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He’s sitting on his bathroom floor hoping that he’s wrong. Praying that when the alarm goes off on his phone that none of them are going to be positive. He’d rushed to his room after he’d kissed Jake goodbye at the door after another night spent wrapped in the blondes arms.
They weren’t even trying to have a baby and he’s not even entirely sure that Jake knows he’s a carrier. Just knows that in a few short minutes his life could change forever and he’s trying to wrap his head around the prospect of it.
He’s already dreading telling Jake that their post mission hookup means they’re tied together for the next 18 years as close personally as they are professionally. He wants to keep Jake around because they’re choosing to be together not because they got caught up in the heat of another life threatening situation.
Bradley’s terrified at the prospect of having a kid but the idea of a tiny person with Jake's big green eyes and his curls sends a wave of exhilaration through his body. The blare of his phone timer going off startles him bad enough he accidentally rams his elbow into the side of the bathtub. “Fuck,” he growls slamming his hand down on his phone to shut the timer off before standing up to see what the three little pieces of plastic are gonna tell him.
Positive.
Positive
Positive
“Fuuuuuuck,” Bradley groans throwing his head back staring at his bathroom ceiling. “Well little one I guess I need to go figure out how to tell your daddy.”
He knows logically that he’s talking to himself at the moment because their little one isn’t anything more than a clump of cells this early on but he also wants to think that somehow their baby can hear him.
**
“‘Yotes I’m telling you Bradley was acting weird this morning,” Jake states again trying to convey to his best friend how much it’s troubling him. When he'd left Bradley's it'd been with an incredibly distracted cheek kiss and to his immense horror Bradley crying.
“When the hell did Rooster become Bradley to you,” Javy asks trying to lighten the mood and because he really truly doesn’t know why it matters so damn much to Jake. As far as he recalls in the last 7 years Jake hasn't said more than 2 kind words to Bradshaw. Now suddenly his best friend is talking about the guy like he's in love with him.
"When I saved his life and he looked at me with something other than hatred in his eyes," Jake huffs stabbing a piece of strawberry on his plate far more aggressive than is strictly necessary. "It's just he seemed distracted this morning and when I said I had to leave to get clean clothes and then to come meet you he seemed upset."
"Jake I'm gonna ask you a question and I want you to be completely honest with me, okay? Are you and Rooster hooking up?" He really wishes he hadn't asked the minute the question is out of his mouth especially when sees the tell tale blush spreading across Jake's cheeks.
“Yeah, Jav,” Jake mumbles sounding shy “I figured it was gonna be a one night thing because I never thought he'd wanna keep me around for much longer than that.”
“I’m happy for you man.”
**
He’d been so careful since he’d been told at 17 that he was a carrier and now he’s pregnant and potentially single all because he let himself being drawn in by pretty green eyes and a sharp tongue. A sharp tongue wielded by one of the hottest most exasperating men he’s ever met in his life. The man that somehow managed to make him fall in love with him slowly but surely.
Jake Seresin is an enigma in the air and a pain in the ass on the ground but he’s also hands down one of the most protective people Bradley’s seen especially when it comes to the things and people he cares about. A total softie when he’s around kids and he finally drops the Hangman persona and is just Uncle Jake. He knows that deep down Jake will want to stay and help him. That he’ll be a good dad and how lucky their kid is gonna be to have him around.
He’s got layers like an onion (and okay maybe that’s not the most attractive analogy but it’s the best he can come up with midpanic attack).
He just that at some point he’s gonna have to pick himself up off the bathroom floor and clean himself up. Jake had mentioned coming back after his breakfast date with Coyote and he’ll be damned if Jake finds out about their baby because he came back to find Bradley on the floor.
**
He’s just pushing himself up to his feet when he hears the front door open and Jake call out to him.
“Roo? Hey Roo I’m back and I come with food,” Jake hollers as he kicks his shoes off at the door and starts towards the kitchen. “Brad?”
“Hey,” Bradley calls back scrambling to hide the tests in the back of his closet where he hopes Jake won’t find them any time soon. He’s still struggling to wrap his own head around the idea of having a kid and he’s not ready to face the possibility of Jake leaving. He wants to be selfish for once in his life. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Alright.”
Bradley runs his fingers through his hair trying to retame his curls and bring them into some semblance of order since he’s spent the last hour stressing out. Deciding it’s as good as it’s gonna get he walks out of his bedroom and straight into Jake who’d been about to open the door.
“Hey. Hey Bradley whats wrong,” Jake asks taking in bloodshot eyes and red splotchy cheeks. “Baby, you’re scaring me.”
The shot of pleasure he gets from the mere word falling from the blondes lips is something he thinks needs to be examined later. “It’s nothing Jake,” Bradley tries to brush it off giving Jake a small smile. “I'm just thinking about some things.”
“Stand back Rooster's thinking,” Jake snarks making them both giggle. “Well if you ever wanna talk to me I’m here to listen and contrary to popular belief I am a good listener.”
“I know you are,” Bradley says pulling Jake in by the belt loops to kiss him before guiding him back towards the living room and away from his secret. “How was your lunch date with Coyote?”
“Good. He’s shipping out to Japan for a short term teaching gig in a few days,” Jake answers flopping down on Bradley’s couch pulling the other man down with him. Bradley looking down at him from his perch on his lap makes Jake want to kiss him again.
“Oh? How long is gonna be gone?”
“13 weeks. Apparently Javy was specifically requested for it by his old CO and it’s not like he could say no.”
“Good he’ll be home in time then,” Bradley thinks to himself or at least assumes he does anyway.
He’s sadly mistaken and based on the look on Jake’s face he’s gonna have come up with some excuse quickly.
“Be in home in time for what,” Jake asks tightening his hold Bradley’s hips. “Hmm, Roo what’s he gonna be home in time for?”
“Your birthday.” Fuuuuuck why did he say that?
“My birthday? You mean the thing I had a few weeks ago where I finally made you mine?”
Jake looks ravenous and Bradley shivers at the dark look in his eyes. He remembers clearly leaving the beach where they’d all decided to have a bonfire to celebrate another successful mission and making out against the side of Jake’s truck. He can’t remember anything about the drive back to his place but somehow they’d made it back in one piece and Jake had draped himself across his back as he’d struggled to get the door unlocked. Everything after is hazy at best but waking up to a sleep rumpled grouchy Jake Seresin the next morning was one of the best experiences of his life.
‘Shit’, Bradley thinks trying to come up with some other excuse. He can't think of anything so he decides his best course of action is to distract Jake with a kiss and maybe something else if he played his cards right.
Jake kisses him back with unrestrained glee and very quickly backs Bradley towards the couch never once letting go of him. When they break apart later it’s obvious that Jake’s forgotten about his slip up earlier.
**
Jake had asked to borrow a hoodie and Bradley had told him to take his pick from the closet.“Bradley Nicholas Bradshaw,” Jake yells from the bedroom loud enough to wake the dead and scaring the shit out of Bradley who’s sitting on the couch spreading their dinner out on the coffee table. “What is this?”
He’s coming down the hallway before Bradley can even start to plan an escape from whatever his boyfriend has found. He feels dread sinking it’s claws into him when Jake finally comes around the corner and he can see the look of astonishment on his face and the thing in his hand.
“A pregnancy test,” Bradley answers refusing to make eye contact with his boyfriend again. He’s backing himself into a corner that he knows he has no chance of escaping if Jake decides to pin him against the wall.
“Are you? Are we,” Jake stutters out rushing across the room to get to where Bradley is standing. “Baby? Are you pregnant B?”
The barely there nod is all Jake needs to see before he pushes Bradley fully against the wall to kiss him before getting on his knees to lift the hem of Bradley’s tshirt. “We’re having a baby? Omg we're having a baby.”
“You aren’t mad,” Bradley whispers staring down at where his boyfriend is running his fingers gently across his stomach. “Holy shit you aren’t mad.”
“Of course I’m not. I get to have a baby with my favorite person. I love you Bradley Bradshaw.”
“And I love you Jake Seresin,” Bradley says back voice filled with relief and laughter. Maybe he isn’t turning into his mom after all. A single parent who had worked multiple jobs and played both mom and dad while still managing to get to every baseball game or play that Bradley done as a kid.
**
They're snuggled up on the couch watching a rerun of some summer blockbuster on Netflix when Jake breaks the silence and when Bradley looks up from where his head has been resting on Jake’s shoulder he finds the blonde watching him curiously. “Roo, is the baby why you said something earlier about Javy being back in time when I mentioned his new assignment?”
“Yeah. I knew that you were gonna want your best friend around when the baby gets here,” Bradley mumbles watching as Jake grins at him. He’s known Jake for a long time and he doesn't think he’s ever seen the man look as handsome as he does in that moment.
“You’re partially right Bradshaw,” Jake says running his fingers through Bradley’s hair. “I do want my best friend around when our baby gets here and he will be because he’ll sitting right there exhausted but gorgeous. I love Javy and all but you Bradley Bradshaw are my best friend.”
“I am?”
“Yeah darlin’ you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. You’ve never given up on me even when I was an asshole. You choose to be around me where Javy doesn’t have a choice at this point. He and I are trauma bonded and have been for years.”