Tg:m - Tumblr Posts
I love this!! Can’t wait to see more of bradley!!
A Little Bit Stronger
Part 2
(previous part here, next part here)
Bradley Rooster Bradshaw x OFC/You
Summary: You begin to open up once you realize you’re safe for the night.
Warnings: Just like everything else I write/post: this story is for 18+ only. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT. It will contain smut, adult themes, situations and language. Please also note this story may be triggering due to the topic of domestic abuse (physical, emotional, sexual) violence-feel free to message me with any questions before reading.
*This is the Bradley from All of Me (Jake and Reese’s story). You should be able to be read as a stand-alone but it doesn’t hurt to start there.
•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•
Your anxiety continues to build when your search for a place to stay for the night falls flat. Few hotels in the area have vacancies with the long holiday weekend and none allow dogs.
“Shae?” Reese calls through the door, “I’m here.”
You toss your phone on the bed with a sigh before heading down the hall, Hank hot on your heels.
You hold his collar as you unlock the door, cracking it open before stepping back, “Come in.”
Your grip tightens as Reese pushes it open slowly, but he surprises you by wagging his tail instead of growling.
“Hi baby,” she greets him softly, crouching to pet him as her eyes meet yours, “Oh Shae.”
“I’m okay,” you smile as your eyes fill with tears again, “I’ve had worse.”
She nods. “Yous such a good boy, protecting your mama like that,” she kisses the top of his head as she stands and wraps you in a hug.
So unused to a kind touch, you stiffen for a moment before lifting your arms and returning it.
“Thanks for coming, I didn’t know what to do…who to call,” you say, swallowing the lump in your throat.
“Of course,” she replies, eyes falling to your swollen cheek when you pull back, “let’s get some ice on it.”
“Okay, right, of course,” you say, touching the tender skin while you nod, “Duh, I’m a nurse, I just-where are the guys? Did they drop you off?”
“Hey, it’s okay,” she smiles kindly at your stuttering while she checks the freezer, “They told me to come in first to make sure you’re still okay that they came.”
It all suddenly feels like too much and you just want to sit down and cry.
Instead, you take a deep breath as you look at the ticking clock and say, “I’m okay with it.”
“Okay,” she murmurs, placing a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel gently on your cheek before guiding you to the couch. “I’ll let them in.”
Reese opens the door and waves them over just as you remember the words of the lady you got Hank from, “he’s a little leery of men.”
You jump up to grab his collar but miss as he trots to the door, “Oh wait! I was told…”
The words die on your tongue as Bradley kneels to greet him, laughing as Hank sniffs his face while his tail wags a mile a minute.
Jake’s right behind him and all 3 look at you to finish your sentence.
“I was told he’s a little leery of men,” you finish, wanting to hide your face at their attention. Thankfully the ice pack hides your flush. “Seems to like you guys though.”
Bradley gives you a soft smile as he rises and holds out his hand, “I’m Bradley, or Rooster, either’s fine. I’m glad to officially meet you, sorry it’s under these circumstances.”
He’s even more handsome up close; the mustache that should look ridiculous but suits him well, deep brown eyes that you could get lost in, the scars on his cheek and neck that you want to run your fingers over. There’s no pity or anger in his expression as you shake his hand; he almost looks hurt on your behalf.
“It’s nice to meet you,” you murmur, trying not to squirm under his gaze, “I apologize for avoiding you,” you say, looking up at him and then Jake, “both of you since I started. It’s been difficult adjusting…”
Adjusting to being able to talk to a man without getting beat for it, not having to come home and report every interaction you had with a male coworker, patient, etc., not being called a whore for just glancing in one’s direction…
“It’s okay,” Jake says as he rises, holding his hand out next. You’re almost reluctant to let go of Bradley’s calloused one dwarfing yours. “It’s understandable after everything you’ve been through.”
Jake’s expression doesn’t show pity either but there’s definitely anger as he looks over the frozen peas pressed to your cheek. But it’s not directed at you. “Let’s get you out of here. I can’t stand being at a place that kicks a woman while she’s down. What’s all yours?”
You realize there’s a familiarity to his anger with his words; someone close to him has been hurt like this too. “Out here there’s just a couple of coffee cups and Hank’s toys and bed, I think. In the bedroom, I need to pack the rest of my clothes in the closet, oh, and a tote too.”
•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•
Reese helps you pack your bedroom while the guys gather the rest. “Did you find somewhere for tonight?”
You shake your head, “Not yet. Everything is booked with the holiday.”
“You could stay with me,” she replies as she places the rest of your clothes in the last suitcase, “I’ve got plenty of room.”
“I appreciate it, but I won’t risk something happening with Drew there,” you say, refusing to traumatize her son.
“He’s with his grandparents tonight,” she replies. “I’ll sleep better knowing you’re safe.”
“Are you sure?” You ask, your other choice is sleeping in your car, “Hank’s a big dog and he sheds.”
“Positive,” she answers, zipping the suitcase closed and setting it on the floor, “I have a big house and dog hair never hurt anyone. We can have a drink and talk or sit together in silence. Whatever you want.”
“Okay,” you say, voice cracking as tears again fill your eyes, “thank you.”
•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•
The host shows up again just as you’re heading out the door. You nearly laugh at the disgusted look Jake throws his way.
You don’t even look at him while you drop the keys in his hand.
•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•
Reese rides with you on the way to her house, giving you directions while she pets Hank’s big head resting on the center console.
“I appreciate this so much,” you tell her as you pull into her driveway.
“Of course,” she replies, “Jake was going to spend the night tonight, but I can send him home if it bothers you.”
“No, not at all. It’s your home,” you tell her, shifting your car into park, “I’m sure he’s long gone by now,” you sigh, “and it’s actually kind of comforting; knowing there’s someone his size here on the odd chance he figures out where I am.”
“Okay,” she nods as she opens her car door, “let me know if you change your mind. He won’t care.”
You give her a small smile and follow her inside.
•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•
After getting the things you need for the night inside and settling in one of the guest rooms, Reese invites you outside to join them around her fire pit.
“I’m assuming this is okay?” Reese asks, handing you the same brand of beer you had been drinking earlier when Chad showed up, probably still sitting half-full on the counter in the rental.
“Yes, thank you,” you smile, taking it from her. You felt less dowdy in your leggings and old college tee since she changed into sweats too. Hank finishes patrolling her yard to come lay on your feet with a relaxed sigh.
“Do you think Chad was there earlier?” Reese asks, bending down to pat his soft fur, “You said he was pacing when you let him out at lunch.”
You nod, “Yeah, I think so. He was still worked up when I got home.”
“How did he get in?” Jake asks.
“I let him in,” you frown, picking at the label on the bottle of beer, “he knocked and I let him in without looking because I ordered food. You’d think I’d know better,” you laugh at your own stupidity before taking a long pull. “I was just feeling so good after working; I was actually in the process of texting you that I was gonna tag along tomorrow when he knocked.”
“You still can,” Reese says softly, “I’d love it if you’d come.”
You nod as you gently touch the bruising on your cheek, “I’ll have to see how this looks in the morning first. Anyways, I opened the door and he backhanded me, knocked me back a few steps. God, if he had hit me on the other side…” you shiver and your stomach turns as you imagine it, “I’m still healing from the orbital fracture he gave me. That’s what the bruising was from when we first met.”
“Oh Shae,” Reese murmurs.
“Fuck,” you hear Jake mutter.
Bradley’s hand tightens on the bottle in his hand as he shifts in his seat.
You’re too embarrassed to look at any of their expressions.
“He grabbed my arm and was screaming at me. He must’ve gotten served the divorce papers this week,” you continue, eyes not focusing on anything as you recall the attack, “that’s when Hank bit him.”
“Good boy,” Jake tells him, giving him some hearty pats. Hank’s tail thumps in response.
“He screamed like a girl,” you smile at the memory, “screamed like I did the last time he…” you trail off as you realize what you’re saying.
“You don’t have to tell us anything you don’t want to, Shae,” it’s Bradley’s voice this time.
You nod, still not looking up.
“I pulled Hank off before he could do anything worse. He was wearing long sleeves so I don’t think it broke the skin,” you say, stroking the soft, downy fur of his ears, “then he ran off. Not before telling me ‘this isn’t over’ and ‘that dog is dead.’”
You swallow back your tears with another drink before looking at Reese’s shiny eyes over the fire. “That’s why I can’t stay here. He’s never going to stop. Not until he’s in prison or one of us is dead.”
“Why isn’t he in prison?” Bradley asks. Now there’s anger staining his voice, but it doesn’t scare you like you thought it would. “Especially if this isn’t his first offense.”
“He should be in prison,” you agree, “but his dad is the Sacramento County DA. His family has all kinds of connections and the entire police force is in his back pocket. All charges against him mysteriously drop with a phone call from his daddy.”
It’s silent while that news sinks in.
“I-we won’t let anything happen to you,” Bradley says after a moment.
“He’s right,” Reese agrees, “and you don’t have to go through this alone anymore. We’re all here for you.”
“Thank you,” you murmur, watching the fire crackle and pop.
•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•
You’re grateful for the cloak of darkness as the conversation begins to flow. You’ve caught Bradley’s eyes on you on more than once but he looks away whenever you’d catch his gaze.
You can’t help but smile at the banter between friends. You heart pinches a bit at the love Jake and Reese share. The way he looks at her with so much love and adoration almost makes you blush.
It’s the kind of love your parents had. The kind of love you’ve always wished for.
“So…how do you all know each other?” You ask when there’s a lull.
“I met Bradley the same day I met my late husband, Andy,” Reese starts with a small smile, “those two were friends since they were in diapers and happened to be Andy’s ride to the ER when he got hurt. I ended being the only one available to stitch him up. Andy scared the shit out of me when he waiting for me after work,” she laughs, fiddling with what you assume is Andy’s wedding ring on her right hand. “Bradley was Andy’s best man in our wedding, he was there for us when we got Andy’s ALS diagnosis, which was shortly after I found out I was pregnant with Drew.”
A lump forms in your throat as her voice gets thicker with tears. Jake intertwines his fingers in hers before squeezing gently.
“Andy declined quickly and died shortly after he was born. Bradley’s been there for Drew and I every step of the way,” she smiles at him warmly, reaching over to squeeze his knee. He flushes as he swallows heavily before taking a long pull of his drink.
“Jake and Bradley are in the same squadron, and I met Jake the day I got back from my deployment a few months ago at the beach,” she continues. “What was supposed to be a hook-up turned into this,” her heavy sigh turns into laughter at Jake’s scoff, but his lip quirks too.
•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•
“When did you say your apartment will be ready?” Jake asks a few minutes later, handing you a second beer.
“Should be done by the end of next week,” you reply.
“Could she stay at your place?” Reese asks Jake, “you could stay here?”
“You could,” Jake turns to you, but he’s wearing a frown, “but there’s a no-pet policy, and my landlord is a dick. I’m guessing you want Hank with you too.”
“I do,” you nod, “thank you though.”
“You could stay at my house,” Bradley says. Your heart skips a beat when you look up and meet his kind, brown gaze. He doesn’t look away this time, though his eyes dip to your lips briefly. Your breath catches as desire hits you like a freight train with the realization that he’s attracted to you. “I-uh, I own a house near the beach. I’ve got plenty of room for you both,” he smiles at Hank, “and I’m sure I can stay with Mav and Penny.”
“I-no,” you argue, “I won’t kick you out of your own home. Thank you though.”
“You’re not,” he smiles, “I offered.”
“Well…” you trail off, not sure what to say. The problem is you don’t want to stay anywhere by yourself after tonight. You also don’t want to drag anyone further into this mess.
“You don’t have to make any decisions tonight,” Reese says with a yawn, “I think I’m gonna go to bed. You want a ride home Roo?”
He shakes his head as he yawns too, “I’ll just crash on the couch if you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. I was gonna make you Uber if you wanted a ride,” she teases, laughing as he pushes her into Jake.
You smile at their antics as you follow them inside.
•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•
Hank’s whining wakes you a little before 7. Though your body is bruised and sore, you feel better rested than you have in years; it’s like your subconscious knew you were safe.
“Shhhh,” you tell Hank dancing at the top of the stairs as you grab your robe. His tail slowly moves side to side as he waits for you to get close before he loudly takes off down the stairs before you can pull it on.
“Wait,” you whisper as you follow, trying not to slip.
He’s waiting patiently at the bottom until he hears soft snores coming from the couch.
“Hank!” You whisper-yell as he gallops to find the source, “Leave him alone!”
But it’s too late.
You hear Bradley’s “oomph” before you can catch him.
“I’m so sorry!” You cringe as you take in the sight of your giant dog splayed on top of him. “I snore when I mess around with him…he must’ve thought you wanted to play.”
Bradley laughs as he tries to avoid Hank’s cold, wet nose against his neck, “It’s okay. I’ve had worse wake-up calls.”
You suddenly remember your lack of a bra as Bradley’s eyes flick down to your chest where your nipples are standing at attention against the pilled cotton of your shirt in the cool morning air. His gaze drops further to your bare legs, shorts hidden by the length of your tee. Helooks away quickly but his cheeks redden.
“Come on,” you coo as you pull on your robe, pretending not to notice to ease Bradley’s embarrassment. You can’t deny that the attention feels good. “Gotta go potty?”
Hank’s head whips around at that and Bradley groans out a laugh as the oaf leaps off him to bound toward the back door.
“Sorry again,” you say with a sheepish smile as you follow.
•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•
You sit on the stairs, watching Hank run off some energy when the door opens a few minutes later.
“Coffee?” Bradley asks, holding two cups by the handles as he closes the door behind him. “With or without creamer? I don’t care either way.”
He looks good; like really good in a white undershirt and gray sweatpants.
“Witho-with…with creamer, please,” you catch yourself, “Chad had me on a strict diet for many years,” you explain, knowing he’s wondering but too polite to ask, “still trying to get used to being able to eat or drink what I want.”
He frowns as he hands you the warm cup, his gaze lingering on your bruised face.
“Thank you,” you say, wincing as you try to smile, your cheek aching with the movement. “You can sit if you want.”
He nods before taking a seat at the opposite edge of the steps. “The swelling’s gone down.”
“Has it?” Your fingertips brush the tender skin. It warms under your touch from the way he watches you, “those peas must’ve worked.”
He smiles sadly and you turn to take a sip of the coffee that’s sweetened perfectly.
“I was actually excited about tagging along today; finally starting to feel like the old me again…standing on my own two feet,” you clear your throat, “then he pulled the rug out from under me.”
“You can still come,” he replies, “no one will say anything.”
“I just…,” you sigh, “I shouldn’t leave Hank here all day by himself, and gotta find a place to stay by tonight and…”
He waits patiently for you to gather your thoughts and continue.
“and I’m scared,” you whisper, tears again filling your eyes, “I’m scared to be alone right now.”
“I bet,” he murmurs, “you’ve been through a lot.”
Both of you are quiet for a while, chuckling occasionally as Hank goofs around.
Besides the butterflies fluttering around in your stomach, you feel at ease with Bradley. You had been young and dumb when Chad swept you off your feet; the bad gut-feeling you had about him was easily ignored by the gifts and over-the-top gestures. You’ll never make that mistake again.
“What if…you stayed at my house…with me?” He asks tentatively a few minutes later, “I’ve got a guest bedroom upstairs; you can still have your own space but I’ll be around so you can feel safe.”
You want to be selfish and say yes. You would do just about anything to get a few more good nights' sleep like you did last night instead of overanalyzing every sound.
“Just like roommates, ya know?” He says when you hesitate, “it’s only for a few days.”
“Okay,” you answer without thinking.
“Yeah?” He sounds just as surprised as you.
“Yeah,” you give him a small smile as you nod, feeling overwhelmed and relieved all at once.
•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•
A/N: Forced (kind of) proximity anyone? 🤭 what did y’all think?
As always, any interaction is appreciated but I LOVE hearing what you think in the comments/reblogs! Seriously, feedback helps me more than anything.
Please let me know if you want to be added to (or removed from) my taglist…and if I forgot to add you-it wasn’t intentional.
@lexixstewart
@dizzybee03
@its-the-pilot
@hookslove1592
@hisredheadedgoddess28
@atarmychick007
@littlezee80
@k-k0129
@phoenix-rising-starbird-one
@jessicab1991
@djs8891
@lonelysoul50
@mrsevans90
@landpiranha-blog
@bellaireland1981
@shanimallina87
@writtingrose
@fandomology101
@amiets2
@psuedochakra
@lyn-js
@averagereader35
@emma8895eb
@whitewolfsbitch
@sbdunksblog
@glowingtree
@thelightnddarkness
@seitmai
@els-marvelvsp
I can’t get over how well written this series is!! It feels like something straight out a movie!
i can’t wait to find out what happens between Jake and Brewer!
i’m heartbroken after reading this chapter 😪
Secret Sacrifices // Jake Seresin
Chapter Four: [Like Father, Like Daughter]
Summary: You receive news from your case worker about a family member, its sends you into a spiral. Bob is awol from the Hard Deck and Jake is constantly up to his old tricks.
Warnings: Death, mentions of witness protection. Jake Seresin x F!reader
Word Count: 3k
Author Note: Been trucking along at this series. Really trying to spend a little time each day writing a few paragraphs for some projects. And I really do LOVE these two.
Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist
Throughout history, there has always been a superstition that expands across many belief systems. Mirrors can be seen as a portal to another dimension; the reflection staring back at you is another version of yourself. Another version of you from another timeline or realm.
If that were true, you’d give anything to trade places with the reflection staring back at you as you caught a glimpse of yourself in the small hallway mirror that hung for aesthetics.
“What do you mean?” Your voice shook with confusion, this couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening. “Roger, what the fuck do you mean my dad died?”
Roger Spague was your case agent. He had been assigned your case right after the funerals of your husband and son. Soon after everything occurred, you were encouraged to enter witness protection to safeguard your testimony. As the only witness who could help bring the men who murdered your family and organised a multilevel drug syndicate to justice, your word was more valuable than gold itself.
“We couldn’t tell you,” Roger has always been a rather hard nut to crack. He took no bullshit and smiled very rarely. He saw the world for black and white more than he ever did grey. Morals were good or bad, nothing could be in between. “He, unfortunately, passed away a month ago, we’ve been informed of the burial site, Hollow Hills. However, we really advise against you visiting anytime soon,” Rogers’s monotone voice echoed in your head as you struggled to hold your composure.
“Why? Why would I not run out this door right now to visit my father’s fucking grave you asshole!” You hissed into the phone. Surely this was all some sick joke or a nightmare that never ended. You couldn’t think straight, couldn’t breathe properly. You were almost certain your heart was breaking apart yet again. The shattering pieces would surely slice into your arteries, causing you the bleed out and be at peace with the pain you’d carried for over three years.
“Because they could be monitoring the site, do you really want to risk everything you’ve worked so hard to protect?” Roger reminded you through the phone. At this stage, you were sure that all the tears you’d cried over the years had permanently stained your cheeks. Maybe one day you’d wake up with no more tears left to cry.
“Roger–” You sobbed as you made your way into your bedroom. You slumped onto the side and crumpled in on yourself. The only support system keeping you up was your elbows digging into your knees “I can’t do this anymore.”
“You don’t have a choice to quit this,” Roger, with his little sympathise and tunnel vision, reminded you. “You don’t get to leave this until those bastards are behind bars, and we’ve put too much work into this to have you throw it all away now.”
“But he’s my dad,” You never got to say goodbye. You never got to tell him how much you loved him, how much you still and always will. You never got to hold your mother or comfort your sister. Everything you’d missed, everything you’d sacrificed was starting to outway the idea, the pipe dream of justice. You were, at the very basic explanation, tired of this life. “I need to visit his grave.”
“Not until we know for certain that there isn’t anyone monitoring his grave just waiting for you to show up.” The reality was hard to accept, you didn’t want to accept it. But the fact of the matter was, that you have just lost another member of your family, and there was absolutely nothing you could do to help yourself forgive that loss.
“Fuck you,” You spat as tears spilled over your lower lash line. “Fuck you and fuck all of this do you hear me?”
“No skin off my nose there, just remember why you’re doing this, who you’re doing this for, Y/n.” Just hearing your real name, and hearing those syllables leave someone’s mouth made you feel real. That you were still a real person with real emotions and valid feelings. “Remember what’s a stake here, they get the chance to kill you now? Then what’s all this been for?”
“I hate you–” Was all you were able to get out before you broke down completely, deciding that the floor was the best place to be. You hung up the phone and made sure to throw it as far away as you possibly could.
The carpet soaked up as many tears as possible before you fell asleep crying, sobbing until your eyes could no longer remain open and a steady rhythm took over in your chest. Sleep….it never came easy, but you needed it.
By the time you slowly opened your eyes again, the sun had risen higher in the sky and the ice cream you’d brought in your weekly shop was melted into a puddle of liquid. You knew as you slowly peeled yourself off the carpet that you had to get yourself together before you lost the plot. So you trailed out into the hallway and made your way back to the kitchen to put away your groceries. The bags still sat where you and Jake had left them on the island bench.
“You’re okay,” It was two simple words, but the lies that read between the lines were big enough to make them seem like a whole novel of untruthful affirmations. “You’re okay,” Again you repeated the same two words as you unpacked your groceries. “You’re okay.” Hoping that if you said them enough……
You’d hopefully start to believe them.
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
Cutting lemons was one of those mundane tasks you actually enjoyed. It gave you something to do while zoning out. You’d only been at work for roughly an hour before the patrons started to pile in after work. Naval men and women from all walks of life all heading to the local watering hole. It wasn't too long after you started on your fourth lemon that Jake made his appearance in your peripheral vision. There was no doubt that his proximity to you was the cause behind your palpitations.
Jake stood on the other side of the bar, smiling his signature shit-eating grin at you while he watched your knife skills.
“What's a guy gotta do to get you to handle him like that lemon?” Trust Jake to lead with the unorthodox hello. When you looked up and met your gaze, you knew you were in deep water. The smile that smeared itself across your face was as genuine as it could ever be.
“I didn’t know you were into knife play Seresin?” You saw the way Jake's eyes slightly widened with promiscuous enlightenment at your reply. “You just after the usual?” You asked as you placed the knife you’d been using into the sink.
“Yes ma’am, and to see the pretty barkeep,” Jake replied as he sat down on one of the empty barstools. He looked far too handsome in his flight suit, but you’d never tell him that. His ego was already inflated enough.
“Penny! Hangman here to see you!” You called out as you washed your hands from all the lemon juice. Jake wouldn’t deny it if you asked that his eyes had dropped from looking at your hair to your ass as you turned around briefly to dry them on the rag that sat nearby.
“I was talking about you–” He smiled as you turned back around to face him. His elbows were resting against the top of the bar, casually, like he was truly at home.
“Bet you say that to all the ladies–” You added as you picked up a glass, going about making Jake his usual order.
“Nope, just you.” It was quiet, a little more serious with an underlying sense of admiration. Jake meant it, he thought you were gorgeous. From the moment he first met you, he saw all the beauty and grace that seamlessly radiated from your aura. “I think you’re beautiful, Brewer.”
Jake's complement knocked the wind from your lungs as you held the glass at an angle and watched the amber liquid pool at the bottom. Slowly but surely filling the glass to the top with a perfect head of froth.
“What did I tell you about flattery?” You sighed as you placed the beer down in front of the aviator who was slowly capturing your whole heart in the palm of his hands. Completely unaware that he was falling in love with a complete stranger.
“That it won’t get me anywhere–” Jake grinned, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. “But if I remember correctly, it did.” The sensation of having Jake’s lips pressed against yours came flooding back as the heat in your cheeks rose. “Let me take you out to dinner?”
“Jake,” You had to sigh. “Not this again?” Playing a little hard to get wouldn’t hurt the man, would it?
“Or come over to mine then?” Jake proposed with a cheeky Serein grin you assumed he got from his mother.
“Oh yeah?” You chuckled as you let your hands rest on your bar, leaning in a little closer to Jake. “So I can contract whatever deceases you’re harbouring in that petri dish of a bachelor pad?” Jake pretended to be wounded as he placed a hand over his chest at your remark. You shook your head as you let out a small laugh. “I don’t think so, Seresin, but I’ll give you points for trying.”
Jake sat there momentarily, just drinking in the sight of the woman who had slowly become his favourite person to be around. This was his favourite part of the entire day. Getting to come to the Hard Deck, sit on his stool by the bar and talk to you. He thought about you all day long. About all the ways you did our hair and those mom jeans that hugged your waist just right. He’d catch himself thinking about the way you humbly count your tips at the end of each night, or the way you laugh with Fanboy over the most insane things. He would often daydream about your smile, your eyes, and your ability to captivate the entire bar.
“Fine,” Jake knocked his knuckles on the wood of the bar as he rose to his feet once again. “Suit yourself, but just for the record, I like my bachelor pad very much.” For as much as Jake truly did love his quick, tidy and rather put-together home, he sure wouldn’t have minded the slightest bit if you lived there too.
“I think the local community of gonorrhoea would say the same.” You took the card Jake was handing over. “Starting a tab?”
“Depends, what’s Bradshaws looking like?” Jake was always the first to add an extra beer or three onto Bradley’s outstanding tab. You were always the first person to turn a blind eye then doing so. As you looked up Roosters name in the system the number was much higher than you originally expected. It seemed as though the boys had well and truly been taking advantage of Rooster’s current love-hate relationship with the Hard Deck barkeep.
“Eh, he owes me a couple hundred.” You smiled softly back at Jake as you placed his card in the draw.
“Yeah, start a table angel, gives me more of an excuse to linger,” Jake replied with a genuine smile, his eyes were soft and swirling with ease. He’d never felt this way about a woman before. You gentled him to a point where if you asked him tomorrow to run away with you, he’d follow you to the end of the world.
“I’m sure that’s called stalking–” You sighed as you turned around momentarily to pick up your knife and head back to cutting your lemon slices.
“Consider me your biggest fan then, Brewer.” Jake grinned ear to ear as he took a sip of his beer, heading off toward the pool table where you knew he’d be for the next few hours.
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~
The Hard Deck was rather busy for a Monday afternoon. The bar was in high spirits as you manoeuvred yourself around the floor collecting empty glasses and cans. You could feel Jake’s eyes burning into you as you spoke to patrons and cleaned up tables. But there was one person you hadn’t seen yet that you needed to talk to desperately. Bob.
“Where’s our resident underage drinker this evening gentlemen?” You cooed as you made your way over to your favourite group of aviators. “And Nix.” You added as you gave Phoenix a side hug.
“Haven’t seen him actually?” Fanboy replied, his answer wasn’t one you wanted to hear. Usually, if someone wasn’t here by this time of the night then they weren’t coming at all. You really needed to speak to Bob.
“Do you think he'll be in?” You questioned as you let go of Phoenix and went about collecting empty glasses. You knew Bob had annual leave coming up, he'd been talking about it for weeks now.
“Why the sudden obsession with Bob, Brewer?” Rooster chimed in. “You guys on the down low or something?” That very question had Jake's blood boiling. You could see the jealousy clear as day smeared across his face from across the pool table.
“I’m uh—” It came out before you knew what you were saying. “I'm seeing someone, casually, it's really new.” Your eyes very quickly glanced over at Jake who now wore that same smug grin that he normally wore. Only this time his eyes were swirling with administration. “It's not Bob, but I appreciate your interest in my love life, Bradshaw.”
“Lord help the man who ends up under your control,” Bradley rolled his eyes with a deep resentment you couldn't quite understand. The feud between the pain of you was something that formed from a mere misunderstanding. Surely the two of you could let bygones be bygones and move on.
“An apology will wipe that ever-mounting tab clear Bradshaw, you know that.” You teased as you made your way back to the bar. You could feel the back of your throat growing tighter, and the sting of holding back tears that had become an all too familiar sensation began to grow. You couldn’t keep yourself busy enough to forget your dad was dead and no one, not a single soul had told you of his passing until he was six feet under. No amount of work could keep your mind from trailing to all the memories that played aloud in your mind, drowning out the mundane chatter from patrons.
“Can I get another beer sweetheart?” You hear one of the men say as he held his head up with the palm of his hand. He was using his elbow as an anchor, keeping him from slumping over onto the bar.
“Sure, what are you drinking?” You facked a smile so easily readable that Jake saw right through it from across the Hard Deck. He could sense that you were off, something wasn’t right. One minute you were happy, the next he didn't recognise the look in your eyes.
“Whatever you don’t mind tasting after you finish your shift.” The man said with the confidence of a much taller man. It made the damn burst inside you. Fuck this and fuck everything.
“Careful, the succulent reminder of your own inadequacies walking this way might cause a scene real quick if you don’t back off.” The problem was simple, you’re doing it all on your own. Choosing to stay all closeted in your own little bubble, longing for love, friends and family. Scared of death, scared of life, taking it out on those who tried to get close. But as Jake walked towards the bar, you felt like you could rely on him. He made you feel safe even if being around you put him in unimaginable danger. “That’s what I thought too.” You chuckled to yourself as the man nodded and sighed.
“You good?” Jake asked as he decided against following the first of many of Penny’s rules for the residence group of aviators. Mavericks rag-tag team of adopted children. The first and most important being no aviators behind the bar. Jake, however, didn’t care.
“I feel like I’m rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic here,” You growled as you poured the man his beer. The last one you were going to pour him for the night. “My life is falling apart around me and here I fucking am pouring beers for America’s best and brightest tax-guzzling fighter pilots.”
Jake could very much sense that something was wrong, this wasn’t like you. He thought, however, since your shared moment in your apartment yesterday, that he had some sort of upper hand here over all the others.
“You need to take a break, just pause for a second.” Jake placed his hand softly on your shoulder as he stood behind you. Whatever was going on inside your head was bleeding out into reality.
The feeling broke you. Jake’s touch, it wasn’t your husband’s. The man you got killed. It was Jake’s touch that broke you from whatever restraints you had tangled yourself in. The barbed wire that cut you right to your bones.
“No, you can’t just pause, because in real life the trauma doesn’t just stop,” You broke as you spun around into Jake’s chest. He was quick to look around as people from all walks of life looked around to bear witness to your impending mental breakdown. He caught Bradley’s gaze before anyone else's. Even the man who had unintentionally started a war with the new Hard Deck manager was worried about you.
“Penny–” Jake sighed as he looked over at the woman who still ran the show from behind the scenes. She nodded in agreement, a silent one. One where it was now Jake’s responsibility to get you out of the Hard Deck before you could draw any more attention to yourself.
“Let's go outside alright? Get some air–?” Jake tried to reason with you as you shook your head and balled your fist into his white cotton T. Your eyes swirled with a pain he’d never be able to process. A pain so unfathomable it sounded fictional.
“God doesn’t work that way or whoever the fucks in charge of this godforsaken hell I’m living!! You can do absolutely everything right and still…. Good, people, die.”
***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~**
Tags: 🏷️ @a-reader-and-a-writer @xoxabs88xox @hiireadstuff
@buckysteveloki-me e @athenabarnes
@els-marvelvsp @blindedbythelightt @tayl0rhuynh @na-ta-sh-aa @kmc1989 @sunlightmurdock
@jaxfart @lauenderhaze @sugarcoated-lame @maisie-rebloging-blog
@captainmoonknight @seitmai @shanimallina87 @kajjaka @imnotcreativeenoughforthisblog
@imladrisofabookdragon @buckysteveloki-me
@mrsevans90 @allepaula
@els-marvelvsp @djs8891 @paperbag33 @the-aspiring-fanfic-writer
@86laura11 @mickie-rosebud
at the request of many (aka just my bestie @inthekitchenmp3) i made a which dagger squad pilot are you uquiz? tag with your results!
THIS! Some of the best fics I’ve ever read never went into elaborate smut scenes! Hardcore smut definitely has its place but sometimes you just want plot.
I’ll add to this reminder too - a “happily ever after” does NOT always mean pregnancy/children!! Maybe it’s just the fandoms I’ve been reading recently but 9/10 fics end up with the heroine pregnant or having a baby.
FYI it is entirely possible to have a breeding kink and NOT actually ever want children.
I'm trying to prove a point to my brain: Reblog if you think fanfiction does not need sex to be good.
There is a trend I’ve noticed that smut fics tend to be much more popular than anything else and honestly I just want to have something to look at to remind myself and that writing doesn’t have to have sex to be worth putting out into the community.
Dancing in the kitchen with my fiancé and this is definitely something Bob Floyd would do🥺
I like how you don't have to name the movie anymore, people just know. I didn't even look at the tags I just knew you were talking about top gun.
I mean I wouldn’t be opposed to you starting to write something new - and your chef Bradley is sooo good!
I'm in the middle of a renewed obsession with cooking shows (kitchen nightmares, top chef but mostly polish editition hell's kitchen; also, watched burnt, the movie with bradley cooper, again...) and cooking for myself again (not as good...) and my top gun brainrot consensus is
I need a Celebrity Chef! Bradley AU.
An AU where he and Mav still stopped speaking when the papers pulling thing happened and Bradley left for college but when Bradley didn't have much choice but to either cook his own food (alone, without Mav's help for the first time in his life) or to starve on his college budget, he discovered some ridiculously good cooking skills there.
And you know, maybe he started a part-time job in some restaurant that went onto some equivalent of kitchen nightmares and the chef being the face of that show saw something in him and offered him mentoring and then when said chef was offered leading a new hell's kitchen/master chef show, he was there as one of the team sous chefs.
Or maybe he's one of the contestants and he either wins or he is good enough that he catches the chef's eye and gets to work and train under them. And maybe then he becomes new season's sous chef as well.
Imagine Mav turning on the TV one evening to see if he can make the new cooking show into his new guilty pleasure and seeing Bradley's face on the screen.
But I need this AU mostly because I fully believe that when they meet one way or another (either through Mav or sometime before the TGM timeline by accident) Jake has no fucking idea who Bradley is. He doesn't watch TV, he doesn't eat fancy food, and Bradley totally doesn't look like the type (hawaiian shirts, old jeans, too chill, lives in a house that looks like it hasn't had new decorations or furniture since the 80s) so when Bradley tells him 'oh I just work at a restaurant, nothing exciting' he just assumes he's a waiter or a barman or something. At that point, Bradley has his own fancy restaurant (Michelin-starred), regularly makes it onto the TV screens and is a celebrity.
So Jake would do all those ridiculous things before he finds out --- try to impress Bradley by making him burgers from supermarket ground beef, telling him his ravioli is not that good when Bradley cooks for him, taking him on a date out to a hole-in-the-wall taco place, blatantly criticizing his apple crumble because 'it has nothing on his ma's apple pie' and he might or might not have said that Pizza Hut is an okay place to go eat on a date. (And, you know, Bradley was absolutely charmed by the confidence and the dumbassery and everything in general just being so Jake, and it's not like he's a total culinary snob, he remembers how he was raised, etc).
It'd be even funnier if Jake finds out through Mav. Like, Mav asks the team to come to a dinner with his family and Bradley is holed up in the kitchen and Jake like a good southern boy asks if they need help with the food and Mav goes all, "Oh no, don't go in there, he's going to eat you alive if you even think about offering to help. My kid is some big fancy chef, he barely lets me help."
And then Bradley comes out of the kitchen with the amuse-bouche (kinda, it's not like they're in a restaurant...) and Jake has a surprise of a century because one, Bradley is Maverick's son?? and two, he's a chef??
Jake and Bradley have a little back and forth about it and then the whole squad is like, "You're dating the Bradley Bradshaw? And you, sir, your son is the Bradley Bradshaw?" because they recognize him from the TV.
And Jake finds out that not only is his boyfriend his CO's kid, he is also a world-renowned celebrity chef. And then the daggers are 0h-ing and Ah-ing at the best food they've ever eaten and Jake still goes, "I've eaten better steak."
And Mav, who has seen Bradley's rage and heard his rants about people having no taste tenses up until Bradley laughs and says, "Will do better next time, baby."
Years down the line, Bradley always repeats in the interviews that his husband is his toughest critic.
Maybe he's even asked to be the face of a new hell's kitchen-like TV show and one of the challenges for his contestant is cooking something his husband will like. Also, maybe cooking something from Mav's recipes in a way that will remind him of his childhood...
(Bonus points if Bradley is a recovering alcoholic/drug addict person non grata just like Adam from the Burnt movie... also, maybe it was Mav who kicked his butt into recovery??)
Just between us
Did the love affair
Maim you too?
Boy is taking a break with fluff 😌
Just imagine
HANGMAN SITTING ON ROOSTERS LAP WHILE HE PLAYS THE PIANO IN THE HARD DECK. THATS IT. THATS THE POST. (And on “kiss me baby” he kisses him 😎)
domestic fluff
T4T hangster 😎
They look like they’ve just been told off for fighting over who gets to use the Xbox first
When Iceman met Maverick
Mav knocks loudly at Ice's front door in the night before the Suicide Mission. Ice groggily opens the door in his fluffy checkered bathrobe, grey hair perfectly in place despite just waking up. He glares groggily at Maverick who is breathless and windswept still in his dress whites looking like he has hasn't slept and has instead run a mile from the beach to his house. Before he can say anything, Maverick exclaims:
Mav: "Tom, I love you."
Ice: [Ice sighs] "I'm sorry, Maverick. I know it's the eve of the Uranium Mission. I know you're feeling lonely, but you just can't show up here, tell me you love me after all these years, and expect that to make everything all right. It doesn't work this way."
Mav: "I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out despite your callsign being Iceman. I love that it takes you an hour and a half after ordering a Vodka to finally drink it all down in one go right before you leave the bar. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me annoyed after I pissed off yet another Admiral. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your cologne on my clothes. And I love that I can always count on you to watch my wing in the air and on the ground. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because I might die tomorrow. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life, no matter how little of it you may have left, to start as soon as possible."
Ice: [Stares at Maverick in shock] "… Pete"
Mav: [Takes off his hat and drops down on one knee in front of Ice's big yard] "Marry me."
[The light of the full moon faintly illuminates the engraved writing within the ring that spells "Bullshit, you can be mine."]
Happy Top Gun Maverick release date anniversary!
okay, another idea from my head since I've been obsessed with sereshaw so....
what if they got back to tg another mission, really danger one and life says something for that, mav just an instructor so the superior (?) got plan to do it. blablabla and hangman crushed while training blablabla then back has something to explain why there is a girl out of the jet after got back from an accident.
i know if this is not gonna make any sense but i hope writer block don't comeback in any second.
