automatic stop, bradley bradshaw

four.

the girl shook her head, looking down at her feet. "i don't know why you're going to all the trouble to say this. i mean, i've been giving you the cold shoulder these past few days, and-"

"and i've honestly deserved it." bradley cut her off. "you're right. i avoided you and katia for pretty much the entire time we were in the naval academy. and that was shitty of me. so i don't know why i expected you to.. be excited to see me now."

"i was excited to see you." skye interjected. "i was just also really hurt, because i thought you didn't want anything to do with me, and then you were giving mixed signals because you-"

he laughed again. "i was giving mixed signals? you were saying you were upset with me right before you were sitting down with me at a piano bench and singing your heart out." he reminded her, a smile now on his face.

skye chuckled. "that was different, okay. i can't stay mad at you, so it doesn't count."

"it doesn't count?" he raised a brow.

"nope, no it doesn't." 

bradley smiled down at her before his expression became serious again. "i am sorry. about avoiding you." he clarified. "i was just.. i was really mad. about your dad pulling my papers. and seeing you reminded me of that, and i guess i was jealous."

"you were jealous?" she asked. "of what?"

"of the fact that you were both becoming successful, of the fact that flying seemed to come so naturally to you both. and i was jealous that you'd gotten so much of a head start compared to me." he explained. "it seems so stupid now, i know. i just.. i don't know. i guess i was mad at your dad and i took it out on you."

skye nodded. "no, i think it makes sense. i guess." she looked back up at him. "but, you know, you should really talk to him about that, not me."

he laughed. "yeah, yeah, i know. you're a lot easier to talk to, though."

she nodded again. "that's probably true." she scanned his eyes for a moment. "he does really care about you, though. i know that you being distant is hurting him, too, even if he's too proud to ever really admit it. i think if you talked to him about it, you could try to.. mend whatever was broken between you two." 

bradley tilted his head to the side. "i don't know. i don't think i'm ready to face that yet." 

"you don't have to do it now." skye told him. "you know, it's pretty ironic. katia was telling me this same thing days ago, about you, and i finally took her advice to heart and now i'm telling you to take it, too."

he smiled. "and did it make you feel better to talk to me about it?"

she narrowed her eyes at him. "i'm not sure yet."

"what do you mean, you're not sure?" he laughed. they both enjoyed their shared laughter for a moment before bradley's face grew serious again. "back to what happened today, skye, i just.. i don't want you to beat yourself up about it like this. you did good, we're supposed to struggle and face challenges. that's the point of the program."

skye nodded. "i know. i just feel like.. i'm not living up to the mitchell family name, or something." 

rooster frowned. "that makes sense. he's a hell of a pilot, i'll give him that. but so are you. no one out there questions or doubts that, especially not me."

"you keep saying that."

"what?"

"that you 'especially' have noticed that i'm a good pilot. what is that supposed to mean?"

he awkwardly cleared his throat. "i may have not been talking to you at the naval academy, but i kind of.. i guess you could say i was keeping tabs on you."

her brows raised. "that's not creepy at all, bradley."

"not in a creepy way, i swear." he defended. "but everyone knew who you were. and before i got shipped to a different squadron, i would sometimes watch you guys do your test runs." 

skye shook her head. "i really don't know if i should be flattered or horrified by this." 

"you were my best friends, i wanted to see how you were doing. and you guys never backed down from any challenge. everything you did looked so effortless. you both could work in any part of the plane, you could both switch from being wso's and aviators.. and it was really impressive to me, is all." 

she smiled. "see, i did get to impress you." 

he smiled back. "yeah. but you've never had to." 

they sat in yet another comfortable silence before skye smiled again. "thank you for coming here to talk to me. i probably wouldn't have had the guts to go and talk to you about what i was feeling if you hadn't." 

rooster laughed. "hey, maybe it's been a while, but you're still probably the closest friend i have."

this made her stop for a moment, her gaze softening. "i've missed you, bradley." 

she'd been avoiding calling him by his first name, and he'd taken notice of it. at the sound of his name, he smiled, opening his arms up to her. "come here." she moved into his embrace, letting him wrap his arms around her back as her head rested on his chest. he'd gotten much taller. "i missed you, too, skye." he said. "are we on good terms, for real, now?" 

there was a smile on bradley's face when she looked at it, and skye laughed. "yes, we're good for real this time." 

"great." he replied, resting his head on top of hers.

skye felt oddly more content then than she ever had in her life. she had her best friend back, and this time she wasn't going to lose him.