•clueless•

•18•

"Here's the keys if you wanna get in." Rooster fishes the keys out of his jacket pocket, handing them to me. "Got it." I nod, leaving him and Maverick to talk, presumably about the upcoming mission.

Sliding into the Bronco's passenger seat, I closed the door behind me. Bradley and Maverick stood a few feet away from the car, arms crossed and everything.

Bradley shortly nods, bidding a goodbye to Maverick before beginning to join me in his truck. Reaching over, I opened the car door from the inside for him.

"You alright?" I asked, watching him slide into the drivers seat. "Mhm." He nods, shutting that conversation down as he starts up the truck. Nodding, I crossed my legs and looked out the window at my mom's neighbors as he pulled out of her driveway.

The two of us stayed silent for a few minutes as we drove towards Rooster's place, the only sound between us was the radio playing some pop song.

"Rae." His voice breaks the silence. "Yeah?" I continue watching the scenery go past.

"If anything happens to me, I want you to have everything of mine."

My eyes widen as I look over at him. Everything? As in his truck, everything?

"What?" Is all I could get out. He glances over at me as I completely turn in my seat to look at him. "I'm serious, Rae. If something happens to me on this mission I have it in writing I want to leave everything to you. It's not technically official but it's-." He explains.

"Nothing is going to happen to you. But if this is what you really want, then sure." I nod, watching the way his curls flutter in the wind. He was truly gorgeous, everything about him was intoxicating.

"This is what I want. I don't have anyone else. My parents are both gone and I don't have any kids, other than my friends you're all I have." He sighs, glancing over at me briefly. With his words, I could feel my heart sink. He's been through so much shit in his life, and yet he's still one of the sweetest guys I've ever known.

Scratch that, he is the sweetest guy I've ever known.

"I'm sorry, B." I sigh, gently picking up his free hand to press a quick kiss on the back of his hand. "It's alright." He nods, dropping my hand to shift gears before interlacing our fingers again.

•••

"I wanna show you something." Bradley joins me in his bedroom as I brushed through my damp hair. "Hm?" I hum, watching him set down a large box on his bed.

"Pictures." He beams, opening the container before pulling out several picture books. I had to admit, the container was perfectly organized.

"Is that baby you?" I tease, gently pointing at a picture sticking out of a book. "Mhm. I was adorable." He sits down next to me, opening a picture book.

"What happened?" I joke, scooting closer to him so I can see. He sends me a playful glare before showing me the first page. "Awe, baby Bradley had blond hair." I tease, playfully nudging him.

In the picture, a young Bradley was in a man's arms who looked exactly like him.

"Is that your dad?" I ask, examining the picture. The man had aviators on and was in a flight suit. His smile was identical to Rooster's.

"Lieutenant Nicholas 'Goose' Bradshaw." He beams. "Goose and Rooster?" I smile, setting my brush down on his nightstand before letting him show me all these memories for him.

"The Bradshaw boys." He smiles, pointing to a picture of him in his fathers arms in a cowboy hat. Beside his dad was my own, along with two women. One of them was basically hanging off of Maverick. "Is that your mom?" I ask, pointing to the woman beside him in the picture. "Sure is. She was beautiful." He traces her facial features using his index finger. "She was. I'm sure they're both smiling down at you right now." I smile, laying my head on his shoulder.