Summary: Now that all is forgiven between Maverick and Rooster, Rooster wants to introduce Maverick to some very special people.
Paring: Bradley Bradshaw x wife reader
When Bradley had told Maverick he had some people he wanted him to meet, he didn’t expect to be this anxious by the time he pulled into the driveway.
As soon as he got out of the Bronco, Bradley was quick to wipe his clammy palms against the material of his jeans. Gladly greeting the night's cool air while he watched Mav pulled in behind him hopping off his bike.
“So this is your place, huh?” Maverick spoke admiring the house before them, making his way to stand near his godson.
“Wow.” Maverick stood memorizing the house before him. Rooster’s house was the definition of the American dream. A gorgeous two story home with a picket fence. With a large tree covering the green yard with a tire swing hanging from it and on the porch facing it; a wooden porch swing converted in decorative pillows.
Damn, Bradley did good for himself.
Maverick being so distracted, didn’t even notice Bradley move away from him to the front door. “Mav, you coming?”
Once he joined Bradley on the porch, Bradley took out his keys, unlocking the door. If Maverick noticed his shaky hands as he did so, Mav didn’t comment on it.
Once Bradley had opened the door wide enough for them to step inside, he called out “Honey, I’m home!”
After Maverick got over his initial shock from the man shouting next to him, all he could ask himself was: who the hell is Honey.
“I brought someone I want you to meet!”
The pair stayed in the entrance of the home, Bradley was undoing the laces of his shoes to take them off and Pete was taking in the space before him.
From where they were he had a clean view of the living room. There were couches, covered in pillows with a blanket folded over the back of it. Chairs too. A large coffee table in the middle of the room, all facing the fireplace where photos rested upon the mantle. Maverick wasn’t close enough to see the people in the frames. It looked comfortable and warm, what a home should feel like.
His thoughts were interrupted by two pairs of bare feet hitting the ground, the sound growing near as it came closer.
“Daddy!” Two little voices called, laughing.
Pete could have sworn his heart had stopped for a second before it start beating again, triple the speed it was before.
Bradley crouched to the ground waiting with open arms. Suddenly two little kids came running in, rushing into his arms.
A little girl with blonde hair, held up in pigtails. Wearing a pink floral dress with flowers all over it. And a boy who looked exactly like Bradley when he was younger with his shaggy blonde hair and chubby cheeks, holding a super hornet. Both no older than four or six.
It was the little girl who noticed Maverick first, looking at him over Bradley’s shoulder. “Daddy, who is he?”
Bradley looked back up at him before standing up to his full height, once again. His Godson began to speak but Maverick seemed to tone it out, still staring down at the little people in front of him who were no taller than his hip.
Only did he finally look up when another voice entered the conversation. The voice belonged to a beautiful woman entering the room, wearing an apron covered in flour with a dash of it on the side of her nose too.
”Who's who?” She asked, looking between the kids and Maverick. She walked to Bradley, placing a hand on his chest and a kiss on his lips. One her ring finger; a big fat rock. She smirked teasingly, “hi Daddy,” before turning to Pete. Bradley's hand immediately moved to her waist.
All Maverick could do was stand there like an idiot, not knowing what to do.
When Maverick had agreed to “meet someone” that Bradley wanted to introduce him to, he was thinking of a dog or something. Maybe a girlfriend but definitely not a wife and two kids. Both kids are a perfect mix of their parents, with Bradley’s blonde locks from when he was younger, his eyes and cute chubby cheeks. And their mom’s nose and charming smile.
God, had he missed a lot. Clearly.
“Mav, this is my beautiful wife; y/n,” Bradley introduced her, squeezing her waist as he did. “ And these are our kids: Daphne Caroline and Nicholas.”
“Hey, kiddos.” Now it was Maverick’s turn to wipe his clammy palms on his pants, since when were kids so scary.
“Honey, this is Pete Mitchell,” Bradley told his wife, looking down at her.
Her eyes snapped up at him, raising a brow. “The Pete Mitchell?” Bradley parroted her words, conforming her suspicions.
Maverick’s lips formed a tight lipped smile. “I’m assuming that Rooster here talked a lot about me. All good things I hope,” He joked despite knowing that definitely wasn’t true.
“Hun,” Bradley tilted his head down to have him closer to his wife’s. “Mav and I had a nice, long awkward talk and I forgave him.”
”really?” She asked, looking between the two men in question.
Maverick confirmed it. “We’re still workin on it, but all is forgiven, for the most part.”
“And I was thinking he could stay over for a deer or two.” Bradley kissed her forehand, glancing at Maverick to make sure he wanted to stay.
“Oh,” y/n’s face immediately broke out into a kind smile, “of course he can, I hope you like lasagna. It’s fresh out of the oven”
”Lasagna, you guys haven’t eaten yet?” Bradley’s eyebrows frowned as he asked with concern. “Hun, it’s almost eight.”
“The kids wanted to wait for you to come home.”
“Yeah, Daddy!” Daphne spoke up, “we had lots of snacks.”
“Yeah,” Nick was quick to back up his little sister. “We had ice cream and cookie dough.”
“Ice cream and cookie dough?” Bradley spoke in an amusing tone towards his wife.
Y/n pouted, “they tag teamed me. They both gave me the eye.”
”The eyes?” He went on his teasing ways knowing exactly what she was talking about having fallen victim to those very eyes many times.
”Yes, the puppy dog eyes.”
Bradley laughed, “and you fell for it?”
Y/n scoffed, “oh please, as if you don’t fall for them more than I do.” She turned to her son, “Nicky, hun wanna come help mommy set the table,” she left Bradley’s embrace guiding her son out of the room with her.
Now that y/n was gone, Daphne moved to wrap her arms tightly around Bradley's leg. Once again she asked, “who are you?”
”But Daddy said your name was Pete,” her voice wavered as she squished her face into Bradley's leg. To soothe her nerves Bradley rubs the top of Daphne’s head.
“Well, your Daddy’s right. Pete is my name.” Maverick crouched down, continuing to talk to her. “Maverick is my Callsign, like how your dad’s is Rooster.”
”Is that how you know him? You work with him.”
Bradley joined Maverick, crouching on the floor. “We do work together but he’s also my Godfather.”
“Does that make him mine and Nicky’s Godgrandpa?”
Pete cackled, “I am not old enough to be a grandpa.”
Bradley laughed at that. “What about Papa Mav?”
“Daphne, Baby!” Her mother called from the kitchen, “come help me in the kitchen, Please!”
”Coming, Mommy!” With that she turned to run off to her mother, calling as she went, “bye Papa Mav.”
”Great, so that’s gonna stick,” Maverick muttered as both men stood back up. Bradley started to lead him further into the house, following the trail Daphne just ran off in. “It sure is, Papa Mav.”
The rest of the Bradshaw house was just as warm and cozy as the living room. The beige walls were littered with photos, most were of Daphne and Nick, the occasional wedding photo. The dining room leads into the kitchen where the rest of the Bradshaw clan were. Both the kids sat at the perfectly set table, jabbering to their mother as she placed the steaming dish of lasagna in the center of it.
Maverick went to sit down with the kids as Bradley followed his wife back to the kitchen. Y/n removed the oven mits, placing them on the counter while Bradley stood behind her, untying her dirty apron.
“It’s okay that Mav is here, right? I should have told you earlier-“
“Of course it's okay that he’s here,” She was quick to silence his worried thoughts, Turning to him as he removed the apron above her head, placing it behind her on the counter next to the mits. Y/n hit her husband on the shoulder, scolding him, “I just wish you had told me you were on better terms with him sooner.”
“I wanted to wait it out,” Bradley defends himself, emitting the truth, pulling Y/n closer to him by the waist. “To make sure he wouldn't disappear again.”
“And?” She encouraged him to go on, snaking her arms around his shoulders.
”And I was scared of what would happen when I introduced you all.”
”Which turned out just fine. Look,” She nodded to the dining room where the kids were surely giving Maverick a headache with how many questions they were asking him.
“They do seem to really like him.”
Bradley leaded forwards, pressing his forehead to Y/n’s. “Thank you.”
”For sticking by me, giving me our little ducklings”
“And for telling me years ago, when Nick was first born to call Mav. You were right, as much as I hate to admit it.”
”I was right?” Y/n gloated, brushing her nose against his. Bradley kissed her, “you were right.”
With their lips locked together, they hadn’t noticed Daphne walk into the kitchen. “Mommy, can I show Papa Mav my Rooster?”
The little girl’s parents were quick to break apart, their hands lingering.”Once you finish your dinner, baby.”
She groaned, throwing head back. “Fine. Let’s go people, chop chop!” Daphne clapped signaling for them to hurry up. Taking her spot at the table again, next to Nick and across from Mav. She slouched back in her chair, waiting for Bradley to place a scoop of lasagna on her plate.
“She’s one bossy six year old.” Bradley chuckled, “she sure is. She got that from you.”
He reached behind his wife, grabbing a towel off the counter. The aviator used it to wipe the flour off the side of her nose. In reaction, she leaned back over the counter “What was that?”
“You had some flour on your nose,” Bradley explained, showing her the towel.
“I had flour on my nose!” She gasped, looking at him sharply,“This whole time. And you didn’t tell me?”
All Bradley did was shrug sheepishly, tossing the towel back on the counter. “Whoops.” He kisses her forehead causing her hard stare to soften, taking her by the hand and leading her to the dining room.
Bradley pulled out Y/n’s chair, waiting for her to sit before sitting down beside her.
“Can we eat now?” Nick whined as his stomach growled. “Yes, Nicky. We can eat now.”
Bradley filled his son’s plate, then his daughter’s, which she was quick to start golfing it down. The dish of lasagna was served around the rest of the table.
“This is delicious, Y/n,” Maverick complained.
”Yeah mommy,” Daphne agreed, wiping her chin with the back of her hand, “delicious!”
Y/n smiled at her daughter, “thanks, baby.” She turned to mav, “thank you, Pete.”
”So how did you two meet?” He asked the Bradshaw couple, making conversation.
“I worked at Hard Deck when Bradley was here for Top gun. One night he came into the bar when I was working behind the counter and it was love at first sight,” Y/n explained her and her husband’s first encounter. “For him.”
“I fell for him eventually.”
“She was going through an ‘I don’t date cocky aviators’ phase,” Bradley shared. Mav nodded along, as if reliving a memory, “been there.”
Bradley smirked, “but I wore her down after a while.”
“Mom said you kept coming back everyday and had to ask her out eleven times before she finally said yes.” Nick snitched.
“Wow. So you had Rooster all smitten for you,” Maverick chuckled as he teased his godson.
“God, I wish I could have seen that.” He muttered loudly enough for the whole table to hear, even though he hadn’t meant to. Causing a cloud of silence to fall over the table. Seeming to have sensed the dampening mood, Daphne asked her parents, looking at them with puppy dog eyes “Can I show Papa Mav my Rooster now?”
”Sure, baby.” Y/n pushed her chair back, standing from the table, “let's go wash your hands first, okay?”
”Okay!” Daphne ran off to the kitchen with her mother following behind her leaving the three males at the table. Nick spoke up, asking Mav, “you fly planes with my dad, right?”
“Are you as good as my dad?”
“As good?” Maverick laughed, “I’m pretty sure I fly better then-“
Bradley cut him off scoffing, “come on Mav, we both know that’s not true.”
”I’m the one who saved you, remember?”
”yeah. After I saved you.”
Sitting back down next to Bradley, Y/n joined in on the conversation, “wasn’t it Jake who saved both of you?” Once she got the response of confirmation from both men she went on, “ so that would mean he’s better than both of you.”
If Maverick was anything like her husband, she sure knew how to get under their skin.
”Hangman; the better pilot. As if.”
For a change of topic, Nick asks curiously , “Your callsign is Maverick?” He revived a nod in return. “How’d you get that name?”
”Let’s just say, I don’t tend to follow the rules.”
Ignore Bradley, it was now Mavericks turn to ask the questions, “How old are you Nick?”
“So you're in what, the first grade?”
“Have you thought about flying a jet like your old man?” Maverick gestured to Bradley who had muttered something under his breath along the lines of “you’re the old man.”
Hearing her husband, Y/n leaned into him and spoke so long he could hear, “I happen to like my old man.”
“Yeah, mine is the only the ones that can put off a mustache and tacky Hawaiian shirts,” she laughed.
“Guess I’m in luck then,” he wiggled his eyebrows to make her laugh which she did before pecking his lips.
The couple broke apart when a loud screech, which could only be made by their daughter who just entered the room. “Ew! My eyes, my eyes!”
“Yeah, Bradshaws,” Mav took Daphne's side. “There’s lot of innocent eyes in this room.”
“Shut up, old man. They’ve seen us kiss before,”
“Your eyes are the futurist thing from the innocent,” Bradley scoffed.
Mav gasped and brought a hand to his chest mockingly offended. He turned to the little girl that stood next to his chair with a stuffed rooster in her tiny hands.
“And who is this?” He gestured to the stuffed animal.
Daphne raised it in the air so her papa Mav could have a better look. “His name is Rooster.”
“Oh is it,” he smiled cheekily at Bradley. “Why’d you name him Rooster?”
“Cause he’s a Rooster,” Daphne spoke in a obvious manner. “And for when daddies away, he’s still with me.”
Mav almost turned into a physical puttle of mush at her adorable words. He asked, “Who’s you get your Rooster from?
A while later after the cookies were brought out and eaten the kids retired to bed since it was well past their usual bedtime. Mav sat on the porch in the backyard with a beer in hand that the Bradshaws had offered him, soaking in the day. The married couple could see Mav from the kitchen window as they spoke together.
The Mrs. Was working on the dishes while Bradley paced behind her, occasionally drying and putting away a dish or two in between his rants.
“They call him papa Mav.”
“Bradley.” Y/n cut in to stop his next rant as she dried off her hand. She moved to stand infront of him, placing her hands on his byceps. “Hun, your stressing yourself out.”
“The kids are already attached,” Bradley sighed, “what if dissapars again.”
“Will figure it out when and if that happens. For now, go talk to him.”
“I gotta help you finish the dishes.”
“You and I both know your not much of a help when your destructed.”
He huffed, tucking his chin to his chest. “Fine, I’ll go talk to him.”
.Bradley gave his wife a kiss as he reached behind her to grad a beer off the counter. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She waved him off, “now go.”
When Bradley stepped outside to the back porch Pete didn’t look back to him already knowing who it was. Once Bradley sat next to him, did Mav speak up, “so.”
Mav took a gulp of his beer. “You’ve really grown up. I’m proud of you, Bradley. More importantly, your parents would be so proud of you. I just wish they could be here with you to see it.”
The pair sat out there soaking in the night for what felt like hours catching up with eachother.
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