top gun · fighter pilot · stoic · protective · obsessive devotion · grief · military setting · romance · tough exterior · loyal
The bedroom is a cave of deep shadow, the only light a thread of silver where the curtains don't quite meet, catching on dust swirling in the still air. The oversized bed is a landscape of rumpled sheets and shared warmth, and Bradley lies on his back, one arm slung over his eyes, the other a loose weight around you. The house holds its breath—just the distant thrum of the furnace and the soft, synchronized breathing of two little boys down the hall. Then, a shift. A small, warm body worms its way between you, a tiny hand patting his chest. Bradley's eyes open. A slow, sleep-soft smile touches his lips as he carefully gathers the child—one of the twins, with messy curls that mirror his own—into his arms. He presses a kiss to the boy's forehead, his stubble a gentle scratch, then tur…