#pilots are so in love with each other it makes them look stupid

[curioussubjects]

The Torn-Up Road: Part II Previous: Part I

Next: Part III • Part IV • Part V

[joonipertree]

Gang Leader Girlfriend Things™

Tags: Mikey x Fem!reader, Fluff, crack, no angst, he's only soft for you <3, love of his life

You know, I think the first rule of joining a gang should be 'don't piss off the leader'. Like, you wanna fight people who can whoop your ass? Go for it, that takes courage and respect. But you join a gang like Toman with 'Invincible Mikey' as the head, the one thing you should probably not do is make him mad.

(Nobody is stupid enough to do that though, much less Toman.)

Mikey personally didn't fight the weak, finds no joy in something that isn't a challenge. Two highschoolers that got recruited by Mitchy's crew? He could tell they were nothing from the back of their babbling heads.

"My god, there's no way a girl like that is here. She's so fucking hot."

"What's a girl even doing in a gang? There's no way she fights."

Mikey's eye twitched. Not only are you most definitely in Toman, with a gang jacket and everything (You had your own but you ended up wearing his most of the time, pretty in what's his.) One of Toman's strongest was Senju, someone who would kick their ass too.

"Do you think she's single?"

"She is not." Mikey drawled, eyes dead and head tilted. Draken came behind him, wondering why his captain was just standing there. Mikey was always friendly with new members but very evidently, those two were an exception.

"What a bummer. She could've been mine."

Draken wanted to laugh so badly but Mikey's hand was warning him into silence before he could.

Mikey couldn't see the dude's face but knew that he was too ugly for you. You weren't into pathetic fucks. And the only person Mikey was pathetic for, was you.

A lot of gang members' eyes were on them now, ready to bow to their captain but stopping when Draken raised his palm. They could tell something was off, looking at the two kids who just didn't bother turning. The aura around Mikey was practically tangible though, suffocating to anyone who took notice.

Yamagishi staggered towards his friends, ready to point out the very dangerous threat behind them. Of course, he was the one who recruited them. If he wasn't Takemitchy's friend, Mikey would've added him to his blacklist. Mikey's finger against his lip kept Yamagishi from saying anything. Their fates were sealed already.

"Man, I could probably take her boyfriend on. Easy win and I get her."

Draken choked, Yamagishi wanted to die, the few people who were close enough to listen stepped away. Mikey still didn't say anything, because the moment he was waiting for finally happened.

Chifuyu had let you know of the arrival with a nod of his head, pausing in his rant about a manga you guys had been reading. You saw Draken's head first, eyes lowering, knowing that Mikey would always fall close. And there he was, his blond ponytail the only thing you could see. Your heart filled up like it always did because fuck, you wanted to consume him in your love. His eyes peaked out and your smile stretched your cheeks.

You walked as if on auto pilot, feet having a pep in them as you did. He stepped out in full view and you squealed at his gentle eyes and outstretched arms. You practically ran to him, you missed him and missed him and missed him.

Your shoulder grazed someone's as you zoomed past and launched yourself into Manjiro's warm embrace. Strong arms encircled you immediately, his cheek squishing against yours. And before you knew it, your feet were off the ground as he twirled you around. Unabashed laughter left your lips, hanging onto him and letting his warm and wet kisses pepper your face. The swooping in your chest was welcomed, clinging to the boy you've loved for years. Your precious----

"Hi, Jiro~" You crooned, eyes open to catch his reddened cheeks and sparkling eyes.

He put your feet on the ground and pulled you close by the waist, noses touching each other's.

"Hi, baby." He said in a hushed voice.

You gave his cheek a peck, knowing one on the lips would result in him not getting off of you. There was supposed to be a meeting, so you decided to have him later. Being a gang leader's girlfriend was hard work.

"Did you have a good day?" You asked, knowing he woke up an hour ago, barely in the realm to text you a 'good morning, honey' ('Morning' in Mikey's realm was 1pm).

"Mhm." Mikey hummed, giving your cheek a kiss too. You relished in it.

"Where are you going?" Draken's voice came gruffly and you saw the tall man with his hands on two members' shoulders.

Your boyfriend's gaze fell on them, hardened and cold. It made you shiver, his arms tightening around you when you did. It didn't scare you, he looked hot but it never meant anything good.

You blinked at the two boys, confused and just now noticing the complete silence and the eyes of everyone on you.

I mean, you were a spectacle whenever Jiro was involved but weren't they used to it by now?

"You guys have really bad awareness if you didn't notice me even when I spoke up. I don't know if we want that in our gang." Mikey's words were sweet but dripping in venom, a grin to hide his clear rage.

"I'm so so sorry, boss! We didn't know she was yours, I swear!!" Dude no 1 got on his knees immediately, more so because his legs gave out.

"It's our first day, please have mercy." Dude no 2 shouted, bowing till his head met the floor.

Oh, you thought, they were actual idiots.

Seeing people bow and beg at your boyfriend was always surreal. You knew he had repertoire and respect because of years of being a gang leader. Personally, you never really understood gang things tm. But you knew your Mikey could kick ass and people looked up to him, so you always enjoyed the times he did gang leader things tm cuz it was hot.

"Yamagishi, you recruited them so you have responsibility. Have anything to add?" Mikey asked the frozen boy, who probably stopped breathing a long time ago.

"Uh, it was Takemitchy's idea?" The boy said, knowing who Mikey's kryptonite was.

"You're the one who asked me. Don't try to get me killed along with them!" The acting president hollered.

Mikey turned to his best friend, smile still plastered on his face. If Takemitchy didn't have the trauma to back up his biggest endeavour, he would be worried that the dark impulse would've possessed him from that interaction alone.

"Mitchy, normally I would let the head captain step in for any decision made about their division. But since they directly challenged me, we have to deal with it like all gangs do, right?"

"We didn't....we didn't know, promise!" Dude no 2 peeped out.

"Hmm, but wasn't it you who said that you could take her boyfriend on? It'd be an easy win? There's enough people who witnessed that."

"Oh, Lord Almighty." Takemitchy murmured, "nothing can save them now."

"Not even an hour in and they're going to die." Another murmur from the crowd. (It was Ran)

"I never said that, I am not a part of this." Dude no 1 threw his friend under the bus immediately. It was understandable.

"'She could've been mine,'" Mikey practically sang, taking off his jacket, "is what you said, right?"

"No I couldn't," you spoke absentmindedly, only looking at your boyfriend cuz you'd lost interest in the morons, "you're too ugly for me."

It was a blow that hit almost as hard as the kick they were about to receive. Mikey let out an affectionate snort as he covered your head with his jacket. The heavy material blocking your peripheral as he left your side within a second. A sick crack brandished the air, followed by two thuds.

"Welp, that fight didn't last. How boring, wanted to show off." Mikey sounded bored, the asphalt crunching under his slippers as he walked back.

"Are they--" Takemitchy's panicked pitch followed, a very common tone whenever Mikey was involved.

"Breathing." Draken called out, giving them a light kick on the side to check.

"Takemitchy, your crew is banned from recruiting." Their leader yelled back with his head only half turned, a flurry of 'yes sir!'s came.

"Thank you for holding onto my jacket, baby." Mikey whispered as he took the jacket off your head and draped it on his shoulders. His eyes were back to being kind and gentle, warm hand cupping your face in gratitude. You melted into him, eyes closing. He left a kiss on your forehead, keeping you close.

"Ah, I'm hungry," he whined, "let's go get mcdonald's. I didn't eat breakfast."

"You didn't?" You asked as he interwined your fingers together and tugged.

"I had cereal but that barely counts." Mikey started chattering on, waving a hand to dismiss the meeting that never began.

[between-two-fandoms]

Thinking about after Buck and Tommy have been dating a while, and they're like having Maddie and Chim around for dinner or something, and it's getting late and Tommy and Buck are cleaning up and have settled into easy domesticity and Maddie and Chimney are having their own little conversation still at the table, but Maddie is watching because that's her brother and she's curious. Buck is talking about whatever his latest research subject is and he realises he's been talking for like ten-minutes straight and that Tommy hasn't been able to get a word in (not that he wants to because he likes listening to Buck) and Buck kind of bashfully apologises for rambling and Tommy just jokingly goes "that's okay, I love you anyway." And Buck doesn't clock it, and him and Tommy continue on, but Maddie does. Because she remembers her brother when he was hurt and yelling at their parents. She remembers younger Evan with his broken bones and desperate eyes, and she's looking at Evan now and he's calm and happy and knows without a doubt that he is loved.

Sorry, my replies tend to be three times the length they probably should be. I just like to babble about how much I love these characters. Sorry for any typos or grammar errors I don't know how to shut up sometimes.

My heart. Nonnie you're making me feel things. Maddie would be so happy for Evan. She's a little hesitant about Tommy at first, he's Buck's first boyfriend. It's all new waters, she's his sister, it's in her blood to be nervous for him. But she trusts her brother's judgment and Tommy seemed like a good guy at the wedding. Plus Chimney vouched for him, he's probably not the worst guy her brother could fall for. (More under cut)

Her sweet, precious, little brother who just wanted to be loved found someone. He found someone who loves him anyway. Evan found someone who she can see loves him so, so much. She didn't have to look too closely to see it. It's not a fake, surface-level puppy dog love either. What surprises her the most is that this is Evan, not Buck, in her kitchen with this person who's opened the world to him. It's Evan who's smiling and rambling and gentle and kind. It's been so long since she's seen him be Evan, and not live with the weight of Buck on his shoulders.

She knows in her Big Sister Bones that Tommy's someone who will keep her little brother's heart safe. Maddie will never be able to explain to Tommy what that means to her in words. But she watches them. (maybe not as subtle as she hoped). She watches her brother interact with him, watches Evan be all happy and relaxed and content. Unafraid to love and unafraid to be loved back.

She listens to how Tommy speaks to her brother. In a low, deep timbre that settles into Evan's bones. Tommy speaks like Evan was made to be cherished, holding his cheek as if Evan was his entire world, standing in her kitchen as they put dinner away. Tommy looks content too, enamored from the sheer energy radiating off of Evan as the night continues. As if being able to have Evan is enough, as if Tommy knows her brother doesn't have to be anything but himself to be worthy of love.

She sees the look in Tommy's eyes and is suddenly reminded of Chimney, reminded of the love she shares with her husband. She thinks Tommy already knows how special it is for Evan to choose you, to be important in Evan's life. She wonders if Evan has realized how gone for the Pilot is for him, probably not. She loves her brother but he can be a bit stupid unless someone spells it out for him. Still though, can tell Tommy's planning on sticking around for a long time, and she hopes he does. Evan and Tommy are good together, good for each other. She relaxes into Chimney's chest, leaning back as they watch Buck and Tommy try to set up a game of Pictionary. "So what do you think?" Chimney whispers, setting Maddie's wine glass aside for her. She looks up and kisses him on the chin.

"I like him," she says, smiling when Tommy somehow gets stuck in the legs of the whiteboard stand trying to set it up. Buck helps him get out of it, then plants a kiss on his lips, all rosy-cheeked and sappy. Yeah, Maddie thinks, Tommy's worthy of her little brother's heart.

I love supportive big sister Maddie with my whole chest.

If anyone's interested I might make this a fic. Maddie's POV ofc.

[ipegchangbin]

Shy Pervert Classmate Seungmin comes over to y/n's house to study with them, he is alone in her room while she goes to get food for both of them..he can't help himself because the room smells so much like her so he looks through her things getting too needy he does something 😏..but realizes that he shouldn't be doing it and tries to remain calm..

thank you for sending this in, i typed this one with my cock

🏷️ sub!seungmin, dom!fem!reader, reader has a pussy, creampie, one face slap, snooping & panty sniffing.

seungmin agrees on coffee and a simple toast before watching you, his crush and informal tutor, disappearing out of the bedroom.

you’re a sight to behold but it’s fire on his skin to even watch you leave him alone.

alone is a big thing. he’s in your house, your room, alone — not for long, but alone at the moment. alone with your things. alone in the room you, his crush, stay in. this is your living space. he’s in it. it’s so personal, so decoratively you, so full of you from each and every wall to corner to ceiling. it smells so humanly you that it makes seungmin sick, not from the actual odor, but from the fact that this is the exact scent he fell in love with and he’s only falling harder.

thought after thought bombards his brain until an explosion starts to fizz.

your clothes — your underwear are right behind the closet doors within a meter of his reach.

“stop,” seungmin mutters under his breath, “don’t be fucking stupid.”

a voice in his brain fights that. he doesn’t know what it’s saying, but the voice tells him something of opening it and taking a look at it. just a look. nothing more.

he doesn’t do anything with it. he hesitates by a mile when he could easily swing his arm to open the wooden door separating him from your belongings. it’s so wrong, he thinks.

he honors and respects you a lot. he puts you on such a high pedestal in his mind that he still finds it surreal to be within your zone at all. you used to be someone out of his league, a person so cunning yet so well put-together that it duets well with seungmin’s genius yet chaotic nature. you’ve both tested that in class, your ideas bouncing off each other in a discussion so immersive that the professor was just a second thought between you. and yet, he still believes that talking to you is a daydream he can’t snap out of.

again, he respects you. respects you enough to fantasize about you in discussions, respects you enough to stop thinking about your face while he’s jerking off in the bathrooms, only to respect you enough to mutter your name when he’s alone in his bedroom staring at the ceiling with cum on his hand after thinking about you.

now he’s here, fighting a persistent voice telling him to just look at your damn panties.

the thing is that he doesn’t hate the idea. he respects you, though, he’s still a man — a man with desires. he’s a man who gives in to temptation like the men and women before him who ate apples and listened to snakes. it’s “some shit like that” — your words — that gets seungmin spiraling with his balls in a twist when the apple he’s presented with is finally in front of him, in his hand, in the shape of your panties.

“how’d it—huh?”

seungmin’s daydream fogs out as he realizes how he reached for your panties without thinking at all. it terrifies him to have your personal, no, intimate items in his possession. it terrifies him to touch fabric that hugs your pussy and ass. it terrifies him to know that he has done this without a single thought. didn’t he agree on just looking? where are you? what’s taking you so long from just coffee?

he attempts to put it back down in the drawer compartment he got it from, but his hands fail to be piloted as another voice torments him.

there’s no reason for him to be doing any of this other than the undeniable fact that he likes you. “like” is a light word for his borderline obsession that acts as both an intrusive and persistent thought. he’s already held your panties, which is already more than what he bargained for, and while you’re still out, why not just sniff it? sounds stupid at first but the more that seungmin gives it the thought, the more that it makes sense.

it’s wrong regardless. so why not go further when it’s already—

“don’t make it worse,” seungmin says aloud.

he hesitates. he stares at the body of the fabric and notices the slight stain your cunt’s juices make on it. it’s normal for discharge and the pH levels of your —pretty, lovely, juicy, irresistible— pussy to affect the fabric, and the imprint makes seungmin’s imagination run wild.

flashes of visions of your cunt, wet and full of his cum and yours, plague his already-diseased mind. you’re teasing him here, looming over his head relaxed on your bed. you’re not letting the mix of his cum and your wetness to drip down on his face; instead, you wear the panties on before riding his mouth and nose. the body of your panties are instantly wet from the amount of cream and natural wetness blocked on it, but it seeps through ever so slightly through the fabric and seungmin could taste every single bit of you and himself as you fuck his face, rocking your hips back and forth, and it smells amazing, so much that he sniffs again and again and—

“—fuck!”

seungmin pulls his hand away from his face, stopping himself from sniffing even more of your panties. he couldn’t believe that he actually started sniffing it.

but you’re the voice that yelled through the room.

“seungmin, that’s my—what are you doing?”

he sets it down with haste and closes the closet behind him.

the boy is red all over. the fire on his skin burns through all the layers and down ablaze on his bone. he’s sweating. he wants to cry. his mouth stays slightly agape. he’s so fucked.

you inch closer to him and suddenly he’s in hell. you still smell good. you smell just like your room, if not stronger. your panties are the strongest. why does he still think that?

the distance between the both of you closes in to a couple of inches before you pin your shocked classmate to the right closet door. reaching for the left, you swing it open and your hand finds the discarded underwear in an instant. you swing the door back closed and seungmin’s still unmoved, not even by an inch.

all you manage is a laugh before slapping him across the face with the hand that pinned him.

“if you like this so much,” you say, shaking the underwear in your fist, “then sniff it all you want.”

you throw the panties at his lips and nose. he accidentally immediately breathes in nothing but your scent. you chuckle a little bit while holding seungmin by the shoulders, roughly managing his whole body on your bed with a single swing.

a part of its ease isn’t to do with your strength, but because seungmin complies so incredibly easily under your touch.

“but the ones i’m wearing now will stay on. how about that?”

seungmin cocks his head to the side in confusion until he understands after one second.

he nearly protests, wanting to taste and whiff your fresh pussy — not just your panties, not just the ones you’re currently wearing, but the cunt that’s wetting it right not. it’s only then that he notices his own cock straining against his pants as he stops himself mentally from begging for your cunt.

he bites down on your panties as he watches you crawl over his body, discarding your shirt and your own pants, revealing your naked body to him.

naked, though you have your panties on.

helping his cock out of the denim he’s wearing, hastily pushing his shirt all the way up to reveal his own body, you tease him with a laugh so evil that it sounds exactly like the voice of temptation in his head.

without a word, you climb on his crotch and ride it. you don’t put his cock inside you, but you hook it through your underwear right against your cunt and move your hips forward. his cock, impressive in it’s length and rather cute in its girth, is perfect for you to slide your pussy against, but you never honor the entrance inside you.

you respect seungmin in return. it’s enough to tease him out of your cunt when he needs it the most.

“i-i’m sorry—”

“and you’re only saying sorry now? after all of this? after looking through my shit?”

“i wasn’t…thinking…”

“you made two choices—” you moan loudly before continuing, “you looked through my closet first, then you got my damn underwear.”

the angle of your hip rolls sends seungmin into a haze that he barely breaks out of. all he could think about is the wetness of your cunt sliding on his cock. “i d-didn’t know what i was doing…”

“didn’t know you were such a pervert.” you hold your old underwear on his face with one hand, and the other pushes your current underwear fully aside to invite the tip of his cock into your cunt.

“fuck! fuck, y/n, oh my god,” seungmin’s moans and groans leave him in bursts even if he’s not fully inside you. the sigh of relief that you let out leaves him shriveling.

“it’s good?”

“s-so, so good…” he takes another whiff of the underwear you hold against his face. “can’t get enough…”

you thrust your hips forwards while removing the panties from his face. now he’s fully inside you, but at that, he cums instantly.

apologies escape his throat immediately but you shush him with one long kiss.

now he smells like you. now your room smells a bit like his sex. it’s a trade of scents and respect, you both think, long forgetting the study topic as you lay together in your bed. staring at the ceiling, holding each other’s hands somehow, you and seungmin think for a while before laughing together.

then you put your panties on, climbing upwards up until seungmin’s face.

“how about i ride your face with my panties on?”

seungmin gives a look of pure shock before his face is fully engulfed by you again.

[hatchetno1]

sage forest mental institution.

chapter 1: pilot word count: 2.5k note: yes this is a rewrite. i am sorry. also on AO3. here is the link.

Working in Wing F, evaluation and quarantine, allows for you to observe a whole slew of mental disorders. Some make sense to you, and would as well to the layman. Some simply do not, and the shit-grade doctors at Sage Fores are apparently as stupid as they seem and dropped the fuck to be given between the cracks of drainage.

Three new patients come in, along with a cold gust of wind.

The transport officer, Jeremy, offers you his greetings once again.

“’Sup, lil’ bro?” To him, gender is irrelevant, and so is age. You’re not even sure how much older he is than you, or if he is at all, but you’d gotten used to the term of affection long ago.

“Nothing much, Jeremy. Thanks for bringing them in. Need a snack?” You offer, knowing the man to have an endless pit for a stomach.

“Aw shit, you know I do.” So you toss him a pack of three Oreos. The only thing stronger than the man’s lactose intolerance is apparently his love for the cookies.

Four other officers—they have to be new, you’d never seen any of their faces before—bring the new patients to be evaluated into the building, distributing them into their cells.

One patient with light brown hair and baby blues, still in prisoner’s clothes, speaks up. “May I be placed next to him?” His hands, cuffed, weakly gesture to the bearded man next to him.

And with a sharp wham he’s beaten into the ground. Jeremy, still with Oreos in his mouth, is startled.

Something tugs at your gut.

“Who the fuck gave you the right to touch my patient?” You snap, not recognizing the volume and ferocity of your own voice.

The nameless officer, his face now burned into your mind’s eye, opens his mouth, only to stutter.

Jeremy’s hand shoots out between both of you and places his back to his subordinate. You vaguely register the third patient—the one with a shaggy brown mop of hair—help up the one who spoke.

“I’m sorry. He didn’t mean it,” defends Jeremy half-heartedly. You know this guy well enough to figure out that he’s just defending a newbie on the job.

“Not your fault, Jeremy,” you mutter. “But keep him on a leash or something. I don’t care if he beats other prisoners or something, but,” you step closer to look the new officer in the eye, his own orbs glazed over with a hint of fear and remorse, “remember that my job is hard enough as it is. I now have to treat a wound and whatever trauma that person suffered from you.”

The new officer gulps. “S-sorry.”

“Hm.” You keep your response curt so as to avoid any words that might let him think what he did was marginally okay.

You turn back to get a good look at your poor patient. “Sorry about that. What’s your name?” You always preferred asking your patients directly instead of referring to a document serving only to persecute them.

“Brian Thomas,” he croaks out, but not before his eyes flit to your nametag. “I’m fine, I was just caught off guard.”

“I’ll still have to send you to medical later,” you say apologetically. “Here, as an apology.” You pull another pack of Oreos out of your pocket.

The man smiles weakly at you, accepting the cookies. “Thank you.”

This batch of new patients seems to be rather well-behaved and rational, instead of the violent type you get most of the time. They are, after all, being sent to an asylum for the criminally insane.

---

After Jeremy and his subordinates are gone, you settle your patients in with the help of Andrea, a nurse from another wing. In this godforsaken asylum, you believe only her to have a good heart. She was the one who helped you get settled in with this job when you’d first entered 8 months ago.

And as Brian Thomas had wished, you placed him and his pal next to each other. You note that the three of them seem close, which might make your job easier. If you can’t coax something out of one of them, there are two others to try it on.

“It’s only two weeks, and if you’re lucky, maybe just one,” you had told the three men, who all provided you with no noteworthy reactions.

No meds were needed at this point in quarantine, unless the doctor determined that they were in need of it, which was usually in the later stages of quarantine, and usually signified their release into the main asylum.

Administrative work is a blur as always. All work in this gloomy building is to you, and every day is a dissociative fog to you until you get to visit your own patients in their rooms.

The first one you visit is the one whom Brian had requested to be put next to, and you did indeed place them in adjacent cells. His dossier carries the name “Timothy Wright”.

You knock on the door respectfully— a thing you do for your patients in hopes they don’t lose the sense that they’re still a person. This asylum is no cozy home, but if you don’t try to make it one for them, they’ll probably lose their minds.

No response comes from within the room. You take it as an absence of objection to your intrusion, and enter.

“Hey, man.” You include a deliberate casualness in your tone, hoping it’ll help set the man at ease.

The cell includes a simple bathroom cubicle in the corner, complete with a sink and a mirror right next to it. The floor is tiled and the bedframe crickety. On the rare occasion that a patient invites you to sit on the bed with them, you find that the mattress can barely be classified as decent.

Timothy sits on the bed, his attention now captured by you. “Hey.”

You allow a calculated amount of silence between you and him, allowing for him to speak his mind. He does.

“You still got some of those Oreos?” He asks.

This question is not unexpected. “Yeah.” And you toss him a packet from your coat’s pocket.

He catches it with ease. “You, uh…just keep those in your pocket?”

You can recall a patient or two who’s asked you that question before, so you take it as an opportunity to explain. “Sometimes we give these out to patients who’re well-behaved as a reward.” You pause, choosing your words carefully to balance both honesty and a sense of warmth. “But honestly I don’t like that we only give it as a reward. It’s like you’re dogs to be rewarded. Just don’t tell anyone else that I simply give out Oreos.”

You say this as if damn near half the asylum patients don’t already know you for your free Oreos, though they’re all bribed with a free Oreo pack pass to keep it a secret from the asylum. The rest of the staff, save for Andrea, just think you’re nice and happen to give the treats for every single good deed the patients carry out. Though, you’re still careful, lest a single glance at your wing’s stash of sundry Oreos betray you. So you make it a point to buy them from the convenience store outside your home with your own pay, and replenish the stock every day, making sure the stash seems untouched.

Timothy simply nods in understanding, opening the pack to pop a cookie into his mouth whole. Next up is something you don’t expect.

“Want one?” He holds the open pack to you.

“Uh.” Then you laugh. “Why not?” You make sure not to reject, placing yourself on the same level as him. That is to say, lacking a stash of Oreos. Pulling an Oreo out of the packet in his hand, you pop it into your mouth too.

“Thanks, man,” you say through a mouthful of Oreo. After you swallow, you ask his name.

“You can just call me Tim.” You note that even he prefers the shorter version of his name.

“Alright, Tim. If you ever need me, just call me. Okay?”

He provides a simple nod in response, then offers an “okay” in return.

You nod. Everything in his room is in order, and he seems to require no more than just that simple check-in.

The door closes.

---

The next to visit on your list is Brian, who sits on the bed, an ice pack pressed to his cheek with Andrea crouched by his side. She notices your presence, gets up and whispers to you.

“I’ll leave you to it, hun.” She knows you don’t like your patients surrounded by more than one nurse or doctor if necessary, so you thank her silently and turn to face your patient once your colleague is gone.

Brian’s swelling seems to already have gone down, with the darkness of the bruise already fading to a dark green. “You heal quite fast,” you remark.

Straightening up, you hold a hand out to him. “I’m Y/N, a nurse here.” He grabs your hand and shakes it firmly with a slight smile on the good side of his face. “I’m Brian Thomas.” You chuckle. “Yes, I have your dossier here,” you joke, albeit a lame, half-assed one.

“Hey, I’m sorry about what happened earlier,” you begin. “Usually, those guys don’t touch my patients ‘cause they know what happens if they do—I’ll sock them right back— but it seems these ones were new. I’ll see what I can do about it, disciplinary actions or getting them barred from here or something.”

Brian smiles, letting out a huff of a laugh through his nose. “No need. I can see why they act like that. In prison…sometimes it’s necessary.” When that doesn’t seem to reassure you, he adds, “I’ve been through a lot worse. Trust me. It’s okay.”

You’re not reassured, not in the slightest bit. But years of experience with patients have taught you to go along with them. Forcing them in your own direction would do no good for either of you.

“If you say so,” is what your mouth and brain collectively settle on. “Doesn’t mean you should be treated like that, though. Any staff touches you, let me know.” You smile a little at the following thought, “Everyone knows not to touch the patients in my wing.”

That’s not to say you’re the head of the wing. You feel a little ick, even, at claiming that this is “your wing”. But seeing as patients leave the wing happy or even a little better than before, you think it’s fine.

“Are you three friends…?” You ask.

Brian replies. “Tim and I are. The third one, Toby, is new to, uh… us.”

Something tells you not to press it.

“Right then. That reminds me, I’ve gotta get around to Toby. Uh…,” You refer to the third one’s dossier. “Is calling him Toby okay, or should I be calling him Tobias?”

Brian’s eyes darken. “Don’t ever call him Tobias.”

So you enter Toby’s room, and make a mental note to never call him Tobias, because he could be dangerous if you do so.

---

I didn’t expect us to find the one so soon.

---

You enter Toby’s room and make a mental note to never call him Tobias, because he could be dangerous if you do so.

But it seems otherwise to you.

What sticks out to you, more of a concern than even his potentially murderous behavior upon being called his real name, is the bandage on his cheek. While Toby was indeed quiet at first, especially on your first visit, with small, retracted body language, knees pulled to his chin and short, quiet responses, he quickly warmed up.

After countless “yes, no, maybe, I don’t know”s, you insert an innocent, “You can call me any time for anything you need,” and his eyes light up. You think that perhaps he’s just lonely, and anticipate a lot of calls from him. 

And you’re right to do so, with him calling you for every little thing.

Every. Little. Thing.

“Y/N, I can’t tie the robe at the back…,” whines Toby as he half-heartedly reaches and grabs at the ribbon behind his back. 

“Okay,” you laugh, and reach out to tie it for him. And then, gently, he grasps your hand, perhaps to guide it to the ribbon. You’re not allowed to touch patients. But for him, for just this once, maybe you’ll let him. 

But he turns around to face you, brown eyes unreadable. 

“You really mean it, right? That I can call you for anything?”

You’re caught off guard by the whole thing. “Uh…,” You laugh nervously. “Yeah. Yes.” Before you’re about to blabber on in nervousness about why and how he should, he grins, eyes brightening a little.

“Great! I’ll see you later.”

He does, in fact, see you later.

To put it lightly, Toby calls you a lot. To put it bluntly, he calls you for a lot of stupid shit.

“Y/N,” he’d whine, dragging out the syllables of your name, “I’m bored!” So you give him a book. Then, you play a board game with him. Finally, you attempt to teach him biology, which a man his age should really not be marveling at, given the rudimentariness of the content you rattle off.

“Y/N,” he’d whine again, “I’m hungry!” And you’d tease, “You just had lunch, Toby.” 

“But I’m hungryyyyy!” He’d exclaim. “I get hungry easily. And I’m hungry now.”

You begrudgingly pull out a pack of Oreos from your pocket.

And now, it’s the 64th time, at the end of two weeks, and most likely the last time he’ll get to call on you like this. Though you’d usually begrudgingly heed his call and head over with a slight drag in your steps, you decide that today, now, you may as well entertain his silly little questions for the last time.

And so you knock on the door and enter upon his “Come in!”, bracing yourself for whatever nonsensical request he might make. 

A nonsensical request he makes indeed. “Y/N,” he mumbles, fidgeting with his hands. “Can you…uh… turn around for a moment?”

Never turn your back to a patient, not when they’re criminally insane. But today, now, your guard is down, and your brain somehow forgets that you might land yourself in danger.

You laugh, dismissing his silly request as “just a Toby thing”, and twirl around, only exposing your back for a moment. 

One second is all it takes. You only turn 180 degrees, barely a completion of your round.

You hit the floor with a thud.

note: sorry for all the page breaks. i promise it'll get better soon.

[violentdelightsandviolentends]

North Star.

It's New Years Eve. Jake is tired of waiting.

Pairing - Jake Seresin x female reader

Warnings - None

Word Count - 1638

Author's Note - Thank you so much for all the love on The Orange - I've been giggling and kicking my feet reading all of your comments and tags. I loved writing it, and I loved writing this one too. Please feel free to send me any requests, ideas, prompts, comments or questions - I'll always read them. If I could kiss you all, I would x

Masterlist. Requests.

Multi colored lights adorn the beams of the ceiling. Metallic streamers hang from the bar. Music is blasting from the jukebox. The Hard Deck almost looks unrecognisable. 

It's New Years Eve, and The Squad have agreed to spend it together. Hangman, Coyote and Payback are at the dart board, allowing Jake to show off his talent. Bob, Rooster and Fanboy are convened by the pool table, taking turns to shoot, unbothered by who's meant to be sinking what. You and Natasha are standing by the bar, waiting for Penny to serve you when she gets the chance.

"So, come on, who are you kissing at midnight?" Natasha looks at you with a glint in her eye. Mischievous girl. 

"Yeah. Right. You, if you're not careful," you warn her, teasing lilt in your voice. Honestly, you don't think she'd be the worst choice in the world. 

"As much as I'd love that, I don't think the squad could handle it," she winks at you cheekily. "Seriously, who?" 

"I don't know!" you laugh. But that's a lie. You do know. At least, you know who you'd like to kiss. 

Jake Seresin. Hangman. America's Sweetheart. 

Pilot, Texan, Heartbreaker. 

Your friend, your teammate, the man you've been in love with since you met him that first day of basic training. 

The two of you were partnered for the first few exercises that day, and you beat every other pair by a mile. You both figured out pretty quickly that you make a damn good team. 

That hasn't changed. If ever you have to pair up for an exercise, a mission, or just a class, Jake's eyes find yours immediately. A silent question. Shall we? And your answer, always - of course. 

You seem to have your own language, this shared communication. You don't have to speak to know what the other person is saying. On the ground, or in the air, you know each other's next moves. Predictable, but comfortable. 

Maybe that's the problem. 

You believe strongly that women are more than capable of making the first move. You've thought about grabbing Jake and kissing him stupid more times than you can count. But you don't. Every time there's an opportunity, you brush past it, let it go. Because the comfort isn't worth sacrificing. At least, that's what you're telling yourself. 

Your friendship with Jake has been built on years of trust, empathy, and reliance. You know that no matter what, he'll have your back. He's demonstrated it more than once. Countless times. Showing up for you, without fail. When you were harassed by a man at the Hard Deck, Jake showed up. When you had a family member's funeral and didn't want to go alone, Jake showed up. When you broke your wrist and ended up in the hospital, Jake showed up. He was your North Star. Always there, always guiding. Always comforting. 

So you can't help but repeatedly ask yourself - why hasn't he made a move? You're convinced you know the answer to that question, though. Because you're friends. He sees you as a friend. A teammate. Which you wouldn't change for the world, not by any means. But it doesn't stop you from wishing that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't hold his cards so close to his chest. Just for a minute. 

The Devil Himself sidles over to the two of you, still at the bar, and throws an arm over each of you. Natasha manages to wiggle under and away from him, but you stay put. You don't mind. 

"Hey pretty ladies," he beams, "whatcha whispering about?" 

"It's kind of impossible to whisper when you keep queueing Duran Duran on the jukebox at full volume, Hangman," Natasha barks back. 

He laughs, a real, full bodied laugh that shakes both him and you, still with his arm slung over your shoulder. You laugh with him. It's impossible not to. His laugh is contagious, you think. Unavoidable. He laughs, you laugh. That's the way it's always been. 

It's at this moment that Bob pushes his way through the crowd, grabbing Natasha by the hand. 

"Phoenix, I need you. Fanboy doesn't believe you can do that pool trick you showed me last week. Come and prove him wrong!" 

She grins at you, and allows herself to be pulled into the swarms of people, on her way to earn some respect. 

You turn back to Jake at the bar, and see that he's ordered a beer, and your usual. Observant boy. 

You take a sip of your drink, only for a drop to miss your mouth entirely. Maybe it's the alcohol, or maybe it's just his impatience, but Jake decides he's tired of waiting. He leans in to you, and slowly, deliberately, follows the journey of the drop with his tongue, from the bottom of your neck up to your jaw. He pulls back, and watches you with that gaze of his. Measured, careful. Adoring. Mischievous. Just so Jake. 

You feel the heat rise from your chest and up to your cheeks, but you don't break eye contact with him. It feels like a confession. You're baring your truth to him, silently, and he's understanding. That shared language. You're both saying so much, without saying anything at all. 

It's then that you realise where you are. The Hard Deck has somehow become even more crowded, and you keep being bumped left and right by people attempting to get to the bar. The music is too loud, the lights are too bright. You need a minute. As if he can read your mind, Jake speaks. 

"Let's get some air. It's hot in here." 

He grabs your hand, interlacing your fingers with his, and leads you out of the door, onto the deck outside. 

The cool night air hits you both, and you sigh with relief. You allow the breeze to flow through your hair, to ripple your dress, to cleanse you of your worry.

Jake's still holding your hand. Tighter, now. As if he's scared you'll blow away. Or run away, maybe. 

You lean into him slightly, and rest your head against his arm. He's warm, soft. He smells like Jake. Like love. Like home. 

"You okay?" he asks. Always so worried about you. Attentive boy. 

"I'm good. Just a little overwhelmed, I guess."

He starts to rub circles over the back of your hand with his thumb, grounding you. It's all so intimate, you don't know whether to pull him closer or sprint in the other direction. 

He makes the decision for you - closer. He kisses your hair, and then rests his head atop of yours. You can hear the squad laughing and cheering inside, all of them completely unaware that out on the deck, two of their teammates are baring their souls to each other. 

You have no idea whether it's been two minutes or two hours when Jake speaks again. 

"You're the prettiest girl in that bar, you know." Then, he says, a bit quieter, "You're always the prettiest girl in the room."

He says it so sincerely, so earnestly, that you want to rip your heart out of your chest and place it in his hands. You want to give it to him so that maybe he'll finally understand - it's already his. 

You don't know what to say, so you bring your interlaced hands up to your lips, and kiss each of his knuckles individually. He's so warm, so golden. Radiating light wherever he goes. Your North Star. 

You both listen to the gentle crash of the ocean waves, sitting with the weight of the moment. It feels like with every second that passes, silent revelations are being made. As if the love, the feelings, the comfort, are passing through your hands and into his. You're quite convinced that you could stay right where you are forever. 

Bury me like this, you think. Immortalise us here. 

All of a sudden, the sound of a countdown breaks through your solitude. 

Ten. Nine.

You smile gently, and look at Jake, to see him gazing down at you. Stars in his eyes. Cosmic boy. 

Eight. Seven. 

He glances inside, to see the squad all gathered together, arms around one another. His family. 

Six. Five. 

Jake turns to you, and cups your face in both of his hands. Those hands that have picked you up from the ground. Those hands that have wiped your tears. Those hands, so strong, but so gentle. That's him all over, though. Your gentle boy. 

Four. Three. 

He looks at you with promise in his eyes. You can understand, clear as day, what he's telling you. Life will never be the same, from this day forward. Neither of you can wait. 

Two. One. 

Jake leans in, and presses his lips to yours. He tastes like spearmint, and the future. One of his hands travels to the back of your neck, to pull you in closer. Now that he has you this near, he knows he's never going to be able to let you go. 

Bodies pressed together as close as can be, you kiss him with so much love, you're surprised he hasn't fallen over. He's breathing you in, trying to commit this moment to memory. He knows he'll tell your grandkids about this. Hell, he'll tell any damn person that'll listen. 

"Happy New Year, sweetheart," he murmurs against your lips. 

"Happy New Year, lover," you whisper back against his. 

Bright beams of light appear above your head suddenly. Explosions of color dance across the sky, illuminating Jake's face. You look at him, and feel the urge to burst into tears. He's not watching the fireworks. He's watching you. He's gazing at you like you hung the moon. You're looking at him like he's the North Star, guiding you home. And that's exactly where you are. Home.

[moonlight-prose]

accidentally staring a bit too long at their lips w/ fritz bestie please i am begging he has kissable lips 😩

EARTH ANGEL

a/n: because manny jacinto is finally showing up my dash constantly, i felt like i had to write something for the one and only fritz. this is courtesy of us just screaming about him. a nonstop convo about how beautiful he is. also cause top gun summer 3.0 is necessary when the weather hits 90 and you want to crawl out of your skin. this is unedited and beta read by you babes.

summary: what does it mean to belong to someone? to be stuck in their gravitational pull, to feel that cosmic connection that makes breathing difficult when they were away.

OR a dance, a song, and the aspect of forever all leads to one conclusion. falling in love with fritz was inevitable.

word count: 3.2k+

pairing: bill ‘fritz’ avalone x f!reader

warnings: so much fluff it’s scary, romance, the hopefulness of two hopeless romantics, fluff, flirty vibes from our man fritz, he's obsessed it's so cute, the good gooey feelings that make people do stupid things for love.

Celebratory cheers bounced off the walls as you did your best not to get knocked on your ass. People crowded the bar, beer in their hands and requests for more flying off their lips. And you did what you could to sink into the corner. Away from those that were already on the road to slurring their words given the demeanor of the setting. People were floating on cloud nine. Over the damn moon as the mission they stressed over suddenly became a success.

The condensation dripped onto your hand, slipping down your wrist when you took a sip. You should have wiped it away on your sundress, but the scene before you distracted every one of your senses. Rooster was three beers in, a shot of something amber beside him, as he sang at the top of his lungs. His fingers danced over the keys.

Surprising given that he was tipping over the piano, his eyes glazed and gleaming. A group of pilots you tried to make sense of practically fell beside him, their voices shouting above the others. The serenity of bliss drawn on their faces. You figured they were the ones who'd accomplished the job.

"Can I buy you a drink honey?" The drunken slur of a pilot tripping his way towards you nearly threw you off, but with a tip of your beer and a lazy smile you watched him accept defeat. His eyes already set to a redhead seated at the bar - her gaze locked on him with a hunger you only felt for one man.

"You shouldn't hide away," Phoenix called, sliding into the corner with you, two beer necks wrapped in each hand. Another round to kill the stress of the day—to remember they weren't just pilots.

You grinned. "Who says I'm hiding?"

A quirk of her eyebrow and a murmured mhm called you out faster than you anticipated. Hiding wasn't the prerogative. If you had another beer in your system, you'd be sitting by Rooster attempting to match his note for one of your own. But celebration wasn't to be had if the one you were waiting for hadn't waltzed through the door yet. His friends trailing behind him, wolf whistles traded for smirks from pretty women at the bar.

"He'll be here soon," she said, nodding towards the door. "Mav kept them longer than usual."

"Who says I'm waiting for someone?"

She laughed, a shrug thrown your way as she meandered through the mess of rowdy pilots. "Who says you're not?"

Any other pilot would have figured you wanted away from the noise, any of them wouldn't have seen how your eyes fell to the door whenever it swung open. But Phoenix...she could see the faint emotion that shone in your eyes. She saw how you laughed a bit harder in his presence, how he actually talked longer, how your hands brushed when you thought no one was looking. You were an open book, and Phoenix was rapidly turning the pages to see how this particular story came to an end.

"Phoenix—"

The call fell on deaf ears as she rejoined her boys. A seat procured for her by the pool table within seconds. They may give her shit left and right, but you caught the way respect bled from their hearts when she entered the scene. A comradery that left even you breathless.

They'd die for each other.

They nearly had.

You nearly wondered what that felt like: being so in tune with someone your whole body lit up when they entered a room. Yet the echo of the door swinging open—a cheer of a voice you recognized - yanked the breath from your lungs. Seconds passed like hours, and the hair on the back of your neck stood to attention, as you turned. Already searching the crowd for that someone—the other half of your cosmic connection.

If you had a favorite color before catching sight of his eyes, you couldn't remember it. The inclination of your favorite song was diminished the second his laughter fell upon your senses. You suddenly couldn't recall a day where you didn't breathe for him, where your life didn't hold meaning unless you shared a smile and said hello. He'd become the sun, and you found you didn't mind being dragged into his gravitational pull. As long as you could orbit around him without end.

"Penny!" Harvard yelled over the noise of Rooster doing encore number three of Great Balls of Fire. "Three beers please and thank you!"

You smiled into your beer, the bitter flavor flooding your taste buds as a third member of the dynamic duo appeared in their midst. His head turning, eyes flicking through the throng of people, as he searched rapidly. He smiled at Yale, nodded his head at a woman who rammed into him, and finally caught your gaze with a deep exhale.

And suddenly...you could breathe properly again.

He mumbled his farewells, snuck the beer off the counter, and slipped quietly towards you.

People believed he remained silent because Harvard and Yale were loud enough for him. You found he had plenty to say. As long as someone was willing to listen. If it were up to you, he'd never stop talking. Simply so you could hear the deep echo of his voice on a constant loop. Your favorite tune, ever since he caught your eye at basic training. The question of an empty chair beside you suddenly turning into so much more.

"You're still in your flight suit," you said, hoping the light airiness of your voice was enough to avoid thinking about how your skin turned hot the second he showed up.

When it came to Fritz...you became aware of yourself in a way that didn't exist. How you moved, how you spoke.

Before him you were in darkness. He simply figured out how to turn on the switch and allow light in.

"Yeah," he let out another breath, sipping at his beer. You tracked the drip of condensation that fell on his neck, your stomach twisting at the sight. "We got the ritual speech of why we didn't go. You know the one."

"Ah. The I'm sorry but you're still a great pilot speech."

He smiled and the ground vanished beneath you. "That exact one actually."

"I'm sure he...added a cherry on top of the bullshit."

Fritz choked, laughter spilling from his lips like a contagion you longed to catch. When he felt joy, you partook. When he laughed, you couldn't help yourself. He was an addiction. The reason why you even came to San Diego in the first place.

Whether he knew that was a different story altogether.

"I'm guessing you made it out early." His eyes fell to your white sundress, red flowers sprinkled along the near sheer fabric. "Nice dress," he mumbled into his drink, eyes a bit darker than before as they trailed upwards, stopping briefly at the way it was pulled into a tie above your breasts.

You'd done it into a mess of a bow, hoping the look didn't resemble too much of a present. His gaze barely came up to your eyes before falling again, transfixed by the sight. And you found you didn't mind if he unwrapped you with the same glee as a kid on his birthday. You wanted him to.

"Thanks," you replied softly, the quick echo of your heart deafening against the noise of the bar.

Rooster's name was being chanted like a prayer, his body shimmying and swaying as he began to start up another round of the same song. People were more than happy to sing along with him. Until the familiar hum of the jukebox prickled in the air, a slow song blaring from the speakers. You leaned up on your toes, eyes catching the sight of Hangman appearing from the back of it with a glare on his face. His middle finger directed towards a half drunk Rooster; who met him with a finger of his own.

"Serves Rooster right," you began, turning back to Fritz with a flutter of your skirt. "That would have been number four."

He snorted. "Only Rooster wouldn't get hit for that."

"Oh I'm pretty sure Hangman was five seconds away from it."

The Penguins crooned softly as people began to calm slightly, dispersing to tables and disappearing out the back towards the firepit. And you stood there silently with Fritz, your beer now tepid and disgusting. If you had the chance, you'd have asked him to head out to the firepit, but he turned back towards the bar. Probably for one more drink.

"Right." You pulled at the skirt of your dress.

You wanted to play it back, say something entirely different. Ask him to join you by the fire pit with another beer in his right hand and your palm in his left. But the words were stuck like molasses in the back of your throat, fighting against release. Phoenix was begrudgingly dancing with Bob, her lips refusing a smile that you knew lingered beneath the surface. And Fanboy sat beside Payback, crooning the lyrics as best they could.

The temptation to join them pulled at your chest, an echo of that yearning for comradery appearing again. Perhaps if you asked Fritz he'd say yes. You could follow their lead, enjoy the night before you went your separate ways once more.

You could pretend to be whole for one night.

And life would feel worth living.

"Hey Avalone—" You were stopped short by the sight of his hand stretched towards yours, his lips in a small smile that screamed hope. That pleaded for an answer to this unspoken question.

Like the rest of them...you replied silently. With the belief that words simply weren't enough in this situation.

Slipping your hand into his, you allowed him to lead you towards the empty spot near Phoenix and Bob. Dazed and slightly worried that the singular beer you drank was affecting you more than it should. Even as the actual reason had your hand clasped tight. You wanted to ask what effect he held over you, what intangible bond he created without your knowledge. It might give you an explanation as to why you felt this way: stuck in a dream filled haze, with only his light to guide you out.

And maybe one day Fritz would tell you he gripped you so tight for fear of him tripping. Maybe he'd finally explain why he told you so much, why his body buzzed the second you walked in a room. Maybe he'd tell you that he suspected he loved you after watching you fly a jet, but knew he loved you when you nearly toppled him over playing volleyball on the beach.

But for now...he expressed what he could without words. Afraid that if he opened his mouth, he'd say the wrong ones.

With a swift turn, he tugged you closer on unsteady feet. A full smile pulling at his lips when you grasped his shoulders for balance.

He wouldn't let you fall. Not here...not in the sky as your wingman, and certainly not out of the love you felt for him. People said this emotion was fleeting. A lost fictitious hope that merely existed with words on a page, but there was no denying how his heart grew warmer when you were near. How he knew he could speak to you for hours at a time, yet never run out of things to say.

You were it.

That indescribable thing no one could give a name to.

"I didn't take you for the dancing type," you joked, swallowing around your nerves that jumped across your skin.

He stepped closer, his arm slipping around your waist. The way your chest hitched didn't go unnoticed by him; although rather than mention it, he put you out of your misery and kept speaking.

"I'm not."

"Let me guess...it's the song?"

He shrugged, swaying you into a gentle step you could follow with ease. "Well...it's not not the song."

A quick glance over told you that the Daggers were eyeing the both of you with great interest. As if you and Fritz were the entertainment they'd been searching for all night. The turning point of a love story they'd been a part of for years. The page sat ready to be turned, the final line of the novel practically burning a hole through the back cover, yet you couldn't read what it said.

"So it's...only the song?"

"No." If it were any other night, you'd be sharing a plate of nachos at a booth somewhere in the back. He'd be three stories deep into a conversation, and you'd be falling a bit harder the longer you listened.

Tonight however, he seemed—nervous.

"No?" You wanted to pry open his thoughts, see what he believed this was—what you were to him.

"If it wasn't the song? If I asked you because of something else, what would you do?" His hand clutched yours a bit tighter, the familiar callous on the base of his wrist helped keep you grounded.

"Depends on what it is." You sucked in a breath. "Will I...I've been thinking—"

"Yes?"

Your eyes met his softened gaze, the echo of an emotion you couldn't place shone in the deep brown. And you wanted to beg him to explain it to you. To tell you everything he'd never said out loud, in the hopes they mimicked what you held near and dear to your heart every day.

"Ever since I've known you...um..." Getting it out felt as if you were attempting to delicately attempt a surgery - prying them free from your chest with a chisel. "Actually since the day we met...fuck...it's not easy to say."

He tugged you a bit closer as he turned. "I know." He smiled, eyes falling to your lips, the curve of their shape, how they formed around his name. "It's not just the song. It's you."

Breathing no longer existed as the beat of your heart went haywire. Could he feel the pulse of it on your wrist? The way it bent and twisted as if leaping from your chest. You wanted to respond, tell him all the things that went unspoken, but once he found his words...they refused to go unheard.

"It's always been you. I should have told you before tonight. Believe me—I wanted to. You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you." He let out a soft breathy laugh and you could practically taste his words on your tongue. "And I think you knew."

"Will..." Your teeth sunk into the flesh of your bottom lip, eyes falling to his as the words you longed to hear finally left them.

"I love you." The sting of tears burned your eyes, your hand clutching his shoulder harder as he kept going. "Since the first day." He laughed nervously and an image of him, you, and a house flashed through your mind. "Well actually. The day you knocked me on my ass playing volleyball is when I knew for sure."

"Yeah?" you murmured, fighting back the stream of tears.

He seemed to catch how the light illuminated them, his hand slipping from yours to cup your cheek. "Yeah. Only my girl could be that competitive."

His girl.

The story was written the day you greeted him with a smile. The ending inscribed into your futures with permanent ink, carved into the rock of your headstones. And you could see it now—the familiar dip in the road that matched his perfectly. Falling in love with Fritz was always in the cards. A play you had no choice but to make.

He was your forever the second you shared the same oxygen.

"Fritz..."

He smiled, thumb running across the apple of your cheek. "Yeah baby?"

Chills ran down your spine as heat spilled into your stomach. The polarity of the two nearly toppled you to the ground, but he held you tight. Unwilling to let you go.

The song was slowly coming to the final chorus—the noise of the bar didn't register to your ears anymore as you hung onto his every word. Desperate for him to say those three words over and over and over. Until he lost all the breath in his lungs.

"I hope you know I love you."

His lips pulled into a smile that held your attention in its grasp. What you wouldn't give to see that every morning and night. To be the sole reason why something so beautiful appeared. He smiled and you felt the gravity beneath your feet give way, your stomach bursting to life with a flurry of butterflies.

"I should have said it before this mission. Or even a year ago. But I was scared you didn't feel the same wa—"

With a soft chuckle, he dipped down slightly, catching your lips with his softly. And every thought, every explanation you could give him, died on your tongue. He was gentle with you, as if this was a new version of the dance you'd shared throughout the years. The steps, familiar yet foreign enough to trip you up. It wasn't until you sucked in a sharp breath through your nose, your hand finding its way to the hair on the base of his neck, did the hesitation fall away.

He itched to haul you to his chest and properly kiss you. But the burn of eyes prickled along his back. There was an audience, witnesses to the first step into your future, and Fritz felt himself tense slightly. If he had a choice, he'd show you how long he wanted this. How he ached for this.

He'd make up for lost time.

The song filtered to an end, a new one he couldn't place starting up. He refused to pull away.

With a sigh, you melted into his hold, a noise echoing in the back of your throat as his tongue slid along yours. The tang of his beer mixing with yours. He kissed you with the promise of more, the knowledge that tonight you'd take his hand and follow him home. You felt his hand bunch the skirt at your back, fingers digging into your waist, and you moaned softly—desperate for his skin to sear yours.

"Get a room, lovebirds!" Hangman shouted, leaning against the jukebox beer in hand. Yet he let the quarter in his hand slide through the slot, another love song clicking to life as he complained with a smile.

Fritz jolted back, his lips swollen and vibrating. He could still taste you on his tongue, still hear the echo of your moan in his head. You looked dazed, almost lovestruck. And suddenly he understood what it really meant to be hungry.

"Remind me to thank Hangman later," he mumbled against your lips, addicted to the way they curved beneath his.

"He'll take credit for this."

He shrugged. "I'm okay with that."

You locked your other arm around his neck, nose brushing his as you eyed his lips. The red stain on his cheeks had your heart skipping as many beats as it could. What you wouldn't give to have a picture of him like this. Stuck in a haze of love that you put him in.

With a stupefied grin, you felt him start to lead you through the next dance. The steps perfectly in tune with his—as it was always meant to be. "So am I."

[withahappyrefrain]

I wish you would write a fic where … Venus is in the Navy and there’s where she and Jake meet each other (she doesn’t need to be a pilot but I’m dying to see how it would be if she were a fellow Navy personnel)

k bye love you

Fe the way this has been marinating in my brain! This an amazing idea I love it!

"This is so fucking stupid," Jake muttered as his squad gathered together. It was only the fourth time he had complained about it today, but fourth time’s the charm, right? 

Even if he was silent (rare but possible), the annoyance practically radiated off of him. Gone was that signature smirk and in its place his lips were drawn in a thin line, eyes narrowed as he kept his arms firmly crossed over his broad chest. 

"You realize that this has nothing to do with whether they think we're good or not, right?" Natasha asked, rolling her eyes. 

"And see, that's where you're wrong because it absolutely does. If they thought we were good enough, they wouldn't think we needed training from them," Jake explained, his voice coated in a vexing tone. 

"It's their whole job, you do realize that? Right?" Reuben asked, shaking his head. The whole squad had gathered outside the doors, wanting to come in together before the first meeting. What they didn’t think about was that it meant being forced to hear Jake. 

Most of the squad was fine with the Star Warriors coming in to help with training. Some were even excited. 

And then there was Jake. 

Jake who could only shake his head as he clenched his fists and rolled his eyes, "I don't care whether it's their job or not. It's the fact they think we seriously need training that's insulting."

"Well, I'm excited to meet them!" Bob piped in, hoping to break the tension, "I've heard great things about the Star Warriors."

"Yeah, really great things," Bradley said a bit too gleefully, ignoring the death glare from Jake, "Did you know on the Star Warriors is Venom, the only other pilot-"

"Knock it off Bradshaw,” Jake snapped, his tone sharp. 

"of this generation that has an airstrike kill? Therefore, breaking our beloved Bagman's record and making him eternally jealous?"

"I am not jealous!" Jake snapped, "Besides I read the report. It was all pure luck, not much skill, if any."

Sure, it hurt a little, truly a miniscule amount, when Jake learned he was no longer the only one who had achieved such a rare accomplishment. But after reading the report, he knew he was still the better pilot.

No jealousy at all. That would be ridiculous to hold against a person he’s never met, never even seen before. 

"So you're jealous," Phoenix smirked, "Well I'm excited because it has the highest number of women in a Navy squad and frankly this place needs more women.”

"If you tell anyone I said this, I'll deny it. But," Bradley's voice dropped to a whisper, "Mav had a fling with the Captain of the squad back in the day."

Everyone gasped, well, everyone except Jake.

"There's no way Mav was able to pull Penny Benjamin!" Natasha whispered, "Dude, I had her picture on my wall when I was a kid!"

It was purely because Captain Penny Benjamin was an idol for all girls who wanted to join the Navy. Being one of the first female pilots to fly in a combat mission will do that. Nothing to do with her looks. 

Maybe a little. 

“It was before she enlisted. But yeah, that's why he told us to all be on our best behavior,” Bradley explained, reveling in the fact he could contribute to the hot gossip for once.  

Mickey snorted, “He has been looking like he's about to shit his pants at any moment.” 

Javy looked over his shoulder just in case the short instructor was looming by, “You think he still wants her?”

“Considering he’s been trying to follow Cyclone’s orders for the last couple days? I’d say so,” Bradley smirked. 

“We should get in there before they take the front tables,” Jake said, crossing his arms. That,  combined with the small pout on his face made Jake resemble a child that had been told there was no more cake. 

At least that’s how Bob saw it. Not that he would say it out loud (yet). 

As the squad went inside, they stopped when they noticed the front four tables had a piece of paper on them, each saying ‘RESERVED’ in bold letters. 

“He reserved the front tables for them?” Jake whispered, not even bothering to hide the disgust in his voice. 

“Oh, he wants her bad,” Mickey chuckled as he took a seat next to Reuben. 

“You think?” Bob muttered as he got out his paper and pad. He didn’t mind the seating change because it gave him a better chance to observe. An act of subtlety that Jake would probably never learn. 

“Careful Seresin, there’s steam coming out of your ears,” Bradley whispered as he sat down at the table across from Jake and Javy. 

“It’s just some tables, don’t worry,” Javy assured his best friend, internally praying that Jake would be able to keep his cool for once. Today, of all days, was not the time nor place for Jake to lose his temper, or worse, push others to do so. 

Jake sneered, ignoring Bradley’s comment as he got out his notebook. Checking his watch, he already felt better- this supposedly ‘amazing’ squad was five minutes late. 

Maverick said something about issues with parking. 

“Typical,” Jake muttered. This supposedly ‘elite’ squad couldn’t figure out parking?

“Maybe they could have parked if your car didn't take up three spaces,” Bradley remarked, as if he could read Jake’s mind.

“My car is not that big,” Jake defended. Some called his Jeep Wrangler an ‘eyesore’. Jake didn’t think his colleagues had any right to judge his car, Bradshaw in particular. 

Natasha rolled her eyes, “Your parking is heinous. How many spots did you take up today, Seresin?”

“One!” Jake rolled his eyes, “And a half.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing!”

The sound of the door opening saved Jake from further scrutiny. There in the doorway stood Penny Benjamin and her supposedly elite crew. He saw the captain of his squad straighten up, clearly hoping to add a few inches to his height. 

There were many women, more than one usually sees in a Navy squadron. That alone was enough to turn one’s head. 

But one  in particular stood out to Jake. 

She was right behind Penny, standing tall as she walked into the room. She was striking with her amber eyes and dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. There was an air of confidence about her; she had no trouble standing tall in the front of a room full of strangers. 

“Thank you for your patience. My squad and I are honored that we get to work with you,” Penny Benjamin smiled as she addressed the group, “We've heard many great things about this squad.” 

“And we've heard many wonderful things about yours,” Maverick said. Jake fought the urge to roll his eyes, not wanting to stop looking at this  mystery girl. Her plush lips had formed into a tight smile as her eyes continued to scan the room. The dark green of her flight suit was striking against her sun kissed skin. 

When they landed on Jake, he was ready with a bold wink and a dazzling smile. Laying on the Texan charm, as he always did. 

She rolled her eyes, whispering something to the blonde haired woman next to her. 

Huh. That usually did the trick. 

Jake wasn’t nervous. He liked that she remained strong. It spoke volumes of her focus. 

Oh fuck, she smiled. 

Whatever the woman next to her whispered, it made his dream girl’s eyes light up. Her cheeks rounded as a grin overtook her face. It was one, if not the, most beautiful sight Jake had ever seen. And he had seen sunsets and sunrises all over the globe. 

Shit, he was nervous. He shifted in his seat, looking down at his boots. His face felt warm, was he blushing? She didn’t even smile at him and he was blushing. 

Fuck. 

“I’ll let my team introduce themselves. This way we can all be some sort of name basis, be it callsigns or our government names,” Penny explained, earning a chuckle from Pete that Jake would normally gag at. Instead, he remained poised, eyes remaining on the beautiful woman that was standing next to Penny.  

The first woman to step forward had long blonde hair swept into a ponytail and eyes bluer than the sky. She was striking and normally what Jake would go for. But today was proving to be different. 

“Lieutenant Camellia Garcia. Callsign Cielo,” She said with a sweet smile, her eyes remaining on Mickey. 

He returned the smile, ignoring the playful nudge Reuben was giving him. 

“Wait, is that your wife?!” Javy blurted out, earning a giggle from Penny’s squad, along with Natasha, Bob, and Reuben. It was known Mickey’s wife was also in the military, though he didn’t make her area widely known. 

“No, they just have the same last name for funsies,” Natasha commented, forcing Bob to stifle a laugh. Bradley continued to look bewildered (not that Nora minded). 

“Yes, we do have a pair of lovebirds together. But after Penny and I discussed it extensively, we realized it shouldn’t be a problem,” Pete explained. 

Camellia turned her head to face the smaller Captain, “It was never a problem Captain.” 

“That’s my Cielo,” Mickey muttered under his breath, making zero attempts to hide how pleased he was. 

A woman with military issued glasses was next to step forward. Her doe eyes had been scanning the room while Penny spoke, always alert.  “Lieutenant Nora Anderson, weapon systems officer. Callsign Birdie.”

Bradley’s ears perked up upon hearing her callsign. Immediately, he straightened up, leaning forward as his eyes remained intensely on her. He might as well have cartoon hearts in his eyes. 

Birdie definitely noticed, looking away immediately after locking eyes with the mustached pilot, a red flush overtaking her face.  

Amateurs, Jake thought. After that brief moment, he regained his composure, arms crossed as he moved his toothpick around with his mouth. You never make it obvious. 

He was very obvious. 

After Birdie, a woman with curly hair stepped forward. With her shining hazel eyes and bright smile, the only word that could best describe her was adorable. 

“Lieutenant Maeve Castellanos. Callsign Athena.” 

Great, now Bob was staring. Fucking Bob, Baby on Board, of all people, with his cheeks bright red and blue eyes having turned into the living embodiment of hearts. 

They were all falling one by one. Soon Jake would be the only one standing strong. He could only shake his head at his coworkers before diverting his attention back to the Goddess that was next to Penny. 

Finally, she stepped up. She smiled confidently as her eyes scanned the room before speaking in a self assured tone, “Lieutenant Commander Danica Morales. Callsign Venom.”

Oh. 

As Penny’s crew moved to sit down, Jake’s coworkers turned to him, expecting an annoyed look plastered on his face. 

Instead, his eyes seemed to be…shining? Rather than a scowl, his lips had formed into what could best be described as Jake’s signature ‘shit eating grin’. 

“Huh.” Was all he let out. It wasn’t one of confusion, if anything it reeked of satisfaction, which was odd considering how irritated he was 15 minutes ago. 

“Do you have something you’d like to add, Lieutenant Seresin?” Penny asked, much to everyone’s dismay- Pete’s particularly. 

Jake straightened up, leaning forward over the table, resembling someone who was about to sweet talk a bartender rather than a Captain. 

“I’m just honored to be working with you all, particularly Lieutenant Commander Morales. You know, it’s not every day the best meets the best.” 

If looks could kill, Jake would already be dead. Not just from Danica, but from the eyebrow raises and baffled looks from the rest of his squad.  If it bothered Jake, hell, if he even noticed, he wasn’t letting on. He simply smirked, eyes remaining on who he once described as his rival. 

“However, I do have to say something,” He began. 

“Please don’t,” Bob muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose to prepare himself for whatever bullshit was about to flow out of his coworker’s mouth. 

“They made a mistake with your call sign. Venom doesn’t suit you,” he explained as if it was obvious. 

Maeve scoffed, “Clearly you’ve never heard her over comms.”  

Bob now owed Nat ten bucks after claiming there wasn’t a girl on Penny’s squad for him. 

Jake ignored the comment, continuing to talk much to everyone’s dismay, “It should have been Venus. After your beauty.” 

The room was so silent, you could hear a pin drop. 

Danica tilted her head to the side in an attempt to comprehend Jake’s words. Whereas the 45 degree angle tilt seemed to help her cat, Rugelach, understand things, it did not when it came to understanding Jake fucking Seresin. 

“Is he….” Nora turned to Maeve, absolutely bewildered, “....on something?”

Maeve rolled her eyes, “Unfortunately no, he had to pass a drug test to be here.”

Nora’s eyes widened, “So he’s….he just said that sober?”

“Welcome to the club, it doesn’t get better,” Bob muttered. Maeve gave him an apologetic smile, making the bespectacled WOS blush, eliciting an amused smirk from Natasha. The moment was a great reprieve from the fuckery that was their blonde teammate. 

Bradley leaned over, “If you want Nora, I can give you the rundown on Seresin after this briefing.” He could barely hide his excitement as a blushing Nora timidly nodded her head. If Danica hadn't been twitching over Jake's words, she would have given her WSO a knowing wink and nudge. 

Camellia turned to her husband in disbelief, “Does he do this often?”

Mickey shook his head, “This is new for all of us Cielo.” His words brought little comfort. 

Penny turned to Pete, lips drawn in a thin line as she contemplated filing a sexual harassment charge. If looks could kill, Jake would have died by Pete Mitchell if Danica hadn’t already killed him with her glare. 

“You….” Danica started, closing her eyes for a brief moment to prepare herself, “You’re honored to work with me?”

Jake smiled, showing off his bright veneers teeth, “Of course. How could I not be?” 

“Even though my achievement was just, in your words, pure luck?” 

The echo of his past words caused the smile to drop from Jake’s face, his brow knitting together in confusion, “I’m sorry darlin’, I don’t understand-”

“That’s what you’ve been telling everyone. That it was all pure luck, no skill,” her lips curled into a confident smirk, eyes narrowing as she continued to stare at Jake, “Word gets around Lieutenant Seresin, especially with a mouth as big as yours.”

With that, she simply turned around, ignoring the once cocky pilot who now had a gob-smacked look on his face. 

As well as a raging erection, but she didn’t need to know that. 

Jake couldn’t tell you what the rest of the briefing was about. What he did know was that Danica Seresin had a beautiful ring to it. 

---------------------------------------------------------------

@gretagerwigsmuse @blue-aconite @princessphilly @mxgyver @wildbornsiren @perfectprettypisces @percyjackson1d @cinderellasmissingshoes @imdreaminghere @idontcare-11 @rae-gar-targaryen @satans-firstborn @the-aspiring-fanfic-writer

[wednesdayorwhatever]

hints that Larissa Weems didn't actually have a crush on Gomez but had a crush on Morticia instead:

#1 her strong feelings for Morticia

...which are presented as resentment, jealousy and bitterness, feelings that could easily result from misinterpreting a serious crush you have on a person

meanwhile she doesn't seem to have any strong feelings about Gomez at all

on the contrary, in one scene she even seems to belittle him or express a certain indifference towards him:

in this scene Gomez doesn't understand what Weems and Morticia are talking about and while Morticia is very gentle with him as always Weems' reaction seems a little arrogant and she seems to even be mocking him a bit

watch:

I think this somewhat condescending reaction to Gomez not understanding what they're talking about is very interesting because it is actually somewhat out of character for Weems. She's usually not cocky or arrogant but in this scene she shows a certain disdain towards Gomez. And I interpret this as her being like "omg this man is so stupid and simple, how could Morticia choose him over me??"

sure, them being at Nevermore was 30 years prior to the plot of "Wednesday"

so you could just say Gomez was a teenage crush she quickly overcame and now she doesn't care about him anymore and even realizes that he is way too simple for her

but if that's the case, then WHY does she still have this strong feeling of sourness for Morticia? she obviously doesn't care about Gomez at all so if it was him she had a crush on why would she still be hanging on to so much bitterness towards Morticia?

I mean, the whole scene just SCREAMS "omg Morticia how could you favor this guy over me" and definitely not "omg Gomez how could you favor Morticia over me"

seriously, go and watch that scene again

it's at the beginning of episode 5

and I think it's so obvious there that Weems thinks very little of Gomez and doesn't understand how Morticia could choose him over her

#2 her reaction to Wednesday playing the cello

Weems has such a strong reaction to Wednesday playing the cello and the show focuses on the mother-daughter-relationship between Wednesday and Morticia which makes me think that Weems' reaction is supposed to be a hint that she is reminded of Morticia playing the cello and that there is another similarity between Wednesday and her mother. If that is the case and Weems is reminded of Morticia when she hears Wednesday playing her reaction is... telling:

#3 Gomez and Weems would be no match AT ALL

there is absolutely ZERO chemistry between Weems and Gomez

like zero

I mean sure, again, 30 years ago and that is a long time but still... wouldn't there be some kind of... I don't know, connection? at least a little bit? but there's zero

Meanwhile Weems and Morticia:

the tension

the teasing

the looks they give each other

"stately sequoia tree" "lumberjack"

the fact that Morticia has "ALWAYS ADORED that biting sense of humor"

the sense of humor that, by the way, we ONLY get to see when Morticia is present

the fact that Weems talks to Wednesday about Morticia nonstop, like seriously, she talks about Morticia all day and doesn't even mention Gomez once

#4 Morticia and Weems were close

Not only wErE tHeY rOoMmAtEs (oh my god they were roommates) but there are several other indications that they were very close at the time:

Weems knows about the visions Morticia had and says that she remembers that Morticia thought she might be losing her mind at first... a very personal and private matter that Morticia probably didn't discuss with many people

they participated in the Poe Cup together, Morticia as captain and Weems as co-pilot

Morticia saying that they had good times together... Weems doesn't agree that they were always good for her but they definitely were close at the time and spent time together not only as roommates

they did a duet for the Solstice Talent Show, a fact that I LOVE btw

#5 the fact that Weems cares so much about Wednesday

all her students are important to Weems and she always does what she thinks is best for Nevermore but she seems to have a special interest in helping Wednesday to fit in and find some friends

she forgives Wednesday many times even though she always breaks the rules

Weems seems to have a soft spot for Wednesday and would she have that for the daughter of her former rival if there really were only negative feelings for said rival? Why would she care for Wednesday that much (more than she already cares for each one of her students) if she really hated Morticia and obviously doesn't care about Gomez at all?

wouldn't make any sense

IN CONCLUSION: they are wives

thanks for coming to my ted talk

[lousypotatoes]

Women Think I'm Tasty

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3

Reader has grey skin, and monarch butterfly wings, they can be any color that you want. This is reader's outfit and shoes. If you want something different, you're more than welcome to imagine something else!!

This chapter takes place during the pilot episode.

Song Recommendation:

Set Fire To The Rain - Adele

"Charlie? Are you okay?"

Charlie turned around and saw her aunt walking towards her, a concerned look on her face.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Y/N," Charlie said. "The extermination just has me thinking that's all.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," Y/N said gently, grabbing onto Charlie's shoulders. "Your idea is amazing and its gonna work, I'm sure of it."

Charlie smiled. "Thanks Y/N,"

"That's what I'm here for, kiddo," Y/N smiled back. "Now c'mon, let's go back inside. It smells gross out here."

Y/N was sitting on the couch in the hotel, scrolling on her phone, reading about the latest extermination and the turf wars.

"This is all so fucking stupid," she muttered as she scrolled. "I hate the end of extermination day so fucking much."

"Y/N, are you coming?" said a voice.

Y/N looked up and saw her niece's girlfriend, Vaggie.

"What do you mean?" Y/N asked.

"We're going to the news station to try and get the hotel out there," Vaggie explained.

"Oh shit!" Y/N exclaimed, jumping off the couch. "I totally forgot that was today! Yeah, I'm coming, let me just get my shoes on."

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Charlie said.

"No, I want to," Y/N said as she put her boots on. "You're gonna need all the support you can get. Besides, I want this to happen almost as much as you do."

"Thanks Y/N," Charlie said hugging her aunt. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"The feeling is mutual," Y/N laughed, hugging Charlie back. "Now c'mon we don't wanna be late do we?"

"Good afternoon, I'm Katie Killjoy,"

"And I'm Tom Trench,"

Y/N sat on the couch in the dressing room, watching the news play on the T.V., her leg bouncing up and down nervously.

"Chaos out of Pentagram City today as the turf war is raging on the west side," Tom Trench said on the T.V. "Between notable king pin Sir Pentious and self-proclaimed spunky powerhouse, Cherri Bomb."

"That's right Tom," Katie Killjoy said. "After the recent extermination, many areas are now up for grabs."

The T.V showed footage of the fight between Sir Pentious and Cherri Bomb, the two of them throwing egg creatures and bombs at each other.

"Demons all over Hell are already duking it out to gain new territory," Katie said as the footage played.

"Those two seem to be really going at it, huh?" Tom said as the footage finished.

"It looks like they're fighting tooth and nail for that hot spot," Katie said, putting an actual tooth in her mouth and eating it.

'Gross,' Y/N thought, grimacing.

"And I'd sure like to nail her hot spot," Tom chuckled.

"You are a limp dick jackass, Tom. Or should I say..." Katie said, pouring hot coffee onto Tom's lap. "No dick."

Tom held his lap, trying to keep his sounds of pain down.

"Coming up next, we have an exclusive interview with the daughter of Hell's own head honcho," Katie said, ignoring Tom. "Who's here to discuss her brand-new passion project. All that and more after the break."

Y/N got up, walking over to Charlie and Vaggie.

"You remember what to say?" Vaggie asked as she finished fixing Charlie's bow tie.

Charlie took in a deep breath. "Yes! Let's do this!"

"Just look at me and I'll mouth it to you," Vaggie said, making Charlie frown.

"Come on Vaggie, I know what to say," Charlie groaned. "I just feel like we need to...I don't know, make things sound more exciting."

Charlie gasped. "Ohhhh what if I s-"

"Sing a song about it?" Y/N finished. "Charlie, sweetie, I love you and your ideas, but please for the love of Satan, please don't sing.

"Your aunt's right, this is serious." Vaggie said, grabbing onto Charlie's shoulders.

"Well you know, I'm better at expressing myself and my goals through song," Charlie said, climbing on the table.

"I know and you're great at it but," Y/N struggled to find the right words. "Life isn't a musical hun."

"Fine. But I have these other ideas of what to say," Charlie said, jumping up and down. "The highlighted bits are the best parts!"

Vaggie took the paper and read it, Y/N skimmed through it over Vaggie's shoulder.

"It's all highlighted," Vaggie said.

"Is that a drawing?" Y/N asked.

"Yes! That's the happy ending scene!" Charlie exclaimed, grabbing Vaggie's and Y/N's shoulders. "Everyone's smiling and happy in Heaven!"

"I don't think it's that simple," Vaggie said, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Just please follow the talking points that the three of us went over."

"And do NOT sing!" Y/N said.

"Okayyy fine," Charlie groaned as an alarm bell went off, signaling that the commercial break was over. "I'll just have to result to my impeccable improv skills." she said, walking away.

Y/N looked over at Vaggie, who had a worried look on her face.

"Hey," Y/N said, putting her arm around Vaggie's shoulders. "She'll be fine, I know it."

"I hope so," Vaggie sighed.

Suddenly, the T.V. screen turned on. The two of them watched intently.

"Welcome back," Katie said, her neck cracking in an unnatural way. "So, Charlotte,"

"It's Charlie," Charlie said awkwardly.

"Whatever," Katie dismissed. "Tell us about this new passion project you've been insistently pestering our news station about!"

"How many times did Charlie call the new station?" Y/N asked.

"37 times," Vaggie muttered.

"37!? What!?"

"Well," Charlie said, looking around. She made eye contact with Vaggie and Y/N, and they urged her to go on.

"As most of you know, I was born here in Hell and growing up, I always tried to see the good in everything around me," she said, as Katie killed a bug, the bug's blood landing on Charlie's cheek. "Hell is my home and you are my people. We...we just went through another extermination. We lost so many souls, and it breaks my heart to see my people being slaughtered every year and no one is even given a chance!" she banged her fist on the table.

"I can't stand idly by while the place I live is subjected to such violence," she said, getting up and walking around.

Vaggie and Y/N looked at each other in concern.

"Soo, I've been thinking," Charlie said. "Isn't there a more humane way to endure overpopulation here in Hell? Perhaps we can create an alternative way to change souls through...redemption? Well, I think yes! So that's what this project aims to achieve!"

"Ladies and gentlemen," she said, walking back over to the reporter's desk and sitting down. "I'm opening up a first of its kind! A hotel that rehabilitates sinners!"

It was quiet, people stared at her in confusion and shock.

"You know, 'cause hotels are for people passing through, temporarily," Charlie laughed awkwardly.

Y/N slapped her forehead. "She's getting killed out there," she muttered.

"I figure it would serve a purpose," Charlie said looking down. "A place to work towards redemption...yay!"

"Hah! Stupid bitch," the cameraman beside Y/N laughed. In one swift move, Y/N punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"Serves you right asshole," she muttered.

"Look, every single one of you has something good deep down inside, I know you do." Charlie said sincerely. Suddenly her eyes widened, and she smirked. "Maybe I'm not getting through to you."

"Oh no," Vaggie and Y/N said at the same time.

~Happy Day In Hell song plays out (I'm too lazy to write out the whole thing)~

After Charlie was done singing her song, she was standing on the desk, breathing heavily.

"Wow," said a random demon. "That was shit."

Everybody started to laugh. Charlie's face started to fall.

Y/N looked around, wanting to punch everybody in there in the face for laughing.

"What in the nine circles makes you think a single citizen of Hell would give two shits about becoming a better person?" Katie laughed. "You have no proof that this little experiment even works! You want people to be good? Just because?"

"Well," Charlie said. "We have a patron already, who believes in our cause, and he's shown incredible progress!"

The crowd oohed.

"Oh?" Katie said. "And who might that be?"

"Don't say his name, don't say his name," Y/N said.

"Oh, just someone named Angel Dust,"

"The porn star?" Tom asked.

"You fucking mutt, Tom," Katie said, scratching the desk "In any case, That's not even an accomplishment. I'm sure you can get that hooker to do anything with enough sugar and lube."

"Oh, I beg to differ," Charlie leaned in closer to Katie. "He's been behaved, clean, and out of trouble for two weeks now."

Suddenly, Katie pushed Charlie off the desk. "We are receiving word that a new player has entered the ongoing turf war!" she said cheerfully. "Let's go to the live feed."

The footage showed Angel Dust stepping on the egg creatures and shooting guns

"Oh shit," Y/N muttered. "I swear, I'm gonna kick that spider's ass."

"It looks like the one who just joined the battle is none other than porn actor, Angel Dust!" Katie said. "What a juicy coincidence! You must feel really stupid right now."

Katie and Tom started to laugh. "Ratings!" The two of them said, doing jazz hands.

"Don't look at this!" Charlie said, trying to block out the green screen footage.

"Well, it sure looks like your little project is dead on arrival." Katie said. "Tell us, how does it feel to be such a total failure?" Katie started laughing

"That's it," Y/N said, walking towards the front, pushing the crowd out of the way.

"Yeah, well, how does it feel that I got your pen huh? Bitch!"

Katie stopped laughing.

Charlie laughed awkwardly, already knowing that she was in some deep shit. "Oops," she said, putting the pen back down.

Tom immediately ran, and Katie jumped on Charlie.

"Hey, cock sucker!" Y/N yelled, jumping onto Katie's back. "Get the FUCK off my niece!"

Using all the strength she could muster she kicked Katie as hard as she could, making Katie pull on her wings.

Charlie and Katie fought for a little while longer, with Y/N trying to pull Katie off her. Somehow, Tom Trench caught on fire. The four of them started screaming.

"I said get the FUCK off of her!" Y/N screamed, pulling Katie off and grabbing onto Charlie's hand. "Vaggie! C'mon! Let's go!"

"I swear I'm gonna fucking kill Angel!"

Y/N, Charlie, Vaggie, and Angel Dust sat in the limo.

Charlie was looking out the window, Angel was playing with window button, and Y/N and Vaggie were glaring at him.

"What?" Angel asked.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Y/N cried out. "What the fuck were you doing!?"

"I owed my girl buddy a solid," Angel said. "Isn't that a 'redeeming' quality? Helping friends with stuff."

"Not with turf wars that result in territorial genocide!" Vaggie yelled.

"You win some, you lose a few hundred," Angel laughed, putting his feet up on the seat. "It wasn't that bad anyway,"

He continued to play with the window button until Vaggie threw a knife at it, breaking it.

"Oh, come on! I had to!" he said. "My credibility was on the line! I mean, what kind of repuation would I have if people found out I was tryin' to go clean? It just throws out my entire persona."

"Your credibilty, are you serious?" Y/N asked. "What about the hotels? You made us look like a fucking joke!"

"No, no, no, babe," Angel said. "Jokes are funny. I made you look...uhh...sad. And pathetic! Like an orphan with no arms or legs...with progeria! Right, now I'm bummed thinkin' about it. This thing have any liquor?"

"Can you please just try to take this seriously?" Vaggie asked.

"Fine, I'll try, just don't get your taco in a twist, baby."

"Was that you trying to be sexist or racist?"

"Whatever pisses you off more," Angel said, looking for booze. "Is there seriously no liquor in here?"

"We should just kill him," Y/N said to Vaggie.

"Too late, toots," Angel said. "Wait, would that make me double dead? Where exactly do I go? To double hell?" Angel started laughing. "Sorry, you're stuck with me, bitches, get used to it."

Vaggie started muttering in Spanish.

"Listen, who cares is some jackoffs got hurt?" Angel said. "Most of them are ugly freaks. Look around, you got a bunch of Harley Quinn babies down here."

"You're one to talk," Y/N muttered, making sure Angel heard.

"Hey! This body is flawless. Everyone wants some of me, and I got the creepy fan letters to prove it."

"Ew, gross, put that fucking thing away," Y/N said, not wanting to look at the creepy fan letter any longer.

"That was really uncool, you know, Angel," Charlie said, finally speaking up.

"Uncool!?" Vaggie cried. "After that trainwreck there is no way anyone is gonna want to stay at the hotel! All thanks to you and your selfish bullshit!"

"Does that mean I don't have a free room anymore?"

It was quiet for a moment. Y/N debated whether she should kill him right then and there.

"Hey, come on, we don't know if things are over yet," Charlie said. "Y/N, Vaggie, try to relax, it'll be okay!"

Vaggie smiled softly when Charlie put her hand on her shoulder. It made Y/N happy knowing that Charlie found someone who cared about her just as much as she and Lucifer did.

Finally, the limo reached the hotel, the four of them getting out and walking into the hotel.

Y/N flopped down on the couch, Vaggie sat down next to her.

"It's probably a good idea to get some actual food in this place," Angel said, sucking on a popsicle. "You know, to feed all the wayward souls you got in here." Angel laughed.

Sensing that Charlie wasn't in the mood, Angel stopped laughing and walked away.

Y/N was sore and tired, she didn't even pay attention to when Charlie walked away. Right as she was about to doze off, Charlie ran into the room.

"Vaggie! Y/N!"

"What now?" Y/N groaned.

"The Radio Demon is at the door,"

"What!?" Vaggie and Y/N said.

"Uhh who?" Angel asked.

"What should I do?" Charlie asked.

"Okay, well, um, whatever you do, don't let him in!" Y/N said, standing up.

Charlie walked to the front door and opened it up.

"What did I just say?"

Vaggie got up and grabbed her spear, Y/N not far behind her.

"Stop right there!" Vaggie yelled, holding her spear to his throat. "I know your game, and I'm not gonna let you hurt anyone here you pompous, cheesy, talk show, shit lord!"

"Dear, if I wanted to hurt anyone here," Alastor said, his mouth not moving. "I would have done so."

Y/N very slowly started to back up, not wanting to be close to the Radio Demon.

"Now, I'm here because I want to help!" Alastor said cheerfully.

"Umm excuse me?" Y/N asked, dumbfounded.

"Hello? Is this thing on?" Alastor asked, tapping his cane/microphone.

"No, no, I heard you loud and clear," Y/N said warily. "You want to help us?"

"Yes! I want to help with you with this ridiculous you're trying to do! This hotel!" Alastor said. "I want to help you run it."

"Uhhh why?" Charlie asked.

"Why does anyone do anything?" Alastor laughed. "Sheer, absolute boredom!"

Y/N suspiciously eyes him up and down.

"I've lacked inspiration for decades," Alastor said, pushing Vaggie. "My work became mundane, lacking focus, aimless! I've come to create a new form of entertainment!"

"Does getting into a fist fight with a reporter count as entertainment?" Charlie said awkwardly.

Alastor laughed. "It's the purest kind, my dear," he said. "Reality! Cruel passion! And after all, the world is a stage, and the stage, is a world of entertainment."

"So, does this mean you think it's possible to rehabilitate a demon?" Charlie asked hopefully but was cut off by Alastor laughing.

"Of course not!" he laughed. "That's wacky nonsense! Redemption, oh the non-existent humanity! No, no, no, no, I don't think there's anything left that can save such loathsome sinners," he said, looking over at Y/N, Vaggie, and Angel. "The chance given was the life they lived before, the punishment is this! There is no undoing what is done."

"Then why are you here, if you don't believe in our cause?" Y/N asked, her eyebrow raised.

"Consider is an investment in ongoing entertainment for myself!" Alastor said, spinning Charlie. "I want to watch the scum of the world struggle to climb up the hill of betterment, only to repeatedly trip and tumble down to the fiery pit of failure,"

Y/N stared at him with uneasiness.

"Right," Charlie said, removing herself from Alastor's grasp.

"Yes indeedy!" Alastor said, leading Charlie away. "I see big things coming our way, and who better to help you then..."

Y/N, Vaggie, and Angel stared at him as he walked off with Charlie.

"So, uh, what's the deal with smiles over there?" Angel asked.

"You've never heard of Alastor before?" Y/N asked. "You've been down here longer than me and Vaggie."

Angel shrugged his shoulders.

"The Radio Demon? One of the most powerful beings Hell has ever seen?" Y/N asked.

"Eh, not big on politics," Angel said, crossing his arms.

"Ugh, you explain, Vaggie," Y/N said. "I have a headache."

"Fine," Vaggie groaned, then cleared her throat. "Decades ago, Alastor manifested in Hell, seemingly overnight. He began to topple overlords who had been dominant for centuries. That kind of raw power had never been harnessed by a mortal soul before. Then, he broadcasted his carnage all throughout Hell, just so everyone could witness his ability. Sinners started calling him the Radio Demon, as lazy as that is. Many have speculated what unimaginable forces enabled him to rival our world's most ancient and destructive evils. But one thing's for sure, he's an unpredictable source of danger, a wicked spirit of mystery, and a violent monster of chaos, the likes of which we can't risk getting involved with unless we want to end up erased!" Vaggie finished.

"Are ya done?" Angel said. "He looks like a strawberry pimp!"

"Well, I don't trust him!" Vaggie said.

"To be fair," Angel said. "Do you trust any man?"

Y/N elbowed him in his ribcage, hard, as Vaggie got up and walked over to Charlie.

"Ow!" he said, rubbing his side. "That fucking hurt!"

"Yeah, well maybe you shouldn't act like a self asorbed asshole then!"

"Says you, you uptight, prissy bitch!"

"At least I don't have to fuck greasy truckers to make some cash!"

"At least greasy truckers want to actually fuck me!"

"How is that an insult? That's just sad!"

The two of them continued to argue until Charlie started to speaking to Alastor, catching Y/N's attention.

"Okay, so, Al," she said. "You're sketchy as fuck and you clearly see what I'm trying to do here as a joke. But I don't. I think everyone deserves a chance to prove that they can be better, so I'm taking your offer to help, on the condition that there be no trickster, voodoo strings attached." she finished, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"So it's a deal then?" Alastor asked, holding out his hand.

Green light started to emit in the room, almost knocking Y/N, Vaggie and Angel over.

"Nope!" Charlie said. "No shaking, no deals, I....hmm...as princess of Hell and heir to the throne, I uh hearby order that you help out with this hotel, for as long as you desire.

It was quiet for a moment. Charlie looked over at Vaggie and Y/N, Vaggie looked to the side, a concerned look on her face. Y/N shrugged her shoulders.

"Sound fair?" Charlie asked.

"Hmm, fair enough,"

"Cool beans,"

Alastor hummed while he looked around, suddenly he grabbed Vaggie by the chin. "Smile my dear!" he said. "You know you're never fully dressed without one."

Alastor continued to walk around, humming.

"What's he doing?" Y/N whispered to Vaggie.

"No clue," she whispered back. "But whatever it is, I don't like it."

"So where is your hotel staff?" Alastor asked Charlie.

"Uhh well..." Charlie said, looking over at Vaggie and Y/N.

Alastor laughed. "You're going to need more than that,"

Behind Alastor's back, Y/N flipped him off.

"And what you can do my feminine fellow?" Alastor asked Angel.

"I can suck your dick!"

"Hah! No!"

"Your loss,"

"Well, this just won't do," Alastor said. "I supposed I can cash in a few favors to liven things up."

"Um, what do you mean by that?" Y/N asked, Alastor ignored her.

He snapped his fingers, and something appeared in the fireplace.

He walked over and picked it up. It was small and had soot all over it, whatever it was.

Suddenly, it's eye opened, staring at them all. Y/N backed up.

It moved and all the soot off of it was gone. It was a little demon, resembling a cockroach. She smiled at the four of them, her one eye looking around.

"This little darling is Niffty," Alastor said, dropping her.

"Hi! I'm Niffty!" she said, waving at them "It's been a while since I've made new friends! Why are you all women? Is there any men here!? I'm sorry, that's rude. Oh man, this place is filthy! This place really needs a lady's touch, which is weird because you're all ladies, no offense. Oh my gosh this is awful!" she said, running around, dusting.

The four of them stared at Niffty in confusion, and a little bit of fear.

Alastor snapped his fingers again and a grumpy looking cat hybrid appeared.

"What the fuck is this?" the cat asked.

"You!" he said, pointing at Alastor.

"Oh, Husker, my good friend, glad you could make it!" Alastor said.

'So that's his name,' Y/N thought. 'He's not that bad looking.'

"Don't you 'Husker' me you son of a bitch!" Husker said. "I was about to win the whole damn pot!"

"Good to see you too!"

"What the hell do you want with me this time?"

"My friend, I am doing some charity work, so I took it upon myself to volunteer your services, I hope that's okay!" Alastor said.

"Are you shittin' me?"

"Hmm, no I don't think so!" Alastor said cheerfully.

Husker pushed Alastor off of him. "You thought it would be some kind of big fucking riot just to pull me out of nowhere!?" he said. "You think I'm some kind of fucking clown!?"

"Maybe,"

"I ain't doing no fucking charity job," Husker said.

"Well, I figured you would be the perfect face to man the front desk of this fine establishment." Alastor said, pointing at the hotel bar. "With your charming smile and welcoming energy, this job was made for you. Don't worry my friend, I can make this more welcoming, if you wish," Alastor said, summoning a bottle of booze.

Husker stared at the bottle for a moment.

"What? You think you can buy me with a wink and some cheap booze!?" Husker said, grabbing the bottle. "Well you can," he said downing the bottle.

'An alchoholic, even better.' Y/N thought.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Vaggie said. "No bar! No alchohol! This is supposed to be a place that discourages sin, not some kind of brothel man cave!"

"Shut up!" Angel said, tackling Vaggie. "We are keeping this!" he said, pointing to Husker.

"Hey," he said, leaning on the bar.

"Go fuck yourself," Husk said

"Only if you watch me,"

Y/N pushed Angel out of the way. "Sorry about him, he's horny all the time, you get used to it after a while."

Husk looked her up and down, a small smile coming onto his face. Before he could say something, Charlie came and pushed herself in between them.

"Oh my gosh! Welcome to the Happy Hotel!" she exclaimed, stars in her eyes. "You are going to love it here!"

"I lost the ability to love years ago," he said, drinking more of the booze.

"So, what do you think?" Alastor asked.

"This is amazing!" Charlie said, a huge smile on her face.

"Not bad, I'll give you that," Y/N said, walking towards him.

"It's okay," Vaggie said.

Alastor laughed, pulling the three of them closer to him. "This is going to be very entertaining!"

Vaggie and Y/N removed themselves from his grasp, Y/N walked back to the bar.

~Alastor's song plays. I forgot the name of it~

Before Alastor could finish his song, there was an explosion outside, creating a hole in the wall. That piece of wall flew and hit Niffty.

Looking outside, Y/N saw the steampunk looking blimp that was on the news that day.

"Well, well, well, we meet yet again, Alasstor," Sir Pentious said.

"Do I know you?" Alastor asked.

Sir Pentious' face fell. "Oh yes you do, and this time I have the element of surprisse!"

A ray gun came out of the blimp, pointing at the seven of them.

"I'm so evil!" Sir Pentious laughed.

Suddenly, a portal opened up beneath the blimp, black tentacles came out of it, grabbing onto the blimp.

Y/N could hear Sir Pentious screaming.

Suddenly, the portal dissapered and the blimp exploded.

Everyone was looking at Alastor with a 'what the fuck' look on their faces.

"Well, I'm starved!" Alastor said. "Who wants some jambalaya! My mother once showed me a wonderful recipe for jambalaya. In fact, it nearly killed her!"

"I hate my life," Y/N heard Husker mutter.

"Don't we all?" Y/N said as they walked back into the hotel. "I'm Y/N by the way, do you mind if I call you Husk instead of Husker? It takes less time to say."

Husker looked at her, confusion on his face, then that small smile cmae back onto his face.

"No, I wouldn't mind one bit, Isabell,"

sorry that there isn't more husk, he doesnt have a lot of screen time in the pilot 😭

i wanna try the mcrib from mcdonalds

this lovely banner was made by the lovely @al-of-the-stars

and also i wont be uploading the next chapter of singin in the rain fro a few days, cuz my amazon prime isnt working for some weird reason

also, y/n isn't charlie's bio aunt

stay safe and drink lots of water <33

xoxo, Izzy

Taglist 💃

@mysticwitchcraftco

@diffidentphantom

@wendigonamecaller

@barrythestrawberry041

@jx3-xd

[parrythisucasual]

May I ask a Jax x Reader with this purple rabbit showcasing his protective side for his S/O?

Jax is defending them from this seemingly "nice" newcomer that doesn't know what boundaries are for some reason. The reader brushes it off to avoid conflict until the "nice" newcomer takes it too far one day with an attempted kiss to the reader.

*Input that scene from iCarly of, "HER FACE?!?!", for the next scene as well as Jax's reaction*

By the way, Jax and his S/O are CLEARLY together, so Jax is going to be very mad at this %@$!#& for harassing HIS partner. With the way he kicks that gloink in the pilot, he's gonna beat up this %@$!#&. I imagine one of those cartoonish cloud fights with, 'Kapow!', and 'Wham!", until Caine arrives and stops the fight. Reader, after being worried about Jax being hurt, thanks Jax for defending them and stuff.

*Ends with newcomer getting banished to the Shadow Realm*

Jax x Reader: Defending his lover

Using an oc as an insert for the newcomer

It’d been weird since Percy had joined the circus. He was… oddly handsy with you. He would pat your shoulder or give you unwarranted hugs for no reason. Jax, your boyfriend, told him to stop multiple times. His excuse was always the same, “They didn’t say it wasn’t okay,” and he’d point to you.

Then it turned into him showing up wherever you did. You’d be walking to your room and Percy would pop up around the corner. He’d always have some excuse as to how he’d shown up, followed by another excuse to drag you into conversations. Those quickly turned into him repetitively asking for dates or hanging out one on one.

With each time he asked, you reminded him you were with Jax, that you loved him very much, and that you wouldn’t be leaving him for Percy anytime soon. Never. He would always laugh it off, accept that, and continue. It was uncomfortable interacting with him. It had gotten to the point where you were afraid to be away from Jax.

And yet that’s exactly what you were. Away from Jax. An adventure had split you up, and although it was over, you hadn’t found your boyfriend yet. 

“(Y/NNNNNNN)! Hey!” Your muscles involuntarily clench as you flinch. That was the only person you didn’t want to see. You slowly turn around, swallowing harshly despite your mouth having dried up the moment you heard his voice.

“Oh- Uh… h-hey Percy!” You force a smile, although you take a few steps back. He returns your smile, his own wide and shimmering. Almost plastic in its feel, “Haven’t caught you by yourself in a while! You’re always hanging around the rabbit guy.”

Rabbit guy? Did he seriously not bother remembering Jax’s name, or did he merely say that to be condescending? You frown, “The adventure separated us… I’m looking for him now,” you explain nervously, deciding it best to leave right then. You turn away, but he grabs your wrist.

A small scream escapes your throat when he does, pulling against him. He refuses to let go, “Come on, you can’t leave just like that!” his smile didn’t falter as he tugged on you, making you stumble closer to him, “You’ve been avoiding me, haven’t you?! Why?!”

He now grabbed your other wrist, much stronger than you’d expected, “What’s wrong with you! I’ve done everything that would make someone like you fall for me! But you’re sticking to that stupid lanky pr*@k for no reason!” he was ranting, staring you down. You didn’t respond. You didn’t need to. He wouldn’t listen anyway. 

You tugged harder, although it was fruitless. Oh god, he was leaning in and-! BANG. You flew back, hitting the wall. You wince, and open your eyes to see a whirl of lavender, now rushing over. Percy was sprawled across the ground, and a gloink disappeared around the corner. Jax must have flung it and hit Percy.

Jax had a fire in his eyes, unlike anything you’d ever seen before. He was furious. You watched, dumbfounded. Jax stopped in front of Percy, watching him struggle to his feet, “How many times are you gonna be a creep?!” he snapped.

The next moment, a cartoony barrage of sounds assaulted your ears. A stereotypical fight cloud appeared, complete with random limbs and items flying out. You scoot further up the hall, distancing yourself from the fight. Only a few minutes later, Jax followed after you. He was roughed up, a kink in his ear and slight bruising, but he was fine. 

You fling your arms around his neck, hugging him tight, “Jax! You’re okay!” you’re overcome with relief. Jax returns your hug, his grip tight around you, “Im okay, yeah, are you? Are you okay? What did he do?” You shake your head, “Nothing, thanks to you,” you reassure him. Jax nods, but refuses to let you go.

When you finally returned to your bedroom, Jax made sure your door was locked and stayed inside your room with you. Over the course of several hours, the two of you fully calmed down. 

Thankfully, you never saw Percy again. You’d spared only the thought of “Where’d he go?” one time, although you brushed it off soontherafter, and soon enough. He was forgotten.

Im terrible at ending.

also TWO POSTS ONE DAY???

[curioussubjects]

The Torn-Up Road: Part V [feat. Maelstrom (good ending version)]

Previous: Part I • Part II • Part III • Part IV

[perpetuelledaydreaming]

Ivy | Prologue

summary: rooster and you break-up, you run back to san diego and you run into a pretty blonde at the Hard Deck. What could happen?

listen to: ivy - taylor swift | summer time sadness -lana del rey (playlist here)

warnings: smut!!!

word count: 6.2k

series masterlist + read the next chapter early on my ko-fi!!

It had been a really bad breakup. 

It wasn’t the type of breakup in the movies when the main character and their love interest just face a challenge and then they reconnect, say how much they love each other, and live happily ever after. No, this wasn’t that type of breakup. 

This was the type of breakup where you move out the same night, the type of breakup where you tell your friends to pick up your stuff when he’s not there, and the type of breakup where you haven’t spoken in person since it happened. 

It was the type of breakup that you’d never thought you’d experience with Bradley Bradshaw, Rooster, your Rooster. 

“What games are you playing?” your eyes narrowed in annoyance as you poured some water while Rooster groaned automatically as he laid on the couch. 

You’d been out to the bar near the base. Since you two had been stationed temporarily on Whidbey Island it had been a bit hard to adjust. Usually, you were always in San Diego or at least in any base in California but with your Ice gone, you didn’t particularly want to spend too much time in San Diego, the presence of your father lingered in those hallways in ways that still made your skin crawl. 

“What are you talking about?” Rooster huffed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. 

The fact that he still didn’t want to acknowledge it made your blood burn as you glared at him. 

“Do you think I’m stupid? Or blind?” you said nonchalantly before sipping the water, hoping that it would make you feel soberer, more in control when you were about to have this conversation.  

“Brat, not in the mood for another fight”

You bit your cheek, and the grip on the glass got a little bit tighter as you fought the urge to simply walk away. You were never too thrilled about having hard conversations with your significant others, which part of you believed, was the reason you’d let his attitude go on for so long. 

“Do you think I am?” you asked while you passed a hand through your hair, glaring at Rooster from the kitchen. “You want a meek little girlfriend that doesn’t call you out on your bullshit and I’m not it, Bradley,” you grumbled. 

He let out a snarky chuckle. “You don’t let me forget that right?” he asked as he raised from the couch. 

“Fuck you, Bradshaw,” 

Rooster and you had known each other since you were kids. Growing up with parents in the Navy meant also knowing other kids in the Navy but with Ice and Mav being so close along with the fact that basically, Carol became even more like family after Goose passed away, you practically were attached to the hip since Rooster was five and you were one. 

When you were younger, you didn’t get along too well. Rooster often picked on you and as Ice called it, the Navy Brat that you were, you didn’t stand for it. Your younger sister and brother loved Rooster and he got along with them better, maybe because he was a lot older than them, they looked at him as being cooler and more fun than you. Although, there were small moments when you would get along, after school when Rooster would often come to your home for homework and he helped you, when you convinced him to play fighter pilots with you and when you would watch movies together. 

The bickering and small fighting only died down when you were a teenager and even older, you were 18 while Rooster was twenty-three when you started to get along. Carole and your mother often joked that you should be dating, that it was meant to be since you knew each other so well. 

Rooster mockingly refused, saying that you weren’t that pretty while you would bite back saying that he wished he could take you out. Both of you apparently were hurt by the other statements, you would later find out. 

So, it just stayed like that. Graduating high school, all through college, then on the Naval Academy where you and Rooster went together since Mav had pulled his papers, and finally at Top Gun. 

Nothing had changed until you were called back a few years later, the uranium mission being the catalyst of it all.

“Why are you being so hysterical?” Rooster yelled back, now in the other corner of the table. 

“Oh, I’m sorry I should be laughing and playing nice when I see my boyfriend flirting with another girl when we’re out?”

Rooster looked away, avoiding your gaze as he now poured water too. “I wasn’t flirting, I was being nice,”

He was a bit drunk too, you wondered if you both had tried to drink your feelings down. 

“You’re always being nice to every girl, except me,” you answered with a stern look. 

You’d noticed it. You wondered if it was because you’d always known each other but you also knew there was a clear cut in his attitude when you’d told him over a month ago about your plans for the future. The fight lasted over a week, and it became insufferable and ended up with both of you in bed but it was truly never closed.

“That’s bullshit,” he snapped at you. 

There it is, you’d thought. 

Rooster wasn’t good with hard conversations and he’d rather avoid them. Part of him thought because he usually was never raised to be a confrontational type but he also knew it was because he’d been angry most of his life, at everything, and he was always afraid that he would snap like he usually did when he was younger, a stupid teenager. 

But that had been a long time ago. He liked to think his anger was in check, that he didn’t have any bad specific outbursts. Sure, there were moments he knew he was near to losing it -like when Hangman had mentioned Goose- but he tried hard to never let his anger get the best of him enough to hurt people he cared about. For you, Rooster had always been kind, soft, and perfect.

Especially when he was fighting with you, he always tried to keep his rage from spilling over, but lately, it’d become harder.

“It’s not and you know it,” you pressed. 

Rooster rolled his eyes and he took a deep breath; so much for not liking hard conversations, he thought. 

“What do you want me to say?” 

“I want you to tell me the truth,” you insisted but Rooster remained quiet, his silence saying so much more. You took a deep breath. “Do you want out of this relationship?”

Rooster frowned deeply. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the fact that we haven’t had a real discussion since I told you that I didn’t want to get married yet or have children,”

It had been a month since it’d happened. You were celebrating your anniversary, it had been a one-year and a half since the uranium mission and since Rooster confessed his feelings for you. He’d felt called to do it since he’d almost died, he’d always loved you and you’d always loved him.

It had been a dream kiss and confession, followed by the most perfect night someone could’ve spent together. Sarah, your mother had been so happy while insisting that Carole would’ve loved it if she was still with you and Ice too. 

In the last part, you didn’t know if it was true. 

“Don’t bring up that,” Rooster bit back, features hard and serious. “We’re talking about how I flirted with a girl, right?”

You rolled your eyes while you glared at him. 

“It’s all the same. You want a wife and kids and I’m not going to give you that, and you would rather do things that hurt me rather than break up with me!”

“Do you want to break up? You don’t love me anymore?” Rooster’s jaw clenched as he got closer to you, stomping the glass of water so hard on the counter that you flinched slightly, thinking it would break. 

You sighed as you stepped closer to him. 

“Of course, I love you,” you scolded him, attempting to take his hand before he swatted it away. 

“Not enough apparently,”

You groaned. 

You now wondered if you should’ve said it, but you knew it was the right thing to do. You’d never wanted the traditional life like your mother, you never felt ready for it. The only thing that you’d ever wanted in life was to be like your father. Maybe it was an older daughter thing and the fact that you were the only one of your siblings to choose the same life as your father, maybe it was the desperation of being recognized by something more, of doing more with the path that everyone wanted you to take. 

“See?” 

“Okay, fine!” Rooster screamed as he paced back and forth in the kitchen and then walked to the living room, his steps being a bit unstable because of the alcohol previously consumed. “I want a family and you know it, you’ve known it since we were friends that I wanted that, that I wanted to get married, I”

“And you’ve also known that I don’t want that since I can remember, you know that I’ve only talked about flying. I’m not ready for anything like that yet,” you screamed back, following him. 

“Yet, see?” Rooster retorted while you grumbled under your breath.“I just don’t get why you don’t want to give that to me?” he insisted. 

“Am I denying you something, Bradley?” you scoffed. “You can go back to the girl in the bar, you want someone, anyone, just not me,” you hissed. 

“That’s not true,”

“But it is! You want the house, the stay-at-home wife, and the kids but not the person, not me!” you insisted, as tears began to spill from your eyes, he refused to look at you. “And I get it, I get why you want that after everything you lost, Goose and Carole, and I get it darling but I can’t be the one that’s going live with your trauma, you can’t step all over m-”

“Fuck you,” Rooster roared. 

It was a split-second, involuntary reaction. 

One second he was looking away from you, trying to keep his anger at bay but the grip on his anger went loose when you mentioned Goose and Carole, his trauma, the most painful experience, and his biggest loss. 

The next, his fist was rammed into the wall next to your head. 

Silence reigned between the two of you, breathing heavy and jilted as your lip trembled while you looked at him wide-eyed and then to the right of your head, staring in shock at his hand wedge into the wall, white powder, debris, and white paint drifting down innocuously to your clothes and floor. Rooster pried his hand out from the wall, staring at the red and raw knuckles of his shaking fist. 

“Brat, I-”

You flinched. 

It was over after that. You knew that Rooster would never hurt you, you were aware of his anger issues but never to the point of him expressing it so clearly against you. Both of you had cried, he begged you not to go but you also knew you simply couldn’t stay. 

That’s why you were back in San Diego, it had been three months since it had happened and it had taken almost a month to be stationed back to your home town but thankfully the Kazansky name still worked for something, you decided right there to take some time off. You hadn’t used the time that was given to you to grieve your father the prior year and you barely remember taking any type of vacation since you graduated but you surely needed it now. 

You hadn't told your friends that you were back and you’d managed to stay hidden at the guest house at your parent's place for the remaining two months, only Sarah and Maverick knowing that you’d returned and why, while you actively avoided any place where you might run into them until that night. You were due to start the following week and you decided that you needed a drink. 

You found yourself at the Hard Deck, you left your bike in the front and asked for the bartender of the night to pour you some tequila. Thankfully, Penny was out with Maverick that night, you realized, and you didn’t need to talk about it. 

At least, until you heard that thick southern accent. 

“Brat?” 

You refused to turn around immediately, mentally cursing the universe for being so cruel to you.

“Hangman,” you finally breathed out as you turned around with a small smile to find him. 

There he was, it should’ve been illegal how pretty he could look sometimes. Tall, knee-buckling handsome, his sea-foam-colored eyes stared at you softly, and the million-dollar smug smile accompanied with the dimples that you’d made fun of while you first met was wide as he took you in. 

“You’re a sight for sore eyes, sweetheart,” he teased as he opened his arms, you climbed down off the chair to hug him. 

He was happy to see you, you could tell by the way he was holding you, he was always happy to see you. The scent of lemon and wood wrapping around you as you bury your head in his chest. 

“A shame that I cannot say the same thing to you,” you replied teasingly as you pulled away, Hangman chuckled softly.

The thing was that you knew that under that smug face and cocky attitude, there was a loyal friend. He could be a hard head sometimes, which was how you’d come to know each other; you were always butting heads at the academy but as time passed you’d come to find that Hangman was not so bad. He became a good friend, he also saved your best friend and uncle from being killed by an enemy jet. 

That definitely promoted him from a good friend to one of the closest people in your life, even though you didn’t enjoy admitting it. 

“Sweet as always,” he muttered while shaking his head. “What are you doing here?” he asked as he leaned into the bar, sitting next to you. 

“Drinking,” you replied dully. 

Hangman's lips parted for a second before they closed again, he nodded slightly. “You know what I mean,” he replied while taking a sip of his beer. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” you muttered, not daring to look at him. 

“Something happened with Rooster?” he asked. 

Were you that transparent? 

You stared at him, hoping that the melancholy on your features wasn’t visible to Hangman, but you knew that he could see right through. He stared at you softly, eyes gleaming with certain knowledge.

“Tell me about you, how was Hawaii?” you asked, quickly changing the topic as you gazed back at your drink. 

Jake chose not to pry but he could already guess that something had happened between Rooster and you, he knew you well enough to know that you were not okay. He knew it was about Rooster too because he could recall every time you had a bad day at Top Gun, you would run to Bradley almost as if he was your safety blanket. 

Now, you just seemed doleful and he was nowhere to be seen. 

He got the clue though, he didn’t press you to tell him and choose to lighten the mood. You talked for hours and hours on end while you sipped on Moscow mules and tequila while he only nursed on a couple of beers and watched you softly, amusement toying on his lips as you talked about your mission in Virginia and then he went on to tell you about the missions he carried out with Phoenix, who had apparently grown tired of him and then how he spent the last three months with Fanboy in Hawaii. 

It was around 2:00 am when you both realized that the bar was closing and you were one of the last ones in the whole place. It wasn’t until you stood up from the chair that you realized how much alcohol you’d consumed. Jake saw how you stumbled slightly and immediately placed his hand on the exposed skin of your waist. Goosebumps erupted on your skin and your breath hitched as you felt his featherlight touch on you, he didn’t seem to think it was a problem but you quickly tried your best to walk along, brushing his hand off from you knowing that feeling like that about Jake touching you wasn’t a good sign. 

Not that it mattered now when he insisted that you should go to his place and ask for a cab from there, there was no way he was going to let you ride your bike in such a state and you knew that it would be irresponsible as well. Hangman’s place wasn’t far away from the Hard Deck, a lovely small house in front of the beach, one you’d been to many times before for dinners and parties with the Dagger team. 

It was a familiar setting, but as your gaze followed Jake in the kitchen as he poured some glasses of water for both of you, you realized that something was shifting. When Jake gazed back at you with that smug smirk you rolled your eyes as you took the glass of water and sipped slightly while still watching him talk. 

“God, I forgot how annoying you were,” you teased with a smile. 

“The girl whose literal call sign is Brat, is talking about annoying?” he replied. 

You elbowed him playfully as you both leaned into the table in his kitchen while you laughed softly. He smiled coyly at you, his eyes gleaming as your laughter died down, just enough to realize the way he was gaping at you. It was strange, to see that look in Hangman’s, he was always playful with you, he always had something to say but just now it seemed like he was at a loss for words. 

There was a beat of silence and something compelled you to speak. 

“We broke up,” you whispered as you played with the water that remained on your glass, not daring to look back at Hangman. 

“What?”

“Me and Rooster, we broke up,” you explained, again not daring to look at him. 

Hangman stared at you, he could feel the bitter taste of your words as you told him. It must’ve been hard to even bring it up, he knew that you were never a fan of talking about feelings just as much as he was. 

“Oh, sweetheart. I’m so sorry,” he cooed softly as he brushed some hair away from your face and you turned back to him. 

“I know but I feel like it’s for the best,” you concluded.

Hangman nodded as you looked at your water in silence, recalling the last time you’d spoken to Rooster, which ended up with angry hot tears falling from your eyes. You hated it, you hated all the crying, hated all the discussions with Rooster that never ended right, and you hated that you didn’t even know who you were now. A part of you lost between the friendship, the love, the fights, and everything else.  

“Are you really okay?” he asked after a couple of seconds, your mind snapped back to reality as you turned to Hangman. 

“What do you mean?”

“I know you, Brat,” he muttered affectionally. “You always act so strong, like nothing’s wrong but I know that you’re hurting, it’s okay if you’re not okay,”

You sighed, he wasn’t wrong. 

“I’m better than before and the important thing is that I’ll be okay,” you answered him softly, although you didn’t think the last part was completely true. 

“Well, you know that I get along with Rooster but I’m always going to be on your team,” Jake said, leaning back at first as if he was trying to see all of you at once while before he leaned closer to you nudging your body softly against his. 

You snicker softly but then you realized how close he was, his hot warm skin from his arms flushed against yours as he cocked his head towards you smiling, as if he was seeing you for the first time. The air suddenly shifted slightly as you smiled at the other, you’d smiled at Jake so many times before in all the years that you’d known the other but this felt unknown, there was an intimacy in the way that you were talking, that you were staring at each other that was enough to make your heart feel like it was going to burst from your chest. 

“Thank you, Jake,” you replied. 

You stared up at him silently, your heart hammering on your chest as both of you turned to the other, it was so slow that for a second you thought that you were imagining it yourself but then you realized how his eyes flickered to your lips, the same way yours did a second before. 

Jake pressed his forehead against yours as your breathing hitched, his jaw clenched slightly as he stared at you with those sea-foam eyes swirling with so many emotions that you weren’t sure how to feel about it at first. The tension crackling between both of you. 

But you weren’t afraid anymore of what happened, you were suddenly overcome by the fear of what if?

So, you took a leap of faith. 

You closed the gap between your lips, his hand went to cup your face softly as you placed your hand on his neck as you straightened yourself while Jake looped his arms around your waist pushing you against him. Stumbling through the kitchen you continued to kiss him, it was soft at first, it was new and it was tender and it stole your breath away. His palm brushed off some of your hair to get at your jaw as he pulled away suddenly. 

You gasped softly at the sudden loss of contact but your eyes looked up at him, willing to continue, begging him to continue. Yet, he didn’t for a second, he looked at you as if you were a precious stone that he had to take care of. He placed his thumb against your lips and passed it softly over them as he looked at you, you knew that he was weighing his options, knowing that this might be something that was wrong because you were friends and you were Rooster’s ex but as he looked at you, Jake couldn’t let it go. 

It was Rooster’s loss, it wouldn’t be Jake’s too. 

He leaned down and pressed his lips against yours more urgently than before, stumbling against the wall as he nudge your neck and began to press kisses on your neck as his hand began to play with the buttons of the breezy silky black shirt that you’d worn, exposing your chest. He stopped for a second as he looked down, you weren’t wearing a bra that night and you felt your body sizzle by the lustful expression those sea-foam eyes gave you. 

Jake began to kiss you again, you collapse into him as Jake’s tongue started to explore your mouth, deepening the kiss as he reached down your hips, cupping your bum and suddenly turning you against the wall. One of your hands was pressed against the wall, as Jake’s lips were kissing, licking, and biting on your neck your breath hitched, your body sizzling with anticipation as his hands reached down and began to pull down your pants before he pressed his hand over the one you had at the wall. 

He suddenly pressed his length against your bum, you could feel him pressing insistently against you and you bit down a whimper while he kissed the length of your neck again and your shoulders as your shirt began to fall from them. 

It was feverishly, the way that you were touching, passionate to the point that it was frightening. You wondered where it all came from, the burning desire for Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin, the way that he was tenderly but fervently touching you. If you thought about it, it was always there but you’d never allowed yourself to see it. 

You turned around, your trousers on your ankles, and the oversize black silk shirt slipped to the point that your breast were somehow out whilst Jake couldn’t help but pry a bit as you stared at him. His blonde hair was out of place which was strange for him, his lips taken apart as he looked at you, a dusky pink color in the slated light of the kitchen, a pale blush tinting his cheeks. 

You couldn’t have wished for more. 

You pulled him back harshly to kiss his lips, Jake breathed a sigh of relief, as if he was waiting for you to stop him, and this at any moment but just the fact that you hadn’t had made his breathing normal again. His right hand came to cup your cheek as your tongue caressed his while you focused on the feeling of his thumb running softly across your cheekbone. 

Jake quickly looped his other arm around your torso and quickly placed you on the counter of the kitchen, you squeaked out as your bare ass pressed against the cold marble, and Jake couldn’t help but smile at you as he began to kiss his way down your body. A flash of heat ran down your body as Jake began to pull your legs apart, his sea-foam eyes always on you as you gasped with anticipation. 

There was nothing, Jake decided at that moment, more breathtaking than your face when flushed with desire. 

He yanked your pants off from your ankles as he pushed the lace to the side in one swift movement, diving in, he pressed a kiss to your clit, your hands flew to his hair, clutching handfuls of his blonde curls as you felt Jake’s tongue starting to move as he brushed a finger against your clit. You closed your eyes, a moan falling from your lips as your body couldn’t take the way how his mouth expertly move against your core. Then he slid his fingers inside of you, curling them against your g-spot while he pressed his lips against your clit, an unexpectedly loud moan fell from your lips and you felt like you couldn’t hold yourself anymore. Your back fell to the marble as you began to moan louder, grinding your hips up against Jake’s mouth, you could hear the glasses breaking against the floor, while one of your hands fell to your side as you gripped the table, a bowl of fruit falling too as you whimpered. 

You could feel your orgasm building, your pussy clenching Jake’s fingers and tongue as he worked on you. It was too much, your back arching as you mewled in desperation at the way he was putting all the attention on you, all of his efforts on your pleasure. He was too good, Jake’s eyes flickered up at you and he couldn’t help but smirk at the way he had you already. You moaned one final time so loud that Jake thought that his neighbors might’ve heard you, your walls clenched around his tongue as you were shaking and withering, as you squeezed your eyes shut while the waves of pleasure washed over you. 

“I want you,” Jake whispered as he climbed up and pushed you up against him.

His chest flushed with yours as he studied your features softly; Jake had been with many girls in his life but he was sure he’d never felt such pleasure in gazing at a woman he was with, sex for him had always been about touching and taste and fire, and yet with you, it was tender but passionate. 

You were so utterly beautiful to him. 

“Open your eyes,” he murmured against your lip, your thighs still trembling from the orgasm he gave you. “Come on, doll,” he said again softly. 

Your eyes fluttered open, cheeks blushed as you place a lazy kiss against his lips. Your pulse seemed to be so slow in comparison to a few minutes before, it felt as if you were drunk, intoxicated by him. 

“I want you too,” you breathed out as you pressed his lips against yours, you tasted yourself on his tongue feeling how he was smiling, really smiling as he took your bum off the counter and took you to his room while you wrapped your legs around his waist. 

Jake sat on the edge of his bed, while you laid on top of him, kissing him hard. You tugged his shirt upward and then worked on his jeans, Jake yanked his clothes off him without much trouble as you held into his shoulders for leverage while you continued to press kisses in whatever skin you could find. 

And then, Jake pulled down his boxers. You looked down at it and your heart began to thump harder as you realized what you were about to do. Jake pulled away for a second, looking up at you and smiling, Jake was so hard already and you could feel him pressing against your stomach, hard, thick. You touched him softly as you breathed heavily while watching him, Jake let out a soft growl as you work on him and you smirk smugly while licking your lips. Jake’s hands flew to your hips before you pause for a moment.  

“It’s okay,” you muttered as you understand the unspoken question. 

It’s okay that we’re friends and we’re doing this. It’s okay that even if you are a close friend of my ex-boyfriend we’re doing this. It’s okay that we don’t have a condom, we’re doing this. It’s okay if you are you and I’m me, we’re still doing this. 

Jake then pulled you down and kissed you, hot and unrelenting, kissing you with intent. You adjusted yourself a bit and soon Jake was pushing your hips so you were sinking down on him, burying himself as deeply as he could possibly go inside of you. Both of you let out strangled moans, the feeling of being filled and the absolute warmth overtaking both of you almost completely. He feels so good, so good that you didn’t know if you were just going to come there and then by the way he was pulsing inside of you. 

You moaned gently into his shoulder, nails sinking into his skin as Jake struggled for a second before he got a grip and started to move your hips provocatively slow as he swallowed hard and looked at you, he loved the fucked out look on your face. You were unable to help your sharp intake of breath as Jake thrusted up sharply, when you opened your eyes you saw the smug smirk on his face. You frown before you pressed your lips against him, claiming his mount in a vulgar, tongue-filled kiss. It was sloppy and hot as you sucked his lower lip between your teeth, eliciting a soft groan from Jake before you release it. 

Now, you gave him a smug smirk before you started to move your hips up and down as your hands braced your body against his broad shoulders. Jake kept pounding into you. Jake pressed his lips against your throat, rutting his hips upward to meet yours, he sucked different purple marks into your skin as your eyes squeeze shut by how good you were feeling, by how good his cock felt as he drove up against your g-spot with each movement. Jake marked you up, a purple mark on your neck, then one on your chest, then one under your boob as he continued to snap his hips against yours. 

“F-fuck,” his voice hoarse, sounding a little choked after a particular roll of your hips. “You’re so good, you’re so lovely, sweetheart,” 

You whimpered at the nickname as you felt how your body began to burn as he slammed harshly into you, his heavy breaths against your upper chest. The rhythm steadily increased the tempo, bodies rocking together, both finding their release. You ride him with everything you got, mewling in pleasure as your nails rake his shoulders and then his chest, sweat running between the two of you, dripping from your slick bodies as you rocked against each other. Jake gritted his teeth, hissing in pleasure as you slightly shifted your hips and everything becomes tighter. It’s intoxicating, the way that your breathless pants and gasps feel against his ears, his ragged breathing as you kiss him one more time, it’s slower than the other kisses but with a frenzy filling up your chest. The rhythm grows quickly out of control before your throw your head back as you feel the fire pooling on your lower belly, Jake knows you’re there, you just need a little push, he slid one hand between the two of you and pinches your clit with his finger. 

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head and you clenched around him. It was too much and not enough, you gasp for breath as you quickly surrender to the shockwaves of pleasure cursing through your veins as he thrust deep inside of you. Soon, your mind was spiraling, growing hazy from the intoxicating feeling of Jake’s cock hitting the right spot, your legs begin to tremble but Jake didn’t stop, relentlessly pounding into you with a barely animalistic growl as ecstasy burst through you as Jake’s thrust became sloppy and soon, he reached his own release. 

You barely heard Jake yelling out your name as he spilled into you, filling you up completely. 

Jake just holds you there as you both try to catch your breaths, bodies still overheated and chest heaving. Jake’s head falls back softly as he chuckles lightly. You don’t want to move for a second, still too dizzy and weak to do it, you kiss his shoulder softly, his collarbone, and then placed a chaste kiss over his lips. Jake smiled at you and you smiled at him, your fingers playing gently with the soft hairs of the nape of his neck as Jake’s fingers trace small circles on your back. 

By the morning, your muscles are so sore that you could’ve sworn you’d done aquatic training the day before but not, but you didn’t. Still, in the haze of your sleep, your mind didn't seem alarmed as you feel the warmth of a body tangled with yours, your mind didn't register the gravity of the fact that that body belong to anyone other than Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin. 

The only thing you could think about was a loud and lousy ringtone that was making your head hurt, maybe it was the alcohol that was making your head hurt but you didn’t want to take the blame. 

“Oh my god,” 

You mutter before you press your face back into the comfort of the pillow you’d slept on that night, pulling a bit away from Jake, maybe the loss of heat would wake him up but after a minute you realize that it didn’t. You push his bicep unceremoniously, waking him up suddenly. 

“What?” he asked alarmed as he began to move but still too sleepy to realize where the sound was coming from. 

You groaned. “Fuck Hangman, are you deaf? Why is that thing so loud?” you grumbled although it was hard to hear you with how your face was pressed up against the pillow. 

Jake’s mind finally snapped and looked down at his pants on the floor, where his phone probably was. He leaned down a bit too slow as you whimpered loudly, tacitly asking him to stop the sound. 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Jake mumbles before he answered the phone and walked out of the room. 

The silence is finally comforting as you take a deep breath and try to get yourself back to sleep. Unfortunately, another ringtone starts to fill the room and you cursed mentally as you recognize that it’s your phone. Jake, before everything had happened, had placed it in his room so you could charge it before you left. 

You groaned as you pull yourself out of the comfortable position you were in before you reached for it on the bedside table, you don’t even mind looking at the number, you don’t find yourself caring or thinking too much about who it is. 

You just wanted to go back to sleep. 

“Hello?” you asked.

“Lt. Kazansky,” you recognized Warlock’s voice immediately and your eyes snapped open as you raise from the bed. You don’t answer, holding your breath as you wait for Warlock to speak, he seemed to take the hint and continued. “I’m to inform you that you’ve been called for a mission. The dagger team has to return.”

Suddenly, Jake opened the door as he gazes back at you, the same concerned expression painted on his features. 

Shit.

***

taglist: @laracrofted @double-j @inky-sun @alanadetigy

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author's note: so this took a while, I'm so sorry. I just really had this idea about the prologue and it took me a while to think about the smut lol anyway, I really hope this is up to your expectations. as always thank you for reading.

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feedback is always welcomed!!!

donate: help me pls with a glass of wine?

[sugarcoated-lame]

Little sneak peek of my new Jake fic, ‘Always A Bridesmaid’ bc why not! (:

Jake Seresin x female Bradshaw!reader

Summary: Bradley tells all the guys at his wedding that his little sister is off limits… But when has Jake ever listened to Rooster?

warnings: none in this sneak peek other than mentions of alcohol/drinking i think, but the full fic will contain smut! 18+ minors dni

...

After sharing a dance with your dear Uncle Mav and relinquishing him back into the awaiting arms of Penny, you spend the next half hour moping at the table on your own. Absent-mindedly swirling the straw around in your drink, chin resting in your other hand as you watch the festivities going on around you. 

And that’s how Jake finds you.

You were adorable. With your sparkling eyes and your hair pinned up into some intricate up-do that Jake wanted to see undone, a few pieces flowing down and framing your face. The hint of cleavage Jake could see beneath the cowl neckline of that lavender dress that hugged your curves so well as you leaned forward against the table, a slight pout on your lips as you observed everyone having fun on the dancefloor.

Jake could tell that you weren’t having a good time and he knew exactly why. 

Little did you know, that earlier that morning while Bradley and his groomsmen were getting ready in a suite separate from the girls, your brother had had a “talk” with all the guys.

Debriefing about last night’s rehearsal dinner, Hangman, Coyote, and Fanboy—all of the single groomsmen—had been discussing a few of Natasha’s bridesmaids that they thought were cute. Especially the maid of honor. 

Rooster’s ears had been ringing when he heard them describe you to a T, and Jake could practically see smoke coming out of them as he turned toward his friends, always the overprotective big brother ready to shut them down.

“The maid of honor,” all of the groomsmen turned to look at the mustached groom as he began to speak.

“Is my little sister. And she’s off limits.” At his words and the stern, serious tone of Bradley’s voice, Jake and the others collectively shut up, matching caught-out and shocked expressions on each of their faces.

“I mean it, guys, I don’t wanna see any of you hitting on her. I love you all like my brothers, but I’m not afraid to kick someone’s ass if I see you trying it on with my sister.”

The guys all knew that Rooster wasn’t bluffing. With rushed apologies and confirmations that they’d leave you alone, the tension left the room as they all laughed it off and went about their business getting ready for the ceremony. 

With Bradley’s warning in mind, the dagger squad had spent the rest of the day being nice—but not too nice—whenever they spoke to you, and tried to keep their interactions with you to a minimum, so as not to face your older brother’s wrath.

Jake was ready to follow the rules too, it was Bradshaw’s wedding after all. He could hold off on pissing off his best frenemy for one night. At least that was the case, until the reception. 

When he saw you sitting all alone, all gorgeous and sulking, Jake knew right then that he had to go talk to you. He knew he was the only one stupid enough—or brave enough, if you ask him—to go against your brother’s wishes, and who was Jake if he wasn’t stirring the pot?

Was it so wrong for him to help a pretty lady have a good time? And you were beautiful, strikingly so, so Jake wouldn’t mind if he got a little something out of it too.

Jake isn’t scared of your brother. Besides, Rooster was far too busy dancing with Phoenix, the newlywed couple far too preoccupied with making heart-eyes at each other to notice him making his way over to you.

Your eyes widen with intrigue as the tall, blonde pilot—Jake, or Hangman as he’d been introduced to you—sidles over to where you’re seated.

God, was he handsome. You sit up a little straighter as he plonks himself down in the chair next to you, a devilish smirk on his lips as he turns toward you. 

“What is a pretty little thing like you doing sitting here all on her lonesome?” He inquires, a slight Southern drawl to his voice. Texan, maybe?

“Um… drinking?” Your answer is short, but you’re a bit caught off guard and still annoyed by the fact that all of your attempts at socializing tonight with anyone outside of the few members of your family and Phoenix, had failed.

But now, here was Hangman, going out of his way to talk to you and looking you straight in your eyes. His green gaze intense and leaving you a bit flustered. 

Jake glances down to where you’re still toying with the straw in your near-empty glass. With that playful smirk still present on his face, he goes to speak again.

“Well, darlin’, I cannot in good conscience let you drink alone. What are you drinking and how ‘bout I buy you another one?” His question makes you scoff. 

“Tequila Sunrise, and it’s an open bar so… no, you can’t buy me a drink.” You roll your eyes at the almost too handsome pilot. 

Oh. Pretty and feisty. Jake was going to have a hard time staying away from you.

“Well then, how about I acquire you another one, and because I’m such a nice guy, I’ll even join you?” Jake winked at you and stood, striding towards the bar before you could even answer his question. 

…

Update: the full story is up now! You can read it here ! <3

Thank you for reading! x

I hope to get the whole thing posted soon, it’s been done for a minute now tbh I've just gotta edit it <3

taglist: @wkndwlff @chaoticassidy @sebsxphia <3

[sorchathered]

Sweet Home Texas pt. 2

A/N- hey yall just a little something I wrote while I was traveling today, I don’t know how often I’ll get to update after this with the move rapidly approaching but I had some free time. :)

Pairing- Jake “hangman” Seresin x Oc Ella Mcree

Warnings- angst, language

“I can’t do it anymore.” She said with a heaving sob as she crumbled in on herself, arms wrapped tightly around her middle as if she were holding herself together.

“I’ve been with him for almost 20 years, I don’t know any other way of life but this is…this isn’t a life anymore! Happy moments are almost non-existent, I can’t even remember the last time he prioritized me before his job or his friends, hell I don’t think we’ve even been on a date in at least a year. We are constantly biting each other’s heads off, everything I do seems to be wrong or met with a condescending look. I’m not a child! I’m a 35 year old woman with a thriving career! Just because he has some kind of god complex as a pilot doesn’t give him the right to treat me like I’m stupid. I don’t want to be mean, and I don’t want to hurt him, but I don’t think I can be married to him anymore. Love shouldn’t feel like this, love shouldn’t hurt like this. If the end goal is to be together for 50 + years and hate every minute of it then I don’t want it. I’m sorry- I’m so sorry Jake but I won’t do this anymore.”

Jane Wyatt had been seeing Ella and Jake Seresin for couples therapy for nearly 6 months now, and in that time their relationship had shown no growth. Jake dug his heels in and fought Ella at every corner, he knew he worked too much and probably could have put more time into them but he maintained that she knew this was his dream and he was trying to make it to the top. One day things would be easier, she just had to wait it out.

Ella felt like she was dying on the vine, she had put her life on hold for Jake for so long and now that she was thriving in her career and fast tracking it to become the cfo of a major company in San Diego suddenly Jake couldn’t handle it. Having her at home barefoot and pregnant had never been a part of their plan, they both knew it but he felt like he was losing control and took it out on her. Accusations of cheating when she worked late hours, nitpicking everything she did, he didn’t mean to make her feel small but something in his subconscious just wouldn’t let it go. The house was burning from the inside out and he was refusing to throw water on the fire, they’d burn down together and stay married and maybe one day they’d crawl their way out of it.

Jane watched the scene unfolding in front of her, Ella falling apart and Jake white knuckling the chair across from her, jaw clenched so tightly it felt like his teeth might crack. She knew what the diagnosis was and it was one of the worst parts of her job.

Being a couples counselor was not for the weak, and she knew that at one point the two people in front of her had been head over heels in love. But this wasn’t the same couple from twenty years ago, and it wasn’t helping either of them to stay on a sinking ship.

“I’m sorry to you both, you’ve spent over half your lives together and I know this is not how either of you saw it going. My professional opinion? It’s time to take a step away from each other, whether that be for a few months or in dissolving your marriage can’t be determined yet, only time can answer that. But neither of you are good for each other right now, and my opinion is unchanged. You need to let each other go and find out who you are without each other. It’s the only way to move forward.”

Jake was out of his seat and out the door before she even finished, Ella crying out for him as he made his way to the elevators and out to his truck. He finally let himself break when he was alone, he knew it took two people to build a life but he had pushed her to this point. He knew she’d been unhappy and he had done nothing to stop it, nothing to change it, just expected her to push through like they always had. He didn’t know who he was without her, he’d never even kissed another woman before her; how was he supposed to just move on? The thought made him feel physically sick. He couldn’t go home, so he called his wingman, Javy Machado to admit defeat and ask for a place to stay.

That was nearly four years ago, Jake replayed that awful afternoon over in his mind in bed after he’d seen you at the bar tonight, you’d looked damn good. Still all fire and sharp wit, and it reminded him just how far apart you’d grown in the time since then. He had hoped if he gave you space to grow and learned the tools he needed to work on himself that the universe would bring you back together, but it hadn’t. That is until you walked in tonight. Circumstances be damned, he wasn’t signing those damn papers. He’d let this go on too long, he was going to romance you and show you just how good things could be, if you’d found someone else well that poor sap would have to go because the two of you were endgame and he knew it. Now he just had to convince you. Easier said than done.

🏷️ Tagging- @attapullman @bobgasm @roosterforme @mynameismckenziemae @seitmai @jessicab1991 @djs8891 @buckysteveloki-me @dontletthemtakeyoualive @crazy-ravioli @dizzybee03 @sarahsmi13s @sunsetsimpsblog @auroralightsthesky @bradshawssugarbaby

[dancewithdeath11]

When Hangman Met Dolly

Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Reader

Warnings: Fluff, beefing, sexual themes (no sex tho), some angst but not really, happy ending! Why am doing this to myself, trying second person POV this time around, bit proof read-but also not really. 

Word Count: 10.5K

(sorry I wanted to get as many plot points as I could)

2010

Jeez… This blows. You huff, kicking at the pavement as you lean against the truck that you were planning on commuting to Pensacola in. It was a good fourteen hour drive from Annapolis where you attended the Naval Academy. And– unfortunately –where your junior-turning-senior roommate met her “future pilot”, Jake Seresin. They encountered each other at a bar and he swept her off her feet a few months ago. Unfortunately, you and Jake just graduated.

Which means that you are well on your way out of there to where you’ve coincidentally both been stationed in Pensacola, Florida. She swears up and down he is the love of her life. But you could tell. He’s cocky and self assured, like most of the men that graduate from the Naval Academy. He is gonna end up calling her within the next week and break her heart, telling her that long distance is too hard or something and that it’ll be for the best. 

Glancing up from your beaten shoes you find them eating eachothers faces, her face shining with tears. Murmuring soft promises to each other, an upside down smile on her naive features as he swears to call her all the time. Reaching into the driver's side window, you press the horn for a long moment. Effectively breaking them out of whatever trance, but you add one more for good measure with a smirk. “We’re behind schedule.” You call, making your roommate- well, ex-roommate, whine as she hugs Jake again.

Jake presses more kisses to her lips making you roll your eyes as you climb into the car and make sure to slam the drivers door harder than necessary. It takes a minute but Jake eventually joins you in the car. Your roommates head popping into Jake's window one last time. 

“I’m going to miss you so much…” She swoons, raising a manicured hand to wipe away her tears.

“Me too, baby. I’ll call you when we get down there.” He hums and you have to actively try not rolling your eyes. You reach up and shift the truck into drive, slowly starting to roll forward as she frantically spews out her feelings to Jake, endless I love you’s and call me every day’s. He returns them half-assedly…if that’s even a word? Either way he managed to deliver them that way.

Eventually you roll onto the main road, leaving her on the sidewalk. You hummed as you finally reached the high-way, speeding up to merge with the traffic. “So, what’s the plan, sweetheart?” Jake broke the silence first, reaching to fiddle with the old radio. 

You eyed him for a brief moment before focusing on the road again. “We will be driving through the night. I’ve set up a plan so that we get equal time’s driving and have also looked up stops along the high-way so that we can shift.” You explained proudly, always taking pride in your way to plan ahead of things. But he only scoffed and rolled his eyes at you. “What?”

“Driving schedules? Looking up stops on the high-way? I mean-” 

“It’s a fourteen hour drive, Seresin!” You cut him off with a scoff of your own. Was he really this dense? A single person driving for seven hours is dangerous, so pushing ten or fourteen is just plain stupid.

“That’s a given, honey.” He nods with a laugh. 

“Then surely as a fellow member of the Navy you can see the ethics in having a driving plan for such a long drive!” A pout sets on your lips, brows drawn so tightly together in frustration that there’s a distinguishable crease there even if you’re only in your early 20’s. 

He throws his hands up in surrender with a nod. Silently giving in, you’re both now basking in a semi-awkward silence. Shit… 

Reaching over you flick on the radio. Last thing you were listening to was Dolly Parton. An old cassette you got from your mom to go with your old truck. Taking a deep breath you listen for a moment before reaching up and rolling back the cassette to start from the beginning. After letting it go again, the beat of “9 to 5” filled in the silence of the truck cab. You only lasted a minute before you started singing along under your breath. Hitting every note with ease after listening to this cassette so many times throughout the years. Eventually, a few songs later, Jake opened up his big mouth again. 

You could see him shift his whole body to look at you from where he sat. “You sound beautiful. Almost as good as ol’ Dolly herself.” He drawled, and you could practically hear him smirking as he waited for your reaction. Instead of giving him the reaction he wanted, you just hummed before the chorus came on again and you sang along. A chuckle came from him before he shook his head and shifted back to where he was before. 

========

Shaking your head, Jake laughs in disbelief. “No way are you going for Victor over Rick! You’re choosing a passionless, sex-less relationship? You’re choosing that over the best sex of your life? Because he owns a bar in Casablanca and that’s all he does?” He pulls into the diner parking lot and puts the truck into park. The two of you stop to look at each other as you think it over for a moment. 

“Yeah. Yeah! It’s a matter of sensibility. Victor is the stable choice, and any other woman would say the same.” A smile crept its way onto your lips. Being with Jake was so easy, and he was genuinely a funny guy. Too bad he’s going with your girlfriend right now, you can see the charm she was talking about.

“Oh…I see! I get it now!” He nods, licking his lips as he pushes open his door. Hopping out and slamming it just as I’m getting out as well. 

“What? What are you saying?”

“No, just forget about it.” He shrugged as both of you walked up to the small roadside restaurant. It was cute, but clearly busy. You silently hope that you’ll get in smoothly and get back on the road as soon as possible. 

Frowning you follow him closely up the steps. “No, I wanna know!” He paused as he was pulling open the door. 

“If you’re picking the boring relationship over the best sex of your life. Then that just means that you haven't had good sex.” He shrugged and walked inside, “Two, please.” The waitress nods and directs us to a table. 

But you could not believe that he would say something like that so blatantly. “Excuse me, for the record, I have had plenty of good sex.” You scoff out, without thinking. The once bustling diner fell silent for a moment. Their eyes trained on you in confusion causing you to flush with embarrassment. Taking a deep breath you look down, avoiding their gazes as you go take a seat with Jake. 

“Okay, then who have you had all this–incredible–sex with?” His brows raise as he puts his hands on the table expectantly. 

Your mouth opens to respond without thinking only to shut again. Brows furrowing as you cross your arms and lean back, “I don’t have to tell you, that’s private.” He hums and nods. For some reason that response rubs you wrong. Like he’s telling you straight to your face that he doesn’t believe you. “Barry, Barry Stevenson.” You nod, thinking back to the last romp you had. Was it great, no…But it was still something. 

“Barry? No.” Jake stated as he leaned back in his seat. “No, you did not have great sex with a Barry.” 

What is with this guy?

“And why not? Who are you to say something like that?”

“It’s all in the name,” He rubs his chin, “Barry is not the name of a guy who is good at sex. Barry can help you with your finances. But he isn’t good at sex. I mean, come on! ‘Give it to me, Barry.’ ‘Ride me, Barry.’” With his brows raised, a smirk comes onto his thin lips. Cocky as ever as he shrugs his shoulders. Head tilted back, a sigh leaves your lips. I still have another eight hours with this guy…You think to yourself. Luckily the moment is saved as a waitress comes over asking for our order. “Yeah, I’ll have a number three, thanks.”

“Uhmm, can I have a cheeseburger? Everything on it. And can you please put the pickles on the side, and no tomatoes. Then I’d like a blackberry pie, heated up with ice cream on the side, not on top. And if you have chocolate can I have that instead of vanilla? Then whipped cream on top, but only if it's real. If it’s from the can, I don’t want it. Please and thank you…” You glanced up at the waitress again, she gave a slightly confused look before nodding and writing it down. 

A small chuckle left her as she got ready to leave. “Whatever you say,” She said to me as she pocketed her notepad. Then she spared a look to Jake, “You, mister, got yourself a handful.” She laughed, making him laugh along as she left. 

“Okay…” He laughed before turning serious again and looked back at you. “What the heck was that?” 

Your brows creased together, “What?” 

“The on the side and only ifs or whatever!” He shook his head as he vaguely gestured behind him. Towards where the waitress had disappeared. “You took a solid minute to order a burger and pie.” The blonde tapped at his watch with a disbelieving smile on his face. 

Shaking your head a smile forms on your lips. His natural charm and teasing getting to you after having driven for hours with him. Now on your designated break to get dinner. You roll your eyes and start up a different topic. You filled in the good fifteen minutes of waiting for our burgers with talk about places you’ve looked for in Pensacola due to the rumors of the current bunks being horrible and constantly in need of maintenance. Going into detail about your favorite place you’ve found on a new house listing website you stumbled upon. But eventually the food came and you ate it up as quickly as you could. Wanting to get back on the road as soon as possible. Jake just huffed as you encouraged him to eat a little faster than his single fry at a time without even touching his sandwich yet. 

You picked up the bill when it came around, and Jake munched on his sandwich. So you took the time to calculate what percent of the tip you owed alongside your meal. Humming in satisfaction as you grabbed the dollars from your purse and laid aside the tip. 

“Y’know, you’re actually very attractive.” 

“Oh…” You swallow, “Thank you?”

“Stella never told me how attractive you were.”

You what now?

“A-Are you flirting with me right now?” You scoffed as you looked up at him like he was nuts. 

“I’m just saying you’re extremely good looking.” He offered a sly smile that had a hidden meaning behind it, you didn’t want to look too far into. Rolling your eyes at him you stood up and collected your things. “Hey- what’d I say!” The man laughed as he quickly pulled out his assumed amount of cash and slapped it on the table before following you out to the truck. Half a sandwich clutched in his hand as he ate it while he walked.

Pausing at the end of the steps you turned and pointed to him, “You’re dating my friend! And now you’re coming on me!” A groan leaves you as you spin back around and go to the truck. 

“Listen-” He jogs up to the driver's side of the truck. Going around the back of the truck to avoid him, you end up on the passenger's side. “You can’t deny that you are very attractive-”

You cut him short again, “You’re dating Stella right now! You are in a relationship. Can’t we just be friends?” Pulling open the passenger’s door and tossing your purse in carelessly. 

“Friends?” He gets into the driver's seat. You follow suit and get into the truck.

“Yes. Just friends.”

“Nope.”

Another scoff leaves you as he puts the truck into reverse, starting his shift behind the wheel. “What do you mean, nope? Men and women can be friends, y’know? It’s 2010, catch up with the times.” You gesture with your hand in exasperation. Men can be so complicated at times. 

“No, they can’t, Darlin’.” Pursing your lips you glare over at him. Leaving you hanging with no further elaboration. And he knows this pisses you off ever so slightly. He learned this early on in the trip. You can’t stand not knowing. 

In a monotone, sarcastic way you bite the bait. “Oh please, elaborate…” A deep sigh leaves you as you wait for whatever stupid guy excuse he’s gonna give.

He hums in appreciation as he spares a glance your way. “I mean this in the plainest way possible, and this is not me coming on you in any way, shape or form. But men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.” Jake finished, plain and simple, as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole goddamn world. 

“No, no! You’re wrong, I have plenty of male friends.” You state, as if proving him wrong with those words alone. A small smile on your features as you think you’ve gotten him beat. 

But he was quick to argue. “Okay. Maybe one or two are okay. But as I said before, you’re attractive. They may be your friend, but they will never be a real friend because they most likely want to have sex with you. The second you let your guard down- let’s see… you have a gnarly break up? After you tell them, do you ever notice how they’re always there?” He lets that linger for a moment. And you let it sink in. No…that can’t be right, right? This jackass can’t possibly be right. “Exactly.”

A thought comes to mind, “So if a guy thinks a girl is unattractive, then they can be friends. Because he doesn’t want to have sex with her then, right?” You counter. 

“Nope…pretty much want to nail them too.” Jake nods with his bottom lip jutted out in thought. A frustrated huff escapes your lips. Slouching in your seat as you mull this over. Thinking of all the times you thought a guy who was just your friend seemed a little too chummy. 

“So we can’t just be friends?” You ponder to him. This causes a brief silence to ensue as he now takes a moment to think about it. 

He shook his head, “Nope. Not really, anyways.” 

“That’s too bad,” You exclaim, taking in a deep breath before releasing it in a sigh. “You were gonna be the only person I knew in Pensacola.” Looking over you take in his side profile. He didn’t look half bad, only downside is that massive ego that is bigger than Texas. Makes sense, he’s a strong Texan man anyways. Coming right from the heart of Austin, Texas. A fact he has bragged about so many times when he came over to pick up Stella. 

“Yeah…That’s too bad. Because I am a delight to be around.” He smirks as he looks over at you. It was so cocky and on brand of him, you couldn’t help but suppress a grin before turning away to look out of the window. Watching the dark landscape zipping past.

========

“Well, this is it! See you around, and have a nice life if I don’t…” You smiled brightly as you stood on the curb out front of the barracks that Jake is meant to stay in. 

It was unfortunate, but you couldn’t help but find it a bit funny that a guy like Jake Seresin is being reduced to the confines of having a bunk buddy. However, you doubt that’ll stop him from bringing a girl back. Jake hummed as he swung his bag over his shoulder. Far less than what you’d brought to fill in your potential home off base. The chance of running into Jake dropping significantly from just living off base in a bungalow rather than having another roommate for who knows how long. You were itching to find the right place and live alone for once. “Yeah…Yeah, I’ll see around Dolly.” He gives a little finger salute before turning on his heels to walk into the bustling barracks. 

“Dolly?” You laughed as you covered the sun with your hand, trying to catch another glimpse at the future aviator as he walked further away still. 

He turned and continued a slow pace backwards. “Yeah! Cause you sound just like her.” He winked before spinning back around and giving a dramatic wave over his shoulder without looking. As if telling you not to say anything more. That he was going to have the last word. 

2013

The task was easy, relatively. Being freshly stationed in Oak Harbor, Washington was nice. It was a good base, and you needed a change of pace anyways. Especially from where you were stationed as a mechanical engineer on a next gen fighter jet. The job itself wasn’t half bad, it was just out of your element. 

But here, you were right where you belonged. Working on something familiar…

Only issue…it was like moving schools. You were the new kid. A feeling you always dreaded when coming around to a new base. So as you approach mess, you hope and pray you’ll recognize someone. Either a face from when you were showed around or-

“Hey! Are you that new engineer? For the EA-18G’s?” A woman called. Looking over, you’re met with a stunning woman, still clad in her flight suit. Her hair is a mess and she’s looking at you expectantly. 

Blinking a few times you nodded, a smile curling onto her lips making you smile in return. “Yeah! Yeah, that’s me.” You offer her your hand to shake. She quickly wipes off her palm on her pant leg before reciprocating the gesture. Giving a firm handshake before she nods towards the free seat beside her. “Thanks…”

Taking a seat, you pull out your home packed lunch. Having never grown out of living by yourself after getting that first taste of freedom.So you would regularly take advantage of the small kitchen, making lunch in whichever apartment you were renting out for the duration of being stationed wherever you were. “Lieutenant Natasha Trace, but my callsign is Phoenix.” The woman offered. So you smiled and gave her your name in return. But just as you finished you spotted a tall blonde you were not expecting to see. He looked away in such a suspicious way that he must’ve been looking at you before you spotted him. Natasha must’ve noticed the way your face filled with disbelief as she quickly glanced over her shoulder. Coming back to meet your gaze as she rose a brow in confusion. “What? Recognize someone?”

“You can’t be serious…” You muttered under your breath as Jake glanced your way, meeting your gaze. You quickly look back at Natasha. “Yeah, yeah. Something like that.” You squeak as you try to hide your face. Resting your thumb to your temple and leaning your elbow on the table. Your fingers shadowing your face from the bright lights. Doing relatively nothing to hide you since Jake had already locked on. 

Even if he’s fast in a jet, he is slow to recognize a face. On his end he was taking a minute. When he glanced back your way to get a second look and met your surprised gaze it clicked for him. A smirk creeped onto his thin lips as he turned to put down his things next to his friend Coyote. 

“Who is it?” She asked, genuine curiosity filling her face. 

Taking a deep breath, you leaned in closer, “Okay, so after graduating from the academy three or so years ago, I had to get my truck down to Pensacola. My roommate's boyfriend was also being stationed there, so my roommate begged me to give him a ride down. Worst fourteen hours of my life.” You groaned at the memory. 

“That’s horrible, why would your roommate do that to you?” Natasha chuckled and you shrugged in exasperation. 

“Yeah, and then he tried to flirt with me, but of course, he was still with my friend. So I told him off about it and offered that we can be friends instead. Because he was still a great guy: funny, charismatic, all that stuff. But he said that we can’t. So I asked him why. He said that men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way. Or something like that…? Either way, I’ve never had a good male friend ever since.” You finish your hushed rant, looking up to try and find him but not finding him there. Great, you think, maybe he left? Just about to spill more about the man to your new friend, hoping that he won’t come over.

But the dream of him not coming over was crushed as he approached with purpose. Like he knew exactly what he was walking into. Like he knew it was him that was being talked about, and took it as an ego boost. “Dolly–I’ll be damned–it is you.” He hummed as he clicked his tongue, his hands falling on his slim hips. 

He’d definitely gotten broader over the years. His face is still stupidly perfect, other than the fine smile lines coming in. Why does such a handsome man have to have such a cocky, egotistical, arrogant, jackass attached to it? 

“Jake. Still alive?” You rebutted with a slight glare. 

He just laughed it off and crossed his arms over his chest, “Alive and better than ever.”

All while you and Jake were staring each other down, Natasha was watching this all unfold. “Hangman? This is who you got stuck with for fourteen hours? I’m so sorry.” The brunette said, ignoring the blonde standing there like it was her job. It was clear to you that she and Jake most likely know each other pretty well. Have probably flown together on a few dozen hops together depending on how long they’ve been stationed here together. “Also, why did you call her Dolly? That isn’t her name.” Natasha finally directed her attention to Jake. It was a form of confusion for her, but it also doubled as her defending you. Which was sweet since you literally just met her. 

“Because she sings a lot of Dolly Parton, sounds just like her in my opinion. She probably played that Dolly Parton cassette twice over during our little road trip.” The pilot smirked as he took a seat from another table and placed it almost between you and Natasha. “Figured the nickname suited her.” He nodded as you rolled your eyes, cheeks flushing at the memory of playing the whole cassette more than once. 

The blonde looks at you, but it isn’t in an expectant kind of way. It was like he was studying you. Trying to get a read on how much his comment affected you. But that wasn’t actually what he was doing. Jake was just taking you in. Seeing that you still had that line between your brows when you looked at him like he was crazy. That you still had worry lines on your forehead from being an overachieving worker, much like himself. He looked away from your face and towards the table where a nicely laid out home-packed meal was. Still the same, Jake thought to himself. Taking in how you separated certain things from your sandwich and had your little snacks bagged to keep them from getting condensation on them from your cold drink you probably put in the freezer last night to keep it cooler throughout the day. 

“But how’ve you been Dolly?” Jake asked, sincerely and with interest. 

You were slightly caught off guard with his sudden interest in how you were doing. “I’m good…Just got transferred here this past weekend.” A small smile creeping onto your lips as you fiddle with the hem of your pants. “How about you, Hangman?” You return the question with a small smirk, using his newly discovered callsign.

“Good…I’ve been good.” He hums before tapping his hand on the table, “Uhmm, how’s, uhhh…” The man hesitated. Clearly trying to remember someone. It clicked, making you almost laugh in his face. 

“Stella?”

“Yeah! Stella Rogers.”

“Roberts.”

“Right, that’s what I said. How has she been?” Jake asked with a raised brow. 

You gazed right back at him, an unimpressed look settling on your features. Lifting your shoulders in a shrug, truthfully responding to him, “I wouldn’t know, I haven’t talked to her in a few years.”

Jake hummed again as he nodded. A common response for him. “You guys used to be really tight, what happened there?”

Another shrug from you. “Stuff happens. We just drifted apart.”

Poor Phoenix had to sit through the tension after your words. Neither of you know what to say next. Sparing a glance to the woman just past Jake, you try to communicate that you don’t know what to say. That you were a little lost and needed an out. She took in a deep breath and nodded, getting up with a screech of her chair. “C’mon, I’ll show you what was wrong with my jet.” She said, matter of factly. 

Quickly you pack up your lunch that remained untouched from when you unpacked it only ten minutes before, “Yeah! I’m sure I can get it fixed in no time.” You smile and get up, turning to Jake with a smile. “See you around, I guess.”

“That’s gonna be a hard one.” Your brows furrowed in confusion at his muttered words.

Pausing as you tilt your head, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean, I’m getting transferred out this weekend.”

“Oh…” That’s only three days from now. This was a mere chance meeting. How ironic is that? 

“Maybe we could go out to dinner tonight? As friends.” He added quickly at the end. As if he recalled his whole men and women can’t be friends thing from three years ago. But you just shook your head. 

“No, uhm, I’m going out with my boyfriend, Ross, tonight…” You admit, and he hums with a smile. Muttering a small good for you. “Well, if I don’t see you around base…have a nice life.” 

“Yeah…You too, Dolly.”

2016

“Alright, and this is the head mechanic for the Dagger Squad. Callsign, Dolly. She’s the best, and I asked for her personally with what limited power I have over this mission.” You heard the familiar voice call. Smirking as you turned around and were faced with more than one familiar face. Sighing out as you lock eyes with a particular set of green eyes. 

“Dolly!” Phoenix called out with a smile, “You didn’t tell me you were Stateside!” The woman laughed as she jogged over to you. The rest of the squad follow suit in order to properly meet you.

With a bashful grin you hugged her when she made it over, the both of you managing to keep in contact after being stationed in Washington. “It’s good to see you too, Phe…” You hummed as the two of you swayed a little. Pulling back you moved onto the other familiar faces. “Rooster, good to see you again.” You pat the man's arm as you pass him up to go and hug Bob. One of your closest male friends that you’ve managed to keep in touch with. He’s always been respectful, but not straight out avoidant. “Bobby!” 

“Hi!” He chuckles as he takes you into his arms. Funny enough, you were just stationed in Lemoore with him, before you were transferred here. Only a few days before him, actually. He presses a soft peck to your hair as you squeeze his waist. “We only saw each other a few days ago, y’know?” He says matter-of-factly. 

Shaking your head again, you just chuckle. “Well, I thought I’d never see you again. Except for Christmas, because you promised. Actually, your mother promised.” You hummed as you patted his arm as you pulled away. It was quite a funny story that was kept between the two of you. Pulling away, you nod to Maverick with a smile. Having already had your bout of excitement with seeing him again when you first arrived in San Diego. 

You exchange some pleasantries with the other Dagger pilots before you’re met with Jake. Gazing up at him with a sigh as you approach him. “So, you’re still alive, Hangman?” You remember saying something along those lines last time you encountered him. 

Clearly, he remembers too. A small chuckle leaving him as he takes you in once again. Just like he did last time. To Jake, you looked better than ever. The same…but somehow better. Almost as if you haven’t aged a day since he last saw you. Only thing that’s really changed is your hair. But it’s hard to tell, your hair being in some kind of up-do you most likely did out of frustration of it being in your way while working. Your cheek has a smear of some kind of fluid, probably grease, that he also took note of on the back of your hand. He smirks, “Yeah, alive and better than ever, Dolly.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I see the callsign stuck.”

You chuckled lightly, nodding to him as you put your hands on your hips. “Yeah…I made the mistake of going to Karaoke night.” 

He nods, about to open his mouth to talk about something else when the squad was being called to the next area. “Say, let’s catch a drink at the Hard Deck. You can bring your boyfriend, uhm, R-Ray…?” Jake stumbled over the name, causing me to chuckle lightly. 

“Ross?”

“Right, that’s what I said. I just want to catch up…promise.” He offered again. Walking backwards to try and stay with his group. Coyote laughing at his friend. 

“Ross and I broke up a bit ago…But, sure. Drinks would be nice. My shift ends at eighteen hundred.” You said as you watched him continue to shuffle along slower than his group. 

“Great! Great, meet me there at twenty-one-hundred?” You nod to his words and he smirks. Waving to you before he takes off in a light jog to catch up with his group. 

========

“So basically, we broke up because we wanted two completely different things.” You frown into your drink, shaking your head as you recall your last conversation with your ex only a month ago. “We always used to say that we were so lucky we never moved as fast as our friends. Our friends that got married in a year, or our newer friends who had seven year olds. Because, you know what they say about kids…that it totally kills your sex life. At least, that's what all of my friends with kids tell me- well, my one friend. My friend Lucy…She said it so casually like it was such a widely known thing.” You sighed and shook your head. 

“Yeah, I think I can see that…” Jake said, making me nod along with his words. 

“But the main thing was that we always said to each other that we were so lucky. So lucky that we didn’t have kids to tie us down. To stop us from flying t-to Greece for a week on a whim, or having sex on the kitchen floor!” A soft laugh leaves the both of you, taking a long drink from your drink before you speak again. “The problem was that we never did that. No spontaneous trips…no kitchen sex. And when we talked it out and we established that we wanted different things, and called it off. A-and I’m not even sad about it. Four years of my life, gone, and I’m totally fine.” You nodded almost too much, as if trying to convince yourself that you were over your ex-boyfriend. 

“Yeah, you seem totally healthy right now.” Jake nods with a small smile on his face. The Hard Deck is bustling with life. Not as many khakis tonight as you’d expect for a Navy bar. But I knew that there were maybe one or two members of the Dagger squad here, besides Jake. Then some random Top Gun students, navy staff, and what you can only assume as usual locals. 

For some reason it hit you all at once that Jake has been the one asking questions all night. That he didn’t seem to mind listening to you rant about your ex-boyfriend. He was listening, like a good friend and never prompted himself. “God- Jake, I’m so sorry. I haven’t been asking you any questions! How’s the love life on your end?” You asked quickly, setting your drink down and situating yourself to be more alert. To make it look like you were actively listening to him. 

The pilot puffed his cheeks out and shook his head a little. “Man, I was in a relationship too until recently. She was apparently, uhm, cheating on me. Said she doesn’t think she ever loved me…It- It was rough.” He said with an awkward cough. As if trying to cover up the fact that he was in a relationship like that. One sided that ended in betrayal. 

“God- Jake, so sorry to hear about that. That must’ve been rough…” Reaching out, you place your hand over his in a comforting kind of way. Offering a soft smile when he looks up to meet my gaze. “If you ever need to talk, I’m willing to listen.”

His eyes narrowed at me, “Are we becoming friends right now?” Jake asked in a hesitant voice. 

That made you think for a moment. Recalling his words from before. But it was also sweet. He seemed genuine while asking. And you could feel it too. “Yeah, I think we are..” 

========

“What do you mean you’re just friends with Dolly?” Rooster inquired while he sat with Jake. The two of them have decided to go to the batting cages for the day for fun. 

It’d been a rough few weeks and now they were being offered a permanent position at Top Gun. After Jake saved Mav and Rooster the day of the Uranium Mission, the two pilots decided to let by-gones be by-gones and became friends. Both of them found out they played a little baseball in high school and decided to hit up the cages on a free weekend. 

Eventually, Dolly became a topic for the pair of aviators. “Yeah? What’s wrong with that? It’s…nice.” Jake shrugged while taking a sip of beer as they took a break from batting in the San Diego heat. 

“It’s nice? Are you shitting me!” Rooster scoffed a laugh, “You’ve got such a babe hanging off your arm on the daily at work. And you’re just shooting the shit? Having movie-takeout-nights at each other's places, and you’re not together or hooking up?” The mustached man took off his sunglasses as if to accentuate a point. But Jake just nodded along. 

Jake really saw nothing wrong with it. He knew what he said almost six years ago to Dolly. It became a laughing point now for the two of them. But other than that he saw not a single thing wrong with their relationship. “I’m not shitting you, this is probably the first female friend I’ve had in my whole life that I don’t want to have sex with. I feel like I’m growing as a person. I can talk to her about things and get another opinion on them that I normally wouldn’t hear.” Jake smirks to his friend. But he only gets a brow raise in response. As if it wasn’t as great a feat as he made it out to be. “Oh! Come off of it Rooster! Name one female friend you’ve had that you didn’t want to nail at some point!” The blonde barked out a laugh.

Rooster tried to sputter out a response, slightly embarrassed by Jake’s brashness in such a public setting. However, it occurred to Rooster that he always had that thought. Fleeting at best before finding out they were in a relationship or weren’t interested in him. At that, Rooster pouted and slouched in his seat. 

“Exactly.”

July, 2017

Jake was lounging on the couch, watching a random program on his TV when he got the call. He let his phone ring for a moment on the coffee table before he caught the name on his screen. A small smile turned up his lips when he picked it up. “Hey Dolly, why are you calling so late?”

“I’m so-sorry for calling so late. C-Can you come over? Please?” Your voice came out hiccupped and weak. Clearly upset by something and in desperate need of comfort. It made Jake immediately more alert, but he played it off. 

“Yeah, I can come over.” He was already slipping on his shoes and grabbing his keys. 

“Tha-thanks-”

A quick drive later and Jake was knocking on your door. Impatiently staring at the wood as he bounced on the balls of his feet. Some shuffling was heard on the other side of the door before it opened to reveal your blotchy face and tearful eyes. “Hey Dolly…” He muttered softly as he let himself inside. Closing the door softly as he looks down on you with a small smile. “What is it?” Jake asked as he placed a hand on your lower back and guided you to your kitchen. It was a simple move but it made you feel so much better. Distracting you until you remembered why you called Jake over. 

“He’s getting married- can you believe that!” You laughed wetly. A sob breaking past your wobbly lips as more tears spilled down your cheeks. “I need tissues…” Jake was currently moving around your kitchen collecting the makings for tea. In particular chamomile and ginger tea. Something you’d always have when you’re sick. 

Jake's brows furrowed in confusion. He grabbed a random box of tissues from the counter and set them in front of you. “Who’s getting married?”

You had the audacity to scoff as him, “Ross!”

That was a name Jake hadn’t heard in a minute. But after you raised your brows at him expectantly, awaiting his reaction, that’s when he remembered. “Oh-” That was good enough for you to talk again. 

“Can you believe that! H-He just called and said that he was getting married! To some secretary he met three months ago!” You blubbered, Jake quickly moving to comfort you. Setting down whatever he’d collected to take you into his strong arms. “He didn’t not want to get married- the truth was that he just didn’t want to marry me.. He didn’t love me.” 

“If you could take him back right now, would you?”

You shook your head as you took a tissue and wiped your face again. Frowning deeply as you stared blankly at the table. “No…it’s just-” Another hiccup, “Why didn't he want to marry me?” You replied shortly as you got up and walked towards your room. Your fluffy baby pink robe swaying along with you as you rushed to your sanctuary. Jake was quick to trail after you. Watching with a small smile as you threw yourself onto your bed dramatically. Curling up with all of your fluffy blankets and cushy pillows. “What’s wrong with me?” Jake crawled onto the bed and laid down facing you. Gently brush some hair from your forehead. 

“Nothing.” Jake murmured.

“I’m difficult.”

“You’re challenging.” He countered affectionately.

“I’m too structured and I’m completely closed off.” 

“In a good way.”

You sat up in a huff. He followed with a soft touch before you turned to him with a pout. “Can you hold me? Pl-please…?”

Without another word he pulls you into a soft hug that has you hiding your face in his neck. He smelled like peppermint and cinnamon. A smell you’d come to love and find comfort in while hanging out with Jake over the past year. Talking about everything and nothing on those quiet nights where you had nothing better to do. Or the nights when the Hard Deck was so crowded it forced you two closer together than friends would normally stand. On those nights his hand would find your waist to keep you from falling if a sailor vying to the bar accidentally knocked into you. 

He tried to pull back but you didn’t want him to leave just yet. You wanted to be with him a little longer. For him to pull you against him tighter. So, when he pulled back enough for you to see his face, you whined pitifully. Hands going to his shoulders to keep him from going too far. “Just a little longer?” You whispered hopefully. 

He hummed and pressed a soft peck to your lips before pulling you into his chest again. The two of you stayed like that for a few minutes before he pulled back again. “You feelin’ better?” Jake asked softly. You only murmured some response that you weren’t even really paying attention to as you kept stealing glances at his lips. Blinking rapidly as you realized what you were doing and looking back up to his soft green eyes. Only for him to look right back at you. No doubt as if to say that he saw you looking at him like that. 

That’s when he pressed another soft kiss to your lips. 

It was longer, not as fleeting as the one before that could’ve been passed off as friendly. This one had something behind it. Whether that was built up sexual tension or love was debatable for both parties. One kiss turned into two…then four, then…

========

“Mmmm…” You shifted in the bed, rolling over with a smile as you slowly woke up. Only to be startled out of that blissful morning state with the clank of a buckle and the rustling of clothes. Sitting up with your white sheets clutched to your chest you found Jake getting dressed. “Where are you going?” 

Jake looked up from where he was putting on his jacket. “I gotta go home, get changed, then go to work. And you have to get up and also go to work soon.” He grunted out as he slipped on his shoes. You pouted over so slightly as your brows drew up in a silent mix of frustration and confusion. Why did this piss you off? Why are you feeling pissed off? It’s a reasonable excuse to leave- “Let's go out to dinner tonight, seven work for you?”

Looking up you are met with Jake standing right next to the bed. Looking down on you expectantly. “Y-Yeah…Seven works.”

“Great..” He muttered as he leaned down and pressed a quick peck to your hair before turning to leave again. “I’ll text you the details later today.” And with that he was gone. The two of you were quick to call up one of the dagger squad members. Conveniently enough, those members happened to like their gym mornings. So what Hangman and Dolly did last night became the topic of the gym between Phoenix, Rooster, Bob, and Coyote. 

=========

Your anxiety was through the roof as you tried to debate on what to do. Honestly, you didn’t know how you felt about Jake. He was nice and funny, and the last person I wanted to talk to at the end of the day. But you guys were friends. You couldn’t let one night ruin your friendship…

So you decided you would say it first. All while you were getting ready for dinner that night after work you kept rehearsing the words in your head. It was somehow worse that you didn’t see anyone throughout the day either. Being stuck in an office where you barely got any work done as all you could do was think about Jake. 

When you were safely at home and getting ready you kept saying the words to yourself. The words that you would say to Jake. 

It was a mistake.

As soon as the waitress left you practically blurted, “It was a mistake.” 

An uneasy smile on your red lips as you wring your hands in your lap anxiously. Hoping and praying that he would just let it lie. He nodded, “Thank god- Yeah, it was a mistake.” He chuckled wearily and took a sip of his wine. 

“Yeah, a complete mistake.” Just as you finished, you took another sip of wine. Soon enough silence fell over the table. People chattering besides and around you. However, the silence that fell over your table was almost uncomfortable. A feeling you haven’t felt for a while with Jake. The two of you are saved by the delivery of your appetizers salads. Quietly you eat, eventually catching eachothers eyes in small fleeting moments. 

“That’s what I like about us. It’s just so nice to have a meal and not talk.” Jake suddenly said before stuffing more salad in his face.

========

August, 2017

It was a beautiful ceremony and now an astonishing reception for Penny and Mavericks' wedding. Right now Penny and Mav were having their first dance. It was slow and to some older song they used to jam to when they were in their younger years. 

The ceremony took place on the beach out back of the Hard Deck, simple but so on brand. Then they moved half inside, half outside for the reception after. Everyone helped out when asked to help decorate the Navy bar for the reception. 

You were so happy for them. 

But you also couldn’t help but feel down in the dumps. Having felt so lonely lately. Actively avoiding Jake aside from work encounters that wouldn’t exactly count. After…that night you only hung out alone one other time and it killed you so much that you decided to either make an excuse to get out of the next ones or invite someone along. Apparently Jake had the same idea. Only having us together on group outings and sticking with Rooster or Coyote most of the time. All while you sidled up with Phoenix and Bob just the same. 

So imagine your surprise when Jake comes around. 

“Beautiful ceremony.” He said with a small smile. You only hum in response, making his smile fall as he steps in front of me. Not giving me the option to look away without being outright mean. Something you didn’t like doing. Something Jake knew and was now taking advantage of. So you met his piercing green eyes with a heated glare. “What’s up with you, I thought we agreed it was a mistake. You’re still acting like I kicked your puppy or something.” Jake asked with a little too much amusement than you would’ve appreciated. 

You scoffed and turned away from him. Not wanting to get into it in the middle of the reception. Turning back to look at him only to find him just where you left him. So you waved him along before spinning on your heels and weaving through the crowd towards the parking lot. Pushing your way outside, you ended up pacing for a moment before Jake came outside. “What are you insinuating, Jake?” 

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m saying that you’re avoiding me. What happened, we agreed it was a mistake, I don’t see why you’re dragging this out.” Jake shrugged. 

“What- It just happened!”

“Three weeks ago!” A low groan emanated from you as you tried to keep back your frustration with the subject. “You know how one year to humans is like seven years to a dog?” He asked, his hand coming up to his face. Forefinger and thumb rubbing along his chin in thought. 

Your brows pinched together at his words. “And who’s the dog in this situation?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You need me to paint a picture for you?” He threw back cockily. 

“Me? I’m- I’m the dog!”

“Yes! Why can’t you just get over it!”

Hot tears welled up in your eyes as you snapped right back at him, “You wanna act like what happened didn’t mean anything!”

“I’m not saying it didn’t mean anything. I’m saying, why does it have to mean everything?” 

“Because it does.” The build up of tears fell over. Streaking down your flushed cheeks as you stared up at him in disbelief. 

“What-” He puffed a soft laugh, “What was I supposed to do? You were looking up at me with those sad puppy eyes, asking me to hold you a little longer-”

“What! So it’s my fault, you had sex with me, because- what? You felt sorry for me!” You raised your voice at him. Flushed with anger as you put together what he was saying. 

“Dolly-”

Without thinking you slapped him. “Fuck you!” You stormed back inside to go say goodbye to the new couple and take your leave. What is up with him? You thought it was more than that. That what happened would mean more. But apparently to him, it was just a pity fuck. Wiping your tears as you walked you made your way over to your things. Grabbing your phone out of your purse, using the camera to fix yourself before you slung your bag over your shoulder. Ready to go say goodbye to Penny and Mav. 

“Dolly, please-” Jake appeared by your side again. 

“Hangman-”

“-And we’d like to thank Hangman for saving Rooster and I merely a year ago. Then of course our head engineer, Dolly. A vital part of our team from the ground. Both of which have been such a help over the past six months with the wedding. Going above and beyond to calm both Penny and I down whenever we got stressed over the wedding. Of course, so have the rest of the Dagger squad. But damn it. Hangman and Dolly as a team- downright unstoppable. So thanks to the both of you as well.” The two of you paused as heads turned your way. Smiles being flashed your way as you and Jake stood dumbfounded at the sudden thank you from Maverick. 

Sucking it up, you plant a smile on your face. Nodding and waving shyly before you glance up at Jake. Seeing him already doing the same. 

Shit…

========

October, 2017

“-on the line. Call me, call me any, anytime! Call me, I’ll arrive. When you’re ready we can share-”

He’d been singing over the answering machine for a solid minute or so while you got ready. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence now. He’s been ringing your phone off the line after he’d found out you silenced his calls and muted his messages. You couldn’t bring yourself to block his number, on your cell nor the landline. Just in case he really needed to get a hold of you. But right now it’s looking a lot like this. So you caved. “Jake.” 

There's a small fumbling on the other line. “Dolly?”

With a deep sigh you ran your fingers through your hair, leaning back against the counter as you held the phone to your ear. “What do you want, Hangman?” You used his callsign. Showing that you really weren’t in the mood. A habit you had before, and one you can’t seem to shake. 

“N-Nothing… Just,” He cleared his throat nervously. “Sorry I wasn’t expecting you to pick up…Just- H-How’ve you been?” The pilot managed to get out after a moment of stuttering. Something that is foreign to Jake. And something that’s foreign to you as well, he never seemed to stutter. 

“I’ve been okay.”

“Good…that’s good. Umm- so I was thinking that we could maybe go out to dinner…?” He asked with a slight waver in his voice. 

You missed him, but you still felt hurt. “Not tonight, I’m just about to head out.” 

“Oh- where are you going?” 

Shaking your head you sighed at him. “I’m late. Goodnight, Hangman.” You said blandly before hanging up on him. Quickly leaving your apartment to go meet up with Phoenix and Bob.

=========

Hangman was currently taking his time. Taking too long to get ready for the Navy Ball he didn’t even want to attend right now. By the time he would get there it would only be an hour before they started to kick everyone out. 

He kept thinking about you. 

What went wrong? Why did he say what he said? He cared about you. He cared about you so much it hurt. It hurt that night when he slept with you because right after he felt like he betrayed your trust. He didn’t know if you wanted it right then because you were just hurt by the news of Ross’ wedding. It almost hurt more when he was already halfway out the door when you asked where he was going the morning after. You sounded so heartbroken over him leaving that he wanted to crawl right back into bed with you. 

He hurried up his motions to get ready. Knowing that you were at the ball was his only solace as he jammed his socked feet into his dress shoes.

You on the other hand were drained. Your dress felt too tight, the music wasn’t helping your headache. The man droning on in front of you doing nothing to help the headache. You honestly weren’t paying attention to him. Did that make you feel bad, yes. But you were too tired to care. 

Suddenly he was laughing and you took a moment to process this before you joined him. Throwing your head back in one of your more believable fake laughs. 

You quickly tried to think of an excuse to get away from this guy. Your eyes locked onto a Dagger squad member and you did your best to look surprised. “Sorry, I haven’t seen this person in forever! I’ll see ya later.” You rushed, brushing past the man with a roll of your eyes as you walked over to Fanboy. “Save me.” You whispered quickly. 

“What?” 

And that was how you ended up dancing with Fanboy for a while before you both retreated to the bar to complain about the choice of music that was blasting through the hall. “Y’know what, I might ditch. I’m so tired…” You drew out as you gave Fanboy a look that told him that you weren’t kidding. 

Apparently Penny was on the other side of you. “Oh, c’mon. Have another dance or two. I know Mav has been wanting to dance with you.” She piped up, making you feel bad. Looking back at her you offer an apologetic smile. 

“I don’t know, Pen…”

“Just wait, five more minutes. I’m sure he’ll be back around.” She pleaded softly, making your brows furrow as you really contemplated if you should or not. You’re head pounded, completely overwhelmed by the music and people around. If another admiral's wife asked where your husband was you’d lose your shit. Regretfully, you nod. Turning back to Fanboy to pass the time since the two of you were in a discussion about the Star Wars trilogies. 

Maverick did come around eventually, his smile brightening ten fold as he saw you. He passed by and greeted Penny with a peck. Tracking the man expectantly, you watched as Penny leaned in to whisper to him quickly. Without a doubt about how you were about to leave. 

“Dolly, c’mon. One last dance then I’ll give you a one way ticket out of here. What do you think?” Maverick said as he approached me. Offering me his arm with his ever so friendly grin. Giving the warm feeling a father would as you smiled back. A genuine smile for the first time all night. You let him sweep you into the crowd. A slower song playing allows you and Mav to just sway and talk softly to each other. “Are you okay, Kiddo? You seem down…” He asked. 

You sighed and shook your head slowly. “I-I don’t know…” You mumbled before you rested your cheek on his shoulder. 

He was silent for another beat before talking again, “Is it because something happened between you and Hangman?” You were quick to pull back and blink up at him in shock. He quietly laughed at my reaction. “There was some hot gossip a few months ago. After that…the two of you seemed distant. Then you seemed to not talk to each other at all after the wedding. Some people said you had a fight.”

Tears filled your eyes before you confirmed with a slow nod. “Yeah…Yeah- we fought.”

A small smile came onto his aged features before he pecked your forehead. “Do you miss him?” Another nod, “Then why didn’t you two try to talk it out?”

“That’s what we did at the wedding…That’s why we stopped talking.” You wiped away your tears as you smiled still. “I don’t know what to do Mav…” Your voice wavered, full of emotion as you looked to the older man for some guidance. Just like you always have since you first met him all those years ago. 

“Mind if I cut in?” 

Your head whips over to the ever haunting voice. Seeing Jake with red cheeks and his hair windswept. Suddenly Maverick lets you go. “Be my guest.”

“Mav-”

“Dolly.” He responded, it was firm but also playful. A smirk on his lips as he looks to you before sending a slight glare to Hangman before he walks away. 

“Dolly…” Looking back up you watch as Hangman stands there. His hands clenching and unclenching at his sides, he was aching to touch you. “C-Can I have this dance with you?” He offered a trembling hand. You looked at how it shook before you looked back up to see Jake pleading silently with his eyes. “Please?”

Wordlessly, you took his hand. Stepping closer, but also keeping a fair distance as you placed your other hand on his shoulder. He cradled your hand in his, his other finding your waist. “Took so long, I thought you wouldn’t show.” You deadpanned as you danced to another slow song. Staring over his shoulder as you refused to meet his gaze. This song was somehow slower than the last. 

“I was doing some thinking, and the thing is I love you.” He said all in one breath. 

Now that got you to look at him. He didn’t stutter, he wasn’t nervous or lying.

“What?” You gaped in shock. 

“I love you.” Jake whispered. To you but almost to himself as well. 

Taking in a shaky breath as you licked your lips. Feeling your mouth go dry as you struggle to find the words. “How do you expect me to respond to this?”

“How about you love me too?” He gazed down at you in the most lovesick way you’d ever seen. Never have you seen this with any of his past girlfriends he’s had over the past year or so… 

Your heart rate picks up and you exhale sharply. Feeling an urge to run and try and process this all in the comfort of your plush bed. “How about I’m leaving.” You pull away from him and brush past him towards the exit. Brushing past people with small excuse me’s and sorry’s. 

“Doesn’t what I just said mean anything to you?” Jake was trailing after you as close as he could without stepping on your dress. You whipped around in the crowded floor to face him. 

“I’m sorry, Jake. I know you’re lonely, I’ve been just as lonely. But after everything that happened you can’t just show up here, say sorry, and expect everything to be okay. It doesn’t work that way.” You said in a raised voice. It was part out of desperation to get away, and because of the still bustling party going on around the two of you. 

“How does it work then?”

“I don’t know, but not like this.” You shook your head at him. Turning to leave again but he grabbed your wrist gently to prevent you from turning away. 

“How about like this? I love that you get cold when it's seventy one degrees out, I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich, I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts, I love that after I spend a day with you I can still smell your perfume on my clothes and I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely. 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 to start as soon as possible.” He finished with a huff. Shaking his head as he offered a small smile. Waiting patiently for you as you stared at him like he was nuts, that signature little furrow in your brow making that crinkle appear.

Tears welled in your eyes as you scoffed a laugh, “God- That is just like you Hangman. You say things like that and you make it impossible for me to hate you…I hate you. I really hate you.” You let out a small sob as you reached up and wiped your tears again. He smiled slightly before taking your face softly in his large hands. 

You smiled as you grasped his wrists to keep him right where he was. “Love you too…” He whispered before pressing his lips to yours. It was a slow but sensual kiss. Filled with nothing but love. It felt like fireworks on New Years Eve. Your chest felt warm and fuzzy as your stomach flipped. Jake had similar feelings. To the both of you, everything was finally right in the world…

Kissing in a crowded room, but the two of you didn’t know any better. 

Note: Sorry I’m so late with this, I literally drove six hrs home from college that weekend on a whim so I got loaded with homework early in the week. But here it is now. Plz have mercy on me, this is only a random thing I’ve been wanting to do. I didn’t stick to the plot of When Harry Met Sally too much, but it’s also blindingly obvious. First plotted story that isn’t just smut lol…

Apologies if it's ass