Bradley was only a little confused. Out of the blue the previous night he had recieved a text from Jake 'Hangman' Seresin, wanting to meet up.

They agreed on Jake bringing food to Bradley's house.

And so that was what was happening.

Bradley sat on his couch waiting on the sound of a vehicle driving up and a knock on his door. He couldn't fathom what Hangman of all people would want to meet up with him about.

Soon the curious knock finally came at the door.

Bradley made his way to the door, not having a clue what would follow this.

"I brought the food." Jake said with a smile as he held up two bags of food.

"Good, cause I am starving."

Jake set the foor out on the coffee table in front of the couch as Bradley grabbed them each a soda from the kitchen.

"So, Hangman, what's this sudden meet up about?" Bradley asked walking back in.

"Jake." Jake corrected between bites of his burger.

"Alright, Jake," Bradley said, his head now more frazzled than before. "What's up?"

"I figured if we are going to be on a squad together permantly I might as well get to know everyone better." Jake reasoned.

"Forgive me for my confusion here Jake," The word still felt foreign in Bradley's mouth. "But that's not exactly in character for you."

"And what do you know of my character?" Jake asked.

"Pretty much what we all know, you are a show boating loner with an ego larger than the Navy's fleet."

"No, that's Hangman's character." Jake corrected. Figuring that being direct was the best way to go about this.

This made Bradley pause before he could take the next bite of his burger.

"Talking about ourselves in third person now?"

"Not exactly, I..." Jake tried to find the words.

"Does this have anything to do with Maverick pulling you aside the other day?" Bradley finally pieced together.

"MavDad gave me some advice, decided to give it a shot." Jake answered honestly, surprised though that Bradley noticed their disappearance.

"What kind of advice did Dad give you? Usually that's more of Pop's department."

"Told me I should try and connect with the squad more. Let them see a little more Jake and a little less Hangman." Jake admitted, if he was going to be direct, might as well go all the way. Maverick said choose a person to focus on and go from there. Bradley seemed to have an in with everyone, so why not start with him. Or atleast that's the logic he was going with.

"So you started with me Bagman?"

"For starters, I don't like being called Bagman."

"Alright, Jake, so you started with me?"

"Figured why not."

"Alright then, I guess we have to get to know each other then."

"How about we start with the deep stuff?"

"The deep stuff?" Bradley gave him a wild look.

"Yea, like, what's your favorite color?"

"Nope, you've stepped over the line there." Bradley shook his head.

"So you've watched Hunger Games?"

"Who hasn't? Great movies."

"Catching Fire was the best."

"Agreed, but you chose to start our opening up to each other with a Hunger Games reference?"

"We each learned something about one another." Jake justified. "But really, what is your favorite color?"

"Hawain print."

"That's not a color, that's a pattern." Jake dead panned.

"Alright Jake, fine then, what's your favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Like your eyes?" Bradley teased.

"No, like the sky."

Only later did Jake realized Bradley had paid attention to his eye color.

"Alright, if we are doing this might as well dive into the deep stuff now that we have passed through the deep stuff gateway of favorite colors." Bradley stated, before contemplating whether to ask his question.

"Out with it, get off your perch Rooster."

"How did you handle everything after you first air to air kill?" Bradley asked softly, looking away for a moment before looking back at Jake in the eyes.

"I feel like Pop's or MavDad might be the better people to ask that quesiton."

"I'm not asking them. I'm asking you."

"Why are you asking me?"

"This whole opening up stuff only works if you answer the questions."

"I know, but I need to know the why before I answer."

"Mav and Ice are too... Close. They practically raised me. I need someone who hasn't known me my whole life and can relate but not them. I just got them back. They can't know my air to air messed with me. I can't jump back into a relationship with them and immeditally trauma dump on them."

"Why not? I met them a few weeks ago and already did."

Bradley's eyes widened.

"You talked to them about it?"

"Yea, you wanted to know how I handled it? I talked to them. Still not perfect with it, but I can sleep without it poping up in my head every night. I have been able to process it. Well as much as you can process something like that."

"I did it saving Mav, but I still had to take a life."

"My first was saving my wingman, my second was saving you and Mav. You can know you saveed your own, but also have to realize to do that you had to kill another. Though they had the intent to kill too. You didn't go out there to kill, you went out there to save."

"You know Jake, I think I can be friends with this version of you. I like you better without the Hangman persona getting in the way."

"I like me better without him in the way too."

---

"Alright Sherlock, what new info do we have to discuss this week?" Natasha asked as she and Bob sat down at a local diner.

They had made it a weekly tradition to make sure they had a night with just the two of them. At first it was just to get to know each other better as Pilot and WSO eventually it turned into two best friends catching up, and of course gossiping about the Squad.

"Hangman and Rooster are totally going to get together." Bob said as he sipped his milkshake.

"Obviously, but they evidently haven't realized it yet. Maverick probably already started the shovel talk when he pulled Jake away the other night." Phoenix agreed taking a sip of her own milkshake.

"When he came back he did suddenly sit next to Bradley instead of standing across the room."

"But even before that they were not so subtly eyeing each other across the room." Phoenix pointed out.

"Honestly, those two are ridiculously oblivious."

"What other info do we have to discuss this week?"

"The rest of the Class of '86 is obviously going to show up soon."

"Definetly, they aren't just going to have 3 show up and no more. It's just a question of when."

"Exacltly, but what's really a question of when is when the rest realize we are together?"

"Nah, they are too oblivous, we are going to have to be obvious to an insane level if we want them to realize."

"I know, Mav literally showed up pictures of his wedding with Ice and you all missed the huge hint." Bob smirked.

"Mav and Ice will figure it out first." Phoenix admitted.

"Probably, but after that it's a coin toss."

"I'm fine with that. I kind of like us as a secret for now." Phoenix added. She liked their relationship the way it was: without any outside pressures. Normally she would tell Bradley about her realtionships are her best friend, but this one she wanted to keep to herself for a while.

"I like to observe more than be the center of attention."

"I know, stealth pilot." Phoenix teased taking Bob's hand across the table.

"You know, you didn't say anything bad when you found out I was your WSO. You instead immediatelyincluded me. None of my other pilots have done that."

"I've gone through a many of WSOs, and you are the first not to mention I was a girl the first time we met. You had my back and I was going to have yours."

---

FLYBOY groupchat

Slider
You guys. There is another IceMav

Merlin
There literally cannot be.

Hollywood
Shush, you didn't have to withness the chomp of '86

Merlin
Yea, but Slider and I had to share a bunk with them for months at a time before they acknowledged it.

Viper
Lets get back to the whole another IceMav thing, because the Navy can't handle two of them. It can barely handle one.

Ice
It's under control

Jester
I trust it even less now

Maverick
No really it is

Sundown
I really don't trust it now

Wolf
Back on topic, it's Baby Goose and Hangman

Merlin
HANGMAN?

Ice
You know him?

Merlin
He served under me for a few months. He could fly, reminded me a bit too much of Maverick

Slider
Yea, and Rooster has his moments where he reminds me a bit too much of Ice

Viper
So we literally have another IceMav

Slider
Yep...

Maverick
We weren't that bad you guys, they are worse

Slider
I didn't see either of them CHOMP at the other

Maverick
You didn't see them on the deck after the mission

Ice
Dare I say they tried to replicate the photo

Maverick
But they hugged instead of shaking hands

Viper
Besides all this, when do I FINALLY get to meet my GrandDaggers?

Ice
Soon
---

"Alright COMPACFLT, you better put a rush on that GrandDagger meeting or Viper will find a way to get back at you." Maverick looked over at Ice as he cooked.

"Oh don't I know it. Knowing him someone still owes him a favor and will just get him up in a jet during a hop without me knowing."

"That would not surprise me in the least."

"How much longer on the spaghetti?" Ice asked looking up from the email he had just finished after multiple pauses to answer the Flyboy groupchat.

"It's basically ready, just need to grab the bowls."

Ice smirked and stoof up and grabbed the bowls from the top shelf, just out of Maverick's reach.

Maverick rolled his eyes but took the bowl and fixed his dinner.

"What do you want to watch tonight?" Maverick asked turning on the TV as he took a seat on the couch.

"National Treasure? They just released a series and I want to rewatch the movies first." Ice suggested.

"Sounds like a plan. We can watch the second one tomorrow then the series."

Ice agreed as he walked in with his own food and a drink for each of them.

As Ice sat the drinks down on the side tables Maverick grabbed the large blanket that was draped over the back of the couch. As Ice sat down Maverick spread it across the two of them before grabbing his bowl of food once more and leaning against his husband.

"I'm glad we get to do this more often." Maverick said softly as he pulled up Disney plus.

"Me too." Ice agreed between bites of food.

Just before Maverick pressed play on the movie Ice spoke up again.

"I have to go on another work trip in a few weeks."

"How long?" Maverick asked. He knew he couldn't be too disapointed, normally it was him being shipped off everywhere.

"A week and a half. It's conference in London."

"When do you leave?"

"Two weeks from tomorrow."

Maverick nodded as he leaned futher into Ice, if that was even possible.

"I know one of the perks of you leading the Squad here was more time together, but they still want meet at all these conferences and meetings."

"I know. I was always the one being shipped off everywhere before this anyway. It was just less obvious because we were both constantly on the move. We already spend more time together than we did before anyway."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I want to leave you."

"I'm sure the kids will keep me busy."

"I'm sure they will."

"We are used to long distance anyway, and this is not even two weeks. We have mastered video chatting."

"That we have."

"Ready to start the movie?"

Ice nodded as they continued to eat their dinner.

Slowly their bowls were put to the side as they cuddled on the couch.

At peace in a way they never thought they would be.

.

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Short but sweet with some plot! Hope you guys enjoyed!! Please let me know your thoughts or if yall have any hopes or suggestions! I love hearing your thoughts!

Also be proud I managed to update again so soon! Because I am proud of myself lol. My schedule is wild and unpredictable.

Figured we need a more lighthearted chapter after the past few.

More fluff coming up but with some plot.