a lump form in your throat. It was actually twenty-two and a half days since he'd called. You needed to hear his voice. Noah was asking for him nonstop, and he had missed your most recent checkup with your obstetrician. The whole thing had been such a blur during your lunch break without him there, and you wanted to show him the new ultrasounds.

"Well, I don't think this assignment is exactly normal, you know?" she replied. "On a regular deployment, you'd be able to talk to him almost weekly. But this is something else altogether."

You made a soft sound. There had to be a way to make the time pass faster. If you didn't have to get Noah by six o'clock every day, you would try to pick up more hours at work. Maybe this weekend you could start cleaning up the extra bedroom that you and Bradley decided would become the nursery. You already promised Noah that you'd take him shopping for a Halloween costume, so at least that would entertain him for a little while. 

"Thanks, Natasha," you murmured to Bradley's best friend.

"Hey, if you need a little break this weekend, I'd be more than happy to come over and play with Noah on Saturday or Sunday," she said, and you sighed in relief.

"That actually sounds fantastic. I'll call you."

You ended the call a minute later, curling up in a ball of exhaustion as you tried to imagine where Bradley was and what he was doing. You were tired now as you tried to do the math to determine what time it was in Japan. Was he sixteen hours ahead of you? Something like that? You yawned and fell asleep with your phone on the pillow next to your head.

Then you heard your ringtone blaring in your ear, and you almost fell out of the bed as you realized your phone was so close to you. RESTRICTED CALLER. "Oh my god," you gasped, trying to answer the call while you saw that your battery was down to four percent because you never plugged it in. "Bradley?!"

"Princess."

"Bradley!" You climbed out of bed, your body immediately shivering as you were exposed to the cool air. Your nerves were frayed as you plugged your phone in and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Baby. I'm so sorry I woke you up."

"It's okay!" you said, your voice sounding more like a sob as you sat on the floor. "I've been so worried about you."

His voice was a deep, familiar rumble as he said, "I've got five minutes. Tell me everything."

"We miss you, Daddy," you said, rubbing your hand low on your belly which was starting to feel a little tender as you got closer to thirteen weeks along. "Noah asks for you all the time. The baby looked good at the last appointment. But your best friend, Skittles, is barely holding it together."

"I missed your appointment," he said, his voice strained with emotion. "I should have been there."

"It's okay," you whispered. "We're doing okay." But you weren't. You and Noah thrived when you had his attention. You felt loved when he was home to hold you and whisper plans about the future until you fell asleep each night. "I just thought you'd be able to call more often."

"Me too," he said in a tone that sounded both annoyed and resigned.

"Do you know when you'll be home?" you asked in as hopeful a voice as you could manage.

"Soon, Princess. Soon. Now tell me everything about your appointment."

You gave him more details as you shifted around on the floor, and you told him that Noah painted a picture for him. Then you heard someone on his end of the call telling him that it was time to go, and you wanted to scream that it wasn't enough. But instead you let the tears fall down your cheeks, thankful that you at least knew he was safe. 

"I love you, Bradley."

"I love you too, Princess. I'll be home before you know it."

You dried your tears and climbed back into bed, and even though you weren't able to fall asleep again, you felt so much better. Your imagination drifted to thoughts of the baby in the nursery, all of you curled up on the floor for story time together. You would start getting the room ready this weekend.

On Saturday, you took Noah to the Halloween warehouse store that seemed to pop up overnight. "You have to hold my hand," you reminded him as he reached for every single display in the crowded store. There were so many aisles, this would probably take up your entire morning with him. He was keeping a running list of options that he liked for trick-or-treating, and you had to keep reminding yourself not to check the price tags. You'd put whatever he wanted on your princess credit card and call it a day.

"Mommy, let's all be dinosaurs," he said, pointing to a costume in his size. 

You glanced around the area and said, "They don't have any in my size. Can we pick something else?"

"I want you and Daddy to dress up, too," he whined, and you didn't want to have to tell him that you weren't sure if Bradley would be home in the next week and a half to accommodate that wish. 

"Well, I will definitely dress up with you, okay? Let's pick something out where you and I can match."

But he wasn't going to be deterred. He was demanding that all three of you match along with Skittles. You walked around the entire store twice before you found an option that he agreed upon, and you were smiling as you gathered the costumes in all of the necessary sizes. "This is perfect, Sweet Noah," you said as you looked at the costume for Bradley and laughed. You just hoped he would be back in time to wear it. If not, maybe you could ask Maverick. 

The sky was starting to look overcast, so you took Noah home for lunch and didn't feel too bad about keeping him inside for the afternoon, especially when it started raining. You set him up with his array of coloring books at the kitchen table and then went to investigate the extra bedroom. Nobody ever slept in there, so it was a bit dusty. There was basically no furniture besides the bed and an old desk, but it was cozy and perfect for what you had planned. 

Your muscles were sore from standing at work, and you were so tired, but you started moving the bed anyway. You'd have to tell Dr. Kelly and the others that you were pregnant soon. It was time now, but you kept putting it off, enjoying the secret that only you and Bradley really knew about. Plus it still got under your skin a little bit when you considered that other people would have a knee jerk reaction to the timeframe of when you got engaged compared to when you got pregnant. 

"It's none of their business," you whispered to yourself as you walked to the kitchen to check on Noah every few minutes. Then you went back to the bedroom and cleaned, moved things around and took measurements. "How big are cribs, anyway?" you mused before looking up some dimensions online. "Pretty big." 

It took some creativity, but you thought you'd finally sorted out where everything should go. Then you moved Bradley's random junk from the closet to the attic, wiping the sweat from your face with each trip. You kicked your way through the boxes where you'd found the USB drive with the video he made with Meredith. At first you grimaced and thought you might cry, but then you remembered the way he had smashed the stupid thing to bits in the backyard. You wanted him to come home. You needed him to. 

"Mommy?" Noah called out, luring you back into the kitchen. You were a mess, and when you noticed how much he was yawning, you silently rejoiced. 

"It looks like you could use a nap," you said as you kissed the curls on top of his head. He scrambled up into your arms and hugged you, such a tiny reminder of his dad, and you carried him off to his room. After a few stories, he was asleep as the rain picked up a little bit, and you knew this would be the perfect time to take a shower.

You moved Skittles' bed into Noah's room temporarily, and coaxed her in with a treat. "Keep him company in case he wakes up," you whispered, and she walked around in a circle on the plush cushion before settling in. Her crooked, purple bow made you smile. Everything in this house made you smile and think about Bradley. You knew he'd have even more ideas about a theme for the nursery, but you started to scroll through some inspiration online as the shower warmed up for you.

The water ended up feeling better than you anticipated. Your shoulders were sore. Your hips were sore. Every part of your body was aching. It seemed it didn't matter how much you were sleeping, you were still exhausted all day long. Maybe Dr. Kelly would reduce your hours and give you a break. You thought about sneaking home one afternoon a week to take a long nap before going back out to pick Noah up. Then you thought about how Casey hadn't said a single word to you since you told her you were going to her boss. Then you smiled. 

You were squeaky clean when you got dressed again in some old sweats and headed to the kitchen. Your stomach was growling, and you desperately wanted some coffee. "One cup is okay," you whispered, turning on Bradley's fancy machine while you made yourself a snack. You'd been meticulous about how much caffeine you were drinking, and Bradley helped by bringing home only decaf from the coffee shop. You downed the cup, and it was hot and delicious, and almost immediately you had to pee again. 

Your doctor told you that was normal as the baby grew and started to stretch things out. You passed Noah's bedroom door where both he and Skittles were still sound asleep as the rain splattered against his window, and then you went to the bathroom. When you wiped, the toilet paper caught your eye, and your hand started to shake. Pink. Blood. Just a little bit, but there was blood. 

"Oh no," you gasped, a dizzy spell overtaking your body. You'd read about this in your textbooks, and you knew it could happen, but you'd blocked it out of your mind when it came to yourself right now. You didn't want to be an example. You had to grip the toilet seat with one hand to keep steady as you wiped yourself again. There was more blood, a little bit less pink and more red this time. 

Your own breathing was too loud. It was echoing through your mind and through the bathroom, and you wanted to throw up. You eased yourself onto the floor and started to panic. The baby. What if something was happening to the baby? "No," you whispered, trying to ground yourself. Using the edge of the tub, you pulled yourself slowly to your feet, your head spinning more with every inch you moved. "No," you said louder. 

When you were standing on your own, you had yourself almost convinced you'd imagined it. You didn't feel bad. You were just a little sore. There couldn't be anything wrong. You reached for another piece of toilet paper and wiped, but the result was the same. 

Where was your phone? Who were you supposed to call? You walked around in circles around the house while your heart thudded a sickening rhythm in your chest. You paused, unable to locate your phone and convinced you were going to throw up. After you backtracked to the extra bedroom, you found it and unlocked it.

Natasha's name was right there in your recent calls, and you tapped on it before you could even fathom what you were going to tell her. 

"Hi," she said brightly when she eventually answered. "Want me to come over and play with Noah so you can take a break for a little bit?"

"Please," you gasped. "Please come over. Right now."

She must have sensed something in your voice, because hers turned serious as she assured you she was on her way. While you waited for her, you wiped yourself again and again before you made yourself wait in the living room instead of the bathroom. When she walked inside with dripping wet hair and concern on her face, you said, "Noah is still napping. I need to take myself to the emergency room."

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

Get to the hospital, Princess. This kind of scenario is very real and has happened to me. I will tread as carefully as I can. Please don't scream at me. We will hear from a doctor in the next chapter. Thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 56

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[peterparkersnose]

Rooster Dad Headcanons

1.8k words / bradley bradshaw as a father

He never thought he had what it took to be a dad

I mean, he never had a good example growing up. Why would he be a good one if he had no base to go off of?

You two agreed very early in the relationship

No kids.

He had a long day at work the day you told him you were pregnant

Well, you didn’t really tell him. More of he observed

Bradley opened the bathroom to take a piss after a long day of flying and found you curled up in the bathtub surrounded by tests and in shock

Almost went into shock himself at the sight

This was definitely not planned

But he got right in the empty tub with you and held you until the two of you could come up with words

yes this tub was large. think sims 4 corner tub. what i’m imagining 💀 irrelevant anyways…

There was a conversation on whether you would keep it or not

You cried and apologized profusely to him

How could you have been so stupid? You should have kept up to date with your birth control expiration date

And he quickly rejected those apologies

Both parties were at fault

Morning sickness is a lie

Late afternoon sickness is what’s real

Without fail Bradley would find you vomiting or with a bowl or looking close to death whenever he would come home

The first trimester was always the worst, that part was true

And when the bump started forming it freaked you out

“Look babe!” you said, stretching your stomach out as far as you could then back in as much as you could

“Gonna give the kid whiplash,” Bradley sighed

The excitement slowly pent up day by day

Even if it was small feeling of excitement, you were beginning to believe that this maybe wasn’t the worst thing in the world

Of course when everyone on the team found out they went ballistic

“Didn’t know you had it in you Bradshaw,” Hangman said, congratulating Rooster and giving him a slap on the shoulder

Too many Aunts and Uncles to count

And Grandpa Mav

He wasn’t too keen about that one

Bob’s mom had even sent up some soup from you, all the way from Texas

Baby flight suits. That’s it

Oh, and the booties too

How could I forget the booties?

A stupid “Baby on Board” tee for you

The realization that Bradley might be gone when you go into labor

Oh shit

Going into labor

Alone

You didn’t want to worry him so you kept the thoughts to yourself

But he could never do that, right?

I mean obviously he wouldn’t leave his heavily pregnant wife by choice

But the Navy calls

You kept getting flashbacks on how your honeymoon in Greece got cut short because they needed him for an emergency mission

Sitting alone on the warm beach

But this time you wouldn’t be alone. You would have someone else with you

Speaking of that someone else, you and Bradley had no patience when it came to the gender

You two ripped that sucker open in the car right after you left the ultrasound appointment

BOY!

You personally didn’t care about the gender

But Bradley was sweating

He now has a son

The realization hit him hard one night

He cried in your arms for hours realizing that he is now going to do what his father wasn’t able to.

Stupid name suggestions

You had just bought yourself a fresh 2022’s best baby names book

So it was obviously filled with tradgedeighs

“Jemisyn? Y/N, do you hear how stupid that sounds? The Y? Why can’t we just name him something normal like…”

“Patch? Now your fucking with me,” he said, yelling at you from the kitchen

“No kid of mine is going to be named fuckin Patch.”

“Then what do you think?” you asked, joining him on the couch

“I dunno! Something normal.”

“What is something normal you recommend?” you ask with a slight annoyance to your tone

Bradley scanned his now conveniently empty brain for any name

Any male name

Any day now, brain

His eyes scanned around the room for something to say for a response. His eyes fell to the bookshelf

The biography of JFK he finished reading last night was poking slightly out of place with the rest of the book’s spines lines up neatly

“…Jack,”

Silence sit amongst the two of you

“Deal.”

And of course when you told the team Hangman had a field day

“Jack? Jake? You practically named the kid after me.”

The baby’s bedroom was a mess

You struggled getting anything together

And whenever you had the energy, Bradley was always working

He tried his best to help but his schedule always seemed to get in the way

Maverick sent over his new… fling? girlfriend? who knows. anyways he sent over his Penny.

And she was the sweetest

She put together the crib in less than an hour

And her cooking? don’t even get me started

She knew all the pregnancy secrets and hacks you needed desperately

The nursery was painted a pale darker toned shade of blue

The light wood crib sat under the wood wall carving of his full name

Jack Goose Bradley

Yes you named your baby after your husband’s deceased father’s callsign

Yes the average person would be concerned that you named your child after an asshole of an animal

Yes the middle name may be a tragedeigh to others

But it held a special meaning in your husbands heart, and now yours

It definitely felt sweet for Mav too

His best friend’s legacy was moving on

Towards the end of your pregnancy you just worried

And worried

And worried

So much that they put you on bedrest

And that set Bradley off

What wasn’t he doing? The man blamed himself and constantly kept trying to make things better

And he waited on you hand and foot

And if he couldn’t be there he would make sure someone was, or was either a phone call away

And why were you worrying?

You wanted your husband to be there when you gave birth

No, you needed your husband to be there when you gave birth

Many strict texts to Maverick to absolutely make sure nothing is happening the week your due

The month your due was pushing it apparently.

The child was perfect because he was born right on time

Right on schedule, right on his due date

You felt the first contraction when you were asleep

Honestly you thought it was Bradley’s knee pushing into your back

But then it started to burn

With some loud “Fucks!” and moaning Bradley woke up and knew

The bags were thrown in the Bronco, and if you didn’t warn him to slow down you would have been thrown in too

The man drove to the hospital like he was drunk and on a variety of drugs

The rush of him speeding though honestly got your adrenaline pumping and unintentionally numbed some of the pain

And of course it was the base hospital

Closest one available, duh

You demanded the epidural right away

When the epidural was taking a bit longer than expected to come another contraction hit

Maybe it’s a myth that you get unbelievably horny in labor, but seeing your hot military husband demand help for you and yell just did something right

But that quickly left when they pulled out the big ass needle

“I don’t want it I don’t want it please no, Bradley don’t make me get it!” you begged, huddling against him in the hospital beds as him and the nurses tried to hold you down

“I swear to god Y/N, not the time. You’ll thank me 1000% later.”

And he was right

You pushed all night and into the morning

This fucker was like his dad. Big ass head

You could swear you heard it rip

Even though the doctors said there was minimal damage even with the head size

Bradley was at your shoulders the whole time

And he looked. Of course he did

“You know, after this it’s gonna be like throwing a hotdog down a hallway.” he whispered in your ear

“Not the time, Bradshaw.”

“Hotdog down a hallway,” he laughed to himself, texting the crew updates

You were almost done. Your body was almost out of energy

Like I said, the child was perfect

Jack was born around 6 am just before you were about to pass out

Take it how you want but he was born a Gemini

And he had his daddy’s eyes

He came out screaming at the top of his lungs

You were too afraid to hold him, Bradley had to help you hold him to your chest because you were shaking

Mommy and Daddy :)

Sleep was amazing

You were eager to see your little boy but you were exhausted

When you woke up you found Bradley holding your little boy against his chest staring out into the ocean

“And then we’re going to watch football games together and swim in the pool and i’m gonna bring you to work and show you to all my friends and… I dunno little man. But I do know we’re going to be best friends.”

Bradley almost dying when his son grabbed his finger for the first time

“Look! Y/N do you see? Are you seeing this? Our son is a genius.”

“I’m pretty sure all babies do this, Bradley.”

“Shut up let me have my moment,”

Jack was practically a carbon copy of Bradley

You grew him, birthed him, and now have all the repercussions of having him just for him to look nothing like you

Mav visiting you in the hospital

“God that poor kid looks just like his dad,”

After your first week at home you decided it was time you would allow Bradley to bring the baby into his work

You decided to surprise him at lunch

You had brought Bradley his favorite (Homemade Spaghetti) and got special access in the building from Maverick

The plan was spoiled though when Bradley walked in on Maverick showing Jack old pictures on the wall of his grandpa

Training had ended earlier

“Quality time with grandpa, huh?”

For the record, Mav HATED Grandpa Maverick

Everyone silently stood around the baby’s car seat and watched him sleep

Giving Friends when Ben was born

Immediately given the honorary callsign “Little Man” by his father

“I didn’t know such a cute little baby could look so much like his ugly dad!” Hangman snickered

“Watch it Seresin,” Rooster snapped back

When Bradley came home the house was oddly quiet

With a new baby, there was always some sort of crying

From the baby or his mama

He opened your bedroom door to find you with him asleep on your chest

His little hand was gripping the strap of your tank top

Bradley softly scooted next to you in bed

The sun was beginning to set and the ocean softly crashed against the sand in your backyard. A cool breeze swung in from your open window

“Im glad we did this,” he whispered in your ear

“Me too,”

-

tag list: @dani5216 @uwiuwi @alohastyles-x @samanthacookieone @maddieinnit0 @alexxavicry

#bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #rooster #top gun maverick #top gun #miles teller #bradley bradshaw fluff #bradley bradshaw pregnancy #bradley bradshaw angst #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley bradshaw headcanon #rooster fluff #rooster pregnancy #rooster angst #rooster x reader #rooster imagine #rooster fanfiction #rooster headcanon #rooster top gun fluff #rooster top gun fanfiction #rooster top gun #miles teller fanfiction #miles teller imagine #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick fanfiction #bradley bradshaw pregnancy imagine #rooster pregnancy imagine #peterparkersnosework

[luxsky]

Kicking out

Rhysand x reader

Summary: Reader tries to have a peaceful day without their partner hovering with overprotection, but destiny has other plans.

Warnings: Pregnancy, mentions of body aches, Rhysand being an overly protective rooster. Ignore any biological errors; I've never been pregnant and have no background in any health-related field, so everything here is either from my imagination or a quick Google search.

Autor's Note: This is my first time posting here, and I'm anxious and very, very nervous (especially because it's the first time I've written in a long time). I don't know if I like this or not, but this idea has been lingering in my head for days. Maybe I'll do a part two, but I'm not sure. Please, I welcome any kind of feedback here! (but be careful with how you say it). I apologize if the grammar is... bad? English is not my first language, and I'm not fluent (much of this had help from AI for translation, so if something doesn't make sense or is placed incorrectly, please let me know so I can correct it).

It's the beginning of fall, all you wanted to do was sit on the expensive and cozy sofa decorating the House of Wind and read a soft and cliché romance book while sipping on a cup of hot coffee. Except, you couldn't consume caffeine for the sake of the baby growing in your belly. Still, you had the option to sit and read a book, but your large and exuberant belly prevented you from sitting comfortably for too long. Well, nothing a few pillows and a blanket couldn't solve. Okay then, you didn't have coffee or a comfortable position, but you could still read your book, right?

Well, no, you've been trying to do that since the early afternoon when you sent Rhysand to his office, asking him to work a bit in his own court instead of watching over you. In fact, he had been a mother hen since the beginning of the pregnancy, and that was just one of the excuses you gave to get rid of his overprotectiveness. But it was becoming a challenging mission to concentrate on reading. You're nearing the end of your pregnancy, which is exciting in part, with the anticipation of meeting your little one consuming you, but the discomfort of carrying a baby constantly kicking your ribs has proven quite persistent.

It's been more than five minutes since you were stuck on the same page, reading and rereading but unable to focus on the book, back pain and intermittent cramps stealing all your concentration. You were used to a slight discomfort in your back since the beginning of the second trimester, but today, in particular, it was more of a significant and noticeable discomfort. You sighed in frustration and decided that maybe eating something would help. Putting the book aside, you remove the blanket from over you and swing your legs out of the sofa, prepared for the struggle it would be to get up. Normally, Rhys would help you, but if he left the office long enough to realize something was bothering you, he would spend the rest of the day hovering over you, worried and concerned.

Breathless and almost sweating, you managed to get up. At this point, the only clothes that fit you were light fabric dresses, or what you were currently wearing: one of Rhys's sweatpants and a sweater stolen from his closet. Your partner started sharing half of his wardrobe when your beautiful, stylish, and beloved clothes no longer fit you—you cried for a whole hour after trying to put on one of your favorite pants, and Rhys almost cried too, not knowing how to comfort you.

Walking towards the kitchen, you almost laughed, remembering the various times when hormones provided you with uncontrollable tears and frightened your partner. In those moments, you felt slightly vindicated by his insistence on being present for every breath you took. It's not that you didn't love your partner and appreciate his concern; it's just that he didn't know how to balance it at certain times. As soon as you told him you were pregnant, he became an overprotective mother hen full-time, and it suffocated you a bit. Of course, you talked about it, and he promised to control himself, but if you made a different move, he was already on top of you, asking what was wrong and insisting that you needed to stay in bed.

Reaching the kitchen, you pause for a moment to catch your breath and lean your hands on your back while deciding what to eat. God, this belly was weighing more than usual. Deciding to make a big, hearty sandwich, you start gathering all the necessary ingredients from the cabinets and placing them on the counter.

You feel your partner gently pulling that thread connecting you two, and the next moment, he's entering the kitchen, a furrow between his eyebrows indicating that he's thinking, and the slight contraction in his mouth tells you he's worried. "Darling, you should be resting."

You roll your eyes and let a faint smile form on your lips as you reply, "I was resting, but then I got bored." You lean against the counter for a minute, then turn to grab a knife to cut the tomatoes. When you turn again, Rhys is in front of you, reaching out towards you and taking the knife. "If you wanted something to eat, you just had to ask." You pout at him, but he ignores it and turns to the counter, starting to cut the tomatoes. "I just wanted to do something for myself; you don't let me touch anything since you found out I'm pregnant."

You're beside him, staring at the tomatoes he cut, waiting for a response. He turns his face to you and plants a quick kiss on your forehead, grabbing the bread and saying, "Because the only thing I'll let my partner do while she's pregnant is to make this baby. That's consuming enough energy, and I don't want you to tire yourself out."

"Well, your partner may be making a baby, but she assures you she has enough energy to make her own sandwich."

He raises an eyebrow, and a shit-eating grin forms on his lips. Like she had enough energy to organize the baby's clothes last night? His voice fills your mind, the thread connecting you two vibrating with his amusement. Bastard.

I only slept because you decided to intervene and didn't let me do anything else.

"Darling, I only intervened because you were asleep." He starts putting each ingredient on the bread, and you decide to sit — not because you're tired, obviously — in front of him. You go around the counter as you respond, "Well, I don't remember... Argh." The sudden pain reverberating in your back and cramping that comes and goes cut your speech in half. Damn, you really hoped it wouldn't happen now.

Rhys is in front of you before you can even move, one hand on your belly and the other gently placed on your face, guiding your eyes to meet his. "What's wrong? Is it you? The baby? Panic fills his voice and shines in his beloved violet eyes. His mouth has that contraction again.

The only response you give is a negative nod, trying to catch your breath as the pain passes. He continues with his hands on you and doesn't seem satisfied with your non-verbal answer. I'm fine, the baby is fine. It must have been just another kick in my rib.

His right hand holds the one he placed on your face, and his lips try to form a reassuring smile, which is probably just a funny grimace at the moment. He kisses your forehead, and there's still concern on his face when he pulls away just enough to put both hands on your belly. His gaze alternates between your face and your belly; he still seems reluctant, so he asks again, "Are you sure? I can call Madja just to check, and..."

''Shh." You interrupt him, placing a finger on his lips. Your gaze softened, and now you're the one placing both hands on your partner's face, your thumb stroking his cheek." I said we're fine; it's nothing serious. The baby has been restless all day."

That seems to convince him enough because he agrees and holds your hands, bringing his face closer to yours and planting a gentle kiss on your lips. You pull away after a moment, this time with a complete smile when you playfully say, "Now, go finish my sandwich, or else this baby will start kicking for food." Rhysand laughs with your remark and turns to the counter, finishing your sandwich.

He starts putting away the ingredients again after placing the plate in front of you. "Why didn't you tell me you were in pain? We could have asked Madja for something." He finishes putting away the last ingredient and turns to you again, only the counter separating him as he watches you take the first bite of the sandwich.

"Oh God, this is so good." You ignore his statement, too focused on savoring what might be the best sandwich of your life. He accepts your lack of response with a soft laugh and turns to the cabinets to grab a glass. "Do you want some juice?" you mumble a yes, with your mouth full of the sandwich, and wait for him to fill the glass. He has his back to you while rummaging through the cabinets.

Splash.

"What kind of juice do you want, dear? Because I think we only have orange or grape, but I can ask the House to make some other flavor." He turns to you, waiting for a response, but his face transforms when he sees your expression. "What? Is something wrong?"

Oh, well, this is going to be funny. You finish swallowing the sandwich, trying to formulate a word. He stays where he is, waiting for your response, frozen. But it's your next words that make him run towards you.

"I think my water just broke."

Another pang erupts in your back, and you realize that maybe it wasn't the baby that was restless. It was contractions.

And this baby is about to kick its way out of your belly.

#acotar #rhysand #fanfic #Rhysand x reader #rhysand acotar #rhys acotar #rhys x reader #pregnancy #x reader #pregnant reader #Soft #rhysand imagine #a court of thorns and roses

[saigethearies]

saige’s terrortober presents…

future

seeing how good tetsuro is with kids has you wanting him to put one in you.

camp counselor!tetsuro kuroo x fem!reader

contents/warnings: breeding, unprotected doggystyle, vaginal fingering, kitten and mama petnames, mentions of marriage and babymaking, no pregnancy reader is on birth control, reader and kuroo are in college and work at a camp

wc: 1.4k

18+ MINORS DNI

the crisp fall air felt even more refreshing at night. the changing colors surrounded the camp in pretty hues of orange and red, matching the warm flames crackling away in the middle of the circle. storytimes are firepit were always a hit during the fall season, when the camp operated more as a babysitting service for couples on a date night rather than the usual summer sleepaway. it was honestly nice, allowing you to keep your counselor job into the start of the semester without having to work as many hours so you had time for your coursework.

the convenience wasn’t the only thing you loved, though.

“the group inched closer to the closet, flashlights held tight in their hands as they crept through the dark,” kuroo narrated, voice projecting so every kid listening in could hear.

you smiled at the way your boyfriend had them all on the edge of their seat, everyone’s undivided attention on the rooster head as he told his tale. he knew exactly when to pause for dramatic effect or when to emphasize a certain point. it was honestly impressive how great of a storyteller he was.

“they finally reached the door, turning the knob slowly and opening the door with a loud creak only to find…a report card! full of f’s!”

the kids all laughed, seemingly amused with the funny twist kuroo chose to end his story with. he didn’t want to send the kids back to their homes too scared, now. you chuckled along with them, heart feeling all warm watching the way he interacted with the children.

in your three years of dating, it was not lost on you how naturally amazing kuroo was with kids. he always treated them with the same kindness and respect he would give an adult, and you could see the content smile that would come onto his face whenever a youngster would engage in conversation with him.

not only was it precious, but it was honestly attractive. you were nearing the end of your college years, graduation on the horizon, and he’d already brought up the m word multiple times- not to mention you caught him studying the sizes of your rings that one time. while you told him not to rush anything, you knew he was the one you were going to marry. not only that, but this was the man that would most likely be fathering your children, and every time you saw him bring a smile to a kid’s face, it just reminded you of how amazing of a dad he was going to be.

and that made you want him so much.

knowing that he would take such good care of you and your potential babies drove you up the wall, wishing you could skip to your white picket fence era despite telling him that the two of you were young and didn’t need to be in a hurry.

kuroo caught you staring at him from across the firepit and sent you his signature grin, and you had to resist the urge to press your thighs together, knowing that this wasn’t the place.

the thoughts were still shuffling around in your mind when kuroo drove the two of you back to his apartment later, shift finally over now that all of the children had been picked up by their guardians. visions were dancing across your brain of him gently rocking a little baby, giving piggyback rides to a toddler, teaching a child how to spike a volleyball.

your boyfriend had noticed you were much more quiet than usual but chose not to question it. he figured you would talk once the two of you got home.

the elevator trip once you arrived was silent, and kuroo was starting to worry that there really was something bothering you.

so imagine his surprise when your lips were crashing against his the second he locked his front door, smaller hands gripping his shoulder and pulling him down to your height. his eyes went a little wide in surprise before he closed them and melted into the kiss, never one to look a gift horse in the face.

you pulled away to gasp for air and he grinned, bringing a thumb up to press against your bottom lip.

“what’s gotten into you, kitten?”

nothing could prepare him for what you said next, your eyes glassy and breath labored.

“wanna have a baby with you.”

now wasn’t the time, both of you knew that, and it was mainly just the lust talking at the moment. however, the idea still filled both of you with a sense of excitement and adrenaline. you were on birth control, but a little practice for the real deal in the future couldn’t hurt, right?

you felt his large hands snake under your t-shirt, forehead coming to rest against yours.

“is that right? my pretty girl wants to become a mommy?”

you nodded. “wanna make you a daddy.”

he hummed at that, beginning to kiss you once more as he backed you towards his bedroom, tugging both of your shirts off in the process. each of you were shedding your clothes, nude as can be by the time you reached the bed.

kuroo gave you one final kiss before commanding you to get on the bed.

“all fours.”

you did as you were told, keeping your ass towards him and arching the way he liked. you heard him step towards you and almost cried when you felt his fingers teasing at your entrance.

he slowly pumped his index and middle in and out of you, amazed at how wet your cunt already was. how long had you been wanting this?

not in the mood to waste time, you craned your neck to look at him, a desperate look in your eyes.

“inside, tetsu! want you inside now!”

he normally would refuse, insisting on prepping you. but tonight you had asked for a baby. you asked for a baby as if you knew about the endless dreams and fantasies in his head of you with a sweet little bump on your belly.

he’d give into your plea to forego foreplay tonight, but only this once. only because you managed to hit him where it really hurts.

the moan that tore from your throat as he split you open was the neediest he’d ever heard, and he wasted no time in starting to cant his hips as deep as possible. you were mewling, trying to push back to meet his thrusts each time, the want to be filed fogging your mind.

“so good! so good!”

you felt his hand between your shoulder blades, pressing down to arch your back even more. he groaned as he started to hit even further down in your walls, as if he was trying to get as close to your cervix as he could.

“good girl, such a good fucking girl for me.”

he didn’t think he’d ever felt your pussy grip him this tight. you were going to milk him for everything he was worth, and he honestly couldn’t wait.

you felt him lean over you, his chest against your back as his hot breath fanned against your ear.

“gonna be the prettiest mama ever. can’t wait to see how beautiful you look carrying my baby.”

you whined at his words.

“baby! want your baby, tetsu! want it so bad!”

“fuck.”

your cries had him pistoning into you even faster, so ready to give into your pleas and grant you your wish. maybe not today, but someday.

the coil in his stomach had grown so taught, and from the way your thighs were shaking, he knew yours had, too. he brought his thumb to your clit, knowing it would be the last shove you needed to tumble over the edge with him.

“where do you want it, kitten?”

he already knew the answer.

“inside! inside inside inside, please!”

one last rub at your sensitive nub had the wave of pleasure crashing over you, your orgasm sending kuroo into his own as he spilled his cum deep into your cunt. you’d never felt so full in your life.

you slumped against the bed, boneless. you heard kuroo chuckle behind you and felt a kiss pressed to the crown of your head.

“come on, mama,” kuroo said. “don’t go tapping out on me just yet.”

____

saige’s terrortober masterlist

#saige’s terrortober #kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsuro x reader #kuroo tetsurou x reader #tetsuro kuroo x reader #tetsurou kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsurou #kuroo tetsuro #tetsuro kuroo #kuroo tetsuro smut #tetsuro kuroo smut #kuroo x you #kuroo tetsuro x you #haikyuu smut #haikyuu x reader

[sometimesanalice]

Picture Perfect

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw X Female Reader

Length: 1K

Warnings: angst and a big scoop of feels

(A what-if drabble, set in the ‘Like I Can’ universe. Can be read on its own.)

“Is Bradley my dad?”

It’s the question that's fueled your 3AM thoughts ever since you had your daughter. It’s one you’d hoped you wouldn’t have to answer until she was older, preferably when she could at least pronounce her r's.

It was inevitable, you knew. Something to be noticed at some parent teacher conference or family fun day in the future. That while most kids had a set of parents, your little family- while perfect on its own- was one short of the traditional white picket fence dream.

You just never would have expected it to come so soon.

Your chest twinges as your now-four-year-old looks up at you with her big, open-hearted doe eyes, the ones that didn’t match your own, with vanilla ice cream smeared across her sweet face.

She was a near perfect image to the man seated next to her with his own vanilla ice cream clinging to the coarse hairs of his mustache and smudged on the left corner of his mouth, but whose wide brown eyes were nearly bulging out of his head looking at you like a deer in headlights.

Bradley was the boy who’d known you when you were in pigtails. The teen who had taught you to drive before you’d had your permit. The man you’d cried to when you’d seen the two lines on a positive pregnancy test weeks after a break up with someone who never deserved access to your body, let alone entrance to your heart.

That man had been all too happy to give up any claim to the little someone growing inside of you. The type who’d elected to send checks instead of birthday cards.

Your parents had wanted you to move home to be closer to them, when you’d told them the news and of your decision, but you didn’t think you could bear the whispers or the looks. Even though you’d love growing up there, returning back on your own hadn’t felt right for you.

Bradley was the one who’d convinced you to move to San Diego.

He was the one who had held your hair as you vomited morning, noon, and night during those early months. The one who had taken you out for late night milkshakes with a knowing smile when the baby craved one. The one who had held your hand and wiped your tears. The one who had stayed up late and woke up early and brought you tea and toast as you figured out how to take care of the tiny person who was an unexpected, but entirely perfect, extension of your imperfect self.

It wasn't a daydream you let yourself indulge in. To imagine what it would be like if you and Bradley were you and Bradley. Not separated by three little letters but joined by them instead.

Your tender heart was already too delicate.

He was the devastatingly handsome man who people assumed was her father- your husband, your partner- on your days out together at the beach, at the zoo, at the grocery store, and at the hanger on base when the two of you waited to welcome him home from deployments with handmade signs covered in doodles and dripping in glitter glue.

Your almost family.

He was yours for now, until he had one of his own.

You watch as the startled look on his face flickers and settles into something softer.

“No, sweet girl. Not quite, but-” Bradley starts, his eyes tender as he looks at her.

He’s already done so much for you, but this was something you had to handle on your own. You might crack, but you wouldn’t shatter.

You’re quick jump in, cutting him off, ignoring the twist of your heart in your chest, “No, peanut. He’s just your Uncle Rooster.”

The term didn’t feel big enough for who he was and what he meant to you. But it would have to do.

“Ok,” you daughter chirps with such simple acceptance. The kind that only a child so young can say with such easy unbothered surety, still soft and sheltered from the world.

You release the breath you were holding as her half-melted ice cream cone claims her attention once again. And then give Bradley a small smile, it's too hard to look at him when the sun bounces off of his wavy strands like that, before you turn your focus back on your own scoop of chocolate cherry chip.

There was no doubt in your mind, the question would come up again later. But for now your answer was enough.

Someday there might be another someone who would love you both in equal measure, but you weren’t in a rush to find them. You had all you needed.

You savor the feeling of your sweet ice cream as it melts on your tongue, listening to the waves as they meet the shore. Content in the glow of the setting sun and warmth of being surrounded by your two favorite people.

Your daughter and your Bradley.

Her Uncle Rooster.

Bradley didn’t know what to say when the miniature mirror of you, the one with the same nose that scrunched the same way when she laughed, asked if he was her father.

It was something that came up from time to time when he was lucky enough to tag along with your dynamic duo. Usually from well-meaning grandmas with warm smiles complimenting his lovely family. He’d never felt the need to correct them about the labels because the two of you were his family.

He knew your routines, he knew your likes and dislikes better than his own. He was the one who had been there to see her first smile, to cheer for her when she took her first steps. It was his name and phone number that were listed in the emergency contacts for you and for her.

Being with the two of you was so much more than he’d ever imagined it would be when he’d cradled her in his arms and whispered his promise to alway look after you both the day she was born, as you’d slept soundly next to him in the uncomfortable hospital bed exhausted from your efforts.

But looking at you now with the golden sunset illuminating your face and the little girl next to you kicking her legs as she happily licked her ice cream cone, he liked the promise future he saw in front of him. He loved the potential of what could be.

This could be more, this could be permanent, this could be forever.

It would be more than just a picture perfect moment. It could be such a picture perfect life.

He had been there for it all, he wanted to see it through to the end.

He didn’t want to miss a moment.

He didn’t want to miss his moment.

Bradley hadn’t been entirely sure how he was going to answer when he started speaking, but he knew what he wanted.

With the two of you, he could have it all.

And he’ll never forget the way air had left his lungs and his stomach dropped when you called him Uncle Rooster.

He already knows the what-ifs and if-onlys will be the newest companions to the list of things that keep him up at night.

The sound of the crashing waves was drown out by the ringing in his ears, as his double scoop of vanilla ice cream melted around his fingers steadily dripping onto the cement sidewalk beneath his feet.

The sunlight hitting the two of you is no less golden than it was before as he scooped up your quickly fading daughter from the bench overlooking the beach that the three of you had been sharing, her little arms reaching up for him. The thrill of her fourth birthday and the sugar crash catching up with her after such a big day.

That ache in his hollow chest is soothed by the way she burrows her little face into his neck, her sticky fingers curling into the front of his shirt.

He still could be a dad. He still could be a husband.

Just maybe not hers. Just maybe not yours.

This moment with your daughter snuggled against him and you tucked under his free arm on the way back to the Bronco, was still picture perfect, but only if he didn’t look too close.

The two of you would always be his family, in one way or another, and he hopes he will always belong to yours.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to send @gretagerwigsmuse your therapy bill, this is her fault.

You can read more of my stories here!

Taglist:

@gretagerwigsmuse @sehnsuchts-trunken @notroosterbradshaw @tongue-like-a-razor @laracrofted @bradshawsbitch @starryeyedstories @top-hhun-main @startrekfangirl2233 @callsign-viper @teacupsandtopgun @shanimallina87 @angelbabyange @oneelleandaneye @mizzzpink @cornishkat @alana4610 @20th-centu-fairy-girl @pono-pura-vida @donttouchmycarrots @eg-dr3amer3 @whaledots-blog @a-beaverhausen @hangmanscoming @mandolin22 @theweekndhistorybook @lilpeekabooze @high-bi-imgonnacry @ahintofkiwistrawberry @ruewrote @spiderman-stilinski @jayniebop @my-soulmate-is-mycroft @imaginecrushes @keyrani @chicomonks @artemissunn @mayempress @eddiemunsonreader

#bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley bradshaw x you #top gun imagine #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick imagine #top gun maverick fanfiction #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw x female reader #bradley rooster bradshaw x you #bradley rooster bradshaw imagine #rooster x reader #rooster x you #rooster x female reader

[seresinhangmanjake]

everything and all of it

Jake “Hangman” Seresin x female reader

Summary: You’ve been back in California for a week but you and Jake have yet to sleep together. You both have your own anxiety over the situation, but Jake has missed you for so long and he’s determined to get to the bottom of the issue. 

Notes: Suggested by @gigisimsonmars​ (it is slightly different though) / Part of the Oh, Baby Universe. 

Warnings: Smut, so 18+, but lots of fluff. Body insecurities. Multiple mentions of pregnancy. Sexual insecurity. 

Words: 4600

---- He’d spent a lot of time—too much, likely—imagining what it would be like if you came back to him. Every possible scenario. Every move he would make. Every word from his mouth. Upon seeing your face, he wondered what instinct would have him do first. Kiss you before you disappeared again? Cup your cheek, feel your skin, to make sure you were real? Or just hold you so he could be reminded of the weight of your body against his, of how perfectly you fit together. 

In those fantasies that constantly ran through his head, he was never upset with you. He didn’t guilt you or demand apologies. Regardless of how, each scenario ended the same—with kisses and words of love and being wrapped up in bedsheets by the end of the night. Life would always fall back into place as if you had never left. 

But when you came back, the relief of your return had Jake forgetting how reality often worked. Things didn’t put themselves back together as seamlessly as he would’ve liked. Yes, he had you, he had his daughter; you slept in his bed and he held you every night and he kissed you and you kissed him back. But you’d yet to take things further. And that nagged the little prickly, sensitive spots in his brain. 

After a week of you back in California, you were still pulling away from him. For whatever reason, a piece of you—the piece that once begged for him as much as he had begged for you—wasn’t there. When his kisses moved to your neck the way you liked, you stepped out of his arms. When his hands slipped under your shirt, you brushed them away. You would look up at him with a sad smile and find the sudden need to go check on your daughter, and the next day the pattern would repeat. 

He didn’t want to push you, and he sure as hell didn’t want you to feel like you owed him. He just missed you. He missed the closeness of sharing skin and sweat and pleasure. He missed hearing you moan for him and the whimpers that he pulled from your lips. And he really didn’t think rebuilding that connection would be so hard. Because sex is easy. Sex is a no-brainer; he always knew that. Sex doesn’t have to mean anything until it means everything. But with you, it meant everything, and he needed to know why you didn’t want it, him, anymore. 

—

Jake didn’t consider himself a schemer, but that didn’t stop him from enlisting the help of Bob, Rooster, and Phoenix for babysitting duty. And with how obsessed his team was with his daughter, they’d agreed to watch her before the question was even off his lips. There was a tick of separation anxiety as he handed Eve over to Phoenix, but as horrible as it sounded, the little girl was your go-to excuse whenever he tried to bring up sex and Jake needed you not to run away from him this time. So he'd let her go despite the slight squeeze to his heart, and waited for you to come home. 

He was sitting by the kitchen table when you entered the house, his elbows resting on his knees and thumbs twiddling as you tossed your purse and keys aside. 

You smiled as you moved to him and bent at the waist until you were eye-to-eye. “Hi,” you breathed right before pressing a kiss to his lips. The first was soft; brief. The second was firmer. You parted your mouth a bit and placed your hand at his neck, letting your fingertips weave into the ends of his hair, and with twitching fingers, Jake resisted the urge to pull you right into his lap. You’d undoubtedly feel the hardness beginning to strain against the zipper of his jeans and he didn’t need you getting spooked. 

When you separated and straightened, his eyes followed your walk around the kitchen island for the fridge. A twinge of guilt caused his throat to tighten. He hadn't felt wrong in admiring the curves of your body and the way your hips swayed with your stride since he realized he was in love with you so long ago, thinking you didn’t feel the same. But that guilt was rearing its ugly head, sneaking its way into his system and starting to take over. That was why he knew he couldn’t let go of the distance you were creating, not without understanding your reasoning. 

“Is Eve asleep?” you asked.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck, his fingers overlapping the spot yours had been only moments before. “She’s, um…she’s with the guys.”

You looked at him, your head tilted, and shut the door. The lack of light from the fridge darkened your face, and Jake just hoped your attitude wasn’t about to match when he answered your obvious next question. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” he stood and cleared his throat, “they’re going to watch her for the night.”

“Jake, she—”

“She’ll be fine,” he quickly interjected. “I gave them everything she needs and she’ll be back first thing in the morning.”

Huffing, you shook your head. “Jake, I love them, I do, but they don’t know how to deal with a baby.”

“There’s three of them, Honey. They can handle it," he said. "You know I wouldn't have let her go if I didn't trust them."

You were still shaking your head. A subtle groan left your lips and you rubbed the pads of your fingers across your brow. He didn’t like seeing you bothered, but he did anticipate it. Letting his friends watch his baby girl was like letting them borrow one of his vital organs for the night and he knew you felt the same.

“We need to talk, Honey,” he said softly. You didn’t look at him with a question in your eyes. Neither did your face shift in any manner. Somehow, he realized, you already knew. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Your gaze shied away from his. “Nothing,” you muttered.

“No.” He rounded the island, guiding your body to face his and weaving his fingers with yours. “Please look at me.” And only when you did, did he continue. “It’s not nothing. Whatever it is, we can work through it. We can, alright? Nothing changed.”

Brows pinching in confusion, you replied, “That’s not true. I had a baby. I don’t look the same—”

“You’re fucking perfect. I don’t care about—”

“That’s not all of it.” As your lips thinned, your eyelids pinched. As if you’d been afraid of expelling that knowledge. As if you expected judgment in return. 

“Then what?”

Your mouth opened; closed. You tried to look away again, but Jake’s fingers lightly gripping your chin didn’t allow it. 

“C’mon, Honey,” he whispered. Pleaded.

Your teeth trapped the edge of your bottom lip, nibbling, and with his thumb, Jake carefully tugged it free. You released a long sigh, but he knew you couldn’t ignore the honesty he was pouring into his stare. Despite your success as of late, you struggled to deny him as much as he did you; a habit long ago built along with your friendship. 

The hesitancy on your face betrayed the sudden rush of your confession. “I haven’t had sex since you, Jake. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I can’t be any good at it, and I don’t want to be compared to anyone else you’ve been with since I left, so—”

“I haven’t been with anyone,” he stopped you. He was proud of himself for not choking at your words, but the need to soothe what worried you overpowered everything else. 

Your jaw briefly slackened. “W-What?”

His fingers squeezed yours. “You can’t seriously think—" he paused at the aggressive bite you gave to your lip again, at the wet sheen forming over your eyes. “Honey, there’s no way.”

It crossed his mind, but not for the reasons it might cross the mind of any other man. He never saw a woman when his friends would drag him to the bar that he found could compare to what he’d lost. He couldn’t imagine touching another knowing they wouldn’t feel quite right, or kissing another knowing they wouldn’t taste like you, or bringing another into his bed knowing that you once laid there. You had occupied that spot with more than just your body. Your presence stubbornly remained on the right side of his mattress, long after any physical traces of you dissipated. The space, like everything else, belonged to you. His touches and kisses and body—yours, only—and the sole reason the far possibility of someone else entered his brain was that he figured the day would come when he would have no choice but to move on. But he didn’t want to, and then, he didn’t have to. 

“How is that possible, Jake?” A tear trickled down your cheek that he wiped away. “You could have anyone.”

“Not the one I wanted.” 

“You didn’t know I was coming back,” you argued before placing your free hand over the center of your chest. “I didn’t know I was coming back.”

Jake swallowed the shout clawing at his throat, the one that demanded to silence the lunacy, the one that accompanied the words ‘there’s no way in hell that fucking someone else would have made me forget you,’ but he could picture your wince in response; the way that spewing that truth would only serve to embarrass you, if you even believed him at all in your state of mind. 

He settled on “That doesn’t matter, Honey. I wasn’t getting over you.” Spoken as gently as the caress of his hand when cupping your cheek. His thumb ran back and forth along your cheekbone before traveling lower, skimming over your lips. “Do you trust me?”

“Yea, but—”

He shook his head. “Yes or no.”

You took a deep breath, shoulders rising and falling with the swell and collapse of your chest. “Yes,” you said, your tone firm; sure. 

Little spirals of warmth bloomed from the center of Jake’s body. “Do you want me or do you want more time?”

“I want you, Jake, I’m just,” you swallowed, “I’m nervous.”

“I’m nervous, too.”

“Why?”

Jake reached up and brushed your hair back. He kissed the tip of your nose. “Because there’s a significant chance that if I’m inside you,” he muttered in the minimal space between you, “I’m going to come in about three seconds.”

He smiled at your unrestrained laugh; at how some of the nerves instantly shed from your body like an old husk, leaving you fresh and glowing, brightness radiating from your very core. That’s my girl, he thought. Right there. 

“Honey, we can do this.” His whisper caressed your face and he wondered if it added to the pinkish hue budding under your cheeks. “We can, if you want to.”

It was an obvious war in your mind, but he’d accept whatever you decided. Knowing he hadn’t done anything to make you not want him or that your previous desire hadn’t faded made his own concerns wither away. He’d wait. However long you needed, he’d give you. Above everything, he wanted you comfortable with him. He wanted you feeling safe and confident in the bed you shared. 

But then you nodded. 

“Yea?”

“Yes, Jake.”

He didn’t wait. With a giggle from your throat, Jake took your hand and led you along, up the stairs and through your bedroom door. He twisted and enveloped you in his arms, his hands fisting the fabric of your t-shirt as his face snuggled into your neck. He licked and sucked and nipped; happily drowning in your taste and smell and that wonderful heat of your skin from your racing pulse. 

For the first time in ages, he heard your sweet moan. And it was a damn drug. It was the gust of air that fed the ember inside him, turning it into a familiar flame that only burned for you. That sound was exactly as he remembered. It was exactly what he’d been craving. It was the sound he’d cruelly dreamt of for months and woken up hard to, unable to find release in the way he most wanted. Hearing it now made that hardness painful; achy within the confines of his pants. He was so desperate and so needy but so very willing to be a weak man for the woman he loved, because fuck, did he love you. And you were finally accepting him instead of pushing him away. 

His hands and lips trailed up to your face, palms holding your cheeks again, lips pressing to yours and encouraging them to part so his tongue could slip inside. You blindly stripped one another of your clothes, jerking and tugging at garments without a care for how intact they remained, only allowing space between your bodies to yank shirts over heads and discard them on the floor before resealing your mouths. 

He cupped your breasts, fingers kneading, stroking over the hardened peaks before moving to grip your waist. Thumbs idly ran over some of the newly formed ripples in your skin. He couldn’t help how much he wanted to explore the new mapping of your stomach, but when he did eventually trace a knuckle along one of the pregnancy-induced lines, you squeaked into his kiss and backed out of his reach. 

He watched you with caution, remaining silent to give you a chance to ease the panic in your system, to let you come back to yourself and remember where you were. In his bedroom—your bedroom—with him. Not judged, but safe and loved. Loved so much it was a vice grip around his heart. He considered telling you again as he had every day since you came back, but he wanted you to realize for yourself that you had nothing to fear with him, nothing to be embarrassed about. He didn’t care about stretch marks. He wished he could’ve been there when they formed. He wished he could’ve seen you swollen with his baby, growing round and healthy to protect the little one inside you. 

Maybe one day he would. 

The unease in your eyes calmed enough that when Jake outstretched his hand, you took it. And then he started to kneel before you, holding your stare as he descended inch by inch until his knees were digging into the carpet. Leaning closer, he let his kisses line the marks, causing your stomach to clench, your breath to hitch, your fingers to weave into his hair.

“You okay, Honey?” he asked, his voice gritty, and you nodded as he carefully guided the thin cotton underwear down your thighs.

The oxygen left, every bit of it fully sucked from his lungs at the sight of you all delicate and pink and glistening. So bare and perfect. He stared for a moment, many moments, hot pants escaping through his lips, then his eyelids fell closed and his forehead rested on your stomach. His grip on your hips tightened as he kept you close. 

There was so much relief in knowing that he was the last man to touch you there. The last to taste you and be inside you. That this, you, all of it, was still his. And he would forever keep it that way if you decided to let him.

“Fuck, Honey,” he muttered. “I missed you so much.”

He scattered more kisses wherever he could, marking you, hoping to brand you, and in no rush to move on from doing so. He completely lost himself, right there on his knees. And he wanted to stay put. As far as he was concerned he was in the perfect spot. Such an easy position in which to worship you.

As his lips went lower, your fingers tangled deeper into his hair, nails scraping over his scalp and shooting sharp tingles down his spine. 

“Jake, I miss—” you began, but the rest of whatever you planned to say slipped away, replaced by a whimper when two of his fingers ran through your slick folds. 

“So beautiful.” He peered up at you. “Honey, can I?”

He could admit it wasn’t an entirely selfless ask. Having his face buried in your pussy was another facet of those dreams that tortured him, but he wanted to kick himself when he saw a harsh gulp constrict your throat. He should’ve given it a half-second of thought, to realize that focusing on you in that way, putting everything into pleasuring only you rather than the shared give and take would feed the vulnerability you weren’t yet ready to tackle. 

“Or, ” he added, raising to full height, “we could just…save that for later?”

“Yes, please.”

A smile took over his face that remained until you smiled back, then he pressed his lips to the back of your hand before capturing your mouth in another kiss. 

“Anything you want,” he promised. 

“I want you.”

“Then you’ll have me.”

He helped you lay back on the bed and with a hand on each of your knees, spread your legs wide enough to accommodate his hips so he could settle above you. Another thing he’d desperately missed—seeing you below him, your bodies intertwined, your limbs wrapped around him to keep him close. He loved having you in any position, but this made him feel like more than a lover; he felt like a protector…your protector. He got to keep you safe as he made you feel good, as you made him feel good. 

Jake shifted his hips back and forth and back and forth, rubbing his cock over your center and coating his sensitive flesh in the wetness gathered there. It felt earth-shatteringly good and he hadn’t even been inside you yet, but so much time had gone by and it was wildly better than his memory, and maybe his little joke about coming too soon was about to be a whole lot more likely. 

His eyelids sealed and he dropped his head against your neck, taking a deep inhale and exhale as he continued to move above you. Breathe, man, he told himself. Just breathe. 

You let out a faint noise, a mix of his favorite moans and whimpers, but something else too, and Jake leaned back to meet your eyes. 

Anxiety. Just a hint, but it was there, swirling in your irises. 

“It’s ok, beautiful,” he murmured, his lips ghosting over yours; noses nudging. “It’s just you and me, right? We’ve done this before.” He gave you a deep kiss that then moved to your cheek, your jawline, your neck. “Just you and me.”

When you nodded and slipped your arm around his neck, Jake reached between your bodies to grasp himself, pumping once, twice, before lining his length up with your core. 

“Ready, Honey?”

While he wanted your confirmation, he didn’t hate taking the extra moment to ensure he was ready as well; that he could handle it. Just one more second to soak in the surge of everything he was about to feel. Everything he already felt, but increased tenfold. 

“Yes,” you replied. 

Yes. Yes. Yes. An answer he suddenly realized he wasn’t sure he’d receive. But he had. You gave it, and that acceptance was all he needed to start pushing inside you. 

You were warm and tight and velvety, your walls squeezing him and sucking him in further and torturing him so goddamn deliciously. 

“Fuck,” he groaned, pressing his forehead into yours, finding himself on the verge of matching the shivers that overtook your body. 

He didn’t move—couldn’t, honestly. He was terrified to hurt you after a year of you not being stretched like this, so he had to let you adjust. But remaining so still forced him to feel every clench and flutter of your walls around him. 

“Honey, you’re gonna kill me.”

You hummed contently and tightened your arms around his shoulders. “You can move.”

“Thank you,” he whispered, kissing your cheek. Then he did as you told. 

With a sigh of relief, Jake slowly began to drag out before driving back in, again and again and again at an even pace that brick by brick built the tension spreading throughout his body. He angled his thrusts to hit that spot you liked—the spot he’d never forget—and was rewarded with sweet gasps and mumbled prayers of ‘oh my god’ in his ear. 

“Good?” he asked. 

Lips parted, your head tipped back into the mattress. “S-So good.” 

His hands were all over. Your breasts, your waist, your hips, grabbing handfuls of your ass, moving back up to tangle into your hair as he melded your mouths. They couldn’t decide where they wanted to be, so they chose everywhere.

“You’re so perfect, Honey. So amazing.”

His hips ground against yours in such an excruciatingly lazy manner, all by his choice. He was contributing to his own ache, but he didn’t want it to end. He was positive things would be ok after the night was over. They would go back to the way they once were now that he’d reassured you with his words and touch. This would not be the last time he had you, not by far, and he knew it, but he still couldn’t allow the moment to pass without savoring it to its fullest. He didn't want to let it go quite yet.

You, however, were already on the edge. He could feel you; could tell you were so quickly about to lose it when your nails carved into his back. But he knew you needed a little more, so he dipped his fingers lower and pressed down on your clit. His thumb moved in time with his thrusts, each shove of his hips into yours matching one circular motion around the sensitive bud. 

He continued until you clung to him like he was your lifeline, his name strung out with your cries as you came. 

Jake groaned, holding you as tightly as you did him, biting into your shoulder, just trying to keep it together so he could continue pumping in and out of you to draw out your pleasure for as long as possible. But you made it damn hard. Your pussy was destroying him. Milking him like you wanted him to give you another baby, and it took every ounce of his willpower not to fall apart.

“Jake…” It shuddered off your lips.

“I love you,” he said. “So much. So fucking much.” 

He didn’t expect the same words in return. He just needed you to know, to never forget. Not for a single second did he want you questioning how he felt about you. He wanted you to wake each morning remembering those words, keeping them locked in your mind so you always had immediate access. 

You kissed him then, and the heat of your lips, the raw emotion behind their gentle pressure, sent his brain swirling. You were in no rush, your mouth moving with his as if you had all the time in the world to enjoy one another—which you now did. You had your whole lives. Thank God. 

“You’re everything, Honey," he said after the kiss broke.

When you cupped his cheek, his eyes snapped open. He hadn’t realized they were screwed shut. They met yours. 

You shook your head, a glassiness making the lovely shade of your irises richer. “Jake, you are everything. You."

He cursed under his breath because that was it. Hearing you say that was all it took to turn him into an absolute goner. You swiped away the last morsel of his control, and with his arm clamped to your waist, he spilled inside you. 

His hips stuttered. A growl that only you could cause rumbled from his chest, vibrating in his throat. And then he stilled completely. 

He didn’t know how long he stayed like that, panting above you, but he didn’t care, and neither did you seem to. 

When his heartbeat calmed and the hazy, thick thumping in his ears subsided, Jake rolled onto his back, flipping you with him. You sat up on his lap, pulling your hair away from your damp skin to cool yourself off—and while you were a beautiful display, a work of fucking art, Jake wasn’t having it. He wasn’t ready to allow any distance from you. 

“Come back here,” he playfully grumbled, and with a hand on your neck, gently pulled you back down until you were chest to chest. 

He kissed you slowly, sucking lightly on your bottom lip as his other hand traveled the length of your spine, stopping once he reached the swell of your ass. He could feel the curve of your smile against his mouth. 

“Jake,” you mumbled, but he refused to release you from the kiss. That sweet uttering of his name only made him hold you closer, and your giggle at his stubbornness didn’t deter him. 

You tilted your head just out of reach, prompting Jake’s whine as his lips chased after yours.

“Quit it.” He sighed in semi-mock frustration, struggling not to smile when your laugh bounced around the room. “It’s not funny. Let me be all over you.”

“I’m home now, Jake. You can be all over me whenever you want.”

“Great, then keep kissing me.” 

He lifted his chin, but you placed your fingertips atop his mouth before it could meet yours. He resisted the urge to sneak his tongue out to taste your skin.

“I have something I would like to say. And you’re going to listen.”

Always, he would’ve said, but he had a feeling if he dared to part his lips to speak, you’d figure out a less fun way to shut him up. When he made it obvious that he no longer had intentions to interrupt, you removed your hand to softly sweep along his jaw.

Your gaze turned honey-glazed as it roamed the features of his face, taking the time to examine each curve and line. He couldn’t guess if you were staring for seconds, minutes, hours…he didn’t care. He was watching you just as intently. 

“So handsome,” you whispered, clearly more to yourself than for his benefit, but he swelled with pride nonetheless. 

Finally, your eyes locked. You smiled again. “Jake, I missed you, too,” you confessed. “The entire time. From the very second I was gone. I thought about you every single day, and I don’t ever want you to doubt that, ok?” 

You paused for a breath, and Jake tried to take the opportunity to tell you…well, everything. To repeat how much he loved you and missed you, to promise that you were the woman he was determined to be with for the rest of his life, to swear that he would always be there for you and Eve, but you stopped him before he could. 

“Don’t, because whatever you’re going to say will make me cry; I just know it,” you said. “So here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to nod and say ‘Honey, I will never doubt that’ and then you can kiss me until we pass out, alright?”

Jake chuckled, but he did as you asked. He nodded, then put his hand at the back of your neck to draw you closer. He brushed his lips across yours in a feathery touch. 

“Honey.” He let his voice deepen and he swore he felt your body shiver in response. “I will never ever doubt that.” You grinned in satisfaction. “And I am definitely going to kiss you until we pass out.”

---

A/N: *turn on notifications for this blog or @seresinhangmanjake-library if you would like to keep up with my writing*

#jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin #jake hangman seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #jake seresin x female!reader #jake seresin x f!reader #jake seresin fluff #jake seresin fanfic #top gun fanfic #top gun maverick #top gun hangman #tgm fic #jake seresin fanfiction #jake seresin fic #jake seresin smut #jake seresin imagine #top gun maverick fanfic

[ddejavvu]

Rooster with a wife who is VERY MUCH fond of having children? Like, they already have five, and she’s on him every chance she’s got? The rest are like Rooster what the hell lay off her and he’s just like SHE POUNCES ON M E? Imagine she ends up with twins and rooster is just like ‘I’m gonna faint’ and she’s like ‘seven!’ :D she’s just this happy bby and he’s just this panicking pornstache wearing man

Halloween = time to dress up as daddy and grandpa maverick prove me wrong

join top gun night!

--

The round of applause for this pregnancy reveal is much less good-natured than the rest of them were.

"Jesus, man," Javy groans, "I get it, okay? I really do. But you're gonna be puttin' one up in the attic soon if you can't keep it in your pants."

"I will buy you condoms," Natasha urges, scrambling for her wallet, "Here! Here's $20. That's more than enough."

"Please," Bradley scoffs, "$20 won't last us a week."

Bob, who is your children's elected and designated babysitter, pipes up from where he's smiling kindly at you from over his drink, "Hopefully this one doesn't like throwing mac and cheese."

"I'll pitch in, Bob," Jake claps him on the back, hard enough to send the wso lurching forwards in his seat, "If you name 'em after me." Jake levels you with such a cocky grin that you're barely able to contain an eye-roll, something that Bradley doesn't bother with.

"Hangman, I'll cycle through everyone in this goddamn bar before I think about naming my kid after you."

"Penny isn't a bad name," You muse, glancing at the bartender who's eyeing someone's phone carefully, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and ring her bell.

"You guys wouldn't be running out of baby names if Rooster just wrapped it," Mickey snickers, and Bradley snaps.

"Listen! I am not the offender here," He wraps an arm around your waist, tugging you to stand in front of him and take the brunt of the teasing, "This one can't keep her hands off of me!"

"Blame the woman," Natasha scoffs, but you watch her chuckle down the neck of her beer when you catch her eye.

"Actually, I can believe that," Jake crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back with a grating glance over your belly, "I saw her squeeze his ass last week while he was shooting pool."

"It's fat," You narrow your eyes at him, reaching for the bulge of Bradley's ass beneath his jeans. He tenses up as your fingers knead at his flesh and the group shares a chuckle at his expense.

He grabs your hand, yanking it off of his ass and brandishing it as damning evidence, "See? I'm irresistible, I tell you."

#top gun night #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley bradshaw x y/n #rooster #rooster x reader #rooster x you #rooster x y/n #rooster fanfiction #rooster imagine #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw imagine #bradley rooster bradshaw fanfiction #bradley rooster bradshaw x you #bradley rooster bradshaw x y/n #top gun #top gun x reader #top gun maverick #top gun maverick x reader

[mynameismckenziemae]

Unbroken

Part 12

(previous part here, next part here)

Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x You

Summary: Bradley’s reaction to your big news is better than you could’ve imagined.

Warnings: 18+ MDNI! Adult language and themes, pregnancy talk, mentions of vomiting/morning sickness.

•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•

“I’m pregnant.”

Bradley’s brow furrows in confusion before morphing into a look of pure, unrestrained joy.

Which causes the sob you were choking down to escape.

“Oh Em,” he whispers, voice thick with his own tears as he wraps you in his arms. “Shhh. It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t planning this. Birth control pills don’t work if you throw up shortly after taking them, which is so fucking obvious now. I’m so stupid. I didn’t mean for this to happen. Please believe me,” you plead into his shoulder, gripping the tear-stained khaki. Panic tightens its grip on your lungs and your fingertips and lips start to go numb again as you struggle to breathe. “Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.”

“Hey, look at me,” he says, pulling you back to look at him. Your heart pinches at his tears that mirror yours. “Breathe, honey. You’re not stupid, I never thought of that either. I know you didn’t mean for this to happen, I didn’t either but I can’t stay I’m mad about it. I’m really fucking excited actually.”

“You are?” You ask, lip trembling.

“I am,” he nods, smiling through his tears. “We talked about wanting kids. That hasn’t changed, right?”

You shake your head. “No, but it’s so soon. We’ve only been together 5 months.”

“And I’ve known you’re the one for 4,” he replies. He hesitates before getting up and walking to the closet he now shares with you. He flips through his shirts until he finds his old UVA hoodie, reaching into the front pocket and pulling something out before hiding it behind his back.

You give him a quizzical look as he walks back around to stand in front of you.

“It’s the only shirt of mine I knew you wouldn’t steal,” he shrugs before getting down on one knee.

“What are you-“ you start to ask as your heart pounds in your chest but he interrupts you.

“This isn’t how I wanted to do this but I need you to know how serious I am when I say I’m not going anywhere,” he says, pulling the ring box from behind his back and opening it to reveal the most beautiful engagement ring. “I picked this out two weeks after I moved here, Em. I knew then that you were the one I wanna spend the rest of my life with. You can ask Charlie if you don’t believe me-I asked her to come with to make sure you’d like it before I bought it. This isn’t how I wanted to do this, but I need you to know I’m in this for the long haul, no matter what.”

Tears of a different kind blur your vision as his eyes flick to your not-yet-changed belly, tentatively placing his big hand there before he meets your eyes again.

“I love you,” he murmurs, rubbing your stomach, “both of you. Will you marry me?”

“Ye-“ you start but an intrusive thought interrupts your answer. “But what-what if I lose this baby too? What if I’m not able to carry a baby to full term and we never have one of our own? What if-“

“It doesn’t matter,” he stops your rambling gently. “My love for you won’t change if we don’t have kids or if we have ten. I love you for you, not for how many babies you’ll give me.”

The excitement in his expression begins to fall at your hesitation; your overwhelmed brain still trying to process everything. “I-uh…maybe this wasn’t a good idea to spring this on you. You can take some time to think about it, and we don’t have to get married any time soon, or at all. I-“

“Yes,” you blurt out when everything he’s said catches up to you. “I-I…yes!” you repeat, and a laugh bubbles up, “I want to marry you.”

Bradley laughs too as wraps his arms around you in a hug. His shoulders soon begin to shake and he sniffs as he squeezes you tighter and yet it’s the first time you feel you can breathe all day.

•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•

The sun is lower in the sky when you wake up again, this time on Bradley’s chest. Your chest flutters as the afternoon sun catches the new rock on your finger.

“Whatcha doing?” You ask with a yawn.

“Just reading up on what to expect at the ultrasound tomorrow,” he responds, tilting his phone so you can see. “Kinda looks like a tadpole,” he laughs. “We might be able to see the heartbeat, depending on how far along you are exactly. It’s about the size of a pea right now. Do you think it’s a boy or a girl? It said Mom’s intuition is right 51% of the time.”

“You’re gonna be such a good daddy,” you whisper, smiling as he kisses the top of your head. “I don’t feel one way or the other yet. I just hope he or she is healthy.”

“Me too,” he murmurs. “We’ll get through it together if he or she isn’t, okay?”

“Okay,” you agree as you take a deep breath.

You’re physically and emotionally drained and your eyes close again but the buzzing of your phone won’t stop.

“You might want to check that,” Bradley murmurs as his fingers thread through your hair. “It’s been going off pretty steadily since you fell asleep. I’m guessing it’s Charlie.”

“You’re right,” you reply, sighing as you see the several missed calls and unopened texts.

Charlie: Please tell me you’re okay. Jake’s freaking out but doesn’t want to bother you or Bradley. He knows I know something, Emma.

Emma: Sorry, I fell asleep again after I told Bradley everything. Everything’s okay…good even. I feel better about things now.

Your stomach flips as your eye catches your ring.

Emma: Can you guys come over?

Charlie: Yes. Can we pick something up for dinner? What sounds good?

Bradley laughs when your stomach growls.

Emma: A burger and chocolate shake from Ray’s sounds good at the moment. I can’t promise it won’t change before you get here.

Charlie: You got it. See you soon.

•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•

Ever-observant Charlie zeroes in on your ring finger the moment you take the bag of food from her.

“Oh my God!” She shrieks, dropping the bag and wrapping you in a hug. “He did such a good job picking it out. Do you love it? I told him you’d love it.”

“Yes,” you say, sniffing as a fresh round of tears prickle behind your eyes.

“What do you love?” Jake asks as he picks up the discarded food.

“My…engagement ring,” you reply, holding it out for him to look at.

“Holy shit!” His eyes widen as he looks at it then at Bradley, the food bag again dropped to the floor. “This is what you had to rush out early for? You couldn’t wait ‘til 4?”

Bradley looks at you and scratches the back of his neck as he answers. “Uh, well…not exactly.”

“And you knew about this and didn’t tell me?” Jake asks Charlie with a scoff.

“Bradley asked me to go with him before he bought the ring to make sure Em would like it,” Charlie answers, crossing her arms as she turns to look at him. “I didn’t tell because you’re horrible at keeping secrets and couldn’t tell a lie to save your life, Jake.”

“Yes I…but-“ he sputters, offended, as he looks between the three of you.

“It’s true,” you shrug, “I’m the same way.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he sighs, hugging you next. “Congratulations, Em.”

“Thanks,” you sniff.

“Seriously though,” he says as he releases you to clap Bradley on the back, “What was the rush? You couldn’t have waited another 3 hours?”

“That’s not why I rushed out-“ Bradley starts but you interrupt.

“Jake, I’m pregnant.”

“What?” Jake asks, his head snapping to look at you. “Really?”

You nod with a small smile.

“On purpose? Ow!” He asks, rubbing his head where Charlie smacked him.

Charlie sighs, shaking her head.

“No, not on purpose,” you reply softly. “It was shortly after we had that stomach bug. Birth control isn’t effective if you throw it back up.”

“Well, yeah. That does make sense-ouch! Damn it, Charlie,” he mutters, rubbing his butt where she must’ve given him a wicked pinch. “Why did Charlie find out before me? Again?”

“She found out before Bradley too,” you answer, continuing when Jake gives you a questioning look. “I fainted at the doctor’s office after I found out this morning. They asked if they should call anyone and my sister was the first person that came to mind.”

Charlie gives you a watery smile.

“Holy shit,” Jake says again, running a hand through his hair as the news finally sinks in. “I’m gonna be an uncle!”

“The best uncle,” you say, smiling at the way he beams.

“You know you didn’t have to propose though, right? Shotgun weddings are a thing of the past-Charlie, I swear to God-,” Jake starts, stopping to step to the side so he’s not within arms reach of her when he sees her get ready to whack him again.

“Do you hear-“ Charlie starts to argue with him but this time Bradley interrupts.

“I didn’t propose because I thought I had to,” he explains, coming up behind you to place his hands over your stomach. “I found the ring back in September, and had Charlie give me the okay before I bought it a few weeks later, then I got your dad’s blessing at Thanksgiving.”

“That’s why you were so nervous that day,” you murmur, remembering how uncharacteristically tense he was.

He nods, kissing your forehead before turning back to Jake. “I just hadn’t asked yet because I wanted it to be perfect.”

Bradley looks down at you while he continues. “I was so scared when you didn’t answer my calls or text back. The relief I felt when I saw your truck in the drive when I got home was ripped away when I saw how upset you were. It broke my fucking heart,” he pauses to clear his throat as his voice has grown thick with tears, “when I realized you thought I was going to leave you. I just needed you to know how much I love you and that I’ll always be here.”

You’re too choked up to do anything but nod before he kisses you softly.

“I’m really happy for you guys,” Jake says, wiping a tear of his own before he pulls Bradley in for a hug.

“I am too,” Charlie adds, squeezing your hand.

“Thanks,” you reply, squeezing hers back. “Are you doing okay? With all this?” You ask, gesturing to your stomach.

“I might be a little jealous,” she admits teasingly, “but it’s okay, our time will come.”

“It will,” you reply, squeezing her hand back.

•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•

Jake and Charlie leave shortly after dinner with promises to send pictures after the ultrasound.

While Bradley looks for a movie to turn on, you text Noah and Gav to let them know you’ll stop in the clinic to fill them in after your appointment.

Not long after you fall asleep with your head in Bradley’s lap just as the opening credits roll.

•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•

You’re rudely awoken again by a wave of nausea that lingers, even after your stomach is empty.

“Didn’t you say the doctor gave you medication for the nausea?” Bradley asks as he rubs soap between his hands in the shower.

“Yeah. I’m supposed to take it before bed but I fell asleep before I could last night. I’m just so tired-oh that feels amazing,” you moan as he washes your back, kneading the knots in your shoulders.

His cock twitches in interest against your ass.

“Sorry,” he whispers as he takes a step back, but his hands still work your tense muscles. “Just ignore it.”

“Don’t be sorry,” you sigh in frustration as your body fights between nausea and arousal. “I don’t wanna ignore it though. I want to be able to fuck you without yawning or having to stop to hurl,” your lip begins to tremble. “Great! Now I’m gonna fucking cry again. I hate these fucking hormones!”

“It’s okay,” he murmurs, and you can hear he’s trying not to laugh. “I’ll make sure you take the medicine before you fall asleep tonight, hopefully, that’ll help with some of the nausea and then maybe can get a full night’s sleep too.”

“Okay,” you nod with a pitiful sniffle before turning your head for a kiss.

•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•

“See that flickering?” The ultrasound tech asks, pointing at the screen. “That’s the heartbeat.”

“Wow,” Bradley replies in awe, squeezing your hand.

“Everything looks okay then? Normal?” You ask anxiously.

“Everything looks good,” she confirms with a reassuring smile. “Your little one is measuring just shy of 7 weeks.”

You sigh in relief and let some of the excitement trickle in that you’ve been holding back.

Everything looks good.

•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•

A/N: Another surprise 🙂 poor Emma is a hormonal mess (much like I was 😂).

As always, any interaction is appreciated but I love hearing what you think in comments/reblogs!

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#bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley rooster bradshaw x you #jake hangman seresin

[acewritesfics]

Having Another Baby | Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw

⚠️ ALL FICS CURRENTLY ARE A REPOST FROM MY MAIN BLOG @/DLMLUFICS. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO DO IT THIS WAY. MORE INFO IN MY PINNED POST.

Pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

Request: From @rainydayteacups

Fic Type: Short Imagine. Fluff

Warnings: Daughter's name is Caroline. Pregnancy.

Word Count: 736

Tag List: Open - acewritesfics taglist sign up

Top Gun: Maverick Masterlist

©️ no one has permission to copy, translate and/or repost my works on here or anywhere else.

“Can I ask you a question, Daddy?”  Caroline ponders as her father places the book he just finished reading her back on the shelf.  

He tucks her into her bed and sits on the edge, “What do you want to know?”  

“What is love at first sight?” she wonders.  

Bradley’s eyes widen in surprise at his daughter’s question. He bites the inside of his cheek, attempting to come up with an explanation for the six-year-old. “It’s when you first see someone and fall in love right away. Not many people think it’s possible.”  

She looks at him with great wonder and asks, “Do you think it can happen? 

He gives her his honest opinion, saying, "I do, but I believe it’s a rare thing to happen.”  

“Did it happen for you and mommy?”  

“Love at first sight? Nah, it wasn’t. It took us a while to get there but when we did, I knew I couldn’t love anyone else the way I love your mother,” He smiles as he turns his head towards Caroline’s bedroom doorway and sees Y/N standing there. “But I’m sure it was love at first sight for your mommy.”  

Y/N scoffs, rolling her eyes, and enters the bedroom, moving to stand next to Bradley. “Your daddy had to do a lot of convincing for mommy to go on a date with him.” 

“But when she did, she fell head over heels in love with me,” he continues as he looks up at his wife before returning his gaze to Caroline. “She couldn’t resist my charm.”  

“What charm?” Caroline says, which causes her mother laugh and her father to look offended by her words.  

“The same Bradshaw charm you used to get away with being naughty,” he teases as he tickles her. Caroline giggles while wriggling free of her father’s hands. “But the truth is,” he says as he stops tickling her, “it was love at first sight for me. I knew the moment I saw your mommy at Nanny Penny’s bar that she was the woman I wanted to marry and spend the rest of my life with.” 

“What about me?” Caroline wonders aloud.  

He smiles and bends forward to kiss his daughter’s forehead, “I fell in love with you the moment I saw that little blob on the screen when you were still in mommy’s tummy. Now, go to sleep. We have big day tomorrow.”  

“Can I ask you another question?” She talks quickly as he stands and drapes an arm over his wife’s shoulders.  

He gestures with one finger, saying, “One more.”  

She looks at her parents and says, with an innocent smile on her face, “Can I have a little brother or sister?” 

“Well…” Bradley starts looking from Caroline to Y/N. “Mommy and I will talk about it and let you know what we decide on.”  

Y/N nods in agreement with him before leaning down to kiss her head.  

“Okay. Goodnight, Mommy and Daddy,” Caroline grins and turns onto her side, closing her eyes.  

“Sweet dreams, angel,” Y/N says as she takes Bradley’s hand and leads him out of the bedroom, turning out the light on their way out.  

Entering the living room, they settle down on the couch. Holding her tight with her back against his chest and his arms over her shoulders and her hands resting on his arms, tracing circles along his skin, Bradley says, “Maybe it’s time we gave her a baby brother and sister.” 

“You think so?” she asks, biting her bottom lip, thinking about what it would be like with another baby. 

“Yeah. She’s six now. If we want another kid, we probably shouldn’t wait too much longer.” 

“Well, it’s a good thing we don’t have to,” she smiles, pulling away from his hold to face him. 

“What do you mean?” he asks looking at her confused.  

“That doctors appointment I had today, I found out we’re having another baby,” she grins unable to hide her excitement about the pregnancy. 

“Are you serious?” he asks his confusion turning to one of surprise and excitement. 

“Very serious,” she leans forward, cupping his face and pulling him into a kiss. 

He kisses her back for a moment before the kiss, his hands moving to her belly. “I love you so much. All three of you. You, Caroline, and the baby.” 

“We love you too,” she smiles as she moves onto his lap, kissing him again. 

TAGGED: LINK TO TAG LIST SIGN-UP ABOVE.

#acewritesfics repost #bradley bradshaw x reader #rooster x reader #top gun: maverick

[hangmanssunnies]

Inconceivable!

Summary: No one tells you how hard it is to have to plan to leave and hurt the love of your life. However, when you know you want different things, you must choose. And your baby is probably the only thing you can ever imagine choosing over Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw.

Pairings: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Fem! Reader

Fandom: Top Gun: Maverick 

Word count: 8.2k words

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, fertility problems, panic attacks, Angst with a happy ending, threatening to break Brad's heart, so many references to The Princess Bride,Soft!smut, Soft!Bradley, Organized!Bradley. Let me know if I missed any others.

Authors Note: No use of Y/N. As always, I love BradBrad so much y'all. I don't know if I can write nonangsty smut. I was thinking of him and kids. The next thing you know I wrote whatever this is. Bradley wearing glasses 🥵. I hope you enjoy this! My inbox is always open if you want to let me know your thoughts. Reblogs with your thoughts, opinions, and tags are always appreciated as well! I love reading through them.

You knew Bradley never wanted to be a father, which was just fine with you because you knew you couldn't have kids. You had known about your fertility problems for a long time and had long ago come to peace with it. 

Y'all had several conversations about children when you first started dating. Once you both felt like your feelings on the matter were hashed out, you had never really felt like revisiting the topic. Your life wasn't less or empty without kids. You were perfectly content with the life you and Rooster had made together. 

That's why you have no idea what to do with the situation you are in right now. You were at your gynecologist for your annual check-up. Taking a pregnancy test was standard procedure, something you didn't even bat your eyes about or worry over. What you weren't prepared for was the positive results back. 

"I'm sorry?" You choked out in disbelief. "That can't be possible."

"I know this is probably surprising, but," your doctor starts to say before you cut them off. 

"No. No, I have known since I was 17 that I can't get pregnant."

"Well, you are and can. Sometimes miracles like this can happen," your doctor responded kindly. 

She went on to ramble more and talk about some next steps and options. You felt shocked, not entirely sure how to process the information she was throwing your way. You left the office a bit later, promising to set up a follow-up appointment. 

Your first thought was to get an abortion. It was the obvious solution. Bradley didn't want kids, and you hadn't wanted them either. Right? You tried to think if it was true. Was it that you didn't want kids or just that you couldn't have kids? 

For the next week, you tried to run the pros and cons and sort out your feelings on what was happening. You tried to act as normal as possible with Bradley. You didn't want to bring anything up until you knew how you felt.

Part of you kept coming back to when you were a little girl to how growing up before you knew that you couldn't have kids, the promise you would whisper to yourself. The promise of how you would do better than your own parents did. 

You thought of the fantasies you used to have: the baby shoes, baking in the kitchen guiding a tiny pair of hands, sports practices, matching sweaters for family holiday cards, first recitals, proms and homecomings, dropping them off for their first day of college, and parent's weekends where you buy cheap booze, family trips, the possibilities of grandkids. 

Now suddenly, all those fantasies were a possibility again. A reality that could come true in less than a year. Thinking about them brought an ache to your chest. An ache that manifested as want, a desire so strong all the cons you could come up with didn't really matter, well, all of them but one. 

The biggest problem of the puzzle was Bradley, the love of your life. You had absolutely no doubt that he would do the right thing and stay by your side. However, you didn't want him to be a dad because he had to do it. The thought of him being forced to do something he didn't want to, just because it's the right thing, made your stomach roll. The idea of part of him resenting you, and eventually your child too, because of something you chose. That was something you couldn't live with. 

So even though you felt a heavy hurt in your chest, you knew you had to leave Bradley. You weighed that heartbreak compared to the want for this child that had bloomed in your chest, and one outweighed the other. So now, on top of thinking about the baby, you started to think through quiet plans of how it would hurt your husband least to leave him. 

You almost broke down one night and told him the two of you had been lying on the couch together. Bradley was casually spooning you from behind, one of his hands playing with a lock of hair while the movie he picked played on the TV. Of course, it was the Princess Bride, one of his all-time favorites. 

You were half watching the movie, half dozing. Bradley was too good at soothing you, and you had started noticing a significant change in your energy levels as of late. You mentally made a note to bring it up at the follow-up doctor's appointment you had scheduled. 

"I would do that," Bradley suddenly says, bringing you back to alertness. 

"Oh really?" you hum, unsure what he was talking about. 

"Yes, I would wait five years and chase after kidnappers, fight the prince, build a tolerance to poison, all for you, baby." 

Bradley's honest love for you warmed your chest like it always did. However, the current circumstances turned that warmth into a bitter aftertaste in the back of your throat. What you were doing haunted you. His hand drops your hair and traces down your arm until he threads your fingers together. His large hand in yours helped further break down your resolve. 

"What if I asked you to do something you didn't want to?" You ask him hesitantly. 

"If you wanted me to, then I would," Brad tells you plainly. As if that were a given, you should just expect that his desires would line up with yours. It doesn't put you at ease like you were hoping it would. 

"What if it was something you really didn't want to. Something bigger than sword fights and rodents of unusual size?" 

His hand flexes squeezing yours a little tighter. Bradley doesn't say anything for a moment, and you wait with bated breath. Finally, he nuzzles your neck with his nose before asking, "Do you have something specific in mind?" 

That was the moment, the moment that you could come clean to him. You could be honest and lay it all out on the table, but you don't. You can't. You aren't ready to let him go yet; it's too soon, you tell yourself. 

So you lie to him, finally pushing the words out your throat, "No, nothing specific. Just asking." 

Bradley's fingers that are laced with yours squeeze yours again, and you have the sneaking suspicion that he doesn't believe your lie. "Well, even if it was big. We would do what we always do. We'll talk about it and figure it out. Then I'll agree with what you want, just like I always do."

"You shouldn't do things you don't want to do just for me, Brad," you chastise him lightly. The heavy pit in your chest constricts even more. 

He kisses your head, pulling you a little tighter against him in his embrace. "Sure, whatever you say, babe." 

The whole thing sits with you for another week, and the doctor's appointment you made starts to creep closer. You are reading an article in incognito mode on your phone about nutrition during pregnancy and the importance of vitamins. Occasionally, you glance up to see Bradley sitting on the other side of the couch. 

He has a thick World War Two biography book wide open, nearing the end. His reading glasses are perched on the edge of his nose. Even though you had teased Brad relentlessly when he first got them, the glasses were actually really hot. The sight of them on him now makes heat start to bud in the bottom of your abdomen. 

You lock your phone and set it aside, looking more thoroughly at Bradley now. He was so so very handsome. You found it unlikely there would ever be another man you would allow into your bed after him. The edges of panic that seep into you every time you consider the inevitable end with Bradley makes a reappearance. You push it to the side as much as possible, but it creates a sudden desperation for him in you. 

"Bradley."

"Yes, my love?" He asks, not looking up from the page in front of him. 

"I need something."

"What do you need?" He turns the page of his book and pushes those damn glasses higher up the bridge of his nose. 

"I need you," you tell him, biting your lip. 

His eyes snap up from the page to look at you, and his eyebrows raise, processing your words. "What was that?"

"I need you to make love to me, Brad. I'm on fire." 

He dog ears the page he is on his book and sets it on the coffee table, turning to give you his full attention. His hands casually trace up your leg, massaging the tense muscles of your claves. 

You let out a soft sigh at the feeling. A few moments later, Bradley crawls up your body, pressing soft kisses to your neck and then melding his lips to yours. You sigh into his mouth, enjoying the taste of him, trying to savor it. You pull off his reading glasses so they aren't in the way, haphazardly tossing them away. 

When he starts to pull away, you wrap your arms around him, drawing him closer, not wanting any space between you. You trace one of your hands down his neck and under the collar of his shirt, tracing his shoulders, kissing him harder, slipping your tongue into his mouth. 

"What has got you so needy, sweet girl?" He asks you, confused, pressing a few soft sweet kisses to your throat.

"Just you, handsome man," you tell him, trying to draw Bradley back to your lips. Bradley smiles, hearing your words but then shifts off you and the couch. 

Before you can protest at his absence, he goes to pick you up. Like every time Bradley picks you up, you are hit with the worry that it will be the time he can't do it, or he will drop you, make heaving grunting sounds, or some other terrible mishap will come to pass. It doesn't, though; he secures you in his arms and starts to carry you through the house to your room. 

You start pressing kisses to the readily presented column of his neck then. When he reaches your bed and goes to put you down, you sink your teeth into the space where his neck starts to curve into his shoulder. Although he lets out a hiss, you hadn't held back with the bite. You made it intending to mark him. 

When he does set you down, you scramble hurriedly to start undressing him, desperate to see and feel the expanses of his golden skin. Unfortunately, you only get Brad out of his teeshirt before he stops you. His large hands close around your wrists, holding them tight, preventing them from moving further down, lower than the top of his abdomen. 

"Slow down, pretty girl. We got all the time in the world," he says. You know, he said it to be soothing, but he didn't know how wrong he was. He didn't understand the finite amount of time you had left together. 

So when he lets go of your wrist, you instead start to pull off your own clothes and settle yourself on the bed. You stare at him expectantly and let out the smallest huff. 

"Slow down." He tells you again, "And, don't move your hands off the headboard," When he is satisfied with how you are holding it, he starts to kiss down your body. 

"Why are you so worried?" he breaths out against your inner thigh, pressing feather-light kisses to the skin there. "You know I'm going to take care of you, my love. I always do. There's no reason to be so worried."

Bradley's words manage to hit the exact spot of comfort you are actually needing. Even though you are planning on leaving him. You still want him to take care of you; you want to do this with him. But, you also know that can't happen. So, regardless you feel more at ease; the desperation in you is not quite so hot, not making you jittery with need. 

Bradley rewards the way your body relaxes by licking stripe over you. You resist the urge to let go of the headboard and bury your hands in Bradley's thick hair. The way he sucks your clit into his mouth to roll his tongue over makes you arch, needing more. Bradley lays his arm across your hips, applying pressure to keep you still under him. 

The more you work to struggle against his arm, feeling your high edge closer and closer, a thought suddenly pops into your head. Is it still okay for Bradley to hold you down like this? Are you going to hurt your baby? It's an irrational thought, you know that, but your body instantly reacts to it. Of course, so early into your pregnancy, there is no reason this would be a problem, but you still drop your hips down onto the bed, no longer trying to move them against him. Your distraction pulled you far back from the edge. 

You try to focus on the feel of Bradley's tongue and how warm he feels with his shoulders caged between your thighs. But only a few breaths later, Bradley is lifting his head to look at you. 

He has a crease between his eyebrows, and his tongue that was just around you darts out to lick to own lips. "What just stopped you from coming?" he asks, concerned. His voice is thick and low. His hold over your waist disappears as he draws soothing circles on your hip. Bradley's concern draws you back to him and into the want you have for him. 

You let go of the headboard and stretch out your arms. Then, burying your hands in his hair, you tilt Brad's face to fully meet your eyes. 

"Make love to me, Bradley," you beg him. He stares at you for a very long minute, and you stare back at him, waiting. Finally, he pulls his eyes away from yours and stares at your center in front of him. 

"As you wish," he mutters the words. Rooster pulls himself off the bed and pulls his sweats off. You drag your eyes over his naked body, taking him all in. You lick your lips at the sight. 

"You are breathtaking, Brad," you tell him. That smile that melts your heart shows up on his face, and he glows under your praise.  

You crawl to the edge of the bed and trace your hands up his muscular thighs. You guide your hand upwards. You brush over his cock, not really giving it any attention, before outlining his side, watching his stomach and abs contract under your fingers. You go slowly, trying to memorize the feel of his skin under you. You kiss along his chest too. 

He leans down and captures your lips. You kiss Rooster back, glad that the fervor has left your body, but you are no less desperate for him. The desire to memorize him doesn't go. 

You urge him onto the bed, pushing him on his back. You straddle Bradley, settling over him, with his cock nestled in between your lower lips. You give a small rock, his head bumping into your clit. You moan a little and repeat the motion. 

Leaning forward, you rest your hands on his chest to give you more leverage. Rooster moves his hips with you increasing the friction. The pace is slow and almost teasing for both of you. 

Shifting your weight, you lean and kiss him again. Bradley's tongue slips into your mouth, running against yours. One of his hands comes up and rests on your hip, urging you, pulling you further down to rub against him harder. His other hand cups one of your breasts, his thumb running over your nipple in swirling strokes. 

You break his embrace just to reach your hand and guide him inside. Bradley lets out a heavy sigh as he slips into you. You resist the urge to slide all the way down his length, keeping it slow. 

"Fuck, you feel so good," he tells you, biting his lips. 

"Love how you fill me, Brad," you sigh once he is fully hilted. Both of you are breathing more elevated. When you start to move your hips again, Bradley closes his eyes and presses his head back into the bed. 

You immediately stop moving, glaring down at him. "No," you say, and his eyes open instantly, looking at you again. You reach up a hand to grip his chin affectionately, holding his face in place. "I need to see you." 

"You are so beautiful," he tells you. Bradley does as you want and doesn't break eye contact again. 

The room is filled with both of your moanings as you work together at a slow, steady pace. The way his hands run along your skin and back is almost reverent. The heat in you starts to build again. You grind down hard onto Bradley so that your clit gets more stimulation. 

Rooster's right hand comes around and settles on your lower stomach, applying pressure and letting his thumb dip down to brush your clit in light strokes. You gasp, a moan breaking from your throat. You freeze on top of Bradley's cock, enjoying the zing his thumb just sent up your spine. 

"That's right. So good." Bradley moans out, pressing his thumb harder into you. Even though he is filling you so deliciously, you don't feel close enough to him. You feel like you want to crawl into his skin. That would be the only thing that would satisfy your need for him. 

You grab his hand that isn't on your clit and thread your fingers together. His hand grips yours back. Bradley doesn't make any movement to shift either of your hips, content to play with your clit and stare into your eyes. 

"Fuck, I love you." Bradley groans out, biting his lower lip. You start to rock your hips into his again, but for the most part, keeping him fully hilted inside you. You almost feel like you are drowning in his eyes with how he looks up at you. His heavy-lidded gaze makes you clench around him.

Your moans and quiet pants mix with his. The tension in you grows as you swirl your hips into his. 

"Need this, need you." Bradley swirls his thumb a little harder and does break eye contact to nip your neck, sitting more up on the bed to get a better angle. Having more of your skin pressed together helps ease more of the ache in you. 

You grip his hair again, pulling him up, shifting, so you are chest to chest. Bradley's free hand clutches you close to him. You trace the scars on his cheek with your lips before kissing him again. 

"I love you," you sigh against his mouth. He groans and rocks his hips into yours, creating a bit more friction. Rooster understands just what you need, not pulling out of you. 

The two of you build a rhythm together; finally, you can't hold back anymore. The bubble in you bursts, and you clench hard around Bradey's cock. Bradley takes a few more gasping breaths and then cums in you with a low moan. Bradley starts to move like he is going to pull out of you, so you whine and hold him closer.  

"No, no. I need you closer," you tell him. You are still desperate to have him near. You press your nose into Rooster's neck, breathing in his natural musky scent. Trying to absorb the smell entirely, memorizing it before biting the skin and tasting it. 

"Woah. Woah," Bradley says breathily. You let out a low hum in response, trying to savor his sounds as well. You wiggle your hips against him again, where he is still half hard. You consciously clench around his dick, reminding yourself how full Bradley makes you. 

"Baby, stop," he says. Rooster's voice is wrecked, and his large hands hold your hips still. At first, you don't even hear his request until he repeats it more forcefully. Then he rolls you over onto your back and pulls out of you quickly. You gasp at the sudden loss of him. You have to lay there for a moment, trying to reorient yourself. Bradley is sitting on the edge of the bed, panting hard, his hands on his knees.

"Bradley?" You croak out, reaching a hand hesitantly towards him. He looks back at you, and his face is a mix of panicked and furious.

"What the fuck was that?" He asks you in a low growl.

"What was what?"

"Don't bullshit me."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," you tell him, drawing your eyebrows close together.

"That was was goodbye sex," he says slowly. Your mouth drops open, and you try to reach around your rattling brain to come up with an answer, an excuse. However, you find it completely empty. 

"That was the exact kind of sex we have before I leave and deploy. You had the same look." Bradley was almost shaking, and you had no idea what to say that wouldn't be a lie. 

"What's going on? Something has been wrong for weeks. I keep waiting for you to talk to me, and you fucking haven't." 

"I —" you start to say, but Bradley's eyes are so captivating, so genuine, you can't lie to him. So before you even know what you are saying, the words fall out of your mouth, "I'm leaving."

Rooster physically recoils at your words. The line of his back is taut, and his eyebrows draw together. His mouth presses into a tight line. His jaw flexing, and you can tell he is clenching his teeth. "What did I do wrong?"

"No, sweetie," you say quickly. "It's not you. It's me." You tell him gently. It was you, well, you and this baby, but Brad didn't need to know that. Your words only seemed to make him more upset. 

"Are you kidding me? You didn't just say that." He mutters it under his breath, pulling at his short curls in frustration and glaring at you. He is so tense the veins in his bicep and neck start to pop. 

"I'm sorry," you offer him quietly. 

"I don't want to hear sorry. I want to hear a reason. Were you going to tell me? Or just planning to disappear?"

"Of course, I was going to tell you."

"When?" 

"Soon."

"Why? "

"I can't..."

"No. I think I deserve to know why the love of my life is leaving me," Bradley says, frustrated. He stands up from bed, goes to his drawers, and pulls on some boxers to throw on. He also grabs one of his old Sigma Pi shirts out of his drawer and throws it for you to shrug on. 

You felt shame and frustration building in you. You didn't want to deal with this situation right now. You didn't want to have to tell Bradley why. Then to your absolute horror, and probably the hormones coursing through you, you burst into tears. 

Bradley's pacing halts for a moment at the sight of your tears, but then he resumes momentarily as he balls his fist tight. His knuckles turning a paler shade. 

"We want different things." You gasp out between the sobs racking your body. 

"We want different things," he repeats slowly, like he is trying to piece out some hidden meaning in the words.

"Yes," you hiccup nodding your head. 

"How could that be possible?" He questions you sharply. "If that were the case, we wouldn't have gotten married. And you didn't mention anything when we had our last relationship check-in."

Bradley was big on communication. He insisted y'all have seasonal relationship check-ins with each other to talk about anything that had happened and how you were feeling about your relationship. This conversation should have probably been reserved for the next one, but you couldn't wait a few more weeks before leaving, or Bradley would know.

You were going to start showing at some point; while all the articles you read were inconsistent about when that might happen, it would happen eventually. You knew it would probably be impossible to leave Rooster if he knew that you were pregnant. Every moment with him weakened your resolve to do the right thing. 

"Things change, people change." You weakly tell him. Not able to conceive a better excuse. 

"I don't understand why you are jumping into leaving me. Baby, why won't you talk to me?" Bradley suddenly dropped hard to his knees on the wood floor at the side of the bed. You winced at the sound it made. He pulls one of your hands into both of his. "Please talk to me," he begs you, holding your hand delicately in his. The puppy dog look Bradley has mastered coming out in full force. 

"I can't…"

"You can," he reassures you, swiping a thumb across your pulse point. You felt your stomach roll, the emotions in you going haywire. 

"I'm…" you trail off and then shake your head at him in denial of this situation. As soon as you tell Bradley, it will be over. 

"It's okay, baby. Anything. You can tell me anything. Talk to me. I won't be mad," he adds on for your benefit. Your plans all crumbled at that moment because how can you deny Bradley Bradshaw anything when he begs for it. 

"I'm pregnant," you finally whisper in a barely audible voice. With how Bradley reacted to your words, you might as well have screamed them. First, he flinches like a whole body flinch. Every muscle you can see tensing. He shutters and his grip on your hand tightens to where it is almost painful.  

Bradley freezes like that for a moment, blinking at you owlishly, before he drops his head down, hiding his face from your view. Finally, he presses his face down into the bed. 

You wait with bated breath. Rooster's grip on your hand didn't lessen in the slightest. You feel panic settle in the back of your throat when his shoulders start to tremble, and he still hasn't said anything.

"Bradley?" You flex your hand, resisting his tight grip, and he releases you. His hands fall limply on the bed. He still hasn't looked at you, though. 

Tears start to streak down your face faster, and a small sob hitches in your throat. "I am sorry," you tell him sincerely. 

"Are you really?" His low voice asks muffled. 

"Sorry, or pregnant?" You ask pulling up the collar of his shirt you are wearing to wipe away some of your tears. "Because it's both." 

His hands come to clasp themselves together, and you briefly wonder if he is praying. The shaking of his shoulders and the inability to see his face make it increasingly impossible to understand his reaction.

Finally, he looks at you, and those hazel eyes bleed back at you, tears still falling down his face staining his cheeks a bright red even through the healthy tan he has right now. Bradley's eyes trace over your face looking like he is searching for any trace of a lie. Then he examines your body under his shirt like he might already see a difference. 

As if there was a difference, he would be able to notice now that he didn't notice before when you were naked, and he was inside of you. You wrap your arms around your chest, hugging yourself under his scrutiny. 

"I'm going to keep it." You finally tell him now that Bradley's shining eyes are available for scrutiny again. His tongue darts out to wet his lips, and his face falls into a frown. "I'm sorry," you say again. 

You try to think of the right words to explain yourself to him. "When I found out, I realized I wanted this. I know we always said we didn't. But I really want this baby, Bradley. I am sorry I kept it from you. I just didn't know how to tell you. And then I saw these baby shoes in the store. They were so cute." Your fingers knot into the edge of the worn frat shirt you are wearing. His hazel eyes aren't giving you much to go off of. They are still darting around your face like he is trying to figure out what you are telling him. 

Brad abruptly stands up in the middle of your rambling. So, you halt your words. Watching him as he walks out of the room. You strain your ears, trying to listen to where he went. You hear the hallway door open and beeps coming from the safe. After hearing it click open and seal again, Bradley's feet can be heard on the hallway floor again. 

Your mind runs, trying to think of what he could have grabbed from the safe. Your important documents? You silently make a note that was something that you need to be sure to pack. You wouldn't want to come back to Bradley to get your passport or something after leaving. Could it be money? Was he going to give you money to leave with and give you some of the cash you two had been saving to move? 

The thoughts make breathing extra hard, and you start to suck air in and out rapidly. The panic floods your veins, making the walls of the room shrink inward towards you. Sharp tingles prick at your fingertips and toes. 

Before you can run through any other possible scenario, he gets back. 

You can't focus on Bradley enough to see him through the black that starts to edge in at the corner of your vision. You desperately try to pull a gasping breath in your chest. The action of breathing is suddenly too overwhelming. 

The panic of what you had just done finally cutting into you. That Bradley now knew the secrets you had been harboring so close to your chest. There is wringing in your ears, the shuddering wracking your body. You curl into yourself to try and shield yourself from the hurt and panic ringing through your body. 

Then, you are engulfed. There isn't enough weight on the outside of you to combat the storm of panic that was trying to burst out from the inside of your veins. Numbness fills your body, and you know you are close to passing out. The storm brewed inside you, desperate to escape your body, desperate to take you out at the same time. 

Heaving in breaths gets harder and more difficult. You dig your nails hard into the skin of your thighs, trying to scramble for anything to steady yourself. Fighting each desperate moment when there is s shift.

At first, you don't know what has changed. However, your breaths get a gasp longer, allowing slightly more oxygen, and the black in your vision starts to recede. You slam your eyes shut at the nausea you feel. The more air you can finally take in, the more you are allowed to start making sense of anything besides your own haywire body. 

You are wrapped in your weighted blanket, and the extra pressure is aided by Bradley. He is holding you tight within his arms and legs, and he has you pulled close to his chest.

His legs are wrapped around your hips and crossed in front of you. Giving the front of your body room. Your legs are trapped between you two. One of his arms is crossed over your chest, and the other is petting your head soothingly, playing with your hair occasionally. 

Bradley is humming to you. You try and focus on the tune. It's like a lifeline; you cling to the sound, letting it help your thoughts trail away from your panic. You keep trying to breathe bigger, longer breaths consciously now. 

It's a tune you have heard before. Finally, Bradley breaks from the humming, whispering one of the lyrics into your ear, and you can immediately place the song. 

"Love of my life," he mutters lowly into your ear, and then he returns to his humming. You are flashed back to a different time he sang this song to you. 

He had been perched on the bench of a piano. Fingers gliding over the keys in time, his sweet voice dipping between octaves. It was Love Of My Life, by Queen. It is the song Bradley sings to you before every single deployment. 

The song feels like a confirmation that you two will not be making it. A confirmation he is letting you go. This is the song that always fills the space between you when parting ways. The small semblance of recovery you had made is gone. Your breaths start to quicken again as you are dragged back into the panic. 

Bradley's arms flex hard, and there is slightly more pressure around you. The beads of the weighted blanket shifting under his hands. He continues humming the song, but this time he peppers in a few more of the lyrics. 

"Love of my life, don't leave me," he croons softly into your ear. 

You don't know how long Bradley holds you waiting for you to calm down. You don't ever feel at ease, but the slow breaths and Bradley's soothing voice help bring you down from the high and worst of the panic attack.  

You manage to let out a little whimper, and Bradley's arms start to loosen around you in slow intervals. You turn your face to the side, slotting your eyes up to catch a glimpse of him. Bradley has his eyes closed, and his face is splotchy and red from crying still. You fill in some of the lyrics to his humming in a cracked, barely there voice. Those beautiful eyes flash open, hearing your voice join his humming. 

He won't stop humming, though. Rooster's hazel eyes are so intense, a medusas snare, that even as hard as you try to close your eyes, you aren't successful. They have captivated you entirely. Bradley finishes humming the song and lets his arms slip from around you. His legs uncross, and they fall flat on the bed on either side of you. 

You push the weighted blanket off your top, so it is pilled around your legs as you ease out of your curled position. 

"BradBrad," you whisper for him. You are still trembling at the very tips of your fingers. The buzz and tingles at the front of your nose are still persistent, but feeling has returned to the rest of your body. The needles fade out of your hands and legs. 

"Love of my life," he hums sweetly again. His eyes have a tiny bit of worry, but for the most part, they are full of love and adoration for you. His body is borderline hot to the touch and feverish behind you. His heart is thumping loudly under your ear. 

Brad's now loose hands find new purchase, gliding over your hips, tracing slow, steady circles. Then his left hand starts creeping forward further. Bradley's large hand is suddenly under his shirt and splaying out flat against your lower belly. That is where it finds its perch. 

You gasp at the feeling of his hand, at the placement of it. Brad's fingers make the tiniest indents pressing into your skin. Your breath hitches at his squeeze. The metal of his wedding ring is warm against your skin, a nice contrast to the rest of his hand. 

Hearing the way your breath hitches, Bradley immediately lays his hand fully flat. Bradley now retreating to a feather-light touch. His fingers swirl in an unknown pattern on your skin. His hands like to trace the shapes of flight paths he has memorized. 

It was something Bradley had confessed to you one night during pillow talk. The two of you sprawled together. You were laying half on his chest. His fingertips were tracing the length of your spine, in feather-light trials, moving from the base of your spine to the small of your back, then following the path again. His fingers would sometimes brush into your hair and give small scratches before tracing your flesh again. 

"How do you do that?" You finally had asked him.

"Do what?" He responded, but something about the glint in his eye told you he knew exactly what you were referring to. Rooster just wanted you to admit it out loud. 

"You are so consistent, but you keep me on my toes." Bradley's hand stills where it had been gliding on your back. Then he started to trace once more, but this time his fingers making small movements and taking on a new drag like pattern dancing across your back. 

"Is that right?" He asked you, but there was a full-blown boyish smirk donning his face. 

You nodded your head, licking your lips. The tingles that his hands were sending through your body started to warm you up even after just having finished with him. "Yes, it rocks my world. So, why don't you let me on the secret?"

"I'm just that good, baby," he told you cheekily. 

"Bradley Bradshaw." You warned lowly.  

"It's flight paths." 

"What?"

"I use the flight paths I have memorized," his fingers danced in a looping motion doubling back and then tracing forward again.

"They make it easy to loop, but it's long enough that there is different pacing, or I use the piano," He told you, letting his fingers tap and shift along your back as if it was a set of ivories suddenly. It had made you giggle. 

"That might have been one of the sexiest things you have ever told me, Bradley." You had told him before you kissed him silly. And letting him showcase those skills with his tongue for the second time that night. 

Now, Brad's hand that is lying against your stomach also starts to follow a pattern. You open your mouth, but Bradley quickly cuts you off. 

"Please, don't say sorry."

"But I am."

"That was a bad attack."

It was true that you hadn't had one that severe in a while. "I'm—"

"Do not say sorry," he repeats. You sigh heavily and move to stop leaning against Bradley. However, he doesn't let you. The hand on your hip and lower abdomen fighting you and drawing you flush against him. He settles you, so you are comfortably leaning against his chest again.

"I am sorry," Brad finally says, almost a whisper in your ear. 

"You are sorry?"

"Yes."

"Why?" You question him. Not sure you understand what he is apologizing for.

"Why are you going to leave me?" Brad asks instead of answering your question. 

You sigh and close your eyes. You lean your head back, so it's settled on Bradley's shoulder. Then take a deep calming breath before responding. "I know you don't want kids. You have always been very honest about that, and it's not your fault I'm pregnant. 

"Well, I don't think you went and got pregnant by yourself. It's kind of a process that takes two contributing parties. Unless you are going to tell me that it's someone else's." Bradley says the words so incredulously that you know he has no doubt the baby is his. 

"I know you don't want this, but I realized I do."

"What if I do want this?"

"I'm not going to let you do this just because you feel obligated, Bradley," you tell him tiredly.

"No. I want this."

"How could that be?" You ask. 

You feel him shift behind you, and you open your eyes to see what he is doing. Bradley is reaching to the bedside table where you see a huge binder sitting. 

It is a binder that you know well. Bradley is a meticulous and organized person. He likes to refer to this binder as your Life Plan Binder. It was full of timelines, dates, references, and lists. Everything Bradley feels is necessary for y'all's life. 

You realize that this one is different from the one that lives on his desk. It is slimmer, and the front doesn't have a picture of the two of you slotted in the cover that the other did. 

"The LPB?" You ask him, confused.  

His left hand makes itself at home again on your lower abdomen, while his right hand puts the binder on your lap. Finally, you read the cover where it says alternative plans in bold lettering. 

"I'm sorry I left earlier, but I needed to get this." He mutters into your ear. Brad's tone is deeply apologetic. He flips the binder open, and there are labeled tabs. You fully realize this is a binder you have never seen before. You scan the tabs and freeze up in Bradley's hold when you see the one he is thumbing to.

It is towards the back, behind the different tabs, including restations, health, new cars, vacations, and retirement, is a tab that has a simple label. It's blue and just says, baby. Bradley flips to the tab, and you see the cover page of the section with the table of contents. In bold at the top of the page, you read Baby Bradshaw. 

A sob that ends up coming out as a broken laugh ripping from your chest. The section contents was filled out with thoroughly thought out plans on you having children, from a section with important timelines, appointments to schedule, college savings plans, and a section with boys' and girls' names that he likes. 

You bring one of your hands up to stifle the sobs that are bubbling in your chest. You hold your hand close over your mouth to try to hold back the sound. His fingers traced over the page and the table of contents for the section. 

"What is this?" You finally ask him. 

"It's my alternate life plan binder. For you know, if other things come up."

"Why do you have a Baby Bradshaw section?" You hesitantly ask. His hand is still warm against your stomach, and he flexes his fingers. 

"Well, a while ago, I started thinking about kids," he trails off, and you start looking through the table of contents again. You see that the most robust and largest section is actually related to adoption. You feel your heart melt in your chest. A new bright feeling of hope blossoms looking at the care, time, and thought he has put into this. As he continues, "and well… You know how I am. I wanted to be prepared for that possibility."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I've been ruminating, and I don't know. Maybe I would have mentioned it at our next check-in. But I knew you don't…" Bradley doesn't finish his sentence, and you lose your mind a little bit.

You pull the large binger up into your hands and shift. You struggle and move until you turn in his grip. Your legs wrapped around Brad's waist. You want to see his face, which is easier in this position. The hand that had been placed on your stomach curls around your back and waist, steadying you against him. 

"You changed your mind?" You ask him. You let your hands trace over his chest, settling on cupping his face. Then, staring into his eyes, you look for any trace of anger or deceit. 

"You seem to also have changed your mind, baby," he takes the binder from where it was awkwardly pressed in between you two. It allows you to settle closer to him. Bradley sets the binder to the side, momentarily breaking eye contact to make sure none of the pages are creased. Your chests were almost flush together. You wrap your arms around his neck, and then he is the one to hold your face. His eyes reconnect with yours, and you once again feel like you are caught in them. 

The intensity and openness in his gaze make your lips move faster than your brain to lay out the whole truth for him. "I don't think that I ever wanted to not have kids. I had just accepted it because I knew that I couldn't." You explain, not breaking eye contact. Bradley's thumb traces a slow circle against your cheek. 

"I would never let you do this by yourself."

"I can't just throw a wrench like this in your life, Brad." 

He immediately starts shaking his head in protest. "It's our life. I'm not going to lie to you and say that you didn't hurt my feelings. If you left me," Bradly heaves a heavy shaky breath. You briefly wonder if he is going to cry again. Then he continues to explain, "I would be broken… shattered. I feel even worse that you didn't want to talk to me or tell me."

You can tell how deeply you hurt him. Even though you knew what you were going to do was wrong, now that you and Bradley are talking about it. You know you need to try and explain your rationale no matter how messed up it was. 

"At first, I wasn't sure how I felt. I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn't do that before I knew how I felt. But then I kept thinking about all the times we talked about you not wanting kids. How you had so many good, valid reasons for feeling that way. I know you, Bradley. I knew that you would do the right thing as soon as I told you. But you don't need obligation ruling anymore of your life that it already does."  

"So what if I was obligated? I agreed to be obligated to you for the rest of our lives when we got married. I want to be bound to you. I want to shoulder your burdens, just like you shoulder mine," Bradley says.

"A child is a lifelong burden for you to shoulder," you say. You need to know, need to be fully sure Brad understands. 

"Do you think so low of me? Do you think I wouldn't love something that was a mix of you and me?"

"There are plenty of people in the world who don't love their children." You tell him, swallowing hard. 

He lets out a long sigh, his breath fanning a bit over your face. "I want this baby. I want this baby with you. I want to be at every doctor's appointment. I want to know everything I've missed. I want family vacations where I can buy a Hawaiian shirt in three different sizes for all of us. I want little league games. I want a baby to sing to sleep. I want someone to put on top of the piano and sing to like my dad did. I want us to paint a nursery. I want Disney trips. I want to fight about curfew. I want to make breakfast on Saturdays and spend Sundays in the shop with football, restoring a beat-up first car. I want to make dad jokes. Fuck, I need to buy a pair of new balances."

Warmth fills you at his words. You let out a small laugh picturing Bradley as a stereotypical dad. How he wants all of that with you. That you won't do this alone like you have mentally been preparing yourself for since finding out. You run your fingers up and down his neck trailing it down his shoulder as far as you can reach before tracing back to his neck. A content sigh falls from his lips, and his eyes close, enjoying your gentle caresses.

"What are some of the names?" You break the silence after his confessions.  

"I like Westley," he says with a small boyish smile. You bite back a grin at the name, playfully rolling your eyes. 

"Oh, and is Buttercup on your list for girl names?" You ask him teasingly. 

"Maybe," he says. You lean forward and peck his lips. 

"You're not going to leave me," Bradley whispers with conviction. You know he is still coming down from the emotional roller coaster you just went through together. You also know Brad is going to need time to fully process this conversation and the change about to happen in your lives. However, you also know, without a doubt, that Bradley will be holding your hand at your next doctor's appointment. 

"No, I'm not." You confirm and brush your lips over his softly. 

"Stay with me forever," Bradley begs you in a voice a little too small for you to handle. 

You hold the hazel gaze for a very, very long moment. You let him examine you, see the truth, and honestly bleeding in your gaze before you respond. What you want to say at first is: I love you. However, those words weren't quite right; they didn't seem to fully capture your intention and the emotion in your chest you felt for this man. So instead, you settle on the words you think will most closely allow him to understand. You brush your lips against him again, whispering your answer into them. 

 "As you wish, Bradley."

#bradley bradshaw x reader #rooster x reader #rooster x you #rooster smut #bradley bradshaw x y/n #hot 🥵 #Coleys writing #bradley bradshaw fanfiction

[callsign-dexter]

Hearts on Edge

Request: Helloooo ❤️ I hope I can request a Bradley Bradshaw imagine where his girlfriend gets in a car accident while they are on the dagger mission. So he gets informed as soon as they land on deck and his world breaks apart. Mav and the others join him at the hospital while they wait for information. You're hurt serious and are still out while they wait but when you wake up it's all cute and everyone cares for you making sure you'll be back on your feet in no time 🙊

Pairings: Bradley Bradshaw x Wolfe!Reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, inaccurate medical talk, car crash, pregnancy, birth

A/N: sorry it took so long to get out but here it is!

Masterlist

Deployments were never easy for you. Whoever said they were had to be lying. This deployment was especially hard for you because you weren't allowed to know any details about what your boyfriend, Bradley Bradshaw, and his fellow squad members were doing. Even though it was a short one, it still wasn't easy. You were no stranger to the military, especially the Navy, it ran in your family you just never wanted to join. It also wasn't easy for Bradley to leave you not when you were getting sick every morning, randomly during the day, to certain smells, or having weird cravings at all hours of the night. Penny Benjamin was gracious enough to have given you a job while they were away and possibly forever.

Now the history of you and Bradley goes way back. You two had met when you were 8 years old when your father was stationed in Virginia and you and your family moved in next to Carole and Bradley. Your father, Leonard "Wolfman" Wolfe, then went to Top Gun so Carole and your mother got along very quickly and you and Bradley became friends fast. When Carole got sick Bradley was with you most of the time. When she passed you two never lost contact and when Maverick pulled his papers he came to you upset and you comforted him. You both went to the same college and followed each other everywhere. You began dating your last year of college and have been together ever since. When Bradley started his Navy career you were with him and when he got called to Top Gun you went with him to San Diego, bought a house, and moved in. It just so happened that your father got a teaching position at Top Gun along with his pilot Rick "Hollywood" Neven after the mission and accepted it so he and your mom, Sage Wolfe who is a doctor and had accepted a position at the hospital, so they moved down to San Diego.

When you and Bradley arrived in San Diego you both went to The Hard Deck and you walked in hand and hand. You weren't much of a drinker and you had been feeling sick lately so you backed off the alcohol completely. "Bradshaw is that you?" Natasha, whom you had met on several occasions, yelled out and you told Bradley to go on while you got drinks.

"Well, I haven't seen you in a long time." A familiar voice said and you turned around and found Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell sitting there and you smiled.

"Maverick!" You said and hugged him. "How have you been?" You asked him.

"I've been good. What have you been up to?" He asked and you just smiled.

"I've been good. We've been good. Just moving wherever the Navy tells him to go." You said and then Penny came over.

"Y/N Y/M/N Wolfe, long time no see." She said and you smiled and you hugged her.

"Hey, Penny." You said.

"What can I get you?" She asked

"Michelob Ultra bottled and Ginger Ale." You said and she nodded. She handed them to you and you nodded to Maverick and set off towards Bradley.

He greeted you with a kiss on the lips and took the beer. "Thanks, Babe. No drinking for you?" He asked a little concerned. You shook your head.

"Haven't been feeling well." You said and nodded and kissed the side of your head.

"Rooster you gonna introduce us to your lady?" A man with a southern drawl asked you looked over and smirked and you rolled your eyes.

"His lady can introduce herself. I'm Y/N Wolfe." You said with a smirk and he dropped his smirk for one second.

"I'm Hangman but you can call me Jake." Jake said and you smiled and lifted your drink to him.

"I like her. I'm Fanboy but call me Mickey." Mickey said and then everyone else introduced themselves and you could tell you were going to be great friends.

The night went on and the bell rang twice and each time you looked over it was on Maverick. You just shook your head. When Bradley played the piano the one song you loved for him to play. The night ended and you went home.

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While Bradley had been training you had been spending most of your day on the couch. Then you spend your nights at The Hard Deck helping Penny by bartending. She even offered you a job and you gladly expected.

Your mother had come over one day while Bradley was training. She walked in on you throwing up in the guest bathroom. "Oh baby." She said sympathetically she said and you gagged.

"Momma." You moaned out as you had tears streaming down your face. You leaned back into her.

"Come on. Let's get you up." She said and helped you up. "How long has this been going on?" She asked going into doctor mode.

"2 months." You said as you settled onto the couch and she went and got some water for you.

"Have you been late?" She asked and you nodded.

"I thought it was just stress from him deploying and moving." You said as you took a drink of water.

"Have you told Bradley?" She asked and you shook your head.

"He knew I had been sick and he has just been so stressed out lately with training. I don't think I'm pregnant momma." You said

"It doesn't hurt to check." She said and you nodded.

"I'll make an appointment in a few days." You said and she nodded.

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When Bradley had come in one day saying to get ready for the beach you were confused. "Why?" You had asked him.

"Maverick is making us do a team bonding exercise and I want you there with me. I also want to show you off." He said coming up kissing your neck and you smiled.

"Of course Babe." You said and got ready for the beach. You didn't want to put on a swimsuit because nothing fit right and you were a little bloated, although you never brought this up to Bradley but he could probably see it, so you settled for a pair of jean shorts and a tank top. You both headed to the beach.

When you got there you went to join Penny on the back deck. You greeted her and she greeted you back and then stopped and looked at you. "You're glowing." She said and you looked at her confused. "You look exactly how I looked when I was pregnant with Amelia." She said and you shook your head.

"I'm not pregnant." You said and looked down. She just hmmed and continued to do what she was doing beforehand. You watched your boyfriend flex and have a great time and you smiled.

About an hour into being at the beach, he and Maverick came over to you and Penny and Bradley kissed you hard. Penny just smiled. "Bradley you're gross." You said as he tried to hug and you scrunched up your nose in playful disgust.

"Well, I guess you better come with me down to the ocean and help me clean off." He said playfully.

"No no. Don't you dare." You said as he gently picked you up and took off with you shrieking.

"She's glowing isn't she?" Maverick asked Penny and she nodded. "Carole looked that way when she was pregnant with Bradley." He said and then just stared at the two of you. You both reminded him of Carole and Goose.

"She swears she's not pregnant." Penny said while looking up at Maverick. He smirked and shook his head.

"Oh yea she's pregnant. Just won't admit it because she's too stubborn like her father." He said with a smirk and a chuckle.

"Ain't that the truth." She said and smirked back along with a chuckle.

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You had not been able to make an appointment because each time you tried something had come up. One thing is Ice's funeral. You were crushed. He was like an uncle to you.

Then they were getting ready to be shipped off to do this special mission. You had been with Bradley at the dock giving him a tearful goodbye. "I'm gonna miss you." You said into his neck.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Babe." He said hugging you back. "You have people that you can go to if you need any help." He said breaking the hug and kissing you and you kissed back.

"You be safe and get back to me." You said and he nodded.

"Yes ma'am." He replied with a chuckle and he was giving you another kiss. He then turned and gave your parents a hug and a handshake and then he was headed off. You watched as the aircraft carrier sailed out and you continued standing there until it was out of view. Your parents came up to you and your dad threw an arm around your shoulders and your mom held your hand. They took you away from the dock.

"He's going to be fine, Sweetheart." Your dad said and kissed the side of your head and you nodded. You already missed Bradley.

They had gotten you home and you immediately ran to the bathroom and threw up. Both Wolfman and Sage looked at each other and waited for you to come out and when you didn't your father went to you. "Sweetheart." He said and held your hair. "Let it all out it's ok." He said and by that point, you were dry heaving. You blindly flushed the toilet, stood up with his help, rinsed out your mouth, and walked out.

"Have you gotten an appointment yet?" Your mother asked and you shook your head.

"We've been so stressed out. Then Ice died and it's just been hectic." You said and they nodded understanding. "I'll call right now." You said and they nodded you got your phone out and were about to dial the phone number for the doctor's office but you then realized you didn't have anything set up. "Although I don't have any doctor's office set up or OB-GYN." You said almost panicking. Your parents could see a panic attack coming on.

"Hey hey hey. I'll call them you just calm down." Your mom said and took your phone while your dad helped you to the ground and held you.

"You're ok, Sweetheart." He said and you cried into his shoulder. "This baby is gonna be one spoiled little boy." He said and you looked up at him.

"Boy?" You asked sniffling.

"I have a feeling." He said and kissed the side of your forehead. Your mom walked back in and sat down on the floor with you.

"They can get you in Friday of next week at 3 PM." She said and you nodded and she hugged you.

"That's when Bradley is due home." You said and they nodded.

"It'll be a nice surprise." Your mom said. You guys stayed on the floor for most of the night until you confirmed that they could leave and you would be fine.

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Friday 3 PM rolled around quicker than you thought and the next thing you knew you were at your appointment. You went by yourself just because you didn't want to inconvenience anyone, even though they would say they wouldn't mind. You waited in the waiting room leg bouncing nervously. "Ms. Wolfe?" The nurse said and you stood up and she smiled at you "How are you doing today?" She asked and you took a minute to answer.

"Nervous." You said and she smiled

"Very understandable." She said as she took your vitals, height, and weight. She led you into a room "Dr. Baxter will be in with you momentarily." She said and you nodded and she walked out of the room.

20 minutes later Dr. Baxter walked in and she smiled at you "Good afternoon Ms. Wolfe." She said and you smiled.

"Please call me Y/N." You said she nodded

"So you think you may be pregnant?" She asked looking at her notes and you nodded.

"Yes. I've been have been throwing up every morning and sometimes throughout the day. I'm also getting sick to certain smells and having weird cravings." You said and she nodded writing down what she needed.

"How long has this been going on?" She asked

"2 months but I thought it was just from stress. My boyfriend is a Naval aviator and gets deployed frequently and currently on a deployment now." You said and she nodded.

"Totally understandable. I want to run some blood work and then an ultrasound." She said and you nodded.

"Whatever needs to be done I'm good with it." You said and she smiled.

"I'll have a nurse come in and draw your blood and send it down to the labs." Dr. Braxton said and left the room. Oh you wished Bradley, mom, or dad were here but they were all busy or so you thought and Bradley was gone. A nurse came in and introduced herself and could see you were nervous and while she was drawing it she talked you all the way through it, which helped.

You waited for another 10 minutes and Dr. Baxter came in smiling. "I want to congratulate you on your pregnancy. We'll do an ultrasound now." She said and you smiled. You couldn't believe it you were going to be a mother and Bradley was going to be a father. You did the ultrasound and got a picture. You then left the office smiling.

You got into your car and turned it on and started to drive off and immediately called her parents who were at home since her mom just got off of work.

"Hello Grandma and Grandpa." You said and waited for their reaction.

"What?!" Your parents said at the same time.

"Oh! Honey! This is great!" Your mother exclaimed

"We're so happy for you!" Your father said "Where are you now?" He asked.

"Close to The Hard Deck. I'm gonna tell Penny since she is my boss." You said

"You be safe, Sweetheart." Your dad said

"We love you!" Your mother added

"Love you guys too!" You said and then hung up.

You got to The Hard Deck, parked your car turned the car off, walked in, and greeted Penny as you put your purse behind the counter.

"I have some news." You said smirking and she looked at you.

"No. Are you pregnant?" She asked a smile breaking onto her face and you nodded.

"Yup. 2 months." You said and she squealed.

"I'm so happy for you and Bradley!" She said "If you need any time off, tell me. If you need to take a break and sit, tell me." She said and you nodded. The rest of the night went smoothly you were on could 9 so happy to start a family with a man you love. You weren't supposed to be working but saw Penny was busy and decided to help.

You bid Penny a goodnight at 6 PM. You were halfway home to get ready to pick up Bradley at 8 PM when you forgot your purse. You cursed and turned around and headed back to The Hard Deck.

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You were stopped at a stop light heading back to The Hard Deck to retrieve your purse. Then all of a sudden you felt your car lunge forward making your head hit the steering wheel, everything sounded like it was underwater. The person who had hit you was a teenager who was texting on their phone and wasn't paying attention or saw the stoplight and had rear-ended you. You tried to stop it but they just kept going and pushed you into the intersection as the other light had turned green. Another car had t-boned you and had pushed you to the other side of the intersection right into a telephone pole and over the guardrail turning the car on its side.

You hit your head on the steering wheel for the second time as you were flipped over the guardrail. Glass was everywhere you had blood running down your face. Your seatbelt had dug into your skin and then there was a piece of glass that found itself lodged into your ribs and punctured your lung. The windshield had shattered and a tree branch found its way into your lower stomach puncturing a kidney. Your hands immediately shot to your stomach and you were glad to find nothing had impaled you.

The car was totaled and you were hurt. You just wanted Bradley, your mom, and your dad. Then you started to panic, your parents. You tried to move but the pain spread throughout your body and it became so much that you blacked out. Your airbags deployed and it hit you in the chest and face.

The pain was becoming too much and you were starting to lose consciousness and fast. You didn't like that one bit. You couldn't move. People were shouting and asking if you were ok but you couldn't answer them. You couldn't see anyone until an older man came into view. You could hear sirens but you couldn't really pay attention to them.

"Ma'am, are you ok?" He asked but it sounded like you were underwater. Were you underwater? You began to wonder. You tried to answer but you had already let your tired eyes slip shut. You couldn't breathe why couldn't you breathe?

You heard shouting but you couldn't be bothered to listen or make out what they were saying. You heard metal cutting and felt heat but you didn't know what from. You're eyes betrayed you when you tried to open them.

"Ma'am?" That same voice asked again and you cracked your eyes open just enough. "Hey there." He said "We're going to get you out. Ok?" He said and you tried to nod your head but it was just pain and you whimpered out. "Hey don't try to move. Can you talk?" He asked.

"Yes." You said even though it was hoarse.

"What's your name?" He asked

"Y/N Wolfe." You said even tho it was slurred.

"Hi Y/N. I'm Max paramedic. We're working to get you out of there." He said as the door was lifted.

"Pregnant." You slurred closing your eyes.

"Hey don't close your eyes. How far along are you?" He asked as you cracked your eyes open.

"2 months. Just found out." You said having trouble breathing. He nodded as you blinked slowly.

"We're going to move you now ok?" Max asked and you didn't say anything. You had fallen unfocused until you felt yourself being moved.

You didn't make a sound and that worried them. You were moved onto a gurney and loaded up you heard some talking. "Y/N, I'm Jason. We're going to get you to the hospital and taken care of. I hear you're pregnant." He said and you knew they were just trying to keep you awake but it was failing and quickly.

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Sage and Wolfman were sitting on their couch reveling in the best news one's parents could get, they were going to be grandparents. They were talking about names that Bradley and you would make. They had taken bets on whether it was going to be a boy or a girl but they would have to wait just a little bit long to find out.

"I can't believe we're going to be grandparents." Your mother kept saying she was just so excited.

"I know! I can't wait to meet the little bundle of energy." Your father said just as his phone rang. He answered it with a smile.

"Hello?" He asked

"Is this Admiral Leonard Wolfe?" A woman asked

"This is he." He said

"A Y/N Wolfe was just brought in due to an accident. We tried to reach Lt. Bradley Bradshaw but were unable to get ahold of him." She said his smile dropped and his wife noticed.

"He's on a deployment right now but is due back tonight." He said "We'll be there in just a few." He said

"We'll give you more information when you get here." She said

"Thank you." He said and then hung up.

Leonard turned to his wife "Y/N/N has been in an accident." He said and his wife broke down.

"No. You're lying." She said tears threatening to fall.

"I wish I was." He said and hugged Sage.

"Did they release any details?" She asked and he shook his head.

"No." He said "Bradley is going to be expecting her to pick him up." He continued.

"We'll go to the hospital. Can you call Cyclone?" Sage said and he nodded and they did just that.

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You were floating, or you seemed like you were. You were on a beach, wait why were you there? You were in the back of an ambulance, right? You were confused. You were just about to forget about it when you saw Carole.

"Carole?" You called out and she turned around.

"Y/N!" She yelled out cheerily and then a man turned around and you recognized him as Goose.

"Goose?" You asked and he smiled they walked up to you.

"Hey, Pup." He said, he had given you that nickname when he found out Wolman had a kid, it just made sense. You met him when families were allowed to visit at Top Gun.

"Am I dead?" You asked and they shook their head.

"No, Pup. You just needed a little break for a bit." Goose said

"You're glowing." Carole said and then she gasped. "Are you pregnant?" She asked happily.

"Yes. 2 months along." You said happily and put your hands on your stomach and you were surprised when you felt the bump. That was the first time you actually felt it.

"Can I?" Carole asked and you knew she wanted to touch your belly, you nodded and you let her and she smiled. "This is so wonderful." Then pulled away when Goose started to speak.

"Finally! Bradley is going to be a father! We're going to be grandparents!" Goose said "About time he found the right one. I can't wait until he proposes." He said and then Carole hit him and he let out an 'ooof'. You wondered what they knew.

"GOOSE!" Caorle shouted and you smiled. Bradley definitely got his looks from his father.

"Your little boy is going to be one spoiled boy." Goose said and you raised an eyebrow and Carole hit Goose again this time in the stomach and he let out another 'ooof'.

"NICHOLAS BRADSHAW!" Carole said and you laughed. They must know something. She then turned to you. "How is Bradley?" She asked.

"He's good. He doesn't know yet. I just found out myself and you rubbed your hand over your belly and smiled looking out over the horizon. "I can't wait to marry him." You sighed out with a smile and they smiled with you.

"As much as we would love for you to stay here. You must go back and raise this baby and be happy with Bradley." Carole said and Goose nodded.

"You should totally name the kid Goose or Nick." Goose said and Carole just sighed and shook her head. "We really do love you kids. But you can't stay." He said being serious.

"We love you too." You said

"Tell Maverick to stop blaming himself." Goose said and you nodded you knew the story and what happened.

They began to fade out and you began hearing beeping "Remember to always love each other and don't go to bed angry." Carole said.

"Say hi to Bradley and Maverick for us. We love you both." Goose said and then they were gone.

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Cyclone had just gotten off the phone with Wolfman since he could do that. He looked at Warlock and he had a grim look on his face. "We need to go and get Lt. Bradshaw. Also, get a helicopter ready." Cyclone said and he nodded. They had just crash-landed and were celebrating and they were about to turn his world upside down.

So they walked down to the deck and walked through the crowd and got his attention which got everyone's attention. "Lt. Bradshaw." Cyclone said and he turned to look at the man who wore and grim look on his face even more grim than his normal one.

"Sir?" He asked

"It's about Y/N." Cyclone said and Bradley's face paled.

"What about her?" Maverick asked having heard the conversation and saw the look on Bradley's face.

"She's been in a car accident. We have a helicopter ready to go." Warlock said and he nodded and followed but stopped. Everyone had heard and they were just as devastated.

"Go. We'll meet you there. I'll grab your stuff." Hangman said and he nodded and headed off.

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When they got to the hospital they were greeted by Lenorad and Sage. They were just as upset as Bradley was. "Did they tell you what happened?" Bradley asked.

"No they just said that she was in a car accident and in surgery." Sage said and he nodded and sat down next to them.

They waited in silence for who knows how long. The others had arrived back on land as scheduled and rushed to the hospital to be with their squad companion. Maverick was the first one to speak.

"Wolfman, anything?" He asked and he just shook his head.

"No. All we know was she was in a car accident." He said and they nodded. Your parents decided not to say anything about the baby, they figured that it was your news to tell.

4 hrs later a doctor came out and over to them. Normally they would call out a name but not this time since they recognized Sage. They all looked up at the doctor.

"How is she?" Bradley asked being the concerned boyfriend.

"She was rear-ended and then t-boned. The t-bone car pushed her over to the other side of the intersection and over a guardrail. She hit her head twice and had a tree branch in her kidney, which we removed she also had a piece of glass puncturing her lung and we repaired it. We expect her to make a full recovery in 6-8 weeks. They're both doing ok." Dr. Xavier said

"Both?" Bradley asked shocked and so was everyone else.

"Yes, both. Ms. Wolfe is two months pregnant." He said and looked at Bradley "I take it you didn't know?" He asked and he shook his head.

"I had my suspension but we never confirmed it." He said and then looked at her parents.

"She found out today and called us. She was going to tell you but you weren't back yet." Wolfman said and Bradley broke down in tears and Maverick patted him on the back.

"Congratulations kid. Your parents would be proud." Maverick said and then brought him into a hug.

"She's in recovery now but I suspect her to make a full one. You're welcome to see her but don't overwhelm her. Room 237." Dr. Xavier said and they nodded and he left. They sat there until Jake, of all people, spoke up.

"Bradley, Wolfman, and Sage should go first and see her." He said and everyone agreed. She they all three got up and walked to your room. When they got there they saw you hooked up to wires and IVs running out of both arms and they had a device around your stomach, a baby heart monitor. They walked in and when Bradley heard his child's heartbeat he broke down crying again. They walked in and sat down waiting for you to wake up.

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30 minutes or what felt like forever to you. You woke up to multiple beepings and something warm in your hand. You slowly blinked your eyes open and turned your head and saw Bradley there. "Bradley?" You asked sleepy.

"Baby? You're awake." He said and that alerted your parents.

"Hey, Sweetheart." Your dad said with a smile "You're mother went down to the cafeteria but will be back soon." He said and you nodded.

"Baby?" You asked eyes fluttering closed and brought your hand to your stomach.

"Perfectly healthy." Bradley said smiling and you opened your eyes again.

"Was gonna tell you." You said and smiled as he smiled back.

"Oh Babe. It's ok. I'm just glad we know now." He said

"I'm gonna go and get a nurse and call your mom." Your dad said and you nodded now more awake.

"I saw your mom and dad." You said to Bradley and he looked shocked.

"Really?" He asked and you nodded.

"Your dad asked us to name our kid after him." You said with a chuckle. "He says it's a boy and Dad thinks so too." You finished.

Bradley chuckled "What do you think it is?" He asked you.

"Boy. You?" You asked

"Girl." He said and you looked at him. "So I can have two important girls in my life and she's going to look like you." He said and rubbed the back of your hand with his thumb that he was holding.

He leaned over and kissed your lips which you gladly returned. You broke apart when your doctor came in with your parents. He talked to you about your injuries and recovery and then he went on his way. Throughout the night there were nurses in and out checking on you and the baby.

Everyone came and saw and congratulated you. You missed them so much and they missed you. They couldn't wait for the little bundle of joy to be born. Penny came as well and she brought your purse with her where you told Bradley to look through it and found the ultrasound and again started crying.

"Oh Maverick?" You said and he nodded.

"Goose and Carole say hi and he says to stop blaming yourself." You said and he burst out in tears. Oh how he wished that Goose was there now.

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A week later you were released and you were glad about that. Bradley was nonstop fussing over you and you had no problem with that. The Daggers had officially become a squadron and your dad had started his teaching position.

When 3 months of your pregnancy came around you were able to find out the sex of the baby. You and Bradley were on the way to the appointment with him driving. He held your hand over the console the entire way. You were 2 weeks into your recovery and you had started working again but took it very easy, besides Penny would throw a fit if you did too much.

"I'm really hoping for a boy." You said and Bradley looked at you while stopped at a red light.

"Why is that?" He asked amused turning his attention back to the road.

"A mini-you running around." You said and smiled at him.

"Well, what about a mini-you?" He asked and you laughed.

"You don't want a mini-me running around. Either way, I'll love them anyways." You said and Bradley frowned which you didn't see. He didn't know why you always put yourself down and he hated it. It was silent the rest if the way.

When you got there. He parked the car and you both got out. Since your bump had popped he was more tentative to you as were the rest of The Daggers. If Bradley couldn't be with you then it was one of them. Surprisingly Jake was the one that stepped up the most.

You both walked into the building and got checked in and in turn, you two were sat in the waiting room. 10 minutes later you were called back. Bradley stood up and helped you up and you walked back to the examining room. "If they are a girl what name do you have picked out?" You asked Bradley and he thought about it.

"Lena Marie Bradshaw. You?" He asked turning his attention to you.

"Oh I like that name. Aliyah Samantha Bradshaw." You said and before you asked about the boy name Dr. Braxton came in.

"Good morning. I see that you're recovering from an accident." She said and you nodded.

"Yea that's right. Gave us all a scare." You said and she nodded and turned to Bradley.

"I'm Dr. Braxton and you must be Bradley the father." She said and he nodded his head "Shall we get started?" She asked and you nothing nodded. Bradley helped you lay down which you grimaced in pain. Dr. Braxton smiled sympathetically. You lifted your shirt and she spread the gel on your belly which you shivered at. "Sorry." She said and you waved her off "She right here in the little bundle." She said and pointed to the screen. "Do you want to hear the heartbeat?" She asked you both nodded and she played the sound and it was the most delightful sound to be heard. You both cried. "Would you like to find out the sex?" She asked you both nodded. She moved the wand and stopped "Well it looks like he is a very confident boy." She said and you both smiled. A little Bradley. You got the ultrasound pictures.

Your appointment wrapped up and you were on the way home. "Do you think we should have a cookout and announce it?" You asked him and he was all for it.

"Absolutely!" He said and it was set.

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Everyone had agreed to come to the cookout and it went well very well. Hotdogs and burgers were served as well as snack foods. When it was closer to dessert time that is when you decided to make the announcement. Everyone was outside sitting around a bonfire.

"Everyone we would like the make an announcement." Bradley said and stood up and so did you with the help of him and Maverick.

"We're expecting a little boy." You said and everyone cheered, your dad cheered the loudest.

"I told you!" He said and you all laughed. You all enjoyed the rest of the night. When it was getting late you bid everyone a good night cleaned up and went to bed.

"You never did tell me the name you picked out for the boy." He said and you just smiled.

"You'll find out when he comes." You said and just grinned.

"Good thing I love you." He said and kissed you and you both went to sleep.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

During your time of recovery and your pregnancy, Bradley has been a godsend. Anything you needed he was there getting it for you.

"Baby?" You asked one night at 3 AM after first he didn't answer but after shaking him he woke up.

"Yea? Are you ok? Did you water break?" He rambled on.

"I'm ok and no my water didn't break. I need to pee and I can't get up because I'm 6 months pregnant. I also want beef jerky with pickles." You whined out trying to sit up and failing and now crying. Bradley was up and awake in a instant.

"Hey don't cry. I'll help you get up and use the bathroom and then we'll go to the kitchen alright?" He asked and nodded. So he helped you get up and into the conjoined bathroom and once you were done there, you both headed to the kitchen.

He got you what you wanted and grimaced while you ate it. Ever since you learned that you were having a boy your cravings had gone weird. Especially to what boys tend to eat and craved.

He led you both to the living room and sat down on the couch as you ate and watched some boring TV show. When a commercial came on that involved animals, you just started balling, and then after you cried and had your feel you fell asleep on Bradley and that's how your parents found you when they came to check on you in the morning.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

While you were off work every member of The Dagger Squad took turns watching you and sometimes teamed up. Each of them loved it and you.

Jake always got a kick out of it but quickly lost his smirk when you went into a hormonal rage on him and backed him into a wall but afterward, you cried, you told him how sorry you were and he just held you when you cried. He came with backup the next time it was his turn to help you usually both Javy and Mickey. He would never admit it but he actually became a little scared of you.

Your hormonal rage was absolutely terrifying once you were at the base meeting Bradley there and Cyclone had said something that rubbed you the wrong way. You chewed him out worse than any Admiral that he had and also backed him up into the wall. He was literally shaking and sputtering out apologies, it took Bradley and Jake to pull you off of him and he looked petrified. He also became scared of you that day afterwards when you gave birth. Everyone made fun with it saying "Don't make me get Y/N here." His eyes would go wide and would shake his head no.

Bob and Nat acted like they were your butler waiting on you hand and foot and you felt guilty. Each time you tried to do something they would make you sit and not make you lift a finger. You cried at how helpful they were and how grateful you were for them.

Maverick and Penny always came together and they worked well as a team. They also didn't crowd you and let you do things on your own. Penny was a huge help especially since she was pregnant. Maverick was just happy Goose was getting a grandson and wished he was here.

Your mother and father were over when nobody else could come. They loved you dearly and the baby. Your mother was a great help as well and you were grateful for that. They helped you move stuff and unpack some baby things that you told them that you wanted done.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

By the time you were due to give birth, you were fully healed. Your water broke during the night, which woke you up with a start. "Bradley." You said and he didn't wake up. "Bradley." You said louder. Again nothing and finally you just yelled his name "Bradley!" You yelled and he sat up.

"I'm up. I'm up." He said and looked over at you.

"My water broke." You said and that snapped him awake. He got out of bed in a rush and started to run around and then came to you.

"Ok. Let's go." He said and off you went. You called the hospital and they called Dr. Braxton and she was going to meet you there.

When you arrived at the hospital they rushed you to Labor and Delivery. They got you set up and Bradley made some calls. Your mom and dad were the first to arrive and then all of The Dagger Squad and they brought a lot of gifts.

10 hrs is how long it took for you to be 10 cm dilated but once you were it was game on. "Ok next contraction. I want you to push." When it came you did just that. After 5 minutes of doing that over and over again and cursing out Bradley your little boy came screaming into the world. Bradley cut the cord while crying.

"You did great Babe." You said and kissed your head you were exhausted and sweaty. They placed him on your chest.

"He looks like you Bradley." You said and he chuckled.

"He looks like you too." He said and you smiled.

"What's his name going to be?" The nurse asked you just smiled.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Once cleaned up you welcomed guests. Your parents were the first ones to hold him and they were both crying. "What's his name?" Maverick asked and you smiled.

"Everyone meet, Thomas Nickolas Bradshaw." You said and Bradley stared at you in shock. He knew the first name but not his middle name. You had whispered it to the nurse.

"We also want to name Maverick and Penny as his godfather and godmother." Bradley said and Maverick teared up.

"We would be honored." He said and hugged the both of you and so did Penny.

Nothing could take this away from you not then and not now. You were glad you survived that crash. Bradley couldn't believe he had gotten so lucky but he was glad. You and Thomas were the best things that had happened to him and he was going to hold on as long as he could.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Carole and Goose were smiling down at their son and his girlfriend and now their grandson. "I told you it was going to be a boy." Goose said and Carole rolled her eyes.

"I knew the entire time. You weren't supposed to say anything." She said

"He's perfect. Definitely a good mix of them." He said and she nodded.

"Definitely." She said, "I can't wait to watch him grow up." She said even though she already saw his future.

"Wait until Ice hears that they named Thomas after him. I'm just glad they named him after me too." He said and again she rolled her eyes.

"You and I both knew they were going to do that." She said and he laughed and nodded.

"That I did." He said "That I did." He repeated.

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#bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x reader fanfiction #bradley bradshaw x reader fic #bradley bradshaw x reader imagines #bradley bradshaw x reader fandom #top gun fanfiction #top gun imagine #top gun x reader #top gun fan fiction #top gun maverick imagines #top gun maverick imagine #top gun maverick x reader #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun maverick fanfic #top gun maverick fic

[roosterforme]

The Younger Kind Part 56 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: When Bradley finally gets word about a return date, he has no idea what he's about to walk into at home. You tried your best to take care of things by yourself, but your visit to the hospital shows you how much you need someone with you for physical help as well as emotional support.

Warnings: mentions of blood, pregnancy topics, hospitals, mentions of miscarriage, swearing, angst, 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.

You managed to get in the car even though Natasha was protesting. "What's wrong?" she asked at least a dozen times as she tried to call an ambulance for you. But you just told her you could drive yourself to the hospital to be checked out. You thought you said the word pregnant to her at some point, but you weren't really sure. Nothing was making very much sense right now. 

There was traffic on every road as dinnertime approached. Everyone else was going out for the night, perhaps for a family meal at a restaurant. You saw kids walking along the sidewalks with their parents, and you started crying. You didn't like leaving Noah to wake up from his nap with Natasha suddenly there instead of you. She would take care of him, of course, but it might confuse him. You didn't see what choice you had in the matter though, as your mind was flooding with worst case scenarios.

What was happening to the baby?

You sobbed as you ran through a yellow light to try to get there faster. What if it was already too late? You were educated enough to know that there were about a million different things that could be going on right now, and they ranged from innocuous to horrifying. Maybe you did something to cause some minor bleeding. Or maybe the baby was already gone.

"Please, no," you gasped as you parked at the hospital and walked quickly through the increasingly dreary weather to the emergency entrance. Your phone was vibrating in the pocket of your sweatpants as you headed right for the desk and blurted out, "I'm pregnant, and I'm bleeding."

The exhausted looking nurse looked up at you and said, "Please have a seat in the waiting area, and I'll come get you when I'm ready for you."

You blinked at her. "I'm bleeding," you repeated in a harsh whisper. "And I'm pregnant."

"Yes," she replied with a nod. "I'll be with you in just a minute."

You took a seat and cried, afraid to use the bathroom in the waiting area, terrified to see more blood when you wiped yourself. Anytime patients came to see Dr. Kelly, you made sure you took care of them right away, especially if they were bleeding or upset. You couldn't stand the tears that would well up in a child's eyes along with uncertainty and fear. 

But then you got it. It only took you a minute to understand that if there truly was something wrong with the baby, then there was nothing they would be able to do at this point.

Your phone was ringing again, and it was Natasha. As the nurse came to retrieve you from your seat, you texted her and let her know you made it to the hospital and to focus her attention on Noah. You were shaking again as the nurse took your temperature and blood pressure, and you wanted to scream at her to do something more than check your vitals. You needed an ultrasound. You needed a doctor. You needed someone to focus on why you were bleeding.

She handed you off to another nurse, and at least he smiled sympathetically at you and said, "We'll get you checked out in no time." But you could barely walk, and you felt his hand wrap around your bicep to keep you upright as he guided you into one of the many rooms in the emergency medicine corridor. "I'll get a doctor right in here, okay?"

His voice was calm, emulating what you tried to do at your own job, and he left you a gown to change into. Once he was gone, you put it on, afraid to check your underwear as you settled onto the narrow bed. The room smelled sterile, and the fluorescent lights were making you nauseous, but he was true to his word. You started counting to yourself, trying to keep track of how much time had passed without panicking, and a few minutes later, a doctor appeared in the doorway.

She spoke your name, and when you nodded, she introduced herself. "You're pregnant?" she asked you evenly as she reached for some latex gloves. She reminded you a bit of Dr. Kelly, and you immediately felt a little bit calmer. 

"Yes. About thirteen weeks along, and I just started bleeding like an hour ago." Your voice broke on your words, but you tried to keep it together. "I'm a pediatric nurse, so I'm not completely proficient in obstetrics, but can you give me an ultrasound and check? I need to know if the baby is okay."

"Lay back so I can see what's going on here." You did exactly as you were told as your heart pounded and panic rose within you. The baby was already so loved; you and Bradley were both looking forward to the due date. Sure, you'd been a little scared of the unknown, but the idea of miscarrying had you sick with worry. 

If Bradley were here right now, you knew you'd feel so much safer, but if the baby was gone, your preference would be to deal with this yourself. The disappointment on his face would be too much to bear. You'd rather never look at him again then have to see how sad he was going to be when you told him. If you had to tell him. 

You ran your thumb along the band of your engagement ring as the doctor gave you a quick examination. "Have you had vaginal intercourse in the last forty-eight hours?"

"N-No," you sputtered. "My fiancé is deployed. He's in Japan."

"Did you masturbate?"

You shook your head; you were so tired, you could barely clean up after dinner each day, let alone get yourself off. "No."

She pulled the gown down again and said, "It's most likely just your cervical tissue reacting to something, but let's get you taken back for an ultrasound to be sure."

"Thanks," you sobbed, letting your palm come to rest on your belly as you closed your eyes and tried to stay afloat in your own terrible thoughts. "I just want to know if I'm still pregnant."

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

"Finally," Bradley muttered, running his fingers through his hair as he walked through the hangar with his helmet in his hand. Six weeks was a long time to be away from you right now. Too long, really. He had kind of fallen in love with flying Shadowhawk, but nothing compared to sharing a bed with you and reading bedtime stories to Noah. And he was itching to see the newest ultrasound photos.

He'd been confined to the Naval base at Yokosuka except for one day when the weather was too unsafe to let him fly. He took a short trip back into the city, chaperoned of course, but he was allowed to visit a bookstore. He ended up buying eight books for Noah and the baby, and he couldn't wait to show them to you. And he'd be able to do that soon, because he finally had a return date. If he did his math right, he'd be home in time to take Noah out to get candy on Halloween, as long as he wasn't delayed.

With just a few days left flying Shadowhawk, he really let the throttle tilt. He could hear Admiral Palmer warning him about his speed over the crystal clear comms, and he smiled before he responded. "Yes, sir. I'll ease off." But he didn't until he made a beautiful loop through the air. He was getting used to the ridiculous pressure on his body now, and when he got to San Diego and switched back to his Super Hornet, he was going to miss this feeling. He couldn't wait to try to describe it to you.

He knew what was coming. He was anticipating hours spent looking at his own flight data with the officers, but when the time came, he just felt antsy. The sixth-generation fighter had been moved back into the hangar for storage. He'd taken his last flight. His bags were packed, and he was ready to go home, but he had to pretend to be interested in what came next: at least fifty admirals sifting through data before anything would be determined. Bradley hoped these jets would eventually come to find a home with the US Navy, but it would be years from now if they did. He had done his part, and he wanted to be let loose again.

When he woke up on the day of his departure, he signed a final set of privacy forms before his phone was returned to him as he was ushered out to a car waiting to take him to the airport. He couldn't leave soon enough at this point. All he could picture was your face and Noah's, happy to see him home again. He could practically feel your body in his hands, and it was the only thing he wanted. 

Once he settled in for the short ride, he turned his phone on to find that he only had a tiny bit of battery left. Without even checking to see what time it was at home, he called you. He'd let his phone die talking to you right now if need be, and then he could charge it later. But you didn't answer. That was okay.

"Princess, I'm coming home. I'm on my way to the airport in Tokyo right now, and it's a ten hour flight. I think I'll be landing after midnight, so don't worry about getting Noah out of bed to come pick me up. I'll get an Uber or a taxi. I can't wait to see you, Baby. I love you."

He ended the call, and as soon as he started to investigate all of his missed text messages, the phone died. He was dropped off at the airport with barely half an hour to spare before his flight was scheduled to leave, and that's when he realized he didn't even have his phone charger with him. 

"Fuck," he muttered, rooting around in his bag but coming up with nothing. Maybe it got lost in his room in the barracks when he dumped his bag out? Maybe it was in his duffle which he checked at the airline desk. Regardless, he didn't have time to try to buy a new one, because his flight was already boarding by the time he found the gate. After questioning the flight attendants as to whether or not they had the type of charger he needed, he gave up hope, tossed his phone into his bag and tried to sleep for as much of the ten hour flight as he possibly could. He would be home with his family soon enough.

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

You played the voicemail message from Bradley over and over again, but you could barely understand a word that he said. It sounded garbled and fuzzy, and it kept cutting out. He said something about being in Tokyo and something about Noah, and then he told you he loved you, but that's all you could figure out for sure.

"Can you understand what he's saying?" you asked softly, holding up the phone for Natasha to listen to it pretty much as soon as she walked through your front door in her uniform. "I've been trying to decipher this all day."

She took it from your hand and listened to it on speakerphone and then listened again with it pressed to her ear as she made a face. "Hang on," she muttered, playing it a third time. 

She'd been staying at the house with you since your overnight visit to the emergency room. She had essentially been doing everything for you and Noah so you barely had to lift a finger after work each day. You wouldn't have been able to do it on your own, but every time you tried to thank her, she told you it was no big deal and that Bradley was her best friend. You were afraid you were eating into her time with Javy, but she just rolled her eyes and said, "Hoes before bros."

She listened to the message one more time before she said, "It kind of sounds like he's coming home? And he's going to arrive after midnight? And he's getting an Uber from the airport?"

Your heart beat faster. "Do you think he means tonight?"

Noah came running into the living room with a coloring sheet in each hand and Skittles bounding after him. "Aunt Natasha!"

"Hey squirt," she said, picking him up and flying him around the room. She turned back to you and said, "Hopefully it means he'll be back tonight. Let's just leave the porch light on after dinner in case." Then she hauled Noah off to the kitchen where she started cooking while you took a shower. 

Dr. Kelly had immediately cut your hours back for which you were so thankful. She was very understanding when you talked to her. Tomorrow was Halloween, and it was Saturday. The plan was for Natasha to wear the costume you originally bought for Bradley, but if he arrived home tonight and was able to function tomorrow, maybe he'd want to go out to collect candy himself. You were just aching to see him at this point, and now your skin was tingling with the anticipation of him holding you.

After you ate, you tried to clean, but Natasha said, "I'll clean up after Noah's in bed." And then she sent you to the couch with a blanket while she and Noah took Skittles for a long walk down to the beach. You fell asleep there shortly after they left, and you weren't surprised that you ended up in your bed even before Noah was in his for the night. 

You let Natasha take care of everything while you tried to text Bradley again. You'd been trying all day, but he hadn't responded to a single one of them. You checked to see which flights were currently on their way from Tokyo to San Diego, and three of them were arriving late tonight. Honestly, the garbled voicemail had you on edge all day long, making you more exhausted than usual. You fell asleep hoping that he was on one of the flights and that he would be home soon.

And then you woke up to a loud voice coming from the living room. You jolted in bed, throwing the covers off of you in alarm before you realized that the voice was familiar.

"Princess? Baby, it's me! It's Bradley. I didn't want to scare you."

"Bradley," you gasped, jumping out of bed and grabbing at your nightstand until you could get your footing. "Bradley!" you called out a little louder.

"It's me, Baby," he answered. "Is Nat here? Why is her SUV in the driveway?"

You nearly collided with his best friend in the dark hallway, and when you both made it out to the dimly lit living room, you saw him standing there. Tears filled your eyes as you raced for him, and he picked you up into his arms and cradled you against his big body while Skittles whimpered at his feet.

"Daddy," you whispered, aware that Natasha was standing right behind you. "I missed you so much."

He kissed along your neck and your cheek and all of the parts of your face that he could reach as he said, "I love you. I love you so much. I missed you and Noah and the baby." He ran his nose along the shell of your ear and said, "Hey, Nat. What are you doing here? And why are you holding my mom's antique lamp?"

You turned to glance at her over your shoulder where she was indeed standing with the lamp in her hand at her side in her ratty old shirt and lounge pants. "I was making sure you were really you and not an intruder."

He laughed. "You were going to beat the shit out of me with a lamp?"

"Absolutely," she said with a yawn. "Welcome home." Then she turned and went back to the extra bedroom leaving the two of you alone.

Bradley's lips were on yours immediately, and even though you knew you had so much to tell him, you let yourself enjoy the indulgence of his kisses. You whimpered against his mouth and brushed your fingers softly through his hair. "I'm assuming we need to talk," he murmured. "You wanna tell me why she's here?"

You nodded and whispered, "Let's go to the bedroom."

He left his bags on the floor and carried you there immediately, setting you on the unmade bed and dropping down next to you. The room was pretty dark, and you curled up against his body, getting as close to him as you could. You inhaled his scent and soaked up his warmth, finally feeling better than you had in over a month. All of the fear seemed to wash away as he said, "I'm sorry I only left you that one message, but my phone died, and I can't find my charger. Nobody on my flight had the right one either, because apparently my phone is as ancient as I am."

You laughed softly. "I like vintage things, remember?"

"I do recall that," he replied easily. "Is tonight the first night Nat slept here?"

You took a deep breath and whispered, "No. She's been staying here for about a week to help out. Ever since I started... bleeding."

"Bleeding?" he echoed, his arm wrapping around you a little tighter as you nodded against his neck and tried to gather your thoughts. "Princess, what happened?"

His voice was alert and strong yet worried and cautious, and you told him, "I went to the bathroom last week, and when I wiped I was bleeding." His sharp intake of breath had you scrambling as you said, "The baby is okay."

"Are you okay?" he asked, gently rolling you onto your back to get a better look at your face. "Fuck. I should have never agreed to go away." He ran his big hand across your forehead and down your cheek. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," you promised as you cried for what seemed like the hundredth time. "I was just so scared," you admitted, your voice barely a squeak. "I was so scared the baby was gone."

You realized Bradley's fingertips were rubbing soothing circles against your side as he whispered, "I'm sorry I left. I'm so sorry I wasn't here to take care of everything. Please, tell me what happened. Tell me everything."

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

Bradley got you cuddled under the covers, and he turned the lamp on so he could better see your face. You looked beautiful if not exhausted, and he was so grateful for his best friend being there for you. "I guess I overdid it a little bit," you admitted. "I took some extra hours at work and started getting the bedroom ready for the baby. I just wanted the weeks to pass quickly, you know? When I started bleeding, I called Natasha, and she came right over. She's basically been here since then."

He kissed your nose. "What did the doctors do?"

You closed your eyes and whispered, "They checked me over. Every inch. And they found that I needed progesterone shots. They caught it just in time, so maybe it was good that I ended up there."

Bradley felt like an idiot, but it didn't matter as long as you were okay. "What's the progesterone for exactly?"

You smiled as you snuggled closer to him. "It'll make my uterus better for the baby. Safer. The injections are pretty common, and I only need to get them a few more times. But I'm tired of all the needles, and now I can kind of understand how some of my own patients feel."

Bradley laced his finger with yours and asked, "And you're sure you're okay? Perfectly safe and healthy?"

"Yes. The baby is, too."

He kissed your forehead as he realized he was crying. "Just as long as you're okay, Princess. I love you." You nodded as you fell asleep, and he knew how badly you needed to rest. After he turned the light off, he held you against his chest and tried to make sense of everything. 

You and the baby were okay. Your doctor and the staff from the emergency room were monitoring your blood work every week now. You were getting injections in your thigh which were making your leg sore and bruised, but it was helping the baby. As much as he'd loved flying Shadowhawk, he regretted his time away from home a little bit more now.

When you rolled away from him around six o'clock, he had barely slept. Carefully, he extracted himself from the bed, and Skittles came trotting right over to him. He picked her up and straightened out the wrinkled clothing he had been wearing for way too long, but when he walked out to his kitchen, he found Nat was already there. She turned to face him as Skittles started licking his face, and he walked right into her arms for a hug.

"Thank you," he whispered, letting her hold him while he cried. "Is she really okay? She told me she's fine."

She rubbed his back and said, "Mostly. I think. She is stubborn, Bradley. When I got here, she drove herself to the emergency room before I even had a full grasp of the fact that she was pregnant. She told me to stay with Noah until she came home, and when I told her I'd get Javy to come stay here while I met her at the hospital, she yelled at me."

"That tracks," he said softly. He thought about how you stood up for him and Noah and fought alongside him for custody. Even after you got hurt. Even after he hurt you. 

"She was terrified that you'd be upset about a potential miscarriage."

Bradley felt like she slapped him in the face. "Shit," he grunted as she released him from the hug. It wasn't like that kind of thing could usually be prevented. He would have been sad, yeah, but only because he was so excited. He wouldn't have been upset with you though. Not at all. "I'll talk to her more about that when she wakes up." He scratched his head and set Skittles down. "Did you clean my kitchen?"

"Yes," she replied evenly as she switched on the coffee maker. "And if you try to thank me for anything I did, I swear to god, I will fucking key your Bronco. I did it for her, because she needed help."

He caught himself before he could thank her again, too afraid to find out if she was telling the truth. She probably was. "I'll make sure she's getting all the rest she needs. She will not be lifting a finger around here."

"That's what I like to hear," she said, patting him on the chest. "Now, I'm going to take one of your travel mugs full of your overpriced coffee from your fancy machine and head back to my place. I'll call you later, and I'll stop by tonight to hand out candy to your trick-or-treaters while you take Noah around the neighborhood."

"Shit, I guess I need to go out and buy candy and costumes and everything."

As her coffee brewed, Nat said, "It's all been taken care of. The bags of candy are on top of the fridge."

Bradley glanced in that direction and said, "You have to let me repay you, Nat."

She grabbed the travel mug and pulled her keys out of her pocket, brandishing them in his face. "Fuck around and find out, Bradshaw. You will not thank me, and you will not pay me back. You'll just let me come over and play with Noah at least once a week now while you take care of your wife-to-be. Those are my terms. Have a nice day."

"Okay," he called out, following her to the door to make sure her key went directly into her own ignition where it belonged. Then he got to work, pulling up some recipes on his phone; he was going to attempt to be the best dad and almost husband in the entire world, because that's what his family needed. 

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

If you have been through any of this kind of shit like I have, I'm sending you a hug. It's stressful and scary, and not something you should have to deal with alone. Bradley is home and ready to be the absolute best. Thanks to @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 57

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[sunlightmurdock]

bradley bradshaw extended universe

↳ aka Katie’s Rooster masterlist

18+, minors dni. If I notice that you are an ageless / underage blog, you will be blocked

Completed Series ✓

Sub Rosa — Masterlist (completed)

After months of sneaking around, and a few weeks of not seeing each other, Rooster and Reader get a few minutes to themselves at Ice’s birthday party.

Trouble in Paradise — masterlist (completed)

After the most painful break-up of his life, Rooster is stationed in Hawaii for the next six months. Alone, away from home and hurting, he finds comfort in the arms of a stranger.

Ongoing Series

Ceasefire — masterlist

Bradley Bradshaw is in San Diego, summoned to Top Gun for the first time. Commander “Hyde” Simpson is his flight instructor, and she doesn’t have time for schoolboy crushes.

My Future in You — masterlist

Bradley’s twenty-two years old and not where he’s supposed to be. He’s supposed to be out of the academy by now. He’s mad at the world. Then, a hook up at a Halloween party changes his future even more than he could have imagined. College / accidental pregnancy au

Safe Zone (+ Jake Seresin) — masterlist

A team of elite naval aviators holding down the fort at the North Island Air Base while they wait for reinforcements after a virus sweeps the continental U.S. - only, it’s been three months and no one has shown up. Zombie au

Blow by Blow — masterlist

Bradley’s washed up before his career has even really begun. He doesn’t want to fill his father’s shoes and he doesn’t want someone else to either. Stuck in limbo, living the same way he always has, the opportunity to step up wanders through the door of his gym in a mini dress and heels that are a size too big. Boxing au.

The Parent Trap — masterlist

In which, after a couple of years of listening to Peyton and Piper Bradshaw complain about their parents’ custody agreement, Grandpa Mav’s meddling goes a little bit too far.

The Odyssey — masterlist

The tale of the arrogant classics professor and the dwindling, soon-to-be-wed heiress that was failing his class.

Ashes, Ashes — masterlist

Maverick is missing in action after not making it back from the uranium trip, leaving his estranged daughter and Bradley Bradshaw to pick up the pieces.

Aeterna — masterlist *coming Summer 24*

Eternity and the related concept of infinity. The summer you strayed from home. 70s circus supernatural thriller au.

Drabble Series’

Hey, Hot Shot — masterlist

Just us spreading our firefighter Bradley agenda — more of a series of one shots / drabbles, etc rather than a series

How you wish it could be all the time — masterlist

A masterlist of drabbles / one shots about Bradley and his dangerous entanglement with Pete Mitchell’s daughter

One-Shots

Helping Hand

So, why do they call you Rooster?

Dog Fight

Pursuit

When All is Said and Done

For Old Times’ Sake + its prequel ‘Five Stars’!

Nerves of Steel (Part One and Two)

#bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw au #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw smut #trouble in paradise #ceasefire #my future in you #safe zone #sub Rosa

[goldustwomun]

take a chance on me (b.b.)

pairing: bradley ‘rooster’ bradshaw x ex! mother! reader

summary: your daughter stumbles upon a photo of you and a mysterious man, immediately noticing the similarities between him and her. nothing good can come from revisiting the past, especially one you’d hoped to avoid because you’d never gotten the courage to tell him, the man from the photo, that he’s a father.

warnings: major rip-off of the mamma mia! plot but this was purely for enjoyment so xxx; angst angst angst; swearing; allusions to sex; a lot of exposition so sorry ‘bout that 

wc: 9.2k+

note: had so much fun messing around with this request (thank you by the way!!). listening to the mamma mia! soundtrack the whole time and now yearning for an island romance<3 

ps. reader’s age is slightly hinted to being over 30 but that’s only if you do the math and i left the daughter’s age ambiguous (she’s a teen, over sixteen at least); also, daughter’s name is poppy!

pps. i probably won’t be writing a second part to this because i love the ambiguous ending; let your imagination run free lovelies :))

more of my work x

The summer heat was thick and just about everywhere, like sticky honey you can’t wipe clean off your fingers after spreading it onto a piece of too-burnt toast. 

You were on the verge of giving up, trekking back home and collapsing onto the sofa with a stand-up fan aimed at your sweat-slick face. 

Maybe the dungarees hadn’t been your best idea when it came to thirty-degree weather, but the utility of them, their pockets filled to the brim with spare screws, a cylinder-shaped glue for the hot glue gun you’d lost in your storage room a week back, a few hair ties for when the one currently holding yours up snapped for the third time that day.

Practicality over comfort, as was your motto for the past over-a-decade of your life. As it had been, since you’d found yourself pregnant after a one-night-stand (turned many, many night-stand) you’d yet to shake yourself free of).

You were never one to ask for help, and when it came to raising your child, things hadn’t changed. No matter how desperate you were, working two jobs on an island you didn’t speak the language of, an infant perched on your hip, whaling in your ears whilst you simultaneously cleaned the rooms of the little bed-and-breakfast you’d landed a job at.

When you weren’t taking care of your kid or working, you were thinking about one of those two things, or both. 

And it wasn’t like you hated it entirely; she was the best thing to ever happen to you, could have arrived at a more opportune time, but she was your best friend if you’d ever had one. So saying she was a mistake or something you regretted– it was an unfathomable thought that had only crossed your mind once, sat in the doctor’s waiting room, pregnancy test wrapped in toilet paper, clutched tight in your trembling hands. 

“Ma’!” she yelled now, your little Poppy with her chocolate-brown curls, sun-kissed skin from all the time spent at the beach. Remarkably like her Father, but you’d never tell her that. 

“I’m here, I’m here!” you answered in a similar, exasperated fashion, bent over a crack in the intricately tiled mosaics that covered the floor of the plaza. 

You still worked at that bed-and-breakfast, though now it was yours and had expanded to a vast number of the buildings at the centre of the island. Everyone helped out, whether out of kindness or a small fee, and you were grateful for the community, the small army, you had behind you, catching you every time you stumbled (far too often than you’d ever admit).

“Need help?” Poppy asked, amused, hands perched over her white-tiered skirt clad hips, looking like the stubborn replica of her mother, of you. Her head just about obscured the sun from beating down on you anymore than it already was, framing her with a halo of gold that tinted the edges of her hair. 

“I’m alright, love,” you assured, heaving yourself straight with a pained groan. Poppy crowded you, arms going around your shoulders to help you up. “Why don’t you go help Esme. She’s in the storage room, looking for the hot glue gun.”

“Still haven’t found that thing?” 

“No, I– fuck. Everything disappears around here. Swear we’ve got a ghost or something, the only logical explanation.” Poppy nodded along, taking your finger-pointing at the supernatural with a deathly seriousness.

“Makes sense if you ask me, ghost with a hankering for rusty tools,” she agreed, voice solemn. “Aaaand you’re sure I can’t help you here?” she asked again, murky brown eyes baring right into your soul. You brushed her off, nudging her in the direction of the sweet old lady, Esme, with her wonky English accent and pastries to die for. 

“If you see anything you like, put it to the side!” you called after her retreating figure, shaking your head as she chucked a ‘thumbs up’ behind her back. 

Not only was she the spitting image of her Father, or rather, the man who got you pregnant as you called him in your head, but she walked and talked with that same air of breezy confidence that got him into your pants in the first place. 

You’d hoped a few more of your mannerisms (and none of your risky mistakes) would have brushed off on her as she grew up, but other than your resolute anger and little patience, she was nothing like you. 

Always headstrong, sometimes teetering on the precipice of arrogance, but she usually relented and bugged you with her incessant chatter until you forgave her. 

Would stare up at you, all watery and doe-eyed, hair curling around her chubby cheeks still splotchy from her tantrum, near ready for tears again until you were shushing her with a carrot stick coated in hummus (her favourite but you worried she’d turn into a chickpea or something close to it). 

Even if she was part-chickpea, you’d love her forever. 

Named her Poppy after the bunches of wild, scarlet-red flowers you’d seen breaking through the stones of the Acropolis when you were pregnant and needed a break from the island. Your Poppy was a lot like that; able to push past even the most inconceivable of hardships, past whatever unmovable stone that might be surrounding her, threatening to cage her in, until she was illuminating the world around her. Painting it a little brighter for everyone to enjoy.

Your very own field of flowers. 

Poppy could admit that even with having grown up on the island, she could never get used to the heat or the muggy feeling of her clothes sticking to her like a second layer of skin. But she persisted, finding Esme with a cloth tied around her head as a make-shift hat in the barn they used for storage.

It was… falling to pieces, and still, that was an understatement. 

The blue doors looked more grey than anything ocean-like, the junk crammed inside, stacks on stacks of unlabelled cardboard boxes she worried had a family of something disgusting in at least one of them. The ceiling had caved-in in places, allowing beams of sunlight to penetrate through, and acting as a door for the birds to fly in and build their nests.

So yes, the barn was falling to pieces, the entire hotel was, actually.  But what worried her the most was that her Mother seemed close to the same fate despite being so young, so she’d persist where she had to.

“Little girl, come help me with this box would you!” Esme ordered from somewhere within the labyrinth of boxes. Poppy picked her way through, using the groans Esme exerted as a homing-beacon and eventually bumping into the older woman. She was caked in dust and dirt, but didn’t seem to care all that much if the grin on her face was any hint of her mood.

Esme was rather grumpy a lot of the time, so a smile like that, one that screamed mischief, and her eyes beaming with that all-knowing look she got sometimes after visiting the psychic on the other side of the island… Well, something told her this couldn’t be good.

“What’s in this particular box, May?” Poppy questioned, huffing as she pushed it onto the ground.

“You’ll see in a moment–” Esme tssked at her impatience, patting her back so Poppy would move into the light so they could see its contents more clearly. When it was in place, Poppy looked-up at her from her crouched position on the floor expectantly, still unsure of where this was headed. 

“Don’t give me such a dumb look, little girl, open it!” she scolded, frowning so deeply Poppy worried her mouth would be stuck that way permanently. 

Sometimes she thought it already was. “Okay- Okay– Stop calling me that,” she added under her breath, pulling back the hole-ridden flaps and immediately rummaging through, wondering what all the fuss was about.

“This just looks like a bunch of old junk, May. I don’t think the glue-gun is in here.” 

“Keep looking,” she insisted, peering over her shoulder. It was only a few minutes later that her hand came down on Poppy’s shoulder, gripping tight enough that Poppy stopped shuffling things around, hand stuck on a tattered journal she’d never seen before. “That one– take that out.” 

“This?” Poppy asked inquisitively, lifting it from the box and standing up so Esme could see. 

“Yes, this,” she nodded with a relieved sigh, flipping open the first page. Inside, Poppy admired the elegant script, eyes widening at the name inscribed on the first page. 

“This was Ma’s?” 

Esme held it out to her, confirming her wild thoughts, doing little to halt the curiosity currently poking at her mind. “This was your Mother’s when I first met her. Maybe… younger than you, or the same age, I’m not sure. But she was beautiful, and hardworking, and very, very pregnant.” 

A forced laugh stumbled past her lips, disbelieving as she carefully turned to the next page. A stray photo, not stuck down like the others, flew out of the bottom. Poppy scrambled to pick it up, not wanting it to get lost amongst the piles of stuff they desperately needed to sort out.

In it was her Mother, looking radiant with her head tilted back in laughter, flowers in her hair, an arm around her waist that belonged to an unfamiliar man. “And– this guy, who’s he?” Poppy’s heart was hammering now, knowing the answer before Esme could even respond.

He had her curls, unruly and deep brown. And something about him, the fluidity in his shoulders, the ease with which he carried himself, the look on your face. It couldn’t be…

“I’m not sure. I never knew his name but he was following your Mother around that summer, like a lost puppy. Very cute,” she murmured appreciatively, gaze fixated on the photo in your hand. 

Poppy’s heart sank, hating the lack of answers, the not-knowing. She needed to know, could feel the fire stoked in the pit of her belly that would keep her up until she found out more, more, more. 

You wouldn’t say anything. You were tightlipped about the ingredients in your famous pasta sauce, so anything about Poppy’s potential Father would be a no-go, a dead end she couldn’t get herself stuck in and clue you in on her snooping.

“What happened to him– the puppy man?” Poppy did nothing to hide her curiosity, knowing deep down that Esme had lured her to this box for a reason. 

Everyone could see how you were wearing away, working yourself to the bone everyday for a dream that seemed just about unreachable. You needed someone, anyone, to help you, and Poppy wouldn’t always be there to do just that. 

She knew you didn’t need a man, bursting into your life and fixing your problems. It’d have you biting at his heels until he was running off into the sunset. But a partner– a companion, maybe, who could support you when the job was brutal and rough and you were nearing a breakdown like no other– you deserved, at the very least, that.

Poppy would make sure of it. It didn’t take long for her to do the calculations, nine months minus her birthday and she had an approximate date to look for. She thumbed through the journal, marking the pages that mentioned any indication of when you’d written in it, and shoved it into the back pocket of your denim shorts to search through later.

She’d find him if it was the last thing she’d ever do. 

Hopefully, it wouldn’t be, but she needed to see you smiling like you had in that picture. And Poppy had an inkling, a feeling, a certainty like no other, that the answer to all of your problems, maybe her’s as well, would be found with the man with the funny moustache and wicked grin. 

The internet was a powerful machine, and one, Poppy thought decidedly, she’d be forever grateful for. It didn’t take long to hunt down the mystery man from the photo. She smiled, somewhat maniacally, really, at the screen as she read through the email she received from the United States Navy. 

She’d gotten the idea after noticing the dog-tag around his neck, nestled against his bare chest. It was hard to see at first, what with the obnoxious printed shirts he wore in every photo, but Poppy was nothing if not thorough, meticulous, error-free. 

Anyway, it wasn’t like the Navy had actually responded to her far-fetched cries for help, but she did find a help-centre that was rather effective in hunting down men who had gotten someone or the other pregnant while deployed internationally. 

Poppy wondered how often this kind-of thing happened that they needed a whole department for it, suddenly trying to burn the image in her mind of a few more miniature him-with-the-moustache-s walking around the Earth. 

But it couldn’t be, not with the way he had stared at you in that photo. And you’d kept it, all these years, so it had to have meant something. 

Bradley Bradshaw. She scoffed, what a dumb name. And his callsign? Somehow worse– Rooster. She hoped eternally her maybe-Father wasn’t a proper moron now, and could still live upto the photos she had of him (of which she found many more hidden between pages in your journal). 

He was quite attractive, almost two decades earlier. And you– well, even today, you were ethereal in Poppy’s eyes. Carefree and determined. 

“Pops– hun, I’m going down to the post office, need anything mailed?” you asked from the other side of her bedroom door. 

“Yeah! One sec,” she replied, frantically shoving all of the post-it notes and pictures back into a drawer in her desk, doing one last scan of her room to make sure she hadn’t left anything lying around before snatching up the letter– to Rooster– from beside her laptop. 

Poppy opened the door to see you resting against the door frame, flipping through the letters (bills, probably) you had clutched in your hand. You held out your hand, waiting for her to drop it in your palm, but she quickly yelled out, “No!” which had you looking up from the dreaded envelopes with a raised brow. 

“No…?” you asked, confused at her unusual outburst. “So you don’t have any mail?”

“No,” she repeated, dumbly, mouth forming words that never made it out. “No– I have a letter, but I’ll come with you. Drop it off myself,” she explained eventually, nodding along as if she was trying to convince herself.

You relented, sending another curious look towards your daughter but stomping down the stairs, creaks following, to the car. “I’m leaving now so put your shoes on!” you sang. 

She sighed out of relief, shoving her feet into her trainers and barreling past you into the front seat of your Jeep. “God, Poppy– what’s gotten into you? Acting like a five-year old, I swear,” you grumbled, irritated and lethargic enough to have her wincing with guilt. 

This was a good thing, right? Sure, you’d be angry– scratch that, furious, murderous, down-right irate, when you found out, but you’d understand. She was doing this for you. 

“Sorry,” she appeased, kicking her feet onto the dashboard that earned her another withering glare from you. It did little to dissuade her as she continued talking. “Just giddy, that’s all.”

“Giddy? About a letter?” Poppy hummed in agreement, watching the ocean and mountain-side trees rush by, painting an array of abstract strokes across her vision. “Is it for a boy?” you asked, teasingly, side-eyeing her before returning to concentrating on the winding road ahead. 

“Mmm, funnily enough, yeah,” she giggled, loving how you were entirely clueless. 

“Interesting,” you murmured, then reaching across the console to squeeze your daughter’s bare knee. “Be careful, yeah?” 

Poppy’s eyes flashed, chest-clenching painfully as she worried her lip between her teeth. Her hand moved to rest across yours. You’d never opposed her love-life, of her having one, but Poppy had always wondered why your own dating history was so sparse, time spent, instead, taking care of her or, later on, the hotel. 

“Always, Ma’, you know that,” she made sure with a tight grin, praying you missed how it didn’t reach her eyes.

This was a good thing, she reminded herself. This was for you. 

Poppy was jumpier than usual, like a skittish cat, you observed silently. Slamming doors and screens shut when you walked by. You didn’t necessarily care what she was up to until she was rambling off, a mile a minute, going on about an excuse you hadn’t asked for.

You were a good mother, one that didn’t pry or push when you wanted the gossip and highlights of your kid’s life. Had built a relationship, a friendship, even, with your daughter where she voluntarily shared the information without you ever needing to bat an eyelash. 

So you tried not to worry, to let the mishaps distract you from the seemingly never-ending list of work you had tugging your attention elsewhere. 

But that was another thing about being a mother; worrying was second nature, a muscle that unknowingly worked itself sore whenever your daughter was out of your sight. 

She’d go off during the day, by the beach with her friends, at the dock helping with shipments or sailing into the late afternoon, returning only when the sun was sinking into the horizon and the sky was all shades of purple, pink, a burning orange. 

She’d give you a soft, routine kiss on your cheek as you sat on the dinner table, skin sticking to the plastic cover you’d laid on the surface to protect the wood. Spew details of her day, who said what, who kissed who– though always failing to mention the letter from a month ago, the unknown boy she was secretly buzzing about was still unknown. 

You hadn’t forgotten the letter, not recognising the address, some small town in America with little significance to you. 

Poppy sat across from you now, talking around a mouthful of the sandwich you’d made the both of you with the leftover baguette from the bakery across the street, one that hadn’t sold that day so was priced cheap.

“--and then, you’ll never guess, but Dom was changing on the boat and basically flashed everyone. Tony and Riley included. I felt so bad, almost pushed the boys overboard and she was so red for someone who, basically, never got embarrassed.”

You snorted, stopping mid-bite. “Just because someone doesn’t make their emotions obvious doesn’t mean they don’t feel them. And I hope they’ll apologise to her.” 

“Oh, of course, of course,” she agreed enthusiastically, eyes wide as if digesting every single one of your words. “And they did right after I threatened them. It wasn’t awkward for long, they’re not a bad bunch or anything. It was an accident, Dom said so herself.”

“That’s good,” was all you answered, now distracted by a letter in your hand you’d pulled from the pile as Poppy talked. She was watching you intently, burning a hole through the paper, and, being her Mother, you already knew she was dying to know who it was from.

“It’s for you,” you said eventually, putting her out of her momentary misery as she squealed and snatched it from your hand. You watched discreetly, touched by the sight of her mouthing the words as she read the letter. “Is it from that American boy of yours?” 

“American?– what– I mean, how do you– how do you know he’s American?” she stuttered messily, mouth agape and ready to argue.

You reflexively held up your hands in surrender. “Hey, love– I just saw the sender’s address, that’s all,” you assured. 

She collapsed back into her seat, mumbling an apology for getting all worked up.

It was now or never, you decided, finally sick of the anxiety coursing through your veins these past few weeks. 

“Poppy, you’re… alright, right?” you asked, struggling to find the right words and sighing, forehead resting against your palm while the other crossed the table, holding your daughter’s hand, grip light and featherlike, in comfort. 

“I mean– you’d tell me if you were in any trouble, or anything. I wouldn’t judge or–”

“Ma!” she scolded, sounding appalled by your line of questioning and roughly pulling her hand out of your grasp.

“Don’t ‘Ma’ me, Pops. You’ve been going mental for weeks now! I’m allowed to fret, I’m your Mother!” you retorted, standing up abruptly, chair screeching against the linoleum tiles as you dropped the plates into the sink. 

“It’s nothing, I swear–”

“Is it drugs?” you asked suddenly, turning around to face her. 

She looked completely aghast, arms crossed against her chest defensively and, what was likely subconsciously, pouting at you. “If it’s drugs, Pops, we can get help. I’ve got money saved up and I know a decent doctor on the mainland. I’ll get you an appointment tomorrow if you let me–”

“Ma!” she screeched again, parroting your earlier movements, walking right up to you, holding your shoulders firmly, and shaking as she spoke, or rather, yelled. “I’m not on drugs, don’t be stupid!” You scowled at her, pushing her off of you.

“Then what is it because I’ve been wracking my brain for what could possibly have my child on fucking edge and–”

“I found a journal!” she interrupted, voice loud and exasperated. You whipped around, pinning her down with a stare you’d mastered over the years. She froze on the spot, likely shocked she’d let it slip in the first place.

“You found a– a journal? Where? Who’s?” you asked succinctly, hiding your shaking hands behind your back. 

“Uh– it was– Esme, she– it’s her’s, and she wanted me to help her find the name of this guy who’d visited her when she was younger. I reached out and it’s a letter from him, that’s it. I was excited for her,” she explained, but the way her voice wavered made you certain that wasn’t the whole story. 

“Then why didn’t you just tell me?” you reasoned, still unbelieving. It was too convenient of an explanation. 

“Because she told me not to! You’re– you’re a bit harsh, sometimes, a bit cynical when it comes to love,” she said, hesitantly, mouth twitching with a smile at how you were now the one pouting. “Anyway, you’re always telling me to butt out of people’s business so I thought it’d be best to just keep it to myself.”

The two of you, mother and daughter, stood in silence for many long minutes, bathed in the nauseating yellow glow of the kitchen lights, flickering bulbs casting ugly shadows across your faces. But it was home, the one one you knew, so you never complained, at least not out loud.

Not when Poppy was around to hear you. “Okay, I believe,” you relented, returning to the dishes, though Poppy nudged you out of the way.

“Why don’t you let me do this, huh? Go sit down for a bit, I’ll finish tidying up.”

You opened your mouth to protest but Poppy was quick to give you a look– the look. Same one you’d mastered after many years of dealing with her fits, and evidently, she seemed to have learnt it as well. You acquiesced reluctantly, hands raised for the second time that night, and fell back, fainted more like, onto the sofa.  

Poppy stood, hunched over the sink, and you watched her from your position in the living room. 

Something– a nagging feeling you couldn’t quite get rid off– poked at you, at your brain in all of its aching, slimy glory– that the story she fed you was just that– a story, fictional. But you trusted her, unlike some other mother’s who’d lecture you over the cabbages in the market about how you were too lenient with Poppy, how she’ll end up just like you.

You griped internally. She’d be lucky if she turned out anything like you. Your gaze returned to her, shoulders moving as she scrubbed at the dirty dishes.

Okay. Maybe not exactly like you. 

He arrived on an assuming Tuesday, a single bag strapped to his back, all brown skin and smouldering looks hidden behind decade-old sunglasses. Poppy couldn’t believe it, not one bit, as she greeted the stranger while working at the pier.

He had her curls, unruly and deep brown. 

“Can I help you?” she asked politely, lips pulled into a frown to hide the urge of flinging herself at him with no explanation at all.

“Yeah, I’m looking for this address–” he fumbled with a piece of paper, pulling it from his back pocket. It was a letter, her letter, and he jabbed at the address, her address, on the front of the creased envelope. “--or if that’s not familiar, Poppy? She said her name was Poppy. Do you know anyone like that around these parts?”

She snorted. What were the chances? 

She’d almost bailed on her shift, persuaded by Ben and his pretty smile to sneak out to the hidden beach on a nearby island. You’d managed to coerce him into going another day, mumbling an excuse or two in between kisses as you rushed down to the dock. 

And then there he was, looking a lot like the lost puppy Esme had described to you. He still had the same odd facial hair, though it fit him a little better, having aged well. 

“Poppy? Yeah, I know her,” Poppy mused, pulling at her bottom lip in faux-thought, eyes darting between the letter and the confused man holding it.

“Right, well–” he cleared his throat, shifting his weight between his feet. “Can you direct me towards her?”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” you nodded vehemently, hoping he couldn’t see the grin threatening to take over your features. 

He sighed defeatedly after waiting for you to continue, and after you failed to expand on the information, he shoved the paper back into his pocket. “Okay, thanks for the help”-- sounding not the least bit thankful.

Better put him out of his misery, she thought eagerly, looping an arm around his shoulder, having to lean up on the tips of her toes to reach. “It’s actually you’re lucky day, Bradley–” you began, that same grin winning its battle. 

“How do you know–” he cut you off, then stopped himself, pausing as he turned to face you. “Oh…”

“Oh!” she mirrored, though a lot less like she’d had some sort of epiphany. more mocking and exaggerated.

“So you’re Poppy?” he asked, stupidly, bashfully, shaking his hair out of his eyes. They were slightly longer, the strands, than in the photos, but he had that same boyish charm you’d sensed. 

“The one and only,” Poppy enthused.. 

“So you’re–”

“Her daughter? Yeah, that’d be me,” she finished for him, teetering towards something more serious, more solemn, bracing yourself for the moment of realisation as the both of them walked up to the road, identical gaits and hair and noses, where Poppy’s Jeep (or the one she’d borrowed from you) was parked.

It never came. 

“And your Dad?” 

You choked on a breath that never made it down the right pipe, halting in your steps. “My Dad?” you asked, bemused.

“Yeah– is he around? Would love to meet him, your Mother as well, of course. I was really surprised by the letter but I think–”

“My Dad isn’t around. Never met him,” she explained slowly, frustrated by how he really wasn’t understanding. Had she not been obvious enough?

Shit. Would she give him a fucking heart attack if she told him now?

She looked him over, deciding he wasn’t so old that an unannounced confession would kill him. 

“I’m sorry about that, men can be real dickheads,” he stated, as if knowing from experience, not bothering to censor his language, and she liked him just a bit more for it.

He was perfect for you.

Poppy watched, unspeaking, as he settled into the passenger seat, admiring the interior of the car– probably the one thing you owned that wasn’t ripping at the seams. “So, where are we headed?” 

“The hotel Ma’ owns, it’s at the–”

“Centre of the island?” he interrupted, staring distantly out at the unwavering landscape. 

Bradley-- Rooster let out a shaky breath, one she tried not to notice, understanding that the two of  you, meeting after all these years– it wasn’t going to be easy. Not when there was a significant part of his life he didn’t even know existed, one that came in the form of her.

“You remember,” you pointed out, surprised and sounding more like a statement rather than a question.

“Yeah, I mean– I remember everything. How could I not?” There was something beneath his words, a weight to them that had her shifting uncomfortably in her seat, foot colliding with the accelerator as they hurried home. 

“So you’ll be staying here,” she announced, shoving her shoulder against the barn door and coughing at the dust that attacked her senses once she managed it open. Bradley– or Rooster, as he’d told her to call him– followed close behind, cautious with every step as he took in his  dilapidated housing.

“Here?” he questioned out loud, pushing at the bunches of hay lining the floor with the toe of his combat boots. He was sweating like it was no one’s business and Poppy giggled to herself, finding amusement in his unspoken disgust. 

“Yeah, here. The hotel’s all booked up–” a lie, she just couldn’t have you stumbling upon him before she’d planned how it’ll all go down. “So this was all we had left. I’ll find a spare mattress for you, and the bakery across the road– owned by a sweet, old lady–” another lie, it was Esme and there was nothing sweet about her. “--who can help you with showering, food, all the necessities.” 

He stared intensely as she spoke, as if not really listening to a word she was saying. 

“What is it?” she asked eventually, breaking free from his gaze as she busied herself, distracted herself, with collecting the boxes into a corner, out of the way to allow him some more room.

Rooster shook his head, convincing himself to look elsewhere, and smoothed his hair back. 

“Nothing, sorry. You just– you’re so much like your Mother. It’s crazy, really.” She beamed at him, suddenly sitting on the floor opposite, and he joined her amongst the dust and hay. 

“Really? You think so?” He nodded, laughing at her eagerness. “She said once, I don’t think she knew I was awake and I was really young, or younger,” she amended then continued. “She said I reminded her of my Dad, but I couldn’t ever tell you if it’s true or not.”

“Can’t say I knew him either–” Brilliant, it was all just brilliant. “--but you’re as… fiery, I guess would be an appropriate word, as she was.”

“And what was she like?”

He was ready to answer, not needing even a moment to think his response through, but your voice from outside the barn had Poppy’s eyes widening with fear, heart sinking low in your chest.

“Poppy! You in here?” You struggled with the door, pushing all of your weight into the crumbling wood. 

“Fuck–” she cursed. “You need to– you need to hide, like– now.” He watched, perplexed, opening his mouth to question the sudden turn in events but she held up a finger, shushing him like he was a child and not her Father-who-didn’t-know-it. 

“I’ll explain later just– please,” you begged quietly, urging him deeper in between the organised junk and out of sight. 

She inhaled, exhaled, steadying her thrumming heartbeat. “Ma’! Y-yeah, I’m here, one second.” 

Poppy pulled on the handle, hauling it open but the circular, metal ring broke-free from the door. 

“Another thing to fix, I guess,” you noted, nodding at the rusted metal in her hand. “What’re you doing in here?” you asked, as if only now aware of where the both of you were.

“Here? I’m just– glue gun, yanno. Esme still couldn’t find it so I thought I'd try again.” 

“Alright you flaky weirdo. I swear, you wouldn’t even need drugs to act all high and jittery, manage it just fine all by yourself,” you mumbled, dismissively pushing past her and heading straight towards the area Poppy had, moments earlier, shoo-ed Rooster towards. 

“You can't go there!” she burst out, holding out a hand in front of you that you glowered at. 

“Yeah, and why’s that?” you asked, voice tight and ready to pull the Mother card you never really enjoyed playing. You’d earned it, sure, but it was a little demeaning considering how old your daughter now was. 

“Because– Because–” 

Shuffling footsteps alerted your attention towards the disarray, squinting between the piles, searching for where the noise originated from. “Is there someone else here?”

“Yes! There is!” Poppy admitted, and your stare returned to her. She could see, right past your head, where Rooster was stepping into the light, assuming she was about to explain his presence, but she shook her head imperceptibly– not yet, go back, go back

You stared expectantly, waiting for a response. “It’s Ben,” she blurted, not sure, even herself, where she was headed. “And he’s– well, you see– he’s naked. Yeah, we were about to have sex and you walked in and he’s all embarassed.”

You sputtered, all but sprinting towards the door and unable to look behind you so you missed how Poppy relaxed minutely. “Oh– wow, okay. Just– that’s not what I was expecting,” you stuttered, palm shielding your eyes. “I mean, firstly– not here, gross, that sounds unbelievably unhygienic. And secondly– use protection.”

You didn’t stay any longer, escaping to the outside, and Rooster appeared beside Poppy almost immediately.

She turned, ready to barrage him with excuses and explanations she hadn’t thought of yet. “I’m so sorry, she’s–!”

“She doesn’t know, does she? That I’m here?” he asked, though he didn’t need you to respond to know the answer.

He groaned into his hands, bending at the hip and breathing raggedly. “Okay, so– I’m gonna go before she does find out. It was nice meeting you Poppy,” he said, all in one go with no room for you to interrupt.

“No you can’t– she’s just–”

“No, I really, really need to leave,” he bit out, not facing her as he strapped his bag to his back.

“If you just give her time–”

“You don’t understand!” he exploded, eyes fluttering shut as he visibly attempted to calm himself. “The last time she saw me– it wasn’t– it wasn’t good. And I left the next day, without a word of apology or justification or–” Rooster sighed as if he’d had this argument with himself countless times before. “--so no, I can’t imagine she’ll ever come around.” 

He stopped at the boundary of the door, calling behind him. “I’m sorry for wasting your time.” 

Then he left, again. 

At least he apologised this time, she thought bitterly. 

You were stepping down from the hardware store, or hole in the wall, really, when you saw him.

A flash of saturated colour, mind-numbing prints, and broad shoulders. You gasped, frantically searching around yourself as if questioning if anyone else had seen a ghost from their own past.

No. They seemed to be going about their day as usual– Johnny sweeping at the cobblestone directly in front of his store, Mia laying fresh fish on ice, ready to be sold, her six-year old daughter tugging on the bottom of her dress with tears in her eyes. 

No one was phased, except you. You looked back to where you’d seen him, but he wasn’t there anymore, only an empty street corner with nothing particularly out of the ordinary.

What the-- You rushed forward, intent on finding out the truth as your boots slapped loudly against the pavement, dodging busy workers and locals, all, now, staring at your wild movements. 

“Child– where are you in such a hurry to?” Esme yelled, head poking through her bakery window with a scowl at the abrasive noise you were making in your pursuit.

“I’ll explain later, May!” you hurtled back, not stopping despite the burning in your legs, your chest. 

Still, you carried on, making it all the way to the edge of the city centre, rushing to a stop as you stared across the abandoned gravel road. There was no one there except you, and you panted, exhausted and head-pounding, as you scolded yourself for such a stupid daydream. The heat had never gotten to you like this before. 

It felt so real, him. 

“Hey,” a voice greeted, cautiously, from behind you. Your eyes closed, hands clenched at your side, before you turned to face the tentative owner.

“Hey yourself,” you answered, surprising yourself at how civilised and steady your voice sounded to your own ears.

Bradley fucking Bradshaw. It was real after all.

“Are you okay?” he asked, hurrying towards you and letting his bag drop to the ground between the two of you, pulling out a water bottle and holding it out in front of you. A peace offering of sorts. 

You only stared at it, like it’d bite you if you got any closer. “Take it, sweetheart. It’s fucking miserable out here.”

The endearment had you flashing your eyes at him, fire or rage or something somehow hotter– the sun had nothing on you in that moment, but he stumbled back, remembering himself. 

“What are you doing here?” you demanded between gritted teeth, chin turned up at him. 

“Sightseeing,” he said simply with that reaching grin that had you melting years earlier. 

You scoffed impatiently. Poppy really had gotten her knack for lying, or royally sucking at it, from him. 

“That’s bullshit. Why are you really here?”

There must have been an edge to your voice that had him spilling the truth, because you were stunned when he explained. 

“Poppy– you met Poppy?” you asked, forcibly nonchalant, arms no longer dangling stupidly at your side but rather picking at the straps of your dungarees, loose threading growing longer as you pulled at them. 

“Yeah, she’s a good kid,” he said, nothing giving away– not in his words, his body language, the look on his face– that he knew. Knew she was his. 

He sat on the edge of the pavement, right by your feet, and patted the burning space next to him. You blew at a strand of hair tickling your nose, hating how you listened, even then, and sat right next to him, shoulders brushing the slightest bit and you were scampering to put some more distance between the two of you.

He smirked, quiet, leaning his arms on his bent knees, and his head on top, turned towards you as he watched you fight yourself. 

“So, how’ve you been?” he asked, waiting, patient, all things you could never be.

“I’m fine,” you grumbled dryly, accidentally meeting his eyes, Rooster’s smirk deepened, before darting away. “You?”

The mid-afternoon heat bared down on the both of you, colouring your shoulders darker and doing nothing to help the heavy thumping against your skull, like a jackhammer or a fucking normal hammer– whatever. It just hurt bad. 

Rooster noticed, silently offering his water to you again which you reluctantly snatched from him, gulping almost half of it down before he decided it was safe to speak.

“Still get migraines from the heat?” he asked, though it was more an observation than a question. You nodded, placing the now-empty bottle between your feet. 

“I’m fine, as well. After I left–” you visibly winced, glaring against the rays of the sun as you willed yourself to look anywhere but at him, not when the tips of your ears were burning, ringing, making you dizzy and woozy and about ready to throw up all over your worn boots. 

“--I went back to training and was then deployed overseas for a long time. Been training new recruits for the past few years now. It’s–” he stopped, glancing at you momentarily, but decided to continue. “--it’s nice. Feels like I’m moulding them to be better versions than me because I sure wasn’t picture perfect by any means.”

“No, you really weren’t–aren’t–” you agreed, voice barely above a whisper. 

“I know I never said sorry, and it seems pointless now but–”

“Bradley,” you said his name and his heart stopped. He was dead and even though it was you that had killed him, right there with your voice alone, it was also only you that could bring him back to life. “I really don’t want to hear this,” you begged, and you never begged– never.

What had he done to you?

“Please, sweetheart–” Again with the nickname. You bristled beside him, standing up all of a sudden as if you were about to run in the opposite direction of his familiar ruggedness. “I need you to hear this, just a second–”

“No– you don’t,” you growled out of frustration, tugging your hair free and pressing your fingertips into your skull, anything to soothe the ache growing there. “--you don’t get to need anything, you, you– fucking prick!” 

He said nothing, baffled, shocked, certain nothing he said now would make this situation any better. It was downhill from here.

“You said you loved me– promised me the fucking world and a ring and a life together, and the next morning, you left! You fucking– you left!” You were yelling now, unafraid, unabashed, uncaring if anyone could hear. They couldn’t, and if they could, they wouldn’t clue you in that they were. 

The people of this town loved to know the darkest, most confidential secrets of its inhabitants, all without ever showing their face. This wasn’t any different. 

“I had to!” he insisted aggressively, pushing off the rubble and invading your personal space, leading you back, back, back– until you hit a wall. You held him at arm's length, hand pressed against his hard chest, holding him there. 

If he got any closer– well, if the past was anything to go by, you wouldn’t remember to stay mad long. 

“I had to!” Rooster repeated, desperately. You said nothing, so he went on. “I got a letter– they needed me back, I can’t– I can’t tell you why–” You sneered, typical. “--but, I was going to come back. I swear it.”

His breathing was loud, dense in your buzzing ears. It’s just words, nothing but words– you repeated to yourself, over and over again. Bradley stepped back, giving you space and himself, as well. But his despairing stare– it pierced something inside you, something you hadn’t thought was still there. 

“I wrote letters,” he stated.

“I know, I got them,” you retorted acridly, slumping into the wall for support.

“You never responded.” Again, stating facts.

“I was busy.” Being pregnant. 

He nodded, unable or unwilling, you weren’t sure, to argue. An emptiness stretched between you and him, the kind you don’t think any words, half-hearted i’m sorrys, or passionate confessions could ever fill. 

He bent to pick up his backpack. “Is there anything, and I mean anything, I could say to make you forgive me,” he asked, voice dejected and the rest of him following suit.

You shook your head, words failing you.

Rooster, Bradley– he turned to leave, accepting defeat, and something roared in your chest, urging, begging, pleading for you to stop him.

You don’t know why you did it, or how you thought it would ever be even a half-decent idea, but it spilled past your lips before you knew what you were saying, confessing, like a foot jamming between a door, forcing it open for someone, anyone.

Bradley.

“Poppy,” you said, loud enough for him to hear. He stopped but didn’t face you. “Poppy. She’s– she’s yours.” 

His bag– the poor thing had been rattled all day– fell off his shoulder, and he spun, in slow motion, questions discernible on his face but struggling to make it out of his mouth. “How– We didn’t– I used–”

“What’s that thing they say– ninety-nine percent effective.” You shrugged blandly. “Guess we were the one percent. 

It was strange having a man in the house, but there he was– Bradley Bradshaw, or Rooster, sat right at your kitchen table looking a lot like a man you’d once loved but hoped to forget.

There’s this story you loved to tell Poppy when she was young, dealing with the realities of bullies and snarky kids with nothing else to do but poke fun at her absent Father and questionable living circumstances. It was ironic, really, because it wasn’t like they were exactly well off, but kids were mean and you were sick of seeing your daughter upset everyday when there was nothing you could do.

So you told her the story of Pandora’s Box, or Jar, actually, as she corrected you, having read about it in the library but still entirely enchanted by your way of storytelling. It was like letting her in on a secret only grown-ups knew and Poppy was downright bewitched to be a part of the club.

It was never the whole let-out-everything-awful-and-wrong-with-the-world part of the story that was your motivation for telling it, or her love for hearing it, but rather, the ending. 

After all the evil, poverty, greed and general nasties had escaped, tainting the world and the humans that inhabited it– out came hope, fluttering on its weak wings but beautiful all the same. 

At the time, you’d believed hope to be this beacon of light, something to keep you going when nothing else could, when the bullies had you down bad.

Now, however, you saw hope as a cruel joke. 

That after all of this negativity that had made mankind wrought with sin and selfishness, hope lingers about for no reason other than to yank your chain, keep the wheel of capitalism turning, the public nothing but a lot of pigs with hope dangled in front of them like an out-of-reach carrot.

You’d admit it’s a pessimistic take on the story, but it wasn’t long after Poppy was born that you realised hope was a sweet lie fed to the ignorant. 

The proof of it sat right in front of you, looking exactly the same except for the way in which his hair tickled the tops of his ears, having grown out from his previous military-ordered buzzcut.

“Can I get you something? Tea? Water?” you asked, words maddeningly courteous as you yanked the fridge door open, searching for something to offer your guest.

He hadn’t said a word since you’d blurted it out an hour ago, instead, guiding him back into town, to your house, Poppy nowhere insight (likely hiding out until she’s certain you’ve cooled down, though unluckily for her, the very sight of her would have you revved up and raging whenever she dared make an appearance). 

Rooster stared at a single tile on the opposite end of the kitchen, fixated and motionless like a statue and nothing like the passionate, begging man from earlier. 

“Helllooo?” you asked again, waving a hand in front of his face that snapped him from whatever trance he’d been under. He blinked at you, face blank enough to unnerve you. He should’ve said something by now, right?

“Water would be good, thank you,” he answered eventually, hoarse like he hadn’t spoken in years. You nodded, pulling a glass from the cabinet and letting the sink run into it before placing it on the plastic-topped table in front of him. 

You sat down on the only other usable chair that happened to be right next to him, the other two with the unstable legs and missing backrests having only been kept to make your kitchen look a little less incomplete. 

You both sat in silence, one that seemed just about never ending and had you gnawing on your lips and nails like a mad man. He looked over at you, noting your anxious state, and pulling your hand away from your mouth. It was infuriating, the way he acted like no time had passed. 

Well it had if your daughter was any indication. A whole lifetime had come and gone, for you, at least, and he couldn’t ignore it away, not like the rest of his problems or like he’d done with you. You were about to say as much, going off like you’d been itching to since you’d set sights on him, but he beat you to it.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He wasn’t looking at you, but you didn’t need to see him to hear the distress in his voice, and beneath that, a restrained sort of anger.

“I had nothing to tell,” was all you offered him, and his gaze snapped to you in the blink of an eye, his temper apparent on his features as that one vein at the top of his forehead stood proud, face going scarlet as he held himself back. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he spit out, unbelieving. “Nothing to tell?” he repeated. “I have a daughter, for Christ’s sake! One I would’ve loved to know about if you’d done me the courtesy of actually letting me in!”

Your hands clenched into tight fists, fingers twitching. “What? Like you were any better when you up and left?” 

He was shaking his head at you, unwilling to hear anything you were saying, and you were no different. “It’s not the same fucking thing, you know that. I had to leave. It’s my job, my duty, to my country and to–”

“Well what about me, huh?” you bellowed, reaching decibels you didn’t think were physically possible. Yet there you were, defying all odds. “What about your duty to me? To us? You promised–”

“I know what I promised you, but how could I give you anything– a life, a home, a family, a future– if I was broke and unemployed. Money doesn’t grow on trees, sweetheart, not here in the real world.” 

You couldn’t take it, exploding out of your chair. He didn’t know, couldn’t know, what you’d been through, what you’d fought past. But he followed close behind, grabbed you by your wrist until you had no choice but to face him. 

Rooster’s breaths escaped him in hard bursts, and you looked no better with the flush creeping up your neck and the scowl permanently etched to your face.

“That’s pure coming from you, the same man who was throwing away his life to join the army, giving up a paying job, all because his ego wouldn’t let him work for his Dad.” 

Bradley recoiled like you’d slapped him. 

“You weren’t around to see me working two, sometimes three if I could manage it, jobs– for years, Bradley, years. It was hard, so fucking hard, but I did it because I had someone dependant on me. I wasn’t alone, living like some unattached bachelor. I worked myself to the bone for her– for Poppy.” You were close to sobbing by then, the weight of it all finally registering. “Because if I didn’t, no one would.” 

He looked like he wanted to argue more but thought better of it in the end, letting go of his hold on you and moving to lean his forehead against the wall in the living room. You watched, not wanting to move lest he remember you’re still there and end up going for a second round. You couldn’t, yearning for respite of any kind. 

And his head turned from where he was, catching the chest of drawers nestled in front of the window with photos of you and Poppy adorning every inch of its surface. He walked over, wordless.

You joined him where he stood, hand brushing against his, by accident, you’d tell yourself later, but when you tried to move away, he slipped his fingers through yours, squeezing hard. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, though there was no one else to hear it, no one but you. 

You nodded, accepting his apology, then realising he wasn’t looking at you, you said, “Me too. I’m sorry.” 

He reached forward, picking up a photo of Poppy at age two, hair in pigtails, chubby knees covered in sand at the beach. It was the first time she’d gone into the water and you wanted to live in that moment forever, freeze it and hold it close to your chest. It had seemed like the biggest milestone at the time, and you remember wishing he was there to treasure it as well.

“I know why you did it,” he admitted, and you faltered from where you stood. “And I’m not going to stand her and pretend like I would have dropped everything, put everything on pause, for the two of you. I can’t guarantee that, knowing who I was back then.” You inhaled shakily, eyes glassy from barely-held-back tears. 

Bradley turned to you abruptly, hand sliding out of yours to hold your face instead, close and intimate. Like nothing had changed.

You didn’t fight it, savouring the feeling of being held, of relinquishing control to someone else, if only for a second. “But that’s not who I am anymore. I don’t care about what happened and what didn’t. I’m here now, and, if you’d let me, I’d like to stay. Learn a little more about you, and about– about Poppy, as well.” 

You searched his face for any hint of a lie, that innate urge to protect your child at all cost threatening to label Bradley’s confession as pretence. It’d be easier if it was, you thought, if things weren’t so complicated and you could just say no.

But no matter how hard you looked, how long as well, you found nothing, only love and a sincerity you couldn’t possibly fault, even if you were still broken and bruised from years of delayed burn-out. 

So you did the only reasonable thing one could do. You nodded, complimenting it with a watery smile he chuckled lowly at. 

“Yeah? Gonna take a chance on me, sweetheart?” he asked, needing confirmation but unable to hide his budding rapture.

“Yeah,” you breathed. “Okay, okay. I think– maybe, we can work something out.”

He grinned and fuck– was he a vision. No matter how you framed the past, it was all going to be both of yours’ fault for what happened, and how it did. His for leaving and yours for keeping the child you shared a secret. 

And it wasn’t like the road ahead was going to be at all easy, you’d accepted your fate already. But maybe, and you might have been overstepping or consumed by an unexpected wave of euphoria that impaired your judgement– but maybe a family was worth fighting for. 

After all, the best things in life, the things truly worth having and celebrating, were never meant to be easily acquired, otherwise you’d just take them for granted.

You didn’t take this for granted, and you didn’t let the hassle deter you. 

For the first time in a long time, you had hope, and there was nothing cruel or funny about it. 

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[disturbedbeautywrites]

Next thing you know - Jake Seresin Imagine

A/N: This is a super cute imagine that I could not get out of my head. It is super fluffy and follows your relationship with Jake

Warnings: Pregnancy and tooth rotting fluff <3 Also, this is unedited so I'm hoping there aren't too many mistakes

“Rooster, just hit the damn ball.” Jake’s eyes rolled as he leaned against the wall of the Hard Deck. It was a typical Friday night and the bar was buzzing with the excitement of the upcoming weekend. The dagger squad was all there as was tradition after a long week and this weekend was no different.

As Rooster was taking his time, Jake let his eyes wander around the bar. His gaze landed on you, a super pretty girl he had never seen before. You were wearing civilians and leaning against the bar next to some other female aviators. You caught his attention immediately. Your smile lit up the bar and your laugh was absolutely infectious. He had to know your name.

He approached, a smirk on his lips as he leaned against the bar beside you. He ordered a beer for himself before asking you what you were drinking, which you told him happily. The two of you sat there flirting back and forth all night, laughing and carrying on. “Can I take you on a proper date?” Jake was hopeful as he leaned closer to you at the bar, his words in your ear as you giggled and nodded, kissing his cheek before you left with your friends.

He was smitten from that first date, though he wouldn’t admit it. But, when he showed up on your door step with the prettiest bouquet of flowers you had ever seen, you were pretty smitten with him too. The two of you became serious fairly quickly and you spent all your time together.

“When is she moving in?” Phoenix’s words were laced with teasing as you walked up to the bar at the hard deck, ordering drinks for your boyfriend and the rest of the squad. They had welcomed you in with open arms, insisting that you made hangman bearable. “Not for a while, guys. We’re not there yet.” The words left hangman’s mouth as he watched you, an easy smile on his lips. You were a new light in his life and he was already so in love with you.

However, a few months later he would eat those words as the two of you sat in his living room. You were cuddled up to him, your head on his chest and his arms lazily thrown around you. “Move in with me.” It wasn’t a question, more of a statement. The minute he said the words you looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, trying to judge his facial expressions. Once you realized he was serious you burst out into a bright grin and nodded, agreeing as you kissed him hard.

You started to slowly move your things in, finding a place for everything. You had talked to Jake and had decided on throwing out his old rug in his room and replacing it with yours, but he had one stipulation, his deer head got to stay. It was from his last ever hunt with his Grandpa, and it was special to him. You agreed, deciding to decorate it randomly with hats and things for the holidays. You made it fun. You made the space both of yours and you couldn’t have been happier.

The next few months went by smoothly as you and Jake got used to living together, each day an adventure that the two of you couldn’t wait to go on. You got to wake up next to each other and go to sleep together every night. You had late night conversations, morning cuddles, and afternoon kitchen dances to old country music. It was everything you didn’t know you needed. Life was going absolutely perfect.

“Mom was in such a hurry for us to get here, I don’t know why.” Your confusion laced your words as you and Jake walked up to your parents house. You were knocking on the door when you turned to look at Jake and you saw him down on one knee, a beautiful box and ring in his hand. Your moms door opened and she was sitting there grinning, tears in her eyes as you immediately said yes and threw your arms around Jake. You were getting to marry your best friend and the love of your life.

The months leading up to the wedding were a dream come true. Jake wanted you to have the best of everything. Anything you wanted, count it as done. You were able to plan your fairy tale wedding down to your Prince Charming. He would be standing across from you at the altar, his navy dress whites making him look handsome as ever across from you. There were lots of tears shed and more smiles and laughs had.

At the reception, it was considered the party of the year. Rooster was already half drunk during his best man speech, but he made sure that you knew how special you were to everyone. He saw how happy you made Jake and that’s all that mattered. The speech brought you to tears and Jake helped you to carefully wipe them away. The night was absolutely beautiful. It was everything you could have wanted. Jake loved showing you off as his new wife, calling you Mrs. Seresin as much as he could and constantly bragging on you. The two of you radiated so much love for each other that it was like you were glowing.

After all the wedding excitement, you were headed to Hawaii. You guys were excited to spend a week on the beach, forgetting sunscreen existed. You both got pretty bad sunburns the first day. However, you had never felt so content. You had a week of relaxation with your best friend and husband by your side. No navy to interrupt, no rooster (you loved him, but he could be a lot sometimes), and no responsibilities. You just had to enjoy your time with Jake, and that was the easiest thing in the world.

Once you two got home, you started looking into buying a house. Jake had one in mind and he knew you would love it. It was one you had said you loved and you had looked at it a lot. Well, Jake had taken it upon himself to make sure that you got that dream home. He hired a realtor and the two of you bought the house and turned it into a home. It was a dream come true.

The next few years went by fairly quickly, your new house becoming a home. Jake got a big promotion in the Navy and was home a lot more now; which was something you both loved. Jake was getting more and more used to being a husband and he loved every single moment with you. “I’m ready for kids.” His words were random as you laid on the couch one day, your eye brows furrowing together, a look of pure love on your face. “Really?!” “Really, baby girl.”

The two of you got too it and had been trying for months. You were taking pregnancy tests and hoping for the best; when one day it popped up positive. You were elated and you couldn’t wait to tell Jake. He was at work, but you had the test sitting out on the counter. As soon as he got home, you pulled him into the bathroom and waited for him to notice. He picked up the test and looked at you, tears rolling down your cheeks as you nodded. “I’m going to be a dad?” You felt him run over and pick you up, spinning you in his arms. “You’re going to be a dad, Jake.”

Your pregnancy flew by, Jake and you both being absolutely terrified yet excited for the new baby to come. You found out you were having a little boy and you were over the moon. You guys had decorated the nursery in planes and his new wardrobe was packed full of clothes from your family and Jake’s both. You guys had everything planned out, down to his name, Colton Lee Seresin.

It was bearing your due date and you felt like you were going to explode. Jake was a very dotting husband, your every wish his command as he tried to make things as easy as he could. But, as you stood in the kitchen making dinner one night, you felt your water break. You were in shock, Jake’s name barely leaving your lips as he rushes in to check on you. “It’s time.” And with those two words, he was rushing to get the emergency diaper bag ready.

He helped you into the truck, speeding as carefully as he could to the hospital. Once you were situated he was sitting next to you in the delivery room, his clothes replaced with scrubs and a sterile hat that covered his head. You were giggling at how silly he looked as he squeezed your hand, pressing a kiss to your forehead. It was an amazing moment and they soon told you to start pushing. “How you doing there dad?” The doctor asked, smiling at Jake as it fully sank in. He was about to be a dad.

After a couple of hours of pushing, your little boy was placed in your arms. You and Jake were instantly in love, the tiny bundle of joy eliciting big emotions from both of you. Tears of joy and happiness left your eyes as you held him close. He was your new purpose. He was the new light of your life.

Jake took the two of you home once it was time, an easy smile on his lips as he watched you try to show Colton around his nursery. “And look, this is the kind of planes your daddy flies.” Your voice was soft as you pointed at the F-18 on the mobile of planes, the tiny bundle making cooing sounds in your arms. “Yeah, I think it’s pretty cool too.” Your voice was hushed as you sat him carefully in the crib, walking over to Jake and into his arms.

Jake felt like he was falling in love again as he watched Colton grow up and become his own person. He was starting to walk and starting to talk and every single new milestone was beyond amazing to the blonde pilot. He was sitting on the floor of the nursery with the little boy when he heard the words Dadda leave his lips. Jake got teary eyed as he yelled for you, encouraging the boy to say the words again. When he did, you both had tears of proudness rolling down your cheeks.

He was growing like a weed, and you had been told repeatedly that kids grow fast. But, you never realized just how fast. In what seemed like no time, you were taking Colton to his first day of school. You were dropping him off and your social little boy waved bye at you and ran inside to make friends, your heart running off with him. You were proud, but you didn’t expect it to be this hard.

“Time is going by too quick.” The words left Jake’s lips as he watched his son, now 14 getting ready for his first date with a girl from his class. He had asked her out and was super excited to go to the movies with her. Jake had given him the speech already of how to be a gentleman and you had given him money to use to treat her tonight. Before he left, he threw his arms around the both of you and told you he loved you. It was enough to make you both emotional.

“Dad, I wrecked the car.” The words left Colton’s mouth as he walked into your room at half past midnight. You had been asleep, but had woken up when you heard Jake raising his voice. Colton had just gotten his driver’s license and his first car a couple of months ago. As you heard the fight get more heated you got out of bed and walked in, putting your hand on Jake’s bicep. “Honey, calm down. We can get him another car.” Your voice was soft enough to calm down your husband, a frustrated sigh leaving his lips. “We’ll finish talking about this tomorrow.” His voice was a promise as you walked over to your son, looking him in his eyes as you placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’re just glad you’re okay.” With that, you pressed a kiss to his forehead and told him to get to bed.

“I got accepted to USC!” You heard the screams of victory coming from the front room as you walked in and saw Colton excitedly dancing around the room with his girlfriend, Sydney. “We’re both going, I can’t wait!” He pulled her into a hug and you heard Jake inhale a deep breath. “That’s all the way across the country.” His voice was quiet and sad as you patted his back, walking into the living room. The conversation shifted to how far away the college was, and if they were serious about it. When they both reassured you it was what they wanted, you took the opportunity to console Jake. He would be okay, he was his boy after all.

Colton had gone on to USC and had taken an interest in becoming an engineer. You and Jake fully supported him and Sydney as the two continued to date through college. Once graduation hit, you watched as your son proposed to the love of his life and you got to gain a daughter-in-law. You welcomed her into the family with open arms, so excited for the two of them.

Their family continued to grow along with yours as you got word that Sydney was pregnant with twins, a little boy and a little girl. You and Jake were over the moon ecstatic to be grandparents, watching them go through all the milestones the two of you went through in your younger years. She went through all the same things you did, often coming to you for advice. You gave it gladly, treating her like your own daughter.

Once the twins were born and old enough to hang out at your and Jake's house, the two of you knew you did good. You were able to fall more in love with each other as you watched the interactions with the grandkids. The two of you often took them to church and then out to get icecream after, treating it as a tradition you were starting. Jake also loved getting to take them out fishing and teaching them just like he taught Colton.

"We made an amazing life for ourselves." The words left Jake's lips as you sat next to him on the porch, your grandchildren running around the yard and playing. Sydney and Colton were inside fixing dinner, telling you and Jake to relax. It was an amazing moment and you couldn't agree with your husband more. "I'm so glad I didn't just brush you off as a cocky pilot the day we met." Your words were teasing as he reached over to squeeze your hand, his laughter ringing out. "I love you, baby." You smiled easily at him, your head leaning back against your rocking chair. "I love you too."

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[topguncortez]

The First Kick | Rooster & Dragon

Opposites Attract Masterlist | Main Masterlist

synopsis: aviators hate rainy days, but slasher films and baby bumps make them a little more enjoyable

word count: 500

warnings: pregnancy

There was one thing that aviators hated, and that was rain. Luckily living in California, they only had a rainy day like twice a year. When they woke up this morning, Dragon and Rooster didn’t even bother to start getting ready. They cuddled under the covers and waited for the text from Mav to come in that they had the day off. 

The rain fell softly against the skylight in their living room. Usually on rainy days, it meant finishing projects around the house that had been abandoned, but today’s rainy day seemed to drain the energy right out of Dragon. The pregnancy had slowly started to get better. She wasn’t as sick all the time, but she was exhausted. 

Bradley often found her asleep with her head on her desk in the middle of the day, or curled on the couch in the ready room. So today, Bradley dragged her to the couch and cuddled her with almost every fuzzy blanket that they had in the house. She is currently laid in between Bradley’s legs, her back resting against his chest. He absent-mindedly drew circles over her bump, which seemed to be growing daily, as she watched Scream. 

“Anthony Perkins, Psycho,” Dragon quoted and Bradley chuckled. 

“How many times have you seen this?” He asked, and Dragon just shrugged, “Gonna turn our baby into a slasher movie psycho.” 

“Now, Bradley, don’t you blame the movies,” She turned in his arms, so she was straddling him, “‘Movies don’t create psychos, movies make psychos more creative’, Billy Loomis, Scream 1996,” Dragon said, her lips ghosting over him. 

“Yeah, yeah, words, words,” Bradley said and sealed the gap between them. The moment their lips touched, Dragon gasped and pulled away, her eyes going down to her belly, “Did you feel that too?” 

“I’ve been feeling that. Did you feel that?” Dragon asked and Bradley nodded.

“Did they just kick?” He asked his eyes wide like a kid in a candy store. And to answer his own question, there was another nudge against his hand,  “Oh my god! Honey, they kicked! The baby kicked!”

“I know,” Dragon smiled, and placed a hand on his cheek, “I’ve been feeling these like flutters for the past two weeks, I can’t believe you haven’t felt them. You’re almost always touching my bump.” 

“Is it weird that I’m jealous of that?” He asked. Dragon ran her thumb over the apple of his cheek. 

“No, it’s not,” Dragon said, “But trust me, if you felt the way they hit my rib cage. . . jealousy would be over and done.” 

Bradley shook his head and pushed her (his) sweatshirt up so her bare belly was exposed to him. His new favorite thing as of late was to touch Dragon’s bare skin, it was the closest he could get to feeling the baby for right now. Bradley gently pushed on her belly, his eyes going to meet hers. 

“Is this okay?” He asked and Dragon nodded, “Hi baby,” Bradley whispered to her bump, “Can you show us your new trick again?” He waited a moment and felt a soft nudge against his hand, “So cool, so very cool,” Bradley smiled. 

And that’s how most of the afternoon went. They switched positions so Bradley was laying in between Dragon's legs. He snuggled up with Dragon’s bump, his face resting gently on it. Every time he felt a kick, he would place a kiss right on the spot where the little one touched. 

Dragon didn’t know how she could fall more in love with Bradley Bradshaw, but this moment proved that she could.

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