Chapter Text
Top Gun Housing, Fightertown, 2 years ago
“Baby,” Jake called, trying to get Bradley’s attention, “Your phone is ringing.”
“Who is it, sweetheart?”
He leaned over to look, “it says Dad,” he said, confusion lacing his tone. Bradley hurried over and grabbed the phone from the counter, he walked outside onto the porch and finally answered. Jake felt a chill go through his entire body. Just the week before, he introduced Bradley to the only important person in his life, his foster sister Cassie. It had taken a lot of time and effort to get to a place where he could share the dark parts of his past and the only person he loved with Bradley. He heard him chuckle at something and he slumped down in his chair, this phone call was just another example of what Bradley wouldn’t share with him. For the next twenty minutes, he sunk deeper and deeper into his head, anxiety getting the better of him as he thought about why Bradley wouldn’t introduce him to his family. By the time the other man came back inside, he was half laying on the table, head in his hands.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Bradley asked in a gentle tone, hands softly rubbing his shoulders.
“Nothing,” he said, unwillingly tensing at his response, knowing it would give him away.
Bradley sighed, “Why do you always do this? You shut me out.”
“I shut you out?” he laughed sarcastically. “You know how much family means to me, how badly I want one. It took so much for me to let you in, to introduce you to Cassie, but you won’t do the same for me!”
“God dammit Jake! How many times do I have to tell you that my parents are dead?”
“I just want to understand you! But you never talk about them, I don’t even know their names.”
“And you don’t need to! God all you fucking do is push me.”
“We’ve been together for six months darling,” he said, begging for the other to understand. “You know how much I care about you. Don’t you think I deserve to know a little bit about you? It’s not like I’m asking on our first date.” Bradley crossed his arms and glared at him, making Jake throw his hands up in frustration. “Well what about the person labeled Dad in your phone? Why can’t I know about him? You’re always texting, always talking to them and you don’t share anything with me.”
“Leave it alone,” he said harshly. “You don’t know what he took from me.”
“You don’t know what he’s given you! I know that you graduated with no debt and you have a fucking engineering degree. Do you know how many options you have with that? I fucking enlisted, I’m nothing without the Navy! And I know that he has connections, all that extra training you got had to come from somewhere.”
“Shut up Hangman, you know nothing.” Jake recoiled as if physically hit. He hadn’t heard the other man use his call sign since they’d gotten together. “It’s no wonder your parents gave you up, all you do is fucking push people until they can’t fucking stand the sight of you.” He stalked around the room, picking up his things. “I ship out in three days, don’t bother staying in touch,” he spat.
Jake felt the life drain out of him, “Please, don’t leave me, Roo,” he whispered. He saw him hesitate for a moment but then he walked out, slamming the door behind him. He sank to his knees, tears he didn’t want to shed streaming down his face.
Jake stayed up all night, huddled up on the couch, hoping against hope that Bradley would come home. As the hours wore on, he felt more and more hopeless, until he finally pulled himself to bed at 5 am. He let himself have one day of throwing a pity party until he forced himself into the shower. “Fuck him,” he said, angrily eyeing himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth. “I’m the goddamn best pilot the Navy has ever seen.”
He grabbed his aviators and coiffed his hair perfectly before winking at himself and locking the door.