*Lock & Key: Part Eleven - B.B

WARNINGS: angst! smut! oral (m recieving), fingering, p-in-v penetrative sex. lotta love <3.This is the final part :').

Maverick ran faster than he ever had in his entire life. And that's saying something.

He ran and ran towards the descending parachute in the distance, hoping to God that Bradley would be okay. After nearly 15 minutes of straight sprinting, Mav could see Bradley in the distance – attempting to bunch up his parachute. His heart lifted, knowing that he was okay – but his legs didn't stop moving.

"You alright?!" Mav shouted, still running as fast as his feet would allow.

"Yeah, I'm alright! Are you-?"

Maverick shoved Bradley with all of his might, and he plummeted into the snow behind him. Mav ripped his helmet off and stood, hunched over, and attempting to catch his breath. Running that distance with his full gear on was a workout and a half and Mav was beginning to feel his age.

Bradley struggled with taking his helmet off, still submerged in the snow.

"What the hell?" Bradley exclaimed, attempting to get up.

"What are you doing here?"

Bradley shook off the snow, aggravated at Mav's tone.

"What am I doing here?"

"I sacrificed myself for you! Not so you could be down here with me! You should be back on the carrier by now!" Mav shouted.

"I saved your life!" Bradley shouted back.

"I saved your life. That's the whole point." Mav argued, panting still.

"What the hell were you even thinking?"

"You told me not to think!" Bradley rebutted.

Mav stood panting, still staring up at Bradley but now with a guilty look on his face. He did tell him that. Shit.

Bradley threw his hands into the air and then placed them on his hips, staring up at the blue sky and watching as his breath formed a cloud in front of him. He couldn't believe this.

"Well...it's good to see you." Mav said.

Bradley nodded, looking at him again, "Good to see you, too."

They stood in silence, both catching their breaths and coming to terms with what just happened.

"So, what's the plan?" Bradley asked.

He looked around. Nothing but snow and tall trees surrounded them. Unless a search party was put out – which he doubted considering the circumstances – they were never going to get home.

"I know where we can go. Come on." Mav instructed, walking past Bradley.

Bradley watched his godfather walk away and towards whatever was in front of them. He groaned and caught up to him.

The next thing on their mind was you. They both thought about you at the same time.

"Is-"

"Hondo's taking care of her." Mav said before Bradley could even finish his thought.

He nodded, "Okay. Good. Do you think he knows we're okay?"

Mav stayed silent for a while as they walked, not exactly knowing the answer to that.

"He knows me, but he also knows this mission. He's aware of the risks so, who knows? They could be grieving us right now or they could be laughing and drinking tea for all I know."

Bradley smiled a little at the thought of you and Hondo just laughing and chatting about nothing, just waiting for him and Mav to get back. But his stomach sunk at the thought of you heartbroken over – not just your father, but your best friend, too. He still had no clue if you guys were boyfriend and girlfriend yet. He sure as hell knew that he loved you.

"I'm in love with your daughter." Bradley blurted.

Mav didn't even pause for a second.

"I think I've loved her for my whole life."

Mav nodded. And without looking to Bradley, he simply said, "I know."

Bradley gulped, looking next to him. Mav kept walking, his eyes going from the snow beneath his feet to the road ahead.

"You knew, what?"

"I always knew you loved her. So did your parents. We weren't that naïve."

Bradley was wide-eyed now. He felt so exposed.

"How?"

Maverick scoffed a laugh, "You two were inseparable. You were so nice to one another and the way you both talked about each other, Jesus Christ, it was adorable at the time but yes, we knew how in love you two were."

"You're telling me mom and dad both knew?"

Mav laughed, "Of course they did. Remember when there was that Halloween disco at school in what, 7 or 8th grade? And you two wanted to go as Han Solo and Princess Leia? You brought her a flower from your neighbour's garden and gave it to her, then Carole told me you cried later on that night because y/n lost the flower."

Bradley had his mouth hanging open in shock. He completely forgot about that.

"Oh my god." He laughed, rubbing a hand over his flushed face.

How could he have been so stupid to believe his crush on you was under-wraps. He was so blatantly in love with you it was humiliating. He knows it doesn't really matter anymore but the child inside him is face-palming himself so hard right now.

"And I knew as soon as you found out about y/n being on the mission, you two would get back to how you were."

Bradley scoffed a laugh, "Well, it took a while to get past the grudge."

Mav nodded, "She hated you for so long, but I knew she was just hurt. And I knew you'd be hurting, too. In more ways than one. But now you've sorted things out. Don't dare lose it, again."

Bradley looked at Mav, clenching his jaw. Mav didn't scare him per-say, he just intimidated Bradley slightly.

"Because if you hurt her, I could kill you. And if she hurts you, then there must be a reason for it, and I'd still kill you."

Bradley chuckled and nodded, "Fair enough, Mav."

"Now, I've got a plan. Follow my lead."

---

While your boyfriend and father were currently prepping to get into an ancient F-14, you were limping quickly to the locker room. Hondo followed behind you.

"There's no way I'm letting them lie there dead for all I know, Hondo." You told him as you shoved the locker room door open.

Hondo huffed, "You're not going to get the go ahead, Locket. There's no point."

You paused in your tracks. Your back ached but you didn't care about that right now.

"Hangman." You thought out loud.

He was on stand-by. He had been declined in the moment, but if he asked to fly again, he could go. You pushed past Hondo and out of the room again, making your way through the ship.

"Locket, stop it."

You weren't even listening. His voice was practically white noise to you now. You couldn't tell if you were burning hot or freezing cold and you had a feeling your body was never going to forgive you for running around without crutches. You didn't care about hospital time anymore, all you cared about was your dad and Bradley being left stranded.

"Where the hell are you going?" Hondo asked as you climbed a set of stairs to the tarmac.

You looked down at him, standing with a shocked and confused face, with a hand on the banister. You didn't stop moving. Your feet wouldn't allow it.

"To talk to Hangman." You stated, before turning back around and finishing the climb.

You were struck by wind as you stepped outside, nearly toppling you over. You were still in your khakis, but the flight crew seemed to allow you up. You heard Hondo's footsteps and your heart pounded. You searched for Hangman's plane for what felt like forever before you spotted it. You ran – and limped – to Hangman's plane.

You banged on the side of the jet and curled down the ladder yourself. Hangman took off his helmet and looked at you climbing up in awe.

"What the hell are you doing, Locket?!" He exclaimed.

"You need to go get them, Hangman." You stated.

He scoffed, "I tried, but Simpson said not to."

"It's Bradley, Hangman. Its Rooster, okay? And it's my dad. I can't fly so I need you to do it for me."

He shook his head, "You know it's not that easy. Are you high off of pain killers or something?"

"No but-"

"Dagger spare, do you copy?"

You and Hangman froze, staring at each other. He spoke into his comms without looking away from you.

"Dagger spare, copy." He replied.

"Rooster's E-Sat is online. He's airborne."

You gasped, your eyes blowing wide and your heart lifting to your throat.

"Holy shit." You whispered.

"Reports of an F-14 tomcat is headed for our position. They'll need backup."

"Copy, on it." Hangman replied.

You were speechless. You were feeling so many things all at once.

"Who else would fly a goddamn F-14 with Rooster?" Hangman commented with a smirk.

You lunged forward and embraced him, despite the uncomfortable position. He didn't exactly reciprocate the hug, but you knew he was smiling.

"Go save the day, Bagman." You quipped, pulling back from the hug, and descending back down the ladder.

-

Bradley and your dad were flying smoothly now. The mountains and hills below them were sprinkled with snow and the cloudless sky above seemed vast.

Bradley examined what was in front of him in the backseat. He had absolutely no clue how to do this. He was staring at hundreds of buttons and switches with no knowledge of how to work them.

"Right, Rooster, try and get us back in touch with the carrier." Mav said.

"I'm workin' on it." Bradley replied, skimming his fingers over the array of switches.

"The radio's out, there's no radar. Everything's dead back here." He sighed, dropping his unhelpful hands.

"What do I do? Talk me through it."

"Okay, first, the radio. Throw on the circuit breaker."

"There's hundreds of breakers back here; anything more specific?" Bradley asked.

Maverick's lip pulled into a small smile, "I don't know. That was your dads department."

Bradley nodded, "I'll figure it out."

All he could think about was you. He hoped you knew he was okay. And he wished you were okay, too. Bradley wanted to keep his mind busy because thinking of you wasn't helping. He fiddled with the different breakers and switches, hoping he'd eventually find the right one.

He switched sides, turning to look behind him when he saw two jets out of the window. His heart dropped.

"Mav, tally two, five o'clock – low." He announced.

He kept an eye on them but flickered his attention to Maverick who was quiet.

"What do we do?" Bradley asked.

"Just be cool, if they knew who we were we'd be dead already."

The two jets flew up in formation with the F-14. Bradley swallowed.

"Well, here they come. What's your plan?"

Mav clicked on his mask, "Remember we're on the same team. Wave and smile."

The jets flew up next to them and Bradley fumbled slightly with his mask as he put it into place. His heart rate began to rise and all he could think about was you.

Bradley and Mav waved to the opposite pilots who didn't seem to want to wave back. One pilot signalled. Bradley kept his eyes on the pilot.

"What's he saying?"

"No clue." Maverick responded.

Bradley gulped. The pilot signalled again. Shit.

"That one?"

"Never seen that one before, either."

The pilot turned to face front again. Bradley furrowed his brows then watched as the wingman moved behind them.

"Shit." He cursed.

"Right, listen up. When I tell you – you grab those rings above your head and pull. Those are the ejection handles."

Bradley felt a wave of emotion and his brain didn't know how to compute it. He was Mav's backseater in an F-14 and he now had to think about ejecting. His brain felt like it was frying. He was in the same position his dad was before he died. Bradley tried to pry that thought from his head.

"Mav, can we outrun these guys?"

"Not their missiles and guns."

Bradley paused, trying to comprehend what was about to happen.

"So it's a dogfight."

"In an F-14 against 5th gen fighters..."

"It's not the plane. It's the pilot." Bradley said.

"You'd go after 'em if I wasn't here."

Maverick scoffed, "But you are here."

Bradley's heart sunk.

"C'mon, Mav. Don't think. Just do."

-

"What the hell are you doing?" Hondo shouted at you.

You grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into an embrace. He stood still for a moment before lightly placing his hands on your back.

"What's going on, Locket?"

You pulled back and looked at Hondo, "Dad and Bradley are alive. They're in an F-14 and hopefully they're coming home. Hangman just got sent to get them."

Hondo's mouth slowly dropped open. You bit your lip, feeling your nose tingle again. You were not about to cry in front of Hondo again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, nodding his way through his thoughts.

"You're your father's daughter, that's for sure." He finally spoke.

You grinned and squeezed his arm before walking back down the stairs.

He followed behind you as you marched towards the control room, bursting through the doors and sitting back down in your seat.

"Locket, you shouldn't be in here." Simpson told you.

You looked up at him, "I need to be here."

Simpson opened his mouth to tell you off, but Hondo cut in front of him and stared him down as he sat next to you.

"She needs to be here." Hondo reiterated.

Simpson closed his mouth and clenched his jaw.

"Fine."

You took a deep breath, closing your eyes. You focused on the sound of your heart beating, pressing your fingers to your wrist. No more crying. No more hysterics. You had to focus. Anything could happen and you needed to be prepared. Your back ached, adding to the pressure and tension that encapsulated your entire being. You rolled your head, stretching your neck, and then opened your eyes.

"The GPS is not responding. I think they're low in terrain."

Hangman spoke over comms. You watched as Bates and Simpson gave each other a look.

"Tell him to keep high, don't go below deck. They're in a dogfight." Simpson ordered.

You swallowed, trying to keep your cool. Your brain was all over the place. You couldn't hear them, so you had no clue about where they were or what they were doing. But the sound of your dad getting into a dogfight in an F-14 sounds about right. You were a little surprised that he would be doing it with Bradley in the backseat. It sure was one hell of a bonding session.

"Sir, we have a signal connecting to Rooster's E-Sat. We've got their location."

Your eyes lit up and your jaw dropped. Hondo grasped your shoulder and you turned to face his huge grin.

"They're okay." You whispered in disbelief.

He nodded, "Of course they are."

You took a deep breath and exhaled. They were coming home.

-

"We're out of flares, Mav!" Bradley shouted from the backseat.

His hands flailed about, trying to keep himself in place while he checked around him for the new jet that was attacking them.

"Shit, he's already on us! This is not good!" He exclaimed, trying to keep an eye on the jet.

Maverick stayed silent, trying to put all of his focus into dodging the guns and bombs this plane was sending towards them. But the only image he had in his head was of nearly 30 years ago when he and Goose were in a jet over the ocean in an unmovable mission. History was repeating itself.

Maverick shook the thoughts out of his head as Bradley announced that they took another hit.

"No, no, no," Mav repeated to himself.

The jets engines were getting shot at and lights started flashing everywhere around Bradley. He groaned.

"We can't take much more of this!" 

"We're not gonna outrun this guy. We'll need to eject. We need altitude. Pull the ejection handles the second I tell you!" Mav ordered.

Bradley's heart dropped, "Mav, no-"

"Rooster, there's no other way!"

Maverick pulled up fast, sending them vertical in the air. Bradley couldn't help but panic, now. He gripped the ejection handles, waiting for Mavericks 'go'. His heart was pounding, and everything was moving in slow motion.

He knew this was how his father died and he couldn't bare the thought of it happening again. His chest felt tight as they climbed higher and higher, and he groaned and grunted to let some tension go but nothing was working.

A picture of you flashed into his mind. You in his car after prom nearly a decade ago. Your eyes dark and tired, your flushed skin glowing in the moonlight, your hair still wet and in its natural form. Your beaming smile and your laugh that you got embarrassed about and dug your head into Bradley's chest to hide your blushing cheeks.

The thought soothed him for a split second.

"Eject! Eject! Eject!"

He woke up from the daydream and pulled the ejection handles above his head. Once. Twice. Three times. Why the hell wasn't it working?

"Rooster, pull the handles!" Maverick shouted.

"It's not working!" Bradley shouted back.

He kept pulling. Harder and harder. It was broken. His whole insides felt like they dropped. They weren't getting out of this alive.

Mav just kept climbing and trying to control his breathing. Not only was he going to lose his daughter, but he was practically losing his son, too.

"Mav!" Bradley shouted at him from the backseat.

The blood was rushing to his head, and he scrambled around for something to hold on to. Something to ground him. He had no clue what Mav was doing. Everything inside of him was screaming.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry, Goose." Maverick whispered.

Bradley squeezed his eyes shut. This was it. He suddenly missed his dad and his mom.

He heard the sound of an explosion behind them. Bradley turned with all his might to look behind and realised that he was okay. He was still breathing. Still moving.

Behind them was a colossal cloud of black smoke in the air. And before he could even ask what had happened, a jet flew through the cloud.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is your saviour speaking."

Bradley's heart lifted and the biggest wave of relief swarmed over him.

"Please fasten your seatbelts, return your tray tables to their locked and upright positions, and prepare for landing." Hangman said with the most nonchalant cocky voice he always spoke in.

Bradley laughed. He had never been happier to see that man in his life. Hangman flew alongside Mav and Bradley, giving a small salute to them. Mav banged on the window, giving him a thumbs up. He could finally breathe again.

"Hey, Hangman. You look good." Bradley said with a grin.

"I am good, Rooster. I'm very good." He replied.

Bradley chuckled and nodded at him. Hangman pulled away and flew off, going back to the carrier.

-

"Please fasten your seatbelts...and prepare for landing."

Your whole body felt relief as Hangman spoke, making it very known that Bradley and your dad were okay. You slumped back in your chair, taking a moment for a breath. The room had erupted in cheers and high-fives. You just needed a quiet moment to yourself. Never again would you ever have an injury before a mission. Never again.

"Make sure they get home safe. We're going to see them come in." Bates said.

He flashed you a wink as him and Simpson left the control room, and you returned him with a smile.

"You alright?" Hondo asked.

You nodded, "Never been better."

He grinned and nodded. He stood up, cracking his knuckles and his neck before extending his hand to you.

"Come on, let's see those two sons of bitches arrive safely."

You chuckled and placed your hand in his, letting him escort you to tarmac.

-

Bradley was grinning the whole way back, and during their fly-by...and as they began descending. Until the jet jolted and he hung his head back.

"Please don't tell me we lost an engine." He said, shaking his head.

Maverick paused, "Alright, I won't tell you that."

"Okay." Bradley responded, keeping his arms tucked in and his body tense as they began landing.

They smacked down on the tarmac, making both of their heads fly forwards and back. The jet scraped along the scorching hot ground until it came to a halt, leaving Mav and Bradley still in the plane while crew worked around them with fire extinguishers.

"You good?" Mav asked.

"Yeah. I'm good." Bradley responded, a slight chuckle following.

Neither of them could believe they actually made it. They stayed seated in the plane, both silent together, thinking about what just happened. Bradley leaned his head back and shook his head.

But their moment of quiet wasn't long, as hundreds of crew members and pilots ran towards the plane, cheering and shouting. The top of the plane rose, and Bradley lifted his helmet up in triumph.

-

You raced up the stairs and saw the jet on the tarmac. But the crowds of people surrounding it was huge and you were going to have to push your way through. You started jogging towards the crowd and excuse me'd your way through the heaps of people. You saw the top of Bradley's helmet in the air and your adrenaline rushed through you.

Hondo met Maverick at the jet, taking him in a tight embrace.

"You good?" Hondo asked, shouting over the noise.

"I'm good! Where's y/n?"

Hondo looked around, attempting to find you.

"Give me a minute!" He shouted back.

Maverick nodded and swallowed. He just wanted to hold you. He needed to ground himself. Part of him believed he was still out there and he didn't make it.

Phoenix grabbed Bradley in the tightest hug and pushed him back with a grin. He laughed. His face hurt from smiling so much.

Hangman approached Bradley, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he came face-to-face with him. They looked at each other, mutually and non-verbally putting their rivalry to rest. Hangman extended his gloved hand and Bradley smirked, shaking his hand.

"Got yourself another kill?" Bradley commented.

"That makes two." Hangman stated.

"Maverick has five. Makes him an ace." Phoenix added.

Bradley turned to Hangman and they both quirked their eyebrows.

You pushed your way through the crowd until you bumped into Hondo.

"Come on, slow coach." Hondo grabbed your wrist with a laugh.

You followed behind him and just like magic, the crowd parted slightly, and you and your dad caught sight of each other. Hondo dropped your arm, and you felt your whole body relax. Tears filled your eyes and your feet moved before your brain could allow it. You ran into your dads arms, letting him wrap his arms tightly around you.

You cried into his chest and he leaned his head against yours. You knew he was crying, too.

"Are you okay?" You asked with a croaky voice.

"I'm alright, sweetie. I'm here."

Your hands wrapped fully around his middle and held him so tight.

"I thought I lost you." You said to him.

He pulled back from you and held your shoulders, "You're never losing me, y/n. I'm not going anywhere."

You smiled and covered his hands with yours, shaking your head in disbelief. You opened your mouth to say something, but your dad jumped in before the words could come out.

"We'll talk later, okay? I think you need to see Bradley."

You nodded. Fuck. You were nervous. Why were you nervous? Just the sound of his name made your whole stomach flip upside down. You took a deep breath, and your dad nodded you through it. He held your hand and squeezed it before you left him to fight through the crowd to find him.

You were disorientated and confused when the farther you got, the less crowd there was and there was no sight of him. You started to panic. Had he just left without saying anything to?

You were now standing on your own and you looked back at the huge crowd surrounding your dad. But you couldn't see Bradley. You felt like a child who had lost someone in a supermarket. The panic settled in your stomach. Maybe he didn't want to see you.

Your throat and nose burned as tears began streaming from your eyes.

"B-Bradley?" You called feebly into the crowd.

Not a single soul turned around.

"Bradley!" You shouted again.

You pushed your way back in, frantically looking up at any man who remotely resembled him.

"Brad!"

You shouted his name over and over again into the crowd.

Rooster had left the crowd for a moment for some air. He couldn't find you and he was getting claustrophobic. Phoenix, Bob, Hangman, and the team waited with him as he took his time breathing. He felt ill. Why hadn't you come to see him yet?

"Rooster!" You called.

"She'll just be with her dad, Bradshaw. Don't worry about it." Phoenix said calmly, rubbing his back.

"Bradley!"

His ears pricked up and his back straightened.

"I think I heard her." He said quietly.

"What?" Bob asked.

"Brad!" You felt small in this huge crowd and all you wanted to do was get out of it.

"I can hear her."

He dropped his helmet and walked closer to the crowd. When he saw you. Lost in the crowd. He saw you fight your way through everyone and in his mind he cursed you for not taking it easy with your back.

"y/n!" He shouted, his voice travelling to you.

You paused and raised up onto your tiptoes. You swear you could see a glimpse of him past a few more rows of people.

"Bradley!" You squealed.

You shoved a few people out the way until you were finally out of the crowd. And Brad was facing you, only a few metres away. You both stopped in your tracks and stared at each other.

You raised a hand to your mouth, feeling the tears begin to flow again. He lifted his hands to his face, covering his eyes and dipping his head.

You started walking to him. Then started running. He moved his hands and ran towards you - meeting you halfway.

You crashed into him, wrapping your arms up around his shoulders. You were on your tiptoes, pulling him as close to you as possible. He wrapped one arm around your waist and another came to cup the back of your head protectively against his neck.

"I thought you died, Brad. I thought you were gone." You sobbed into his skin.

His skin. You couldn't get closer to him if you tried, nuzzling your face into his neck.

"I told you. I'm never leaving you." He commented, sniffling and pressing a kiss to your head through your hair.

You pulled away from him and cupped his cheeks. He looked down at you with the biggest eyes on the planet and you melted.

"You saved him, didn't you." You whispered, wiping a tear from his cheek.

He nodded, "Because he saved me."

You bit your lip, attempting not to sob.

"I love you." You told him.

His mouth dropped open slightly. His eyes moved from your eyes to your lips and before you knew it, his mouth was on yours. You hummed and wrapped your arms entirely around his neck. He lifted you up with his hands around your waist, your feet lifting up from the ground.

His lips moved against yours in synchronisation, and his hands gripped onto you so hard it was like he would never let go of you ever again.

"I love you." He mumbled against your lips between kisses.

You grinned, "I love you."

He smiled into the kiss and pressed one last peck against your swollen lips as he set you back on the ground.

"Are we gonna talk about how you're not on your crutches, or-"

"That is not what you should be worrying about, right now." You said sternly.

He smirked, "Okay."

"Okay." You smiled back.

"Jesus, we get it, you're in love!" Hangman shouted from behind Bradley.

You looked past Rooster's shoulder and to Hangman and the team who were all standing with huge grins on their face. You squeezed Bradley's shoulder, and he kept his hand attached to your waist until he physically couldn't as you jogged towards Hangman.

Hangman stood still, waiting for you coming to him. You approached him and punched him in the shoulder. He gasped and looked at you with wide eyes.

"That's for being a dick to me and my boyfriend." You said.

He rubbed the sore spot on his shoulder.

"But that's also a thank you for saving him and my dad."

He smiled, "You'll never hear the end of this, Locket. I hope you know that."

You rolled your eyes, "One day, I'll get to save your ass and we'll be 50/50."

He put his hands on his hips, "I guess you're right."

Bradley came up behind you and pressed his hand against the small of your back. He lowered down to press a kiss against your cheek.

"I'm gonna talk to your dad. I'll be back in a minute."

You nodded and turned your head to look up at him, "Okay."

He smiled down at you and you couldn't not smile back at him.

"I love you." You said.

"I love you, too."

He pressed a peck against your lips before jogging back to the crowd.

"You guys disgust me." Phoenix commented.

You laughed and wrapped your arm around her shoulders, letting the team walk you back inside.

"I knew you guys were fucking." Hangman interjected.

You shoved him, "I'll take back all of my niceness, Bagman. Watch it."

---

You were lying across one of the benches, nearly falling asleep as Phoenix talked about the mission. She was just out of the shower and getting back into her khakis and you hadn't even thought about a shower yet. You had taken your hair out of the painful bun it was in, but other than that you had barely moved. You were wondering why Bradley was taking so long. He must be getting heaps of praise. You were hoping the mission was the final thing that could bond him and your dad back together.

"Locket?"

You opened your eyes and let the cloud of thoughts burst above your head. You lifted your eyeline up to Phoenix who was looking at you confused as she brushed her hair back.

"Were you even listening?" She asked, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

You yawned, "Sorry, Nat. Keep going."

"It's fine. You need some rest. We all do."

She sat down next to your legs, and you laid them across her lap. She smiled.

"You know, I wasn't trying to be rude or second guess Rooster when your dad got hit. I just didn't want him to get hurt." She explained softly.

You sat up, leaning back on your palms.

"Nat, I never thought about it like that. You were all trying to keep him safe, you were right to say that. But...if it wasn't for him then dad would have been gone." You said.

Phoenix looked down at your legs, fiddling with your uniform.

"And if they didn't end up together, then they'd both be dead." You laughed.

Phoenix smirked. You could tell she felt overwhelmed, and you didn't blame her. You couldn't imagine being up there with one of your closest friends and having to watch him nearly kill himself.

"Are you okay?" You asked her quietly.

She looked down and nodded. But her hands went to her face quickly and you swiped your legs off her lap to scooch close to her and embrace her. She cried into your arms, and you leaned your head against hers.

"You've been through a lot today. You have every right to feel overwhelmed and emotional." You told her, rubbing her back.

She sniffled, "I know. It was just a lot. I thought we lost Rooster, you know?"

You started tearing up. You always cried when someone else cried. You nodded.

"I know. But you got home safe and so did he. We're all okay."

You closed your eyes as you and her rocked gently from side to side as she cried into your arms. You took some deep breaths and she copied. It was soothing, the silence in the locker room. Until the door creaked open.

You peeled an eye open to look up at Bradley. He had stepped half in the room and paused when he saw you two. You smiled up at him, nodding him over and he took it as an okay to come in. He quietly closed the door behind him and started taking off his gear. You were so in love with him. Just watching him trying to be as quiet as possible was making your heart flutter.

He sat on the bench and slid along to meet Phoenix on her other side. His hand came to her back to rub it gently.

"Hey," He practically whispered.

She looked up to him and burst into laughter, wiping her tears away.

"What's this all about, huh?" He asked with a smirk.

"You being an asshole and nearly killing yourself." She choked out.

His eyes widened in surprise, clearly not used to seeing his friend in such a state.

"I'm still alive though. No way I was going to let you live your life without me annoying you."

She rolled her eyes and wiped her nose. He held his arms out to her and she chuckled before embracing him. You put a hand to her knee to let her know you were still there for her as she hugged your boyfriend.

Bradley kissed the top of her head and didn't let her go. You felt like crying. He was so gentle. For someone who has gone through as much as he has, you were amazed at how amazing a person he was. He cared so deeply about everything. You believed it was a gift and not a weakness.

You sighed and wiped a hand over your face. Brad caught your eye and nodded his head as if to say 'What's up?'

"Just tired." You mouthed.

He nodded understandingly.

"Me too." He mouthed.

You nodded back.           

You watched them as Phoenix relaxed completely against him. You were worried she was falling asleep. You looked from her to Bradley with a fond smile and he caught your eye.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

He mimed a kiss and you did it back, both of you grinning afterwards.

Phoenix sat back up, groaning and wiping her eyes, "I'm so done with today."

You all laughed, "You need a cold beer after this." You said.

She nodded, "That is the truest thing I've ever heard, Locket."

You smiled as she stood up and grabbed her stuff. She walked back over and ruffled your boyfriends hair as she headed for the door.

"I'll leave you two love birds alone." She said before leaving.

"Don't be too loud!" She shouted from the corridor as the door shut behind her.

You laughed, rolling your eyes.

You and Bradley were left alone and in silence. You stared at one another, simultaneously taking a deep breath. You looked at him. Really looked at him. He had some dirt across his face and his hair was messy and darker than usual. His nose and cheeks were a light shade of red and his eyes looked tired but still bright. His shoulders slumped ever so slightly but he still seemed in good spirits.

"Do you need a shower?" He asked, standing up from the bench with a groan.

You nodded. He opened his locker and took out his toilet bag, sitting it next to you. You watched with wide eyes as he began unzipping his flight suit so it rested low on his hips. He reached for the hem of his black t-shirt underneath – but not before you could admire the way his biceps looked against the sleeves. And as he pulled it over his head, you pulled your lip between your teeth. How his V-line showed, and the trail of sandy-blonde hair that connected to his belly button. How his rippling abs looked effortless, and his shoulders looked so broad.

"Honey, you good?" He asked with a smirk, folding his t-shirt and putting it on the bench.

"More than good, now." You remarked.

He shook his head and pushed the flight suit down to his ankles and stepped out of it. Now he was just annoying you. Black boxers clung to his thick thighs and you didn't fail to notice the shape beneath them.

"Jesus, Brad." You sighed.

He scoffed, "You're not serious."

"What? Am I not allowed to appreciate you?" You asked, standing up.

"You can't be horny right now." He laughed.

You started unbuttoning your shirt and taking it from beneath your trousers. He watched you as he folded his flight suit up. His tongue poked out to swipe over his bottom lip as he watched you part the shirt to show your white bra underneath.

You looked up at him with doe eyes as you peeled it off of your back and dropped it on the bench. He gulped, and you revelled in watching his Adams apple bob up and down.

You stepped closer to your boyfriend, your hand going to the button on your trousers. He took a deep breath in and held it, as if he was trying not to crack under pressure.

You looked up at him as you unbuttoned your trousers and pulled the zip down.

"I think we both need a shower." You said quietly.

Your breath fanned across his lips, and he clenched his jaw. You pushed your trousers down to the floor and stepped out of them. Bradley's eyes wandered down your chest to your white panties. He looked back to your eyes, and they had darkened within milliseconds.

"And I want to show my boyfriend-" You slid your hands up his torso and to his broad shoulders.

You stood up on your tiptoes and curled a hand to the nape of his warm neck, bringing him closer to you.

"How proud I am of him." You whispered into his ear.

He shuddered ever so slightly, letting his eyes roll to the back of his head. His hands hovered over your hips – knowing that if he was to touch you now, he'd have to take you right there and then.

You pressed a kiss to his ear and then his cheek.

"I've been waiting for you to come back. I missed you, baby."

He hummed at your words, eyes still closed, brain trying to decide what it wants.

One hand left his shoulder and travelled down his body to the waistband of his boxers. Your fingers teased it, dipping underneath and feeling a tickle of his hair. You smirked against his cheek.

"Please give me it. I need it." You whispered.

That sent him flying. He crashed his lips against yours and you hummed in surprise, picking your arms up to fall around his shoulders. His hands went to your thighs, dipping down to lift you into his arms. Your legs wrapped around his hips and his hands supported your ass as he walked forwards to one of the showers.

Your tongue's pushed against each other's in need, the roughness of his moustache digging into your upper lip. He stepped up into one of the cubicles and turned on the shower. He pressed you against the wall and pulled back from your lips.

His hand curled around your back to rid you of your bra, and he sent it out the curtain. He pulled it shut and pressed up against you. The water was warm now and the steam began surrounding you. He encased your lips with his, pushing his tongue into your mouth. You moaned, running your fingers up into his hair as your lips moved with his and his hands squeezed your ass.

You resisted against him and he cautiously stopped kissing you. You looked up at him – his eyes worried and wondering what was wrong. But you unwrapped your legs and sunk to your knees before he could ask you if you were okay. His jaw dropped and you pushed down his – now wet – boxers.

His half-hard cock sprung free and into your hand.

"Baby," He moaned, as you began stroking him.

He pressed one hand on the wall behind you and the other to your hair, pushing it back from your forehead. You kept looking up at him and you marvelled at how he looked from this angle. He looked chiselled from a God and your mouth salivated at the view.

You braced one hand against his thigh and used the other to stroke him, spitting onto his length as you did. He groaned and bit his lip as you finally took him in your mouth. You sucked on his tip, moaning around him. He squeezed the back of your head like he was refraining from fucking your face. You got wet instantly and pressed your thighs together. You didn't care how uncomfortable the floor was beneath you. How could you care about anything else when Bradley and all of his toned abs, thick thighs and blissed out face was above you?

"You feel so good, baby. Shit." He moaned, collecting your hair into a ponytail.

You bobbed your head on his length, easing your mouth and throat to the size of him. Somehow, he felt bigger in your mouth than he did anywhere else. You could feel his cock getting harder as you sucked and swirled your tongue around his tip. He groaned, biting his lip so hard you were worried he'd cut his lip.

He brought his other hand down to cup under your chin and you looked up at him, pausing with his cock still in your mouth, resting on your flattened tongue.

A beat of silence. Tension. His dark eyes staring down at you with lust and adoration. You broke the stillness by bobbing your head slowly forwards as you kept your eyes on him. He stuttered a groan, his mouth falling open. His hands guided you as he thrusted into your mouth ever so slightly, mentoring you through it.

"Look so pretty like this, with my cock in your mouth, honey."

You squeezed your thighs. Jesus Christ.

You pulled off of him for a breath of air. One of your hands cupped under his balls, massaging them while your other stroked him, your thumb grazing his tip. You took a breath before slackening your jaw for him once again. He hummed, encouraging you forward with his hands.

"That's it, baby. So good for me." He praised as you let him take control of you.

He pulled you forward and thrusted at the same time, allowing you to rest your hands on his thighs and focus on your breathing. He rocked his hips back and forth, and you kept your gaze on him – blinking tears back with every stroke.

You moaned around him when you felt him twitch in your mouth, but he pulled away from you quickly and lifted your chin to look up at him. You gasped and gulped in surprise.

"Don't wanna come in your mouth. Wanna come in your pussy." He stated as he pulled you up from the floor.

He pushed and pulled at your pants until they splatted on a pool on the ground, and he was on you again, slipping his tongue past your bottom lip. You held him close to you and kissed him with fervour, not wanting to let go.

His hand trailed down to your soaked core and your breath hitched in your throat. His hand paused. You knew how wet you were, it was embarrassing. But he smirked into your kiss and began kissing down your neck. You leaned your head back and gaped your mouth open as his mouth attached to your nipple.

"Brad," You moaned, tugging on his wet hair.

He sucked and licked your sensitive nipple while his fingers played with your clit, circling, and applying pressure. You bucked your hips against him and pulled him up to face you again.

"Fuck me, Rooster." You whined impatiently.

His screwed his face up and practically moaned when he heard his callsign fall from your lips. Suddenly it wasn't weird hearing it from you. It wasn't off-putting it was...nice and sexy.

"How would you like me, Lieutenant?" He asked, a cocky smirk on his face.

You bit your lip with a smile and put your hands on his shoulders. You jumped up and he caught you effortlessly and pushed you against the wall.

"Is this alright, sir?" You asked.

"More than alright, ma'am."

"Fuck me, then."

He pushed into you with no further convincing needed. You both moaned in sync as he stretched you and allowed you to adjust to him. He pushed some wet hair away from your face and tucked them behind your ears.

"You're so fucking beautiful, y/n." He marvelled at you.

You dug your heels into his ass, letting him begin to thrust into you. You didn't know what to say to him. You just held onto his neck and hoped he'd understand you. He let his head fall forward to the crook of your neck and started lazily kissing your skin. His thrusts were deep and delicious as he grinded up into you. He held onto your thighs and dug his fingernails into your skin.

"Harder, baby." You groaned.

He grunted against your skin and did as you asked. He pulled his hips back and snapped them hard into you. You cried out, gripping onto him for dear life as he started relentlessly fucking you. His cock drove deep into your tight pussy and every thrust was getting you closer and closer to your peak.

"I need this everyday of my life, now. Never letting you go 24 hours without making you come." He said to you, lifting his head.

"What about – oh – when we're – f-fuck – on deployme-ent." You stuttered.

He smirked and slowed down his thrusts, rolling his hips into you and allowing his tip to graze a spot inside of you that you never knew was there.

"Honey, I can still make you come when we're not together. Have you heard of an invention called the phone?" He remarked, giving you a small slap to your ass.

You yelped, "You're too cocky for your own good, Bradshaw."

He pushed closer to you, and you gasped as his entire length filled you. You furrowed your brows and gripped him even tighter. He smirked at your reaction. You moved your hips against him, letting your clit brush up and down against his pubic hair.

"I'm cocky for a reason, princess."

He pressed a kiss to your forehead, and you nearly came right there. How could he be so fucking dirty and gentle at the same time?

"I hate you." You groaned.

"I love you, too." He quipped.

You smiled and he slowly began thrusting into you again, building up a speed.

It didn't take much time before he had you coming around him, moaning and crying out his name as he pushed you over the edge and fucked you through it. He came just after you, and you held him close as he dug his head into your neck, letting grunts and groans escape his lips. You both needed the relief, and you were just lucky you could both be there to give it to each other.

After the productive shower, you two got dressed back into uniform and left the locker room hand in hand. A kiss was pressed to your forehead as you left and then to your cheek and then to your lips. You giggled against him and attempted to push him off you. If Bates or Simpson – or God forbid your father – found you two making out in uniform, you'd want to die on the spot. He didn't let you go before pushing you up against the wall and giving you a kiss that was lingering on your lips until the second the carrier hit home.