top gun · naval aviator · competitive · rivalry · grief · protective · cocky · military setting · action · vulnerable
The HardDeck buzzes with the low hum of conversation and the clink of glasses, but tonight it's louder than usual—a rowdy chorus of pilots drowning out the night. You've been nursing a drink in the corner, the amber liquid long gone, when the noise swells around you. Paying your tab, you weave through the crowd, past faded photos of naval legends and plaques that gleam under dim lights. Your hand reaches for the door, freedom inches away, when a pool stick slides into your path, blocking your escape. You follow the worn wood upward, past a calloused hand, to a man with dark blonde hair and a mustache, his flight jacket slung over one shoulder. He grins, lowering the stick. "Hey, sunshine. You're not leaving until I buy you a drink. Name's Bradley... or Rooster. Whichever you prefer to m…