automatic stop, bradley bradshaw

four.

"WHERE DID SHE GO?" ROOSTER ASKED KATIA WHEN he got back to the base. he was, of course, talking about the girl that had sped off on her motorcycle. 

"she went back to our apartment, i'm assuming." the blonde woman replied. 

rooster's brows furrowed. "why?"

"because she's mad at herself." katia explained, putting her things away in her locker without bothering to look back at him.

katia knew skye almost like the back of her hand, since the two had grown up so close. she was fully aware of why the other girl was beating herself up over losing the task, and she also knew better than to be the one to try to immediately go after her. 

he was still confused. ".. why is she mad at herself? it was just a training exercise."

katia sighed. "maybe, but she still feels like it's her fault we failed it."

"can we go talk to her? tell her it's not her fault?" 

"you can go talk to her."

rooster frowned. "why me?"

katia let out another sigh before turning to look at him. "honestly, rooster, you're probably the only person she'd really want to hear that from right now." 

when skye heard a knock at the door, the last person she expected to be on the other side was rooster. he was still in his full uniform, and it looked like he'd gotten there as quickly as he could because he was practically panting. "did you run here, bradshaw?" she asked, opening the door further to allow him to walk inside.

bradley ran a hand through his hair. "no, i drove." 

skye looked at him blankly. "then why do you look like you've just raced the indy 500?" 

he finally caught his breath. "let's just say i.. ran a couple of red lights." he smiled.

"oh my gosh." she sighed.

"i wanted to talk to you!" he defended.

"about what?"

"about what happened." 

skye looked over at him, already shaking her head. "i'm sorry, roost. i.. i don't know what happened, i should've had him, but i went too slow and-"

bradley stepped closer, putting his hands on top of hers. "hey, no. i'm not here because i'm upset with you. it was a training exercise, i don't mind that we lost."

"but if it hadn't been a training exercise, then i would've killed you." 

he almost smiled at this. "but it was just a training exercise, ri." he copied the nickname that katia frequently used for her. "i know it's easy to beat yourself up about these things, believe me. but i'm not upset with you about this. please don't think for a second that i am."

skye avoided his gaze, leaving them in silence. she then cleared her throat. "i guess i just.. i wanted to impress you. you know?"

rooster's brows raised. "uh.. i'm afraid i don't know."

she then rolled her eyes. "don't let it boost your ego. i just wanted to make you proud of me, i guess. and i wanted us to win and i wanted you to see me as something other than a little kid." 

this finally broke him, and he chuckled. "a little kid? skye, you're not a kid anymore. neither of us are. i know that. i acknowledge it on a daily basis. we grew up." he smiled at her. "i know just as well as the rest of those pilots that you are one of the best here. you don't have to do anything else to make me see that, or to prove it to me."