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nolita-fairytale · 2 years ago

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call sign: tennessee whiskey | rooster x fem!reader & hangman x phoenix | chapter one

summary: phoenix has always wanted to set up her two best friends in the navy -- ones that have, for whatever reason, still never crossed paths. that's all about to change when you get called back to TOPGUN for a special mission.

warnings: enemies to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, swearing, mentions of death, strong possibility of military inaccuracies, second person pov, no use of y/n,

wc: 4.2k

a/n: not me having the audacity to take a crack at a top gun: maverick fic. this is what happens when i watch tgm 7x in one week. a fic is born. and in my defense, this cast has so much damn chemistry how could i not?! this is a oneshot idea that turned into a series that's turned into a series and a sequel? oops. 10/10 recommend listening to the song tennessee whiskey by chris stapleton.

masterlist | the playlist | chapter two

She’s shocked but she knows better than to be surprised.

At least that’s what Phoenix reminds herself as she watches the heated interaction between Rooster and Hangman at the pool table. It can’t have been more than five minutes since Rooster’s arrival for the two of them to get into it. And the way he looked at her just a moment ago? With his smug, annoyingly handsome, overconfident face right before taking another dig at Rooster?

She hates it.

And she hates that it made her feel something.

She can’t put her finger on it: disgust, unadulterated rage, whatever the hell else would make you want to kiss and kill someone at the same time.

She exchanges unamused glances with Rooster once again, shaking her head in the beyond cocky fighter pilot.

“Well, he sure hasn’t changed,” she scoffs, watching as Hangman makes his way back to the jukebox to select another song.

“Nope. Sure hasn’t,” Rooster agrees with dismay.

“Check it out. More badges,” Payback says, turning his attention to the way of the new arrivals. “That’s Harvard, Yale, Omaha… shit that’s Fritz.”

“What kind of mission is this?” Fanboy asks, taking note as the best of the best continue to arrive at the Hard Deck tonight.

As Phoenix asks the question everyone is wondering – who the hell the US Navy plans to teach the top 1% of fighter pilots – she notices Rooster’s disappeared from the conversation around the pool table. It doesn’t take long before someone’s cut the power to the jukebox causing a collective groan to ring out within the four walls of the Hard Deck.

A smile creeps across Phoenix’s face as she knows exactly where Rooster’s gone. The sound of a few riffs on the piano being played catch her attention, and she excuses herself from the pool table. She joins her good friend she met at flight school, in all of his Hawaiin shirt-clad glory.

“You missed me, Trace?” Rooster says, stealing a glance from the side of his old friend.

“Not even a little bit,” she teases him in return.

But Rooster understands.

What she means is ‘yes I have,’ and ‘you could’ve called.’

The commotion of Maverick being thrown out of the bar interrupts their brief reunion, and while Phoenix watches, Rooster occupies himself with the task at hand. His large aviators that cover his eyes make it easier to ignore the fact that the closest thing he’d ever had to a father figure had been called back to North Island too. His long fingers run over the keys of the barely-in-tune piano of the Hard Deck, unwilling to acknowledge the presence of the man. Instead, he charges forward, noticing how easy it is to slip into the familiar rhythm of being back at TOPGUN.

Outside of the bar, Jake’s having a little too much fun throwing the old aviator overboard with Payback and Coyote. As he heads back inside, he doesn’t join Payback and Fanboy at the piano with the rest of them, instead choosing to head to the bar for another round of beers. He leans back against the bar, watching as the whole bar seems wrapped in singing along to Rooster’s personal anthem. Hangman takes another swig of his beer amused by the sight.

He’s not sure why he’s so hesitant to join in on the fun but he doesn’t move – can’t let Rooster have this one. Hangman lets his gaze linger on Phoenix from a distance as she dances (in his opinion) a little too closely for his liking to Rooster.

He’ll never admit it, but he’s always been entranced by the woman he met at TOPGUN all those years ago at his graduation. She was a part of the incoming class, the one right behind his, and he’s not sure how, in the same damn khaki uniform as everyone else, she’s always looked this good.

Her eyes light up as someone or something across the room catches her attention, and she’s practically jumping up, sprinting across the Hard Deck and into the arms of another naval aviator.

And for the first time tonight, a genuine smile spreads across his lips.

He wondered when you’d show.

As soon as he got the call, you’d texted him immediately asking if he’d gotten the same request for this mysterious special op. Earlier, when he’d watched Harvard and Yale roll in with Halo, your WSO he knew your arrival was almost moments away. But you’d never been the most punctual when it came to your personal life, so he wasn’t surprised that you were running behind. Jake chuckles to himself thinking about all the trouble you used to get into at the academy for not being on time. Almost got you kicked out a few times too, if he recalls correctly.

It'd been too long since he’d seen you last, now that you were stationed at Lemoore. He loved teasing you about what a Californian you’d turned into, now that you’d been out of Texas.

“Gonna start callin’ you Phoenix if you spend any more time in California, kid,” he’d teased you during your last phone call, referencing the LA native you both admired.

But Jake’s almost forgotten about how close you are with Natasha – the three of you always circling around each other, never quite in the same place at the same time. He’s definitely forgotten (or at least tried to) the time you called him a lovesick idiot after he wouldn’t shut up about a certain fighter pilot he’d met during a certain deployment.

What could he say?

His first deployment with Phoenix had left… quite the impression on him… and you knew him well enough to call him out on it.

Of course, Phoenix had wanted nothing to do with him at the time. His usual tricks – that Southern Charm and perfectly symmetrical face – only seemed to repulse her even more and he had to admit that it made him like her even more.

“Whiskey!” she practically shouts, as Jake watches the two of you embrace.

“Sorry I’m late. I would’ve come earlier if I knew there was a singalong,” you smirk, taking in the sigh of the more than jovial crowd huddled around the piano. “But once I hit LA traffic. Shit. That’s what I get for leaving for wanting to take my own damn car.”

“Oh I think he’s just getting started,” she replies, nodding towards Rooster.

Before you can say anything else, before you can take a good look at the man behind the piano, Hangman’s cut your reunion-for-two short.

“Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in,” he croons, his Texas drawl prominent in the way he says each word.

“Hangman, you son of a bitch!” you squeal, meaning the last part in the most endearing way possible.

“Hey, kid,” he greets you with the biggest smile you’ve seen all day.

You immediately wrap your arms around his neck, jumping into his arms. Jake picks you up, spinning you around before setting you back down on the ground as you laugh. Your public display of affection earns a few looks your way, and Phoenix pretends to vomit on the floor in response.

You laugh again, “You think I’d get a free pass after putting up with this one for over ten years.”

“This… is something I’ll never understand,” Natasha replies, gesturing towards the space between the two of you.

“You jealous, Phoenix?” Hangman asks, a confidence behind his words.

Nat sends a snarky look his way before answering, dryly:

“Only in your dreams, Bagman.”

“You’re right about that,” he flirts shamelessly, giving her a wink.

“Oh gross!” you say with an eye roll. You playfully punch Jake in the chest, pushing him away from you and Natasha.

“Get your own friend. Besides, Nat and I have some catching up to do and I’m in need of a drink,” you continue, earning a groan from Jake.

“What? I can’t watch?” he smirks, earning another fake vomit from Phoenix.

“No, Bagman,” you tease, using the callsign you know Nat loves to demean him with. “We’re gonna talk shit about you.”

He shoots you a look, shaking his head at your snarky remark. He knows it’s out of love – at least from you. He concedes, tipping his beer towards you as a form of ‘cheers’ before taking a few steps away.

You and Nat exchange a laugh, before linking arms and heading towards the bar.

“I don’t know how you’ve put up with him for more than five minutes,” she remarks, searching for an available bartender.

“He’s not all that bad once you get past all the bullshit. And there’s a lot of it,” you reply honestly.

“No thanks,” Phoenix dismisses, before flagging down Penny.

You watch as she orders the two of you a round of beers and you can’t help but find it funny how quick she was to dismiss Jake. It’s true: you’ve always thought the two of them were more alike than they were different. Sure, Jake made questionable decisions on the daily. But even after all of these years, he still had more heart than anyone you’d met this side of the Mississippi.

“How was your trip?” you ask Phoenix, making small talk to start.

“It was alright. Came in a few days earlier to see some family in LA first,” she answers with a shrug.

“How’s your mom?” you ask, curiously.

And Phoenix answers, filling you in that her mom is doing much better than the last time you talked, and her brother and his wife are moving back to LA. You tell her that you’re finally getting used to California, while the two of you wonder about this top secret, special mission that you’ve all been called back to TOPGUN for.

“Oh! Speaking of the best of the best. Uh… my best friend is here,” she starts with a smile on her face.

“Excuse me. I thought… I was your best friend… at least in the Navy,” you tease her.

She rolls her eyes playfully, “No, I mean. Rooster. I’ve actually been wanting to introduce the two of you for years...”

Phoenix gestures towards the man behind the piano still going at it, and you move over to get a good look at him. He’s hot. You’ll give her that. And you’re not usually into the whole mustache thing but it somehow seems to make him even more attractive. His oversized aviators are hanging off his face as he pounds away at the keys of the piano and you can’t imagine what grown adult man would wear Hawaiin shirts by choice.

And yet, everything about him you’d normally find cringe-worthy in a man, he seems to pull off.

He knows it too.

There’s a group of girls gathered around the piano that are gossiping as they watch him riff on another instrumental song.

And boy is he eating it up: the attention, the praise, he knows he has the ears of everyone at the Hard Deck tonight.

“The piano player. From flight school?” you question, curiously, as you begin to connect the dots.

“Yeah!” she answers, her eyes lighting up at your immediate recognition. “Yeah that’s where we met. Reminds me of you, actually. Just the way we both clicked instantly… and you’ve both become life-long friends.”

You think back to your first deployment as a naval aviator. You and Phoenix were sent on a mission in Sarajevo and had become fast friends. At first, you wondered if you grew so close so quickly because you were the only women on that deployment, but you’d discovered over the years that your friendship with Nat was unique. While you’d usually expect a fast friendship to fizzle out, your relationship with Nat had only grown stronger over the years.

“Hm,” you sound in response, giving Rooster another lookover.

Nat’s other best friend.

Sure.

Nat’s hot other best friend.

“What’s with the porn ‘stache?” you ask, playfully.

She chuckles, “Long story for a different time.”

“C’mon! I’ll introduce you to everyone else,” Phoenix encourages you, grabbing your hand and practically dragging you over to the pool table with her.

“Gentleman,” she says cooly, greeting the uniform-clad men that surround the pool table.

“This is Whiskey,” she announces, introducing you. “Top of her class at TOPGUN and the only person on the planet that can get me to drink the worm at the bottom of a bottle of tequila.”

“Yo, I’ve heard about you,” Payback says, immediately recognizing your callsign.

“I could say the same about you, Payback,” you reply, and he’s surprised to see you already know his callsign. “Coyote, ‘s always a pleasure.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he nods to you.

“Wait. You two already know each other?” Payback asks, looking from you to Coyote.

“Texas,” you both answer at the same time, exchanging a smile.

“Us Texans gotta stick together. Especially at the top,” Coyote clarifies.

“I’m Fanboy. And this here is Harvard and Bob,” Fanboy says, finishing his introduction of at least the aviators engaged in the game at the time.

“It’s nice to meet you two,” you reply, looking from Fanboy to Harvard.

You notice that it seems like Rooster’s little performance has ended and the jukebox has been plugged back in. It doesn’t surprise you that Hangman’s slipped out, probably to cue up his own personal soundtrack for the night. Bob is busy lining up his pool cue, but you already know him from Lemoore. He and Fanboy continue their game, and you wonder where Halo snuck off to.

Bob shoots his shot, missing miserably with a sigh as the rest of the aviators cry out in supportive disappointment for him.

“Bob, ya really can’t do better than that, huh?” you hear the Southern drawl of Jake heading your way.

You and Phoenix exchange a look, knowing just how much Jake is going to enjoy picking on the little guy.

“Let me show you how it’s really done,” Jake smirks, snatching the pool cue out of Fanboy’s hands as he struts towards the pool table.

You decide that someone needs to humble him, and you know just how you’re going to do it.

“Easy there, Seresin,” you say, intercepting his gait. You stand your ground, right between him and the pool table, blocking his way.

Jake stops in his tracks, as you stand toe to toe with him, barely inches apart from each other in a battle of the egos. Coyote lets out a whistle and you can hear Phoenix and Bob snickering in the corner as they watch on.

“You see, I can’t let you do that because… it’s my turn, actually,” you challenge him, a rebellious look on your face. “So you’re just going to have to wait for yours.”

“Damn. You gonna let her talk to you like that, Hangman?” Coyote whistles, always amused by how willing you are to throw yourself in front of the moving bus that is Jake Seresin.

“Don’t let her fool you. Whiskey’s always been sweet on me. Ain't that right, kid?” he coos, his eyes never leaving yours.

“HA!” you hear Nat laugh loudly, as you raise your eyebrows up at Jake.

You don’t dare break eye contact. There’s no way in hell he’s winning this one.

He shoots you a look that says, ‘you really want to do this right now?’ and you shoot him a look that says, ‘you’re being a bully.’

“Bullshit. She’s got you by the balls, lieutenant,” Phoenix hollers.

“And he wouldn’t have it any other way,” you say, winking in her direction. You refocus your attention back on your best friend, pressing your lips together in a thin line “Besides, we all know that Hangman here has a soft spot for women who degrade him.”

You grab the pool cue out of his hand before bringing your opposite hand to tap him twice on the cheek, eliciting another round and whoops and hollers from the group of guys.

“Ain’t that right, Bagman?” you throw in, parroting his condescending phrase from earlier.

Jake shakes his head, knowing that you won this one as he watches you move around the pool table to set up your next shot. Bob watches on, impressed with the way you stood up to Hangman like that, especially in defense of himself.

“If nobody warned you, Bob, the ‘T’ in Texas stands for trouble,” Coyote remarks, nudging Bob as he settles in next to the WSO.

While you’re busy celebrating your win with Bob, Fanboy, and Phoenix, Rooster’s across the room, closing out his tab and grabbing his last beer of the night. He eyes you carefully. He’s never seen someone standup to Hangman like that, nor has he witnessed Hangman take it. He’s heard about you – remembered what Nat’s said over the years: that you were her other best friend, that you were one hell of a pilot, that he should stop making shitty decisions with women and just let her set the two of you up.

And after what he’s seen tonight? He’s intrigued.

You’re electric, and he’s impressed.

What he doesn’t remember is Nat ever mentioning that you knew Hangman – let alone this well. Were you and Hangman a thing? He can see a closeness between the two of you – a kind of intimacy he’s never seen Hangman have with anyone, despite the revolving door of women he seems to keep around whenever they’ve been deployed together. But it doesn’t make sense, because why the hell would Phoenix want to set him up with someone if she were Hangman’s girl?

Rooster makes his way over to the pool table after you and Hangman’s confrontation, his lips pressed to the top of the glass bottle.

Hangman’s hanging out on the edge of the group, flipping through something on his phone with his right hand and nursing a beer in his left.

He doesn’t want to sound too interested, but curiosity gets the best of him as he asks, “What was that all about?”

“What?” Jake shoots back, looking up from his smartphone.

“You and Whiskey…” Rooster says, trying not to sound too desperate for information.

But Hangman picks up on Rooster’s interest in his best friend immediately. He smirks, knowing that his relationship with you is just another thing he can use to get under Bradshaw’s skin.

“Spent a little time at the naval academy together, that’s all,” Hangman replies vaguely. When he’s met with silence, Jake knows that he’s got something here. He turns to his rival, scanning for a reaction on Rooster’s face.

“What? You interested?”

Instead of answering, Rooster just shakes his head, taking another swig of his beer. It doesn’t take long for Natasha to steal Rooster away so that she can introduce the two of you, her eyes glimmering with excitement and the gears turning in her head.

“Call it a rescue,” she mutters under breath as she drags him away from Hangman’s presence.

Much to Nat’s disappointment, the introduction isn’t much. Just an exchange of hellos, names and callsigns before Halo comes to find you for a catch up.

The rest of the night goes on, accompanied by Hangman’s pick of tunes, and it’s filled with old friends, catch ups, and a few more rounds of pool. It’s good to be back here. In a way it feels nostalgic, and anyone would be lying if they couldn’t admit that being selected to be a part of this mission was a huge boost for the ego. While it’s cool to have some Lemoore buddies with you, it’s good to see your old friends too – the ones you don’t get to see as often – like Jake. Like Phoenix. These are bonds forged in battle, and people you’d trust with your life.

It’s not till the end of the night that you realize that you may have had one too many, so you step out for some air. San Diego is perfect almost year round, you think, as you watch the waves crash against each other.

“You good? I saw you slip out,” you hear a voice say.

You’re surprised to find Rooster standing behind you, just outside of the entrance of the Hard Deck. You hadn’t gotten much time to meet him, despite Nat’s best efforts.

“Yeah, I just think I’ve had a little too much to drink. Wanted to get some air,” you reply with a small laugh. “Thanks though. For checking in.”

“Can’t have you gettin’ into any trouble. Nat would kill me,” he says, taking a few steps toward you.

This time, you fully turn towards him, resting your back against the railing, as he holds out a cup of water.

“Thought you might want a glass of water too.”

“You’re a good friend. At least that’s what Nat’s said about you,” you say with a smile, taking the glass of water he’s offered you.

“She said that?” he asks, only a little surprised.

You nod in response.

Rooster joins you, standing side by side, his back pressed against the railing, mirroring your body language.

There’s a long silence between the two of you as you drink your water. After a big night of friends old and new, it’s nice to have a moment of quiet too – the waves being the only sound between the two of you.

“So… you and Jake?” Rooster asks, interrupting your momentary shared silence.

“Oh!” you gasp, another laugh following.

You’re not sure if it’s the alcohol or the question that makes you feel a little warmer as you contemplate how to answer his question. Between your greeting upon arrival and your standoff at the pool table, you can imagine why Rooster would think that. You can’t blame him. The two of you get mistaken as a couple all the time, especially when you’re out and about in your civvies.

“No, there's-, there’s no me and Jake. I mean. We… met at the naval academy. He was two years ahead of me and kinda took me under his wing when he found out that I was a fellow Texan. We’ve been close friends ever since,” you clarify, trying your best to explain your uncommon friendship with Hangman.

Rooster scoffs, a blush running across his cheeks as he mutters an unconvinced yet conceding with, “Okay.”

“What? You don’t believe me,” you ask, turning your head to watch his reaction.

“No, it’s not that! I uh… I’ve just… never seen Hangman let anyone talk to him like that. I just… made some assumptions, I guess. Sorry,” he apologizes, almost embarrassed that he asked in the first place.

“No it’s okay,” you reassure him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder before crossing your arms over your chest. “In your defense, there was one kiss at school back in the day that ended promptly when I laughed him out of my dorm room.”

Rooster laughs, the idea of it completely contradictory to the playboy persona Hangman portrays to the world.

“Now that’s a story I want to hear,” he smirks.

You shake your head, “There’s not much to tell. I promise.”

“He always been this much of an ass?” Rooster asks, stealing another glance your way.

“Oh yeah. And he’s always been this fucking annoying too,” you add playfully.

He agrees and the two of you exchange glances again. You’re starting to see why Phoenix has raved about him all these years and you’ve barely had a real conversation with him.

“Then why do you put up with him?” Rooster asks again, this time a little more seriously. He’s not sure why, but he really wants to hear that you don’t have feelings for Jake.

“Because… there was a time we were both just dumb kids, y'know? Because he may be an annoying, self-centered, overconfident little shit... but he's my annoying, self-centered, overconfident little shit. And I’m stuck with him,” you admit, genuinely.

Your capacity for empathy leaves an impact on him. He’s going to be thinking about this conversation for a few days.

“Fair enough.”

“So what’s the story behind your callsign?” he asks, changing the subject.

You raise an eyebrow, “What’s the story behind yours?”

Instead of answering, he just shakes his head and you laugh, knowing he’s not going to tell you. You don’t answer either, taking another sip of the water he’s brought out for you.

“Hooooly shit,” Rooster marvels, watching as you pull of an extremely tricky maneuver in your two-seater F/A-18.

It’s you and Halo paired up with Harvard as your wingman for this round of the dogfight exercise. And while you may be impressive, you’re still no match for Maverick, as he gets you with a killshot just for trying to show off.

“You got to give it to her. That was smooth,” Fanboy admires as the rest of the aviators watch the exercise from inside the watchtower.

Jake chuckles in response. You’ve always been full of surprises and he’s always finds it amusing when someone new discovers it.

“Like Tennessee Whiskey, fellas,” he answers, his Texas drawl a love letter to your shared home state.

He shakes his head watching you fly before adding:

“Some things never change.”

read: chapter two

A/N: HI ITS ME. How're feeling up in this club and why is everyone so hot and have so much sexual tension? Anyways... should I continue this or nah??

#call sign tennessee whiskey #rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw x reader #hangman x phoenix #hannix #top gun maverick #top gun maverick fanfiction #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradsaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x reader #natasha phoenix trace #phoenix top gun #jake hangman seresin #rooster x reader #hangman top gun #jake seresin

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cornishkat · 1 year ago

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All I Want - One Shot

Bob Floyd x F!Reader

Warnings - just fluff, fluff and more fluff for Christmas.

Summary: Allegedly Bob has been flirting with you but both of you being idiots it takes Phoenix to give you both a little push.

“You do realise he is flirting with you”.

You almost choked on your drink as you stared incredulously at Phoenix who was sat across the table from you.

“Don’t be so ridiculous, he is not, why on earth would he be flirting with me”.

Making a dramatic sigh Phoenix put her head in her hands and shook it,

“Are you kidding me, he is crazy about you and that is him flirting. And I know that you feel the same way about him so don’t even try to deny it to me”.

“How I feel about him is irrelevant, he is not interested, and he is not flirting with me”

As Phoenix opened her mouth in protest but Bob came back from the bar with drinks and sat down with you both. You hadn’t lied to Phoenix about how you felt about him but there was no point in talking about it with her, she was convinced he liked you and just wanted the two of you to admit your feelings and get together. But as you looked across at him now, smiling while wearing a truly awful Christmas jumper. He turned his eyes to meet yours as he felt you watching him and his smiled widen. Did he like you, was Phoenix right had he been flirting with you when you just thought he was being friendly. As you felt heat spread through your cheeks you looked away, focusing your eyes on your drink in your hands.

“Right time for some singing, I hope you have all got your songs in. It is time to get Christmas started”.

“Phoenix no one needs to hear me sing, please do not inflict that on them”.

“Bob, I gave you plenty of warning you knew there would be Christmas karaoke. Y/N/N have you got your song in?”

“Not happening Nix, can’t we just get Rooster to play some songs on the piano and all sing along”.

No, we agreed on Christmas Karaoke, I tell you what if you sing Y/N/N I will let Bob off the hook”.

Bob looked at you pleadingly with his big blue eyes,

“Please Y/N/N”

“You owe me big time Floyd”.

“Anything you want, just please don’t make me have to get up there”.

Shaking your head, you turned to Phoenix to see a smug grin on her face,

“Not a word, let’s get this over with before Hangman sings another song”.

You watched Phoenix go to wrestle the mic off Hangman, taking a deep breath and shook your head at Bob.

“Thank you for this, I mean it anything you want Y/N/N”.

“It is a good job I like you Bob and I will hold you to that”.

Phoenix was bouncing up and down and grinning as you joined her, and she handed you the mic.

“OK song is ready to go”.

“What have you put on, I thought at least you would let me pick my own song” “Believe me what I have picked is perfect”.

And with that she bounced back to the table and sat next to Bob, as the music began to play. You smiled and shook your head as you recognised the music and realised exactly what Phoenix was up too. But there was no backing out of it now, so taking a deep breath you began to sing.

I don't want a lot for Christmas There is just one thing I need I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree I just want you for my own More than you could ever know Make my wish come true All I want for Christmas is you

As you sang you made eye contact with Bob, his eyes held yours and widened as he realised what you were singing. Even with Phoenix digging him in the ribs and prodding at him he never broke the stare.

I just want you for my own More than you could ever know Make my wish come true All I want for Christmas is you You, baby

Stepping forward you reached out your arm and pointed at Bob and watched as a blush spread through his cheeks but still, he didn’t look away from you. Well even Bob could not be in any doubt that you were singing just for him, it was up to him now and if he didn’t do anything about it you could always try pass it off as a joke even if it would hurt like hell.

'Cause I just want you here tonight Holding on to me so tight What more can I do? Oh, baby, all I want for Christmas is you You, baby

The rest of the team were clapping and cheering as you finished the song and lowered your gaze before placing the mic down. Blushing slightly, you walked back and grabbed your drinking glancing at Bob from under your lashes.

“You were amazing, told you the song was perfect”.

“No idea what you are talking about but isn’t about time you got up there seeing as you have bullied everyone else into it”.

“I’m going, but I’m not sure how I am meant to follow that”.

Phoenix heading up to sing meant you and Bob were left alone at the table,

“Y/N/N you were unbelievable, you voice is beautiful”.

“Flattery will get you nowhere Bob, let’s talk about you saying you would do anything I wanted if I got you off the hook”.

You could see him swallow hard as he started to blush again, it made you smile, it was so much fun flustering him.

“I meant it, anything you want. What do you want Y/N/N”?

“Did I not make that obvious in my song?”

“I didn’t want to presume, and I never thought you liked me”.

“How could I not Bob, so anything I want?”

“Anything you want”.

Taking his hand, you led him across the bar, so you were stood next to the piano, he looked at you slightly confused as you stood in front of him. Smiling you raised your eyes up above your heads at a large sprig of mistletoe. Bob nervously licked his lips and slowly stepped into you, dipping his head and gently lifting your chin. He was giving you every opportunity to stop him if you wanted to, rising onto to your tiptoes you rested your palms against his chest and pressed your lips to his. It was soft and sensuous, and you placed your hand on his neck to pull him closer to you, as he deepened the kiss it took your breath away and you had to eventually break apart to catch your breath.

“Wow, I really wasn’t expecting that”.

“Y/N/N please tell me you mean that in a good way, because I really want to do a lot more of that”.

“Oh, I mean it in a very good way, and I really want to do some more of that too”.

You saw relief wash over his features as he rested his forehead on yours,

“So, what now?”

“Take me home Bob”.

“Yes Ma’am”

You almost managed to make it out of the Hard Deck unnoticed but just as Bob opened the door for you, you heard Phoenix's voice from across the bar.

“About time, I told you I was right”.

Blowing a kiss at her you stepped out into the evening air with Bob’s hand in yours.

#bob floyd x y/n #top gun maverick fic #bob floyd fanfiction

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writerschapters · 3 months ago

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Chapter 2

By the time we had the dining table set and the food dished out Dad had arrived home with dessert and…well the rest of our so-called family, Ares the oldest, Hades the middle and Phoenix the youngest. I smiled as I approached Dad, giving him a tight hug "Hi Dad, how was work?" I asked as I helped him with his bags and coat, Dad shrugged as he let me take them "It was fine, Mostly just idiots trying to run my kitchen again" he said, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. I give a quick nod to Ares despite there being a large age gap between us and the bad blood he isn't the worst of the three, Hades gives a once over as he walks past me, nothing but hatred and disgust in his eyes as he bumps my shoulder as hard as he could and then there was Phoenix who gave me that shitty smile of hers. "Arc, my littlest sister how are you?" she asked, I curled my lip at her "Hell a lot better when your stank ass wasn't stinking up the place," I said hanging Dad's jacket up, Phoenix only laughed as she places a hand on my arm "You can't still be mad about what I did, can you?" she asked and by the way she was smiling she looked smug as fuck that I still was so angry about it. I gave her my best sugary smile, something that my southern mother would be proud of "Hardly" I say trying hard not to imagine what she would look like eating the hardwood flooring, she only smiled as she headed into the living room, I turn in enough time to catch her tripping and landing onto the floor with a solid and loud Thump I turn my head away slapping a hand over my mouth trying hard not to giggle. but all I could hear was Leo who seemed to be closest to me "OH! Nix did you trip?" he said sounding everything like a southern boy, followed by Max "Oh Nix, Did Satan try and call you home again?" she asked, all sugar and sweet, I closed my eyes fighting back tears as Pheonix was mocked. I blew out a breath as I turned back around and walked to the living room, helping Nix brush off whatever imaginary injuries she thought she had, "Nix, I do hope you're ok?" I asked, as I helped her, way to the low-cut shirt, she only waved us off, as she stood "Yes, Yes I am fine, just a simple accident" She said, without really looking back at us.

My eyes lift to find which of my siblings, took to avenging me and my honour, I looked to Leo but he was too giddy and wouldn't be able to stop himself from mocking her nor would he be able to hold himself back from high-fiving me, my eyes switch to Max who looked a little too smug for someone innocent in the incident, I stared at her long enough to force her eyes to find mine she only smiled and winked at me, before taking the dessert in my hands and walking away. I rolled my eyes playfully, as Leo offered me his arm "My Lady, Would you allow me to take you to your seat" he said in a rich posh accent, I only smiled wrapping my arm in his and nodding "Why yes, Kind Sir" I say mimicking his accent, as he pretended to be some kind of rich nobles as he walked me to my seat, we continued our song and dance, pulling out my chair and giving me time to sit before pushing me in. I only snigger, as I sit beside my dad resting my head on my hand, and giving him a bright smile "You were saying something about people trying to run your business" I say trying to pull him into a conversation with me, Dad give me a pointed look as he turn to look at him "Uh-huh, you're not trying to distract me are you Arc?" he asks, as he takes a sip of his water, I only smile and shake my head "Hardly, I just think it sounds interesting" I say, as Max places plates in front of dad and me. "Yeah, Dad! I want to hear about your day" Leo asks, as he takes his plate from Max, Dad turns his head to Leo his eyes squinting "Why do I feel like the pair of you are hiding something from me?" He says, his eyes bouncing between us, Leo looks at him innocence blinking back at him "What would we be hiding? It's not like Arc is pregnant" Leo says laughing, Dad laughs too, but I don't pause, only laughing when Dad and Leo look at me "Hahaha Yeah, Dad It's not like I'm pregnant" I say, reassuring them. I quickly take a bite of my food, following it with a sip of water, Leo freezes, and his eyes widen a little as he takes a sip of his water, Max slides in next to me "What are we talking about?" She asks, as she picks up a piece of crab, Dad shakes his head "Nothing apparently, But I think the twins are hiding something from me" Dad says biting into his crab leg. Leo turned to Max smiling and shaking his head "You know Dad, he's just being paranoid" Leo said, as he sipped his water, Max only nodded her head as she slid a tub of lemon and garlic dipping sauce down the table "Doesn't mean he's not right to be a paranoid brother" She says, as she licks off the sauce from her fingers. Leo only mocks her with his hand "' Doesn't mean he's not right Who's side are you on!" he asks his voice feigning hurt, I jump a little when his fist thumps off the table, and I jump again my head snapping to the far end of the table "Why must you all act like children!" Hades shouts, I roll my eyes turning my eyes to my plate "Maybe because we're not stuck up" Leo shouts back.

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amazingmsme · 2 years ago

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Okokok i have my headcannons ready (tg anon!)

- not sure if you’ve touched any ao3 fics about tg:m yet (if you haven’t, let me recommend PurpleArrowzandLeather and EarthAngel_44 for starters, but i have SO MANY ao3 recs), but i totally love the idea that mav ends up kind of adopting the dagger squad and they always end up at his house somehow

- everyone will have regular movie nights at mav and rooster’s, and whenever one of them is stateside they’ll stay at their place

- mav was DEFINITELY the one to expose to the group that Rooster is ticklish, probably telling a story from when he was a kid, and it definitely led to a massive dagger squad tickle fight

- i think everyone learns pretty early that bob is ticklish, phoenix is probably trying to get him to let lose and ends up poking him and he falls off his chair at the hard deck (or,, he really did get “baby on board” from being crazy ticklish, so hangman already knows prior to the mission that bob is crazy ticklish)

- bob has the cutest squeaky laugh, and mav usually can’t even tell the other daggers to stop because it’s just a such a cute sight

- in contrast, i think phoenix is only ticklish in very few places (her knees and hips) but she will actually maim anyone that even tries to tickle her (… i also headcannon phoenix as a lesbian bc i am a lesbian and she is fine as hell with very lesbian energy)

- I think rooster probably got lucky at some point, maybe phoenix was comforting him after finding out everything that happened when he was a kid and he ended up finding out that she was ticklish and she just kinda let it happen to cheer him up

- rooster is not as ticklish as bob (or hangman 👀) but he’s definitely surprisingly ticklish in a lot of places

- he kind of just giggles and erratically swats around when someone tickles him, but he can’t really manage to get them away

- i also hc rooster’s worse spots to be his ribs and his hips

- i think hangman is probably a 7/10 on the scale of ticklishness, nothing compared to bob’s 10/10 but also a lot compared to phoenix’s 4/10

- his chest and neck are super sensitive, which the team probably found out when mav squeezed his shoulder in passing

- i think he has a really hearty, big laugh, and he kind of just lays there with his arms to his chest and takes it (i headcannon that he comes from a family of only sisters, so he’s used to just letting them tickle him sometimes because he knows he’s a lot stronger than them)

- i think coyote is probably secretly very ticklish, but only jake knows since they’ve known each other so long, and he would absolutely expose every spot on jake’s body if he ever told anyone

FEAST YOUR EYES!! EVERYONE LOOK AT THIS! Seriously, if this doesn’t convince you to watch Top Gun Maverick I think you’re just a lost cause lol (I kid, I kid) & thanks for the fic recs, I’ll have to check them out! But I gotta be honest, I haven’t been reading as many fics what with school & all eating up my time

Group movie nights are the goat for any fandom with a lot of characters. Like, they’re just BEGGING for a sleepover! & Maverick totally exposed Rooster because he’s a cheeky lil shit like that. But I don’t think he meant to, he said it as an offhand comment & then when Rooster inevitably tells him to shut up about it or Jake wants to know more he gets all >:) about it

I’m a huge simp for Rooster so I like to think he’s pretty bad, but you’ve got MAJOR big brain energy for saying Hangman’s worse. Like, that man is waaaaay too smug & cocky, he needs an anti hubris button. & lucky for everyone else, he does 😊

Thank you SO MUCH for these headcanons, I go bouncing off the walls whenever someone sends me headcanons like this. Seriously, you made my day

& I just have to add my own 2 cents on this, because I LOVE the idea of the dagger squad finding out Maverick is ticklish. They’d jump at the opportunity to bully him. I feel like he’d be watching Rooster wreck Bob & say something like “you’re just as ruthless as your dad” & he immediately stops & is all like 👀 & turns his sights on him. Like just slowly stalking closer & asking “nonchalant” questions. & when Mav puts the pieces together it’s too late

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wowowwild · 2 years ago

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Ok Justice For All. This is not going to be exhaustive or comprehensive but here we go.

The first case we don't really need to cover. It's a tutorial, it achieves what it sets out to do, there's not a whole lot else. I really like the amnesia concept and while I wish more had been done with it (like being used in a regular case), I understand the mechanical service it does for a tutorial.

Our second case is solid. It was really fun to figure out exactly what happened and if you've been following my 'game posting' tag you saw exactly how much fun I had. I kind of wish we had gotten more out of Misty, but that wouldn't really work in this medium (lol get it). Obviously I love Pearly I adore her I would be her slave she deserves the world. Phoenix, stop showing her the horrors, please. I just really have to keep coming back to how fun this case was to solve. Sometimes the correct things to do mechanically make no sense to me bc I don't leap far enough with my logic, but this case I was able to do pretty easily which tells me it was very well written with the proper foreshadowing and such (and I am a sucker for properly laid ground work). I like that we get more Fey lore. I am devastated that I guesses the twist ending but I had no one to witness it. It's probably my favorite case this game.

Bigtop is a mess. We're going to ignore the Regina age problem for our sanity and pretend she's 18 bc wtf (I knew this but just now [as I was typing the end of this paragraph] connected the dots that in Japan 16 is viewed as our 18 and they just didn't localize her age). I really like Max! He's my favorite character to come out of this case and I will never let go of my wrightica/galactright ship (is there an official ship name?). He thinks Edgeworth is dead, it could happen. Also! Diversity win! The guy who murdered you is wheelchair bound! But actually I really like the concept of Acro's motivations, driven to madness and murder by grief. I like it less when we come back to Regina's canon age, like even when she's 18 Acro should still view her as a child and personally I could never hold something like that against a child. It was decidedly and accident and not even remotely her fault. It's not her fault your brother was swayed to do something idiotic by the power of boners, my guy. Also Regina is not ok. She needs help and the only one who realizes it is Moe. Everyone else is 'enabling' (that's not exactly the word I'm looking for but it's in the ballpark) her. Her own father was likely the worst offender. Moe may not be funny (I actually liked his jokes) but he is genuinely a great guy.

Our last case: Extremely well written. I went into this already knowing the outcome, how could I not. Despite this, I was so worried about Maya everything else went out the window. For a minute I actually convinced myself of the possibility that Adrian had done it (I am so sorry for everything we put you through, but it was for Maya). This case really put me in Phoenix's shoes. I'd imagine if you don't actually like Maya, this might not do for you what it did for me, but if you don't like Maya I don't know how you've managed to play all the way through the second game. Of course the good ending where you toss Engarde to the wolves (the assassin he hired) is iconic. That's what you get. Again if you've been following my 'game posting' tag you know I had strong feelings about Edgeworth through this. Most of them were due to the stress of Maya being kidnapped (I seriously got waaayyyyyy too in character during this case), but also he was smug as hell for no reason when he showed back up. He was like 'new me!' and refused to elaborate. Phoenix is not a mind reader, my guy. He won me over again so we're good. Also the dinner? At the end it literally says "I wonder if there's anything I can give him to express how I feel...?" I think we can all imagine my first thought... actually I don't trust people to put thoughts in my head, my first thought was a kiss. (You actually give the whip and Miles yet again thinks Phoenix is a mind reader, will it ever end?) I can't forget! Gummy's official stint at Wright Co! My one post about him being a Phoenix Wright weird girl was really popular and then my second (about this case) also got some notes, so clearly this is the Gumshoe content we're all looking for. (Can they please stop firing him though? He's going to end up dead on the street from starvation.) I thought it was really something how much Phoenix trusts Gumshoe. He said

The scene with Franziska and Miles at the end was sorely needed and it was fantastic. They're both growing and healing from shared trauma and it's beautiful.

Over all... I forget, is this the one people don't like out of the trilogy? I liked it. The first is obviously iconic and banger after banger, but I do like this one. Overall it's definitely worth playing and very enjoyable. (Idk bc I haven't tried it personally, but there's a post going around about ds estore emulation or something where you can play games from the ds estore for free now that it's closed, so as far as I know you can play it for free now.)

#ace attorney #justice for all #miles edgeworth #phoenix wright #franziska von karma #maya fey #pearl fey #dick gumshoe #misty fey #regina berry #max galactica #sean dingling #ken dingling #lawrence curls #adrian andrews #game posting #jfa

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lavalampstealer · 1 year ago

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give me your John juniper headcanons if he survived please

Oh my god I’m so happy someone asked, I’d be DELIGHTED to put these out there :)) this is gonna also lightly cover Handler and Phoenix’s reactions/feelings to him surviving

Headcanon dump below the cut because it’s long

- He would have a massive scar on almost the entirety of the left side of his face from the Mask, making him near unrecognizable

- He would be blind in his left eye and have cataracts in his right

- His hair would be shorter and not as neat as before

- He would be missing his pinky on his right hand

- He would be a devastated shell of his former self and struggle with his identity

- He had placed his entire career, his persona, his whole identity on being John Juniper, world famous actor, but now that he was legally dead and (in his eyes) horribly disfigured, was he really the same person? He had it all, risked everything without a second thought, and now he was left with nothing. All of his wealth and belongings were surely auctioned off or distributed to god knows who or where. He wasn’t close to any of his family, he didn’t have a partner, there was no one for him to go to. Hell, he even burned the bridge with Gibson in a blind rage, his closest friend and confidant for the past [X] years. He had ruined his ties with Zoraxis and he thought the Agency sure as hell wasn’t about to help him. He had been relying on the rush he got from acting and deceiving, and he got so good at it that he couldn’t tell if he was tricking himself or whether his emotions were truly his own. Juniper was alive, but the man who was power-crazed and willing to launch nuclear missiles around the world without a batting an eye was gone. Was he still himself?

- A really good song that I feel matches him perfectly in this state is The Mind Electric by Miracle Musical (right now I’m actually working on an animatic of a specific part of it that especially fits).

- Much to his shock and confusion, the reason he was alive was because the Agency found his body when they went searching for Phoenix and treated him as best they could. He couldn’t wrap his head around it, why would they help him? Were they just keeping him alive so they could force information out of him.. and then what? Kill him? Kick him out into the world? No one would recognize him, not his face at least, and as for his voice it was much scratchier and had lost all of its bravado and smugness. He wouldn’t be able to bear seeing the Agent, that pesky, meddling, self righteous Phoenix who had ruined his plans and his life. He had no clue who their Handler was, he only borrowed his voice to lure them into a false sense of security, but by the way that man glared poisoned daggers at him like he was nothing more than a roach made him want to shrink into nothingness. No one had ever looked at him with that much hate, no, disgust before.

- He’s very conflicted about his emotions towards Phoenix. He recognizes how bad what he almost accomplished was and he feels awful about it, yet he can’t help but despise them because they had slapped him in the face and snapped him out of his star-struck stupor. He was so close, so close to proving to himself to the world that he was the best that he became blinded to the reality of his actions. He still wishes them dead but wouldn’t dare act on those thoughts because 1) he doesn’t care anymore, he doesn’t stand to gain anything from it anymore, he’s just tired. 2) the Agency would surely do worse to him if he offed their best agent. and 3) they were arguing in his favor for some kind of forgiveness or at least amnesty. Why they would do that he has no idea, but he wouldn’t push back if it meant his life being spared or a roof over his head. After all, the Agency couldn’t risk the beloved-actor-turned-mass-felon-turned-dead-man to be recognized in public, for their sake and for his.

- Phoenix is nowhere near close to forgiving Juniper, but they don’t completely despise him either. They can see that the he’s not who kidnapped them and tried to blow them up multiple times, that Juniper is lost. They take a sort of pity on him, and thats not to say that they didn’t go off on him for his actions. They just realize that there’s no use in berating him.

- He now hates that shade of emerald green he always wore because it reminded him of how he was before the Incident, so instead he opts for darker, muted greens or dark grey clothing. He dresses more casually than the suits he used to wear (think jeans/slacks and casual dress shirts).

I definitely want to write a story with him at some point, I love the idea of him losing it all, getting somehow worse and better at the same time, and then coming out on the other side as a decent, if not bearable, person. I wouldn’t call it a redemption arc, it’d be more of a healing/development arc because he wouldn’t be like “Yeah I’m gonna help the EOD kick Zor’s ass! Revenge time!” No, he’d never want to hear from any of them ever again and would rather live out the rest of his life without catching either of their attention. The EOD would set him up with a place where he wouldn’t be noticed by Zor and they’d ‘promise’ to leave him alone (in reality one of his neighbors is a retired Agency contact who gives them updates). He’d take up baking as a hobby and turn it into a local business, specializing in handmade desserts :) just get the man his therapy and let him live out of sight, out of mind.

#this man is NOT a tumblr sexyman he is DERANGED and SHATTERED and ALONE and TERRIFIED #and a tad insane #also in desperate need of therapy #i wouldn’t say let him heal so instead I’ll say let him recover #ieytd #i expect you to die #ieytd2 #i expect you to die 2 #john juniper #broken juniper #lava’s asks

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ladyelissarose · 2 years ago

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Prologue- ‘I Think I Like Her’

Warnings for this chapter: mentions of sex, some questionable situations, dagger squad being cool, AND THIS CHAPTER IS SO LONG BUT VERY INFORMATIVE!!!!

Jake’s POV

“Hey hey boys let’s bring it in!! Where’s my whiskey!!?”

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin hollered like a proud man as he walked into Hard Deck wearing his signature Naval beige khakis and his smug smile, taking each stride with smooth steps and a slight movement to his hips, towards the Dagger Squad’s favorite pool table. Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw looked up to the Ken Doll Aviator with a smile as he held up his small crystal glass of a cool piña colada, replying back with sass,

“Jake... looking good as always... that’s why I got you your whiskey already.”

Reaching his hand behind him, Bradley then pulled out a fresh glass of golden whiskey, just for his favorite tease, Jake Seresin. If his smile could grow more, it would, as Jake took the glass thankfully with a wink reserved just for Bradley,

“I knew I could count on you Bradshaw... thanks buddy pal.”

“Anytime Sunshine, now have a seat, Bob and Nix just started a new game of 9-ball.”

Jake happily situated himself next to Bradley, as he saw Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd and Natasha ‘Phoenix’ Trace get in position for their game. Bradley and Jake had planned for all their aviator buddies to get together at Hard Deck for the evening, just to chill out and not think about the hard work they had done that day. Soon Javy ‘Coyote’ Machado, Reuben ‘Payback’ Fitch and Mickey ‘Fanboy’ Garcia made their way to the group with large grins and holding their own choice of drink. Javy clapped Jake’s back and ruffled Bradley’s hair as he cheered,

“Sorry for being late, but the hottest boys in town have finally arrived gentlemen! So who’s playing?”

Reuben fist bumped Bradley and Jake as he answered for them while watching Bob hit a perfect shot,

“Nix and Bob are up, you and I go next for a rematch from last time.”

Jake remembered the time they had to call the game short when Admiral Beau ‘Cyclone’ Simpson decided to call them back to base earlier than usual. After handshaking Mickey, Jake guided him to sit in the chair next to him, as he put forth,

“Reuben almost had you Javy, let’s see if he can get his win this time, or if you make a comeback! And why were you guys late anyways? We all left my place at the same time.”

Javy grabbed a random wooden stool and sat in front of Jake and Bradley as he began to explain,

“So turns out they’re moving Cyclone for a bit, switching out Admirals I believe it was. And well, I guess the new guy came in today, because that jerk called me in and said my bunker was a mess, so I had to go and clean it up.”

Bradley let out a short huff,

“No way, you’re bunker is one of the cleanest, besides Jake’s, what was so dirty to him?”

Shaking his head lightly with a scoff Javy put forth,

“He said my corners weren’t tucked in all the way. Like can you believe that!! He’s an ass!!”

Mickey punched into the conversation as he replied,

“He seems to be picky, and worst of all, he brought in a new Dagger Squad to collide with ours-“

Bradley spit out his piña colada as Jake shrieked with wide eyes of shock,

“HE WHAT-“

Wiping his mouth from the juice that trickled down his chin Bradley added,

“Who the hell is this guy!?”

Reuben passed Bradley a napkin as he put forth dreadfully,

“His name is Admiral George Tannin, goes by the callsign ‘Chaos’ and I’ve heard he’s a tough one, tougher than Cyclone.”

Jake groaned with disappointment along with Bradley. Bob then came around and tapped Reuben’s shoulder signaling that he had won the game while pointing towards the pool table shyly. Bob wasn’t one to shout and cheer when he wins, (he actually feels bad that the other lost to him) but Bradley and Jake cheer for him as they looked over at the table seeing Natasha point out how he did it,

“So Bob actually had a great strategy this time, he was able to skip the ball so it could land in that hole he picked, can you believe that!?”

Bob let out a shy smile as Jake congratulated him,

“You did good son! That’s what I’m talking about!! Here, let me go get you a drink-“

Natasha was quick to quip in as she reminded him,

“Not whiskey it makes his tummy hurt Jake, do some coke and rum.”

Jake sent Natasha a wink as he promised,

“I know Nixy, don’t worry I know my boy well. Now Bob, sit tight and enjoy the feeling of victory, I’ll be right back.”

Bradley pinched Jake’s arm with a tease as he passed by him,

“You’re such a sap.”

Jake smacked his arm playfully replying,

“I know I am, but only for you guys.”

Tempy’s POV

The loud music playing on the Jukebox was long ignored by a certain new customer that sat on the barstools at the main bar in the one and only Hard Deck of Fighter Town, Miramar. Her copper colored bourbon was long forgotten as well when her small cellphone was held in her soft hands instead, as she determinedly typed away. An overly large, navy blue jean jacket kept her pretty warm and safe from the cold AC that was directly hitting her, and she kept her legs that were only sporting plaid shorts, hide under the bar. She let her feet swing a little as they were held above ground, letting the tips of her simple black Converse (her fathers old Converse) barely graze the wall. Once she hit ‘send’ on her phone, Natalie Temperance, who was a 24 year old woman, with mid-length brown hair that rested on her back with dying curls that she had hair sprayed a thousand times earlier that morning so they’d stay tight and pretty, (but after a whole day of airports and flights, yeah they were definitely messy) You see, Natalie just came into San Diego from Rhode Island, after graduating from Naval Justice School from that state. She decided that before settling into her job as a JAG, she’d spend her free 3 weeks with her father, who lived in Fighter Town, his retirement place to stay. And right now, she was texting him and letting him know that she had arrived, but her father had replied saying that he was at therapy, and that he would be out later that evening. And sense Temperance left her key with him, she couldn’t go home just yet, so she stopped by the Hard Deck, figuring it’d be a nice place to settle at for now. So now, here in Hard Deck she sat in her plaid shorts, white t-shirt, and overly-sized jean jacket, with her backpack next to her on the ground that held all her belongings. Natalie left her phone on the bar, as she then took a sip of her once abandoned bourbon, but mid stopped when she heard the most adorable, Texan accent speak so smoothly to the beautiful owner of the bar, Penny Benjamin herself.

“Hello once again, ma’am. I’ll take a fresh Coke and Rum for my boy, Bobby.”

Natalie subtly took a glance at the tall, blond man that stood next to her, with his bulging biceps in sight as he had them rest on the bar when he leaned forward onto it. (She craved to take a bite of them, and kick the vein that went up his arm, for they looked so.. just so good) His smooth, dirty blond hair was brushed back, (maybe by his fingers if he ran them through it a lot) a clean shaven face with a nice jawline and perfect nose. What was supposed to be a quick glance turned into unintentional staring, but that was because Natalie had never seen such a gorgeous man. And at this point she had only seen his side profile, but still thought that he had to have been sculpted by the beauty gods and goddesses themselves. Natalie kept the glass at her lips, forgetting to drink on or even put it down, as she was caught into a trance. But she immediately snapped out of it, when her mind registered his words, that were definitely directed to her, as he still faced forward and sweetly said,

“Your staring darlin’, just take a picture and it’ll last longer, go ahead.. I don’t charge.”

Natalie gulped down her drool and bourbon that threatened to spill out at his words, and then profusely apologized with a big effort of not stuttering out of mere embarrassment,

“Sir I’m so sorry, I don’t know what hit me.”

Jake let his held tilt back slight as he set free a low chuckle, as well as the caged up butterflies in Natalie tummy.

‘Damn what an adorable laugh too- oh my god he looks even better facing me!’

Jake’s POV

Jake had finally turned his full face towards Natalie, as he replied,

“I think my looks hit you sweets- oh.”

‘Damn what a fine lady... where the hell did she come from?’

Jake let his eyes roam around Natalie’s appearance, silently admiring how different yet beautiful she looked, not realizing that he made her feel slightly insecure about herself, thinking he was judging her looks. He then saw how Natalie looked back at her drink shyly while trying to fix her hair with one hand while the other pulled on her jacket. From hanging around girls for so long, Jake knew girls by the book, and could tell, that Natalie’s moves were those of a shy person, trying to make better their looks to impress him. At other times with other girls, Jake would laugh it off and liked to see them struggle to pretty up for his standards, but with Natalie, it was like totally different, because she was already so beautiful and perfect, regardless how she looked right now. Hence why Jake was quick to point forward with utter honesty and tactfulness,

“You look absolutely great today, and I-I like your jacket.”

Natalie stopped fiddling with her chain necklace and could only stare in surprise, no one in her life ever complimented on something that wasn’t her plump boobs or juicy ass, so hearing this was definitely new, and more than welcome. With a small smile Natalie replied,

“Thanks, this is my dad’s jacket, holds lots of memories he says.”

Jake sent Natalie a warm smile as he saw how proud she was to sport her father’s treasures,

“I bet it does...”

He could see Natalie appreciated his words by the way she eyed him sweetly, he then realized that he hadn’t introduced himself, and so did she at the same time, hence why the said at once,

“I’m Jacob Seresin, but you can call me Jake.”

“I’m Natalie Temperance, but you can call me Tempy.”

Both gaped at each other for a second before Tempy began to giggle like a teenager, which caused Jake to go along, when her giggles became too contagious. Tempy’s POV

But all the fun was cut short, when a loud bell began to ding,

‘DING DING DING!!!’

Tempy looked around nervously as she tried to catch up to the moment, not realizing what was coming. Until Penny came up with the coke and Rum, and pointed to a sign behind her that was a few feet away, that read clearly,

‘Disrespect A Lady, The Navy, Or Put Your Cellphone On My Bar.. You Buy A Round’

Tempy’s jaw dropped as she let out a low whisper while looking at her cellphone, comfortably resting on the bar,

‘Oh hell no...”

The crowd cheered loudly behind her, making her think,

‘That’s gonna be a heavy bill... bunch of drunkys.’

With pleading eyes Tempy begged Penny,

“Ok ok, give me a chance. Let me get my card.”

Penny sent Tempy a wink as she put forth,

“I can wait.”

Quickly forgetting her new crush at the thought of paying for the whole bar, Tempy went to digging her hand into her small backpack, beginning to search frantically for her debit card, unbeknownst to her, she forgot it in the cab she took to get here, after she gave it to the Uber so he could charge her for the ride. And when she couldn’t find her wallet, she let out a gasp at the realization,

‘FUCK!! I freaking forgot my wallet!! Well shit.. I’m screwed, screwed because I lost it.. and cause I can’t pay.’

Dropping her bag onto the ground with a heavy sigh, Tempy couldn’t help but honestly put forth,

“I forgot my wallet, I don’t have it here at all, I-I don’t even know how I thought I was going to pay for this drink.”

Penny’s face just about dropped at hearing the news, she really thought Tempy would’ve had it on her. And if it was any other day, she honestly would’ve let it slide, but the fact that the entire, full packed bar knew about Tempy paying up and now knowing she didn’t have her card, she couldn’t hide it. It was only fair that Penny carried on with the rules like she did with any one else, if not there could be problems. So unfortunately she had to go on with the rules, and ring the bell. Penny watched Tempy’s face go from looking sorry to utterly shocked when she walked towards the large bronze bell, and rang it loudly three times,

‘DING DING DING!!!!’

It was like if a touchdown was made at the SuperBowl, for the whole crowd went loud.

“WOOOOOO!!!!!”

Tempy almost fell out of her seat at the sudden uproar, but contained herself as she began to hear the words of cheer,

“OVERBOARD OVERBOARD!!!”

Two random ladies from the crowd began to march towards Tempy proudly, and the men around looked at her smugish and kinda proud to see this cute little girl have hands on her to throw her out. Over the noise Tempy heard Penny say,

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.”

Tempy let out a sweet smile, understanding her mistake of forgetting her wallet, not knowing the rules, and the fact that the rules applied to anyone, no matter what.

“It’s ok! This will be a great memory, and thanks for the bourbon!”

Penny didn’t understand how Tempy had such a forgiving heart, others at times would put up a big fight, or curse awfully at Penny, but not Tempy. Soon the women arrived close enough and put their arms on her, ready to pull her out of her seat, until a tall, muscular man came in between the women and Tempy as he spoke simply,

“I’ll pay for it, no need to toss the pretty girl out like if she’s a rag doll.”

The women stared at Jake in shock, and the whole crowd seemed to of silenced themselves at the interaction. Turning around to face Tempy, Jake extended his hand and placed it in hers, with his card,

“Here, I know it’ll all cover. Take it.”

Tempy stood up and tried to hand the card back thinking that it was crazy for him to take the responsibility of such a grand bill, she almost begged him not to,

“No no, please, Jake. It’s ok, it’s my fault I had my phone on the bar all afternoon-“

Jake lowered his head to her level and near her ear as he whispered with a low growl,

“Just take the card please, I don’t want to see you thrown out. I’ll defend you.’

Tempy’s heart just about melted at his kindness and at the sound of his persistence, so she nervously took the card from his warm hand, as she replied with eyes filled with awe,

“Thank you.”

Standing up to his full height which caused him to look down at her, Jake sent Tempy a warm smile with a wink,

“No problem sweetheart, go ahead.”

When Tempy turned around to face Penny and hand her the card, she saw how Penny sent Jake a look of appreciation and mouthed to him, ‘Thank you so much’

Penny took the card from Tempy happily as she put forth,

“You’re a lucky star, karma paid you well for your kindness and honesty.”

Tempy could only give a small smile as she retrieved the card from Penny,

“Thank you, ma’am. This place is lovely by the way.”

Penny felt appreciated as she thanked Temperance,

“Thank you, honey, have a great night, hope to see you again.”

“Oh, you will!!”

When Tempy grabbed her bag from the ground and decided to go find Jake, she quickly found him near by already looking at her with a grin. Jake was the first to start walking towards her and take the card she handed him as he put forth,

“Thank you.. Let me walk you outside.”

He let his arm out which Tempy took and let herself be guided by him outside the bar, feeling butterflies erupt in her stomach at the feeling up his hard rock bicep rest under her hand. She began to fall for how kind and confident he was, he didn’t care who was there or what, he stuck his head out for those he cared about, and held his chin up high while he did it.

Jake’s POV

Upon walking outside, Jake held onto Tempy’s arm with his free hand as he walked them down the steps that were there (such a gentleman) and when they got down the last step, Jake looked around, expecting for Tempy to call out which vehicle was hers, but he was instead met with her sudden ruffles sounds of her looking through her bag as she stated,

“I need to call a cab, my dad is still busy right now.”

Jake thought for a moment before looking back at Tempy,

‘Maybe I can take her? Would she think that’s creepy? Fuck it-‘

he then offered,

“Would it be ok if I took you home?”

He felt a love dart hit his chest when he saw her face beam at him with gratefulness,

“Oh Jake, that would be really kind of you-“

“HEY JAKEY BOY! You leaving so early??”

Jake and Tempy turned their heads towards the handsome, mustache man, Bradley, who stood at the entrance with his hands holding both doors as he stood there. Jake then realized that tonight was supposed to be a ‘hangout’ time,

‘Shit I won’t be able to take her.. I promised them I’d be here all evening and not leave with a girl... damn it why did you have to be here at the wrong time gorgeous?’

Jake’s face dropped as he looked back at Tempy with now sad puppy eyes, regretting saying his next words,

“Listen Tempy, I promised my friends that I’d stay here for the whole afternoon because I usually leave them hanging-“

He then took out his wallet again as he pulled out some 20s,

“but here’s some cash to pay for your Uber-“

He felt Tempy’s small hands grab at his as she pleaded once again,

“Jake please not again it’s too much-“

He then placed the 2 20s in her bags outside pocket as he insisted while looking her in the eye, showing her he wasn’t kidding,

“Just take it, you’ll need it if you don’t have your wallet.”

Seeing how he wouldn’t give up, Tempy gave in, and accepted his sweet actions, and returned the kind gesture, when she then took out a pen from her bag, and got his hand in hers once again,

“Let me give you my number!”

Jake practically gasped like a high school boy over his crush as he blushed,

“Oh great! Thanks!-“

“JAKE COME ON! YOU PROMISED!!”

Now this time Javy stood next to Bradley as he called out to him desperately, not wanting Jake to leave them like he always did. Tempy scribbled down her number insanely fast but it was still readable, she then reassured him,

“You go with them, it’s ok. I’ll be perfectly fine, you can text me later, when you’re home.”

Jake smiled down at his hand as he began to read her number and the little flower she drew on his hand, knowing that she’d be the one to text him first, for what he pulled earlier,

“Will do Tempy, and thank you.”

“No problem, and thank you a million... now go before your boys scream again like fan girls.”

“You got that right!”

Then without thinking Jake planted a kiss on Tempy’s cheek before running back inside as he shouted to Bradley and Javy,

“You boys are so impatient!!”

Bradley and Javy watched Jake walk completely inside after he took a double look back at Tempy, before waving ‘bye’ and walking towards the pool table.

Bradley’s POV

Bradley saw how extra giddy Jake looked, and could only wonder who was the ‘special girl’ tonight. For usually, after hitting on girls, Jake was more puffed up and even a little too cocky, but this time, he was all putty and a huge, smiley softie. Bradley looked outside from the doors large windows, and could see the ‘special girl’ wave off to the Uber that had just arrived for her, and watched how she skipped to the door and opened it, then got in and left.

‘I wonder who she is? And why is Jake so extra giddy? Maybe she’s an old friend?’

Bradley was just about to walk away from the door, when he caught his eye on a tall, ugly older man who showed up, coming close to the door, with 3 other people with him. Bradley quickly opened the door to let them in,

“Here you go, Sir.”

The 3 other people walked in, who were a man and two women, but the older man stayed still and eyed Bradley with disgrace as he meanly said,

“It’s Admiral George Tannin to you, Lieutenant Bradshaw.”

Bradley just about jumped back in some shock as he asked,

“You know me?”

Tannin scoffed as he put forth,

“Who wouldn’t recognize your porn-stache face Bradshaw? Looking like a jock just like your old man, Nick. I want that shaved off by tomorrow, and go home, you got curfew now for pissing me off-“

And if Bradley hadn’t pissed off the Admiral now, Jake finished the job when he interrupted him by asking Bradley,

“Bradley you whined about me holding up time and here you- oh, sorry sir didn’t realize you were with him-“

Tannin then stood up to Jake as he tried to appear bigger, (but Jake of course was bigger) as he scolded Jake,

“I don’t think you’re interrupting me Lieutenant Jake Seresin-“

Jake’s eyes went wide but was cut off when Tannin added,

“Yes, I know you too pretty boy. Shave that damned hair off, looking like a boy instead of a man.”

Jake straightened his shoulders as he replied in a short term,

“Yes sir-“

“It’s Admiral, you twit.”

Bradley saw how Jake’s fists clenched behind him as he held onto his wrists behind his back, and could only try and lighten the situation as he put forth,

“We’ll all be on our way home, Admiral. Let me call my squad.”

Tannin then nodded proudly, like if he had won some kind of game of control. Smiling with a sorta wicked smile, he put forth,

“Thank you, Bradshaw. Now I want you all back at base before 22:00. And tomorrow morning you all better be in the debriefing room by 7:45 sharp. You pretty boy, no hair, and you porn-stache, no stache. Now get.”

Jake was the first to run off to the pool table and he rapidly said once he arrived,

“Guys lets go, I’ll explain once we’re out and in our respectful cars.”

All of them looked at Jake in shock as the saw his face and behavior now upset and in a slight worry state. But nonetheless they packed up their things and began to walk towards the front, until Jake and Bradley pushed them back. Jake pointed towards the Admiral that sat by the door with the two young women right at his sides, like freaking gum stuck on his shoe. They cringe at the sight of these two woman practically drooling by his side. And the other guy that came with them, sat at the bar getting drinks from Penny. Bradley and Jake then suggested that they leave through the back door, so they wouldn’t have to face the insults of Tannin. (Such protectors and mommers of their squad)

Aviators POV

Once in their cars, and one their way home to pack their bags to go to base, Jake was the first to connect them all in one call as he began to rant,

“Reuben your right, new Admiral is one son of a bitch. He wants me to shave my fucking hair off.”

Natasha gasped as Mickey put forth,

“No freaking way!!? What a loser!”

Bradley pitched in as he sadly told Natasha,

“Babe he wants my mustache off-“

Natasha was quick to step up as she warned,

“OH NO HE DOESN’T!! That fucking stays on babe.”

Reuben settled it as he put forth sadly,

“No Nixy... it has to go... who knows what he’ll do if Bradley disobeys a direct order.”

Natasha let out a groan as Bob questioned with an upset tone,

“But isn’t the stache allowed! That’s Bradley’s signature look, so he could look like his good papa, Nick.”

Javy answered for Bradley,

“Well according to stupid Tannin, it doesn’t cut out for him, he says he wants it off. I told you he was an ass.”

Mickey then pointed out,

“I think those 3 other people with him are the new aviators... they look kinda meanly too.”

Jake scoffed,

“Shit, I bet they are... I seriously can’t believe this.”

Everyone kinda stayed quiet after that, before Bradley broke the silence,

“I definitely think they’re all jerks... but I’ll see you guys tonight at base, I’ll be there at 22:00 sharp, and please don’t be late guys, I don’t want to see you guys doing push-ups and shit. And just know I’m calling Mav about this.”

Jake pleaded,

“Please do, Brads. Goodnight y’all, got to go.”

Everyone then said their goodbyes and ‘I love yous’ (only because Bob had made it a point one time to say that it was important to express such because they were more than just friends, they were family)

Jake’s POV

After ending the call, Jake’s phone beeped loudly, letting him know he got a message, so at a red light he picked up his phone, thinking it was Bradley or Javy. But he grew a large smile as he read the message,

‘Hey sneaky, I found your number in my bag! So I thought I’d text you and let you know I’m home! My dad left the keys outside for me. Want to come over to pick up the cash? Just got my card back, so I want to pay you back.’

Jake knew he wasn’t going to ever ask her for money or anything back, he just couldn’t, but he still took up the offer to see her as he replied,

‘Sure! That sounds great! Can I come over now?��

Seconds later he got the reply,

‘Yes! I have a free house till 10, it’s barely 8:30, so you’re free to come around before then!’

‘Great! Send me the address, I’ll be there soon!’

Jake fist pumped the air when he saw her send her address, and ended with,

‘Drive safe!!’

He saw the light turn green, but he waited to go until he sent,

‘Will do!!’

Minutes later Jake had arrived, coming to park his Old Chevy truck at the curb on the corner where her house was at. Jake felt warm inside at the sight of such a cozy home. It was a brown bricked house, with white edges and two large windows in the front, a large wooden door with a glass window in the middle. Yellow rose bushes sported each sides of the house, and the lawn looked very well kept, almost to perfect like if it came out from a beautiful painting. Jake began to imagine what life would look like once he had settled down and had a less-stressful life, a cute little home for himself, that wasn’t as big as the one he had back in Texas at his parents Ranch. Someplace cozy and safe that he can come home to after a long day, maybe come home to a warm tomato soup with grilled cheese, or walking into the greatest scents of carrot cake to pumpkin pie, Jake sighed to himself happily as he thought,

‘I wonder what that kind of life looks like... must be nice... cozy... lovely... I wonder how Tempy sees her future... after settlin’ down and stuff-‘

“Who are you?!”

Jake jumped at the thundering voice that shouted at him all to suddenly,

“Holy shi-“

Jake didn’t even finish his cursing sentence when he turned quiet at the sight of a tall man in a black t-shirt that was tucked in his dark colored jeans, wearing black biker boots with a helmet placed on his head with the visors down. He then approached Jake as he barked out in a sterner tone,

“Boy you better answer me-“

A swing to a door sounded loudly before a sweet voice called out quickly,

“Pops it’s ok, he’s here to pick up something for me, he-he’s a friend.”

Jake turned around and saw the one and only beauty that had his heart in a million knots. Tempy stood at the door and held it wide open as she eyed her father with pleading eyes of, ‘please be nice’. Jake was already falling into cloud 9 while gazing at Tempy, but was yanked down when he heard a rough sigh come from behind him,

“Fine... come inside with me, young man. And follow me.”

Jake sent Tempy a sorta shy smile before following the tall man inside.

Tempy’s POV

Tempy held the door opened for them as they walked in, and blushed hard while closing it when Jake sent Tempy a quick but great, grinning smile.

‘He’s such a sappy guy... cute too.’

Tempy then ran up to her father and hugged him tightly as he cheered happily,

“It’s good to have you home Nati, welcome home and congrats.”

The tall man kissed her head a she replied while hugging him tighter,

“Thanks pops.. it’s good to be home too.”

The tall man chucked to himself at Tempy’s words, as a father it was hard to let his daughter go so she could chase her dreams, but he was more than proud to know she had succeeded. He then let her go with a last kiss to the head, and then called out to Jake while walking away.

“You and I, the kitchen.”

Before Tempy could do anything else, or say anything, they were long gone, for Jake had followed her father to wherever he went, like a soldier in command, but Tempy knew that that was the effect her father had on anyone. She could hear her father’s deep voice come from the kitchen as he talked to Jake, quick to start interrogation.

“So young man, what’s the name, and rank, Sailor?”

Jake’s POV

‘Wow.. ok he knows I’m Navy... I can handle this, don’t be nervous, you’re a fucking Naval Aviator for crying out loud, if I can take 10 Gs, I can take him.’

Jake tried to relax his body posture so he wouldn’t look intimidated or tense, as he replied smoothly and respectfully as possible,

“I’m Jacob Seresin, Lieutenant in Navy Aviation, o-or Top Gun, sir.”

The tall man, with shining black-grayish hair and piercing hazel eyes, looked away from the fridge door where he grabbed two root beers, and took a look at Jake’s name tag, and the golden wings that laid proudly and beamingly on his chest. He could see the way Jake held his breath, as he hummed to himself first, then took a few seconds to answer, and finally looked away while replying,

“A Naval Aviator huh? You have my respect... I left that choice behind, for fear of heights.”

Jake let out a quiet breath of relief, as he took in the tall man’s words, grateful that he hadn’t got a worse commentary. When the tall man turned around and faced Jake with the root beer, Jake didn’t skip a second before extending his hand and saying,

“It’s nice to meet you sir.”

The tall man placed the drinks down on the white counter top, before taking Jake’s hand firmly, and shaking it nicely, as he spoke slowly but confidently, like if he knew that with every breath he took, Jake slowly felt smaller and smaller, overwhelmed by the respectful power that this man seemed to possess.

“It’s nice to meet you too son, I’m Francis Temperance, Naty’s father. And I was Chief Petty Officer... as a Navy Seal.”

Jake stopped shaking his hand, while being taken aback,

‘A Navy Seal? No way.’

“Oh, thank you for your service, sir.”

“Appreciate it son... and thank you too.”

Francis let Jake go and only smirked to himself, proud to know he had an effect as he saw Jake’s expression of admiration. He then handed Jake the beer bottle after he opened it with his fingers, and picked up a file that was on the nice, cedar wooden dining table, that was decorated with sunflowers in the center. Jake then took a quick swig, groaning in delight from the sweet taste, and catching Tempy’s figure as she walked in gracefully towards her father,

“Pops are you leaving again?”

Jake watched the interaction go on as if he wasn’t there, but it all felt very homey and comfortable, oddly enough, he didn’t even feel like he was in the way or out of place as they went on communicating,

“Yes ma’am, I forgot to bring my progress sheet to Solomons... and he needs it today. But I’ll be back home probably later than 10... so don’t wait for me, go to sleep sweetheart, you’ve had a long day. Tomorrow will be fresher for you so we can celebrate your arrival.”

Jake held in his gasp when he suddenly heard Tempy squeal with delight, but then quickly felt his heart squeezed with awe as she let her face shine with a beaming smile,

“Oh Oh! Are you going to make your famous French Toast!!?”

With a pointing finger her father warned,

“Nuh-uh... no guessing... I remember your #1 favorite breakfast , out of all the ones you call your favorite-“

He then turned his attention towards Jake as he asked,

“Jacob, would you like to come tomorrow for breakfast? My daughter doesn’t have any other friends or company, it’s just her and I.”

Tempy’s POV

Tempy stayed quiet for a few seconds, watching how different her father was behaving and how welcoming he was. Francis, has never done that, he was more mean and stern. In the past, he had already kicked out the boy Tempy would bring in, not even letting them in the house, let alone giving them a beer. But she smiled warmly to herself, when she saw how sweet he was being, it was different, but as she had felt earlier before, it was more than welcome.

But her smile dropped sadly, when she heard Jake reply in a calm but sad tone,

“I appreciate the offer, I really love a good breakfast. But I got a new Admiral today, and he has given us curfew to be in before 10, and we’ll he wants us stuck at base. I’ll have to pass for that sir, I’m sorry.”

Francis POV

‘Well that fucking sucks... I really like this kid.’

Francis clicked his tongue as he playfully put out,

“That’s alright son, there’s always another time. And It’s always those new Admirals huh? .. being a bunch of talky jerks, putting in new rules when they can’t follow their own. Did you know that they add news rules to cover up the ones they don’t follow?”

Jake gulped down as he shook his head,

“No sir, I didn’t know. But I’ll keep that in mind and something to look out for.”

Francis sent Jake a wink,

“You should son... Now, I must get going before that man Darius Solomons sleeps on me.. that old man.”

Then he quickly hugged Tempy and pecked her forehead before walking to Jake and taking his hand to shake while warning,

“But I’ll let you two be, no shenanigans, and Jacob get back on base early, don’t worry about missing my breakfast, my house is open to you at anytime.”

Jake finally let a full smile grow on his face for Francis as he thanked him,

“Thank you, it’s more than appreciated.”

He then began to walk out, and called out to Jake,

“Lock the door for me, Jacob. I’ll see you later Nati!”

“I’ll see you soon Pops! Say hi to Uncle Solomons for me.”

“Indeed I will.”

Tempy’s POV

Soon the door was shut and locked by Jake came back inside after he insisted to walk Francis to his old Jeep Sahara.

Tempy had already pulled out a large amount of cash from her bank account, by still grabbed her card as she met Jake in the living as she put forth,

“I pulled out $300, is that enough or how much did Lady Penny make you pay?”

Jake mid stopped walking towards Tempy as he held his hands up while looking around like if he was lost,

“Ummm... I don’t remember I don’t have the receipt... I don’t even remember paying a bill today.”

Tempy let out a cute chuckle as she made the move to walk up to Jake while holing up the money,

“Well, if you don’t remember then I’ll have to remind you-“

She then tried to stuff the wad of cash in his back pocket, but Jake was quick to dodge and move away while he joked,

“I don’t remember paying anything tonight, I don’t know why you’re trying to give me money pretty lady.”

Tempy didn’t let up as she continued to try and put the money somewhere on him, all while laughing,

“Jake take the money it’s a lot you paid today!!”

“No it wasn’t!! I only paid 5 bucks for my whiskey! Or wait, my brother Bradley did!!”

Tempy laughed out loud at how ridiculous they looked now, running around the living room as Tempy tried to give him the money.

“Jake take the money please!! You didn’t have to pay for me!”

“Pay for you? Sugar I didn’t do anything-“

“Jake it was more than $250 I saw the bill!!”

“No you didn’t, you must have been dreaming while staring at me!!”

Tempy bit back a laugh as she remembered staring down at Jake earlier that day, but what she didn’t realize was that he had stopped running, and she crashed into his front.

Jake’s POV

This crash sent them both to the ground, with her resting her hands on his broad, muscular chest with her ass on his meaty lap, and Jake’s hands flew to catch her hips, first to steady her, and second to not accidentally rub her against his crotch. Both of them went quiet immediately at their awkward moment, but neither dared to move either, weighing one another’s next words or decision. But Jake took those seconds of silence to admire the beauty that rested above him, his mind began to steer him away from reality,

‘Damn isn’t she a fine sight for sore eyes... just look at her, pink cheeks, bright eyes, cute... kissable lips, nice hips that are a perfect place for my hands-‘

“Lieutenant Seresin... you’re staring.. take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

Jake blinked his eyes twice before snapping back to the moment, taking in the fact that Tempy used his own words against him. He squeezed her hips lightly, as he chuckled,

“You’re stealing my lines... but you’re right, let me grab my phone-“

“Hey!”

Tempy smacked his chest playfully to hold his attention before finally stuffing the cash into his shirt. Jake let out an exaggerated gasp while starting to handle his buttons to take out the money,

“Little Lady I’m no stripper! You just stuffed my shirt, when you’re the one giving the show I see.”

Tempy was quick to grab his hands and hold them above his head, stopping him from going on, as she put forth,

“First, I’m not putting on a show-“

With his eyes gazing around them to point out the position they were in, he interrupted her,

“You are, you’re on my hips and you keep moving-“

Tempy’s eyes grew wide with embarrassment and tried to move, until Jake held her in place and calmed her nerves with his soothing voice,

“nah-ah... don’t move, you’re fine. Just let me go to take this cash out- oh!”

Tempy moved her hips quite harshly against him, to stop him from withering around, causing a great affect on him when he groaned loudly,

“Dooooooooon’t do that!”

Tempy did it again as she teased with a little voice,

“And why not? I thought you said I was putting a show, so I am now.”

Jake locked eyes with Tempy, and thought for a second, before putting up a deal, a deal he knew she’d take, because she was as desperate as him for more touch, and now sexual satisfaction.

Tempy could feel his burning and darkening gaze and see the wheels turn in his brain as he took a few seconds of silence, she couldn’t help but move again, to get him to talk. And it worked when he spurted out,

“Hey - ok! Here’s a deal, I got to go in about 30 minutes... you give me a show.. a good one, and I’ll let you keep the cash.”

Tempy huffed out a laugh, while letting his hands go. She felt a little pinch at being seen like a whore or such, because she was more than that, but she shook those thoughts away, when Jake was quick to rephrase, afraid he had hurt her feelings, which was the last thing he wanted,

“Listen sweetheart, I know you’re more than someone who gives sex for money... I can see it in your dignity and they way you hold yourself up.... I just want a way to give you your money back, because you won’t let up...”

Tempy let her eyes fall onto the rewards Jake had on his chest, and ran her fingers across his gold wings, as she put forward,

“You’re right, I’m more than that.. I’m Lieutenant Natalie Temperance for the Navy-“

“Fuck that’s all you have to say!”

Jake heard Tempy let out a shriek of surprise when he flipped them both to where now Tempy was under him, and he was above straddling her hips and holding her hands above her head. Jake leaned down close to her face, being able to feel her now rapid breaths coming from her nose as he asked so politely but seductively,

“May I?”

Tempy glanced at Jake’s pink lips while she wet hers, and shook her head while looking back into his bright greens eyes,

“Yes..”

She closed her eyes when she felt his lips finally touch hers, molding perfectly onto hers as they moved in sync. There was no tongue or nothing more, just lips, but it was more than enough, as soon they began to deepen it and grow more hungry for it. Jake then pulled away, smiling to himself when he saw the way Tempy chased after his lips with a small pout. But he then got off of Tempy and began to pull her up as he said,

“Can I take you to be-“

“YES!”

Tempy then grabbed Jake’s hand and started to pull him down the hall, ushering him into her room before closing the door and locking it, Jake stood in the middle of the room as he waited patiently but eager to do anything that involved his hands on her. Tempy saw the desperation in his eyes, and tried to tease him more, as she then walked up slowly, to him who stood in front of her queen sized bed. She eyed him with curiosity of what he was capable of, and finally let it all go,

“I’m all yours.”

Jake’s eyes went wide and his hands immediately pulled her towards him, then picked her up as he sat her down on the tall bed, beginning to try and take off as much clothing as possible. In between he attacked her neck and face with kisses, but Tempy could only giggle at him as she put forth while letting her hands roam on him, trying to get a hold of all of him,

“Jake baby slow down, I have all the time-“

Jake desperately tried to undo the belt on Temperance’s plaid shorts as he said with deep breaths,

“Well I don’t my dear, my Admiral gave us curfew... that I do not wish to break, if I do then it’s hell.”

Temperance giggled at the sight of seeing a once brave, and cocky aviator now turned into a whimpering and putty mess as he struggled to shimmy down her own shorts with his strong and calloused hands. Giving him a sweet kiss on his now sweaty forehead, Temperance assured him,

“I’m sure it’s fine to break the rules at least once... if they make you do push-ups you’ll become bigger no?”

Jake heard her words, and looked away from unbuttoning the shorts to stare into her dreamy eyes for a moment, enthralled by her chase to get him to spend his every second of existence with her. Her eyes shined like stars, as they looked down at him with wonder and happiness, only making his dream and wish to be to dance on the stars of her eyes, forever so he’d never see night or anything gloomy.

Tempy had also been caught into the eye gazing trance with Jake, and only desired to memorize his eyes and feeling of him on her, so she could always be comforted and held strong. Jake’s confidence boosted Tempy’s confidence, his boldness to be and speak gave her the push she needed, to be in the position she was in right now, with a sculpted beauty standing between her legs. Temperance then squeezed Jake’s thick arms for more effect on her words, showing him she liked what she touched on him, making him drop the thought about his curfew immediately. At any other time with any other girl, Jake would’ve done things his way and have a quickie no matter what the girl’s protest was. But with Temperance, saying ‘no’ to her felt like it would sound so bitter and taste poisonous coming from his lips. So with a subtle growl Jake nipped at Temperance’s neck, earning him a sweet giggle from her lips as he admitted,

“Baby, you’re trouble... but I like it.”

Seconds later Jake was successfully able to take off her belt and unbutton her shorts, he then let Tempy pull them down her cute thighs and let them rest at her ankles. Tempy let out a short squeal of surprise when Jake immediately picked her up by the waist and threw her on the bed, quickly crawling onto her with his hands grasping at her waist, loving how perfect his hands fit on her curves, like if she was made for him. While this happened they attacked one other with hot and opened mouth kisses, and Tempy worked on getting Jake’s belt undone as he let his hands roam around her trying to satisfy his growing need for her. Soon her hands rested on his black boxers, not reaching down lower until she asked him sweetly,

“May I?”

Jake have Tempy a hard kiss before replying,

“I’m all yours right now, take what you want and need.”

Tempy wished he said, ‘I’m all yours forever’ but she was more than grateful to have ‘right now’ than ‘never’.

Jake then wrapped his thumbs around Tempy’s panties as he asked with dreamy eyes,

“May I have the honor of unwrapping this gift?”

Tempy threw her head back and let out a sweet laugh as she replied,

“So sappy, but yes... I’m all yours for as long as you need.”

Jake gave Tempy a happy smile, before leaning in to give her another kiss, while tugging down her panties gently, holding back the urge to rip them off, but he chose to be careful, as if he was afraid to break her, break her beautiful, diamond self. Tempy took into note his gentleness but his strong eagerness at the same time, it was both intriguing yet lovingly intoxicating, something she wish she could never get rid of. Both of them didn’t realize that this moment, they’d become one another’s life or death... or even both at once.

Bradley’s POV

Back at base, Bradley had just arrived and was about to walk to his side of the barracks, when he heard some unpleasant noises.

‘What the hell is all that whining??’

Without thinking much of it, Bradley began to walk towards the noise, all too curious of what is really was and what was it’s source. And as he creeped closer and closer, he neared a closed door that had its blinds closed, but with a small light inside. Bradley looked up at the words on the closed, glass door, whispering the name of the occupant of the office,

“Admiral George Tannin, aka Chaos... ok what the hell?”

The whining then got a little louder, but this time a small man slipped out with a groan, and that’s when it clicked for the poor Bradshaw. He covered his mouth as he gasped to himself with shock and disgust,

“Shit he’s banging someone in there!! That’s fucking-“

Just then Javy popped around the corner and caught Bradley, so he whisper shouted to him,

“Bradley what the fuck are you-“

Bradley jumped out of his skin and began making shush noises and putting a finger at his lips,

“SHH SHH!!!-“

“But-“

“Shut the fuck up!! He’s banging someone in there!”

Javy’s eyes went wide and he began to run towards Bradley, until a certain person grabbed the both of them, and pulled them into an abandoned office before closing the door and resting against it as he whispered yelled,

“What the hell guys!! Want to join them!?”

Bradley and Javy looked up to see the tall brown haired, blue eyed guy that sported a face of fear, it was the new Lieutenant guy they had seen with Tannin and the ladies back at the bar. Bradley immediately walked up to him as he pointed out,

“Hey I saw you at the Hard Deck-“

Bradley pauses when he was interrupted,

“Yeah, I’m Lieutenant Jonathan Danvers.. callsign McQueen.... don’t ever walk up to him again like that.... I’m working on it. Don’t worry.”

Javy perked a brow as he asked,

“Working on it.. so it’s happened before?”

Jonathan nodded as he put forth,

“Yup... but like I said, I’m working on it. Don’t step in.. for the sake of your jobs and lives.. now let’s get to bed before he catches us three in here. Might think we’re doing crazy shit because you guys are panting like dogs. C’mon.”

Jonathan then opened the door and walked out, without saying another word. Bradley and Javy stood still for a few seconds as the processed the past few seconds they lived. Javy was the first to speak up as he suggested,

“You should tell Jake... he’s more prone to want to do something. Plus he’s not here yet, and this Chaos might finish soon cause he’s a fucking old jock. I’m following Jonathan back to the bunk room, make the call and hurry back.”

Bradley nodded, then pointed out,

“Yeah.. I will... McQueen doesn’t seem like a bad guy, he just saved our asses.”

“He doesn’t... but we’ll see.”

Jake’s POV

Tempy and Jake laid side by side on her bed, taking deep breaths while going through the aftershocks of one of the best and greatest euphorias ever. Tempy was seeing stars and Jake was looking at a star, as he let his eyes rest on her, admiring the way her sweat covered chest moved up and down, trying to slow itself to normality. Jake then turned on his side, and let his fingers brush away the hair that had fallen on her face, so he could see her blissed out expression. Once her hair was moved away, he found her eyes already looking for his, as a cute smile grew on her red, bruised lips from the hard and passionate kisses Jake gave her. Her cheeks were a light pink and her eyes even seemed to glow brighter. No words were said as they let their eyes focus on one another, Tempy laid on her back as she admired Jake’s state, his once brushed back blond locks were now in all directions, his lips were a little swollen but still looked like they needed more kisses and bites, his cheeks were so red, and his eyes... his eyes were shining with such a glistening green. Tempy then grabbed his hand from her waist where he had left it and kissed his knuckles before saying,

“You look so much hotter right now.”

Jake shyly smiled, letting the color on his cheeks grow darker, as he felt himself fall harder for her sweet words. Usually he wasn’t a sucker for flirtatious words coming from a girl after sex, but with Tempy, it was like a whole new dose of great energy coming in. ‘I think I like her’

Jake lowered his head and pecked her lips softly, then her forehead as he admitted,

“Baby princess, no words can describe you right now... you surpass it all.. you’re too beautiful.”

Jake cradled her cheek and Tempy leaned into his soft touch, loving how quick he was to switch from bold and dominating, to a total softie and sweetheart. His marks left on her bare skin was something she desired that could be tattooed there forever. His comforting words of affirmation and affection didn’t feel fake, it was like if he had known her all along and cared about her well being and pleasure all at once. And Jake loved, how giving and fun Tempy was, her touch left behind loving traces that only begged to be given unending attention. Her words weren’t said for the heat of the moment, or even her loving sounds, they were all natural and so free, melody to his ears they were. They both continued to make out softly and gently, until Jake’s phone rang out loudly, separating them both as it broke the ice quite abruptly,

‘COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!! COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!’

Tempy and Jake sat up as they began looking for his phone, while she was laughing with questions,

“What the heck is that?”

“It’s my ringtone honey, my brother Rooster is calling me- oh it’s right next to you baby-“

“FOUND IT”

Tempy ripped it out his his pant pocket and handed it him right away, to which he gave her cheek a kiss as a ‘thank you’ then answered it,

“I know Bradley I’m on my way, I had-“

He then winked at Tempy to add meaning to his words,

“something great to do-“

“Jacob it’s not the time!! Stupid Chaos guy is doing crazy shit and the new Lieutenant is covering you until you come! Hurry the fuck up!!”

Tempy heard the commotion over Jake’s phone, and she began to fix Jake’s pants and shirt before handing it to him and beginning to help him dress, while he held his phone and replied,

“Shit! Ok ok, I’m on my way. Tell him thanks who ever he is. I’m like walking out and maybe 5 minutes away from base. Tell me the rest when I get there. Bye!”

Jake hung up an helped Tempy finish pulling up his pants as she then brought his shoes. He felt terribly bad for having to drop her like this, his eyes showed his worry and sadness as he apologized,

“I’m so sorry for leaving you like this-“

Tempy stopped his nervous rambling when she put her palm at his lips while comfortingly saying,

“It’s ok... I promise. I had a great time. And I know it��s important you go to base, I know the drill too.”

Jake let his shoulders relax, then he puckered his lips and kissed her palm, she let it drop as he said,

“Thank you. I’ll make it up to you- I-I promise. I don’t want this to be a one thing. And- well... - Shit is that to fast?”

Tempy nodded no,

“No it’s not.. I wanted to say the same. I’m free at any time, please stay safe sailor.”

Jake fixes his collar while looking back at Tempy, who stood in the middle of her sea life aesthetic room hugging her waist while only wearing her navy blue panties. Jake felt like he was looking at the greatest master piece of Mother Nature, and wished the picture of it could be engraved on his brain forever. He then walked up to Tempy, and grabbed her hand as he led her to bed,

“Let me tuck you in quickly before I go.”

Tempy let out a quiet ‘ok’ as she jumped into bed and got under the covers, still feeling how warm the area was, smelling like Jake and his expensive cologne. Jake smiled happily and kissed her lips before snuggling the blanket on her more.

“Sweet Dreams my baby princess, I’ll see you soon.”

“Goodnight my savior... see you soon.”

Jake then turned away and walked out, closing her door gently after turning off her light. He then soon found his way out of the house and made sure all her doors were secured shut, he didn’t dare want to risk anything bad if he had left something opened.

Jonathan’s POV

Jonathan waited by the front door, waiting for whom they said was ‘Hangman’ coming in. Jonathan kept watch only because knew Chaos’ every moves, his every different kind of step and what sound it made, how loud he breathed, he had memorized every move, for always ‘just in case’. And this time his skill were used so he could be on the lookout, waiting for the last sailor to come in. And soon he saw the particular sailor run towards the door as almost fall in because Jonathan had opened the door when Jake had leaned in to push it. Jonathan yanked Jake off the floor by the arm as he scolded,

“Could you be any louder?”

Jake’s POV

Jake let out a huff of laughter while trying to stable his standing,

“Yeah no shit.... Danvers?”

Jake had recognized Jonathan Danvers, and felt every nerve in his body twist in annoyance as he took in the appearance of the one pilot he didn’t like at all. Jonathan wore the same face as he whispered back,

“Seresin.... I should’ve let you be caught by Tannin... maybe you’d get your promotion taken too.”

And with that Jonathan left, leaving Jake a little confused, no longer annoyed.

‘My promotion taken too? What happened to him?.... huhhhh.... always such a weirdo, let’s see what new surprises he brings me.’

And surely... Jonathan Danvers’ life would bring quite a lot of surprises to Jake’s life, in every aspect.

#jake seresin #jake seresin x oc #jake hangman x reader #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #hangman x oc #hangman seresin x reader #hangman x reader #top gun hangman #top gun x oc #Hangman x Tempy #Jake Seresin x Natalie Temperance #jake seresin angst #jake Seresin fluff #hangman angst #hangman fluff #jake hangman seresin x reader

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swordsovereign · 7 months ago

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It was only a matter of time until something broke the peace that had just settled after a rather stressful ordeal. Peace was something rare and beautiful, because every time it was there ...

❝ one might say you’re paragon of luck. i’ll be there when it runs out. ❞ speaks @literanis, and Seofon lets out a sigh. Of all the things he wanted to deal with today, this wasn't it.

But, that was the job of the Eternals, right? Dealing with the things no one else wanted to deal with- and he'd rather be the one to face Lucilius than to have the captain do so. With the incident with the Phoenix behind them, the captain still needed time to recover, unlike Seofon, who could keep going as long as he needed to.

Perks of being connected to the boundary, or something.

❝ A paragon of luck, eh? ❞

❝ That's a new one. ❞ Calm in the face of danger, the usual, except for the fact that there was something else stirring in the back of his mind telling him to just get rid of the threat. Don't play games. You already let that dragon kid live, but this one's proven to have no good will toward the skies. You know what you have to do. Of course he knew. He wasn't sure why he was hesitating.

Hell, he wasn't going to hesitate much longer, and besides, those were some pretty cool swords- they'd look lovely in his collection.

❝ You're confident, too. Maybe a little too confident, but I can show you how wrong you are. ❞ Seofon's smug, too, but he knows this isn't a fight that will kill him. He's handled worse- or at least his other self had handled worse (the Six Dragons were no joke! He liked the idea of fighting something that strong, and even in the current reality, if Lu Woh hadn't backed off that time, Seofon would've given the Wedge of Light a beating he'd never forget!).

❝ I've got vacations to plan for my crew, and you've never come on peaceful terms. Let's make this quick. ❞

#literanis #seofon vc i dont have time for this im going to kick your ass

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rewordthis · 1 year ago

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Watched Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 6 on Sunday, because I was late to the party, and that Op got me high!!!

I replayed it 5 times already while watching, because I was head-banging to the rhythm so madly that I couldn’t focus on the screen, but once I did— OH! The visuals are so amazing?!

This Op is by far my favourite ever! I mean, that paced, slow march being so beautifully enhanced by the pulse of the music is setting off such an otherworldly atmosphere, I’m hyped as hell! I couldn’t even sleep that night! I felt as if I was looking at lambs zombies walking to their slaughter and then the blatant spoilers, just exploding on the screen! Oof! 🔥🔥🔥

I love it so much much muchhhhhhhhhhhh!!! GAH!!! 🔥🔥🔥

There is nothing foreshadowed in this Op. Everything is slapped in our faces but it’s done so masterfully? I’m jealous and annoyed at how well done this is. I’m obsessing slightly but, hopefully the scenes themselves will prove even more hype. Haha Hey! Did you catch baka Toji? Did you see how Nanami stood inside those flames like a f☆cking phoenix?! Or how smooth that transition from Yuuji to Sukuna was? Or how damn cheeky Sukuna’s smug smile was??? Did you?!

And that “I love you, baby” playing while Sukuna’s fingers are on screen!!! Please! My SukuIta brain worms are already hard at work as it is! My mind is screaming!!! 😫🫠

I also loved how Nanami was blown away in those frames! I love my faves breaking a sweat— sometimes a bone, too ngl — but look! Bottom right corner!

His physique is so nicely depicted… 🫠

Flying Maki gave me an odd flashback from the movie, too. lol

And that sequence of hand seals… it felt like a dance. You know, seductive (?) somehow… *growls in annoyance* I can’t explain it any better, ok?

Not to mention, the overall colour that bleeds out, being hot red. How appropriate… The colour of the essence of life. Fierce and ominous and utterly dominating… But at the same time, dangerous like wild flames licking at your very soul…

… yes. I’m a little too unhinged right now. And I like it. 😏 This watermelon is MAPPA! 😍🤗🥰

#jjk #jujutsu kaisen #jjk season 2 #jujutsu kaisen 2nd season ★#update #fandom talk #jjk spoilers #I’ve crossed the rubicon with this opening #I’m completely derailed and I blame no one but mappa!#in retrospect #this watermelon is MAPPA! 😍🤗🥰#raise nanami from his ashes gege!#I don’t care what asspull you come up with! just do it!!! 🫵

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oceanicxeyes · 4 months ago

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If they weren’t in the middle of a little… CONVERSATION, fuelled by curiosity and wonder, one would actually believe that they were engaging in a very lewd and very graphic encounter. There was almost no space between their bodies. Every little movement they did, every slight turn of their bodies was now designed to keep the friction going. Feel more, touch more, tease more. Patrick knew what he was doing because that’s what he did. He was so damn good at unraveling the sins that tangled deep within a person’s core that he didn’t even felt the need to use the demonic allure that came with his kind. That sort of thing was fun and all – but only the lazy ones would turn their allure up to eleven to get their victims. They were all for the food – and not for the hunt. And while Patrick could truly resort to his own seductive element, he didn’t see a point in doing so. He liked the push and pull game. He liked to see the challenge reflected in someone else’s eyes. The way that they took control away from him – albeit temporarily – only to give in to him moments after. Toby was no exception. In fact, he was putting on quite the entertaining game for them to play. Tease him back – roll their bodies together in such a seductive manner that one would believe he sought to be claimed right where they were… But there was more to it than that. They were playing two games at the same time. A physical game with their bodies and a game of guessing with their words. Honestly, Patrick truly believed that the man was nothing more than a common witch. Those were the ones always seeking deals with demons for more power or wealth… However, the truth was far more interesting than anything that the demon had ever anticipated. He saw the flames – bright and hot – come forth under Toby’s will. The demon looked up to see the fire dance and move on its own accord before taking the shape of a bird. Could it be…? Patrick’s eyes narrowed for a second as he kept admiring the sudden display of power – something that both fascinated him and aroused him. He had been around the mortal world for centuries now. He had met all sorts of creatures and people… but never one such as this. Could it be…? Really? Once the flames died out and the heat subsided for a minute or two, the demon’s attention as back to Toby –who was looking every bit of smug as he possibly could. What a little shit. He was still rocking his body against his own, increasing the friction between their skin – making his own erection throb with need now that it was so dangerously close to be claiming the man from the inside out. Such a casual prattle. Toby was back in the game almost like the past seconds had never happened. Almost like showing a fire bird was a magician’s parlor trick to impress the easily stunned audience. The demon had to give it to him – he was becoming more and more interesting by the second. Way more than what he originally expected. “Never met one of your kind before.” Patrick had to admit that much. He had met and dealt with hellhounds and angelic beings, witches and golems, vampires and wolves… but never something as mythical as a fucking PHOENIX. And considering Toby’s words… he was not just one thing. A little bit of this and a little bit of that. Almost like an mismatch of supernatural beings all tossed into a single vessel. Which made the demon consider a second thing. To be the host of a phoenix definitely required a lot of power – for the phoenix was a being of rebirth. If Toby had more inside of him? How powerful was this man, really? Clearly more powerful than him – although Patrick was not worried about that a single bit.

“You just became a lot more interesting.” To hell with precaution. The demon rolled his body seductively against Toby’s, thrusting his hips underwater just to give the other man a little preview of what he could do to him if they ever reached that stage. They could right now… there was no one around to catch them in the act and even if there was, Patrick wasn’t opposed to a show and tell. “I might have to keep you close.” Lips curled into a rather visceral grin before the demon brushed his lips over Toby’s, the tip of his tongue playfully parting them open for him. Just a tease –no kiss. Not yet, anyway. “And here I thought I had seen it all – guess you are hot on the LITERAL sense, uh? Boy, am I glad I’m immune to fire… just in case things between us get real heated…”

His breath hitched, not from fear, but from the pressure, the warmth of Patrick's fingers digging into his flesh. It wasn’t pain—it was a claim, a brand of possession that sent shivers rippling outwards, tightening every muscle in anticipation. A grin, slow and languid, spread across his lips. He rolled his hips lazily, arched into the contact, pressing his body flush against Patrick's.

Patrick's hands seemed to knead Toby's arse, pulling him impossibly closer. The friction as their cocks rubbed together underwater had Toby biting back a moan. He could feel Patrick's length, nestled against the cleft of his arse. The position was precarious, tempting. It would take so little to shift his hips, to let Patrick slide inside...

Toby ruthlessly shoved that thought aside. He wasn't some blushing virgin to be overwhelmed by lust, no matter how potent Patrick's allure might be. He had his own secrets, his own power. And he wasn't ready to show his hand just yet.

"A witch?" Toby repeated, unable to keep the amusement from his voice. "Please. I'm insulted you'd think I was something so... mundane." His lips quirked up in a smirk. "Though I suppose I should be flattered you think I'm pretty enough to be a witch."

Flames spilled over Toby's shoulders, warm and fluid. They fanned out, forming wings of fire that framed him. The flames danced around Toby, shaping into a phoenix. The flames flickered and sputtered, releasing a final wisp of smoke as they died away.

Toby let his smirk widen as the flames flickered out, their warmth lingering on his skin, leaving it flushed. He could feel Patrick's gaze roaming over him. It was almost enough to make him preen, to bask in the attention like a cat stretching luxuriously in a sunbeam.

He arched into Patrick's touch, grinding his hips against the demon's hardness. The friction was exquisite, sending sparks of pleasure dancing along his nerves, but he kept his expression composed, a lazy smile playing on his lips. He could tell Patrick was used to being in control, to having others bend to his will with little more than a look or a touch. Toby was determined to make him work for it, to keep him on his toes.

"What I am, mate? That's a bit of a sticky wicket, isn't it?" He ran a hand through his hair, his expression turning thoughtful. "Right now, I suppose you could call me a phoenix, but it's not that simple. Never is with our lot."

Toby's voice lowered, taking on a more serious tone.

"You see, I'm not just one thing. I'm a bit of this, a dash of that. Sent here to learn a lesson by dear old dad. Complicated doesn't begin to cover it." He shook his head, a rueful smile playing on his lips. "But then again, nothing worth having ever comes easy, does it?"

#soncfthewitch #( patrick x toby 01 )#( verse: path of lust )

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nolita-fairytale · 2 years ago

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call sign: tennessee whiskey | rooster x fem!reader & hangman x phoenix | chapter three

summary: the bird strike accident, and the stakes of life and death, push everyone a little closer to reconciling with their own feelings.

warnings: enemies to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, swearing, mentions of death, strong possibility of military inaccuracies, second person pov, no use of y/n,

wc: 6.4k

listen to: the playlist

chapter two | masterlist | chapter four Halfway through week two the stress of the mission has gotten to you. It’s gotten to everyone. It’s easy to compartmentalize when you’re used to being sent into war. Sure, you’ve had some time to decompress – like the night you and Halo roped everyone into a skin care night, or the beach day where, for the first time since arriving, this special detachment had finally begun to feel like a team.

But the levity and your ability to compartmentalize are beginning to escape you as the intensity of this mission chisels away at every tool you have in the box. You can feel it in how exhausted you are, passing out for hours after training days end. You feel it in the way that your lungs feel virtually crushed by gravity when you pop up up, charging up from the hard deck – a number that seems to keep dropping lower and lower as time goes on.

“Cool it, Whiskey,” Maverick had chastised you, by the time you’d debriefed in the classroom. “Your decision would have ensured an attack by enemy SAMs. Might I remind you that you were Team Leader in this exercise. It would’ve been a dogfight for all of you.”

“I’m sorry, sir. You’re right. We were too early,” you apologize, in reference to pulling up too soon.

“You’re going to have to figure out how to fight gravity for just a little longer, Lieutenant. The timing has to be perfect for this mission,” Maverick instructs, a weight in his voice, like he hates doing this.

“Understood, sir,” you’d answered, accepting that you needed to pivot your strategy.

After each debrief, one unsuccessful attempt after another, Maverick haunts each of you with the question no one wants to think about:

What will you tell their family?

It's the heaviest weight to carry, especially as pilot of a two-seater, and everyone’s responded differently to the ferocity of this mission. Regardless of the fact that the only pilot who’s made it to the target is Rooster, Hangman continues to hide behind his arrogant demeanor, snapping at anyone who questions it or him. Phoenix is focused, near-robotic, cold, and calculating as she continues to work tirelessly towards the new time limit that Maverick’s set. While you’re impulsive and rash, you’re quick to respond in high stress situations forcing you to take risks that you wouldn’t under normal circumstances. But Rooster’s hesitant – a thinker – and you can see that he’s getting too caught up in his head. He likes to wait, examine each option carefully, before making a decision, which only frustrates him as he falls behind schedule each time.

It’s not till Jake’s very public, mal-intended, and vicious dig aimed at Rooster, that the tension snaps. What almost turns into a fight in the classroom makes everyone realize just how on the edge you’ve all been. As Maverick dismisses the group of aviators, you follow Hangman out of the room, hot on his heels, before shoving him into an empty classroom to talk.

“What the hell were you thinking bringing up his father like that, Hangman? Are you insane?” you hiss, slamming the door behind him.

With a smug, amused look on his face, he crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back against one of the desks.

“Why do you fucking care, Whiskey?” he taunts you, as if he already knows the answer.

His cool, unaffected act is really starting to piss you off, and you find yourself growing even more frustrated, the longer he sits there.

“That was out of line, Seresin. And you know it!” you exclaim, in awe at how unkind your best friend had been.

He scoffs, looking away from you for a second. He runs his tongue over his bottom lip before his demeanor changes from arrogant to mean when he looks back at you.

“Don’t think I haven’t seen how friendly you and him have been lately. You into him or something? Is that what this is about?” he snaps, his tone cool as he avoids taking any blame whatsoever for his outburst.

“That’s not what-. You didn’t have to bring up his father. Not like that,” you argue passionately before continuing your tirade.

“Sometimes I don't know why you need to be so goddamn provocative all the time, Hangman. I mean what was the point? You want to get in his head? Congrats. You did it. You wanna piss off Maverick or something? I mean, what the hell, man?!”

Your answer doesn’t seem to satisfy him, his voice laced with venom as he spits:

“So this is about him. Rooster.”

“Why does it matter?!” you shout, frustrated by his attempts to answer any of your questions.

And truthfully, you’re getting pretty fucking tired of him putting this all on you.

“Because!” he yells, the anger bursting out of him. “You're taking his side, kid!”

He pauses, taking a moment to collect himself before lowering his voice. Jake knows that you don’t deserve this – that he shouldn’t take this out on you – but watching you stand on Rooster’s side when the fight broke up had stung more than he had the words to express.

He drops his gaze to the floor, his voice softening as he manages to get out, “It’s supposed to be me and you against the world, kid. Don't you remember?'

It’s not an excuse for his poor behavior, but you know he’s hurt.

Your mind floats back to the look of betrayal on his face when he realized you had rushed to Rooster’s side – not his. Of course he wanted you to be happy. He knew you deserved that. You were his best friend, after all.

You were the person he knew he could call after an exceptionally bad day, the only person on the planet who knew he joined the Navy just to piss off his dad, the person who’d seen every single side of him and hadn’t run in the other direction yet.

You were his one true friend.

Jake thinks back to his graduation from the Naval Academy – the day you told off his father. Mr. Seresin had spent the entirety of his graduation dinner making snide remarks instead of celebrating his son’s incredible accomplishment. Something about the working class this, and how he’d never understand why his only son would want to ruin his life by becoming a public servant instead of following in his footsteps.

And there you were, nineteen years old, standing up to the oil tycoon in a way he hadn’t even figured out yet. That’s the moment he knew: no matter what happened, no matter how much time passed, no matter the distance between the two of you, you were stuck with him, because no way in hell he would ever let go.

You were like his kid sister. His Texan. His Tennessee Whiskey.

And even though the idea that this was anything more than platonic was a long gone sentiment, he still hated the idea of having to share you.

Especially with Rooster.

He knows he’s being selfish, but he can’t help it, perhaps a symptom of his own stress from the last week.

“That’s not fair,” you point out, breaking the silence between the two of you.

He waits a beat before admitting, somberly:

“I know.”

You take a step towards him, softening your body language so that he knows you come in peace.

“You weren’t in the right there, dude,” you say with a sigh, only mildly resenting the fact that you have to state that explicitly. “What you said to Rooster… about his dad? About Mav? That was cruel... and frankly, really unprofessional, dude.”

Jake’s still, his body frozen and his eyes are fixed to the floor as he listens to you. He feels like a kid who’s gotten in trouble. He can’t look at you yet – too embarrassed by his own behavior because he knows you’re right – so he just listens.

“So yeah. I'm taking his side on this one…” you explain, as compassionately as you can. You take another step towards him, reassuring him with, “...but that doesn't mean I don't still have your back.”

“I’ll always have your back, Seresin,” you promise. The use of his name instead of his call sign is the thing that gets him to look up, his expression remorseful.

“I know,” he repeats, in acceptance.

You smile softly.

“And sometimes… because you insist on being such an arrogant prick sometimes… having your back means calling you out on your bullshit when you fuck up,” you add, only teasing him a little to lighten up the mood.

Even seated, Jake’s physical presence is still bigger than yours, but you match him with the amount of space you dare to take up.

“Yeah, whatever,” he smirks, looking away for a moment before returning his gaze back to you.

You reach out a hand to squeeze his shoulder, letting him know that you’re here for him.

“I’m sorry, Whiskey,” he mumbles, looking down once more, his lips pressed together in a thin line.

“You’re… you’re what? Did you just say-, because I’m not sure I heard you the first time. Was that an… apology?” you tease, playfully.

“Oh shut up,” he groans with an eye roll.

“It’s just that… I’m gonna need to get this one on film because no one will believe me if I tell them that you, Jake Seresin, actually apologized to me,” you continue to poke fun at him, giving him shit because you can.

“You better not!” he warns you with a laugh.

“Oh I’m telling everyone. I actually think I deserve a lifetime achievement award for this,” you celebrate, sarcastically.

“Fine, I’ll say it again if you just quit it!” he exclaims, with an exasperated sigh.

He takes a moment, before dramatically shouting towards the heavens:

“I said I’m sorry, Whiskey!”

“Bullseye!” you cheer, as if you’ve beat him at darts at the Hard Deck.

You watch as the corners of his lips twist up into a small smile while he holds his hands up in the air as a sign of surrender. His smile warms you, and you’re reminded for a moment of why you’ve put up with him for this damn long. The two of you exchange a laugh before allowing the comfortable quiet between the two of you to settle in.

“Jake.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to,” you voice, as seriously as you can.

And he knows you’re right about that too.

All you want to do is crawl into bed and come out when all of this is over. No one goes into the military – no one gets to be in the top 1% of naval aviators – without understanding the risk that comes with being in a combat zone. It’s the unique, exceptionally difficult, and limited time of this mission that seems to be kicking everyone’s ass, and it all becomes more and more of a reality the day that Phoenix and Bob’s F/A-18 goes down.

Once the doctors had given the Dagger Squad the greenlight to visit with Bob and Phoenix, you’d all piled into their shared hospital room in an attempt to keep them company. While both of them seemed to be in good spirits, the accident had scared the shit out of you. You understand why it’s easier – not to have attachments when doing this job – and today is one of those days where it feels like it would just be easier not to.

You look around the room, observing the wild cast of characters you call a detachment. Coyote’s just said something funny that’s got Jake howling with laughter, while Fanboy and Bob are fixated on some game they’re playing on Fanboy’s phone. Halo, Payback, and Fritz have gone for a coffee run, even though visiting hours are almost over. You can only imagine that it’s a sight for sore eyes: so many of you piled into one hospital room in your khakis.

You’ve all decided that you’re going to stay for as long as possible. After spending some time with Bob and Fanboy, it’s time to visit with Nat. You examine each aviator and the extra chairs that the hospital staff brought into the room for your group. Hangman sits in a folding chair next to Javy in between Bob and Phoenix’s bed. As you stand up with the intention of making your way over to Phoenix, you can’t help but roll your eyes at the sight of him.

You fixate on the toothpick in Hangman’s mouth. He tosses it around, chewing on it while he scrolls through something on his phone as you walk by.

“Stop that! This is a hospital room,” you deride, as you snatch the toothpick out of his mouth. You earn a look of agitation and shock as Jake watches you walk over to the small trash can, tossing his used toothpick into a small trashcan.

“Hey!” he calls after you, before addressing the rest of the aviators in the room. “Does anyone want a little sister? I’m trying to get rid of one.”

“Always told you it was a nasty habit,” you shrug, and he glares at you in response.

“Y’all are so cute,” Coyote gushes, sarcastically.

“She has a point,” Bob backs you up, in reference to your previous comment.

“Shut up, Baby On Board,” Hangman grumbles, returning his focus back on his phone.

The scene you’ve caused gives you the perfect time to talk to Nat more privately, since everyone is focused on something else. It’s not that you haven’t spent much time together, but you’ve been surrounded by almost all of the other Dagger Squad members all day.

“How ya doin?” you ask Phoenix, as she flips through a trashy gossip rag you’d purchased for her at the gift shop.

“I’m alright. More disappointed than anything. I hated having to eject,” she admits, a bitterness in her voice. You settle into the nicer hospital chair that someone’s moved over to her bedside.

“I know. But you know the bird strike wasn’t your fault,” you reinforce, making sure that she knows it.

“Yeah,” she replies, though you’re not sure she believes it. She turns the page of the magazine.

Even though you haven’t said anything, Natasha can tell that you’re worried about her. It’s written all over your face, and she can feel it in the way that you’ve refused to leave her side all afternoon. She’d practically had to beg you to go on a gift shop earlier so that she could take a nap. She changes the subject, putting on her best sing-song voice in an attempt to make you laugh.

“Uh oh! Trouble in paradise?” she says, reading the headline out loud of the trashy magazine you’d bought her earlier. “Is it just a glitch or did Miley Cyrus unfollow Liam Hemsworth on instagram?!”

You laugh at the headline, leaning over so that you can take a peek at the magazine in her lap.

“Woah! Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are splittin’ up? No way! Lemme see!” Coyote chimes in loudly, hopping up on Nat’s hospital bed to join in on the gossip session.

“Seriously! You’re surprised? That relationship’s been a rollercoaster ride for the last… few years!” Jake practically exclaims, in the same kind of way he’d rattle off a fact about the Dallas Cowboys.

“Didn’t take you as one to keep up with celebrity gossip,” Bob remarks snarkily, from his hospital bed, earning a laugh from everyone in the room but Jake.

Jake’s face falls for a moment as he sighs, “Whatever, Floyd.”

“Let me see, Phoenix,” Coyote encourages, holding a hand out so that he can take a look at the article. “Unlike Hangman over here, I’m shameless when it comes to this shit. And there better be horoscopes at the back of this thing or I don’t want it at all.”

You and Nat exchange a glance, giggling. Jake sighs crankily, before mumbling something about going to go ask for more ice chips. Nat sits up in her hospital bed, handing the magazine over to Javy while he flips through it, desperately searching for the horoscope page.

“He’s always been a sore loser,” you comment, smugly, as soon as Jake’s out of earshot.

“Hey, where’s Rooster?” Nat asks you, noticing that Bradley hasn’t been to visit at all.

“Oh uh,” you hesitate, unsure of how she’ll take it. You’ve exchanged a few texts with Bradley since the accident, but you’re mostly making assumptions. “Think he’s back on base. Last I heard Maverick gave him an update about you guys…. I think between the accident… and Jake bringing up his dad the other day… this is all… a lot.”

She nods in understanding.

“Do you want me to call him? I will if you-,” you begin to ask.

“No!” she interrupts you. “No, I’m not upset. I-, I just want to make sure he’s okay, you know?”

“Yeah, of course,” you reply. You’re about to suggest that you FaceTime him when she grabs your hand, an ‘I need a favor’ kind of look plastered to her face.

“You’ll go check on him, won’t you? For me?” she asks, batting her eyelashes a few times at you in an attempt to butter you up.

You roll your eyes playfully, glaring at her as you accuse, “You’re the shameless one here! Not Javy.”

She shrugs, a fox-like grin on her face, because she knows exactly what she’s doing.

“Pretty please?” she asks, so sweetly that you’re not sure how you’re going to say no.

You sigh in surrender, standing up out of your chair.

“You could’ve just said something if you wanted to get rid of me, Trace,” you chide, digging for your keys in the bag you brought to the hospital.

“But that would be a lie! You’ve been so great at cheering us up here. I think your services may be needed…” she says before lowering her voice and wiggling her eyebrows, “...elsewhere.”

“Mhm. Sure,” you hum, with a playful eye roll to follow.

You know exactly why she wants you to go check on Rooster.

And truthfully, you don’t mind being the one she’s asking to do it either.

“I am worried about him,” she confesses genuinely. “So thank you.”

“‘Course, Nat,” you assure.

It’s not a long drive back to base. By the time you find Rooster, he’s in the rec room hunched over the piano that’s probably been in there for longer than you’ve been alive. You wouldn’t exactly call what he’s playing a song. He’s just running his fingers over the keys, playing a few notes, then a few stray riffs here and there, trying his best to keep his mind occupied.

“Hey,” you say, your voice pulling him away from whatever he’s fixating on.

He’s surprised to hear your voice – surprised to see you – as he turns around to face you, still seated on the piano bench.

“Hey.”

“I thought you’d be with Phoenix and Bob,” he replies, quietly.

“Yeah, I was,” you say, beginning to approach him. “But… Phoenix wanted me to come check on you. See how you were doing.”

The smallest smile spreads across his face as he says, “Of course she did.”

You take a moment to take him in. He looks tired – more so than usual.

“How are you?” you ask, softly.

Rooster remains seated on the piano bench, his forearms resting on his knees. You can tell he’s been deep in thought.

“Not so great,” he admits, giving you a half-smile. “But. Better? Now that you’re here.”

You walk over to where he sits. Rooster pulls you into his arms for a hug, and it feels so good to be this close to him. It’s comforting: the way he feels warm against your skin, the way he smells like sweat and cologne from the day before. You hug him tightly and he’s burying his face in your neck.

“How are they? Bob and Phoenix,” Rooster asks, as he begins to pull away.

You keep your arms wrapped around his neck while his hands remain on your waist.

“They’re good,” you answer, trying to keep your tone positive. “Just being kept overnight for observation but I bet they’ll be back on base by tomorrow morning.”

He gives you the softest smile, before pulling you down onto his lap. You giggle in response, both of your legs shifted to one side of him as you stretch them across his and the piano bench. Your hands go to the back of his head, drawing comforting circles at the base of his neck.

“It’s been a day, huh?” he sighs, enjoying the feel of your body against his.

Ever since your date over the weekend, you’d spent as much time together as possible: going for early morning runs, grabbing coffees in between breaks, eating lunch together. But it hadn’t gone any further than flirtatious friends, which was kind of the whole point of not sleeping with him a few nights ago. This had been the most intimate physical contact you’d had so far, and you take note. It’s strange really – a good kind of strange – how easy it feels to slip into his arms like this, like you’ve been doing it for years.

“What’s on your mind?” Rooster asks you, catching you deep in contemplation.

And as much as you’d love to kiss him right now, let him get you naked in the middle of the rec room and take you there, you can’t imagine what that would do to your focus. And you can’t lose it right now. Not after today.

“Let’s go to the beach,” you declare, impulsively.

You practically jump out of his lap and onto your feet, earning a look from Rooster.

“Right now?” he asks, unable to hide his surprise.

“Right now,” you nod.

There’s a light in your eyes that Rooster can’t ignore – it’s something he wants to learn inside and out – so he agrees, following you out of the rec room and down the path from the base to the beach. You don’t give either of you much more time to think about… or any time to change. You’re not sure what you did to deserve his trust, but you hold his hand the entire way there. The two of you kick your shoes off at the top of the beach entrance, then hurry down to the water before you bring the both of you to a halt at the water’s edge.

“I love the ocean,” you sigh, as if a 500 pound weight’s been lifted off your shoulders. You take a deep breath, inhaling the salty air, focusing only on the sound of the waves crashing against each other. “It makes everything else feel so small, you know? Reminds me that we’re not in control. That there’s something so much bigger and that I’ve just got to trust.”

You chuckle before continuing, before shooting him a look.

“Guess that’s why I joined the Navy.”

In that moment, Rooster is completely enamored with you. He comes to the conclusion that he’s completely enchanted as he listens to you talk. You’re so vibrant, so full of life, and he likes that, while he gets so stuck in his head all the time, you’re the complete opposite. He’s so lost, so in awe of you, that he forgets to answer you.

You giggle at his loss of words, turning to him.

“Watcha thinkin’ about?” you ask.

He’s not sure what possesses him to say it when he answers:

“You.”

With a wicked smile on your face you grab his hands in yours as you say, “What about me?”

“You’re magnificent,” he marvels, his fingers intertwined with yours.

Your heart skips a beat and you can feel all the blood rush to your head in response to what he’s said. It makes you feel dizzy.

God, you can’t wait for this mission to be over.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” you flirt back.

“Do you trust me?” you ask, a glimmer of mischief in your eyes.

“Uh… yes…?” Rooster hesitates, as you let go of his hands. He watches as you take a few steps backwards, pulling your collared shirt out of the waist of your pants. Rooster bites down on his bottom lip as he watches you pull the shirt over your head, before tossing it onto the sand.

“Shit,” he groans, his pants suddenly feeling much tighter. He doesn’t look away as you undo your belt buckle, shimmying out of your pants too. He wonders if he should look away – as it would be the respectful thing to do – since all you’re wearing now is your bra and a pair of seamless cheeky panties that has him gulping.

“What’re you doing, Whiskey?” he wavers, his breath caught in his throat.

“C’mon,” you encourage, winking at him.

You take off, charging into the ocean. The cold water hits your feet, and you think it may be just what the both of you need.

“Don’t be a chicken!” you taunt him cheekily, as a nod to his call sign.

You look back at him over your shoulder, before wading further into the water, and it’s as if his pants couldn’t be any tighter than they are now.

“God damn it, woman,” Rooster rasps, pulling his shirt over his head.

He’s not going to let you do this alone, and your little strip tease on the beach pushes him forward, as he strips off his pants too. In seconds, Rooster’s chasing after you, using all the force in his legs to propel himself against the tide. It doesn’t matter that the water’s a less than ideal temperature, that his time back at TOPGUN has brought up so much shit about his dad and Mav, that he’s hard as a rock from watching you undress on the beach.

You are intoxicating.

He watches as you reach a point where the water is deep enough to swim. You dive into the water before egging him on to come with you. He follows, and the two of you swim further out to where the waves calm and you can just breathe for a moment.

Rooster treads water, inching closer towards you, as the waves still.

You steal a glance his way. The way the moonlight catches him takes makes you absolutely breathless, and you’re not sure how you’re going to keep your hands off of him.

“Feel better?” you ask, optimistically.

“Yeah. You?” he grins back at you.

Only, it’s not just the water that’s made him feel better.

“Absolutely,” you answer, beaming back at him. “Cmon. Let’s just swim a little more.”

So you do, the two of you putting your military-grade swimming skills to the test. You enjoy the feel of the cold water against your body as you glide through the water, a feeling of relief washing over you. You finally settle on a spot where Bradley can stand, but you still have to tread water, moving closer and closer to him.

“Wanna swim closer to shore?” he offers, as he notices that you’re still treading water.

“No, it’s okay,” you reply with a shake of your head.

Before you know it, Bradley’s pulling you into his arms, and you’re wrapping your legs around his waist, the ocean shielding both of your bodies from the surface. And it’s in that moment that you don’t think, all thoughts and hesitations about being too distracted to fly your F/A-18 go right out the door. Fuck it. Fuck the risk. Fuck not getting attached. Fuck not getting distracted – even if just for a night.

It’s then that you decide to break all of your rules, placing your mouth over his into a passionate lip lock.

Kissing you feels like heaven, as he memorizes the way you taste. His tongue snakes out against your bottom lip, and soon enough, his tongue is in your mouth, tangling with yours. You swear could get lost in the way Rooster feels pressed against you as your hands drag across over his shoulders, the tough scars that run along his neck and shoulders, the hard planes of his abdomen.

“Shit, Whiskey,” he moans into your mouth. “You keep kissing me like that and I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait till after the mission.”

You pull away for a brief moment, taking a deep breath so that you don’t give in right here. It takes all of your self restraint to say what you say next.

“Well you’re just gonna have to,” you tease him, deviously. You press your forehead against his, your lips inches away from where you want them to be. “If either of us get chosen for this mission… think of it as an incentive.”

“For what?” he asks, breathlessly. He buries his face in your neck, tickling your soft skin with the texture of his mustache. He begins to tease you – since you seem to love teasing him so much – leaving soft love bites along your collarbone and tops of your left shoulder.

You giggle at feeling, and when he raises his head, you kiss him again like it’s your last night on earth. You’re sucking on his bottom lip and he’s reaching up to cup your face, holding you close to him. You indulge yourself in him for a little longer, wanting to savor every single moment of this, before realizing you have a question to answer. You begin to slow down your kisses, pressing your forehead to his once more before finally whispering:

“To come home. Incentive to come home.”

It takes all of his power not to melt into a puddle right then and there.

“Okay,” he agrees, with a nod, beaming across from you.

If you don’t do something now, you’ll end up fucking him in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, so you plant one more soft kiss to his lips, reluctantly prying yourself away from his embrace.

“Think you can beat me back to shore?” you challenge, playfully.

“Jesus Christ,” he groans, a half smile on his face as he watches you take off. “You’re gonna be the death of me,”

But instead, he swims after you, racing you back to shore. If he were Hangman in this scenario, he probably wouldn’t let you win, using his much larger stature to propel himself further and faster through the waves. But instead, he lets you win, because he knows just how much you like the competition. By the time you reach the shore, you collect your clothes, but know it’s no use putting them back on when you have to report for duty at 0800 tomorrow morning.

You stop by his car before heading back to the barracks, considering you both will be returning in questionable enough states as is. Bradley gives you the spare UVA pullover he has in his backseat, before slipping on one of his many Hawaiian button ups he had in his trunk.

“Exactly how many of those do you own?” you question, curiously.

But he doesn’t answer, instead distracted by the way you look in his pullover. He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, and he thinks he may come from just the sight of you in his clothes. Instead of answering, he takes your hand in his and walks you back to the barracks, unable to let go of your hand now that he knows what your lips feel like against his.

About to part ways, you let go of his hand, even though you’d much rather follow him back to his room. He kisses you once, before turning to go, his room all the way down the hall from yours.

“Hey, Bradshaw?” you call after him, stopping him after a few steps.

“What’s up?” he asks, turning to face you once more, his eyes lighting up at the sight of you.

“It’s gonna be worth it,” you state, confidently.

He knows exactly what you’re talking about as his eyebrows raise and then lower before replying with an:

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” you smirk. “I’m gonna rock your world, Lieutenant.”

His breath hitches in his throat. He’s so gonna have to get off by himself tonight.

“Is that a promise?” he asks, unsure how his voice isn’t shaking yet.

“Absolutely.”

As much as he’d like to throw you over his shoulder and continue when you left off back at the beach, Rooster charges towards you, planting one last heated kiss on your lips till the end of this mission. The way he kisses you leaves you speechless, and you swear you look like the heart eye emoji symbol by the time he stops kissing you.

“Thought I’d give you something to look forward to,” he whispers against your lips, because two can play at this game.

And for a moment, you forget to breathe.

He leaves one last kiss on your forehead, his lips soft against your skin, before properly pulling away.

“Goodnight, Whiskey.”

Nat’s fallen asleep.

As she begins to come to, stirring in her hospital bed, she hears the steady beeps of her and Bob’s heart rate monitors, and a scuffle of feet passing by in the hallway. She figures she must’ve dozed off because there’s no way that it’s morning already. Phoenix begins to blink her eyes open slowly, and the first face she sees is the last person she’s expecting to.

“Bagman?” she groans, her voice raspy with sleep.

The blonde startles, her voice waking him from his slumber – or at least what little, restless sleep he’s managed to stumble into.

“Phoenix,” he grumbles, peeking one eye open to look at her.

“What’re you still doing here?” she asks, confused as she sits up taller. She feels around for her phone that’s been thrown somewhere on her bed.

“Guess I fell asleep,” Hangman answers, with a shrug. He settles back into his chair, signaling to her that he’s not going anywhere any time soon.

23:37 pm.

“It’s late,” she states.

“No shit,” he’s quick to reply.

Natasha rests her back against her pillow, closing her eyes again. She figures he’ll leave – realize that it’s almost midnight – that they’ve still got practice maneuvers to fly in the morning. As she waits to hear the shuffle of Jake collecting his things so that he can leave, she’s surprised when she’s not met with her expected response.

She opens her eyes once more, checking to see if Bob is still asleep before asking:

“You good, Seresin?” she asks, her voice coming out strained.

“Yeah, I'm always good, Phoenix,” he answers, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed his chest. “You worried about me?”

She wants to make a snarky comment, but something stops her. For once, Hangman looks tired, the crinkles at the corner of his eyes are more pronounced, and he looks like he hasn’t slept in days.

“No, I just-,” she begins, her eyes traveling to the hospital room door that’s been closed. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Back on base. I let Coyote take the rest of ‘em home in my truck,” he answers, as if it’s no big deal at all. “Texted Whiskey an hour ago to see if she could come pick me up but she hasn’t answered. You wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would you?”

Jake had overheard parts of Phoenix’s conversation with Whiskey a few hours ago, but he wasn’t going to let either of them know what he knew just yet.

She smirks, shaking her head as a dismissal of his question.

“You could take a car home,” she points out, redirecting the conversation back to Jake’s presence.

“Yeah, I could,” Jake replies, casually. “You that quick to get rid of me?”

Phoenix doesn’t answer, and he’s not expecting her to. And instead of getting up to leave, ordering a car and heading back to the barracks, he shifts in his chair, in an effort to get comfortable.

The way he avoids her questions, her attempts to send him home, make Natasha believe that Jake Seresin has no intention of leaving, which only confuses her more. Underneath his arrogant demeanor, and all of the back and forth between the two of them, did Jake Seresin have a genuine bone in his body after all? Could there be something… real… here? Could something else be hiding underneath all of the back and forth, the competitive nature of their relationship, the way they act like they can’t stand each other? Normally, she wouldn’t think twice about it, but between the accident and the fact that Jake won’t seem to leave her bedside, she can’t help but wonder.

Jake observes her, searching for any kind of reaction on her face. Even though he hasn’t explicitly said that he’d like to stay with her for the rest of the night, that’s his plan. It’s why he gave Coyote the keys to his truck to take everyone else home. And why he’d lied about texting Whiskey an hour ago. He’s not sure he can be any more clear without explicitly stating it, which is not going to happen any time soon.

As he searches her face, he’s almost annoyed with how good she still looks. Who looks good in a hospital gown after ejecting out of an on-fire super hornet? Natasha Trace. That’s who. But with her hair down, and the way it falls around her shoulders, he finds himself hypnotized by the woman that he pretends gets under his skin.

The quiet between them is filled with tension. It’s just him and her. Jake double checks that Bob’s still asleep as he works up the nerve to say something real for once.

“Gave me a real scare for a minute there, Trace,” he admits, breaking the silence between them.

She shakes her head, a smirk on her face because she’s not sure whether or not he means it.

“I didn’t know you could care about anyone but yourself,” she counters, testing him.

He scowls at her comment, crossing his arms over his chest again.

“I don’t,” he says, as if it’s a challenge.

“Whatever you say, Bagman.”

Jake returns his focus on his phone, sending a quick text to Whiskey that he won’t be back tonight and that she shouldn’t worry if she finds his room empty. He’s just trying his best to make it look like he’s busy with something else. Like he doesn’t care. Like none of this is a big deal.

But it is.

And he knows it.

He just doesn’t know how to tell her the truth.

With the words practically on the tip of his tongue, he swallows them instead of saying:

I care about you more than you know.

read: chapter four

a/n: i told @not-two-shrimp that hangman and phoenix are too both two people who have too much pride to tell each other how they really feel and that's that on that. JUICY hangman x phoenix chapter coming NEXT!!!

taglist: @not-two-shrimp @wishfulwithwine @hangmanscoming @thefourrealms @hlkwrites

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kyber-crystal · 3 years ago

Text

delirium || bradley “rooster” bradshaw

summary: you’re the captain’s daughter. rooster’s an equally deadly fighter. with heavy pasts and heavy hearts, you have every reason to resent each other, until one day, you don’t.

words: ~2.2k

warnings: angst, mentions of violence, both you and rooster being lil shits until you don’t, etc. angst to fluff!

a/n: ok so i had a vision for this fic in my head for a whiiiile. and i’m so so happy that i was finally able to put my thoughts into words. enjoyyyyy

Bradley Bradshaw was getting on your nerves.

But when did he not? You hated him and he hated you. You made sure to remind each other of the fact every day.

“You should at least try and get along with him, honey,” your dad suggested.

“You think I haven’t?” you questioned. “Dad, Rooster is as stubborn as a rock. Ever since he came here, he’s given me nothing but a hard time.”

“Give him some time, okay? He needs to adjust—he’ll turn around eventually.” Maverick squeezed your shoulder. “Trust me.”

Every day was the same as you were always fighting the urge to tackle him on the spot. The aggravating, smug look on his face made you want to punch him, and hard. But you knew where part of his anger came from. You were Maverick’s daughter, and in that sense, connected to Goose in a way. On the flipside, you didn’t have anything to do with his death, so for that you felt confused and frustrated.

You tried. You always tried to understand, but you’d be a liar if you said it was easy.

The tension in the briefing room was palpable. It had only been over a week since the uranium mission, and now you were about to be sent off on another one: another suicide mission on enemy territory. You stopped calculating your chances of survival because it started doing a number on your mental stability.

Maverick had picked two teams of two: they happened to be you and Phoenix, Hangman and Payback. You didn’t need to glance over to know that Rooster was seething. You could sense the steam coming out of his ears. Good. Someone needs to put him in his place, and if I’m gonna be that person, then so be it.

As the meeting concluded and you left the room, you heard a familiar voice shouting your name. You ignored him and continued making your way down the hall, determined as hell to show him what you were made of.

Rooster grabbed you by the wrist and turned you around. You glared at him, jaw clenching. “What the hell was that for?”

“Are you out of your damn mind?”

“Me? I didn’t ask to be shipped out!” you exclaimed. “If you want to complain, tell my dad.”

“You shouldn’t be going on this mission,” he said through gritted teeth. “You don’t deserve to be.”

“Excuse me, but who told you that you were allowed to make that sort of judgement call? The way I see it, you’re only upset because you weren’t picked to go.”

“Arrow, you’re not ready.”

“Says who?” you fired back at him, crossing your arms over your chest. “If this is an ego thing, lay off. You can’t expect yourself to always be first at everything. That’s not how things work around here.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Then what are you saying, hm?” Rooster went silent, much to your surprise. “Yeah…that’s what I thought. I’m not supposed to care about you, and you’re not supposed to care about me. That’s how things always have been, and that’s how things always will be. Now leave me be because you have zero! Zero reason to care so much about what I’m doing.”

You jerked your wrist away from him and stormed off, leaving him to stand in the middle of the hall, speechless.

“What’s been going on with you and Bradshaw lately?” Fanboy questioned.

“It’s been like this for years. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you exhaled. “He’s being an obnoxious pain in the ass. As per usual.”

“You know he’s just worried for you. I mean, when’s the last time you didn’t stick to the same missions together? Much less, in the same plane? This is the first time, ever, that you’re not together. And the fact that you won’t be within his sight is pretty darn scary ‘cause he’s gotten so used to being around you.”

“Him, caring about me? Yeah, right,” you scoffed and rolled your eyes. “He’d fistfight me before even considering it. The day he starts doing that is the day I lose. Which is never.”

“All I’m saying is,” Fanboy looked you straight in the eye, “Don’t say or do something you’ll regret. Or both of you will pay the price for it.”

“Whatever you say…”

Ten days zoomed by, and before you knew it you were gearing up to leave. In the span of ten days you got into only six small arguments with Rooster, as opposed to your estimated eleven. Argument number five had you lunging forward to punch him, but Maverick pulled you back right away. Argument number six had him lunging forward to punch you, but Hangman pulled him back right away.

The base was alight with chatter and the energy was clear and contagious. You felt readier and stronger than ever.

You were right about to board when a hand on your shoulder stopped you. “Arrow.”

“Rooster,” you muttered.

“It’s not too late to turn back.”

“You’re fucking serious…don’t be so selfish. It is too late to turn back. I made up my mind. I’m going.”

“Listen, Arrow,” Rooster’s voice began to rise, but then he stopped. “You…”

“Yell at me, I dare you!” You were starting to get annoyed at this point, chest rising and falling with each breath you took. “I know you want to.”

He didn’t. His voice came out quieter than usual and it caught you off-guard.

“Just…come back alive, okay?”

Sensing something different in his tone—concern?—you only nodded. “I’ll be alright. You have my word.”

“Y/N?” he called out as you climbed into the cockpit. “Good luck.”

“Thanks, we’ll need it,” you nodded, ignoring the tingle you felt at him saying your first name. Did it always sound so perfect coming out of his mouth? You shook the thought off, not wanting to get distracted. “I’ll see you on the ground in no time.”

“Please come back to me,” Rooster mumbled as the canopy slid on over your head, and he stared down at his feet. “I need you to come back to me.”

You had every right to be confident in your skills, believing you could overcome any obstacle thrown your way. But this time, you might have overestimated yourself. A little bit. Somewhere along the line, something had gone wrong and an engine had lost power. Then another, and your jet was hanging on by a thread. It didn’t help that the weather wasn’t looking very good, either.

“Phoenix? Tell me we have this under control.” You couldn’t hold back the shakiness in your voice. This almost never happened to you. Never to the best of the best. Not to Maverick’s protegé.

“I’m up ahead. We’re trying our best, but Payback got cornered and Hangman lost an engine. And I…don’t have much ammo left,” she replied. “Hang in there, okay? We’ll be out soon.”

Her words did little to convince you as the starboard flickered, telling you your laser system had gone down. No more ammo, no more lasers, no more ways of defending yourself—you were pretty much on your own at this point.

You always knew that death was a possibility. But you never thought it would come so soon, under circumstances like these. And it makes you scared—scared that you’re going to die alone. Scared that you’re going to let everyone down. Scared that you won’t be able to become the best possible version of yourself and reach your full potential.

Fanboy’s words echoed in your ears once more. And the fact that you won’t be within his sight is pretty darn scary ‘cause he’s gotten so used to being around you. A piece of your heart chipped off. You resented him when you were with him and missed him when he wasn’t there. The distance between here and base suddenly felt millions of miles away and it hurt to even linger on the thought.

Rooster sat in the control center, anxious as he stared up at the radar screens to track your signal. At one point, he started digging his nails into his palm to distract himself. He didn’t realize he was doing it until Maverick took ahold of his hand and moved it to the side to stop him.

That conversation before takeoff might as well have been your last. He saw the obvious concern in your father’s eyes as he watched, which told him things weren’t looking so good.

With shaky hands, you reached up to turn on the voice recorder. “Uh…is this thing on?” You cleared your throat. “You guys already know this, but yeah. I’m in quite the shitty situation right now. Everything’s down. I’m relying on a miracle to get me out of here…god, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I’m crying, I shouldn’t be. Dad? If you’re listening, I’m sorry I let you down. You chose me and I failed, and I don’t know if I’ll even come back alive to apologize. This isn’t how I wanted to go…

“And Rooster…you deserve a thousand apologies. You deserve better and I’m sorry you might never get that from me. I hate you. I hate that I don’t hate you. I should hate you with the power of a thousand suns but I don’t. I don’t hate you because I can’t hate you. I hate how much I don’t hate you. Every time I look at you my heart aches, because I’m only reminded of what could’ve been and everything else in between. God, I’m already feeling lightheaded. I do feel bad…even for that one time I almost punched you.” Your voice broke. “The truth is, I’m scared to die. I’m really, really scared to die and I don’t know what else to do. I’m sorry it took me a suicide mission to come to this conclusion. I’m sorry for a lot of things.

At some point you stopped talking and hit send. You weren’t sure if they’d even hear it, but it was worth a shot, anyway.

Several minutes later, you heard a voice. “Y/N…”

“Dad?”

“Hey, sweetheart,” Maverick spoke in a soft tone. “You with me?”

“...Yeah.”

“Listen to me. You’re going to be okay,” he reassured you. “I’m sending backup right now to come get you. Keep hanging in there. You’re going to be okay. I’m going to make sure of it.”

“I love you,” you choked on a sob.

“I love you too. You’ll be alright.”

The comms went offline and he turned to Rooster, who looked as if he was on the edge of a breakdown.

“We’ll be alright.”

After what felt like forever, said backup arrived. Ejecting from your jet wasn’t the hard part. The hard part was waiting for the backup to arrive and getting into the helicopter. You stumbled into Phoenix, feeling faint. She said nothing, and embraced you—her way of expressing how relieved she was. Hangman squeezed your arm, and Payback placed his hand over yours.

“You’re okay, we’re okay, we’re going home.”

The moment you touched down, you saw Maverick heading your way. You allowed yourself to get wrapped up in his warm embrace. “You could never let me down, sweetheart.”

Rooster followed close behind, and as soon as your father let go, he came rushing towards you.

“Don’t you fucking dare scare me like that again,” he warned. And then, Bradley Bradshaw was kissing you with such a fervor that caused you to stumble backwards, stealing all the breath from your lungs in one swift move. That’s when the epiphany hits you full-force with the strength of a Category 5 hurricane. You realize just how tightly his being is woven into every aspect of your life. From the way you talk to the way you fly, he's a part of you, and you his. He resides deep within your bones and you breathe him in day in and day out and it's overwhelming but you never want to let go.

You pressed your lips against his even harder like you couldn’t get enough because you couldn’t. You couldn’t get enough and thought you never would because you actually almost didn’t. Tasting the sweet coffee and honey on his skin and feeling his pulse match yours made your heartbeat pound wildly against your chest.

Burying your face into his chest, you started to sob. It’s this dangerous, life-threatening mission bringing you to the realization that you care about him so, so much, and so does he. Rooster swore to himself right then and there that he’d never take your presence for granted ever again. Who knew what could happen next?

“Bradley,” you looked back up at him, gripping his forearms, “I need you to kiss me again.”

And he did. He kissed you like he was desperate for oxygen and you were the only source of fresh air left in the universe. He kissed you like you were all the stars in the sky that he wished on every night before he slept. He kissed you like this was his last day on earth, and you were the one good thing in his life he wanted to see before he left.

His arms fell around you and tugged you close against him, and for the first time in a long time, you’re finally home.

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