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“So… you and Hangman,” Natasha states, running her finger on the rim of her coffee cup. She’s got that look in her eyes, the one that Bradley knows mean he’s not getting out of the conversation she’s got in mind.
They’re at a little dinner not to far from Miramar, a nice place that makes a pretty decent pancake plate, that has become their traditional spot for their Sunday hangout. It’s easy now that they’ve been made a permanent squadron, a weird hybrid between an elite special squadron and Top Gun instructors, which means that for the first time in years, Bradley and Natasha are stationed at the same base.
“What about Hangman?” Rooster asks, trying to as sound disinterested as possible. Since when is there Sunday breakfast the time and place for an ambush?
"Why was he at your place yesterday?" Natasha presses, well accustomed to Bradley's tight-lipped nature.
“Why do you even know that he was at my place yesterday?” He counters with another question, finding a way to avoid answering the question again.
When Natasha smirks, Bradley realizes that he just fully admitted that Jake was in fact in his home yesterday.
“I went on a walk, Bradley, and I saw him bringing boxes inside your house,” Natasha reveals her cards, pinning Bradley even more into a corner.
“He was helping me with the new furniture I bought for the house. His obnoxious truck finally had a use, so I exploited him,” Bradley replies, taking a sip of his coffee.
Natasha doesn’t look convinced, not even for a single second. Bradley knows where this conversation is going, he doesn’t even know why he’s trying to delay the inevitable. Natasha has known him for too long, but more importantly, has known his history with Jake since its beginning.
How is he supposed to explain to his best friend of nearly fifteen years that not only is he back with his ex-boyfriend, but that said ex is also moving in with him after only two months of being back together?
Hey, Nat, you know the guy I’ve basically been in an on-and-off relationship with for the past decade? Yeah, that guy—we’re back together. Again. But this time it’s going to last because we actually talked, you have to believe me.
That’s probably not how he should say it, so he keeps it on the tip of his tongue for now.
“Bradley, my dearest best friend that I love so much, will you please tell me wether or not you and Hangman are back together?” Natasha uses her sweetest voice, bats her eyelashes and even pulls out the puppy dog eyes.
“It’s for real this time,” Bradley replies, cringing the moment the words come out of his mouth. Maybe he should have gone with his first plan.
"Is it really?" Nat asks, skepticism clear in her tone, but she gives a small nod, signalling Bradley to go on. “Not that I don’t want this to work out for you Bradley. You both are a lot happier when you’re together.”
Bradley smiles softly, thinking of how better his life is when Jake is in it. Spending time to make food and then having someone to share it with makes it worth it. Going to bed with Jake tucked against his chest chases most of the nightmares away. Walking up together and rushing to get dressed so they are on base on time is fun. Grocery shopping together and meal prepping for the week is no longer boring. Working outside on the house, mowing the lawn, and even gardening now is so much fun that Bradley can’t quite comprehend it.
Everything is better with Jake in it.
When Bradley breaks out of his little daydream, Natasha is smiling knowingly at him.
“It’s not just sex again is it?” Nat feels the need to ask, remembering the absolute crash outs that happen when Bradley and Jake go the friends with benefits route, only to break each other’s heart weeks later. Those phases never end well for anyone involved.
“It really is different this time. We talked a lot… said things that we should have said years ago and put all of our cards on the table. We both know what we’re doing this time.”
“What about when stuff comes up that you didn’t expect?” Natasha asks, making a good point. Bradley’s not exactly known for being good at communication and Jake, well Jake loves to talk, but doesn’t always say the right things at the right time.
They’ve been through this before. Moment where their relationship was going well, but then one conversation, usually about why Bradley doesn’t talk to his family or why Jake has the need to poke into things without thinking twice, would destroy everything they had built together.
“Then we’ll work through it together,” Bradley insists, confident that Jake and him will be able to be mature enough this time around. They’ll talk this time, they won’t let each other run away anymore. “We aren’t in our twenties anymore Nat.”
“You were thirty-three last time Rooster,” Phoenix points out, picking up the last piece of bacon from her plate.
“And Jake was twenty-nine, so still in his twenties,” Bradley argues childishly, knowing fully that it’s a ridiculous point to make. “And we’re both going to therapy this time, which weirdly, is really helping us understand each other better.”
“Who would have thought that therapy could help?” Natasha says sarcastically. “I’m glad it’s working out this time, but I’m even more glad you are both making the effort to make it work.”
“We sorta have to this time.”
Bradley looks a bit sheepish, setting Natasha on edge.
“Why?”
“We actually filled the paperwork with the Navy a few days ago,” Bradley admits carefully. “His address is my address and if it wouldn’t be too confusing, we would both have the same last name in a few months.”
Natasha chokes on her piece of bacon and for a second Bradley actually thinks he might need to intervene. Thankfully, Nat manages to start breathing again on her own.
“You’re getting married?” Natasha almost screams, making some people from the nearby table turn to look at them. “Wait a damn minute, how long have you been back together?”
“Since the day we came back from the mission,” Bradley informs her, already anticipating Natasha to choke again.
“Oh so you are like really going full in this time,” Natasha says, almost to herself. “Okay but if you’ve declared it to the Navy, how are you both allowed to stay on the same squadron?”
“For the first time in my life, I am fully using my nepotism. Ice somehow pulled it off for us. Pretty much we can teach together, fly together, but when it comes to missions, it’ll be a case by case situation.”
“So not only have you figured out your relationship with Hangman, you’ve also fixed your relationship with both your godfathers? Within a few weeks? Who are you and what did you do with my best friend?”
Bradley can’t help but laugh. Natasha is completely right, in a span of two months, he’s pretty much become a new man. In his mind though, he not a new man, he’s just a better version of himself. Working to fix things with Mav and Ice isn’t easy, but Bradley feels better than he has ever felt in a while. Obviously, he works with Mav most days, but he’s spent a lot of time after work with his godfathers, fixing their relationship, but also trying to built something more solid.
For what feels like the first time in a long time, Bradley feels like he has something to lose. No, he knows he has a lot to lose. He has Maverick and Ice back in his life. He’s got Jake, the only person he has truly, profoundly loved for more than a decade. He’s got all of it at the same time and he never wants to lose it.
“So you’re telling me that what I saw on my walk was actually Hangman moving in?” Natasha changes the subject to something lighter, seeing that slightly anxious look in Bradley’s eyes.
“Yeah, we went to get his stuff in Lemoore. He didn’t have much so it only took us a day to pack everything up,” Bradley explains. “We’re going to go to Texas to get his other stuff and you know… tell the family about everything the next time we’re on leave.”
That feels like a huge step for them, to include family into their relationship for once. It makes the stakes higher for sure, but in a good way. Bradley just hopes they like him enough considering everything.
“So when are you having a house warming party?” He can see the sparkle in Natasha’s eyes and he’s immediately scared. Nat loves a good party.
“How about you lets us come out to the squad first and also reveal that we’re together and then we can talk about a house warming party?” Bradley offers, making Natasha pout slightly. “Also I’ve had that house for years, so why would we even have a house warming party?”
“Alright, but I’m planning a get together at your place,” Nat insists. “And the engagement party, I’m doing that, not Javy. Oh and definitely a bachelor’s party. Coyote can do one for Hangman.”
“You have a deal,” Bradley agrees, knowing that his friend is just very excited for him. “Although we were a bit partial to a joint bachelor party.”
“I can work with that,” Nat says pensively. “Oh for sure I can work with that.”
Bradley is sure his best friend is not going to disappoint, Nat planned one of their former squad mates bachelor party and it was one of the wildest even Bradley’s ever been to. Bradley just hopes theirs does not end up with three people at the emergency room.
It’s actually nice to have someone else, apart from Ice and Mav, to be happy for them. To know that they have someone else in their corner again. Someone to share happy moments with. Maybe they should start telling more people too, letting their friends in on their happiness.
***
Jake is lounging on the couch when he hears Bradley’s Bronco roll up the drive way. He tries to not smile as the sound of 80s rock drift through the open windows. The house is never quiet when Rooster is home. Either there’s a record on the turntable or Bradley is sitting at his keyboard, playing something and filling their home with music. If it’s not that, it’s Bradley signing under his breath as he does things around the house, filling the silence with his warm presence.
Jake loves it.
It’s strange how quickly Bradley’s house became his home too. After so many years of drifting back together and then shattering apart, they’ve finally built something solid. Something real that will take a lot to take down, not that either of them would let that happen without a fight. In a matter of days, Jake knew that this time, he would have to live up to his callsign and leave Bradley hanging after a fight.
Jake looks at the bookshelves in the living room, the ones he had filled with his books this morning while Bradley had gone to breakfast with Natasha.
His book collection is now neatly arranged in alphabetical order, and literary genre, with Bradley’s few books woven in as if they had always belonged there. It’s yet another quiet proof of how different things are this time. There’s no more “Bradley’s stuff” or “Jake’s stuff.” Just theirs. He’s got one in his lap right now, one that Bradley’s clearly had for a while judging by it’s state. He’s never read it before, as it’s a murder mystery book. Jake prefers science fiction or fantasy, but he’s open to trying a different genre occasionally.
Since the corners tell him Bradley loves this one or has at least read it multiple times, Jake is curious to see what could have caught Bradley’s attention on multiple occasion. Considering he’s never really seen Bradley reading a book that wasn’t for one of their classes or a plane manual, Jake knows this book has to be special. What he doesn’t know is that when he finishes the book and turns the last page, he’ll find a handwritten note from Nick Bradshaw. The note wishes his wife a happy birthday and reveals the book’s true owner, giving Jake a little insight to the lives of his in laws the he’ll never get to meet.
Jake hears the key in the lock and pretends to be focused on the book as Bradley walks inside the house, whistling the rest of the song that he had been listing to in the car. He hears the sound of the car keys being dropped in the bowl by the door. A few seconds later, Bradley’s footsteps echo down the short hallway that leads to their living room.
“There you are,” Bradley says as he spots Jake on the couch. Bradley’s warm smile and relaxed shoulders convey that he had a pleasant Sunday breakfast with his friend.
Jake looks up from the book he totally hasn’t been reading since he heard the Bronco and smiles. “Where else would I be Roo?”
Bradley wanders into the living room and flops onto the couch next to Jake. Without missing a beat, Jake lifts his book off his lap and smiles at Bradley, offering a silent invitation. Bradley takes it, stretching out and resting his head against Jake’s thighs with a content sigh, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“How was breakfast?” Jake asks, putting his book down on Bradley’s belly. His other hand finds its way to Bradley’s hair, his fingers carding through the dark curls softly. He likes how fluffy Bradley’s hair is during the weekends, when he has no products in it to keep it up to regs.
“Good as usual, you really should come next time. You’d love the pancakes,” Bradley replies. With his eyes closed, Bradley feels the familiar sensation of Jake’s fingers against his scalp and the heaviness of his breakfast, making him feel content and tired.
“That would require explainin’ why I’m coming to breakfast with you at nine in the morning on a Sunday. I’m pretty sure Phoenix is not going to just let that slide,” Jake counters, drumming his fingers gently on Brad’s sternum.
“I don’t think that’s going to be an issue anymore,” Bradley admits looking up at his fiancé, making Jake’s fingers stop their movement.
“You told her?” Jake asks, his voice teetering between nervousness and fear, making it impossible for Bradley to tell which one is winning. He knows that Natasha isn’t his biggest fan and well, he can’t really blame her. Javy isn’t Bradley’s biggest fan either. They should probably fix that soon.
“Not exactly,” Bradley starts, making sure that Jake isn’t full on panicking before continuing. “She saw you bringing your stuff in yesterday and then managed to get me to confess.”
“When you say confess, do you mean she asked you one question and you broke or do you mean she interrogated you for an hour and you ended up opening your mouth?” Jake asks, already having a feeling what the answer is going to be.
“She spotted you and I have talked to her about you before, so it wasn’t too hard for her to come to a conclusion…”
“Which was…” Jake continues, pretending to be annoyed just to set Bradley a bit more at ease.
“That you and I were sleeping together again,” Bradley finishes his train of thoughts.
"I mean, Phoenix ain't wrong, we are sleepin' together again," Jake drawls, slipping two fingers between the buttons of Bradley’s Hawaiian shirt, brushing against the warm skin beneath. “So what did you have to confess?”
“I couldn’t let her think that, not of you,” Bradley insists, frowning. “We aren’t just sleeping together.”
“My knight in shinning armour, saving my reputation,” Jake says, looking down at Bradley in wonder. “So you told her everything didn’t you?”
“I might have,” Bradley admits, catching Jake’s hand before it made it further down his shirt, tangling their fingers together. “She wants to throw a house warming party for us.”
“And an engagement party I’m guessin’?”
“Yeah, that too,” Bradley laughs, bringing their joined hands to his lips and kissing the back of Jake’s hand. “Imagine that, the two of us having an engagement party.”
Jake looks at him with a funny smile, the one that makes Bradley’s heart skip a beat each time. “I’m more excited about the reception myself, but an engagement party sounds fun.”
“You’re already thinking about the wedding?” Bradley asks in disbelief.
“Been thinkin’ about it since the day you asked me to marry you Bradley,” Jake admits, suddenly serious. “The reception means we’re already married, you can’t blame me for being excited for it.”
“You are so much more romantic than people give you credit for Jake,” he replies, finding himself a bit surprised too. “Can’t wait to marry you too.”
“Maybe we can start with Sunday breakfast with Phoenix and move on from that,” Jake offers, making Bradley smile. “Use her as our test run for the rest of our friends, she should be honoured.”
This is what they never had before, the willingness to talk, to make real plans together. It was always raw intensity between them, all instinct and no foresight. That’s why it never lasted for long before. They’d burn too hot, too fast, crashing out before they ever had a chance to figure out what they truly wanted.
That’s why it’ll work out this time. They talk, have playful arguments when they have to make a decision, but they don’t necessarily agree and come to solutions instead of walking out on each other.
Sure, they’ll probably fight to, their personality tends to clash from time to time, not to mention that after so many years, fighting has sort of turned into flirting for them. But they’ll make sure to go to bed together after talking it out, to make it clear that an argument doesn’t mean they don’t love each other anymore.
Jake and Bradley don’t want to spend the rest of their lives wondering what their lives could be like if they could talk. They have what they always wanted and needed right here in this moment.
“What do you want to do for the rest of the day?” Jake asks fondly.
“Mmh… I think I’m gonna take a nap right here so you can keep on reading and then we can head to the beach or something,” Bradley replies, his eyes already closed.
Jake watches Bradley for a few moments, enjoying the way the sun catches the blonde in his hair. Then, he simply picks up his book and dives back into it.
***
Natasha sits at their usual table at the diner, eyes flicking to the window as she waits for Bradley to show up. And, apparently, Jake too. Since neither of the boys had mentioned anything during the work week, clearly choosing to keep their personal life private for a little longer, Natasha had followed their silent directives. She hadn’t mentioned that she knew about their relationship at work, except for the one time she noticed Jake had brought a single lunch box with two meals, one for Bradley. Nat had discreetly smiled at Jake, keeping her laughter to herself when his cheeks suddenly turned a couple of shades redder.
However, the text message had surprised her last night, Bradley telling her that Jake would be joining them this time. She hadn’t expected them to just jump straight into it, to publicly show up together at breakfast, but she’s happy for them.
Nat smiles when she sees Jake’s red pick up truck pull into the parking lot. Jake steps down from the truck like it’s the most natural thing ever, but she holds back a laugh as Bradley gets down awkwardly, shaking his head of curls. Bradley complains about the height of that truck so often, to a point that people kept pointing out that it’s not his and that for a truck he doesn’t get in often, Bradley sure has a lot of opinions. But now, knowing that Bradley does in fact ride in that truck often, Nat understands where all the complaints are coming from.
Jake rolls his eyes, but there’s no real exasperation behind it, just fondness. Natasha catches the soft adoration on his face and smiles to herself as Bradley reaches for his hand and tangles their fingers together.
Bradley waves at her when he spots her through the window and she waves back, sitting back as she waits for them to come in. They walk into the dinner and slide into the booth in front of her.
“Hey there Phoenix,” Jake says and Natasha knows he’s trying to sound as casual as possible. He’s failing, but it is adorable. “Funny seeing you here.”
“Hangman,” Natasha says in a short voice, deciding to make him sweat a little.
“Come on Nat, he’s trying,” Bradley says, coming to Jake’s defence immediately. His hand is on Jake’s thigh under the table, making sure his man knows he’s supporting him. “He got out of bed for this.”
Natasha smile then, revealing her cards. “You really are serious.”
“I told you we were,” Bradley continues, keeping his tone levelled.
“I know, but it’s nice to see it for myself for once,” Nat says looking at Jake this time. “So now that I have both of you in front of me, I need to know who made the first move.”
“Come on Phoenix, it was obviously me,” Jake quips, leaning back and putting an arm on the back of Bradley’s side of the booth. The tip of his fingers brushes Bradley’s shoulder casually.
“Excuse me, I’m the one who proposed the last time I checked!” Bradley counters immediately.
“Yeah, but would you have proposed if I hadn’t offered to drive you home after the mission?”
Natasha watches the scene unfold, smiling to herself as the couple in front of her playfully argues about who did what and how. She can see the subtle shift between them. It’s small things, but as someone who’s had a front row seat to the train wreck that was their relationship for the past decade, she can tell.
The way Jake casually moves Bradley’s coffee out of the way when he starts gesturing a little too wildly. It’s small, but it says everything. Or how their bickering cuts off the second the waitress arrives, Bradley effortlessly helping Jake decide which pancake combo he’ll like best, only for them to pick up right where they left off the moment she walks away.
Yeah, Natasha knows they’ll be just fine.