PROMISE

RULES

The next few days passed in waves of chaos and absolute disfunction. Gaga had the urge to kick Bradley out of the home on a daily basis. Bradley had the urge to leave and never come back multiple times a day. They butted heads all day long but aside from the two beautiful babies that depended on them, the promise they made to their friends kept them there. Bradley would slam the door and pace back and forth in the backyard. Gaga would blast music in her car and cry. 

It was around 4:00 am, on the 8th day since Bradley came to help, that Gaga decided rules needed to be set in place. Because it was around 4:00 am that she had taken all that she could and if things didn't change, she thought she maybe, just maybe, might actually kill him if they didn't try and set some boundaries. Gaga was startled awake to a heavy noise downstairs, shaking the home awake. Luckily Ava slept through the ruckus. Jackson, however, was wide awake and crying. She swiftly grabbed him from his crib to avoid waking Ava, shutting the door and soothing him as she ran down the stairs to make sure everything was ok. Bradley had taken up shelter in the living room these last few days, so she knew he must have heard the noise too.

She turned the lights on to see Bradley sitting on the couch accompanied by a bleach blonde, barely legal, barely clothed woman. "Oh my God, are you married?" The girl pushed him away adjusting to the lights.

"No-no-no, that-that's my...roommate." The girl started to dress as Bradley backpedaled. "Wait, don't- come back. They were just leaving." Bradley looked pleadingly to Gaga. When he pulled this stunt a few days ago, she immediately turned around and went upstairs. But determined to put an end to this, she stayed put smiling and cooing at Jackson. "Right? You were just leaving?" He pleaded again. She held Jackson out to him and the girl finished putting on her shoes and left. He touched the door and slowly turned to meet Gaga's fierce eyes. She turned to go upstairs with Bradley hot on her tail. "Stefani, what the fu-"

"Language." She held up a finger and continuing up the stairs, while Bradley pulled at his hair in a silent tantrum. He followed her up angrily but seeing Jackson whimper made his entire attitude change. He took Jackson from Gaga's arms and softly put him in the crib, rubbing his head and shushing him to sleep. Bradley hovered over Gaga while she placed a pacifier in Jackson's mouth. Bradley looked at the sleeping baby and genuinely felt awful for waking him. He felt Gaga pull at his hand, pulling him from his thoughts. Her hand was so small and so soft. As she led them out of the room and closed the door, Bradley couldn't help himself and pushed her up against the wall with his body. They both stayed silent while Bradley's hand roamed over her figure. She fought him but mostly let him explore. His hand landing on her backside. She could smell the whiskey on his breath and as much as she didn't mind his large hands softly touching her, she chalked it up to his inebriated state. He dipped his head down but she moved her head causing his lips to hit her jaw line. She felt him angrily exhale from his nose. 

"You know, with an ass like this I bet you could get anyone you want. Too bad it has a giant stick up it."

"Bradley, stop." She whispered and reprimanded.

"What? Hmm? Listen, just because you're not getting any doesn't mean you can ruin it for the rest of us. Actually, you know what? Maybe if you were getting some..." He forced her hips to meet his semi-hard bulge. "...then maybe you would lighten up." 

"Get the fuck off me!"

"Language, Gaga." He put his finger over her mouth, gulping at how soft her lips were. She pushed him away. 

"Downstairs. I am putting an end to this right now." She silently stomped down the stairs. "How drunk are you right now?" 

Bradley rubbed his eyes, "Not nearly enough for what you're about to say." 

"Good. We are setting some rules."

"What, no sex in this house? Sorry babe, but you might be the boss of those kids, but you're not the boss of me."

"Oh, on the contrary. We need some fucking rules in place because as you pointed out, I'm not getting any, and it's because we cannot seem to find a system that helps us raise those kids and helps us have fucking lives. And believe me I want to fucking have sex and have my life back, so we are figuring this out today!" Bradley followed what she said and was taken aback by her honesty. He also all of a sudden felt jealous over her personal intentions. She hated yelling at him, she sounded like her mother when she was a teenager and was caught sneaking out. She rubbed her eyes and calmed down. "Rule #1, no more fighting."

Bradley got comfortable on the couch, spreading his legs and ready to fight her on all of her stupid rules but she already put a rule on that. "That one is impossible because you fight me over everything."

"No fighting in front of the kids." They both briefly thought back to their daily fights that typically revolve around the chaos of their lives, while each hold a child and scream at the other until one gives up and leaves the home. "And I'll try be more easy going, if you try not to deliberately be such an asshole."

"Done." Bradley agreed. "Rule #2, a couple times a week I get to do something for myself." She gave him a stern look. "We each get to do something for ourselves."

"Done. I'll take Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, you can have Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, because of football and we can alternate Fridays. How's that?" 

Caught off guard, Bradley smiled and reflected at her absentminded thoughtfulness. "Football, huh? I like that you remembered that. Thank you. Works for me if it works for you." 

As they approach 4:30 am, Gaga had pulled her legs up on the couch and rested her head on the back with heavy eyes. "It does and you're welcome. Rule #3, Jackson and Ava always come first."

"That's obvious." He watched her eyes close and understood that unspoken rule needed to be said. He nodded and placed the blanket that he had been using these last few days around her. "Done." 

"Oh, if you're going to keep staying here, you need to start sleeping downstairs."

"In the bar?"

Gaga smiled with her eyes closed. Bradley just watched her as she sleepily made her point. "You and Henry always called it the bar. It's a refurbished basement, it's anything you want it to be." He smiled at the thought. "I'd rather not walk in on you and some chick. We are probably going to fuck up these kids, let's not traumatize them any more." She yawned.

Bradley didn't realize how close was until he unconsciously brushed a stray hair from her sleeping face. "Done. Anything else, princess?"

She smiled at his charm. "Nope. You?" 

"Nope." He watched her until her breathing leveled out. Once she was asleep he turned the lights off and hurried upstairs, jumping facedown on her bed. "Oh fuck yes, a real fucking mattress." He kicked off his shoes and grabbed a pillow, stretching and inhaling, loving the smell and falling  asleep.