FLYBY (b. bradshaw)

𝙏𝙒𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙔-𝙎𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙉

The alarm clock started going off at 3:30. I'd already been up for an hour, sitting on the patio, staring out at the ocean.

I'd woken up at two, after Bradley had carried me home and I'd thrown up every bit of alcohol I'd consumed. Sleep was far off, and I knew it would never come.

"L?" Bradley asked, groggily as he stepped onto the patio with me. He was in just his boxers, his hair slightly tousled. Sleep was still into the corner's of his eye. "How long have you been up for?"

I didn't look at him, just keeping my eyes focused on the waves. The memories of last night flashed before me, the way Bradley had kissed me. "Since two, there's coffee on the pot, if you'd like some, and the shower's all yours."

He nodded and sat down beside me. I scooted closer to him, leaning up head against his shoulder. Neither of us dared to break the peace. I don't think either of us wanted too.

"There's cupcakes in the fridge." Not a question, a statement.

"Yes," Bradley answered with a smile. "And white lilies on the table. 27 of them."

"Thank you." I breathed in his scent. The warm coffee mug warmed my freezing hands. Smoke lifted into the air. "We should go to Texas."

"What?"

I glanced up at Bradley's, tipping my head backwards. "After this mission, Jamie, you and me should go visit your ranch."

"Okay," Bradley said, smiling brightly. "I like that idea."

I pulled away from him, setting the coffee on the corner of the table in front of us. "You have to leave, don't you, to go pack?"

"No," he shook his head. "My bags in the car, I packed everything last night before dinner, cleaned up my room and my part of the house."

I mustered a smile, the light in his eyes fading. "I'm going to see Jamie, and Grammy. Amelia and Penny stopped by last night."

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked, leaning forward with me. We both glanced at the other at the same time.

"Yes," a breath in the darkness around us. I spoke the words I'd been dreading to say, "If- if I don't make it back, I want you to be the one to tell them, Jamie and my grandmother. I wrote letters, for a few people, will you be sure they get to those people, if something happens?"

"No," I wasn't sure I'd heard him correctly until he continued, "I'm not going to promise you that, because you're going to make it back."

I got off of the ratty couch and started to pace, my loose sweatpants hugging my hips. "It's better to be prepared, Brad, just, please, promise me you'll do it?"

"Fine, but you have to make me a promise."

"Okay."

"When we get back, this," he gestured between us. "Doesn't stop, whatever happens on that mission, we have each other, okay?"

"Brad," his name was soft as I spoke it. "One of us isn't going to make it back, and you know damn well it's going to be you, if anyone."

"You have a family, Lilah, people who care about you, who need you." Bradley said, frustrated. "Nobody needs me, I'm alone in this world."

"I need you."

Bradley got up and walked over to me at the word's, pulling me into his arms. "Then you're the only one."

I felt him kiss my lightly on the head as I wrapped my arms around him. The word around us was dark, so still and quiet. It was just us, and that was perfectly okay with me.