Chapter Text
As much as Bradley tries to make the best out of his evening, he somehow ends up with, “Why does something like that never happen to me?”
Shaking his head and ignoring Natasha’s complaints, he looks the other way and restlessly shuffles his empty glass between his hands across the table. He cut himself off after the second whiskey, not because he’s driving tonight, but also because he knows he can’t trust himself to keep a straight face if he drinks too much.
He knows himself well enough that he’ll run his mouth too much and be too snappy if he allows himself to become too intoxicated, already Natasha was testing his patience with what he presumes is jealousy. She keeps on staring into the direction of the bar Bradley is trying to avoid, because it is obvious what’s happening there. He doesn’t want to mention a who or a why and contemplates his sobriety until Natasha jabs her elbow into his side, “I mean.. Just look at ‘em Rooster!”
She’s jealous alright and he doesn’t have to look up to understand why because from the very start it’s become obvious that every alpha is keeping track of a certain individual tonight. He blames both Harvard and Yale for causing people a severe case of not being able to mind their own business, and he’s sure both Jake and Javy have noticed it also because the latter hovers around Jake like a bodyguard. But what does he care, Jake isn’t talking to him so what business is it of him.
“I feel sick,” Natasha exclaims then and Bradley deep inside finds himself agreeing with those words. “God I wish that was me..” Just not with the rest of what she follows up with.
He’s damn sure the sentence came out louder than intended, some secret fetish he’s not sure he wants to know about that makes him frown disapprovingly, causing her to react with, “What? Like you never wondered what it would be like to have a bigger dick.”
And he frowns a bit deeper and cocks his head.
“Oh Jesus, Rooster..” she sighs while shaking her head, “That’s not why they call you that.”
“Are you done?” he asks before uttering out a sigh, passing his time twisting and turning his empty glass in place.
“Can you be any more crabby?” Natasha asks as she watches his pathetic attempt to distract himself.
“I’m not the one glaring daggers, Phoe.” he points out while giving her the side-eye and in response Natasha rolls her eyes and parrots in a whiny tune, “I’m not the one glaring daggers, Phoe.”
“Are you seriously jealous of Bagman?” He hasn’t used the semi-adjusted callsign they had given him in over a month, not since the mission, but tonight he wants to pretend not to care and he wants people to think that way also.
Natasha says nothing about it, instead she laughs and huffs, “Pff, jealous? Me?” Before looking down at her own chest and back to where Jake is talking with Javy, “Nah, what would I do with a rack like that?”
“I don’t know, you tell me.” Bradley mumbles as he looks up to admire the cups overhanging their table. Natasha interrupts him with a gentle shove, “I was just wondering about it, Bradley! That’s all!” She sounds mad but her smile tells him she isn’t, but Bradley knows she’s actually seething over the fact that Jake is getting more attention than her. “I mean seriously, are we even drinking the same water?”
Must be a woman-thing to feel instantly jealous and intimidated by another person’s cup size, or something. Bradley wouldn’t know, all he knows is that it’s starting to tire him. “You’re exaggerating..” he groans.
“No I’m not. I mean what is this? Belated puberty?”
Tired of talking about it and knowing he can trust her with the information he has, Bradley leans in and tells her, “It’s temporary, they messed up his blockers, that’s all.”
“Oh,” she quiets down for a second or two while looking before saying, “So it’s not some..”
“Bagman mentioned it should wear off over time, he hates it as much as you do.” And feeling bratty he adds, “Maybe he can set you up, since you seem so curious about having your bust bigger and all-”
“I told you,” she responds in annoyance, “I’m not jealous of Bagman! I will never be jealous of Bagman!”
Bradley ignores it and pushes a little more, “Sure seems like it.”
“You’re delusional!”
“I’m not the one spending my evening glaring daggers at the other side of the room.”
Okay so maybe he’s been doing the same, but in his defence it’s not Jake he’s been staring at. No, it’s the people around him, like this one guy who slides in right when Coyote isn’t looking. Both him and Natasha see it happening right in front of their eyes, watching as the man sets down an elaborate-looking drink (paper umbrella and all) that Bradley’s sure Jake is going to hate (he has seen him drink beer or plain bourbon at times, that’s why).
He expects the other to dismiss the stranger and his poor attempt of getting in Jake’s good graces, but much to his surprise (and dismay) Jake smiles and gives more attention than he deserves, more than he’s given Bradley for the past days and that makes him angry and upset all at the same time.
Luckily he’s not the only one who is unable to make heads or tails of the situation because next to him Natasha slams down her drink while loudly exclaiming, “Okay, that’s it!” And much to Bradley’s amusement she marges right over there like a bullet just fired from a gun. A lethal weapon riled up with his own feelings of exasperation and disappointment.
Why them and not me?
Natasha doesn’t know he’s using her to essentially punish Jake for not talking to him, he doesn’t feel bad about riling her up though because he can’t stand the sight of what’s happening and he tells himself it’s just a counter-reaction to what Jake is doing: giving all these people his attention and time while pretending Bradley’s efforts didn’t mean anything.
Bradley had been worried about him and above all that they had shared a moment that is hard to forget.
Jake’s quiet humming comes to mind from the moment Bradley pressed his thumbs down in the area of his neck.
And now he was being punished for it. Well, two can play that game and he doesn’t even have to get his hands dirty.
With the tiniest smile of mischief he watches as Natasha marges over, barging right into the middle of what had to be a very boring conversation (he can tell because Jake has his courtesy smile on his face). The stranger steps back and leaves the moment he realises he’s essentially being cockblocked by the enraged phoenix who then sets her eyes on yours-truly.
Go get him, Phoe.
He watches as they exchange words, shake heads and look annoyed and angry at each other, and Bradley won’t lie and say that deep inside he actually feels pleased knowing that Jake is getting put in his place by someone treating Bradley like he doesn’t exist.
His joy is however short-lived, because the moment Jake leans over to whisper something in her ear he can’t help but wonder what it is he’s said. It must have been something funny because Natasha throws her head back and starts laughing loudly. The mood instantly shifts and the two of them smile, laugh and whisper some more, Bradley meanwhile feels his satisfaction sink like a brick in water.
She points at his chest, he points at hers. They laugh some more, heck they even hug it out, and not before long Natasha makes her way back to him with a new and rather fancy-looking drink in her hands.
It’s hard to contain his shock.
“Wait, what’d you say?” he stampers as she stirs the drink using the paper umbrella, “Okay, what did he say?”
“You were right, I was exaggerating,” she answers before taking a sip and smiling at the taste of it, “Yale was lying, they’re not so big.. Besides, Bagman promised me free drinks.”
Okay, so he bribed her then.
So much for that brilliant plan of his.
He tries to contain his feelings of disappointment and taps his finger on the table while subtly asking, “Anything else he said?”
The look Natasha gives him makes it obvious that he’s anything but subtle right now and so she smirks, “Why do you want to know?”
Bradley groans and responds, “Nevermind..”
“He might have mentioned a thing or two about you..”
“He did?” It’s likely the way he perks up that causes Natasha to start laughing again. That and maybe the good mood Jake has put her in.
“Kidding, I’m kidding! I’m just riling you up, Rooster.” She takes another sip, “But by the looks of it, it seems to be working.”
Bradley hides his face in shame, “I hate you..”
It’s been a couple hours since they’ve been here and frankly Jake is about ready to call it quits because tonight has been nothing but a disaster. Javy can’t leave his side for a damn second before someone tries to budge in and draw his attention either by cheesy pick-up lines he’s heard a thousand times before or by offering him free drinks ranging from cocktails to expensive whiskeys from the top shelf.
They all think he’ll fall for their poor attempts at courting and it’s pretty obvious that they only seem interested in his-
“How many has it been?” Jake blinks and looks up at where Javy is sitting across from him in the boot they’ve managed to claim for themselves.
Jake is essentially hiding here, slumped down in the corner, finding solace while being both drunk and tired of the constant staring that’s been going on all night.
He can’t play pool without feeling a dozen eyes on him every moment he bends forwards to take a shot, he can’t play darts without getting swarmed by the vast amount of bystanders who all seem to purposely want to settle somewhere near where he’s playing, and then there is the drink-problem…
“Ten, maybe fifteen?” he lost track somewhere after being offered drink number seven. Let’s just say that Natasha’s having one hell of a night without having to spend a dime.
“And how long ‘till this is over?”
Jake sighs and raises his hand to pull back the collar of his uniform and peering downwards he sighs, “Not yet, still big..”
He grins at the way his best friend reacts by sighing and shaking his head, laughing at his antics as he utters under his breath, “Christ..”
“Wanna peek?” he offers, only to have to dodge a coaster being thrown at his head.
“I think you’ve had enough for tonight..” Jake pouts in response and lets his hand crawl over to Javy’s thighs only to have them smacked away. “You’re drunk.” Javy points out.
“I’m not.” he huffs in reply, eyes still down on what’s under the table.
“Okay, you’re horny that’s what it is.”
In response , he hums as if pretending to think it over and says, “Okay, just a little..”
Jake can’t help but smile at the way Javy reacts and watches the other man run his hand over his face while groaning. This is mainly because Javy knows he’s going to have his hands full in trying to get Jake home without being groped and whatnot.
Yes, they’re best friends. Yes, Javy would do anything for him and has slept in the same bed as Jake on more than one occasion (mainly to shut his best friend up), but no, he’s absolutely not attracted to him in any way or form, even in his current predicament and especially more so when Jake wants to get laid.
A menace is what he is, and shamelessly so Jake is actually proud of it too.
“I’m not staying over..” Javy decides while again removing Jake’s hand from his direct vicinity, “And keep your hands to yourself.”
“You’re no fun..”
His eyes scan the crowd again, he’s not sure what he wants or what he’s looking for this evening, all he knows is that he feels pent up after a long week of coping and suffering. Closing his eyes he thinks back to the dream he had, of hands sliding down his shoulders and he huffs before opening them again.
Yeah, he definitely needs something. Anything or he’ll be scratching at the walls.
His eyes wander towards a particular person who he hasn’t spoken to all night. Bradshaw obviously has a stick up his ass again, stealing glances so apparent that it makes Jake feel angry to even look at him. The man hasn’t even played the piano this evening and that’s telling something, because Bradley always doodles on those damn keys, even when walking by he can’t seem to help himself but press down on a couple of them. Like the evening isn’t complete without him playing a song or jingle.
He would’ve been mildly concerned if he didn’t know exactly what crawled up Bradshaw's ass. For the last few days dear old Rooster has been trying to make eye contact, like he wants them to talk, but he’s been too much of a coward to actually say anything.
And honestly, Jake is happy that he’s minding his own business but also frustrated at the same time.
First the store-bought shirt.
Then the ‘massage’.
Then Jake’s own sexual frustrations, likely enhanced by whatever limbo he’s in right now. He feels equally embarrassed but also intrigued.
“Just shut up and relax, Bagman..”
Bradshaw has always been an obsession of his. Javy knows it, he’s mentioned it plenty of times in the past and knows exactly what to expect when Jake has a shit-eating grin on his face. But the thing is, and this is what makes it kind of a game of sorts, Bradshaw is the only one who really gets him.
He understands that if Jake pushes, you push back equally as hard if not harder. Jake knows exactly what buttons to press to rile the other man up and deep down inside he loves it when Bradley opens his mouth and reacts.
People kind of expect him, as an omega, to be submissive in a sense. Someone who has to be put in his place, and Bradshaw doesn’t do that. He lets Jake be himself no matter how annoying he can be.
And deep down he knows Bradley loves it too. Those looks don’t just mean nothing, it’s pretty obvious what he’s seething about.
Jake thinks again of the hand slipping inside his collar.
It’s just that Rooster over there is too much of a coward to really do anything unless Jake instigates it.
And they say he’s the one who leaves people hanging dry…
He should’ve given up ages ago, because they’ve danced around each other like this before, but as he stares down at Bradley’s large hands, he again thinks about how good they felt. Chewing the inside of his cheek he finds that he’s too tired to be angry with him, instead wondering what else they can do.
But thinking back of that fantasy of his makes him knock his head back against the wooden panel of his seat.
He’s going to have to take matters into his own hands, isn’t he?
Being the asshole once again..
Well if it gets him laid then why not?
“Where are you going?” Javy asks him as he slides out of the boot.
“Going to settle my tap.” he mentions as he gets to his feet.
“You wanna leave?”
“Maybe,” he mentions while again staring at said Rooster, “Haven’t decided yet.”
“Let me know when you’re ready.”
“Will do, sugarplum.”
“Stay out of trouble.”
“ That I can’t promise.” he says with a chuckle as he makes his way over to the bar.