hopesallwegotleft

[hopesallwegotleft]

Just a small something to take the edge off..

[hopesallwegotleft]

[hopesallwegotleft]

me and who

[hopesallwegotleft]

Also Jason with his cap backwards

[hopesallwegotleft]

I'd already posted the monochromatic versions of these gifs back in March, but liked the versions with their full range of colors too so I kept these in my drafts

[hopesallwegotleft]

Nick and Jason have some really cute interactions

[hopesallwegotleft]

????

[hopesallwegotleft]

Candy cane

Prompt #7: Candy cane Words: 1530 Summary: Jason is spending time with Salim in his house in Brighton again, and they've known each other for several months (this part taking place on October 14, 2004). Something minor brings Jason's feelings to the forefront, and his relationship with Salim reaches a point of no return. Note: This is the first half of the story and will be continued in the next prompt. The 'hats' mentioned shouting at Jason is slang referring to his drill instructors.

-----

The speakers blare the continuous, faded clamor from the audience. Jason hears the bell ring three times, followed by the announcer’s voice introducing the wrestlers. “Introducing first the challenger from San Diego California, weighing in at 175 pounds, Rey Mysterio!” 

“Oh, good,” Salim says from his left as he returns from the kitchen—Jason had declined the offer for snacks, not feeling that hungry—voice light with indulgent sarcasm. He slides back into his spot with ease, giving Jason a smile as he ignores the small screen and continues, “I’m just in time for the next match.” Making himself comfortable, Salim reclines as far as he can against the back of the couch, spreading his legs wide where he sits. 

“Long as you keep the noise down…” Jason says, voice as sweet as honey on the surface, matching Salim’s sarcasm with his own. He casts a meaningful glance at the book discarded between them, then meets Salim’s eyes again, “...while I’m tryin’ to read.” 

For a fraction of a second, Salim’s brows furrow. Obviously averse to the idea of watching WWE while Jason reads, Salim’s hand shoots out to the opened book and brings it in close to his chest, as if the risk of Jason stealing it as a joke, or for some kind of extortion, was too substantial to ignore. Treasure retrieved, Salim looks over at him from the corner of his eyes, gaze dropping down to the victorious quirk of his lips before they skip back up. He knows the typical joke Merwin would counter with. As would many of his brothers in the Corps. If it’s not about his mother, it’s a simple joke that Jason, as a Marine, would be too dumb to read, or too dumb to understand more advanced literature, despite the framed college degree hanging on his walls back home.

“Inshallah,” Salim sighs instead, almost wistful, lifting the book in a brief gesture up at heaven, “I should be so lucky.”

Jason gives a shake of his head at Salim’s good-natured teasing, then returns his attention back at the glory about to unfold on-screen. As Rey Mysterio finishes hyping up the crowd, the announcer introduces Carlito, and Jason can’t wait to see the wrestlers display their prowess in the ring, throwing and tossing each other around like the other weighs nothing, easily pinning their opponent in place... 

Just as the action starts, he hears something plastic crinkle to his left. Glancing over, he lifts an eyebrow, unimpressed. Seriously? “Ain’t even fucking Halloween yet.”

Partially freed from its plastic wrapping, the candy cane stops in mid-air as Salim, lips parted, goes still, turning his head to face him. Salim’s mouth closes, and his eyelids lower slightly as a smile spreads across his face. Leaning in towards him, Salim answers, “Which does nothing to affect the taste.”  

The muscles of his left shoulder go rigid, skin almost tingling beneath his sweater as he feels a lack of some weight, or warmth, or something when Salim straightens back up. With a candy cane in one, and a book in the other, both of Salim’s hands are full. Otherwise, Jason is confident Salim would touch a hand to his shoulder in affectionate teasing.

He forces out a scoff, “You got a major fucking sweet tooth, Salim.”

Attention back on the book in his hand, Salim replies without even diverting his gaze, “You are what you eat, as you Americans like to say.”

Involuntarily, the corner of his mouth quirks up as the comment almost makes him chuckle, because it’s true. Even when he bared his worst, back in that hell, Salim showed him a kindness no one else had. Salim offered him understanding, without judgment. His throat cinches shut whenever he thinks back on it too long. But, in the back of his mind, he hears his old hats shouting at him to maintain his bearing, voices so loud it rumbles through his eardrums. It makes him shake off the urge to smile as soon as it forms. 

As he watches the wrestling match, he picks up the occasional clack of Salim’s teeth against the hard candy. His eyes stray, roaming over to watch Salim’s mouth as he nibbles on the candy, lips enclosed around it. Salim’s cheeks hollow as he sucks on the end of the candy cane, before they distend as Salim’s tongue pushes against the inside of his cheek, sliding the candy from one side of his mouth to the other. 

His breath quickens, his heartbeat spiking for a moment as he feels a familiar want coiling tight, deep in the pit of his stomach. He swallows, tearing his eyes away as he forces himself to focus on whatever wrestlers are currently fighting. Is it still Rey Mysterio against Carlito? He blinks, searching the screen for the wrestlers as the televised feed switches camera angles over and over. He catches sight of Rey Mysterio climbing up the corner post, then he spots Carlito soon after as the camera telegraphs the diving attack that’s about to happen.

Crack.

The sound breaks through him, penetrating the wall of concentration he put up in his mind. The rumble grows, reverberating through his body, until it almost makes him shiver. He suppresses the physical reaction, though he can’t deny his curiosity. When he glances over, he finds Salim chewing on the piece of candy cane he evidently bit off, jaw working as he grinds the part into smaller bits. Jason becomes fully aware of the shortened breaths he forces himself to take, watching as Salim’s tongue darts out, wetting his lips from where the candy must’ve left them feeling sticky. It’s just a peek. Just the very tip of Salim’s tongue that he spies. And yet, even as he works not to show it, every part of his body stiffens as his mind betrays his friendship with Salim, showing a series of images featuring him, Salim, and what else Salim’s mouth can do. 

Over the course of the months they’ve known each other, he’d thought he’d caught glimpses, little hints that maybe Salim returned this desire, that Salim wanted more than friendship, but never enough to act upon. Not yet. His skin goes clammy with guilt, his cheeks surely beginning to flush no matter how hard he tries to stop it.

Something in his near peripheral vision changes. His eyes dart up, away from Salim’s mouth, only to land on Salim’s beautiful, brown eyes. A second of silence passes between them, with Salim looking at him curiously. He can salvage this, Jason thinks. Tear his eyes away, act like nothing out of the ordinary happened. All he did was look at his friend, after all. He’s played enough roles throughout his life, he could do it. 

But a part of him doesn’t want to. Before he can decide on which part of him he should listen to, the confused look on Salim’s face melts away. Then Salim’s tongue darts out again, the tip of it sliding over his lower lip, carefully wetting it, leaving it looking all shiny and pretty and soft as he tracks the movement. As Salim watches him track the movement.

“Oh,” Salim says, blinking. Now, Salim looks at him with understanding, his expression open and thoughtful while Jason’s fully exposed. Again, Salim sees him, sees all the vulnerable emotions laid bare, all the revealed parts of him. His heart beats painfully, banging against his ribs with every thump. Worry courses through him like a poison this time. The worry that he’ll hurt Salim with all that he feels, that Salim will feel betrayed, that Salim will never want to see him again when he lov—

“I should—” he starts, words falling out as he shifts, planting his fist on the couch as he makes to get up.

“—stay,” Salim interrupts. The single word is enough to shackle him to the couch. Salim sits still, not a single part of him moving to intercept Jason. The word is soft, an honest plea, leaving the choice to stay or go entirely with Jason. If he weren’t feeling so fraught, he might laugh. As always, Salim never forces him to do anything. Salim simply guides him to being honest with himself.

His throat is too tight to talk, but he forces out a simple response. “‘Kay.”

He pulls his arm back and sits back down, making his eyes look in the direction of the TV, even if he’s not processing anything that happens. 

Salim makes quick, silent work of the rest of the candy cane.

He’s often joked that he can never get a smartass like Salim to shut up, to not make a rebuttal. Now he got what he wanted, and he’s all but begging God for Salim to say something. All he gets is silence as they both pretend not to notice the thick, choking air of tension between them, the small amount of emptiness separating their bodies from pressing up against each other. The few fragments of the match he catches must still be more than what Salim retains. It doesn’t escape his notice that, for the match’s duration, Salim never turns the pages once.

[hopesallwegotleft]

Late happy birthday to our Lieutenant Colonel Eric King <3

[hopesallwegotleft]

Now the "Jason is short" joke from Salim finally makes sense!

Also as hilarious as all of these pictures are, I doubled over laughing at the first screenshot of Jason with the giant rifle and the way he holds it lmao. Big meme energy, like:

Pocket Jason been able to exist in cutscenes is killing me. I really thought he'd just go back to normal size

He's like a little action figure

Something went horribly wrong when he went back to normal

[hopesallwegotleft]

I'll bet Jason would make a suggestive comment or two about what Salim can get him for his birthday (because I headcanon our boy is pretty horny, and it only ramps up in his relationship with Salim since, well, just look at Salim). And Salim rolls his eyes. But then throughout the day, Salim is 100% open about the enormous depth of his love for Jason, and what makes him love Jason, and he keeps reminding Jason about all of his amazing qualities through genuine affirmations.

At the end of his birthday, after seeing his friends again, Jason (though he manages to keep a fairly stoic bearing about him) is overwhelmed with all the things Salim makes him feel. And then he just falls asleep in Salim's arms, being held and utterly loved by him. ♥

Salim better be spoiling Jason rotten today 😤🥰

[hopesallwegotleft]

Наконец я закончила это. Юный 17-летний Джейсон на ферме своих родителей.

Нарисовала его к дню рождения нашего любимого Джейсона Колчека.

С 53-летием морпех! 🎉💖🇺🇲🦅💖

Заканчивала его немного в торопях, хотела доделать перед тем как уехать в отпуск, где у меня к сожалению не будет возможности рисовать.

OMG ине так нравится то как вышло его лицо. С портретным сходством у меня бывают проблемы(так же как и с анатомией собственно то🫠🫠🫠), но в этот раз кажется он вышел действительно хорошим.

Когда-нибудь я найду в себе силы нарисовать Салима, я не могу обойти этого парня стороной

[hopesallwegotleft]

Happy birthday, buddy

[hopesallwegotleft]

Today is Jason Kolcheks Birthday. ❤🔥

Happy Birthday Jason 💙🧢🔥

Video Edit by me

(PLEASE NO REPOST)

[hopesallwegotleft]

Happy bday, cool guy

(For me it's already July 22 so yeah)

[hopesallwegotleft]

It's his birthday, and I wanted him to look serious but at the same time unserious :>

[hopesallwegotleft]