PROMISE

Coffee

"Who's my little duckie? Who's my little monkey? Look at those smiles, is that another tooth coming in?" Gaga looks at the two smiling babies wrapped in their bath towels. "Neither of you slept this afternoon which drove aunt Stefi mad, didn't it?" She pinned one baby down with her leg, while putting a diaper on the other. Alternating babies. "Buuut, maybe that means you'll sleep the entire night, right?" She put a onsie pajama on Ava, allowing Jackson to roll away a little, catching him just in time before he fell off the bed. "Where do you think you're going?" She puts his pajamas on too and rocks them both to sleep, contorting her body to keep their bottles up, while they drank. 

It's been over a week since Henry and Lilly passed and not a day went by that she didn't breakdown and cry. Gaga had always wanted to become a mother, but this was not how she had expected to come into the role. She loved those children like they were her own, but perhaps a crash course in raising children or having 9 months to read a damn book and raid google would have better prepared her. Each day was a challenge and little by little she lost view of herself as a person, as a woman, as a performer. These days the only time she sang was at night to a crowd of two. Their big eyes captivated by her melodies. It was times like that that helped her reset and gain the strength to wake up the next morning. As their eyes lulled to sleep, she stood up, still finding it hard to balance them both and placed Ava down first and then Jackson, who was her little light sleeper. Gaga left the room with their monitor and collapsed in the guest bedroom where she slept every night for the last week. She expected to have a full nights rest before one of them woke up early to start their day. But on this particular night, the monotony that was the last week and a half was broken as she was startled from her sleep at 3 in the morning.

Gaga's eyes flew open as she heard a noise at the front door. She was immediately awake, grabbing her phone prepared to call 9-1-1. She checked on the babies quickly and found them fast asleep. Making her way downstairs she quickly looked out the window to see a figure through the pouring rain trying to break into the home. Gaga assumed turning on the lights would scare them off but it only helped them navigate their way to the door knob. As soon as her shaking hands had the courage to start to dial 9-1-1, the figure burst through the door, shedding their soaking coat on the floor. She put the phone down. "Bradley?!"

Startled by her voice he fell backwards falling to the floor. He looked up from his spot on the ground, "Hey, gorgeous..." Bradley scrambled to this feet, shaking out his wet hair. Still swaying from his stupor, he managed to gain solid ground and finally was able to take in her whole being. Her blonde hair perfectly messy, her silk tank top and matching shorts, those damn toned, tan legs on full display. If he wasn't soaking wet, she would have noticed him drooling. 

"Bradley, what the hell are you doing here? It's 3 in the morning! Do you have any idea..." She whisper-yelled at him. He made his way over to her, causing her to take several steps backwards until her back hit the wall. "Are you drunk?"

"I've had a few." He admits as his hand finds her waist, his other against the wall by her head helping him balance. His red eyes drink her in. "Fuck...This is what you wear to bed?" His fist balls up the material at her waist. "Of course you do. I'd expect nothing less from Lady Gaga." He growls smelling her. Gaga pushes him away. 

"I haven't seen you in days and this-this is how you show up here? You're a mess!" 

She starts to walk away but he pushes her up against another wall again. "Oh, and you're so perfect, huh? Playing house, with a perfect career and-and..." His face is so close to hers, that Gaga can finally see through his drunken stupor the pain in his eyes. She feels his hands on her waist again. "and-God, you're fucking hot." He presses his weight into her, touching up her bare arms. "How are you so fucking soft?" She  feels him move his hand down to grab her backside. It had been such a long time that she had felt a mans touch that she allowed his advances just a while longer. He pulls away to look at her. He smiles. She hated that he had such a great smile. "Oh fuck, maybe you are perfect." He squeezes. 

"Get out!" Gaga pushes him off for the second time. 

Bradley stumbles backwards regretful and paces the hall, holding his face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have touched you." She opens the door. "Please-"

"There are two babies upstairs that didn't ask for any of this, ok? And I am trying my fucking best to figure this shit out, Bradley! So, no I'm far from perfect. I haven't slept properly in over a week and if you wake them up, I swear to God-"

"I can help-"

"It's a little too late for that."

"It's not too late. I fucked up but I'm here and-fuck I can't think. I feel dizzy. I need to think."

"Ok, whatever it is you're trying to say, say it to me sober and maybe I'll consider taking you seriously. Give me your keys." She holds out her hands.

"What?"

"Keys, now." He looked at her and got a flashback to when his mother had asked him for his keys when he was in his early twenties. Bradley grabbed his keys and handed them over. He walked up to her, looking down at her small but strong frame. She stood her ground. His hand replaced hers on the door knob and shut the door on his way out. Gaga locked the door and let out a breath. She ran to the window to watch him pace around in the front yard. Then she hid when he walked back towards the house. Gaga listened for a knock that never came. After a minute, she peaked back outside to see Bradley pull his coat around him and fall asleep on the porch bench. 

Gaga woke up on the couch around 6:00 am. It's a miracle she was up before the kids she thought. She ran to the window, the rain having passed in the early morning. She saw Bradley still asleep. He looked almost peaceful with the morning light shining on his boyish features. His clothes dry, his hair messy but dry. She watched him as she reflected on the night before. The pain in his eyes haunted her. He was almost a mirror reflection of the pain she was all feeling. She watched as his hand moved toward his manhood and gave it a long squeeze. She rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen. Gaga looked down at her pajamas while she waited for the coffee. She quietly ran up the stairs for her robe. 

Bradley woke to the sounds of birds chirping. He looked around the damp porch and front yard. The morning birds starting their songs in the dewy trees. "Fuck." He sat up and reflected on his actions from the early morning. 7 days. Bradley was not this guy, he knew better and was better but something in him was clouding his reality and he needed something, something to help him. He heard the door open and saw her, holding two mugs of coffee. Bradley didn't want to scare her any more than he probably already had, so he stayed put avoiding eye contact. "I'm sorry-"

"-Coffee?" they both said in unison. Bradley nodded. Gaga made her way over to the outdoor seat and handed him a coffee. He takes a sip and frowns at the black coffee. "If you behave, you can go inside and add milk and sugar."

"If I'm a goodie-goodie, I get sugar? No way. Look, I don't fit this cookie-cutter, suburban agenda-"

"-and you think I do?" He looked at her, with her bleached blonde hair, silk designer robe and was she wearing heels? She had a point. "Bradley, I know I'm not your favorite person but I'm fucking trying to do right both those kids. I don't need you coming in here making noise, groping me and making a drunken mess-"

"God, I'm so sorry about that. I'm not-" Bradley laughs "Henry would say dude, don't be that dude. I'm not that dude, Stef. I'm so sorry, really." Their eyes connected and she knew he meant it. She quickly looked away, nodding at his apology. "You said the kids didn't ask for this but we didn't ask for this either and I know that now and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I haven't been here to help. I'm sorry for last night."

Bradley's eyes beg her to accept his apology for not being involved, for being distant during this difficult time. "Ok. Come on." She gets up, his eyes immediately glued to her backside. "Let's get you some sugar." 

"Whoa, Germanotta, keep it in your pants."

She turns on her heels, "Don't push it, Cooper!"