THE NEW AND IMPROVED CASSANDRA CAIN READING GUIDE
Cassandra Cain is the daughter of assassins David Cain and Sandra Wu-San (better known as Lady Shiva), and was raised by Cain. She is an expert hand-to-hand combatant, and able to read body language to the point of interpreting complex thoughts, but learning to communicate better through speech and text. She has operated as a vigilante under the names of Batgirl, Kasumi, Black Bat, and Orphan, and is currently sharing the title of Batgirl with Stephanie Brown and Barbara Gordon.
Basic Reading
Batgirl (2000)
Batman: Gates of Gotham (2011)
Detective Comics (2016) #934-987
Batman and the Outsiders (2019)
Batgirls (2021)
Spirit World (2023)
Birds of Prey (2023)
Cassandra's major appearances are listed in chronological order (mostly) under the cut. My favorites are bolded.
No Man's Land
All issues collected in Batman: No Man's Land (2011) vol. 2-4. I recommend reading the entire event.
Batman (1940) #567 [first appearance]
Detective Comics (1937) #734
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 [Cassandra takes up Batgirl mantle]
Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56-57
Batman (1940) #569
The Batman Chronicles #18
Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60-61
Robin (1993) #73
As Batgirl
Issues that are part of events may be confusing out of context.
Batman: Gotham Knights #2, 5
Batman: Gotham City Secret Files and Origins [first story]
Batgirl (2000) #1-2
Young Justice (1998) #21
Batgirl (2000) #3-11, 12 [Officer Down start]
Birds of Prey (1999) #27
Catwoman (1993) #90 [Officer Down end]
Batgirl (2000) Annual #1, #13-19
Harley Quinn (2000) #10
Robin (1993) #88 [first meeting with Stephanie Brown]
Batgirl (2000) #20, 21 [Joker: Last Laugh start]
Joker: Last Laugh #3
Supergirl (1996) #63 [transphobia cw, Joker: Last Laugh end]
DC First: Batgirl/Joker
Batgirl (2000) #22-23, 24 [Bruce Wayne: Murderer? / Fugitive start]
Robin (1993) #98
Batgirl (2000) #25-29
Batman (1940) #605 [Bruce Wayne: Murderer? / Fugitive end]
Batgirl: Secret Files and Origins
Batgirl (2000) #30-32
Batman: Gotham Knights #33, 35
Batgirl (2000) #33-38
Batman: Family #7
Detective Comics (1937) #782 [backup], 790
Nightwing (1996) #81
Superboy (1994) #85 [first meeting with Kon-El/Conner Kent]
Batgirl (2000) #39-44
Batman: Gotham Knights #42, 45-46, 48-49
Robin (1993) #119
Batgirl (2000) #45-47
Superman/Batman #5
Batgirl (2000) #48-50
Birds of Prey (1999) #61, 63
Batgirl (2000) #51-53
Solo #10 [third story]
Detective Comics (1937) #796 [backup]
Robin (1993) #127-128
Batgirl (2000) #54
War Games
All issues collected in Batman: War Games (2015). I don't recommend reading the entire event.
Detective Comics (1937) #797
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #182
Nightwing (1996) #96
Batgirl (2000) #55
Batman (1940) #631
Batgirl (2000) #56
Nightwing (1996) #98
Batgirl (2000) #57
Batgirl in Bludhaven
Robin (1993) #132 [Fresh Blood start]
Batgirl (2000) #58
Robin (1993) #133
Batgirl (2000) #59 [Fresh Blood end]
Batman Allies: Secret Files and Origins 2005 [third story]
Batgirl (2000) #60-73
With the League of Assassins and Deathstroke
I don't recommend reading anything in this section except Batgirl (2008) #6.
Robin (1993) #148-151, 161-162
Supergirl (2005) #14
World War III #2
Teen Titans (2003) #43-46
Batman and the Outsiders (2007)
Batgirl (2008) [recap of this era. Bruce adopts Cassandra]
As Black Bat
Battle for the Cowl: The Network
Batgirl (2009) #1 [Cassandra gives Batgirl mantle to Stephanie]
Red Robin #17
Batman Incorporated (2011) #6
Red Robin #25
Batman: Gates of Gotham
As Orphan
The New 52 reboot changed Cassandra’s origins, personality, and relationships with other characters. Rebirth was a soft reboot that kept New 52 canon but brought back elements from the previous continuity.
Batman and Robin Eternal #1-9, 11-14, 17-26 [New 52]
Detective Comics (2016) #934-940 [Rebirth]
Batman (2016) #7 [Night of the Monster Men start]
Nightwing (2016) #5
Detective Comics (2016) #941
Batman (2016) #8
Nightwing (2016) #6
Detective Comics (2016) #942 [Night of the Monster Men end], 943-962
Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016) #15
Detective Comics (2016) #963-964
Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #15-17
Detective Comics (2016) #965-981, 983-987
Batman and the Outsiders (2019)
DC: The Doomed and the Damned [seventh story]
Batman: The Joker War Zone [second story]
Batman (2016) #104
Return of Batgirl
The Infinite Frontier reboot considers all past continuities canon.
Infinite Frontier #0
Batman Secret Files: The Signal
Batman: Urban Legends #3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14
The Joker (2021) #3-4, 7, 11-12, 15
Detective Comics (2016) #1038 [backup], 1049, 1052, 1057
Batman (2016) #112 [main], 115-116 [backups]
Nightwing (2016) #85-86
Batman (2016) #117 [backup]
Batgirls #1-6
Task Force Z #8
DC Pride: Tim Drake Special
Robin (2021) #15
Detective Comics (2016) #1061
Batgirls #7
Catwoman (2018) #45
Batgirls #8-12
Batman One Bad Day: Two-Face
Tim Drake: Robin #4
Batgirls Annual 2022, #13-19
Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate [fourth story]
Spirit World (2023)
Birds of Prey (2023) #1- [ongoing]
Detective Comics (2016) #1084 [backup]
Other Appearances
Ghost/Batgirl [Dark Horse Comics crossover]
Batman: Outlaws #2
Batman: City of Light [not recommended]
Justice League Elite [as Kasumi]
Wonder Woman (2006) #600 [second story]
Batgirl (2016) #50 [third story]
DC Festival of Heroes [first story]
Truth & Justice #6 [#16-18 digital first]
Alternate Universes
Tiny Titans #33, 39, 43, 45
Batgirl: Futures End
Convergence: Batgirl
Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey (2020)
DCeased: Unkillables / Dead Planet #5 / War of the Undead Gods
Shadow of the Batgirl [YA graphic novel]
Dark Knights: Death Metal Robin King [backup]
Future State: The Next Batman #2, 4 [second stories]
Batman: Wayne Family Adventures [webtoon]
DC vs. Vampires
Dark Knights of Steel #9
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Last updated: April 23, 2024
812 notes
·
View notes
D-Day by TrickPhotography | Chapter 6
Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x female!reader
Word count: 5.9k
Synopsis: After finding out his girlfriend is pregnant, Jake is ready to move in and get married. The last thing he expected was to be hit with a six-month deployment at sea and missing the birth of his first child.
18+, minors DNI
Chapter 5 | Master List | Ao3
---------------------------------------
Chapter 6
Jake slid his sunglasses on while exiting the Vigilantes hanger. He was supposed to meet Coyote for lunch - an apology for blowing him off for the last three weekends. But with you standing firm on the no weeknights sleepovers, it was the only time he was able to see you. After waking you up with his tongue between your legs, he’d thought you’d cave, but no luck. Instead, he was stuck trading texts and phone calls during the week. But even Coyote agreed that regular sex was more important than pick-up basketball games at the base gym or nights at the bar.
Jake cast a critical eye over the jets as he walked the flight line. The maintenance crews were among the best in the world, but all it took was one rookie pilot just out of flight school to damage millions of dollars in equipment. As part of his TOPGUN training, he’d been charged with helping train some of those kids, which was an exercise in patience. Thankfully he wasn’t the only TOPGUN grad stationed on Lemoore, so the responsibilities were pretty evenly shared.
A small group of people was standing around the Rough Raiders hanger - a mix of khaki, flight suits, and civilians. He paused midstep at the sight of you climbing a jet ladder, a guy in a flight suit standing below and checking out your ass. You hadn’t mentioned being on base when you talked last night. Tucking his tongue into his cheek, he watched you climb into the F-35 and look up at the canopy as the pilot quickly scaled the ladder. He handed you his helmet, and Jake watched as you grinned and put it on before sitting. From the distance and angle, he couldn’t see you well but clocked the guy’s grin and as he reached into the cockpit. He felt a spike of irritation and shoved his clenched fists into his pockets before remembering he was in uniform. Smoothing down his khakis, he forced himself to walk away.
Coyote was waiting by his Jeep when Jake reached the Sidewinder offices. With a nod, he got into the car and cranked the engine, blasting the air conditioning. Coyote glanced at his friend and smirked, “Who pissed in your Cheerios?”
“No one,” he grumbled, snapping the door shut. “Joe’s sound good, or did you want to hit the food court?”
“Let’s get the hell off base. Gotta tell you about this damn kid.”
Your phone buzzed, alerting you to motion outside your front door before it chimed. Sighing, you dropped the dirty clothes you were sorting and reached into your pocket, pulling up the app to see Jake looking down at the camera. Stepping over the pile of clothes, you closed your bedroom door before letting him in. “Hey - didn’t realize you were coming over.”
“Just thought I’d stop by,” he shrugged. As soon as the door was closed, he backed you into it and braced his forearm over your head. Your hands rested on his chest as he kissed you slowly, the scent of his cologne - something smokey and spicy - washing over you. “Saw you on the flight line today.”
“Had the 60-day post-delivery meeting for the Lightnings,” you explained when his lips pressed against your throat. Jake smiled, slipping his hand under the hem of your shirt to lightly stroke your back, pinky anchored into the waistband of your slacks.
“That means it’s been 60 days since we met?”
“Technically 58 - we had to schedule the meeting early.”
“Damn, only took 58 days to get you to fall for me.”
“I wouldn’t go that far - you’re still in your probationary period, Seresin,” you scoffed. “Your review is coming up, and I’m a little unclear if you’ve met the conditions of your contract.”
“Oh yeah?” He shifted so his body pressed against yours, pinning you in place. “Pretty sure I’ve been the ideal boyfriend - I’ve made you dinner a couple of times, followed your stupid sleepover rule, watched your shitty movies - ”
“You’re getting points docked for insulting my taste.”
“Made you cum six ways from Sunday.” You felt his cock twitch against your thigh as he smirked.
Smiling sweetly, you cupped him, squeezing lightly when he pressed into your hand. His teeth dug into his lower lip when you looked up at him through your eyelashes. “All requests for title changes will be reviewed and, if approved, authorized following the 30-day evaluation - i.e., changing ‘guy I’m seeing’ to ‘boyfriend.’” When he opened his mouth to reply, you laughed while ducking out from under his arm. “We may have met 58 days ago, but we’ve only been seeing each other for three weeks. Better be on your best behavior for another week, or we’ll terminate the contract.”
You made it three steps before Jake’s arms wrapped around your waist, tugging you back against his chest. “We’ve spent the last three weekends together and talk every day. You’re my girlfriend. I’m your boyfriend.”
“I don’t remember having that conversation.”
“You’re the one who said you didn’t want casual.” After brushing his lips to your neck, he rested his temple against yours and closed his eyes, swaying slightly. A contented sigh escaped as you let yourself relax against him.
“You are definitely not who I thought you were, Jake.”
“Took you 58 days to realize that, darlin’?” he teased, a hint of an accent coloring his words.
“My sweet, sexy Southern guy I’m seeing.”
“Boyfriend.”
“You’re really angling for that promotion.”
“Put in my time and earned it on merit.” Shaking your head, you let out a heavy sigh while turning in his arms. He took your left hand, pulling it behind your back and holding you close. Your right hand lifted to tap the ribbon bar pinned to his chest, just under his golden wings.
“There’s no ribbon or promotion ceremony for that, you know.”
“You sure?” he asked, glancing down at his service ribbons. “Could start another row just for you.” Laughing, you stood on your toes to kiss him.
“You staying for dinner? I was just going to get something delivered and catch up on chores since someone has been keeping me busy over the weekends, and I haven’t had a chance to clean.”
“Let’s go out - grab a couple of drinks and a burger at the bar. Feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“I saw you on Sunday, it’s only Wednesday.”
“Exactly.” Chuckling, you slipped out of his arms, his fingers tightening around yours before releasing, and walked towards your room to swap your slacks for jeans.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“You didn’t miss me?” he asked, following you to lean against your bedroom doorframe. Turning, you felt a flutter in your stomach at the sight of him, a softly teasing smirk playing on his lips, and a hint of mischief in his green eyes.
“Not even a little,” you lied.
His answering laugh let you know he didn’t believe you.
“That’s disgusting,” Jake grimaced, pulling a face as he handed you back your beer. You rolled your eyes, reaching over to wipe a bit of the watermelon gose foam from his upper lip.
“It’s better than your IPA.” Shaking his head, he took a swig to wash away the taste before looking around the bar. You’d had low hopes for the beer selection when you’d walked inside what was clearly a pilot hangout but had been pleasantly surprised that they carried a local brewery on tap.
“Wanna grab a seat or play some pool? There’s an open table.”
“Let’s play.” Grinning, he took your hand and led you to the back of the bar, where three tables were lined up. After placing his beer on the table rail, Jake grabbed two cues from the wall as you retrieved the balls from the pockets.
“We playing for fun, or do you want to make it interesting?” he asked, grabbing the triangle and racking the balls.
“We’re not playing strip pool in public.” His laugh drew the attention of the table next to you, and he walked towards you. When he reached to slip his hands into the back pockets of your jeans, you shifted so your ass was pressed against the table. As much as you enjoyed Jake’s hands on you, there were too many people around that you might have to work with one day. Better to keep the PDA to a reasonable level.
“Not what I was gonna suggest, but I like where your mind went,” he said, placing his hands on the table beside your hips. Cocking his head, his gaze drifted from your face to the hint of cleavage your blouse allowed.
“My eyes are up here, Lieutenant. What do you want to bet?” Taking his lower lip between his teeth, Jake shook his head.
“I wanna wake up with my girlfriend during the week.”
“You are really hung up on that, aren’t you?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.
“What can I say? I think your snores are cute.”
“I do not snore!”
“You do,” he countered, leaning close enough to whisper in your ear. “Make these hot little moans when you’re sleeping, too. Makes me want to roll you onto your back and slide into that sweet - ”
“Jacob Michael!” you hissed, face flushed.
“Damn. First and middle name,” someone said. You glanced over Jake’s shoulder as his head fell to the crook of your neck, groaning softly. A guy in a flight suit stood there, grinning. “What’d you do to piss her off, Hangman?”
“Fuck off, Coyote.” Jake shifted to sit on the table beside you, hunched over and rubbing his brow.
“Javy Machado,” the man said, extending a hand. “But everyone calls me Coyote. You must be the woman this asshole can’t stop talking about.” Laughing, you introduced yourself while shaking his hand.
“It’s nice to finally meet you. Jake said you two went to the Academy together?”
“We did. Got stuck with him during our plebe summer.”
“Oh. So you know all the embarrassing college stories.”
“He tell you about the time he lost a uniform race and almost broke his nose running into the wall during an Around the World?”
“I didn’t understand what you said, but tell me more,” you grinned.
“Did you need something?” Jake asked, glaring at his friend.
“Basically, our detailer - ”
“We’re trying to play a game. See you later, Coyote.” Standing, Jake turned his friend around and playfully shoved him between his shoulders.
“It was nice meeting you!” you called after him. “And don’t worry - we’ll talk.”
“I’ll see you around. And don’t let him hustle you at pool.” Jake sighed when he turned to see you sipping your beer, eyes sparkling over the rim of the glass.
“Ignore everything he says.”
“Absolutely not. He is definitely coming over for dinner one night so I can hear all about baby Seresin. And it’s good to know that you hustle pool.”
“I don’t hustle, darlin’ - I’m just good.”
“Is that right? Then why, exactly, should I even bother betting against you?”
“I’ll give you a two-ball handicap.”
“Four.”
“Two.”
“Three, and I get to move the white ball every other turn.”
“Two ball handicap and you can move the cue ball twice.”
“Fine, but we’re doing best two out of three.”
“Alright. What do you want if you win?”
“I want…” you tapped your upper lip and laughed when Jake moved your hand to kiss you.
“Didn’t need to bet to get me to kiss you, darlin’.” Playfully, you shoved him away and stood.
“I want one no questions asked favor that I can call in whenever I need.” After a moment, he nodded.
When you failed to break the rack during your first shot, Jake grinned as you hung your head and groaned. His shot sank a striped ball, and he hit another one before missing. After nudging two of your solids into a pocket, you took a shot that bounced off the railing. He winked while lining up his shot, not even looking as he hit the cue ball, knocking in two of his stripes.
The first game was over quickly, and he grinned against your pouting lips before drinking half of his beer. “Should we stop at the store and get some of your flavored coffee shit for my place?” he teased.
“Don’t act like you don’t like my flavored creamer and syrups, Mr. Honey Lavender Latte.”
“That’s Lieutenant Honey Lavender Latte,” he smirked, tugging a strand of your hair. “Want me to help?”
“Fine,” you huffed. Jake reracked the balls and stood at the end of the table as you broke, enjoying the peek down your shirt as you bent over the table. After hitting a solid in and purposely missing his second shot, he watched as you circled the table to pick your angle while sipping your beer. When you stopped in front of him and dropped the cue ball back onto the table, he helped position your hand into a closed bridge and pointed to where you should aim. Placing his hand on your wrist, he stepped behind you so your ass pressed against his crotch when you leaned over the table.
“During the stroke, give it the right amount of thrust,” he said, stacking his hand behind yours on the pool stick. Glancing over your shoulder at him, you shifted your weight and watched him bite his lip. “Behave.” When the ball sank into the pocket, you stood and grinned, quickly pecking his lips before lining up the next shot, waiting expectantly for him to help.
You took the opportunity to tease him at every turn.
When you knocked the eight ball in and won the round, Jake couldn’t help but grin when you threw up your hands in celebration, shoulders shaking as you wiggled your hips in a victory dance. Unable to stop himself, he wrapped an arm around your waist and tugged you back into his chest to press a kiss to your neck. Your excitement was adorable, even though he was turned on and frustrated as hell. One more round, a stop by your apartment, and then straight into his bed for some teasing of your own. And he wouldn’t have to walk you to your damn rental car and wait for a text to say you were home safely.
“Wanna grab dinner before the tie-breaker?” you asked.
“If you wanna prolong the inevitable.” Narrowing your eyes, you stuck out your tongue and danced out of the way when he moved to smack your ass.
“Go get us a table. I’m going to use the restroom.” With a quick kiss, you made your way through the crowd in the direction he’d pointed while Jake grabbed your empty glasses and returned them to the bar. He clapped Coyote on the back when he saw his friend waiting to close out his tab.
“She seems nice,” Coyote said.
“I really like her, Javy.” Jake felt his scrutinizing gaze and shook his head, meeting his friend’s eyes. “She is…”
“Not your normal type?” Hanging his head, Jake chuckled. He’d been purposely avoiding eye contact with a couple of women he’d hooked up with all night. “Just don’t fall for the whole ‘something’s missing’ thing this time, alright?” Javy smirked, holding up his left hand and wiggling his fingers.
“Never gonna let me live that one down, are you?”
“Hey, I’m not the one who got married because their girlfriend of three months posted on Facebook that their ring finger was empty.” Jake grimaced, pushing away the memory of proposing to his ex-wife while drunk on Bourbon Street after she’d been pouting all night that all of her friends were getting married and having babies. The next day, he’d opened his first credit card to replace the straw wrapper ring with one she picked out on base at the NEX and bought his matching wedding band.
His ring was now on the bottom of the Pacific. He’d tossed it off the carrier after signing the divorce papers.
“You know who that is?” Javy asked, nodding to where you were chatting with some guy in a flight suit. Jake shook his head, watching as you smiled, and waved a hand across your eyes before drawing a circle in the air. Your brows furrowed as the guy said something, and then you laughed and shook your head. Jake moved when the guy grinned and cupped your cheek, turning your head left and right.
He recognized the guy. It was that pilot from earlier.
“Shit,” Javy muttered, watching as you took a step back and nodded.
“There you are,” Jake said, dropping his arm across your shoulders and kissing the side of your head. “Ready to grab a table?”
“Yeah,” you said. “Jake, this is - ”
“Hangman.”
“Rebound,” he replied, shaking Jake’s extended hand.
“You’re with the Rough Raiders?” he asked, nodding at the other man’s patch.
“Yeah. You?”
“Vigilantes.”
“Lieutenant Karrow was nice enough to let me see what the 360 camera array on the Lightning looks like from inside his helmet,” you said, trying to diffuse the tension between the two men.
“All that tech must be nice. Sounds like the 35 pretty much flies itself,” Jake said. Rebound smirked.
“Vigilantes are still in the 18s, right? I used to fly one, but the 35s are great. I love the 10K higher ceiling and better maneuverability. Plus, the whole being able to fire on an enemy behind you with all that tech.”
“If you’re lucky enough for them not to get tone on you by that point.”
“When you’re in a stealth craft, it doesn’t happen very often.”
“Right. All that tech makes the pilot's job easier,” Jake smirked. Rebound scowled, and your smile was fixed as you looked up at him.
“Actually, Hangman,” you said, emphasizing his call sign. “Have you heard that the dogfighting rating is better for the 35 than the 18? The stealth capabilities help, but once the missile bays open, the radar-absorbent skin is slightly impacted, so the pilots have to have combat skills. I’m sure you agree that the Navy wouldn’t send just anyone up in the air with an aircraft that costs $80 million a pop. Our infrared tech definitely helps since it can pick up on aircraft not showing up on radar by finding those heat signatures. Oh, and the ‘hive mind’ communication ability to share data between the 35s in the air - totally helpful when engaging the enemy. Not to mention the whole helmet capabilities. Our engineers, ugh, they did so well with that,” you said, shrugging off Jake’s arm and smiling at Rebound. “I don’t know about you, Karrow, but I really think the ability to just look at a target and engage is a hell of a lot better than having to reposition your jet to get your nose on target to even have a chance of getting a hit has its advantages in a dogfight.”
“Definitely,” Rebound grinned. Jake’s jaw clenched as you crossed your arms.
“That’s not even considering that we’re implementing a $15 billion upgrade with the Block 4 F-35s. We’re increasing power and data storage by a factor of 25 while incorporating 17 new weapons systems. And improving fuel efficiency by 25%. And while that’s pretty fucking phenomenal, unfortunately, we didn’t get the bid for the sixth-gen F/A-XX that the Navy ordered to replace the Super Hornet since those are actually deteriorating faster than the Hornets did, and production is ending in 2025. So you’ll probably have to get used to flying with more tech at some point in your career, Hangman.”
Jake didn’t like the thinly veiled anger or forced smile on your face. “You never know, darlin’. Hopefully, I’ll still be in the cockpit when those get off the production line.”
“Hopefully.” Your voice was clipped as you turned your attention to Karrow, who raised an eyebrow. “Thanks again for this afternoon, I really appreciate it. Have a goodnight, Jackson.”
“You too. And, uh, you know where to find me if you ever want to get another up-close look at the 35.” Karrow’s eyes darted over to Jake, whose jaw ticked. You smiled at Jake with a nod before turning on your heel and walking out of the bar.
He hesitated a beat before nodding at Karrow. His eyes darted to where Coyote stood at the bar and tilted his head. Coyote lifted his chin, pinning his gaze on Rebound, who smirked at Jake’s back before returning to his group of friends.
Outside, you looked down at your phone, comparing the pick-up time for two rideshare apps through bleary eyes and trying not to blink. If you didn’t blink, the tears building in your eyes wouldn’t fall, and you wouldn’t be crying.
“Darlin’?”
“Go away.”
“Baby, talk to me.”
“Go away, Jake. Please.” You refused to look at him as he stood beside you.
“Don’t get a car. Lemme drive you home.” When you didn’t say anything, he sighed. “Sweetheart.”
“Fine.” Locking your phone, you slipped it into your back pocket and made your way across the parking lot to his truck. Your hand rested on the handle as he unlocked it, not even giving him the opportunity to open your door. As soon as he cranked the engine, you reached over to turn up the music to a volume that discouraged conversation; his 2000s country music flooded the cab. When he reached over to place his hand on your leg, you turned away from him and stared out the window. His hand flexed on the shifter.
Even though you almost jumped out of the truck when he parked outside your apartment, mumbling goodnight, Jake followed you upstairs. The tight grip you had on your tears was faltering as you unlocked the door, and he pushed inside behind you. “Can you leave, please?” you said softly.
“Talk to me, darlin’. Tell me what I did wrong.” Your back was turned to him, and your head dropped, hands lifting to cover your face. Your sharp inhale echoed in the quiet apartment, and his feet were moving before his brain caught up. His arms wrapped around your waist as he cradled you to his chest, pressing kisses to your shoulders as you trembled. When your first sob burst free, he turned you, cradling your head and gently rocking, pressing kisses into your hair.
“I f-fuckin’ h-hate my j-job,” you gasped into his chest. Jake frowned, humming rather than responding as your grip on the back of his shirt tightened. His hands slid down your body, one landing on your ass while the other encouraged your leg over his hip. Crouching, he lifted you off your feet, legs wrapping around his waist, and walked into your bedroom, gently depositing you on your bed. After kicking off his shoes and taking off his khaki shirt, he knelt in front of you and took off your shoes, tossing them towards your closet. As you moved towards the pillows, you wiggled off your jeans, dropped them over the side of the bed, and shrugged off your bra under your shirt. He grabbed them both and put them in the laundry basket before taking off his pants and joining you under the covers.
“Gonna tell me what’s going on?” he asked, gently wiping away your tears.
“‘M sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“Our night was ruined because of that… because he….”
“Night wasn’t ruined.”
“I’m actually pretty good at pool.”
“What?” he frowned at the change in topic.
“I-I played a lot growing up. At the base youth centers after school, and my grandparents bought me this game table when we came back stateside. It had pool and air hockey, and ping pong. My grandpa was really good at pool, and we’d play every time he visited.” Chuckling, he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.
“You telling me that you were hustlin’ me tonight?”
“A little.”
“I shouldn’t like that as much as I do.” Biting your lower lip, you ran your knuckle along his jaw, his stubble rasping against your skin. He gently took your wrist and kissed your palm when you reached his chin. When you met his gaze, his green eyes were soft and filled with concern. Closing your eyes, you moved closer and tucked your head under his chin. Jake sighed, holding you tightly as your legs tangled. “At the risk of sounding like a jealous boyfriend, he shouldn’t have touched you.” He felt you tense, but you didn’t say anything.
Jake felt your breathing even and was almost asleep himself when he heard you murmur, “I don’t hate the 18.” A smile tugged at his lips as he pressed a kiss into your hair.
“Glad to hear that, darlin’. You’re a damn good saleswoman - almost had me wanting to drop that $80 million, even though it’s more expensive than what you told me the first time we met.”
“‘S the engine that adds the $5 million,” you yawned. “But you’d get the discount.”
“Only took 58 days to earn that.”
When you woke in the middle of the night and slipped out of bed, Jake grabbed his phone to check the time. There was a text from Coyote asking if everything was okay, and he quickly typed back a message saying they’d talk. When you came back into the bedroom with a glass of water, he waited for you to say he needed to leave.
Instead, you set your glass on the nightstand and took off your shirt, slipping back between the covers with your back to him. He locked his phone and dropped it back onto the nightstand before shedding his own shirt. Curling around you, he pressed a kiss to your bare shoulder and smiled when you pressed back against him.
His alarm went off before yours. Groaning, you pulled the pillow over your head as he turned it off. A strong arm wrapped around your middle and tugged you across the bed, leaving your pillow behind as you grumbled. “Morning, grumpy,” Jake’s sleep-rasped voice teased as he rolled you onto your back. He kissed you softly, brushing the hair from your face before lightly tapping your cheek. “Lemme see those pretty eyes, darlin’.”
“Go away, you evil morning person.” Laughing lowly, he pushed back the covers and lowered his head to kiss the curve of your breast before sucking on your nipple. You inhaled sharply, pressing against his mouth as your hand buried in his hair.
“Play hooky with me,” he mumbled against your skin. When you shook your head, he lightly bit your breast before trailing kisses up your chest and throat, stopping when his lips hovered over yours. “I’ll go to sick call. You call in sick. We can spend all day relaxing.” When his thumb traced your cheek, you forced your eyes open. There was a pillow crease on his cheek, and his hair was flat on one side and spiked where your hands had run through it. It was his sleepy eyes that did you in, though.
“Fine,” you whispered and smiled against his mouth when he kissed you. After a few minutes spent trading lazy kisses, he pulled himself out of bed and dressed. Before he left, he ensured you texted your boss and promised to return in a few hours.
True to his word, he was back by 9:00AM and quickly changed out of his uniform into a pair of Navy sweats and a t-shirt while you made him a honey lavender latte that he loved to hate.
Slowly, over the course of the morning, he got you to talk. You reluctantly told him why you were so mad yesterday - as much as Karrow touching you had pissed you off, you still had to work with him, and Jake’s posturing could make it awkward. He apologized and had to rein in his anger when you avoided his eyes when he asked if people touched you at work like that. When you tried to say it wasn’t a big deal, that it was the comments and looks that were worse, he saw red.
“Darlin’... you know that’s sexual harassment.”
“Don’t say that,” you whispered. When he asked why, brushing away your tears, you shook your head. “‘Cause then I have to do something about it.”
With your face buried in his chest, you told him about leaving Florida after an awkward breakup. Your ex had moved into your apartment slowly, spending more and more nights at your place even though you’d told him you didn’t want to live together. When his lease was up, he’d expected you to add him to yours and had even told his roommate that he was moving out before talking to you about it. He’d told a mutual friend he was planning to propose, and you quickly ended it. When the opportunity to come to California came up, you jumped at it.
Jake reluctantly talked about his past. He said he was lonely at his first base and had trouble finding his footing in his new squadron. He was throwing himself into work and needing to prove that he’d earned his career as an aviator, so he made some stupid decision. Another new aviator, Bradshaw, had called him Hangman after an exercise, and the callsign had stuck. He hated it. He hated that he would always be reminded of the arrogant twenty-year-old kid he’d been. So it was easier to lose himself in a relationship that wasn’t good. He’d loved his ex-wife, and loved the stability their marriage gave him, but knew that she was cheating on him when he deployed. When he got orders to California, she stayed for three months before returning to New Orleans. She’d had some health problems, so they stayed married so she could stay on his health insurance. They’d only divorced because she’d wanted to remarry.
Later, your linked fingers were pinned over your head, Jake’s weight holding you down as he slowly rolled his hips. No matter how much you begged him to go faster, harder, he kept to the slow rhythm, straining to hold still when you both got too close to the edge. He savored the way you gasped his name against his lips. He let go of one of your hands to wipe a strand of sweaty hair from your face and smiled at your glazed expression when your eyes met his. “Please,” you whined. He caught your hand as it drifted between you and shook his head. After he kissed your palm, you wrapped your hand around the back of his neck and pulled him close, biting his lower lip. “Please, Jake.”
Unable to deny you anything, his fingers drew slow circles around your clit. He crushed his lips to yours, forcing you to swallow the three small words that almost slipped out as you clenched around him.
A week later, Jake sat in his office, staring at his sister’s post celebrating his parent’s wedding anniversary. She’d used their last family picture - his graduation from the Academy.
He hated that picture. Hated thinking about that fucking day. Hated that his first salute as an ensign had gone to a man who encouraged him to keep up the Navy tradition of having a girl in every port as his mother stood beside him, a smile hiding her hurt. It wasn’t a secret that his father had done exactly that during his naval service.
The phone buzzed, and his eyes flitted up to see a text. What’s your email?
Eyebrows furrowed in confusion, he quickly typed out his personal email address and sent it back to you. Two minutes later, a new message appeared in his inbox with an attached document.
30-Day Contract Review Results
Upon review of the initial “Dating” contract between the two parties identified below, it is determined that all clauses and conditions have been met. It is recommended that parties continue with the contract, entering an exclusive and monogamous relationship. Parties agree that the initial “date” is identified as the night of the contract writer’s unfortunate car accident, which will be acknowledged with annual anniversary.
Recommend the following updates to the contract:
Strike ‘person I’m seeing’ and replace with boyfriend/girlfriend as appropriate
Strike zero-tolerance weeknight sleepover policy and authorize two weeknight stays
Writer will not be required to assist with remaking hospital corners when staying at the contracting partner’s house
Contracting partner will acknowledge that writer does not snore
Writer will purchase supplies for honey lavender lattes for both households
Contracting partner will not disparage the writer’s film preferences
Parties will agree to an annual review of the contract, with ad hoc meetings to discuss clauses and conditions as they arise
The signatures below serve as an agreement to identified contract recommendations. The next review will occur on the acknowledged annual anniversary.
Your signature was already on the bottom of the document, and there was a signature line for him.
Laughing, Jake pulled up your phone number and called you.
“Yes?” He could hear the smile in your voice.
“Are you open to negotiating the number of authorized weeknight stays? Cause I’m thinking four is a better number.”
“At that point, we would only have one night away from each other when taking weekends into consideration.”
“I’m fine with that. Three nights at your place, three at mine.”
“That’s a lot of overnight bag packing.”
“Only for 44 weeks. The next round of negotiations is going to include moving in together.”
“You’re pretty confident that we’re gonna reach annual negotiations.”
“Darlin’, I have a feeling we’re gonna be doing this for a long time.” Jake heard your breath catch. After a moment, you cleared your throat.
“I’ll agree to three weeknights, Lieutenent Seresin. Final offer.”
“Make the edit, and I’ll sign it when I see you tonight.”
“Fine. I’ll see you tonight, Lieutenant.”
“See you tonight,” he grinned as the call disconnected, already planning on running back to his place to pack an overnight bag.
But when he got to his house, your car was idling on the side of the road. He parked the truck in the garage, making sure to leave enough space for your vehicle. When you pulled into the driveway, he motioned you forward until you were parked beside him. “You’re ruining my plan to scandalize the neighbors,” you huffed when he opened the car door.
“I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities for that,” he chuckled, taking the plastic bag you held out. Inside was an assortment of coffee stuff.
“First thing first, Seresin. Grab a pen.”
“Can’t kiss my girlfriend first?”
“No title changes are approved until you’ve signed.” Sighing, he grabbed the pen from his flight suit pocket and clicked it.
As soon as both copies of the contract - you’d insisted that you each need a copy - were signed, Jake shoved your slacks down your legs and pressed your cheek to the kitchen counter as he showed you exactly how much he loved being your boyfriend.
----------------------------------------------
Author's Note: This chapter covers a lot. Thanks for the patience when it came to writing it - between the themes, researching the F-35, and recovering from having guests, I've been exhausted. Hopefully the banter made up for the angst, and you liked seeing a bit more of each of their background. Kinda funny, but my brother in law proposed to his first wife for that same reason Jake did - a Facebook post of an empty hand.
Read Chapter 7
Tag list:
@memeorydotcom; @alldaysdreamers; @kmc1989; @djs8891; @caitsymichelle13; @dempy; @midnightmagpiemama; @lovelyladymayyyy; @caidi-paris; @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby; @bellaireland1981; @lethargicluv; @mayhemmanaged; @tenderclio; @lucypaulette; @abaker74; @trhett21; @misshoneypaper; @schreksdoubledeckerhomechecker; @eternallyvenus
181 notes
·
View notes