Rooster Top Gun A Love Story

A S W A N & R O O S T E R

Two weeks early

He knew it was in there. But Rooster hadn't gone into his mother's bedroom since she passed. He hadn't been living there since he lost her. He'd only go once in a while, to dust or to water his mom's plants. She had loved her plants. So he took it amongst himself to keep them alive.
But today Rooster wasn't there to clean or water the plants. Today, he looked around the house. His house. The door was wide open behind him as he stood tall, staring into an empty house. Well, at least that's how it felt. His mother was the one who kept it spotless and, more importantly, feeling like home. Rooster took a deep breath and walked in. He looked around, feeling an emptyness takeover, which made him feel even worse.
Finally, Rooster stopped in front of his mother's room and stared at the door as if it could open itself. "Okay," He mouthed to himself. Rooster turned the knob slightly and walked inside. The pain came back. Like a thousand knives, he had ignored time to time that still struggled around his chest when he thought about her loss.
It never got easier, and it never would be.
Rooster took a seat on the edge of the bed and simply poked his hand in between the mattress and pulled out a small bag.
"No one ever dares to look under a mattress," he could hear his mother saying.
Rooster felt the shape of the tiny object. The peice of it so familiar to him. Then he started to cry.
When Rooster and Ava had just started dating, Rooster had just lost his mom. Everything during grief was dull, grey, and hard, but the moment Rooster saw Ava that one day at the bar, everything started looking, fresh, colorful. That's when he started to move on. That's when Rooster found out that Ava's father was the admiral. It didn't scare him. Heck, all he knew was that Ava was everything Rooster wasn't, and that made him chase after her even more. What Rooster didn't know either was how much Ava turned heads. Shit he had been reminded of how lucky he was.
It was during his summer training that he found out just how lucky he was.
"You going out with Admiral Simpson's daughter?" Tim, the best pilot at the time, had asked Rooster.
Rooster nodded. "Yeah," thinking nothing of it at first. It had just been his mother's birthday. He had gone to the cemetery to place her favorite flowers over her grave. So Rooster really wasn't paying much attention to the big shots.
"She's a swan compared to you, mate," Meren the Australian fighter pilot had said. "She used to come and fix the jets with her old man that one summer but left because she wanted to prusade what she loved," meren inputted. "She is too good, mate,"
"Just a summer fling," Derrick mentioned chuckling down toward the showers.
Tim shook his head. "Ignore them, her callsign is Swan, and your lucky, half of us fell in love with her one morning," he grinned apologicaly. "She had a red dress at the time with her long brown hair down to her waist, them curls golden as ever and her figure..."
Rooster brow rose. Reminding him to be careful of what was said. He may have been a newbie, but he was a gentleman, and he wouldn't let anyone speak ill of his girlfriend.
Meren patted Tim on the shoulder, jokingly saying. "He never had a chance," as he looked to Rooster. "Ava didn't date pilots, and here you are proof of that,"
Rooster laughed. "It's not a summer fling," he assured them. "She's the one,"
"Then hold on to Swan girl, she's rare to fine, and you are a lucky fuc***," Tim promised.

Present

Rooster smiled wickedly to himself as he flew toward the carrier. He was about to land, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized what he was about to do today.
Over at base, though it wasn't allowed, Ava still got away with a few things, with the right people around, of course.
After doing many applications as a freelance photographer, Ava couldn't help but tell her father first.
Beau grinned widely at his daughter. "That's wonderful, sweetie!" He said in tone of authority, loud and proud. It had become a part of him. It was admirals talk. The years of serving top guns made him look stiff, serious, and quite evil. But he was her father. He was funny, outgoing, well once, and more importantly, loving toward her in his own way.
"I know!" Ava breathed with amicably of joy. She would tell Rooster after tonight, but first, she had to go look for her uncle.
Ava asked her father if she could go up to the tower to see Uncle T. She had also brought him an Uncle Barn, a chicken, and a potato salad sandwich from a hard deck.
Beau nodded. After Ava promised her father, she would meet him for dinner tomorrow, and she made her way over to the control tower. When Ava got to the control tower once at the top, Ava knocked and made her way inside when Uncle T called out. "Open!"
"Hey, Uncle T," Ava greeted as she entered. They were in the safe zone. "How's it looking?" She asked.
"Hey beautiful," Tim got on his feet he had been sitting all day. He kissed Ava in the head like he always did. "Look at you,"
Tim was an old friend of her father's. He was another uncle to her. He would always come to family parties in the past and bring his famous meatloaf. Tim taught her how to ride her roller skates and inspired her to do photography. He had gotten her a retro camera when she was eight.
"It's looking good, perfect weather," he told her. His face was now aging with wrinkles. He picked on some sunflower seeds and looked at the radar.
The control system had upgraded over the years.
"Here you go," she told him. "Homemade, well from the kitchen from the deck,"
Ava handed Tim a brown bag with the sandwiches she and her aunt Penny made.
"Where's Uncle Barn?" She looked around.
"Out to lunch," Tim told her. He handed Barn's headset. It wasn't on. She placed them back.
The force of the jets flying overhead was truly something to witness and live to see. When Ava was a little girl, not only did her father let her be up here, but she got to see him land those monsters. This was her place. this was where family was. "Uncle Barn wanted pecan pie so Aunt Penny put some in there for you two," Ava remembered her father as a hero, as a little girl. A pilot who took out bad guys away from her and her Aunt Penny. The immense power of those things made the towers shake.
"Look, there goes your Rooster," Tim pointed with a smirk. He began to open the brown paper bag.
Ava's heart reacted to this. She watched as Rooster sore right past them. Making the entire tower shake. Ava smiled like a young schoolgirl, falling in love all over again.
Going down the elevator, Ava gave herself a look over. Rooster had texted her earlier, after Ava wondered if they would go swimming so she could wear a t-shirt and her bathing suit.
Though there were a lot of activities to do, Ava always stayed close toward the beach. The city wasn't far from here, and sometimes she and Aunt Penny and Amelia would drive over there just to go enjoy the city lights.
Plus, since they were so close to the beach, it kept her close to Rooster, who literally lived at the base. Well, not literally, just when he was training.
Rooster texted back. Something nice.
Ava wore a red dress with a floral print that was buttoned up from the front and parting at her thighs. She had done her makeup light like always, sprayed on her favorite perfume. Ava had short hair, so she didn't do much to it, but blow dry it. She'd hope that was presentable enough.
Rooster took his helmet off and took a breath of fresh air. Today's lesson was highly impossible, but they had done it. Tomorrow, he would be back in the clouds. When Rooster spotted Ava from afar, he sat in his jet overlooking the sky. But as Ava got closer, she admired her boyfriend. Her heart never failed to skip a beat, and while she stared at him. She pulled out her camera lately. That's all she had been doing. Taking pictures.
"Are you trying to show off?" Ava mused.
"My swan is still not impressed?" Rooster snapped his fingers in a playful swing.
Ava rarely used her call sign. It was given to her a long time ago. When she just graduated from the navy aviation mechanical school. Back when she thought she wanted to do what her father did. Ava had stayed one year working here with her father at base. But soon after, Ava realized that she wasn't happy. Photography made her happy, and working at the bar was ideal. She had liked it before when she was younger.
"Damn," Rooster said, disappointed from above. He stood up and opened his arms wide. "How about if I model this baby for you and well see if that works?"
Ava laughed. "Only if you do it shirtless,"
"Damn, it's all about the bod," he shook his head teasingly. Once he reached the ground. Rooster leaned down to kiss her. He was sweating. Ava kissed him back and smiled. "Hi,"
"Mm, you look beautiful," he smelled her. His favorite coconut scents.
"Well, look at who we have here, the swan and the Rooster," Hangman smirked at the couple. He looked at the happy couple.
"Hangman," Ava greeted her friend. It was getting safer to admit it. He wasn't as bad.
"Damn, is that how we look when we're close to these girls?" Hangman said.
"You mean, dirty and unattractive?" Fritz chimed in. "Yo! Ava, how's it going?"
Rooster raised his brow. And looked down at his girlfriend.
Fritz was not someone he liked. Shit he liked Hangman better, and that was saying something.
"What?" Ava defended. "My dad likes the way he flies," it was true.
"Of course," Rooster murmured.
"Yō! Rooster, next time you chase the wind, make sure to aim at target," Fritz grinned. "Us best pilots need to look good up there," his posy laughed in union like dumb schoolboys.
Hangman glared over at him. His jaw set.
"Hate that guy," Rooster and Hangman said in union. He did it just to piss them off. Hangman, Rooster, and Fritz were the trios who were known to beat one another.
Both men looked over to one another.
Hangman smirked impressively. "But Bradshaw, I'm still the best," he smiled. Now he grinned wider. "Old habits die hard, Fritz has no idea how good I am at pool," before walking off. Oh yeah, tonight Hangman was betting money, and his best girl would be beside him.
In the past, Hangman would have kept going. Heck, he would have even tried to do everything to make Ava his, but something inside him was changing. He was falling in love with Nat. He smiled to himself as he made his way to the showers.
"I don't know how I still manage to stand that guy," Rooster shook his head. Earlier today, Rooster and Hangman were at it again, racing up in the clouds. Except this time, they didn't have any personal dismay. Fritz wasn't someone they both liked. They raced through the sky, and Fritz laughed each time he was left behind.
"Anyways enough about Hangman, so...?" Ava turned to her boyfriend. "I thought we were past all this. And my best friend's boyfriend," she raised her brow in question.
"Hangman is still Hangman. Some things don't ever change," Rooster said. "But this time, I actually wasn't talking about Hangman. I was talking about Fritz,"
"OH," Ava said. But quickly left the chatroom for this one. Why had Rooster wanted her to meet him here? "So?"
"So..." he repeated, chuckling softly.
"Bradley," Ava said. "Why did you want me to meet you here?"
Rooster laughed. "Let me go shower, and I'll meet you in ten?" He kissed her head and went toward the shower building.
Ava waited for Rooster while he cleaned up and saw her father walking around the premises.
"Hey,"
Beau turned to see Ava. "You still here? I thought you were going on a date?"
"I am, I'm waiting for Rooster,"
He simply nodded. "Oh,"
Ava was getting tired if their awkward meets and greets. This was her father!
"Are you going to Aunt Penny's tonight for dinner?"
"Yes, I am," he told her. Good. He needed a home cooked meal. Ava usually took leftovers after dinner to her dad. Pretty much every day, she didn't want him eating heavy foods, or his cholesterol would go high. It made her feel better after a long day for him to eat something delicious.
"Dad, are we still on for tomorrow?" Ava wondered.
Beau looked at her. "Why wouldn't we?"
Ava smiled. "Okay,"
He looked around. "And I hadn't mentioned it before. "You look beautiful," he breathed in through his nose and scanned the premises.
Ava's father was a man of many words. When he spoke, he meant what he said.
"Thank you, Dad," Ava smiled at him.
Before more could be said, Rooster popped up. He dressed in his usual favorite Hawaiian shirts with a muscle shirt under.
He smelled clean and looked soooo...goooood.
"Good evening, Sir," Rooster greeted Admiral. He stood tall.
"Mr. Bradshaw," Admiral said. He stared at the boy her daughter loved. Why? He couldn't understand. Rooster was exactly like Maverick, careless and hot-headed when things did not go their way.
"You ready?" Rooster looked to Ava.
"Yes," she turned to kiss her dad goodbye.
Ava didn't question why they were at Hard deck. She simply jumped out of the bronco and walked next to Rooster. The music of the jukebox was loud, and the customers were lively as ever. "Hey, Rooster! Ava!" Bob waved them over. The entire guys were just about arriving and Nat, too. They chilled for a while and joked about one another, but as the music started changing, one song in particular pulled Rooter out of the conversations.
"You..." he began to sing along. "I can't seem to figure out why I couldn't leave... baby, I'm here to stay...!"
Rooster pulled Ava up toward the dance floor and began to dance. Ava laughed as he spined her around. Ava let loose and swinged her hips to the side but at the same time didn't feel so uncomfortable. This was the first time she didn't think too much.
"Come on, let's get out of here," he took her by the hand and guided her out.
Rooster took her to tall hill hidden behind the bushes at the beach. This was a spot where he came to cry over his mom's sickness. He was only twenty at the time. But over time, he went there to think.
Rooster had taken the signal Nat had given him when she arrived at the bar with Jake. But Rooster didn't want to make it too obvious, so he wanted to stay.
"Wow," Ava breathed with amicably as they went through the parting bushes. It didn't look real, surreal almost. Overlooking the ocean and there on the far left was a romantic picnic setup.
Nat and Jake had helped Rooster out with the preparations.
"Here, let's put the flowers in the center," Nat had told Jake.
Jake grunted. "I'm an aviator pilot. I don't do...flower arrangements,"
"And what am I?" Nat glared over at him.
Jake smiled lazily over at his girlfriend.
"A fu**king sexy pilot...?" He eyed her up and down. She was wearing a sleeveless blouse.
It sounded like a question.
Nat rolled her eyes. "You idiot." She took the flowers and fixed them.
"Can't say this is kind of lame," Jake had told Rooster back at the bar when Ava and Nat went to go get drinks.
Before Rooster could argue with him. Jake defended the idea quickly. "I'm...h-happy for you two."
Guess Hangman wasn't as bad.
"Oh my gosh, this is so beautiful," she turned over to face Rooster.
He smiled widely at her and pulled her in for a kiss. "I thought you'd like this,"
After they sat down and ate, Ava leaned against Rooster like always. Her body against his. Her head near his chest and his arms around her while his knee ached up as he rested his elbow.
"I thought you were going to sneak me into a jet and seduce me like in the movies," Ava teased.
"Hmm," he laughed. "Now there's an idea, except we both know we barely fit in there,"
"True," Ava laughed.
"I'd have to pretzel you in somehow," he joked.
The sun was hiding behind the clouds.
Rooster began stripping down her dress from her shoulder. The feel of his fingertips softly tapping at her skin send small waves of chills down her spine. Ava closed her eyes as he warmly trailed his lips against her skin. His breath hot, swiftly moving over to her neck and onto her ear. Again, sending another chill.
"Mm,"
Suddenly Rooster decided that this was the perfect time.
"I've surrendered my heart to you a long time ago, Baby," He whispered. His heart was pounding. He looked over at the waves, hoping she couldn't feel it. "Marry me?" He mouthed. His voice was a warm soft and meaningful.
Ava turned around to face him. He had the ring in his hand ready, waiting for her response.
"Yes! "Ava said without a second thought. Her heart was pounding just as hard as his. Rooster took her hand and placed the finger on her ring finger. Breathing with relief. The waves of happiness that washed over him could not compare how much he loved Ava.
"Rooster!" she gasped, staring at the small white pearl that held two diamonds on each side. Her eyes could not hide the tears forming, but quickly, she wiped them clean and laughed softly.
"It belonged to my mom," he breathed against her ear.
"I love it," Ava said breathlessly. "How?" She wondered.
"I asked your dad," he told her. "Well, kind of..." Right after he had picked it up from sizing it. Rooster gathered up all his courage in a week span to go speak to Admiral Simpson.
Two days earlier.
He would only ask once. Rooster was certain of that. He was also very much ready to do what he wanted to do for a while. Rooster took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He had just returned from his training. He waited for a reply. It came.
"Come in," he heard from the other side.
Rooster let out a sight. His heart was beating harshly against his chest. He walked into the office and stood tall across the Admirals desk.
The admiral was surprised by his visitor. He stared at the man. "Mr. Bradshaw..."
"Permission to speak to you, sir,"
"Granted," Admiral said, not thinking anything of it.
"Sir, I would like to have your permission to marry your daughter,"
Admiral was taken aback by the question. It took him a minute or two to finally get on his feet and grasp what he had just heard.
"You what?" Admiral never took his eyes off the elite pilot. "No, that's unacceptable." He shook his head. "You're headed on a dangerous mission. I can't have you marry my daughter,"
Rooster had promised Ava he would be home after the mission, and that is what he planned to do. If that's what worried the admiral. "I will not ask the second time."
"The hell you won't!" Admiral spit. He hit the wooden surface of his desk to make a point.
"I promised your daughter, my girlfriend, that I will return, sir." Rooster looked Admiral in the eyes. "I am going to marry your daughter." He promised Admiral. Rooster waited for him to say something whether he liked it or not. Ava was going to be his wife.
"I will dismiss you from this mission,"
Rooster understood now. Either way, Admiral was forbidding this. Rooster was not having it.
"We both know you need me up there..."
Admiral cursed under his breath. "I will never allow it,"
"I love your daughter, sir,"
"I don't think you understand!
"No, you don't understand!" Rooster's tone changed. "Do you even know what she likes?"
"Don't you dare!" Admiral Beau growled.
"Well, I do," Rooster went on. "Ava hates to dance! She can barely keep her feet off of me sir, she hates to leave without a hug, "he mentioned to Admiral. "I know your daughter, sir. I know what she likes and what she doesn't, and she freaking loves toast with extra butter! I mean, who does that? He shrugged with confusion. "I don't know who she gets it from?" Rooster said. "But I do know she can't stand when you don't answer your phone, sir, because she worries that you're out on a mission without telling her." Rooster breathed through his nostrils. She thinks that I'm like you when it comes to flying!"
Admiral got in Rooster face. "You are nothing like me, Bradshaw,"
"I don't want to be you," Rooster answered.
"Dismissed."
Rooster shook his head. "Why do you hate me?"
"I said dismissed."
Ava turned around to face Rooster and kissed him softly. She began to circle her arms around his strong neck. Rooster lifted her up and flipped her over gently on the blanket, and laid her down. The sun was beginning to set.
"I love you,"
Ava looked up at Bradley's face as a wicked smile played softly on his lips. Her fingers traced at his scar toward his neck. Then both began to kiss one another, twining both their tongues as the kiss grew intense but before Ava could go any further. Rooster parted from her. He started moving his lips over to her neck, nibbling at her skin. That was her weakness. Ava moaned softly as he began to pull her dress up.
If ever both heard how one didn't know the other, they didn't care. He was a rooster, and she was his swan. Two different birds who happened to fall madly in love with each other, and no one was going to stop their love from growing.