Righteous - Bradley Bradshaw

~Meant for each other

very sad, potentially trigger warning. Talks of suicide  

After her talk with Jake, Oakley felt a bit better. She still didn't feel good about what was to come with this mission. The mission parameters aren't something every pilot comes back from. 

"Bradley? Could I talk to you outside?" Oakley walks out to the common room where everyone is just sitting around, talking. 

"Um, sure everything alright darling?" Bradley stands, following her outside. After closing the front door behind them, he joins her on the step. 

"So."

"So." 

"We leave for the mission tomorrow." 

"Right. And we still don't know whose flying." 

"Yeah. Can I say something?" Bradley nods, turning his knees so he faces her entirely listening. 

"Ok Um, I had genuine hate for you for a long time. I thought that you didn't like me, didn't want to be around me. I thought you had despised our time. But this past weeks, I see you have changed. You act like you want to be around me." Wiping the tears that fell, Bradley's heart broke all over again, thinking of the pain he inflicted on her. 

"Tomorrow, someone isn't coming home. If given the opportunity, you are coming home. If we both are up there, you are coming home. You deserve to be here. I want you to be here for the next mission." 

"No." 

"Bradley, please don't fight me on this. I have made up my mind." Oakley pleads. 

"No. I am not letting you take my place. You will not be another loss in my life. I already have way to many flowers I have to bring to that cemetery." Bradley stands up and starts pacing. Running his fingers through his hair, Oakley knows what he is going to say next. 

"I can't lose you. I can't let you go."

"But you have a life here, you have friends! All i have are scars and really scary PTSD that keeps me up every night because every time I shut my eyes, I'm back in that plane free falling." 

"You don't think you have friends?! What about Bob, Natasha, even Jake!" At this point, the level headed conversation has now become a screaming match. 

"They will be fine without me! They have been just fine." 

"No Oakley, that's not my point. You have friends, you have family. My family is dead! Gone! I am the one who deserves to die because I have nothing!" 

"Bradley, No. I am not letting you die! You mean to much to this world." 

"Oakley, I am not letting you go!" 

"Why?" 

"Because I love you!" Oakley stops short when Bradley yells.  

"I-"

"Oakley, I have loved you since the day we met, when you bumped into me and made that joke. That joke was so stupid but it made me fall in love. This is not up for discussion. You will come home. I will lay down my life if it means you come home!"