automatic stop, bradley bradshaw

thirty-six.

MAVERICK SORT OF STOOD THERE FOR A MOMENT JUST STARING AT ROOSTER. HONESTLY, GIVEN EVERYTHING, IT WAS COMPLETELY UNDERSTANDABLE. he then cracked a smile, opening the door further to let him inside. "yeah, of course, rooster. what's going on? is it the mission?"

rooster shook his head, putting his hands in his pockets awkwardly. "uh.. no, sir." 

"come on, let's sit. do you want tea or anything?" 

he shook his head again, but sat down. maverick made himself some sort of tea, which surprised rooster. he'd never expect the man to be the kind of person to enjoy tea. but maverick stirred it around in a 'top dad' mug that skye had given him (it had completely been a top gun joke). 

once maverick was seated in a chair opposite rooster, he took a sip of his tea and cleared his throat. "is something bothering you?"

rooster thought about this question for a moment. "yeah, actually." he settled on saying.

maverick's head tilted in concern. "you can talk to me about anything, bradley." 

the name didn't sound right from the man's lips after everything, but rooster let it slide. he rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward with his hands covering his mouth. he was trying to think everything through, because he truthfully had gotten to maverick's house so suddenly that he hadn't prepared anything to say. 

"honestly, sir.. i'm not really sure how to say this." he began.

when rooster looked to maverick, he half expected him to say something, or to realize where this was going. he only looked concerned, though, as he set down his mug. of course he was worried about rooster, he'd been a father to him in his youth. not that he deserved it anymore, rooster thought. 

he cleared his throat before continuing. "i've been thinking about our conversation at christmas." he finally admitted, looking into maverick's eyes again to see if anything had changed in them. he was treading on eggshells at this point. "i tried to understand where you were coming from, and i listened to you. and i tried so hard to get over it, sir. to move on. but i.. i can't do it anymore, mav. i can't look her in the eyes anymore and pretend i'm not in love with her."

maverick was still eerily silent, and rooster scanned his expression. he didn't seem to be angry, though, so he kept going.

"i couldn't say anything to her without asking you first. you're really important to her. and, despite everything between us, you're important to me, too. and i want you to approve of us. i know you've seen us at least some in the past week, and.. no one makes me as happy as skye does, sir. and i don't see that changing."

once again, he waited for maverick to say something. he didn't. rooster pressed on.

"i don't know what i can do to prove to you how genuinely i feel about her. but i'll do anything. i'll take things slow with her, always ask her for her consent. i just.. i need her to know how i feel."

maverick was silent for another moment when rooster stopped talking. he then leaned forward in his seat. "i'm sorry, bradley. i still.. i just don't think it's a good idea."

"what?" rooster asked, unable to hide the hurt on his face. "sir, i-"

"you're both still kids, and i don't think you should-"

rooster shook his head. "mav, she's still your daughter, but she's a grown woman. and i'm an adult, too. she can make her own choices." 

maverick shook his head. "i know. but she's still my little girl."

"but she isn't." rooster pressed. "she's fully capable of deciding for herself what she wants. and it isn't.. it isn't like she even likes me back, mav. she could feel completely different, and then it would all be done. but i have to get this off my chest, mav. please."

the older man's face then became saddened. "i'm not saying no because i doubt you. or because i doubt her feelings for you."

rooster shook his head, not understanding at all. "then why?"

"because this job.. this job is too dangerous."

"what?"

maverick frowned. "you never know when it'll be your last mission, bradley. in a job like this, accidents are much too inevitable. and i.. i saw what happened to your mother. what she went through when your father died. and i don't want that for skye. i don't want her to have to worry about losing someone like that." 

"but, sir-"

"i appreciate you wanting to ask me, i really do. but i have to put my foot down. i don't want you to be in a relationship with my daughter right now."

rooster was practically pleading. "sir, i will do anything to prove to you-"

"my mind isn't going to change on this. i'm so sorry."

he then scoffed. "are you going to tell her about this? because she deserves to know. i haven't told her out of respect for you, mav. but skye should know that you're making decisions for her. you're going to end up pushing her away when she finds out."

maverick shook his head, dropping it into his hands. "you don't have to understand my decision. all i ask is that you respect it."

rooster shook his head with anger, running his tongue along his teeth. "i hope you enjoy your tea, captain." he practically spat.

not another word was exchanged as rooster left, doing everything in his power to avoid slamming the door behind him. he did, however, slam his car door. for a moment he sat there angrily. he even punched his wheel. 

his head then dropped into his hands, and he let out a choked sob. 

it wasn't fucking fair. that was what was running through rooster's head as he fought back his own tears. it wasn't fair that the only person he wanted to go to about this was skye. that all he wanted to do was be honest with her. but that he could never do that to maverick. that he could never try to sabotage her relationship with her father.

and he knew he could be so good. he would never drink a single drop of alcohol again if that was what it took to make him good for her. hell, he'd quit the navy if it was enough to make him good for her. but it wasn't enough. 

it wasn't enough because he, himself, was bad for her. her father had said enough to make that much evident. he wasn't enough. 

the worst part was that it didn't even make sense. it didn't make sense because.. how could they not be meant to be? how could he love someone so much if he wasn't supposed to be with them for the rest of his life? 

she was everything to him. she was everything to him, and it had taken him too damn long to realize it. and he was still so afraid of getting friend zoned. and he couldn't do anything about it either way.

he couldn't do anything because maverick was still her father. he was still a man that he deeply admired. he was still important, and he still didn't want them to be together. 

rooster finally let his tears fall, and he sat in the empty parking lot like that for who knows how long, just letting the gut wrenching tears flow.