"Good try, Bob!" Haley called after poor Bob had yet to knock down any pins. She wasn't doing much better and they had taken up sanction together in their failure. It was all good fun anyway, neither of them were bothered by it. She looked up at the scoreboard and the leaders were Rooster, Fanboy and Phoenix. Blaze and Payback followed shortly behind them. They entered their callsigns on the screen.
"Maybe we should just Grease 2 it next time?" Haley suggested and Bob looked confused. "Squat down and roll it. In the bowling scene with Score Tonight."
"Not everyone has poor taste in movies like you do, Hurricane." Blaze commented, laughing.
"My taste is just fine. I have exquisite taste in all things." Haley replied, with a shrug. "Especially men. You know, blonde, clean shaven, blue eyes." She glanced at Rooster. She had just described the opposite of him to mess with him. Since Phoenix and Bob were the only two who knew, they hadn't been showing any display of affection all evening. That was one downside to the secret bit, there were times she wanted to be out in the open with him.
"Is that so?" Rooster asked, picking up his bowling ball. He passed by Haley on his way to go bowl on his turn. "Sounds questionable to me. Looks like Kazansky over there, and you could do better." Haley hadn't realized it but the description she had given fit Blaze. Which definitely wasn't her type. She was looking at hers right in front of her.
Rooster sent his ball off, getting a strike. He turned around with a smirk at Haley. She both loved and hated when he looked at her like that. "Your turn, shortcake." Rooster stepped aside so she could go up there. He still lingered near where Haley was rather than going to sit down again.
Haley picked up her ball off the rack. She began to walk forward when Blaze walked up behind her. "Let me show you. You're throwing it wrong. You can't chunk it out there." He told her, putting his hands on her arms to try to position her better. She felt comfortable with it because she trusted Blaze. She had to, he was her eyes and ears in the back of the plane. His hands slipped down to her waist, "And don't lean over so much." Haley, not too different from Bob, was leaning out and chunking the ball. Bowling was a sport she'd never cared for or understood.
"Okay that's enough, Kazansky." Rooster interrupted as he walked closer. Haley turned around to look at him when she heard him speak up. Oh God. She thought. She thought back to a few weeks ago when he had talked to her about Blaze being into her. Haley really didn't think that, but was she wrong? She'd had guy friends all through her life and never thought any differently with him. She was now wondering if she had been wrong about this particular one.
"I'm just trying to help her." Blaze argued and did not budge. Rooster stepped closer to him, the guys were both at the same height. Something about Rooster looked more intimidating though.
"I won't ask twice. Get your hands off my girlfriend." At that, Blaze did drop his hands. He looked at Haley, confused, then at Rooster and back at Haley.
Haley looked at Blaze, and glanced at the others. Fanboy and Payback didn't look like they'd heard the exchange, and if they did, they didn't care. They were occupied on whatever was on Fanboy's phone. Haley turned her attention back to Blaze. "What's he talking about?" Blaze asked Haley. He almost seemed hurt. Haley wasn't sure if it was Rooster's theory that Blaze was into her, or that she didn't share something important with him.
"We're dating. It's still new.....but we've been together before. It's sort of complicated. We weren't telling anyone right now." Haley answered. "Otherwise I would have told you. But it wasn't relevant to work. I'm sorry this is how you found out. It was just going to be between Rooster and me for now." She was a little frustrated that was how it happened. She glanced at Rooster but he did not seem bothered. He looked like a dog that had just won a pissing contest.
Blaze finally nodded. "I'm just surprised." He said, "But we're good. If I had known I wouldn't have....." He trailed off. Haley realized then Rooster had probably been right. She felt bad that she hadn't seen it, or if she had accidentally led Blaze on over the time they had known each other. "And I won't say anything." He added. Haley trusted that he wouldn't. She hoped this didn't change their flying relationship. He was the best WSO she'd had, and he was a good friend.
"But do please show her how to bowl. It's embarrassing." Blaze told Rooster, lightening the mood up some. He still seemed a little hurt but Haley couldn't change what had happened. She was relieved for the subject change.
Rooster stepped toward her but Haley stepped back. "I am good. I don't need any one helping me. I don't need the cliché boyfriend arms around me to show me scene." She said, though she did like his arms around her. "Godspeed!" She sent her ball off down the lane. She didn't overthink it this time like she had been. She hit a few pins finally. She jumped up and cheered.
"You've got one more turn, and could be a spare." Rooster said, retrieved her ball from the rack. He handed it to her. She walked up to the lane and concentrated. She raised the ball and then threw it. It had a little bit of a spin to it as it flew down the lane and by some miracle hit the last pin.
"Oh my God!" Haley screamed, "Did you see that?!" She jumped up in the air toward Rooster and he caught her by the waist, picking her up. She had her arms wrapped around his neck. "I have never been more proud in my life." She cheered, jokingly. She had never been a fan of bowling, it just wasn't something she had connected with. Despite the incident with Blaze, they'd had a fun evening. "Are you sure you saw my awesome hit?" She asked Rooster.
"I assure you that I 100% saw my girl destroy that last pin." Rooster assured her with a grin. He kept his voice low when he said it so she was the only one who heard.
Haley wanted to kiss him, but knew that was essentially breaking her rule. Rooster looked like he was thinking the same thing, and he'd almost blown it already. He sat her back on the ground as the game ended.
"At least one of us finally hit something." Bob commented as he gave Haley a high five.
"Don't worry, we'll slaughter them at laser tag or something next time." Haley grinned and Bob returned the smile with a nod.
"Anyone up for another round?" Phoenix asked once their game was over.
"I think we're gonna head out." Rooster answered and shot Haley a look. She read his expression and immediately nodded.
"Give 'em hell Bob, I believe in you!" Haley said, with a wave. She removed the awful bowling shoes and put hers back on. She walked with Rooster to return them. "Think Blaze will keep his mouth shut?" She asked him. She put her shoes up on the counter and Rooster did as well.
Rooster shrugged, "Probably. I don't see what he'd have to gain by saying anything. One, it isn't like it's some scandal. And two, I don't think he'd do that to you. You've flown together for a while and that relationship is tight." He said, "I think it's fine. Minus his feelings. I told you he wanted in your pants." At this Haley rolled her eyes.
"Okay, okay. Maybe you were right. I just didn't see it." Haley replied. She usually picked up on things like that, but to be fair, her brain had been occupied on someone else for a while.
"Of course you didn't see it. Why would you when this was in front of you?" Rooster remarked, waving his hand over his body. "Otherwise your vision would need to be checked, shortcake." He grabbed her and picked her up onto his shoulders as they walked to the his car.
"Shortcake no more! I'm queen of the world up here!" Haley shouted, attracting the attention of a family heading inside the bowling alley. "Where are we headed now, Bradley Bradshaw?" She asked, then started laughing. "I can't believe your first and last name both have Brad in them. Brad Squared. Double Brad. Brad-" She cut off as Rooster pulled her down from his shoulders when they reached his car.
"Finished yet?" Rooster asked, amused.
"You should get a dog and name it Braddock Bradshaw. Keep the Brads going," Haley said, "Or Bradburne Bradshaw-" Rooster covered her mouth with his hand.
"OrBradan." Haley continued, muffled beneath Rooster's hand. He took it away and she just smiled at him.
"I'd ask my parents about the name, but you know," Rooster told her and Haley felt bad thinking about how he didn't have either parent. When he saw her face, he started laughing. "I'm fucking with you, Hales." He said as they both climbed in the car. He opened the door for her as usual, something that always made her smile.
"Fuck you and your dark humor." Haley mumbled and he just laughed.
"Do you want to come over tonight?" Rooster asked her after starting the car.
Haley looked over at him. "Abso-fucking-lutely."
Rooster shook his head, laughing at her as they pulled out of the parking lot.
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Author Note
Thank you to everyone has been reading along! This is my first fic to publish and it's been a fun ride. I have a lot of feels coming in the next few chapters and can't wait to share. :) I also wanted to side note, that I did adjust the ages some from the canon timeline. In Top Gun: Maverick, Rooster would be about 38-40 depending what year it takes place based off the first movie (whether the intended 2020 release or actual 2022 release). So I brought that down a bit for the story here. Happy reading! <3