#I need to give Mav a hug

[peacefxlmyko]

STOOOP I SAW SOMEONE'S TIKTOK WITH "If you need to be mean, be mean to me" WITH MAV AND ROOSTER THIS ACTUALLY JUST RUINED ME

[roosterforme]

The Younger Kind Part 53 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley is surprised by what Maverick has to tell him, and he's not sure how to convey his mixed feelings to you. The urge to keep everything inside is strong, but you catch on right away and shut it down. In the end, he's not sure he has made the right decision.

Warnings: Swearing, angst, fluff, pregnancy topics, and age gap (18+)

Length: 4500 words

Pairing: Single dad!Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x babysitter!female reader

Check out my masterlist for more! The Younger Kind masterlist.

There was something a bit ominous about the way Maverick said, "Rooster. We need to talk." 

Bradley followed him toward the tower immediately, getting more annoyed by the second. This was supposed to be an exciting day. You and Bradley had started telling people you were engaged. It was a shame that Casey was among the first to find out, but Bradley had expected Maverick of all people to remember his plans for the weekend. 

But Bradley didn't say a word until they were inside the tower in private. "She said yes, by the way," he told his godfather blandly. "I proposed after the air show."

Maverick grinned and pulled him in for a tight hug that Bradley barely returned. "That's wonderful. I was just about to ask, but I knew she would say yes." He slapped him on the back before releasing him. "So it's safe to tell Penny now?"

Bradley rolled his eyes and couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. It's safe. She can't ruin anything at this point."

Then Maverick's smile started to fade, and Bradley remembered exactly why he had followed him here to begin with. "We really do need to talk, Bradley, and I'm not sure you're going to want to hear this right now."

Bradley braced his hand on the wall next to him and asked, "Are you deploying me?"

"Not exactly," he replied as if he was trying to choose his words very carefully. 

But Bradley was so used to being spoiled right now, he didn't have the patience for this. He had you and Noah and now a baby and a wedding, too. "Just spit it out, Mav. Please."

He glanced around and cleared his throat, and Bradley's nerves just got worse when he finally spoke. "Your name came up behind closed doors. The admirals have you listed as a top selection for a training mission."

"What kind of training?" Bradley asked, wishing he would just get on with it.

Maverick's voice dropped lower as he said, "Sixth-generation fighters. Nothing that's available in the U.S. You'd be one of the first to fly them for tactical testing."

"You're joking," Bradley rasped, his body frozen as Maverick shook his head. 

"It's no joke. It's also optional. Not your traditional deployment. Nobody is going to force you to go this time. I can't supply you with many more details unless you give your verbal and written agreement to participate, but I can say that this would go a long way toward career advancement."

"Shit." 

You were pregnant. This was not the best time to leave for optional training. But six-generation technology was something he might never get to experience during his career unless he partook in this. It would be years, maybe even a decade, before Naval aviators were flying these jets off of carriers for real missions. He knew exactly what this meant. He could be among the very first to take them up in the air, and his flight details could help shape the way these jets were eventually distributed to the United States and used by the military. "Jesus, Mav."

He nodded in response. "I know the timing isn't ideal for you and your family, but it's something you should seriously consider. Go home and talk to your fiancée about it, and if you decide you want to be included in the meeting on Thursday, let me know."

"Right," Bradley muttered. "Am I dismissed?"

"Yeah. Head home. I'll see you tomorrow."

Bradley should have gone directly home and waited for you and Noah to arrive, but instead he took his time in the locker room. He tried to imagine what it would be like to leave you for a few weeks or months while you were pregnant, but it made him feel too uncomfortable. He could turn the opportunity down without even mentioning it to you. That actually sounded like a pretty good plan. 

While he showered and got changed, he felt guilty in a different way. He didn't want to hide this from you even though all he wanted to do was protect you. And part of him really wanted to fly these prototype jets. If he did, he could leave a lasting impression on the future of Naval aviation even after he was done spending time in the cockpit.

"Fuck," he muttered as he packed all of his things up for the day and headed outside to his Bronco. It was actually pretty late now, and there was no doubt you were at home with Noah, probably making dinner. But Bradley took a detour to the coffee shop first, and then he stood there like an idiot for a few seconds, because he wasn't sure if you were still supposed to have caffeine or not. 

He ended up ordering the decaf version of your favorite drink. Then he asked the barista to borrow a sharpie, and he wrote something new on the cup this time. He stuffed a few dollars into the tip jar and headed home, still completely undecided about what he wanted to do.

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

Noah was his usual adorable self, and you wanted to be having a good day, but you were exhausted from work and Casey. Dinner was in the oven, and you were taking the time to carefully cut apples into peanut butter snails for Noah to have as his dessert, but Bradley wasn't even home yet. 

You were looking forward to getting changed out of your wrinkled scrubs and taking a long shower, which would be much easier to do if he were here. Everything was easier with him around. You started planning a trip to Disneyland on your phone while dinner cooked, but you wanted to run it past him before you booked anything. You smiled softly, knowing Bradley would tell you to put it on your princess card before thanking you for planning the next family vacation. But you had your first doctor's appointment coming up and thought it was better to go to Disneyland after that. But October was looking promising.

When you heard the front door open, and Skittles scampered into the living room, you felt your body sag against the counter in relief. "Daddy's home," you told Noah, and he pushed his new dinosaur coloring book aside and followed after Skittles. You brought up the rear, but that just meant that you'd get the longest hug from Bradley when it was your turn. 

"Come here, Mrs. Bradshaw," he rasped after he set Noah and Skittles down, and you were tucked in his embrace with your nose buried against him immediately. It was obvious that he was tired and hungry, but he didn't rush anything. He just held you like his life depended on it. Soft kisses teased along your forehead and temple as he whispered, "I brought you some coffee."

Then you noticed the cup he had set down on the TV stand, and you rubbed your cheek against his chest as you read it. "That's adorable, Daddy." He had scrawled Princess +1 on the cup this time, and it made your face feel warm. "But I think I need to cut back on my caffeine consumption."

"It's decaf, Princess" he whispered, his lips and mustache brushing the shell of your ear. 

The soft moan that left your lips had him chuckling as you said, "The baby and I thank you." Then you ditched his arms in favor of the coffee cup. When the kitchen timer went off, you kept your eyes on Bradley as you walked backwards away from him. "After Noah goes to bed, I want to talk about something important. It rhymes with Tisneyland. I thought we could go next month. After I talk to my doctor, of course."

He winced for a split second, but it would have been impossible to miss. Okay. You thought he made it clear he wanted to go on another family trip. Maybe he changed his mind. "Shit," he whispered, swallowing hard. "We can... we can go. No problem. Whenever you want."

The timer was still buzzing, otherwise you would have pressed the issue. Without another word you turned toward the kitchen and grabbed the oven mitts so you could get dinner on the table. But Bradley was acting strange. He even seemed more subdued with Noah which had you worried. 

"What happened at work?" you asked, sliding a plate of dinner in front of him. 

He shrugged. "Just a regular day. But I did tell Nat we're engaged." At least he smiled when he said that, and then he reached for you, looking up at you as you stood next to him. "Hey, I can't wait to go to Tisneyland with you."

You couldn't help but laugh, but you said, "We don't have to go in October. We can go next year or never. I just thought it was something you wanted to do."

"Book it," he said, squeezing your hip before dropping his hand. "I'll request a day off as soon as you book it after your appointment. We can take a long weekend."

Something was wrong, and you couldn't place it. But his eyes were clouded with doubt and your stomach soured so much, you could barely eat your own dinner. This didn't feel like the sweet man who agreed to go to daycare drop off with you this morning simply because you didn't want to go alone. When you offered to get Noah ready for bed, he agreed without really paying any attention to your words. 

"Come here, Sweet Noah," you whispered after Bradley kissed him goodnight, clearly distracted. You got him into his pajamas and got his teeth brushed, and like usual, he was yawning before his head even hit the pillow. You started to read him the book about farm animals that you picked out a few months ago with Bradley, and even though he was sound asleep by page two, you finished reading it just to have a few extra minutes with him. 

Eventually you found Bradley sitting on the couch with Skittles on his lap. When you leaned against the doorway, he held his hand out to coax you forward. "You didn't tell me about your day," he said softly. 

"I tried to during dinner, but it's like you weren't even there," you bit back, not moving an inch. "What's wrong? You change your mind about getting married?" you asked, holding up your left hand and spinning the ring loose with your fingers. "Or about the baby?"

Now he was up off the couch in an instant, Skittles looking rather alarmed by his sudden movement. "Hey," Bradley snarled, pulling you against him with his left hand and using his right fingers to push your ring back into place. "Don't say that. It's never going to happen."

"Then what's wrong?" you asked, giving him no room to continue to be vague and weird with you. "Just tell me."

"You gonna keep that ring on?" he asked, and you saw a flash of everything you loved so much about him in his eyes.

You pressed up onto your toes and kissed him. "Yes," you whispered before kissing him again and again. "I'll keep it on. Just tell me what's wrong."

He pulled you toward the couch, and after he sat, you straddled his lap while Skittles curled up on the cushion next to you. "Nothing's wrong," he whispered, his big hands sliding down your hips to your thighs, stroking you through the thin fabric of your pants. He was staring at your name where it was embroidered on your scrub shirt instead of meeting your eyes. "Earlier today, Maverick told me about something... interesting."

"Go on," you whispered, raking your fingers through his soft hair. "I already know something's bothering you, so just say it, Daddy."

He nodded slightly and kissed your forearm before he finally met your gaze. "It sounds like there's a brand new fleet of aircrafts with technology updates that have never been flown by American pilots before. I'm on a short list of aviators who have been invited to train on these jets overseas, most likely in the hopes that the Navy will adopt these planes in the future."

You nibbled on your lip and considered his words. "So, it's kind of like a deployment?" you asked, still dragging your fingers through his hair as you scooted a little closer. 

"Sort of," he said softly. "But it's optional. And I'm going to tell Mav I don't want to go. I'll be here, okay? We can go to Disneyland next month."

You studied his handsome face, and while he looked more relaxed now that he told you what Maverick said, you knew that wasn't the end of it. You pieced it together in your mind and leaned the rest of the way to his lips. He accepted your kiss as he rubbed his hands slowly along your thighs. You hummed and let your forehead rest against his. 

Your voice was calm as you asked, "But you do want to go, don't you?"

He remained quiet, but he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you so your body was flush against his and your cheek was resting on his shoulder. You relaxed against the steady rise and fall of his chest and the soothing beating of his heart. 

When he finally spoke, his voice was gravelly and deep, and it made you shiver. "The last thing I want is to be away from you and Noah and the baby. I don't want you under the impression that those thoughts are on my mind, okay? That's not what this is."

"I believe you, Bradley," you whispered against his neck. "But this sounds like a big deal. You made the list? Over so many other people? They chose you to try something brand new?"

His voice was a little more forceful as he said, "I do not want to leave you alone right now. It wouldn't be fair."

You kissed your way up his neck until your lips found his earlobe, and you kissed him there, too. You inhaled the smell of his shampoo as you said, "I love you, and I want to support you as much as you support me. If you want to do this, then I think you should."

There was no denying that you felt safer and more loved when you were with Bradley than you ever had before. But this was his career, and it sounded like he had a chance to be part of something huge. 

"You're right, Baby. I do want to go."

You nodded as he held you. "Do you have any other details?"

"No. There's a meeting on Thursday that I can sit in on if I let Mav know I'm interested, but I doubt I'll get a ton of information short of a departure date and maybe a location unless I sign on for this thing."

You kissed his cheek and pulled away so you could look at his face. "Next time, just tell me what's on your mind instead of trying to make an important decision without me."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, reaching for your left hand and kissing your palm and the spot where the band of your engagement ring wrapped around your finger. "But next time, don't even pretend like you're taking this thing off."

"I won't."

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

Somehow Bradley made it all the way to the meeting on Thursday, his curiosity piqued. When he found out where the meeting was being held, he was even more surprised. 

"Come to Admiral Simpson's office promptly at one o'clock," Maverick told him, and Bradley silently thanked you for clearing things up with Cyclone the way you had. There was no way his name would have made it onto any list if you didn't send the man a glass of bourbon at Warlock's retirement party. 

"I'll be there," he promised. And if he was surprised by the location, he was even more surprised when he showed up to find Cyclone and Maverick waiting for him and him alone. 

"Sir?" Bradley asked, standing until he was given permission to sit. He knew better than to ask a single question about the training before he had some information to work with, but his brain was swirling nonstop. You and he stayed up last night making a list of things he needed to know before making a decision. For example, Bradley desperately wanted to fly these sixth-gen fighters, but he wasn't willing to be gone for months on end. Hell, you still hadn't seen your doctor yet. That appointment wasn't happening until Monday.

"Lieutenant Bradshaw," Cyclone said, pushing a folder toward Bradley as he sat down behind his desk. "We chose you for this training protocol. Only you. If you are unwilling, then we will regroup and try to select someone else. However, time is tight and details are going to be scarce unless you agree to participate. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Sir," he replied, and then Cyclone tapped his fingers on the folder before releasing it to Bradley. 

Maverick was standing near the window, and Bradley got the feeling that his godfather was proud of him. He still wasn't sure why he was the only one here, but as he opened the folder and skimmed the pages, many of his immediate questions were answered.

As soon as he saw it, he shook his head. "You want me to fly to Japan on Monday morning? Because if that's a hard set date, then my immediate answer is no." 

He closed the folder and started to hand it back to Cyclone who was sharing a look with Maverick. "And if we could push it to Tuesday?" he asked without taking the folder.

"I'm listening," Bradley replied, honestly wondering what he had that the other pilots didn't.

Maverick stepped away from the window. "Bradl- Lieutenant Bradshaw," he corrected right away. Bradley realized it was hard for both of them to separate their professional relationship from the personal one they shared, especially when they did things like take family vacations together. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You were chosen for your skill set and the way you prioritize communication. We don't want to have to select someone else, especially when we believe you'd be the best pilot available."

Cyclone cleared his throat and added, "Consider Tuesday morning your new departure time. Do you have an answer?"

Bradley blinked at him a few times, glanced down at the information in the folder, and then looked up again. "You need me to give you an answer right now? Sir?"

He nodded once and folded his hands. "Before you leave my office."

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

You were too tired to do anything after work except pick Noah up from preschool. Seriously, if Casey even tried to talk to you, it was going to be her funeral. But for once, luck was on your side, because she wasn't even there. You signed Noah out without incident and headed home to talk about this special training mission.  

Bradley must have learned his lesson from earlier this week. You couldn't believe he was about to make a decision without you like that, just to try to save you the stress. You could handle it. After your appointment on Monday, you could handle anything that came your way. 

When he got home shortly after you did, he told you immediately that he needed to talk to you. He kissed Noah on the top of his head and pulled you to the kitchen doorway, a frantic look on his face as he stroked your cheek with his fingers. "I'm going."

Your heart plummeted. He really did decide without talking to you about the details. You wanted him to go, but you also wanted to talk about the pros and cons with him first. But in the end, you really had no say here at all. "You are? I thought we were going to talk it through."

"We were," he whispered. "That was my intention, Princess. But they made me decide before I could leave Cyclone's office."

You made a concerned face. "Cyclone's office? How did everyone fit in there?"

Bradley shook his head, his cheeks a little ruddy from frustration or embarrassment, you weren't sure which. "They didn't, Princess. It was just me. I was the whole list of people."

"Oh," you gasped. It was hard for you to understand at times that he was at the top of his career, because he was just as devoted to his life at home. With you and Noah. "Where are you going? And when do you leave?"

"Japan," he rasped, his face full of guilt now. "And I leave on Tuesday morning."

The pounding of your heart was making you feel nauseous. "Tuesday?"

He nodded. "They originally wanted me to leave on Monday, and if that was the case, I was ready to turn it down, no further questions asked."

"You were?"

His eyes went wide. "I'm not missing the first appointment for something optional."

You nodded slowly, because that brought up your next question. You sensed he might be missing subsequent appointments. "When will you be back?"

He wrapped his hands around your hips and pulled you closer to him. "I have no idea."

Then you started to cry, and you felt like such an idiot. You wanted him to go.  You wanted him to have this experience and impact new pilots in the future, but you also thought you'd have a little more time before he left. "Just come back safely," you whispered while he let you cry in his arms.

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

Bradley noticed right away that you were a little distant. Maybe you needed a day or two to process everything, but in another day or two, he'd be packing and leaving. He thought he was doing what you wanted him to, but you cried yourself to sleep on Thursday. You were obviously exhausted and frankly kind of moody, and now he was kicking himself for agreeing to a training mission that had no disclosed ending date. 

"Fuck," he grunted on Saturday afternoon when he took Noah to the park so you could have some time to yourself. Pretty soon, you'd be on single, pregnant parent duty around the clock for probably weeks on end. Bradley's guilt was really prevalent now.

"Daddy?" Noah asked as he was being pushed on the swing. 

"Yeah, Bub?"

"Can I have a Halloween costume?"

"Of course," Bradley groaned, cradling his forehead in his hand. Halloween was still six weeks away, but he could already imagine the tears in his son's eyes if he wasn't home in time for trick-or-treating. Hell, he hadn't even explained to Noah that he was going away again yet. "You can pick something out with Mommy," he added, his voice harsh now.

Noah looked back at him over his shoulder and started to slow himself down. When he jumped out of the swing, he ran to Bradley who scooped him up. "Can we go home?" he asked. He wrapped his arms around Bradley's neck like he could tell he needed a hug. "I miss Mommy and Skittles."

Bradley kissed his son's cheek. "You know what? I miss them, too. Let's go home." He buckled Noah in and drove slowly. He should probably start packing tonight, but he was just dying to spend some time alone with you. The last thing he wanted was to return to a quiet house and a quiet fiancée right now. You and he were going to need to have another conversation about this, and he already felt like a jerk for wanting to have everything. 

When he pulled into the driveway as the sun was starting to set, you were in the front yard with Skittles on her leash. You were wearing one of your little floral dresses, and Bradley almost ran into your car as he looked at you. God, he was stupid for voluntarily agreeing to leave you. Once he was parked, you opened the back door and started unbuckling Noah and lifting him out like the most devoted mom in the world, and Bradley was about to lose his mind if he couldn't sort this out tonight.

"Hey, Daddy," you said softly as you turned, holding a very sleepy looking Noah against your shoulder. "Should we feed him dinner and get him in bed?"

"I think so," Bradley replied, eyeing you up and down, his gaze catching on your glossy lips. "You look gorgeous. Why are you all dressed up?"

You shrugged like it was nothing. "I just wanted to look cute for you."

His eyebrows shot up in response. "Don't you always?"

A soft smile found your lips as you started to head for the front door with Noah. Bradley followed you inside, and once Noah was eating leftovers, he pulled you into the hallway where he pushed you back against the wall. 

"Does this mean we can talk about some things tonight?" he asked, stroking your bottom lip before kissing you softly. 

You moaned gently into his mouth as his weight pressed against you. "Yes," you whispered. "Of course. We can talk about anything you want."

"You told me you wanted me to fly this mission," he said, and you nodded before you kissed the tip of his nose.

"I know. And I do. I just needed to process everything. The timeline just threw me off a little bit. And if I'm being honest, it's never not going to be scary when you leave."

"I'm coming back," he promised, knowing full well he only had so much control over that. "I'm coming back to my family as soon as I can."

This time when you nodded, you threw your arms around his neck and kissed him hard on the lips. "I know, Daddy," you whimpered between filthy kisses, rubbing yourself against him. He rutted you back into the wall, and you moaned his name as he cupped your ass. And that's when he felt it, firm against his fingertips compared to the softness of your body.

"Fuck," he grunted, easing your dress up inch by inch until he was touching the silicone. 

"Do you want me to put my crown on to match?" you asked sweetly as he spread you open wider with his hands. "I can be your going away present."

Bradley leaned closer until his lips were pressed to your ear. "I want you in bed with your crown on as soon as Noah's asleep. Then I'm going to fuck the absolutely shit out of you. And then after that, I'm going to make love to you until you're satisfied. And then we're going to talk about everything that's going to happen while I'm in Japan until we're both comfortable with all of it. And then we're going to start planning our wedding."

"Yes," you agreed. "That's exactly how I want to spend our evening."

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

Just a few more chapters left. Do you think he made a good decision? Leaving Princess right now? Thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

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The Danger Zone (Part 20) - Hangman

Pairing: Hangman / Fem!Bradshaw!Reader | OC

Word Count: 3.8k

This work, all my works, and my entire blog are 18+ ONLY.

Warnings: Unplanned Pregnancy; Military Inaccuracies; Medical Inaccuracies; Crying; Angst; Family Drama; Deployments; Use of "You," No Use of Y/N, No Set Physical Description

Summary: You go into labor.

Series Master List

Master List

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Penny cooed, grabbing your hand and giving it a squeeze. Wiping your tears, she gently touched your shoulder so that you would look at her. “It’s going to be okay. I know it’s scary, but your daughter is coming, and you'll finally get to meet her.”

“But she’s early. She’s not supposed to come yet. She’s still got at least another week,” you whimpered, clutching your bump protectively as more tears streamed down your cheeks. “And Jake’s not here yet.”

“I know, he's not," Penny replied softly, trying to calm you.

"And I can't do it without him!"

"Honey, we need to go to the hospital right now." Penny was still soft with her voice, but there was an edge of force there too. "Your water broke. So, we have to go. Okay?" And though you were still crying, you didn't fight Penny as she led you back to your bedroom. "Come on, let's get you into some clean clothes and then we'll go."

Penny gave Maverick a look before closing the door behind her. He moved to grab a mop and clean up the fluid. Hastily pulling out his phone, Maverick pressed on Bradley's name before balancing his phone between his ear and shoulder.

“Hey, Mav, what’s up?” Rooster asked, picking up on the third ring.

“Has Jake landed at base yet?”

“No, I think he’s still a few hours out. Why?”

“Her water just broke.”

“Are you shitting me?” Rooster questioned quietly. 

“No, I’m not. And she’s already upset and crying. Penny’s getting her ready for the hospital."

"Has she mentioned him?"

"She said that she can't do it without him."

"Jesus Christ."

"Check with Cyclone about Jake.”

“I’ll go now and call you back.”

“Alright, I’m going to be driving them to the hospital.” Maverick glanced at your bedroom before turning back to his conversation with Rooster. “Penny's taking care of her."

"I'll try my best to get him there as soon as possible."

Maverick hung up the call and turned to see Penny leading you out of your bedroom. He jogged over and grabbed the hospital bag before standing on your other side. You were still silently crying but didn’t fight them as they pulled you out to the car. 

“I’ll move the car seat to the back for now," Maverick stated, pulling it out and putting it in the trunk.

Penny got you situated in the backseat before climbing into the back on the other side. Maverick closed the trunk and ran around to start the car. You leaned back in your seat and closed your eyes as tears streamed down your cheeks. Penny rubbed your back as Maverick pulled out of the driveway and headed for the hospital.

"You're going to be okay," Penny assured you, giving your hand a squeeze. "Just focus on your breathing."

“Traffic is horrible,” Maverick cursed, taking a right down a side road. 

“They’re doing all of that construction,” Penny sighed, turning to you as you let out a whimper. Timing your contraction, Penny held your hand. “We’ll get you there soon.”

"Why couldn't she wait?" you whimpered, staring down at your bump. "Why does she have to come now? When he's not here."

"Babies come when they're ready, not when it's convenient," Penny replied softly, rubbing your arm.

Maverick glanced back in the mirror at you and his heart broke at how defeated you looked. All he could do was hope that the baby wasn’t in a rush and that Jake would land soon. 

“I need Jake,” you cried, causing Penny to hug you tighter into her side. "I need him. I can't do it, Penny."

“You can do it, Honey. It's going to be alright. Jake will be home soon, and he'll be right at your side as soon as he can."

“It’s not fair,” you sobbed, causing Maverick’s jaw to lock into place. “It’s not fair.”

~~~~~

Rooster strode through the halls of NAS North Island with a determined look. He shared a short conversation with Cyclone’s secretary before hurriedly knocking on the door. Cyclone called for him to enter and Rooster stepped inside. Giving Cyclone a half-assed greeting, Rooster didn’t pause until he was standing in front of Cyclone’s desk. 

“What’s wrong, Rooster?”

“How far away is Hangman?”

“About two hours as a guess. Why?” Cyclone asked, leaning forward.

“My sister’s water broke. She’s on her way to the hospital right now,” Rooster explained quietly, tension radiating off of him. “And I’m trying to figure out if her husband’s going to be there for her or not.”

Cyclone nodded and turned to his computer. Typing in some quick commands, he turned back to Rooster. 

“His ETA is a little less than three hours.”

“Three hours?” Rooster repeated dejectedly. It was clearly not the answer that he was hoping for. 

“Is she progressing quickly?”

“I don’t know. I’m still waiting for Maverick to call me.”

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing else we can do to get him here earlier. But you have clearance to be there waiting for him. I’ll have him dismissed immediately, given the circumstances.”

“Thank you, sir.”

~~~~~

You were led to a wheelchair and slowly sat down. Maverick quickly pushed you into the hospital. Penny ran alongside the two of you and held the door open. You were immediately admitted, and Maverick and Penny waited out in the hall while you were assessed.

“Rooster says that Jake is three hours out,” Maverick sighed, causing Penny to nod slowly. “Cyclone’s dismissing him as soon as he arrives. Rooster is going to bring him here. I just hope that the traffic isn’t too bad, and this kid isn't in a rush.”

"I'm worried about her, Pete," Penny stated quietly, resting her hand on her chest. "She hasn't been herself for weeks."

"I know," Maverick sighed, rubbing his face. "I don't know what to do. If we tell her that he's coming, she might get better, but if she has to deliver the baby sooner, she's going to fight it. And if we don't tell her, and Jake gets here after the baby's born, I'll feel like I betrayed her."

"Let's not jump to decisions right now," Penny replied, causing Maverick to nod. "Let's just wait and talk to the doctor and see how she's doing."

When the doctor stepped out of the room, Penny and Maverick quickly turned to her. She walked over and greeted them before getting straight to business.

"She's about five centimeters dilated now. Her blood pressure is a little high, but we're monitoring it. The baby is healthy. After talking with her, it sounds like she was in early labor since yesterday evening." Penny and Maverick shared a look before turning back to the doctor. "I'm assuming that she didn't tell you?"

"No, she didn't," Maverick stated, resting his hands on his hips.

"Has she expressed any fear of labor to you or anyone else?"

"Not exactly."

"Her husband is deployed," Penny explained quietly. "She hasn't really been herself since he left and we're worried that she's going to try and fight labor because he's not here."

"I see," the doctor replied, nodding slowly.

"He's coming home today, but we didn't tell her before her water broke. We're worried about telling her now."

"How far away is he?"

"A little more than two hours probably," Maverick stated, causing the doctor to pause for a moment.

"How fast is she progressing?"

"She'll deliver in a few hours, if she keeps going as she is now."

"A few hours?"

"Somewhere between three to five, I would guess."

"Shit," Maverick sighed, rubbing his face again.

"Can I check on her?" Penny asked, causing the doctor to nod and walk off. Turning to Maverick, she squeezed his shoulder, knowing that he was going to run off and try and get Jake here sooner. "Get him here, Pete."

"Just keep her as calm as you can. And if the baby has to come, the baby has to come."

They shared a quick kiss before heading to their separate missions. You were laying on your hospital bed on your side, clutching something to your chest. There were several monitors hooked up to you and Penny walked around the bed.

"How're you doing?" Penny asked softly, brushing her hand down your back.

She paused when she looked down and saw that you were clutching one of Jake's shirts. Your nose was buried in the fabric, and you were clearly trying to soothe yourself with it.

"She's coming," you replied quietly.

"She is," Penny agreed, nodding slowly. "It'll be alright."

You didn't respond and simply closed your eyes and held Jake's shirt to your chest as you tried to regulate your breathing.

~~~~~

Jake stared out at the wide blue sky in front of him. Trying to not get antsy and pull a Hangman, as Rooster would have said, Jake took a breath. Glancing at the photo of the two of you as you held up a picture of your ultrasound, Jake nodded to himself before turning forward once again. 

“I’m coming home, Honey. Just a little longer.”

~~~~~

You stared at the ceiling as the nurse walked off. It seemed that your daughter would be arriving in a few short hours. Resting your hands on your bump, you simply sat there, staring blankly ahead. 

“We haven’t even picked a name yet,” you told Penny softly. “We couldn’t decide on one.”

“What about a middle name?”

“Caroline. For my mom.”

"Of course," Penny stated, watching your expression worriedly. "But don't worry about her name right now. It's a big decision. And there's nothing wrong with thinking carefully about it."

“How did you decide on Amelia?” 

“Amelia Earhart,” Penny stated, causing you to raise an eyebrow. 

“I thought your ex was a sailor?”

“He is, yeah.”

The two of you shared a small smile and laugh. But as the humor faded and you were left with the realization that Jake wouldn't be there to name your daughter with you, you worked yourself up all over again.

“I don’t want to have to name her without him,” you whispered, your voice breaking again. 

Penny got up and pulled you in for a hug, whispering soft words as you let more tears fall. You took in a shaky breath and curled against her chest, already emotionally drained. 

“He should be here. He should get to be here. He wanted to be here.”

Penny rocked you gently and stared out the window, hoping that she would see the Bronco driving down the road towards the hospital. Giving you another squeeze, she held you by your shoulders and offered you a reassuring motherly smile. 

“He loves you. And he loves your baby. And I know that he’s going to come home to you as soon as he can.”

~~~~~

Rooster paced anxiously as Hondo stood behind him, keeping an ear to the radios. Jake’s plane was due soon and Rooster wasn’t able to sit still with the knowledge that your labor was progressing quickly. Holding his hand to his chin, Rooster kept his gaze to the ground and his feet constantly moving to occupy himself. 

“They’re starting the landing sequences now,” Hondo told Rooster. 

He turned and stared at the approaching planes. Holding himself back until he knew that it was safe to approach, Rooster strode forward with the ground crew. And then he started running when he spotted Hangman climbing out of his plane. 

“Hangman!” he yelled, causing Jake to pick his head up sharply. “Let’s go!”

Jake jumped down the ladder, hearing the urgency in Bradley’s voice, and hurried over.

“What’s wrong?” Jake yelled, reaching Bradley quickly.

“Her water broke. She’s in labor,” Rooster told him as they both ran, causing Jake to freeze for a second. 

“She’s not due for another week and half!”

“Take it up with your daughter! And get your ass in gear!”

~~~~~

“Fuck, it hurts,” you sobbed, rocking your hips as you buried your face in your arms. 

You were bent over the hospital bed as your contractions grew more intense. You felt like you could barely stand when your contractions hit now, which only meant that your daughter was even closer to being born. Letting out another whine of pain, your grip tightened on the bed.

“Breathe. You’re doing so well,” Penny coached you, helping you rock your hips. “You're doing amazing."

Penny helped you straighten up as the contraction ended. You took a moment to steady yourself and let the pain subside. Penny pulled out her phone when she felt it buzz and saw Maverick’s text. She read through it quickly before moving to help you again.

She didn’t speak, knowing that you were trying to focus. But Jake was coming. He was on his way. He was coming to be here for the birth of your daughter. 

~~~~~

“This is your definition of a short cut!?” Jake complained loudly.

With the heavy traffic built up in front of them, Jake held his hands to his face and let out a groan of frustration. With the highway a disaster due to construction, they decided to take back roads. But so did everyone else. They had been stuck at this same light for two full rotations and Jake felt like he was going to scream. Actually, he was already screaming.

“I told you that you should have taken a left!”

“It was impossible!” Bradley snapped back, focused forward. 

“Then let me drive!”

“So that you can get us into an accident!? No!”

Jake tugged at his hair, trying to keep calm. But he was rapidly failing. You were only a few miles away, in labor with your daughter, and he came all of this way, and he was still going to miss it. Because of stupid traffic. 

“Move!” Jake and Bradley yelled as soon as the light turned green. 

~~~~~

Closing your eyes, you breathed in and out as you listened to soothing music, trying to prepare yourself for the next part. 

“Everything looks good,” your nurse told Penny, who smiled and nodded in thanks. 

Penny walked around to the side of the bed that you were facing, and her expression softened when she saw that you were cuddling one of Jake’s shirts again, trying to soothe yourself with the lingering scent. Looking out the window, she sighed. 

“Get here quickly, Seresin.”

~~~~~

“Should I just run at this point!?” Jake yelled, sitting up in his seat. 

“It’s five miles!”

“I’ve run further!”

“This is still faster,” Bradley countered, causing Jake to huff and hold his head in his hands. 

“I can’t just sit here like a useless asshole while she has our baby!”

“I’m not asking you to just sit there! Just calm down!"

“Would you be calm if our positions were reversed!?”

“On the outside, yes.”

“Bullshit!”

“It’s not bullshit!”

While Jake and Bradley continued to bicker, a Kawasaki pulled up alongside them. Maverick looked into the Bronco and frowned when he saw Bradley and Jake arguing, completely ignoring him. He revved the engine, but it didn’t seem to get their attention. 

“Jake!” 

“We should have just stayed on the highway!” Jake argued loudly. 

“Bradley!”

“I’m trying the best that I can! Why don’t you try navigating for once!?” Bradley yelled back. 

“Hello!?”

Getting off of his bike, Maverick stalked forward and banged his fist on the glass, causing Jake and Bradley to finally turn to him. Bradley lowered the window down as Maverick shot them both a look. 

“Are you two finished?”

Jake hopped out of the Bronco got onto the back of the Kawasaki without another word. Maverick sped down the street, weaving in and out of traffic, and heading straight for the hospital. 

~~~~~

Penny squeezed your hand when she noticed how terrified you were. Your daughter was coming into the world shortly whether you were ready for her or not. 

“I can't do this,” you whispered shakily. “She can’t be coming now. I’m not ready. I can’t do it.”

“Of course, you can do it.”

“No, I can’t! I can’t do it!” you sobbed, looking absolutely stricken with fear. “I want to go home, Penny! I can’t do this!”

“Yes, you can,” Penny replied more firmly. “Hey, you’ve been preparing for this moment your whole pregnancy. You took the class, read the books, and you made a plan. You’re ready to do this. You can do this. You’re stronger than you think.”

“She can come another day.”

“No, she can’t. She’s coming today. And I know that’s scary. Believe me, I was terrified when I was in your position. But then Amelia was born, and all of that fear and pain disappeared. Because I had my beautiful daughter in my arms. And you’ll get that moment too. And I’ll be here with you for it, okay?”

“She better not have his big fat head," you cried out.

~~~~~

Jake jumped off the Kawasaki and ran into the hospital. Maverick had informed the front desk people about the situation, and they quickly got him checked into the ward.

Rushing down the hall, Jake weaved in between nurses, patients, and family members, searching for your room number. Penny stepped out of your room and waved for him.

Jake hurried the rest of the way down the hall. You sat up on your head, confused at why Penny rushed to the door. But when your husband appeared out of seemingly nowhere, still in his flight suit, you couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Jake!"

He rushed to your side and pulled you in for a hug. You latched onto your husband, sobbing tears of relief and joy as he pressed a series of kisses to your head. Turning his head, Jake gave you a soft and loving kiss before pulling back and resting his head against your own.

"You're here," you breathed out, cupping his cheeks with your hands. Like you weren't convinced that he was real.

"I'm here," he assured you. "I thought that I would surprise you. But it looks like Baby Girl surprised us first."

"She is your daughter, after all."

Penny smiled at the interaction and looked down the hall to see Maverick walking over with a bag for Jake. He stood beside Penny as you and Jake talked softly, sharing a kiss every few seconds.

"I think I'll just leave this on the chair," Maverick joked, causing Penny to smack him lightly on the chest.

"He made it?" the nurse asked, looking into your room.

"He made it."

Jake reluctantly left your side for a moment to change out of his flight suit and take a quick shower to get the smell of jet fuel and sweat off of him before returning to your side. Maverick and Penny said their goodbyes before you and Jake were left alone.

Your contractions were growing more intense and closer together and not even fifteen minutes after Jake arrived, your nurse assessed you one last time.

"I'm going to get the doctor. You're fully dilated."

Jake squeezed your hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it as the nurse hurried off. More people started to walk into the room to get you prepped for delivery, but your eyes never left Jake. He leaned over a pressed a kiss to your forehead.  

"She's coming," you breathed out, holding tightly to your husband.

"She is," Jake agreed, trying to keep his voice level. "And I'm here for you through the whole thing, alright? You let me know what you need me to do and I'll be there."

"I know, Jake," you replied, smiling nervously. "I love you."

"I love you too," Jake stated, pressing a kiss to your wedding band. "Let's meet our daughter."

~~~~~

In the waiting area, your family sat around anxiously for news about you and the baby. They were all lounging around, guessing about your status, when the nursery tune played overhead. 

“You think that was them?” Maverick asked Penny.

“It could be. We'll have to wait a little longer to find out.”

~~~~~

"She's here!"

You let out a choked sob, leaning back against the hospital bed as the doctor lifted your daughter up so that you could see her. Jake stood, frozen, as the doctor placed your daughter down on your chest for some skin to skin.

Cuddling your daughter, who was still screaming at the top of her lungs, you laughed incredulously, tears blurring your vision. You held her little head to your cheek, turning to Jake with the most lovestruck expression he had ever seen.

Jake, breaking out of his frozen state, slowly straightened up and pressed a kiss to your lips. You smiled up at him before turning back to your daughter.

“She’s here,” you croaked out, laughing incredulously. “Holy shit, she’s actually here.”

“You did amazing,” Jake praised you, staring down at your daughter with a sense of awe. “She’s . . . she’s so beautiful.” Pressing another shaky kiss to your head, he added, "She’s perfect.”

The next few minutes was a bit of a haze, but soon enough, you were cuddling your daughter to your chest again. Resting your hand on her back and keeping her secure, you smiled to yourself and took in the moment. You looked up at Jake, and smiled, almost feeling like you were on cloud nine.

"Do you want to hold her?" you asked softly.

"Of course, I want to hold her. But did you want more time with her?"

"Just hold your daughter, Jake."

Jake sat down in a chair and a nurse brought your daughter over to him. He took off his shirt and accepted your daughter into his arms. The nurse gave him some quick instructions before stepping back to give the two of them their first moment together. You smiled as you watched them from your bed.

"Hi, sweetheart," he breathed out softly, not wanting to startle her. Gently running his finger through her short hair, Jake sniffled as he felt her move against him. "I can't believe you're finally here." Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he held his head there for a moment. "I love you so much, sweetheart. And I promise you that I'll tell you that every day that I have."

Your daughter stuck her tongue out at him, causing Jake to smile to himself, before turning back to you. 

“I guess it’s not just the two of us anymore,” he stated softly.

“No,” you agreed, looking down at your daughter. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

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[sarahsmi13s]

Rocks Are Allowed to Crack, Stars Are Allowed to Dim

pairing: jake 'hangman' seresin x fem!pilot!reader

characters: jake seresin, y/n nivans, the daggers, pete mitchell, penny benjamin, diego and benny harding (oc father and son)

warnings: 18+ MDNI, angst, language, ptsd, description of accident, panic attack, injuries, descriptions of scars, flashbacks, fear of death, familial death (mentioned), crying, bottling up feelings, please please let me know if i missed any

word count: ~8.0k

a/n: this has been sitting in my docs and on my wheel for at least a year (please forgive the awkward moments). so i figured i'd take a sliver of the wheel and make him a little lighter! i've also been in a funk lately, so i thought getting something out there might help!

quick summary: everyone deserves someone to comfort them in their time of need, even the ones that always lend their shoulder

Ah, yes, dogfight football. Maverick’s way of creating a team. You play offense and defense at the same time. Tackling each other into the sand, sometimes into the water. It may be chaotic, but it’s fun and a great team building exercise.

Which is why you hated that you were running a little behind.

You sighed as you got out of your car and walked over to where Penny was sitting at the table. 

You placed your aviators on your head, “I’m not late am I?” Penny chuckled and shook her head, “Just in time. Want a beer before you go?” You shook your head, “Nah, I’m okay right now. Care to watch my stuff?” 

The brunette gestured to the items in front of her, chuckling, “I’m watchin’ everyone else's. I don’t see why not.” You chuckled and sat your wallet, phone, and keys down, as well as your sunglasses. You slipped off your shorts, folding them and laying them down.

“Nivans!” 

You turned at the call of your last name, brows raised in curiosity. 

 It was Maverick. 

“Hurry up and get down here!”

You turned to Penny, “This is gonna be fun.” You both laughed before you jogged across the sand to meet everyone by the water. 

“Sorry I’m late, Mav.” 

Maverick shook his head, “You’re not late, Rockstar. Can’t be late for fun.” 

“Not gonna take your t-shirt off?” Phoenix asked when you stood beside her. You shook your head, “Nah, I’m good.” 

Hangman sighed, “That’s a shame.” 

You chuckled at him and bent down to throw a handful of sand at him. 

“Watch it, Rockstar,” Hangman said, his voice light as he glared at you playfully.

“Or what, Hangman?” You challenged, eyes narrowed but a smile pulled at your lips.

Now, you and Hangman joked like this all the time. You considered each other best friends, which confused everyone else on base. 

Jake Seresin was an asshole. He was cocky and arrogant. You, Y/N Nivans, were not an asshole. Quite the opposite, actually. 

You were humble while still knowing your worth, but also showing anybody up if they proposed a challenge, and not being sour when you lost. 

Jake went out looking for competition, you let it come to you. 

You were also probably the sweetest thing to walk the planet. Most certainly the sweetest to walk the airstrip. 

You were nice to everyone, always giving someone the benefit of the doubt until they truly proved they were an asshole. 

You also took care of your team, they were your family. You always had the door open if someone needed to talk. Your arms were wide open when they showed up in the middle of the night because they had a nightmare and couldn’t shake it. You were their rock.

So, when you walked into the Hard Deck that first day of the Uranium Mission and hugged Hangman, everyone was confused — except Coyote who knew you from a year prior. But they didn’t verbally question you, choosing instead to ponder in private.

Hangman sighed, “Come on, Rocky. You're giving your enemy the advantage.” He tugged at your shirt and pulled you into his arms. 

You laughed and pushed him away by his chest, “You’re gonna have to catch me first.” Hangman cocked his head to the side, “Oooh, that’s how it is?” You nodded, a smirk playing on your lips, “That’s how it is.” 

You panted as you used your shirt to wipe the sweat from your face. 

When you let go of your shirt you raised your arms, calling for the ball. They threw it to you and you took off for your endzone. 

You felt the sand shift and you knew Hangman was behind you. You had to get rid of the ball, so you called out to your teammate, “Phoenix!” She ran ahead of you and you threw her the ball.

As soon as the ball was out of your hand, Hangman tackled you to the ground. 

You laughed as you laid on your stomach, arms out in front of you. 

“What was that about ‘catching you’?” Jake grunted from above you.

You didn’t have to look at him to know he was smirking. “Haha, very funny Hangman. Now get off, you’re heavy.” 

“First, ouch. Second, nah, you’re comfy.” You laughed and shook your head, attempting to push off the ground and basically buck him off. 

But, Hangman wouldn’t let you, laughing as he moved and made you fall back down.

In this new position, Hangman was putting pressure on a certain part of your back and panic shot through you. 

“Seriously, dude, get up,” you tried to say with a laugh, not wanting to sound rude or like you were mad at him. He just smiled and rested his chin on his hands. 

You closed your eyes and tried to control your breathing, but the waves hitting you pushed you over the edge. 

“Jake, get the fuck off me.” You didn’t mean to sound harsh but you were panicking.

Jake was surprised by your tone, along with the use of his first name. He immediately got up and held out a hand for you to take but you just got up and ran to the table. 

“Rockstar, where you going?” Maverick asked. You called out while still running, “I need a break for a minute.” 

You got to the table, “Is it unlocked?” Penny nodded, “Yeah, why?” “Bathroom break.” Penny just nodded again and watched you take your sunglasses with you as you jogged inside.

Rooster ran over and hit Jake’s arm, “What did you do, Hangman?” Jake shook his head, “I’m not sure.” He put his hands on his hips and watched you disappear into the bar. 

He felt bad, he wanted to chase after you and apologize but he didn’t know what he did. 

“Well, you seemed to piss her off,” Phoenix said, shoving the ball into his chest. 

Maverick looked at Penny but she just shrugged, meaning you didn’t say much.

You ran into the bathroom, throwing yourself into a stall.  

You leaned over the toilet and waited to throw up. Tears had started running down your face the minute you stepped in the bar. You coughed and sobbed lightly as you tried to control your breathing. 

After a few minutes of that, the nausea subsided and you slowly stood to go to the sink. 

You turned the cold water on and splashed your face. 

“Shit…” 

You closed your eyes as the tight feeling in your chest loosened. You let out a shaky breath and looked in the mirror, cringing at the puffiness around your eyes. You grabbed your sunglasses and slipped them on before leaving the bathroom.

When you stepped outside you saw Maverick and Penny talking, and when you sat down they stopped talking and looked at you concerned. 

“You alright? Gave Hangman quite the scare for a second,” Mav asked, squaring his shoulders to you. You nodded, resting your forearms on the table. “Yeah, I’m fine.” You rubbed your forehead, “Hey Pen-” 

Before you could finish your sentence, a beer was sat in front of you, causing you to giggle, “Read my mind.”

As he continued to play, Jake still couldn’t get over the fact that you called him ‘Jake’ during a day out. 

It wasn’t that you never did, but it was rare that you called anyone by their first name. 

But it wasn’t just that, it was the way you said that really made him worry. He had never heard your voice sound like that before.

He looked at you from his spot on the beach, noticing you didn’t come back to join in the fun. 

Hangman walked up to Phoenix, worried that he had really upset you and wanted help from the girl you were closest to. “You don’t really think I pissed her off, do you?” 

She sighed, “I don’t know, Hangman. Even if you did, I doubt she could stay mad at you for long. She can't be mad at anyone for very long.”

Jake nodded and watched you stand up from your spot at the table.

You finished your beer and stood up, “I’m gonna head out.” 

Maverick frowned, “You sure you’re okay, Y/N?” 

“Yeah, I’m okay. I just really need to shower. I’ve got sand in places sand shouldn’t be,” you said with a light laugh. 

“Okay, drive safe. I’ll see you in the morning.” 

“Yes, sir.” You collected your stuff and headed to your car.

Jake noticed you leaving and tilted his head, “Hey…” He patted Coyote on the shoulder. “I’ll be right back.” 

He jogged up to the table to ask Maverick if he knew anything.

“Is she okay?” Hangman asked as soon as he came to a stop. Maverick shrugged, not looking up at the pilot, “She seemed okay. Said she needed to shower.” 

Jake let out a breath, “So she isn’t mad at me?” 

“I didn’t say that. But as far as I can tell, she’s just tired.” 

Jake licked the sweat off his upper lip, putting his hands on his hips as he looked down. 

“Hangman, honey, just go talk to her. If she’s upset with you, she’ll be honest about it,” Penny encouraged, giving Jake a small smile. He nodded and jogged to go find you before you left. 

You were standing by your car, the door opened as you moved to get in when he approached. 

“Hey, Y/N,” Jake called as he walked over to you. You smiled, “Hey, Hangman.” 

Jake swallowed, “Look, I’m sorry about earlier. I was just messing around. I did-” 

You held your hand up, cutting him off, “Jake, I’m not mad at you. I know you were just playing. But your tackle jump started my bladder and I wasn’t kidding when I said you were heavy.” You giggled a bit to show him you were teasing.

Hangman visibly relaxed at the sound, “Okay, good. I know I like to get under everyone’s skin. Sometimes I don’t know when to knock it off. I–” 

You held up your hand, cutting him off. “Jake, I can handle your teasing. Yeah, you can get a little mean. But I know it’s all a big show. Come here,” you opened your arms and made grabby hands at Jake. 

He just shook his head and chuckled, pulling you in by your outstretched hands and letting them find their place around his built torso. 

He rubbed his hand on your back, nearly missing the slight tensing right beneath your shoulder blades before they relaxed. His brow furrowed but he didn’t mention it, thinking that maybe it was you tightening your arms around him. 

He kissed the top of your head before you pulled away. 

“Geez, Jake, you’re sweaty.” 

“You’re not too dry yourself, Rockstar.” You laughed and playfully shoved him away. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N.” You smiled and slid into your car, “I’ll kick your ass tomorrow Hangman.” 

He scoffed leaning on the roof of your car and the open door. “Since when did you get so cocky?” 

You smirked and placed your glasses on your head, forgetting that your eyes could still be red and puffy from earlier. “It’s not cocky if it’s the truth.” 

Jake shook his head and looked back to the shore. “Uh-huh. We’ll see.” He leaned back and patted the top of your car. “Drive safe.” You nodded, and he closed your door. 

He watched you start it up before driving away.

Jake shook his head and made his way back to the group.

Speaking of the group, they had all noticed the change in Jake when you showed up at the Hard Deck a few months ago. 

While he was still his cocky self, having no shame in bragging and trash talking, he seemed to tone it down when you were around.

They also noticed how he always made sure to find you in the crowd, keeping an eye on you. Coyote joked that you had Hangman wrapped around your finger, that he would be at your side with a simple look. 

Jake was painfully aware of the effect you had on him. 

When he met you a year ago, he was starstruck by your dazzling smile. 

So, naturally, in true Hangman fashion, he flirted with you. 

With a toothpick between his perfect white teeth and his bright green eyes shining under the yellow lights of the bar, he walked up to you. 

“I sure hope no one left you alone.” 

When you turned, eyeing him up and down to take in the uniform, beer bottle popping as it left your mouth, his breath was ripped from his lungs. 

“Well, you’re here now. I’m not alone.” 

Seeing your smile up close caused Hangman to blush, and leaving him thankful that his tan could somewhat hide it. 

“Well, ain’t I special.” 

You nodded, giggling while looking down at the bar, “That you are. But, before this can go any further, I’m gonna be honest, I’m more dedicated to my work than anything else at the moment. And I have to be up by 5, so I’d hate to lead you on.” 

Jake shook his head, but you continued, gesturing around the bar, “I’m sure there are plenty of girls here that would love to get attention from you and give you attention.” 

Jake smiled –not smirked, smiled– while leaning on the bar, “Well, the only one I want attention from is you. Plus, I can’t stay out too late either. Gotta be at work early too, so I guess we’re both clocking in early.” 

None of the feelings that day had been one sided. You also had been starstruck by Hangman. 

He was broad shoulder, tall, tan, and had a voice that could make a girl swoon in a second. But you knew he was a pilot, his uniform gave it away, and you knew how they acted. Except, you liked Jake’s company and decided to talk all night with him. 

Ironically, what you both did for work never came up.

So, imagine the look on Jake’s face when he saw you the next day in your flight suit. 

“You didn’t tell me you were a pilot.” 

You smirked, “You didn’t ask.” 

He shook his head, biting his lower lip to hide his smile but failed. 

You nodded to him, “What do they call you?” 

“Hangman. What about you?” You smiled, “Rockstar.” 

You were able to peg why he earned his callsign very early on but he couldn’t seem to figure yours out. 

Until he had a close call and couldn’t shake it.

The last day of training had just ended, tomorrow you might not come home, and to say you were nervous was a major understatement. 

As you changed to get ready to go out with the squad, you couldn’t stop shaking. You knew you needed a drink… okay a couple drinks.

While you changed, Hangman was walking around, looking for you. 

When he walked past the locker room, he caught a glimpse of you reaching to pick something up.

He turned to walk in, but stopped when he saw that you only had your pants on. But, before he could stop himself, his eyes trailed up your back; starting from above your waistline on your pants and going up. 

Then he stopped, his eyes widening when he saw the large scar that looked fairly new – maybe a year or so old. It spanned from the middle of your left shoulder blade to nearly below your ribcage and was positioned diagonally across your back. 

Jake quickly looked away, realizing that you must have not wanted anyone to see it if you hadn’t told him. 

His brow furrowed as questions ran through his mind. Was that why you freaked out during dogfight football, the other day? Why you always tense up when you get an unexpected touch there? 

Shit… He thought, feeling like a horrible friend for never noticing and never asking. 

Jake took a deep breath and walked away, choosing to approach the locker room differently and pretend he never saw you. 

He put on a smile and walked back towards the locker room, “Hey, Rockstar! You almost ready?” He stopped just short of the door, leaning his back against the wall. 

Your head jerked up as you pulled your t-shirt down. “Uh, yeah, Hangman. I’ll be ready in a second.” 

You finished getting ready and walked out, jumping slightly when he pushed off the wall. 

“Geez Hang, don’t do that!” You punched his arm. 

“Gosh, I forgot how hard you punch.” He chuckled and rubbed the spot on his arm as you both walked to the parking lot.

You all sat in the Hard Deck, drinking and playing pool.

“Dude, she’s kicking your ass!” Payback laughed as he clapped Hangman on the shoulder. 

You were, in fact, kicking Jake’s ass in pool. You couldn’t help the giggle that escaped as the blond narrowed his eyes at Payback. 

“Yeah, you feelin’ okay? You’ve been off your game tonight Bagman,” Rooster commented, smirking as he drank his alcohol. 

Instead of clapping back at the jab, Jake just rolled his eyes and lined up his shot. 

That made you frown, Hangman always had a comeback. Always had sarcastic quips to embarrass the other person. But he was silent. 

You made eye contact when he stood, silently asking if he was okay. He just nodded and moved to sink another pool ball. 

You didn’t want to drop it, but you did for the sake of having fun before facing the chance of death tomorrow.

Sometime later, after a few rounds of pool and drinks, you all stood around and just talked.

“Hey, did you guys hear about that one pilot that saved her WSO’s life when they got shot down?” Bob asked, looking around the group. 

You clenched your jaw slightly, but not enough for anyone to notice. 

“Bob, that happens all the time. It’s kinda what we do,” Phoenix said, squeezing his shoulder. 

Rooster stood up and sat his beer down. “No, not the way this pilot did. Bob, I know who you’re talking about. I read the mission file, the only thing that was classified was the pilot and WSO’s names.” 

You swirled the beer in your glass, not looking up from the amber liquid. “Did the pilot survive?” 

When you finished asking, you looked up, trying to ignore the watchful eyes of Hangman as you met Rooster’s eyes. 

The latter nodded, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, she did. But she had a pretty serious injury. I’m not sure if she was ever clear to fly again.” 

You nodded and looked back down at your glass. 

“And the WSO?” Jake asked, eyeing you as you downed the rest of your drink before looking at Rooster and Bob. 

“He survived. But I don’t know if he still flies,” Bob answered. 

“Well, that’s good that they both survived,” you said, your smile returning to your face. 

Rooster shook his head a bit, “Yeah, but that pilot pulled a risky move. Saving some like that…” 

Your smile dropped a bit, “People have their reasons.” You raised your glass, “I’m gonna go get another drink.”

Hangman watched you leave as the conversation changed into something more light hearted. 

Jake took a step to go after you but Coyote caught his arm. “Hey, come on. Play me in a round of pool. Let’s see if you still got your game.” Jake looked from his friend back to you and saw you laughing with Penny and Maverick at the bar. That allowed him to relax a little bit. 

“Oh, I still got my game. Let’s see if you found yours,” he smirked. “There he is!” Coyote laughed and clapped Jake on the back.

As Jake played pool with Coyote, you talked with Penny and Maverick. 

“Are you serious?” 

You nodded, laughing at Penny’s reaction to you telling her how you and Jake met. 

“Pen, why are you surprised? Hangman flirts with every girl,” Maverick said, using his hand to point the direction of the mentioned pilot. You and Penny both nodded your agreement. 

“Sounds familiar,” Penny says, a playful grin on her face making Maverick roll his eyes.

You had become so invested in your conversation with Penny and Mav, that you missed Rooster coming up behind you.

He placed his hand on your back, right on your scar, making you tense and jump in surprise.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare ya’ Rocky,” he took his hand off and leaned on the bar. 

“You doin’ okay? You seemed a bit…” He glanced back at the group, thinking of the right word. “...tense a minute ago.” 

You bit the inside of your lip, had you really been that obvious? 

Still, you nodded and gave him your best smile. 

But to him, he could see that it didn’t reach your eyes. He may not have been your best friend, but he had seen plenty of your genuine smiles and this one did not make your eyes shine like the others. 

Bradley decided not to press, “Okay…” He turned to Penny, “Penny, could we get another round?” The bartender nodded, “Of course, but you’re reaching your cut off.” 

Penny had set a cut off for drinks for the pilots not wanting them to go into this mission hungover. You chuckled and glanced back at the group, all of them messing around and having fun. “Yes ma’am.” 

You turned to Rooster and then back down to your empty glass. Penny hadn’t refilled it yet, having started a conversation with you as soon as you came over. 

You glanced at your watch, seeing that you had been there for a couple hours. 

Penny sat a tray down, placing the full glasses on top. “There you are, Rooster. Who’s tab?”

Rooster opened his mouth to tell her to put it on his, but you beat him to it, “Put it on mine Pen.” 

“You got the last round, Rockstar,” Rooster argued. You shrugged, “I don’t mind. Plus, I’m closing my tab for tonight.” 

“What? You’re heading out already?” You nodded, sliding Penny your card, “I’m hitting my limit, Roos.” 

Bradley searched your eyes for a moment, looking for any indication that something was wrong.

You were usually the one that made sure everyone was okay to go home and if they needed rides; so leaving early rung bells in Rooster’s head. 

Penny gave you your card and receipt, “Thank you.” “Thanks Pen,” you gave her a smile before turning back to Rooster. 

“Tell ‘em I’m heading out. I know if I do it I won’t be able to leave.” You gave him a one armed hug and turned to Maverick, “See you in the morning, Captain.” 

“See you in the morning, Rockstar.” 

Penny gently squeezed your hand, giving you a small smile as you slid off the bar stool and walked out. 

Rooster, Maverick, and Penny watched you leave the building before turning to each other, concern written all over their faces. 

“Is she okay? She’s been acting a little off ever since dogfight football the other day,” Penny asked the two pilots. 

They both shrugged, Bradley looking up at her. “I was about to ask you the same thing.” 

“I’ve noticed, but I thought it was just because Harvard and Yale had to eject the other day,” Mav admitted. “We were all a little shaken up by that…” 

It was silent for a minute. 

“You know… if one person knows anything, it’d probably be Seresin,” Penny said, pointing over to the pilot, who was very invested in the game he was winning, and basically suggesting that they talk to him. 

Bradley sighed, knowing that Penny was right and if anyone knew you the best, it would be him. He grabbed the tray, thanking Penny and walking over to the group.

They all cheered when he sat the tray down, taking a glass for themselves. 

Jake noticed that there was an extra and he frowned in confusion before he realized it was for you. 

He looked up, eyes searching for you in the crowd, panicking a little when he couldn’t see you, “Where’s Rockstar?” 

Rooster sighed, “She closed her tab and left. Said she reached her limit.” 

Fanboy frowned a little bit, “Why didn’t she just tell us herself?” 

Rooster shrugged, “Said if she did it would take longer for her to leave.” 

“Does she seem different to you guys?” Coyote asked, finally voicing his concern that had buit up over the last few days. 

The group shared a look before making small noises of agreement. 

“I mean, she’s still the same Y/N. Still lighting up a room and being there for us like she always has been… I just… I don’t know.” 

Rooster looked at Jake, “Hangman, you’re like her best friend, do you know anything?” 

Jake shrugged and shook his head, “All I know is she’s nervous for tomorrow and the accident the other day shook her up a bit, but she hasn’t said anything else.” 

He took a large gulp from his beer, hoping to swallow the confession of seeing your scar that he wanted to bring to light.  You trusted Jake and he wasn’t about to ruin that by telling the squad what he saw when he wasn’t even supposed to know it was there.

Meanwhile, you walked the beach, taking in the fresh and salty air. You just needed the quiet time before you went home.

You sighed and pulled out your phone, seeing a text from Hangman and laughing slightly at the message.

Hangboy: Hey, I get that I kicked your ass those last few rounds of pool, but you could have told me you were leaving. I would have walked you out. Text me when you get home. 

Also, there was an extra beer. I assume it was meant for you, but you left so I drank it. Don’t worry though, I can handle it.

You shook your head and opened your phone, but not to text Jake.

You went to your contacts and pressed the caller ID, putting the phone to your ear as it rang. 

“Hey, Rockstar, what's up? It’s been awhile.” 

You smiled, sighing, “Sure has been, Tundra. How are you? How’s the little one?” “I’m good. Ben is great, he wants to know when you’ll be by again to visit.” 

You giggled at the fact the 6 year old wanted to see you. “Soon… hopefully.” “Y/N, I know that voice. Is it happening again?” You shook your head, despite the fact that Tundra couldn’t see you. 

“No, no. Well, sorta, but this is different Diego.” You heard him shift, presumably crossing his arms. “What do you mean?” 

You sighed, remembering that you couldn’t share all that much about the mission, even if he was former Navy. 

“I don’t know how much I can tell you. But I got called back to TopGun, and I could be flying out on a mission tomorrow. A dangerous one.” 

“Y/N, do they know?” 

You shook your head again, this time to fight tears. “No, but I’m scared that mid air, I’m gonna freeze. I don’t wanna freeze, Diego. I haven’t frozen since our incident. But I don’t know what’s been wrong these past couple of weeks. I can’t seem to shake off this dread… this-this fear. I do-don’t-” 

He cut you off, “Have you talked to anyone recently?” 

You were silent and he took that as a no. “Y/N, you have to talk about it if you ever want to move past it.”  “I did though. I had mandated therapy for my entire time in recovery.” “And have you been since you recovered?”

You threw a hand up, frustrated, “I thought I was past it! I hadn’t had an attack in a year, not until we were playing football. I-I thought it was just a one time thing, and then something happened during training and I just-” 

You were cut off by a small, tired voice. 

“Is that Aunt Y/N?” 

“It is. Do you want to talk to her? I think she needs to talk to you.” “Yes, please!” You smiled as you heard the phone go to speaker and then be passed to the little boy. 

“Hey, Aunt Y/N!” 

You smiled, tears finally falling, “Benarino, hey buddy.” “I miss you. When are you coming to visit?” You wiped at your eyes with a shaking hand. “Soon, buddy. Really soon,” you sniffled. 

“Aunt Y/N, why are you crying?” 

You laughed, coughing a little at the end, “I just really miss you Benny. I can’t wait to see you.” 

You looked back at the Hard Deck, seeing your fellow pilots laugh and sing. 

“I’m gonna bring a friend too. If that’s okay with your mom and dad?” “That’s alright with me, Rockstar. I’m sure Lila won’t mind.” 

“Who is it?” 

You brought playfulness into your voice, “You remember the pilot I told you about? The one that thought he could fly better than your Aunt Rocky?” 

The little boy giggled, “Yeah!” “Well, I think it’s about time you brought home the boy that stole your heart.” 

“Diego,” you hissed. “We are just friends.” “Mhmm, sure.” You scoffed, rolling your eyes, “You should probably get Ben to bed before Lila wakes up.” 

You heard Diego grunt as he picked up his son, “Goodnight Benny Boy.” “G’night Aunt Y/N.” 

“Call me when you make it back.” You nodded, hand sliding into your back pocket, “Yeah, of course. Night Tundra.” “Night Rockstar.” 

The call ended and you slid your phone into your unoccupied back pocket.

You took in a deep breath, trying to relax again. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In, out. 

On an inhale, the scent of smoke filled your nostrils and it made you hold your breath.

Quickly looking around, you spotted a bonfire a couple yards away. Realizing it was harmless, you let out the breath and tried to relax your shoulders.

But, despite knowing it was completely harmless, your body went into a state of panic. Your chest tightened, limbs went numb, pain spread through your back, and tears filled your eyes. 

You held a hand to your chest, the air stopping just before it made it to your lungs, and stumbled to your car as fast as you could, hoping you weren’t seen by your friends inside the bar.

Jake looked at his phone as he left the bar. You hadn’t texted him, and by now you definitely should have been back to your on base bungalow. 

Hangman wasn’t going to panic, he knew you well enough that you would have texted or called him if something bad happened. Of course he felt anxious, who wouldn’t, but he was going to remain calm. 

The reason you hadn’t texted him when you got home was because the moment you fumbled yourself into your place, you booked it for the bathroom. 

Your knees smacked into the tile and you threw up whatever alcohol you had consumed before the strangled sob ripped itself from your throat. You crumbled to the tile as your chest refused to let air in. 

Your skin felt hot and sticky, sweat coating it as you laid on your bathroom floor. It wasn’t helping you, your damp, hot skin sending you back to one of the worst days of your life.

So, in a frenzy, you ripped off your shirt and kicked off your shoes and socks before yanking your pants off, not even loosening your belt. 

You crawled over the tub wall, too dizzy to properly stand, before fumbling with the knob to turn the water on. 

Once you got it turned on, you jostled the faucet switch, a desperate sob escaping as it kept falling down before it finally stuck, turning the shower on and drenching you in water.

And that was how Jake found you.

Jake decided to stop by your place and check on you, that being his only option to get his anxiety to go away. 

When he pulled up to your place and saw your car there, he let out a breath of relief. 

He parked his truck behind your car and ran to your door, his chest lighter than before.

But his chest became heavy again when he made it to your door only to find it unlocked. You rarely left your door unlocked, if ever.

He cautiously pushed it open, looking around to see if anything was out of place. 

Your keys were on the floor, your phone and wallet not too far from them. 

Jake walked further in, making sure to close and lock the door behind him. 

He held his breath as he looked for you. But his search was cut short when he heard the shower running. 

He exhaled and had to take a minute to calm the drumming in his chest. 

He cautiously walked to the bathroom, making sure to knock before walking in. He kept his head down so he didn’t see anything he wasn’t supposed to… again. 

“Hey I was-” 

The door stopped, hitting something on the floor. 

Hangman squinted his eyes in confusion. It was your shoe. He kicked it out of the way and pushed the door open enough for him to just step in and close it. 

He stopped with his hand on the door, realizing that the room didn’t feel like a sauna. There was no fog covering the mirrors and steam wasn’t filling the small space. You always showered hot, and right now the bathroom was freezing. 

Jake finally looked up and saw you curled in the shower, the water cascading from the faucet and hitting your back. It was obvious you had been there for a while because you were shivering. 

Jake sat on the edge of the tub cautiously, not wanting to startle you.

His heart broke at the sound of your quiet crying and the puffy redness of your eyes was a sight Jake never wanted to see again.

The eyes that usually held the brightness of the stars and a kindness that was unmatched, were now red, distant, and constantly filled with tears that fell over and mixed with the water drenching you. 

He hated it.

Jake held his hand under the water and recoiled at how cold it was. 

“Shit,” he cursed as he quickly turned it off. 

When you didn’t react, he knew you truly weren’t in this reality. 

“Y/N,” he spoke gently and touched your arm. He sharply inhaled when he discovered how cold you were. “Y/N, darlin’, we need to dry you off and get you in some warm clothes. You’ll get sick.” 

Jake wasn’t sure if you heard him because you just stared ahead, biting on your nail. He sighed and pulled your hand away from your mouth. 

He moved to pull his hand back but you grabbed it, your freezing cold hand latching onto his warm one. “Please don’t… Jake, please don’t leave.” 

Your voice was quiet and broken, raw with fear. And he was sure that sent a shiver up his back.

Jake quickly shifted to kneel beside the tub, his thumb rubbing back and forth on your hand. “I’d never leave you hangin’.” 

He looked you over, “Can I pick you up?” You nodded, letting his hand slip from your grip and feel it wrap under your legs.

He awkwardly shifted to lean over and pick you up, grunting a little as stood up. He was too pressed about his clothes getting wet, he’s sure he’s got pants somewhere around here.

Jake managed to open the bathroom door and walked to your bedroom. 

He sat you on the bed and quickly grabbed the towel on the back of your desk chair. 

Wrapping it around you, Jake kissed the top of your head. “You’re okay. You’re safe,” he spoke gently against your hair.

He pulled back and watched you bite your lip to keep your tears hidden.

You avoided his eyes, looking at your shaking hands. 

“I’m gonna get you some clothes, okay?” You slowly nodded, lip trembling before you bit down on it again.

Your eyes didn’t follow him as he walked around your room, but your ears were very aware of Jake’s noises; everything from his footsteps to his mumbling. 

In under five minutes, neatly folded clothes were placed beside you and Jake kneeled in front of you, his large hands resting on your biceps gently. 

“Do you want me to stay while you change?” 

It took you a second to register what he had asked, but he was patient and rubbed reassuring circles on your arms with his thumbs. 

You inhaled, the familiar scent of his cologne calming you down a bit. 

You were tempted to say yes, you didn’t want to be alone but you also didn’t want Jake to see you any more vulnerable than he already has. 

You shook your head, unconsciously pulling the towel tighter around you. 

Jake noticed it and nodded, “Okay, I’ll go tidy up your bathroom and throw some blankets in the dryer to fluff them up and get ‘em warm.” He gave you a small smile and stood, leaving the room and the door open just a crack.

You managed to peel off the wet bra and underwear, drying off before changing. 

That simple task was exhausting. It felt like your bones had turned to rocks and your muscles no longer existed. But eventually, you did it.

You haphazardly dried your hair, basically just dry enough to where it wasn’t dripping, and walked into the small living room. 

You sat on the couch, deciding to occupy your hands with your oversized shirt while you waited for Jake. 

Minutes later he was on the couch beside you, wrapping you in the fresh-out-of-the-dryer blanket. 

“Thank you…” Your voice had a rawness to it that made Jake shiver, something was really wrong and he didn’t know how to help.

He nodded and rubbed your upper back, “Of course.”

He sat there for a moment, just listening to your sniffles and weeping exhales, before finally turning to face you. 

“What’s going on? ‘Cause this-” He gestured to you and your current state. “-is way more than just nerves for tomorrow.” 

“I’ll be-” 

“If you say ‘fine’, I swear,” he sighed to control his volume. “Y/N, you are not fine.” 

“Jake…”

The blond pilot took a deep breath, looking at the sliver of couch cushion between you. “I saw it…” 

If you weren’t going to be honest, then he needed to be. Maybe what he saw is connected to what was shaking you to your core all of a sudden.

He finally looked up at you and watched your breathing halt as fear filled your eyes. 

Jake continued, making sure to keep his tone even, “I didn’t mean to. I was just looking for you in the locker room today and I-” He stopped talking when you choked out a small cry. 

He immediately pulled you into his lap, one hand going to the back of your head and the other arm wrapped around your lower back. “I got you… I got you.”

Jake closed his eyes and rocked you a little as his mind went back to the day these roles were reversed.

Jake had sat in the locker room, flight suit half off and tied around his waist. His knee bouncing as his eyes went in and out of focus. 

“Hangman!” You called as you ran down the hall. But he couldn’t hear you with the blood still rushing in his ears. 

“Hangman! Hang- There you are!” You jogged to him and saw that his emerald eyes were blank, not the playful or confident eyes you normally saw. “Hey, Hang- Jake what’s wrong?” You knelt in front of him, putting a hand on his bouncing knee to stop it.

Jake looked at you, the concern swimming in your eyes breaking whatever resolve he had left. 

The tears he tried so hard to hold in finally spilled down his cheeks. 

You instantly cupped his face in your hands, wiping them away, “What’s got you so shaken up? I’ve never seen you like this.” 

He shook his head, pushing your hands away as he sat up and leaned against the locker. “You’re not supposed to.” 

You sighed and leaned back on your heels, “What happened up there?” 

Jake wiped the still flowing tears, shaking his head, “I don’t know. I guess- Fuck I don’t know, Rockstar.” 

You stood, “Talk to me, Jake. Please, I’m your friend and I want to help.” 

Your tone was desperate and worried. This was a new version of Jake that you would have never seen if you hadn’t followed him off the tarmac.

Hangman finally got the guts to grab your hand and squeeze it. He took a deep breath as he tried to collect himself. 

“I almost lost you up there. You’re one of my closest friends, we’ve only known each other for a few months and I feel like we’ve known each other forever. I never let myself be that close to anyone, but you made it so easy.” 

His voice was raw and shaky. He was scared, but you couldn’t blame him. What just happened to you both was really intense and it was scary. But you were both okay.

You squeezed his hand back, giving him a soft but encouraging smile. 

“Can we just- Shit this is gonna sound so weird…” 

You knew where he was going, so you straddled his legs and wrapped him in a hug. “I got you Jake, I got you.”

That was when Jake realized the backstory to your call sign. You were everyone’s rock. You kept everyone sane, even at the expense of yourself.

Which is why you were currently shaking and sobbing in his arms. You never sought out comfort for your problems, a bad habit you picked up in high school. You always put everyone first, and you had it in your head that you couldn’t be vulnerable. 

You pulled away from him, not meeting his eyes, “I’m sorry…” 

“Why the fuck are you apologizing?” 

“Because I-” 

“Because you’re being vulnerable in front of someone?” You nodded, unconsciously playing with your fingers. “Look at me, please.” You did, biting your lip to hold your tears in. 

“You are allowed to be vulnerable. You are allowed to cry. You are allowed to be scared. You shouldn’t have to hide your feelings from your friends. I’m sorry if we ever made you feel like you couldn’t talk to us.” 

You nodded, staying silent, focusing on how Jake had moved his hand from the back of your head to your cheek to rub his thumb back and forth on your cheekbone. 

Your silence broke his heart a little bit, making him think you didn’t trust him. But he knew he had to be patient with you. 

He goes to move his hand away but you hold it there. “I thought I was over it…” 

“Over what, Sweetheart?” 

“The accident…” 

Jake pushed some hair behind your ear, “What accident?” 

You took a deep breath, closing your eyes as a few tears rolled down your cheeks. He wiped them away as he spoke softly, “Take your time…” You nodded, swallowing as you tried to catch your bearings. 

“A year before I was stationed with you, I was flying a mission. It was dangerous, but still fairly routine. On my way out, I got hit. It completely destroyed my weapons system. Before I could get back up, I was hit again. This time it took out my engine.” You took another deep breath, looking up at the ceiling. 

“We were dropping altitude fast and my WSO and I had to eject. We landed on a beach, we unbuckled so fast,” you chuckled, remembering the relief you and Diego felt before the shit hit the fan.

Jake smiled a little bit at the sound, but dropped it when you started talking again.

“However the jet had also crashed onto the beach too. The fuel had leaked and caused an explosion. I covered my WSO, and a piece of scrap metal lodged itself into my back.” 

Jake’s eyes widened, more dots connecting in his mind, “You’re the pilot the squad was talking about at the bar…” 

You nodded, wiping your eyes, “Jake, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. It’s just… when I was in recovery, if I wanted to fly again, I had to go through therapy. And I haven’t had an attack in a year…” You got choked up again, hot tears rolling down your face, “Hang, I’m so sorry.” 

He shook his head, using both of his hands to wipe your face, “Hey, don’t be sorry. Do I wish you would have told me sooner? Hell yeah, but I understand why you didn’t.” You just nodded and relaxed into his hands.

“What happens when you have an attack?” 

You took a sharp inhale through your nose before sighing it out, “It depends. I sometimes get flashbacks of the beach, everytime I close my eyes I just see fire and it’s fucking terrifying. Other times, when it gets really bad, I can feel pain in my back, but that’s rare.” 

You bit your lip a little as you looked away, and Jake knew, “That happened tonight didn’t it?” You nodded, coughing a little bit, “Yeah, uh, yeah it did.” 

“Was it because we talked about-” 

“No," you said quickly. "W-well, I mean kinda… yeah. But there was a bonfire happening on the beach, and just the two things… my brain went into panic mode. Before you ask, I don’t really know what triggers it. But during dogfight football-” 

Jake’s eyes widened and he dropped his hands, “Fuck, Y/N, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” 

“Exactly, Jake, you had no idea. It’s not your fault. It was just the pressure on my scar made me panic, and I was back on that damned beach. But I’m not mad or upset with you because you had no idea. So don’t beat yourself up, please.” 

Jake nodded, bringing you into a hug again, being mindful of the scar. “Jake, you can touch it. I know I’m safe.” He said nothing and brought a hand to run over the covered scar before tightening his hug. 

“Can you tell me about him? Your WSO?” 

You nodded, “Diego Harding, call sign Tundra. He has a wife and a son.”

“That’s why you-” 

“Yeah, that’s why I covered him. He had a family to go back to.” 

“What about you?” 

You sighed again, using Jake’s shoulders to sit up, “Most of my family served. My dad was killed in action when I was young. My mom died when I was a teenager, leaving Piers to raise me for a little bit. Then Piers goes and sacrifices himself… so I didn’t have anyone to come home too.” 

You shrugged and got off his lap, but snuggled into his side.

He rubbed lazy circles on your bicep. “Well now you do.” You looked up at him confused, “What?” 

“You’ve got me to come home to, and I’ve got you.” He placed a chaste kiss on your forehead. “Don’t get sappy on me, Seresin.” He just chuckled.

It was silent for a moment. 

“Promise me that you’ll do your best to fly back to me,” he asked in a hushed whisper as if he were telling you a secret.

“Only if you do,” you whispered back.

He held out his pinky, “I promise.” You nodded, interlocking your pinky with his, “I promise too.” 

“Can’t break that now, you know,” he chuckled, squeezing your pinky a little. You giggled a little before yawning, “I know, cowboy.”

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[sorchathered]

Sacred New Beginnings (part 1)

This is a story over the weekend of Mav and Penny’s wedding, you and Bradley had been engaged and it had all gone to shit, with you back in town for the impending nuptials will you find your way back to each other? Or will you realize you were meant to be with someone else all along?

Pairing(s)- Bradley Bradshaw x reader, Jake Seresin x reader

Warnings- drinking, language, mentions of cheating, eventual smut. 18+

Song inspo- I bet you think about me- ts, the story of us- ts, Cornelia street- ts (yes I’m very taylor coded with this series lmao)

You’d begged Jake to keep it to himself, at least until you could get your bearings in North Island and talk to Bradley yourself. It had been 6 months since the two of you split, he’d put his mother’s ring on your finger and promised you a lifetime but it certainly didn’t turn out like either of you planned, crashing and burning before you ever got a chance to say I do. Now you were back in San Diego at the request of Maverick and Penny for their long awaited nuptials and no matter where you looked all you saw was Bradley Bradshaw.

Jake Seresin was your former front seater, the two of you flew a handful of missions together when you’d been stationed here before, you trusted each other in a way most people didn’t, going through countless near death situations will do that to someone. As you stepped out of the airport into the cool night air you could see him leaning against his ridiculous fully kitted Ford F-150, you could take the man out of Texas but he’d be a cowboy no matter where he went.

“There she is! Stormy girl you are a sight for sore eyes!” He scoops you up in a big bear hug and you finally feel yourself relax, tension melting away just being able to be with your best friend like this.

“Hey douchebag, missed you so much” you say punching his shoulder and letting him lead you into the truck, peeling out of the lot and onto the dark highway.

There’s just something about him that calms you down, everyone gets the big bad Hangman persona and while you’ve witnessed it more times than you can count he’s never once treated you that way. Being around him now feels like home and you need that more than ever knowing the heartache that’s bound to seep into what should be a fairytale weekend. You wring your hands nervously, you know you need to ask but you don’t want to pop the happy bubble you both are in. Time to rip off the bandaid.

“So please tell me you kept your damn mouth shut Jakey, last thing I want to do this weekend is cause a scene. Just want to watch Mav and Penny say I do and head back to Florida with no casualties.”

He frowns at you from across the console, mussing your hair with his hand, he loves having you back here, nothing has felt quite the same without you in his daily life. He knew you’d want to know about he who must not be named (yes Jake considers Bradley to be the Voldemort in your story, no he won’t apologize for it) but he had hoped you’d give yourself some time to adapt first.

“I promise darling, haven’t said a word, hand to God. We will make this weekend a blast and send you on back without a hitch, so long as ol’ Rooster keeps his nose clean we shouldn’t have an issue.”

Just hearing his name causes your heart to lurch, you’ve done so good about avoiding him; blocking his socials and refusing to stalk any of the daggers insta’s for pictures of your former lover.

“How is he?” You say quietly, inspecting your hands in your lap now, refusing to look up for fear that Jake will see your tells; he always does though.

He looks at you with furrowed brows, he wasn’t ready to break your heart again, so he rattled off a bare bones list of info you were looking for, not willing to succumb to the rumors floating around that would only rile you up. The last thing you needed was to spend the weekend drowning in what went wrong and what could have been.

“Recently got promoted to lieutenant commander, got a dog a few weeks ago, no I don’t know if he’s dating anyone and no I wouldn’t tell you if I did. We aren’t doing this to ourselves you hear me? You didn’t do anything wrong and self preservation isn’t a bad thing. Now you must be starving so let’s go get you some In and Out to celebrate my favorite girl being back home.”

Across town in a little craftsman style house by the beach, Bradley Bradshaw is pacing his halls. Mav asked him to be best man and he’s determined to make this speech perfect, but every time he tries to sit down and write out the words describing true love and destiny all he can think of is you. The two of you had been so happy, but then he *had* to go and fuck everything up. He knew you were the one from the minute he met you; all sharp tongue and attitude, truly the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. It wasn’t easy to get you to come around, you’d made it a rule not to date in your squad but somehow he had broken down your walls, when a particularly dangerous mission left him with substantial injuries you’d been paralyzed with fear. If he was just a friend like you claimed then why did it feel like your heart would explode if you never saw him again? The two of you danced around each others feelings for weeks after until one night of partying at Phoenix and Coyote’s you’d kissed him.

A year later he was standing on the beach with roses and Carole Bradshaw’s wedding ring asking you to be his forever, you’d said yes before he could even finish talking; fully confident in the choice you were making. Standing in his house now, no wife and no family he couldn’t help the tears that spilled down his face, regret flooding his senses at how he’d let it all fall apart.

He let his hubris get the best of him, he was the best at what he did, always making sure he went the extra mile to prove himself; constantly fighting living in Goose and Maverick’s shadow. So when a mission came up and you and Jake had been chosen, he’d felt deflated; why hadn’t he been picked? What made Jake the better pilot? What made you more qualified? He went to higher ups to plead his case, never once thinking about the aftermath and how his choices in this would affect you. Needless to say it ended badly, you and Jake being grounded and Bradley flying the mission, someone had let it slip at the bar one night that he’d intervened, costing you an important promotion opportunity and choosing his career over you.

You’d felt betrayed, how could you trust him to be your life partner if he couldn’t even support you in your career? You’d requested an immediate transfer, packed your things and left the ring in your shared home, a note briefly explaining your reasoning and that you’d never wanted it to end this way. He had ruined everything, tried to convince Jake to give him your new number but Hangman could be ruthless when he wanted to be. Refused to help in any way and made sure Bradley knew that he’d been the getaway car, he would always choose you and your happiness unlike Bradley who’d chosen career over love.

Bradley hated him, but he knew he couldn’t fault him for his decision. If he’d just given that level of care when it counted he’d probably still have you, instead of an empty house and a head full of what ifs. He’d been a terrible fiancé, sure he’d doted on you and always told everyone you were his everything, but he also loved attention. So he’d let girls at the bar flirt sometimes, make excuses that it was just his personality and that he didn’t mean anything by it because of course you were the only one for him. But he’d dulled your shine to lift himself up far too many times and he knew deep down he didn’t deserve a second chance. Giving up on his speech for the night he poured another scotch and made his way to bed, there was no mental preparation on earth that would make any of this easier.

Friday morning came bright and early, you stumbled your way through Jake’s apartment letting the smell of coffee carry you to the kitchen. He’d left a post it on the carafe, telling you to be ready by 6 for drinks at the hard deck and you laughed, some things truly did stay the same. Six pm rolled around all too soon and you were dressed in your favorite sundress, hair and makeup set to perfection and Jake pulled the two of you into the lot of the beloved navy bar. Pulling you from your thoughts he gave your hand a reassuring squeeze.

“If you start feeling uncomfortable you just say the word and we’re out, no muss no fuss. Just relax and enjoy tonight with our friends.”

You smiled up at him, grateful that he always seemed to know what you needed to hear.

“Come on Tex let’s get in there and celebrate our friends.”

The bar was closed to only friends and family tonight, everyone near and dear to the happy couple congregating for their rehearsal dinner. Stepping inside it was like being transported back to the past; sounds, smells, everything was the same as it had been when you left. Jake goes in ahead of you, keeping an eye out for a certain mustached aviator but as you both made it to the bar the general consensus was that he hadn’t made it yet. You greeted Penny and Mav with hugs and congratulations, both so glad that you could make it. Mav caught your eye as you ordered a drink from Jimmy, and you knew what he had to say before he even started.

“He-“

“I’m sure he does Pete. I wish it changed anything, but it doesn’t. This is your day, you don’t need to waste it worrying about the past, I’m ok I promise.”

He just wanted his godson to be happy, you knew that. But it wasn’t that easy, too much time had passed and you were uneasy enough thinking about having to see him tonight. So with a squeeze to his arm and a smile you made your way across the bar to the pool tables and your former squad.

Rowdy and full of mischief, that’s the best way you could describe them, whooping and cat calling you as you crossed the threshold, enveloping you in hugs and remarks at how you’d been missed. Phoenix sidles up to you now, bumps her hip against yours with a Cheshire Cat grin, the two of you had never lost contact during the past 6 months and you were grateful for another person looking out for you tonight.

“I’ve missed you cutie! It’s just not the same around here, still can’t believe you left me to take care of the kids by myself.” You both laugh at that, looking towards your boys now as they play fight and place bets at who can kick the others ass at pool, knowing without a doubt that Jake will take the winnings.

“It feels good to be home Nix, I didn’t realize just how much I missed everyone until I got here. Florida is nice, I love the group I have there but the daggers are my family.” You trail off, trying to suppress the tears threatening to leak from your eyes.

She pulls you in for another hug, kisses the side of your head. “It’s going to be a good weekend buddy, I can feel it.”

Bradley’s late. He knows he should have left earlier but he’d been dragging his feet. Mav had texted to tell him you were here and he had to pull over on the highway to empty his stomach. His nerves are shot, pulling the bronco into the lot with shaking hands he attempts to pull himself together, knowing you are just inside has him feeling faint.

“Get your shit together Bradshaw, don’t lose your cool.”

He sucks in a deep breath and opens the door.

After grabbing a beer and getting two pitiful sympathetic looks from Penny and Mav, he turns towards his group and lays his eyes on you. It’s like a punch to the gut, you have always been breathtaking but after having only the memories on his phone to look at he knows for sure they pale in comparison to the real thing. His feet begin moving of their own accord, brain hasn’t quite caught up to what he’s doing and it feels like a magnet is dragging him towards the one place he has longed to be. You are arm and arm with Coyote, animatedly telling him a story with sparkling eyes and Bradley is falling in love all over again. He skirts the outside of the group, settles in to a seat next to Bob and Fanboy hoping he can keep from startling you. But you feel his presence because of course you do, and he can tell the moment your energy shifts. You keep looking at him in the corner of your eye, arms wrapped tightly around yourself and it breaks his heart. His view is obscured by Hangman all too soon, leaning in to the table to catch his eye.

“Rooster”

“Hangman”

“We aren’t gonna have any issues tonight are we?” Jake asks with his signature smirk and lazy southern drawl, it’s charming to some but to Bradley it’s like nails on a chalkboard.

“I’m not here to make things uncomfortable bagman, just here to fulfill my duty to Mav as best man. Y/N is a big girl and doesn’t need a babysitter, if she wants to talk to me I’m happy to listen to anything she says, I’d be an idiot not to”

“You’re an idiot either way Bradshaw but if you make Stormy girl cry tonight you’ll be showing up to the ceremony tomorrow with a black eye, just keep that in mind.”

“Understood.”

Jake blinks back the shock, didn’t expect Bradley to be amenable towards him at all. They have avoided each other at all costs in social gatherings ever since the split, Jake knew nothing good would come from stirring it back up and Bradley looked like a kicked puppy most of the time. Shrugging it off, Jake nods to the group at the table and heads back to where you are, encouraging hand on your shoulder. He’d be damned if someone ruined your night, so instead of letting you wallow he scooped you up to pick a song on the jukebox and took you to the dance floor. Spinning you and reveling in your giggles and bright eyes, it almost made him forget that he wasn’t supposed to look at you the way he was now. He’s been so good about keeping it together all these years, making sure to have a date to keep him occupied when you were cuddled up to Rooster and firmly planting himself in the friend zone. He knew that’s what you needed and he’d always go above and beyond to make you happy. Even if it meant he couldn’t have you.

You have no idea how long you’ve been here, speeches have been given and far too many shots have been had; the room is too hot and slightly spinning so you make your way outside for some fresh air. He’s there of course, smoking a cigarette and watching the waves. Looking him over now you can see the little changes, he’s not as bulky anymore, face and torso are definitely thinner than they used to be. He looks tired, to the bone judging by the dark circles under his eyes and the way he seems to slouch in on himself, no longer the larger than life persona he used to project. You think for a moment you should go back in, but as he flicks the used up cigarette into the wind you are both face to face, pain clearly etched in his features as he takes you in.

“Hi.” It’s all you can make out, you think of how ludicrous it is that after 6 months of heartbreak the best you can scrounge up is a measly hi.

“Hi Storm, it’s good to see you.”

“Y-yeah it’s good to see you too, it’s been a while.”

He runs his hand over his scarred chin, looking you over and it almost looks like he might reach out for you but he thinks better of it.

“I’m sorry Bradley- I can’t do this, I know what you’re gonna say and I feel it too but it doesn’t change anything. We’re the same people we were 6 months ago, and love isn’t going to fix it.”

You were trembling, tears pouring down your face and Bradley couldn’t stand it. He’d broken your heart and let you go, but he’d never once stopped thinking of you. Just two steps forward and you could be back in his arms, and he thought of Mav’s saying “don’t think, just do.” So he closed the distance and pulled you into his arms, your beautiful face cradled in his hands as he wiped away your tears.

“Baby, my sweet sweet girl I know I fucked it up, and I’ve spent every day of the last 6 months thinking of what went wrong. I don’t deserve it; I know that but please even if it’s just for tonight let me love you.”

You didn’t know if it was the alcohol spurring you on or the fact that you’d missed his touch so much it physically hurt, but pulling his lips to yours felt like the easiest decision you’d ever made.

You heard the door swing open behind you and someone cleared their throat, causing you to jump backwards out of his grasp, moment over as quickly as it had begun. You spun around to find Jake, eyes full of anger directed right at Bradley and then he looked towards you; disappointment clearly etched in his features.

“I couldn’t find you, Payback said you’d gone outside so I came to make sure you’re alright.”

You feel your cheeks redden with embarrassment, you had promised yourself you wouldn’t be alone with Bradley and yet here you are less than 24 hours later letting him kiss you.

Jake is still staring you down, you shift a little feeling extremely small between the two people you love most.

“Everything’s ok Jake, let’s uh- let’s go home ok? It’s late and I’ve had more than I should have.” You grab at his elbow to steer him towards the lot to the truck, steely gaze still focused on Bradley but he lets you move him, starting a fight isn’t going to fix a thing and he knows more than he’s let on. Maybe it was time to play his hand and let you know just how much of a piece of shit your so called “Prince Charming” really was.

The ride back was eerily quiet, tension flooding the cab of the truck while you spent every second overthinking. Why had you let it get that far? You’d done so good, it’d been half a year without any contact and you’d folded *so* fast, it was so embarrassing. Ugh and for Jake to be the one that found you?! You knew he’d be pissed and expected a thorough lashing but he didn’t say a word. Just stoically stared at the road, no smart ass remark to be found as he white knuckled the steering wheel. He pulled into the drive and bolted for the door, didn’t even stop to let you out like he normally does. Taking a deep breath and mentally preparing for a long ass night trying to drag his feelings out, you made your way into his townhouse.

He’s nowhere to be found when you step inside, probably holed up in his room so he won’t pick a fight; you know the routine fairly well. He hates hurting your feelings so he shuts down and lets himself cool off before he talks to you, normally just acts like nothing ever happened because he’d rather not bring it all back up again. But when you go to check his bedroom he’s not there either; door ajar and completely devoid of Jake. Finally you head to the back porch, he’s there slumped in one of the lounge chairs, already cracked open another beer and staring down at his phone, determined to look anywhere but at you.

You plop down into the chair next to him, knocking one of your knees with his, hoping if you needle him enough he’ll tell you what’s wrong.

“Jakey”

“Don’t. Don’t do this right now Y/N, just let me be before I say something we will both regret.”

You know you should just let it go, but the harshness in his tone is so out of character but frankly you’ve had enough of everyone tiptoeing around you.

“No.”

“No?”

“No I want to do this now, what is it that you aren’t telling me? You seem to have forgotten that I know you better than your own mother Seresin and I can tell when you’ve been holding back. You looked like you wanted to beat Bradley into the ground earlier and I know I screwed up and let him get to me tonight but im a big girl Jake I can make my own mis-“

“You didn’t make any mistakes though!” He boomed, causing you to jump in your seat. “ you’ve spent this whole time blaming yourself for leaving, for not communicating but you have NO idea. This was never something to blame yourself for and the fact that you let him back in tonight knowing what I know makes me SICK.” He’s never had an outburst like this with you, chest heaving and shaking hands he can’t seem to stop, he knows it’s all about to bubble up but he can’t stuff the secrets back down.

“What do you mean, what you know? Jake what am I missing?” You whisper softly, you have a sudden glaring realization and it feels like everything is crashing down, it can’t be can it? You need him to say it to confirm but you wish the earth would swallow you both up; everything changes if he says what you think he will.

“He cheated on you, a month before the mission, and he thought he’d gotten away with it but apparently Fanboy caught him and Mirage fucking in the hard deck bathroom. He agreed not to say anything, but when you left she suddenly started showing up more, he wasn’t even trying to hide her y/n! Everyone knew he was taking her home after nights at the bar, and Fanboy couldn’t keep it in anymore so he told me. Bradshaw was jealous of your success, he took the mission away from you and to really stick it to you he fucked a fellow squad mate behind your back. As far as I’m concerned he’s dead to you, he has no right to come crawling back and you deserve to know it all so he doesn’t take advantage of you again.”

It all made perfect sense now, Bradley had had one too many late nights at work claiming he was shooting the shit with Mav, never interested in taking you to bed like he had been before the mission talk started up, but you’d chalked it up to stress. Always making excuses for him, assuring yourself that he wouldn’t dare cheat because why would he have given you his mother’s ring? He’d told you he wanted a love like Goose and Carole had, promised he’d love you forever. Of course he’d lied, he’d always been more concerned about his career path and his accomplishments, any time you did something of merit his congratulations always seemed tinged with something sour, but he was happy for you right? He loved you right? Now you didn’t know for sure.

You reeled back at the realization, all the puzzle pieces fitting together to make a heartbreaking story, and you felt a surge of nausea come up quickly rushing to the side of the yard to throw up. You could feel Jake’s cool hand holding your hair back, the other rubbing circles into your back telling you to breathe. He’d always been a safe haven in your life, steadfast no matter who he was seeing at the time. You came first to him, your friendship and partnership in the air like an unspoken vow between the two of you. You were being hit with one revelation after another tonight, and you jerked away from him suddenly; throat dry as the desert as you quickly made your way inside to the sink to rinse out your mouth.

“Hey hey, talk to me honey. I’m sorry, shit I’m so sorry you had to find out like this; I should have never let it get this far but you seemed happy in Florida and I didn’t want to open old wounds. Please Stormy, look at me baby I need to know we are ok.”

Now he’s the one wringing his hands, Hangman is never nervous, he’s always larger than life and the most confident person in the room. He looks so boyish now, standing in the dim light of the kitchen, the fear on his face so unnatural on his handsome face.

You couldn’t deny that he was beautiful, you’d always seen the way he attracted the attention of everyone in a room, like the definition of the word gorgeous come to life or the hero on the cover of a romance novel. Just classically handsome, and yes he was smug and he knew just how good he looked but he’d never put on any kind of mask when it came to you. Let himself be vulnerable, trusted you would keep his secrets and never make fun of him for his faults. Now looking at him in the quiet of his home, you realized that Bradley may have physically cheated; but maybe he wasn’t the only one that blew up your relationship. Some part of you from the day Jake Seresin had walked into your life had always belonged to him. Admitting it to yourself now was jarring; how long had you let yourself think he wasn’t everything to you? You found yourself terrified and excited at the thought, suddenly hyper aware of how close he was to you, knowing that if you crossed that line with him tonight you’d never be the same. You tilted your head up to look at him, reaching a hand out so he could close the distance, and watched him relax into your touch knowing you weren’t angry with him.

“Stormy-l-“

“Jake…Do you love me?”

He goes cold at the realization, oh God you had figured it out. He’d tried to suppress it for so long, but obviously with the clarity that had been gained tonight you seemed to be able to see the truth. He’d always been in love with you, but decided that having you in his life was more important than getting his feelings out so he’d gallantly put them aside. When he’d found out the truth about Rooster he’d been unmoored by the whole thing. How the hell could anyone ever hurt you like that? What kind of moron has the perfect girl and destroys her happiness? But he’d let you go, knowing you needed to run and find yourself in the aftermath; Jake was just grateful he could continue to be a part of your life in whatever way you needed. But oh God you knew now, he could see it on your face and since it had been a night for truth and honesty he told the consequences to fuck themselves, pulling you into his arms and pressing his forehead to yours.

“I could deny it, and we could just go back to the way things are if that’s what you need. We can continue this weekend like we have been and I’ll let you go back to Florida. Because you matter too much to me to be selfish with you, but oh angel I want *so* badly to be selfish. So you tell me what you need and I’ll do it.”

He’s so open, pouring his heart out to you and you can’t look away, his bright green eyes searching for any kind of reservation on your part, and when he doesn’t see any he grins that perfect lopsided grin of his, the one that makes your heart grow ten sizes. It’s not a rushed or sudden clashing of teeth and tongue, it’s a slow movement of lips molding together, hands mapping each other in a way that’s never been allowed before. It takes your breath away and as you gasp he slides his tongue against yours, reveling in the little noises you make as you grasp at the collar of his shirt, the need to have him closer overwhelming. After a while with the willpower of a god he pulls himself back from you a little, stroking your cheek and chuckling as you stagger forward trying to chase his kisses. He tilts your face to look at him and he’s warm all over, it’s everything he’s ever wanted and he has to tell you before he lets it get too far.

“I do Y/N, I love you. I always have baby. I want it all with you kid, and I know it probably feels sudden, but I can’t lie to you; I want everything with you. I’ll wait as long as you need because I’m in this no matter what, I don’t think I could stop if I tried.” He says with a watery laugh, and you realize he’s got tears in his eyes.

You are pretty sure you turned into a puddle on the floor, arms and legs feel like jello as he holds you up between himself and the counter. You could agree that yes it was sudden, hell you’d just let Bradley kiss you less than two hours ago, but you couldn’t deny that in all the times you’d kissed Rooster it had never felt like this. How were you ever supposed to go back to the way things were? Did you even want to? The thoughts were swirling around in your head now and he could tell you were lost. So he kissed you once more, just a featherlight peck and then stepped back from you.

“We’ve had a lot of big reveals tonight baby girl, how about we take a beat and sleep, let tomorrow figure it all out for us.”

He was right of course, it has been an overwhelming evening and you two should probably look it over with fresh eyes, so you let him lead you down the hall. He thinks you’re going to head to the guest bedroom but you surprise him, stepping into his bedroom and closing the door.

“Stormy, we can’t- not tonight honey you and i are wrung out-“

“Shhh, we aren’t doing anything tonight Jake, just hold me ok? I need to be close to you.”

He peels off his clothes and lets you change into one of his T shirts, tangling his arms and legs with yours as you snuggle up into bed. Drifting off to sleep, not knowing if he hears you, you whisper to him

“Jake I think I love you too.”

Jake Seresin Masterlist

Tagging- @attapullman

@bobgasm

@mamachasesmayhem

@roosterforme

@pinkdaisies1106

@angelbabyyy99

@nouis-bum

@djs8891

@purelyfiction

@86laura11

@shanimallina87

@floydsglasses

@floydsmuse

@nervousnerdwitch

@mygyn

@jessicab1991

@its-the-pilot

@dempy

[mynameismckenziemae]

All of Me

Part 17

(previous part here, next part here)

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x You/OFC

Summary: Drew comes home from camp. You and Jake have a heart to heart.

Warnings: 18+ MDNI! Fluff. This chapter is pretty tame (smut-wise) but the rest of it is not.

•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

“You got yourself a good one, kid,” Ron murmurs later that evening as he gives you a rare hug goodbye. Tina’s been giving you not-at-all-subtle looks and elbow nudges all afternoon, but Ron has always been hard to read and isn’t a hugger so the rare display of affection brings tears to your eyes. “Andy would’ve liked him too.”

“I think so too,” you whisper, sniffing as you pull back, “thanks for coming.”

Bradley heads out too and it’s just you and Jake again. You were ready for Drew to come home but the time alone has been good for you two.

You lead Jake upstairs and show him how you feel with your body since you’re not yet able to say it.

•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

The work week passes quickly and it’s Saturday before you know it. Bradley joins you and Jake for the ride that feels twice as long from the excitement of seeing your boy again.

“Mom!”

You hear him just as you’re knocked back a step, his skinny arms squeezing you so tight.

“I missed you so much,” Drew says, voice muffled.

“I missed you too,�� you reply, squeezing him. He looks up at you and smiles but you can’t help but notice the dark circles under his eyes, “When’s the last time you slept?”

“We pulled an all-nighter!” He says excitedly, “It was so fun. We ate all the snacks and candy we had left.”

“Oh you’re gonna crash so hard, little Kernsie,” Bradley chuckles from behind you.

“You brought Roo?” He lights up, looking behind you, “And Jake?! Nice!”

You laugh as he lets you go to give them each a hug too. After Drew gives a quick tour of the camp and introduces his new friends, it’s time to head back home.

“Will you guys sit in the back with me?” Drew asks Jake and Bradley, already yawning on the walk back to the car.

“Don’t you think that might be a little cramped?” You ask.

“I don’t mind,” Drew says, shrugging his shoulders.

You laugh. He’s not the one you’re worried about.

“Me either,” Jake says as he opens the door and pushes Drew’s booster to the middle, “Bradshaw?”

“Nope,” Bradley agrees, letting Drew slide past before climbing in after him.

You snort at the three of them packed into the backseat.

Drew falls asleep before you hit the highway, head on Jake’s shoulder and his hand in Bradley’s.

•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

Bradley carries a half-asleep Drew inside when you get back, giving you a moment alone with Jake.

“I’m gonna miss you tonight,” you murmur as he wraps his arms around you, “I like having you in my bed.”

“I like it too; your bed is way more comforta-hey! I’m kidding,” he laughs when you pinch his butt, “I’m going to miss you too. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give to wake up next to you.”

“I hope…” you take a deep breath, “I hope that someday we can…maybe wake up next to each other? Like every day?”

Real smooth, Reese.

Jake smiles as he tilts your chin to press a tender kiss on your lips, “I hope so too.”

I love you.

It’s on the tip of your tongue but then Bradley steps back outside.

“He’s on the couch,” he says as he approaches, “pretty sure he’s gonna fall back asleep though.”

“Thanks, Roo,” You smile.

“You sure you can’t come tomorrow?” Jake asks him, kissing your forehead before pulling away. Jake got tickets for the Padres game to surprise Drew.

“Yeah, Pen asked me weeks ago to bartend so she and Mav can go out sailing. Thanks though,” he replies.

“Next time?” Jake asks.

“Sure,” Bradley agrees.

They both leave a few minutes later, wanting to give Drew a chance to settle back in and get some much-needed rest.

•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

“Are you sure you don’t have to go to the bathroom before we find our seats?” You ask Drew once more as you reach the steps to your seats.

Drew had been over the moon when Jake showed up wearing a Padre’s hat with a matching one for him in hand.

“Yes Mom, I’m sure,” he sighs dramatically.

“Here we are,” Jake says, stepping aside to let you in first.

Drew’s fidgeting with excitement during the Star Spangled Banner…but it continues through the first inning.

“Maybe I do have to go to the bathroom,” Drew says sheepishly. “Sorry,” he giggles when you roll your eyes.

“It’s alright,” you smile, “let’s go.”

“I can take him if you want?” Jake offers, “That way he doesn’t have to go in the ladies or alone.”

“You don’t mind?” You ask, knowing how much Drew hates it when you make him go in the women’s bathroom, but not nearly as much as you dread letting him go in the men’s alone.

“Not at all,” Jake replies, rising to his feet. “I’ve got my phone if you need me.”

•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

25 minutes pass and but as you pull out your phone to see what’s going on, they come back.

“Long line?” you ask before noticing Drew’s red, puffy eyes. “Oh no, what happened?”

“Someone stepped on the back of his shoe and tripped him,” Jake explains with a frown, “didn’t even stop to say sorry.”

“What a jerk,” you mutter, “you okay?”

“I am now,” Drew says between licks of his ice cream cone as he sits in the middle seat. “I scraped both of my knees and they were bleeding.”

“That’s no good. I think I still have bandaids in here…” You trail off as you start digging through your purse.

“Jake had some in his wallet,” Drew replies, “he put ‘em on after he cleaned me up. See?” he straightens his legs.

“I do see. Looks like he good job too,” you smile, looking over his head at Jake. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” he replies, putting his arm in the back of Drew’s seat. His fingers brush over your neck, making you shiver.

“I cried a little,” Drew leans over to whisper, “and then I got embarrassed but Jake hugged me and told me it’s okay to cry. He said even he cries sometimes too.”

You’re afraid he’ll realize you’re about to cry if you speak, so instead you kiss the top of his head.

“And,” Drew continues, “he said ice cream makes everything better.”

“I think he’s right,” you laugh as he catches a drip on his tongue.

Jake laughs as he notices Drew’s predicament and reaches into his pocket.

“I think so too,” Drew grins, taking the offered napkin from Jake.

•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

It’s a tied game until the end but the Padres manage to pull off a win.

“My feet hurt,” Drew whines, dragging them as he starts to crash down from the sugar high on the long walk back to Jake’s truck.

“Want a piggyback ride?” Jake offers, leaning back when Drew nods.

You snap a picture of the pair as you trail behind them, smiling at Drew’s squeals as Jake takes off.

•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

“You okay?” Jake asks a few minutes after Drew closes his eyes in the back. “You’re kind of quiet.”

“I’m good,” you confirm, reaching over to intertwine your fingers in his, “just thinking. I-“ you glance to the backseat; Drew’s eyes are closed but you’re not convinced he’s asleep, “I mean, we…need to talk.”

Jake looks over, worried. “Is it because I got him ice cream? I’m sorry, I knew I should’ve asked you first.”

“No,” you laugh, shaking your head, “it’s nothing bad, I promise.”

He nods with an unreadable expression.

•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

Back at home, you get increasingly nervous and by the looks he keeps giving you, Jake can tell. Hoping he won’t notice your hands shaking, you start folding the clean towels you threw on your bed as Drew gets ready for bed.

“Need help with that?” Jake’s lip quirks as he watches you fold, unfold, and refold the same towel.

“I’ve got it,” you laugh, “thanks.”

“I’m in bed!” Drew yells from his room, “Jake, will you tuck me in tonight?”

“Sure,” Jake replies after making sure you’re okay with it, “I’m coming.”

You can’t resist padding silently down the hall a moment later to listen by the doorway.

“Thank you for taking us to the game today,” Drew’s sweet, sleepy voice is the first thing you hear.

“Thanks for coming with me,” Jake replies, “I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too,” Drew yawns, “You’d be a really good dad, Jake; a good step-dad too.”

The words tug at your heartstrings and by Jake’s pause, they’re tugging on his too.

“Thank you,” Jake’s voice is rough with emotion, “that means a lot to me.”

You know it does; especially because his dad was so awful.

“Maybe you’ll be mine someday,” Drew adds sleepily.

“I hope so,” Jake murmurs, “G’night buddy.”

“Night,” Drew mumbles, close to drifting off, “will you stay with me for just another minute?”

“‘Course,” Jake replies.

You blink back tears as you silently tiptoe back to your room.

•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

“He’s out like a light,” Jake says a few minutes later as he walks into your bedroom. He sets his keys on your dresser before sitting beside you on the bed. “What did you want to talk about?” He asks, reaching for your hand.

“I love you,” you blurt out, cringing at the lack of finesse as you look down at your intertwined hands, “I…the way you treat Drew, how you include Bradley without jealousy, last weekend when you invited my late husband’s family to dinner so you could get to know them…” you trail off, swallowing the lump in your throat before looking him in the eye.

Which isn’t a good idea, because the tears filling your eyes spill over when you see his eyes are filled too.

“God, Jake,” you continue, lifting your hand to cup his jaw, “I’ve been on autopilot, just going through the motions since Andy died; I thought a part of me died too…until I met you. You brought me back to life. This,” you motion between you two before your hand returns to his jaw, “still scares me, but what scares me more is going back to that emptiness I felt. I love you, Jake.”

Jake surges forward, capturing your lips in a tender kiss. The racing thoughts and worries in your mind clear as his tongue brushes against your bottom lip, and he groans deeply when you grant him permission.

Your hands grip his tee shirt, attempting to take him with you as he guides you onto your back but he resists, pulling back from your lips, “Wait,” he chuckles breathlessly as you try to pull him back in, “I gotta tell you this first,” he nips your bottom lip before settling on his forearms above you, effectively pinning you down. “I love you too. And I’m not just saying it because you said it first. I couldn’t get you off my mind after the night we met, and I knew I was in trouble the first night I slept here when you opened up to me about Andy after your nightmare. Then I saw you in mom-mode with Drew at the beach and I knew I was fucked. You’re an incredible woman, Reese; resilient, smart, beautiful…I know we haven’t been together long but I also know I want to spend the rest of my life loving you…and Drew, if you’ll let me.”

You just nod through your tears and pull him down for a kiss, afraid the sob building in your throat will escape if you speak.

•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>•<•>

A/N: Ugh…sorry for the delay in posting. This week sucked and I could not get this chapter to come out and I’m still not sure how I feel about it TBH.

But they love each other and now they know it 😊

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[missmarveledsblog]

Flumpy (Jake seresin x reader) part 10

summary : telling the dagger squad of their engagement getting them to keep it from her dad til she got to tell him well seemed to be hardest thing to do , y/n dealing with the fact jakes gonna be gone for three months wondering what else was being thrown at the couple and why was it answering that question

warning : fluffy and sad but happy ( for once ) , back to goofy and grammatical errors ( soz )

previous part

They were crazy their was no mistake in that , they were crazy for each other and crazy in love .  Right now well they looked somewhat bat shit crazy as they announced to their friends of their engagement two days after jake declaration in the hard deck . yet more the silence persisted the dagger thought it was well crazy and yet it oddly made sense . anyone else it would of been grounds  for a vacation to a padded cell but with jake and y/n  it was something different  , a true sort of loves you would find in the pages of a book or on the big screen . 

“ guess congratulation” roo finally stood hugging the pair once the initial shock wore off that was . 

“ yes finally “ fanboy cheered earning a look from everyone. “Oh shut up we all seen it coming  well before hangman fucked it up” he shrugged eating his lunch. One by one they hugged their friends and thanked them . 

“ one thing all i ask i don’t  want you breathing a word to my dad , we haven’t told him  and plan to tonight ,so keep it shut or accidents will happen” she warned them as they all nodded  slightly in fear as she worked  with their jets and the sides of them . 

Our lips our sealed scouts honour” javy gulped holding his hand up and they all copied. 

She had to give it to them , their lips were in fact sealed  nearly the whole day , that was  til it seemed as though it was sealed with craft glue .  She sat in the communication tower , getting a better view of the dog fight tag that was currently being played . she and jake had it planned out take her dad and penny to dinner  nice even then boom drop it on them  which was slightly just an extended  version of her  plan to hug her dad tell him and run to the car get home before her words even processed but apparently that was childish.  Jake wanted to do it the right way   ,  he had pete mitchell blessing to date her but since the mess he made of things and hurt y/n the captain  wasn’t as friendly as he once was before so everything needed to be perfect.  It was just him and mav left and he was tailing  his future father in law . he was stuck at the cross road there and then he could do what he really wanted and hit mav or he could let the man win keep him in good spirits and seemed like javy decided to not only give up the choice but well not exactly keep his lips sealed. 

“ come on hangman just cause he’s gonna be your father in law doesn’t mean you need to go easy” his voice rang out not over in jakes ear but over the comms meaning everyone could hear him , mav could hear him. 

“ lips sealed my ass” y/n voice called out letting Javy know she heard him too .

Like a blink of an eye Mav was gone as the two looked around wondering how the hell he was able to slip. 

“ well least we both get to die at the hands of a mitchell” Javy winced sensing his best friend also wasn’t impressed. 

“ gotcha , your out hangman” pete finally said . 

Maybe going AWOL wasn’t so bad , new life in a new country with a new name would work and from the look on coyotes face he seemed to be thinking something similar wouldn’t take much to get him to agree .  the two men probably flew the slowest they’ve ever flown , landed or got down the ladder. Playing rock , paper scissors shoot to who would exit first . One thing jake would say he wasn’t never truly a nervous person but this was different , this was important to him , to his girl. He was happy pete mitchell didn’t “ accidentally” shoot him out of the sky . His palms felt sweaty once his boots hit the tarmac fully ready to be reacquainted with the gravel once more. 

“ you serious about her” mav asked not a single emotion to give away . 

“ as a heart attack sir” jake stood painfully straight feeling like he was back in the academy and not in front of his future father in law. 

“ nothing like what happen before is going to happen again is it?” 

“ no sir never again” could feel the sweat forming on his brow under the mans gaze. 

“  guess you we can skip the push up this time i’ll let it slide , welcome to the family son, guess i owe my wife fifty buck” mav shook jake hand although it took the blonde mind to process it all before he started shaking his hand back . 

“ man that was a close call” javy breath out sigh of relief .

“ yet for me  , the look on my fiance’s face tells me you still done for , it was nice knowing you man “ jake clapped his hands on his shoulder kissing her head leaving javy petrified. 

“ get counting” she  glared sending the man to the ground ready to say hello to the gravel jake told him about. 

It was almost a dream how good the weeks were except the looming fact of what was coming . Turns out nat and roo where also pulled  meaning the three of them would be gone for three months .  she was sitting at the table some restaurant staring at her ring waiting for nat to come for lunch  , staring down at the ring jake surprised her with the day of the good duck park .  she almost threw it til he stopped her showed her , which in her defence as cute as it was putting it with the duck feed was probably not the best idea. She wasn’t a stranger to the whole ordeal of deployment , she grew up with it , seeing her dad and his friend men and women she would class as family leaving for periods of time. But it was different this time it was jake being deployed . it was a training exercise and still that didn’t stop the worry because she lost her uncle goose in training . she was so scared of losing anyone in her life , especially considering what they did and now she was afraid that she was going to love the man she loved before their life together even began . 

“ hey sorry i’m .. hey what’s wrong” nat eyes widened snapping y/n back to reality only realising she been crying.

“ you guys are leaving me” she sniffled 

“ and we’ll be back before you know it” nat hugged  her. 

“ what if something happens?” she asked tears falling down her cheeks . 

“ we got this , we will come back in one piece well with how they annoy me it might be missing piece but i’ll bring them back” nat nudged her playfully. 

“ i need to see jake” she stood only to stumble back into nats arms .

“ no i’m going bring you hospital , you ok ?” she lifted her only to see how unsteady she was 

“ i’m fine” was all she got out before everything went black . 

She couldn’t of heard him right  and yet she made the poor doctor repeat it over and over  but it was like it wasn’t sinking in  like her brain didn’t know the words he spoke .  

“ pregnant , you’re sure like how sure” she whispered . 

“ yes i’m sure from the test and  ultrasound you are around eight to ten weeks  , i will give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins the test also suggest you are low in iron which could be why you fainted” he explained gently . 

“ this can’t be happening not now , how…. Actually don’t answer that” she wince as her cheeks grew hot knowing the two weren’t a vigilante with birth control as they should of been . 

“ you need to take it easy as much as you can  , if your unsure you have option  but their not to be taking lightly , you should talk with your spouse or partner and go from there but it is your choice at the end of the day “ he smiled sweetly seeing how scared she was.  “ i’ll give you some time to  collect yourself no rush  once your ready you can go home , would you like me to get your friend “ he asked as she nodded. 

Honestly she forgot nat was even there , she knew jake would be in the air now  but he would of broke the door down if he wasn’t to make sure she was ok .  what if he wanted it and she didn’t or vice versa , why was it happening now right before he was about to leave for three months . 

“ is everything  ok “ nat asked making her shoved the things in her bag. 

“ emotional and anaemic i’ll be fine” she smiled weaking knowing she really did need to talk to jake now. 

Everytime she even tried to bring it up the universe decided to continue it’s now running joke . she found herself looking at the little black and white sonogram looking at the little blob that was now growing in her tummy and she couldn’t picture anything but loving it knowing what she wanted . she sat in the truck watching the crowds gathering to bid their loved ones farewell .

“ it is bad to think i’m glad your here” jake asked making her head tilt. “ nah not like that i just mean before i used to do this alone , get a friend to drop me off  watching families  saying good bye it was night to see but man it was lonely as hell i pretended it was better that way but i was jealous of it more so” . 

“ oh jake “ she sniffled pulling him into a hug . “ i’ll be here to see you off and welcome you home for the rest of my life”she kissed his lip pulling him in closer . 

“ next time i hope to put a different ring on that finger” he winked. 

“ starting to think you got wife or marriage kink” she rolled her eyes playfully. 

“ nah i got a flumpy kink “ he chuckled getting out of the truck coming to her side letting her out only for her to dive into his arms. She wanted to say it there and then  but stopped not wanting to ruin the moment or so she told herself . the two walking to the boardwalk hand in hand , he didn’t let go when she was hugging nat and rooster making them promise to come home . she reached into her bag handing him the sonogram folded over. 

“ wait til your on the ship before you look” she whispered kissing him over like it was the last time she was going to and maybe it was giving what was about to happen , what he was about to find out. “I love you jake seresin” she said trying not to cry although she was failing miserably. 

“ i love you babygirl “ he held her closer til rooster was pulling him away . 

The moment he walked on the ship , he waited like she said coming to the top deck seeing her standing there waving him off and moment he opened the paper   he knew what it was. He’d seen enough of his sisters to know he was holding a sonogram in his hands and it had her name in the corner. “ i’m gonna be a dad ?” he muttered unsure pulling his phone out hitting her contact instantly she picked it up .  “ darling is this what i think it is “ he asked as he heard here sniffles . 

“ it is if you want it to be” she said quiet he hated he was there to comfort her. 

“ shit darling you made me the happiest man” he chuckled.  “ I’M GOING TO BE A DAD , FLUMPY IS HAVING MY BABY” He yelled so loud she could hear him on the dock and the loud round of applause that followed after. 

“ you’re not mad?” she asked shocked. 

“ no of course i ain’t  this best news i could hope for just wish i wasn’t leaving even more now  but least i get to come home to my babies” she almost hear the grin in his voice. “ bradshaw you crying?” she couldn’t help laughed when she heard the usually “ it’s dust” from roo . 

“ look baby the service is going to go soon but i will call you once it back get home and rest  i love you .. i love you both” he said . 

“ we love you too “ she cried then the line went dead she went to the truck crying even more watching the ship get further and further away in the distance. 

Jake stood staring at the sonogram the high of it all fading as the reality started creeping in 

“ holy shit i’m going to be a dad” he looked to his friends panicked. 

part 11

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[crowdedimagines]

Risk it All - Bradley Bradshaw

bradley bradshaw x reader 2.4k :)

“Each one of you is the best of the best. This is a very specific mission.” My dad’s voice loudly bellows through the hauntingly quiet room before announcing the foxtrot teams and his wingman.

“This seems like a conflict of interest or something.” Hangman mumbles loud enough for the group to hear. It’s just been announced who would be flying the mission that we’ve spent weeks training for. My father loudly announced that Fanboy and I would be flying with him and Rooster would be leading Phoenix and Bob. I don’t miss the connection he has to the selected team.

I shove off Jake’s shoulder before leaving the room to clear my head. This mission doesn’t have room for ego and that’s lost on him. I’ve flown lots of missions, that's why I was called back to Top Gun in the first place. But never have I flown one this dangerous with my father and boyfriend in the mix.

“You ok?” I turn to see which one was feeling brave enough to follow me out.

Rooster.

“I think so.” I answer honestly, I lean against his chest when he pulls me close against it. “I’m proud of us, but god do I wish we weren’t the ones taking this risk.”

“I know.” His hand runs reassuringly up and down my back.

“I think you should speak with Mav before we leave. Clear the air before we’re in the air.” Things between my dad and boyfriend have been strained in the years that followed Mav pulling Brad’s papers. He stiffens for a second in my arms, I look up with a grin so he knows he’s caught.

“Fine.” He presses a kiss down on the top of my head, we enjoy the peace of looking out at the water for a few minutes before we get called to the top of the carrier.

I look over my aircraft going over a checklist I’ve reviewed thousands of times before hundreds of missions, somehow it’s the first time the pen shakes in my hand. I catch Bradley walk up to my dad out of the corner of my eye. His eyes look pleading but the conversation is cut short with all the commotion going on to prepare.

They disband and Maverick turns in my direction before I climb up the ladder.

“You listen to me and stay with me, okay?” He pulls me in for a tight hug. He’s both my Captain and my dad up in the sky.

“You’re the boss up there.” I grin.

“Yeah, and you’re the boss just about everywhere else.” He teases pinching my side lightly before letting go.

I climb the ladder and Fanboy gives me a thumbs up that he’s good to go. I put my helmet on and blow a kiss to Bradley who is directly to my right. All daggers call off ready before getting the clearance to take off.

We eventually dip below radar levels and get into formation for the flight. My dad leads us as the Tomahawks fly overhead. Rooster falls in behind me, and Phoenix and Bob behind him.

“First SAM sight up ahead.” Maverick announces as we curve through another bend in the mountains.

“We’ve got two minutes to target.” Fanboy informs, keeping track of the time.

“We're a few seconds behind, Rooster.” Phoenix’s voice is confident, “We need to pick up speed.”

“We’ve got two long range bandits” Comanche advises.

“Fucking hell, where did they come from?” I mutter, they also inform us the tomahawks just made contact with the airstrip meaning they know we’re coming.

“We need to increase speed.” Mav decides.

I pick up speed to follow him closely but Rooster who was already falling behind in pace lets the gap widen.

“Daggers two and four are falling behind.” They announce over the radio.

“C’mon Rooster, we have bandits inbound now that we made contact.” Phoenix pleads.

“Roo!” I call out loudly on the comms getting an idea, “Keep me in sight baby, speed up and eyes on me.”

It clicked in his brain suddenly. His fear was holding him back from what he was the most afraid of. Losing her.

“Don’t think, just do.” The mantra is said by Mav, but Rooster swears he can hear his dad.

“I’m coming, baby” He calls, picking up his speed drastically re-engaging with the mission.

“Jesus, Rooster who knew you had it in you.” Phoenix teases and I crack my first smile since we left the carrier.

“I did.”

We manage to pop up over the mountain with success and get eyes on the target in time to drop the first set of bombs with a direct hit. The strongest pull of the Gs hit as we fight to climb back out of the mountain. My arms shake as I fight for control. I can hear that Rooster has to drop blind from wherever they are behind me but all I can focus on is staying steady enough to make it to coffin corner. That’s when all hell breaks loose.

“Smoke in the air!” “Dagger one defending.” “Rooster, status?” “Break right!” “Deploy countermeasures!” “Two more on your six.” “Dagger three defending.”

“Shit, I’m out of flares.” Rooster’s voice calls out of the chaos making my heart fall flat.

“What?” I cry.

“Rooster, evade! Evade!” Maverick yells.

“I can’t shake them!”

Before my eyes Mavericks pulls up over Brad’s jet using his flares to defend from the SAMS, getting shot down in the process of saving him. An explosion of smoke bursts and we’re soaring past it in an instant at our speed.

“Dagger one is hit, I repeat dagger one is hit!” Phoenix calls out for everyone standing by. I gasp as if I was the one taking the physical hit.

“Status? What’s everyone’s status?” Cyclone asks, demanding answers and information.

“Does anyone see him?” I question only to be met with silence, “Oh my god.”

I shudder and disregard the fact that everyone can hear me struggle to catch my breath.

“We have to circle back.” Rooster commands.

Comanche recommends they leave. There’s nothing they can do with bandits in the air. Cyclone agrees and commands us not to agree.

“He’s gone?”

I can’t even process what’s being said or asked as I think of what I just witnessed. “I can’t leave him.” Rooster cries and I turn to look at him flying to my left, “I love you, baby.”

Rooster veers off and down to the left where Maverick’s plane has gone down in smoke. The tears don’t stop streaming off my face as I process the fact that he’s going back for him, against orders.

It crushes me to hear them call out ‘dagger two is hit’ not long after he left my sight. Wordlessly Phoenix leads back towards the carrier as the second plane of ours goes down in smoke today.

“This can’t be happening.” I argue, “They need assistance! Send Hangman-”

“Y/callsign-” Cyclone cuts off. “We already have seen two planes fail and bandits are closing in. Return to the carrier immediately.”

“But sir-” My voice tight.

“That’s an order Mitchell, return to the carrier.” Cyclone commands.

My vision zones out on the back of Phoenix's jet heading in the direction of the carrier. Somewhere vaguely behind us are a pair of fifth generation fighter jets that pose little option for us. We’re back over water now, likely only a few miles from the carrier at this point. The shock takes over as autopilot carries us home.

“Rooster’s signal just came back on!” Bob announces and my heart skips a beat.

“What?” I smile.

“He’s airborne, in a F-14!” Fanboy comments further.

“F-14 has Mav written all over it!” I smile even wider, they’re still alive!

“They still have bandits on them.” Comanche notifies.

“I can go back!” I yell.

“Mitchell, you have already been ordered several times to return to the carrier, until confirmed this has changed nothing.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I argue.

“You’d be outnumbered anyway. You’re ordered to return.”

My hand drums on the control wheel while I debate in my head.

“Do it.” Fanboy says, answering my thoughts I didn’t even have to voice for him to understand. I need to go back for them. I can’t just leave them behind unsure.

“We don’t have clearance.” My voice hypnotic.

“That’s not gonna stop you. We both know that.” He reaches a comforting hand on my shoulder giving it a squeeze, “Plus you’re a Mitchell, they should know they can’t order you to do shit.”

I pull hard to turn around, suddenly blocking out the yelling in my ear and focusing on the blinking dot on my radar, clueing me in on their location. I lock in and take off getting low as they weave the terrain. Surprising the pilot from behind while he was closing in on Mav. My missile locks in and I take the shot watching it combust in front of me.

“Would you look at that!” I tease, our radio’s now connected to theirs.

“If it ain’t our angel from above.” Bradley grins looking at me in the back seat of the F-14.

“Truly, we were out of missiles and guns.” Maverick nods down at the plane they’re flying.

Their F-14 blares out a loud alarm signaling someone closing in on radar.

“Where are they?” I call out, looking for anything on the horizon while Fanboy looks behind us.

“He’s on our nose.”

Suddenly our aircraft signals warnings as well.

“Y/n, what do you have left?” My dad asks eye’s never straying from the approaching plane.

“One missile, no guns.” I clear my throat, “One round of flares.”

This doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for failure with this. I’m still only flying a F-18 which is lightyears behind anything fifth generation in the air. He cuts between the two of us, sending us apart.

“Y/cs, cobra! Make us an easy target!” Mav instructs and I know what he wants immediately. Nothing we’ve ever practiced of course, but a risky move he invented and I mastered.

We fall into formation, Mav flying behind me as a barrier while the enemy plane circles back. I watch and wait for him to lock in on them, closing in on his target before pulling up and back as hard as I can. It sent us propelling backward and behind the enemy plane giving me a brief window to get a lock on him.

The familiar chime rings out letting me know I’ve won. I fire and take down the threat to both of the men in my life. I cheer a sigh of relief pulling up next to them again as we continue towards the carrier. The flight tower cheers as we’ve all made it home.

“That’s my girl.” Both men say in unison. Mav turning around in his seat as best he could to glare at Bradley.

I roll my eyes and pull ahead so I can land first. They lost their landing gear at some point in their escape so they need a little assistance with their landing. I stand at the front of my plane while I wait for them to climb out. The cheers of the crew is deafening as they pull us in for hugs and handshakes. I weave my way through people as I make my way up to them.

“Man, what would you boys do without me?” I tease.

“We’d be somewhere in the Pacific right now.” Dad grins, pulling me in for a tight hug before Rooster can. Rooster just smiles looking at me over his shoulder.

“Thank you, baby.” Rooster cuts in for his own hug and kissing the top of my head. He squeezes me a little tighter before letting go.

“Yeah, you better thank me now. I’m a dead girl walking, but it was so worth it.”

Bradley pulls back a little so he can see my face and so I’ll clue him in on what I’m talking about.

“They didn’t give me clearance to turn back.” I admit, “I had to disobey orders in order to save you guys.”

“What?” Bradley asks shocked.

“So worth it!” I reach up so I can pull Bradley down for a real kiss.

“Lieutenant Mitchell.” Cyclone’s voice bellows. I quickly pull away and straighten my posture.

“Listen she-” my dad attempts to defend me but Cyclone holds up a hand to cut him off.

“What you did was disrespectful, disobedient, and unreliable. You put another pilot at risk by what you did. It was selfish to Fanboy to go back. With that said, I’m grateful your skill proved me wrong and brought these two men back home.”

I clear my throat to swallow, unable to find the words to respond. How should I take that? He reaches out a hand to shake mine and I meet it with a tight grip. He nods and walks off, the second he does the celebration begins again.

“Hey, I’ve been told worse!” Maverick teases, pulling me in for another hug.

“Yeah, like father like daughter apparently.” I laugh.

It takes a couple days for us to return to land, but it feels like a breeze now that we don’t have the mission hanging over our heads anymore. It’s also been amazing to brag to Hangman that I officially have more air combat kills than him.

“Whatever, you were a legacy anyway.” He rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, a legacy with double the air combat kills you have!” The competitive nature definitely runs in the family.

Rooster grins at his girl loving how she defends herself and how badass she is. She did save his life which is not lost on him.

“What’re you thinking about?” I ask, pulling Roo from whatever thoughts had him staring out on the horizon with such focus. I curl my hands through his hair and he closes his eyes in bliss for a few seconds before responding.

“How scary this week was. How grateful I am for you. You risked it all for me. And your dad. Even though you know both of us would’ve been crushed if anything had happened to you.”

“I know.” I press a kiss to his cheek, “I think you owe me a drink at the Hard Deck.”

He rolls his eyes, knowing he buys nearly all of them anyway.

“Yeah, I think I can manage that.”

“I like this!” I continue to tease, “How long can I hang this over your head?”

“Forever sounds alright to me”

y'all it's literally been so long so be forgiving lol i just needed to write something because i miss it dearly! love you guys

[snapghoul]

Go read @caystar13star wonderful little twins au fic!! Mav and Ethan as twins is also so fun, I love that and I recently saw some art that also has filled this. This is an au of the au.

my take on Jake learning Mav is also a twin.

Warnings: mention of blood and injury.

Ethan didn’t have a place of his own for a reason, but he knew he could always return to Pete's if he needed a break or just wanted to catch up. Showing up unannounced was a routine for him, especially when he needed a breather that didn’t involve leaping from buildings or falling from helicopters. Pete's cozy beachside house in Miramar was the perfect refuge. Much better than the hanger in the desert that his brother loved so much.

Ethan was on the porch, grabbing one of Pete's shirts since his own suit was stained with blood and he didn’t want to deal with his twin's inevitable lecture about safety.

“Hey Mav,” called a blonde man as he rounded the corner and jogged up the steps. Ethan started to correct the newcomer, but the man pushed through the screen door and into the kitchen.

Ethan had no idea who that man was but clearly he knew his brother and was very comfortable just barging in. Ethan sighed and took a sip of his coffee.

Then Ethan noticed a familiar curly-haired man follow up the steps, and he smiled. It had been a long time since he’d seen Bradley, and seeing him all grown up made Ethan realize just how much time had passed.

“Hey, Bradley,” Ethan greeted. Bradley paused mid-step, removing his sunglasses and giving Ethan a scrutinizing look.

“Ethan?” Bradley asked, a grin spreading across his face. Ethan nodded, wincing slightly as he pushed himself upright, his side aching from his latest escapade.

Bradley moved in to hug him, but a frightened shout and the sound of something hitting the floor came from inside. Ethan guessed it was the blonde who had greeted him earlier. Bradley chuckled at the confusion on Ethan’s face.

“I completely forgot to mention you and Mav,” Bradley said with a laugh. The blonde then stumbled back outside, looking at Ethan with wide eyes.

“Ethan,” he said, extending his hand. The blonde shot Bradley a look that clearly said, ‘I can’t believe you didn’t warn me.’

“Consider this payback,” Bradley said, still amused. Pete joined them on the porch.

“I’m Jake,” the blonde introduced himself, shaking Ethan’s hand before playfully smacking Bradley on the chest. Bradley looked thoroughly entertained by the exchange.

“Is this what it feels like?” Jake muttered and ran a hand through his hair as both Bradley and Pete chuckled.

Ethan easily detected there was some inside joke somewhere and he already had a plan on how to pry it out of Pete.

[callsign-dexter]

From Fear to Forever

Request: Ok sweetheart 😘 what would you think of a Rooster imagine where you cover up to fly with Bob instead of Natasha that day the plane crashes and Rooster sits on the radio, being on the edge as he doesn't know if you're okay or not and he fears he'll lose you just like his dad. As soon as Mav tells him that you're mostly okay and staying at the hospital, he's crying with relief and hugs Mav and he forgives him as he realizes he doesn't want to lose more people. Then you both come to the hospital and Rooster is all spoiling you and making sure you're okay and as he thinks you're asleep, he tells how that he loves you, but you can hear him, so you both finally confess your feelings and the rest of the team watches as smiles from outside 🤭

Pairings: Bradley Bradshaw x Seresin!Twin Sister!Reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, cussing, inaccurate medical talk, inaccurate Navy talk

Masterlist

A/N: thank you @imagine-all-the-fandoms for requesting this and I'm so so sorry it took forever. I just needed a break to collect myself and convince myself that I shouldn't just give up and delete this account.

You, Y/N ‘Storm’ Seresin, never thought you would be back here. Where you may ask? Well, none other than Top Gun. Your home away from home. You first went through it with your twin brother Jake Seresin, yes that is your brother, and your backseater Mark ‘Shadow’ Newman. He was your best friend, literally you both went through the academy together and pilot school, where you met Bradley Bradshaw and fell in love but he would never love you or so you thought, then Top Gun. Mark was also married to a beautiful wife, who is your friend, and they have 2 adorable boys together that look just like their father. 

Currently the both of you were hanging out at The Hard Deck with your brother and Javy waiting for the others. “So, Storm, how is it to be siblings with Hangman?” Javy asked, sliding up to you. 

“Not as bad as you think. He has his moments but he can be a Golden Retriever.” You said smirking as Jake shot you a look.

“Hey don't be going around telling all my secrets. I have a reputation to uphold.” He said and laughed.

“You sure do ‘Mister I Have a Different Girl Every Night’.” You said and smirked but then eyes widening when you saw him coming over to you. You were quick to dive behind Mark.

“Oh, you're so getting it, Sis. Just you wait. You may be safe now but you better watch it.” He said and you knew it was a wholehearted threat and it made you burst out laughing which caused them to do so too. 

“And that there is sibling love.” Mark said, chuckling and taking a drink of his drink while you stepped out from behind him. Jake chuckled and brought you into his arms and hugged you and you hugged back. 

“Such a good little sister.” He said and you smacked him and pushed out of his arms.

“Hey we are twins, same age dumbass.” You pointed out he only did it because he knew it got on your nerves. The banter went on for another few minutes until Javy had pulled Jake over to play darts and you went with Mark to sit and watch. “When are the others getting here?” You asked.

“Should be any minute now.” Mark said “Why are you hoping to see Rooster?” He smirked and nudged you and you pushed him but it didn't budge him. 

“No…” You said and he looked at you and you rolled your eyes “Fine yes.” You said.

“I don't see why you don't just admit your feelings for him.” Mark said casually while taking a drink of his beer. 

“He doesn't see me like that.” You said trying not to sound heartbroken.

“How would you know if you don't tell?” He asked and you shook your head.

“I don't want to deal with the heartbreak.” You said and he nodded.

“I get it, I do.” He said and he truly did get it. It took him almost a year to ask Melissa, his now wife, to go on a date with him and then confess his feelings. Melissa had been your friend since high school and she just happened to be going to a college near the Naval Academy and the two of you reconnected. 

“Storm!” A familiar voice called out and you turned towards the direction and saw none other than Natasha 'Phoenix’ Trace. 

“Phoenix!” You shouted back and went to her and hugged her tightly and she did the same. 

“Finally, another female.” She said and you laughed as Callie ‘Halo’ Bassett came up as well. 

“We thought we would have to go through this with all of the testosterone alone.” Callie said 

“Even if I wasn't here, you two would have each other.” You said and they shook their heads.

“Wouldn't be the same.” Natasha said and you chuckled. 

“I’m going to the bathroom. I'll be right back.” You told her and she nodded and you disappeared into the bathroom missing the little back and forth between your brother and Natasha. You hadn't seen Bradley yet and that upset you slightly. After pilot school you both stayed in contact with one another. “Stop getting your hopes up. He may not be coming.” You said to yourself as you looked in the mirror washing your hands after using the bathroom. You sighed and walked towards the door and out of it and stopped in your tracks as you saw a Hawaiian shirt walk through the front door there, he was Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw. You hear Natasha call out to him and watch him walk over to the pool table and watch how she whacked him in the stomach. He grunted and patted her on the arm. You watched as he bickered with your brother. You watched the interaction they had with Bob Floyd, another friend of yours plus you and Mark were stationed with him. You don't know how long you were staring until Mark saw you and frowned and he walked over to you.

“You alright?” He asked and you quickly glanced at him and back to Bradley as he walked over to the jukebox.

“Yea I think so.” You said 

“Are you sure?” He asked and you nodded.

“Yea I'm good.” You said as the music stopped playing and he sat down on the piano.

“Go talk to him.” He said and you looked at him and he nodded his head. You sighed and started to walk over there just as the familiar tune started. Just as you reached him a tag chaser popped up beside him and started to be all lovey dovey to him and that made tears pop into your eyes and you didn't know why it wasn't like you were with him. What hurt the worst was he smiled up at her. You abandoned your mission and walked out. Jake was quick to notice and grabbed his beer and followed you out. You missed how Bradley looked at you longingly and with a twinge of sadness in his eye. You walked out and down the steps heading to your car, you couldn't be here. 

“Y/N.” Jake said your brother's voice rang out. You ignored him. “Lt. Y/N Seresin.” He said in a more authoritative tone using your rank because he knew you would stop and you did.

“Nice one.” You said as you turned to him “What do you want?” you asked voice laced with emotion.

“Are you ok?” He asked and you looked at him and shook your head. 

“No.” You said and he sighed and brought you into a brotherly hug and you let tears fall.

“He's an idiot, you know that.” He said and you knew who he was referring to.

“I'm stupid to ever let those feelings come up.” You whispered

“No, you're not, Sis. It's normal. Ok?” He asked and you nodded.

“Yea, ok. I think I'm just going to go home.” You said 

“Are you sure?” He asked and you nodded.

“I want to get a good night's sleep before tomorrow.” You said and the both of you knew that was a lie, you were going to go home shower and cry your eyes out. Jake has been there way too many times comforting you. 

“I'll check in on you later. Ok?” He asked and you nodded.

“Ok. I love you.” You said into his chest.

“I love you too, Sis. Text me when you're home. I'll take care of your tab.” He said 

“Thank you.” You said as you pulled away and tears ran down your face and he was quick to wipe them away with his thumbs as he held your head in his hands. Beer bottle sitting on what happened to be his truck's tailgate. 

“That's what brothers are for. Now no more crying.” He said and you cracked a smile and he kissed your forehead. “Get home safely.” He said as he pulled away and you nodded. You got into your Jeep right beside his truck and he watched you back up. You waved at him and he waved back. You pulled out and as you were out of sight, he went back inside just in time for him to help throw someone out, who just happened to be their instructor, and then Bradley started to sing and play. Jake sat back and watched while drinking his beer. After the song was over Bradley plugged the jukebox in. As the music began to play, he walked over to Jake.

“Where's Y/N? I saw her walk out. She seemed upset.” Bradley asked and frowned.

“She has gone home. She was upset.” Jake said and Bradley frowned.

“Why? Everything ok?” He asked

“Maybe you should ask her tomorrow.” Jake said “A little advice. Nobody messes with my sister and gets away with it.” He added and walked off leaving Bradley confused.

“Bradley, where did you run off to?” A young blonde headed girl that was all over him. The one he tried to let down easily. 

“That's none of your business.” He said “It would be best if you left.” He added and she made a face.

“Fine.” She said and turned around and stomped off. Bradley sighed he really wished you were here but it looked like he fucked it up once again. He couldn't wait for this night to end.

When you finally made home and parked and let the tears fall. Why were you like this? It's not like the two of you were dating. You sighed and got out making sure you locked the door after you shut it. You walked into your rented house and unlocked the door and walked in while turning on the lights and making sure to lock the door. You got your phone out and pulled up Jake's number.

I'm home. 

Jakester- Good. Glad you're safe. Want me to come over later?

No, I'm good thanks though. 

Jakester- Rooster asked about you.

He did?

Jakester- Yup I told him to fuck off.

Jake.

Jakester- Just kidding, told him you went home. I wanted to tell him to fuck off though.

Love you. Thanks for looking out for me.

Jakester- Anytime. Love you too. 

You didn't text him back after that because you didn't want to clog up the night, not that he would've minded. He would do anything for you with just one phone call or text. The rest of the night was spent pitying yourself and getting ready for tomorrow. Your roommate, who just happened to be Bob, walked in maybe an hour after you. You turned to look at him. “Are you ok?” He asked and you shrugged.

“Is it stupid of me to get caught up on someone that probably doesn't even like me back?” You asked as he moved to sit down on the couch and you cuddled into him. 

“No.” He shook his head “It's not. Maybe he does like you back. Ever think of that?” He asked.

“Yea right. He just sees me like one of the guys.” You said 

“Oh, Stormy. If you only saw the way he looked when you took off and when Jake talked to him about you.” He said using a nickname only certain people were allowed to use.

“I just want to get to sleep and get tonight behind me.” You said and he nodded as you got up and he helped you some.

“Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be tough.” He said and you nodded.

“Goodnight Bob.” You said and he smiled.

“Goodnight, Y/N.” He said and then you disappeared and got ready for bed. Once ready you slipped under the covers and fell right to sleep. 

The next morning you were up bright and early ready for the day and ready to face Bradley. You were just getting your coffee when Bob walked in. “Hey I'm gonna head in early.” You said and he smiled and nodded.

“I won't be too far behind you.” He said and you nodded and then you were grabbing your keys and heading out the door. When you got to your Jeep you sighed as you got in and sat there for a second.

“Let's get this over with.” You said as you turned the ignition and headed towards base. Once you got to base you parked beside your brother's truck and turned the Jeep off and got out. As you were getting out a familiar blue Bronco was pulling up and parking beside you. It parked and the owner got out. “Bradley.” You said and he smiled and turned towards you.

“Y/N.” He said “I missed seeing you at The Hard Deck. I was hoping I would.” He said and you hummed.

“I'm sure you missed me. It looked like you had nice company.” You said as the two of you began walking. 

“I didn’t go home with her.” He said

“I find that hard to believe.” You said as you walked towards where the class would be held. 

“Why don’t you believe me?” He asked

“Maybe because I find it hard to trust you after you ghosted me.” You said finally stopping and looking at him and his face was unreadable and you scuffed and walked to the front where your brother sat.

“Everything ok?” He asked

“Perfect.” You said and sat down and waited for class to start. When your instructor, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, was introduced and you looked back and saw your brother’s face you knew something happened. “What did you do?” You whispered angrily.

“I’ll tell you later.” He whispered and you glared at him but turned around and class began. Each pilot went up and showed what they got. It was time for your and Mark’s turn going up with Jake. 

“Everything is looking good.” Mark said without you even asking him as you flew next to Jake.

“So, Jakester,” You began and he rolled his eyes annoyed at the nickname but he only let you use it. “What the hell did you do?” You asked.

“I threw him out of The Hard Deck.” He said

“Are you fucking kidding me? You’re an idiot.” You said

“I didn’t know he would be our instructor.” He defended

“Shadow, did you know about this?” You asked

“No, I left before anything drastic took place.” He said 

“Enough chit chat guys, fight is on.” Maverick said out of nowhere.

“Here we go.” You said

“We got this.” Mark said

“Do you see him anywhere?” Jake asked 

“Negative.” You said

“I got him on the radar.” Mark said and then he was zooming past you guys “And there he goes.” He added. 

“Alright let's go.” You said “Hangman, break right. I'll break left.” You said

“You got it, Storm.” Jake said and you both did as you said and that got a reaction out of Maverick.

“Interesting tactic. How are you going to cover each other?” He asked as he was getting tone behind Jake and he was doing well shaking him off.

“You know what brothers and sisters do for each other?” You asked Maverick.

“What would that be, Storm?” He asked and Mark smirked. 

“Look after each other.” You said and suddenly you were behind him getting tone.

“Gottcha ya.” Jake and you said at the same time.

“Damn that was a good one. You two work well together.” He said and you smirked “Head back to ground.” He said and you both did and when you landed Jake was already there waiting for you. 

“Good job, Sis. That move never fails.” Jake said as your canopy opened.

“You got that right. Nobody can beat the power of siblings.” Mark said and you smirked.

“Damn right.” You said and the three of you did post-checks and headed inside of the building. Everyone was excited that you actually took Maverick out and you smiled and chuckled. Your eyes looked around the room and found Bradley’s. He was staring at you and you decided that you needed to talk to him. You looked at Mark and he nodded and you went.

“Good job.” He said 

“Thank you.” You said

“I’ve never seen Hangman actually not leave someone.” He said

“Well, siblings have to stick together.” You said 

“Hey, look I’m sorry for ghosting you. I truly didn’t take that girl home, I sent her away after talking to your brother. I-” He started but you cut him off before he could say anything else.

“I believe you.” You said 

“You do?” He asked and you nodded.

“I do.” You said and then his name was being called along with someone else’s and he hurried off not wanting to get into trouble and you understood. You were left standing there until Bob came over.

“Everything ok?” He asked and you looked up at him.

“Yeah, I think so.” You said and he smiled.

“Good job by the way.” He said

“Thank you.” You replied 

“I’m gonna go and listen, you coming?” He asked and you shook your head.

“No, I need a minute alone.” You said and he nodded and left with a pat on your shoulder. Bradley apologized for ghosting you but it wasn’t enough you needed an explanation. You hoped you got one but for now you needed to focus on this mission.

You had been so focused on the mission that you didn't really speak to Bradley and each time you tried or he tried you or he were being called away. It seemed like you never were going to get a chance until one morning you got to base extra early and decided to hang around and go over some maneuvers. You were so into thought you didn't hear another person come in. “Think too hard and your head might explode.” The voice said and it made you jump. You turned to see who it was and it was Bradley.

“Shit, you fucking scared me.” You said putting a hand over your heart to try and settle it.

“Sorry.” He said and you waved him off. 

“What are you doing here so early?” You asked 

“Well, I know you like to get up early and go over everything you learned. So, I took a chance to come here to find you.” He said and you nodded. “I also couldn't sleep.” He said.

“There is the real reason.” You said and he shook his head.

“No, they're both the reason.” He said and then it went into silence. 

“I'm sorry.” You both started.

“You go first.” You said 

“I'm sorry for everything I put you through. All the stress, the ghosting, the making you think that I was with someone else, and everything in general. It was not my intent to do that to you and my dad and mom would kill me if they knew I hurt such a beautiful girl.” He said and you blushed and looked down. 

“You think I'm beautiful? I wear what everyone else wears and my hair is always up.” You said 

“Yea you're beautiful I would even say gorgeous. Yes, you wear what everyone else does and have your hair up but I've also seen you out of uniform and hair down. Remember?” He asked and you nodded.

“I do.” You said recalling the many nights that you and he had late night study sessions for pilot school. “My turn if you're done.” You said and he nodded as he sat down beside you and you turned to him. “I'm sorry for being so short and mad at you earlier. I just got jealous seeing you with someone and I know I shouldn't we're not together and will probably never be together, you'll only see me as a sister. I'm rambling. Anyways I'm sorry for everything too.” You said.

“It's-” He started but got cut off by people walking in and the both of you stood up. Bob came over with Maverick.

“Good you're here.” Maverick began “Phoenix is out sick and Shadow had a family emergency.” He said and your eyes widened “So I'm pairing you and Bob up for this run through.” He said “I hope that is ok.” He added and you both nodded.

“That's absolutely fine, Sir.” You and Bob said at the same time. 

“Good. We'll start here in a few minutes.” He said and then walked off and you immediately pulled out your phone.

Mav told me you had a family emergency. Everyone ok?

Mark: Grayson got really sick with throwing up and a really high fever in the middle of the night and we had to bring him to the hospital. They have him on fluids and some Tylenol IV. He's sleeping right now.

Poor guy. Let me know if you all need anything, please. I hate that he's not feeling good. How's Max taking it?

Mark: I promise I will but you need to focus on the mission. Max is not well. He hates that his brother is sick. 

I hate that. Tell them I love them and will be thinking about them.

Mark: I will now go and kick some ass.

You got it!

You chuckled and put your phone away. “Everything ok?” Bob asked and you nodded.

“Grayson is sick like in the hospital.” You said

“Damn. I hate that for them.” Bradley said and then the others started to file in. You quickly took your place next to your brother as Maverick began talking and telling them what was going on. Soon after everyone was crowding in the rec room to wait. Several groups went up before it was yours, Bob's, Javy's turn. As you were walking out the door Bradley stopped you “Hey good look out there.” He said and you nodded and smiled.

“Thank you. I'll see you on the ground.” You said and then you were heading off with Bob to your jet. If only you knew what this practice run would bring.

“Just like old times?” Bob asked as you both arrived at the jet.

“Just like old times.” You said back at your base you flew with Bob while Mark was out and you were the one that did the flying while he was training. You both got in the jet and began to head towards the runway. When you got there you stopped and watched as Javy took off and once, he was far enough away you spoke to the air traffic control tower. “Air Traffic Control, this is Storm ready to take off.” You said. 

“Copy that Storm, the air is clear and the sky is yours. You can take off.” They said 

“Thank you, Air Traffic Control.” You said and then started speeding down the runway. You finally were up in the air and caught up with Javy.

“Alright let's do this.” Javy said and so began the practice run.

“Talk to me, Bob.” You said 

“We’re twelve seconds late on target. We gotta move, we gotta move.” Bob says 

“Copy try to stay with me.” Javy says agitated radar beeps. 

“Huh? Wait, who’s that?” Bob asks

“Blue team, you are spotted.” Maverick said 

“Shit, it’s Maverick. What the hell is he doing here?” Javy said

“What the hell is he doing here?” You ask 

“I’m a bandit on course to intercept. Blue team, what are you gonna do?” Maverick said 

“20 miles left, ten o’clock. He’s coming fast. 700 knots closure.” Bob confirmed

“Your call what do you want to do?” Javy asks the pair of you.

“Continue. We’re close. Stay on target.” You said

“He’s swinging around to the north.  Bob said 

“Stand by for pop-up.” Javy said 

“Be ready with that laser, Bob.” You said

“Copy, I’m on it.” He says as reaches for a button/knob, constantly working. 

Meanwhile back in the rec room everyone listens on the edge of their seats. “Come on Storm. You got this.” Bradley says to mostly himself.

“She’s a hell of a pilot. She has this in the bag.” Jake said “You know she loves you right?” Jake asks and Bradley nodded.

“I love her too.” He said

“Don’t hurt her or I will shoot you down.” Jake warned

“I won’t. I promise.” He said and Jake nodded and then they heard Maverick’s voice on the radio.

“Blue team, bandit is still closing.” Maverick said 

“Popping now.” Javy said as he does so and you follow. All three of you grunting trying to catch your breath.  

“Talk to me, Bob. Where’s Maverick?” Javy asks 

“He’s five miles out. He’s coming fast.” Bob replies

“Target in sight.” You said 

 “Where’s my laser, Bob?” Javy asks

“Dead eye! Dead eye! It’s no good. Sorry, I can’t get a lock.” Bob said 

“We’re out of time. I’m dropping blind.” Javy said and dropped the bomb. “Damn it, missed!” He added as the both of you pulled up. 

“That’s tone.” Maverick said as he toned you and Bob.

“Maverick has got a missile lock on us.” Bob said 

 “Shit! We’re dead.” You said 

“Blue team. That is a fail.” Maverick said and you pull away. “Level out Coyote.” He said as you watched in horror as he didn't do so and that scared you, you knew anything could happen but you never thought it would. “Coyote, copy.” You heard Maverick say. “Coyote, come in. Coyote, level wings.” You hear Maverick shout frantically “Oh my gosh he is in g-loc.” He said and he kept saying his name but his jet kept falling.

“He’s going to burn in.” You say worriedly. 

“I’m going after him.” Maverick said as you watched his jet jerk away and towards your friend. “Come on. Give me tone, give me tone, give me tone.” He said as he got a target lock on him “Snap out of it, coyote. Come on! Come on! Come on, Coyote, come on. Come on! Damn it! Coyote! Coyote!” Maverick shouts frantically. Finally, he seemed to snap out of it and popped up at the last second and you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. “Coyote, you, okay? You, okay?” He asks

“I’m okay. I’m good.” He says breath heavy.

“Good. Good. That’s enough for today.” Maverick said as you pulled up next to him.

“That was close.” You say with a shake of your head.

“Too close.” Maverick said “Bird strike.” He said suddenly “Bird strike!” He exclaimed as the birds hit your jet and through your engine. Now you are terrified. 

Those two words are what brings Bradley and Jake’s world to a stop. “No no no no.” Bradley said to himself. Tears burning behind his eyes he needed you to pull through this and be ok. 

“Come on, Sis you got this.” Jake said and then your voice came through the radio and Jake being your twin brother knew the different tone in your voice that nobody else knew. He knew you were absolutely terrified. “Don’t panic.” He said.

Bradley was terrified. He couldn’t lose you. He’s lost his dad; he cannot lose you. He lost Maverick due to something so petty. “Come on, Y/N/N. You have to pull through this.” He said.

“Don’t panic. Don’t panic.” Jake repeated to himself hoping to send vibes to you. Bradley and Jake were the closest to the radio. 

“Bird strike.” You said as lights and warnings go off a fire warning goes off signaling a fire in one of your engines.  

“Storm, left engines on fire!” Bob said looking back and so do you.

“Climbing.” You said as you turn back and you pull the throttle up. “Throttling back. Shutting off fuel to the left engine. Extinguishing fire.” You say as you do so but alarms continue.

“Right engine is out!” Bob exclaims looking at the warnings.

“It’s still spinning. Trying to restart it.” You say as you power the engine on.

“Storm it is on fire, don’t start-” Maverick begin but you cut him off. You were so scared shitless but you couldn’t let it show.

“Throttling up.” You say as you pull the throttle up.

“Oh my god.” You hear Maverick say as you start to nose dive. 

“We’re on fire! We’re on fire!” Bob exclaims 

“Damn it!” You exclaim

“Engine fire. Right.” The automated voice

“Extinguishing the right engine.” You said and do so as you spin out of control.

“Storm, Bob punch out! Punch out!” Maverick exclaims 

“Warning lights everywhere! Hydraulic failure!” Bob says letting you know everything. 

“I can’t control it!” You said 

“She’s panicking.” Jake said 

“How do you know?” Bradley asked 

“I just know. Her voice does a certain thing. I was the only one to pick it up as a kid. It is how I knew she needed help and she would call me with that same tone when she was in trouble.” Jake explained

“She has this handled. She's Storm. Nothing can bring her down.” Mickey said and everyone nodded in agreement.

“She’s strong for sure. As kids we were playing on the ranch and riding horses and her horse threw her off and instead of giving up, she got back on. She showed the horse who was the boss. Another time we were running around barefoot and she cut her foot open on barbed wire and she acted like it was nothing. She sat through the stitches. She’s a storm to be reckoned with. It is how she got her callsign.” Jake explained trying to take his mind off what was happening up in the sky.

“She’s going to be ok.” Ruben said and they nodded.

“I know she will be.” Jake said 

“We’re going down, Storm! We’re going in! We’re going in!” Bob yells 

“You can’t save it. Eject, eject!” Maverick said and repeated over and over again. 

“Eject, eject, eject!” You yell out finally.

 “Altitude. Altitude.” The automated voice said as Bob ejects and then you follow him. Both parachutes open as the jet crashes into the earth. You somehow ended up being closest to the blast and it pushed you away and you landed it hard onto the ground right on your ankle and you gave a cry out. Bob landed and was quick to get over to you. 

“Are you ok?” He asks

“No, my ankle.” You say as you go to sit up but you give another cry. You then look down and see blood starting to soak through your flight suit. “Shit.” You say as you begin to get light headed.

“Hey no you stay awake.” He said

“I’m sorry.” You say and then you black out.

As Maverick walks into the rec room Jake comes running up to him. “Where is she?” He asks frantically.

“She’s in the hospital. Some debris from the jet crashing impaled her. Her ankle also took a hit. They took her into surgery but I don’t know anything else. They’re keeping her and Bob overnight and maybe her even longer. Go.” He said and Jake nodded and took off as most people do now it was just Bradley and him. 

“How is she?” Bradley asks 

“She is mostly ok.” He said 

“What does that mean?” He asks

“Some debris from the jet crashing impaled her. Her ankle also took a hit. They took her into surgery but I don’t know anything else. They’re keeping her and Bob overnight and maybe her even longer.” He said and Bradley nodded tears and they steadily fell down his face.

“I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry I cut you off. I was just so pissed that you pulled my papers. It wasn’t fair. I can’t lose her. I love her.” Bradley said and Maverick smiled.

“I forgive you. Go and tell her.” Maverick said and he nodded and took off. When he reached the hospital, everyone was in the waiting room waiting.

“Jake is with Y/N. He’s family so he was the only one allowed to go back there.” Ruben said 

“Bradley?” A familiar voice asked and he turned around and saw Mark.

“Mark, have you heard?” He asked and Mark shook his head.

“No, what is going on? Why is everyone here?” He asked

“There was an incident with Javy and Bob and Y/N had a bird strike and had to eject. Some debris hit her and her ankle took a hit.” Bradley explained.

“Oh my gosh. Any updates?” He asked 

“They took her into surgery and repaired what they needed. Jake is with her now since he is family. They’re keeping them both overnight and her maybe longer.”  Bradley said and he nodded. 

“I need to get back to Grayson. Please keep me updated.” He asked and Bradley nodded.

“I will.” He said as Jake came out and everyone looked at him.

“She’s awake but is asking for you Bradley.” He said turning to him and he nodded and followed Jake to your room and about that time everyone was allowed to see Bob too. Bradley walked in without Jake. 

“Y/N/N.” He said and you looked up at him.

“Hi.” You said 

“You scared me, you know.” He said 

“I’m sorry. I scared myself too.” You said trying to move but winced.

“Don’t move.” He said moving closer and holding you down.

“I know but it’s so uncomfortable.” You said and he nodded.

“I know. I need to tell you something.” He said and you nodded at him to continue “I love you. I have loved you since pilot school. I’m sorry I ghosted you and I know I already said it but I’m saying it again. I was trying to figure out my feelings for you and in the end, it hurt you and I’m deeply sorry for that.” He said and you smiled.

“I love you too, Bradley. Ever since pilot school. Yes, I was hurt when you ghosted me but I get it. I love you with all my heart.” You said as the pain meds started to kick in and he saw this.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked and you nodded.

“I would love nothing more.” You said and he smiled and he pressed his lips to yours. Sparks flew. You would’ve stayed like that forever but Mickey’s voice sounded.

“About damn time! Look how cute the two of them are!” He exclaimed and you two pulled apart and looked at them.

“Oh, would you shut up and leave the love birds alone?” Javy said smiling

“But they are so cute!” Ruben said gushing.

“Remember, you hurt her and I’m shooting you down.” Jake said 

“Jakester, stop it. I can take care of myself.” You said smiling and he walked over.

“I know but I’m just doing my brotherly duties.” He said and you smiled.

“I appreciate that.” You said “Get them out of here for me. I want some time alone with him.” You said and he nodded “Can you let Mark know I’m, ok?” You asked.

“You got it, Sis.” He said and started to push people out and when they were out and gone, he went to let Mark know and you turned to Bradley.

“Let me take you to dinner when all of this is over.” He said and you smiled and nodded.

“Sounds perfect.” You said and yawned and he smiled.

“Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.” He said and kissed your head as you closed your eyes and drifted off to sleep. Sure, your day might not have ended up like you planned but that what comes with being a Naval Aviator but in the end, you got the man you loved. Everything for the moment was perfect.

Tag list:

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@callsign-revenge

[callsigndragon]

A little bit of courage | Bradley Bradshaw

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x female reader

word count: 1.7k

warnings: all the fluffs

if you want to be tagged on everything tgm or on everthing rooster related, let me know down below in the comments! (with some love, very much appreciated! ❤️)

“Can you say that again? I want to check that I didn’t hear you wrong,” you say, feeling a ton of butterflies in the pit of your stomach. And not the good ones.

Rooster chuckles, taking one hand from the wheel to grab yours. “I said,” he kisses your knuckles and keeps looking ahead, “that I want you to meet my family.” 

“Oh, yeah. I heard you right.” 

“Are you scared?” Rooster asks, stopping the car at a red light and looking at you. 

“Scared of meeting the people you work with, and not only that but also Maverick, who is not only your boss but also the closest thing to a father you have?” You look at him with wide eyes and a trembling smile, giving away your true feelings. “How could I be scared?” 

“Honey, you know Phoenix and Hangman already.” 

“But I haven’t met all of them at the same time!” You reply, covering your face. “Okay, just tell me when, so I can get mentally prepared for it.” 

Bradley doesn’t respond for a few seconds before turning to the right and parking the car in front of a two-story light blue house. There are a few other cars and some bikes parked in the front, and you can hear animated conversation in the backyard. “...now?”

“Bradley Bradshaw, you have the worst timing in the history of timings.” You groan, looking at your brand new dress that he bought for you. “So that’s why you bought me this? So I didn’t get angry?” 

Bradley pouts, looking like a child who has lost his favorite toy. “Are you angry?” 

“I should.” You reply with a stern tone. 

“But you aren’t, right?” He leans closer to you, pecking you on the cheek. “Right?” 

“Don’t think kisses will fix this.” You scoff, grabbing your bag. 

“Well, it depends on where I kiss you. I'll show you tonight."

You feel your face burn at the teasing tone on his voice, and the silent promise of fun activities that might take place tonight. “Let’s get inside before you start something here.” 

Bradley gets out of the car, adjusting his clothes. Yellow Hawaiian shirt over a white t-shirt, and jeans. “You’re way too loud for that, baby girl.” 

“Bradley!” 

"Come on, everybody is waiting." He says, placing his hand on your lower back and leading you to the backyard.  

Bradley's family is sitting under the brown cedar outdoor pergola, talking and laughing as the day fades and the San Diego sky darkens. Phoenix and Hangman, the only two faces you can recognize, are talking with a blonde man with glasses. They seem to be sharing something from the past with the other man, because she keeps shaking her head every time Jake speaks, as if he weren't telling the story as it really was. 

There are more men and two other women, one of them seems pretty young. The blonde girl turns in your direction when he sees Bradley walking towards them, and when her face lits up, you know that she must be Amelia. Bradley talks a lot about her. 

“Roos!” 

“You need to stop growing up, look at you!” He gets closer to her, hugging her tightly and messing with her hair. 

“Hey! Don’t do that.” She whines, fixing her hair with her fingers, before turning to you. “You’re y/n! Bradley talks a lot about you.” 

Bradley’s ears turn red, and he clears his throat. “I don’t talk a lot. Just the normal amount.” 

“Puh-lease, Bradshaw. You literally spent three hours talking about how marvelous she is, how beautiful she is, how she is the most-” 

Bradley covers her mouth with his hand before she can keep embarrassing him. “It’s all lies.” 

You nod, tightening your lips in a thin line to not smile. “Sure, all lies.” 

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to the rest.” He grabs your hand and walks you up to his family. “Hey, where’s Mav?” 

“He’s with Mickey at the BBQ.” A woman with long, dark hair says, getting up from her seat. She’s Amelia’s mom, Penny. “And you, my dear, you must be the girl that has Bradley wrapped up around her finger.”

You chuckle, looking at your boyfriend. “I think it’s the other way around, ma’am.” 

You spend the next few minutes getting introduced to the other aviators and learning their names, their call signs, and the stories behind them. It feels like you're part of the family already. 

Maverick walks out of the BBQ station, Mickey close behind him, and places large amounts of meat on the dinner table set under the patio lights suspended from the big porch's ceiling. You don’t know who is behind the decoration, but they know how to create a cozy, inviting ambience. 

“Hey, Mav! Want you to meet someone.” Bradley speaks when the whole group reunites around the dinner table. 

“Oh, you’re y/n? And here I am, all greasy and sweaty.” Mav chuckles, offering you his hand. 

“That’s like your everyday outfit.” Penny chimes in, making the rest laugh. 

“Ignore my wife, please. She’s on a crusade to make me look like an idiot.” Maverick explains, rolling his eyes. 

“You don’t need any help with that, honey!” 

“I’m Pete Mitchell, but everyone calls me Maverick. Or just Mav.” He shakes your hand, chuckling at the fit of giggles around the room after her last dig against him. 

“Nice to meet you, sir.” 

The night goes on smoothly. Small conversations over the most delicious food, laughs, jokes, happy memories, and sad ones are shared... When Rooster told you about his family and how none of them were blood related to him, you were a bit skeptical about it. But seeing the way they talk and share stories, how they always have each other’s backs, how they make plans for the near future and for the distant future, knowing that no matter what life has in store for them, they will be there, makes you realize that this found family is in no way inferior to any other one. 

If any, it puts many families to shame. 

“He loves you.” Maverick says, sitting next to you once dinner is over, and everyone is scattered around the backyard, some of them even playing a game called, dogfight football. You’ve never heard of that before. 

“You think?” You ask him, playing with the edge of your dress. You haven’t said that yet. Not because you don’t feel it. You love him, and you’re sure of that. 

But somehow... it never seemed the right moment. 

“I know. I’ve known him all his life. He has it written on his forehead.” He chuckles, watching Bob fall to the ground trying to catch the ball. 

“I don’t know, Mav… We’ve been together for a while now, but… Maybe he’s not ready for a-” 

Mav raises a hand, stopping your train of thought. “He has lost every single member of his real family over the years, and for a while, he was alone. I wasn’t the godfather he needed, and I almost destroyed his career.”

“What did you do?” 

“I pulled his application from the Naval Academy,” Maverick admits, feeling horrible. 

“Oh god… Why would you do that?” 

He sighs, weighing his options. “His mother asked me to. He doesn’t know.” 

The news come as a shock. Why would he tell you this? He just met you! And now, you have that feeling of knowing a secret that you shouldn’t. 

“Mav… why are you telling me this?” You ask, wanting to know why he is trusting you with such information. 

“Because I want you to know that the other important woman in his life, his own mother, didn’t think he was prepared for being a fighter pilot.” Mav explains, watching Rooster and Hangman run around the backyard. “People have been underestimating him all his life. They thought he wasn’t prepared for the Navy, they thought he wasn’t prepared for the uranium mission…” 

“Uranium mission?” 

“That’s classified.” He grabs your hands, squeezing them a bit. “What I’m trying to tell you is that you may think that he’s not ready for a serious relationship, but he brought you here, with his family. He is ready.” 

You stop for a second, thinking about the implications of his words. He really did that. 

“He has brought you here, wanting to show you the family he has. The family that he wants you to be part of.” He insists, turning his head to look at all the members of this small but lovely family. 

“I’m not an aviator, Mav. I don’t fit in” 

Mav shakes his head. “Nobody wants you to fit. You’re different, and different doesn’t mean bad. It means that you have other specialties, and that we can learn a lot from you.” 

“I don’t have a lot to teach y’all.” You chuckle, looking at your hands. 

“I think you do. Bradley says that you encouraged him a lot on this last mission.” 

You smile, remembering Bradley sitting down on the kitchen table, looking at the report in his hands, wondering if he was able to pull it off, or if he was going to burn in. “He can do whatever he wants. He’s more capable than he thinks.” 

Maverick nods, kissing your hands before getting up. “And that’s why you’re here, love. To remind him that he can do whatever he sets his mind on. Even when the rest of the world tells him he can’t.” 

When Maverick walks away, you stay there for a while, thinking of everything he has said. Maybe he really is prepared for that serious relationship you crave. Maybe he just needs a bit of encouragement. 

“Honey, are you okay?” Bradley’s voice startles you, making him snort when you jump on the bench you have been sitting for a while. “Sorry.” 

“Don’t worry. I was just… thinking.” 

Bradley sits with you, removing his shirt and putting it over your shoulders. “About what?” 

“About how much I love you, how proud I am of you, and how glad I am to finally have met your family. Nat and I are going shopping together next week.” 

Rooster smirks, liking his lips, while an airy laugh leaves his body. “You realized what you’ve just said?” 

You nod, kissing the corner of his lips. “Want me to say it again?” 

He shakes his head, grabs your chin between his thumb and index finger, and lifts your head so he can look you in the eyes. “I love you too, y/n.” 

He leans in, kissing you softly and lovingly, and he’s worried that you can hear his loud heartbeat. 

“So you only needed a bit of courage, huh?” You joke, placing your head on his shoulder. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Nevermind.” 

Taglist:

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[amostexcellentblog]

Iceman: Hey there kids, so good to see you again! It's been too long!

Hangman: I was hoping Mav would come out first, but here we go. Right into the danger zone...

Rooster: Will you stop? I promise my pops doesn't actually hate you. Just relax and treat him like an old friend.

Iceman: Bradley, come give your old man a hug!

Rooster: Hi Pops. I'm gonna go say hello to dad.

Iceman: Good, he's been counting the minutes all week. Phoenix, congrats on your promotion!

Phoenix: Thank you, Tom.

Iceman: Coyote, heard you got engaged. Congratulations, you'll have to bring her next time.

Coyote: You got it, Icey!

Iceman: Bob, are those new glasses? Very spiffy, you'll have to tell me where you got them.

Bob: Thank you sir, they're from Warby Parker.

Iceman: Come on now, none of that "Sir" crap here, or "Admiral," I've told you all, when you're in my home I'm just your friend, no ranks or titles.

Bob: Right, sorry si... Tom! Sorry, Tom.

Iceman: That's alright. Fanboy, how's the new workout routine I recommended?

Fanboy: It's great, Iceman! I feel pumped and energized after every session. It's exactly what I needed.

Iceman: Glad to hear it. *Pats him on the back as he goes inside then turns to see Hangman is the only one left on the stoop.*

Iceman:...

Hangman: *Opens his arms for a hug as he lays on the southern charm* Well howdy... Pops...

Iceman: That's Admiral Kazansky, boy, show some respect!

Hangman: *Snaps to attention* Yes Sir!

[mrslectermoriarty]

Headcanon Series #20

I need the Daggers to have a TikTok Account, hear me out!

Coyote: "Were the Daggers, of course we look amazing in our flight suits." He does a twirl and strikes a pose. Applause behind the camera.

Cut to Halo: "Were the Daggers, of course we managed to get good callsigns." In the background someone yells “Fuck off, Egg White!”. Halo gives the camera a pointed look. “We definetly good the good call signs.”

Cut to Fanboy: "Were the Daggers, of course our CO is the Navy's greatest pilot." He holds up a picture of Maverick lying on the ground, he stumbled over his open shoelaces. “But seriously. He is.”

Cut to Fritz: "We're the Daggers, of course we've been at least once at Top Gun." The camera zooms out, so we can see the base he’s standing in front of. He does a thumbs up. “Crazy place!”

Cut to Hangman: "We’re the Daggers, of course we're the best of the best." Rooster in the background gives him the finger. Hangman doesn’t see it. Chuckling behind the camera. “What’s so funny?”

Cut to Phoenix: "We're the Daggers, of course we blackmail each other with embarassing photos." Bob is sitting in the background. He looks up into the camera and gives it a serious nod.

Cut to Omaha: "We're the Daggers, of course we look back at our academy days in shame." Fritz walks by and grimaces.

Cut to Payback, in a bar: "We're the Daggers, of course we loose a shit ton of money to each other when we play pool at the hard deck. Well, some of us." He smirks. Groaning behind the camera.

Cut to Bob: "We're the Daggers, of course we have a group chat." His phone lights up and he shows the screen to the camera. We see a group chat that gets new messages every couple seconds. “Guys? You know we’re all on the same base right now? We can actually talk to each other.”

Cut to Yale, it’s night by now and he’s standing in front of a dimly lit house in otherwise darkness. There’s whispering in the background. "We're the Daggers, of course we continue the tradition of raiding the CO's liquor stack."

Cut to Harvard, inside of a house. Looks like a living room. Everyone is standing in the middle of the room and shouting; it’s loud. Harvard looks bewildered. "We're the Daggers, of course our CO is married to an Admiral and didn't tell us about it. He also didn't tell us about one of us being his legal child." Cut to the zoomed in background where we can see a blurry figure standing in a corner with a glass in its hand. Cut to Harvard, now in selfie mode and close to his face. He whispers: “That’s the fucking COMPACFLT.”

Cut to Rooster in the same living room. He has a small, awkward smile on his face while Phoenix stands a bit behind him and looks pissed. "We're the Daggers, of course it never gets boring with us around, I guess." Hangman sneaks into the frame, kisses Rooster and runs away, yelling something like “it never does”. Rooster stands there, too stunned to speak. Behind the camera: “Wait, did he just-“

Cut to Maverick sitting in a comfortable looking armchair, elbows on his knees and a beer in his hands. He’s laughing into the camera and speaks with a soft voice: "They're my Daggers and of course they’re family." “No no no, you’re supposed to say- what, did you just call us family? Guys, Mav just called us his family!” Happy shouting erupts in the background and Maverick is being group-hugged by several aviators around him. The camera shakes and the video ends.

Beautiful inspiration, I must say…

[gryffindormarveltwilight]

All We Need - Part 8 - Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader

A/N: Here is Part 8! I am hoping to have one last part to be put up soon! As always feedback is welcome and request are always welcome!

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, spoilers for the mission in the movie, naval inaccuracies.

Mav’s POV

I watched as Iceman left the control room, I can only imagine to go and find Hangman. I however a, frozen thinking of Rooster and Athena, having to explain it to our families that they weren’t coming home. I wasn’t sure how long I was sat there but I could feel Hondos gaze on me every now. He announced that the other to plans had landed I stood up and walked to the flight deck. Looking around I saw Ice and Jake still sitting near the landing gear of his plane and Coyote was still sitting in the cockpit of his plane, Fanboy, Payback, Bob and Phoenix pop their canopies open, unlike the other Phoenix doesn’t wait before sliding out of her plane as soon as she hits the tarmac I watch as she drops to her knees, I go to move to her but am beaten by Hangman jumping up running to her taking her into his arms as both of them let out sobs. I cannot hear when Phoenix is saying but I can hear Hangman trying his best to comfort her. I see behind them Fanboy, Payback, Bob and Coyote all with tears from their eyes as Payback explains to the others what transpired out in the field. Iceman comes up next to me putting a hand on my shoulder.

“How are you holding up Mav?”

“What are we going to do Ice? We lost both of them.” Ice just sniffles in response, “How are we going to tell Zeus, Sarah, Y/M/N, Penny that their kids aren’t going to come home?”

“I don’t know Mav, I really don’t, she was the closest thing I had to a daughter and now she is gone.” I turn and hug Ice as we hear boots hitting the tarmac heavily. We spin to see Hondo looking out of breath and a wide smile confusing all of us and catching the attention of the dagger squad behind us.

“It is Rooster…..He is supersonic….In a F14.” Hondo stutters.

“Rooster can’t fly an F14 Sir.” Pheonix says from behind before Ice speaks.

“No but Athena can, I taught her.”

There is a look of shock on everyones face before Bob speaks, “So what can we do, we have to be able to go out and help them?”

“They don’t know anything other than he is supersonic, in the F14 headed back to the carrier, so for now we stand fast and wait for further details.” Hondo response.

“So we do nothing, that’s your answer!” Bob yells shocking everyone as he throws his helmet, Fanboy and Coyote putting a hand on his shoulder, Bob had just said what everyone else was thinking just no-one expected Bob to be the one to say it. Ice mutters that he is going make to the control room to know what is happening before he stops as a radio transmissions all of a sudden being heard through the radio in the plane we were next to.

“Comanche this is Dagger Two do you copy?” We hear Roosters voice.

“Go a head Dagger 2.”

“Athena and I are airborne heading northeast, we have had company.”

“Dagger two, repeat?”

“Two contacts were following us, no we are heading back to the ship, our plane is damaged, very damaged. I am going to keep an open line of communication ” I smile at the use of the word ‘were’ knowing they won a dog fight against to better planes.

“Roger Dagger Two.”

“WHERE IS IT ROOSTER, TALK TO ME!” There is a collective sigh of release hearing Athena’s voice but we all note the panic in it as well.

“I can’t see him Athena, he is a ghost.”

“No he isn’t…..he is on our nose.”

Without hesitation Jake grabs his helmet from the deck and runs to his jet, pushing through some of the deck crew trying to stop him, saying he is not cleared for take off, before Ice or myself can give the order to let him go we hear Cyclone yell from behind.

“Hangman, bring them home!” Indirectly giving the all clear order, with a quick salute Jake’s plane launches off the carrier as he turns to head in the direction of the coordinated Rooster is yelling through the comms.

We all turn back to the radio as we listen to Rooster and Athena fighting for their lives.

“We are all out of flares Athena!”

“Rooster when we are high enough grab those handles and pull as hard as you can. Make sure the canopy is clear and eject”

“Athena I can’t leave you.”

“Yes you can and you will that is a direct order! You need to eject!” There was silence before we hear Athena yell again, “Rooster EJECT!!”

“The handle is broken I can’t eject Athena.”

“I’m sorry Mav.” I feel my heart drop, with what was possibly her last sentence she was still apologising for not protecting Rooster for . Now we all sit there and pray Hangman gets to them in time.

Y/Ns POV

I wasn’t sure how we managed to pull off a dog fight with two superior enemy aircrafts, you let out a breath though when you hear Rooster confirm the second kill turning back onto course to the ship. I smile as I hear Rooster finally get ahold of the ship, silently hoping that the daggers, Ice and Mav are all listening so they know that we are alive hopefully deploying back up. After Rooster tells the ship that our plane has damage the radars start beeping like crazy.

“WHERE IS IT ROOSTER, TALK TO ME!” I scream panic lacing my voice as I start looking around Rooster doing the same thing.

“I can’t see him Athena,,,,he is a ghost.” My heart drops Rooster can’t see him on radar or in person means only one thing.

“No he isn’t…….he is on our nose.” I hesitate for a second evaluating our options we can’t out run him and we don’t have any ammunition left, there was only one option. Rooster had to eject. I pull the throttle up so we go straight over the top of the other jet, I could out run him just long enough to get altitude for Rooster to punch out. That’s when I heard the tone of a missile lock and I see the enemy aircraft made its way behind us, as I see the release of the missile I pull back flying over the top of the enemy as Rooster lets off the flares. Suddenly the plane is circling back towards us as I pull the throttle climbing higher in altitude when I hear Rooster behind me.

“We are all out of flares Athena!”

“Rooster when we are high enough grab those handles and pull as hard as you can. Make sure the canopy is clear and eject”

“Athena I can’t leave you.”

“Yes you can and you will that is a direct order! You need to eject!” There was silence as I watch the altitude gage, “Rooster EJECT!!”

“The handle is broken I can’t eject Athena.”

“I’m sorry Mav.” I feel my heart drop, I am hoping that they can still hear me as I silently pray and apologise to everyone in my head that we are about to leave behind. I know I picked Mav to say sorry to after all Rooster is basically his son and he would be the one to have to tell our family what happened. I closed my eyes think of Jake and Daisy, how he was going to explain this, if they were going to be okay, knowing it would be tough initially especially on Jake, Daisy was young enough to not know what was happening, hoping Jake would tell her stories about us as kids. I let out a breath “I love you Jake.” I whispered to no-one hoping maybe by any luck he would hear it as I hear the missile tone lock on our plane hearing Rooster mumble something I can’t quite make out, when we hear the explosion, my eyes shoot open as I notice our plane is not spinning out nor is it on fire instead seeing a cloud of smoke I let out a small laugh as an all too familiar voice through the radio.

“Good afternoon ladies and gents this is your saviour speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts and return your tray to their upright position and l prepare for landing.” Rooster and I both let out a laugh.

“You look good Hangman.” Rooster says in a laugh.

“I am good Rooster, I am very good. See you both back on the ship.” We turn tail heading back to the ship as we see Jake preparing to land, I radio through to control to let them know we are preparing to land with not landing gear or hook, as we see them raise the barricade, I fly over the top of the ship buzzing the bridge on the way over causing Rooster to laugh. As I line the plane up with the tarmac I feel a jolt.

“Please tell me we didn’t lose an engine Athena?”

“Okay, I won’t tell you that. Brace for impact Rooster this is gonna be a very rough landing.” I throttle back to slow the plane as we hit the tarmac we are jolted forward and we pop the canopy open. I take a deep breath with my eyes closed and relax in my seat before Rooster taps on me shoulder, a huge grin on his face as we look at the crowd surrounding us. We jump down off the wreckage, Rooster is quickly pulled into Mavs arms and Ice spends no time before wrapping my tightly in his arms.

“You scared the hell out of me Sweetie.”

“I love you too Ice.”

He breaks away from me giving me a final kiss on the forehead before Mav wraps me in his arms and Ice hugs Rooster. Mav looks at me in the eyes a silent thank you for keeping Rooster safe. I just nod and hug him again. He lets go as the team begins hugging us all of them tears running down there eyes, I notice that all of them hug a bit tighter than normal all of them whispering into the hugs how glad they are we are alive along with a few threat about not doing anything like that again. After they all break away joining in the celebration I notice the absence of the one person I was actively looking for. I suddenly spot him across the crowd an unreadable expression on his face. I am broken out of my staring contest with Bob tapping me on the shoulder pointing to Rooster and Phoenix kissing on the tarmac making me smile even more. Rooster breaks from the kiss looking at me shouting out.

“We had a deal Athena!” With that I turn seeing Jake still standing in the same spot eyes trained on me I take off in a sprint dodging people left and right, the moment I was close enough I jumped into his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist, his arms immediately wrapping around my waist tighter than ever before. I pull back looking him in the eyes. “I love you too Athena.” I look at him confused.

“You heard me?”

“I will always hear you.” With that he smashes his lips against mine as we hear louder cheering closer to us then before. Breaking apart we see the whole dagger squad standing there cheering but none smiling wider the Iceman. I turn and look back at Jake.

“You are not replaceable Y/N and you are all Daisy and I will ever need.”

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[callsign-joyride]

The Tortured Poets Department - Tom "Iceman" Kazansky

Summary: Tom surprises you with a proposal. Content Warnings: Fluff, and this is so short (sorry) Pairing: Tom "Iceman" Kazansky x reader Lyric: "At dinner, you take my ring off my middle finger and put it on the one people put wedding rings on, and that's the closest I've come to my heart exploding."

Buy me a coffee

It was one of your favorite times where you and Tom would have a date night at one of the local restaurants. There wasn’t really any reason in particular for the date nights, but the two of you liked to take the time to enjoy each other’s company without any distractions. It never took too long for you to get a table, since he usually called in advance to save a table. The waitress took your drink orders and you talked for a few minutes before she came back with your beers and complimentary chips and dip.

“Hey, let me see your hand real quick,” he said as he pointed to your left hand. 

“Um, okay. Is there a reason why?” You asked. He just shook his head and gently reached for your hand, gazing at the sapphire ring on your middle finger that he got you while he was deployed in France. You both chuckled as he moved it to your ring finger. 

“I just wanted to see how it looked on the right finger,” he said. 

“Are you-,”

“Not tonight, no.”

The two of you had talked about family expectations in the past, and you both knew that you wanted to get married and have kids someday. You never put any pressure on him to propose, since he had mentioned that he wanted to wait until he was able to rank up before making a big life decision. You had a condo together, but everything else was separate for the most part. You’d pay the cable bill when he was on deployment, but he’d pay half of it when he was home since you were both using it. 

You ordered a cheesecake and began to split it, taking the rest home and putting it in the fridge. You cracked open another beer and sat on the couch while Tom listened to any voicemails. There were some drunken ones from Maverick and Goose, but that was pretty much it. 

Charlie had invited you over for lunch the next day, and you talked about your night while sharing a fruit salad.

“I think he’s gonna propose soon. He told me that he wasn’t going to propose last night, but he did the ring thing. I don’t know what else to think of it, y’know?”

She chuckled and stabbed a piece of watermelon with her fork.

“What?”

“Okay, I’m not supposed to say anything. He’s gonna propose next weekend before the air show. He’s put a lot of effort into the whole thing, so don’t make it seem like you know that something’s up.”

The week went by quickly, and before you knew it, you and Tom were driving to base for the air show. You agreed to drop him off and watch takeoff with the Bradshaws, since it would be less crowded than the field that they would be flying over. Tom held your hand as he walked over to his jet and made sure that everything was in working order. Carol and Bradley were across the tarmac with Goose and Maverick, so you really weren’t sure how Tom planned on proposing.

He said that he needed to make sure that his shoes were tied tight enough, which wasn’t out of the ordinary for him. You turned around and waved to Bradley and Carol, and then Carol screamed and told you to turn around.

Tom was on one knee with a diamond ring in a small, black leather box. You let out a squeal and he grinned as he started to give his speech about how much he loved you and how much he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with you.

“Will you marry me?” He asked. You nodded and he stood up, giving you a hug and a kiss before slipping the ring on your finger.

“Oh my God, it’s beautiful.”

“I had it made out of recycled parts. Mav’s idea.”

“Huh, I never thought he’d be good for anything,” you said with a laugh. Tom laughed and spun you around in his arms before putting you back down.

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[missmarveledsblog]

Flumpy ( jake seresin x reader ) part 14

summary : jake meets the infamous peanut , feels bumpy kicking as the guys and well everyone is so glad he is home ... he happy to be home cause he get to see his baby on the little screen and help prepare for when they come into a world

warning: slight insecurity but not much , pregnancy themes and hormones , just regular fluff and goofy humour we've come to love from these two .

a.n. ok gif wise pretend that the blood isn't there because come on jake would definitely be a mess seeing his little bumpy on the screen .

previous part

Maybe it was cause she was wrapped in the sheet cuddle up with the man she loved , maybe it was fact for first time in three months she wasn't sexually frustrated but the morning after jake returned home she woke with a smile . eyes tracing over his sleeping feature  this was what she loved most  this big beautiful man who could charm the pope and make the devil himself blush . Never did she believe in true love and all that romance shit  that was til  a tall texan made her swoon and fall harder then she ever did . it wasn’t scary  , it didn’t scare her as much as she thought it would no she knew deep in her heart this was that one , the one that was going to be their til the end . her gut told her as much or wait was that ? 

“ OH MY GOD “ She shrieked sending the sleeping blonde wide eyed and up in the bed . 

“ what’s wrong , is it the baby … we need to go hospital?” he was almost out of the bed only for her hand yanking his placing it on her stomach , his brow furrow completely confused and honestly both terrified and sleep ridden . til she look into his eyes and the little thump against his hand  that made his own eyes get a bit .. tiny bit watery . 

“ kicking ,the baby is kicking…. Awh jake your crying  “ her wide smiled , bright eyes looking at him filled with nothing but love shit how did he get this lucky . 

“ you scared shit out of me “ he wiped his eyes although they both knew he wasn’t fooling anyone . “ shit bradshaw is right is dusty out here” he fanned around himself as she rolled her eyes . 

What he didn’t think would happen was the nerves this woman would give him  as she rushed towards  the hard deck as he told her slow her roll as she was carrying precious cargo and yet she of course didn’t listen to a word he said moment she got in  crouch as the bounding ball of fur came charging at them nearly knocking her back . 

“ my baby boy “ she cooed kissing as the dog licked her face .  “sorry our baby boy” she corrected lifting the puppy up . “ peanut look daddy’s home “ she giggled as jake rolled his eyes  but rubbed the dog anyways ok he could see why she loved him as much 

“ i warned you that would happen” she looked up to see her dad and rooster standing at the bar. Roo was looking a little betrayed at sudden disappearance of the little guy he was feeding . 

“ yeah i’ll be his favorite in no time  , hey pretty girl .. pretty baby .. bagman” he smiled . “ hey it’s uncle roo kid i’m the fun one who will get you shit when your folk say no” he croutched at her belly feeling around . “ come on i’ll get you a car now if you kick for me” he nudged her belly . 

“ i cried when i felt y/n kick for first time too “ mav smiled hugging jake . “ also welcome back “ he added. 

“ i cried cause she woke me out the best sleep my life” he groaned wishing he had his ass back in bed . 

“ yeah yeah liar but ok boomer” she rolled her eyes . 

“ when that start” jake asked . 

“ like a week after you left “ mav hummed .  “ she says ok grandpa for me but i don’t think she means it the way i think it does “. 

“ course i do “ she patted his cheek as jake and rooster shook their heads . 

 “ so you excited to be daddy” penny asked softy . 

“ shit he already is …. Sorry dad” she winced . 

“ i just phase you out now kid honestly “ he huffed but look on his face told different story . 

“ yeah i am shit i miss so much but least i get to be there now “  he kissed her head as rooster took peanut . 

“ yeah good luck my friend” mav chuckled as she shot him a glare. 

“ i wasn’t that bad “ she rolled her eyes. 

“ HANG MAN THANK GOD YOUR HOME “ Javy  crashed into the blonde . 

“ I never thought i would so happy see you home “ payback hug him tightly. 

“ you were saying ?” Mav chuckled . 

“ bobby  tell them i was an angel “ she huffed . 

“ good to see you jake really …. Pickles and taco help “ he whispered  . 

“ your lucky your adorable “ she grumbled walking to their usually spot . 

“Hey hangman!  welcome home … good luck “ yale smiled walking by .

“ well that’s not worrying “ rooster looked back to the were she say smiling like butter didn’t melt or she wasn’t a hormonal filled nutjob .

Getting back into routine after being away as well as navigating life with a six and half month pregnant girlfriend well was a little  hard at first but after first week he  had it down or so he thought when she cried because someone ate the last of her chocolate  which was her the night before or when she wanted to take one of the ducks from the good duck park cause he looked a bit off color which stupidly he asked how she could tell.   He met luke  nice kid although he still didn’t understand why she was calling him a kid he was what two years younger than her but wasn’t even questioning her on it he learned his lesson .  now here he was helping her out the car smiling at her wearing his clothes ready to take on the so called dreaded birthing classes with the wanna be housewives of san diego .  the two walked he didn’t the problem everyone seemed friendly even when they walked into the class . 

“ oh y/n  another brother is it “ a woman called . 

“ hey michelle  actually this is .. “ 

“ oh what  handsome man you are ,  is this one single , he would be perfect for my annabeth “ she continued as he could visibly see the smoke coming off her girl . 

“ oh my god michelle your right like a barbie and ken but real life “ another clapped . 

“ well michelle sorry this ken is mine tell annabitch to find another ken for her barbie” she grumbled . 

“I like bratz not barbies “ jake added as they headed towards lila .  she smiling proudly up at her man all the way over. 

“ bratz dolls ?” 

“ i have a lot of sisters” he winked kissing her head. 

“ hi you must be jake heard a lot about you … a lot”lila smiled .

“ you must be kelce same as what she said” she beamed as they two naval officers gave a nod.  

“ we know each other and  know you two “ jake nodded.

“ both heard how bitchy the class is”kelce added. 

“ to be honest i show up to piss em off “ y/n beamed happily .

“ from michelle face looks like you did it earlier today personal best” lila giggled . 

“ yeah well her and annabitch wanna humble themselves quickly” she shrugged as jake snorted. 

“ come trouble this must be the teacher right “ jake and her sat down . 

“ hey annie look jakes home “ she called. 

“Welcome home jake and kelce welcome to our class all though i will miss the eye candy”  she mused. 

“ oh shit yeah i have bobby’s number , the adorable one “ she waved the paper as the teacher walked around greeting  everyone and taking the number with a mouthed “ thank you” . 

After the class well he couldn’t help agree with her and promised never to doubt her again about snobby housewives and their stink eyes but honestly the thought went straight out of his mind when it came time for their next stop which was the one he was looking forward to since he found out being there for her check up and getting to see the baby and this one was even more special when they were finding out what their little bumpy was . she smile and greeted everyone by name asked them little parts of their lives and honestly he loved that about her. How she was able to remember little details about people and  also filled him with pride when she excited told them who he was .   he followed as  she was lead down the hall talking again with the doctor asking how his wife and kids where as he told her.  Now they sat in the room definitely nothing like the ones he sat in before looking at the different pamphlets on birth and childhood disease . watching as the doctor do what he assume was the usually given how it was now so normal for her the pang of guilt know she done all the appointments alone before .  popping her (his) shorts little as the doctor put the tissue paper on the waist band . she turned and held out her hand  for him to take shit why was he so nervous . 

“ ready to see our baby” she smiled and yet words failed him as his smiled so wide all he could do was nod. 

“ we’re finding out gender right?” the doctor smiled between them . 

“ bet your ass we are him and roo are painting the nursery this weekend “ she giggled excited as  the light dimmed and the two’s eyes locked on the screen . 

First it was black and white blur and fuzz on the screen then he saw it . the sight that made his heart beat and his smile wide and shit was dusty here too as he felt the tears fill his eyes looking at the now baby shape , it wasn’t a blob or  weird shaped potato as rooster called it at start it was a baby full shaped baby  . he could see the little hands , arm . legs and feet moving as doctor was telling them the measurement and that everything was fine in 3D . The little nose and lips he was looking at his baby’s little face god they were beautiful  . then  her hand that was swinging stop  and her head shot up  . 

“ is that another … am i seeing things” she asked as his eye flickered between the two as the doctors brows furrow . 

“ what .. whats wrong “ he asked his heart beating and his stomach twisting what was wrong . 

“ i’ll be dammed you know i never seen something like this  huh guess this one is shy” he chuckled. 

“ this one what you mean this one  “ she asked her voice doing the squeaky nervous thing it did . 

“ seems as though  you got more than you bargained for guys “ he smiled. 

“ is the baby ok “ jake asked . 

“ oh of course seems as both are “ 

“ both as in two … two babies not  just an extra arm and head on the one” she asked almost a little hopeful  . 

“ nope two healthy baby girls here” 

“ i think i’m gonna pass out or throw up … check and make sure  there’s not more in there “ she squeaked looking down at her stomach as jake  didn’t know whether to cheer throw up or pass out himself. 

“ nope just two in there guess this one was shy …monochorionic twins it seems “. 

“ english doc?” he asked finally finding his voice although it was nearly as high pitched as hers .

“ identical twin… congratulations you two let me go get you some copies of these”  . 

“ girls as in plural” like their brains fully catching up to the whole thing . 

“ wow i’m having a litter of kids i blame you “ she snorted  as two burst into laughter til it died down . 

“ oh boy “ he gulped . 

“ oh girls “ she corrected .  

part 15

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