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Bradley’s always been a perfectionist, which was unexpected considering his immediate family, and it’s not something Maverick’s ever really been able to understand. He has to get it just right and if he doesn’t, he can’t cope. That’s the real thing. Bradley cannot handle not being perfect.
He’s not sure when this whole perfection thing turned into something harmful, one day it just was bad enough to notice.
When Bradley was in kindergarten, if he couldn’t colour something in the lines he would hit his head with his hand, muttering stupid to himself. At eleven, he stopped eating. At fourteen, he started running. At sixteen, it was drinking. At eighteen, well, it was locking Maverick out so tight he was confident he’d never be allowed back in. It’s just how it’s always been. Carole would share glances with him, eyes pleading, begging, him to do something when she couldn’t.
He knows he failed. He didn’t get there quick enough before Bradley left.
Which is why a phone call from the area code where Bradley is stationed, because of course he keeps checks on him, makes his heart drop. A call from the navy is never normally a good one, not for Maverick anyway.
“Captain Mitchell speaking,” He says. Ice is sitting opposite him halfway through his lunch and his eyes flick up when he realises Mav isn’t speaking to someone he knows.
“Hi sir, I’m calling from NAS Jacksonville, you’re the emergency contact for Lieutenant B. Bradshaw?”
He didn’t know Bradley had left him on there. He was on the first set of papers that he had pulled.
“What’s happened?” Maverick asks. The images of an aviation accident or worse flash through his head.
“Lieutenant Bradshaw collapsed about two hours ago before a hop, he’s in observation in hospital-,” The man doesn’t get any further before Maverick’s speaking,
“I’m coming down,” He’s already standing up, Ice is trying to catch his eye and mouthing what’s going on, standing up with him.
“Okay sir, do we need to book you a flight?”
“No don’t worry about, I’ll be with you in a few hours.”
“Pete, what’s going on?” Ice asks, hurrying after Maverick as he strides out of the mess hall. A couple of eyes follow them,
“Bradley’s hurt down in Jacksonville, I’m going down to see him,” Maverick replies. They cross hallways towards his TOPGUN office,
“Christ,” Ice says, “You better not be planning to fly by yourself, Mav.”
Maverick gives him a look. One that Ice does not like at all.
“No, no,” Ice lunches forward to tug Mav’s sleeve to get him to turn back towards him, “I will get you a fucking heli, okay? No heroics today,” They stare at each other, the tension palpable. Maverick considers Ice’s offer. It does, unfortunately, make more sense than his initial plan and is less likely to result in a dishonourable discharge.
“Fine,” He grunts, and Ice gives him the trademark Kazansky smile that Maverick has seen across all his siblings’ faces.
*
Five hours later, Maverick is barely restraining sprinting up to the desk of the military hospital in Jacksonville. The woman on reception thankfully appreciates this and directs him to Bradley’s room without fuss.
He’s asleep when Maverick gets there, with a woman on one side of him and the chairs on the other side piled high with presents and teddies and bags. A warm feeling fuzzes through him, that Bradley is so clearly loved as he always should have been by those around him. He knocks, deciding to stop staring through the glass, and opens the door. The woman looks up, her hair around her shoulders but uniform still on, and her eyes narrow.
“Who are you?” She asks, her voice interrogative. He almost smiles, he fucking loves naval aviators and their bullshit. He also has half a mind to call her on her insubordination, but he doesn’t.
“Captain Mitchell,” he extends a hand for her to shake, “Maverick.” She shirks back just a little but doesn’t cower at all. “You are…?”
“Phoenix, Lieutenant Trace, sir,”
“It’s good to meet you, Phoenix,” Bradley stirs, and his eyes lock on to him immediately. Bradley won’t know that he’s here and Maverick holds out no hope that he asked for him himself. Phoenix sits forward and near to his face instantly,
“Hey Rooster,” she says lowly, “let’s get you sitting up,” Her hands pull him upright, careful not to knock the lines into his body, as Bradley’s eyes scan the room, lastly landing on Maverick. His face contorts into an expression of shock and then cold anger.
“What are you doing here?” He bites out. Maverick crosses his arms,
“Heavens Bradley, you’re in hospital that’s why I’m here,” He replies and Bradley sneers. Phoenix glances between the two, clearly worried about being caught in the crossfire.
“Oh, so you care about me now?” He’s just as angry as he was years ago. There was a small part of Maverick that hoped Bradley regretted it but didn’t know how to reach out. He sighs,
“I always have, Bee, you know that,” He slots into the chair next to Phoenix and doesn’t react to the way he shifts away from the both of them. “I’m here to make sure you’re okay,”
Bradley just about growls before a nurse appears to check his vitals and he goes back to being the Bradley that Maverick knows. The sweet charmer who had everyone cooing at him as a baby and the teenager with an ease that you couldn’t fake. He very clearly has this nurse entirely in love with him.
Phoenix escapes after that, almost dashing out of the door. He doesn’t blame her, Bradley hasn’t calmed down he’s just been simmering, waiting for the next moment to pounce. Maverick sits back,
“Come on, lay it on me, kid,” he says and Bradley huffs.
“I don’t have anything to say to you,”
Fine. Maverick can handle that.
“Okay, how about why we’re in here then?” Bradley looks away,
“That’s none of your goddamn business,”
“Bullshit, Bradley, they said you collapsed in preflight. What’s going on?”
He doesn’t say anything. In fact, he says nothing else for the next two days Mav spends with him in the hospital. Ice calls at one point, asking after Bradley and telling him about life back at North Island. There hasn’t been enough time to mend what happened between them yet, is Maverick’s conclusion of his three-day visit. Bradley just isn’t ready.