𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍, bradley bradshaw

chapter twenty seven

To Dakota Jones, just hearing Bradley Bradshaw murmur those words completed her. The honey to a bee, sweet nectar to a pink tulip, orange color leaves during a crisp fall season, water after a two week drought, with just those words, he completed her.

She ultimately froze up at his words, his knuckles still dragging softly against the delicate skin of her now flushed cheek, his fingers now burning through the itchy material of her flight suit in her hip. Were her ears just in need of popping? Was she hallucinating due to the fact that her nerves were all over the place? "God I'm so in love with you."

Her eyes were still connected with his, which didn't help her in any way, shape, or form. It's the way that after his deep, raspy voice uttered those words, that everything around them seemingly disappeared. There was no mission, they weren't currently in the middle of the ocean, ready to risk their lives for the sake of their country. No; they were on her couch, wrapped up in a too big blanket, her fingers running through his honey curls as they watched the Hunger Games.

Dakota felt like an eternity had passed, but in reality- it had just been a couple seconds. A couple seconds of her eyes drifting over his face, her hand cupping his cheek as he leaned into it, her thumb tracing over the scars on his chin, jaw, and neck, making him shiver slightly. Her mouth opened, her tongue darting out to wet her chapped lips. "Bradley," her voice was hoarse, so weak.

She swallowed the lump in her throat harshly. He loved her. He was in love with her. All of her doubts for nothing. All of those tears that fell involuntarily because of him, because of the negatives that she pooled in her mind. He loved her. And she loved him.

Her eyes trailed down from his eyes and settled on his lips, which were parted slightly, small puffs of air coming from them. She smiled, a grin making the corners of her eyes crinkle, feeling the now familiar stinging of tears from behind her eyes. She moved her thumb from his scars to his bottom lip, which was pulled into a smile as well.

"I," she met his eyes once more. His hazel eyes which were flooded with specks of gold and blue. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, her brain screaming at her to just say the words that were balancing on the tip of her tongue. "I lo-"

"Lieutenant Bradshaw! Lieutenant Jones!" The voice of Admiral Simpson made the two of them jump apart, blood making their cheeks glow with a vibrant red and the smiles fall of their faces quickly. "It's time for the final mission briefing." He gave both of them a curt nod, with his lips pulled in a thin line, hands on his hips, before he turned his back to them, heading back to where the group of people were accumulating.

The two of them nodded their heads toward the Admiral, now having a larger distance in between them. As stupid as it sounds, she had almost forgotten that they were on a carrier, preparing to put her life on the line during this deployment. But when she was with Bradley, his hands on her, looking at her with such adoration, it made her mind foggy, her nerves seemingly gone.

She walked quickly after Cyclone left, her brain settling back from his love confession earlier and back to the task at hand. Bradley walked behind her closely, "I'm done with you yet, Lieutenant." And those fluttering feelings appeared in her stomach, her cheeks hurting from fighting back a smile, as he stood tall behind her, his hand occasionally skimming over the small of her back.

Phoenix appeared next to Dakota, making her remember that she too would be flying this mission– hoping to god nothing will happen to her friend. She mouthed a 'Hey' to her, sending a tight lipped smile her way, trying so desperately to fight off the intermingling of her nerves. Dakota reached her hand out, interlacing their fingers together and squeezing tightly. The two of them had never been deployed together so this was a first, but the two of them agreed that it probably won't be the last.