I'm Off To Love You Like A Lover Should [BXB]{ROOSTERXHANGMAN}

38

Rooster's POV
We get a round of mimosas and Veronica says "what have you been doing, Bradley? You always have interesting stories." I say "what have we been doing?" Jake says "what haven't we been doing?" I say "I'm trying so hard to not take that the wrong way but I can't help myself." We all laugh and Jake says "nice" and I say "we've been busy. Graduated Top Gun" and Jake says "we did do that." I say "I did, you barely did" and he says "ouch. Maverick called me the best, what did you get?" I chuckle and I say "shut up." Veronica says "so, you are a pilot, Jake?" Jake says "yes, I am" smiling and Maria says "really?" Jake nods saying "if I was lying, he would've pointed me out already" pointing at me and he says "because being a pilot is hard work" chuckling. He says "I can't just sign to be Naval Aviator, I gotta go to school" us chuckling. Marias boyfriend says "no way you're a pilot" and Jake says "what's that supposed to mean?" He says "I just think y'all wouldn't be so casual" and I chuckle saying "were the most casual part of the entire US Military and I've met a few people from every single branch. Naval pilots are the most casual people you'll ever meet like have you ever compared call signs?" Jake says "the Air Force have brutal ones and were over here with our ones that sound like My Little Ponies" chuckling and we laugh. I say "that is true. We do sound like My Little Pony characters compared to Air Force people with their call signs like Spine Ripper and Slayer" us all laughing. Freddy says "what are your call signs, I need some to compare" us chuckling. I say "Rooster and Hangman, yours is one of the more brutal ones and it's not even brutal" chuckling. Jake says "our friends have call signs like Phoenix, Payback, Fanboy, Bob, and so on. They aren't brutal names whatsoever" us all chuckling. Veronica says "really though, I'm not scared at all" and I chuckle saying "I have a few more. So, my dads call sign was Goose, my dads friend and our Top Gun instructors call sign was Maverick, and a friend of my dads and Mavericks name was Iceman which scares me but that's kind of subjective" us chuckling. Jake says "Iceman kind of scares me" and I chuckle saying "you are a carbon copy of him. You're going to be like Iceman in twenty years time." He says "but I'm not that scary" and I say "I don't know" chuckling and he says "you're right" us all laughing. We get another round of mimosas and I say "this is the last one" looking at Jake and he says "so, enjoy it while it lasts" and I say "cheers" us gently clinking our glasses together. Freddy says "what else have you been doing?" I say "buying a house, getting a job, drinking, and almost dying. Ya know, the usual." Veronica says "you almost died?!" Jake says "yeah, he does that sometimes." I chuckle saying "I had enough faith in Maverick and you, so I wasn't worried about dying until it hit me when we got back." Jake says "I think we need to talk about this later" and I say "maybe" and we hang out for awhile then we go back to Jakes Parents' house. While Jake drives I say "I'm sorry that that really bothers you." He says "I love you so much and if you died, I don't know what I would've done. When I think about it, it really freaks me out" and I hold his hand in my lap. I say "baby, I don't want you to worry about me like that." Jake says "I know but I'm still going to worry about you. Just that it almost happened, it freaks me out" quietly. I squeeze his hand saying "I know, baby. Were in a line of work where it could happen. It's what we signed up for, ya know?" He says "but it really hits me that you did a really good thing when you could've just came back, no skin off your teeth. You went to help. That's a good thing but I just can't get it through my head that you could've died." I say "baby, I'm here. I understand what you feel but I'm here. You're here and were going to be ok." He says "I know, it's just hard" quietly and I say "I love you" and he says "I love you too" squeezing my hand back when I squeeze his hand. I hold his hand saying "I want to go to bed" and he says "me too but the thing is, it's noon" chuckling and I say "what are we going to do then?" Jake says "go home and get ready for tomorrow" yawning and I say "maybe help your mom out with whatever?" He says "probably should do that. Do we want to move back onto base tomorrow just until we get the papers for the house and whatnot so we aren't driving four hours a day?" I say "we probably should do that. That's a good idea" looking at him and he says "I just thought it would be easier and like were trying to pay for a house. We can't do that if were driving a stupid amount of hours everyday." I say "that is true" nodding and I say "I think it's time to move back onto base then." He says "yeah, we can bring our stuff down tomorrow and take a room tomorrow night after training." I say "we have to show them what we know, what's the end goal?" Jake says "I guess we'll be briefed tomorrow" and I say "hopefully cause I'm not going to talk to the Admiral again unless he talks to me first." Jake chuckles saying "I'll talk to him for you" winking at me. I say "he's scary, I don't want to talk to him any more than I have to" chuckling and we finally get to his parents.