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Exactly One Year Ago, Today

Jake hops down the ladder from his F/A-18, worn out from a long hop with his students. The entire afternoon was spent running drills in the air for fighter maneuvers and dogfighting practice. Jake finds himself sore and out of breath. However, his spirits are high. His skill combined with Bradshaw’s managed to keep them both from being locked on by any of their students, though he knows he’s going to hear a lot of shit for the rest of the afternoon simply because Bradley got two more kills than he did. 

“Hey, Hangman!” Bradshaw calls out. Jake would recognize his voice even if he had cotton in his ears and his head underwater. 

He pauses and turns on his heel to face his wingman. “What can I do for ya, Rooster?”

"Apparently not score more kills than me,” Bradley teases good-naturedly. 

Jake hates the way it makes him smile. “It was literally just one hop today. A blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then.”

Bradshaw rolls his eyes fondly. “Whatever you say. It seems like I’m closing in on you. In fact, I bet I’ve passed your record now and have more kills in training than you.”

“Yeah right,” the blonde scoffs, reaching his hand out for Bradley’s helmet and inspecting it closely. “You sure this thing isn’t on too tight? You’re talking crazy.”

Bradley opens the door from the hangar to the offices, holding the door for Jake. “Nice dodge. I think you’re worried because it might be true.”

“Have you kept track?” The blonde challenges, figuring that’ll shut the argument down here and now. 

He can see the resolve fade on Rooster’s face for only a moment before the older man schools his expression. “Well, no, I can’t say I have. But I’d be willing to bet on it,” he says as the two of them enter the ready room where the rest of their squad is hanging out at the end of the day.

Jake sees Javy and Hondo chatting but is distracted by another voice across the room.

“Bet on what?” Natasha asks from the foosball table, playing a round against Bob.

“On which one of us has the most kills in training,” Bradley answers, his tone smug. “I think I’ve easily got more than Seresin here.”

“Ohh, you’re just gonna let him say that?” Reuben says from his spot on the couch next to Mickey, the two of them working on something on a laptop. It seems this exchange has more of their attention though, Mickey shuts the computer and the two men walk over to engage in the conversation. 

Jake pastes on his cocky, confident smile. “Now, now, Roo, let’s all use our heads here for a minute. Between us, who has two confirmed combat kills? That would be me. Why wouldn’t I also have more than you in training?”

“Damn,” the blonde hears Javy say from across the room as he makes his way over with Hondo. “Be careful not to fry the chicken, Jakey.”

The entire squad erupts into a laugh, even Rooster, who looks like he’s going to try and counter Jake’s claim. He decides to beat him to it.

“In fact,” he interjects while he has the advantage, “I bet I could easily get more kills than you if we kept track.”

Bradley’s eyebrows quirk at the challenge. “You think so, huh? How long are we going to keep track? Seems like we’ll need a good bit of time so you can catch up if you have any bad days like today.”

Jake feels his face flush red as the squad laughs and carries on. He smiles despite it, willing to admit Bradley had a good comeback. “Well, if you really wanna make this interesting, how about a year? One year from today.”

“I’m listening…,” Bradley replies simply as the rest of the squad seems to get more excited. 

That’s tone, Jake thinks to himself. “Okay then, we keep track for a year. Whoever has the most training kills at the end is the winner.”

“What are you guys gonna bet on?” Reuben chimes in. When everybody’s eyes fall on him he smiles and says, “What? Just trying to stir the pot.”

“Yeah, good point, Reuben,” Bradley agrees, “what are the stakes, Jake? And don’t say cash, that’s so boring and cliche.”

“Aw, Roo, scared you’re going to lose a lump sum?” Jake teases.

Bradley rolls his eyes in response, seemingly unwilling to give him the satisfaction of a smart remark. 

Fine, play that way.

"Personally, I’m willing to bet whatever,” Jake offers, “because there’s no way I’m losing.”

The squad erupts into loud, excited exclamations at Jake’s confidence. 

“What about your car?” Mickey suggests.

For half a second, Jake allows himself to shoot the WSO a harsh look but quickly schools his expression back into his usual confident smirk. Best not to let anybody think he’s worried he might lose the bet, and thus, his car. 

“Jake!” Javy interjects, “You can’t bet your car, it’s a date magnet! How many guys have you made out with in that car?”

Jake smirks. “Too many to count, Javy. But I don’t kiss and tell.”

Raucous laughter bursts from the squad at the absurdity of Jake’s statement. Nobody has a reputation for being a heartbreaker quite like Hangman.

“And I’m gonna win, so sure: let’s bet the car.” He says smoothly. He’ll admit that Bradshaw is his wingman and a hell of a pilot, so there is a chance he could lose this bet. But it’s too late to back down now. He’s done so much showboating and peacocking that he’ll never be able to live it down. It’s a good thing he likes a challenge.

“Jakey, you can’t!” Javy protests, “You’ve had that car forever, losing it would be the worst thing in the world for you.”

As much as Jake appreciates the concern from his best friend, he can’t back down. His pride is winning out, and for the sake of his reputation, he has to let it.

“Well, what would be the worst thing in the world for you, Bradshaw?” Natasha butts in.

Bradley rolls his eyes and without missing a beat says, “Being one of those guys in Jake’s car.”

The squad laughs at the playful insult as Hondo steps in. “Okay, then I think this is settled. If Seresin loses, Bradshaw gets his car. If Bradshaw loses, he goes for a date in said car.”

Yeah, those are terms Jake can agree to. He takes a couple of steps toward Bradley and offers his hand. “Fight’s on?”

Bradley shakes it in agreement. It’s official. 

“Fight’s on!”

***

Present Day

Jake walks into the office wing of the base, an iced latte in each hand. The date is not lost on him—he’s been looking forward to it for exactly one year now. The day when he finally beats Rooster by getting the most kills in training and proving that he is the better pilot once and for all. In the spirit of friendly competition and good sportsmanship, he stopped on the way to work at Bradley’s favorite local coffee shop to get the man a latte and one for himself. 

Given the way he struts into the office with his head held high, anybody would assume that he’s as good as won the bet already. The only issue is that Bradley is currently leading by one kill. And he can’t ask to pick up any extra hops, it’s one of the amendments they made to the bet a few days after it began. They’re only allowed to pick up extra hops if one or both of them have been explicitly ordered to do so. To make matters worse, there are no hops scheduled for their squad today, so there’s no way for him to make up for the close score.

Last year, Jake knew good and well that Bradley was an amazing pilot, his actions during the suicide mission had more than proven that. But it seemed that the more relaxed and comfortable they got together, the more their rivalry became light and friendly, and the better Rooster would fly. He still doesn’t know if Bradshaw becoming a genuine friend both during and outside of work could have caused him to let his guard down, or if their skills as pilots truly are evenly matched.

Whatever the reason, it’s resulted in a much closer bet than Jake had anticipated, and it’s starting to look bleak. Unless he experiences some form of divine intervention, he’s going to lose the bet by the end of the workday. Which means he can kiss his vintage Mustang goodbye.

Still, he’s not going to let that stop him. He doesn’t know how he’ll pull it off, but he refuses to give up until the workday is over. 

Which is why he struts into the office building with his head held high. Hangman is known for being arrogant, and that's not a stereotype Jake plans on breaking today. His delusional level of confidence is the only way he knows how to save face now. 

Jake walks toward his little cubicle, right across from Bradley’s. He sets his own coffee down on his desk and grabs a sticky note, scribbling a heart and signing his name. He proudly places it on Bradley's desk and hears a small scoffing laugh from Bob as he walks by. 

“Is that your letter of concession?” The bespectacled man asks.

“Not on your life, Bobby. I still intend to win this bet,” Jake says smugly, fully aware he sounds insane. He’s hoping his confidence doesn’t sound as desperate as he’s starting to feel. 

Bob lets out a disbelieving laugh. “Well then, I truly wish you luck, Seresin. You’re gonna need it.”

The younger man walks off presumably to his own cubicle while Jake finishes leaving the note and coffee on Bradley’s desk. From there he makes his way to Javy’s desk, happy to see his best friend is already here. 

“Morning, Jake,” Javy greets cheerfully as he signs into his computer. 

“Morning,” the blonde says distractedly. “Listen, I need you to keep the victory celebration plan on standby.”

Javy quirks an eyebrow in confusion. “But, Jake, you’re losing—”

Jake holds up a hand, cutting him off. “I know, I know, but I’m not giving up yet. I’ve still got until the end of the day. Something could happen.”

His best friend clearly thinks he’s delusional, which he’ll admit he may be, but he’s still refusing to take this loss until it’s officially too late. He’s heavily relying on the fake-it-til-you-make-it mindset. Javy sighs, a slightly pitying look on his face. “Okay, I’ll have everything ready.”

Jake smiles and pats him on the back. “Thanks, man, you’re the best.”

Javy chuckles. “I know.”

The blonde makes his way back to his cubicle to see that Bradshaw is in for the day, sitting at his desk at his cubicle. He turns and stands from his seat when he hears the blonde’s approaching footsteps, walking toward him and leaving only a few feet of space between them.

“Hangman,” he greets. 

“Rooster,” he replies, the air loaded with tension. 

“Thanks for the coffee,” Bradley says, his tone not wavering or backing down as they size each other up.

“You’re welcome,” the blonde replies, matching his wingman’s tone. “I thought you might need it. Are you ready…?”

“I was born ready,” Rooster responds without missing a beat.

Jake drops the serious act, not able to resist the opportunity he’s set Bradley up for. “...to lose. The whole question was ‘Are you ready to lose?’ and you said you were born that way,” he says childishly.

He gets an eye roll from his wingman. “Twist my words all you want. I’m winning this bet. And I’m on top of the leaderboard.” Bradley points a thumb behind him to the whiteboard they’ve had set up in the middle of the office since last year. The score reads 83 to 82.

“Maybe so, but not for long,” Jake says confidently. “In eight hours I will win the bet and take you, Bradshaw, on the worst date in the history of the world.”

Bradley scoffs as Jake walks past him to sit at his desk. The brunet man sits at his own desk, giving Jake a confused look. “How exactly do you plan to do that when there are no hops scheduled for us today?”

“I have my ways,” Jake projects confidence despite knowing that he does not, in fact, have any “ways.”

“Sounds like you’re getting desperate, Seresin,” Rooster challenges. 

Jake shakes his head, refusing to give his wingman the satisfaction. “Nope, I’ve got this, you’re just being a hater. And ‘haters gonna hate.’ Taylor Swift, ‘Shake It Off,’ always right.”

Bradley lets out an exasperated sigh. 

He can’t help but grin at getting under the man’s skin, but something catches his eye over Bradshaw’s shoulder. Maverick is entering his office. His eyes meet Bradley’s for only a moment as the other man registers what Jake plans to do. He’s too late, though, Jake is out of his chair and making a break for Maverick’s office just a second before Bradley. A second that will cost him. 

The blonde chucks a pen at Rooster to slow him down, though it doesn’t have much impact. His right wrist is seized by Bradley’s strong grip, but he manages to separate himself from the hold by grabbing the back of a chair and rolling it into Bradley, pinning him briefly to a desk.

“Damn it, Hangman!”

Jake knows it won’t stop him for long, so he snags a clipboard off of Natasha’s desk and sends it careening through the air toward Bradley.

“Are you shitting me?” Natasha yells after him. He’ll worry about facing her wrath later.

Jake reaches the door to Maverick’s office, closes it, and locks it, right as Bradley reaches it. He knocks on the glass, demanding to be let in as Jake gives him a shit-eating grin and closes the blinds. 

Maverick looks startled by Jake’s sudden entrance. 

“Captain, hey,” the blonde greets, laying on the charm, “you’re looking well-rested today. Buff, too. Did you hit the gym this morning?”

Maverick scoffs fondly. “Hangman, I’m not assigning you an extra hop so you can win your bet with Rooster.”

“Is it because he’s your godson?” Jake asks, then catches himself. He was supposed to deny that he was asking for another hop. “I mean, what? What bet? Oh, right, that one we made last year, I totally forgot about that.”

It’s obviously too late to play dumb, and the smile on Maverick’s face is proof of that. He’s not buying it for a second. 

“No, it’s not because he’s my godson,” Maverick answers. “And I thought you two had agreed that you couldn’t volunteer for extras?”

Damn. Maverick wasn’t supposed to know that. “We’re not,” Jake admits, “but if you were to order me to pick one up, or have me sub in for another pilot…” Jake trails off, letting his point sit in the air for a minute. 

Maverick sighs, “Look, you and Rooster have done exemplary work since this bet started. You both are setting records for the highest number of kills ever by a Top Gun instructor. However, you two are work colleagues and wingmen, and the fallout from this bet has the potential to put a strain on your professional relationship. Nobody wants the two of you to go back to your old rivalry.”

“I liked it better when you broke the rules, too,” Jake mutters, clearly pouting.

Maverick laughs, “It had to end eventually. But, I’m afraid hops have to be assigned as they usually are. Dismissed.”

Bradley is still standing right outside of the door when Jake opens it. He walks in and Jake catches the very brief conversation. 

“Captain, you look—”

“No.”

The blonde man can’t help but laugh as he hears Rooster’s footsteps following him back toward their desks. He distracts himself from his imminent loss by burying himself in paperwork for the next hour or so. Occasionally his eyes will flit up from the screen to look at Bradley, and their eyes meet more often than not. On one particular occasion, Jake shoots him an obnoxious wink, just to get under his skin. He’s rewarded with an eye roll and a huff of annoyance and feels an inner surge of triumph. Even if he loses the bet, he’ll still be able to drive Bradshaw crazy. That’s good enough for him. 

After a good hour and a half of paperwork, Rooster heads out to teach his class and run debriefs for the next few hours. A few minutes after he leaves, Maverick exits his office and approaches Jake’s desk. 

“Lieutenant Seresin, do I have some fantastic news for you.”

“Yes, sir?”

“There’s a hop in twenty minutes and Cyclone needs a pilot to sub in. Lieutenant Santiago has been sick and the base doctors still couldn’t clear her to fly. You’re up.”

“Wait…for real?” Jake asks in disbelief.

Maverick scoffs. “Yes, ‘for real.’ Consider me both ordering you to take this hop and subbing you in for another pilot, like you mentioned earlier.”

Jake can’t help but glance up at Maverick skeptically. “This is an actual hop? There’s not going to be a surprise victory party for Bradshaw in one of the hangars?”

Maverick shakes his head. “Lieutenant, take the opportunity that’s being presented to you. Gear up and report to hangar nine, they’ll have your jet ready for you.”

“Yes, sir!” Jake says as he scurries out of his chair and makes a beeline for the locker room. This all seems too good to be true, but he doubts Maverick would set him up for something like this if it wasn’t real. Somehow fate has given him one last shot to beat Bradshaw. He changes out of his clothes and into his flight suit in record time. Grabbing his helmet and slinging his flight pack over his shoulder, he takes off for hangar nine. 

Just as Maverick promised, Cyclone is waiting for him in the hangar with half a dozen students running preflight checks on their jets.

“Lieutenant Seresin, I appreciate you joining us today.”

“Wouldn’t miss it, sir,” Jake salutes and heads for his jet. 

As he drops down into his cockpit, securing his helmet and running pre-flight checks, he feels a thrill rush through him. He’s going to win this bet. 

Fight’s on, Bradshaw, he thinks as he takes off down the runway. Fight’s on!

***

Jake sprints back into the office after the hop, eager to update the leaderboard. The miraculous call-in by Cyclone allowed him to score two more kills, putting him ahead by one with minutes to spare. He skids to a halt when he sees Bradley stand from his desk, a triumphant smirk on his face. The smirk fades when he sees him decked out in his flight suit and sweating. 

“What the hell?”

“Hangman takes the lead with,” he glances back at the clock, less than a minute now, “thirty seconds to spare!”

“What the hell?” Rooster repeats, shock in his voice.

“I picked up an extra hop,” Jake offers as an explanation.

Bradshaw points a pencil accusingly at him. “We agreed we couldn’t volunteer!”

“Ah, but I didn’t,” Jake smirks. “I was ordered by Cyclone and Maverick to sub in, and I scored two more kills. Accept your fate.”

“Never,” Bradley says, vehemently shaking his head while pacing. “No.”

Jake looks back at the clock to count down the last few seconds. “Five…four…three…”

“There’s no way,” Bradley pleads, though Jake doesn’t know to whom.

“...two…one…Jake wins, Bradley loses!” He reaches under his desk, grabs a small confetti cannon, and sets it off into the air. From across the office Javy blasts Celebration by Kool & The Gang, exactly as planned.

There’s a scowl painted on Rooster’s face as the rest of the squad joins in on Jake’s celebration. Even Maverick is applauding him, and he catches the look of death his wingman shoots at his godfather. Jake belly laughs when Maverick cheekily blows Bradley a kiss and celebrates at his expense.

Jake opens one of the drawers to his desk where he’s kept a small velvet box. He dances his way over to Bradley, being as obnoxious as possible while Bradley gives him a miserable look with a few pieces of multi-colored confetti stuck in his hair.

He slides over to Bradley down on one knee and opens the box to reveal a remarkably cheap, plastic ring from the dollar store. “Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw, you have made me the happiest man on Earth.” He struggles to contain his laughter when he sees the look on Bradley’s face. “I spent one whole dollar on this ring. Will you go on the worst date ever with me? Say yes, you have to say yes!”

Bradshaw averts his gaze and mutters, “Yes.”

The squad erupts into cheers as Jake stands. “He said yes! He said yes!” Jake shuffles back to the rest of the squad to join in the celebration, tossing the cheap box to Bradley. “This is for you, darlin’.”

Bradley catches it, reluctantly. 

“I’ll text you with details on the rules and the dress code,” Jake says as he pats Bob and Mickey each on the back, accepting congratulations.

“Wait, what?!”

Jake laughs as he sashays his way past Bradley and toward the locker room. 

***

Jake pulls up in front of Bradley’s house at exactly seven PM that night. He honks the horn to let Bradley know he’s here, then gets out of the car and walks up to the door. He may have planned the worst date ever for him and Bradley, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to be a gentleman when he can. 

The front door opens and Bradley’s head peeks out. “Seresin, this is ridiculous!”

“Aw, come on now, Roo. Where’s your Navy pride?” Jake razzes. 

He hears Bradley huff in annoyance before the door opens all the way, revealing Bradley in his dress blues. Jake is dressed the same. 

“You’re really gonna go with the twins theme on this date, too?”

“You know it,” Jake winks. Bradley rolls his eyes again, and Jake briefly wonders if they’ll get stuck like that one of these days. It seems to be Rooster’s default action whenever he’s around.

Bradley stops in the yard, holding his arms out for Jake’s approval. “Happy?”

“Oh yeah,” Jake nods, “you clean up nice. Now, let's get going, there’s plenty of embarrassing to do and only a few hours to do it in.”

Bradshaw shakes his head, walking across the yard to Jake’s car on the street. Jake rounds the front of the car, pausing in front of Bradley’s door. 

“Do I really have to wear this all night? You know they aren’t comfortable,” Bradley honest-to-God whines and Jake has to banish any thought of thinking it’s cute from his mind. 

“You know the rules,” Jake says, “the date starts at seven and ends at midnight. I decide what you wear, what you eat, and where we go.”

Bradshaw’s face goes from an almost endearing pout to a look that says he’d love nothing more than if Jake dropped dead on his front lawn.

“Oh, and there is one more rule,” Jake smirks, enjoying this far too much. “No matter what happens, you’re not allowed to fall in love with me.”

“Won’t be a problem,” Bradley scoffs. 

Jake helps Bradley into his old Mustang, closing the door for him then hopping into the driver’s seat. Their first stop of the night is the Hard Deck, and as they drive, the clinking of cans against the pavement follows them. Jake tied them to the back of his car like they do for newlyweds when they leave their wedding. Also taped to the bumper is a sign Jake made that says Just Lost A Bet!

He looks over to see Bradley huff out a sigh of annoyance as he stares out the window, refusing to meet Jake’s gaze. As a sign of good sportsmanship, Jake sets the aux cord in Bradley’s lap. 

“I may have promised you the worst date ever, but I don’t intend to make it entirely miserable.”

Jake gets another annoyed huff, but he swears he sees a ghost of a smile on his wingman’s face. 

The sound of classic rock hits from the 80s plays through the speakers shortly after as Bradley taps his hand against his thigh rhythmically to the beats. They arrive at the Hard Deck a short time later, the bar crowded even on a weeknight. 

“Oh, my God, there are so many people here,” Bradley complains. 

“At least it’s a Navy bar, you won’t look too out of place,” Jake consoles. 

“You suck.”

He chuckles at Bradshaw’s words as he hops out of the car and rounds to the passenger side to open the door for him. He offers a hand that Bradley reluctantly takes. 

“Our evening awaits, darlin,” Jake says as he leads his wingman by the hand into the bar. 

From the moment they walk in, the squad sees them, loudly cheering and laughing at the sight of them decked out in their dress blues and holding hands. Even if it’s a joke, Jake can still feel himself blushing ever so slightly. 

Over by the pool table as always sits the squad, tonight joined by Maverick, and to Jake’s astonishment, Admiral Kazansky, Maverick’s husband. He’ll admit he gets a little starstruck by the Admiral, having admired him for years as he progressed throughout his own career. To have the Dagger Squad formed by the man and to have spoken to him personally seems surreal. What’s even more surreal is seeing him look so casual and out of uniform as he sits with Maverick’s arm draped around his shoulder.

Hand-in-hand, Jake leads Bradley over to the pool table, his cocky smirk back in place. Being a bit intimidated by the COMPACFLT isn’t going to stop him from enjoying his victory.

Natasha and Bob are in the middle of a game of pool when Jake and Bradley walk over. He shoots Natasha a wink and gets a middle finger in return. 

“Hot date, coming through!” Jake says loudly. “Let’s take a moment to admire and comment on every terrible aspect of this.” He holds his and Bradley’s hands and interlocked fingers up for everyone to see, and laughs as they cheer. “That’s right, gotta celebrate Bradshaw’s defeat!”

To his credit, Bradley genuinely chuckles at Jake’s teasing. “Permission to go to the bathroom?” Rooster asks as the applause dies down.

“Granted. First of three, use them wisely,” Jake warns good-naturedly.

As Bradley rolls his eyes and walks to the other side of the bar, Javy stands and asks to talk to Jake privately for a moment while the squad goes back to their conversations. They head over to the bar, where Penny congratulates Jake on his victory as she hands Javy a beer.

“What can I do for ya, Javy?” Jake asks as he settles into one of the bar stools. 

“Oh, nothing, just figured I’d ask what exactly you have planned to make this the worst night possible for Rooster.” The lighthearted tone Jake has been expecting from his best friend is absent.

“Well,” he begins, still unsure of the vibe he’s getting from Javy, “first we’re going to meet up with Mickey at his abuela’s house. She has a lot of chickens, so we’re going to take our official date portrait surrounded by them. Gotta make sure Rooster is reunited with his own kind tonight.”

Javy huffs out a laugh as he sips his beer. That’s more of the energy he expected to see from his best friend. 

“Then what?”

“Dinner at one of my favorite Mexican food trucks. Then, Bradley and I will be attending a Taylor Swift-themed party at a karaoke bar where we will sing ‘Blank Space’ in its entirety. Laser tag after that, because, well, I like laser tag. And then we’ll wrap it all up with a horseback ride on the beach that will take us to a designated spot where I’ll have a pizza waiting to end the night because I’m sure we’re going to be hungry again. It won’t be all bad.”

He smiles, proud of himself for coming up with this ridiculous date.

“Jake, do you know why little boys pull little girl’s pigtails on playgrounds?”

“Because they’re so easy to grab. They’re just begging to be pulled,” he replies.

“No,” Javy says, shaking his head, “it’s because they like the girls and it’s the only way they know how to get their attention.”

Jake’s confident smirk turns into a look of confusion. “What are you saying?”

Javy leans a little closer to his friend and rests his hand on his shoulder. “All of this teasing, this elaborate date. Somewhere down deep, you like Bradley. Like, like him, like him.”

Jake can’t help but laugh. “Okay, that is straight-up insanity.”

The look on Javy’s face says he isn’t convinced. “How much are you spending on this date tonight?”

“Five hundred dollars, but that proves nothing, I do not like Bradley!”

“All I’m saying is that you’re putting a lot of effort into a joke. Why don’t you just sit down and have an honest conversation with him?”

Jake scoffs involuntarily at the thought. Having a crush on Bradley? How ridiculous!

“Look, Javy, you’re my best friend, but that advice is insane and there’s no way I’m taking it.”

There’s a look of disappointment on Javy’s face that says he expected as much as Jake saunters off to hang out with the squad again. 

“Jake.”

The blonde turns when he hears his name from the deep voice of the COMPACFLT himself. He gives his full attention to the Admiral. 

“Sir?”

The man chuckles. “You don’t have to address me formally when we’re off duty, son. I just wanted to congratulate you on your victory and your impressive array of skills as a pilot that you’ve demonstrated this year.”

Jake beams, his heart beating wildly at being so openly praised by one of his long-time idols. “Thank you, sir.”

He chuckles again. “Please, call me Ice or Tom when we’re off duty.”

“Thank you, Ice,” Jake corrects himself and blushes a bit with embarrassment for seeming so awkward.

“You’re welcome,” Ice says. “Now, go enjoy your date with Bradley. But, as a personal favor to me, please try not to make things too embarrassing for him.” Ice shoots him a wink as he walks off to find his husband. 

Jake turns his attention back to the rest of the squad to see that Rooster has returned from the bathroom and is talking to Javy.

“What’s next on this date from Hell?” Bradshaw asks as Jake stands between him and Javy.

He winks at his wingman. “Something I’m sure you’ll hate. Excuse me, everyone, can I please have your attention?” Jake asks just loud enough to gather the attention of the squad, trying not to disturb too many other patrons at the bar. 

When all eyes fall on him and Bradley, he can’t help but smile. “Bradshaw and I will be performing the steerage jig from the film, Titanic, which we have prepared for in no way, shape, or form.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Rooster mumbles under his breath. 

“Romantic,” Javy whispers next to him.

“No, embarrassing," he quickly whispers back. Then, he takes Bradley’s hand and says at a normal volume, “Let’s get to it, darlin’.”

He practically drags Rooster from the sidelines to the middle of the small circle the squad has formed in front of the pool table. Jake gets himself and Bradley into a slow-dance position, his hand resting on his wingman’s hip, before performing a terrible interpretation of the dance from the movie. 

They gyrate around wildly for a few moments until Jake stops them and takes both of Bradshaw’s hands. “Do the spinny thing!”

Bradley reluctantly agrees as they hold each other’s hands out in front of them and spin around. “I hate your guts,” Rooster mutters.

“Channel that passion into the dance,” Jake encourages with a laugh, undeterred.

They spin around until they’re both getting dizzy, and Jake decides he’s probably embarrassed Bradley enough in front of the squad and everybody else at the Hard Deck. Slightly out of breath, Jake takes a few exaggerated bows while the squad laughs at their idiocy. 

“Thank you, everybody, thank you,” Jake says as he bows, then he takes Bradley’s hand. “Unfortunately for Rooster, we have plenty more embarrassing things to do. Keep an eye on the group chat for pics!”

From there, Jake says goodbye to the squad while Bradshaw presumably says goodbye to his dignity, and he leads his wingman back to his car. 

“Would you please let go of my hand?” Bradley protests as Jake leads them out of the bar and into the parking lot.

Honestly, Jake hadn’t realized he was still holding it. His heart drops a bit at the way Bradley requests to stop holding hands, though he can’t quite place why. It shouldn’t bother Jake that his wingman doesn’t want to hold his hand, especially since this whole date is just a joke. For some reason, though, it makes him feel a little guilty. A little self-conscious. He lets Bradley’s hand go without another thought. 

He opens the car door for Rooster again and makes sure to give him the aux cord to keep playing whatever music he wants as they head to their next destination. Jake uses his own phone to get directions to Mickey’s abuela’s house to take the photo with the chickens. Mickey agreed to meet them there to be the official photographer of their date “portrait” as Jake likes to call it.

Shortly after Bradley plugs his phone in, the sound of 38 Special’s “Back Where You Belong” plays through the speakers. 

“Oh, this is such a good song,” Jake says, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. 

That comment earns him a genuine smile from Bradshaw. “Yeah, you like 38 Special?”

Jake can’t help but smile back. “Hell yeah. They’re a Southern rock band…I’m from the South.”

Bradley gives him a lighthearted scoff. “Smartass.”

The blonde nudges his shoulder against the other man’s. “Lighten up, Roo. Why don’t we try and actually have a good time on this date? Even if the primary objective is to embarrass you.”

“I think you just answered your own question.”

“Okay, good point, but I promise it’s not going to be all bad.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” Bradley says unconvinced, then goes back to singing along to the song on the radio. 

Jake has to admit, Bradley’s voice does the song justice, though it is a little strange to hear him singing when he’s not sitting at the piano in the Hard Deck in front of a crowd. Rooster plays another 38 Special song before Jake’s phone interrupts and tells him the destination is coming up. 

“I think this car behind you has been following us,” Bradley says, leaning forward to get a better view out of the side mirror.

Jake chuckles. “Yeah, that’s just Mickey. Has anybody ever told you you’re a little paranoid?”

Bradley rolls his eyes. “What the hell is Mickey following us for? Where the hell are we even going?”

Less than five minutes later, Bradley’s question is answered as he stands next to Jake, Mickey, and the large chicken coop in the back of Mickey’s abuela’s yard. The birds make soft cooing noises as they aimlessly wander in their enclosure.

“You’ve gotta be shitting me,” Bradley groans. 

Jake laughs while Mickey shushes them. “Hey, don’t let my abuela hear you say that, you’ll get a chancla to the head.” 

“She really loves her chickens, huh?” Jake chuckles as the chickens peck the ground. They used to have at least twenty of them at any given moment back home in Texas. They were good for eggs, but a pain in the ass for just about anything else.

“She sure does,” Mickey agrees, chuckling along as they watch the chickens. 

The only one who does not appear to be amused is Bradshaw, who huffs out a sigh of annoyance. “Can we just get this over with?”

Mickey opens the door to the coop, which sends the chickens running all over the place at the sudden action. Jake smiles cheekily at Bradley and gives him a gentle nudge toward the coop. “Go on, be with your kind.”

Bradshaw glares at him. “Bite me.”

“I think the chickens will take care of that for me,” Jake winks as Bradley walks into the chicken coop and sits down on the hay bail. The chickens start clucking and running around like wild when Bradshaw walks in, causing Jake and Mickey to laugh again. It’s not the first time Jake has seen a bunch of startled chickens, but it’s always funny, no matter how old he gets. 

What’s even funnier is how startled Bradley gets by the chickens running all over.

“What is the point of this again?” He asks, concerned, as he sits down on the large hay bail in the coop.

“For you to smile,” Jake says, holding up his phone to take the picture.

All he gets in return is a glare, which is all Jake thinks he’s going to get for now, so he snaps the picture. “Not your best,” Jake quips as he hands the phone to Mickey. “Now get one of both me and Bradley.”

Jake steps into the chicken coop, sending the birds running around and clucking like crazy all over again. He laughs again at the skittish actions of the chickens, and the look of concern that has yet to fade from Bradley’s face. Jake plops down next to Bradshaw on the hay bail and throws an arm over his shoulder. Mickey laughs at the two of them and snaps a few pictures on Jake’s phone. 

As soon as Jake is getting ready to stand up, one of the chickens takes flight and lands directly in Bradley’s lap, causing him to let out a very undignified shriek. Jake and Mickey both double over laughing, Jake especially given how harmless he knows chickens to be. 

Bradley shoots him a death glare, but can’t seem to do much else with the chicken on his lap. 

“It’s just a chicken, ain’t gonna hurt you,” Jake says, reaching over and giving the chicken a little pat on the head. It clucks at him and flaps its wings, gliding to the ground. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of them.”

Bradshaw dusts himself off and stands up. “No, but I’m definitely not comfortable around them, either. Didn’t realize how ridiculous and unpredictable they are.”

“And now you know why your callsign is such a good fit,” Jake jokes.

“Yeah, ha-ha, you’re hilarious,” Bradley replies dryly as he steps out of the chicken coop. “They’re a bunch of little psychos.”

Jake can’t help but laugh in agreement. “Yeah, I can’t argue with that. They’re sweet though for the most part, just scared of their own shadows.”

Mickey gives Jake’s phone back and he eagerly scrolls through the photos. “Oh, yeah, this one’s a keeper.”

The photo in question is one Mickey must have snapped when the chicken flew onto Bradley’s lap. There’s a look of what can only be described as horror on Bradley’s face while Jake is laughing his ass off. 

“That’s gonna be my new profile pic.”

“I swear to God, Seresin…” Bradley mutters under his breath.

Upon scrolling back, Jake sees that Mickey did manage to get a pretty good one where Bradley is actually smiling at the same time as Jake, all of the chickens still surrounding them. It almost looks like Bradley is having a good time in the photo, so it’ll work.

“Thanks for taking the photos, Mickey. Tell your abuela ‘thank you’ for me again.”

Mickey pats him on the back. “Will do. You guys have a fun rest of your date.”

“Oh, we will,” Jake assures him while Bradley huffs.

“Do I dare ask where we’re going next?” Bradley asks as he continues to dust off his dress blues.

“To get some food,” Jake answers, walking back toward his car. 

“Let me guess,” Bradshaw says, catching up with his wingman, “gas station sushi?”

Jake chuckles, feeling relieved that Rooster sounds amused. He genuinely doesn’t want the date to be entirely miserable. In fact, while the rest of their events might be a little embarrassing, he’s hoping it turns out to be more fun than anything else.

“It’s not gas station sushi, I don’t hate myself,” he bumps his shoulder against Bradshaw’s again. “Or you.”

Bradley scoffs, though there’s a ghost of a smile on his face. “Yeah, I’m really feeling the love tonight.”

“Hey, look, the most embarrassing part is over. If you embrace your more goofy and carefree side—which I know you have because I’ve seen it before—then we might actually have a really good time tonight.”

He sighs in resignation. “I guess you’ll get your chance to prove that.”

As Jake drives them to the food truck parking lot, Bradley keeps the greatest hits of 38 Special playing on the radio. The band makes for a pretty good soundtrack for the night, and it seems to put Bradley in a better mood, so Jake has no complaints. 

Rooster sighs in relief when Jake parks the car in the lot adjacent to all of the food trucks, eagerly unbuckling his seat belt and stepping out of the car. “God, that smells good. I’m starving.”

“Me too,” Jake chuckles in agreement, walking toward the food trucks with Bradley. “The one that serves Mexican food is fantastic, you’ve gotta try it.”

Bradshaw eagerly follows him over to the neon orange food truck, where they take their places in line. When it’s their turn to order, the older man who owns the truck, Danny, recognizes Jake immediately. 

“Hey, Jakey, you’re looking snazzy tonight,” his eyes fall on Bradley, “and so does your friend. This must be that ‘hot date’ you were telling me about.”

Jake laughs, especially when Bradley rolls his eyes and mutters under his breath, “God, did he tell everyone about this?”

“Good to see you, Danny. Yes, this is the ‘hot date’ I was telling you about.”

“Ah, well I’m honored you brought him here for dinner,” Danny’s tone is genuinely grateful. “I imagine you’d like your usual?”

Jake nods in confirmation. “Yep, but I need you to double it. Bradley needs to experience your quesadillas while he’s got the chance.” He looks over at his wingman to make sure that’s okay with him and gets a nod in response. 

He insists on paying for Bradley’s meal for the embarrassment he’s put him through so far, and because that’s what a gentleman would do when he’s taking somebody on a date. Bradley thanks him as they walk to one of the many wooden picnic tables off to the side. The night is alive with the sound of people laughing and talking, and music plays from a speaker system set up around the large parking lot. Not a terrible place for a date, embarrassing or otherwise. 

They sit and unwrap their quesadillas, digging into the food immediately. Jake hadn’t realized how hungry he was himself until now. 

“Holy shit,” Bradley says as he chews his first bite. By the look on his face, Jake knows he must love the food.

“I told you it was good stuff.”

“You weren’t kidding,” Bradley takes another huge bite and hums in delight at the taste. Jake looks at Bradley fondly as his mood seems to improve tenfold now that he’s had something to eat. That continues over the next twenty minutes as they finish their dinner and make small talk here and there. 

To Jake’s amazement, nothing about getting dinner is awkward like he’d been expecting. The silences aren’t uncomfortable. The small talk doesn’t feel forced. It’s nice, really. 

He knows from experience that he and Bradley get along much better now than ever before, but it’s not very common for just the two of them to spend time together outside of work. Usually, they’re at the Hard Deck with the squad and have buffers that keep them from spending a lot of time alone. Finding that he and Bradley get along well like this makes for a pleasant surprise.

Bradshaw leans against the backrest of the picnic table bench when he’s done with his food, letting out a satisfied sigh. Jake can’t help but find it a little endearing.

He feels a little nagging at the back of his mind that sounds an awful lot like Javy, telling him that maybe, just maybe, the idea of him liking Bradshaw isn’t all that crazy. Jake banishes that thought from his mind as soon as it forms. There’s no way in hell he could actually have a crush on Bradley. It is, in fact, crazy. Not to mention the fact that Bradshaw would never, ever feel the same way about him. There’s no point in even entertaining the idea.

“So, what’s next on the list?” Bradley asks, seeming a lot less mopey than before.

Jake smirks. “Sorry, I can’t spoil the surprise.”

Rooster scoffs and says “You suck” but there’s no real heat in his tone.

“You seem to be in a better mood,” Jake observes, knowing that half an hour ago, Bradley would have uttered those words with some actual venom in them. “I think you were just hangry.” He really can’t resist the opportunity to tease Bradley. It’s second nature at this point.

Bradshaw rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile on his face that makes Jake’s heart flutter. “Hush up.”

“Come on, admit it, you’re sort of having fun,” he razzes.

“No.”

“No, you won’t admit it? Or no, you’re not having fun?”

Rooster huffs, but still doesn’t seem as annoyed as expected. “How do you always have a smart remark for everything I say?”

“Years of practice.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I. It’s hard work being witty. You’ve really got to know your audience.”

“Ugh, forget I asked.”

Jake barks out a laugh at how easy it is to mess with Bradley, which gets him a wadded-up piece of tin foil to the face. He clutches his chest as if wounded by the playful action from his wingman.

“God, you’re ridiculous,” Bradley chuckles as he stands and retrieves the trash he just threw.

The next stop for the night is at a karaoke bar across town, which Jake had to make reservations for ahead of time since the bar is having their Taylor Swift-themed night. He knows Bradley will likely never admit it to his face, but he’s heard the man whistling some of her songs absentmindedly in the locker room. One time at the gym on base, Bradley left his phone open on the workout bench, and Jake noticed he was listening to a playlist dedicated to her music. He can’t confirm how big of a fan Rooster may be, but at the very least he knows he enjoys her songs.

When Jake pulls into the packed bar parking lot, Bradley gives him a questioning look. “Another bar?”

He gives him a cheeky smile, excited to finally tell Bradley what he has planned. “Not just any bar—a karaoke bar. And guess what tonight is?”

“Annoy-the-hell-out-of-me night?” Bradley ventures.

“Well…yes. But I mean at the bar, there’s a theme tonight. I’ll just tell you. It’s Taylor Swift night, and you and I are gonna be singing every word to ‘Blank Space,’” Jake shoots him a very pleased grin.

Bradley sighs. “And here I was hopeful that tonight would get less embarrassing.”

“What’s so embarrassing about it? You like her music, and everybody else here does, too,” Jake hopes his words make it sound a little better. 

“How did you know I liked her music?” Bradley asks, then catches himself, realizing what he’s just admitted. His face burns red as he tries to defend himself. “I mean…I don’t even like Taylor Swift. What are you talking about?”

Jake laughs at the horrible cover-up. “Yeah, nice try. Come on, it’ll be fun. You’re a good singer anyway.”

He hops out of the car along with Bradley and they head inside the bar. It’s packed full of people, many of whom are dressed as the different Taylor Swift “eras.” Jake will admit the dress blues make them stand out in this crowd, but again, nobody seems to care. Given all the people who are dancing, and singing and the couple that is currently performing “You Belong With Me” on stage, it’s louder than the F/A-18s engines. 

Bradley looks a little uncomfortable, but Jake assumes that’s because of the crowd. He takes the opportunity to buy Bradley a beer for all the trouble he’s putting him through, which makes the man lighten up a bit.

“Sorry, I didn’t think it would be quite this crowded,” Jake has to shout to be heard over the music.

Bradshaw gives him a grateful smile as he accepts the beer. “It’s okay.”

Jake gives him a surprised look, which causes Rooster to chuckle. “I’m gonna try to lean into my goofy and carefree side, like you said earlier. I guess all things considered, this is a lot less embarrassing than taking a photo with a bunch of damn chickens.”

He throws his head back with a laugh, happy to see that Bradley is lightening up a bit. Once Bradshaw has finished his beer, Jake leads him out onto the crowded dance floor while they wait for a few songs until it’s their turn. 

When they finally do take the stage, the crowd erupts into cheers, especially when Bradley begins to sing, his voice leading Jake’s through the song. He’ll admit he’s no singer himself, but he doesn’t think he’s too bad. However, he can’t deny that Bradley’s voice is better and sounds more natural and smooth. He ignores the way his heart flutters as Rooster sings and when he winks at him and clicks his tongue before every “and I’ll write your name.”

Bradley and Jake both bow graciously when the song comes to an end and exit the stage. He can’t explain the wave of physical relief he feels when he sees Rooster giggling as he accepts high-fives from a few people in the crowd. It’s nice to see that Jake’s plan of making the majority of the date more fun than embarrassing seems to finally be paying off. 

They laugh like little kids as they make their way through the worst of the crowd, resting with their hands on their knees as their laughter dies down. Jake can’t help but beam at Bradley, loving that the man is laughing and enjoying himself. His face is a rosy red color from laughing and making their way through the crowd. He looks beautiful.

Jake stops himself right there. Nope. Absolutely not. No more thinking of Bradley that way, there’s no chance it ends well. Besides, he’s just admiring the fact that his friend is having a good time. It doesn’t mean he likes him romantically like Javy suggested earlier. 

Thankfully, another couple takes the stage to sing the next song, which brings Jake out of his thoughts. Or at least, it does until he hears what song is playing next. “Everything Has Changed.” Damn, he loves this song. 

“Oh, I love this song,” Bradley says as he watches the couple begin singing it lovingly to each other, and other couples on the floor begin to slow dance to it.

Jake has a compulsion that he hopes won’t end up getting him in trouble. One he really can’t resist. He quickly glances at his watch to check the time and sees that the date is still running ahead of schedule. Without letting himself overthink any longer, he reaches out and offers his hand to Bradley.

“Me too…would you like to dance?”

Bradshaw gives him a sheepish smile as his face blushes bright red, all the way to the tips of his ears. Good God, Jake should not find it as adorable as he does. Nor should he be feeling his chest blooming with warmth as his wingman takes his hand. With his brain running on autopilot, he leads Rooster out onto the dancefloor. 

If he thought Bradshaw looked beautiful before, it’s nothing compared to how he looks with his arms draped loosely around his shoulders, while Jake’s hands rest on his wingman’s hips. They dance together for the entire song, softly singing along to the sweet lyrics. Jake tries desperately not to think too much about the line “you’ll be mine and I’ll be yours” and the pang of longing that shoots through him each time. The way he can’t help but wonder what that would really look like with Bradley. 

It galls him to admit it, and it’s not something he fully understands yet, but he thinks Javy might have been onto something. Maybe deep down, he really does feel something for Bradley.

Jake can’t decide if he’s relieved or disappointed when the song comes to an end and he no longer has an excuse to rest his hands on Rooster’s hips. They separate, sharing a sheepish smile as the next song begins. He checks his watch again, they’re still ahead of schedule, but he’ll admit he’s not sure he can handle another slow dance without his brain imploding. 

Instead, he simply tells Bradley that there’s more in store for them tonight and that they need to keep moving. The man’s attitude is much better about the date now as he nods and follows Jake out of the bar. It seems like Bradshaw has seen enough to believe Jake that the most embarrassing parts of the night are over. 

Their next stop is at a laser tag arena a few minutes away. This is one of the activities where Jake genuinely didn’t have any embarrassment in mind. Sure, they might look a little out of place as a couple of grown men in dress blues, but compared to making Bradley take photos with chickens, it doesn’t seem nearly as bad. It’s a relief that Bradshaw seems excited, saying it’s been years since he played laser tag. 

This place is far less crowded than anywhere else they’ve been tonight, the only people in attendance are the employees, a pack of middle school kids, and a few accompanying parents. Jake feels a little awkward when he realizes that he and Bradley are crashing a kid’s birthday party, but that passes quickly. The young boy, Matthew, is celebrating his eleventh birthday with his friends and seems to think it’s the coolest thing in the world that two naval aviators crashed it. He promises he won’t make it easy on Jake or Bradley though. 

The two grown men laugh at the statement from the kid, gearing up with the vests and laser guns. They’re herded into the large arena with the kids, smoke machines fogging up the space, and the only light provided by glow sticks and dim UV black lights. The second the alarm sounds to start the game, the young kids run like crazy, and one shouts “Kids against adults” before a barrage of lasers heads for Jake and Bradley. 

They’re both cracking up laughing as they duck for cover, poking their heads out to get the kids. The rule of kids against adults lasts for about two seconds as the kids start firing the lasers at each other as well. From then on, it’s pure chaos. Jake and Bradley run around as if they’re no older than the middle school kids, blasting each other and the kids left and right as they run around the arena. Jake honestly can’t remember the last time he laughed this hard or the last time he saw Bradley laugh like this. 

By the time it’s all said and done, Jake is patting himself on the back for adding laser tag to the date when he was brainstorming months ago. The entire drive to the next and final part of the date is filled with Jake and Bradshaw’s laughter as they recall their round of laser tag and the wild group of kids who made it so memorable. 

Jake pulls into the beach parking lot, just a few minutes down the road from the Hard Deck. Already waiting for him and Bradley are the two horses he rented for tonight, and their handlers. This is the most expensive part of the date. He already covered the fee, but damn, renting the horses just for a short walk on the beach hadn’t been cheap. In his years away from the animals he grew up with at home, he had forgotten how expensive they could be. He doesn’t have any regrets, though. What better way to end an already chaotic and unconventional date?

“I take it those horses are for us?” Bradley asks as they step out of the vehicle. 

“Good assumption,” Jake winks as they walk over toward the handlers. The people are very nice and walk them through how to properly mount the horses and sit on their saddles, though that’s nothing Jake didn’t already know after his years of experience. Bradshaw, however, looks nervous as he’s helped up onto the saddle. He looks even more uneasy with the reins in his hand.

Jake gives him a soft grin as he hops onto the saddle of the other horse, the two animals tethered together so he and Bradley can have a romantic ride on the beach. Given his experience, he plans to lead them to the final spot of the date a little ways down the beach.

“Don’t look so nervous, Roo,” he teases, “you’re acting like it’s the first time you’ve ever seen a horse.”

Bradley nods as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“Oh, my God, you’ve never seen a horse?” Jake asks in disbelief. 

“Not in-person or up close. Much less actually sitting in a saddle on one’s back,” he says, his voice a little shaky with nerves. “I didn’t realize they were so big.”

Knowing that this is a major first for Rooster makes the whole scenario that much more endearing to Jake. His big brown eyes are wide with nerves as if he expects the animal to spontaneously explode at any given moment. 

“They’re big creatures,” Jake agrees, “but they’re also real sweethearts. Gentle giants, really. Just relax, I promise you’ll be alright.”

Jake clicks his tongue and the horse gingerly begins moving, prompting the other one to follow its lead. He smiles to himself, remembering all the time he spent around these animals as kids, and how much he’s missed it. He turns around to check up on Bradley, hoping his wingman isn’t too uncomfortable.

It’s pretty clear that Rooster is still nervous, but he seems a bit more at ease now that they’re walking down the beach. 

“See? Not so bad,” Jake encourages. 

“I guess not…,” Bradshaw doesn’t seem fully convinced yet.

He leans forward to give his horse a loving pat on the side. “It helps to bond with them, too. The horse you’re riding is named Buttercup, tell her she’s a good girl and give her some little pats. Sort of like a dog. It’ll relax you.”

Bradley follows Jake’s directions, though he looks incredibly hesitant the entire time. He can’t help but bark out a laugh at how tentative his wingman’s movements are. Bradshaw shoots him a glare and flips him off, but he can tell it’s good-natured. 

“What about your horse? What’s its name?” Bradley asks. 

“This here is Sugar. And she's such a sweetheart, aren’t you, girl?” He asks his horse lovingly, cooing and giving her some more gentle pats on her side. “Yeah, you’re a sweetheart for sure.”

They continue on for a few moments until the silence is interrupted by Bradley saying Jake’s name urgently. He turns back to look at his wingman, fear on his face. “What, Roo?”

Bradley looks borderline panic-stricken. “I really need to sneeze. Is that gonna spook the horses?”

He can’t help but chuckle. “Nah, these horses are so well-trained, you should be fine.”

As soon as the words fall past his lips, Bradley rapidly sneezes twice into his arm. Just as Jake said, the horses aren’t fazed in the slightest.

“Bless you.”

“Thanks,” Bradley sniffles. “Anyway, you clearly have a lot of experience with horses. I guess that makes sense given your background.”

Jake nods. “My parents taught me and my sisters to ride when we were little kids. It was a Seresin tradition for us to be gifted our own horse on our tenth birthday. Mine was named Goldie, and she was a beautiful mare, and the most loving animal I’ve ever met,” he finds himself immersed in the memories of being a little kid, over the moon on his tenth birthday when he got his horse. There was nothing quite like it.

“That’s really sweet,” Bradley says softly.

“Yeah,” Jake agrees, a smile on his face, “it’s one of the best childhood memories I have.”

His nostalgic memories are interrupted by a couple more loud sneezes from Rooster. He turns his head to see a sheepish look on his wingman’s face. 

“Bless you, again,” he turns and raises an eyebrow at Bradshaw. “You feeling okay?”

Bradley nods as he sniffles. “Yeah, I’m good. I’m very good,” he shoots him a wink, using his line against him.

Jake snickers and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. Always gotta steal my lines.”

Rooster laughs from behind him, a sound that Jake can’t deny sounds endearing. Damn, he’s gonna have to start training his mind to not fall for Bradley so easily. He’s used to having his walls up, even in his own mind, how are they already crumbling? It’s not like it could really work with Bradley, so why is he allowing himself to feel this way?

He tries his best not to dwell on it as they continue down the beach for a few more minutes to their designated spot. Out on the sand is a blanket with a cooler and a pizza box sitting in the middle.

Jake pulls back on the reins and clicks his tongue to signal the horse to stop. Sugar slows to a stop as instructed by Jake, stopping about ten feet from the blanket. “Good girl,” he coos, petting her side again. He turns his head and reaches out to rest his hand on Buttercup’s nose. “You, too, Buttercup. Good girl.”

He expertly dismounts the horse, years of practice making it like second nature for him. Rooster looks at him expectantly, and Jake can’t help but huff out a laugh, a mental image of Bradley hanging off the horse with one leg stuck in the stirrup flashing in his mind. He walks over to help his wingman down, ignoring the way his heart flutters when he takes Bradley’s hand, and the way he clings to him for safety until his feet are back on the ground.

“So, how was your first time riding a horse?” Jake asks, a teasing glint in his eye.

“Not too bad, all things considered,” Bradshaw replies, reaching out to pet Buttercup’s side. She bobs her head up and down, letting out a soft whinny at the affectionate gesture.

“Aww, she likes you, Roo.”

Bradley honest-to-God giggles, which sets off a whole new wave of affection in Jake’s chest. The older man walks up alongside Buttercup and rests his hand on her nose. The horse leans into his touch and closes her eyes happily.

The sweet moment only lasts for a few seconds before Bradley turns away and sneezes yet again three times into his arm.

“Goodness, Roo, bless you,” Jake says, walking over to rest his hand on Bradshaw’s shoulder. “You sure you’re okay?”

Bradley nods and sniffles again, his nose and even his eyes looking a bit red now. “I’m okay. I’m good. Think my allergies are just acting up is all.”

Without thinking, Jake takes Bradley’s hand in his own and walks him over to the blanket with the pizza and cooler. He helps Bradshaw sit down and reaches into the cooler, handing him a napkin. “In case you need to blow your nose.”

Bradley takes it gratefully and gives him a sincere smile when Jake places the pizza box down in front of them. 

“You even got pizza from my favorite place, huh?” Rooster asks with a light blush on his face. 

Jake smirks. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that I didn’t want this entire date to be miserable.”

Bradley chuckles as he picks up a slice of pizza. “I guess I have no choice but to believe you, now,” he says, taking a huge bite of the pizza. “I didn’t even realize I was hungry again.”

Jake picks up a slice of pizza and finds that his stomach is growling again as well. “I figured we might get hungry again. I’m glad I thought ahead.”

A comfortable silence falls over them for a few minutes as they devour the pizza while they watch the waves rush against the shore. The horses are still standing a few feet away, occasionally huffing or letting out soft whinnies. It’s a peaceful way to spend the last hour or so they have left for their date. 

As they’re finishing the food and sodas, and after he’s had another small sneezing fit, Bradshaw breaks the silence with a question. “What would you have done if I’d won the bet and gotten your car?”

Jake chuckles. “I probably would have taken it for one last joy ride tonight and handed the keys over to you first thing tomorrow. What would you have done with it?” He asks, a bit of a challenging smirk on his face.

“Kept it,” Bradley answers simply enough. “It is a pretty nice car. Though I’ll admit, part of me probably would have felt bad for taking it from you. Even if I won it fair and square.”

“Well, how kind of you to say,” Jake says sarcastically, though it’s clear his tone is lighthearted.

Rooster smiles but still rolls his eyes, the sassy bastard. Despite himself, Jake finds it endearing. There’s been so many instances tonight that he’s found something Bradley said or did to be endearing that it’s absurd. How’d he not realize what he was feeling for so long?

“Can I ask you something?” Jake says after another beat of silence. 

“Yeah, sure.”

Jake can’t help the sheepish tone of voice as he asks. “Was tonight really the worst date you’ve ever been on?”

Bradley laughs like that’s not at all what he expected Jake to ask. “You know, about three hours ago I would have said yes. But after seeing how it’s all played out, I’d say it goes in the good date category.”

He beams at his wingman, relieved to know that Bradley ended up enjoying himself tonight once the worst of it was over. “Glad to hear it. Though you must have been on some pretty crappy dates in the past for this to be considered good,” he says, self-deprecatingly. 

Rooster scoffs. “Ugh, you have no idea. I went out with Natasha’s friend who’s a dental hygienist about four months ago. At the end of the meal, she said dessert was out of the question because I had a ‘bad brushing technique.’ How could she have even known that? And I brush twice a day!”

It’s impossible to keep from laughing at how much that comment annoyed Bradley. His wingman shoots him a playful glare. 

“That’s not funny, it was just rude,” Bradley defends.

“Okay, it was a bit rude,” he relents. “But I kind of know what you mean with bad dates. The last guy I went out with seemed to lose interest the second I told him I was thirty-two.”

That earns him another laugh from Bradshaw. “Were you too old or too young for him?”

“I don’t even know,” Jake giggles. “I’m guessing too old, but he couldn’t have been younger than twenty-eight. That’s only a four-year difference.”

Bradley sighs. “People kind of suck, don’t they?”

“Just the ones I end up going out with,” Jake mopes, but then realizes how that sounds given that he’s currently on a date with Bradley. “I didn’t mean—”

Bradshaw throws his head back laughing as he gives Jake a playful shove. “I know what you meant. Still mean though.” He makes a fake pouting face at Jake. Damn, why does Bradley have honest-to-God puppy eyes when he does that? And are his eyes watering? 

Bradley seems confused as well because sure enough, a tear slides down his cheek. He wipes at his face and looks at the moisture, confused, before yet another sneezing fit overcomes him. Jake counts five in a row, and Bradley’s eyes are beginning to look bloodshot the more he sneezes. 

“Roo, something’s not right. We should probably get you out of here,” Jake’s voice is full of concern now. 

Bradshaw sniffs, and it’s evident that he’s so congested that he’s not getting any air through his nose. “What is going on?” Whether he’s asking himself or Jake is unclear.

“I don’t know, but I think we ought to head back,” Jake offers his hand, leads Bradley back to the horses, and helps him saddle back up. 

They move a little bit faster down the beach than they did before, while Bradley sneezes his head off. Jake asks him if he has any food allergies or something that he might have come across, but Bradley says no, and it seems like they would have kicked in earlier than they did. Not to mention his symptoms aren’t typical for an allergic reaction to food. Bradshaw says he has seasonal allergies, but they’re never like this. Jake racks his brain for anything Bradley may have experienced that he wouldn’t have known he was allergic to. As soon as they return the horses to their handlers, it finally dawns on him. 

“Roo, it’s gotta be the horses. You’re allergic.”

“To horses?” Bradley’s tone indicates that’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard in his life. 

Jake nods. “You’ve never been around them before, and your allergies didn’t act up tonight until the walk on the beach. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Rooster considers that a moment, and seems to agree. “Well, shit. Who knew?”

“I sure didn’t,” Jake says, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry.”

Bradley chuckles, though it sounds odd given how congested he is. “Not your fault. But I’m never gonna stop teasing you for trying to kill me with two horses.”

Jake laughs and helps Bradley to the car as he suffers through four more increasingly violent sneezes. 

He doesn’t hesitate to put the car in drive and make a beeline for the clinic on base. 

“Why are you going so fast?” Bradley wonders. 

“I’m taking you to the base clinic to get checked out. I don’t want your throat to randomly close up or something.”

“I think that would have happened by now.”

“Still,” Jake insists. “I wanna make sure you’re okay. If you start having trouble breathing you say something, alright?”

Bradley looks a little alarmed at Jake’s sudden intensity, but he nods in agreement. Jake doesn’t ease up on the speed until they’re back on base and he has no choice. Still, his driving is somewhat reckless until he finally parks the car in front of the clinic.

Twenty-five minutes later, Jake's suspicions about horse allergies are confirmed. He wasn’t allowed back into the exam room since he was not listed as an emergency contact, but one of the nurses walked over to fill him in. 

“You brought Lieutenant Bradshaw in, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She gives him a friendly smile. “That was good thinking on your part, but I’m pleased to say it wasn’t necessary as Lieutenant Bradshaw’s allergies are not life-threatening.”

Jake breathes out a huge sigh of relief. He figured that was the case given that Bradley didn’t seem any worse on the drive to the clinic, but it’s nice to have confirmation.

“We gave him a strong antihistamine by mouth to combat his current symptoms, so he might start acting a little drunk here soon. You’ll need to drive him home, and it might be a good idea to stay with him for the night to keep an eye on him just to be safe. But, he should be good as new by tomorrow morning.”

Jake shakes the nurse’s hand and thanks her again. A few moments later, the doctor is escorting Bradley out of the exam room and back to Jake in the lobby. Bradley’s eyes already look less bloodshot.

“Hey, Roo. Feeling better?”

Bradshaw nods and doesn’t object when Jake throws an arm around him to help him walk out of the clinic to the car. It may not be necessary, but Jake wants to be close to Bradley. And he doesn’t know how long it’ll take for the medicine to kick in. 

“I still can’t believe I went thirty-four years without knowing I was allergic to horses,” Bradley chuckles as Jake helps him into the passenger seat. 

“Well, they say allergies can develop over time,” Jake replies. “What surprises me more is that you’d never been around a horse until tonight.”

Rooster shakes his head fondly. “What can I say? I guess I’m a real city-slicker.”

Jake laughs. “I don’t think I can disagree with you on that one.”

Bradley gives him a playful shove which sets them both off laughing like little kids. 

“Hey, quit that,” Jake retaliates by giving Rooster a playful shove in return, “You’re gonna make me get in a wreck.”

“You’re no fun,” Bradley pretends to pout.

Jake shakes his head and huffs out a quiet laugh as he drives across the base to his housing unit. It only takes a few minutes, but in that time the medicine seems to be kicking in for Bradley. His facial features are a lot more relaxed and his eyelids are drooping. He puts the car in park and turns to see Bradshaw looking soft and sleepy in a way he can’t help but find adorable. 

“Hey, Roo. I’ve gotta run inside and grab a few things to crash at your place. You gonna be okay out here?”

Bradley nods and closes his eyes again, leaning his head against the window. 

That’s about all the answer he thinks he’s going to get out of his wingman, so he heads into his house to pack up the essentials to stay at Bradley’s place. Once he’s got everything in his backpack, he heads back out to the car. He puts his backpack in the trunk and then hops in the driver’s seat.

Rooster looks like he’s barely clinging to consciousness, but he still gives Jake a sleepy smile. “Yay, you’re back.”

Jake smiles and his heart flutters involuntarily at how soft and sweet Bradshaw both looks and sounds. “Yeah, I’m back. Let’s get you home, okay?”

His wingman nods and leans his head back against the window to rest while Jake begins the drive to Bradley’s house. It’s quiet for the first half of the ten-minute drive until Bradley begins snoring. They’re calm and gentle at first, but by the time Jake is parking his car in Rooster’s driveway, the man is snoring at the volume of an air raid siren. He should know, he’d heard them about a million times back home in Texas when they had tornado warnings.

All of his willpower can’t stop him from pulling out his phone and taking a short video of the man’s deafening snores, snickering the entire time. He quickly sends the video out to the Dagger Squad group chat with a blurb that says, Roo passed out after a big night, but we sure had fun!

He pockets his phone and reaches out to gently nudge Bradley awake. He pauses for a moment, hesitant to interrupt him when he’s sleeping so peacefully. Briefly, Jake genuinely considers trying to carry him inside so he doesn’t wake up. However, the odds of him doing so without waking him seem pretty slim.

Instead, he goes through with softly nudging Rooster awake with his hand on his shoulder. “Roo, come on, wake up. We’re back home.”

It takes a few moments of lightly shaking his shoulder, but the man’s honey-brown eyes eventually open. He gives Jake another dopey smile that makes him feel all too warm in his chest. “Hey, Jakey.”

Jakey? Damn it, why does he have to be so cute like this?

He files those thoughts away for later. Returning Bradley’s smile, he pats him on the shoulder. “Hey, yourself. I’m gonna walk you inside and get you all cozy in bed, okay?”

His wingman lets out a little chuckle, only making him more adorable in Jake’s eyes. “Okay.”

Jake walks around to the other side of the car, helping Rooster out and onto his feet. He’s a little wobbly, but with an arm slung over his shoulders, Jake manages to get him into the house. When he’s closed the door behind him he hears Bradley snickering to himself, all giggly and smiley like he gets when he’s drunk. 

“I don’t think I like horses very much,” he says, his words almost slurred.

“Can’t say I blame you there, Roo,” Jake chuckles. “Those allergies really did a number on you.”

Bradley stumbles as he attempts to walk to his bedroom. Jake races over to him, his hands on his hips to keep him upright. 

“I don’t like chickens either!” Bradley’s voice is much louder than necessary. “That one flew into my lap and scared the crap out of me. They’re mean to me, and I’m basically one of them! I’m Rooster!”

Jake can’t hold back his laughter at that. Of all things for Bradley to say when Jake doesn’t have a free hand to record him. Oh well, he’ll still be able to tell the squad all about it tomorrow. Right now, his priority is getting Bradley into bed.

He gives Jake a slightly pouty look. “Why are you laughing at me?”

“Because you’re funny and acting pretty drunk, you goofball. Now let’s get you to your room.” Jake begins the process of leading Bradley through the house to his room. Bradshaw is still as wobbly walking to his room as he was on the way into the house, but they make it without any major incidents. 

Bradley flops down face-first on his bed, sighing loudly. 

“Comfy there, Roo?” Jake teases. 

“Mm-hmm. ‘M so sleepy,” Bradley yawns.

“Don’t you wanna change out of these clothes?” Jake suggests.

Bradley smirks at him, his eyes almost glazed over in his drugged-out state. “If you wanna see me naked all you have to do is ask.”

Jake chokes on air at how suggestive Bradley sounds. In any other situation, he’d almost be tempted. Almost. But Bradley is very obviously not in his right mind, which is the whole reason he’d even say something like that. It seems like Bradshaw is joking anyway, despite his current state. 

“I meant because they’re uncomfortable, just like you said earlier tonight,” Jake defends, hoping he’s concealed how flustered Bradley’s comment made him. It seems to have worked. 

Rooster scoffs. “Ugh, they really are not comfy.” He begins undoing the buttons on his coat and shirt, throwing them onto the floor before he takes off the slacks as well. He seems satisfied when he’s left in only his boxer-briefs and socks, as he crawls under the blankets and sighs in relief. 

Jake walks over to him and chuckles. “Nice and cozy now?” He pulls the blankets up over Bradley’s toned chest, trying not to get distracted. Once he’s essentially tucked him in, he turns off the lamp on the bedside table and whispers goodnight. 

“Wait, Jakey!” Bradshaw calls out as he’s closing the door. 

That damn nickname again. He wills his body to stop reacting to that nickname from Bradley. “What is it?”

He gestures for Jake to come closer, and reaches over to turn on the lamp. It takes a couple of tries for him to be successful. “I need to tell you something, Jakey. It’s real important.”

Jake crosses the room and sits down at the edge of Bradley’s bed. “Okay, I’m all ears. What’s on your mind?”

Bradley looks relieved that he stayed to hear what he has to say. “Thank you for the date night.” 

Jake huffs out a fond laugh. “You’re welcome, Bradley.”

His wingman reaches out and grabs his arm with a surprisingly strong grip given his incapacitated state. His words are a little slurred and hard to understand as he continues on. “I know I get all grumpy and annoyed by you at work, but I really am glad we’re friends. It made me sad, though, that all year you only wanted to take me on a date as a joke. I sort of hoped you’d ask me out for real.”

Bradley has a shy smile and blush on his face. He buries it under the covers in embarrassment as if shocked by his own confession. 

Jake has no earthly idea what to think about that, much less how to respond. Did…did that really just happen? Did Bradshaw just admit that he has feelings for him? That he wants to go on an actual date? 

Rooster is either messing with him or has no idea what he’s actually saying because of the antihistamine. Maybe some combination of both. Whatever the reason, Jake is convinced there’s no way Bradley could actually have feelings for him. 

He hears a mumble from under the covers, but with Bradley slurring his words and his voice muffled by the blankets, he can’t make it out.

“What’s that, Roo?” He asks softly, his heart hammering in his chest. 

Bradley pulls the blankets down from his face a bit, his messy curls and big puppy eyes materializing from under the covers. He looks more sheepish than Jake has ever seen him. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

Jake feels a pang of sympathy at the anxiety in Bradley’s voice. “Hey, no, don’t say that. I—I’m glad you told me.” He realizes how true those words are now that he’s said them. It’s terrifying and hard to believe, but damn if he doesn’t feel a massive weight off of his shoulders knowing that Bradley likes him. Or at least has thought about him romantically before. Still, part of him wonders if this is just a delusion from the medicine. 

Bradshaw shakes his head. “No, it was stupid. I’m sorry.” He looks sad as he pulls the covers back over his head and hides.

Jake reaches out to say something, but Bradley’s hold is steadfast. “Hey, Roo. Please look at me.”

He sees the shape of Bradley shaking his head no under the blankets. “Nope. Not gonna.”

Jake lets out a sigh at the man’s antics. He’s still loopy from that medicine, he doubts he’s going to get Bradley to listen to anything he says, even if he confesses that he feels the same way. He wants to tell him that he likes him, too. That he was in denial because he didn’t think Bradley could ever like him romantically, so why even let himself grow attached? Why let himself have a crush if it could never happen? It took Javy’s words earlier that night for him to admit to himself that he really does like Bradley.

But with the medicine in his system making him so out of it, he knows Bradley won’t understand. He hates it. He hates having to leave him like this for the night, but waiting until the medicine wears off is the only way he thinks he can make Bradley understand. 

“Roo, will you please look at me, or at least listen?” He pleads.

He sees Bradley shake his head again under the covers.

He sighs loudly, figuring as much. “Okay. But…I promise you don’t need to worry. Just get some rest, okay?”

Bradley nods, his face still buried under the blankets. 

“Good night, darlin’,” Jake says, hoping to reassure Rooster with the term of endearment. 

“Night,” his wingman mumbles in reply. 

Jake shuts the door to Bradley’s bedroom, heading back to his car to grab his backpack. He goes through the motions of his bedtime routine in Bradley’s guest bathroom, his mind still buzzing from the confession. 

How could he have never known? How did he not realize that Bradley was being flirty with him this past year? Because, honestly, now that he looks back, that’s all they’ve both been doing. They’ve been flirting like crazy and probably driving the squad insane with their antics. 

And it all could have been avoided if Jake had just asked Bradley out for real. He…God, he feels like such an idiot. Like he wasted so much time. He might have genuinely hurt Bradley’s feelings by spending an entire year making a joke out of taking him on a date. It’s no wonder his wingman never spoke up about his own feelings during that time when all Jake did was mock him. He would have been humiliated to tell Jake how he felt.

Damn. 

Jake feels like a piece of shit. 

Tomorrow morning, when the medicine has worn off and Bradley is more lucid, Jake is going to owe him one massive apology. 

As he finishes his nightly routine, he strips out of his dress blues down to his T-shirt and boxer briefs. His heart aches in his chest for how badly he must have made Bradley feel. No wonder he was so miserable about this date. All Bradley wanted was for it to be real, and all Jake did was embarrass him.

Well, no, he didn’t spend the whole night embarrassing him. He’d made the majority of it fun. The two of them laughed and had a good time, and had some very memorable moments, to say the least. But still…he wasn’t very considerate of his friend’s feelings.

He sighs, annoyed with himself for being so ignorant. He lays down in Bradley’s guest bed—which is astonishingly comfortable—but he knows he won't sleep easily. The guilt keeps his mind from calming down for the night.

After fifteen minutes, Jake throws the blankets off himself and walks softly through the house to Bradley’s room. He can hear the man snoring loudly again all the way from the living room and knows he must at least be getting some rest. When he reaches the bedroom door, he gently opens it to see Bradley’s curls peeking out from under the covers. He’s lying on his side, clutching a pillow to his chest in sleep. Jake’s heart swells with adoration for how soft and cute he looks. 

How could he have been so blind to his feelings?

Gingerly, he closes the door to Bradley’s bedroom and makes his way back to the guest room to sleep. As he predicted, sleep doesn’t come easily. It’s well after 1 AM before Jake finally manages to drift off. Most of the night is spent in and out of a doze, making it all the more miserable when his phone alarm rings out at seven that morning. 

He rolls out of bed with a groan, eyes still feeling heavy after a restless night. Jake drags his feet as he walks to the guest bathroom to clean up for the day and do his morning skincare routine. Once he’s freshened up and dressed in his work clothes, he makes his way to the kitchen. Bradley is sitting at the counter in his work clothes, a bowl of cereal in front of him along with a small mug of coffee. He offers Jake a somewhat sheepish smile when he notices him. 

“Morning,” his wingman greets.

Jake nods. “Mornin’.”

There’s a beat of silence, which makes it obvious that this morning is going to get very awkward very quickly. 

Jake opens his mouth to speak, but Bradshaw has already beaten him to it. 

“Sorry about last night,” Rooster apologizes. 

“I’m the one who should be sorry after how those horses messed with your allergies,” Jake replies. 

Bradshaw lets out a long sigh. “That’s not—I meant about what I said before bed.”

Now is as good a time as any for Jake to apologize to Bradley for everything. The embarrassment. The way he mocked him for a year about his feelings without even knowing. Looking back, he’s been a pretty shitty friend.

He gives Bradley a sympathetic look. “Hey, Roo, none of that was your fault. I—I really am glad you told me. But…well, I need to know something before I say what I want to say.”

Bradley shrugs as if he’s waiting for Jake to ask the question. 

“Did you mean it?” Jake asks, heart in his throat, hoping he didn’t have his revelation too late. Hoping he didn’t miss his shot before they even had the chance to try.

Bradshaw averts his gaze and rubs the back of his neck awkwardly before nodding. “Yeah, I did.”

Jake lets out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding back. Thank God. Maybe now he’ll have the chance to make things right. 

He gives Bradley a shy smile. “Good, because that means I’ll get the chance to take you out for real now.”

Bradley almost chokes on his coffee. “You’re serious?” His face goes from shocked to almost angry. “I swear to God, Jake, if this is some sick joke as part of the date, I will never speak to you again.”

Jake holds his hands up defensively. “Whoa, whoa, hey, I’m being serious. I…shit, I cannot believe this is actually happening, but I…I like you, Bradley. A lot. Romantically. And I know I’ve been a complete asshole to you for the past year, but I didn’t know. I didn’t know you wanted it to be real. I had told myself there was no way you could ever like me romantically, so I guess I started acting in a way that reinforced what I already believed. I know I hurt your feelings, and that I’ve been a shitty friend, and I’m really sorry.”

“So, you’re saying you liked me last year, too?” Bradley asks, the look on his face showing how hard his mind is working to fit the pieces together.

Jake nods. “Bradley, I realized I didn’t know how to live in a world without you in it during the mission. For a few hours, I was devastated thinking that I would have to go on without you. There was no greater relief than when I shot that jet down and saved you and Maverick. But with our history, I thought you could never feel the same way about me. So I played into this bet and into teasing you and driving you crazy because I wanted your attention, even if it wasn’t in a positive way. I…I didn’t even have this all figured out until last night when I was forced to think it through. I’m sorry I genuinely hurt your feelings over this date. That was never my intention.”

Bradley’s face takes on that adorable blush that turns the tips of his ears that pretty pink color. “As far as apologies go…that’s not terrible,” Bradley chuckles. “And I really did end up having a good time last night. It might have started off a little rocky, but I had a great time with you by the time it was all over.”

Jake sighs in relief and smiles back as his wingman. “Does this mean you’d be open to us going out on a real date?” He asks hopefully. 

“Yeah, I’d really like that,” Bradley blushes and smiles in the cutest, most adorable way Jake has ever seen. 

His heart is full of affection when he responds. “Great, I’ll pick you up at seven again.”

Bradley laughs. “You wanna go out tonight?”

Jake shrugs. “It’s a Friday, we might as well. Besides, I’ve got a year’s worth of wasted time to make up for with this date.”

Rooster beams at him, rounding the counter and bringing Jake in for a bear hug. He’s never been so happy to return a hug in his life. With his face next to Bradshaw’s ear, he whispers, “I hope you know that I’m never gonna stop teasing you, though. Least of all at work.”

Bradley throws his head back laughing as he eases his grip on Jake, those honey-brown eyes sparkling with joy. “It’s a staple of our friendship, only stands to reason that would carry on.”

It’s Jake’s turn to laugh at Bradley’s endearing response. He pats his wingman’s chest, relieved that they’re on good terms now. He’s got another chance to show Bradley how much he’s meant to him for the last couple of years. 

Since Jake will have to come back after work to take his dress blues and other essentials back home, he offers to drive them both to work. They even stop off at Bradley’s favorite coffee shop again, where Jake buys his wingman another iced latte as an apology for the allergic reaction to horses last night. Bradley thanks him with a soft kiss on the cheek.

Jake never could have imagined the way an innocent kiss on the cheek from Bradshaw would have him giggling and blushing like a kid with a crush, or that his mustache would have tickled his skin so tenderly. But damn if it doesn’t make him wonder how that sort of kiss would feel against his lips. 

When they walk into the office on base, Natasha wolf-whistles at them. “Both of you are coming into work at the same time, did you spend the night together?” 

It’s clear she’s messing around with them, but Jake decides to play it a little more cheekily. “We sure did. Roo confessed his undying love for me.”

Bradley shoots him a playful glare. “Yeah, because I was really eager to throw myself at you while I was dying from my horse allergies.”

“You’re allergic to horses?” Bob asks, confused. 

“Apparently so. Jake tried to kill me with them,” Bradley jokes.

“Hey!” Jake says defensively. “I did no such thing. I thought it would make for a nice ending to the night.”

“Well, it definitely ended the night,” Rooster retorts. 

“I’m so confused,” Javy interjects. “What, exactly, happened last night?”

“Bradshaw had an allergic reaction to horses, we ended the date early to take him to the base clinic, they gave him some medicine that made him loopy, I drove him home and crashed at his place, and he confessed his undying love for me,” Jake explains quickly.

Bradshaw gives him a playful swat on the shoulder. “Everything he said except for the last detail is true.”

“Well, then, up until the horse thing, how was the date?” Natasha asks, genuinely curious. 

Rooster winks at Jake and gives him a smirk. “It started off sort of rough, but it turned out to be really fun.”

“So, what is the next bet going to be?” Mickey chimes in. 

“I think we might give it a rest for a while,” Jake answers. “What do you think, Bradshaw?”

“Yeah, we’ll take a break from any bets for a bit. I’m still going to keep track of my kills, though, if only to prove that I have more than you by retirement.”

The entire squad laughs at Bradley’s joke as they settle in for the day. Maverick gets briefed on last night’s events when he arrives a few minutes later. Despite all the effort Jake and Bradley put in to try and win this bet over the past year, it’s obvious their captain is relieved it’s over. 

The morning is quiet and relaxed as the squad catches up on paperwork, while Jake and Bradley come up with training exercises both for the squad and their students. Things start to get a little more lively as their afternoon hop approaches and they make their way to the locker rooms to get suited up. Jake blushes fiercely when Bradley surreptitiously takes his hand and gives it a squeeze on the way to the hangar. 

Once they’ve taken to the skies and positioned their jets to practice some long-distance evasion tactics, Jake hears Bradley’s voice on their private channel. 

“I know I said we were gonna take a break from bets earlier this morning, but what do you say we make this interesting?” He suggests.

“I’m listening…” Jake replies, looking out of his cockpit window toward Bradley’s jet. Even with his mask on from a distance, Jake can see the smile in his eyes.

“Let’s keep track of kills again today. Loser buys dinner tonight?” Bradley suggests.  

Jake throws his head back with a laugh as his radar pings. Reuben and Mickey’s F/A-18 appears on the radar. Given the silence on the other end of the channel, Rooster has seen it, too. He throttles up and breaks left, laughing as his engine exhaust buzzes Bradley’s jet as he maneuvers to intercept.

“Fight’s on!”