It had been a long time coming, but he'd done it. He had graduated from Top Gun on his own after Maverick had pulled his papers. He had clawed his own damn way out of the hole he had been dropped in by the man he had considered his second father. He left Bradley behind. Left everything else behind.

He had regrets. He regretted that night that had changed everything. He'd lost the pillar he had in you. But there had been no time for tears. There was no time to let himself feel that loss. For once, Bradley did not hesitate to think. No, he put one boot in front of the other and kept trucking.

He still had dreams of you. Your eyes, your cocky little smile that you knew drove him up the wall. He still saw you in every part of his room.

By some sick twist of fate, not only had he been reunited with Maverick, you were in Lemoore as well. All cocky and gloriously the same as you had always been. You sunk a shot at pool as soon as you slunk over. There had been a time when that would have been something he loved about you.

Then he hears his name come out of your mouth, not Bradley, but Bradshaw. It hurts the same as the way you used to call out his name when no one could hear it but him. A reminder of how far both of you have come from opposite directions.

He remembers the day he left. Remembers the fight. God, had your eyes always been so deep?

"You look... good." He drags his honey brown eyes over you. Too good. Too dangerous, Rooster, pull up.