Chapter Text
Bradley slept worse than he had since stumbling upon Seresin Ranch. He somehow felt more exhausted than when he went to sleep. The lack of Jake’s presence left him uneasy where it had stabilized him the night before even if they were not speaking. Bradley’s hand slid to Jake’s size of the bed just to be sure but it was colder than it had ever been, the sheets like ice at Bradley’s touch. He withdrew his hand quickly, tucking it back underneath his arms. Bradley blinked his eyes open slowly, glancing out the window where the sun was just beginning to peak over the mountains, most of the sky still dark. He was only awake by force of habit, used to listening to Jake bustling about in the background. This morning, however, there was stillness. Bradley knew Jake didn’t even need an alarm to get up this early, that he set one just in case on days that he felt extra tired. He also knew that Jake’s pride probably didn’t let him set that alarm last night. Whatever, Jake always wakes up anyway and Bradley has no need to worry. Jake didn’t want his help anyway.
Bradley dozed off again, slipping in and out of consciousness against his will. His mind wandered, replaying last night over and over. Jake’s wide, scared eyes when Bradley finally snapped. The fact that Bradley had left him again, after the blond had so clearly shown how badly that affected him. Bradley’s heart ached, overcome with powerful guilt, even more so than the night before. He had been determined to make peace with Jake only to succumb to his frustration once again. On the other hand, Bradley was still pissed. Pissed and exhausted. They had both let their anger get the better of them, words were said, obviously Jake was still upset too, but above all, Bradley was just done. Yeah, he sure as shit deserved an apology, but he also desperately needed just one moment of peace where the tension between them wasn’t soaking through the entire house. He gazed back out the window again as he sighed, observing how the sun was mostly over the mountain range, illuminating the sky with pretty oranges and pinks. The sun was almost up. Bradley blinked, his thoughts coming to a screeching halt. The sun was almost up and the house was as quiet as when he woke up. There had been no doors opening, no footsteps, no faucets running, nothing. Jake didn’t wake up, Bradley realized, his heart sinking. He was out of bed before he could hesitate, throwing the door open and hurrying down the stairs as quietly as he could. When he reached the familiar office door, Bradley halted. He inhaled deeply, expelling any residual frustration. He was done being angry, done not making the most out of this week when Jake’s whole family was together under one roof, done hurting Jake and hurting himself.
He opened the door slowly, careful not to let it creak. The sight he found inside made his heart crack. His boyfriend was slumped over in his chair, head nestled on his arms and resting on the desk. The monitor and keyboard had been shoved to the side to make more room on the already uncomfortable desk. Jake’s hair was messier than last night, like he tugged at it relentlessly. Bradley moved forward, stepping around the desk to Jake’s side. He slid his hand into Jake’s hair, nails scratching soothingly across his scalp. Jake stirred slightly, shifting his head to expose half his face to Bradley. His eyes remained closed, still asleep. Bradley’s hand drifted, going to run along the blond’s hairline and behind his ears. Jake’s face twitched, successfully disturbed from his sleep. His eyes opened just as Bradley’s hand moved to the back of his head again. He looked up at Bradley with confusion and Bradley was sure his heart couldn’t take any more. Jake’s eyes were red from crying and he looked positively drained. Jake moved to sit up but Bradley shuffled forward and pulled the blond’s head into his chest.
“Oh, baby…” He mumbled. A quiet noise of confusion came muffled from Bradley’s chest and Jake looked up at him again, unable to process what he was seeing.
“You came back?” Jake breathed, voice hoarse like if he said it too loud Bradley would evaporate. Bradley pulled him out of his chair, tucking Jake’s head into the crook of his neck and wrapping his arms tight around him.
“I never left,” Bradley assured quietly. Jake sagged against him, like standing took the last of the energy he still had.
“But you said…” Jake started, fading out like he could barely remember their argument. He swallowed thickly. “Said you were done with me.” Bradley pulled him impossibly closer.
“Fuck, I know, I know, I’m sorry,” Bradley soothed. “I didn’t mean it, I was angry. I never meant to hurt you sweetheart, I’m so sorry.” Jake shuttered against him, finally bringing his own arms around Bradley’s shoulders.
“I’m sorry too,” Jake whispered. “‘M really fucking sorry. I was such a dick and you didn’t deserve it.” Jake’s voice wobbled near the end of his sentence and Bradley felt his heart ache with it.
“I know, baby,” Bradley hushed. “We were both upset.” Jake pulled his face away from Bradley’s neck to look him in the eyes. Bradley could feel a damp spot on his neck where tears had gathered again in Jake’s eyes. They were shining as they met Bradley’s brown ones. Bradley brought his hands up to cup Jake’s head and pulled him close. Their foreheads touched and Bradley’s eyes slipped closed. They stood like that for what felt like hours, finally breathing each other in and standing close for the first time in days. At some point, Jake’s weight began shifting, leaning more on Bradley by the second.
“Let’s get you to bed,” Bradley mumbled, pulling away and grabbing Jake’s hand, a comforting weight he’d been missing. Jake simply blinked at him, eyes still misty and a slight frown on his face. Gently, Bradley began leading his boyfriend out of the office. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Jake suddenly paused, tugging on Bradley’s arm. Bradley glanced back to see Jake staring out the window at the end of the hall with wide eyes.
“What time is it?” Jake asked, the loudest thing he’s said all morning. Bradley pulled on his hand but he wouldn’t budge.
“Time for you to get in a real bed,” Bradley responded, pulling harder. Jake looked at him, looking distraught.
“I have to go do the morning chores!” Jake insists urgently. Bradley suppressed the urge to sigh. He stepped down to Jake’s side, snaking one arm around Jake’s waist and guiding him up the stairs. Despite Jake’s insistence, he offered no real resistance.
“I’ve got it today,” Bradley replied. “Just want you to sleep.” Jake let himself be maneuvered all the way into the bedroom where he got a pair of clean sweats all but shoved in his arms. Bradley sat on the side of the bed, watching Jake shimmy out of his jeans and shirt, tossing them across the room. As soon as he slipped into the sweats, Bradley’s hands were back on his hips, pulling him to the bed. Bradley practically shoved him into the mattress, tucking him and leaving him basically swaddled like a toddler. Bradley let out a hum of satisfaction at the sight, moving to begin heading back out.
“Where are you goin’?” Jake asked, his words muddled by exhaustion and all the blankets he was piled under. Bradley looked at him over his shoulder, face softening.
“I’ll be back in fifteen, tops.” Bradley assured and that seemed to settle Jake a bit more. He nodded reluctantly and Bradley smiled gently before walking out.
Feeding the animals in the morning had become somewhat of a second nature to Bradley, as he only had a few brief moments of confusion but was mostly able to breeze through the tasks with ease. A couple weeks of doing the same things every morning will do that to a person. He even managed to finish up relatively quickly, walking back to the house with his pockets full of eggs in just under ten minutes. He had a special incentive to make it back upstairs, after all. He slipped in through the front door, kicking off his boots and shuffling through the kitchen to avoid any extra noise. The sun was still barely up. After depositing his eggs in the fridge, Bradley shuffled upstairs. His own night of horrible sleep was catching up to him and he yawned. When he walked into the bedroom, Jake’s eyes were already open and watching him. Something told Bradley the blond didn’t actually fall asleep when he left. Bradley tore off his shirt quickly, since it had gotten dusty even if he was barely in the barn for five minutes. As soon as he was slipping into bed, Jake was on him, wrapping his arms around Bradley’s torso and already mumbling.
“I’m sorry-” Jake began, only for Bradley to hush him quietly.
“We’ll talk, I promise,” Bradley assured, looking into the blond’s worried eyes. “But can we please get some real sleep first?” Jake huffed out a quiet laugh and nodded before slotting his head right under Bradley’s. The pilot exhaled deeply, finally feeling days of tension bleed out of him. Sleep came easy after that, wrapped up in Jake’s warmth and feeling his strong arms around his body.
-
Bradley woke up to the sound of sheets rustling and the feeling of a leg being thrown over his own, sliding in between his legs like two perfect puzzle pieces. His eyes fluttered open to see sunlight streaming in, warming every inch of the room. Jake was still in bed, possibly still asleep, laying impossibly closer to Bradley than when they fell asleep. Bradley laid there for a while, simply basking in the feeling he’d been yearning for since Jake’s family arrived. For the first time in days, he didn’t feel exhausted and on edge from the moment his eyes opened. Of course, there was some serious apologizing to come, but to know that they could begin the process of making up allowed Bradley to finally relax. Bradley sighed in relief as he stared up at the ceiling. After a moment, he felt Jake sigh as well, mimicking Bradley and he smiled fondly.
“You sleep okay?” Bradley asked quietly, bringing his hand up to drag his blunt nails over Jake’s back in mindless patterns.
“Yeah,” Jake replied softly. “Better than I have in the last few days.”
“Me too,” Bradley admitted, wrapping his hands around Jake and squeezing briefly. Silence followed Bradley’s words and the pair laid there for a bit, taking it in and thinking. Finally, Bradley spoke again, “We need to talk.” He said bluntly, no point in beating around the bush anymore. They had done too much of that and it had escalated too far.
“We do,” Jake agreed. He unwrapped his various limbs from Bradley and sat up, the sheets pooling at his hips. The sunlight beamed onto his bare chest, his skin practically glowing and he was looking at Bradley with those guilty green eyes that said everything before the blond even opened his mouth and Bradley already knew Jake was forgiven. For a quiet moment, neither of them spoke, only looking at each other with days of guilt waiting to boil over into forgiveness. Jake looked hesitant, like he had so much to say he didn’t know where to start, so Bradley opened his mouth first.
“I talked to your sister when she found me,” He began quietly. “She told me about all the exes and stuff.” He watched Jake swallow thickly.
“Yeah, I just-” Jake cut off, looking down at his hands. “I just wanted them to approve of you. I didn’t want to have to defend you ‘cause I know you don’t need it.”
“Grace told me about that too,” Bradley said. “But you never told me any of that. It felt like you were just shutting me out, like you wanted your family to rip me apart.” Jake looked up then, his face a picture of hurt and regret.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize how rude they all were being until our fight in the garage.” Jake admitted, shrinking into himself a little at the memory of the garage. “God, I’m so sorry about the garage. I don’t even know what happened.” Bradley felt his heart crack at the look in Jake’s eyes and the tremor in his voice.
“Jake-” He tried to speak, but the blond raised his hand.
“No, I need to say this.” He said firmly, despite the way his voice wobbled. “I had no right to say what I did. You didn’t deserve that, no matter how angry I was. I should have never stooped that low.” Jake’s eyes were watering as he recalled everything.
“I don’t want to excuse any of it. I’m not trying to. I was so scared you were gonna drive off forever, I was just doing anything I could to make you stay even if you were screaming at me. Then you threw that apple at me and it hurt and all I could think about when you left was that I had fucked up. I was terrified of what I’d done and all I wanted was to see you turn that car around and come back.” Jake’s voice cracked halfway through his apology but he kept going anyway, pushing through despite the tears that had escaped his eyes and were now cascading down his face. Bradley moved without speaking, unsure if Jake had more to say. He reached forward and pulled the blond into his arms, letting his body collapse onto Bradley’s.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Bradley.” Jake finished, meaning every single syllable as tears fell onto Bradley’s bare shoulder.
“I’m sorry too,” Bradley apologized gently into Jake’s ear. “I shouldn’t’ve yelled at you and I never should have thrown something at you. I let my anger get the better of me but I don’t ever want to take it out on you again.” Jake squeezed Bradley tight, and Bradley returned the hug, holding onto Jake as firmly as he could. The couple stayed like that for a long moment, like they had been the entire morning, making up for lost time.
Finally, Jake peeled his face away from Bradley’s shoulder, sticky with tears. “Let’s never do that again, that was exhausting.” he said with a smile. Bradley laughed, he couldn’t agree more.
“Damn right, I’m tired.” Bradley smiled wide, bringing a hand to cup Jake’s face and pull him into a long awaited kiss. They both smiled through it, relieved and fond.
At some point, they had to get up. They could already hear the rest of the family puttering around the house, even in the kitchen, so with a great effort, they dragged themselves out of bed. Jake interlaced their fingers and pulled Bradley into the bathroom. They went through the motions of the morning without straying more than three feet from each other. Jake pulled Bradley into the shower with him, though they were too tired to do more than wash the other’s hair and scrub their bodies with soap. They brushed their teeth with their shoulders practically touching and ended up wearing clothes out of the same drawers because Bradley didn’t want to find his own. Jake gave over his jeans and a shirt happily, with a soft smile on his face. When they were finally ready to emerge from their bedroom, Jake paused at the door. He turned to Bradley with his brows furrowed.
“What?” Bradley asked, curiously. He could hear that everyone had made it downstairs by now, as they were all engaged in a loud, animated conversation.
“Everyone is down there,” Jake said vaguely. Bradley squinted at him, confused.
“So what? We’re all made up now, yeah?” Bradley asked, just to be sure. Jake suddenly brought his hands up to his face and groaned.
“It’s going to be so awkward!” Jake lamented, looking back up at Bradley with a desperate look on his face. The pilot only laughed incredulously. He pulled Jake into another hug, still laughing.
“It’s your family! They know you’re not perfect,” Bradley assured fondly.
“You sure?” Jake pressed suspiciously.
“I promise, baby.” Bradley said surely, planting a quick kiss to the blond’s temple before pulling away. Jake nodded with a small smile before turning and opening the door. As they descended the stairs, the distinct smell of breakfast hit them. Bradley could hear everyone talking in the kitchen and reached for Jake’s hand unconsciously. As soon as the couple stepped into the kitchen, the conversations ceased. Mary stopped vigorously waving her hands around as she spoke, her arms falling to her sides as she took in the pair. Grace stopped talking too, doing a double take at their clasped hands from her place at the stove. Leo’s eyebrows raised in surprise for a split second before he schooled his expression back into something more neutral. Emily didn’t even try to mask her shock, openly looking both of them up and down. She probably noticed that Bradley’s shirt wasn’t his own, considering it was from some local rodeo a couple years ago.
“Morning, guys.” Jake said, smiling crookedly. A beat passed, then the silence dissipated immediately as everyone chorused back a greeting before resuming their chatting. Jake naturally drifted towards Grace and the stove, looking to help out. Bradley let him go, choosing to sit down next to John and join his conversation with his wife. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Grace nudge Jake his her elbow and smile softly at him. Jake only nodded and Leo reached out to clap him on the shoulder wordlessly.
The rest of breakfast passed without a hitch, for the first time since everyone arrived. Yes, they really wear packed in like sardines, but the business was welcomed. Jake sat down next to Bradley at the table, squeezed between his boyfriend and Grace. The table was alive, everybody finally smiling and talking without any residual tension. Perhaps Emily blinked in surprise when Jake was actually participating in conversation and acknowledging his boyfriend’s existence, but her hesitation didn’t last long.