Our story begins on a cold, February day. Cecelia and Bradley finally have time off at the same time and are taking full advantage of that time off.
Cuddling on their couch, a Disney movie playing in the background, Cecelia looks down at their joined hands. Seeing the shine of her new ring gave her such a thrill, just imagining what's to come.
Thinking back on that night, she starts to smile. Bradley glances down, catching the look on her face. "What's got you smiling like that?"
She looks up at him, nothing but adoration in her eyes. "Just remember the night you proposed," she answered, causing a smile to come to his face as well.
That night, two weeks ago, was one neither were likely to forget any time soon. After coming home from a five month deployment, Bradley was more than ready to finally pop the question. Dating for almost 5 years, he had no doubt Cecelia, or Cece as he calls her, was the only one for him.
And while Cecelia has been hoping for a proposal in the future, she wasn't prepared for him to ask as soon as he got home. But that made it all the better. She had had a trying few months, especially with Bradley so far from home.
An unfortunate dance injury had left her with a torn ACL, multiple surgeries, and months of physical therapy to get her strength back up. Doing as much as he could while away, Bradley supported her every step of the way. And she appreciated that more than he would ever know.
Due to this injury, Cecelia was home for a while, and finally having Bradley home at the same time was something she could only get in rare times. His deployments and her shows left them little time to themselves, but when they had it, they used it.
"Have you given any thought to when you want the wedding?" Bradley asks.
"Well, I still haven't stopped thinking I'm dreaming, so not quite," she laughs out. "But I do know it's not going to be until next year. And with award season coming up, all I'm thinking about is making sure Cat doesn't freak out."
"She's got this in the bag, I don't know why she's freaking out so much," Bradley states, having full confidence in Cecelia's best friend.
"Either way, she's gonna be freaking out, so once award season is over, I can fully focus on planning this wedding," Cecelia plans out loud.
Just then, a ding comes from Rooster's phone. Unlocking it, his face goes from curious, to shocked, to determined. Amd Cecelia knows that look all to well.
"What is it?" She asks. "You only just got home."
Bradley just looks at her, a somewhat sad gleam in his eyes. "They want me to report to Miramar as soon as possible," he tells her. "They want me back at Top Gun."
Cecelia lets out a deep breath. "For what exactly? You've done your time there. Came out top of your class too. And you already denied an instructor position"
"All it says is that there is a special detachment the are requesting me for," he answers her. Being part of the Top 1% of Naval Aviators meant he flew some highly dangerous and classified missions.
And those were the ones that scared Cecelia the most. They had just gotten engaged for Christ's sake.
"Well then," she began, "there's no other option. We are going to California."
"We?" Bradley asks. "What do you mean we?"
Cecelia just looks at him. "I'm not involved in any projects until my leg is back to 100% and I've only had you back for two weeks. And from the sounds of this, if they are calling you back to Top Gun, it's a big mission. I knew the risks when we started dating and I'll be damned if I sit back now." She tells him. "So yes, WE are going to California. Because I am with you all the way."
Bradley looks slightly exasperated, but on the inside can't believe just how lucky he's gotten. After everything he's gone through, to find a woman who not only respects the work he does, but actively shows just how seriously she stands by him, is something out of a dream.
"Well I know two things," he looks her in the eyes. "One, pretty positive Phoenix will be there." At this, Cecelia does a little happy dance, looking forward to seeing Natasha again.
"And two?" She asks.
"There is nothing I can't do with you by my side," he says. Even if it one of the most cliche lines he could have said, it was nothing but the truth.
There was no preparing for what was to come, not know what this mission entailed, who else was coming back, or even if he would be coming home alive.
But what Cecelia and Bradley have is written in the stars. Nothing could stop them from coming back to one another, no matter the odds.
Top Gun had better prepare itself, because nothing will come between fate itself.
✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈
Word count: 856
Here we go y'all. Please be kind, I'm not as experienced writing yet, so hopefully this sets the scene for Bradley and Cecelia. They are just a fluffy couple who honestly just want a good chuck of time to themselves, whoops.
ALSO, we need a ship name people. My brain just doesn't want to think about this, I keep getting a block, so any suggestions are welcome. Cecelia's last name is Marcellini, just in case that helps.
See you in the next chapter. Bye!
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
