Intertwined

Droplets

Bradley convulsed in his sleep. His body covered in a sheen layer of sweat. "Bradley. Bradley, wake up!" Gaga abruptly woke from their nap in a panic, shaking Bradley awake. "Baby, hey, wake up!" She kneels over him, pushing him and feeling the sweat consume his body. His eyes sprung open, he worked to catch his breath. 

"I saw him, I-I-He was there, I-I think it was- Are you hurt? Are you ok?!" Bradley searched Gaga's body for any sign of pain. 

"Bradley, stop, breathe, I'm fine. Are you ok?" Gaga tries to steady him but he's too large and keeps getting worked up. "Hey, calm down, breathe!"

"I saw a guy, I saw his face, I think, I can't remember, his fucking hands all over you-"

"Bradley, look at me!" He finally calmed down enough to look at Gaga and follow along with her guided breathing. "There you go, just breathe." She brushes his wet hair off his forehead and smooths over the droplets forming over the sides of his face. "You're ok. Everything is going to be ok." She helped him out of his sweaty shirt. She looked into his hopeless eyes and felt for him; the pain and confusion took its toll. "Don't beat yourself up over this. It's not more important than your health and sanity. If it's meant to come back to you, it will."

"We were shot. We could have died over whatever the hell happened. Everyone is tip-toeing around me and it's driving me nuts. I can feel it but I can't remember it. It is a big deal, but I can't fucking remember it!" 

"You know what I think?" Bradley eagerly listened to her, desperate for any form of comfort. "I think that after all we've been through, that I'm just happy that I get to have you in my arms once again. That what happened to us, doesn't define us, didn't tear this apart, whatever this is." They hadn't discussed the context of their relationship. Their connection was so much bigger than a conversation over labels or discussing feelings, they just felt their way through it and that was enough. "Better?" She asked seeing the color back in his face and seeing him visually more relaxed. Bradley nodded, feeling a slight chill as the sweat cooled over his bare chest. "Ok. How about a shower, you're all sticky." She teased. Her voice was soothing. In her soft face he saw the tranquility he needed to nod and stand up with her. Gaga looked at the scar on his back, it looked just like hers. When he turned she saw his scar on the front side of his body and he caught her staring. 

Gaga looked away and grabbed an extra towel from the linen closet, leading Bradley to her bathroom. His eyes followed her closely as she moved around the bathroom, dimming lights, placing fresh towels down, turning on the water. "Stay with me." Bradley whispered into her ear. 

"Bradley..."

"I can't be alone. I'll be good." 

How could she deny this beautiful man anything? His blue eyes have gone through so much torture and his ease lied within her. Gaga removed her shirt, letting it fall between them. She nodded and her hands went to her bottoms, letting them slowly fall as well. His pants were the next to go as Bradley willed his body to stay calm. Gaga turned on the shower and like a clap the sound flashed into Bradley's memory. He watched Gaga's back, as she removed her bra followed by her panties. She heard him swallow and then heard him remove his boxers, letting them drop by his pants. 

The moment she slowly entered the water and turned to reach for Bradley a waterfall of memories flooded his mind. The water was warm but the feeling of remembrance washed over him like a bucket of ice. Seeing Gaga under the falling water, her hair getting wet, her eyes locked with his, her hand reaching for him cut between flashing sequences from their past. Gaga's breath hitched. He was just as beautiful as ever but he changed, the light behind this eyes turned on and she could see him for the first time. "B?" She asked, hoping the man she once knew would answer back. 

Bradley stepped into the shower, letting the water baptize his body, allowing his mind to absorb the shutter of images. "Before your unconscious body fell into my arms, before we were shot and before we triggered the alarms, which I'm so proud of you for doing baby, before you kissed me goodbye, before your cute little dance over finding matches, before all of that I had you all to myself. I never wanted to protect anything more in my entire life." Bradley closed the small distance between them, feeling her glistening body between his hands. "Before you fell into my arms, I fell in love with you and even after forgetting all that, I'm still falling, Stefani." Gaga couldn't tell the drops of water from her tears. She wrapped her arms around his waist. Her Bradley was back. "I remember. I remember it all. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I forgot." The agony in his voice was desperate. "Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive." She cried over the sound of the shower. "I can't stop falling in love with you either." She held his head between her hands so he heard every word of her declaration. Bradley smiled and kissed her wet lips that smiled back. "Even after I lost you, you still kept your promise."

Bradley finally felt like he could breathe for the first time. He pushed away the anger that threatened to come to the surface. He ignored the questions and pressing thoughts to focus on holding her just a little longer, savoring this moment. He was frozen in time and now he was back.  His hands framed her face, pushing her wet hair away. "Oh yeah? What's that?" 

"You promised me more kisses once we got out. You may not have remembered but I did, every time you kissed me. You kept your word."

"It's like I could see you but I didn't know how to get to you, how to snap out of this trance. But I still craved your kiss, I needed it...and I don't ever want to stop." He leaned in taking her lips in his. The feeling didn't change, their kisses were always magical. Their heat rose and Bradley finally noticed they were naked. His body reacted and pulled away to see her in all her beautiful bare beauty. His hand traced over her fresh pink scar, as she mirrored his motions. "We're connected." He smiled. Gaga nodded finally noticing Bradleys body react. She pressed her body into his and started to kiss his neck. Bradley's hands glided gently over her smooth wet skin but didn't dare escalate their moment. Gaga quickly could feel his hesitancy and smiled while she bit his ear. "Yeah?" He simply felt her nod and that was all he needed to lightly press her up against the wall and ravage her mouth. 

Kissing her felt like home. It felt right and familiar. But this? As he pushed into her body, this was all new territory. The way her body moved over his communicating how much she missed him, how much she needed him. He pushed into her promising to never leave her again. Gaga gasped as his spirit tore her apart in the most erotic and passionate way. She held onto Bradleys arms for support, feeling him push her up the wall wrapping her legs around his waist. Bradley used one hand against the tiled wall to support them, while he drove them both closer to the edge. "My God, how could I forget you? You're so perfect." Bradley moaned. "I couldn't take my eyes off of you all night during the awards. You're perfect in every way." Bradley breathed into her neck, her slick sex gripping him tight. "I can't live without you...be mine." He demanded between moans. "...please.."

Gaga's head pressed back against the tile, moaning his name. The pain and pleasure of his motions fogged her mind. "I'm yours...I'm yours... I'm cumming..." Her screams of ecstasy filled the bathroom walls and took Bradley with her as he spilled himself deep within her folds. Her feet gently reached the floor, feeling Bradley still inside her. He finally pulled out, sinking down to the ground pulling her to sit on his lap. The shower continued to cleanse them of their trauma, giving birth to a renewed life, a new love. Their kiss was slow, allowing them to catch their breaths. "B?" She asked again.

"I remember it all. I do." Bradley pulled her in close. "I just want to feel something good and be here with you for a moment longer before I process this awful mess. You're the only good thing that came out of this but even then I know I would have ended up right here in your arms no matter what happened. Let me just hold you." 

They stayed under the water in the same exact position that started it all.