Back to You // Bradley Bradshaw

Chapter Twelve

Haley laid back on Rooster's bed, breathing heavily. She wasn't sure how much time had passed but she knew it was late. She raised a hand to push her hair back out of her face. She looked over at Rooster, who was also on his back. She could see his bare chest rising and falling too. God he was good in bed. She wasn't going to deny that she had missed that. This time, however, there was the added bonus of knowing he was something more to her. Before with their arrangement, they had not been seeing other people either. But it was different in the sense that afterwards, they'd resume normal friend things. Haley wondered now how "normal" things had really been since they'd both put on a mask about how they felt.

"Is Haley Seresin speechless for the first time in her life?" Rooster teased, looking over at her. She was obviously known for being a chatterbox.

"It was adequate." Haley replied, casually. "Average."

"Four rounds is above average, shortcake." Rooster retorted.

"It's not the number of rounds but the pilot. And I don't think it was quite four." Haley replied, scrunching up her nose. She squealed as Rooster rolled so he was hovering above her.

"Exactly." Rooster whispered, leaning down to kiss her. He moved from her mouth, down her neck and to her chest. Haley felt her body shudder underneath him.

    "Okay, okay, okay." Haley said, arching her back. "Great pilot. The best there ever was." She felt him laugh against her and he raised his head back up to hers.

    "Good, your brain still works." Rooster laughed again when he saw her roll her green eyes. "For the record, we're the best. Pilots, partners."

    Haley grinned. "Fuck and fly like winners." They both laughed at that. "Should be the new slogan for Top Gun honestly. We should copyright it."

    Rooster kissed her forehead then rolled back over to the side of the bed he had been on. "Put us on a banner with the quote. Draw in new recruits. Sounds legitimate."

    "It's a plan, Bradshaw." Haley replied, tucking herself under the covers. She realized she didn't bring any other clothes with her. She hadn't anticipated spending the night when they left for the bowling alley. The only pair she had with her were currently in a pile on the floor somewhere. She wasn't sure where his clothes ended up either by the time they got to the bedroom. She hadn't been sure who was ripping clothes off faster, him or her.

    As if reading her mind, Rooster slid out of the bed. He swiped a pair of boxer shorts, but before he could put them on, Haley yelled out, "Nice ass!" He threw a t-shirt at her in response. Haley caught the shirt, laughing. "It is nice. I told you I had exquisite taste, remember?"

    "Yeah, and right afterwards you described Kazansky and he thought that was an in." Rooster answered.

    "Xavier is hot. Anyone with eyes can see that. But he's boyish good-looking. Besides, I'm sort of into older guys." Haley winked at Rooster. He was about four years older than her. If his original papers hadn't been pulled, they wouldn't have ended up in the same year together at the academy more than likely. She often joked about his age, 26 and 30 wasn't a major gap.

    "Let's not talk about how hot your WSO is, especially not while you're naked in my bed."

        Haley sat up and pulled the t-shirt on that he had thrown her. She grabbed her panties from beside the bed and slipped them on. "What?" She asked when she saw Rooster smiling at her. He was back in bed with his boxers on, but had opted out of sleeping in a shirt. Not that it would warrant any complaints from Haley.

    "I like you in my shirt." Rooster told her.

    "Is that so?" Haley asked, repeating the question he often asks her.

    "Very much so."

    Haley crawled back into the bed and scooted next to him. She put her head on his chest. She was close enough that she hooked a leg around his waist. His body was so much longer than hers, that's about where she came to. She traced her finger along his bare chest. She had caught a glimpse of the time and knew she needed to go to sleep. Hours had passed since they had gotten back from the bowling alley. She had an early morning planned, but she was wide awake.

    "Tell me something from your bucket list. Assuming you have one." Haley asked, curious.

    Rooster didn't even seem surprised at the random question. He was probably used to it from knowing here over the last few years. He thought for a moment before answering. "It's not exactly within reason, but throw out the first pitch at a Phillies game." He responded. Haley knew he was a baseball fan. She had seen his high school photos where he had played.

    "Oh it can happen. We'll just do a fly over and parachute down to the game then you can then. They'll be so stunned they'll just allow it. Especially having the first in class from Top Gun with you." Haley told him, meaning herself.

    "Unless I'm first in our class." Rooster challenged and Haley just shook her head as if that was absurd. It could be anyone. Everyone there was the best of the best.

    "What about you? What's one thing you want to do?" Rooster asked, stroking her hair.

    "Don't laugh, okay?" Haley said, tilting her head up to see his face. That question alone made his lips quiver like he wanted to laugh. She was sure he was bracing himself if she was giving a preface like that to her answer. You rarely knew what random bit of information she was going to spout off. "Promise? Or I'll smack that mustache right off your face." That did make him laugh and he finally collected himself. Haley even smiled a little.

    "Promise." Rooster finally said.

    "I have always wanted to do the lift from Dirty Dancing." Haley looked up again at her boyfriend. He, like most people who knew her well, had the knowledge that it was her favorite movie. She was obsessed with eighties movies, Dirty Dancing and Footloose in particular.

    Rooster didn't say anything and Haley wondered if it was because he was trying to hold in laughter. She knew how ridiculous it sounded. She studied his face but he didn't seem amused, more like he was in thought. He sat up from the bed, moving her off him. "It's not that lame, come on." Haley said, watching him walk over to a shelf in his room. He picked up his phone and she saw him connecting it to a speaker. She tilted her head, "What are you doing, Bradshaw?"

    "Get up, Baby." Rooster commanded as "The Time of my Life" came on the speaker. Between the use of the song and Jennifer Grey's character's name, Haley's jaw dropped and she sat in place for a moment. She finally threw back the covers and ran to the other side of the room. Thankfully his room appeared big enough to make such an attempt. She felt extremely giddy, like this was fulfilling some life long wish.

    "Are you sure we have room?" Haley asked, suddenly not wishing to be slammed into anything.

    "You trust me, right?" Rooster answered, and Haley nodded. He skipped up the song to the part that had the lift, with enough seconds left to hit the moment right. Rooster nodded at Haley. She took off lightly running toward him, and jumped. Rooster caught her, lifting her by her hips into the air. There was plenty of room considering the room had raised ceilings, and Haley opened her arms. She couldn't stop smiling even if she tried. That may be the hottest thing any guy had ever done for her. Rooster lowered her down and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

    "You're the best, Bradley Braddock Bradshaw." Haley said, purposely using another Brad name, which definitely wasn't his middle name.

    "Not my middle name, Hales." Rooster told her, knowing she knew that. They looked at each other for a moment, like they both had more to say but neither spoke.

    Haley stroked his cheek, feeling one of his facial scars underneath her thumb. He'd been in a pretty bad car accident when he was 20, and was left with a few scars as a result.

    "You are the best though." Haley whispered as the song finished out.