Take it easy

by Zaravenda

Summary:

a collection of TGM drabbles, mainly focussing on Hangster

(tags will be updated with every chapter)

Chapter 1: Serenade

He definitely should have read the personnel files before heading to the Hard Deck.

It would have saved him from having to see his now thirty-something godson shamelessly flirt with another pilot. But he only managed a glance at all the pictures before deciding he needed a drink first. If he had just read the files he would still be at home, blissfully unaware. Sure, he hadn't been around too many other naval aviators during his years-long stint as a test pilot, but he didn't expect them to be open-minded enough that Bradley's current behavior didn't pose a problem in a Navy bar.

Mav tensed up as soon as he noticed his godson entering the bar and what he was observing certainly didn't let him relax. He started darting glances around the bar while nursing his beer, watching out for someone wanting to start trouble. At least blondie didn't seem to mind (nor did the group surrounding the two). He continued smirking while taking one shot after the other, until he had cleared all the solid balls from the pool table. Only then did he round the table and proceeded to get into Bradley's face. Mav was about to stand up and intervene, no matter how much Baby Goose would hate it, when Penny caught his eyes and shook her head. So he stayed seated, even more tense than before.

After what looked like a few more traded quips, blondie made his way to the jukebox and a moment after that Slow Ride started to resound around the room. There was obviously a joke hidden there as Bradley started laughing, along with the female pilot next to him. Another pilot just shook his head as he started trailing after blondie, who was now making his way towards the dartboards.

 

Mav lost his chance to observe the situation further as he was thrown, literally, out of the bar. Naturally, this happened at the hands of at least three of the people he was supposed to teach over the next three weeks. Including blondie. Just his luck.

He brushed off the sand he just landed in and froze as he heard a familiar tune being played. The window next to the door provided him with the perfect angle to watch Bradley sitting at the old piano, surrounded by the same group as before. He could just barely hear him singing, but god. Bradley looked just like his father in that moment. From the mustache to the Hawaiian shirt and, apparently, the blonde leaning on the piano watching him play.

Mav knew exactly when Bradley reached the refrain. Because he suddenly stood up, proceeding to play, and blondie leaned in, meeting him in the middle for a kiss. The crowd encircling them let out wolf whistles and continued singing in Bradley's stead. Huh, Mav thought, I really have to read those files.

Chapter 2: Kiss and Tell

“Damn, Hangman, you sure work fast," Fanboy whistled, “who’s the lucky lady?”

“Come on, Fanboy. A gentleman never tells.”

“Since when are you a gentleman? You’ve never been shy of hashing out all the details in public, what’s different now?”

“My sweetheart's just special that way.”

“Wait,” Coyote interrupted, “you’re seriously seeing someone and didn’t tell me? I’m hurt, man.”

“We want to keep it between us for now. So shut it everyone, I won’t tell you nothin’.”

 

---

 

Javy took his time changing back into his khakis. Jake usually took the longest in the showers when they had decent water pressure and a good amount of hot water, which was fortunately the case at North Island. When only Javy was left in the locker room, Jake finally emerged. As made his way to his locker Javy got another good look at what had provoked Mickey’s comment in the first place. Scratch marks ran all the way down from his best friend’s shoulder blades to the small of his back. They looked like they had been bleeding in some places, for fuck’s sake.

“For real, Jake, what’s up?” “Any chance you’ll drop it?” “You know the answer to that. Don’t think I won’t call your mama and ask her all about your new partner.” Jake wasn’t exactly hiding his bisexuality, but Javy doubted all of the Daggers knew about his interests – yet. Not that anyone would particularly care. He knew at least half of them would be hypocrites if they did.

“Ma doesn’t know yet. And I want to keep it that way – at least for a while. It’s not new, exactly, but… I don’t know, we’re finally in a good place, y’know? I can actually see us last and I don’t want to jump the gun.”

“And you won’t tell me who it is?” “Nah.” “Then I have just one question. ‘They make you happy?”

Jake’s usual Hangman smirk had been missing for the whole conversation but now Javy had the pleasure of seeing his friend’s eyes go soft. With a small smile tucked into the corner of his mouth he said, “So fuckin’ happy, ‘Yotes. You have no idea.”

Chapter 3: Good news, bad news

Notes:

This chapter contains mpreg! (no a/b/o)

“You can’t be serious. Please don’t tell me you’re serious.”

“Lieutenant Bradshaw, please, you have to sit back down.”

“No. No, no, no, no, no−“

“Lieutenant−“ This time Bradley interrupted her. “You just told me you didn’t run the test. It didn’t even come back inconclusive, you just didn’t do it.”

“I’m going to get Captain Taylor. He has the appropriate training and will perform an ultrasound.” She left the room, letting Bradley panic in peace. His pre-mission med team fucked up. Fundamentally. A newly transferred officer didn’t run the standard pregnancy test with the rest of his bloodwork, because they ignored the neatly printed word ‘Carrier’ in his medical file. But after the newest findings of his post-mission medical, Bradley shouldn’t even be on an aircraft carrier right now, let alone be allowed to fly a suicide mission.

Bradley could feel himself starting to hyperventilate. The breathing techniques his therapist showed him years ago didn’t work and he didn’t know what to do. Or how to feel. Oh god, what if the fetus−

His thought spiral stopped abruptly. Fetus. He was, most likely, pregnant. Which meant that a little bundle of cells was currently growing inside his belly. Growing into a new, little human being, half him and half− well, that was going to become a problem, wasn’t it? He and Jake weren’t exactly in a relationship. They usually blew of some steam when they were stationed near each other, though they never were on the same squadron, and hung out after, but that was about it. Lately they have been building up to something more, they have been talking a lot, texting when they were deployed, even meeting up on leave once or twice. This new situation he suddenly found himself in was loaded with an incredible amount of tension, it could make or break them.

“Good afternoon, Lieutenant. If you would lay back and pull up your shirt, please. Let me see if I really have to send one of my officers back to basic medical training.” Captain Taylor, presumably, strode into the private room he was in, a nurse with an ultrasound machine in tow. Just after he spread lube on Bradley’s lower abdomen, a small commotion could be heard in the hallway of the infirmary. The reason presented itself in the form of Maverick in the doorway, a moment later. He froze as he took in the scene in front of him.

“Bradley, what−? You’re not bleeding are you? Please, tell me you don’t have internal bleeding,” Mav begged. “No, Dad, it’s not that. It’s just−“ Bradley hesitated, “just come here and sit down.” He had called Mav ‘Dad’ on the flight deck after the crash landing and now he couldn’t bring himself to stop again. His (god)father obeyed and dropped into the chair next to his bed, after his initial panic cleared he only grew more and more confused.

“Lieutenant Bradshaw, is Captain Mitchell amongst your emergency contacts?” Well, he was at the bottom of a pretty short list, with a note that pretty much said ‘Only notify upon death.’, but it was enough for Bradley to nod at Taylor. “Well, then let us continue.”

Shortly after that Bradley was able to see a slightly lighter gray mass on a dark gray background. “Congratulations, Lieutenant, you are pregnant. Everything looks to be alright, though it is too early to be able to tell if the physical conditions during the mission had any negative impact on the development of the fetus. I will transfer you to an off-base prenatal specialist as soon as we are back on shore. If you will excuse me now, I have an officer to demote.” With that all medical staff cleared the room.

Mav had been uncharacteristically silent until now, “Did he just say−“ “Yes. Yes, he did.” Bradley could feel the spiral start again. Fuck, what was he supposed to do? He was an active duty officer in the middle of his career, not in a stable environment in any sense of the word, and hadn’t exactly prepared for having a child in the suddenly very near future.

“Look, I know this isn’t the most important thing right now, but do you know−“ “Who the father is? I do. But thanks for the vote of confidence.” He knew he was being bitchy, but he also knew he could get away with it at the moment. At least Mav’s voice managed to get him back to the present. “I know we said we would talk, but I have to deal with this first. Could you call a nurse and see if I’m cleared to leave?”

As if summoned, the nurse from before entered the room again, before Mav could even open his mouth to answer. “Lieutenant, you have been given a bit of leeway because of your actions. You have permission to call the father of your child for emotional support, if you wish.”

Bradley sighed. “That won’t be necessary. He’s on the ship.”

Chapter 4: Morning After

Bradley woke to the feeling of a warm body stretched along his back. An arm was wrapped around his waist and he could feel the soft puff of deep breaths against the back of his neck. Jake was still asleep and when Bradley moved to get up to use the bathroom, he mumbled something unintelligible, pulled him back towards him and sighed deeply. The older man smiled. “Babe, you have to let me up.”

A slightly deeper breath signaled that the man behind him was waking up as well. “Fuck off, Rooster”, he muttered, “I didn’t give you your callsign for being a morning person.” “You didn’t give me my callsign at all−” “−that’s what you think−” “−and why am I back to being Rooster?”

“’Cuz you protested against any other names last night.”

“I only said you can’t call me ‘baby’!” Bradley turned his head and huffed at the skeptically raised eyebrow he got for that. “My parents and Mav – and Ice − used to call me ‘Baby Goose’ and I really don’t want to think about them when I’m in bed with you.”

Jake nodded in understanding at that explanation before his trademark smirk made an appearance. Bradley half expected him to pull a toothpick out of nowhere for the full effect. “My, my, Roo, is my bed somewhere you expect to be often?”

“Sometimes − of course only when we’re not in my bed instead.” He finally managed to escape to the bathroom, Jake’s laughter following behind him. His gaze fell on his neck and shoulders in the mirror above the sink and he had to chuckle himself. The younger man really went to town on him. Teeth marks on his shoulders and at the base of his neck – thankfully all placed below the collar – merged into hickeys spattered across his pecs. They picked up again on his hips and inner thighs. Bradley couldn’t resist pressing on a particularly dark blotch near his nipple and had to fight back a shudder. He loved being marked up by his partners – at least the longterm ones.

After finishing his business he went back into the bedroom, where Jake now laid on his back, thighs slightly spread and arms crossed behind his head. The sheets were kicked to the foot of the bed and didn’t cover a damn square inch of his glorious body. Bradley managed to only give him a short once-over before going back over to the bed. He crawled up between Jake’s legs and settled with his head on Jake’s stomach, his arms wrapped around his waist. Thereupon, Jake dislodged his arms, moving one hand to cup Bradley’s cheek and burying the other in his hair. Bradley made a satisfied noise and Jake began to scratch his scalp, occasionally curling a strand around his finger and tugging at it.

“You certainly didn’t hold back, did you?” Bradley asked after a moment.

“I couldn’t deny you, sweetheart. Not with all the pretty noises you were making.”

“Mmh, you’re lucky I don’t mind. Wanna get breakfast in−“ He glanced at the alarm clock on Jake’s nightstand. “−half an hour? I need coffee.” “Sure, darlin’. Gonna come back here with me afterwards? I still owe you dinner and I’ve got steaks in the fridge.” Jake’s voice was soft with a trace of pure joy, he sounded completely at peace with their current situation.

“I’d love nothing more, baby. You check your phone, yet?”

“Nah, thought we would face the teasing together.” “So sweet of you,” Bradley deadpanned.

“Isn’t it?” But Jake pulled his hand out of Bradley’s curls – quickly exchanging it for the other one upon his protesting whine – and grabbed their phones from the nightstand. He put his out of DND and the messages started rolling in. The Dagger group chat showed that most squad members woke up before them and were already pitching a hissy fit.

Daggers 🗡️🗡️🗡️ Fire Bird: i hope you know you weren’t subtle Harvard: who Man’s best friend: they know who Man’s best friend: @Fire Bird, at least our suffering is over Man’s best friend: it’s been a long few years… Fire Bird: if anyone messes up now i’ll strangle them with my bare hands Man’s best friend: right there with you Man’s best friend: i know places to hide a body where even jake won’t find it Fire Bird: 🤝 Man’s best friend: 🤝 Yale: i have to repeat Yale: who Bob: rooster and hangman Harvard: finally! subtle with what Halo: eyefucking each other last night Halo: you’re lucky you weren’t there, penny was about to hose them down Yale: so you’re telling me we visited our families a week to early Omaha: sure did Harvard: damn, can’t believe we missed the final showdown Fanboy: it was glorious, i’m surprised they even made it home Payback: i was out for a smoke when they left, believe me, they barely did Man’s best friend: hope you’re not too traumatized Payback: definitely enough to make them pay for my drinks next time Fire Bird: they’ll pay for all of us Fire Bird: for making us sit through this shit show Dixie Chicken: no we won’t Rhinestone Cowboy: what he said Dixie Chicken: we’ll take you and coyote out for dinner Fire Bird: we choose the place Man’s best friend: and we get to judge you for being lovey-dovey and all over each other Dixie Chicken: as if we could stop you Dixie Chicken: i know a lost battle when i see one Rhinestone Cowboy: that’s news to me, darlin’ Dixie Chicken: i might’ve lost a battle but i won the war, baby Fire Bird: no flirting in the group chat! Man’s best friend: i would tell you to get a room, but… Rhinestone Cowboy: we did, we just haven't left it yet Man’s best friend: no one here needed to know that Man’s best friend: but for the record Man’s best friend: i’m happy for you, but breaking up is not an option Fire Bird: as far as we’re concerned you’re married now Fire Bird: if we get invitations it’ll be for a vow renewal

“Does that count as approval from Phoenix?”

“It does. You should have heard what she said about a few of my exes.”

“I’m pretty sure I did, she kind of made a scene in the mess hall once.”

“I’m trying to forget about that. It’s good to know I’m not on Coyotes’ shit list though.”

“He’s happy if I’m happy, simple as that.”

“’M glad, baby,” Bradly hummed, “plan to keep it that way.”

“You turnin’ sweet on me, Bradshaw?” Jake leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Bradley’s lips, getting rid of their phones in the process.

“Have been for a while now, Seresin”, Bradley professed in response. He swallowed Jake’s surprised noise at the easy confession before clambering into his lap to connect their lips once more.

 

They made it out of bed an hour later.

Notes:

The scientific name of the coyote is Canis latrans and it belongs to the dog family.

Rooster’s name in Jake’s phone is based on ‘Dixie Chicken’ by Little Feet, Jake’s name is based on ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ by Glen Campbell.

Chapter 5: Rings

Notes:

sorry for the dog metaphors

They got engaged quickly.

Both because they were both Navy men and because Jake took one look at Bradley and knew he wanted him to be his.
Folk in the Navy, or any armed force, really, typically didn't date around for too long. When you risk your life on the regular, you tend to cut through the bullshit and become real honest real quick.

In Jake's case that meant prodding Bradley until he cracked about his family drama on their second date. Their first date happened after a month of playing will-they-won't-they at TOPGUN - the first time around - and the second one two days after that.
And while Jake made him spill, Bradley wanted to, sat in the same boat all along. So Jake got the read-in, the long version, right at the beginning of the Bradshaw-Seresin-Extravaganza. Afterwards Bradley had to guard his phone for weeks to make sure Jake didn't steal Maverick's phone number and called him to read him the riot act.

Jake held grudges. He committed to that, and everything he committed to he fucking mastered, didn't leave it alone until he was the best. "Such a fucking Doberman," Bradley sometimes murmered fondly. Damn right he was, he was courageous, protective, and if he sank his teeth into someone that hurt Bradley he wouldn't let go.

And Bradley matched him, stride for goddamn stride. Equally as loyal, as fierce, even if he was more Malinois-like, build for endurance, if quite high-strung at times. With a strong, scathing bite, done by white teeth he showed off while laughing and singing tunes at whatever old piano he managed to find. His sweetheart always drew a crowd.

For their third date Jake took Bradley back to Texas. Showed him that a big, happy family could last, and proved it to him again and again over the years. Bradley's shoulders lost a little tension with every minute spent at the Seresin Ranch, his smiles happier and more frequent. His Cali boy bloomed in the Texas sunshine, loved the outdoors with horseback riding, camping, and long make-out sessions under the stars.

When they got back, Bradley gave him his father's ring and asked him to marry him. Jake gave him his grandfather's ring in return. His pops died the year before, but he always admired the devotion between him and his meemaw. So when she gave him the ring for his future spouse, his path was clear.

He wouldn't spend another minute without Bradley Bradshaw as his husband if he could help it.

Chapter 6: Nemesis

Okay, he only slipped up once, years ago.

His own fault that Nat was within earshot and promptly collapsed laughing. He could have figured that she would rat him out to Coyote, who started making allusions whenever Bradley and Jake were in the same room. Nat and Javy should never have been allowed to become friends.

The only saving grace was that Jake hadn't figured it out yet. He continued to grow more and more suspicious over the months, especially since Bradley sputtered and stumbled over his words when Coyote happened to enter the general area they were momentarily trading barbs in.

Of course the second time he screwed up was with the whole Dagger squad present, post capital-m-Mission, at the Hard Deck. Even Mav lingered on the outskirts of the group, now and then throwing a comment in their general direction, but mostly chatting with Penny at the bar.

For a moment everyone froze, then the ribbing began.

"Oh my god, are you serious?"
"I mean you can say something about him and hubris..."
"I knew you had a thing for classic beauties."

Bradley was more afraid of Jake's mischievous smirk than anything the others could have said. And by the looks of him, he was in for it.

"Bradshaw, so you see me as a goddess? About time you paid me proper reverence."

"Fuck off, Hangman." Bradley suspected the red blush that was spreading on his face wouldn't allow him to fool anyone, let alone Hangman himself. Spending as much time driving each other up the wall as they did over the years meant cataloging the others weaknesses and openings. And this wasn't just a chink in Bradley's armor, it was a missing piece.

"We all know you're too slow to escape me anyway," followed after, "I mean, I did save your life. That should count as divine intervention, right?" 

Which in turn was followed by: "At least I still have my wings in your fantasies. Do I get to keep the whip too?" The smirk turned into a leer.

Bradley finally managed to get himself back under control. Besides, Jake's last question sparked a few promising ideas in his head. "Only if you get Themis to lend me her blindfold."

Jake's eyes turned dark, the beautiful sea glass green giving place to the tenebrous color of a forest after a rainstorm.

"That can be arranged, darlin'. Don't worry, I'll spare you my vengeance if you pay me proper homage. And I know exactly how you can start." 

Notes:

starring the wikipedia page of the greek goddess Nemesis

Chapter 7: Gym Selfies

"He's such a fucking fuck boy," Phoenix spoke right into Bradley's left ear, leaning over the back of the couch he was sitting on. He yelped and fumbled with his phone, barely managing to catch it before it landed on the ground.

 

"Fucking hell, don't do that to me!" He sounded slightly out of breath. She dearly loved her dumb best friend but- "Don't look at thirst traps from your boyfriend in public."

 

Bradley blushed a bright pink, from his cheekbones to his neck, but tried to protest. "It's not a thirst trap, he's just- I told him I missed him and then he-" He trailed off, probably realising he was just proving her point.

 

"He was making you miss him even more. I really thought you two would be out of the honeymoon phase by now." They'd been together for a couple of months, but there was no end for their disgustingly cute behavior in sight. Instead it was still all sweet "I missed you"s whenever they had been apart for more than half an hour, arms wrapped around each other whenever they were within touching distance (and throwing each other kisses when they weren't) and countless sent selfies. Like the one Hangman sent Bradley now, sweaty, shirtless, and smirking in the gym. Bradley looked like he would have started panting if she hadn't interrupted him.

 

She would be more annoyed if she didn't love these assholes so much.

 

"I hope it stays like this," Bradley answered softly, "I love him so much I don't know what to do with it sometimes."

 

Nat softened her tone as well, "From what you told me about your parents and from what I see with Maverick and Iceman, you will be like this forever. You have something special, Bradley, and you both know it. I don't see that ever changing."

 

She leaned back, ruffling a hand through his hair in the process. "Now go home and meet up with your beau. You drive us single people mad." 

Chapter 8: Daddy Dearest

"Bradley, darlin', I love you very much, but you've got issues. Answer the damn phone when the old man calls."

Jake was well beyond amused at this point, Bradley's continued dumbassery drove him into annoyed-territory. His boyfriend turned his big brown eyes towards him, the conflict in them clearly visible.

"Jake-"

"We had this conversation already. Multiple times, in fact. Why'd you decide to jump back onto your perch now, Rooster?"

Bradley drew back in the face of Jake's mercilessness. Jake kept his focus on him, he knew Bradley would try to weasel his way out of this. But since Maverick had taken it upon himself to call him to ask why he couldn't reach his own godson, he wouldn't let him. Maverick had a lot of making up to do, in Jake's opinion, and he couldn't get started on that without clearing the room first. Something his boyfriend agreed to, but now, a few days back on shore, he couldn't seem to get over himself. Again.

"I- I don't know. It's like the whole thing is too real now. For years I was convinced he didn't think I was good enough, that he didn't, couldn't, believe in me. He told me that, to my face. What do I do if that's really all there is to it? I don't think I can go through that again."

"You are not alone anymore. Never again, remember, sweetheart? Besides I doubt that there isn't more at play here, he wouldn't look at you like he ripped his own heart out otherwise. He loves you, that's obvious. And if he decides to be an idiot again I'll make sure he never crosses your line of sight again." Jake's tone turned dark at the end. He had observed Bradley since flight school, he witnessed how hurt and angry he was, even years after the fact. Jake wouldn't let him be hurt like that again, not on his watch.

"Now, come on, into the car with you. You and Maverick can chat in the living room, I'll grab Ice and we'll give you some space. We'll end this today."

When they reached the Bronco, Bradley proved Jake right in his conjecture about his state by getting into the passenger seat without prompting. As Jake pulled onto the street, Bradley grabbed his hand on the gearshift and squeezed it tightly.

"I love you."

"Love you too, darlin'."

Chapter 9: Lone Star State

Natasha couldn't get a read on her best friend today. They had made plans to get breakfast together before they both shipped out tomorrow. She was sitting in a booth in the same diner they always met at and when Bradley finally showed, he stifled a wince as he sat down. Even more interestingly, she had no idea where he spent his leave. He had been annoyingly tight lipped about the details, just told her that he wouldn't be in San Diego. Nat raised a brow and took a long sip of her coffee.

"Look what the cat dragged in. You're late."

Bradley eyes flicked up at her from the menu he was studying. He was trying for innocent and landing somewhere around sheepish.

"I had a late flight in, yesterday."

Nat lifted her eyebrow even higher. Bradley tried to hide behind his own cup of coffee. 

"Flight from where?"

"Texas," he murmered with a blush.

"Mhm. Austin?"

The blush deepened.

"Yeah."

She leaned back and studied him. Blushing, shirt buttoned up higher than usually, and clearly uncomfortable sitting down.

Nat snickered, "Hangman sure didn't waste any time. How did that happen?"

"'Texted him when I knew when I would have leave. It overlapped with his and he asked me if I wanted to come visit."

"That's all? I want details. Did you just fuck after your year-long foreplay or are you two a thing now?"

The smile blooming on her best friends face was a thing to behold. She had never seen him smile like that before.

"We're dating. We ran into each other at some admiral's promotion ceremony and have been texting ever since. He told me he wanted to take me out when we'd next see each other."

"That date must have been spectacular."

Bradley's smile turned into a grin.

"It was. He tought me to ride a horse and then we went camping. Kissed me under the stars."

"Mhm, I'm sure kissing was all you did. Was his family there?"

"Yeah, they were all pretty nice. Ribbed the hell out of Jake though, for bringing me to meet them this early." He hesitated for a moment. "And for the record, we did just kiss that night. The first time we fucked was a few days later."

"A true southern gentleman. Is that why he let you onto a plane in your state?"

Bradley leaned back as well, obviously surpressing another wince, trying to get more comfortable. 

"Well, you know what they say-" She already regretted asking. "-everything is bigger in Texas." 

Chapter 10: Never Have I Ever

"Oh, oh! I've got one."

They had been drinking at the Hard Deck for far too long and somehow devolved to playing party games Bradley last played in college. Unfortunately, he was too drunk to protest effectively and was mostly trying not to openly stare at Jake's mouth. Damn toothpicks.

"Never have I ever discovered a new kink."

"Dude, that's way too unspecific."

"Yeah, that's just asking who doesn't have a kink, period. Which would be weird in itself, but at least give it a time limit or something."

"Alright. Never have I ever discovered a new kink in the last... six months."

Fanboy's suggestions had been getting more suggestive each round, now the Ivies had joined him. Since everyone had to give explanations in the previous rounds, things were looking to get explicit pretty soon.

Bradley drank.

So did Halo, Jake, Coyote, and Omaha. The others wolf whistled obnoxiously.

Fanboy continued, "You know the rules! Explanations, clockwise. Hangman, your turn. We want details."

Jake sighed but otherwise didn't object, he had generally been in a good mood since they touched down after the mission. Though that may have been because they had been fucking ever since. Nearly every day, in fact, at least as soon as Bradley's ribs could take it.

"Crossdressing. Not me, my partner. Male partner, before you ask. He brought it up a couple weeks ago, and we're both really fucking into it. No feminization or daddy kink though, those were turn-offs."

Coyote nodded thoughtfully but didn't look surprised, it seemed like Jake was just as chatty about his preferences with his best friend as Bradley was with his own.

"I'm almost impressed you know the proper terms. Quite a few guys I know stutter their way through sentences like that." Halo sounded pretty intrigued. "Also, your partner - is he permanent?"

"If you can't talk about it, you shouldn't be doing it," Jake deadpanned. "We're all thirty or older, that shouldn't even be a requirement at this point. And yes, looks like he's going to be permanent."

Coyote gave Jake a very unsubtle thumps up and patted his shoulder. God, they were all well on their way to sloppy drunk and that never ended pretty.

"Very true, my friend. It has to be rimming for me, not sure if it really qualifies as a kink though. My girlfriend said it was unfair that she was the only one getting eaten out. We both liked it, but I wouldn't wanna do it regularly."

Satisfied nods all around. Now it was Omaha's turn.

"Mine is pretty boring, good old handcuffs," he said with a shrug, taking a sip of his beer. "Tried them for the first time a couple weeks ago."

Halo carried on, "I'm with Javy. Scisorring feels fucking fantastic but I don't find girls I like all too often, so I mostly stick with guys."

Everyone turned their gaze to Bradley. He exchanged a glance with Jake, leaned back in his chair and stated with a firm voice, "Crossdressing. Me, not my partner."

Stunned silence followed, then everyone turned their heads towards Jake in unison. When he just nodded in quiet confirmation (with a self-satisfied smirk on his handsome face), they looked back at Bradley.

"How long?"

"Since the mission."

"'Looks permanent'?"

"Definetly permanent."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

Fanboy took Bradley in, considering. "You're much more shameless than we thought, right?" He looked like he was dying to put his theory to the test.

"Probably." That earned Bradley a delighted grin.

"Great! Out with it, what happened?"

"The crossdressing or the dating part?"

"The kinky part, though I want you to tell me all about your awkward first date another time."

Jake snorted from his place across the table. What they considered their first date, was eating Thai takeout on Bradley's couch in their underwear. Any possible tensions had been worked out beforehand.

"The story's not that spectacular. It was just an image that hit me one night, so I ordered a skirt the next day." It was Bradley's turn to smirk. "Then I put it on and rode my boyfriend into the mattress."

"In your dreams, buckle bunny. I remember that night a little differently," answered a sardonic voice. 

"Buckle bunny. Oh my god, you totally have a thing for his Stetson," Javy whispered in what seemed like awe. 

"Of course I do, have you seen him in it? Hottest cowboy in the damn state. And," Bradley winked, "I'm the only one that gets to steal it." 

"Damn right, you are." Jake's eyes darkened. Bradley thought about the new skirt he bought yesterday, black, high-waisted and short, that his boyfriend hadn't seen yet. He drained his beer and stood up.

"Come on, cowboy. Time to get you back to your barn. If you're good, I'll let you ride me hard." 

Jake followed his example before wrapping his arms around Bradley's waist and pulling him towards himself. Bradley reciprocated with an arm around his shoulders and his other hand cupping Jake's jaw. 

"I am good, Bradshaw," he said in a low tone that made a shiver run up Bradley's spine, "I'm very good. In fact, I'm too good to be true." 

"Gonna put me away wet?" 

An equally low chuckle. "You know I take good care of what's mine, darlin'."

"Fucking hell, get a room, you two. We wanted details, not witness your foreplay." The rest of the table repeated the sentiment in a chorus of fond exasperation.

"Be careful what you wish for, my dear Mickey."

Jake then tipped an imaginary hat and led Bradley towards the Hard Deck's front door, humming 'Country Boy' under his breath.

Climb in my bed, I'll take you for a ride.

Chapter 11: Pool Day

Ice was thoroughly enjoying the view in his backyard, filled with pilots once again. Nowadays they only managed to get one or two of their own flyboys gathered there at a time, though they all had a small herd of children in tow. Grandchildren by now, Jesus Christ.

But now Mav's newly adopted children, their own son among them, populated the area around the pool, spread out on various loungers or towels on the grass. It was a heartwarming sight, though maybe not noise. All of them, except for Floyd, were incredibly energetic and opinionated, resulting in an outright cacophony. Seresin was the loudest, though Garcia wasn't far behind. He and Mav had only learned about Bradley's boyfriend a few days ago, after the mission was over and their son came over for dinner. Bradley hadn't come out to them before, so that revelation was quite the surprise.

As Ice watched Seresin continue to check in with Bradley, just quickly exchanged glances and infinitisemal head motions, he couldn't help but notice the mutual, deep running affection. Trace and Machado each kept an eye on them as well, since, as Bradley told them, they had only recently told anyone about their relationship. Their best friends were still evaluating Bradley and Jake as a couple, but the amount of quiet smiles Ice observed looked promising.

Bradley stepped up next to Ice, where he stood on the back porch, beer in hand. "Everything alright over here, Pops?"

"Of course, Baby Goose. Just thinking about how little action that pool has seen in the last years."

His son chuckled, "I fear you won't get a moment to yourself from now on." He motioned towards the group that now seemed to be trying to dunk each other underwater. "They'll camp out here, if you let them."

"The yard has seen worse."

They stood there in silence, content to quietly observe the shenanigans happening before them. At least, until Jake called out Bradley's name and waved him over. As his son laughed again, louder this time, and went to join him, Ice held him up for a moment. He had seen enough to reach his verdict, even though he wasn't really in a position to give it.

"You did good, choosing him."

Bradley seemed caught of guard, but not offended. He would have been justified to, they hadn't talked to each other for years.

His expression softened, as he looked back at his boyfriend. "I know. But thank you."

Then he went over, leaving Ice alone for all of three seconds before Mav joined him.

"What do you think of him?"

"I like him, but you knew that. You spent the last weeks complaining about how similar we are."

"Confirmation doesn't hurt," Mav answered with a cheeky grin. "Besides, I think we'll see a lot of him in the future, wouldn't hurt to get along."

"Don't act like you didn't adopt him already."

"I didn't, actually. I'm trying, believe me, but Cyclone keeps fighting me for him."

Ice had to laugh. "I that case, you'll have to settle for joint custody."

He quieted his love's grumbling with a quick kiss and pulled him closer with an arm around his shoulders, before turning back towards the pool. The Daggers had produced a volleyball from somewhere and were attempting to play in the, now quite crowded, water. It immediately dissolved into chaos.

Mav settled against his side and looked over as well, sighing in contentment. "Ice," he said, "our son is home."

Ice just nodded. Their son was home and all was well. 

Chapter 12: Reassignment

Hangman has been of the market since the beginning. "Chained" as Snitch so charmingly put it. Most of them first met him when they were assigned to their current squadron, but Lightning was in his flight school class. According to him, Seresin suddenly had a ring on the chain of his tags, a few weeks before graduation. That silver ring had, apparently, since been changed to gold.

 

Annoyingly, Hangman was quite tight-lipped about his personal life. While others longingly spoke of their girlfriends, wives, and children on deployment, he never mentioned anyone. They knew he was from Texas and that he and Coyote had known each other since high school, nothing else. If not for the ring, nobody would have thought that he had any family at all. The one time someone dared to ask about the ring, they had been met with a blank stare until they retreated in silence.

 

This status quo of silence and feigned ignorance had been maintained for several years, when Lightning sprinted into the rec room and threw the door shut behind himself. The rest of the Vigilantes looked at him questioningly.

 

"Guys, I heard-" he panted, "-Hangman talking with Admiral Taylor-" What was Taylor even doing here? Their new CO wasn't scheduled to arrive for two more days. "-and he asked him about his husband."

 

"Admiral Taylor has a husband?" Finch asked, that dumbass.

 

"No, no, Hangman does. He's married. I bet his old ring was his engagement ring, and then he got a new one because he got married to a guy." Lightning sounded pretty shocked, but in his defence, nobody had seen that coming. Hangman was the perfect Navy poster boy, handsome, competent (as annoying as that was), and, first and foremost, straight.

 

"Fuck," is the only word Firefly had the mental capacity to find. A few of the other pilots whistled lowly, most just stared at Lightning in stunned silence.

 

"And it gets better, his husband is also a naval aviator. Admiral Taylor said something about stationing and a 'conflict of interest'. Do you think they tried to get into the same squadron? Or the same base?"

 

"Hangman is gay? Hangman?" It seemed Snitch got his tongue to work again. God, it would have been more pleasant for all of them if he had swallowed it.

 

"I'm sure you're very disappointed your unwilling idol is a loyal partner," Firefly interrupted, she had to witness Snitch's attempts to get Hangman to pull with him far too many times. Luckily for him, Hangman had never flirted with anyone in the many bars the squadron had been to, let alone taken someone home. An asshole he might be, at least he wasn't cheating on his husband. Or boyfriend, if the rings were any indication, they had been together for a long time. 

 

"Do you know his name? Maybe we know him, if he's also a pilot?" Finch again, this time with a more sensible question.

 

"His name's Bradshaw." The southern drawl made all their heads swivel towards the newly open door simultaneously. There stood Hangman, arms crossed and with an unimpressed expression on his face. Coyote had obviously followed him and now positioned himself slightly behind his best friend in silent support. "Admiral Taylor just wanted to remind me about some fraternization rules, since my husband will be joining the Blue Diamonds next month."

 

"You're married to Rooster?"

 

A judgy eyebrow was the only answer to that inane inquiry. Lightning actually raised his hand, like they were in fucking class, and asked haltingly, "How long have you been married?"

 

"A few months, our previous CO just didn't care because it wasn't relevant. And if you know what's good for you, you won't either. My husband being stationed here doesn't change anything. Understood?"

 

The squadron straightend instinctively at Hangman's tone. Everyone agreed that Hangman was terrifying when he wanted to be, so they all quickly mumbled "Yessir"'s or nodded in confirmation.

 

"Good. My marriage isn't any of your business. Now fuck off."

 

In hindsight, nobody could explain exactly why they all scrambled to get out of the room. Except, maybe, that if their squadron leader told them something in that specific tone of voice, you run, and you run fast. 

Notes:

Lightning, the poor guy, got his callsign from Firefly. After a *cough* date (some years ago) she started calling him that and the others just couldn't resist that opportunity

Chapter 13: Pink

"Darlin', are those-" Jake squinted over Bradley's shoulder, "-flamingos?"

Immediately, Bradley flushed a bright pink, now matching his sheets. Jake stared at him with a raised eyebrow. He knew Bradshaw's taste was questionable, just look at his shirts, but he hadn't thought that would extend to his choice of interior decoration. And it didn't, looking at the rest of the house, so what happened here?

"Oh my god, I forgot I put those on when I changed the sheets yesterday," Bradley groaned. "They were a gift from Nat."

"Do I want to know why Phoenix thought it necessary to give you new sheets?" Jake asked with a smirk. 

"Fuck off, it's nothing like that. I had this shirt with pink flamingos and on a night out she spilled her entire drink over me. It had so much cherry juice in it, that I couldn't get the stains out. This," he nodded towards the bed, "is her idea of compensation."

Jake's grin grew. "You did promise me pink sheets."

Bradley groaned again and dropped his forehead onto Jake's left shoulder.

"You got the rubber you wanna wrap me in?"

"You're such an asshole." Bradley lifted his head, then tilted it in consideration, a smile growing on his face as well. "You do have pink on your lips."

"Mmh, I'm your lover after all."

"And the love I discover?"

"Of course." Jake leaned in closer, his lips almost touching Bradley's. "No matter what we do tonight."

Notes:

Just imagine Bradley singing 'Pink' by Aerosmith for Jake at the Hard Deck, taking him back home, and then this happens.