One Manâs Loss is Another Manâs Gain
Title: One Manâs Loss is Another Manâs Gain
Pairing: Jake Seresin x Wife Reader
Warnings: Language, Fluff, Bradley being put in his place, Protective Jake
Summary: When the best pilots in the navy get called back to Top Gun for a special detachment and itâs learned that Pete Maverick Mitchell is the instructor Bradley Bradshaw looks forward to seeing his old crush again so he can finally confess his feelings, Y/N Mitchell. Too bad Jake Seresin already swept her off her feet and made her Mrs. Seresin.
When you first heard about this special suicide mission itâs safe to say you were terrified for your husband and father. You and Jake had been married for around 3 years now and youâre currently 7 months pregnant with your first child. The idea of being left a widow killing you inside, but not as much as the chance of your son growing up without his father.
You and your father Pete Mitchell have a strong relationship, he was the only constant in your life for a long time after your mother abandoned you on his doorstep. Growing up you and your dad spent a lot of time with Carole and Bradley, Goose passed away 3 years before you were born and Carole and Pete sometimes joked that Goose sent you to them because he knew they needed you.
Carole was the only mother figure you ever had in your life and when she passed away when you were 16 it rocked your whole world, as far as you were concerned she helped raise you and you loved her like a daughter loves her mother.
Bradley. He was a different story, though youâre 6 years younger than him you two grew up as best friends. He was your first crush when you turned 13 and actually noticed how cute he was, but he was in college then and was always going out to parties with college girls, so you never saw him much. When you were 15 you finally realized how dumb your crush was, he was 21 and you were still basically a child playing softball and hanging out with your friends at the movies and the beach. For your own sanity you let the crush go and just focused on being happy to see him when he came home on breaks.
One day everything changed though. Bradley had written you off completely out of the blue, you tried getting in touch with him but your calls wouldnât go through, you even tried the old fashioned way and sent him a few letters but never got a response. You tried asking your dad what happened but he refused to give you any details. As much as it hurt, you refused to let yourself feel bad and reach out over and over again when you got nothing in return. So you just stopped trying.
You went to college at UCLA where you played softball all four years and got your teaching degree in elementary education, you moved back home to North Beach where you got a job as a 1st grade teacher at Miramar Elementary School on base, thanks to a few strings pulled by your Uncle Ice to insure youâd be close to home.
You met Jake at the hard deck when you were 23 and he was 26, you had gone out to spend some time with Penny and your dad had just gotten back from a deployment so you all were celebrating. Jake had just graduated from Top Gun at the top of his class and came out with a few of his fellow graduates to celebrate. When you two locked eyes the attraction was instant.
Jake spent almost a month trying to get you to go out with him, you had heard of Jake Hangman Seresinâs reputation from your dad who heard it from Uncle Ice. So you wanted to play hard to get and make sure he actually wanted to be with you and not just get into your pants. He proved himself though when he took you out for a picnic on the beach followed up by a walk on the board walk with some ice cream.
You two dated for around 3 years before getting married, you had a small intimate ceremony with just your family and a few close friends. You two lived in a old fashioned farm house and turned it into your dream house, about a year into your marriage you adopted a golden retriever puppy from the pound named Lady and a tabby cat named Wendy and you two were fine with just being animal parents for a little while.
You spent these last 3 years of marriage building your family home. You and Jake decided to live permanently in San Diego regardless of his deployments. Jake worked as hard as he could for the Navy making a name for himself, while you worked just as hard at your teaching job welcoming kids into your class year after year who left feeling like your very own children. Maverick has his hangar around 20 minutes away from your house and you all have Sunday dinners every week without fail.
When you found out you were pregnant you were surprised but nonetheless thrilled, sure you two werenât actively trying for a baby but you werenât really doing anything to avoid pregnancy either. You immediately went to the doctor and got checked out learning that you were 8 weeks pregnant and left with a wide smile and some ultrasound pictures. When Maverick found out he was going to be a grandpa he just about passed out from excitement. But nothing beats Jakeâs reaction when he found out he was going to be a father.
You had been anxiously waiting for Jake to get back from training, you found out about the pregnancy around a week ago and you were dying to tell your husband but wanted it to be memorable.
You brainstormed and then remembered the two things he loved almost as much as you. Your animals. Youâve seen other people use their animals as a pregnancy announcement and knew that this was the way to go.
You ordered Lady a thin sweater that read âBig Sisterâ and Wendy a collar that had baby booties on it since you knew better than to try to put your cat into a sweater, learning from past mistakes. You also found three of the cutest onesies at target, one read âmy best friendâs have pawsâ the second one read âmy daddy is a pilotâ and the last one read âI love mommy and daddyâ. You of course had to get all three, and you wanted to make a box to put them in so you got your pregnancy test and ultrasound picture and put it in the box on top of the folded onesies.
Jake is suppose to be home at 7 and itâs currently 6:50, you felt butterflies in your stomach as you sat on the couch with Wendy resting on the back of the couch near your shoulder and Lady laying across your lap asleep, with the box laying on the coffee table. You were excited but nervous about Jakeâs reaction, you knew regardless he would be excited but you may have to scoop his unconscious form off the floor before the excitement hits him.
Before you could think much longer the door opened and both animals lifted their heads to look towards the door as Jake stepped inside. You quickly grabbed your phone and pressed record , wanting to get his reaction on video before urging Lady off your lap.
âHey baby! How was your day?â You asked standing up
âIt was something. Iâm just glad to be home with my girls.â Jake smiled setting his bag down at the front door.
âWeâre glad your home too. I have a surprise for you.â You smiled making Jake cock his brow
âWhat? Itâs not my birthday, itâs not our anniversary, I didnât get you anything.â Jake stressed making you chuckle
âThis is for me too. Lady go see daddy!â You nudged Lady in Jakeâs direction and the dog immediately stumbled towards Jake who squatted down with open arms while he was distracted by the dog you grabbed the box and held it patiently
âLady girl! Thereâs my girl! What does mommy have you wearing? What is this?â Jake asked in a baby voice making you smile as he gripped the fabric to try and read it, Wendy had made her way over to the two and was rubbing her head against Jakeâs leg purring. âBig Sister?â
You could see the gears in Jakeâs head turning as he stared at the sweater before looking down at Wendyâs collar, his head snapped up towards you with wide glossy eyes.
âBaby? Is this what I think it is? Are you pregnant? Am I going to be a dad?â Jake asked slowly standing to his feet
âOpen the box.â You smiled feeling tears burn in your eyes as you handed him the box. âDaddy.â
âOh my god.â Jake mumbled as he looked at the contents of the box. âOh my god! Oh my god! Oh baby!â
Jake carefully but quickly sat the box down on the ground before pulling you into his arms making you laugh tearfully as he spun you around.
âOh my god! Weâre having a baby! Weâre having a baby! There is actually a baby inside of you right now!â Jake exclaimed cupping your face as your tears spilled over. âI love you so much. This is so perfect, I love you.â
âI love you too.â You smiled pulling him into a kiss
Jake has doted on you your whole pregnancy, heâs been to every doctorâs appointment, any craving you have heâs out the door to get it, any ache or pain heâs giving you a entire body massage, when your hormones are too much he holds you tight and litters your face with kisses, and pregnancy sex is out of this world.
Youâd just hit your 7 month mark and felt like a whale, your ankles were swollen, your back always aches, your breasts are sore and tender, and you officially canât stand or walk without supporting your bump because it feels like the weight of your bump is going to send you to the floor. You had recently just had a small gender reveal with your dad and some of Jakeâs family and learned that you were having a little boy.
Jake has been busy training for the mission and your dad has been busy being the instructor for the mission, which has led to some long days and nights with Lady and Wendy as your company. You had heard from Jakeâs nightly complaining that your estranged best friend Bradley Bradshaw is back for the mission and of course theyâve been butting heads, Jake is fiercely protective of you and after learning how hurt you were when Bradley tossed you to the side Jake made it his personal mission to be the biggest ass to him he could be.
Your dad had called you and told you about the fight between Jake and Bradley and how your name had been brought up, and that Jake bragged about how you were his. You smacked Jake on the head that night but quickly got over it when he brought up the idea of a hot bath and a back rub.
Today Penny had practically begged you to come see her, she was your favorite of all your dads conquests growing up and have always kept in touch she was more your mother than your actual mother. You hesitantly said yes, not really feeling like leaving the comfort of your bed but wanting to spend some time with her.
You took a shower and washed your hair and body, since your pregnancy makes you feel sweaty and disgusting at every moment a shower did you some good. You were feeling more energized after your shower so you even did your makeup routine and did a cute braid in your hair. You got dressed in a flowered blue sundress and some sandals and put your regular jewelry on, barley managing to get your wedding band on your swollen finger.
Since Penny loves Lady you decided to bring her with you, and Jakeâs been training her since the beginning of your pregnancy to be your watch dog, a job that Lady takes very seriously. You got her in her harness and leash before grabbing your purse and keys and walking out to your white Rang Rover. You opened the passengers side door and patted the seat.
âUp Lady! Good girl!â You smiled giving her a treat and kissing the top of her head securing the leash to the seatbelt before closing the door and walking around to the drivers side.
You drove towards the hard deck with with windows down bobbing your head to your Taylor Swift playlist, the breeze blowing some of your flyaways into your lipgloss.
When you pulled into the hard deck you furrowed your brows when you saw both your dads bike and Jakeâs truck in the parking lot. You got out of the car and walked around grabbing Ladyâs leash and getting her out of the car before you two walked inside.
âPen! Penny!â You called out seeing the bar empty
âOut here!â Penny called from the back deck
Lady jerked on the leash at Pennyâs voice and you chuckled lightly before dropping the leash letting the energetic dog run out the back door.
âLady!â Penny exclaimed as you walked outside seeing the golden retriever giving the woman some love. âHey sweetheart, how you feelin?â
âPregnant. Very pregnant.â You chuckled taking a seat beside her. âWhatcha doing out here?â
âJust taking in the view.â Penny smirked and you furrowed your brows before following her gaze to see the aviators on the beach playing football
âOh. Thatâs why dad and Jakeâs bike and truck are out front. I thought they snuck away to day drink.â You said making Penny chuckle
âNope. Theyâve been at it for about an hour. Jakeâs already laid Rooster out twice.â Penny raised her brow and you chuckled
âThat man. I told him not to be a dick, I swear he holds a grudge worse than any woman Iâve ever met.â You shook your head playing your hands on your swollen belly. âYour daddyâs a little bit of a drama Queen.â
Penny chuckled and turned her head back to the team of aviators and smiled when she saw them walking towards them.
âLooks like theyâre heading this way.â Penny nudged your shoulder making you look up
Lady perked up when she first caught sight of Maverick, the dog stumbled in the sand towards him. Maverick smiled and crouched down allowing the dog to run into his embrace, licking his face in greeting.
âLady girl! Youâve gotten so big in the last week, you just keep on growing.â Maverick smiled rubbing the dogs head
You got up with Pennyâs help and walked onto the beach towards your dad, you saw Jake still down by the water with a few other pilots so you figured youâd make your way down to him.
âHey dad.â You smiled as you walked over to him, Lady coming right back to your side
âHey kiddo. Howâs my grandson?â Maverick asked giving you a hug and kissing your forehead
âHeâs being pretty lazy today, he hasnât moved around much and when I pressed around to try to get him to move he just gave me one big kick basically telling me to shut up.â You chuckled rubbing your belly where your baby had just given you a kick, probably knowing you were talking about him
âItâs those Mitchell genes, heâs gonna be a stubborn one.â Maverick smiled gently patting your stomach
âGod help us.â You shook your head. âHowâs training going? I hope Jake isnât being too much trouble.â
âItâs going. Jakeâs being Jake. Heâs definitely giving Bradley a hard time.â Maverick said
Jake was the one who put you back together, when you met you had some serious trust issues and were battling some depression as well. Even before you finally agreed to date him, Jake was always protective of you and when you finally opened up and let him in he swore no one was ever going to hurt you again.
âHeâs just protective, you know that.â You sighed and Maverick nodded
âI know. Iâm glad he looks out for you.â Maverick said looking slightly over your shoulder making you smirk
âYou know, she still loves you.â You said making him snap his gaze back to you
âI donât know what youâre talking about.â Maverick shook his head and you chuckled
âSheâs been like my mother my whole life. I wish youâd make it official.â You said kissing his cheek before making your way towards Jake
âY/N?â A voice asked from behind you making you pause, you knew that voice itâs one youâd never be able to forget no matter how hard you tried
You slowly turned around and saw Bradley standing in front of you, he was wearing his dads old aviators and some cut off jean shorts without a shirt. Heâs grown up since you saw him last, now sporting the mustache that looked so much like Gooseâs.
âBradley.â You nodded managing a small smile, you felt Lady settle herself right on your side nearly sitting on your foot in a protective position
âLook. I donât want any trouble. I know I screwed up so bad, cutting you out of my life was one of the dumbest things Iâve ever done. I was just so mad about what had happened that I didnât even think that you might not of known about it I just decided that you had just as much to do with it as Mav and that was the end of it. You didnât deserve that, I know that now.â Bradley sighed sadly looking down at your bump that you were cradling
âYouâre right. I didnât deserve that. I loved you Bradley, I honestly thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with you. You were my best friend and I know you were going through a rough time losing Carole and then your papers. But I lost her too, she was the closest thing I had to a mom and I loved her so much. I was grieving and then I lost you too.â You paused to clear your throat. âI donât know. Maybe if you had stuck around I never wouldâve met Jake, and I wouldnât trade him and our life together for the world. I donât want to bring my son into the world with any hard feelings, I donât want any grudges to be passed down to him. So, I am willing to try and move past this. You were family once Brad, I think that maybe we could be that again.â
Bradley cleared his throat and looked away before looking back towards you.
âI would really like that. Iâm happy for you kid, as much as I hate to say it Iâm glad that you have Jake and happy that you found someone who will love and take care of you. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make this right, I promise.â Bradley said and you nodded reaching down to pet Lady when she nudged your leg
âI think we can do that.â You smiled softly one that Bradley mirrored
âCongratulations. I remember how you always talked about being a mom.â Bradley said gesturing to your stomach
âThank you. Itâs a little boy.â You smiled adoringly down at your stomach
Before anything else could be said, a familiar presence was felt behind you before arms wrapped around your waist and gently cupped your stomach pulling you back into a warm firm chest.
âEverything good here?â Jake asked leaning down to kiss the spot right under your ear
âEverythingâs fine.â You nodded towards Bradley who nodded in agreement
âYeah. Uh, congrats on the baby.â Bradley told Jake who nodded
âThanks.â Jake said before taking Ladyâs leash from your hands. âWant to get some food?â
âYes. Iâm starving.â You said and Jake chuckled taking your hand into his
âLetâs go then, Iâm sure Penny would make you that burger you love.â Jake said pulling you towards the hard deck
âIâll see you around.â You told Bradley who nodded watching as you left with Jakeâs arm now wrapped around your waist
Bradley watched Jake lean down to kiss your forehead gently as he led you and your dog back towards the hard deck where everyone else was standing around the back deck talking. He watched your smile as you talked to Phoenix and Bob and as you were introduced to everyone else. He smiled softly, he fully expected to be filled with jealousy when he saw you and Jake together.
But seeing how happy you were, your bright smile and sparkling eyes as you cling to Jakeâs side. You deserve the world and if Jake can give it to you then thatâs enough for him.
