Her numb fingers gripped the hard ice pack tighter, placing it against her bruised and busted knuckles once more. A small hiss fell from her lips, the coolness of the pack somewhat soothing her pained nerves.

She didn't mean to punch Hangman more than once. . . Just kind of happened when she started seeing red, the words that spilled from his mouth only egging her on more. She wanted nothing that to ruin his face. But before she could 'mess him up' (as she would put it), Rooster placed his hands on her waist, pulling her back against his chest as she fought his grip on her.

The sound of a door closing made her snap her head up, a sigh from Cyclone as he sat down, placing his elbows on his desk, a disappointed look on his face. "What were you thinking?" His surprisingly calm voice asked. Dakota inhaled, readjusting as she leaned forward in her seat, "I wasn't." She stated plainly, knowing damn well it wasn't a reasonable excuse. He pressed his lips into a thin line, "Lieutenant, I have given you many chances before, but this?"

She felt her heart pounding in her injured knuckles, "I know– It's just he was insulting my flying. Saying I didn't know sh-" "Dakota," Cyclone firmly said, stopping her from rambling which he knew was coming. "I'm well aware of that," She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "And although I know you handle it quite well usually, this is just over the line."

A lump in her throat, as she forced a swallow, "I'm not," she breathed, "You're not discharging me from the detachment are you sir?" A beat of silence thick in his office. The sound of the analog clock on the wall ticking, itching her brain tauntingly. Her leg bounced nervously, grip on the solid ice pack becoming deathly. "No. With what Captain Mitchell has told me, you are a crucial value to this mission." A sigh of relief left her tense lips as she leaned back in her chair.

Dakota pressed her lips into a thin line as she watched him flip through her file, his eyebrows raising slightly before clasping his hands together in front of him on the desk. "All I ask, Lieutenant Jones, is that you no longer punch anymore pilots." A small smile played at his lips, a chuckle from him. A small scoff followed by a toothy grin, "I make no promises, sir. Am I dismissed?" She stood up from the chair, taking a couple of steps towards his desk. He blew a huff, before leaning down and digging through one of his drawers, pulling out a small cloth and handing it to her, "For the ice pack, so it won't be so unbearably cold." Dakota took it hesitantly, wrapping it around the pack and placing it back on her knuckles.

"Now you are dismissed, Lieutenant."

She stepped through the door of his office, gaze settling on the various photos that were hung on the wall across. "What were you thinking?"

Dakota snapped her head to the older man, rolling her eyes as she walked the opposite way of him, "You just risked our entire fleet. Let alone this mission-" "And who are you to tell me? You heard what he was saying, and you didn't do shit." Her long strides trying desperately to lose him within the halls of the base, "Dakota-" She turned around quickly, the evening sun shining behind her through the glass doors of the exit. "You could've stopped that long before it escalated up to that point, sir." "I'm not the one who chose to punch a fellow Lieutenant!"

A beat.

Her chest rose up and down, as she was filled with something that mirrored anger. Hangman's words echoed in her brain; it was one thing for Rooster to call her a shit pilot, given that she could fuck him and he'd shut up. But it's the fact that Hangman uttered those words. Was that how everyone else saw her?  Her eyes met Maverick's a look of sympathy on his aged features as he watched her.

A small smile broke out on her lips, followed by quiet laughter. The Captain watched her, a smile of his own as her walked towards her slowly, "I can't believe I punched him." She muttered as Maverick pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her as she breathed in his familiar scent, something that has soothed her emotions ever since she was in the academy. "In my defense, it was enjoyable to watch." The both soaked in each others embrace, standing near the exit of the base.

They pulled away, she took her aviators off from atop her head and placed them on the bridge of her nose. "Well Mav as lovely as this interaction has been, I must head home. I need to wash the feeling of everything off." He placed a kiss on her forehead, "Okay kid, just please don't make me almost lose my job again." She smiled, as she made her way through the glass doors.

She stepped foot on the asphalt, making her way towards her motorcycle. Before she could even throw her leg over to straddle her seat, an unforgettable Ford Bronco pulls up next to her, the sound of the roaring engine making her turn her head towards the car.

A smirk on her lips as she walked up to the passenger door, folding her arms over the rolled down window. "Mhm the memories I have in this car," she pulled her aviators down the bridge of her nose, looking around the inside of the vehicle, her eyes purposefully never meeting the driver's. "Get in." Bradley's firm voice said.

She snapped her gaze to him, his hands flexing along the top of his thighs as his veins were visible, his legs spread apart in the seat, his chest rising up and down with his deep breaths. "Nah I think I'm good out here, Bradshaw." She leaned more of her weight on the passenger door. She loved when he was like this.

He turned his head, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek, nostrils flared, "Get in the car, Dakota." God the way her name fell from his lips had her knees weak. She uncrossed her arms, her smirked faltering as his eyes met hers. The sound of the door unlocking as she followed his fingers as he pressed the button. Her hand grabbed the handle and opened the door, sliding into his car as he rolled up the window.

They were placed in the back of parking lot of the base; she chose to park back here given the fact that the last time she parked at the front a large scratch was indented on the body of her motorcycle. They sat without saying a word to each other. The soft hum of the stereo saving them from the awkwardness of the silence.

The golden hues from the sun shining on the two of them through the windshield, she turned her head to look at him, his features seemingly looking heavenly to her, the beat in her chest fluttered.

No matter how much the two of them 'hated' each other, she could never fully shake what happened between the two of them those few years ago. Yes, they started the 'just sex' agreement back in their Top Gun days, yet as their year went on, the more. . . intimate it became? Surly it must've been all in her head, the silent moments after they came down from that euphoric cloud, his electric touch trailing down her arm as he traced patterns along her arm, making her heart absolutely soar with emotions that she refused to come to terms with. But it was the memories of the two of them that didn't involve sex. The nights when he would come over and she would just collapse in his arms after a particularly hard day she had at Top Gun. And he would just hold her, wrap his arms around her waist and pull her into his body, the sound of his heartbeat soothing her nerves.

The sound of him breathing deeply, she hesitantly looked over at him, "What you did back there, was-" "Stupid. Trust me I'm well aware." She leaned her back up against the door, crossing her legs in her seat, her body facing his. "It's just I got so tired of hearing him run his fucking mouth, talking down on you," She moved her gazed to his lap, where he played with the ring around his middle finger, "And then when he started doing the same to me I just sorta lost it." She watched as his hand moved slowly to rest on the center console, his fingers twitching slightly.

Her breath hitched in her throat slightly at the movement, "And like when he started mentioning your dad." Her voiced wavered ever so slightly.

Dakota had her had laid on his lap, her fingers playing with his large hand which dwarfed her waist, almost covering the whole of her stomach. His other was twirling the unruly tendrils of  her curls around his fingers. The television in front of them hummed to life with the moving pictures of a Star Wars movie playing. "Hey Brad?" Her soft voice questioned, her throat slightly dry out of nervousness. "Yeah sweetheart?" Her heart beat heavily in her chest at the nickname, her stomach lightly erupting in butterflies. His eyes trailed over the soft angles of her tanned face.

"So it's more than okay if you don't wanna talk about it; but what happened with your dad? Your mom mentioned something about him the other night but I didn't wanna pry."

She felt him tense up below her, him inhaling deeply as the hand in her hair stopped, and the hand on her stomach flattened against her skin, flexing slightly. He tapped a finger along her hipbone, signaling her to get up. Dakota leaned up, sitting next to him, their shoulders brushing.

Her eyes watched as he darted his tongue out to wet his trembling lips, "He was in the Navy when I was born; an aviator, back seater for Maverick. I grew up around him, would always come and visit him when he was in Top Gun with my mom." He inhaled deeply, she grabbed his hand in hers and interlaced their fingers, as he squeezed it ever so lightly, "Until one day they were on a mission and got caught in some jet wash, engine failed," His voice quivered slightly. "And they went down, Mav told him to eject so they did, and he got launched into the canopy, breaking his neck and killing him instantly."

A single tear fell down his cheek, he wiped it away quickly with the hand that wasn't enveloped in hers. She squeezed his hand tightly, her lips set in a thin line as she watched him. Her heart clenching as she watched the man she had slowly fallen for, try not to break down.

He looked down at their hands, sighing heavily; as she swung a leg around his thighs. She brought his knuckles up to her lips, placing chaste kisses on each one of his lightly bruised joints. She let go of his hand, as his large palms rested on her thighs, his thumb rubbing circles into her skin.

Dakota threw her arms around his neck, pulling their torsos together as her face settled in the space between his jaw and neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing in her scent. Her heart soared at the sheer fact that he opened up to her, and his taking comfort in her embrace. She places a small kiss on his neck before she pulled away, placing her small hands on his cheeks, her thumb wiping away the dainty tears that fell down his cheeks. Her gaze was focused on his eyes, "Thank you for telling me." She smiled lightly at him.

Bradley's lips tugged into a small smile following hers, "And thank you for listening." His hands still rested around her waist.

He looked over at her, watching as she played with her fingers in his lap, purposefully doing anything in her power not to meet his gaze. "I couldn't help myself. Had to shut him up somehow." He smiled lightly, his hand on the center console still there as his fingers flexed lightly. "Either way," Her abnormally shy eyes met his, as he turned in his seat to face her, "Thank you."

Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, pulling her lips in a thin line before nodding her head, "Is that it Bradshaw?" No matter how close the two of them used to be, now, she felt uncomfortable being emotionally open with him after that night.

PAIGE SPEAKS

HELLOOOOOOO TO THE RELATIONSHIP OF BRADLEY AND DAKOTA

swear writing this was KLJNFVIJNEIJN going into her mind to pull out the emotions that she felt/feels it was so fun

hope you guys enjoyed the softer side of them, it won't last long lolz

LASTLY what do we think of my new rooster book???? HELLA excited for that. ALSO thank you for 70k reads... thats unbelievable.

OK LAST THING I SAEAR fire for you chap 2 posted right after this!! go read NEOWWWWW