Hangman Fic - Tumblr Posts
“Sugar and Spice”
Summary: Everyone knew Jake Seresin was a charismatic player. Whether it was flirting with girls at the bar or charming his way out of any situation. But what happens when the blond pilot finally meets his match?
Pairing: Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x f!reader
A/N: hey guys..I’m not even gonna lie I completely forgot to post this lmao, I got a liiittle busy with everything and it completely went over my head. But here it is! Finally! After two months. This also isn’t proof read, per usual, so sorry if anything sounds off. Enjoy!
Jake’s chatting along with Rooster and the gang when the door suddenly chimes open, taking a quick glance as any human would, but what he sees isn’t what he’s expecting. In comes you, dressed up in a simple white tank top and probably the shorted daisy dukes he’s ever seen, not that he’s complaining though . His eyes rake over your body before he travels further upward, smirking to himself when you accidentally make eye contact. Giving him a nod and a classic small smile, you make your way over to the bar, soon getting into a quick conversation with Penny.
“Well I’ll be damn,” He says into his beer, taking a long sip before wiping his lips with a grin. That causes Rooster to quirk a brow at the unexpected comment.
“What’s up with you? Find a new pair of tits to ogle at?” He quips, noticing Hangman’s intense stare across the room. Seresin shrugs, a smirk still plastered on his handsome face.
“‘Could say that. Could also say I might have just found myself my girl tonight.” And with that, Hangman scoots himself out of the booth he was sitting in and makes his way across the room, gaze dead set on you sitting at the bar, drink in hand. He ignores the unwanted calls and shouts narrowed to him from his friends, too caught up in his next words. Taking a seat on the empty stool next to yours, leering on your exposed skin before continuing.
“Hey there, what’s a pretty thing like you doin’ here sittin’ by yourself?” You turn your head to the sound of the voice, not even hearing him come up beside you. At first, you do a once over at the man, taking in his striking green eyes and Hollywood smile. Then you take notice in his uniform, his sunglasses perched on the fold of his shirt. Must be one of those pilots you keep hearing about. Turning your upper half to him, you smile.
“Doesn’t seem like I’m sitting alone now, does it?” You quip back, setting your drink down on the countertop. The man’s smirk grows wider as he rests an elbow on the wood.
“Aw, no need to thank me, just doin’ what’s needed of me.” You just now realize his country accent, standing out in certain phrases; it makes you fight back a blush. You raise a brow nonetheless.
“Is that so? Did you magically think I wanted you here, Blondie?” You know he wasn’t expecting the nick name when his brows raise for a split second before shooting back down to their original places.
“Eh, I don’t need’a think, I just know by heart. Y’know, with my magical powers ‘n all.” He imitates quotations at the end of his sentence. You huff out a laugh at his words, eyes cascading down to your watered down drink. Taking a sip, you focus your attention back onto the man in front of you. That stupid grin still plastered on his lips.
“Well can your magical powers tell you the name of the lady you decided to make your next target?” It came out a bit harsher than you intended, almost regretting your words. Truth is, you *were* enjoying his company and that southern drawl of his. He honestly was making your night a bit better than just sitting there alone, drowning in your drinks and mind while some overplayed Toby Keith song played on the jukebox.
“I’m afraid that’s somethin’ I can’t do. Care to help me out here?” Relieved he didn’t say anything about your earlier statement, you bite your lip with a smile, nodding.
“(Y/N),” you state, almost missing the way his eyes light up more at your declaration. “What about you, G.I. Joe? Got a name to the face?”
“As a matter of fact I do, gorgeous. Most people call me Hangman but I’ll make a special case and let you call me yours.” He winks with that cheshire grin. You fight back both a blush and a large smile this time at the cringy and overused line.
“Is that so?”
“I’d sure so hope so, ma’am.”
You both stay silent as you stare at each other. While you bite the inside of your cheek, he scoots himself closer to you, knees brushing against each other. You can smell his sandalwood cologne and the beer he’d been drinking previously before coming up to you. Hangman notices your lack of response and licks his lips, eyes flickering from your glass to your hair then to your lips before continuing.
“Tell ya what, sweetheart” he starts, catching your attention, “You name the game. If I win, you’re buying me dinner. But if you by some miracle manage to beat me, you won’t have to endure my charming company ever again.” He finishes, looking very confident in his proposition. You tilt your head and fully face your body towards him, your legs scooting between his as he widens his stance to make room. You swear you could have seen his adam’s apple bob harshly at the movement but you payed no mind.
You narrow your eyes slightly before a small smile stretches across your lips. With the confidence that this man passed on, you carefully lean forward so your palms are resting against his firm thighs. Bracing yourself as you lean in closer. Hangman bites his lip before tilting his head down, his chest heaving in a breath before he speaks,
“You gonna take up on that offer, darlin’?” He drawls out, voice raspy, almost sultry. You look him in the eyes as you lightly squeeze his skin, his smirk growing.
“Y’know what? I will, s’not like I’ve got anything to lose now is there, cowboy?”
I also tried to make my format for my fics a little more..interesting looking. I felt like they’re too boring so tell me your thoughts. Feel free to comment if you liked or disliked something! :)
through the storm (jake "hangman" seresin x reader
word count: ~0.7k
synposis: hangman's partner has gone mia, and he's prepared to tally whatever's weighing them down.
warnings: vague allusions to depression?
a/n: this is very barely proofread or edited. i haven't had any writing inspo and lost the singular request i got months ago, but i've also been going THROUGH IT. so this is yet another result of my self-indulgence (where hangman is taking the reins!) enjoy :D
Grey skies weren't common in California. The bright sunlight always broke between the clouds cresting overhead. Today, though, the thicket of white above turned the world monochromatic. Jake sighed as he drove, knowing it would only hinder his efforts.
He pulled into the quaint cul-de-sac and parked. One hand swept up the few bags cluttering the passenger seat floor while the other fumbled for his keys and phone. A last ditch effort was made to check his notifications, another soft sigh leaving him as only your picture filled the screen.
Jake swiftly exited his truck. His feet felt light as air trailing the way to your front door. The key you'd given him lifted to unlock it, and was promptly tossed onto the small console table.
"Babe?" he tried calling. The warm timbre of his voice rumbled down the hallway. It muffled against your shut bedroom door, not creaked open as it normally was.
The aviator stopped off in the kitchen to settle the bags and refrigerate the few items that needed it. His heavy footsteps groaned into the hardwood floors, continuing to alert you of his presence. You did nothing to warn him of your own. Jake's frown grew in further realization.
He lifted a wavering hand to the doorknob. Privacy was a value of yours, he knew; part of the reason you had insisted to keep your own place until your rental agreement was to expire. But he also knew when that same valued privacy was a cover for your hyper-independence.
Jake settled on one last warning call, a soft rapping of his knuckles against the wood. "Babe, I'm coming in now."
A thought froze him: he had no idea what he was walking into. He had seen his partner in all kinds of vocal states, overexcitement and fury and even deep despair. The sudden quiet terrified him. How could he soothe a numbness, a void?
He would have to learn on the fly, as it was. No way in hell was he going to let you down now.
Another breath and Jake crossed the threshold of your room. Fern eyes flitted over the dark space to observe its state. The curtains were drawn closed, blocking out the little amount of light the clouds permitted. Everything was in its right place and tidied away, as if you'd spent hours decluttering to try and do the same with your mind.
The only thing in disarray was your queen bed, where you laid in a comforter strewn lump in the center of the mattress. Your breaths were silent, yet rose the bedding up enough to settle the worst of Jake's fears. He shut the door behind him as to not shock you any more than he intended to. Every step he took toward you was careful, still uncertain whether you were aware of him.
Sinking down onto the bed was a gamble Jake took hesitantly. Your face was still hidden beneath the blue fabric, your hair fanning out in messy strands. "Darlin'?" His voice was barely above a hum, but it was enough. You slowly peeked your eyes above the comforter to meet his. Jake greeted you with an award-winning smile, one that always turned your insides to putty. "I've been looking all over for you, darlin'. Really know how to run your cowboy ragged."
Tears lined your eyes at his words, guilt flooding you. "I'm sorry," you croaked. Jake's face immediately fell.
He leaned down to lay at your side, facing you and reaching up to cup your cheeks. "No, no, baby; don't you apologize, okay?" It ached his heart to see you feeling so small. Your vibrancy changed the colors of his life for the better. At present, they were all muddled and shirked away from your own view. Even if Jake couldn't bring those hues back to you himself, he would do everything he could for you while you awaited their return.
Jake thumbed away the few tears that started to roll down your cheeks. "C'mere," he cooed with an arm outstretched. You shuffled towards him in your mess of blankets for him to slide beneath. One arm snaked around your torso, drowning in one of his old tees, while the other cradled your head to his chest.
"There we are," he hummed as your bodies settled into one another. Jake pressed a kiss to your forehead as he felt the damp spots soak into his shirt. "I've got ya now, darlin'. I'll always hold you through the storms." After all, they were much easier to weather together than alone.
🏷️: @avengersfan25, @roosterforme
🥹 i wanted to keep it as vague as i could so that everyone, no matter what they’re going through, could relate and feel comforted
through the storm (jake "hangman" seresin x reader
word count: ~0.7k
synposis: hangman's partner has gone mia, and he's prepared to tally whatever's weighing them down.
warnings: vague allusions to depression?
a/n: this is very barely proofread or edited. i haven't had any writing inspo and lost the singular request i got months ago, but i've also been going THROUGH IT. so this is yet another result of my self-indulgence (where hangman is taking the reins!) enjoy :D
Grey skies weren't common in California. The bright sunlight always broke between the clouds cresting overhead. Today, though, the thicket of white above turned the world monochromatic. Jake sighed as he drove, knowing it would only hinder his efforts.
He pulled into the quaint cul-de-sac and parked. One hand swept up the few bags cluttering the passenger seat floor while the other fumbled for his keys and phone. A last ditch effort was made to check his notifications, another soft sigh leaving him as only your picture filled the screen.
Jake swiftly exited his truck. His feet felt light as air trailing the way to your front door. The key you'd given him lifted to unlock it, and was promptly tossed onto the small console table.
"Babe?" he tried calling. The warm timbre of his voice rumbled down the hallway. It muffled against your shut bedroom door, not creaked open as it normally was.
The aviator stopped off in the kitchen to settle the bags and refrigerate the few items that needed it. His heavy footsteps groaned into the hardwood floors, continuing to alert you of his presence. You did nothing to warn him of your own. Jake's frown grew in further realization.
He lifted a wavering hand to the doorknob. Privacy was a value of yours, he knew; part of the reason you had insisted to keep your own place until your rental agreement was to expire. But he also knew when that same valued privacy was a cover for your hyper-independence.
Jake settled on one last warning call, a soft rapping of his knuckles against the wood. "Babe, I'm coming in now."
A thought froze him: he had no idea what he was walking into. He had seen his partner in all kinds of vocal states, overexcitement and fury and even deep despair. The sudden quiet terrified him. How could he soothe a numbness, a void?
He would have to learn on the fly, as it was. No way in hell was he going to let you down now.
Another breath and Jake crossed the threshold of your room. Fern eyes flitted over the dark space to observe its state. The curtains were drawn closed, blocking out the little amount of light the clouds permitted. Everything was in its right place and tidied away, as if you'd spent hours decluttering to try and do the same with your mind.
The only thing in disarray was your queen bed, where you laid in a comforter strewn lump in the center of the mattress. Your breaths were silent, yet rose the bedding up enough to settle the worst of Jake's fears. He shut the door behind him as to not shock you any more than he intended to. Every step he took toward you was careful, still uncertain whether you were aware of him.
Sinking down onto the bed was a gamble Jake took hesitantly. Your face was still hidden beneath the blue fabric, your hair fanning out in messy strands. "Darlin'?" His voice was barely above a hum, but it was enough. You slowly peeked your eyes above the comforter to meet his. Jake greeted you with an award-winning smile, one that always turned your insides to putty. "I've been looking all over for you, darlin'. Really know how to run your cowboy ragged."
Tears lined your eyes at his words, guilt flooding you. "I'm sorry," you croaked. Jake's face immediately fell.
He leaned down to lay at your side, facing you and reaching up to cup your cheeks. "No, no, baby; don't you apologize, okay?" It ached his heart to see you feeling so small. Your vibrancy changed the colors of his life for the better. At present, they were all muddled and shirked away from your own view. Even if Jake couldn't bring those hues back to you himself, he would do everything he could for you while you awaited their return.
Jake thumbed away the few tears that started to roll down your cheeks. "C'mere," he cooed with an arm outstretched. You shuffled towards him in your mess of blankets for him to slide beneath. One arm snaked around your torso, drowning in one of his old tees, while the other cradled your head to his chest.
"There we are," he hummed as your bodies settled into one another. Jake pressed a kiss to your forehead as he felt the damp spots soak into his shirt. "I've got ya now, darlin'. I'll always hold you through the storms." After all, they were much easier to weather together than alone.
🏷️: @avengersfan25, @roosterforme
When we were young
Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x original female character (Carey Davis is you)
Summary: Jake and you had been friends since you can remember but as time goes on you can’t help yourself for falling for Jake. Because of fate and some other reasons Jake ends up marrying Melissa, your best friend, and your friendship with Jake falls apart. Years later, you and Jake find each other again and things haven’t changed as much as you thought, for better or for worse.
Childhood friends to almost lovers to strangers to lovers
Tw: Curse, drinking, smoking, shitty dad, mentions of divorce, bad writing and mistakes since English's not my first language.
Italics: Flashbacks
Part 2
1. When we were young
“My God, this reminds me, of when we were young”
You hear someone call your name, but the loud music and the noise of your friends laughing and talking doesn't help you to find whoever's calling your name. You frown lightly as you look around and when you can't find the person who's yelling your name you return your attention to the conversation your friends are having.
You take your glass of beer to your lips and you give it a drink. When someone taps your shoulder you can't help to jump slightly and you notice your friends’ eyes on the person behind you.
You rub your hand on your lips wiping away the trickle of beer that fell from your lips as you jumped. You turn around, only to find “BRADSHAW!” standing there wearing a hawaiian shirt and with a beer on his hand.
“What the hell are you doing here?” He yells at you since the music’s loud and with a huge smile on his face that he manages to infect you “I’m living here actually” you yell back and he leans his head closer to you so he's able to hear you right “Guys!” you yell at your group of friends and you grab Bradley by the arm “This one here’s Bradley, Brad, those are Penelope, Chris and Jackie” you say pointing at each one while you introduce them to Bradley, they nod at him as a greeting and Bradley raises his beer.
Bradshaw leans down a little again to whisper on your ear “Wanna get out of here?” You nod at him immediatly and respond with an almost unhearable yup. “Be right back” you yell at your friends, they nod at you and Chris blows you a kiss that you return to him.
You follow Brad as you both make your way through the crowd, you get to the stairs of the house and when you go down you start to hear the music further away. As soon as you step on the huge garden of the house you sigh and you put out the cigarrette against the wall and throw it in the trash can next to the door.
“How long have you been living here?” Brad asks you making you return your eyes to him “Six months, six months and a half maybe” You shrug and after taking a sip of his beer Bradley offers it to you which you gladly accept “You were definetly the last person I expected to find here” you take your hand to touch your chest and you fake being hurt “Ouch” He laughs and shakes his head “No, I mean like... the last time I saw you, you seemed so settled on Texas, wait! Are you still with Gareth?” You nod at him “I’m still settled, just not in Texas, and yeah, he’s actually here... somewhere” You point at the house when you explain that to him and he nods before making a gesture telling you to follow him.
"There’s some people I want you to meet," he says and you walk beside him. You basically go around the whole house to get to the other side of the patio where there is a group of guys sitting at a table drinking and laughing out loud. You approach them and the first to notice you is a tall guy with a mustache "Rooster, you've got my beer, right?"
Brad tenses a little bit and before he says anything the guy speaks up again “No worries, Bradshaw, who’s your friend though?” He points at you and you crack a smile “Carey, Payback, Payback, Carey” You're extend your hand and he shakes it nodding at you respectfully before turning his head to look at the crew "Anybody want a beer?"
The only woman on the table raises her hand and holds up two fingers on the air and Payback nods at her before making himself towards the entrance of the house. Bradshaw and you get closer to table and as if you were someone extremely important Bradley makes an anouncement to introduce yourself to the group.
"Guys, this is Carey. Carey, those are Phoenix, Bob, Fanboy, Fritz, Coyote and-" he stops pointing at them and clears his throat, trying to call the attention of the guy turning his back to you while he's talking to a woman, the guy doens't seem to care so Bradley points at him and calls his name, well, his callsign "And that's Hangman"
The blonde tall guy finally turns to pay attention to Bradley and when he looks at you, you notice his lips parting and you cross your arms raising an eyebrow.
"Melissa, you need to calm down" you were telling your friend Melissa while you were walking next to each other towards the football training yard "How am I supposed to be calmed? What if he doesn't like me?" You rolled your eyes at her "It's possible" Melissa stopped walking at turn to you bringing her hand to her chest, you giggled at her action "I'm kidding, Mel, I mean, Jake's an idiot but never a bad person" Melissa seemed to relax after you told her that and sighed "Don't joke about that, Carey"
You giggled again and started walking again with her following you. You got to the football yard and make your way through the already seated people on the bleachers. You ended up sitting on the third row covering your faces with your hands since the sun was exactly on you.
There were eight minutes left of the match and while you waited for it to end anxiously sitting and moving your foot, Melissa spent those eight minutes cheering the "team" when in reality she was cheering Jake, and Jake only.
The bell rings and that's when you know that the game's over. You noticed Jake jogging towards your direction and you waved at him, when he approached you he went for the hug but you stopped him quickly "Not sweating like that, Seresin" He rolled his eyes and without a warning attracted your body to his hugging you. You pressed your hands against his abdomen pushing him away and after a couple seconds he finally let you go "Jake! You're disgusting!" He giggled and then winked at you "You adore me"
You rolled your eyes at him giggling too "What the hell are you doing here, DVD? This isn't your natural habit" You rolled your eyes at the stupid nickname he used on you and then you pointed at Melissa "Jake, this is Melissa, she's my best friend... Melissa, this is Jake, but you already know that" You said the last part in a whisper, making Melissa laugh awkwardly and she waved at Jake, who gave her a smile and returned to look at you
"I thought I was your best friend" You touched his left shoulder and looked at him directly in the eye "You're not special, babe... Ew! I forgot your sweaty!" You quickly took your hand away from his body and he laughed at you making you laugh too "Anyways, I just wanted you to know each other"
Melissa was standing awkwardly beside you and for someone who usually speaks A LOT she was extremely quiet, Jake on the other hand was starting at you while he cleaned the sweat off his face with a little towel "You should come home for dinner tonight, you haven't visited us in three days, the family's started to worry" You rolled your eyes jokingly at him and nodded "Yup, I'm in"
Jake gave you a genuine smile and you smiled back "Okay, you better go... To clean yourself and we-" you grabbed Melissa by the arm "Should get going to class"
"Yes ma'am" He nodded at you and then stepped closer with his open arms to hug you making you stepped back raising you arm in front of you, making a stop sign "JAKE! STOP!" He only laughed and then said "Fine, I'll hug you tonight"
You giggled before turning around and started walking away with Melissa on your side, you didn't know exactly what it was but something made you turn your head to look at Jake once again, who was still staring at you as you were leaving.
///
You weren't exactly sure why you did it, it probably was the fact that she begged you the whole day, but there you were walking towards the Seresin's house with Melissa on your side
When you stepped on the porch of the huge house you noticed Melissa fixing her dress and you whispered to her "I told you to wear jeans" she shook her head in denial "How am I supposed to make a good impression on my future in laws wearing jeans, Carey?" You rolled your eyes jokingly as you scoffed and then you rang the doorbell.
Jake's youngest sister Leslie opened the door and as soon as she saw you she threw herself over you "CAREY!" You giggled while you hugged her and when you separated she turned to look at Melissa and you began to explain "She's Melissa, my best friend" Leslie hugged her too and then looked at me again, frowning "I thought my brother was your best friend"
"He is also my best friend, Les" She nodded at you, understanding, and then moved from the door so you could get in. It didn't matter how many times you've been here, it didn't ceased to surprised you how huge and gorgeous their house was. It was a huge rustic wooden house with some modern touches to it.
You went straight to the kitchen, knowing exactly who you'll find there: Jake's middle sister, Lauren, and their mom, Maria, hurriedly cooking dinner "Can I help you with something?" Both of them turned to look at you with a huge smile on their faces "DVD!" Lauren said excitedly making mama Seresin hit her lightly on the arm and you moved your lips telling her "It's fine", Lauren giggled and mama Seresin started speaking "You forgot about us, Carey"
You shook your head in denial still smiling at them "I didn't, Jake stopped inviting me" Mama Seresin moved to the sink to wash her hands "You know he doesn't have to, you're always welcomed" You smiled at her widely and she smiled back before moving closer to Melissa and she extended her hand to greet her, Melissa shook it smiling nervously at her "Ma, she's Melissa, Melissa, that's the one and only Mama Maria Seresin" Mel smiled at her and Ma said"It's a pleasure to meet you, Melissa"
"The pleasure's mine" She responded. You noticed Lauren struggling with a cooking pot so you spoke up "Let us help you, ma" You were sure Ma was going to answer with a "nothing" like always, but this time she put two cutting boards, two knives and a bunch of veggies on the bar of the kitchen "Can you help me cutting these?" You and Melissa nodded at her and sat on the bar chairs to start cutting the veggies.
It surprised you when Melissa finally said something "Why did you call her DVD?" Lauren laughed at her question "Y'know how her name's Carey Davis? Well, her initials are CD and where do you play those?" Melissa seemed to got it pretty fast and answered "DVD" Lauren nodded at her still giggling and even though the whole nickname was pretty stupid, you all laughed at it.
You heard the back door opening and you didn't need to look to know that Jake's home. He was wearing shorts, a black T and a cap, that he took off when he entered the house "Carey! Oh... Hi Melissa" He awkwardly waved at Melissa and she didn't hesitate for a second before waving at him back. Jake was confused, you could tell and you gave him a smile, almost like saying sorry for brought her over, considering that everytime after dinner you had a night talk before you went back home.
Jake cracked a smile that you read as it's fine and pointed at you "You owe me a hug" You turned in the chair and he made his way towards you and hugged you as soon as he was close enough to you, you graped you arms around his body and he leaned down his head a little bit and whispered on your ear "She's so in love with me, Carey" you put your mouth against his shoulder to avoid laughing out loud "I know, so don't be a prick with her" You didn't see your face nut you were sure that he rolled his eyes and then you broke the hug.
"What are we eating, Ma?" Jake asked her mom approaching her to give her a kiss on the forehead and then he messed up Lauren's hair, making her punch him on the shoulder "Chili, with veggies, that I hope are cut by now" You sat down on the bar quickly to finish cutting the vegetables and you noticed that Melissa finished cutting them already and was staring at Jake and she was not being subtle about it, making you giggle.
///
You brought the last pot to the table and sat down on the dining table at the same time as everyone else. You sat between Lauren and Leslie and Melissa was sitting next to Jake and in front of you. Mama Seresin was between Melissa and Lauren and John Seresin between Jake and Les. You noticed Jake tensing when his dad sat next to him and he looked for your eyes, you gave him a reassuring smile and Ma broke the ice "Well everyone, go ahead"
The rest of the dinner went pretty well, Jake's sisters were asking Melissa a lot about her and she was gladly answering them and somehow John Seresin wasn't throwing his classic hateful comments.
We were eating dessert when Melissa turned to look at Jake and then looked at me "How did you two become friends?". Jake looked at you and seemed to be waiting for you to respond first but you were waiting for him to respond, so when you responded, you did it at the same time
"When he hit me with a ball!"
"When we were in elementary!"
You both looked at each other and started laughing at the same time, he told you with his eyes to go on and you did "When we were on elementary I went to the restroom one day, and in our school to be able to get to the restroom, you needed to cross the sports patio, so yeah, I was walking towards the bathroom and I saw a group of kids playing basketball and for obvious reasons I moved to the other side of the patio to avoid being hit by them, but it didn't work anyway because when I was about to get into the bathroom I didn't saw a ball coming my way so it hit me exactly on the face-" you stopped for a second and you laughed at your own anecdote
"And well, it hit me, hard. My nose started to bleed and one of the kids ran on my direction and asked me if I was fine, I said yes although my nose was bleeding big time, he told me that I didn't look fine and after insisting a lot he took my to the nursing. He was so worried that he waited for me to came out even after the nurse told him it wasn't anything serious, he took me to my classroom after that and at the end of the day he waited for me on the entrance of the school, he apologized again although by that point I told him that I was fine for the eleventh time and he still didn't seem to accept it so I told him that if he was really sorry he will walk me home, he accepted and little did we know that we lived on the same street"
"That kid was Jake, obviously, and after that day he started waiting for me so we would walk to school together and we've been inseparable since"
Jake looked at you with an expression you never saw in his eyes before, it was almost as if he was admiring you and when he noticed you staring at him, he shook his head and rasped his throat "She just can't get away from me" You rolled your eyes at him making him laugh
"Also, Carey is his only friend since my son is incapable of having male friends, he's like having another daughter" John Seresin spoke up for the first time on the whole evening and you noticed how Jake's jaw clenched and looked down at his hands under the table, you moved your left foot to touch his leg and he looked up at you forcing himself to smile.
Lauren broke the uncomfortable silence by saying "Let's pick up the table", you nodded at her and stood up taking one of the pots with you as Lauren was picking up the plates and cutlery, Ma was about to stand up too but Lauren stopped her and she mouthed a thank you at you, then Jake stood up too and took the other pot from the table, ignoring the fact that his dad was looking at him with a quizzical expression.
When you got to the kitchen you found Jake leaning against the bar with a glass of water on his hand "Jake-" he cut you off, not in a rude way though "It's fine, Carey, it's not like I care anyway" he was looking down at the glass of water but still you tried to catch his eyes "But you do care, Jake" he didn't say anything else and you didn't either, you just walk towards him and hugged him.
It took him a second to adjust and accept the hug but once he did he graped his arms around your waist and placed his head on your shoulder. You weren't sure how long you stayed like that but you separated abruptly when Lauren got in the kitchen, she looked at you and laughed "Geez, calm down" You were scratching the back of your neck and Jake took the glass of water on his hands again. Lauren walked out of the kitchen and you followed her, not without giving Jake one last look before going back to the dinner room.
“Jake Seresin” you say as he stares at you, completely surprised at your presence “From beyond the grave” He scoffs and walks towards you, he gets close to you, but not too close “Hi” he says and you give him a clearly fake smile. He opens his mouth to say something else but he’s interrupted by Bradley, who's seems to be confused at your interaction “You know each other?” You look at Bradley again and he's frowning. You both respond him at the same time.
“We were in school together”
“We were best friends”
Jake and you look at each other and if you knew him still, you would say that he was hurt by the way you described your relationship with him, but you don’t know him anymore so you can’t really tell.
Bradley’s looking at you both intrigued and with a playful smile on his face “You should rehearse that” he says playfully and leaves you to joins the rest of the guys on the table. Jake takes the beer on his hand to his lips and he frowns when he realizes that it’s empty “Want a drink?” He asks you and you nod at him as a response.
He starts walking to the house and you follow him, noticing how he’s turning his head to look at you until you get to the kitchen. Once you’re in it, you notice how the music is quiter than before and how the kitchen is not as crowded. You take a sit on the coffe table on the corner of the room. Jake opens the refrigerator and takes out two beers and opens them with the bottle opener embebbed on the wall, he extends his hand towards you and you grab the bottle, not without thanking him first.
He leans on the wall with his shoulder against the wall and you take a drink “So, how do you know Rooster?” You swallow the beer before responding him “He’s a friend of a friend, we were introduced a few years ago and we’ve been friends since then” Jake nods and takes a sip of beer “I assume you fly with him?” Jake nods again “Yeah, I do, but we’re not really friends” You’re the one nodding now and you’re unsure about what to say about that, but you don't have to think much because Jake speaks up first "How do you know I fly though?" He asks you and you scoff "Jake, I might not be your friend anymore but that doesn't mean I'm not close to your family anymore"
He raises and eyebrow "You're still close to my family?" You nod "Pretty close actually" He has that surprised expression on his face again and you begin to explain before he asks "I asked them not to tell you, if that's what you're wondering" he shakes his head slowly, like processing what I'm telling him and then he speaks again "So you live in Texas again?"
"I lived there for a while after college, but a few months ago I moved here with my boyfriend" He nods again and his expression is an unreadable one "And where is he?" He asks me and you make a hand gesture "He's in this party, somewhere" You take a drink of your beer again and you notice Jake's evading looking at you "What about you, Jake? Where's Melissa?" He turns to look at you abruptly when he hears that name.
"How would I know?" He says that with a cutting voice and it surprises you making you frown, he continues speaking "For you being pretty close to my family, it surprises me that you have no idea" You still have confused written all over your face so he finishes his explanation "We're getting divorced, Carey"
Your lips parted lightly and you feel your eyes opening in shock "I'm sorry, Jake" He scoffs "Are you really?" You roll your eyes at him and stand up ready to leave when he shakes his head and grabs you lightly by the arm "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that" You place your hand in top of his to take it away from your arm "Whatever, Jake, you clearly haven't changed" He shakes his head again and you speak again "I'm going to go find my-" You're cut off by an arm graping around your shoulders and a kiss on your forehead, Jake stops grabbing your arm and you realize who it is
"I was looking for you" you say making your clearly drunk boyfriend blush "And I was looking for you" he says and tips your nose with his index finger, he leans down to kiss your cheek and whispers on your ear "Are we leaving?" You nod at him and turn to look at Jake again "Jake, this is my boyfriend Gareth, Gareth, that's Jake Seresin"
Gareth opens his mouth exaggerated and points at him looking at you "He's Maria's son?" You nod and Gareth extends his hand to shake Jake's, which Jake shakes reluctantly as he asks "You know my mom?" Gareth nods "All your family, actually, I met Carey through Lauren" he slurs his words and you put your arm around his body to give him equilibrium. Jake looks at you, more confused than before and you just shrug.
"Anyway, I'll-” You correct yourself "We'll see you around I guess" Jake only nods and you turn around and start walking away almost dragging Gareth with you
You hear Jake's voice calling your name as you're stepping outside of the kitchen but you pretend to not hear him and you keep walking away.
When we were young
Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin x original female character
Summary: Jake and you had been friends since you can remember but as time goes on you can’t help yourself from falling for Jake. Because of fate and some other reasons Jake ends up marrying Melissa, your best friend, and your friendship with Jake falls apart. Years later, you and Jake find each other again and things haven’t changed as much as you thought, for better or for worse.
Childhood friends to almost lovers to strangers to lovers
Tw: Curse, drinking, smoking, mentions of divorce, hangman is secretly a softie but he’s also a jerk, mentions of protected sex in like one line lol, bad writing and mistakes since english’s not my first language.
Italics: Flashback
Part 1
2. Somebody else
“I don’t want your body but I hate to think about you with somebody else”
As soon as Jake opens his eyes he has to close them shut immediatly again since the way his head is hurting is insufferable. He grunts and curses under his breath as he squeezes his head with both of his hands. He rolls on the bed turning his back to his room’s wondow only to find a blonde woman, completely naked, sleeping next to him.
he lets out a heavy sigh and turns around again, half opening his eyes because of the light that’s entering his room. He sits on the edge of his bed for a while he tries to remember how he ended up on his partment with a girl but the only thing he seems to remember’s that he saw you again and then you left with your boyfriend and that’s about it.
He slides up his boxers and starts walking towards the kitchen.
Jake doesn’t waste any time and as soon as he gets to the kitchen he turns on the cooffe machine and leans on the kitchen island, dialing his mother’s number. It only rings once before he hears her mother’s characteristhic “JAKE!” and he can’t help himself to crack a little smile “Hey Ma!”
“How you doin’, baby?” Ma asks him as she cleans her kitchen and Jake yawns covering his mouth before answering “I’m fine, how’s everyone there?”
“We’re all good, hun, we’re having a barbecue today” God, he misses that “God! I miss that” His mom smiles through the phone “And I miss you, Jake, we all do” Those words make him feel like he’s being hug by her and it feels great, especially because he really needed to hear that.
“Ma, can I ask you something?” Ma scoffs shaking her head “I knew you called me for something” Jake shakes his head too and lets out a quiet laugh “No, I mean, I did call you for something, I called you because I love you and I love talking to you” His mom rolls her eyes and articulates a simple “mmhm” waiting for her son to continue. “Why didn’t you tell me you were still in touch with Carey?” He doesn’t say it as a reproach but it still causes his Ma to tense after hearing the question “How do you know?”
“She told me” He responds and Ma can’t avoid cracking a smile “So you did find each other” Jake frowns at that, confused about what she said and what she means by that “What?”
“Well, I know she’s been living in San Diego and when you told me you’ll be stationing there I started to hope that you’ll find each other again, I just didn′t expect it to happen so fast though... How is she?”
Jake sighs “She’s got a boyfriend and she hates me, I think she’s fine”. Ma sighs too and even thought Jake can’t see her, she was giving him a pitiful smile “Rightfully so, Jake... and yeah, Gareth, he’s a good guy, did you meet him too?” Jake responds with a simple “mmhm” and Ma continues “If it makes you feel better hun, she always felt happy for your success, no matter how hurt she was with you, the least you can do is be happy for her”
He nods slowly, understanding but still processing the fact that he’s just finding out that you never stopped cheering his success even after what he did to you. His mother’s voice takes him out of his thoughts “Did you tell her about Melissa?” she asks and he puts the phone on speaker as he pours the hot coffee on his cup “I did... and I fucked it up after that”
“Of course you did, hun, you always do” Jake chuckles and gives his coffee a drink as his mom speaks up again “Are you going to see her again?” He shakes his head in denial and feels an undescribable pain on his chest that he tries to ignore by clearing his throath “Nope, I doubt we’ll bump into each other again”
“Hun...” She starts saying but Jake cuts her off “Nah, it’s fine, I mean, don’t I deserve that?” Ma frown slightly, not sure about what he meant exactly “What do you mean?”
Jake sighs again “I broke not only her heart but all of her like it was nothing, maybe the least I deserve is her hating me forever” Ma stares at the phone unable and unsure about what to say so the only thing that comes out of her mouth is “She doesn’t hate you, Jake”
Jake rubs his face with his hands before speaking up again “Anyways, Ma, I need to get ready and send Melissa the papers, can I call you later?” Ma nods slowly “You know you always can, hun, I love you”
Jake smiles while he says “I love you too, Ma”
He cuts the call and as he does he notices a text message from phoenix
Phoenix: Dinner tonight with the team, you in?
“It took you like two hours, Jake!” You said as Jake returned to the table with a tray full of ribs and mac and cheese “Well, it took you two hours to get ready to come here,so I guess we’re even”. You rolled your eyes at him and you were about to answer when your stomach roared, loud, making Jake and Melissa, who was sitting next to you, laugh “Geez! Someone’s hungry”
You kept your straight face for a second, pretending to be mad but it didn’t last long because you lost it and laughed along them “Can we eat now, pleaaaaase?” you asked and Jake nodded as he slipped into the sofa, sitting in front of you and Melissa.
He served you some food on a plate and put it in front of you, staring at you as you were concentrated and ready to start eating. You grabbed a rib and took it to your mouth.It was amazing, so amazing that you rolled your eyes as you were eating it and the only thing you were allowed to say was a “mmmmmm”
Melissa turned to look at Jake and he looked at her quickly before returning his eyes to you and you just shrugged. When you finished eating it you cleaned your mouth and spoke up “This is fucking good”. Jake nodded “Told you this ribs are the best” well, he certainly wasn’t lying, you thought
Melissa finished chewing and spoke up, for the first time in the whole afternoon “I have to admit that this is my first time eating this”. Jake, who had his attention on the rib on his plate, turned to look at her abruptly with his eyes wide open
“Are you serious right now?!” Jake asked, looking directly at her and she nodded nervously “Yeah... my mom’s not really a fan of meat” she said and shrugged as Jake was nodding slowly, like processing what she just said. “I just can’t believe you never tried ribs before, are you even a texan?” Jake asked her, with a serious face and you couldn’t help but giggled about it.
“Actually no, I’m from San Diego”, Jake looked at you and then at her again with a raised eyebrow and he seemed fascinated and curious about that fact “Why did you move here?” he asked her and you turned to look at your friend, who was failing to hide her exciment about being noticed and questioned about her by Jake “A few years ago my dad was stationed here while my mom and I were still living in California and my dad kinda fell in love with this city and asked my mom to move here, so we did”
“Wait, wait! Stationing? Your dad’s a pilot?” Melissa chuckled and nodded and you noticed how Jake’s eyes lightned up, then Melissa spoke up again “Yeah, how do you know?”
“I want to be a pilot too” he said causing you to opened your eyes abruptly and you frowned your eyebrows, it was surprising to you, but it wasn’t that he wanted to be a pilot that surprised you, it was the fact that he never told you that, and you knew that he didn’t have to tell you everything that he does but you couldn’t help to feel hurt about it “Do you” You asked and he guided his eyes to look at you
He shrugged “I mean, I’ve been contemplating the option for a while, but I’m still not sure” he said and you just nodded watching him returned his attention to Melissa and you weren’t exactly sure why but all of a sudden you were mad with Melissa althought you weren’t sure why
“My dad could help you with it if you want, I mean, he could clear some of your doubts and things like that” Melissa said and Jake nodded with a huge grin on his face “Yeah, that-that would be really cool actually”
Jake turned to look at you and and gave you a smile and you returned it, then he spoke up “Carey could give me your number so I text you about it”. He was staring at you and you forced a smile and nodded but you were feeling irritated about this whole thing but again, it was your idea to introduced them and you knew that Melissa was head over heels for Jake, so why were you feeling mad about it?
You didn’t know and you also didn’t know why you stopped listening to them as you watched them talked like they’ve been friends since forever and decided and put all your atenttion on the food you had in front of you
Were you jealous? No, you couldn't be, Jake was your friend, your best friend and you were his, you couldn't be jealous, also, you loved Melissa and you wanted to see her happy, right?
You shook your head and slipped out of the coach as you said “I’m going to the restroom” but none of them seemed to heard it.
///
After dropping Melissa off her house Jake turned to look at you as you had your atenttion on the road “She’s cool” he said taking you out of your thoughts and making you frown “What?” you said as you turned your head to faced him and he was the one that had his eyes on the road now
“Melissa, she’s cool” he said rolling his eyes and you simply nodded and looked at the road too, he didn’t say anything else and you didn’t say anything either. You both spent like ten minutes in silence until you noticed Jake slowing down and parking the car on the side of the street, you looked at him only to find him staring at you “Are you okay?” Your frowned, completly confused as why he parked the car and why he was asking you “mmh, yeah, I’m fine, Jake, why did you stop?”
He shook his head, causing his hair to messed up a little bit “No, you’re not, what is it?” he asked and you frowned even more “I have no idea what you’re talking about” he cracked a playful smile and you rolled you eyes “C’mmon, tell me”
“There’s nothing to tell you” You said and you were starting to feel annoyed at this whole thing, he must’ve not noticed it because he kept going “Wait! I know what it is, you’re jealous”
“I’m not jealous”
“You are jealous, Carey’s jealo-”
“I’M NOT FUCKING JEALOUS!” you cut him off, louder than you expected and he stared at you with opened eyes and then he shooked his head again “I-I’m sorry, I was just teasing” He said it with a sadness on his voice and you felt guilty “No, I’m-I’m sorry Jake” You rushed to say and he nodded without saying anything so you kept going “I’m not jealous, it’s jut that- why didn’t you tell me you want to be a pilot?”
He returned his attention to you and you gave him a little smile that he returned before speaking up “I was going to, you were going to be the first person I’ll tell once I was sure”
You turned to look down at your hands as you were playing with them and you quietly, almost unhearbly said “But now I won’t be the first” Jake frowned and he wasn’t sure if he heard you correctly “What?” You shook your head and faced him again “Nothin’, nevermind”
“No, what did you say?” You rolled your eyes again “Nothing, Jake, it doesn’t matter, can we go now?” He shook his head in denial and took the keys out of the steering wheel “It does matter to me, Carey!”
“You know what, I’m gonna walk” you said as you grab your bag and opened the door, heading out, and Jake followed you “Are you serious right now?” he yelled as you were walking away and you didn’t stop nor turned to look at him, but you felt him walking behind you “Carey! C’mmon! I dont’t even know why you’re acting like this”
“THAT’S THE PROBLEM!” You yelled at him without stopping your walk and you weren’t exactly sure when or why there were tears forming on your eyes
You step out of the car and fix the jumpsuit you’re using before starting walking into the restaurant. The girl on the entrance approaches you and asks you if you have a reservation, you shake your head in denial and tell her that you’re coming with Bradley Bradshaw. She nods at you and grabs her notebook, when she seems to find him on the list she says something like “Yeah, he’s on table 4, it’s outside on the terrace” and she points at the huge glass door that leads to the terrace.
You thank her and star walking towards it, you’re like an hour and a half later so everyone must be here right now, even Gareth. As you approach the table you noticed every single one of the guys, and girl, that Brad told you would come, except that there’s someone he certainly didn’t mention
JAKE SERESIN, again.
He probably wasn’t expecting you either because when he notices you his lips part a little bit. You’re not sure how long you stare at him but it’s like you get caught in the moment, and that moment is stopped by Bradley’s arm wrapping around your shoulders.
You notice that Jake’s also taken out of his thoughts by the shaven-head guy sitting next to him when he hits his ribs with his elbow causing Jake to throw his elbow away and giving a drink to the glass he has on one of his hands.
“You made it!” Brad says and you look at him smiling, kinda faking that smile “Yeah, I almost- Oh sorry guys, hello, hello!” You say as you wave at everyone on the table and they all return the waved and some of them say things like “Hi” and “How you doin’?”. You move your eyes seeing all of the people there and when your eyes get to Jake he nods at you as a greet and you do the same. You return your eyes to Brad “Where’s Gareth?” you ask him
“He left because he thought you weren’t coming” he answers you with a serious face and you’re not sure if he’s joking or not “Really?” you ask with your eyebrows frowning causing Rooster to laugh at you “Nah, he’s in the bathroom”
You roll your eyes while you giggle too and he guides you to your chair, luckily for you, you were sitting between Phoenix and Gareth and Jake was sitting on the other half of the table, at least it’s not going to be that awkward you thought.
Like five minutes later Gareth returns to the table and gives you a kiss on the cheek before sitting next to you, you turn to look at him and he gets closer to your ear “When did you get here?” You move your head so your mouth’s on his ear now “Like five minutes ago” you whisper and then you both return your atenttion to the anecdote one of the pilots is telling.
You’re unsure about how long it’s been in between laughs and anecdotes told but you notice that the sky’s dark now, and because of all the drinking and eating you excuse yourself to go to the restroom.
When you get out of it, you don’t return to the table right away, instead you walk towards the exit of the restaurant and you turned around the corner of it, leaning your back on the wall and lighting up a cigarrette that you had in your bag. You exhale the smoke as you shigh throwing your head back
“Since when do you smoke?” he asks you and you don’t need to look at him to know who it is “Since when do you care?” shit you think after those words come out of your mouth, curtly and more agresive than you intened “I’m so sorry, that was-”
He cuts you off while he shakes his head and stands next to you with his back leaning on the wall too “Nah, it’s fine, I deserve that I guess” You don’t know exactly what to say and you also don’t know exactly why your heart’s beating faster than before, so you just put the cigarette in front of his face as a question which he responds to shaking his head lightly and moving your hand and the cigarrette away from his face “I don’t smoke”
You shrug and give it a smoke again, returning your atenttion to the sea, even though it was pretty dark outside and you can’t barely see it. You feel Jake’s stare on you but you try to ignore it, he returns his stare at the sea and like three minutes later he moves his head to stare at you again, this time you turn to face him “Jesus Jake, just say it!”
He scoffs and takes a second before speaking up “I didn’t know you’ll come, I promise” he says pretty fast and throwing his hands on the air, making you scoff quietly and nodding at him “Yeah, I figured”. He doesn’t say anything else so you turn to see at the sea again. It feels funny how you’re just as awkward as you were back then and how even though you both are silent it doesn’t really feel uncomfortable.
Jake takes his eyes to you again and just stares at you, without saying anything for a couple of minutes “I missed you” he finally says and it’s not the fact that he said that what surprises you, it’s the way your heart jumped as you heard that what surprises you and it takes you a microsecond to adjust at the way your heart’s beating at this point, you try to shake that feeling and act as if you feel nothing about it and sarcastically say “Yeah, right”
You look at him and his expression is serious and he doesn’t have that cocky smile on his lips “I mean it, Carey”
“Well, it sure didn’t seem like it, Jake” You say, letting all those feeling you thought you got over overcome you and your voice and throws his head back, frustraded and sad maybe? “But I missed you too, Jake” You don’t know what posseses you to say that but you do clearly shocking Jake or at least that’s what his face says. He clears his throat before speaking up again “I’m sorry”
Your frowned, confused about what he’s apologizing for “Huh?”
“I’m sorry... for everything, I-” He stops himself “I shouldn't have been scared and I shouldn't have done what I did to you, you-you didn’t deserve that”
You shake your head trying to stop the tears that are forming on your eyes and you feel your chest being punch and hurt by all the memories that are coming back to you as he says that. You stare at the floor, knowing damn well that if you look at him you’ll cry
“I know you want nothing to do with me, I get that and I promise you that after tonight I’ll stop bumping into you but I really need you to know that I’m sorry for everything and if I could I would totally go back and make things right, but I know I can’t and again, I’m sorry”
He says that pretty fast, almost as if he was on a rush and you feel a lump creating on your throat and you notice a tear falling on the floor. Those were the words you wanted to hear from him since you were younger and now that you heard them you’re not exaclty sure how to feel about it. At this point the tears are coming out of your eyes non-stop and you star blinking fast to avoid them.
Jake’s never really been good with emotions so he spins on his heels nervously, wondering what he should do. He steps closer to you and places a hand on your shoulder, rubbing it slowly “I’m going back inside so they don’t suspect anything weird, is that okay?” He asks you with a soft voice that you haven’t heard in a while and you only nod, still looking down at the floor.
When he takes his hand away from your skin you feel your shoulder cold and empty, he’s about to return to the restaurant when he stops after hearing you calling his name “Yeah?” He asks and you finally stare directly at him and you find funny how the way the light from the restaurant’s lighting him makes him look like a god, even though he’s more like a devil “Thank you... for saying that, it means a lot”
He nods and cracks a little smile that you try to return, then he turns around and returns to the restaurant.
You weren't sure for how long you’ve been rolling back and forth on your bed so you grabbed your phone to check the hour: 2:44 am
You grunted annoyed about the fact that you couldn't sleep and you had classes tomorrow. You rolled again to put your phone on the night stand again when it started ringing
Jakey
You didn’t even hesitated before picking it up “Jake?” You asked whispering and he answered you with his raspy voice “Were you up?” You nodded, even though he couldn’t see you and you answered him with a simple “mmmhm”
“Fine” he started saying in a whisper too “Do you want to talk?” you made another “mmhm” sound and moved on your bed to sit with your back against the backrest “I’m sorry for today, well, yesterday, I don’t know what happened”
You couldn’t see him but you were sure he was nodding before speaking up “Yeah, it was a strange day... but I really liked it” you didn’t know why you smiled at the but you did “Did you like it? Did you like seeing me losing my shit?”
“I like seeing you doing anything to be honest, even losing your shit” Your heart stopped for a whole minute and it wasn’t until you heard Jake’s voice again that you realized that you were still alive “I’m sorry, what did you say?” you asked him since you weren’t sure you really paid atenttion to what he said before “I said that you don’t have to feel jelaous about Melissa”
“Oh my god, are we going there again?” You heard Jake giggling through the phone and you smiled to yourself “Okay, let’s pretend you weren’t jealous today, yesterday I mean, but what I’m trying to say is that you should never feel jealous about anyone because you’ll always be my best friend and no one’s gonna change that, okay?”
“Geez Jake, you’re so corny” You heard him laughing laughter then and you laughed too covering your mouth with your hand “I’ll never tell you anything nice again, dvd”
“Noooo, I’m kidding Jake, I adore you too” you said in between laughs causing Jake to laugh along you
“Fuck!” Gareth grunts as he comes and gets outside of you, taking off the condom and throwing it in the trash can next to the bed, he gives you a kiss on the lips before grabbing his phone, you sit on the edge of the bed and you put on your panties and Gareth's shirt.
You stand up as you grab your phone from the little table next to the bed “I’m going to the kitchen, you want anything?” you say and Gareth shakes his head in denial still looking at his phone “No baby, I’m good”
You serve yourself some water as you get to the kitchen and lean on the island of the kitchen with your phone on the other hand, should you? shouldn’t you? You keep staring at the number, unsure wheter it’s a good idea to call him or not. FUCK IT you think and click on the green button. You’re shaking your feet anxiously as it rings for the third time and you start to regret calling before you hear a grunt on the other side of the call and a raspy voice saying “Hello?”
You feel nervous? for some reason and your mind goes blank so the only thing you’are able to say is “Jake?”
He wakes up completly after hearing your sweet voice and you feel your heart racing as you wait for him to respond “Yeah, it’s me, is everything okay?” He asks with an extremly quiet and soft voice but you catch a glimp of worriedness on his voice “Yeah, I’m fine, it’s just that... I really like seeing you today”
He stays silent for a moment and then he says “Well, technically it was yesterday but-” you cut him off by giggling and you hear him chuckling harder on the other side of the line “Shut up, Jake!”
“Okay, okay, sorry, go on” You shigh and keep going “It’s just that I was thinking about... yesterday and it remind me of how much I miss having you in my life and-” you stop yourself and scratch the back of your neck nervous, you’re not sure wheter you should say it or not and Jake’s not sure where you’re going with this but he can’t stop smiling at the fact that he’s hearing your voice “Would it be too crazy to ask you if you want to be in my life again?”
Jake’s smile got wider, he actually had not smile like this in years and you could feel him smiling when he finally speaks up “Nothin’ would make me happier, Carey”
Tag list: @kkrenae @malindacath @seresinhangmanjake @notanordinaryprincess95 @fangirling-4-ever @shanimallina87 @deeahhmaa @anya7802
Hangman’s First Rodeo
MASTERLIST PINNED
Warnings: NONE
WC: 2.1k
.
.
I put my car in park and let out a long sigh. After a quick check in the rear view mirror, I wonder if I made the right decision wearing no makeup and letting my hair be wild and free. Bradley heard from someone in administration that I got asked to arrive earlier than expected to the North Shore, so he extended an invite to the Hard Deck. When he texted me, I immediately felt bad seeing how often he had reached out just to be left on read. It was nothing personal, he has been one of my closest friends for a decade, I just needed space. I finally decided it was time to stop stewing in my thoughts and take the key out of the ignition.
.
.
The bar is crowded with patrons in khakis. Loud music and chatter fill the room. I scan the room and find Bradley, he motions me over to the back of the bar where there are pool tables and dart boards. He immediately wraps me in a hug, “Rodeo! It’s been too damn long.” I smile up at him, “I know Rooster, I know.” He starts pointing out people in the group and listing names, “This is Bob, that’s Phoenix, Coyote is over there, there’s Yale, and where is .. oh there.. that’s Bagman.” The blonde turns around with a smirk, “It’s Hangman, Bradshaw. And who is this?” Bradley stiffens, “This is Rodeo.” The blonde looks me up and down with the same little smirk, then turns back to his game of darts. I stand near the pool table and watch as Bradley starts a game with Phoenix. Since I regularly work with aviators, making small talk was easy. Once the blonde wins the game of darts, he walks over and stands beside me. He smells like jet fuel and sandalwood. I look at his arms, toned and tan. I tell myself to calm down. I am here for work, nothing else. “Bradshaw here didn’t get you a drink?” I turn to him, “I am fine, but thanks.” His eyes narrow slightly and he smiles, “I am not hitting on you, darling. But I am about to go get another beer from Miss Penny up there.” I chuckle and stare right back into his bright green eyes, “Well I am happy we cleared that up, darling. You aren’t my type and I don’t drink.” I do a very large and obviously fake smile. Hangman furrows his brow and walks away, looking flustered. Bradley walks over and is giggling uncontrollably, “What did you do to Bagman?” I shrug, “I just told him he wasn’t my type and that I don’t drink.” Bradley put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side, “Man, I missed you. He annoys the shit out of all of us and somehow you put him in his place within 30 minutes of meeting him.” The rest of the group laughs and chimes in, agreeing with Bradley.
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The night continues on with countless games of pool and darts. We all end up outside, some sitting in the sand and some with their feet in the water. Bradley plops down next to me and bumps me with his shoulder, “Dude, I missed you. You gonna tell me why they moved you here?” I stare at the waves crashing on the sand, “You too, Roo. I am not even completely sure. Thought you had something to do with it because it was Mav who called me.” Rooster raised his brows, “He didn’t say anything to me.” I shrug again, staring at the group of aviators standing by the ocean. Bradley can see the concern on my face and pats my back, “Hey, don’t worry. They’re good. Well, except Bagman.” He chuckles and I hear a familiar voice shout, “Senior Chief Rodeo? Now why is Rooster keeping you all to himself?” I turn and see Maverick walking down from the Hard Deck, smiling big as can be. “Mav!” I run and give him a big squeeze. What I didn’t notice was the group walking back from the water, or that they heard him yell to me. As they reach Bradley, Pheonix asks, “Senior Chief Petty Officer? How the hell old is she?” Rooster faces her, “She is not old. She just works her ass off.” I walk back to the group with Mav, wondering why they are all looking at me. Hangman breaks the silence, “So Senior Chief Rodeo, can you clue me in on your skincare routine? I coulda sworn you were the same age as all of us.” I roll my eyes, “Y’all’s age? No way. I’m 28, what are you .. 40?” I take a moment to watch their eyes bug out, and then start walking back inside with Mav and Bradley. Bradley slaps my back, “You haven’t changed a bit. Still an absolute asshole. Love it.” We pay our tabs and head back to get some sleep. I lay in bed, staring at the blank walls of my little bungalow, wondering what the morning will bring.
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Once I jumped out of my truck on base, I could feel eyes on me. The group from last night were all chatting by the hangar, in their flight suits and aviators. I was in civies and a Longhorn baseball cap. Bradley parked beside me and jumps out, “You are so damn lucky. I swear y’all are never in uniform.” I chuckle, “I know, but hey y’all don’t look too bad in your onesies.” He sighs and throws his bag over his shoulder, “10 bucks they shit themselves when Mav tells them your job.” I put my hand out to shake on it, “Deal. It’s nothing special. I am pretty curious to know why I am here anyways.”
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The aviators are all seated when Mav and I walk into the hangar. Mav claps his hands, “Okay ladies and gents, I’d like to introduce you to my friend. This is Senior Chief Petty Officer y/l/n, callsign Rodeo.” There’s a few “Good morning”s and “Hello”s in response. I wave. Mav continues, “As you know, we have had quite a few missions recently with the SEAL teams. As you also know, we have some areas where we need to green up when it comes to working with the SEALs. So, Coronado was nice enough to lend us Rodeo for a bit. As we go through this training session, she will be your point of reference.” I scan the room and shake my head at the shocked look on everyone’s face. Hangman clears his throat and smirks, “So .. she is some kind of liaison? Works with the SEAL teams?” Mav narrows his eyes, “No, she IS a SEAL and she will be helping us learn how to work better with them.” I meet Bradley’s eyes and pull out a $10 bill. Walking over to his seat, I set it on the table in front of him. I turn back around, “C’mon y’all. I am just a female SEAL, I don’t have three heads or snakes for hair.” There is scattered laughter and Mav clears his throat, “Okay people, get to work. Rodeo will be in the hangar or my office if you need her.” The pilots disperse and I follow Mav to start looking over training procedures and past mission optics.
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The first couple of weeks were exhausting. Work was extremely busy and when I was home, I was unpacking. The bungalow was coming together nicely. It is right by the beach, so I can take daily strolls down by the water. I open up another box and my phone dings.
Bradley: Y/N! No excuses. Bonfire. My house.
Less than ten seconds later it dings again.
Bradley: I am serious. You can literally walk here. No excuses.
I sigh and write back.
Y/N: Okay, but only for a bit. I still have a lot of shit to build.
I walk into my bedroom and do a once over in the mirror. Jean shorts, white tank top, and a baseball cap. I grab a hoodie just in case and head down the street.
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I hear music playing and smell smoke as I get close to Bradley’s house. I open up the back gate to the whole squad in the backyard. Hangman smirks, “Well howdy Rodeo. Fancy seeing you here.” Bradley runs up and wraps you in a hug, “You actually came! What do you need help building?” The squad all starts chiming in before you can respond. “Oh I can help!” “Where do you live?” “Did you walk here?” I wait for the chatter to die down, “I’m right up the street. Only have a few of the bigger things left. Bookcase, bed frame, that kinda stuff.” Bradley throws his arm around your shoulders, “I’ll come over tomorrow and get it all built.” I look up at him, “No! It’s the weekend! You should relax. I’ll get it all done eventually.” The rest of them start offering to come help and before you know it, everyone is planning on coming to your house. The house that is littered with boxes. I cringe and think about all of the tidying I need to do before they arrive. I head inside and grab a coke from Bradley’s fridge. The floor creaks and I whip around to see Hangman. “Sorry darling, didn’t mean to scare ya.” “What do you want, Hangman?” “Well I was just thinking that maybe we got off on the wrong foot. Thought maybe we could start over.” You laughed, “And what had you thinking that?” He shrugged, “I was a total jerk. You can ask around, I am THE unit asshole. But I honestly didn’t mean to be disrespectful. Wasn’t raised that way.” You look up at him, “How were you raised?” He smiles real wide, “In Texas. Yes sir and yes ma’am. Two sisters that dragged me around and told me what to do. You from Texas? Or just a Longhorn fan?” He asks while motioning towards your baseball cap. “From Texas. No college for me, though. Enlisted, boot camp, prep, BUDs. Nothing too exciting.” Hangman chuckled and shook his head, “Yeah, totally, nothing too exciting at all. How long have you been in?” “10 years. How about you?” “Got in right after college, 16 years ago. Remember? I am old.” He winks and I feel heat in my cheeks. He steps a little bit closer, “So are you and Bradshaw.. you know?” I laugh so hard that I snort. The back door opens up and Bradley looks between us, raising his brow. I finally stop laughing, “No. We met at my first duty station. He is the annoying older brother I never asked for.” Bradley rolls his eyes, “Hangman, leave Rodeo alone.” I walk towards Bradley and playfully nudge him with my elbow, “It’s fine. We are just getting to know each other.” Bradley shakes his head, “I know. That’s exactly what I am worried about.” I laugh and follow Bradley back to the bonfire. Hangman comes out a few minutes later and I say my goodbyes to the group. I am met with groans and “No please stay”s. Hangman clears his throat, “Let me walk you back, it’s getting pretty late.” Pheonix whispers something to Bob and they both crack up. Bradley turns, “Bagman, I think she will be just fine.” I nod my head, “Yeah I think I can handle myself, but thank you.” Hangman shakes his head and stands up, “Darling we already talked about this, I am a southern man. Can’t let you walk back all by yourself. Even though you are a big, bad SEAL.” He smiles and opens the gate, motioning for me to walk ahead. Bradley is noticeably angry and I smile at him, “It’s okay, I’ll see y’all tomorrow.”
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Hangman follows me until we reach the front porch. He scans the little bungalow, “Cute place. I’ll see you tomorrow .. wait I just realized I only know your callsign.” I chuckle, “Same. Unless your mother named you Hangman.” He laughs and puts out his hand, “Jake Seresin.” I shake his hand, “Y/n Y/l/n.” I grab my keys and unlock the front door, “Well, thank you for walking me back Jake. See you tomorrow?” He smiles so wide you can see every one of his perfectly straight teeth, “Yes ma’am. You sure will.” He turns and starts back up the street. I walk inside and shut the door, leaning my head against it for a second. I shake my head in attempts to get rid of the thoughts of him. His smell. His annoyingly perfect smile. I text Bradley to let him know I got back safe and head to bed.
Hangman’s First Rodeo part 2
MASTERLIST PINNED
Warnings: Fluff; angst
WC: 2.3k
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After a night of tossing and turning, I roll out of bed at 05:00. I throw on some running shorts and a sports bra. The rhythm of my feet hitting the sand calms me down. After a few miles I am completely drenched, so I decide to jump in the water. I swim against the current, focusing on my breath. “Y/N! Fancy seeing you here!” I swim back to shore to see none other than Jake Seresin standing there. As I walk up, I notice him looking me up and down. Suddenly, I feel self conscious and wish I had picked a matching outfit. “Howdy Hangman, out for a run?” He raises his eyebrow, “Yes, and my friends call me Jake.” I smirk, “Oh so we are friends now?” He nods, “I’d very much like us to be.” “Well Jake, I am usually not friends with dinosaurs but for you I will make an exception.” He laughs, “So you SEALs really do love the water, huh?” I shrug, “It’s quiet in there. Helps me turn off my brain.” I check my watch and gasp, “Oh I need to get back. Y’all are heading over soon and I need to try to make the house look presentable.” He chuckles, “Don’t worry about that darling. We aren’t gonna judge ya.” I wave and start running back to the bungalow, “See ya soon Jake!” He yells back, “See ya, darling!” My cheeks are red and it’s not from the workout.
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There’s a knock on the door right as I finish wiping down the kitchen counter. In a half hour I had showered, picked up some, and turned on the radio. I open the door up to the whole squad, “Come on in y’all. Want some coffee?” There’s a chorus of “Yes”s and I turn on the pot. Everyone splits up and starts working. Pheonix and Bob are in the living room tackling the bookshelf. Payback and Yale head out back and start putting together the patio furniture. Bradley and Jake are in my room and reading the instructions for the bed frame. I pour everyone coffee and head into my room. Bradley motions to the mattress on the floor, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were sleeping on the floor. Would’ve come over and done this weeks ago.” I shrug, “I’ve slept on much worse.” They both laugh. Phoenix yells from the living room, “We gotta get something on these walls. Your house is worse than Rooster’s.” I chuckle, “Not really the decor type, but thank you.” Looking around my room, I see what she means. Blank walls. Basic furniture. Plain comforter on the bed. No decorative pillows. No cute blankets. Bradley drops some screws and opens up the closet door to find the ones that bounced under. Gear starts spilling out, “Shit, I’m sorry!” I run over and start shoving it back in. He finds the screws and throws them to Jake. Just like that, the bed frame is finished. They put the mattress on top as I push my body weight against the door, finally getting it to shut. Bradley and Jake head to start building the next thing, while I go out back to add a screen to my back door. Figured it would be nice to let the ocean breeze in.
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I walk into the kitchen to see most of the squad chatting and drinking more coffee. The furniture is all built and I turn to them, “Thank y’all. Seriously. This would’ve taken me forever.” Bob pats my shoulder, “Hey, we are a team Rodeo. Always here to help.” I smile and notice that Jake is missing from the group. Walking down the hallway, I notice the office door is open. I walk in to see Jake rummaging through the only open box. “Hangman. What the hell are you doing?” He looks up with wide eyes, “I came in here to see if there was anything else to put together. This box was open. I didn’t mean to-“ I feel anger bubbling up inside of me, “You didn’t mean to what? Completely invade my privacy?” He shakes his head, “No, I really didn’t mean to. Y/n, this is so many awards. And medals. Why would they send you here?” The anger spills over, “It is one of your damn business, Hangman. Get out! Now!” He looks up at you like a wounded puppy, “Y/n, I-“ “I don’t want to hear it. Get out!” He walks away sheepishly and I hear whispers in the kitchen. I walk out once I hear the front door shut. The rest of the team is standing there, looking confused and concerned. Bradley walks up and pulls my head into his chest, “You okay?” I take a deep breath, “Yeah. He was going through my teams stuff. I should’ve never even opened that damn box.” Phoenix clears her throat, “I am sorry, Rodeo. He is an asshole. We will leave you be, but please let us know if you need anything else.” She smiles and the team hums in agreement. I smile back, “Thank y’all. See y’all later.” Bradley stays beside you while they file out. Once we are alone he asks, “Are you wanting to talk about it? I understand if you don’t.” I shake my head, “I really am fine, Bradley. I think they just sent me here for a moment to breathe. They couldn’t force me to take leave, but they could force me to come up here for a detachment.” He sighs and rubs his face, “I get it, okay? More than most people. But y/n, you have to have a life outside of the job. You will burn yourself out.” I shrug, “I’ll be okay, Roo. I promise.” He looks unsure but pulls me in for a hug, “I’ll get out of your hair, but come to the bar tonight. Live a little.” I smile, “We’ll see. Have a good day, Roo.” And just like that, the bungalow is empty and quiet.
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The sun is setting so I shut all the blinds and turn on a few lamps. Bradley has been texting me for the last two hours, asking when I am getting to the Hard Deck. I switch my phone to airplane mode and head into my office. Grabbing a deployment journal from the box, I sit down and start flicking through the pages. A knock on the door startles me. I jump up and check the clock, 22:00, I must have fallen asleep reading. I crack open the door to see Hangman standing there, looking down at his feet. “What do you want, Hangman?” He looks up, “Well for starters, I’d like you to call me Jake again.” I sigh and open up the door, motioning for him to come in. Grabbing the teapot, I start boiling some water. “Tea?” He sits down on the couch, “Sure, thanks.” An awkward silence fills the room. Once the tea is done, I hand him a mug. He smiles up at me and I join him on the couch. “Y/n, I am sorry. I shouldn’t have gone in there. I shouldn’t have looked through your stuff. I wish I could take it back.” I take a deep breath, “I am sorry, too. Shouldn’t have yelled at you. It’s just.. I don’t talk to anyone about that stuff.” He furrows his brow, “Never?” You shake your head, “Never.” He runs his hands through his hair, “I knew I shouldn’t have looked. Then you didn’t come out tonight and I felt horrible. Bradshaw was yelling at me, telling me how much I upset you.” I roll my eyes, “Roo is just protective of me. I was upset, but it is okay. Come here.” I grab his hand and walk back towards the office. He looks confused and I try to ignore what felt like electricity when we touched. I start pulling things out of the box and placing them around the room. Jake stands there like he is frozen, “You don’t have to do this. Not for me.” I shrug, “I want to.”
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Jake watches intently as I point out what the different piles are, “These are my journals, kept one for every deployment. Those are medals and awards. Right there are all the group photos. And those, those are my mementos. First shell casing, first pair of flippers, that kind of stuff.” He looks around as if he is in a museum. “Y/n, how the hell have you done this much in 10 years?” I shrug, “No family. Never really take leave. The job has always been it for me.” He looks at me with sad eyes, “Your parents?” “Long gone. Had me when they were older. Left me the ranch, but I only go a couple weeks out of the year. The ranch hand takes care of everything for me.” He shakes his head and sighs, “I am sorry, that must be lonely.” “It’s not bad. Honestly, I am used to it. The teams are my family. They’re all I need.” He raises his brow, “You sure about that? No boyfriends in the picture?” I chuckle and pick up one of the photos, “Only one. Years ago, right after I joined. He was with another team. Thought it would be great because he would understand the lifestyle. He left me for a fitness model. Said he needed someone who was around more.” I shrug and laugh, but Jake just looks sad. He sighs, “I am sorry. Same kinda thing happens to me. Pretty much every woman has told me they can’t handle the stress of my job. But you deserve so much better. He didn’t deserve you.” He leans in, just a touch but I notice it. I am hoping he doesn’t notice the heat that I feel rising in cheeks, or the way my heart is racing. His eyes flicker down to my lips and he tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. *BANG BANG BANG* “Y/N! Please? Your phone is going straight to voicemail! Are you okay?” I curse Bradley and walk to the front door.
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“What, Bradley?” He stumbles forward and I catch him, walking him over to the couch. He is drunk and rambling, “You weren’t answering. It went straight to voicemail. And you are always so alone. And you scared me and I-“ His eyes got wide and his face got red, “BAGMAN?!?!” I turn to see Jake standing at the entrance of the hallway. Bradley tries to stand up but is too drunk, “What the hell are you doing here? Y/n why is he here?” I fold my arms over my chest, “Jake came to apologize, Roo. We were having some tea and chatting.” Bradley’s eyes narrow, “So it’s Jake now, huh?” Jake walks towards the couch, “Oh c’mon Bradshaw. Grow the hell up.” Bradley glares at Jake, “No Bagman, actually how about you stay the hell away from Y/n! She is my friend! Leave her alone!” I clear my throat, “Shut up! Both of you, stop! Bradley, I am an adult and can choose my own friends. Jake, you don’t need to fight my battles for me. Now both of you, listen up. Bradley, your ass is staying on that couch. Go to sleep. I will take you to get your Bronco in the morning. Jake, you are sleeping in the guest room-“ They both try to cut me off and I put my hands up, “You will stay here because you are drunk and you will stay here I do not want to deal with this lightweight. End of discussion.” Bradley looks defeated and Jake smirks at me. Feeling flustered, yet again, I head back to my room and get ready for bed.
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I wake up hyperventilating and covered in a cold sweat. The clock on my phone says it is only 02:00. Sighing, I get up to grab some water. In the hallway, I run right into a shirtless Hangman. “Oh my gosh sorry!” I cringe looking down at myself, only in a large t-shirt and underwear. He follows me to the kitchen, “You okay? I heard you in there.” I shrug, “Sorry, nightmares.” He puts his hand on top of mine, “I get that. Want to talk about it?” I shake your head, “I am okay, but thank you. I am used to them.” I peek into the living room and see Bradley fast asleep. Jake throws his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side. The heat radiating off of him feels amazing. The scent of sandalwood fills my noise. I lean into him, not listening to the voice in my head telling me this is a horrible idea. I look up at him and he furrows his brow, “What’s wrong?” I nuzzle back into him, “Nothing. That’s the problem.” He pulls my face up to look at him, “What do you mean?” “I mean, I barely know you. Then, all of the sudden, I want to show you these things I have always kept hidden. I see you after a nightmare and you calm me down. I just don’t understand it.” His green eyes stay glued to mine and he does one of his big grins, “Maybe that’s the point darling. Some things just happen. It’s not for us to understand why or how.” He pulls me close to his chest and kisses the top of my head before heading back into the guest room. I stand there for a moment, completely frozen in what just happened. Leaving a glass of water beside Bradley, I head back into my room and try to go back to sleep. My nightmare is no longer what’s keeping me awake. All I can think about is how badly I want him to hold me in his arms again.
🌸cherryblossomcowgirl🌸
masterlist
Hangman’s First Rodeo
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
Hamgman’s First Rodeo Part 3
Masterlist Pinned
Warnings: Angst; Fluff; Injury; Traumatic Memory; Harassment; Bar fight
WC: 2.1k
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The clock says 07:00 and I am shocked. Waking up all throughout the night had become so normal to me. Tiptoeing into the kitchen, I start a pot of coffee. Jake comes down the hall, “G’morning darling.” I smile, “Goodmorning Jake.” He pours himself a cup of coffee and sits next to me. Bradley stirs on the couch and moans. He stands up and walks into the kitchen, “Morning Y/N. Bagman.” I sigh, “C’mon Roo. He helped me deal with you last night.” Bradley winces, “I may have had too much to drink.” I chuckle, “Oh honey, there is no doubt about that.” He runs his hands through his hair, “Mind if I shower?” “Go right ahead. Towels are under the sink.” Jake clears his throat, “I can drive you down to your Bronco after, if you’d like.” Bradley mumbles as he walks down the hall, “I’ll walk but thanks.” I look at Jake and roll my eyes. Jake smirks and takes a sip of his coffee, “How did you sleep last night? After the nightmare?” I meet his gaze, “Great, actually. I am sorry that I woke you up. But really, thank you. You didn’t have to do that.” He rests his hand on top of mine, “You didn’t wake me up, darling. Seeing you calmed me down.” I smile and rest my head on his shoulder, “Yeah, me too.” We stay like that for a moment, until Bradley clears his throat. “I’m gonna go. I’ll see you at work. Sorry about last night.” I wave, “Bye, Roo. No worries.” Jake just nods in his direction. Bradley walks out of the door, hanging his head.
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We both finish our coffee and Jake breaks the silence, “Do you want me to head home? I don’t want to mess up your routine.” I shrug, “I don’t really want you to leave.” He smirks, “Is it bad that I was hoping you’d say that?” I giggle and feel my phone start buzzing. I sent it to voicemail and Jake looks at me, “You can take that if you need.” It starts ringing again and I shake my head, “It’s okay. Don’t really want to talk to them.” He raises his brow, “Wanna talk about it?” I take his hand, “Why not? Already breaking all of my rules anyway.” He follows me into the office and I cut into another box. “Y/n, you know you don’t have to tell me anything that you don’t want to.” I smile, “I know. There’s just something about you. I want you to know.” He smiles so big. I start pulling things out of the box, files, photos, and a glass jar with two shell casings. His smile fades and his brow furrows, “What happened?” I take a deep breath, “4 months ago I was on a mission with the team. We had split into groups of 2, just like we have a million times. My partner, the person trying to call me, was ahead of me. Our comms started flickering in and out. Instead of pulling back and staying side by side, he decided to push forward and hope they’d resolve. Mine went down completely, but he didn’t know that. He was on a walkover about a story above me when he saw movement. They moved too fast and before he could yell to me, I was hit twice. The rest of the team immediately rallied and got me out, but it was our fault. We should’ve pulled back when comms were spotty. Now we know it was the target interfering with them.” Jake’s eyes are almost, watery? He seems upset. Finally he breaks the silence, “Where did they hit?” I look down at my feet, “Abdomen. Left side.” His eyes widen as I start to lift up my sleep shirt, “Y/n, only if you’re comfortable. Okay?” I nod my head and show him. He scans the scars. They are still a dark color, I have just been hoping they’d fade with time. I adjust so he can see my back, “Doctors said I was lucky. They went right through me. Woulda done a whole lot more damage if they stayed inside.” Now I notice that his eyes are definitely watery and he just keeps shaking his head. I take his hand and place it over the scars, “I am okay. Really. I’ve deployed since. I still love the damn job. I think they just sent me here for a change of pace. It has been a long 10 years.” He looks up at me and speaks in a low voice, “Y/n.. I am never going to let anyone hurt you ever again. I almost lost you before I ever even had you.” Tears sting my eyes as he stares at me. He kisses me for the first time, and it is soft and warm. He lays his head in my lap and I play with his hair. I smile and try to stay calm so he doesn’t notice the uncontrollable butterflies I feel. A comfortable silence surrounds us.
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A few weeks of work and quiet moments with Jake pass quickly. We haven’t spoken about this thing between us. Ever since that emotional night with Jake, there has been this unspoken understanding. Most days after work, he ends up on my front porch. I cook, we chat, he cleans the dishes (even though I always tell him not to), and we fall into this extremely comforting routine. He hasn’t stayed over since the night with drunk Bradley. Bradley has kept me at arms length and has barely texted. It’s upsetting to me that he would be this childish about Jake, but I am trying to give him space.
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One night after Jake heads home, there is a knock at my door. I open it to see Bradley, running his hands through his hair. He looks at me and smiles, “Hey Rodeo. I was just on a walk and was thinking maybe you’d wanna join?” “Sure, Roo.” I slide on a pair of flip flops and follow him down to the shore. We make some small talk about work. I take of my flip flops and put my feet in the water. Bradley stands beside me and sighs, “Y/n, I am sorry. The last few weeks I have been a complete asshole.” I put my hand on his shoulder, “It’s okay, Roo.” He shakes his head, “No it isn’t. We have been friends for 10 years. I shouldn’t have let Bagman come in between us. We have just always been at each other’s throats. He is completely different around you. I can’t believe it, but he is.” Bradley pulls me into a hug and sigh, “Thank you, Roo. You had me scared there. I can’t lose you.” He squeezed me tighter, “You won’t. I promise.” He walks me back home and I head to bed.
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The sun is blazing down as I stand outside the hangar. We just got back from testing comms and I am exhausted. Exhausted and covered in sweat. Everyone is checking their planes. Jake is talking to his WSO and I can’t stop staring at him in his aviators. His flight suit is tied around his hips, displaying the fitted shirt underneath. I hear Mav, “Yes sir, she is right over there.” I turn around and feel the blood drain out of my face. Tall, dark hair, blue eyes, my old partner. “Rodeo! Had to drive up here for some paperwork, thought I’d check in since you haven’t been answering.” I take a deep breath, “Hey Playboy, all is good here.” He moves closer to me and his scent washes over me, taking me back to that mission. My heart starts racing and my scars start hurting. He places his hand on my shoulder and meets my eyes, “How are you healing?” I see Jake out of the corner of my eye and he can see the panic on my face. I put on a fake smile, “I am okay. How is the team?” “Not the same without you. When are you gonna leave this place and come back with us? You belong with us.” Jake’s hand lands on Playboy’s shoulder, “Well I can tell you right now, bud, no one here is going to let her go easy. Hangman, and you are?” “Playboy. Rodeo’s partner form the teams.” Jake smiles, “How nice. It has been great meeting you, but you should probably get going. Let the lady finish her work.” Playboy raises his brow, “Interesting Rodeo, I didn’t think aviators were your type.” I roll my eyes, “Playboy, shut up.” He looks at me, “This guy? Seriously? They send you up here to work and you find a booty call? Can’t believe they call me Playboy.” Jake’s face hardens, “I’ll say it one more time, you should probably get going.” Playboy scoffs, “Yeah. Fine. You guys should keep her. A real SEAL would never be okay just sitting around. You never deserved that title, Rodeo.” He turns around and starts walking towards his car. The anger boils over and I scream, “Oh I didn’t deserve that title! Coming from the guy that couldn’t sweep a fucking room and got me shot TWICE! You are a DISGRACE, Playboy. Everyone knows it! And I already heard you aren’t reupping! Everyone should be thanking their fucking LUCKY STARS!” He turns around with rage in his eyes, but one look at Jake and he gets in his car. I turn around and see the whole squad standing behind me. The embarrassment hit, “I’m sorry .. I didn’t mean .. I .. I ..” Bradley walks up and wraps me in a hug, “Screw that guy. Y/n, I am so happy that you are okay.” Phoenix speaks up, “You have helped us so much, Rodeo. We are lucky to have you here.” The group hums in agreement. “Thank y’all, I am going to head home.”
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Jake shows up on my doorstep with a smile that tells me he wants something. “Listen, I know today was rough. Let’s go out. Everyone is already there. You can take your mind off of everything for a bit.” I smile, “Okay.. It really isn’t fair because you know that I can’t say no to you.” He chuckles and I follow him to his truck. When we get there, we join the squad in their usual spot. Jake was right, this was getting my mind off of Playboy. I never had issues with anyone else on the team. Part of me wondered if everyone knew we didn’t get along, so they’d pair us together to try and force it. I tell myself to stop thinking about that and enjoy the night. Bradley has unplugged the jukebox and is banging away on the old piano. My arm is around his shoulder and I sing along with him. The song ends and we stand there, giggling. Then I hear an all too familiar voice, “Wait a minute.. I thought you liked blondie boy over there.. Aviator Ken Doll! So who is this? You must really be getting around up here, huh Rodeo?” I turn around and meet Playboy’s icy eyes, “Get the hell away from me!” He steps closer, “What? I am just saying, back when you were with the teams you always acted like you were too good for me. Now I guess anyone is good enough?” I can see Bradley fuming out of the corner of my eye. A fist connects to Playboy’s jaw. I turn to see Jake, who is jumping on him in a rage. Jake gets right in his face and practically growls, “You don’t talk about MY girl like that!” The squad pulls him off and Bradley starts to carry Playboy out because Penny is ringing the bell aggressively. Bradley comes back in and we all head down to the water. Phoenix giggles as she walks by me, “He called you his girl. That’s cute. He has never said that about anyone before.” I blush. No one ever stands up for me. Usually, they figure that I can handle things myself. Jake runs up beside me and grabs my hand, “I’m sorry. Was that too much?” “The punching him in the face or calling me your girl part?” He shrugs, “Both?” I shake my head, “No Jake, it wasn’t. These last couple of months with you have been completely new to me. The time we spend together means the world to me, I hope you know that.” He stops walking and spins me around, into his chest. I giggle as he pulls me in for a kiss. Gentle and curious, making the butterflies rise in my stomach.
Hangman’s First Rodeo part 4
Masterlist Pinned
Warnings: Fluff; Implied Smut; Angst; Loss of parents; Trauma; Past injuries
WC: 2.2k
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Jake drops me back home after the Hard Deck and walks me to the front porch. I turn the key and open the door, “Do you wanna come in?” He smiles and checks his watch, “It’s already pretty late, darling. Are you sure?” I nod my head, “Just stay the night.” He follows me inside and makes us tea. We chat about the night. I keep telling him I am okay, but he doesn’t seem to believe me. He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, “Playboy had no right to say any of that to you. Sounds like he had a thing for you and is upset that you don’t feel the same.” I nod, “Yeah. He was like that the whole time. I never brought it up to the other guys because I just wanted to focus on work. It felt so horrible to get so far in my career and then be treated like that. Like all I am is someone men find hot.” Jake pulls me in to his arms, “You are much more than that, darling. So much more.” I nuzzle into his chest, “Tell me more about you.” He smiles, “Well, we covered Texas. I got 2 sisters, who gave me 2 nieces. My parents are very involved. When I was younger that bothered me, but I like it now. They all still live in Austin. I try to go back as much as possible. They keep hounding me because it has been about 6 months since I’ve been home. Hmmm, let me think. I love college football. I am lactose intolerant. And I have no control around coffee. I could drink like 10 cups a day if no one is watching me.” I look up at him giggling, “You are actually adorable.” He grins, “Now you.” I shrug, “You already know mine.” He shakes his head, “No.. I only know about your career. Tell me about you, darling.” I look up at him, “Not much to tell. Only child. Older parents. They owned a huge cattle ranch outside of Marble Falls, distributing meat all throughout Texas. Now I “own” it, but I don’t really do anything. Just let the business people do everything and I sign off. I think they wanted me to go to college, but they passed before it was time to make all of those decisions. I felt, lost? I had always felt drawn to the military so I went down to the recruitment office. I was looking at Navy careers and saw the SEAL brochure. The recruiter laughed when I said I was gonna do it. I made up my mind then and never looked back.” Jake looks at me and carefully asks, “What happened to your parents?” I sigh, “My Dad bought a small plane and got his license. They were always flying somewhere for a vacation or business trip or just to fly. They hit weather. Plane went down. It was fast, you know? I had just turned 17.” Jake’s eyes water, “I am sorry, Y/n.” I shrug, “It is okay. I think they are proud of me.” He nods his head, “They are.”
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I look over at the clock by my couch and see it is 03:00. “Jake, we should probably go to bed. I think we could stay up all night talking.” He chuckles, “Yeah, I think so too.” We get up and he starts walking towards the guest room, “Where are you going?” He turns around with his eyebrow raised, “To bed, darling.” I laugh, “Jake, I know you are a gentleman. Get over here and cuddle me.” He smiles, “Yes ma’am.”
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We lay side by side in my bed. Jake’s arm is around me and my head is nuzzled into his chest. I haven’t felt at peace like this in.. I couldn’t even tell you how long. He plays with my hair and I can hear his heart beating. He clears his throat, “Y’know, I have never had anything like this before.” I look up at him, “What do you mean?” He chuckles, “Most of my relationships start off on the wrong foot. Meet them at a bar, take them home, maybe have a couple dates, then never see them again. This is new to me.” I smile, “Me too. And to think I thought you were bad news when I first met you.” He smirks, “Oh yeah?” I nod my head, “I have never seen Roo act like that. And he is very dramatic, so that is saying something.” “Bradshaw only sees work me.” “I am happy that I know Jake, not just Hangman. Or Bagman.” He kisses the top of my head, “Me too, darling.” I drift off to sleep, still in his arms.
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When I wake up, Jake is still holding me. I run my hand through his hair, “G’morning handsome.” He opens his eyes and grins, “Morning beautiful. I could get used to this.” I giggle, “I’m gonna go make us some coffee.” Jake meets me in the kitchen and I hand him a cup of coffee. “Thank you darling.” I sit next to him, “How much leave do you have?” He raises an eyebrow, “Too much. Why?” “Come to my ranch.” “When?” I shrug, “Next week?” He nods, “Deal.” I take a sip of my coffee and he smiles, “Any particular reason?” “I just.. I don’t know. I just want to.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and kisses the top of my head, “I’d be honored, darling.”
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The week passes by quickly. Both of our leave requests were approved and I booked the tickets, even though Jake complained about that. Next thing I know we are at the airport, holding hands and walking towards the gate. I look over at Jake, “You packed boots, right?” He laughs, “Darling, I packed everything I usually pack when I go back to Texas.” I giggle nervously, “Sorry. I always overthink on travel days. Going back makes me a little nervous every time.” “I am here, okay? And I hope you know how much it means to me that you want me to come with you.” I squeeze his hand tight, “It means a lot to me that you are willing to come.”
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The flight lands and I can feel the Texas heat. We grab our bags and Jake asks, “Need me to order ride?” I shake my head, “Follow me.” He raises an eyebrow but grabs my hand and follows. I take him to the pickup area and right up to the bright red, lifted, diesel truck. He shakes his head and laughs, “You have got to be joking me.” I smile and slap the hood, “Not joking. Meet Truck Norris.” “Truck Norris?!” The driver side door slams shut, “Y/n!!” I run over and jump into the drivers arms, “Scotty!” Scotty sets me down and I turn to Jake, “Jake, this is Scotty. Scotty, this is Jake.” They shake hands and we throw our luggage into the truck bed. Jake jumps in the passenger seat and I hop in the back. Scotty looks at Jake and then looks at me, “So you never bring anyone home, ever, and then you bring back someone who looks like he stepped outta GQ?” Jake blushes and I chuckle, “Scotty, settle down. I told you about Jake.” Jake turns to me, “You told him about me? That’s cute.” I roll my eyes, “Scotty and I grew up together. His Dad was my parent’s first ranch hand, so they lived on the land. He kinda had to be my best friend. Scotty took over for his Dad when he retired.” Scotty points back at me, “Until someone had to go save the world and shit. Left me all alone on the land. You know I talk to the horses?” I look at Jake, “He’s always done that. He can’t blame that on me.” We pull onto the property and Jake’s eyes bug out, “Holy crap. Do y’all have your own zip code?” I shrug, “Kind of?” Scotty drops us off at the main house so we can unpack. We walk up to the huge front door and Jake turns to me, “When were you gonna let me know you were like.. Redneck royalty?” I laugh, “I guess now? We can drive around later. You need a shower?” “Yes please.” I point to the left, “There’s a hallway of guest rooms with attached baths there. Or to the right is the master bed and bath. Take your pick.” He rolls his eyes, “You have got to be kidding me. How many rooms are in this place?” “8 beds 10 baths. Then there’s a couple of guest houses on the property. I think it was supposed to be for when family would visit but we didn’t really have any extended family.” He grabs my hand, “I am sorry.” “Jake, it really is okay. Go grab a shower. I’m gonna do the same and then I’ll throw together some lunch.” Jake smiles and heads towards a bathroom, “Okay, darling. Thank you.”
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Jake comes into the kitchen wearing Wrangler jeans and a fitted white t-shirt. I whistle as I slide him his plate, “Looking good, Cowboy.” He winks, “Had to look good for my lady.” I raise my eyebrow, “Your lady?” “Yep. Don’t fight it. You’re my lady and there’s nothing you can do about it.” I walk over and kiss his cheek, “I like the sound of that.” He pulls me into his lap, “You do?” I hum as I kiss him. He deepens the kiss and his hand move along my back. I shiver as his fingers graze my scar. He pulls back, “What are you thinking?” I bite at the inside of my cheek, “Sorry. I just.. I haven’t been.. intimate since the mission. You are the only person besides the doctor that has seen the scars. And I just feel..” He touches my cheek, “Darling, you don’t need to worry about that with me. I promise.” I furrow my brow, “But they’re so-“ He cuts me off, “Don’t. You are perfect. You are perfect and you are mine. I love you.” He looks shocked at his last sentence and my jaw drops. He starts talking fast, “That wasn’t how I wanted to say that. I am sorry. It just came out. You don’t have to-“ I touch his cheek, “Shhh, I love you too.” He smiles and pulls me into a kiss that takes the air out of my lungs. “Y/n, I have been wanting to say that since that night in your kitchen.” I smile, “Me too.” He kisses me as he picks me up, carrying me towards the bedroom. I giggle, “Where are you taking me?” He smirks, “I am going to show you just how beautiful you are.” Jake carefully lays me down on the bed and looks at me with his bright green eyes. I take a deep breath as he lifts my shirt, revealing the thick scars. He caresses them gently and plants a kiss on each. As he begins to explore my body he looks up at me, “You are everything I have ever wanted, Y/n.”
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I wake up from our nap with a fluttering in my stomach. There’s a warm feeling in my chest and my head feels like it is in the clouds. Jake opens his eyes and smiles, “Hey darling, how are you feeling?” I kiss his cheek, “Amazing. How about you?” He chuckles, “Pretty damn good.” I playfully slap his arm and he pulls me into his chest. I listen to the familiar sound of his heartbeat. The past few months have been a whirlwind, but I want to freeze this moment. My eyes meet his, “I wish it could be like this forever.” He brushes a strand of hair behind my ear, “It can.” I giggle, “C’mon Jake, you know it can’t.” “Why not?” “You have to fly. I have to.. do whatever the hell it is I am going to do. Hopefully get back with the teams? I don’t know. But people like us don’t get lives like this.” Jake turns his head to the side and sighs, “You are going to go back? What about these last few months?” I sit up in the bed, “This assignment was always temporary, Jake. Eventually I will have to go back. I have to finish out this contract. It’s only a few more months, but still.” He turns around and looks at me, “Are you going to re-up?” My mind starts racing, “Jake, I don’t-“ He repeats himself, “Are you going to re-up?” Tears are threatening to spill over, “I don’t know. It’s such a big decision. This career is the only thing I have had for a decade. I don’t know if I can just give it up.” Jake shakes his head and starts to stand up, “You know there is always going to be a position at Top Gun. Comms are a top priority. We have both heard Maverick say it a hundred times. But if you need to go back, just go back.” He starts pulling on his shirt and my voice shakes, “What are you saying right now?” His green eyes scan mine quickly and then look away, “I am saying go back to Coronado. Apparently this was all temporary anyway.” He turns and walks out the door as I cry, “Jake! That’s not what I meant!”