Crash & Burn || Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

1.5

Highly reccomend listening to "All I Want" By Kodaline while reading this chapter (or before or after or don't. I don't make the rules here)!

Estelle was on the aircraft carrier the next morning at five. She stood below deck in the med hallway looking out at the ocean, needing a distraction. Estelle felt more nervous for the pilots than many of them felt. The wind was blowing her hair every which way, causing her to wrangle it into a very messy ponytail.

Her and the rest of the med team completed their final evaluations and deemed all the pilots fit to fly. She still hadn't talked to Bradley, and quite frankly she didn't want to.

She glanced down at her watch and realized she had been standing there for an hour and had to report to her station in fifteen minutes. Begrudgingly, Estelle turned away from the ocean and headed down towards her station.

Once at her station, her boss gave them directions for the day: "Today's going to be easy, that is, if you have patience. We will be waiting until they're back from their mission."

Estelle quietly groaned. If there was one thing she didn't have, it was patience. She wanted to be hands on; and if they were playing the waiting game, it was just going to make her nerves worse.

"From there we will do an evaluation and see if we need to do anything. If everything goes to plan, we won't be needed today." Her boss continued, finishing her speal.

Estelle made her way back out towards the rail she was standing by earlier. She had only been standing there for a few minutes when a familiar voice pulled her from her thoughts, "I thought I'd find you here."

Turning around, Estelle saw her friend Nat causing a smile to find its way onto her face, "Hey. Do you know who's going yet?"

"Yeah." Nat said, slightly looking down, causing Estelle's heart to drop, "It's Maverick, with me and Bob as his wingmen and Rooster with Payback and Fanboy as his wingmen."

"Oh." Was all that Estelle could say.

"But we'll be fine," Nat said, trying to convince herself more than her friend, "We all passed it with plenty of time during practice."

"Well, good luck." Estelle said, smiling at her friend.

"Thanks." Nat said, smiling back and turning around to head back up to the deck.

A few hours later, Estelle heard footsteps down the hallway. Intrigued, she turned around and followed them. She rounded the corner and saw Maverick standing and looking out at the ocean like she had just been a while earlier. She stayed hidden, trying not to disturb him.

"Talk to me Goose," he said, sighing as he did.

Deciding to make her presence known she walked out from behind the wall and said: "I think he would say, 'Do some of that pilot shit.'"

All I want is nothing more

He turned around and smiled once he saw her. He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "Thanks kid."

"Anytime," she said, looking up at him and winking.

To hear you knocking at my door

"Listen, in case I don-"

"No. Don't even go there." She said, now glaring at him.

'Cause if I could see your face once more

Putting his hands up in mock surrender, he backed away from her, slightly smirking.

She moved in closer to him, and pulled him into a hug. Maverick was slightly surprised by this sudden embrace, but wrapped his arms around her as well a few seconds later.