automatic stop, bradley bradshaw

twenty-three.

"I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL HIM." SKYE SAID AGAIN AS SHE PICKED AT THE SKIN AROUND HER NAILS, HER FINGERS shaking from nothing but her anger alone. "i'm gonna fucking kill him, roost."

he looked over at her before focusing back on the road. "you can't kill him. you'll get kicked out of the program."

"i don't care." she replied, her leg bouncing against her seat. rooster reached out a hand, placing it on her knee to stop her anxious movements. "i'm fine."

"no, you're not." he glanced back at her. "i know you love katia. i love her, too. but please, please calm down for right now." 

skye sighed before looking over at him. "he took her virginity, bradley. that asshole took the one thing that he can't ever give back, and she.." she dropped her head into her hands, taking a deep breath. "she deserves so much better than that, and she always falls for these fucking assholes. and i don't know if i can watch her go through this shit again." 

rooster frowned. "how many guys have pulled this shit with her?"

"going as low as being with her only for slay?" she asked. "none of them have been that low. she just.. she falls easily. and they always take fucking advantage of that. of how big her heart is. and it's why she's more closed off. because they always fucking use her and she deserves better than this shit." 

she could feel him rubbing his thumb on her knee soothingly, and she grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers and squeezing his hand to calm herself down.

"we need to get her food." skye said after a minute. "she didn't eat anything at the hard deck. she's gonna be hungry." 

rooster nodded immediately. "what's her favorite place to eat?"

"probably chick fil a?" 

"i'll take you back to the apartment and then i'll go get some food, okay?" 

rooster dropped skye off and she walked inside, shocked by how eerily quiet it was. she saw the bathroom door was closed, and went to move the doorknob, unsurprised to find the door locked. "katia." she said quietly, resting her forehead on the door. 

the other woman didn't reply, and skye slowly sat down on the wall opposite the door. she could hear katia's quiet crying on the other side of the door, and it broke her heart. she stayed sitting like that for what felt like hours until the door opened.

"how long have you been sitting out here?" katia asked, her voice hoarse from crying. 

"since i got here." skye replied, standing up and wrapping her arms around her best friend. katia melted into her hug, and immediately started breaking down again. 

"it's so stupid." the blonde complained after wiping her eyes. "i shouldn't be crying over that piece of shit, i just-"

skye shook her head. "it isn't stupid." 

katia sighed. "i just thought he was gonna be different, you know?" 

they stayed quietly in each other's arms for a couple minutes before skye frowned. "i'm sorry."

"for what?"

"for being so preoccupied about rooster." she said. "i haven't been talking to you as much as i normally do, and i'm so sorry if i made it seem like you couldn't.. like you couldn't talk to me about this."

"i just.. i just don't know what to do now."

"you're going to graduate top gun with me at the top of your class. and you're gonna wipe that shit smile off his fucking face when he realizes that he lost the only good thing that's ever fucking happened to him." skye replied, pulling away to look katia in the eyes. 

she laughed. "thanks."

"i'm serious." she said. "you're the best pilot i've ever met. there's no one that deserves their name on that plaque more than you." 

katia rolled her eyes. "you deserve it, too." 

"are you hungry?" 

"why?"

when rooster arrived with food, katia was sitting in her room, and she sat up, wrapped in a burrito blanket and sniffling. "what are you doing?"

"we brought.." rooster cleared his throat, looking down at the bag of to go chick fil a in his hand. "we brought food." he explained, holding the bag up by his head. 

"i told him it was cannibalism." skye said.

katia's brows furrowed. "what?"

"eat more chicken." the other woman explained. "but he's a rooster, so.."

"uh.." 

rooster shook his head, sitting on the bed and handing her a red box from the bag. "eat your fries. don't talk. let the warmth of the fries heal you." 

skye held her phone up and began to play bob marley's version of don't worry, be happy, silently dancing around to it. "don't worry, be happy." 

"i don't see any fries being eaten." rooster accused, taking out a box of chicken nuggets and handing them to katia, along with the tubs of ice cream and multiple spoons.

skye sat on the other side of katia, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "are you okay?" she asked, suddenly growing serious again. "i was hoping.. we were hoping some of this might cheer you up."

"did you kill him yet?" katia asked, reaching out to take a fry from the box rooster held.

"still thinking about it." skye replied. "but that doesn't matter. you're my priority. are you okay?"

she shrugged. "i'm doing better. still fucking.. want to bang my head against a wall, though." 

rooster stayed until they'd all finished their food, and then gave katia a tight hug, promising he'd be only a call away if she needed anything. 

"i want to kill him, too." he said to skye as she led him to the door. "after seeing her like that.. fuck. no one does that to her." 

skye nodded her agreement. "punch him like you punched hangman, please." 

"yes, ma'am." he replied, watching as she gave him a look, clearly liking the nickname. the blush on her cheeks made him smirk, leaning in to hug her. "i'll see you tomorrow. bright and early for training, first day back." 

she smiled, hugging him back. "see you tomorrow, roost."