TOP GUN: BACK TO MY ROOTS

FORGET

the silence we shared wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, but nice and comforting, maybe?
i felt safe being there with him.
as he pulled into a small restaurants parking lot i knew exactly where we were, and smiled
"you remember this place" he asked me as he parked the car
"of course i do" i said
this is where me and dad took brad after he won the state base ball game, his whole team was going out for ice cream, but he insisted that we all go together as a family
as we walked inside and got seated i could feel his eyes on me, i looked up at him
"what?" i asked laughing
"oh nothing" he replied "you just look very pretty"
"easy for you to say, the last time you saw me i had braces, glasses, and was about four inches shorter"
i said laughing
i used to be quite the nerd, and very unattractive i might add
"oh come on, you've always been pretty" he said
i rolled my eyes and laughed

after the date we walked around the small town,
"have you talked to my dad yet?" i asked him
"no not yet, im sorry Y/N but i'm honestly still not happy with him" he said as he stoped
"and i understand if that makes you not want to see me"
i grabbed his hand in mine, he looked at me and i smiled at him, he smiled back
"come on, it's getting late i should get you home" he said, and we walked back to his car
as he drove we continued to hold hands

when we got home i could see a car parked in the driveway, however it wasn't mine, or dads,
after a second i recognized it, it was jake's, shit i told him to come over tonight, i promised i would explain everything
as bradley parked in front of my house i got out of the car to be met with a very unhappy jake seresin on my porch, he marched up to me and bradley
"jake im so sorry" i said however he ignored me
"dude, you said to meet you here tonight, i was worried about you!" he yelled at me
"i knots im sorry i forgot" i began but jake quickly cut me off
"you forgot? because you were with him? is that what it is that he's more important than me?"
he was angry
"what jake no"
"god just forget about it Y/N" he stormed off, leaving me and bradley alone
did i just loose my best friend? i let myself cry, after everything that has happened recently i let myself be vulnerable, brad held me
"i feel so stupid" i said
"you are not stupid, he over reacted, come on let's get you inside"

i knew dad wasn't home tonight, very Thursday night he went out to the hangar to work on the old jet.
when we got inside we went upstairs to my room
"you wanna watch a movie?" he asked as we sat on my bed
i had stopped crying now and was just silent
"i kinda wanna get ready for bed, but will you stay here?" i asked
"of course"
"okay, im gonna take a shower, is that okay" i asked him and he laughed
"yes Y/N it's okay"
i smiled at him as i got up and got out some shorts and a sweatshirt
after my shower i decided to let my hair down slowing it to air dry, i put on one of bradley's old football sweatshirts, it was a dark green and fell barely above the bottom of my shorts
i walked out to see bradley watching the tv
"hey" i sad to him
he smiled at me "hi, is that mine?"
"oh uhm yeah" i laughed
"come here, we could watch something, or just talk" i went and sat by him
"i'd be down to watch a movie" i said
"okay, anything in particular?" he asked wrapping an arm around my shoulder
"you pick, i don't care" i pushed myself into him, i was exhausted

about halfway through the movie i fell asleep but was woken up by bradley getting up
"i'm sorry i didn't want to wake you up"
he said in a whisper
"no it's okay, where are you going?"
"well you fell asleep so i thought you might want me to go" he said as he sat next to me
"will you stay" i asked, i had never been the open and vulnerable with someone,  usually it made me feel weak, but with hm it was easy, i didn't feel weak or embarrassed
"of course i will" he pulled me into his chest and laid down
"thank you" i started falling asleep again
"always" he said kissing my forehead
"i'm never leaving you ever again" i don't know if he knew i heard that or not, either way i felt safe in his arms
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oaky i'm so sorry this took so long for me to get out ily all 🫶🏼