Work Text:
Jake adjusts his cufflinks once, then twice, and then three times before Javy is walking over and fixing them for a last time. Equally strong hands grip Jake’s own, and he looks up to meet Javy’s gaze, knowing he looks like he’s about to vomit all down his suit. Too bad it’s too gorgeous. They paid too much money for Jake to throw up all over it. All white and pristine with a Navy blue tie and a pretty Navy blue flower that Jake didn’t know the name of.
He almost wore his whites, but he figured Bradley probably wouldn’t want him to. Everyone else was already wearing them, so why should Jake match? He also wasn’t sure if it was appropriate for the party being wedded to wear their uniforms at all. He swallowed down some bile and decided he needed to brush his teeth one more time before the ceremony.
“No.” Javy suddenly said, breaking him out of his trance. Jake’s eyes flickered up confusedly, head cocking to the side. Did he say that out loud?
“I already know what you’re thinking. Here.” Javy slipped a circular container out of his sleeve, and Jake almost cackled when he saw it. It was half nicotine pouches, half mints, both things that Jake needed for today. God, he loved his best man.
“You take your disgusting nicotine first, then the mint, and you get your shit together because we ain’t got time for you to get cold feet.” He teased, watching close as Jake popped the pouch into his mouth, letting rest between his upper lip and his gums.
“Jake Stherethin du’th not get cold theet.” Jake muffled out, taking the container from Javy and sliding it into his back pocket. He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. He was already feeling a little less anxious. He loved Javy for knowing when to time things. Specifically like giving Jake his nicotine pouch forty-five minutes before the ceremony so it had time to take its course and he had time for the mint to keep him fresh.
“Yeah, yeah.” He sighed, clapping Jake on the shoulder. He glanced over said shoulder, his lips pulling into a smirk. “You’ve got company. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Javy let his hand rise and Jake quickly stilled, refusing to turn his body around.
“Bradshaw, we can’t see each other, it’s back luck.” He said frustratedly, having said this multiple times during the rehearsal dinner despite Bradley’s pleas to get ready together.
“Good thing he’s in a different building getting ready, then.”
Jake whipped his body around, a chill going down his spine when he saw Maverick. Fuck, he understands the COMPACFLT so well. Not that he’s lusting after his soon-to-be-husband’s godfather, but… he understands.
Pete Mitchell stood there in all his glory, and his dress whites were just perfect on him. Not in a ‘wow, sexy’ way, but in a ‘wow, he was meant for this’ way. Jake was originally a little bit irritated that everyone else was wearing white while he was also wearing white, which prompted Bradley to call him bridezilla.
Bradley ended up on the couch for two hours that night.
“Sir.” Jake swallowed, the nicotine pouch suddenly doing nothing for him.
“Jake,” Maverick snorted, shaking his head. “I am basically about to be your father-in-law. You can get away with it when it comes to me, but call Tom that, and he’ll rip you a new one.”
Maverick approached slowly, looking Jake over. He sniffed, and Jake swore his eyes were glassier than normal, and if Maverick was about to start crying then Jake would never get through his ceremony.
“You here to shovel talk me, then?” Jake asked hoarsely, fists clenching to avoid messing with his cuffs. Maverick shook his head.
“I.. no.” He huffed out a gentle laugh, and gestured to the couch and random chairs that he’d stolen from the original Bradshaw residence when it was up for sale.
Maverick’s hangar was an interesting choice for Jake to get ready in, especially since it had more memories for Bradley to remember than Jake, but Jake supposes that’s why Bradley insisted. So that Jake could see his life, too.
Jake sat down stiffly, watching as Maverick unscrewed the cap to his U.S. Navy flask. His eyes focused on the anchor and the rope around it, trying to distract himself. He didn’t break until Maverick was leaning over, trying to offer Jake a sip.
“I promised Bradley I wouldn’t break my sobriety streak until after the ceremony.” He frowned.
“I know, kid. It’s water. You think I wasn’t sent here with orders?” Maverick grinned, and Jake took the flask.
He sipped for a long while until he remembered it wasn’t his, and extended his arm out to hand it back over. Maverick just shook his head.
“Give it back after the ceremony. You need it more than I do. Plus, there’s water bottles under the chairs outside.”
Jake flopped back and groaned, itching to run his hand through his hair. Bradley really meant it when he said he had thoroughly planned everything. Unfortunately for Jake, he had been deployed during almost all their scheduled wedding planning. He trusted Bradley, though.
“He’s excited.” Maverick finally said, breaking the silence. “Buzzing all morning. He and Natasha did a shot of something, one of those energy things, and he’s off the walls.”
Jake smiled softly, imagining it. Bradley going up to every person in the room, telling them that he’s the groom and he’s getting married to someone who is also the groom and they’re getting married out on the strip at an airport because they’re both pilots but Jake just recently got promoted and Jake had to line his leave up with the wedding meanwhile Bradley was still stationed with the squadron in San Diego and occasionally some of them would go on special detachments but they all ran incredibly important courses at Top Gun now and—
“Kid, breathe.” Maverick said suddenly, and Jake hadn’t been aware he was beginning to hyperventilate until he said it. Jake took a few deep breaths and nodded, shaking out his hands.
“I just hope today is good for him. Great. Amazing. Everything he’s hoped for, you know?” Jake said finally, his fingers tapping away on his knees.
“Funny. He said he’s focused on making today the best day for you.” Maverick mused, leaning back against his chair.
Jake’s heart fluttered.
“Today will continue to be the best day of my life if I can make it to 1930 without throwing up.” Jake hummed.
“I think you’ll do just fine considering that it’s 1920.”
Jake froze, and the urge to throw up came rushing back. Had twenty-five minutes really gone by that fast? Oh God. Jake gripped to his slacks and stood up, and Maverick rushed to his side when he almost fell down.
“Easy, easy,” Mav cooed, coaxing him to sit down again. Jake heard a click, and then heard Maverick say:
“Javy, bring some water and the bucket for the LCDR.”
“Walkie-talkies?” Jake blurted out, and he would’ve been more appalled if he wasn’t nauseous as fuck. “Did you just call him Javy?”
It was so much. Apparently, while Jake was gone, everyone had gotten better at using names rather than callsigns. Well, Maverick preferred that over Captain Mitchell, so he stuck to it, but everyone else had started using their names. It set Jake behind, and he wasn’t quite caught up yet.
“Not important right now, Jake.” Maverick squatted in front of him, and suddenly all four of his groomsmen poured into the hangar. Maverick stood up, hands on his hips and stepping back.
“Jake,” he called out as he moved to leave, clearly sensing that the other pilots had this handled. “Give him hell, kid.”
Jake grinned woozily.
Bradley had been having the time of his life. He snuck out of bed bright and early to meet Natasha at the hangar, and then they went on a twenty mile run. Twenty fucking miles, and the burn felt so good. It was a good way to pass the time considering that he’d be antsy all day long. So, from 0500 in the morning to 0830 in the morning, Bradley ran. They had picked up Mickey and Reuben on the way to the trail that they ran, and so far, it was a pretty fucking good morning.
Bob met them for breakfast at a cafe, a tiny place Jake had taken him to a few times. The waitress recognized him and he got to boast about their big day. It made him even happier. Maverick showed up about an hour into the meal, grinning like an idiot and placing a fat kiss on Bradley’s temple. He didn’t stay for long, and he just tracked Bradley’s location to tell him good morning, which made Bradley tear up.
He asked Maverick to stay, but unfortunately, Ice had his claws in and needed all hands on deck to set up Bradley’s elaborate ceremony. Only the best for Jake, he insisted.
Bradley begged him to stay for a little, and so Maverick ordered the table a round of mimosa shots as a little ‘congratulations to surviving engagement to The Hangman, we wish you good luck’. He didn’t want to drink, though, because Jake wasn’t. So instead, he and Natasha threw back ten-hour energy shots and whooped.
That wasn’t the best choice, apparently.
Making it back to the airport wasn’t an issue. They all hopped into Bradley’s truck (besides Bob, who was driving his Escalade, fancy fucker) and met back at Maverick’s hangar, only to be shooed away to some building nearby. It had been set up for the big day, of course, but Jake was going to get ready in the best place possible, which was Maverick’s hangar.
Bradley did say only the best.
So, they walked over to the other hangar. It was usually empty, Bradley knew that, but today it was set up specifically for him and his friends. It had a makeup and hair station specifically for Natasha, and she tried not to be emotional about it but it was a whole mess when she thanked Bradley for ever considering her to be a groomsmen let alone his Best Man, so he saw her teary eyes and just shrugged, engulfing her in a half hug before she elbowed his ribs.
They’d all wear their dress whites, duh, and then come back and change later, and the wedding crew that Ice had hired had little pods set up for changing. They all laughed at that fact, considering they were all naked around each other on a day-to-day basis, Natasha included. They were family, it wasn’t weird.
There were two couches set up opposite each other, a coffee table in the middle, and a bouquet in the middle. Bradley had begun to cry when he picked it up and read the note underneath it. It was from Jake, and it was so sweet, and he couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to be marrying such a man.
Bob had picked up five iced coffees on his way to the hangar, and so they all snuggled up and put a movie on Reuben’s Macbook as they settled in for a few hours. It was only ten-thirty, and the men wouldn’t have to start getting ready for another nine hours, Natasha in five.
Bradley couldn’t help but grin when he heard Brad Paisley’s Mud On The Tires blaring, knowing that Jake was finally pulling in and had to be emotional if he was listening to such a song. He knew what songs Jake listened to depending on his mood. If he was happily emotional, he listened to country love songs. If he was hyping himself up and getting excited, he listened to classic rock. Actually, most of his moods included classic rock. If he was angry, he listened to Carrie Underwood’s Before He Cheats and glared at the back of Bradley’s head.
This was his future husband, and as the song began to conclude with its instrumentals, he sniffled and rubbed his eyes. It wasn’t a stereotypical slow country love song, and that’s what made it so utterly Jake Seresin. But when he heard the next song, Luke Combs’ The Way I Am, he knew Jake was doing it on purpose, and sent Natasha out to scold him for making him cry so early on in the day. He heard Jake cackle, and couldn’t help but yearn to see him. Unfortunately, he promised the night before that he wouldn’t because apparently it was “bad luck.”
“I’m serious, Bradshaw!” Jake complained as Bradley sat with him at the empty reception hall. They had just finished up the rehearsal dinner, and Jake was allowing Bradley to rub his hand and curl in close as Ice and Mav went over logistics with their wedding planner.
“Baby, I just think it’s a little silly. You’re usually not superstitious like that. You literally called it a bunch of ‘hooey’. I wanna see my beautiful man before we get married.” Bradley murmured, pressing a kiss to the back of Jake’s hand with that stupid mustached grin. It was a little overgrown, but Bradley didn’t want to trim it until they got home to the apartment that night, just in case he fucked it up and needed to go to plan b.
“My momma begged my daddy not to look at her on their wedding day.” Jake sighed. “He did it anyway, and then the farm went foreclosed weeks later. Caused a huge fight, and momma left him for a little ‘till he got his shit together. He took it as her divorcing him, and he was pissed, so he went and saddled up with some chick, and momma went batshit and..” He trailed off, waving a hand in their air. “Point is, I don’t want to do anything that could fuck it up. So we can’t see each other until the ceremony."
Bradley kissed over Jake’s knuckles and let out a gentle laugh.
“Okay, baby. No seeing each other until the ceremony.”
Jake got his way more often than not.
The day dragged, and Bradley had to stop checking the clock every five minutes, but around 1840, Javy was slipping his way through the hangar entrance. Bradley looked up and grinned, meeting him halfway. He engulfed Jake’s best man into a tight hug, squeezing for good measure before letting go. Javy smiled brightly at him and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Well, this is it, Bradshaw.” He said, as if he was giving Jake away himself, which… he kind of was, Bradley supposes. Jake described Javy as one of the solid things in his life, a non-negotiable, a 2-for-1 deal that Bradley had no issue accepting. The more Jake opened up with him, the more he realized that Jake’s family fucking sucked, and that the Machado’s were kind of all he had to lose before the squadron came together.
“That, it is.” Bradley agreed. He swallowed heavily before Javy was dragging him into another hug. Bradley gripped the back of Javy’s coat, trying his hardest not to cry. All his groomsmen were settled at the “altar” by now, and it was just them, and it was something special. Jake’s best friend finally approving of him.
They had started off rocky, with Javy questioning Bradley’s intentions and how they could go from rivals to lovers so fucking quickly, and it took the past four years for Javy to accept that Bradley was here to stay, and that he was now stuck with Jake whether he wanted it or not, and he did.
“Take care of him, okay?” Javy pulled away, both hands on Bradley’s shoulders squeezing tight. “I know he’s a lot, and I know how he can be, but fuck man, he’s all about you.”
Bradley laughed carefully as he wiped at his eyes, nodding. “Trust me, I know. If everything goes to plan, he’ll be getting whatever he wants for the rest of his damn life."
Javy grinned obnoxiously at that. “My man.” He nodded, one of his hands gripping Bradley’s to shake it tightly. Bradley shook it back before he was yanked into another hug, and he took some deep breaths to gather himself. It wasn’t until the walkie-talkie on Javy’s hip crackled did he pull away.
“Javy, bring some water and the bucket for the LCDR.” Mav’s voice crackled through, and Jake muttered a quick ‘shit’ under his breath. Bradley felt himself pale at Javy’s tone almost immediately.
“What? LCDR? Is Jake okay?” He said quickly, following Javy as he exited the hangar. Javy turned around, giving Bradley a stern look.
“No, Bradshaw. You already know he doesn’t want you to see him until the ceremony. He’s just nervous, okay? I promise he’ll be fine, but you’ve gotta get out there and not make it worse.”
Bradley knew he was right, but fuck if it didn’t kill him to watch Javy walk across the taxiway and slip inside of Maverick’s. He sucked in a breath, looking down the taxiway where the ceremony was set up.
It was maybe thirty minutes of his life, it would be the best thirty minutes, and then every single guest would get the privilege to be privately flown back to San Diego. Yeah. A big giant budget and your surrogate father being the COMPACFLT does great things when you need it to, Bradley discovered. Everyone would be taken by big Prevost buses to the San Diego Air and Space Museum for the reception. The rental cars they used to get there would get delivered back the next day, Bradley and Jake would drive his truck to San Diego International from Inyokern, and from there they’d catch a flight to the Dominican Republic. A lot of logistics that Bradley couldn’t think about right now because he was forcing himself to walk up to the ceremony, greeting everyone like a good host does.
His Uncle Merlin was officiating the ceremony, and shook his hand tightly, and that’s when the energy shot seemingly wore off and the anxiety began to seep in. He took his spot on the right side of the aisle and swallowed down his own bile because one, he and Jake couldn’t both be sick, and two, he wasn’t going to puke all over his ceremony.
He froze as music began to play and he quickly checked his watch. A fancy-shmancy Rolex that his Uncle Holly had gifted him while he was getting ready. God, he couldn’t believe this was happening. He couldn’t believe they were on schedule!
Javy and Natasha came down first. Oddly enough, they looked… right. Bradley would one-hundred percent be coming back to that thought later while he and Jake were on the passenger plane to San Diego.
Next was Bob and Neil. Bradley took a moment to register the song that was playing and he began to feel fears rolling away and fat tears rolling down his cheeks. He let Jake surprise him with it, considering Jake would be the one walking down the aisle. It was so Jake, though. It was an instrumental, just piano, of Foreigner's I Want To Know What Love Is.
The song continued to build up as Brigham and Mickey walked down together, and Bradley could see Mav coaxing Jake out of the hangar. He snorted softly, wiping down his face. He caught a slight glimpse of Jake, and yeah, this was the love of his life.
He watched Billy and Reuben descend the aisle together, Billy shooting him the stupidest grin of all time, and Bradley just shook his head. He wiped at his eyes so he could get a non-blurry image of Jake, and fuck.
The chorus began to play, and Jake was walking down the aisle with Maverick, and he wasn’t aware that was happening until now but Jake looked so beautiful and Maverick looked so proud and Bradley couldn’t really see anymore because tears clouded his vision. He let out a sob over the music, causing the very large audience to awe and coo over it. He watched as they finally came close, and Maverick pulled Bradley into a tight hug. He kissed his cheek and whispered ‘have fun’ before taking his spot beside Ice in the audience.
Bradley looked at Jake, really looked, and he was so… ethereal. Jake was stunning. Bradley knew that, but he really was. He was stunning, and everything Bradley had ever wished for wrapped up into one package.
“Hi.” Bradley choked out, not as quiet as he had hoped considering some of their audience chuckled. Jake snorted.
“Bradshaw, as I live and breathe.” And they were off.
“Hangman, you look… good.” Bradley breathed out, and he heard Maverick let out an obnoxious groan, prompting their friends and family to laugh more.
“I am good, Rooster.” He grabbed Bradley’s hands and squeezed. “I’m very good. In fact…” He kissed Bradley’s hand softly. “I’m too good to be true.”
Uncle Merlin cleared his throat, and both the men wheezed as they tried to recuperate themselves. Jake realized he had nothing to be worried about. It was just another great day with Bradley.
The ceremony went by faster than either of them had expected. It was a lot of talking from Merlin, a lot of loud blubbering and sniffling from Javy, and a lot of squeezing each other's sweaty palms. Bradley had allowed the tears to take over the closer they got to their vows, and he could guess that Jake did the same. Jake was grinding his teeth together though, and Bradley so badly wanted to let go and reach for the box of toothpicks that were secured in his pocket, because he knew his Jake so well.
The time for vows came, and Bradley let go of Jake’s hands to reach into his back pocket. He fumbled with the paper for a second, only to hear Jake make a noise. He looked up confusedly with a raised eyebrow, hearing Jake mutter:
“God, you’re so old.”
Bradley frowned and Jake grinned, taking out his iPhone.
“Vows in your notes app, Jacob? Real classy.” He teased.
“Better than crumpled paper, Bradshaw.” Jake retorted.
“Well, that’s just not true. You look addicted to the screen.”
“Yeah? You’re gonna tell me your lines aren’t smeared from sweat right now?’
“I can-”
Bradley was cut off by Merlin, who cleared his throat again. “Boys, if we could get you married before you start bickering again?”
Bradley sighed and Jake huffed, both too stubborn to admit the other had a point. Merlin gestured to Bradley, who was going first.
“Okay, um..wow, I wrote a lot.” He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, laughing unsurely until Jake sent him that stupidly shy and nervous smile that made Bradley want to do all sorts of things.
“Well, uh.. Jake, I met you in 2006-ish, but I think it was 2007. We were both in the academy, and you got on my nerves so bad. I kind of wanted to punch you every time I saw you. We graduated in 2010, and I distinctly remember you telling Javy you’d ‘never have to see that old hag’ anymore. Uh.. surprise, I guess. I don’t know.” Those sitting laughed, and Javy gently nudged Jake’s shoulder.
“In 2015, we were called to Top Gun for the first time. You were still so annoying, and you called me grandpa every time I saw you, and whenever we were neck and neck, you’d become so awful that I had to ask our commander if you were doing okay mentally.” Bradley paused, swallowing hard. “But in, uh, around, God, what is it, four years now? Four years ago, you saved my, uh… you saved my father’s life.” Bradley cleared his throat, eyelashes fluttering as he glanced at Mav, who was squeezing Ice’s hand so tightly that he could see Ice’s nose scrunch. He looked back at Jake.
“I think that might’ve been what did me in. It was so sudden and there was so much happening, but I was in the backseat of that jet, all cramped and shit, and I was just thinking ‘wow, he is good’. Like, I mean, you saved my life too and I’m forever in your debt, and before you say it, marrying you is just a plus that comes with that. But, I mean, I wasn’t the important thing, obviously, considering what happened. But you saved someone so important to me and put your own life and career on the line for us.” Bradley shrugged. “That’s when I knew, and I wasn’t even… I mean, I didn’t love you then the way I do now. I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else, though. So let’s just… let’s do this.”
Jake was sobbing, and Javy was stuffing Jake’s used tissues up the sleeve of his dress whites despite how that may or may not get him in trouble later.
“Oh, me?” He hiccuped “My turn already? Fuck. Okay.”
Jake fumbled with his phone before sucking in a deep breath.
“I didn’t… I don’t have dates like you do, but, um, I have, like… okay.” He took a shaky breath and Bradley just wanted to squeeze him.
“In, fuck… In, like, 2008, I remember I fell over when I came into the locker room. Uh, oh, this was at the academy. But, yeah, I fell over, and everyone laughed. It was embarrassing and I tried to play it off like I didn’t care, but you looked at me so fucking sweetly and I wanted to kill you for it.” Jake sucked in another breath, his eyes all glassy and pretty.
“In 2008, wow okay, a lot happened then… uh, yeah, in 2008 we were out to vote, I think. And there were many opinions that were had, but we were out voting, and I remember that you caught me on a payphone in an argument with my parents about it…” Jake trailed off, looking into the crowd in front of them, eyes searching.
He and Bradley had a long conversation, and despite Bradley’s reluctance, they had invited Jake’s family to the wedding. The invite said to join Jake Seresin and Bradley Bradshaw, soon to be husbands, and nobody had ever RSVP’d. Jake had cried, Bradley had held him, and all of this while Ice was making dinner with Maverick. Jake deflated physically. They really didn’t show up. Nobody. Not a single family member.
“Hey,” Bradley leaned over and whispered into his ear, as if he could tell what Jake was thinking. “Your family is standing up here and sitting in that audience. Anyone else can get fucked.” It was quiet, and secret, and only for them.
Jake nodded.
“Sorry, uh… where was I? Right. Election day. Okay. Well, I voted, and got into that political argument with your parents that you never like getting into, right?” Jake looked at his actual family in the front rows, watching as they stifled laughs and nodded.
“Well, Bradshaw here comes up to me, and he’s checkin’ on me and I tell him to go fuck himself, ‘cause what else am I supposed to do?” Jake grinned, although it wasn’t reaching his eyes. “And he just stared at me. Like, really stared, and he goes, ‘God, I can’t believe you just voted for Obama. I wanna hate you but you’re too good.’” Jake burst out into laughter, grinning for real when Bradley just shrugged smugly.
“And, well, that’s how our greeting started. I say my part, he tells me I’m sexy and always look so damn good-”
“-pretty sure that’s not what I say-”
“-and I tell him that I am good, very good, too good to be true.”
Jake stared at him brightly, and then his phone, and pocketed it quickly.
“Fuck it, just get us married.” Jake looked at Merlin and faltered with an awkward smile. “Sir.”
Merlin just shook his head and smiled.
“Okay, then. Let’s do this, boys.”
They both took a deep breath.
“Bradley Bradshaw, do you take Jacob Timothy Josiah Seresin to be your lawfully wedded husband from this day forward, to have and to hold, in good times and bad, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health; will you love, honor, and cherish him for as long as you both shall live?”
Bradley mused. “Wow, what a mouthful. We oughta change your name.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “Ain’t we in the middle of that right now?”
Bradley looked back at Merlin. “I do.”
“Good.” He hummed. “Jacob Timothy Josiah Seresin, do you take Bradley Bradshaw to be your lawfully wedded husband from this day forward, to ha-”
Jake cut him off.
“Yes, for fucks sake, I do. Sickness and in health, bad times and when we’re rich, yada yada.” He said quickly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Merlin grimaced for a moment before sighing exaggeratedly.
“Bradley, please repeat after me: Jacob, with this ring, I thee wed, and I do promise to love, honor, and cherish you, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”
Bradley echoed him, sliding the shiny golden wedding band onto Jake’s finger. It was fucking gorgeous. It was so simple, like Jake said he wanted, but still made a point.
“Jake,’ Merlin sighed. “I kind of need you to repeat this one exactly.”
Jake groaned, everyone laughed, and this was the perfect wedding.
“Jacob, please repeat after me: Bradley, with this ring, I thee wed, and I do promise to love, honor, and cherish you, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”
Jake took a deep breath for what felt like the thousandth time.
“Bradley, with this ring, I thee wed, and I do promise to love, honor, and cherish you,” He slowly slid the ring onto Bradley’s finger. It was almost the same, but Bradley had gotten an emerald with his. Said it reminded him of Jake’s eyes.
“ ..in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”
Merlin looked proudly at Bradley. Actually, most of the men there did. They had watched him grow for almost four decades now, and Jake wasn’t shocked to see a lot of tears.
“God help us all.” Merlin stated, collecting loud cackles from most people. “Everyone be prepared, hold onto your hats and get ready for some hell, because by the power vested in me by the state of California, I am proud to present to you Mr. and Mr. Bradshaw. I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss the groom.”
And everyone went fucking crazy.
Jake leaped, dragging Bradley forward and dipping the man deeply. Jake kissed the life out of him, and Omaha was screaming “get some! get some!” Javy was choking on his tears, Natasha was whooping, and everyone was screaming as Jake pulled away, guiding Bradley to stand up. He moved to hug Bradley, but yelped as he was dipped and Bradley kissed him even deeper. Everyone went crazier, and Jake couldn’t help but think that, yeah. This was his family.
It was a lot in the next thirty minutes. They loaded up in rental cars and took the quick five-minute drive to the other taxiway. Everyone loaded onto the plane excitedly, Jake and Bradley in first-class with their respective parties. Music blared from the economy section, specifically Dance Her Home by Cody Johnson, but the live version? Bradley was confused but it matched the vibe and Jake was happy.
Every single aviator had changed out of the dress whites at lightning speed, and bottles were popped on the taxiway before they made it onto the plane. Jake was overstimulated in the best way possible, and Bradley knew. He rubbed Jake’s back as Jake leaned into him, kissing his gelled hair.
“So, Mr. Bradshaw,” Bradley said softly, taking Jake’s hand with the ring and kissing the ring softly. “What’s next?”
Jake’s eyelashes fluttered at him, and he leaned closer.
“We get fucking wasted.”
Their walk-in song was Slow Ride by Foghat, because what else would it be? Jake wanted to do Great Balls of Fire, but Bradley refused and said he’d just perform it later. They were encouraged by loud cheers and big giant sparklers, which scared the shit out of Bradley and made Jake stare in awe for a few moments.
The night was honestly a blur.
They did their first dance to Aerosmith’s I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing because Armageddon was Jake’s favorite movie, and Jake had a good question for Bradley as they swayed.
“How come everything has been, like..” He paused, licking over his lips. “I don’t know. I wasn’t here to plan, but it feels like everything was picked out by me. Slow Ride, this song, the reception hall being my fifth favorite place on Earth.”
“Fifth?” Bradley tilted his head.
“First is you, second is the sky, third is obviously the NNAM, and fourth is our bed.” He kissed Bradley’s cheek.
“We could’ve had a destination wedding.” Bradley shrugged, kissing Jake for real. It was quick, and soft. “Or, we can renew our vows in a month and go down to Pensacola?"
Jake shook his head.
“No, I mean, this is perfect, Bradshaw-”
“-you’re also Bradshaw-”
“but what about you?” Jake asked quietly.
Bradley sighed. It was a big day for sighing.
“Honestly? I never thought I’d get married. At least not this young-”
“-you’re almost fourty-two, by the way-”
“so I hadn’t really planned anything. I didn’t know what my dream wedding would look like. But, I mean, Kelly asked me what I wanted and I just thought of you and I was like, well, yeah.” He kissed Jake’s forehead.
“Just wait until you see the cake.”
It was a fucking cookie cake.
Jake never liked cake, it wasn’t his thing. It was always too wet or too stale, and he told Bradley that at the dagger celebration party. Y’know, the one they had for being alive. But that had been almost half a decade ago and Jake didn’t even remember telling Bradley, but Bradley knew.
On top, it was two little green plastic soldiers, and Jake almost cried again except he had no more tears. He used them all during the ceremony. But it was adorable and such a Bradley thing to do and they ended up in a cookie cake fight, Bradley with a chocolate chip up his nose and Jake with icing smeared all over his mouth. Bradley licked it away easily.
It was a long night. A night full of partying, and kissing, and new things, and taking advice from every married person. Bradley took it with a grain of salt but Jake swore he’d listen to each piece he got, especially from Ice and Mav. Javy and Natasha thought that they were slick, but Bradley had tipped Jake off, and the four of them ended up trying to share a cigarette on the stairs outside. Bradley was afraid it’d trigger Jake, and so Jake chose to stick to his drink considering he’d broken his sobriety streak for his wedding and he’d rather not break his no-cigarettes-streak. Javy had quit back in 2013, Natasha never smoked, and Bradley ended up wheezing the one time he tried.
It was stomped out pretty quick.
The four of them shared memories and laughter instead, Jake leaning into Bradley and Natasha wearing Javy’s blazer overtop of her black pantsuit, which was such a Nat thing to wear.
And when they ended up back home instead of at the hotel with everyone else, Javy and Natasha made sure to cover for them.
It was five in the morning, and they had gotten home maybe two hours ago. They spent those two hours showering and eating the rest of the leftover lasagna that Jake made the other night because the catering wasn’t amazing at the wedding, but that’s what Bradley gets for leaving Ice in charge. They watched Armageddon and snuggled, and surprising them both, they didn’t have sex. They were both too exhausted.
“Bradley?” Jake mumbled so quietly and Bradley thought he was sleep talking until Jake asked if he was awake.
“Yeah, baby. I’m awake.” He whispered hoarsely.
“Happy first night as husbands.” Jake croaked, his quiet laughter something that Bradley could look forward to for the rest of his life. Fuck.
“Here’s to many more firsts.” Bradley cooed, reaching over to the nightstand to grab the bottle of painkillers. He and Jake both took hangover pills on the plane, but clearly they needed something more, especially Jake.
He popped the red pill into Jake’s mouth, and then reached over Jake to his side. He grabbed Jake’s metal water bottle and helped guide the straw to Jake’s lips. Jake swallowed, then Bradley.
“Alarm for two hours before we gotta head to the airport?” Bradley asked.
“Four, Bradshaw.”
“You got it, Bradshaw.”
Jake preened.
“I’ve always wondered what it felt like for people who get everything they’ve ever wanted.” He murmured as Bradley placed the water bottle down.
“Oh yeah?”
“Now I finally know.”
Bradley enveloped Jake closely, setting the alarm on his phone and tossing it onto his magnetic charger.
“I love you, Jake.”
“I loved you first, Bradley.”
“But I love you most, Jake.”
“Let’s not fight on the first night together.”