plot: after finally confessing his true feelings Rooster and you are ready to take the next step... and the dagger squad is along for the ride
warnings: drinking, references to parental death and past trauma, inaccurate portrayal of he military
notes: this is a part 2 of home
words: 21.6k
originally published: 13th may 2023
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It was almost scary how normal life felt.
Rooster knew it wouldn't last forever but for now he was more than content to just cuddle up with you in his arms. Sickeningly sweet domesticity had been so easy to fall into. One minute he was pouring out his heart to the love of his life and the next he was moving his belongings from his childhood bedroom to the master.
Even though he had spent every leave of the past decade waking up with you in his arms he never let himself get used to the feeling. He still wasn't used to it now but he was also already dreading the end of his leave. If it were up to him, Rooster would pack you up and bring you along with him but even after everything he was scared to ask. You had your own life and he didn't want to ask you to put everything on hold to follow him, especially since he still had to finish up his last deployment from before the mission. After his leave and the rest of his deployment were over he would immediately request a transfer though. Virginia hadn't been bad while he was stationed there but it was never his home. And if he was able to be stationed closer he'd also be able to see you more.
Rooster told himself that he didn't want to bring it up with you before he got everything taken care of. He'd hate for you to get your hopes up only to be let down if things didn't work out in the end. But now, holding his mother's old jewelry box in his hands, Rooster wondered if maybe he could do more than just get your hopes up. Maybe he could get his own hopes up just a little bit too.
The two of you had stayed cooped up in the house for a week when he had first come back home but at some point you had finally gotten a little too sore from fucking on every available surface so you asked him if you could take a break and go through some of his belongings together. Now that you were finally officially dating it only made sense to move some of his things out of the attic and down into the house.
His dad's old record player and their record collection had found a place in the living room and framed Bradshaw family pictures had found their way back onto the walls but there had been some things Rooster couldn't bring himself to share with you yet. One of those things being his mom's jewelry.
Carole Bradshaw had never been one for flashy jewelry, she preferred flashy dresses instead. A firm believer in "dressing happy" his mother had never found a bright print dress she didn't love. It was something his parents had in common and passed on to Rooster as well, even though he didn't have many opportunities to dig out his fun shirts on the Naval Base.
