Work Text:
Maverick couldn’t help but smile softly at the way he felt Bradley practically melt into their second hug, latching on as if his life depended on it. His chest ached—he definitely had more than one broken rib, probably dangerously close to a punctured lung—and his lower back was beyond sore, but he was content to stand there and hold the kid for a bit longer.
“I’ve got you, kid,” he murmured, rubbing circles between Rooster’s shoulders. He felt some of the tension there ease at the touch. “We’re okay.”
He heard Bradley inhale sharply at his words, pulling away slightly but still never letting go. His eyes trailed across Maverick’s figure, as if he had only just then thought about the possibility of injuries. “Are you?” He asked, a hint of anxiety underlying the question. “Shit, Mav, I wasn’t even thinking.”
“A little banged up, but nothing we can’t fix. For both of us, I’m sure.” Rooster nodded minutely, but didn’t seem entirely convinced. “How about we head down to the sickbay and get checked out, yeah?”
Bradley huffed, but didn’t protest. Maverick knew he hated any type of medical facility, but he also knew that the kid was smart enough to not try to argue. Especially not if he planned on trying to get Mav checked out anytime soon. It was an unspoken compromise. “Okay,” he whispered. “Better let Hondo know.”
So they did, and the man sent the others who had participated in the mission along with them. It wasn’t typical, but nothing about this mission had been typical. It was better to be safe than sorry, especially after the dogfight.
Unsurprisingly, Bradley stayed close to Maverick the entire time. Even when they were both being looked over, the younger man insisted on being in the bed directly to Mav’s right. He kept glancing over every few minutes, his eyes round with worry as a nurse explained his condition. Five broken ribs,—one of which had punctured his lung, something that had slowly become more obvious as the adrenaline wore off—a minor concussion, and severe bruising. He didn’t protest as they set up a cannula and wrapped his chest, and he took the painkillers they gave him easily. Normally he might have put up more of a fight, but not today. Not when he needed to make sure that the others knew it was okay to take the help they were given.
By the time the nurse had finished, Bradley was at his bedside. His wrist was in a brace and his eyes were a bit unfocused from a probable concussion, but he otherwise seemed okay. He probably had just as much bruising as Maverick did, but that was to be expected after ejecting. What worried Maverick was the uncertain expression on his face.
The kid opened his mouth as if to speak but all that escaped was a small whine. Mav couldn’t help but soften at that, scooting over in the bed and motioning for Bradley to join him. He was relieved when he did so immediately, only slightly hesitant in leaning up against him once he was laying down. “You okay, baby goose?”
Rooster nodded, pressing his face against Maverick’s collarbone. “You’re gonna be alright, right?” He whispered, sounding so much like the little boy that Mav remembered.
“Of course,” Maverick promised, wrapping an arm around Bradley and pulling him closer. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be okay.”
The kid released a tired breath before relaxing slightly. He was quiet for a few minutes, then murmured, “missed you.”
Maverick couldn’t help but squeeze him a bit tighter at the admission, having long ago accepted that he had likely lost the kid forever. They still had a lot to talk about, and he was sure that the next few months wouldn’t be easy, but for now he was okay with this. He was okay with knowing that he wasn’t the only one who wanted everything to go back to normal. “I missed you too, kiddo,” he said softly. He hesitated for a moment before pressing a kiss to the boy’s hair. “So much.”
A soft whine escaped Rooster, and he snuggled impossibly closer. He could only guess that he, too, had been given a good amount of pain medication that was starting to take its hold. He could feel the fuzziness poking at the edges of his own mind, but he willed it to not fully take hold just yet. Especially when he heard a quiet, “‘m sorry.”
Maverick shushed him gently, rubbing circles across his back. “I know, sweetheart, I know,” he promised. “We can talk about everything later. Right now, you need to get some rest.”
Bradley huffed, and for a moment he thought that the kid was going to protest, but instead he just tilted his head and looked up at Mav. His eyes were a bit cloudy, but Maverick could see he was trying his best to look serious as he said, “so d’you.” Then, a bit louder than necessary. “Y’ old man.”
Someone snorted from a few beds over, reminding Maverick of where they were. He glanced up to see several of the others trying to hide the fact that they had been watching the two. It seemed that all eleven of them had collectively decided to stay close for the night, as several beds were pushed together in various places, rails lowered. He smiled at them and nodded before turning his attention back to his kid—he could finally think of Rooster as his kid again without it causing his heart to ache.
“I’m not going anywhere, baby goose,” he promised, gently twirling the ends of Bradley’s hair like he had so many times before. “Sleep.”
“Promise?”
“I promise,” Maverick assured him, gently pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You couldn’t get me to leave if you tried.”
“Wouldn’t wanna,” Bradley mumbled, already beginning to fall asleep. “Never again. Love you, Uncle Mav.”
“I love you too, kiddo,” he whispered, closing his eyes and pressing his face into the boy’s hair. “More than you could ever know.”