"You're sure about this?" Bradley looks at Shelby assuringly before glancing back to the tv screen that displayed the apartment. They decided to make the payment online so that they don't have to take a trip to Maryland. They've also decided to order furniture online and pick it up at a store near the apartment to make everything easier.
"I'm sure, are you sure?"
"I'm sure." He confirms.
With that, he clicked the button on his computer to establish the rent agreement, her doing the same for her half of the payment. The two look each other in the eyes and give a nod to the other and they click the final submission button on there respective laptops.
"Alright. That's it, we're apartment buddies." She sighs with a smile and looks at Bradley from across the kitchen counter.
"This should be fun." He chuckles.
They go on to order different pieces of furniture, looking at the apartment photos and then deciding what they needed. So far, they each had items picked out for their bedrooms. Once they were done with that it would be time to find stuff for their kitchen and living room. The apartment was small and came with no furniture at all. Shelby had been living in military dorms with provided furniture and kitchen supplies, and Bradley had been living with a friend during his four years in college.
"I feel like we should go with a theme." Bradley brings up a new idea.
"Like what? Avengers?"
"No like...I dunno just things that would like match y'know?" He struggles to explain. His words were confusing her, and it didn't help that he was spacing each word with a bite of the pizza they had ordered.
"I think matching would be the normal apartment thing right? Like not all the same but like coordinating colors and stuff." She tries to agree with him.
"Yeah sure." He shrugs. Bradley takes a seat next to Shelby at the table, and the both of them look through furniture on their laptops and steal the occasional glance at the pictures of the apartment on the tv. The sun is beginning to set, making Shelby wonder when Maverick will be home and if she needs to get Bradley out of the house.
Suddenly the back door opens.
The two share a look of surprise, Shelby's glance seemed to be filled with fear.
"Shit!" She whispered to her friend. "Dad?" The girl calls out.
"Yeah." They hear Maverick's faint voice from the house's entrance. Bradley seems to be frozen.
"I uhh. Uhm I thought you said you wouldn't be home til late?" She panics. The air in the room thickens as it remains silent.
"Shel, it is late. It's like 12:45." He answers. Shelby glances towards the window and notices that it is, in fact, dark outside and they must have lost track of the time. The two of their heads turn towards the sound of footsteps entering the living room, revealing Maverick covered in dirt, still in his flight suit.
"I'm sorry." The girl mouths to Bradley. He just nods, letting her know that he isn't mad at her for not warning him. Bradley turns his head away from Shelby and locks eyes with Maverick, who is frozen standing between the living room and kitchen.
"Bradshaw." Maverick sighs.
"Maverick." Bradley nods at the man, not seeming too pleased to see him.
"Brad, I uhh...I-" Maverick stutters, wanting to apologize but not knowing what exactly to say, or if Bradley would even listen.
"I should go." The boy stands up and looks towards Shelby. She nods and gives him an apologetic look. Bradley knows this wasn't her fault, although she felt guilty about the mixup.
"Wait! Kid, can we talk?" Maverick practically pleads with him. Bradley just stands up and grabs his laptop and keys before starting to walk through the living room.
"I uh...I don't know about that, Mav." Bradley shakes his head, passing by Maverick in his own living room.
"Right." He sighs. Mav watches Bradley walk towards the door, wishing he could take back what he did all those years ago.
"Drive safe!" Shelby pipes in, trying to level out the obvious tension. She has almost started to form a sweat just from watching. She sees a hand poke out from the other side of the door, giving her a thumbs up.
"Night, Shel!" He calls back before shutting the door and leaving her alone with her father.
Maverick and his daughter exchange a heavy glance from across the house, both of them not knowing what to say. Mav turns around and looks at the tv displaying the apartment layout.
"So this is it?" He asks, pointing at the screen.
"Yep. And I've got the furniture for my room on my laptop. Me and Brad just have to find stuff for the kitchen and like a couch and stuff." She explains to her dad. He nods.
"So he's still mad at me I assume?" Maverick grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and takes a seat across from Shelby at the table.
"You weren't really a topic of conversation. I don't know for sure but I can tell he's not exactly over it." The girl struggles to explain.
"Yeah I get that." The man sighs.
YOU ARE READING
Through The Fire
Fanfic"You said 'through the fire'" "And I meant it." Shelby "Mustang" Mitchell never knew what to think of her father pulling Bradley Bradshaw's papers from the Naval Academy. The two of them had been best friends their whole lives despite him being two...
