Jake Hangman Seresin X Reader - Tumblr Posts

The unexpected visitor

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x f!reader

Summary: All day long Jake waited to come to take care of his girl who turned him on by texts, he certainly doesn't expect who's waiting for him.

Warnings: NO MINORS +18, explicit sexual content, oral sex giving and receiving, swearing

"Can't wait for you to come home."

A smirk stretched his lips as he read the text before putting his phone in his pocket and grab his helmet joining the rest of the squad for today's exercise.

They had been texting each other hot all day and Jake was just waiting for one thing, the end of the day to get home and honor his fiancée the best way he knew how. That is, between her legs. When the day finally came to an end he didn't hesitate to rush home, jumping out of the car and rushing inside the house he let the door slam behind him to announce his return before happily exclaiming from the hallway into the living room.

"Baby I'm here!" He took off his shirt and pants while walking through the house looking for her. “Spread your legs wide open for me I'm coming! Also I'm gonna fuck your little mouth so hard you won't be able to talk for a few days. Fuck, Love I'm gonna destroy you." He froze in place as he came into the living room dressed only in his boxers and saw her sitting in one of the armchairs, a man sitting across from her on the couch, both of them looking at him dumbfounded. Jake's smile tightened with embarrassment.

"Honey, Father Edwards came to visit us unexpectedly, to talk about the wedding, could you put your clothes on please."

Father Edwards looked down at his glass of water clearing his throat, Jake, still with his embarrassed smile on his face apologized before walking backwards into the kitchen picking up his clothes as he went.

 "If you'll excuse me for a moment." In a strangled, high-pitched voice she rose to join him as their guest replied with a nod.

 "You could have warned me!" He exclaimed whispering so that the priest wouldn’t hear them.

 "I didn't have time! How was I supposed to guess you would go home claiming you wanna fuck me. Jesus .. what he is going to think .. '' She put her hand on her forehead, the other on her hips. "Okay, put your clothes on and shut it. Let me handle this."

She starts to walk away before coming back to him and kissing him, he was turned on by her authority.

"That said, I still can't wait for you to destroy me." She said with a low voice before heading to the living room, provoking a smile from ear to ear to Jake who followed her.

She returned to her seat, Jake taking his place beside her, nodding with a pinched smile to Father. "Father Edwards, you look great."

"Jake, nice to see you again. I had come to see you to discuss your wedding ceremony." With a proud smile Jake took one of her hands that she had crossed in her lap and clasped it in his, a smile she returned, " I haven't seen you since when you came to me to ask me to officiate."

"Oh yeah, we've been busy with work a lot."

"You know it's customary to have an appointment before that to make sure of your ... motivations, that it's a commitment that you're making in good conscience. To make sure that you're aware of what it means, to answer your questions and discuss how the ceremony will go."

Unlike Jake's family, his future wife's family had never been very religious and a civil one would probably have required less preparation. Nevertheless, it has been finally decided that the civil ceremony would be followed by a religious one in order to agree with Jake's family and to please them. They didn’t intend to start their life as newlyweds with a conflict between the two families who couldn’t agree. So that's why today Father Edwards found himself sitting on their couch at the least opportune moment.

"Well at least there is no doubt about your motivation for this wedding, you do really love you both. " He said amused which disconcerted the young lovers in front of him.

"Always done with love padre." Jake threw happily and proudly, too much for the young woman's taste.

"Jake for God's sake please don't say more words."

"Um, dear child, don't involve Him in this please. Well, I'm gonna leave you ... you two certainly have things to do." He winked at them and she just wanted to bury herself deep underground. "It would still be a good idea to make an appointment soon to discuss all this."

All three of them got up and they walked him to the door.

"Thank you for coming Father Edwards and ... I'm sorry, truly."

He put a hand on her shoulder still amused. "It doesn't matter my child. I don't see that every day, fortunately."

Once he was out, she closed the door and leaned against it.

"Well we will be lucky if he still wants to marry us."

Jake who had remained in the background, hands in the pockets of his jeans, held back from laughing and she felt like hitting him for this embarrassing situation.

"I'm sorry ... That's wrong, I'm not."

She rolled her eyes before returning to the living room, the pilot on her heels. As she bent down to clear the coffee table to take the glasses back to the kitchen, he put his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck.

"Please now can you let me fill you."

His words were met with an elbow to the stomach that made him laugh and tighten his grip around her.

"You're so a classy man Seresin."

"Hey! You turned me on all day long and I've been waiting all day for this to happen. You should have known what was waited for you once I came home. "

"That's my fault now?! Do I need to show you the texts to refresh your memory, you're the one who initiated this." A plaintive sound came out of his chest as she headed for the kitchen, following still glued to her.

"I know. But this is my way to show you how much I love you."  Her laugh that he loved so much rang in his ears as she burst out laughing and sliding his hands over her hips to turned her around. "You can't imagine the pure joy I feel to know I'll be able to hear that sound for the rest of my life." He took the glasses she still had, one in each hand, and placed it behind her on the work surface. Passing his arms under buttocks he raised her to sit on it then slipped his hands on her hips.

"Is it bad to want to make love to the girl I love?"

"You always want to, it's like your first human need." She joked, resting her hands on his shoulders.

"That's because I love you so much darling.” Coming to kiss her neck he carried her back to sit her on the kitchen table lower than the countertop, allowing him to be just the right height between her legs.

"Now, are you allowing me to show you I love you?" He asked whispering in her ear which made her feel thrills down her spine.

Without waiting more, he went up her dress on her thighs, caressing them of his hot hands, of a hand in the hollow of her kidneys he approached her so that she can be on the edge of the table. He placed his lips on hers mixing his tongue with hers, her hands sliding on his chest to his waist to catch his shirt that she removed him making him raise his arms, the sight that it offered her made her bite her lower lip what excited more the blond who came to caress her over her underwear. The sudden presence of his hand on her crotch made her flinch with surprise and she contracted her thighs encircling more firmly his waist. Depositing kisses on her collarbone, going up towards her ear he withdrew her panties to come then slip a finger in her, causing her to squeak. He added a finger, fingering her with his index and middle fingers, caressing her clitoris with his thumb. Her movements of pelvis and the acceleration of her breath intensified the excitation of Jake which manifested itself by the hardening of his member tight in his jeans. A hand in his nape, the other on his wrist, she squeaked so strong of pleasure that he could have come just by listening to it. A hoarse moan of his share resounded in her ear that accentuated her excitation, she wanted some more, more than to feel his fingers in her. He withdrew it from her slowly to let her feel all the movement and came to squat in front her open legs, going up his hand of her thigh to her chest  meaning to her to lean back in order to better open to him. Placing her legs on his shoulders he plunged his face between her thighs and she let escape a cry of pleasure by feeling his wet and hot tongue lapping her intimacy.

"God Jake!" In a lively gesture she clutched his hair and arched her pelvis to better offer herself to him. The tip of his tongue caressed her small button of flesh so sensitive what made her tremble of pleasure, he made the turn of it with the tip of his tongue before sucking, alternating the two. He felt her clitoris swelling between his lips what provoked him a smile of satisfaction. With his tongue he went through her wet slit feeling her almost to fail, her breathing was jerky, her movements of pelvis more insistent, she couldn’t wait any more. He straightened up and came to offer her her own taste on his lips before murmuring against hers.

"You get me so excited when you squeal like that."

She laughed a little as she felt his excitement through his jeans.

"Yeah, I can feel it and I think I can fix it." He raised an intrigued eyebrow and bit his lip as he saw her get off the table and come to her knees. In a split second she undid his belt and unbuttoned his jeans before sliding it with his boxers down his thighs. She threw him a vicious glance whereas he slipped a hand in her hair. When she took it in her mouth he tilted his head back with a sigh of ecstasy, he liked to feel himself in her and this in all possible ways, this one being by far his favorite. Her tongue wrapped around his length, which she went through at a slow pace at first then she accelerated feeling his grip tighten around her hair. The tip of her tongue played with his foreskin making him moan of pleasure. When she took him again in mouth Jake gave a blow of kidney to come to sink in her throat. When he looked down at her he saw that she had one hand around his member, caressing herself with the other, he liked to see her excited and making herself feel good by giving him pleasure. His own increased tenfold he began a long series of brutal back and forth to feel himself go to the bottom of her throat pressing on the back of her skull. She ended up withdrawing to take a big breath, small tears beading in the corners of her eyes by the feeling of his cock tapping in the bottom of her throat. He helped her to stand up by taking her by the hands and wiped her tears with his thumbs before coming to kiss her passionately and to sit her down again on the table. His arms around her, their two bodies pressed one against the other, their intimacies caressing.

"Jake please.." She moaned.

"What sweetheart?"

"Take me now."

He inserted himself then in her, she was so wet that he slipped easily, leaned on her a hand on the table, he passed his other arm under one of her knees to raise her leg and better sink in her. The sensation of her sex contracting around his doubled his pleasure and he shook his head as if to clear his head while the pulsations of his heart became stronger. Their two pelvises dancing together, him giving big knocks to go more deeply in her and her to receive him better, the sound of their skins clacking one against the other mixed with the short breaths and the moans. Her hands clutched the edge of the table to which she clung desperately not to fail.

"Shit, this table won't ever handle this." He joked burying his face in her neck, pressing his lips against her burning skin, one of her hands dropped the edge of the table to come and press against his nape, in which she planted her nails to which he responded by growling and biting the skin of her neck on which he was going to leave a hickey.

"Ja.. Jake, Please go faster."

"This babe wants more uh? Ask and you'll receive." Without releasing his face from her neck he grips her hips firmly controlling the movements of her pelvis against which he comes crashing faster at her request making her scream louder.

"Fuck Jake! I can't no more!"

"Come for me babe, come around me and I'll fill you up."

While she tightens abruptly a last time around his waist, the orgasm invades her tearing off a cry of pleasure bringing Jake to his paroxysm and joining her, pouring in her, tightening his embrace and moaning in his turn. Out of strength she releases her size of her thighs, and slides her arms around his nape snuggling against him. They remain one moment in that position, him between her legs his arms around her, hers around his nape, taking back their breaths, exhausted by their frolic.

"See how much I love you?" He says his lips against hers with a smirk making her laugh.

"Never doubted about it. I love you so much too Jake. Never leave me."

"Never been in my plans Love. I'm gonna make you mine forever."

Shattered souls

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x expilot!fem!reader (no use of YN)

Summary: One mistake, three destroyed lives, a lost love, they will have to rebuild themselves. This is the story of two shaken beings.

Warnings: angst, death, physical wounds, trauma, swearing, very long post, maybe inaccurate things about the Navy (I really don't know much about it sorry), English isn't my first language so for sure grammatical mistakes

"Jake!"

She felt a weight crush her chest and jerked upright under the pain, her heartbeat ringing in her ears. The presence of the sheet under her hand reminded her that she was in her room. Staring at the darkness in front of her she tried to regain her normal breath. A quick glance at the alarm clock on the bedside table to her right told her that it was only five o'clock in the morning, eighteen minutes to be exact. Her sigh broke the silence that reigned and with one hand she removed the sheet before getting out of bed. Grabbing her robe from the chair in the corner of the room, she left it to go to the kitchen. She didn't need to turn on the light, the coffee machine's indicator light was bright enough for her to use. While the coffee was brewing, she leaned against the counter of the central island, slipping her cold hands into the pockets of her bathrobe to warm them up. Staring blankly into the darkness and silence of the night, her dark thoughts found their way, that they knew all too well into her mind. The beep of the machine indicating that the coffee was ready made her raise her head, she took the cup with both hands to enjoy the warmth of it and leaned on the central island, leaning on her elbows, facing the window observing the streetlamp on the other side of the street whose light was oscillating.

"Alright alright! I'll bet you twenty bucks that she'll turn you down before the end of the night!" She giggled as her friend and navigator jostled her by pushing her on the shoulder making her stagger to the side and bump into someone.

"Be careful pretty, I hope you don’t fly as you walk." Mocked the blond Ken that she collided before resuming his way. She looked at him moved away taken aback.

"Who's that one? I've never seen him on base." She turned her head to Billy who shook his head signifying that he didn't know who it was either.

"This one is Hangman." Said Shark who had slipped up behind them without them feeling him coming and startled them. "He just arrived, replacing Sunrise who broke his arm."

"Wait what, how did he do it?"

"He wanted to do trampoline at his little nephew's birthday party. He jumped too hard and ejected and landed against the fence, well actually going through the neighbor's fence to be exact."

The pilot and her navigator looked at him in surprise, a completely stupid look on their faces.

"So he's the one who's going to replace him, Sunrise isn't here to come back at the moment. Jake Seresin, that's his name, that guy is arrogant, nobody can stand him where he comes from." He continued.

"What a beautiful portrait, it makes you want to know him."

The three went back to their planes. As they were about to take their seats, their superior came trotting up to them.

"Touchdown! Sunshine!"

"Yes sir."

"You must have heard that Sunrise wouldn’t be with us for a while, nothing changes for you, his replacement takes his place as a wingman."

The two looked at each other sharply, how stupid had they been not to make the connection when Shark had told them about him a few minutes earlier? From the top of her ladder ready to take her place at the front she saw Jake further away wink at her with a sly smile. It was promising.

Turning off the shower faucets she grabbed her towel and tied it around herself, went to the medicine cabinet above the sink to get her cream, and ran her hand over the foggy glass once it was closed. She looked at herself for a moment in the mirror, swivelling her chest to observe the huge scar that had been part of her for two years now. She brushed it with her fingertips before lowering her eyes and going to her room to get ready.

As she did every Wednesday morning, she went to the local church for the meeting that took place in a room adjacent to the religious building. As usual, she warmly greeted the men and women who, like herself, were attending the meeting, some of whom were just partners in suffering, others had became friends who had found each other and created a bond based on mutual suffering. All the people present at this meeting had suffered a trauma in their lives, all as varied as each other, but which allowed them to understand and help each other in the painful ordeals that followed.

She took off her jacket and hung it on the back of the chair, the same chair for the past two years, a creaky old folding chair with a cracked brown leather seat. Always in the same place, in the same circle, surrounded by the same people.

"Sunshine and Touchdown? Where do you get names like that?" Jake's voice came over the radio and Billy could feel his friend rolling her eyes. "Come on what, we're going to get really close over the next few weeks, maybe months. How about we get to know each other."  The young woman winced at the word "months", she wanted her wingman back, her habits, she hated change and especially, new things. Yes, Sunshine was a person who was perfectly happy in her habits and her comfort.

"Billy was one of the best players on his college American football team, and he's a big fan to this day." Her melodious laughter filled the cabin and the radio as Billy took offense, the pleasant sound making Jake smile.

"One of the best?! I was THE best, the handsome player, I could have been a star myself ma'am."

"And Sunshine where did that come from?"

"She's the sunshine of the base." Billy cut her off as she was about to retort. "A real ray of sunshine that little piece of woman."

"Stop it Billy, that's not true."

"Of course you do! You're always in a good mood, always smiling, and everyone finds it a pleasure to hear your cheerful tone and laughter over the radio when we're on mission."

She felt her cheeks catch fire and put her cold fingers on her cheek to cool down.

"Embarrassed Sunshine?" Jake's mocking tone rang in her ears and she turned her head to the left to see his plane next to theirs, a perfect but mocking wide smile on his face and she flipped him off for any response which made him burst out laughing.

Contrary to what she could have thought from the portrait that had been drawn of Jake, the young woman supported him rather well, obviously with a point of exasperation in certain moments, but she had to admit that he had a certain charm that she wouldn’t have known for all that to describe, but the Texan didn’t leave her indifferent. The two pilots spent their time sparring and jabbing at each other, mostly with a smile, until one day one of the spats ended unexpectedly.

"You are so condescending and lacking in discernment!" She exclaimed exasperated by his behavior.

His legendary cocky smirk on his face, his hands in the pockets of his flightsuit, following her on her tail through the corridor.

"Would I have lacked discernment with you sweetheart?"

She made volt face what he didn’t expect and had just the time to stop himself not to enter in collision with her, and she was now almost against him. She raised her head to address him because he was a good head taller than her. Their two faces were only a short distance from each other. An impassive air on her face, a soft glance and a smirk on his.

"Why do you always have to look so flirty Seresin." Her voice was low, giving a certain intimacy to their closeness.

"Always, you sure?"

"I've always seen that look on your face, a face I often hold back from hitting."

"Maybe you've always seen me with that look on my face because that's the one I'm willing to give you." His seductive tone provoked shivers in her neck and she rolled her eyes ready to turn her heels to move away from him. Nevertheless before she could make any gesture he brought a hand in her neck and put his lips on hers. Surprised, she widened her eyes and felt Jake smiling against her lips. He was insufferable, but at the same time he attracted her like a magnet. Her hand slid down his neck and she stood on tiptoe as he wrapped an arm around her waist. She would have let herself choke for lack of air not to have to break this kiss. A throat clearing was heard and they parted in surprise, but not without Jake pulling his arm from her waist. She looked at Billy who was with a few meters of them and who had just surprised them, then her glance settled on the arm of Jake that she pushed back abruptly.

The three of them looked at each other not knowing what to say and then finally Billy broke the awkward silence.

"Okay I'm definitely not a fan of what I just saw to be honest and I hope to erase it from my memory soon." She bit the inside of her cheek, why did she feel embarrassed? She was of age and vaccinated, right? She could do whatever she wanted. "But if it means you'll be watching over her even more she's in the air, that's fine with me." He finished before passing by them to continue his route, gently squeezing the arm of his friend while passing by her.

Hands clasped on her knee, legs crossed, her gaze fell on the person in front of her, a newcomer, someone who had been unlucky, someone who would be scarred for life, someone who would never be the same. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head towards Denise who leaned towards her.

"Would you join us for coffee after the meeting?" She whispered to her and when she looked up her eyes caught the faces of Barry and Shirley behind her neighbor who were watching her waiting for her answer.

"Sure." She whispered in turn causing smiles on all three faces to which she responded with a slight smile and returned her attention to the newcomer who was finishing telling his story.

The door at the back of the room creaked and a cold wave swept into the room, Curtis, who was leading the meetings and had been absent a few minutes before, hurried back to the middle of the circle, he glanced at the young woman, playing nervously with his fingers.

"Please excuse me, I was with a newcomer." He cleared his throat and turned to the door as a figure rushed in, Curtis desperately searched for her gaze and when he caught it, addressed her with a silent "I'm sorry." she frowned not understanding what he meant and was struck with dread when she saw the face of the person taking his place in the circle.

Sitting on the right side of the row next to Billy she saw Jake, sitting on the left a few rows ahead turn his head and wink at her, holding back a smile she pretended to look away which only widened the pilot's smile as he returned his attention to their superior.

"This is a reconnaissance mission prior to the decision of a possible attack. You will take off, perform your reconnaissance and return to the aircraft carrier. Touchdown, Sunshine and Hangman, that's for you, you'll board in two hours."

The pilot and navigator exchanged glances before getting up and leaving the room. As they left to retrieve their equipment wandering through the building, she felt a hand reach between her loins and Jake appeared beside her.

"It's all about reconnaissance. We'll be back as soon as we're gone." Said Billy.

That's what it should have been, a simple reconnaissance patrol.

Her heart was beating so fast and yet she had the feeling that it was no longer irrigating her brain. She sat back in her chair, resting her back against the backrest, her hands still crossed on her knee. She wasn’t able any more to think, wasn’t able any more to keep her attention on what it happened around her, the memories for which she put so much energy to keep buried in her went up to the surface, she knew this moment by heart. It lasted the moment of a flash but she felt it as if it had lasted for very long minutes.  

"Thank you Ben for your testimony." Curtis' deep voice brought her back to the moment. It was his turn now, her gaze quickly found his to get lost in it, as if no time had passed, as if they had seen each other the day before, as if they hadn't gone through the horror that had knocked them both down.

When the meeting came to an end, everyone stood up and after greeting each other, headed for the exit.

"Don't wait for me, I'll be there as soon as I can." She addressed the small group that was waiting for her to go to the café, the one on the corner where they used to meet. They nodded and headed for the exit, leaving only the two of them, face to face, hands in his pockets, her fingers around her scarf, revealing the white knuckle of her fists clenched around the fabric.

"What are you doing here?"

What was ironic was that spending so much time on aircraft carriers, she still hadn't been able to get over the seasickness, ironic, right? For someone in the Navy, even though her role, fortunately, was to spend more time in the air than at sea.

"Shall we do karaoke night this weekend? Just so I can introduce you to Naomi, we'll do duets. You and Ken and Naomi and me." She laughed at Billy's naming of Ken for Jake, they had been dating for several months and Billy, moderately liking Jake, making an effort for his friend, still couldn't bring himself to call him by his first name.

"Maybe you could start by making an effort and calling him by his name." He pouted, which caused her to roll her eyes. As she was about to climb on the plane she heard Ken trotting towards her.

"Hey hey hey. You know we never leave like this without saying goodbye." She giggled.

"Jake we literally fly together, and we talk to each other over the radio." He placed a kiss on her forehead.

"That's no reason, we may be together up there, but we're not physically together."

"God, he's even more annoying that way than when he's a dickhead”. Grumbled Billy who took his place at the back of the plane rolling his eyes of exasperation, what Jake didn’t pay attention to, too busy to scrutinize his girlfriend.

"I got your back." He added before placing a furtive kiss on her lips and joining his plane.

"Hey Cinderella, do you care to come up?" Billy called out to her, she looked up at him and grabbed the ladder to climb up.

"Why should I be Cinderella?"

"Hangman do you see anything?" She glanced to either side of the plane.

"Nop. All seems quiet. We do have the coordinates listed though."

"I don't like it." She muttered to herself.

"A hunch?" Asked Billy, who had learned over time to trust his friend's hunches.

"Yeah, and not a good one."

"Relax, everything will be fine, it's just a reconnaissance." He tried to convince her as much as for himself.

"I know a good way to relax." Jake's voice came over the radio, which had the effect of making her giggle and Billy mime a vomit. Her joyful laughter echoed through the radio to Jake's delight. Flying with them, he had quickly understood what the navigator had said the first time. A melodious, joyful, infectious laugh that had relaxed many on missions. Jake considered himself lucky to be able to enjoy it outside of these moments and better, to be the reason for her laughter even in some cases.

"If you're laughing that means it’s okay. I'm unbuckling myself to look further."

"Jake no, don't." Her laughter stopped short and she looked around for his plane.

"Everything is going to be fine sweetie, there is nothing to report obviously." He wanted to reassure her.

"Hangman you're a pain in the ass, don't do this to us."

"My presence reassures you Touchdown?" He teased.

"That's the whole point of your role dickhead." He replied scathingly.

"I'll be back in a flash." He steered to go in an opposite direction leaving them two, a hint of insecurity rising in her, Billy fulminating in the back.

"I swear, once we get on the ground I'm going to punch him in the face."

"This is the excuse you've been waiting for for months. Do you see anything?"

"No nothing." She sighed continuing her monitoring when Billy stirred behind her. "Shit."

"What?"

"We have two bandits coming our way."

He barely had time to look behind him when he saw two planes heading straight for them.

"Touchdown talk to me."

"There's one coming at five o'clock." He looked across the canopy. "The other one at seven. Shit! Hangman what the hell are you doing bringing your ass in!"

Everything happened very quickly, surrounded by the two, not being able to avoid them being on each side, she accelerated and tried to maneuver not to be hooked hoping that Jake intervenes very quickly. 

"Hangman!"

"Sunshine I'm coming!  I see them, I lock him, I shoot!" Jake, who had managed be on the tail of one of them, was able to stick to him and lock it  before making a strike, but this one had time to shoot before being hit. By the time he could react, the second one had caught up with them and fired instantly, hitting its target in the heart. The first missile hit one of the engines which caught fire, the lights started to flash like a Christmas garland, and Sunshine tried as best she could to regain control of the plane without much success.

"I can't control it! I can't straighten!"

"Eject!" Jake yelled into the radio.

They didn't have time to do so as the second missile hit them dead center, taking out the end of the plane and the second engine, the back of the plane went up in flames, and she heard Billy screaming behind her, desperately trying to pull on the ejection seat suspensions.

"Request backup, request assistance, Touchdown and Sunshine are hit! Damn it hurry!"

"Billy! Billy!"  Overwhelmed by panic her heart raced and tears began to blur her vision, raging on the suspensions. "Why isn't it working, Jake! Jake!"

Her laugh would never echo through the radio again.

When she woke up she was dazzled by the brightness of the room and had to blink several times to adjust. She felt a sharp pain run down her back and let out a groan of pain.

"Sweetheart."

That familiar voice was Jake's, who walked around the bed and came to stand next to her pressing a button on the headboard.

"It's morphine, it will help."

"Where am I?" She tried to look around her but her field of vision was restricted, lying on her side, she looked up at Jake who showed a serious face. Suddenly all took place again in her mind, she tried to straighten up abruptly and a cry of pain of her part pulled a grimace of pain to Jake devastated to see her in this state. The pain forced her to lie on her side. He sat down on the chair facing her and took her wrists in his hands, the palms of her hands being bandaged. In a last effort she had pulled as hard as she could on the suspensions that burned her palms before being ejected.

"You... You were able to eject in time. But the flames that had already reached the device burned your back.” She looked at him frightened, she didn't remember having the burning sensation in her back, maybe it had been because of the adrenaline. But if flames were so close to her to burn her, what about Billy?

The worried look she gave him made him understand what she was wondering and he shook his head silently. Tears began to stream down her face and she began to sob violently. Jake didn't know what to do, he leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of her head, a tear rolling down his cheek and crashing into her hair.

She wasn't sunshine anymore.

Her hard gaze met his, which she couldn't make out, was he sad? Sorry? Full of regret? All three at once?

"What are you doing here Jake?" She repeated wearily.

"I ... I don't know. This wasn't a good idea." He began to walk away with his hands in his jacket pockets.

"You know what wasn't a good idea?" He stopped short and lowered his head knowing very well what was coming next.

"That you're dropping us on this mission." He stared blankly at the ground. "That you leave me when I needed you the most after this."

"You were mad at me..."

"And you think that made it better?!" Her tone grew louder and more aggressive than she would have liked.  "I would have learned to get over it Jake, you made a mistake, maybe it would have made a difference if you had stayed, or maybe they still would have had the upper hand, maybe we thought there was no danger, there could have been no danger." He lifted his head and pivoted toward her. "But you left me alone after that. I needed you Jake."

"I was so angry with myself that I couldn't inflict my presence on you every day. I thought it would be better for you, not to have the face of the man who killed your best friend constantly in front of you."

"It wasn't you who killed him Jake."

"But it's my fault."

A whirlwind of emotions formed inside her. It had been two years since she had seen him, she was torn between giving him a slap, ignoring him, throwing herself at his neck, screaming at him, it was perhaps the difficulty in choosing between all these possibilities that nailed her to the ground and that she was unable to move. Not even taking a step back when he came closer.

"I'm so sorry. I feel so bad if you knew."

And she realized that she wasn’t the only one to have suffered these last two years. But she had been lucky enough to be able to surround herself with people to learn how to rebuild herself, had he been able to do the same?

She was struck by his reddened eyes and tired face features, never had she seen him like this, he who had seemed so strong with her in the times that followed, before he left, and now he had the face of a man crushed by remorse. He who always had a cocky look and a frank smile.

"I hope you can forgive me one day, because I can't." His voice became weaker and almost died out at the end of his sentence. "I lost you, and it's probably the biggest disaster of my life.” He took a step closer to her only being a small space away forcing her to raise her head to look at him. "I need you, do you think you can ever forgive me?"

When he saw her raising the arm he closed the eyes expecting to receive a deserved slap. But she didn’t, with an unexpected softness, she put delicately her hand on his cheek that she caressed with her thumb, wiping a tear which traced its way. He opened his eyes to see her showing a light smile, filled with sadness. He took her hand in his to deposit a kiss inside her palm. Then when she passed her arms around his neck to tighten him against her, he buried his face in her hair and she slipped a hand in his as one comforts a child.

Two years had separated them, and despite any resentment she might have had towards him, it was all gone in an instant. They were two beings in love and torn, who had suffered and who would have to learn to heal, together.

Hair color

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x f!pilot reader (call sign Daisy)

Summary: Is it reader's new hair color that pushes Jake to finally tell her that he is interested in her?

Warnings: None

Hello friends! Here I am again after a hiatus. I've lost a bit of inspiration and I'm searching for it again. This on is a try, and will try to post a story once a week or every two weeks. Sorry for the quality of this one, I'm not very happy with it..

Comfortably seated on one of the break room sofas, she was reading the latest novel on which she had set her heart on while waiting for her turn for the day's exercises. She saw movement around her out of the corner of her eye and heard a slumping sound on the couch opposite where Hangman had just dropped himself.

She felt his gaze on her and breathed out deeply before taking a quick look over the top of her book and seeing him sunken into the couch, one arm stretched over the top of the backrest, the other hand resting on his thigh, his leg bent, ankle on the knee. He was playing with a toothpick between his teeth, his legendary pain-in-the-ass smile on the corner of his lips. She returned her gaze to her book and said, "What?

"What? I'm not allowed to admire the painting?"

She raised her eyes and turned the page of her book.

"I wonder what made you do that." He said.

"Oh Geez." She slammed the book shut and stood up, having no desire to hear his opinion, which she didn't care about, but which he would feel compelled to give.

"Eh eh." He chuckled and stood up in turn to face her and stop her from going any further.

"Jake refrain from saying anything, no one cares what you think."

He chuckled and took her hand to pull her towards him when she tried to step around him and she instinctively took a step back. He raised his other hand and tucked her hair behind her ear in a more tender gesture than she would have expected from him.

"It looks good on you. It gives you a sexier, femme fatale feel."

She raised her eyes once more and tried to withdraw her hand of his by making a step backwards but he drew it again towards him more firmly, as to avoid entering in collision with his chest she put the palm of her free hand on this one. A cloud had formed in her brain and all her thoughts were swirling, one caught in the other, without ability to think clearly. What was happening?

"Come on sweet Daisy, why are you resisting? Any resistance only fuels this sexual tension between us, you know that."

For far too long the two pilots had known each other and hung around without anyone being able to clearly define the nature of their relationship. One day they seemed to be getting along fine and the next one they could barely stand each other's presence. They had graduated the same year and lost touch afterwards, each trying to take their careers to the next level, sometimes hearing about the other's accomplishments. Hangman and Daisy had become acquaintances who had just been graduated Top Gun at the same time, yet at that time they had constantly seemed like an old couple. And while they had lost touch, fate had brought them together for the most important mission of their careers. 

To say that they were not attracted to each other would have been a lie but they preferred to put all their energy into showing that they hated each other, they alone were still trying to convince themselves of this while everyone around them exasperated by their behavior were only waiting for one thing, that they finally end up having sex.

He slipped his second hand between her kidneys and a smirk stretched his lips which were only a few inches of hers and the tingling that she had so much been able to feel near him woke up in the bottom of her stomach.

"I have to admit, you used to have an effect on me, but this color... makes you look so much wilder."

"Jake shut up."

He was about to retort when their names were heard through the radio indicating to them to gain their respective planes for the exercise. Without undoing her glance of his she moved back and he let fall his hands slipping them in his pockets while following her out of the room and in the corridor.

"I've got your back dear Daisy." He said as he tilted his head to the side, his eyes resting on her ass. "As always." He added with a sly smirk as she rolled her eyes once again.

He may have been talking about her butt, but once they were in the air it couldn't have been more true. If there was one person Hangman never turned away from in flight, it was Daisy. And it was for this reason that everyone quickly realized that there was something between the two pilots. Even if no one could ever say what it was.

To her surprise, Jake didn't insist, no mockery, no reflections of any kind, just his usual haughty and overconfident air, even sometimes looking elsewhere. She didn't see him again all day, which annoyed her because she had been waiting for that. They had been circling each other years ago, they were still circling each other now, and even today she wasn't going to tell him clearly what she wanted from him, what she wanted from them. After all he obviously didn't intend to do it either, perhaps because in his case he only wanted to have fun? That's why she didn't say anything, their expectations were probably different. While she was ruminating lost in her reflections, she was drawn into a corner of the corridor that led her to the locker room, let out a cry of pure surprise that was muffled by a hand over her mouth. Her raised eyebrows frowned as she saw the blonde head standing proudly in front of her. Grabbing the hand over her mouth she abruptly withdrew it.

"What the hell are you doing Seresin?" She hissed.

"I needed a moment alone with my favorite rival."

"Oh the quota of time to be able to be alone with you has far exceeded today." She said dryly.

His sly smile stretched enough to reveal his white teeth that dressed up his perfect smile. As far as she could remember and no matter what the circumstances, she had never seen him not smile.

"It didn't seem to bother you earlier though."  Eyebrow raise number 764830862 which made him chuckle. "Stop acting like it really bothers you."

"What do you want? You have two minutes."

"You. And I'm afraid that's not enough."

He moved toward her, forcing her to back away and she bumped into the cold wall. As he had done earlier in the afternoon, he tucked her hair behind her ear and shivers ran down her spine. He leaned in to place a kiss on her neck and she closed her eyes, slipping a hand over her waist he pulled her against him and placed his lips on hers. He gave her the most tender kiss she'd probably ever had in her life and she didn't expect to receive from Jake Seresin. He was the kind of man who would put you up against the wall and give you the best sex you could get, taking away the use of your legs for a while. She opened her eyes again as he pulled away from her and placed his hand on the wall next to her head.

"As much fun as this game has been going on now, it's probably time to stop playing cat and mouse."

She looked at him puzzled, not understanding what he was getting at. Had he found more fun elsewhere? Had he grown bored and found a new prey?

"We lost touch the first time years ago.” He continued.  “I'm not letting you go without saying anything this time."

"Who are you and what have you done with that arrogant dickhead?"

He chuckled and took a few steps back, reaching out to offer her his hand to take.

"You're the only one I don't want to be that dickhead with anymore."

"But still arrogant?" She raised an eyebrow as she took his hand.

"You can't take away my best quality." He replied with his usual arrogant smile which had the merit of making her laugh. "Let me have your back dear Daisy.”

As he had always done, he had always looked out for her and he would continue to do so, a little closer from now on.

... And In Health

Jake Seresin x Aviator!Reader

Summary: A year after Jake has come to terms with his sickness, he might just have the opportunity to find the cure.

Notes/Warnings: note much, maybe some language? mostly just Jake being a sweety and being cute <3 This part is set about a year after the first one.

In Sickness...

When the waitress stops by your table for the fourth time, with a free pity-drink, your lip begins to wobble as she walks away. An hour ago you promised yourself you weren’t going to cry, at least not until you got home.

You’ve always been quick to emote, but even more so since your last breakup. Although you were shy and quiet, you hadn’t always lacked confidence in the romance department, but after finding your boyfriend sleeping with someone else, you hadn't realised the hit your self-esteem had taken until recently, when you’d started putting yourself out there again.

Suddenly instead of worrying about how your butt looked or what your hair was doing, you had deeper, far more troubling worries, like not ever being enough, and feeling like a constant burden.

Being stood up tonight was really, honestly, the very last thing you needed. Worse still, you knew that when you called your pickup, you were likely going to have to explain the situation, and that you weren’t looking forward to whatsoever. Which is why you’d been waiting out the time, so at least you might be able to convince Jake that your date had shown up.

You doubt he’ll believe you if you tried lying, your feelings were always much too clear on your face, you were practically an open book. Jake in particular always seemed to see right through you, like he was paying more attention to you, but you think he might just be observant of everyone. You wouldn’t allow yourself to go on thinking you were special in some way to him, even if the two of you had been slightly closer since your previous breakup.

You appreciated it, that’s as far as you would let yourself go. Jake had told you that he saw you as a friend, and even if you lacked self confidence in that friendship, you knew Jake was the sort of person who went hard for his friends.

Which was the whole reason he’d offered to pick you up tonight in the first place.

Your own car had been playing up and when you’d finally gotten it in the mechanics, they’d given you the unfortunate news that they weren’t going to have it back to you in time for your date tonight. You’d been telling Phoenix that you were going to cancel, as you didn’t feel comfortable being picked up by a date you didn’t know all that well, when Jake had chimed in that he would be your ride, if you still wanted to go. Although he still made you flustered when he fixed you with one of his looks, you really did trust Jake, and you wouldn’t have accepted if it were anyone else, because you also knew he would never have offered if he hadn’t meant it.

You have had a few regrets now, but you don’t let yourself linger on them. This whole situation was already pushing you to the edge, you know that Jake picking you up and likely being annoyed on your behalf shouldn’t count towards that… even if part of you feared he might start an ongoing joke about that time you were stood up.

You cringe when you shoot off an ‘all done’ text, and receive an ‘already??’ In reply, but you force yourself not to elaborate.

You don’t even have his car door shut before you’ve burst into tears.

“Hey, woah! What the hell happened?!” Jake’s voice is bewildered and slightly panicked, but quickly it turns hard. “Is he still in there? Wait here.”

Hurriedly you reach across to grab his shirt sleeve, one hand still rapidly trying to wipe your eyes, now filled with scratchy mascara specks.

“It’s fine, please. Just take me home?” You sniffle, trying your best to calm down and hope he looks past your sobbing and does as you ask. He doesn’t though, looking at you like you had absolutely lost your mind.

“You’re crying!” He gestures at you as if you weren’t away. You shake your head, before realising you can’t exactly deny it, and nod.

When he pulls open his door and steps out, he pulls himself from your grasp with little effort. Pathetically you let your hand drop and desperately wipe more at your eyes, trying to see where he’s going. You almost jump when your car door opens again and Jake appears, ducking down into your line of sight, his face stern, but his eyes slightly wide and very concerned. You feel bad for making him worry.

“Cricket,” Jake begins, digging into his glove box and pulling out a wad of face wipes. “I’m going to need you to explain to me why you are crying, otherwise I’m going in there.” He isn’t using his normal friendly voice, right now you’re confronted with Hangman, not Jake, and it actually comforts you a little. You knew how Hangman worked, Jake often gave you more cause for confusion.

“He didn’t come. I know I shouldn’t be so upset, I’m sorry. I’m just tired and—”

“—He didn’t come?!” He cuts you off, sounding disgusted, and when you look up at him, you see his lip curled and his face pulled into a snarl. You drop your gaze, and all of sudden his temper seems to disappear and change entirely.

“So you’re saying he’s not even in there for me to chat to?”

It makes you snort a little, and when you glance up at him, Hangman is gone and once again you’re with Jake. You watch him look away from you, over the top of his car roof, and let out a deep sigh, before he looks back at you, his expression unreadable, but soft.

“Here,” Jake takes the wad of wipes you’ve been holding on to and you’re too tired and worn out emotionally to protest when he tips your face up and begins cleaning off your ruined makeup. He goes about it a lot more diligently than you’d have expected, and about five minutes later, he grabs the fistful of now filthy, makeup covered tissues, and steps briefly away to throw them in a nearby bin.

When Jake returns, he doesn’t come to stand at your side again, instead he closes it and returns to the driver's seat.

“Have you eaten yet?” He asks, like the last ten minutes hadn’t happened. You shake your head, and rest it against the window as he lets out a breath, and begins to pull out. The hand he reaches out to balance on your car seat as he checks behind him almost makes you wish you could just hug him, but you push that feeling down.

“Alright. Let’s go get you some food then, sweetheart.”

It’s not the first time Jake has ever called you ‘sweetheart’, but it’s the first time he hasn’t been teasing you when he’s said it. Your pulse jumps at the almost casual intimacy of the way he says it, like he’d said it this way a hundred times before. Like this was something you did regularly with one another.

It’s almost a blessing he doesn’t say much else for the rest of the short drive, if you’re overthinking this much already. You feel stretched thin, tired from your work week, and even more tired now that you've expended all the effort and emotional preparation in order to come out tonight only for it to end in pure disappointment. All you want to do is hide under your blankets for the rest of the weekend, and maybe drink a bottle of red wine through a curly straw while you do.

Jake seems to have other plans though, as when the car stops at last, you aren’t outside your apartment building. Before you can even open your mouth and ask him where you are, he’s at your door again, pulling it open and holding out his hand.

“Where are we?” You know you sound silly, seeing as the big neon sign flashed bright in front of you through the window.

“At a restaurant. A good one, this time.” Is as far as Jake goes to explain to you. Dumbly, you unbuckle yourself and go to hop out of the car, forgetting that he holds a hand out for you. Jake doesn’t forget though, and quickly moves to take your hand before you can balance it on the car door.

The movement makes your pulse jump again, and this time it doesn’t stop, seemingly keeping its new fast pace going. You blink rapidly up at the blind who watches you carefully, your mouth opening, working like a fish for a moment as you try to get your brain working again, but Jake gets there before you.

“Humour me,” he says sweetly, giving your fingers a slight squeeze as he does, doubling your heartbeat again, but you can’t stop yourself from nodding. When he smiles at you, you half expect it to be a familiar cheeky smirk, but it’s not.

You let Jake help you from the car, and try to get ahold of yourself as he guides you away and toward the front door. He even leads you around the grating in the sidewalk which your high heels would surely fall through, and you wonder why you’d never considered that Jake would be a good date before. At least, you’ve never considered it beyond his cocky persona. You’ve never thought about how he would open your door for you, or gently hold your hand, or make sure you didn’t have to contend with holes in the pavement.

You’re still tired, but this turn of events shocks a small amount of adrenaline into you, and you decide that you have enough energy at least for whatever Jake has planned. Or, at the very least, you don’t have the energy to fight it, but you trust him, so you choose to trust that whatever it is, he means the best.

Jake releases your hand when he reaches for the door, and you find yourself startled by the feeling of loss that overcomes you when he does. You notice then for the first time that Jake wears a simple pair of slacks and a knit polo shirt that still sits a little rumpled from where you’d grabbed him by the sleeve earlier.

Once you’ve allowed yourself to be ushered inside the restaurant, you turn back and quickly smooth out the soft material, doing your best to be impartial to the feeling of his firm bicep under your fingertips, even though you find yourself needing to pull down the fabric where it seems to stretch even tighter around his muscled arm. Normally you really only take notice of Jake’s physique when he’s purposefully using it against you, to make you tongue-tied for his amusement, but this is really the first time you’ve found yourself up-close and personal, and you’re once more surprised by the intense desire you have to be hugged by him, to press yourself up against what you know to be his incredible strong body, feel that strength wrap itself around you.

Briefly you glance up at his face, expecting an amused smirk, but all you find is another unreadable expression, though his eyes do follow your movements closely. You finish your smoothing with a small pat, and turn away again. It takes another moment for you to feel him stir back into action behind you, and you find yourself again caught up in your thoughts as he steps slightly around you, to speak to a waiter who pops out to see you seated.

You’re vaguely aware that when you’re shown to your table, Jake pulls your chair out for you, and rests his hand briefly on your shoulder as you’re settled, squeezing it gently before he steps away to his own seat.

For a while the both of you are quiet as you mull over the menu, but the more your stomach begins to grumble, the more your senses seem to come back to you properly at last, and the bitter taste of disappointment and embarrassment that has been swirling around inside your chest and head all night begins to recede. This was just Jake, and even though sometimes he confused you, you knew Jake. You know that what he’s doing right now is his own way of hugging you and telling you it’ll be okay, like Phoenix would if she were in his place.

Your shoulders, which you hadn’t even realised had been slightly raised, relax as you place down your menu and take to studying the man in front of you instead. You’re able to watch him for a good minute before he turns the page of his menu, long enough to know he wasn’t reading it at all.

“I like Italian,” you venture, though your inflection makes it sound a little like a question, one you’re not sure you have the courage yet to ask.

“I know.” Jake replies, at last dropping the laminated booklet and linking his hands together on the table in front of him. You want to challenge him, but you stop yourself, figuring that knowing what your friends liked was the least someone could do.

You soften a little then, and drop your gaze to your place setting, straightening the silverware nervously, feeling his gaze locked on to you, and you chance peeking up at him as you talk.

“You really don’t have to–” you don’t even get to finish speaking before his sharp gaze flashes, eyes narrowing and he lowers his chin. “If you want dessert you won’t finish that sentence,” his words are humorous, but his voice maintains a level of sternness that you’d heard earlier when he’d been worried. You wonder if he usually masked his concern or anxiety with hardness. You wonder if that worked for him like it worked for you. You can’t deny that his cutting through your shit to get at the real problem was helpful when you were so prone to brushing off your own comfort for the sake of others.

Jake sighs then, but doesn’t even look away from you as he picks up the carafe of water and pours you each a glass.

“I’m not letting you go home tonight with that being the last date under your belt,” he sounds more casual now, and there's an offended scoff that punctuates his words, like the idea insulted him as well as you.

“This isn’t a date, though,” you hear yourself argue, though it's more out of sheer confusion than any real protest. You regret it immediately though, as Jake’s signature smirk makes an appearance, and he unfolds his hands to fix you with pure amusement.

You almost jump right out of your skin when something warm brushes over your hand again, and you realise too late that he’s taking it in his own, leaning toward you and cocking his head as his thumb begins brushing softly across the tops of your fingers, like he knew his actions have frozen you in place.

“Sure it is,” he tells you, and that seems to be that.

It takes you a moment to reboot your brain.

“You took all my makeup off…!” you protest after a moment, letting your arm go more slack as the feeling returns to the hand he holds. Jake raises an eyebrow, lips twitching.

“Don’t need it,” he shrugs, before relenting some. “For what it’s worth, in the two seconds I saw you before you started crying, it looked nice.”

You’re forced to reconcile with the idea that Jake thought you looked nice, and attempt to work out what that means for you now.

“Oh… Thank you…” is all you’re able to say, and are immediately greeted once again with his regular smirk, though it feels a little softer around the edges now, almost tender, but you think that must be only in your imagination.

“This is when you tell me how handsome I look,” Jake prompts, and you could roll your eyes and laugh him off, but the more you think about it, the more you actually agree with him.

“You look very handsome tonight.” you say, meaning it, finally able to laugh softly when he preens obviously at the praise.

“And have I been working out?” he’s definitely teasing you now, but you don’t mind so much, because his thumb is still slowly moving in circles over your fingers, which you’ve only just realised do feel rather cold.

“You’re always working out.” you tell him, your brows furrowing just a little but only for show. Jake fixes you with an amused expression and shakes his head. His hand tightens around yours just a little.

“Not always. Sometimes I take beautiful, lovely women out on dates.” he corrects you. Your heart leaps into your throat, and you blink at him, dazed.

“Sorry to interrupt your plans, then,” you joke, but it comes out a little more self-deprecating than you really mean. Jake narrows his eyes at you again.

“Are you questioning my tastes?”

“Almost always.”

“I’ll have you know that you are both beautiful, and inarguably lovely, Cricket.”

His words make you stare dumbly at him, mouth once more working like a fish to try and figure out what it is you’re supposed to say to that. You don't realise until it's too late that you’ve said those words aloud.

Jake smiles, full and wide and not teasing at all this time.

“You say ‘thank you, baby. This is the best date I’ve ever been on’,” he almost sing-songs.

“I’m not calling you ‘baby’!” you sputter, your brain going into overdrive at the thought of Jake calling you baby.

“Not yet you aren’t,” Jake blinks slowly at you, but he doesn’t back down from the statement, staring at you until you’re the one forced to look away, and he speaks again. “But I can be patient. I’ve been patient.”

You find yourself transfixed by what he could possibly mean by the fact that he’s been patient, but you don’t get the opportunity to ask, because your waiter returns and watch enamoured as Jake orders for you, not really that surprised that he knows what you want, but surprised that you’re so quickly becoming normalised to this behaviour from him.

Oddly, as dinner goes on, you almost forget that it’s Jake you’re with. He seems softer, gentler in a way that you hadn’t been aware existed within him, but in a way that you aren’t sure how you’re going to live without once he drops you home again and the spell is broken. In your minds eye, you realise that day to day you’ve seen glimpses of this Jake, when he’d wordlessly begun offering you a hand when you’d climb up to your jet around a year ago now, or how he’d normally complain about the amount of time everybody else took with their shots at darts, but sometimes when it was just the two of you he simply waits quietly for you to line yourself up properly, even occasionally giving you an ego-free pointer that always helped.

You wonder how often other people saw this side of Jake, and if you might be able to convince you into showing you more. For once his perpetual amusement and teasing seems to be at bay, and you’d like to think that this is the way he is in the quiet times, in the morning before his coffee, or in the grocery store. You can picture him in these times, but more importantly you want to see him in these times, more than you might have thought you would, more than out of simple curiosity.

His fingers lacing with yours after your plates are cleared makes you think once more of his talk of patience, and you wonder briefly if he wanted you to see him like this too.

“Absolutely not,” Jake quickly cuts in when you both stand by back near the entrance, reviewing the bill. The card you hold out, and the hand it’s in are engulfed suddenly by his much larger one, and even as the waiter smiles between the two of you, Jake doesn’t let you escape his grasp, holding you firmly in place as he hands his own card over.

“Jake!” you grumble, trying to pull your fist out of his, but he simply tightens his hold and gives the waiter a look like ‘can you believe this woman’.

“I’m so sorry about her, she hasn’t been taken out properly in a while, she’s forgotten all about how dates are supposed to work,” Jake tells the waiter conspiratorially, voice thick with faux-sympathy, like your cause was truly tragic. Your protests are fully silenced however, when he shoots you a pitying look, and brings your enclosed fist to his lips, kissing it softly like you were a sick puppy or something of the like.

You know he’s aware of the effect he has on you, it was why he teased you so much, but for the first time ever, you think he’s actually using it properly against you to get his way, and unfortunately, you aren’t even able to summon much annoyance about it. Quite the opposite in fact, his display makes your argument fall quiet and your heart skip several beats as he kisses your fingers tenderly again, before offering it back to you at last.

Quietly, you put your card away and bite your lip as he finishes paying.

—

“Jake,” you begin slowly, having taken most of the car ride so far to gather your thoughts together.

“Cricket,” Jake matches your tone and cadence, while shooting you an amused smile.

“Why did you hold my hand?” you try your best to ignore him, and shift slightly in your seat. Jake seems to shift too, but he only glances briefly over at you this time.

“Do you mean ‘why am I still holding your hand?’?” he squeezes your aforementioned hand, still in his grip and laying on the centre console. When he shoots you another amused grin, he’s met only with your pursed lips. Placing his gaze back toward the road, he rolls his eyes a little.

“Because I want to? I don’t know, feels kinda nice, don’t ya think?” Jake clears his throat a little, before a frown begins forming between his eyebrows and he seems to lurch. “Unless it doesn’t, in which case–” he begins to loosen his grip on you, but before you can think too much about what you’re doing, you tighten your own fingers laced through his, and give him an even more unimpressed look.

“So it does feel nice, note taken.”

You sit in silence for a few more minutes, in which time Jake begins slowly stroking his thumb across the back of your hand. When you do finally pull up to your apartment block, you feel the need to say something, but you don’t know what, so you keep quiet as Jake puts his car into park.

“Wait here,” he tells you and before you can really respond, he’s jumping out of the car and loping around to your side, opening the door with a gallant smile.

“You know, you’re a pretty good date, Jake,” you say softly, letting him take your hand once again and help you out of the car. Jake beams at you in an almost boyish manner that makes you want to squish his cheeks, but you refrain.

“Why thank you,” he says proudly, making you smile too.

You stand and stare at one another for a moment once you’re settled on your heels, and Jake cocks his head at you, before offering out his hand for you. Biting your lip slightly, you can’t help but look at your feet as you reach out and take the offered hand, feeling your chest go all warm again when he adjusts his hold to be more firm, and you both begin walking again.

Jake lets you take more of a lead, even though you know he knows where you live, considering he had been one of the friends you’d enlisted to help you move out of your old place. You can’t help but wonder if all this hand-holding was going to affect your friendship now, or what it even meant for your friendship. Your mind goes back to what Jake had said about patience at dinner, and what that meant.

Biting your lip again, you come to a stop in front of your apartment door, taking your hand back reluctantly so that you can pull your key from your purse and unlock your door.

“You aren’t going to cry again once I’m gone, are you?” Jake suddenly asks, making you blink back at him. He shoves both hands in his pockets and purses his lips. “Can’t be having that, now can we?” he says as if that explained his concern.

“No… No, I feel a lot better now,” you tell him, and you really do mean it. “Thank you for dinner.”

Jake stares at you, like he often does when he’s trying to make someone crack. Usually it worked pretty well on you, but you have nothing to crack over right now, so you simply stare back at him and shrug.

“I’m glad you feel better, Cricket. I don’t like seeing you upset.” Jake tells you, and even though his expression is humorous, his voice is stern and sincere, and it makes your stomach twist and turn violently in a way you’ve felt it attempt to do several times recently, but you’ve never let yourself linger on. It's as though all at once you can’t stop it, and an explosion of butterflies takes the place of all your internal organs.

“What was that?” Jake murmurs, and you blink at the step he takes forward, his brow furrowed in concern. You realise you’ve spoken the question that’s been on your mind out loud, and you swallow thickly as you try to gather yourself again.

“I… Earlier, you said you’ve been patient… what did that mean?” you ask, chewing the inside of your lip, wondering if you even want this question answered in the first place.

Jake cocks his head at you, and you can’t help but take note of how his lips quirk in the corners, like he thought it was adorable that you even had to ask.

“It means,” Jake begins, stepping even closer, and resting his arm on the wall above your head. “That about a year ago, I realised that I wanted to kiss you, and a year later, I still do.”

You stare up at him, and try to refrain from moving too much, as if he might disappear if you did.

“But only if you want me to,” he adds after a moment, beginning to peel back from you. Once more you don’t think too hard about what your body does, and you realise too late that your hand has shot out to rest against his chest, smoothing over his collar. Jake stops in his retreat and fixes you in his gaze again, even as your mouth opens and closes silently. You frown at your own inability to talk, and feel a pit begin to open in your stomach, sucking up the butterflies let loose there.

Jake frowns down at you, as if he can read your thoughts, and gently covers your hand with his own.

“Do you want me to?” he asks softly, and you’re glad he doesn’t make you say it, you aren’t sure you’re ready to ask yet, but you think he might understand this about you.

You nod at him and hold your breath as he seems to cock his head again. Briefly you see him smile, full and warm, but quickly you’re gasping softly as he kisses you.

Kissing Jake has been something you’ve refused to let yourself think about, repressing the thought so much that you’re truly surprised by how good he is at it. It makes sense, you think, that Jake would be a great kisser, and you’re fairly certain that you’ve never ever been kissed like this before, either. If this was what you’d been missing out on for a year, you feel foolish and idiot, because right now you vow that you will let Jake kiss you whenever he wants, wherever he wants from now on.

When at last he pulls away, you relish in the way his hand cups your cheek, thumb swiping back and forth tenderly.

“I don’t know about you, Cricket,” he says, making your chest flutter when he nuzzles at your nose sweetly. “But I think that feels kinda nice too, don’t you think?” he places another, much chaster kiss to your lips, and you can’t help but let out a soft laugh.

“Yes, Jake. I think it feels nice, too.”

@starlightstories @fox-bee926 @startrekfangirl2233 @izzyomfg @shanimallina87 @phoenix1388 @t-nd-rfoot @sehnsuchts-trunken @dagger-wren @bradshawsbitch @penwieldingdreamer @roleycoleyland @ussgallifrey just tagging some possibly interested folks!!!!

Little Things

Pairings: Jake Seresin x female reader. Synopsis: Jake takes care of his girl when she has her period. Warnings: mentions of period symptoms, infertility, depression. This is inspired by a lovely request I got from @callsignmaverick5

You groaned in agony, rolling onto your side and tucking your legs up so you were in a foetal position, hugging your knees close to your chest. The pain grew spreading across your lower abdomen and causing you to tense your muscles and wait for the pain to subside. Your period had been late which had you a little worried for the last few days, it wasn’t that you didn’t want kids. Both you and Jake really wanted kids but your period had come with a vengeance and now you were paying for it. You hadn’t been especially trying for kids, you and Jake had a great sex life, that man was like a horny teenager and could barely keep his hands off you. Closing your eyes slowly you willed the discomfort to stop, easing yourself further under the bed covers as the pain continued. You had been so caught up in your affliction that you didn’t hear Jake and the others come home, all piling into the living room chatting loudly to each other.

“Hang on a minute guys I’m just gonna check on her, make yourselves at home,” Jake said, making his way down the corridor to your shared bedroom. “Darlin’ are you in here?” He pushed open the door and was met with an empty room, minus a crumpled bed with a small figure hiding beneath the covers. “Baby girl, are you ok?” Jake perched on his side of the bed, leaning across and pulling the covers back to reveal your small, hunched form. “Oh, Darlin’,” he cooed, pushing the covers back the rest of the way and pulling you against him, immediately slipping his hand down to cradle your lower abdomen. “I guess it wasn’t meant to be this month,” he said looking down at you through hooded lashes. You could tell he was disappointed and you wanted to apologise to him but another wave of agony ripped through you and you doubled over, leaning into Jake’s side and whining. You could hear the others chatting amorously downstairs and Jake sighed. He had to admit he’d been looking forward to movie night with the gang, but he loved you more and right now you needed him.

“Don’t worry about me, Jake, I’m fine. Go spend time with the others. I know you’ve been looking forward to it.” You shuffled away from him and pulled the covers back up to your chin.

“Not a chance, Babygirl. I'm here for you Darlin’, remember ‘in sickness and in health’,” he used air quotation marks as he quoted your wedding vows, causing you to let out a small giggle.

“Right, I’ll kick the others out and then I’m getting paracetamol, a hot water bottle, ice cream and Bill Pullman and Sandra Bullock and then I’ll be right back, Baby.” You watched as Jake hurried away with his mental list of all your sickness supplies. You heard Jake talking quietly to the others who all complained loudly until Phoenix gave them a piece of her mind and they all went silent, departing your home respectfully and leaving you in peace. Jake was crashing around in the kitchen before reappearing in the doorway with a tray stacked high with all your essentials. He placed the tray down and moved over to you, helping you shuffle forward so he could place more pillows behind your back. He handed you the hot water bottle which you accepted gratefully, placing it onto your abdomen and immediately relaxing into the soothing warmth. Jake set up the DVD and sunk back onto the bed next to you as the titles for ‘While You Were Sleeping’ began playing through the small tv on the wall. It had always been your comfort film, ever since you were a kid you and your mum would watch it whenever one of you was sick and this had been a tradition that Jake had adopted too. He handed you a mug of hot chocolate and two paracetamol, giving you a small kiss on your forehead. “Better?”

“Much better,” you told him, snuggling into his side and cracking open the ice cream, it was triple chocolate which just so happened to be yours and Jake’s favourite. As you ate your eyes fixed on the screen, Jake’s large hand coming down to rest on your abdomen, holding the water bottle in place for you. Hs other arm was wrapped tightly around your waist, holding you impossibly close. These were the times you cherished most with your husband, not the grand gestures or great outbursts of love but the little things like comforting you on your period, doing the food shopping so you didn’t have to, making sure the laundry was done, cooking dinner if he was home early, these were the most thoughtful tasks Jake could perform in your eyes. Now snuggled into his side watching your favourite movie you couldn’t have loved him any more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tag list: @callsign-phoenix @imjess-themess @averyhotchner @mayhem24-7forever @green-socks @alexxavicry @a-reader-and-a-writer @maggiescarborough @callsignmaverick5 @ssprayberrythings @smoothdogsgirl @xoxabs88xox @luckyladycreator2 @abaker74 @elenavampire21 @classyunknownlover @okiegirl24 @flashyourgreeneyesatme @sunlightmurdock @airedale17 @callmemana @shadowolf993 @t-nd-rfoot @topguncultleader @flyboyjake @wkndwlff

💘 + hangman "sharing a bed. then making up more excuses to share a bed after that night just to wake up next to their roommate in the mornings." from the "and they were roommates!" list <3

thank you for your patience! mentions of alcohol but i think that’s it. i had a lot of fun with this one and i hope you like it <3 - [1.2k] | join the party!

It was a one off fluke. Well…it was supposed to be. It was going to be until you realized that there was something sweet in waking up next to your roommate in the morning. 

It didn’t have anything to do with the crush that had just rooted itself in your chest, at least that’s what you told yourself.

That first morning was sweet until you remembered why you were sharing a bed and a wave of embarrassment came over you like a tidal wave. 

You’d come home from a night out, absolutely plastered. In the haze of your memories, you can vaguely remember one of your friends using your phone to call Jake while you were out at the bar. He’d picked up on the first ring and you could hear his voice saying your name like a question over the phone.

“Is that Jake?” your words were slurred but your eyes were bright and shining. Your friend shushed you gently and readjusted your phone against their ear. You tried to grab for it and they turned away from you, keeping their free hand wrapped around your arm.

You can’t remember much of what was said in the conversation, only that your friend told him you needed a ride home and that Jake was already out the door. You squirmed in your friend’s grip, reaching for the phone again. “Lemme talk to ‘im.”

In a blink, your phone was back in your possession but the call had ended. You think you remember frowning at the screen when you noticed. 

“C’mon, he’s gonna be here soon,” your friend said, tugging you towards the entrance of the bar you were at. Sure enough, he’d arrived not even five minutes later. He looked a little tired, fighting off sleep while he waited up for you to come home. 

“Jake!” it came out in something close to a gasp, a great big smile lifting your cheeks. Your inhibitions were low as you stumbled towards him and all but collapsed against him, his arms coming around your waist to catch you. His t-shirt was soft against your cheek and you remember keeping your nose pressed against his chest for an almost embarrassingly long time because he smelled so good. 

He’d smiled and nodded at your friend in a quiet thanks before he led you to his car. You had held your breath while he buckled you in and tried to focus on one point on the horizon to wade off the nausea creeping up. Jake let you lean most of your weight against him as he helped you inside and to your room where you collapsed onto your bed. 

As soon as your head hit the mattress you felt a sleepiness take hold, your eyelids feeling heavier with each blink. You’d groaned when Jake made you go into the bathroom to change for bed and he’d helped you take your makeup off when you were too stubborn to do it yourself.

When you were all settled into bed, advil and water on your bedside table for the morning, he’d turned off your lamp and got up to leave. You feel a slight bit embarrassed when you recall asking him to stay with you before he could leave the room. You hadn’t really expected him to agree, but he did. 

You lift your head off the pillow and it immediately begins to throb, making your face scrunch up and your eyes squeeze closed. Through the building tension, you remember the water and pain relievers he’d set out for you on your nightstand. Your eyes peel open just enough for you to grab them and swallow the pills down with water. 

After setting the water back down, you look over at Jake sleeping in the spot next to you. He looks so serene, features completely relaxed and his face slightly smushed against your spare pillow. His hair’s a bit of a tousled mess from sleep and the sight of it makes you smile. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” he mumbles, eyes still closed. His voice is deeper in the morning, this you already knew but hearing it immediately after he wakes up, in your bed no less, makes a thick, gooey warmth cloud your chest. You roll your eyes, though he can’t see it, fighting off the embarrassment tickling your nerves at having been caught staring at your sleeping roommate. 

“I didn’t think you’d stay,” you say after you’ve laid back down. His eyes blink open and he’s quiet for a minute. He holds your gaze for a minute, lets it wander across your face and then back to your eyes. He shrugs best he can, laying on his side. 

“You asked,” he says simply, like it’s obvious. You swallow and nod. He looks over your features once more, almost like he’s committing them to memory, and Jake realizes he likes having you to wake up next to. 

After that first morning, the two of you find almost any excuse you can to share a bed at night. 

You can’t sleep and knock on his door in the middle of the night, complaining of a minor nightmare. Jake puts his sheets in the wash and claims he doesn’t have a made bed to sleep in, despite the spare set of sheets in the closet. He hosts movie night in his room under the guise of the couch suddenly being too small. 

Slowly, over the course of many nights and phases of the moon, something in your dynamic shifts. He’s a lot more touchy with you, his fingers lingering against your skin. You get braver by kissing his cheek before you get out of bed the last few times. 

It’s an unspoken change, one neither of you really feel the need to address. That is, until excuse number fifteen—the storm outside might make you lose power and it’s better to just sleep in the same bed in case that happens—and he’s holding you in his bed.

The rain splashes against the windows, flashes of lightning lighting up the room as thunder cracks overhead. It’s quiet though in the comfort of his sheets. You can’t decide if you’re starting to prefer his mattress to yours. A hum of your name breaks you from your thoughts and you adjust your head to meet his eye. 

“I’ve been thinking,” he starts and you try to bite back a smirk. 

“That’s never good,” you muse. He laughs and shakes his head. 

“I’ve been thinking,” he restates. There’s the beginnings of a nervous blush creeping across his cheeks. “Maybe we should do this…permanently.”

You blink at him, eyes a little wide. “This, like, sharing a bed this?”

He nods and you think this is the first time you’ve ever seen your roommate so nervous. You start to smile. You make him nervous. The thought makes you feel giddy inside. 

“Yeah. Okay,” you agree and you can feel him physically relax against you. “Now you can stop lying about not having sheets on your bed or the couch being too small.”

He rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile on his face and a laugh bubbling past his lips. He’s just glad he gets to wake up to you every morning now on purpose.

Left at the Altar - Hangman

Pairing: Hangman / (Ex-Girlfriend) Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: Light Angst; Drama; Getting Left at the Altar (Not by Hangman); Asshole Ex (Not Hangman); Second Person POV ("You"), No Y/N, No Physical Description for the Reader

Summary: When you get left at the altar, a familiar face swoops in to save the day.

Ever hit rock bottom? Well, you thought you did. And then you got stood up at your own wedding.

Staring up at the altar, you slowly sat down in the front pew. You sat your bouquet down beside you and reached up to pull out the pins holding your veil in place. You definitely weren’t going to need them. Not after the text message that you received from your ex-fiancé.

That’s right. You got dumped on your wedding day through a text message.

And frankly, the part about the whole situation that annoyed you the most was the fact that you should have been the one to dump him. You were the one who threatened to call the wedding off months ago when you found some suspicious text messages between your fiancé and a woman labelled as ‘Domino’s’ in his phone.

As if anyone texted Domino’s about their secluded lake house.

You should have just pulled the plug on the whole thing when you had the chance. Instead, you let him dump and humiliate you publicly.

Taking a deep breath, you glanced around the small church. Most of the guests filed out when it became apparent that there was a runaway groom. All of the people that remained in the church were a few close friends and immediate family members.

Your ex-fiancé’s family stood awkwardly in the corner, not really sure what to do. There wasn’t a really good or efficient way to apologize for their cowardly bastard of a son without suffering some rather intense glares from your family and friends. You already gave the engagement ring back to your ex-fiancé’s mom, since it was supposedly a family heirloom.

Maybe you should have just flushed it down the toilet instead.

You looked forward again when your mom walked over to you. She gave you a small, comforting smile as she pushed your veil and bouquet to the side and sat down beside you. Your mom stared up at the altar for a moment, seemingly walking through what she was going to say to you. She reached out and grabbed your hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“It’ll be okay, sweetie,” she whispered to you. “You’ll get past this.”

“I know,” you replied, nodding slowly. “I know, Mom.”

“Do you need anything?”

“No,” you replied softly, shaking your head. Letting out a breath, you turned back to your mom with a composed expression. “Why don’t you and everyone else go and eat at the venue? It’d be stupid to let all of that food go to waste. We already paid for it.”

“Actually, his family offered to pay for everything. Even your dress,” your mom explained, glancing over at your supposed-to-be in laws. “They were extremely embarrassed.”

“Can’t imagine why,” you drawled sarcastically, shaking your head. You let out a breath before you turned back to your mom. “Has Dad calmed down?”

“Somewhat. He calmed down a lot when they offered to pay for everything. But I worry for your ex if he ever crosses paths with your father again.”

“If he’s smart—which he’s not—he’ll avoid the entire county,” you replied, pursing your lips together. “He’s probably sitting at his lake house with ‘Domino’s’ right now.”

“That’s unfortunate for him,” your mom told you, causing you to nod in return.

“Damn straight.”

You and your mom shared a small smile before you sobered up for a moment. Glancing around the church, you leaned back in your pew. You turned to your mom and suddenly felt like you were a teenager again and needed her to help you with a situation that you got yourself in.

“Do you think that I could be alone for a bit?” you asked softly, folding your arms across your lap.

“Are you sure? I don’t think that you should be alone right now, sweetheart,” your mom replied, grabbing your hand. “Why don’t you just come to the venue with the rest of us? You can burn the dress if you want to, but just come with us.”

“I will, Mom, but I just need some time by myself for a little bit.”

Albeit reluctantly, your mom got up and ushered everyone else out of the church to give you some time alone. The venue was only ten minutes down the road, so your mom told you to just text her when you wanted to be picked up. You thanked her again for all of her help and support before she left with everyone else.

You slowly got to your feet after you thought that everyone else was gone. You let out a breath to calm yourself down and simply worked through some thoughts. Eventually turning for the aisle, you paused when you spotted a familiar figure walking through the church doorway.

Jake Seresin. Or Jacob Michael Seresin III, if you were going by his birth name. Or Hangman, as he supposedly went by these days. Lieutenant Jake “Hangman” Seresin.

The boy that you fell in love with when you were fifteen. Your high school boyfriend, your first love, your first everything, really. The man that, had he stayed in Texas and taken over his family’s business like he was expected to do, you probably would have already married.

But life wasn’t a fairytale. And certainly not your life.

Jake slowly walked further into the church, pulling off his dress white cap as he stepped forward. He tucked it under his arm and offered you a small smile as he stopped in front of you. His hair was perfectly gelled and styled and his dress whites were absolutely pristine. And that genuine smile, the one that he seemed to use less and less as he aged, was just like you remembered.

He looked like he stepped straight out of a dream. Out of your dream.

“I’m not too late, am I?” he asked, looking around the otherwise empty church.

“No,” you scoffed, shaking your head. You glanced up at the rafters before turning back to him. “I got left at the altar.”

Instantly, the kind, genuine smile dropped from Jake’s face. His whole demeanor changed in an instant. He frowned and opened his mouth before pausing, most likely trying to not just blurt out the first words that came to mind in a church. But his entire stance looked like he was ready to storm out of the church to drag your fiancé out of whatever hole he was hiding in.

“He didn’t show up?” Jake asked with his voice dangerously low.

“No, he sent me a text,” you explained quietly. Letting out a laugh that was meant to be humorous, but was really rather pathetic in reality, you looked away from Jake for a moment. “I mean, at least I didn’t marry him. It could be worse.”

“Where is he then?”

“Somewhere, anywhere,” you replied honestly, pursing your lips together. “Frankly, I never want to see him or hear his name ever again, so I could care less.”

“Still, he shouldn’t get away with doing this to you,” Jake stated seriously.

It had a level of force behind it that you knew wasn’t directed towards you. More like on your behalf than anything else.

Hell, Jake had always been protective over you and more than willing to fight for you. He wasn’t someone who kept a lot of close friends, but when anyone was within Jake Seresin’s inner circle, he would fight for them with everything that he had. And you knew that the state of your relationship didn’t impact that.

“He’s not worth the trouble,” you stated, waving your hand to the side. “And besides, I’d really just like to move on from all of this. If I can.”

“Of course, you can,” Jake spoke softly, reaching out to take your hand. “He’s just a . . . I can’t say the word that I want to say because we’re standing in a church.” You laughed and shook your head at Jake. “But either way, it’s his loss.”

“Thanks Jake.”

“I’m serious. I mean, any guy who looks at you, especially when you’re in that dress . . .” Jake trailed off, letting his eyes rake over your form, “. . . and doesn’t hope to be the guy standing there, waiting for you at the altar . . . he’s not worth your time.”

You felt your heart flutter in your chest, just like it used to whenever he would wave to you in the hallway between classes when you two were teenagers. And staring into Jake’s bright green eyes, you knew that he meant every word that he spoke. Rocking your joined hands back and forth, you tried to settle the wobble in your lips.

“I didn’t want it to be him,” you stated honestly, causing Jake to noticeably pick his head up. “He . . . I gave into the pressure that I should be married and moving into that stage of my life by now and . . . I should have never agreed to marry him in the first place.”

Jake nodded slowly and turned to look at the ground. A moment passed where he seemed to be trying to compose himself before he slowly picked his head up again.

“Who did you want it to be?” Jake asked softly, so softly that you didn’t hear it the first time.

“What?”

“Who did you want it to be?” he repeated, picking his head up and staring deeply into your eyes. “Waiting for you at the altar, I mean.”

Your breathing subtly picked up and your lips parted a bit at Jake’s question. And the intensity of his stare that made your entire body feel like it was on fire. Slowly and tentatively reaching out, you gently cupped Jake’s cheek with your hand and rubbed your thumb across his soft skin.

“My answer hasn’t changed,” you stated quietly as emotion started to clog your throat. “It never has.”

The two of you naturally leaned towards each other. Your bodies seemed to naturally fit together as you pressed up together. The two of you slowly leaned in until your foreheads rested together. And when he was standing this close, you could pick out all of the different colors in his eyes, which were staring down at your lips.

Gently cupping the back of your neck, Jake pulled you in for a soft kiss. Your lips moved together like they had never been parted in the first place. Not by school or deployments or life in general. For much of your adult lives, the issue was never your feelings for each other but everything else getting in the way. But right there, in that small little church in rural Texas, life wasn’t in the way.

Nothing and no one were in the way. Not anymore.

Jake dropped his hat and wrapped an arm around your waist to pull you closer. You wrapped your arms around his broad shoulders and cupped his cheek once again, guiding your lips together. It probably would have gotten you disapproving looks if anyone else was around, but for that perfect little moment, it was just the two of you.

Pulling away a few moments later, you rested your foreheads against each other’s and smiled to yourselves. Breathing a bit heavily, you trailed your fingers down Jake’s cheeks as he brushed his nose against your own.

“When do you have to leave?” you asked quietly.

“Tomorrow morning,” Jake sighed, clearly sounding disappointed. “I could barely get any time off. I actually owe Coyote a laundry list of things because he covered for me.”

“Then we shouldn’t waste any time,” you replied, trying to look on the positive side.

About ten seconds later, you and Jake hurried out of the church hand-in-hand. Jake’s rented truck was the only car in the parking lot and you both quickly made a beeline for it. Jake unlocked and opened the door for you to climb inside. You sat down and Jake hurried to push the rest of your dress inside before shutting the door.

You pulled him in for another excited kiss as he slid into the driver’s seat before Jake started his rented truck to drive the two of you to the hotel. As Jake backed out of the parking lot, you sent your mom a quick text, which was just a simple photo of Jake.

“Do you have the directions to the hotel?” Jake asked, turning back around and heading for the road.

“Yeah and the confirmation, so we can actually check in,” you mused, smiling over at him.

As Jake pulled out onto the road, you got a text back from your mom. You let out an amused noise and shook your head when you read her message.

Don’t forget protection. Or do. I wouldn’t mind a grandbaby if you two agreed on one. Love you!

You sent your mom a quick ‘love you’ text back before turning off your notifications. Jake reached out and grabbed your hand, threading your fingers together. Jake pulled your hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of your hand.

And even though this wasn’t how you expected your wedding day to go, you had to admit that this outcome was actually far better than the one you that had in mind.

MITCHELL | Jake Seresin

❝𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭❞

━In which Top Gun best aviators are reunited for a mission, unexpected encounter of the man who always leaves his wingman alone and a dangerous woman aviator who happens to be Pete "Maverick" Mitchell's daughter.

INTRODUCTION

Y/N "Ciel" MITCHELL

JAKE "Hangman" SERESIN

Additionally...

Pete "Maverick" Mitchell

Tom "Iceman" Kazansky

Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

Natasha "Phoenix" Trace

Robert "Bob" Floyd

Rueben "Payback" Fitch

Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia

Javy "Coyote" Machado

╭──────────────

╰─➤ DISCLAIMER

I don't own Top Gun and Top Gun Maverick. Credits to the artist, director, etc.

╭──────────────

╰─➤ EPIGRAPH

❝Call sign? Oh you're a pilot❞

❝That's right, a naval aviator.❞

❝I've gotta be at work very early in the morning.❞

❝Then what are you doing here?❞

❝Lieutenant Mitchell you're late.❞

❝Apologies sir.❞

MITCHELL | Jake Seresin

Prologue

Small amount of people walks in to the Hard Deck while a beautiful woman stands outside waiting for someone she loves and misses dearly. The woman is seen wearing a white turtle neck, a black high waist pants and with her hair down letting the wind to blow her hair.

A motorcycle park near her making a smile blooms in her face she runs to him and throw her arms around his neck. "Dad!"

The older man hugs her back, the man was overwhelmed when he sees his little girl run to him with a full smile. He rarely stays at home when she was younger, sometimes he had to drop her to her godfather house, Tom Kazansky and sometimes to Penny Benjamin.

"Y/n don't run." Maverick said

"What why? I can't hug my old man?" They pull away from the hug with Y/n still hugging his arm.

"Don't call me that, I already feel old enough." He kissed the crown of her head like always do.

"Embrace it."

Trouble walks in the city like they own them. People will have to deal with the Mitchell's.

No Hangman yet, they're going to meet in the first chapter so buckle up.

MITCHELL | Jake Seresin

Chapter two; Ciel

"Attention on deck!" A loud voice boomed in the area. Everyone stand up from their chair as Admiral Bates made his way to the podium.

"Good morning. Welcome to your special training detachment, sit down." They all sat down. "I am Admiral Bates, call sign Warlock. You are all Top Gun graduates; the best of the best but that was yesterday. The enemy's new fifth-generation fighter jet levels the playing field. We no longer possess the technological advantage. Success depends on the man or woman in the box."

Hangman put his gaze on Phoenix who noticed and silently pull out her middle finger towards him.

"Half of you will make the cut and only one of you will be named mission leader, The rest will attend to any reserve roles necessary."

"Your instructor is one of the finest pilots this program has ever produced. His exploits are legendary. What he has to teach you may very well mean the difference between life and death," Warlock remarked as they heard echoing footsteps walking up the aisle.

All the pilots turned their heads to the newcomer, Hangman, Coyote, and Payback looks away out of fear and embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Bradley sunk in his chair a little.

"I give you Captain Pete Mitchell, call sign Maverick."

Warlock stepped away from the podium letting Maverick take over. "Good morning," he held up the manual book for F-18. "The F.A.T.-18 NATOPS, This book contains everything they expected you to know about your aircraft. I assume you all know it well."

"Damn right."

"Damn straight."

"No shit."

Maverick tossed the book to the trash beside him, "And we're off." Hondo mumbled.

"So does your enemy, but what the enemy doesn't know is your limits. I intend to find those limits and push beyond them, so today we will start with what you think you know, you show me what you made of." He continues.

A door clicks open and is soon followed by echoing footsteps, all pilots automatically turn their heads, and once again Jake Seresin looks away.

Admiral Bates lifts his head, "Lieutenant Mitchell you're late." He said.

"Apologies sir." She nods her head, walks to the front, takes something out from her pocket, and gave it to the captain, "My father has lost his glasses."

Cue for Jake Seresin to winched at the news, last night he was hitting on the Captain's (that he had thrown out from the bar) daughter.

"Thank you, have seat." Maverick sends a smile at his daughter, Y/n winks at him with a smile, she takes a scan between the naval aviators searching for her new assigned backseater. Her eyes have a small amused glint when her eyes stop at the man that was hitting on her last night who offered her a smile, the smile gave her a slight warmness in her stomach.

She look away and stop a man who was adjusting his seat, she walked toward him and gave him a nod "You're Mickey Garcia?"

"Yes, ma'am. Call sign Fanboy." He answered.

"Hm, Nice to meet you I'm Y/n Mitchell, call sign Ciel."

Maverick dismissed the group to grab their gear and head to their respective planes.

As she talks to her new back seater a hand grabs her wrist making her turn around to see her brother's figure, his jaw was clenched showing that he is pissed. "Did you know?"

"I just know this morning. I tried to tell you but I didn't have any time, sorry B." She gives him a sympathetic smile.

"Well, at least you tried to tell me," Bradley sighs, "heard you shot down five from your last mission."

"I'm not very proud of it, it made me lose my backseater. They tried to shoot me down first so I had to do it. My backseater's wife didn't like how I handle it and said I was too dangerous. So he quit."

"She's not wrong." He commented.

Fanboy somehow looks terrified yet excited at their comments. As they walk to their assigned plane.

"Rooster, Bradley." Someone called, and the said man did not turn back or stop in his tracks just continued walking to his plane ignoring the call.

"Lieutenant Bradshaw," Maverick stated.

"Yeah, can't ignore that one can't you, see you later." Y/n pat his shoulder nodding at Fanboy to give the two some time.

As she and her WSO walk to their plane she feels a pair of eyes staring at the back of her head. She turn around to see Jake Seresin staring at her with the corner of his lips tugging upwards, she sent him a wink and unconsciously smile at him with a toothy grin making him look away.

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Maverick made everyone do a warm-up before splitting everyone into pairs, those who were not called up yet returns to the hangar and listened in from the radio.

"Good morning aviators, this is your captain speaking," Maverick said. "Welcome to basic fighting maneuvers. As you were briefed, today's exercise is dog fighting. No missiles. Guns only and no going below the hard deck of five thousand feet. Work as a team to shoot me down or else."

"Or else what sir?" Y/n asked into the comms.

"Or else I shoot back."

"How about we put skin in the game, to make it fun you know," Y/n suggested, wanting to add some more fun in the air.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Whoever gets shot down first has to do two hundred pushups." Y/n inquired.

"Gosh, that's a lot of push-ups."

"They don't call it an exercise for nothing, sir." Fanboy comments.

"You just got yourself a deal Fellas, let's turn and burn," Maverick says, Maverick's jet soared between the jets of Y/n, Fanboy, and Bradley. Catching them off guard.

"Holy shit!" Fanboy scream.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"

Maverick makes Y/n and Fanboy his first target to shoot down first, "Ciel Where's your wingman?" He asks preparing to press the trigger on them.

"IS THIS A PAYBACK FOR WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?" Y/n yelled to the coms, "Rooster where are you? Get him off me!"

"I got you, I'm coming. Hang in there hang in there." Rooster says flying in front of Maverick.

"Ciel break right!"

"Breaking right!" Y/n and Fanboy were saved but now Maverick has a new target in front of him.

"Rooster just saved your life but it's going to cost him."

"Not this time old man!" Bradley glares at Maverick.

"Don't let him get to you Maverick," he says to himself.

"Rooster you're too low. Pull up, you're hitting the deck!"

"Oh shit."

Rooster pulls up only to get locked by Maverick. "That's a kill," Maverick says as he sighs but the alarm went off.

"And that's also a kill," Y/n said from behind, snickering at her dad. "That's how you bury a fossil everyone."

They all watch as Bradley does his two hundred push ups outside, Y/n shakes her head at the cruel sight if her friend doing the push-ups. She was way too cocky to suggest that game.

"Should be us down there." Fanboy says as he watches Bradley with his pilot through the window.

"But it's not." They look beside them to see Phoenix, "Now you know a little something about Rooster."

The next team was no good than the first, only Y/n managed to get a single lock on his aircraft.

"That's a kill," Maverick said.

"Damn!"

"Smoked."

"Shit."

Then Maverick decided to get Ciel and Fanboy as his partner for the game. To bring in more heat.

"Hey, Phoenix, how about we tell everybody that Bob stands for something, other than just Robert," Hangman says through his comms, looking at Phoenix's aircraft.

"Don't take the bait, Bob. Wanna know why we call him Hangman?" Phoenix questions.

"Wait, I got it. Baby On Board." Hangman jokes. As he laughs Maverick and Y/n passed in between the two.

"Oh shit!" Hangman shouts.

"Greeting Aviators fights on."

"Breaking right," Bob watches Hangman leave, "Where's he going?" Bob asks.

"That's why we call him Hangman, he'll always hang you out to dry."

"I'll take care of him," Y/n said to the comms. Pulling up to chase Hangman.

"Copy that." He watches Hangman being chased with Y/n's aircraft. "Leaving your wingman, there's a strategy I haven't seen in a while." Maverick comments.

"He called you a man Phoenix, you gonna take that?"

"As long as he doesn't call you a man."

"Talk to me Bob, Where's Maverick?" Phoenix asked. "Get him off me, Hangman!"

"For all you folks at home, this is how you bury a fossil," Hangman said as he pulled up behind Maverick preparing a lock on him.

"Might want to watch your back Hangman." Fanboy said as Y/n sped up to Hangman.

"Alright Hangman time to teach you a lesson, you're out Phoenix" Maverick said as he put the lock on Phoenix and Bob.

"Son of a bitch!" Phoenix cussed.

"You're going to take care of that sweetheart?" Maverick said to his daughter.

"I can handle him, thanks. You should do your push-ups " Y/n said, giggling. Hangman suddenly pulled up and start to chase her, she immediately pull the defensive maneuver.

"Alright Ciel, let's see what you got."

"Is he still with us?" Y/n asks Fanboy.

"Yeah! He's just behind us." Fanboy responds, Y/n looks behind her to see him still chasing her.

"Looking for me, Ciel?" Hangman asked with a cocky tone. She can imagine him saying that with a smirk on his face.

"Alright let's end this game," Y/n said pulling up to the sun with Hangman close behind her. Pulling the trick her dad once showed her.

"Shit," Hangman said as he squint his eyes to spot Y/n aircraft in the sun. "Phoenix I can't see her, how close am I?" He asks Phoenix not aware that she's already after being in a missiles lock by Maverick.

"I'm dead dickhead." Phoenix says in the comms.

"See you in the afterlife bagman," Bob added.

Hangman starts to look around and finally, he noticed that there's no aircraft in front of him. His search was cut with the alarm blaring, telling him that he was in a missile lock.

He looks behind him to see them, "That's a kill." Y/n stated with Fanboy cheering behind her.

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They repeated the practice with Maverick killing them easily without breaking a sweat but it's a challenge when it comes to the young Mitchell. Maverick was genuinely happy and impressed by her skills and he believed that his talent was passed down to her.

Bradley, however, takes it a bit personally, he and Maverick were sent into a downward spiral that immediately broke the hard deck rule with their ego way too big but Maverick managed to put a shot on Bradley and he sent Bradley back to the base for his pushups.

Hondo took pity on Bradshaw, "Okay that's enough Rooster." But he was arrogant he kept doing his pushups, pushing his body for more pushups with his body which was at the edge of exhaustion. "Come on man that's enough." But he did not stop so Hondo just leave him be.

"Damn BradBrad I thought I was the only one who always had the hard deck rule. Are you trying to copy me?" Y/n smirks, kneeling beside him while chewing a piece of gum.

She didn't get any reply or anything she took that signal that he wants to be alone, "Alright talk to me whenever you're ready Brad Brat."

A gasp left Bradley's mouth, "You did not just pull that nickname" He said stopping his pushups and starting to sit after all the push-ups he had done.

"What do you mean? You mean Brad Brat?" Y/N said innocently, with a mischievous smile.

"You did not just pull that name on me seal" Bradley smirks as Y/n gasps at that nickname.

"How dare you" They start to bicker back and forth, from the distance Maverick shakes his head at the two remembering the old times when they were little and they would start to bicker like they were siblings by blood.

"You know I'm done talking with the chicken," Y/n huffed walking away from the man.

"ITS ROOSTER!"

"Bye chicken!" She waved, leaving the area.

After taking a shower and changing her clothes, she leaves the place to buy herself a meal. The gum is only to trick her stomach that she's eating. A hand shot up and circle her wrist and push her to a wall.

"Oof!" She looks up to see the Ken doll himself, Jake Seresin aka Hangman. She gave him a side smile "What can I help you Kenny doll," She teased him.

Her tease made its way to his mind making the corner of his lips tug upwards, "I didn't know the Navy hired a model this day."

"Yeah, they decided it's time to have a queen walking around in this place." She crosses her arms. "I also didn't know they start to hire a Ken doll."

"You also forget to tell me that you're the Captain's daughter." He added.

"Yeah, It's always fun you know seeing someone's reaction when it's revealed that I'm the Captain's daughter, I mean come on your face before that was hilarious" Y/n laughs before patting his cheek, "Anyway see you tomorrow, bagman."

She slips from under his arm and walks out of the area with his eyes watching her walking away figure. Something is blooming and it's definitely not a flower.

🗒 ❛ note༉‧₊˚✧

Hello! I'm so so sorry for the long wait for the update, I did have much ideas for the past couple of months and I decided to ask my friend what to do to bring more tension between the two.

I hope you enjoy it, see you soon!

━━━━━━━━━━𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋━━━

↷ ⋯ ♡ᵎ pairing: Jake Seresin X Reader

↷ ⋯ ♡ᵎ genre: romance, action, adventure, Drama, Fight.

↷ ⋯ ♡ᵎ warnings: violence, course language.

In which Top Gun best aviators are reunited for a mission, unexpected encounter of the man who always leaves his wingman alone and a dangerous woman aviator who happens to be Pete "Maverick" Mitchell's daughter.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ; ♡⋆.ೃ࿔*

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ    ﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀

ㅤㅤㅤ      ㅤ ｡↷ ✧*̥₊˚‧☆ﾐ table of contents!¡ •ଓ.°

┊Introduction

                ┊prologue

              ┊i.    one

               ┊ii.   two

               ┊iii. three

                ┊iv. etc

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ︶︶︶︶︶︶︶˗ˋ  .*ೃ✧₊˚.❁ ↷

Oooo baby! Happy 4K!! Hangman with “knowing their allergies and medical history while in the ER” please?? 💕

Thank you so much!! Here's some Jake for you! Enjoy!

4k Celebration Drabbles

Brother's Best Friend

Jake Seresin x Reader

You hobble over to the receptionist to get a clipboard with an intake form, wincing every time you put weight on the ankle you twisted missing a step when you tried to join your friends at the firepit in the backyard. To your great excitement, your brother’s best friend (and the guy you’ve been crushing on for the better part of your life), had been the only one in the group sober enough to drive you to the hospital. Unfortunately, Jake Seresin also spent the entire ride over reprimanding you for not turning on the light before coming down the stairs.

You take a seat in the waiting room just as he enters the building after parking his car.

“It’ll be a few hours,” you tell him. “You could just pick me up in the morning.”

Jake gives you an amused look. “And leave you here alone in your inebriated state?”

You grimace. “I’m not inebriated. Anymore.”

He hooks an eyebrow as he lowers himself into the seat beside you.

“Maybe your tedious lecture sobered me up,” you grumble.

Jake chuckles. “Sorry, I might’ve gotten a little carried away.”

You shrug, leaning away from him slightly because his arm brushes against yours when he rests his back into the seat. His shoulders are so wide that it’s impossible to sit beside him without making contact. You lean forward to start filling out your form.

Several moments later, Jake taps on the clipboard in your hands. “Didn’t you take ibuprofen for the pain?”

You glance up at him slowly, pulling the clipboard protectively into your chest. “So?”

“They need to know what you’re on.”

“What I’m on?” you say with a laugh. “It’s not like it’s meth, Jake.”

“Write it just in case,” he says. “And how much alcohol have you had?”

You roll your eyes and shift in your seat so that your back is turned toward him. “Let me concentrate.”

But Jake is already half standing to look over your shoulder. “Migraines, right?” he mutters, pointing at the list of existing conditions.

“Jake, do you mind?” you say. “This is private information.”

But Jake ignores your request entirely and starts tapping on the allergy section that you’ve left blank. “You’re allergic to cats,” he says. “Give me that!” He yanks the clipboard out of your hands.

“Jake!” you exclaim. “They don’t care if I’m allergic to cats. This is a hospital. They want to know if I’m allergic to any medications.”

“Shh,” Jake shushes you. “Let me concentrate.”

Read Part 2

tailspin masterlist

pairing- jake ‘hangman’ seresin x female bartender!reader (no use of y/n)

synopsis- you and jake are in a tailspin, addiction to each other sure to have your lives bursting into flames once you hit the ground

warnings- explicit cheating, 18+ only minors DNI (each chapter has more specific warnings), angsty heartbreak and a distinct lack of happy endings

an- sequel / resolution / HAPPY ENDING fic coming soon I promise! Background on the inspiration for this story (lol my job and working with a former usaf fighter pilot) under the cut!

~pt one: what if you're the one, but I'm not?

~pt two: take me back, to the night we met

~pt three: in another life, maybe we're meant to be

~pt four: this is how a heart breaks

Tailspin is inspired by a former usaf fighter pilot I work with at a commercial mainline US carrier. He reminds me a lot of hangman- cocky, witty, attractive. Kind of a dick but somehow still charming

I wanted to dislike him because he cheats on his wife frequently, but despite my best efforts I get along well with him every time we work together. we’ve had long conversations about his kids and how he worries they’ll end up like him, wanting to be good people but not knowing how, etc. 

another captain at my company refused to leave his wife for a friend under the guise of not ruining his son’s life, and I don’t know him well enough to comment anything nice about his character, but I should give him credit for some of jake’s lines- not that he would want it (lol). just thought I’d give myself some credibility, if any of jake’s actions feel far-fetched, please know that these things have actually happened to multiple people I know personally and it's nothing short of heartbreaking to witness it happen to your friends irl 

tl;dr: my recommendation is that you don't date commercial airline pilots, ever. even the 'good' ones usually cheat :( Anyways I hope y’all enjoyed the story despite the morally shitty stuff

Who Did This To You? (Hangman)

Pairing: Hangman x Female!Reader (no use of y/n)

Word Count: 10.2k because I have no self control

Summary: In your most vulnerable hour, Jake 'Hangman' Seresin is the one to find you, and the one to ask you the ultimate question. "Who did this to you?"

Warnings: Mentions of Abuse and DV (NOT committed by Jake), nongraphic description of resulting injuries, a very one-sided bar fight, mention that a character is going to therapy, insults and confrontation by a past abuser. (This story is a who did this to you trope. While it is only dealing with the 'who did this to you' aftermath of what was done, please keep that in mind.)

Notes: This is just an excuse to write the who did this to you trope. This is self indulgence at its finest.

“Who did this to you?”

Your head shot up a little too quickly at the unexpected company, and the world began to spin all over again. With a groan, you laid your head back on the bartop, hoping the flat wood would help the world right itself faster.

You’d been lying there with your forehead pressed on the cool wood of the bar, sitting directly under an air vent, for the better part of thirty minutes. The Hard Deck’s AC was working overtime to keep the heat outside, and the rush of cold air blowing down the back of your shirt was doing wonders for your sore arms and back. 

“Hurricane, who did this to you?”

You hadn’t been expecting anyone to be there. Everyone else was down at the beach. You thought you’d have some time alone to lick your wounds and cover your bruises and emotionally recover from what had happened that morning. Penny was too busy watching Maverick. The aviators were too engrossed in a new game Maverick had invented called dogfight volleyball, and the bar was technically closed at this hour. You thought you could slip by and start your shift sight unseen. 

“Hurricane,” The voice was firm, but not demanding. Underwritten with a tone of concern that was very uncommon to that particular voice. “Hurricane,” it repeated. 

You opened your eyes and rolled your head to lay facing the voice’s direction and made eye contact with Hangman. 

You knew it was him before you turned, but for some reason you still did. 

Backlit by the sun’s rays bouncing off his perfect golden hair with an open button-up billowing in the sea breeze, he stood in sharp contrast to your current state. Like an angel stepping out of heaven and into hell. 

In some ways, this was your worst case scenario. Hangman was definitely not your favorite pilot and was very close to your least, and he was certainly not your friend. You were at best frenemies and even that was a stretch. The pair of you had been constantly bickering and making snide comments behind the other’s backs since practically the moment you made eye contact with each other. He intentionally made your life difficult behind the bar, and you rang the bell on him on multiple occasions. 

He was responsible for everyone calling you Hurricane. You’d come crashing through the doors on your first day working at the Hard Deck with a torrential downpour following you in from outside. A drowned cat would’ve looked less soaked through and pathetic than you, and the moment Penny introduced you to the squad, he’d made a snide remark about the Hurricane you brought with you. The rest was history. It became like a callsign to them; your name long forgotten by most. The only pilot who didn’t call you Hurricane now was Bob, and it ground your gears just a little bit more every time you heard it. 

On the other hand, this might’ve been the best case scenario. Hangman wasn’t someone who was going to make a big show of this. He wouldn’t rush down to the beach and ask for help. He wouldn’t fawn over you or ask you if you were okay a million times. He wouldn’t expect you to cry on his shoulder and incessantly pick at you until you broke down. 

“Who did this to you?” Hangman took a step in from where he’d frozen in the door out to the patio.

His expression was like his voice, hard and firm with undertones of the worry that anyone would be feeling in this situation. Hangman wasn’t the nicest guy you knew, but you knew from the other pilots stories of the many times he’d saved their lives that he wasn’t evil, and you didn’t doubt for a moment that he’d at least be somewhat concerned even if he didn’t care particularly for you. 

“You already know who.”

It was true. Devin had been in the bar about once a week for the last six months that you’d been dating. He’d made the rounds through the aviators, none of whom particularly liked him but all of whom had been polite enough not to say anything… except Hangman. 

The second Devin left after his first introductions, Hangman had made his distaste known. ‘Something’s off about that guy,’ he’d said before the door even closed. Phoenix had teased him about being jealous that his snarky banter was no longer the center of your world, but you’d seen it for what it was. A combination of being angry he wasn’t the center of attention and looking to defy you at every turn that was a uniquely Hangman blend. 

Hangman approached you slowly, taking one deliberate step at a time. Every step with such obvious forethought that it gave you the time and the option to back away. A detail you wouldn’t have expected from such an ego-centric man. 

You didn’t back away. Hangman was a lot of things, most of them negative, but you could say with absolute certainty that you weren’t afraid of him. For all the times you’d yelled at him, you’d never been scared of his physicality, and for all the times he'd yelled at you, his hand had never so much as twitched. 

Standing beside you, under the harsh glare of the fluorescent lights that threw your skin into sharp relief, Hangman had a full view of the damage. 

“That fucker,” his voice was a harsh, raspy whisper, “I’m gonna kill him.” His hand seemed to lift of its own accord. Flat, open palmed and always within your line of sight, he reached up and stroked his fingers along your cheekbone with a feather-light touch. 

“I already dumped him.” You don’t know why you felt like explaining yourself to Hangman of all people, but maybe it was the determination in his eyes. The way he stared down at your cheek like his eyes could will the twing of pain away. 

Hangman gave a half-hearted, inattentive nod. “That’s certainly a start.” He looked like gears were turning in his head, like he hadn’t given up on his first idea. 

A flood of memories came back to you. 

‘The only active duty pilot with a confirmed air-to-air kill.’ Coyote, introducing Hangman.

‘We call him Bagman, cause he’ll kill anyone and get anyone killed. He doesn’t seem to mind.’ Omaha commenting on Hangman’s aim at the dartboard. 

‘That’s his second air-to-air kill.’ Bob, telling you what he could about the mission they’d just come back from. 

‘Hangman’s deadly in the sky. I wouldn’t wanna cross him.’ Rooster, finally being honest about what he thought of Hangman, after the blonde saved his life. 

Hangman had killed before, and in his line of work, with his level of skill, likely would again. He definitely didn’t mean what he said, certainly not literally. He wasn’t about to rush out to his truck and go hunting Devin in the streets, but it wasn’t something he of all people would say entirely jokingly either. 

You slowly sat up in your chair. The world was spinning less now. Whether that was because the nausea was finally passing or because Hangman’s hand stayed on your cheek, grounding you in the moment, it was unclear. “I appreciate your concern,” you hedged, “but really, I’m fine. I can handle myself.”

Hangman snorted and let his hand fall away. “Obviously you can; you already kicked his ass to the curb on your own. Doesn’t mean I’m not gonna kill him for good measure.” Hangman hopped up on the bar and swung his legs over. 

You probably should’ve objected to his comfort level invading your workspace. Penny was very explicit that no one was allowed behind the bar who didn’t work there and even more explicit that that applied to all naval aviators. Somehow, though, you doubted Hangman would rat you out, at least not today. 

“Are you going to tell Penny?” Hangman mozied around behind the bar, picking up a rag and tossing it over his shoulder. He was looking for something, but he didn’t seem inclined to ask. You weren’t any more inclined to offer. 

It would’ve broken whatever moment was passing between you. Caring? Camaraderie? You weren’t sure, but there was certainly some level of understanding that remained largely unspoken. 

Hangman found what he was looking for in short order anyway. He flipped open the ice cooler and pulled the rag off his shoulder, filling it with a scoop of ice and tying the ends. 

“Not now,” you were disinclined to bring it up to Penny. 

The Hard Deck was a Navy bar, and Penny had made a lot of powerful friends. Hell, you had a lot of powerful friends if you were willing to use them; one of them, or at least a powerful person who was willing to help you, was standing right in front of you. You could only imagine what would happen to Devin if you told anyone. All of it would be deserved of course, but you doubted most of it would be legal. And that really wasn’t what you needed right now, and you weren’t ready to have that conversation anyway. 

“Hold this to your cheek. You wanna get the swelling down,” In a reversal of roles, he leaned against the bar in the place that was normally yours and offered you his makeshift ice pack. 

You took it with a quiet, “Thank you.”

Hangman nodded with a thoughtful expression, watching your hand raise it to your cheek, “I’ll let you tell them in your own time, but you’re going to go to someone to help you through this until then… professionally.” 

It wasn’t a question. He wasn’t leaving room for debate. It was an order as plain as any he got in the Navy. 

You nodded wordlessly against the ice pressed to your face. It was a reasonable expectation, a reasonable request. You weren’t sure if you needed it or not, but you supposed that was the point. You weren’t sure. Better to go too soon than too late. 

“Good,” Hangman sighed, seeming relieved, and pushed off the bar. His muscles flexed with the motion, bulging against the short sleeves of his open button-up shirt. They remained tense as he crossed his arms over his chest. His teeth gritted behind his closed lips. “I’ll keep him out of the bar.”

“Hangman, you really don’t have to-” 

“He hurt you.” Hangman cut you off with a dismissive wave of his hand. He looked serious, deadly serious. “That’s all I need to know. He’s not welcome here anymore.”

Before you had the chance to respond, not that you were entirely sure how you would, Hangman’s eyes left yours, staring at something over your shoulder out towards the beach.

“Do you have any makeup for that cheek?”

Your head turned, and you saw the outlines of Penny and Mav, arm in arm, making their way back to the bar. “Yeah,” you replied, “But my shoulder is a different story. I need to go find…”

Hangman jerked his button up off his shoulders and balled it up, tossing it across the bar to you. “Go quick. Put this on.”

“Hangman, I-”

“Go.” Hangman urged, and you ran off before Penny could see the two of you.

—------------------------------------------------

Your phone kept buzzing in your pocket, but you didn’t have time to check it.

You thought you knew what it was. Phoenix demanding to know why one of Jake Seresin’s shirts was wrapped around your shoulders. Hangman’s weren’t as distinctive as Bradley’s, usually solid colors with a barely-there logo on the pocket. None of the guys had noticed you were wearing it, but you knew Phoenix had the moment she came back in from the beach. She’d shot you a disappointed, skeptical look and immediately begun whispering to Bob as they walked away with their drinks. 

Penny hadn’t been much better. She hadn’t identified which pilots’ shirt it was like Phoenix clearly had, but she was two steps away from asking when the evening rush began to pour in without any sign of slowing down. 

The Hard Deck was slam-packed, and none of the bartenders had a second to spare. The newest class of TopGun recruits were graduating within a week, and it seemed that everyone had turned out for the upcoming occasion.

The bar was crowded with faces new and old. All of the graduating pilots were scattered around, and most of their instructors had made their way in at some point. Some of the pilots had families, wives and girlfriends, who had flown in and accompanied them to the bar that night. There were more than a few old friends in town to visit or siblings using the graduation as an excuse to get away. 

Even most of Mav’s squadron was there. Penny’s old flame had claimed a spot by one of the dart boards, and his lieutenants were all taking turns trying to dethrone Hangman as the king of darts. Normally, they would have migrated to the pool tables by now, but the bar was too crowded for even TopGun’s finest to leverage their way into skipping the line to have a game. 

One of the soon-to-be graduates hunkered down at the bar, some asshole who was billing himself as the new and improved Hangman, kept snapping his fingers at you to try to get your attention from behind the bar. You were dangerously close to ringing the bell on him the next time he did it, and Penny’s fingers were clearly itching to do the same. Tragically, neither of you thought that was a very good idea. Tonight might’ve been the one night where it was simply too busy to ring the bell.

There were so many people you couldn’t see past the sea of bodies pressing in around you, and it was a miracle that you didn’t bolt from the claustrophobia.

Marg after marg. Old fashioned after old fashioned. Beer after beer. The line never seemed to stop, and it was taking its toll on you. Tonight was simply not your night.

“Go,” Penny’s hand touched your shoulder and made you jump, spilling some of the tequila shot you were trying to hand off. “I’ll clean that. You look like you need a break. Take five.”

Normally on a busy night, you would’ve protested, insisted you could hold down the fort and done your best to help Penny push through the rush, but not that night.

Your shoulders slumped in relief, and you ducked under the gap in the bar without much of a second thought, pushing your way through the people towards the door to the kitchen. There was a ‘broken’ stool by the door to the kitchen that was in fact not broken at all but had a sign taped to it that said it was specifically so it was open for when workers were on break. The seat provided some much needed relief for your aching feet and even more aching shoulders.

Shaking cocktails was really aggravating the bruises just beneath the button up wrapped around your shoulders, and you found yourself hurting almost twice as much as normal this shift. That might’ve been why you felt like you were moving in slow motion the whole time. That or the sheer number of people had simply made the task seem insurmountable.

You were just closing your eyes and leaning back against the wall when your phone in your pocket buzzed again.

It wasn’t really a conscious decision to check it, more habit than anything else. And really, you hadn’t expected it to be anything that bad. You hadn’t heard from him all day. 

But there it was. His name. His name a half a dozen times over the course of your shift. Each text progressively more urgent and pressing than the last.

‘I’m  still coming to pick you up from work.’

Bile rose up in your throat, and you suppressed the overwhelming urge to bolt. The room was suddenly too hot and too crowded, and there were too many faces. Faces you recognized and faces you didn’t. A wash of faces that was the perfect place for him to hide, to wait, to lurk around for the opportune moment to reveal himself.

You couldn’t do this, couldn’t deal with this. Not here. Not now. Not in front of all these people. Not alone. 

You did the first thing that came to mind. 

It was stupid really. You couldn’t explain why it occurred to you, why you acted on it so immediately, why you thought it was a good idea at all. It probably wasn’t; it could just as easily have backfired in your face as anything else. But your gut told you it was what you should do. Really, your gut didn’t so much tell you as wrench you in that direction with an undeniable force. 

“Hey can I talk to you for a sec?” 

Hangman was an easy man to find, even despite the crowd, strutting around the dart boards like he owned the place, which he very nearly did, rubbing the other pilots noses in his shots that were somehow better blindfolded than theirs were with sight.

You interrupted him boasting loudly to Fanboy and Payback about how he didn’t even need to practice. Perfect marksmanship just came naturally to him. The rest of the pilots were all gathered at the high tops near the darts boards, mostly rolling their eyes. They were having some kind of tournament, or rather a competition to see if anyone could take Hangman down. 

Payback seemed almost too happy for the interruption, but Fanboy was a bit more perceptive, at least at the moment. Fanboy’s eyes darted away to Phoenix’s table, and you saw the jerk of his head when he caught her eye. Funneling the female aviator’s attention in the direction of what was unfolding. 

You, wearing Hangman’s shirt since he disappeared for half an hour earlier that day, asking to talk to him alone near the end of your shift. You knew exactly what it looked like. 

“Sure.” Hangman’s tone was completely casual, not giving anything away, but when his back turned on his companions, his eyes were burning. You quickly looked away from his gaze and led him from the group.

“I wasn’t checking my phone.” The words were tumbling out of your mouth the moment he was out of the others’ earshot. You didn’t even bite your tongue long enough to turn around. “He’s been texting me my entire shift. He was supposed to be my ride home tonight, and I think he might show up soon.”

When you faced Hangman, you knew the panic in your voice and in your eyes was painfully obvious. Now that you were semi-alone with him, with someone who knew, there was no hiding how much it jarred you. Your hands fumbled with your phone trying to show him the flood of texts you’d gotten, unnoticed, over the last two hours. 

Hangman didn’t look down even as you turned the phone to show him. His jaw was already clenched; his expression was agitated, visibly angry. His eyes weren’t looking at you or the phone. They were searching the faces in the crowd similar to the way yours had only moments before though far more thorough. The honed, trained eye of a military fighter pilot meticulously picked through the crowd for its target, finding nothing. 

“Could you…” You hesitated to ask. It was such a ridiculous request. Just yesterday, Hangman would’ve been your absolute last choice to be in this position with; you would’ve risked handling it alone before asking for his help. But here he was. The only one who knew. The first one you asked. “I’ll give you a round on the house for it. I just… Would you mind giving me a ride home? I don’t want to stumble on him alone.”

Hangman didn’t hesitate or pull his eyes from where they continuously scanned the crowd, as if his gaze alone was enough to keep a threat at bay. “No beers required, Hurricane.” The words seemed to be coming out of his mouth even as you offered. Like he’d already decided what he was going to do the minute you told him the problem. “Wait here a sec? I’ll handle it.”

Hangman walked the short distance over to the bar, glancing back over his shoulder at you every few steps like he was making sure you hadn’t disappeared, and flagged down Penny. Something on his face must’ve told her it was urgent because she forwent several regulars and big tippers demanding drinks to beeline towards him. He leaned over the bar and whispered something in her ear, gesturing back in your direction. 

Penny looked concerned, and she nodded along with what Hangman was saying until he turned to leave. 

“If Penny asks,” Hangman put a hand on your shoulder, a firm grip holding you to his side as he led you through the throng of people towards the exit, “a guy was bothering you, and I drove you home cause you were scared of him.”

“Not entirely a lie,” You mumbled, shifting closer into Hangman’s side.

No one tried to stop you. No hands reached out for you. No one called out your name. You made it through entirely unscathed. You could feel eyes on you, but they didn’t raise the hairs on the back of your neck. You doubted, highly, that they were Devin’s. More likely, Hangman’s squadron were watching him retreat from the bar with you under his arm without so much as a goodbye. More likely, they were plotting and planning the questions they were going to hound the two of you with the next time they saw you. More likely, Phoenix was pointing out to everyone that you were wearing Hangman’s shirt.

—------

“Does he have a key?” Hangman didn’t break the silence until he’d turned onto your block, until he’d brought his truck to a slow crawl, looking for your tiny, inconsequential cookie cutter house in a row of tiny, inconsequential cookie cutter houses. 

Yours was pretty much the only house without a Navy flag or Navy paraphernalia of some description sitting in the yard or stuck to a car in the driveway. The neighborhood was not far from the Hard Deck which was not far from the base, and the tiny houses geared towards first-time-buyers were crawling with Navy pilots and newlywed military couples who wanted to live offbase.

You were on the second sidestreet, the third house on the left. Hangman already knew the way without instruction. Penny had conned every Top Gun pilot with a car into driving you home at least a couple times. And while Hangman was usually the pilot she was least willing to ask, he was also the only one who was guaranteed to always be sober. 

His question came out very sober. His usual lilting, teasing tone had dropped off somewhere today and never fully returned. 

“He did. He… he told me he lost it, but…” You both knew better than to believe that.

Hangman pulled into your driveway and flicked the truck into park and turned it off. “Tomorrow I’ll drive you to the hardware store, and we’ll change the locks.”

“You don’t have to…”

“Do you feel safe with him having a key?” Hangman cut you off. He was looking down at you with just a touch of condescension, so classically Hangman. Like he knew the answer already, like he knew you knew the answer already, and that you were silly if you pretended not to or refused him. 

You knew where this was going, and you thought about lying, just to relieve Hangman of whatever false sense of duty or obligation he had imposed on himself by being the one to find you at the Hard Deck. But it was way too late. Hangman wasn’t stupid, but he was incredibly, irritatingly stubborn. And he’d already set his mind to helping you through this. “No.”

“Then tomorrow morning I’ll change the locks.” Hangman threw his door open and hopped out of the truck. It slammed closed behind him as he circled around to your side. You made to open your door, but Hangman beat you to it. “Alarm services are expensive,” He continued, offering you a hand, “but they make door jammers that have sound alarms on them at least, and my sister bought some cheap window versions a while back that I could help install.” 

You took Hangman’s hand and dumbly followed him up to your door as he rambled on about extra door locks and doorbell cameras. All options that you could pick up tomorrow for him to put in. 

“That’s too much effort,” You halfheartedly protested as you spun your keys around trying to find the one to your front door. 

There really weren’t that many keys. There were a couple to the Hard Deck, one to the shed where Penny kept beach supplies, and one to Devin’s place that you hadn’t returned. They were all distinct shapes and colors, but you couldn’t seem to focus long enough to find the plain silver key to your own door. Maybe because you knew there was another one, exactly like it, somewhere across town at that moment.   

“Not if it makes you feel safe.” Hangman leaned back against your door frame, his eyes skimming up and down your block as if he was still on alert in the crowded bar, still looking for signs of trouble, signs of him. 

“Would you…” Your words trailed off as you watched his darting eyes. The question came bubbling up before you could stop it, before you even really thought of it. It was less a question and more a response to his vigilance, to the thought that his vigilance might be warranted and necessary. 

“Would I…?” Hangman didn’t let it go. His eyes turned to look at you.

You chewed at your bottom lip, debating if it was worth asking, debating if it was necessary. 

He probably thought it was, if his mannerisms were any indication, if his talk about alarms was any indication, if walking you to your door and watching your back were any indication. 

“Would you come in?”

Hangman raised a doubtful eyebrow, sure you didn’t mean what those words usually meant.

“Not like that, it’s just… You’re right. He probably still has a key, and if we can’t fix it till the morning…”

Understanding seemed to wash over his face, and Hangman kicked himself up off the door jam. “If it’ll help,” he immediately conceded. “I’ll sleep on your couch.”

“It…” You hesitated, but only for a moment. “I think it would.”

The silence inside your home was almost palpable. It was late enough that going to bed wouldn’t have been awkward for either of you, but neither of you were tired. And neither of you seemed up to faking being tired just to get away. 

Hangman sat on one end of the couch, and you sat on the other. At some point, you mustered the effort to turn on the tv. The local news was a quiet, bland drone of background noise cutting through the still air around the two of you.

You felt like you should say something. Maybe ‘should’ wasn’t the right word; maybe you wanted to say something. But either way you didn’t know where to begin.

You had only ever been alone with Hangman when he was dropping you off as a favor to Penny, times that were filled with snarky jokes and constant nagging from both of you, and earlier that day in the bar. You weren’t close. You weren’t friends. You were barely acquaintances. He was only here because he was in the right (or wrong, depending how you looked at it) place at the right time.

“Thank you,” That seemed like a good place to start. “For today, thank you.”

“You have nothing to thank me for.” Hangman countered quickly. His eyes stayed on the tv, though they were clearly out of focus staring at the screen. 

“I do though. You could’ve told everyone.”

“You weren’t ready for that.” He added it under his breath, countering without cutting you off.

“You could’ve left me to finish out my shift.”

“Not with him coming to the bar.”

“You could’ve left after you dropped me off.”

“He has a key.”

“You could’ve turned and walked out the door when you first saw me at the bar.”

Hangman let out a heavy sigh, not of annoyance or exasperation but a sigh weighed down with duty and concern. “No, I couldn’t.” 

Your eyes met his over the center of the couch, and a breath rushed out of your lungs under the intensity in his gaze.

—-------------------------------------

You woke up in your bed, mouth open, with more than a little drool pooling on your pillow. 

You had no memory of falling asleep there, of getting into bed, of going to your room at all. 

You remember being on the couch, talking to Hangman. You remembered the way his eyes, intense, open, and honest, compelled you to speak. The way you couldn’t bite back the story pouring from your lips. The story of Devin asking you out, of falling for him in those early weeks, of how he changed after you committed to him. The story of what he did that night, of his buddies who sat back and did nothing, of the jokes you heard the three of them cracking as you ran from the room.

You remembered Hangman crossing the space between you and putting a hand on your arm, how cautious he was touching you, how much time he left you to pull away, how gentle his touch was against your skin. You remembered throwing yourself into his lap, sobbing into his shoulder as he held you against his chest and rubbed soothingly up and down your back, whispering promises that that asshole would never hurt you again. 

You didn’t remember anything after that. You must’ve fallen asleep in his lap.

Sitting up, you found the answer to your unasked question.

A folded piece of notebook paper sitting on the pillow next to you:

‘Thought the bed would be preferable to sharing the couch with me. If I’m wrong and you wake up in the middle of the night and don’t want to be alone, you can always wake me up. If not, I’ll have coffee ready for you in the morning. - Jake.’

As you read, his words the night before echoed in your head to the beat of a nonexistent drum as you read the note once, then twice, then a third time.

‘No, I couldn’t.’

You carefully folded the paper up and tucked it in the top drawer of your bedside table. 

True to his word, Hangman was wide awake, standing in your kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee when you walked out of your room. 

“H-Hi,” you stuttered.

Last night, in the comfort of darkness, with exhaustion clouding over your mind and his arms holding you close, it had seemed the most logical thing in the world to open up to Hangman. And with the light of day glinting through the windows, with him dressed in the button up he’d wrapped around you the day before, with him lounging back against your counter as he sipped from your favorite mug, with an overconfident air that was too comfortable for any normal person’s first time in your home… It was odd to think that feeling hadn’t changed, that you still felt able to bare your soul to him, that you didn’t feel a need to run back into your room and get changed or freshen up, that you were perfectly comfortable being seen by him like this, a tired quaking  mess with puffy red eyes.

Part of you expected to walk out into your kitchen to an epiphany that you’d made a horrible mistake, that Hangman was exactly as much of a cocky asshole as you thought he was two days ago. But the epiphany never came.

“Morning,” Hangman took a sip of coffee and set the mug aside. He looked casual, at peace, like this was just another day, like he’d done this a million times. “I’m ready to go whenever you are. I found the toolbox in the bottom of your coat closet. Hope you don’t mind. We’ll probably need a few things if we’re gonna do anything more than replace the locks.”

“Y-Yeah,” You grabbed a mug off the drying rack and crossed the room to pour yourself a cup of coffee from the pot beside him, your shoulder brushing passed his as you poured. “Sounds good.”

“Hey.” Hangman seemed to immediately pick up that something was plaguing your mind. He didn’t reach out for you like last night, quite the opposite. He took a step away and turned to face you, crossin his arms over his chest, “If you want to be alone, I’ll head out. I’ll go to the store, pick up the locks, and change them myself. You can have time to yourself if you need it.” 

“No,” You immediately countered his obvious misinterpretation of your mood. “I-I don’t think I want to be alone. I’m just… antsy I guess.” 

He didn’t seem to fully buy it, but he let your excuse hang. “Okay then, we’ll head out when you’re ready.”

—----------------------

All day, as Hangman worked around your house first changing the locks then installing alarms then fixing a window that wouldn’t lock and then righting a wobbly chair leg that had absolutely nothing to do with your safety, neither of you mentioned the note he left or you crying in his arms or falling asleep on his lap or his quiet ‘No, I couldn’t’.

—--------------------------

You made a vow to yourself when Hangman finally left your house late Saturday afternoon. You were never going to ring up his card at the Hard Deck again. It couldn’t really repay what he’d done for you, the feeling of safety he’d brought to you in what was probably your most vulnerable moment so far on this earth, but you knew he wouldn’t want anything more showy. Hangman loved being the center of attention, but somehow you knew he wouldn’t want attention for this. 

True to your vow, the next Saturday evening, Hangman was on his third beer and had, unwittingly on his part, not paid a dime.

The Hard Deck was far less crowded that night. The graduating Top Gun candidates had all flown away, and only those currently stationed at the base, mostly Maverick’s squad, and some locals remained. A few dozen patrons milled around a room far larger than they needed with maybe a dozen pressed up to the bar. Most of the dozen fell under your responsibilities at the moment. Penny had, unintentionally, abandoned you not long before when Maverick had wandered in and taken up his usual stool. 

Omaha and Halo, the first aviators to arrive, had claimed one of the pool tables early in the night, and the rest of the squad had started rotating through matchups. It appeared Fritz was on a hot streak, one that was no doubt about to end as his next opponent in line was Hangman. 

All seemed right with the world. The constant buzz of voices, the crooning of the Goo Goo Dolls song that Bob had selected on the jukebox, the ready flow of beer to your usual patrons. Everything was fine.

Until the door opened one last time. Not that places of business ever ‘expected’ anyone because they hardly sent out invitations to come buy beer, but you really weren’t expecting anyone else that night. All the regulars were already inside.

The door banging against the wall as it was flung open was enough to draw your surprised eyes up to the entryway. 

Face lit by the sun setting over the beach through the windows on the opposite wall, he was unmistakable as he marched into view flanked by his two buddies. They immediately began scanning the room. 

Your breath rushed out of your lungs, exhaling in a gust that you couldn’t hold back any more than the wind. 

No, no, no. He wasn’t here. He couldn’t be here. He couldn’t confront you here. He couldn’t corner you alone.

There was no time to think, no time to check with Penny if it was ok to leave your station, no time to get to the door or bolt out the back. 

‘I’ll keep him out of the bar.’

It was your first instinct when you saw the text the weekend before, and it was your first instinct when you saw him that night.

“Hurricane?” Penny called after you as, without so much as a word in her direction, you ducked under the gap in the bar and made a beeline for the pool tables. 

You barely heard her, and if you did, it didn’t register. 

“Jake,” his real name leaving your lips was enough to draw most of his coworkers’ attention, all those in earshot at least. You grabbed his arm the second he was within reach, inadvertently clawing his skin with your nails as you pulled him up from where he was hunched over the pool table lining up a shot. 

Jake laughed and shrugged off your arm before he even turned around and saw who it was. “Hey,” he rubbed at the red marks in his skin, “I was just…” 

The words died on his lips when he turned and saw the panic in your eyes. It was brimming up inside you, overflowing and choking you off from every other sensation except the desperation for Jake to understand.

He knew better than anyone that there was only one thing that could make you look like that, feel like that. His head jerked up immediately in the direction of the door, as if he could sense the direction of the impending doom.

You watched the lighthearted smirk that constantly plagued his lips fall away. You watched the light in his eyes cloud over in darkness. As his gaze went up over your shoulder to the door, where one of the three men with angry expressions and dark eyes spotted your back amongst the khaki uniforms and began moving. 

Jake’s arm twisted in your grip and grabbed you by the elbow, jerking you unceremoniously behind his back. There was no time for pleasantries, no time to be nice about whatever he was about to do.

“Fanboy, stay with her.” Jake ordered over his shoulder to the nearest aviator. His gaze didn’t waiver from the three men approaching, even as he issued commands.  

Most of the aviators in Mav’s squad were scattered around the room. Mav was at the bar talking with Penny and Halo. Fanboy and Coyote had been watching Hangman school Fritz, who was being hyped up by Payback. Rooster was at a table not far from the pool game talking to a pretty girl. And Phoenix and Bob were half spectating from their perch by the jukebox discussing something that had gone wrong in a training run that afternoon. 

Fanboy caught you and held you up as Jake pushed you in his direction. “What’s going on?”

Jake didn’t answer. He side-stepped in front of you, half blocking you from view, and walked to the edge of the pool area. There was a buffer zone between himself and you. He was the first line of defense, and he was giving the second, Fanboy, room to react. 

“You fucking bitch!” If Fanboy didn’t know what was going on before, he instantly caught on. 

Fanboy’s arms tensed around yours. His back went rigged, as if a commanding officer had just called him to attention, and he curled away, pulling you back behind him and putting his body in front of you as a shield. Even with Fanboy hovering in the way, his body didn’t hide Devin’s eyes. They sought you out around Jake’s frame and over Fanboy’s shoulder; they found you huddled up behind the Navy uniforms and the fancy stars pinned to the pilots chests. No number of medals pinned to Jake’s chest could stop the chill that ran down your spine in response to the venom in Devin’s tone. You wanted to look away, but the daggers in his gaze skewered you in place, held you hostage. 

You wanted to curl up and hide, preferably behind Jake... Well, preferably in a home far away from there wrapped in heavy blankets with many deadbolts between you and Devin with Jake vigilantly standing guard at the door. 

Devin tried to walk straight past Jake, like he didn’t even see him. Jake wasn’t having any of it. 

A thick, muscular arm stuck out across the length of Devin’s shoulders as he tried to pass, holding him back.

Devin wasn’t a very big guy. He was well toned, but he was no naval aviator. He was no Jake Seresin. Jake had about an inch on Devin, but his well built frame made up for their near identical height. Devin had never been one to hit the gym hard while Jake certainly was, and it showed. It showed in the way a single arm without so much as a brace didn’t move even as Devin walked straight into it. 

If the rest of the bar weren’t looking when Devin shouted that you were a bitch, they certainly were when he glared up at Jake. “Out of the way you fucker!” 

Jake getting out of the way was about the last thing you wanted to happen, and Jake seemed disinclined to oblige either. His arm didn’t move from where it blocked Devin’s path, even as Devin glowered up at him.

The staring match lasted only a moment before Devin, impatient as always, gave up and turned back to glaring at you. He shouted, unnecessarily loudly, across the minimal distance between the two of you, “You changed the locks on me?” 

There was shuffling behind you and the sound of something clanging onto the pool table. 

You couldn’t bring yourself to turn your head away from Devin, couldn’t look away, couldn’t let him out of your sight. But there was the sound of footsteps as first Coyote, then Fritz, then Payback came into range in your peripheral vision. 

None of them knew what this was about, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where this was going. And any idiot could tell whose side they would be on in a fight between Jake and Devin. 

“She didn’t. I did.” Jake declared at a similarly loud volume, pulling Devin’s attention back on him, demanding Devin shift his focus off of you. “You got a problem with that, you take it up with me.”

Devin took a step back, finally abandoning his futile attempt to confront you in favor of squaring up to Jake. 

As Devin stepped back, the trio of pilots stepped forward. Fritz approached first, joining Fanboy in front of you. Payback followed after Fritz, lingering halfway between him and Jake, a bystander ready to step in if things got out of hand.

Coyote, however, had no questions about how any altercation would go down. His hand came down as he walked up behind Jake, slapping down reassuringly on Jake's shoulder to let him know he wasn’t alone. Coyote flanked Jake at such a close distance that it made it impossibly clear that, if this turned into a fight, it would not be three on one. 

It wouldn’t even be three on two for that matter. Devin’s buddies, who had crossed the bar with him had hung back a few feet, giving Devin the space he wanted to scream at you or confront you or whatever else he had been planning before Jake intercepted. The duo found themselves with two bar tables between them and Devin. One of which was, ever so unfortunately for them, occupied by none other than Bradley Bradshaw and his drinking companion. 

Devin’s friends would be forgiven for not realizing that they were offering up the chance to divide the group in half. Bradley, per usual, wasn’t in his Navy uniform, and a guy in a faded Hawaiian shirt didn’t exactly look intimidating. At least not while he was sitting down chatting up a pretty girl.

Seeing the escalation Coyote invited, and flashing his eyes to where you cowered behind his squadmates, Rooster got to his feet with a slow, lithe push off the table in front of him and turned his back on Devin. Not even bothering to give the belligerent asshole, currently one on two against Hangman and Coyote, the time of day, he turned his entire attention to the backup Devin brought with him. 

Never in your life had you been scared of any of the naval aviators, but there was something especially intimidating about the incredibly casual way Bradley put himself alone in a fight against two men. His relaxed stance, completely unbothered by the numbers game he was playing. His head, cocking to one side to crack his neck, and then the other. 

“You the latest pilot she’s spreading her legs for?” Devin snarled up at Jake, completely oblivious to what was going on behind him and unconcerned by Coyote’s presence. 

Jake was entirely unphased. His voice was calm and steady even as Devin’s got more and more red with each passing moment. “No, but I am a friend. And if you have a problem with her you’re gonna have to go through me…” Jake added as an afterthought, “And him,” jerking his head to Coyote.

“You think she’ll fuck you if you play hero?” Devin spat out the word fuck as if the thought of you and sex in the same sentence disgusted him. “You don’t gotta try that hard to get her to spread.”

Jake shrugged and casually dismissed the comment. “That’s really not my business or yours.” 

“She is my business; that’s my girl.” 

Devin jabbed a finger over Jake’s shoulder in your direction without looking away from Jake, and you instinctively shrunk further back behind Fanboy. Until you felt the material between your fingers, you didn’t even realize that your hand had reached up to fist the back of Fanboy’s uniform. 

You didn’t know, logically, why you were afraid. Whatever Jake was doing, he was doing a marvelous job of keeping Devin’s eyes off of you. You were absolutely certain that Devin would have to knock Jake out to get to you, not that he could even manage that. You were also absolutely certain that even if he did, he’d still have to make it through Rooster, Fanboy, Fritz, Payback, and Coyote, not to mention the dozen Navy guys from other squads currently spectating who would jump in to assist, or Penny or Mav. There was just something about his finger pointing at you, accusing you, that made that feeling of helplessness bubble up inside you again, that made you feel pinned, trapped under his hand.

“I’ll do whatever I want with her.”

It was like Jake knew or could sense your growing bubble of fear. He leaned ever so slightly to one side, like he was simply shifting his weight from foot to foot, before standing back up straight in between Devin’s finger and you.  

“Not anymore.” Jake declared firmly. “You’re already about a mile closer to her than I want you to be.”

That declaration made Devin’s lips twist up into something akin to a smirk. “I’ve been a lot closer to her than this.”

Jake’s shoulders tensed, and for the first time it seemed like Devin got to him. “I know exactly how close you got.” His voice darkened, and you could practically picture the look in his eyes, practically knew it by heart from the night you told him what Devin had done. “Where I’m from, we don’t treat women like that.”

Devin laughed humorously, heading tilting back to let the single tone ring out in the air. “Well we aren’t where you’re from. That’s my girl, and I’ll do what I want with her.”

You shivered involuntarily, like someone had dropped an ice cube down the back of your shirt. It sent a chill through you to think of Devin alone with you, doing what he wanted with you. You remembered what he did the last time he had that power over you. You couldn’t let it happen again.

“No,” It took a moment to register that Jake was the one snarling, not Devin, not even you. The word came out in a hiss between his teeth. “You’ll do what she wants. And right now she doesn’t want you here.” 

For whatever reason, Devin was getting to Jake. The unshakeable, unflappable Jake Seresin was rising to a rolling boil under the surface of his skin, and there was nothing he could do to hide it. From the tone of his voice to the tension in his shoulders, to the way his fingers twitched in and out of a fist, Devin and what he was saying was under Jake’s skin.

Devin saw it; you could tell. You couldn’t see his eyes around the bodies between the two of you, but you saw his posture change, his stance open up and his chest puff out. He leaned in and sneered, “She needed to be put in her place. She looks better roughed up anyway.”

You felt their eyes on you. The squad. The whole bar. None of them were actually looking at you. None of their heads turned, but you knew every one of them was staring at an image of you in their minds. Maybe they all figured it out before. Maybe they knew when Devin walked in or when Jake escorted you home. Or maybe they didn’t know anything at all, but either way Devin just gave them confirmation.

Payback was no longer content to play the bystander. His shoes clicked on the floor, echoing in the silence that existed throughout the bar as Jake and Devin sparred. He flanked Jake’s other side, shoulder to shoulder with him as Coyote had been since the confrontation began. 

Coyote didn’t move an inch except for the hand at his side that clenched into a fist. 

Jake took a step closer. But for the inch of height difference, he stood nose to nose with Devin as he said, “Where I’m from, a man lays his hands on a woman, and you take him out back and put one between his eyes.”

Devin pushed up, must’ve stood on his tiptoes to do it, to close the gap with Jake, to put himself on the same level as the pilot. “She’s mine, you fucker.” Flecks of spit, visible even at your distance, splattered against Jake’s cheek. “Get the fuck out of the way.” 

Devin’s hands came up and shoved Jake in both shoulders, hard.

Jake’s shoulders didn’t give an inch. His feet didn’t budge. His posture didn’t change. 

Jake’s voice dropped low, so low you barely heard it. If a single soul in the bar had been focused on anything other than the confrontation at hand, if the jukebox hadn’t run to the end of its queue of songs and left the bar in silence, if any more distance had been between the two of you, you wouldn’t have heard the rough, guttural retort from somewhere deep inside Jake’s chest, “You’re really, really gonna have to make me.”

Without warning, Devin swung.

He was standing too close to Jake, almost chest to chest with the taller aviator. There was no good angle from which to strike, and his arm took a wide arc away from his body to get the necessary momentum and distance to hit at Jake with any force.

It was like it moved in slow motion, Jake’s head turned, his eyes following the direction of the swing as it approached his face.

You gasped and clung tighter to Fanboy, who blindly reached back to clutch your arm, pulling you in closer to him.

The fear, entirely for Jake, was also entirely unnecessary.

Jake’s head leaned to one side and effortlessly avoided the blow. Devin stumbled a couple steps to the side as his momentum carried him past Jake.

It gave Jake the space he needed to counter, not with a wide, slow hook around to the side of Devin’s face, but with a swift, firm uppercut to his jaw.

The connection sent a crack echoing through the bar, and Devin’s entire body went slack before he even hit the floor.

Coyote caught his arm before he could collapse, not that it did Devin any good to be under Coyote’s care instead of Jake’s. Coyote’s grip was so tight on Devin’s upper arm that you were sure it would bruise not just the skin but the muscles underneath.

Jake bent down over the other man and bent a finger up under his jaw. Devin’s head tipped up into Jake’s face without any protest and fell back to bob loosely to one side the moment Jake wasn’t supporting him any more.

“He’ll be out cold for a while.” Jake declared, glancing up to give Coyote a nod.

Coyote dropped his grip on Devin and let him crumple unceremoniously to the floor.

“Now,” Jake left Coyote to deal with Devin, stepping over the unconscious body on the floor as one might step over a puddle in the street. He ambled over to Rooster, whose presence had been more than enough to hold off Devin’s two buddies for the brief ten seconds of fighting, if it could even be categorized as a fight.

“Are you two,” Jake wagged a finger between Devin’s two friends as he came shoulder to shoulder with Rooster, “the ones she told me helped him out last week? Cause I gotta bone to pick with them too?”

“No, we didn’t!” The shorter of the two declared loudly. “Look, we don’t want any trouble.”

Jake’s head turned to glance back over his shoulder, and for the first time since Devin confronted you, you made eye contact with Jake.

His eyes were hard, cold, unfeeling. He wasn’t angry anymore. He wasn’t upset or worried or fearful or any of the other emotions you felt warring inside of you. The mask was back on, the unflappable exterior that only you had seen beneath before tonight. He wasn’t waiting for them; he was waiting for you. A good soldier, waiting for his orders.

Imperceptibly to everyone but Jake who was watching you like a hawk, you shook your head. This had gone on long enough already tonight. You just wanted it to be over.

“Well then,” Jake turned back to the two friends in tow. “Why don’t you take your buddy and get out of here?” Jake stepped close, towering over the shorter one as he added, “Tell him if he comes back round here to bother her again; I will spend the rest of my life making sure he’s too afraid to even look at another woman.”

Beside Jake, Rooster began casually cracking the knuckles of his fist one by one, presumably for emphasis.

There was a dull thud that drew the quad of men’s attention back towards Devin.

Payback was squatting over the unconscious man. He’d seemingly been rooting through the other man’s pockets. The sound of his wallet dropping back onto Devin’s back was the noise that drew the men’s eyes and everyone else’s watching as a result.

Payback was waving a credit card in the air in Jake’s general direction.

“Good idea,” Jake wandered over and snatched up the card. “Call it payback for disturbing the bar tonight.” Jake’s teasing smirk was back as he used Payback’s callsign. He abandoned the group to amble back towards Penny at the bar, and his absence seemed to break the tension.

The patrons, scattered around, all began slowly turning back to their tables. The conversation was quieter, hushed whispers that were no doubt mostly about the fight they’d just watched ensue, but their eyes seemed to have drank in their fill of the scene.

Under the watchful eye of Rooster, with Coyote and Payback standing by, Devin’s two friends draped their friend unceremoniously across their shoulders. Despite the struggle they were clearly having, not a soul offered to help as they stumbled under his weight out of the bar.

“I hope they have to drag him to the car.”

You jumped and turned your head to find that at some point in the chaos Phoenix and Bob had come up on the other side of the pool table as a last line of defense.

“Please, I hope they faceplant in the gravel.”

You let out a humorous laugh at Phoenix’s comment as your body finally slumped under the weight of the evening, resting back against the pool table with a huff of air.

“Are you…”

“Fritz, if you ask me if I’m okay, I will walk out of this bar right now.” You held up a finger to silence him.

You were not okay. You would be okay, one day; you knew that much. But that day was not today.

In the distance, like you were hearing an echo from the other end of a long tunnel, you registered the bell ringing for a free round. Your vision was tunneling too, but you could make out Jake was leaning across the bar, ringing the bell himself as he slammed Devin’s card on the bar in front of Penny.

Maverick, always present in front of Penny’s bar, slapped him on the back and whispered something in his ear, but Jake seemed, for once, thoroughly uninterested in his commanding officer.

His eyes, you thought, appeared to be focused on you. He left the bar before he even got his own free drink and headed straight back towards the pool tables.

Coyote and Rooster tried to talk to him, but he brushed him off. By the time he reached Fanboy, still awkwardly hovering in front of you, his destination was clear, and Fanboy slid right out of his way.

“Come on,” Jake held out a hand to you. “Penny won’t mind if you don’t finish out your shift.”

It wasn’t a tunnel you were looking through now so much as a camera, the lens zooming in and zooming out, narrowing and expanding your field of vision around Jake.

Jake, the only thing in the world right now that felt safe, that felt ok.

You numbly, clumsily, flung your hand out to grasp his, and as his fingers laced through yours you thought you might have a different answer to Fritz’s question, not that you’d ever voice it.

—————————————

“Thank you.”

It was about an hour after you and Jake had left the bar.

He’d walked you out the back door of the Hard Deck and down the beach for the better part of half an hour before the two of you wordlessly agreed to find a comfortable spot to sit down in the sand.

The silence had been more comfortable than you ever thought silence with Jake could be. Every time he’d driven you home from the Hard Deck, he’d felt the need to fill every available moment with some kind of noise, compulsively turning up the volume on the radio or making snarky, sarcastic commentary about anything that passed by the window. Silence was not Jake Seresin’s forte.

Yet the silence between the two of you had felt like a comforting blanket, wrapping you in understanding. He already knew what happened between you and Devin; the hard part of that explanation was over. He already knew why Devin was there that night, what must have prompted him to show up, what he was hinting at in front of the whole bar. He knew nothing else about you, but he knew this, knew every detail of the most painful moment of your life, and he accepted it without question, gave you what you needed without question, helped you without question.

“You don’t have to thank me for doing the right thing for once in my life, Hurricane.” Jake murmured. “It’s a nice change of pace.”

You wished you could deny that, say that Jake was a great guy, say that he always did the right thing or that he was a good man. But the truth was he often wasn’t. He was flawed, deeply so, rude when it was uncalled for, inappropriate when the moment was serious, lewd when he should have been respectful, confrontational when he should have been kind. He was as flawed as any other human being, maybe more so.

But when you needed him he was there. When no one else was there, he was there. And that, to you, forgave any multitude of sins.

“What did Mav say to you when you left?”

“What?” Jake did a quick double take, looking down at you beside him. “Oh,” He chuckled to himself. “He said, ‘Good man, no push-ups tomorrow when I shoot you down.’”

“Well,” you smiled, “I owe you a lot more than a few push ups.”

“You owe me nothing.”

You squeezed his hand, his fingers which had been laced in yours since he led you out of the Hard Deck, “How about a second chance? If I remember correctly we didn’t get off to the best start.”

Jake smirked, “Not a chance am I starting over. You’re still my Hurricane.”

Hold On Loosely (Hangman x Reader)

Summary: According to legend, Hangman only became Hangman because of you. Because before Hangman really became Hangman, he was your friend first.

Inspiration: This request, Hold On Loosely by 38 Special, and a tiny bit from Little Women (the Musical)

Pairing: Hangman (Top Gun Maverick) x Female Reader

Tropes: Best Friends to Lovers (mild enemies in the beginning)

Warnings/Tags: Slow Burn, Pining!!!!!, Unrequited Love, Sexual Tension, Mild Sexism, Sexual References, Explicit Language, Minor PTSD, References to War, Fluff, Hangman is a bit of a Sad Boi in this, Contains about as much information about the Korean War as Devotion aka minimal to fill dialogue but not advance the plot

Setting: San Diego, Annapolis, Aircraft Carriers, and everywhere on land and at sea in between

Word Count: 11,000+

Author’s Note: The end result of a single anon request and multiple hours-long flights in a week and a half. Most of this feels like word vomit and I’m not sure how I feel about it, anyways please enjoy scenes from Jake Seresin’s life. Feedback and comments/reblogs/etc. always appreciated and welcome!

Keep reading

forever winter (lt. jake “hangman” seresin)

a/n: i feel like we don’t talk about Jake post-suicide mission enough, so i wrote this. honestly this has been the most difficult thing i’ve ever written and i’m so glad to be done with it. i don’t know why introspective pieces about Jake give me so much creative trouble but they do

summary: He knows, that on some level at least, he’s not good enough, no matter how much he pretends to be. So he puts on the facade, the “too good to be true” act, and hope no one sees through the cracks. The cracks though, are getting harder and harder to hide. Because he wasn’t good enough, was he? Sure, he saved them, but he still wasn’t enough. And maybe… maybe he’s not good enough to be here. With them. With the Navy. Maybe it’s time he start to figure out life outside the Navy, re-find and meet Jake, a person he hasn’t seen in so long, since the Hangman persona took over. 

Because Hangman’s the reason no one likes him, the reason no one wants him around. They say they do now, but all good things must come to an end. It’s only a matter of time. 

And then he meets her. 

inspired by taylor swift’s “forever winter” and you should definitely listen while you read it.

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist

warnings: kissing, insecurities, swearing, hurt/comfort, angst with a hopeful ending, panic attacks, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts (if you look very closely), PTSD, child abuse, alcohol, lowkey a character study, as in the relationship is not the main focus, my hometown knowledge pulled through for this one, the author believes men’s mental health needs more attention, gross abuse of italics, i did minimal research about resignation from the Navy

word count: 6,416

The lockers around him open and close as he reviews that day’s training over and over in his head, wondering where he went wrong. 

Keep reading

Summary: Jake Seresin, CEO hotshot, has his sights set on you. Too bad you don’t feel the same about him. Jake isn’t used to having women turn him down, so the fact that you do, thrills him. He decides the chase is worth it. Will you fall for his charms?

Pairing: Jake Seresin x AFAB!Reader

Warnings: There will be some smut or allusions to sex, swearing, cocky Jake (what’s new?), 18+ Minors DNI!

A/N: Just a new series because why not? Thank you to @princessmisery666, @writercole, and @hoe-on-the-range for inspiration on some of the ideas for this fic!

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

First Impressions

Summary: The four terrible impressions Jake leaves on your dad and the one time he gets it right.

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Female Mitchell!Reader

Warnings: Jake being an asshole, swearing, angst, fluff, mentions of sex Minors DNI! 18+

A/N: Thank you to my beta’s @writercole and @therebeccaw for always helping with ideas and being willing to look it over.

Word Count: 7.8K+

Impression #1 (Your POV)

The sky is painted with vibrant pinks and oranges as the sun starts to set. It looked unreal, but that was San Diego for you. The cool autumn air flowed through the open top of your Jeep as you drove along the familiar streets from your childhood, the place you once called home. You’ve only been back for a few days, but it feels like you never left as you passed by your favorite shops and restaurants. You took note of the places you wanted to drag your boyfriend to.

With your dad being a single father in the Navy and your mother not being in the picture, he wanted you to have some stability. If your dad was deployed or stationed elsewhere, you would stay with Carole and Bradley. It wasn’t until you graduated high school that you left. You missed it. So many memories were flooding your mind. You thought back to spending summer days at the pier or the beach with Carole and Bradley. You’re brought back to sneaking out of the house to meet up with your high school boyfriend, only for Bradley to drag you back home after catching you. There were memories of attending Bradley’s baseball games with your dad. There was no doubt this city held a special place in your heart. And now you got to share that piece with Jake.

You and Jake “Hangman” Seresin had only been dating for three months when he suggested you come with him. He was set to train for a special detachment and would be up for a potentially permanent relocation to North Island. Neither of you was ready to ruin the honeymoon phase you were in, so you jumped at the chance. Soon after the decision was made, you two were quick to find a house to rent for the month and before you knew it, you were on the road leaving Lemoore behind.

After arriving early this morning and getting settled into your temporary home, you were set to meet Jake at The Hard Deck. He had left earlier than you to meet up with Coyote before everyone started to pile in. The closer you got to the bar, the more nervous you became. Jake was going to be surrounded by people he had known for a while, and you probably wouldn’t see a single familiar face, which always made you nervous. Jake had tried to reassure you earlier, but it had only partially helped.

You finally reached the bar and quickly found a parking spot. Jumping out of your Jeep, you readjusted your sundress and grabbed your jean jacket from the passenger seat. Your spot was farther in the back of the lot, but as you made your way through the cars, you could see a blue Bronco up front. You started to get excited at the thought of your ‘big brother’ Bradley being there as well. It had been a while since seeing him.

Suddenly the door of the bar opened and you saw your boyfriend and two other guys carrying someone. They tossed whoever it was out onto the sand. You don’t know what you expected to see when you got there, but this was not it. You finally recognized the man as your father, Pete Mitchell. It surprised you since he never told you he was back. Then again, your dad wasn’t the best at communicating.

As much as you wanted to be angry at Jake, you had yet to introduce him to your father, and you hadn’t shown him any pictures, so he had no idea what he looked like. Living and working around a naval base, Jake wasn’t the first naval aviator you had dated. As soon as the last guy learned who your father was, he was not shy in giving you his opinion on your dad’s recklessness. Needless to say, that relationship ended shortly after. You didn’t want the same to happen with Jake since things were going so well.

“Thanks for the beers. Come back anytime!” Jake saluted your dad and headed back into the bar.

You quickly ran over to your dad. Who looked more shocked to see you, than just being thrown out of the bar.

“Dad! Are you okay?”

He nodded as he stood up and brushed himself off. He was about to respond when you both heard the opening chords of Great Balls of Fire on the piano, followed by Bradley’s voice. You watched as his confusion quickly transformed into unmasked sadness. You know he considered Bradley the closest thing he could get to a son, and he missed him. Pete constantly asked you for updates since you still talked to him.

He was lost in thought for a moment. You placed a hand on his shoulder, breaking him out of his trance.

“Munchkin? What are you doing here?” His brows were scrunched in confusion, but he pulled you into a hug regardless.

“I could ask you the same. I thought you were supposed to be testing Darkstar,” you responded as you pulled back.

The look on your dad’s face said it all. Something had landed him in trouble, bringing him back here.

“You’re part of this mission too, aren’t you?”

He seemed surprised and you knew you hit the nail on the head.

“Well… yes and no. I’m the instructor getting the team ready. Wait, how do you know about this?”

Pete was protective of you and just like Bradley, would try to run off boyfriends because he didn’t think they were good enough for you. So you were holding off on telling him about Jake until you knew for sure it was going somewhere. Since the last three months with Jake had been more blissful and beautiful than any guy you had ever been with, you knew it was safe to tell him.

“My boyfriend is one of the aviators selected for the training of this mission. In fact, he just threw you out of the bar…” you tailed off as you saw your dad narrow his eyes.

“Which one is he?”

“The one who told you to come back anytime? About six feet tall and sounds like he’s from Texas?” You motioned his height with your hand.

Your dad sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Didn’t I warn you about dating an aviator? I know how they function, and what they’re like. You can do so much better.”

“Dad. I’m going to stop you right there. Jake is better than any guy that I have ever dated. He’s the perfect gentleman, he’s funny, and he cares about me. Please give him a chance before you immediately write him off.” Your eyes were pleading with him not to run this guy off.

You could see the gears turning in his head and he looked worried. You weren’t exactly sure what he was worried about, but figured it had to do with Jake. “Why don’t you come to our place for dinner tomorrow, say seven thirty? It’ll give you a chance to meet him as my boyfriend and not your student.”

He hesitantly nodded. “Text me the details and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You smiled and gave him another hug. “Thank you, Dad. Love you.”

“Love you too. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He kissed the side of your head and headed towards his motorcycle.

You made your way into the bar and pushed through the crowds of people in uniform, trying to get to your boyfriend. Jake was currently in the middle of a game of pool at the back. Before you could make it over to him, you were interrupted by Bradley calling out your nickname. He stood up from the piano bench he was on and in just a few strides, made his way to you, wrapping you into a hug. “Baby Mitchell, what brings you down to North Island?”

Rolling your eyes playfully, you pulled away. “First things first, I’m not a baby anymore so we need to come up with a better nickname. Secondly, I’m staying with my boyfriend while he’s here training, which I assume you’re here for as well?”

He narrowed his eyes at the sound of the word boyfriend coming from you. Still the protective older brother. “Yes, I am. I know everyone who’s been called back, so which one is the boyfriend? Who do I have to kill?”

“That would be me.” The corners of your lips twitch upwards at the sound of Jake’s voice. He draped his arm over your shoulder, his eyes narrowed at Bradley who rolled his own in return.

“Really? Hangman?” He asked incredulously, making sure to emphasize your boyfriend’s callsign to show his disdain. Bradley, ever the drama queen.

“I take it you two know each other.” It wasn’t a question, just an observation as you noticed the tension between the two men. Neither of them said a word, silently having a pissing contest. Finally, Bradley shook his head in disbelief and then stepped back.

“I’ll leave you two to it, it was good to see you, Baby Mitch, maybe we can meet up for dinner soon. Or something.” Before you could respond, he walked towards the pool tables.

“How the hell do you know Bradshaw? Please don’t tell me you dated him.” Jake looked at you, worry written on his face.

“Ew gross, that’s my brother!” you quickly responded, scrunching your nose up in disgust.

He stepped back with wide eyes. “Bradshaw is your brother? Like… Stepbrother or brother brother?”

You laughed quietly and grabbed Jake’s hand, lacing your fingers together. “Neither if you want to get technical, but we grew up together. My dad and his dad were in the Navy together, and when my dad was away, I’d stay with him and his mom.”

He nodded slowly, still processing the news. “You never told me your dad was in the Navy.”

“Well, now you know. Having second thoughts?” you asked jokingly.

He chuckled and shook his head. “No, it would take a lot more than that to scare me away.”

“Like learning that the man you just threw out onto the beach was my father?”

He nodded, not quite catching on. “Exactly.”

You raised a brow and watched him, waiting for him to register what you said.

His face fell as soon as he processed your words. “Wait, you’re not being serious, are you? That man I just threw out… he’s not actually your father…right?”

You gave him a guilty smile and nodded meekly. “Yeah, that was him.”

Jake groaned, looking up at the ceiling as if he was waiting for some sort of divine intervention to come fix things for him. You couldn’t help but want to laugh at the sight. Jake was normally so suave and collected, so to see him panic was a refreshing sight to remind you he was indeed human.

“Well I’ve just left the worst first impression on your dad.”

You giggled and reached up to cup his cheeks, forcing him to look at you. “Maybe so, but he’s a grown man and he’ll get over it eventually. He’s not one to hold a grudge.”

You leaned up and placed a quick kiss on his lips. “Now, are you going to be okay enough to introduce me to the rest of your friends? Or should we go home and I can kiss your bruised ego better?”

“As much as I’d love to introduce you, the second option sounds so much better.”

Impression #2 (Jake’s POV)

Jake was excited to be back at Top Gun and showcase his skills in the sky. A new mission also meant he had a chance at becoming team leader, a way to show that he had what it takes to move up the ranks. So he made sure to sit up front, wanting to make sure that he could be seen. It may seem stupid because there’s only twelve of them there, it’s not going to be hard for someone to notice him, but he swears it works.

Jake mindlessly placed the toothpick in his mouth as Warlock explained vaguely why they were brought back and how one would be selected to lead a team of six. He was confident that he was the most qualified and was determined to make sure his instructor and superiors knew it.

“Your instructor is a Top Gun graduate with real world experience in every mission aspect you will be expected to master. His exploits are legendary.” Jake could hear the footsteps of their instructor from behind him. Curiosity got the better of him and he turned around, only to be met with a familiar face. The face of the man he threw out of the bar last night. His girlfriend’s dad.

He turned back towards the front, pinching the bridge of his nose. Did you know? You had to have known. There’s no way your dad hadn’t mentioned it to you, especially after last night. He wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt that maybe you just forgot, but deep down he knew that you did know and chose not to say a word. His jaw ticked in annoyance as he processed what was happening. Maverick looked directly at him, clearly amused by his reaction. Jake tried to smile, but he knew it looked forced.

The rest of the day, Jake was in his own head, trying not only to prove that he was good enough to be team leader or fly this mission, but also that he was also cut out to be dating you. He couldn’t believe he was dating Captain Mitchell’s daughter. He had heard of Maverick’s reputation through the grapevine and admired him for it. Now he had to try and prove his worth to a man who already seemed annoyed to see him without even taking the chance to get to know him.

As hard as Jake tried, he could not get one over on Maverick and had spent the day trying too hard to leave a good impression that he’s sure it was worse than last night. Between leaving Phoenix and Bob in the dust to show off, but ultimately failing, and Maverick focusing more on whatever issues he and Bradshaw had, Jake was not having a good day.

He decided to try and talk to Maverick after they were done, wanting to clear the air. But it seemed that every time he had a chance to try and grab him for a chat, he’d wander off or someone would come grab him. He was starting to think it was on purpose and he hated it. Jake hadn’t gone home to meet many parents of the girls he dated, but when he did, they loved him. He’s pretty sure your dad was not feeling the same way.

It wasn’t until everyone was leaving that Jake was able to corner Maverick in the parking lot as he was getting on his motorcycle.

“Sir, I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. If I had known-”

Maverick held his hand up. “If you had known that I was your instructor? Or that you were dating my daughter?”

Jake shrugged, not sure that any answer would please him based on how irritated he looked. “Both, honestly.”

Maverick chuckled dryly, “I accept your apology as your instructor, but as her dad…Today you showcased that you’re not afraid to leave people behind if it benefits you in any way. What does that say about how you’ll treat my daughter?”

“Sir, I would never-”

Jake was once again cut off by Maverick starting his bike, clearly not interested in anything he had to say. “You can spare me the speech. You’re only going to say what you think I want to hear and words mean nothing without action. So prove to me that you can be the kind of man that deserves her.”

With that Maverick took off, not sparing him a second glance. Jake’s phone beeped for the fifth time that day, signaling that he just received another text from you. Your texts were innocent enough, asking how his day was going, if there was a preference on what he wanted for dinner, simple things he would usually answer in a heartbeat. Truth be told, he was avoiding responding, feeling angry that you had not told him about Maverick. He looked at your text and his heart melted a little.

Hot Stuff 😘: I’m sure you’re busy, just wanted to say I love you and I hope the day has been good to you. ❤️

Regardless of how innocent and cute you were coming across in your messages, he was still sure that you hadn’t told him on purpose, leaving him irritated and ready to go home to confront you about it.

Impression #3 (Your POV)

The slamming of the door echoed through the house, rattling the framed art on the walls of the entryway. Heavy footsteps could be heard making their way to the kitchen signaling that Jake was home, and you could tell he was not happy. You pressed your lips together in amusement, trying to hold back a laugh. Facing the counter, you continued to chop the vegetables in front of you, pretending to be unaware of his presence behind you.

You know you should have told him. You know he wasn’t amused. After sending multiple texts to see how his first day went and being left on read, you knew you were in for it tonight.

“You knew, didn’t you?” His tone was harsh but rightfully so. You hadn’t told him your father was his instructor, leaving him to figure that out himself. If only you could have been there to see his reaction.

You turned around with a guilty smile. “Maybe?”

He groaned and sat down on one of the kitchen stools.

“Darling, why didn’t you tell me? I could have prepared myself and apologized for last night. I was mortified to see him walk to the front of the classroom. So instead of my usual confidence, I got into my own head and made an ass of myself. I over compensated and tried to show off, leaving a worse impression than last night. I’m sure your dad thinks my callsign is more than fitting.” His face was buried in his hands, elbows resting on the counter, and you felt terrible after seeing how genuinely upset he was. What was meant as a joke had backfired.

You walked over to him, urging him to turn in his seat so he was facing you. “I’m so sorry, baby. I should have told you, I thought it was funny, but clearly that’s not the case. What can I do?”

You brought one hand up to his cheek and he nuzzled into it, taking his time to ponder your question.

“Well… that thing you did last night? You could do that again. That would definitely make me feel better,” he replied with a mischievous grin.

You playfully rolled your eyes but leaned forward to press your lips softly against his regardless. If that’s what he wanted, that’s exactly what you’d give him.

“Alright, I can do that. In fact, I can make it even better. Hold tight, I’ll be right back.” You patted his chest and gave him another quick peck before heading back to the bedroom.

You had gone to run a few errands today when you came across a small boutique. While browsing the clothes, you came across some lingerie that was bound to drive Jake wild. It was a white lace set, complete with the thigh highs that your boyfriend loved. You were almost done changing when you heard Jake yell out to you. You couldn’t quite hear him but guessed he wanted you to hurry. “Be out in a second!”

Jake’s POV

Jake couldn’t find it in his heart to stay mad at you. It was annoying that all it took was a single kiss and batted eyelashes to give in, but he’d do anything for you. He stood up and made his way into the living room, peeling off his shirt and pants in the process, fully prepared to accept your apology. Before he could take anything else off a knock sounded at the door, causing his brows to scrunch in confusion. He tried to run through his mind of who would be visiting them, but he was coming up blank.

“Darling, are we expecting anyone?” He called out but didn’t hear a response. Clad in just his underwear, Jake moved to answer the door only to see your dad standing on the porch. Jake wanted to die. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Pete pursed his lips as he glanced at Jake’s attire then looked up avoiding eye contact. It was evident he was unamused by what he was seeing.

“Uhhh, Captain Mitchell. What brings you here?” Jake

“She invited me over for dinner tonight. Did she not tell you?” Pete looked confused.

Jake didn’t want to add fuel to the fire that was already burning between them from his terrible first impressions. God this is getting ridiculous.

“No, no. She told me. It just slipped my mind with the busy day…” Lies. “Come on in.” He motioned for his instructor to come inside. Maverick stepped in, clearly skeptical.

Jake swore under his breath, if this was your idea of another funny joke, he wasn’t laughing. “Darling! Your dad is here!” He called out, hoping you’d come out and save him from the awkwardness that was building up.

“Alright baby, you ready?” Jake heard your sultry voice call to him from the hallway. What he hadn’t expected was to see you step out in the sexiest set of lingerie he had ever seen you wear. You must not have seen your dad because you placed your hand on your hip, biting down on your lip, eyes dark with lust as you beckoned him over with your finger. Jake’s eyes were wide and he shook his head, unable to find his voice and warn you. God this had to be some sort of cruel joke. What had he done to piss off whatever divine being that had it out for him?

Maverick cleared his throat looking away from you two, mortified by what he had just seen. Jake watched as you jumped, eyes wide with horror. “Dad? Oh my god!”

You quickly bolted out of the room and Jake was once again left alone with your dad. The awkward tension in the air was thick. How could it not after her dad witnessed that? It didn’t matter that you were two consenting adults, nobody wanted their parents to be aware of their sex lives like that. Jake gestured towards the couch, “Make yourself comfortable... I’m just going to go get dressed.”

He made a beeline for the bedroom to see you scrambling to get dressed. You looked absolutely mortified. You looked at Jake worriedly, “I’m so sorry, I totally forgot he was coming over for dinner. I would have waited for all of this.” You gestured to the lingerie that was now on the floor.

He could tell you were genuinely upset about what just happened, so he stepped forward and cupped your face in his hands to calm you down. “It’s okay.” Your eyes shifted downwards. “It’s okay. It’s awkward as all hell, but I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”

You shifted your eyes to look at him and he couldn’t help but chuckle. “You do realize that your dad is never going to like me now though, right?”

“Well he doesn’t have to as long as I do, right?”

While Jake agreed, he hoped that wouldn’t be the case. Nonetheless, he leaned down to kiss you, hoping to make you feel a bit better about what happened. You smiled gratefully before both of you moved to finish getting dressed.

The two of you walked out into the living room, the embarrassment still fresh on your minds. Luckily Maverick didn’t bring it up after you apologized for forgetting he was coming over. You hadn’t finished dinner so Jake ended up ordering some pizza. The conversation started off exceptionally awkward so Jake left it to you to try and warm your dad up.

“So dad, did you know that Jake was the top of his class at Top Gun? Even beat out our Bradley boy.” You smiled at him proudly, placing your hand on his knee and giving it a squeeze.

Maverick nodded slowly, taking a swig of the beer you had offered him and then turning to Jake with narrowed eyes. “So I’ve heard. Tell us Jake, how did you get your call sign? I’d love to hear all about that.”

Jake knew what he was doing. Maverick was trying to paint him in a negative light, trying to show you that he was known for leaving people hanging. Luckily this was something he had already admitted to you half-way through the first month of dating. You were surprised when he first told you, but you also appreciated the honesty. Since then, you made it a point to tell him that he didn’t live up to his call sign in your eyes, which only made him fall for you even more.

“Dad,” you started in a warning tone. “He’s already told me. I know what you’re trying to do and it’s not going to work.”

Jake could hear the frustration in your voice and reached below the table to lace your fingers together. You smiled at him gratefully and turned back to your dad.

“Any other ridiculous questions you’d like to grill him with or are you done?” you asked your brow cocked upward, challenging him to continue.

Maverick put his hands up in surrender. “Fine, we can talk about something else.”

The conversation shifted from Jake to the two of you catching up on things going on in your lives. He sat back silently and let you two talk, only chiming in every now and again. He was grateful the attention had been taken off him, though he didn’t miss the subtle glares Maverick would shoot his way. These next three weeks couldn’t end soon enough.

Impression #4 (Jake’s POV)

Jake was getting tired of trying to make Maverick realize he was cut out for the mission and prove that he was good enough to date his daughter. While he understood the magnitude of the mission and how important it was that they did everything down to a tee, Maverick seemed to go out of his way to point out everything little thing he did wrong. From the way he took a few seconds more to get his flight gear on, to how he prepared his jet for the day's flight, Jake couldn’t win.

On top of that you had met up with Bradshaw for dinner last night but came home in tears of frustration when he tried to convince you that Hangman was not the type of guy you should be dating. Jake wouldn’t admit it to you, but it was making him question how your relationship could survive if the two most important people in your life didn’t approve of him. He just wished they’d actually be up front and tell him why, rather than nit-picking every little thing he did while flying. His patience was wearing thin like a rubber band being stretched beyond its limit ready to snap.

Today was no exception. In fact, today was the breaking point. Tensions were running high for the whole team, but Jake was still getting the singled out passive aggressive remarks from both Maverick and Bradshaw. On top of that, both Mav and Bradley had been at one another’s throats, leaving the others to feel awkward at their arguments. Jake couldn’t help but feel like this was the perfect opportunity to say something himself.

Maverick asked Rooster why he and his team were dead, the two of them argued back and forth on why being late could get them killed. Phoenix was trying to defend Bradshaw while Jake chimed in that he wasn’t flying fast enough. Words were flying out between the two and Jake watched in amusement as someone else got berated instead of him. It was refreshing.

“It’s not the plane, sir. It’s the pilot,” Bradley defended.

“Exactly!” Mav barked back.

Jake watched as Rooster’s face fell at the insinuation. “There’s more than one way to fly this mission.”

Jake was still feeling bitter about your dinner with Bradley last night, and felt he deserved everything he was getting. He took this as an opportunity to jump in, glancing at Rooster with a devious grin. “You really don’t get it. On this mission, a man flies like Maverick here or a man does not come back. No offense intended.”

“Yet somehow, you always manage,” Bob muttered in annoyance.

Jake shrugged. “Hey, I don't mean to criticize, you're conservative, that’s all.”

Maverick gave him a warning glare. “Lieutenant…”

Jake ignored the captain, deciding now was the time to strike back. “We’re going into combat, son. On a level no living pilot’s ever seen, not even him.” Jake shifted his gaze to Maverick who seemed surprised by his words. “That’s no time to be thinking about the past.”

Maybe it was a dick move to bring Bradshaw’s dad into this, and hell, you’d probably be pissed at him when you find out. There’s no way this wasn’t getting back to you. He was taking the story that you told him in confidence as you tried to provide a backstory on why you were so close to his rival. He promised he wouldn’t say anything since it was technically Maverick and Bradley’s story to tell.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He had Bradshaw’s attention now.

Maverick then shot a warning glance at Bradley “Rooster…”

“I can't be the only one who knows that Maverick flew with his old man.”

“Lieutenant, that’s enough.” Mav’s voice was firmer this time.

Jake ignored him, trying to keep the upper hand. “Or that Maverick was flying when his old man-”

Jake was cut off by Rooster lunging for him. He jumped out of his seat and the rest of the team held Bradley back while someone tried to push him back, keeping a safe distance between the two.

“I’m cool, I’m cool, hey, hey, hey,” he puts his hands up in surrender, though his smile is smug. He knows that he’s left another terrible impression on your father, but he can’t bring himself to care this time around.

Maverick turned to glare at him. “That’s enough.”

Jake made his way through the crowd of the team, trying to leave the room. “He’s not cut out for this mission.”

“That’s enough!”

“You know it…you know I'm right,” he repeated before walking out of the room. God that felt good.

When Jake got home, he could hear you in the kitchen. You were currently washing the dishes and kept your back to him as he approached. He wrapped his arms around your waist nuzzling his nose into the nape of your neck.

“Hey darlin’. How was your day?”

He was met with silence as you continued to scrub the dish in hand. You knew. Jake let out a sigh and stepped back, leaning against the island.

“You’re mad.”

A clatter sounded in the kitchen as you dropped the pan back into the sink confirming what he already knew. You threw the sponge down with a huff and turned around to face him.

“Yeah, I’m mad! I told you that in confidence and now I have both my dad and Bradley calling to yell at me for telling you!” You looked hurt and betrayed more than you looked angry, but that only made him feel worse. He betrayed your trust after you told him something that he promised to keep to himself. His stomach clenched at the thought of you not trusting him anymore because of this stupid mistake.

Jake pushed off the counter and walked towards you hesitantly. You raised a brow, challenging him to step forward. With a sigh he paused a few steps away. “Darlin’ I’m sorry. Everything was building up and I just snapped. You have to understand that I-”

“Oh please tell me what I have to understand, Jake. Do I have to understand how you betrayed my trust? Or how you’re actually living up to your callsign right now?”

Jake frowned, stepping back. “That’s not fair. I have had to put up with so much shit from both your dad and Bradshaw. I don’t need it from you as well.”

“I understand being upset by my dad and Bradley. They don’t understand you like I do, and I have defended you each time! But this? This was just plain cruel. I can’t defend you this time because it was so clearly intentional!”

Jake could see how frustrated you were but the problem was that he was just as angry. Both of you were hot headed and neither of you would back down quietly.

“Well maybe I don’t want you to defend me because you’ve done a real bang up job so far.” Jake snapped.

Hurt flashed in your eyes and he felt a pang of guilt but you were fast to retort so it left as quickly as it came. “It’s because you don’t make it easy since you insist on being a dick every five seconds!”

At this point both of you were saying things just to hurt one another and it was working. Jake narrowed his eyes and his jaw ticked. “Let me make it easier on you then and give daddy a real reason to hate me. This relationship is doomed and I should have ended it the moment I found out who your father was. I don’t stand a chance of being chosen for team leader because of it, and I’ll be damned if I let anyone or anything stand in the way of my career, even you!”

He watched as your face fell and your bottom lip quivered. He had to swallow the lump that formed in his throat when he realized he took it too far. “Darling wait, I-.”

You swiftly left the kitchen and he tried to follow after you, but you locked yourself into the guest bedroom. Jake leaned his forehead against the door, trying the handle even though he knew it wouldn’t budge. “Darling, I didn’t mean any of that. Please come out so we can talk.”

“I don’t really want to talk to you right now,” You quietly replied from the other side of the door. Your voice was shaky and he knew you were crying. Jake sat down outside the door, resting his back against the door. He hated that he was the one to reduce you to tears.

Jake’s not sure how much time had passed as he sat and listened to your sobs turn into light sniffles here and there. He would try and talk to you through the door only for you to ignore him, not that he blamed you. He had taken it too far, saying things he didn’t really mean.

After the sound of the lock clicked he jumped up as you opened the door. Your eyes were red and puffy, and the guilt consumed him once more. “I’m so sorry.”

You held your hand up and shook your head. “I don’t want to hear it right now, because there was obviously some truth to what you said, otherwise it wouldn’t have been on your mind. I think I should go stay somewhere else for a few days, and both of us need to cool down.”

Jake’s heart dropped into his stomach. “Where are you going to go?”

“I texted Penny, she said I could stay in her spare bedroom.” You slipped by him and made your way to your shared bedroom. It took him a second to comprehend what you said then quickly followed you into your shared bedroom.

“Please don’t go.”

You shoved some things into a duffel bag, ignoring his plea for you to stay. He walked over to you and gently grabbed your hand, clasping it with both of his own and bringing it up to his chest. “I love you, you have to know that.”

Your lip trembled as you peered up at him, eyes watering once again. “I thought I did but everything you just said has me questioning that.”

Jake dropped your hand and stepped back, once again being fueled by anger. “Fine, believe what you want. Just know that if you walk out that door, there may not be an us to come back to.”

Jake stormed out of the room before you could say anything. He grabbed his keys as he walked out the front door, slamming it behind him. He couldn’t stay and watch you leave, so he left you instead.

Fifth Impression (Jake’s POV)

The last week without you has been hell. Every time he tried to pluck up the courage and call or text you, he chickened out. He so desperately wanted to take back his words, but he let his pride get the better of him. Jake has seen you twice since you left, and neither time has left him hopeful that you’d return. The first was the day of the dog fight football on the beach. You were sitting with Penny as she did some work. He caught you glancing at him now and again, but once the game was over and before he could find you to talk, you had disappeared. The second time was at Admiral Kazansky’s funeral. He wanted nothing more than to wrap you in his arms and comfort you. You had told him that you viewed him as family and he knew you were devastated. Your eyes met his briefly but you quickly walked away then as well.

Now it was the day they were leaving for the mission and he hadn’t been chosen as team leader, but he didn’t care about that anymore. He thought it would hurt more, but losing you was so much worse. He hates that it took this to make him realize that he’d choose you over a mission any day.

Jake watched as families were gathered to say goodbye to their loved ones. He spotted you across the way. You hugged your dad tightly as he kissed the top of your head before he moved on to hug Penny goodbye. At that point you wandered a little ways away to then say your goodbyes to Bradshaw. He looked around, wishing he had someone here to see him off. He wished he had you.

When you say your farewells to Bradshaw, Jake is surprised to see you walk his way. You’re slow to approach him so he meets you halfway. He’s been desperate for any sort of contact with you, that he doesn’t mind that the air is thick with tension.

“Please be safe.” You blurt out, looking up at him with worried eyes.

His heart clenched, happy to see you still cared enough to worry about him. He was still holding out hope you’d blurt out that you missed him, or something to give him any reassurance that he hadn’t fucked it up for good. “Always am.”

You hesitated a moment before leaning up to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. He didn’t want this moment to end. He wanted to pull you into his arms, apologize, and tell you to come back home.

“I love you.” He blurted out, eyes searching yours as you pulled back. He wanted to hear you say it back before he left, just in case.

You opened your mouth to speak before someone came over and told him it was time to get on the ship. He nodded and looked at you one last time, hoping you’d say it back but you didn’t. He leaned down and kissed the top of your head before turning away to get on the ship, figuring it was really over.

The day of the mission had arrived and Jake was feeling nervous for his fellow aviators and he was sitting on the flight deck, ready to jet off if needed. He never thought he’d see the day, but he was actually scared for Bradshaw and your dad. He could appreciate that there were people out there willing to go to bat for you, and protect you from getting hurt. He should have been willing to fight harder to win them over, and if he got the chance, he would definitely try, but first he needed them to make it out alive.

As he listened in on the comms, his stomach was in knots. He could only think of you, and how the two people you loved most were out there risking their lives. There was relief across the board when people heard they managed to strike the target both times. Jake shared in that celebration, even doing a little dance in the cockpit. As exciting as it was that they were successful, they weren’t out of the woods just yet.

As each dagger made its way into coffin corner, chaos ensued as they tried to dodge the incoming SAMS. He could hear the panic in everyone’s voices as they tried to defend one another while narrowly missing being hit themselves. Jake’s heart nearly stopped when he heard Bradshaw say he was out of flares, but it was the moments that followed that did him in. Dagger one was hit. Your dad had been shot down. He could hear the devastation in Bradshaw’s voice and immediately thought about how you would react to the news. He couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

“Dagger spare, request permission to launch and fly air cover!” Jake spoke into his radio, hoping he could help in any way.

He threw the receiver back down as his request was denied. He felt completely hopeless. He could picture getting off the carrier, to see you waiting for your dad, only to be told he had been shot down in enemy territory. The thought made him feel physically ill, but all he could do was listen as the team told Rooster that Mav was gone and there was no going back. Then tragedy turned into a full blown nightmare as he heard the words “Dagger two has been hit,” just minutes later. Jake stared down at his radio in devastation, unable to process what was happening.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed before his other teammates were landing on the carrier. All of them looked tired and broken. Everything seemed hopeless and Jake was sure it’s the closest he has ever come to having a panic attack. As everyone was getting ready to mourn the loss of their two squad members, something in the universe understood that the team needed this win. Someone on the comms said that Rooster's signal was live. He almost didn’t believe it, until they mentioned something about an F-14 headed their way.

Jake’s stomach flipped when they finally gave him the order as the spare to launch and fly air cover, to make sure Bradshaw and Maverick got to the carrier safely. They didn’t have to give the order twice before Jake was ready to take off and in the air.

He made it just in time to see the enemy launching an attack, the F-14 making a steep incline upwards to avoid being hit.

He locked onto his target and fired, the enemy jet exploding, taking the missle bound for the F-14 with it. He could hear the confusion over the comms as Rooster and Maverick tried to figure out what had happened. Jake flew through the cloud of smoke, hearing the sigh of relief.

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is your savior speaking,” he smirked through the comms, unable to keep from showing off just a little.

“Hangman, you look good,” Rooster called.

“I am good, Rooster. I’m very good.”

Stepping off the carrier, Jake’s eyes immediately searched for you. He knew it was a long shot, but he hoped you’d want to see him, or at least allow him to apologize again. What he hadn’t expected was to hear you calling his name as you ran towards him. There you were, the beacon of light at the end of a dark tunnel, growing bigger and brighter the closer you got.

Maverick and Bradley were somewhere close behind, but you immediately ran for him. As soon as you reached him, you jumped and wrapped your arms around his neck, burying your head into the crook of his neck. He could feel his neck getting wet with your tears. Jake wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you close.

He heard you choke back a sob. “I love you, Jake. I’m so sorry that I let you leave thinking otherwise. The whole time you were gone I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I’d regret not saying it back if something had happened to you.”

Jake’s hand rubbed up and down your back, trying to bring you even a sliver of comfort. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here now and I’m okay.”

You pulled back, glassy eyes peering up at him. “We’re not actually over, are we? Because I left and I-”

Jake cut you off by pressing his lips to yours gently. God he had missed you, missed this. You melted into the kiss and he could feel your body relax in his arms. He pulled away after a moment. “Does that answer your question?”

You nodded with a small smile. “Yes. Yes it does.”

Someone cleared their throat from behind Jake and both of you turned to see Bradley and Maverick standing there. Jake loosened his grip from your waist and you ran to give Bradley a hug first.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.”

You then ran to your dad, wrapping your arms around him. “Both of you.”

Mav gave Jake a grateful smile once more from over your shoulder. “You can thank your boyfriend for that.”

You pulled away and looked between the three of them in confusion.

“Without going into all the details and worrying you unnecessarily, Jake saved Bradley and me. We are alive because of him.”

Your head whipped towards Jake who gave you a half smile. He wasn’t looking for any glory, he was just glad you had a family to greet today. You ran back over to him and wrapped your arms around his neck once more, looking up at him with teary eyes.

“Thank you,” you whispered.

Jake shrugged, “It’s no big deal.”

“It’s a big deal to me, so thank you.” You buried your head in his neck once more, and he held onto you tightly. He relished the feeling of you in his arms once more, taking note of how he didn’t want to let you go ever again.

“I love you,” he mumbled into your ear.

“I love you, too.”

Tag-List: @fangirl-316 @miles-rooster @glowingtree @someone-pls-kill-me @milesrooster @callsign-milano @struggling-with-nsfw @luckyladycreator2 @shanimallina87 @midget713 @anthonyedwinstark @urtheoneiwant @dempy @shadeds-library @wildbornsiren @marchingicenotes7 @littlebadariell @solinarimoon @callsign-phoenix @marvelandotherfandomimagines @callsign-blue @ellevandeberg @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @kajjaka @blue-aconite @callsignaries @brb-counting-stars @rachelccollier @cevans98 @marvelmenappreciation @andreaaamustdie @khaylin27 @mandylove1000 @smoothdogsgirl @sebby-staan

What To Expect Masterlist 

synopsis: "Exes can have a baby, right?", a story in which Jake finds himself having a baby with the one person who can't even stand the sight of him. Slow burn, exes to lovers.

warnings: pregnancy, vomiting, cursing, smut, mentions of infidelity, fighting, blood, broken hurts, trust issues

Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

THUNDERSTRUCK

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Reader AU, Hangman x Reader AU

Part 2

The evening sun shone through the windshield as you drove through the near empty streets of Arlington. It was odd to have such peace on the road but it was something you took time to cherish. You ran your hands lazily through Jake’s long hair and smiled to yourself. The song that was stuck in your head was now being hummed softly.

“You sound lovely my dear.” Jake complimented you with his southern drawl coming across loud and clear. He laid his head in your hand as you stroked his cheek. He turned his cheek slightly allowing his lips to touch the soft skin of your palm. “Just lovely.” He mumbled.

You were satisfied with the feeling of his skin on yours as he drove closer to the banquet which would be hosted at the practice facility complex called The Star. Butterflies began to grow inside you as you got out of the car.

“Who are you excited to see most?” He wondered already knowing the answer. You rolled your eyes and cracked a smile. Jake knew who your best friend from the team was and it happened to be his QB. They bumped heads all the time when football was at stake other wise they were entirely docile in each other’s company.

“Rooster, now why would you ask such a thing?” You chuckled as his warm hand surrounded your small one.

“Just checking to see if you still had a crush on my quarterback.” He joked pulling your closer to him. The sun was still warm seeming as Texas didn’t get cold anytime soon but there was the slightest change in the air that chilled the bones of a Southern woman easily.

Jake held the door as you crossed allowing your thigh high stiletto boots click and clack on the floor. You turned suddenly with a look of terror on your face.

“What? What is it?!” He wondered grabbing you by the forearms.

“Did you remember to feed the dog, Ghost needs dinner too.” You asked watching relief flow through his body. He relaxed his shoulders slowly and then a smile broke out on his face.

“Don’t scare me like that! Of course I did.” He chuckled running his hand over his beard. “You gave me a heart attack.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You should have a stronger heart than that linebacker.” You poked fun walking ahead of him listening to him groan behind you. The sound made your core ache but you had to push it to the side for your face was now visible to the team and the owners.

“Y/N!” You heard the familiar tones of Rooster calling you from where he stood dressed to his best.

“Roo!” You called back running into his arms. He picked you up off the ground. You were placed on your feet again and looking over your shoulder to make sure you weren’t getting a look from your director, Penny, who happened to be the coach’s wife.

You had already broken rule number one by dating a player. You broke rule number two by being friends with the team this closely. You broke rule number three by getting drunk at team events like this one. But you were a damn good dancer with a long history within the Cowboys organization and you kept it classy. Rooster reached down and pecked your cheek quickly.

“Looks like someone's shrunk an inch since last time I saw you." he teased causing you to pout.

You were short there was no way around it and being around all these large guys always made it stand out even more. You often restored to trying to act tougher and taller than you really were. You looked to your right to see Payback approaching.

"Reubey Tuesday!" You exclaimed and practically leapt into his arms. “How are you?!" You wondered loudly.

“I’ve been good pretty girl, looks like you've been getting into the alcohol supply" he teased at your level of volume.

“I may have pregamed." You admitted sheepishly. You took in his appearance and smiled.

“Reube you look so handsome all shaved up" you complimented as your rubbed your hand over his cheek.

“Where’s The Hangman?" Payback wondered to grabbing your attention back to him.

Which come to think of it was a very good question, you definitely did not want that guy to be coming after you. After a quick scan you spotted him and nodded your head in the direction of the coach, they were deep in conversation.

“At least now I’ve got you two to save me from having to make small talk.” You smiled wide and wrapped your arms around their waists the best you could.

“That you do little lady" Rooster laughed noticing how you were leaning side to side even with their support.

I’m glad" you sighed happily. Rooster swallowed hard trying to make his heart stop racing. He looked up and then forced the words out of his mouth, "well well well if it isn’t my linebacker."

“You guys corrupting her again?" he teased as he walked up to the threesome.

“Oh of course we are" Reuben joked as he clapped Jake on the back.

"Are you guys sitting with us?" he asked and Rooster nodded his head confirming he was. He knew he couldn’t resist the chance to be next to you.

You sat in between Jake and Bradley as the ceremony began. Jake had his hand gently resting in your thigh rubbing last circles into your skin. The motion was calming to say the least. It was almost hypnotizing.

Quickly you shot Jake a warning look as his hand made its way farther up your thigh. The lights were dimmed, no one would know. Well no one except Rooster who you could feel next to you. His eyes were tracking your every move even in the dark. Something about that excited you. Maybe it was added blanket of security that washed over you. However it was quickly interrupted by the loud applause of the crowd that shook you from your inner monologue.

You took down another two glasses of champagne to hide your growing nerves. And to dull the fact that every touch Hangman gave made your body react in ways you couldn’t relieve here in the middle of a banquet hall. Jake kept you close, practically attached to his hip as you walked to the car in the parking lot.

“You look simply radiant tonight.” He complimented you moving your hair out of your face.

“You’re only saying that because you won an award and feel like chatting.” You teased challenging him instantly. You knew he wanted to get lucky and was buttering you up so you were gonna play the long game.

“I’m awfully tired honey, let’s go home.” You feigned a large yawn and he groaned in disappointment. Nonetheless he opened your door for you letting you inside. He warned it to you liking now that night air carried a chill to it and began to drive off.

You kept your hand on his lap and glanced over at him. He was absentmindedly rubbing his thumb over his beard holding his chin in place while he drove. He was focussed ahead. You pushed your body carefully into the bucket seat in the middle and rested your head on his shoulder. He sighed contently.

“I missed you, you were too far away.” He whined as he placed a large hand on your warming skin. “Jesus baby you’re freezing.” He hissed.

“Why don’t you warm me up then Cowboy?” You mused against his sharply cut jawline.

The truck jerked in the lane, veering to the side a little.

“You trying to make me crash?” He exclaimed looking at you like you were a madwoman. You simply smiled and giggled before placing nibbles on his neck.

“Maybe.” You quipped smartly.

Jake harshly shook the wheel turning into a fairly empty parking lot. You pounced on his lap as soon as the truck was set to park. Quickly you fumbled with his belt trying to unlock it from itself. He was working on the zipper to your dress. Lips were taking and giving sloppy kisses in the heat of the moment. The desperation hung thick in the air. Within a few seconds Jake was tapping your shoulder in urgency.

“Baby.” He said trying to get your attention.

“What?” You answers kissing him again.

“Baby! Stop!” He pushed you off his quickly and got himself readjusted. For a moment you were running red with rage until you saw what he did.

“Just act cool.” He said making you roll your eyes. That was the most cliche thing he could’ve thought of.

He rolled down the window and flashed a smile.

“Evening officer.” Jake greeted softly.

The officer shined his light into the vehicle causing you to wince under the harsh light. You knew what he was seeing. Jake with his pants unbuckled and his manhood trying to escape. You with touched hair and bite marks that were going to show by morning. The look of guilt all over your faces. The officer let his face change as soon as he took in the driver.

“Why I’ll be! Jake Seresin?! The Hangman! No one is gonna believe this! Can I grab a quick autograph? I’m sorry for troubling you.” He wondered giddy as he could be.

“Sure I don’t see why not! You got something to write on?” He wondered with a laugh in his throat.

The officer fumbled around for a moment looking for something before he took out his ticket book. He handed it over sheepishly.

“Who should I make this out to?” Jake asked uncapping the pen he was given.

“To uh- to Larry if you’d please.” He nearly giggled. You watched Hangman sign the paper.

“Howdy ma’am.” The officer awkwardly waved to fill the silence. You gave an awkward wave back.

“There she is!” Hangman stated handing it back over.

“Thank you so very much sir! You guys have y’all selves a nice evening!” He exclaimed before departing.

Jake sighed in relief before looking back towards you. It was silent as you both took in the moment. Simultaneously you both burst out in wild laughter.

“Let’s go home.” You decided with a grin.

“Let’s go home.” He agreed.

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