a bradley bradshaw selfship drabble written in third person — can be read as an x reader. the childhood friends to lovers troupe strikes yet again ꨄ warnings : underage drinking, bradley & me being stupid dumb idiots, nostalgia to the max
“my dad’ll kill you if he finds out you stole one of his beers.” she murmured, taking the sweaty bottle from his hand anyway. she took a quick swig before passing it back, her nose scrunching in disgust at the taste.
he laughed, a sound so warm it got lost in the thick summer air. though the sun was sinking below the horizon, the heat of the day still lingered. the mitchells’ backyard smelled like propane, spilled beer, and chlorine; it smelled like home.
bradley smiled as his fingers brushed against hers. “please, your dad loves me. i’m like the son he never had.” he teased, though they both knew it was true. his hair, still damp, fell in soft curls around his ears and his freckles were more evident after a day in the sun.
her expression softened but her smile lingered. “sometimes im convinced he likes you more than me.” she half joked, her gaze flicking over to the purple and orange hues blooming in the sky. the fireflies would be out soon, meaning the adults would retreat inside, leaving the backyard to the two teens.
silence fell over them for a moment, so the chatter and chirp of human and cricket alike filled the gaps instead. each summer felt heavier than the last as their futures quickly approached. the old, rusty swing set creaked beneath their weight and the stress of time as they absentmindedly rocked side to side or back and forth.
“you still goin’ to that fancy college in new york?” bradley asked, his voice barely above a whisper. they both knew he didn’t want to hear the real answer, evident in the way his gaze was on the trampled grass beneath them rather than on her.
she huffed, eyes flicking to him. “are you still planning on joining the navy?” a question she too hoped would have a different answer. there was an unspoken ‘if you stay, i’ll stay’ hanging in the air, yet neither of them had the stomach to give up their dreams.
scraped knees, the chime of bicycle bells, shared homework answers, stolen beers, and kisses they pretended never happened would all be a distant memory soon. she would go off to college, as would he. then he’d join the navy and follow both of their father’s footsteps — the thought of which made her sick to her stomach.
“you know i am.” he said. the navy had been his dream since he was a kid, but she could never figure out why. neither of them were old enough to understand why nick bradshaw would never come home when it happened, but they felt the ache of his absence as the years passed. maybe he wanted to prove something to himself, or to his dad, or even maverick. or maybe he was just stupid. he had turned to her once again, his brown eyes searching her expression.
“stop that.” he said as he reached out for her wrist. he knew that look in her eye better than anyone. “look, i know you don’t like the thought of me going but i’m not changing my mind. i’m sorry.” he tugged gently on her wrist as a way to encourage her to look at him.
she blinked away her tears before finally turning to him again. she was too emotional, too caught up in the thought of what they could be. however, trying to get him to reconsider was like beating a dead horse, she knew that.
“fine, you win.” she said softly, lips quirking up into a defeated smile. god, he hated when she looked at him like that.
so he did the only thing he knew how to do. his hand, slightly worn and calloused from years of baseball, slid up her arm and to her jaw. he held her there for a moment, thumb brushing over that one freckle on her cheek before he leaned in and kissed her.
his lips were slightly chapped and they lingered for a moment too long. each stolen kiss made the pit in her stomach further twist and knot in the uncomfortable truth of what awaited them.
yet she didn’t pull away.
