𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐱𝐢𝐢 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫

❝ 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 ❞

































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THE DRIVE BACK HOME WAS QUICK.

The pair was singing and bobbing their heads to the music Bradley was playing from her phone, scrolling through her photo gallery, which was filled with pictures of him, Hulk, and the squad, along with a few of them with the Admiral and Captain.

Looking through these photos got him thinking. Soon, they would all leave to go their separate ways. Everyone would lead a life of their own, slowly drift apart from the connections they made at TOPGUN and make new ones. Probably even find someone to love.

Bradley looked back to Faith who was singing 'If I Could Turn Back Time' by Cher at the top of her lungs, all while driving smoothly down the road, face lit up by the yellow rays of sunshine. Soon, they'd probably go their own ways. Graduation was barely four months away. God, the days were going by fast. You could snap, and it'd be like the day was over.

Pulling into the driveway, Faith hides the flush on her face by turning her head behind to make sure she wasn't bumping into something, her chocolate hair which was down brush against her shoulder.

One palm on the wheel, and the other on the top of the neck rest of the passenger seat, she smoothly twists the steering to the side, parking perfectly.

Faith's fingers brush against Bradley's soft hair as she brings it back to her seatbelt to click it open, she looks into his eyes, finding him already looking at her, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. Her eyebrows furrow in concern, "Hey, you good?" She asks him, leaning closer near him.

Bradley stutters out, eyes blinking rapidly as if he was waving off a dream, "Uh, yea- yeah." He looks down at his lap, catching a glimpse of her phone's background again, and takes a deep breath in and out.

"Come on, let's get you inside." Faith opens the car door, stepping out, before moving on over to his side, opening the door, and giving him her hand to step out. She reaches a hand over his head, protecting him from hitting his head against the car's roof. Bradley puts his hand over her shoulder, leaning against her for support, still wobbly from the heavy painkillers.

Faith reaches into the pocket of her leather brown jacket, bringing out the keys and opening the front door. She slowly helps Bradley inside, as he removes his shoes by the shoe rack, removing his jacket and hanging it on the hanger.

She walks inside, with him still leaning against her, moving towards the coach, where Bradley takes a seat with a grunt. She quickly runs back outside to the car, grabbing all their bags and returning back, placing the bags by the edge of the couch.

Soft paws are heard moving down the steps, and Hulk runs into the room, immediately making his way to Faith.

"Hey, buddy!" A large smile lights up Faith's face, as she falls down to her knees, moving her palm over his soft fur, as he purrs into her touch. The kitten seemed to have gotten bigger since the last time she'd seen him, leaving her to worry, "Jesus, did you grow over night or something, Hulky?" She rubs his belly as he lays on his back, reaching his paws up to her face.

Faith pulls him close to her chest, letting him nuzzle into the crook of her neck, as she walks over to the couch where Bradley was sitting, looking over to her as she walks closer. She folds one leg, and his knee touches hers' as he moves his body to turn to them with a soft smile.

With a comforting smile, Faith looks into Bradley's eyes before looking down at Hulk, giving him her 'angry mom' gaze, making the kitten scowl, already knowing what's coming. "Be nice, okay? I'm gonna change, I'll be, like, five minutes." She looks up at Bradley, before gently placing Hulk on his lap, and jumping up to make her way upstairs to her room to change.

Bradley looks down at the kitten on his lap, who looked up at him with anger in his tiny Egyptian blues. Bradley brushes a hand through Hulk's grey fur, smiling as he felt the kitten melt against him. "What do I have to do to make her feel the same way, buddy?" He shakes his head, leaning against the soft tan couch, closing his eyes, seeing her in the process.

How could he have her?

Would Faith have him? Would she love him? Would she let him hold her? Would she hold him close, like he always wanted her to? Would she hold his hand with a tight grasp, pull him into the salt water and fall against the waves, together?

Bradley winces in pain, having pushed his head back against the couch too hard, heavy waves of stinging passing through where he got stitches. He feels a hand push his shoulders the tiniest bit forward, as Faith places a pillow between his head and the couch, hands brushing through his hair, as she rests him back against it.

She moves her way around the couch, sitting down by his side, side against his. Bradley moves his head to rest on her shoulder, feeling her shift the pillow as he does so. "You should get changed into something more comfortable, Bradshaw." Faith whispers, blinking her eyes down to the kitten in his lap, who shifts off his lap, jumping off to the floor.

"I am comfortable. Right here." Bradley whispers back, opening his eyes and looking at her.

Just then, he realizes he'd never been closer to her than this. Just then he realizes, that there's a bit of blue in her emerald eyes, right around the center. Just then, he realizes how attached they were to each other. Like there was an invisible force pulling them closer to each other.

Gravity.

Always searching for the other whenever they knew the other was around, always sharing fleeting glances, feeling the true depth of the intensity in those short glances. Always around each other, either leaning their heads against the other's shoulder, or their fingers brushing against the other's, the spark never leaving, returning with the same severity every single time.

Lost in the moment, they begin leaning into each other, noses brushing softly. They look into each other's eyes, and they know.

They know that this is what they want. What they need.

But should they do this? What if everything doesn't work out at the end? What if they aren't able to handle being away from each other after graduation? What if they were doomed to leave each other the day after succeeding?

"Bradley..." Faith whispers, breath hot against his flushed face. She moves her hand to hold his face in her hands, bringing him impossibly closer to her, gentle with her movements. He moves his hand to let his fingers brush against her soft skin on her cheek, thumb shifting against her face.

Their lips brush. Faith tilts her head to the side as he rolls his nose against her cheek, planting soft kisses against her warm skin. She moves his face to look back at her, gazing deep in his eyes, before looking down at his lips. Faith shifts her hand to the back of his neck, brushing her fingers through his soft brown curls.

Bradley leans his forehead against hers', touching his nose with Faith's, leaving heavy breaths in and out. They stay like this for a few minutes, eyes closed as they take in each other's warmth, warm breath against their skin. Faith takes a deep breath in, taking in his musky, scent. She feels him lean his head down, pushing into the crook of her neck as he places soft kisses before resting his head there.

Faith moves to lay on the couch, and Bradley follows, resting his body against hers as he listens to her heart beat in a steady rhythm. Her back is flat against the soft pillows, and Bradley lays against her, moving his hands to curl around her waist, as she keeps playing with his hair, softly scratching his scalp. He groans at the feeling, nuzzling his cheek against her collarbone, closing his eyes in bliss.

They lay like this for a while, basking in each other's security and comfort, just the sound of their soft breaths heard in the room.



































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THE SOUND OF THE DOORBELL JERKS THE TWO OF THEM AWAKE.

Extremely comfortable in the spot they were in, Bradley groans in reply. Faith gently opens her eyes, blinking as she remembers what had happened. She shakes Bradley's shoulder gently, moving her hand through his hair in hopes to wake him up and move to check the door.

"Bradley, hey, c'mon, let me get the door." Bradley shakes his head in reply, tightening his arms around her waist, as he nuzzles his nose into her shoulder. Faith barely holds her gasp behind at the feeling.

"Bradley, I swear, if there was someone else living here, I would've yelled for them to get the door, but it's just the two of us, and you just got discharged from the hospital. I promise I'll come back." At the last part, Bradley loosens his grasp around her, and Faith chuckles, slowly shifting from his embrace towards the door.

Opening the door without looking through the peephole, Faith sees Natasha, Jake, Javy, and Reuben standing on the other side of the threshold. Eyes widening in surprise and mouth gaping, Faith asks rather loudly, "What are you guys doing here?" making Bradley sit up at her voice.

"Well, these guys wanted to check on Bradley, but I, I just wanted to be around you, darlin'." Jake gives her his usual smirk, moving closer towards her. Faith just raises her eyebrows in annoyance, pushing the door open for them all to enter. Hangman gives her a quick hug and kiss on the forehead, and Faith slaps the back of his head in return, making him chuckle.

Natasha moves forward next, wiggling her eyebrows at Faith, smirk widening with every passing second. Faith rolls her eyes with a smile, bringing the other woman for a hug. Javy and Reuben move closer next, giving her quick hugs, before moving inside, Faith following them as they all look around her home.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Jake smirks at the sight of Bradley's disheveled appearance. Bradley rolls his eyes at the man, who moves closer to sit by his side, looking to him in actual concern before questioning, "You doin' alright?"

Bradley can barely nod at the concern coming from Jake, looking at him in disbelief. Was it actually Jake sitting beside him?

Maybe he wasn't that bad.

"Uh, what do you guys want? Water, coffee, tequila?" Faith crosses her hands against her chest, smiling at the others.

Soft grey fur brushes against her leg, and Faith looks down, smiling, before picking Hulk up and placing the kitten on Jake's lap. The aviator freezes in his spot.

Everyone laughs at the way Jake just seemed to freeze up, looking down with wide eyes full of terror written in them. His hands are by his side, as if he's surrendering. But Hulk barely spares the man a glance, before curling into a ball on his thigh.

Natasha makes sure to grab a few pictures of Jake's frightened face, making a mental note to send them on their group chat as blackmail material. Javy and Reuben laugh at the pictures Natasha shows them.

"Just a coffee."

"Water's good, thanks."

"Hand the tequila over."

Three separate replies are thrown out into the room, a fourth one missing as Hangman was still looking down with horror at the ball of fur curled up in his lap.

"Uh, Bradley, you want anything?" Faith asks, eyes softening as she shifts her gaze to him, who was looks up at hearing her call his name.

He simply replies, nodding with a soft smile, "Water." And Faith moves into the kitchen, grabbing the required items.

Away from them all, Faith takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and leaning against the counter top.

"So, y'all made out yet?" A voice from behind makes Faith jump, turning to face them, hand on her heart.

"Jesus, Tasha." Faith shakes her head with a smile.

"You guys really should, you know. Everyone's kinda getting broke with all the bets." Natasha shakes her head, grabbing the tequila and pouring it into a cup she grabbed from one of the cabinets.

"Y'all made bets?" Faith furrows her brows as she looks back at Natasha, who leaned against the counter, glass of tequila in one hand, the other supporting herself up.

"Look," Natasha places the empty cup on the counter, looking back at Faith with a pointed look, "Both of you know that you guys share something for each other. Take the chance. Let him in, Fae, 'cuz he's hooked onto you. And clearly, you are too."

With another raise of her eyebrow, Natasha moves out of the kitchen, leaving Faith to think over her words.

He feels the same way. He does. So why couldn't she make a move?

Faith shakes her head out of her thoughts, grabbing the cups for Javy and Reuben, before moving out of the kitchen, handing them the cups. They mutter quick 'thank you's to her.

She sits by Bradley's side, listening as Javy and Reuben bicker over who was hotter, Jennifer Lawrence, or Alexandra Daddario. She shakes at their antics with a smile, unknowingly leaning closer into Bradley's warmth, smiles flooding around the entire room.



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author's note:

WELCOME BACK OR WELCOME TO THE ARCHER!

thank you for choosing this book to read!!

bradley and faith almost kissed, they're starting to realize that other likes them back!!! i can't wait to start writing from tg:m, cuz that's gonna be the best part of the book. so many parallels you guys might get to point out then, stay tuned.

we'll be continuing with the same evening for the next chapter, and back to flying after that!

please do give your opinions about the book so far, i'm always open for suggestions!

love you guys so much, destiny <3.