#Top Gun fanfiction

[butterflybuckethat]

Tiny Red Dress

Notes: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Fem!Reader (1.5k words)

(feel free to make requests but I make no promises!)

Summary: Jake asks for your help to make a girl jealous.

Warnings: None

🦋 Masterlist 🦋 Part II

Hangman needed something from you. He’d asked favors from you before—covering shifts, running errands, etc.—but none specifically because you were a woman. 

��You’re a girl, right?” He asked the morning after a particularly rough night at the Hard Deck. 

“Bad start, Seresin.” You had just left the locker room, hair damp and soaking into your t-shirt. He waited for you, still in his flight suit with his hair tousled from the helmet. There was no denying Jake was attractive, especially with his cheeks a little sunburnt. It sometimes felt as if he was specifically put on this Earth to test you, your own personal chiseled red apple. 

“Look, PJ” he started and extinguished all your goodwill. 

PJ was a call sign given to you during a particularly awkward game of 2 truths 1 lie when you revealed that after getting your pilot’s license as a teenager, you managed to swindle a bunch of rich people to pay you boatloads to fly them around California. It was supposed to stand for Private Jet but when he said it, you knew he meant Plain Jane. You heard him joke about it to the guys. 

You stepped around him, making your escape down the long hallway. But he followed, singing some sob story about some poor girl who wanted nothing to do with him after a one night stand. 

“Maybe you just weren’t that good,” you called behind your shoulder. 

He barely acknowledged your retort except for the smirk you could clearly hear in his voice, “Oh, it was good.”

“And you just want me to bear witness?” You were leaning against your car now, in the parking lot which he had followed you to.

“Wow, PJ. I didn’t realize you were into that sort of thing.”

“I just thought you needed reliable back-up with the guys since your “unbelievable” prowess is genuinely un-believable.”

He boxed you in, hands at either side of you, with that cocky smile still plastered on his face, “I want you to help me make her jealous.”

—

“Ha!” You practically snorted as you yanked your car door open forcing him back in the process. “Good one.”

But he blocked you from closing it, arms stretched wide. Jake was close enough now that you could smell his citrus aftershave mixed with jet engine fuel. “I’m serious.”

Your lips parted in surprise. 

“I asked Phoenix, but she wanted nothing to do with this.”

Every time you let him open the door a crack, he ended up slamming it in your face. 

“I’ll make it worth your while.” His tone was practically salacious. You understood how this worked on people, and even though you knew better something in you wanted to keep playing with him. Not that you had much of a choice. 

“How’s that?”

“You’ll get the male attention I’m sure you’ve been sorely lacking.”

“Bye, Jake!” You tried pulling your door shut but he prevented you, again. 

“Wait, wait!” He sighed, “Come on, I’ll do anything.”

You cocked a brow, “You handy with a drill?”

The following evening you received a text from Hangman: meet me at the bar in an hour. 

And then another immediately following: wear something hot. 

You had half a mind to show up in your sweats but as you looked around your newly bought condo with all your artwork and photographs sitting in their frames against the wall, you thought better of it. You wanted that gallery wall so badly and had been collecting the pieces for it for years but it was such an undertaking to actually execute. But now, you could just get idiot to do it for you.

.

The Hard Deck was in full swing when Hangman arrived, making a beeline for the pool tables in the back corner where Rooster and Coyote were mid game. 

It was still early, he arrived about twenty minutes before you were supposed to, but Daniela was already there, commanding the bar. 

It wasn’t often that Jake wanted more from his hook-ups but she was smoking hot and they had a great time together and it’s not like he wanted more more… She didn’t flat out refuse him either, just kind of dismissed him, and he needed a way to regain some of the power. 

He wouldn’t have asked you if he had any other options. It’s not that he thought less of you per se, he had just never really thought of you like that at all. You were one of his teammates, nothing more. 

Jake forced himself to stop staring at Daniela, focusing instead on heckling Rooster. He liked Daniela, maybe. He liked the way she seemed to suck up all the attention in the room, how wonderful it felt when she chose to direct it towards him, and did he mention the sex was really good?

“Did you get Phoenix to go along with your plan?” Bob asked, sipping around the paper umbrella in his drink. 

“No,” Jake sniffed. “I got PJ.”

The guys exchanged a look, one that he couldn’t decipher. So, never one to shy away from confrontation, he asked them. 

“Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

Jake rolled his eyes; Rooster was always so sincere. “Ready for what?”

“I don’t know…”

“That.” Jake followed Bob’s gaze to find you in the tiniest red dress he had ever seen and he could’ve sworn his heart stopped. 

.

You took an acting class in college and could totally do this. You straightened your spine, refrained from pulling on the hem of the dress that had been in the back of your closet for god knows how long, and mouthed “is that her?” to Jake across the bar. 

He and the guys stood in a line staring at you, mouths agape, nodding. You couldn’t help the thrill that ran through you. 

Getting into character, you flipped your hair and slipped through the crowd that seemed to gather around this girl and sat next to her at the bar. Even Penny did a double take at the sight of you. 

You needed a way to get this girl to notice you and took the opportunity when Penny set down a bright red drink in front of her. 

You leaned forward slightly, pointing at it with the brightest most genuine smile you could muster, “That looks so good! What is it?”

“A Dirty Shirley!” She said and slid it in front of you to try. You’d had one before of course but took a sip anyways and exuberantly asked for one also. 

When you spun on your stool, you saw the boys in the exact same position and gestured for Hangman to get his ass over to you already. You wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. And he did, within three strides he was all over you. 

You spread your thighs, leaning back against the bar, and pulled him by the shirt between them—only enjoying his wide-eyed look a little bit. 

“Hi,” he breathed, hand ghosting over the bare space above your knee before you pushed it down to your skin. 

“Did you miss me?”

.

Jake could feel his palms sweat but didn’t want to take his hands off you. For a guy who usually had too much to say, he sure couldn’t think of anything now. You were waiting for his response. “Yeah, of course,” he said but it came out all weird. 

How did he not know? How did he not see it? See you?

He needed to say something. “You’re—“

“Meet me in the bathroom,” you said, loud enough Daniela to hear you. Shit, Daniela. But then you scooted around him, body pressed right up to his, and she completely disappeared again. He followed you to the dark hallway that led to the restrooms in a trance. 

“That oughta do it.” You said, checking your phone with complete indifference. 

“Y/N,” he spoke softly. “I—“

“Yeah, you’re welcome.” You peeked at your phone again. “Okay, Bob says she’s looking in our direction.” 

Jake couldn’t help but smile at how giddy you looked outlining the next steps of your plan. 

“—then just say something like…” You made your voice all deep in imitation of him, “‘wouldn’t be fair cause I would just be thinking of you’ or whatever dumb shit you say.”

He laughed. 

“You ready?” You asked. 

He tried to think of a way to get you to stay, to let him put his hands on your waist, “Wait, how are you getting home?”

You waved him off, “I drove,” and he had no choice but to follow you back out into the crowd. 

You were stomping a bit, in a huff, and spun like a swivel back at him. 

“Bastard!” You shrieked and slapped him, hard. When the bar went quiet, you winked whispering that you would see him at your place tomorrow. And he, like the rest of the Hard Deck, watched you leave. 

The bar returned to normal but he was still watching the door. 

Seemingly sick of waiting, Daniela came up to him first. “Hey, Jakey.”

“Hey.” He responded. 

Daniela directed him to look at her with her perfectly manicured fingernail. “Do you want to come home with me, baby?”

And, to his own surprise, he really didn’t. 

Part II

[roosterforme]

Aim for the Sky Part 41 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: A quiet wedding anniversary spent in the mountains is exactly what you and Bradley need.

Warnings: Adult language, DILF Roo, pregnancy, kinda smutty, lactation kink

Length: 2000 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

Aim for the Sky masterlist. This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots and other series, but it can be read on its own! Check my masterlist for the reading order.

"Is that all you're bringing?"

You turned toward your husband where he stood in the bedroom doorway, rocking Rose in his arms while she fussed. Your hand stilled on your bag on the bed. "You haven't specifically told me where we're going, Bradley. Just to pack for four nights."

"Mountains," he grunted, like that was supposed to be explanation enough as he pressed a kiss to your daughter's forehead while she reached for his mustache. But that's all he'd been saying. "Just pack some sexy stuff." 

You'd been picturing a quaint cabin off the beaten path as the destination for your second wedding anniversary, but Bradley had packed two bags for himself and one for Rose. How much could he possibly need? You were starting to question everything now.

"It's not like I have maternity lingerie," you murmured.

"It's not like you need it, Baby Girl. You look cute in my sweatpants. Or nothing." He walked into the room and glanced into your bag which contained just a few outfits, your boat shoes, and your toiletries. "Maybe you packed enough after all. Let's hit the road. I want Rosie to nap on the way."

Twenty minutes later, your daughter was already sound asleep in her car seat as your husband buckled you into the passenger seat of the red Bronco. You yawned as he pulled the seatbelt over your belly, and he bent to kiss his daughter as she squirmed against your bladder. You contemplated running back inside to use the bathroom again, but you were about to doze off just like Rose.

Bradley's lips brushed yours. "We'll be there in a few hours."

You nodded, thinking you'd wake up for part of the ride to enjoy Bradley's Motown playlist and his rich singing voice. But instead, you managed to sleep through several hundred miles and the sunset, only waking up in time to hear the tires crunching.

"There's snow!" you gasped, gaze catching on the evergreen trees covered in white in the dying light.

"Yeah," Bradley replied between songs on his playlist as he turned down a driveway. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

Your breath fogged the window as an opulent house three times the size of the Craftsman came into view. The windows were glowing orange; there was a porch the size of your entire driveway. "When you said mountains, you meant like whole-ass mountains! I packed my boat shoes!"

Bradley snorted as the Bronco came to a stop while you gawked at the mountains all around. "I added some of your cold weather clothes to my bag. Some of the stuff you used to wear when we went to Maryland for the holidays."

Tomorrow was Thanksgiving. One month until Christmas. It dawned on you that you and Bradley had no real reason to go back east now even though you both had roots there. "After Nugget Part Deux is born, we should take the girls to explore Virginia and Maryland. We can see your cousins. We can stop at the cemetery and visit your parents."

Bradley paused with the driver's side door open, cold air rushing into the Bronco's warm interior as his brown eyes studied yours. "What made you think about that?"

It was hard to put into words the way his parents would fill your mind with sadness and your heart with so much love it almost hurt. "I miss them."

"Me, too," he replied easily, never questioning the way you felt like Carole and Nick held a place in your family although you'd never met them. "Let's do that in the summer. And let's work on picking a name for Nugget Part Deux. It's getting to be a mouthful."

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

You were laughing at the sight of Rose in her head-to-toe snow suit, but Bradley was busy making sure her exposed cheeks and nose weren't getting too much of the cold air. He kept picking her up from the snowy cabin steps to press his lips to her face.

"Feels okay," he whispered, letting her continue to play. She seemed to like the cold as she crawled toward the spot where you were sitting, compiling a small mound of snowballs as you casually tossed out one of the baby names that you claimed was on your short list.

"Nora?"

Bradley grunted in response. "It's okay." Personally, he had really liked some of the names that seemed to match better with Rose's. "What about Violet? Wasn't that on the list?" He watched Rose pat the snowballs and giggle as you scooped her up. Two cute little girls with pretty flower names just made sense.

"Yeah, I liked that one. And I liked Poppy."

"Me, too," he agreed, watching your smiling face as you put some of your snowballs into Rose's mittened hand and tried to launch them at him. When they fell short, you threw them directly at his chest instead.

"She's not cooperating!" you complained. "You're supposed to be on my team, Rosie. The girls team."

"Absolutely not." Bradley scooped up some of the powdery snow and sprinkled it over your head until you were rolling your eyes. "Rosie is on Team Daddy. Better luck with Poppy Violet, Sweetheart."

As he plucked the baby from your hands, you smiled up at him. "So it's settled then? She has a name? For real?"

Naming Rose after a song he'd played for you made sense, but this made sense, too. "Yeah. She officially has a name," Bradley said softly as his gaze settled on your belly. It was hard to tell you were pregnant with your winter coat zipped up and snug around your body, but his hands were so used to the way your hips and waist felt right now. Suddenly he couldn't wait to touch you. "Let's go inside. I don't want Rosie to get too cold, and the wind is starting to pick up now that it's getting dark."

"You just want to mess around," you replied, getting to your feet on the snowy steps.

"Of course I want to mess around. My wife is hot."

Your eye roll was accompanied by a little smirk. "Let me feed Rosie so she can take a nap, and then it can be your turn."

Bradley watched you settle into the overstuffed couch in front of the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the mountains. Fresh snow was beginning to fall as he poked at the logs in the fireplace, making sure the great room was warm enough for his girls. Then, as Rose curled against your round belly, he made himself useful in the adjoining kitching. He knew you'd be hungry for dinner after you were done feeding her, and Bradley was always hungry. The leftover turkey deli meat and stove top stuffing would make the most perfect sandwiches, so he lined everything up on the counter.

"It's so pretty here," you murmured, eyes fixed on the windows as he dimmed the lights so you could see the heavy snowfall that was moving in. "I wonder how much snow they'll have here by Christmas."

"We could find out next year," Bradley mused. "We can come back with your parents and the girls. There are four bedrooms, after all."

"Do I even want to know how much you spent on this?" you asked, turning to look at him.

Bradley deftfully dodged the question. "Just imagine a huge tree in the corner. Poppy's first Christmas. I'm sure your mom would make dinner, or we could just do sandwiches again. I'm kind of liking the sandwiches."

"I'm kind of liking all of this," you whispered, repositioning Rose to burp her, but Bradley loved that task. He settled on the couch beside you and took her in his big hands, patting her back. "You were right, Roo. We needed a little break as a family."

When you went to put your bra back on, he shook his head. "Don't bother with that. I'm going to be all over you in a minute. Rose always burps quickly for me, just like a good little Nugget."

His sentence was followed by a soft burp that made you laugh, which made your tits bounce, which made Bradley whimper as he stood to put the baby down for a nap so he could get his fill of you.

When he returned to the living room, you were naked, skin glowing in the firelight as you coaxed him closer to the couch. "Oh, you look so pretty, Baby Girl. We're definitely going to have to come back here."

You giggled as you unzipped his jeans and straddled his lap. "We can't fuck in front of the fireplace if my parents are here with us."

"Please, stop talking about them," he whispered, letting your heavy breasts fill his palms as you guided his erection to your pussy. Your body was perfect and welcoming as he filled you until you gasped. "That's a good girl."

Your head lulled back as he wrapped his lips around your nipple, and you kept his cock warm until it was time for him to fuck the absolute shit out of you.

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

As soon as you stirred in the California King sized bed that you and Bradley had spent the better part of last night defiling, you heard him rasp, "Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart."

You stretched, feeling the workout he'd given you throughout your entire body. You were sore, in a good way, but combined with your pregnancy exhaustion, you were hoping to sleep in a little longer. His smile more than made up for the early hour when you looked at him.

"Has it really only been two years? It feels a lot longer than that," you whispered, kissing along his unshaven cheek to his mustache.

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment, or..."

"It's a compliment," you promised, wrapping your arms around him. "Hey, remember that time you asked me out and I said no?"

"Hmm, vaguely." He squinted at the ceiling and chuckled as his hand came to rest on the side of your belly where Poppy was currently thumping around. "But that didn't last long. And look how far we've come, Baby Girl." He turned his head, dark eyes earnest as he asked, "Want to take a bath while I get breakfast ready? I brought the thermometer to test the water for you."

He had packed pretty much anything you or either of your daughters might possibly need. And a bath did sound good, especially after last night. But since you couldn't have the water as hot as you liked, you didn't linger very long, opting to join your husband istead. 

More snow had fallen overnight, but he had a fire warming the living room where he was walking around, holding Rose to his chest with one hand. He was singing a song from his Motown playlist, and you were shocked she was reaching for his mustache instead of crying to eat. But that changed as soon as she saw you.

"Not so fast, Nugget," he crooned. "Let Mommy take a bite of her breakfast first." That's when you noticed two slices of confetti cake and two flutes of pink champagne on the coffee table. "It's non-alcoholic, so have as much as you want. And I brought the cake from your favorite bakery back in San Diego."

Somehow it was perfect. Everything was perfect. Bradley in his ratty gym shorts and Rose fussing to eat. Cake for breakfast and couch snuggles for the entire day.

"I love you, Bradley," you promised, reaching for his hand and pulling him close until his lips found yours for probably the millionth time in just a few years. "I love you so much. You make everything perfect."

His lips curled against yours as he smiled. "I just want to spend the day with my girls."

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

Let that man enjoy spending time with his girlies! He earned it! That's the end of the series, besties! This has been so fun for me! Thanks you so much for reading along and leaving so much love. I'd love to visit Roo and BG (and all these other wild and crazy kids) through asks, blurbs and one-shots, so please feel free to send them to me. Love love love you!

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[deadfuckingpoetry]

No one in this classroom knows that I’m reading academy era Iceman whump on ao3 teehee

[cowboybeepboop]

Old friends

"Fuck, you're incredible," 

Pairing: Jake ‘Hangman” Seresin

Genre: Smut 

Word count: 2.8k

Summary: Your friendship turns into a passionate night together.

a/n: I’m not too sure if people are still craving Glen Powell the way I am, but this man plagues my fucking thoughts day and night 😔

Jake arrives at your doorstep, knocking on the door with a smile and a bag in his hand. He's dressed casually, with a comfortable hoodie and jeans. "Hey, I brought some snacks," he says as he greets you warmly.

You pull him into a quick hug, it’s been a few months since you last had some time together. “Jake, I’ve missed you.”

He returns the embrace, wrapping his arms around you tightly. "I've missed you too," he says, his voice warm and genuine. "It's been a while." He steps inside, following you into the living room.

“Too long.” You murmur as you plop down on the couch. “You get to pick the first movie.”

Jake grins and takes a seat next to you on the sofa. He places the bag of snacks on the coffee table and starts rummaging through it. "Alright, let's see..." he ponders for a moment before pulling out a DVD. "How about this one? It's a classic." He shows you the title, eager for your opinion.

“Sounds great.” You smile, relaxing on the plush couch.

Jake puts in the DVD and sits back down beside you, making himself comfortable. As the movie starts, he casually slings his arm around the back of the sofa, just behind your shoulders. His proximity is comforting and familiar, like two puzzle pieces slotting perfectly together.

You press your cheek into his shoulder, cuddling into his side as the movie starts. Jake subconsciously shifts a little closer, enjoying the feeling of your head on his shoulder. 

He steals a glance at you, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. The movie continues to play, but his focus seems to shift, his thoughts wandering slightly as he steals subtle glances at you from time to time.

As you nuzzle against him, Jake feels a flutter in his chest. He bites his lip, trying to appear casual, but there's a hint of a blush creeping up on his cheeks. He glances down at you, feeling a mix of nervousness and affection. He's always had a crush on you, but he had never mustered the courage to tell you.

You groan, unable to get comfortable in this position. With a sigh you move to lay your head in his lap, letting out a soft sigh as you relax.

Jake's heart skips a beat as you lay your head in his lap. He stiffens for a moment, not expecting the unexpected touch. But then, he relaxes, his body melting into the cushion of the couch. 

He tentatively reaches out, his hand hovering above your head for a brief moment before slowly, gently, he gently begins to brush his fingers through your hair.

You let out a quiet moan as his fingers brush through your hair. Jake swallows hard at the sound you make, feeling a jolt of electricity go down his spine. He continues to run his fingers through your hair, his touch tender and soothing. He steals a glance at you, his eyes filled with a mixture of affection and something else, something deeper.

A sex scene comes on the TV, making both of you tense as the sounds of moans and skin against skin fills the room.

Jake's hand freezes above your head, his mind racing as he attempts to maintain a casual demeanor. The room seems to grow hotter, and he can feel his heart pounding in his chest. He glances down at you, trying to gauge your reaction to the scene unfolding on the screen.

You take a shaky breath feeling heat pooling in your stomach, your hand subconsciously squeezing Jake’s knee.

Jake's breath catches in his throat as he feels your hand on his knee. The gentle squeeze causes him to shift slightly in his seat, trying to hide the growing tent in his jeans. He clears his throat, his mind torn between watching the movie and the feel of your touch.

You clear your throat as the scene finally ends, cutting to a less intense one. Jake takes a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. The heat in his cheeks hasn't subsided, and he's acutely aware of every movement you make. 

The scene on the screen has changed, but his mind is still reeling from the previous one. He slowly resumes threading his fingers through your hair, his touch slightly rougher than before.

You scoot back your head getting a little too close to his erection. Jake’s breath hitches in his throat as he feels you move, his heart rate quickening. Your head is now directly in his lap, dangerously close to the situation happening below his belt. He tries to maintain his cool, but it's a losing battle.

"Uh, watch out for... um," he stammers, his voice huskier than usual.

“Hm?” You question, moving slightly to look up at him. Jake's eyes widen as you tilt your head back, your gaze meeting his. His breathing becomes more labored, and he tries to keep a stoic expression, but the tent in his jeans is becoming increasingly harder to hide.

"You're, um, getting a little close," he manages to say, his voice betraying a hint of restraint.

“Close?” You question, shifting your body a little more to face him, your eyes locking on his erection. “Oh..”

Jake's face flushes, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallows hard. He's acutely aware of your gaze on his lower region, and he's losing the battle against embarrassment.

"Yeah... um," he stutters, his breath catching in his throat. "Just... maybe, uh, be careful?"

“Yeah.. right..” you sit up awkwardly shifting your gaze as you put space between the two of you. Your cheeks a bright red as you adjust the blanket on your lap. 

Jake tries to suppress a feeling of disappointment as you move away from him. He adjusts his position on the sofa as well, trying to subtly hide his predicament. The tension in the room is palpable, and he steals a glance at you, trying to read your expression.

You squeeze your thighs together, trying to suppress your growing arousal as you steal a glance at Jake’s.

Jake notices your subtle shift in position, and his eyes darken with a mix of desire and uncertainty. He can't help but notice the way your thighs press together, and his own body responds in kind, his jeans growing even tighter. 

You slightly shift closer to him, craving the warmth of his body. “Jake.” You whisper softly.

Jake's heart thumps in his chest as he hears you utter his name. He turns to look at you, his gaze locking with yours. The desire in his eyes is undeniable, and he can't help but lean closer towards you, his body silently begging for your touch.

"Yeah?" he replies, his voice barely above a whisper, filled with a mixture of longing and uncertainty.

You let out a long breath, chewing on your bottom lip as you slip your hand on his lap, fingers getting dangerously close to his bulge.

Jake lets out a shaky breath as he feels your hand on his lap. His entire body stiffens in response, and he closes his eyes for a moment, trying to maintain control. But when your fingers edge closer to his bulge, his breath hitches in his throat, and he can't help but let out a faint moan.

"Mmm... what are you doing, sweetheart?" he asks, his voice strained and thick with desire.

“Jake.. I,” you turn to face him, fingers brushing over his erection.

Jake's body jerks involuntarily at your touch, a low moan escaping his lips. He sucks in a breath, his hips instinctively shifting slightly forward into your hand. His eyes meet yours, the desire in them undeniable.

"Mmm... baby," he manages to say, his voice wavering. "Please... don't tease me."

“Not teasing..” you unbutton his jeans, slowly sliding the zipper down, your hands shaking slightly in anticipation.

Jake's body trembles, his breathing ragged as he feels your hands working on his jeans. His heart is pounding in his chest, and he can hardly believe this is happening. He reaches out, his hand coming to rest on your thigh, gently squeezing it.

"Oh, god," he whispers, his voice hoarse with need.

You free his length, mouth watering at the sight of him. “Fuck, you’re huge.”

Jake blushes at your words, his chest rising and falling with each shallow breath. He's never been this aroused in his life, and hearing you compliment his size sends a wave of heat through his body.

"Mmm..." He lets out a strangled moan as he feels your eyes on him.

You press a kiss to his tip, your eyes fluttering shut as you continue pressing kisses to him. You stick out your tongue, pressing it to his length, nearly moaning at the taste.

"Fuck," Jake groans, his hips stuttering forward into your touch. He reaches down to tangle his fingers in your hair, his grip tight as he struggles to control his response to your mouth. He's never felt anything this intense before, and his body is on fire with pleasure.

He throws his head back, his eyes shut tight. The feeling of your lips on him, the brush of your tongue, it's almost too much for him to handle. He can feel his precum leaking out, and he tightens his grip on your hair.

“Mm…” you murmur, the sound sending shivers down his body. You wrap your hand around the base of his cock, head bobbing as you take him in further.

Encouraged by your enthusiastic response, Jake's hips begin to move in rhythm with your mouth, his breath coming in harsh pants. His hand tightens in your hair, guiding you deeper, and he can't hold back the string of curses that fall from his lips. 

"Fuck, yes... just like that," he whispers, his eyes squeezed shut in ecstasy. The sound of your muffled moans around his cock only spurs him on, and he can feel himself getting closer to the edge. 

You continue to suck him off, the heat in the room growing more intense with each passing second. His hand is a vice in your hair, his hips rocking up to meet your mouth as your tongue swirls around the head of his cock. 

Jake's moans become louder, his body tensing as he feels the orgasm building deep in his core. He can't believe how amazing this feels, how perfect your mouth is around him.

"I'm gonna cum," he warns, his voice strained and desperate. You nod, taking him in deeper, eager to taste him.

With a final, powerful thrust, Jake releases into your mouth, his body shuddering with the force of his climax. You swallow eagerly, savoring the taste of him, and he lets out a long, shaky sigh. His grip on your hair relaxes, and he opens his eyes to find you looking up at him with a satisfied smile.

"Fuck," he says, panting. "That was..." He trails off, unable to find the words.

You lean back, licking your lips. "Good?"

He nods, his cheeks still flushed. "More than good." He looks at you with a newfound hunger in his eyes. "But I want more," he says, reaching for you. “Need more..”

Jake's hand slides up your thigh, his fingers tracing the edge of your shirt before finding their way under the fabric. His touch is electric, sending waves of heat through your body. You lean into him, eager for more, as he kisses you deeply, his tongue exploring your mouth with a passion that leaves you breathless. 

With a low growl, Jake lifts you up and flips you onto your back on the couch, his body covering yours in a possessive embrace. His kisses become more demanding, his hands roaming over your body as he unbuttons your shirt and unhooks your bra. 

Your breasts spill out into his waiting hands, and he cups them gently before taking one in his mouth, flicking your nipple with his tongue as you writhe beneath him. His teeth graze the sensitive flesh, eliciting gasps from you, and he smiles against your skin, feeling your body respond to his every touch. 

His hand slides down to the waistband of your pants, and with one swift movement, he unbuttons and unzips them, pushing them down your hips along with your panties. You lift your hips to help him, desperate for him to explore further, and he obliges, his hand slipping inside to feel the wetness that's been building since the moment he sat down next to you. 

Your legs part instinctively, inviting him in, and he groans against your neck, his desire spiraling out of control. He kisses a path down your body, leaving a trail of fire in his wake until he reaches the apex of your thighs. 

His eyes lock with yours, a silent question in them, and when you nod eagerly, he lowers his head and tastes you for the first time, his tongue delving into your folds, making you buck against his face. Your nails dig into his scalp as he licks and sucks, bringing you closer and closer to the brink of pleasure. 

The world around you fades away, leaving only the sound of your ragged breaths and the feel of Jake's mouth on your pussy. You're so close, so very close, and you know that this night will change everything between the two of you.

Jake's tongue dances around your clit, his movements deliberate and skilled. Each flick sends shockwaves of pleasure through your body, making your toes curl and your legs shake. You grip the couch cushions, your breaths coming out in short, sharp gasps as the intensity builds. "Oh, Jake," you moan, arching your back, "right there."

He groans against you, the vibration of his voice sending a fresh wave of pleasure through your core. His tongue circles your clit before plunging into your wetness, mimicking the rhythm of his hips as he grinds against the couch. 

The pressure is building, and you can feel yourself getting closer to the edge. "I'm going to cum," you whisper, your voice trembling.

Jake's eyes flash up to meet yours, a look of pure desire etched on his face. "Cum for me," he murmurs, his breath hot against your skin. 

He sucks on your clit, and with one final, desperate pull of your hair, you fall over the edge, your body convulsing in a powerful orgasm. Your cries fill the room as he continues to lick and suck, prolonging the sensation until you're nothing but a puddle of pleasure beneath him.

When the waves of pleasure finally recede, Jake kisses his way back up your body, leaving a trail of wetness on your skin. He takes your mouth again, the taste of you still lingering on his tongue. "Fuck, you're incredible," he murmurs, his eyes dark with lust.

You smile against his lips, your heart racing. "So are you," you pant, your hands sliding down to his hips, pushing his jeans down the rest of the way. His cock springs free, and you reach for it, stroking it gently.

Jake groans, his hips bucking into your touch. "I need to be inside you," he says, his voice a desperate growl.

You nod, your eyes wide with need. "Yes," you whisper, spreading your legs wider in invitation.

Jake reaches into the pocket of his discarded jeans, pulling out a condom. He rolls it on with shaking hands, his eyes never leaving yours. Then, with one hand on the back of your knee, he guides your leg up and enters you in one smooth, deep stroke.

Your eyes roll back in your head as he fills you completely, the sensation of being stretched and filled by him almost too much to handle. He starts to move, his hips rocking into yours in a steady, powerful rhythm. 

The friction sends sparks shooting through your body, and you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer as you move with him, meeting his every thrust.

The tension builds again, hot and urgent, and you know that this time, you'll be falling together. Jake's grip tightens on your leg, his strokes becoming more erratic as he feels his own climax approaching. "I'm going to cum," he grunts, his eyes locked on yours.

"Me too," you whimper, your body tightening around him.

With a final, desperate push, you both reach the peak, your orgasms crashing into one another like waves against the shore. You hold onto each other tightly, riding out the storm of pleasure until it subsides, leaving you both panting and spent on the couch, surrounded by the scattered remnants of your clothing.

For a moment, you just lay there, bodies entwined, hearts racing in sync. Then, Jake pulls out and collapses beside you, his arm draped over your waist. "I've wanted to do that for so long," he admits, his voice still thick with passion.

You snuggle into his side, a smile playing on your lips. "Me too," you whisper, your eyes drifting closed as you let the aftershocks of pleasure wash over you.

The movie plays on in the background, forgotten, as the two of you lay there, basking in the warm glow of your newfound intimacy. This night has changed everything, and you can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

[yukalovestopgungays]

First time is the magic

Despite the man not commenting on Maverick’s unpunctuality (which was only five minutes, mind you), Kazansky sure has the gall to look at him with mirth dancing in his eyes, eyebrow cocked and his lips pressed in a thin, infuriating smirk. He pulls back and pushes up his aviators with his middle finger—Maverick can’t tell if it’s intentional or not, but his own hand twitches with the temptation of mirroring him—and rakes his eyes up and down Maverick’s figure, his smirk wobbling, threatening to widen.

“...What?” Maverick asks, dumbfounded.

[Maverick and Iceman agree to meet, but somewhere along the ride a surprise factor has joined them.]

Finally posted my Icemav fic!! Hope you guys enjoy it <3

[sunnystrwbry]

Sympathy for the Devil (Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Pilot!OC)

For as long as Carly “Devil” Spencer and Jake “Hangman” Seresin have known each other, they haven’t gotten along. What happens when Carly, a pilot notorious for her vengeance in the sky is sent on a suicide mission? How will it affect her and her team? How will it affect the man who has been hiding his feelings for her since they met?

Warnings: Suicidal themes, violence, language, injury descriptions, captivity, torture

4 Chapters - 11k Words

This floats between second and third person point of view, it’s almost a reader insert. Apologies for any inaccuracies and mistakes in advance. This is my first fic!

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Chapter 1

Carly Spencer carried her duffle bag across the hot tarmac of the military base runway. She was on her way to San Diego from where she’d been stationed in Afghanistan for the past year. Being a fighter pilot almost guaranteed moving to different countries and bases multiple times a year, but this move was different. She’d received the order to go back to Top Gun along with some other pilots to prepare for a mission.

She wondered who else would be training for this mission with her, and what kind of mission it would be. Probably nothing good considering the callback of multiple pilots to Top Gun.

The flight out of Afghanistan was cutting it extremely close to when you needed to be at the base, but finally the plane landed in San Diego. Everyone else was already gathered in the hangar and seated to listen to Maverick teach about the mission. You immediately recognized many of the pilots in the room. Rooster, Phoenix, Payback, and Hangman. You hadn’t seen Hangman since the assignment you had before shipping out to Afghanistan. Despite his arrogant demeanor, unpredictable actions, and the fact that the two of you didn’t exactly get along, he was actually kinda charming. You didn’t want to admit it, but you really did like him. Maybe things would be different this time.

When Rooster saw you walk in, he sent a warm smile your way along with a wave. Your eyes scanned the room for an empty seat, the only one happened to be next to Hangman.

His eyes met yours as you sat down, “Man, you look like shit Spence, too hard to dress up like the rest of us huh?”

“Fuck off Seresin.” Your voice was low.

Maverick greeted everyone and his eyes landed on you, sitting there, still wearing your fatigues covered in Afghan dirt.

“Devil, nice of you to finally join us.”

“Sorry sir, flights out of Afghanistan aren’t exactly quick.”

He smiled, “Oh I’m sure they aren’t. Heard you became an ace over there, is that true?”

At that moment all eyes were on you.

“Yes sir, that’s true.” you replied.

Memories from your time in the Middle East flooded your mind. The last year you had been stationed there you’d experienced the worst of the worst. After being shot down and held captive for five days, you’d finally escaped and made the long journey back to base, the memory made you shudder, but you couldn’t think about that right now.

“Good to know my training did you well. That also means you’re the only Ace in our group, besides me of course,” Mav said, “Let’s get started.”

The objective of the mission was to take out a munitions factory just outside of Bagram. Only one jet could be sent in due to sanctions in the city limits, and the sanctions also prevented unmanned strikes. The plant is heavily guarded by anti aircraft guns, and jets were on patrol to defend it in case of an attack. It would be a dogfight on the way in and on the way out, and an unfair one at that. Maverick asked the group if they had any questions. Nobody wanted to say a word. Phoenix looked at you worriedly. This was a suicide mission.

Rooster finally spoke up, “So, uh, how do we decide which one of us is going to go?”

He had asked the question that nobody else wanted to.

Maverick took a deep breath, “One pilot from the group will be ordered to fly. One of you will be a reserve in case anything out of the ordinary happens. Now, the list with your training partners is up on the board behind me, so come take a look and head out to the tarmac.”

You let out a huff of air when you saw that your partner was Hangman.

“Aww c‘mon Devil how can you be upset when we make such a great team,” he teased.

Once everyone was on the tarmac, Mav explained your first training exercise.

“You’ll be in separate aircraft flying in a tight formation. This exercise will help you learn to trust your partners abilities.”

You and Hangman were the last ones to go.

“Hangman, moving into position,” he called out over the radio.

This exercise was incredibly simple, just fly a course in formation, what could go wrong?

“Oh fuck-,” Carly’s remark came through the radio, “Bird Strike! Bird Strike! Right engine is down, right engine is on fire! Deploying fire suppression, right engine is still burning! Dammit, there’s fire in the cockpit, I gotta bail out! Eject! Eject!” she exclaimed.

His eyes were wide, looking for her parachute as he circled back to the crash site. Finally he spotted her. She was lying next to her parachute, a few hundred yards from the remains of the jet.

“I have eyes on Devil, get medics out here asap, this is Hangman, requesting clearance to land.”

The fluorescent lights of the hospital burned into your eyes as you opened them. The surrounding room was bland, and the little beeps of the monitor beside the bed were getting annoying. You moved the blankets off of your body, checking for any injuries sustained during the crash. When you were satisfied that there were no major injuries, just a few cuts and bruises, a small burn, and a perpetual soreness. You pressed your call button, hoping that the doctors could fill you in on your condition. A doctor came into the room and said that you were okay and that your scans looked good. He also asked if you were ready to see some visitors.

“What visitors? How long have I been out?”

The doctor flipped open his chart, “Well according to this you’ve been out for about 8 hours, and there’s a guy that has been waiting to see you for a while.”

“Alright then, send him in.”

“How are you feeling?” Jake asked as he sat down in the chair beside your bed.

“Worse now that you’re here,” you laughed, then winced, “Honestly, I'm feeling alright considering I can’t remember a damn thing that happened after I ejected.”

Jake leaned back in his chair and stretched, “Well, how about I tell you while I drive you home.”

The doctor returned with your discharge papers and a set of clothes. After he disconnected your monitors and IVs you put on the sweats and T-shirt. After finding your boots in a bag with your helmet and ruined flight suit, you were ready to go home.

You walked towards his truck, and he opened your door before heading around to his. Why was he being so nice all of the sudden? Your address was already in the GPS, which was almost as confusing as him being the one to take you home instead of Bradley or Nat, but you were too tired to ask questions.

“You’re gonna have to take me back to the hangar, my keys are in my duffel.” you said.

“Your duffel’s in the back seat,” he said as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot, “Now, about what happened, you were losing altitude and the jet was on fire. You ejected, but part of your parachute was damaged because of the fire, so you had a really rough landing,” he explained.

“Damn,” you sighed.

The rest of the drive was silent, and finally Jake was pulling into the driveway in front of your little white house. You opened the back door of his truck and dug through your duffel for your phone and keys. His duffel was back there too. He grabbed the bag with your flight gear and your duffel.

“Oh I can get that,” you reached for the duffel in his hand.

“Nope, I got it, do you own this place?”

You shut the door of the truck and began walking to the front door, “Yeah, I’ve actually owned it since a little after our first time at Top Gun, the area’s just so nice, so whenever I’m not deployed I’m here.”

The door clicked open, you sure were glad to be home.

“You've got a nice place Devil, doesn’t look like hell at all,” he laughed.

“You’re such an ass.” She said only half jokingly.

The house had warm wood floors, and most of the walls were white besides some accent walls of gray blue. All of the furniture was a mix of wood and cozy fabric, and there were pictures scattered throughout. As he followed you further into the home he saw a bookshelf that was filled with models of different planes, plaques and medals from your time in the military, and right in the center was your Top Gun trophy.

“You can just set those behind the couch,” her voice carried in from the kitchen, “Are you staying with the rest of the team at that hotel?”

“Well I was until they cancelled my reservation, so I’m gonna see if Bradshaw will lend me his floor,” he laughed.

“I’ve got a guest room you can stay in if you want,” you offered as you walked back into the living room.

“That would be great, thanks Spence.”

“No problem, thanks for driving me home.”

This was his chance. His chance to redeem himself and hopefully reconcile a friendship with the woman he had fallen for and then hid his feelings for. He’d been hiding behind an especially bad attitude towards her since they met. It was the only way he could protect himself from the fact that she was too good to be with him. This mission was giving him the best chance in the worst circumstances. And maybe, just maybe he could find the courage to tell her how he really feels. “Okay, there’s towels in the closet at the end of the hall and everything else you need should be in the vanity of the guest bathroom. Just let me know if you need anything else, I’ll be in my room.”

With that you shut the door of your room. The clothes from the hospital dropped to the floor of your bathroom as you hopped in the shower, it probably wouldn’t be good for your wounds but the smell of jet fuel and dirt lingered on your skin. After exiting the shower, you started to re-dress your wounds, examining each one of them carefully. As soon as your head hit the pillow, you were out, and what felt like 5 seconds later your alarm was blaring.

Jake was ready for the day before her alarm went off, he had woken up before his own alarm and failed to go back to sleep. He had been sitting at the desk in the guest room for about an hour, and found himself reading one of the books he’d found in the desk drawer, occasionally replying to a message from Rooster. The doorbell rang and he heard her go to answer it. Now that there was no risk of waking her up, he left the room and wandered into the kitchen. Her toned frame was clad in shorts and a tank top. All of the damage from yesterday’s crash was on display, and so were her various scars and tattoos. Her hair was shorter than when he’d last seen her a little over a year ago. Now it was just long enough to grace her shoulders. She had changed so much since their first time at Top Gun years ago, but she was still absolutely stunning.

“I’m making eggs, bacon, and toast if you want any,” her voice snapped him out of his trance. She must’ve gone to the door for a grocery delivery.

“Yeah for sure, thank you.”

They sat down at the table to eat, and Jake spoke up, “So, are you still doing those engineering contracts on the side?”

“Yeah I am, been doing a lot of contract work for Lockheed Martin, helping develop new planes and such. I’m lucky that I can do that in my downtime between missions, and I can’t lie, the extra income is really nice.”

“Ever thought about doing that full time?” His question made her freeze.

She struggled to come up with an answer, “You know, I came real close about five months ago, but not now.”

With that she got up from the table and went back into her room. He didn’t mean to make her uncomfortable, but it made him question; what happened five months ago?

When she returned she was dressed in her flight suit.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

“Yup, I’m drivin’ though,” she said with a smile.

Her slight southern accent was like music to his ears. He followed her into the garage, whistling when he saw her car.

“Do me a favor and don’t kill us on the way to work okay?”

She laughed, “I won’t, this car is my everything, been dreaming of it since I was a kid.”

It was a black Porsche 911 Turbo that she had gotten a few months before shipping out to Afghanistan. Even though it was almost ten years old, it was like a fighter jet for the road. She backed it out of the garage, and they sped off towards the base.

“Holy shit,” Jake breathed as he got out of the car.

“Seresin, you scream like a little girl,” you said with a laugh.

“I’m gonna have Bradley drive me back to your place tonight,” he said between heavy breaths.

“I’m gonna make sure Bradley doesn’t do that, and nobody else will either,” you teased.

He laughed, “Why would they ever do that to me?”

“Because they like me more,” you retorted as you walked into the hangar.

“Good to see you’re in one piece, Devil!” Bradley said as he walked over to greet you.

Phoenix waved her hand at you, beckoning you over to where she was sitting. Rooster gave you a quick hug and then started talking to Jake, so you went over to Nat. You’d been good friends with Bradley and Nat since you’d met them on a mission before you all ended up at Top Gun.

“What the hell is up with you and Hangman?” she asked with a raised brow.

“Nothing? We’re finally getting along that’s all.”

She glared at you, “So you’re just letting him stay at your house and driving him over here out of the kindness of your own heart?”

“Yep.”

“That makes no sense.”

“Listen Nat he’s been pretty nice since the crash yesterday and I’m not gonna be an ass just because we’ve had some disagreements in the past. I don’t want to go on this mission with regrets of how I treated people and I don’t think he does either, that’s all.” She didn’t need to know that you’d liked Jake for a while, nobody did.

“Did you tell her?” Bradley asked Jake. “No, we’re finally getting along better, I don’t want to ruin it.”

“Well, you’re gonna have to tell her eventually, but don’t worry, I’ll be your wingman.” He winked, and then started walking towards where Carly and Nat sat.

The two men sat down in front of you and Phoenix.

“Hangman, how’s stuff going with that girl you like?” Rooster asked abruptly.

“God help her.” Phoenix stifled a laugh.

“I haven’t asked her out yet, don’t want to ruin things between us.” Jake looked like he’d rather be anywhere else at the moment.

A part of you was sad about hearing that Jake liked someone, because you knew that he didn’t like you the way you liked him. You shouldn’t have fallen for him the way you did, but he was just so charming and funny and sassy, even if he was a little mean sometimes. He could have any girl he wanted, it wouldn’t be you.

“Why not just ask her out? What’s the worst that could happen?” Phoenix inquired.

Jake just sighed.

“You’ll never know how she really feels unless you ask, and yeah maybe things don’t turn out the way you want, but at least you can say you tried and move on.” You wished you could take your own advice.

Maverick came into the hangar and immediately pulled you aside into an office. He shut the door behind you, and let out a huge sigh.

“Carly, I don’t even know where to begin, I just, are you okay after yesterday?”

“Yeah I am, but that’s not what this is about is it?”

“No it’s not, I started looking over everyone’s files last night, and when I got to yours I just lost it. Hell, you’ve had 3 confirmed kills in the past year, that’s almost as many as my whole career, and then you get shot down and there’s no record of you for three weeks until you show up in the med bay at your base, and then you’re in the hospital for a month. What the hell happened, and why aren’t you retired?”

“Sir, with all due respect, I’ve only ever told one person about what happened in those few weeks and that's not about to change. The reason I haven’t retired is because this job is everything I have. I’ve got no family, just the people out there in that room,” your breathing was heavy, “What’s got you so broken up over me anyway?”

“It’s the fact that I have to send someone on that mission, and based on records alone you’re the best person to get the job done, but you shouldn’t even be here. You should be at home living your life however you want, and it kills me.”

“This is how I want to live my life Mav, you don’t need to worry about me.” With that you exited the office and sat down next to Nat once again.

She gave you a look, as did Jake and Bradley. You’d have to deal with their questions later. Maverick explained todays exercise. We would have to practice dogfighting that was one versus everyone.

“Alright, Hangman you’re dead,” Mav said over the radio, “Devil, you’re up.”

There were 6 different planes you’d need to take out to complete this exercise. You started flying, taking out the first plane in under a minute, then the second, then the third, only three left. Hangman and Maverick were on your tail, and Rooster was god knows where. You pulled up suddenly, pushing the throttle as far as it would go, inverting yourself into almost a loop. Mav split off to the right, and Hangman was in your sights, two clicks of the trigger and he was done. Now where were the last two? You looked around, and spotted them flying side by side above and ahead of you. They started to bank left, so you flew under and up at them, two more clicks and Maverick was done. You passed between the wings of his and Roosters jets. After a couple more maneuvers, you got Rooster in your sights and he was out as well.

“Congratulations, Devil.” Mav said as you hopped out of your jet.

You walked back to the hangar where everyone else was already gathered, chatter could be heard from the group, but they stopped as soon as you joined them. “Somethin’ wrong?” you asked.

“Let’s just say we’re all glad that you’re on our side.” Rooster said.

“Definitely,” Payback laughed. “So, we know you’re an ace, but how many kills do you really have?”

“Six”

“You’re fucking kidding right?” Rooster asked in disbelief.

“I’m dead serious.”

“And to think you had two when we graduated from Top Gun, that’s insane,” Rooster shook his head.

“That’s why we call her Devil, she escorts people to hell,” Hangman chimed in.

“Yeah, on one of her first training flights she and her wingman encountered a couple of enemy jets. One thing led to another and she had her first air to air kill under her belt. That’s also when we decided on her call sign,” Rooster elaborated.

You just sighed and shook your head. The group decided to go to the Hard Deck to get a few beers, and play some pool. There were only two weeks before the mission, and you couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Chapter 2

You were sat at a table with Hangman, Rooster, Phoenix, and Payback, still nursing your first beer.

“So what happened with Mav this morning?” Phoenix inquired.

“Yeah you looked pretty rattled,” Bradley said.

“He’s on my case about not being retired, says I shouldn’t even be here.”

Jake knitted his brows together, “Well is there a reason for him to think you should be retired?”

“I think it’s got something to do with my last deployment.”

“Afghanistan huh?” you nodded and after taking another sip of his beer Rooster continued, “A few weeks ago I was talking to a marine sharpshooter that had just finished his deployment there, and he told me about how he’d seen a pilot that had been shot down, and how he watched him make his way across enemy territory for about a day, said he probably never made it out of the city.”

It felt like you were back there, the worst time of your life was running through your head again and it wouldn’t stop. Every terrible moment, every little detail, all of it was still there as if it had happened yesterday. Your eyes scanned around the bar and you rubbed your index finger over your thumb; it was a nervous habit you had developed. Some pilot that you didn’t know was listening in on the conversation and decided to speak up.

“Maybe if he was a better pilot he wouldn’t have been in that situation in the first place, I mean damn, it’s really not that hard to keep from getting shot down.”

If looks could kill yours would’ve. “You’re dead wrong.”

“How so sweetheart?”

You stood up from your chair, grabbing the back of it so that you didn’t do something that you’d regret.

You didn’t notice it, but Jake was immediately on edge. He was going to back you up if you needed it.

“Great pilots get shot down because they’re sent on the most dangerous missions, and despite what you might think, it is hard to not get shot down, especially when you’re dogfighting while dodging SAMs and anti-aircraft rounds in enemy airspace.”

“She’s right you know,” Jake’s eyes briefly met yours before he continued,“ you’ll change your opinion after being in a situation like that.”

His tone was condescending enough to send the guy to the other side of the bar.

“Carly you got any stories from over there?” Nat looked to where you still stood behind your chair.

“None that I’m itchin’ to tell,” you grabbed your keys from the table, “I’m gonna call it a night, we’ve got another long day tomorrow.”

Jake followed you out to the car, “Want to let me drive it?” He smirked.

“Over my dead body, Seresin.” You sighed as you got into the car.

“Thanks for having my back in there by the way, I appreciate it.” She sent a brief smile his way.

“No problem, I know you usually handle that stuff, but it just seemed like he really got under your skin.”

“Yeah,” she muttered.

Jake replayed the events of the night. That story Rooster had told had made you uncomfortable, he could tell by your eyes, you looked trapped, like you were looking for a way out. Then there was that pilot that you’d told off. He remembered what you said about your contract work that morning. Five months ago. Was she the pilot in that story Rooster was telling?

When you entered the house you headed to the kitchen, grabbed a water, and sat down on the couch. You just needed some time to gather yourself before bed, but Jake had other plans.

“That pilot in that story Bradshaw was telling, it was you wasn’t it?” His eyes flickered over the features of your face as he sat down beside you on the couch, waiting for an answer.

“Yeah,” you managed to say after a long deep breath. He just looked at you, brows slightly furrowed like he was waiting for you to elaborate. You rubbed your index finger over the top of your thumb, still unable to meet his gaze. Then you finally looked up at him, not knowing what to expect.

“I’m sorry.”

That might have been the last thing you thought he would say. You retreated to your room. The shower was hot, and your mind was trashed from the events of the day. You just hoped that Jake wouldn’t say anything to the rest of the team. Him knowing was already more than enough to deal with, and the thought of everyone knowing what happened over there, what you did, made you sick to your stomach. They would hate you if they knew, and they were all you had. You couldn’t afford lose them. You wrapped yourself in the blankets of your bed, desperately trying to fall asleep.

Jake looked up at the ceiling of the guest room. So many questions were running through his head. How’d she get shot down? How’d she manage to make it out of enemy territory alive? Why wouldn’t she tell anyone about any of it? Was she scared that it would happen again? He couldn’t process how you could risk going through that again on this upcoming mission. Then there was the fact that there’s a lot more to the story of what happened to you than anyone knows. She just bottles it up and deals with it on her own? That’s not healthy. He was getting a headache from just the little bit that he knew. Living through the whole thing would be hell. He just wished he could help you somehow; seeing you in distress was not something he enjoyed. With a yawn he turned off the bedside lamp and adjusted the covers, he needed to get some rest.

Your legs were bound to a wooden chair by ropes and your arms were tied behind your back. Your blood stained flight suit was around your waist, a tattered black shirt clung to your upper body, and your boots were no longer on your feet.

Your eyes flew open, taking in the surroundings of your bedroom. Your breaths were quick and heavy, and a few stray tears clung to your cheeks. The clock on the bedside table read 3:56. There was really no point in trying to go back to sleep when you’d need to be up in an hour anyway, so you decided to make an early run to the gym. You got dressed, filled a water bottle and returned to your bedroom to gather the rest of your things. This was the best way to de-stress after a nightmare. Fortunately this is the first time you’d had one in almost a month.

Jake woke up to the sound of footsteps in the kitchen. He could hear her filling a water bottle and grabbing her keys, but why so early? He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, neglecting to pull on a shirt and ventured out into the hallway that led to the living room. She came out of her bedroom as he reached the living room. She seemed surprised that he was awake. Her brows raised slightly and she glanced at his muscular frame, doing her best to be discreet.

“Why’re you up so early?” His voice was tired, and while he had noticed her look towards his bare torso, he didn’t mind.

“Couldn’t sleep, so I’m going to the gym. Sorry for waking you up.”

“It’s okay I’m a light sleeper, product of our line of work I think,” he softly laughed.

“You got that right,” she smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes like he was used to seeing, “I’ll see ya later.” She disappeared through the garage door and Jake sighed.

He wanted to ask her so many questions. He wanted to understand why she would put herself in a situation that was very likely to end with her being shot down over enemy territory again. He also wanted her to know that he cared about her. She was lovely. Strong, motivated, brave, funny, smart, beautiful, and caring. She was wonderful. He just wished he could tell her that without screwing up their newfound friendship. He was afraid that she didn’t feel the same way about him. And even if she did feel the same way, there was a likely chance that he would lose her. Thoughts about her continued to flood his head while he made some coffee and eggs.

At the gym Carly was de-stressing with some running and then some yoga. She thought about Jake. What would he say if he knew about the nightmare. What does he think about the Afghanistan situation? He might not know the whole story, but he didn’t need to. He could still judge her and make assumptions. What if he told their team? What if he told Maverick? God that would be bad. She might have been over the nightmare but the fact that Jake knew about what happened in Afghanistan was eating away at her.

She drove home, listening to some classic rock on the radio. Once she stepped into the house, the smell of coffee was evident. Walking into the kitchen she found half a pot that was still warm. She poured a cup and went into the living room, where she looked at the morning news on her phone. Jake had heard her come in while he was finishing getting ready for the day. He wanted to talk with her about last night. He came out into the living room and sat down beside her on the couch. Their eyes met but no words were exchanged.

A somewhat comfortable silence was broken when Jake began to speak. “So, why haven’t you told anyone about what happened over there?”

“Y'all don’t need to know about it.” Her eyes were mean, they didn’t look at him, they looked through him.

“Listen I know you’re upset and you have every right to be, but I’m worried about you, keeping all of the awful things to yourself only does more harm.”

What had gotten into him? You knew he was right about bottling up those emotions and experiences, but still couldn’t bear the thought of the judgement you might receive from him.

“Why do you care?” she snapped.

“Because you’re my friend.” The expression on his face was a mix of hurt and confusion.

It looked like he genuinely cared about your wellbeing. As much as you liked him you still didn’t trust him fully, you couldn’t risk it. Your head was down, and silent tears rolled off your cheeks and on to the front of your shirt. Jake reached over and gently squeezed your hand,

“If you ever change your mind and want to talk about anything, I’m here to listen.” He let go of your hand and got up from the couch.

After you heard the door to his room shut, you went to your own room to get ready for the day. Training continued as normal. The mission was in two weeks. Even though everyone was continuing about everything as normal, they were dreading it. Everyone decided to go get dinner together after training. You sat between Jake and Bradley, and Nat sat across from you. The food was great. Almost every conversation blurred together at the table, but there were parts of a few that you could make out. Payback was talking to Hangman about a sports team, Phoenix and Rooster were discussing different types of music and what they liked.

This dinner was great, it was so normal, relaxing even. The waitress came over and asked how the check would be split, but you said you’d cover it. All of the pilots thanked you, and everyone went their separate ways. The drive back to your house was peaceful, just what you needed after a long day.

Jake hadn’t started his drive back to her place yet. Instead he sat in his truck with Bradley in the passenger seat. “How are things going between the two of you?”

“Not bad, not great. I still have no idea how to tell her that I like her.”

“Well you better tell her before she goes on that mission.”

“We don’t even know who’s going on that mission yet, and if I can help it, it’s not going to be her.” His tone was defensive.

“We all know who’s going, on that mission. She’s the best choice I know it, Mav knows it, and you know it.”

Jake knew that he was right, but he didn’t want to believe it. “What if she doesn’t feel the same way about me? What am I gonna do if she feels the same way about me, and then she’s just gone forever?”

“You don’t want to tell her because you’re scared of losing her?”

Jake didn’t say anything, he just rested his hands on the top of the steering wheel.

“Think about it, I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that Bradley got out of the truck.

Chapter 3

You could hear Jake slide the key you’d lended him into the lock. He walked into the living room where you were sitting.

“Hey, about this morning, sorry for snappin’ at you.”

“Don’t worry about it, I just wanted you to know that I’m here for you.” he said before heading to his room.

You and Jake continued to get to know each other better over the next week. Training took up most of the day, but before and after the two of you talked about music, tv shows, and life experiences. Things were good, you hadn’t had any more nightmares, and the two of you had a lot in common. Jake enjoyed much of the same classic rock that you did, you both loved flying, and you both loved a good competition. He told you about why he’d joined the Navy, and then you told him why you’d joined. You recounted the missions you’d been on together, and what you’d been thinking while flying them. There was only a week until the mission, and only four days of training remained. The whole thing still didn’t feel real. Three weeks ago you were still in Afghanistan and still thought that Jake Seresin hated you. Now you knew he didn’t, but it was all going to end.

Today would be more practice for the bombing part of your mission. It is imperative that the bomb is dropped on the main gas supply for the plant, then the lines that ran throughout would do the rest of the work. That combined with the munitions being produced there should make sure that the plant was inoperable for the foreseeable future. The bombing practice runs were solo, and the other pilots watched from afar on the ground. Eventually everyone was able to make the drop, and it boosted everyone’s confidence in the success of the main goal of the mission.

Maverick approached you in the instruction room after training. “Devil, Admiral Kazansky has asked to see you in his office, don’t keep him waiting.”

“Yes sir.” Everyone looked at you as you left, and Rooster wished you luck.

You made your way into the Admiral’s office, and you greeted each other before he asked you to have a seat.

“Devil, it’s been a while since I saw you last, how are you doing?”

“Better since the last time we spoke.”

“Good, I wanted to talk to you and see how you were doing before the mission. Do you think you’re ready for it?”

“I have no doubt in my ability to complete the main objective of this mission.”

“I’m not questioning your ability to fly the mission, I want to know how you’re feeling about going back to Afghanistan and possibly ending up in the same situation you were in before.”

He was the only one who knew the full extent of what happened while you were over there. You were silent for a few moments, and your index finger rubbed against the back of your thumb.

“Well, honestly I hate the idea of being held captive again, but I don’t think that’s gonna be a problem this time. I’m a good pilot, I can get the mission done, and I don’t have to watch another one of my friends die. This is my job, my life, and I’m prepared to lose my life for this job, I always have been.”

The admiral just nodded. “Somehow I knew you’d say something like that. Maverick came to see me after the conversation he had with you last week.”

“Of course he did.”

“I didn’t tell him anything, only that you should be good to go on the mission, just do me a favor and try your best to make it back alive.”

“I’ll give it my best shot, sir.”

“Alright then, you’re dismissed.”

The next three days were full of more practice for the mission. Now that all of the training and practice was complete, there would be an official assignment for who would fly the mission.

“Are you ready for this?” Jake asked as he got out of your car.

“Yeah, are you?”

“Sure am.” He said with a sigh.

They walked into the hangar where everyone else was beginning to gather. Everyone was silent. The reality of the mission had been sinking in over the past two weeks, but now everyone had to face it head on. Maverick entered after a few minutes and began by giving a rundown of the mission again.

“All of you have shown great skill when training for this mission but as you know only one of you will be able to go.“

He paused, not eager to send someone on a suicide mission. Your eyes met Jake’s for a split second before Maverick continued to speak.

“Devil, you will be the pilot for this mission. Hangman I want you to fly out to Afghanistan as a reserve. Report back here on Monday at 6 AM. Take tomorrow to yourselves. The rest of you will have a new assignment by the end of the week. You’re all dismissed.”

Rooster, Hangman, Phoenix, and Payback gathered around you. Nobody knew what to say.

“Drinks at my place tonight y’all.” You smiled.

If you didn’t try to lighten the mood you’d break. You couldn’t break. The only thing you wanted to do was spend time with the people you cared about.

On the way back to your place you picked up a couple of packs of beer. Everyone arrived around 7 and hung out on the back patio near the pool. You, Rooster, and Phoenix eventually ended up in the pool. In spite of the circumstances, you were having a great time. You noticed Jake’s eyes look over your now bikini clad frame, it was safe to say that you were flattered.

“Hop in, the water’s great.” You said with a smile.

Jake just smiled back while shaking his head no.

Her friends were trying to stay positive for her sake, but the thought of losing her was getting to them. It was a stomach churning type of guilt and fear, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Eventually the air became chilly and the gathering moved inside. She was sitting beside Jake on the couch, still wrapped in a towel while drinking her beer. Jake hadn’t said much. He had been stealing admiring glances all night, just enjoying her presence while he still could. She took notice of his atypical behavior, but knew that it was because of the upcoming mission.

The rest of the night was spent sharing stories about your life, and favorite memories with your friends. As the night ended everything was bittersweet. This was the last time you’d all be together.

Payback wished you luck before he left.

Nat pulled you into a hug for what felt like an eternity. “Good luck Spence, I’m gonna miss you. You’re my best friend, always will be.”

“I’m gonna miss you too.” Your words were paired with a sad smile.

Bradley gave you a hug as well, “Carly, thank you for being such a good friend to me. If there’s anyone that can make it back from this, it’s you.” He gave you one last hug before heading out the door.

You showered and put on some comfy clothes before you returned to the living room where Jake still sat.

“That was a nice get together.” After he spoke the two of you sat on the couch for a while, surrounded by heavy silence.

“Jake, you’ve done a really good job of keeping my secret so far, and I need you to keep the rest of it for me, at least until I’m gone.”

You just needed it off of your chest, you couldn’t die feeling like you’d forever mislead the people you cared about most. They deserved to know the truth no matter how bad it was.

“I can do that.” Jakes brows tilted together in concentration and his eyes met yours.

You’d been contemplating telling him this over the past week, it seemed like he genuinely cared about you and wanted to help. Admittedly it was still terrifying, but if there were negative consequences, you wouldn’t have to deal with them for long.

“It started out as a standard bombing mission. Three other pilots and I were targeting a small military storage facility near Bagram, and we started taking fire from enemy jets and SAMs. We had no indication that SAMs were positioned there and they took out two of our jets almost immediately. There were two SAM sites and five enemy planes, god only knows how many anti aircraft guns were firing at us. My wingman and I-,” you were already struggling to catch your breath.

“We had taken damage from the anti aircraft rounds, and were still in a dogfight with these other planes, my wingman split off to take care of the SAM sites and succeeded, but he got shot down before he could target any of the jets. I took out two jets, but with the damage to the plane it was getting harder to hold them off. I did everything I could, but it still wasn’t enough. I took another hit, and both of my engines failed, there was no way I was gonna recover, so I ejected. That was probably the worst decision I’ve ever made. Really, I should’ve stayed with that plane til’ it hit the fuckin’ ground.”

Tears were silently rolling down your face now and you didn’t have the energy to care whether Jake was judging you or not. Nothing really mattered anymore.

Her last statement broke his heart. He knew that what she went through was bad, but if in hindsight death was preferable, it had to be truly horrible. She was crying and rightfully so. He had worried earlier when she was gasping for breath, but she seemed to be breathing a little easier now. She’d lost three of her wingmen already and it seemed like the horror was just beginning. There wasn’t anything he could say, he just needed to continue to listen.

“As soon as my feet hit the ground I was being shot at. I think I landed on the outskirts of a small military training camp. Between shots I ran to cover behind some crates, but it didn’t take them long to surround me. I thought they were gonna kill me, but they just threw me in a truck and we drove for a little bit. When they took me out of the truck I could tell that we were at a bigger military complex. They put me in a cell, tied me to a chair, and started questioning me. Wanted to know what my mission was, why I was flying there. They started by hitting me, first with their hands, then with various tools they had lying around. I still wasn’t giving them anything, so they tried electrical shock, and lemme tell you that shit hurts. Then they tried drowning. They kept at it for five days. That last day they were hitting me with a baseball bat, and ended up knocking my chair over. I slipped my legs out of their restraints when they left for a break. With my legs out I went over to their table of tools and got my hands free. I used that knife to take out the guard at the end of the hall, I killed him.”

Her voice had become almost a whisper, and then she was silent. She couldn’t even look at him.

“You did what you had to do to survive. Anyone would have done the same if they were in your situation.” He said while reaching over to grasp her hand.

A safe, grounding, comforting gesture. It put her more at ease.

She continued after an extended pause,“That morning that I was up early and said I couldn’t sleep, I had a nightmare about that last day.”

“Do you have those a lot?”

“Not anymore.” There was another long pause before she spoke again.

“I took a handgun off of the guard, and ended up finding the two guys that had been beating on me all week. I shot both of them. When I got outside I could see the fence surrounding the base, and in the distance I could see the buildings of the city. I made a run for the fence and climbed over, the barbed wire at the top tore me up pretty bad, but I kept running. God I hurt so bad. Every fucking part of me hurt.” She squeezed her eyes shut, and took her hand from Jake’s, wiping away more tears from her face and neck, before digging her fingernails into her palm.

She was shivering, like she was terrified that the words she said would come true again right now.

He carefully moved closer to where she was sitting on the couch and put his hand on her upper back. To her the feeling of warmth and pressure on her back kept her from spiraling into a place she hadn’t been in a long time.

“There was an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city that I ducked into. I needed to patch myself up real bad. Thank god they hadn’t found the sewing kit I keep on me for emergencies. I slept there that night, and started moving again in the morning. Every once in a while there would be groups of Afghani soldiers that I had to avoid. About four days later three of them came into the building I was hiding in. There was a firefight. I took out one of them before my rifle ran out of ammo and was trying to get away when I got hit by a couple of bullets.”

Her fingers gently touched a scar on her leg, and then found their way to her shoulder.

“One went through my shoulder and the other went right through my thigh. I dragged myself into the buildings stairwell and shot them from there. They were wearing combat gear so I took some of that, their food, another gun, ammo, and their medical supplies. I wouldn’t have survived if I hadn’t gotten that stuff. And with my leg being injured it took me a lot longer to get where I needed to go. I traveled less in that last week than I had in the first four days. Finally I made it to a US Army outpost and they took me back to my base. That was six months ago. I had to stay in the hospital for a month, took another two to get back to flying the way I was. Now I’m here.”

She had stopped crying at this point, but looked over at Jake to find silent tears rolling off of his jaw. He still had his hand on her back

Everything was piecing itself together. She didn’t want to be seen as a bad person for what she did over there, even if what she did was just so she could survive. She wanted to be the pilot to go on this mission so that none of then people she cared about had to. She had the experience. She was right for the job, but he hated it. He hated that she had to go back and risk going through the same thing again. He wished that he could trade places with her for just a moment, so that she would have a break from all that was weighing on her.

Against what his mind was telling him, he slowly pulled her into a hug. He didn’t care what she thought of him right now, it was what he needed to do.

“I’m glad that you ejected and fought your way back, because if you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten to know how great of a person you really are. You’re a brilliant pilot, and a wonderful person, and I’m sorry for how I acted towards you in the past. You didn’t deserve it, and you didn’t deserve any of what happened to you over there either. If anyone else knew about it, they wouldn’t blame you for it. Hell I don’t. It was what you had to do to stay alive.”

He was glad that she was alive, and he was very glad to have gotten to apologize for how he acted in the past.

“I thought you’d hate me.” she confessed.

She was crying again. Her face was buried in his shoulder, and her tears soaked into the fabric of his shirt. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of her chest. He didn’t hate her for what she did, and was glad that she was still here. His hand rubbed her upper back, and she began to speak again.

“I’m so sorry,” she gently pulled out of his touch.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”

She was still somewhat embarrassed of how emotional she had gotten, but he was nothing but kind and genuine. That’s the Jake she liked, maybe even loved. Most people only saw the cocky and arrogant side of him, but under that demeanor was a caring person, and she was very thankful for that.

“Are you scared that it’s gonna happen again?” His hand moved to hold hers once again.

“Yeah I am.”

Chapter 4

The next morning Carly went to meet with her lawyer and make sure her will was in place and her funeral arrangements were ready. She also went for a long drive. She went up into the mountains and then headed back down and along the coast. By the time she got back home it was dark. Jake was in the living room and greeted her when she came in. Her bag was mainly packed, but she threw a few extra things into the pockets of her flight suit. Just in case.

Jake drove them to the base the next morning, and by 6 AM they were with Maverick on a plane to Afghanistan. They landed at the base several hours later. The soldiers showed them to a room with a couple of beds, and then took Maverick to meet with their commander. She was due to start her mission in a few hours, so she headed out to the tarmac to find her jet. Jake wasn’t far behind her, he was a reserve after all. They spotted Maverick talking to the commander beside a couple of F-18 Super Hornets. The two pilots completed their pre-flight inspections, and were briefed on the mission one last time. There was only an hour until she’d take off now.

Maverick wished you good luck, and gave you a hug before heading to the command room. You approached Jake briskly and took his hand, pressing something into his palm. He looked at what you’d given him, it was the key to your Porsche.

“No Carly, I can’t.”

“Over my dead body.” Those were her words when he’d asked to drive it.

“I want you to have it, drive it for me okay?”

He just nodded.

“Thank you again for listening to me the other night. You’re a great guy Jake. That girl of yours is gonna be lucky to have you.”

“It’s you.” His voice was barely audible, but you’d heard him.

“What?” You needed to make sure your mind wasn’t playing tricks on you.

“It’s you. You’re that girl, Carly. I’ve liked you since we met, but honestly I was afraid to tell you, and I didn’t want to ruin things when we started getting along.”

You couldn’t move for a moment. He liked you too. This whole damn time he liked you too.

“Jake I’ve liked you for a long time too, I wish we would’ve told each other sooner.”

You took a step toward him, and he took one toward you. In an instant your hand was on the back of his neck, and his hands were wrapped around your waist.

Their lips came together carefully, but lovingly. Tears were streaming down both of their faces, mixing together as they moved with one another. They pulled apart so that they could breathe, but stayed in each other’s arms.

“Devil, time to go!” one of the soldiers informed you.

“Im sorry we never got to be together.” She looked up at him with tear filled eyes.

“Devil! You gotta go! Now!” The soldier yelled again. Before Jake could say anything else, she let go of his hands, and in an instant she was gone. He watched as her plane took off, and a pit formed in his stomach.

Maverick had seen their interaction from the windows of the command room. All he could do was hope that by some miracle she made it back. Jake climbed into the spare jet, and even though he was trying to hide it, he still looked very upset. Her radio transmissions could be heard throughout the command room and in Jake’s ear. There was no way to see her position, satellites weren’t in place and she would be out of radar range.

“Target is in sight, I’ve got two bandits, 10 miles south of my position. Ground defense has engaged. Target acquired, bombs away. Direct hit!”

Her comms were quiet for a moment, “Smoke in the air! Deploying flares, I’m comin’ around. Splash one! Dammit, I’ve got five more bandits, coming from the west and east-” Her radio suddenly went dead.

One of the officers came over the radio, “Her radio isn’t coming back online. We lost her.”

Jake couldn’t breathe. She was gone. She was really gone.

“Fuck,” he slammed his fist against his thigh.

“Hangman, it’s over, she completed the mission, we’re done here.” Mavericks voice strained over the radio.

There was nothing he could do. A few more minutes passed. Still nothing.

He climbed out of the jet. Once his feet hit the ground he didn’t know what to do. To say he was distraught was an understatement. If he had just told her sooner. If he had been a better pilot she wouldn’t have gone at all. If he had told her how he felt earlier, maybe things would have been different.

Jake went back to the room with your things it. He laid down on his bed and just looked at the ceiling. A clock on the wall was ticking, almost like it was teasing him. Twenty minutes ago they had shared a kiss, and now they never would again. What could’ve been was running through his head. They could’ve gotten married, had a family, shared holidays and anniversaries together. He could’ve told her he loved her.

Another ten minutes passed and Maverick entered the room. “I’m sorry it had to be her.”

Jake didn’t say a word to him. It wasn’t Mavericks fault, but he had no one else to blame. Jake shut his eyes, laid his forearm across them, and tried to find any sort of peace. He didn’t know how long he laid there before the door to the room opened again.

Jake didn’t even open his still teary eyes before his voice strained, “Maverick I swear to god-”

“Jake? Are you okay?”

He immediately sat up, almost not believing what he heard. There she was, in the doorway, looking straight at him. They met in an embrace in the middle of the room. Clinging to each other as if their lives depended on it.

“I thought you- I thought you were gone.” he let out a shaky breath.

“I’m right here, everything’s okay, we’re okay.” She smiled up at him, the most genuine smile he’d ever seen.

The two of them sat down on the bed, and she rested her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, just delighted in the presence of one another.

The door to the room opened again, and this time it was actually Maverick.

“Hey you two, there’s a flight back to the states leaving in an hour. Let’s go home. Oh and Carly, it’s good to have you back.” He smiled sincerely at them before making his way back down the hall.

Carly slept on Jake’s shoulder almost the whole flight back, making the trip feel significantly shorter. They arrived back in San Diego at around midnight. She suggested going to the Hard Deck for a celebratory drink, even though it would be dead on a Wednesday night. They noticed Rooster’s Bronco when they pulled into the parking lot. He’d be glad to see both of them. When they got inside they noticed Rooster sitting at the bar, along with Phoenix.

They had their backs to the door and hadn’t noticed that you or Jake had come in. You walked up behind them, Penny noticed, but didn’t say anything.

“Hope y’all poured one out for me,” you said as you laid a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Holy shit!” Rooster slid off of the bar stool to hug you.

“Oh my god!” Phoenix exclaimed. She also got up and hugged you. You stepped back towards Jake, and his arm quickly found its way back around your waist.

“No fucking way.” Nat just stared at where Jake’s hand was resting on your waist.

Rooster started laughing, “Yes way, glad you finally told her, man.” He smiled at Jake, and then at Phoenix, “That could be us y’know.”

“Keep dreaming Bradshaw.”

The four of you decided to play some pool, and eventually Maverick came in to see Penny.

“So how the hell did you guys end up like, well, like that…” Phoenix trailed off as she gestured to the two pilots, who were standing closely together beside the pool table.

“Turns out we had both liked each other for a while, but I told her how I felt right before she went on the mission.” Jake said as he moved his hand to rest on her lower back.

“The timing was really bad, but I’ve never had someone happier to see me walk into a room than he was.” She smiled while looking up at him.

The game of pool was long over and Maverick came to stand beside the table with the rest of you. “So Devil, what happened after we lost you on the radio?”

“Well the ground defense got a good hit on me after I took down the first jet, that’s when the comms went out. Pretty quickly, I took care of another. Five more were coming in fast from the east and west. The group from the east got to me first, two I shot down, one had to punch out. The two from the west arrived and I led them into the mountains. My jet took a good amount of damage, and I was almost out of ammo. I got some good hits on one and he bugged out pretty quick. The last one I couldn’t get off my tail, so I pulled up and turned hard right through a break in the mountains and then descended on the other side of this ridge. By the time he followed I was ready to take the shot. I’m just so glad I was able to make it back.”

“I think everyone else is glad you were able to make it back too.” Maverick smiled as he looked at the other pilots around you.

Jake carried their bags into the house. They were both exhausted from everything that had happened in the past two days, but they were ecstatic to be together. Jake sat her bag down behind the couch, just like he had a few weeks ago, and then started to carry his own to the guest room.

“You don’t have to sleep in there if you don’t want to,” she smirked.

He followed her into her room and they both settled under the covers. Jake had his arm around her shoulders and ran his fingers through her hair as she rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating and feel every breath he took.

“I love this. I love this so damn much.” She grabbed his hand, pulling it close to her chest.

“I love you.” The words escaped his lips before he could stop them.

It was probably too soon, but it was how he felt, and there was nothing he could do about it now.

“I love you too.” She didn’t miss a beat.

Their lips came together once again, moving in perfect harmony.

He still couldn’t believe that they were together, but he was loving every second of it. Just having her close to him was incredible. They eventually fell asleep in each others arms, and woke up the same way.

“I could stay here like this for the rest of our lives,” her voice was tired.

“As much as I’d love to do that, Maverick wants us to be at the base by 9, we’re supposed to get our new assignments today.” He said as they sat up against the headboard.

With an exaggerated groan she rolled out of bed; Jake wasn’t far behind her. They stood in front of the sinks in the bathroom, and he watched as she carefully applied her mascara. She watched as he ran a comb through his hair, making it more neat than it had been when they woke up. They just admired each other’s motions, how each one was intentional.

“What do you want for breakfast?” Jake asked as he did up the last button on his uniform.

“Fruit maybe? I’m not really that hungry right now.” She seemed distracted, almost nervous.

“Everything okay?” He looked at her, brows furrowed in concern.

“All good.” Her eyes stayed put on the concealer in her hand.

Jake went into the kitchen and started laying out things for breakfast. He made a few slices of toast, and cut them into triangles like his mom used to. He put some honey and butter on top and got the blackberries, raspberries and strawberries out of the fridge. By the time he had everything on the plates Carly had come into the kitchen.

“Thanks for making breakfast, it’s really good.”

To his surprise she had cleared her plate.

“You’re welcome, but I didn’t really cook anything.” He laughed and took their plates and laid them in the sink.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He said as he leaned up against the island across from her.

“I’m worried about our new assignments, but it’s stupid cause I’ve never been worried about it before.”

Before she had even finished her sentence Jake was at her side, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders.

“Why are you worried?”

“It might keep us apart, hell, we might not see each other again, I just-” Her rambling was cut short by a gentle kiss.

Her arms reached up around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

“We’re gonna be just fine, everything is gonna work out one way or another. I promise.” his voice was ever reassuring.

When they arrived at the base Maverick was there along with Admiral Kazansky. They sat down with the other pilots who had been a part of training for the mission.

Admiral Kazansky spoke first, congratulating you on the success of the mission and then handed it over to Mav to give the new assignments. He went down the aisle, handing each pilot a file with their name on it. Everyone got one except you. Jake opened his file and his eyes darted across the page.

“Where’s yours?” He whispered

“I don’t know.” You whispered back.

The other pilots had begun to look at their own files before Admiral Kazansky commanded their attention again.

“Due to the nature of this previous mission and the exemplary skill needed to complete it, the United States Navy has decided to promote Lieutenant Carly Spencer to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.”

When he finished speaking he walked over to you with your file.

After the briefing was over the two of you stood outside the meeting room, as did the other pilots. Mav and Ice were also talking and catching up. Everyone was discussing where they were going. Technically a new assignment wasn’t classified information.

“Congratulations on the promotion.” He smiled at you, and then continued, “Where are they sending you?”

“I don’t want to look. Where are you going?”

Jake held out his hand, silently asking for your file.

You handed it over to him with a huff.

The corners of his mouth tilted up, “Pensacola, Florida. You wanna know where you’re going?”

“Just get it over with.” She huffed.

He opened your file, eyes scanning it for the location, and when he saw it there was a clear look of shock on his face.

“Hon you’re gonna lose your mind.” There was a hint of disbelief in his voice.

You quickly stepped over beside him, and found the location listed in the file.

Pensacola, Florida

“Oh my god, this is amazing” You playfully hit his arm with the back of your hand. Your smile was beaming. It felt like a hundred pound weight had been lifted off your chest.

“See, I told you everything would work out.” His arm moved around your shoulders, pulling you in close.

“I’m so glad it did.”

Thanks so much for reading! I’d like to write more for Jake and Carly so if you have any suggestions please send me a message or let me know in the comments! 💕

[promisingyounglady]

stranger. | BB x Reader

SYNOPSIS: drunk hookup, no names exchanged, bradley is a pussy eating king.

PAIRING: Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

You pant, breathing heavily

“W-What’s your name again?”

A head pops up from in between your legs, giving you a sight that makes you delirious from the sheer sexiness of it all.

He’s golden, the warm light from the bedside table lamp, casting a glow on his pink cheeks. Dog tags hang from his collar bones.

He’s got pretty eyes, a strong nose and a shit-eating grin covered by a mustache that’s dripping in your slick.

You hadn’t even had time to even exchange names, only knowing that you were mutual friends of Jake who met at tonight’s party. One too many shots later and you’re here getting eaten out by a fighter pilot you don’t even know the name of.

He comes forward, leaning into your breath as he mutters softly. “Bradley. Bradshaw.”

You moan, feeling how his hands slide up your body as he utters his name, embarrassingly squirming under his touch.

“Say it back” He requests, deep brown eyes gazing into yours.

You oblige, moaning his name in a breathless whisper.

“Bradley”

He smiles, kissing you to shut you up before he goes down back in between your legs, pecks littered against the flesh of your inner thighs.

“Say my name and then ask me to eat you out”

You almost can’t believe your ears. You look down, gripping the sheets as you stare the smug bastard down.

“Nicely” he adds, pressing a kiss to your puffy clit as he smirks.

You throw your head back, eyes shutting as you mumble embarrassingly. “Eat me bradley”

His hands roam to your tits, giving them a squeeze

“Louder” he replies, muffled as he’s concentrated in stuffing his face in your vagina, choosing to give small unsatisfying licks until you say it properly.

You cry out, chest rising. “Eat me out, Bradley” you grit, moaning when he finally swipes his nose along your pussy, giving you what you want.

“I don’t like you.” you huff, glaring at the head of hair you’re running your hands through.

You feel him smile against your mound, coming up to snarkily change the topic.

“What’s your name?”

[sillygoosing-around]

I need a Kiss Kiss Bang Bang fic with Mav and Ice PLEASE. (Ice is perry. Obviously.)

[cranberrymoons]

we're knee deep

jake seresin/bradley bradshaw (yes I did in fact write top gun fic) | 3k rated e | canon compliant, exes to lovers-ish, reunion sex

He’s in California all of thirteen hours before he finds himself barreling back into bed with Jake Seresin. He’s not proud of it.

for @urmomsonfire, who truly played an unintentional long game getting me into this fandom 🫡

[read on ao3]

[romerona]

https://www.tumblr.com/romerona/779775449552371712/ethera-operation?source=share

Omgg do you have the charlie angels reader draft?!?! If so, could you post it someday? I LOVE charlies angels ✨️✨️.

Heyyy, so, yessss I do have a small one shot I think? I never thought would see the light of day, so I polished it a bit because I am more than happy to share itttt, actually thank you for asking lol <3<3<3

Only Angels fly this high!

Bradley Bradshaw x Charlie's Angel reader!

You were never just Maverick’s daughter.

You were the girl who swept your district's science fair four years straight, the one who could solve a Rubik's cube in under sixty seconds without even looking flustered. You knew every Avenger’s and DC's origin story by heart, had an unshakable love for Aragorn and your textbooks, and could quote Star Wars like scripture.

With your braces gleaming, frizzy ponytails bouncing, and socks that never once matched, you were a walking storm of heart, brilliance, and sunshine. A true geek with a gymnast's poise, a mind too quick to sit still, and a laugh that could fill a room before you even entered it. You were fire and fizz and full of wonder— Pete Maverick Mitchell's daughter, sure, but unmistakably, undeniably you.

When your dad disappeared on those long, classified missions—off saving the world in ways you weren’t allowed to know, you just packed your bag like clockwork and headed to one of two places. Sometimes, it was to your godfather, Uncle Ice, who’d ruffle your hair and tell you, with that steady calm of his, that even though you hardly looked like your dad, you had the same fire in your eyes. The same stubborn spark. The same refusal to back down. He said it like a compliment, like a promise. You loved him deeply, truly. He was a quiet sort of anchor, a man who never needed many words to make you feel seen.

But most of the time, you went to the Bradshaws’.

Carol always welcomed you like one of her own, with a warm smile, a hug that smelled like fresh laundry and vanilla, and a plate of something home-cooked waiting on the table. Over time, their house became your second home, the place where you memorized the sound of their old floorboards and where you felt safest when the sky felt just a little too big.

And then there was Bradley.

Older. Cooler. Already growing into the kind of person you could only dream of becoming. He had this effortless way about him—music in his ears, sun in his smile, the kind of person that made rooms quieter and your heart louder. You followed him around with books hugged to your chest, spilling facts about superheroes and black holes, always hoping he'd listen—and he did.

He never rolled his eyes. Never made you feel silly for talking too much or knowing too many things. He let you tag along, called you “kid” with a grin that somehow didn’t sting, and made you feel like being exactly who you were, loud laugh, wild ideas, frizzy hair and all, was something worth being proud of.

You adored him.

Not in a way that needed anything in return, but in that pure, clumsy way that only happens when someone older and kinder and just out of reach shows you what it feels like to be seen.

When Bradley left for college, you told yourself not to miss him. You tried to tuck the ache away somewhere quiet, somewhere small, behind schoolwork, hobbies, competitions and all the things you used to ramble about to him when he’d pretend not to listen but always did. It wasn’t just that he left; it was that things changed.

You only saw him once after that. At Carol’s funeral. The air that day was thick with loss, the kind you could feel in your throat. You spotted him across the room—older, more tired, a stranger in the shape of someone you used to adore. You exchanged a look. Maybe a nod. Nothing more. Heavy. Wordless.

Calls stopped. Messages faded. And after the falling-out between him and your dad, whatever thread had quietly tied the two of you together just… vanished.

But even as time tugged Bradley further away, you never drifted from your dad. If anything, you clung to him tighter. You sent him everything—snapshots of you mid-flip in your gymnastics uniform, shaky videos of your band performing at school, newspaper articles of your victories, long, rambling letters from chess tournaments detailing every single move like it was a mission report. When you got your college acceptance letter, you didn’t just call him, you sent a copy with a doodle you’d drawn of the two of you in matching aviator sunglasses, grinning like dorks.

Because he wasn’t just your dad. He was your rock. Your anchor. Your hero in a flight suit. And no matter how many people came and went, how many versions of yourself you outgrew, he was always the one constant, the voice on the other end of the line who never once stopped believing in you.

And then… you became something more.

Charlie's Angel.

Not long after you started college out in California, with wide eyes and ambition for your future, you were approached by a curious agency. The Townsend Agency. It wasn’t like anything you expected. There were no job postings or open interviews. Just a whisper, a test, and then a door you didn’t even know was there opened right in front of you.

What followed was a whirlwind training that pushed your body to its limits, missions that tested your mind and your morals, and partnerships that carved something fierce and beautiful into your soul. You weren’t alone in it, either. There were two other girls—no, women—who became your teammates, your family, your sisters in everything but blood. Together, the three of you tackled the impossible. Missions took you all over the world—scaling rooftops, decoding encrypted files on the fly, surviving car chases, shootouts, betrayal. It was thrilling. Dangerous. Meaningful. Just the kind of beautiful chaos you lived for. Like a good Mitchell. You always did love flying close to the sun.

That being said… you still haven’t told your dad.

Not because you didn’t want to. You did… do. You’ve come close a dozen times, standing at the edge of the truth with your phone in hand or your heart in your throat, thinking this is it. But it never felt quite right.

Because how do you tell Maverick, the legendary naval aviator, your fighter pilot of a father, that his little girl became a spy?

Not a doctor or a lawyer or a quiet observer behind a desk. No, you became an Angel, a full-blown, off-the-books, world-saving, chaos-wrangling secret agent. You jump out of planes sometimes without a parachute, trusting only your timing and a teammate’s hand to catch you. You've fought trained mercenaries twice your size in the back alleys of foreign cities. You’ve disarmed bombs with ten seconds left on the clock. Posed as arms dealers, infiltrated corrupt corporations, survived car crashes, scaled a glass building in Dubai with nothing but suction grips and nerves, hotwired a moving car in Paris while dodging sniper fire.

And somehow still walked away—bloody, bruised, but grinning with your sisters.

How do you sit your dad down and say, “Hey, remember how you used to panic when I scraped my knee on the monkey bars? Well, now I carry lockpicks in my heels and can kill a man with a paperclip.”

Your friends tell you to just do it. “He’ll understand,” they say. “He’s military. He gets it, he's done dangerous things all his life."

But you know better.

He was a father first. He always had been, even when he wasn’t physically there, even when he was halfway around the world, flying high above everything. His heart was always anchored to you. You were his little girl, his sunshine, his soft spot in a hard-edged world, who checked your helmet twice before you could ride a bike, who made you text the second you got somewhere, worried when you scraped your knee, when you stayed up too late studying.

He was Maverick. Top Gun. Hero to most. But to you, he was just Dad.

So no, it’s not easy. Not when you know the truth will make his pulse spike and his mind race to every worst-case scenario. Not when you can still picture his face the day you fell off the beam at your gymnastics meet and he looked like the world had ended.

But still… there’s a part of you that hopes—when the moment comes, when you do tell him—he won’t just see the danger. He’ll see the strength, the purpose, the pride.

That somewhere deep down, the Maverick in him will recognize the Angel in you... Today is not that day, though.

Not when you’ve finally managed to visit after months apart—not because you didn’t want to come sooner, but because life had a funny way of keeping you both busy. His schedule was packed with flights and trainings and whatever top-secret projects still pulled at the edges of his life. Yours… well, yours was classified. Let’s just say saving the world tends to mess with your calendar.

But now, with a rare stretch of time off, you showed up at his hangar-home like no time had passed at all. He met you at the door with that familiar squint and slow-building smile, arms pulling you into one of those hugs that made you feel twelve again, like the universe could shrink down to just the two of you and still be enough.

You showed off your latest toy—a vintage, sleek, growling Mercedes-Benz Heritage, sleek and silver, like something out of a Bond film. He gave it an approving nod, muttered something about it being too pretty to trust you behind the wheel, and you both laughed like no time had passed.

At some point, after he proudly showed you the new project he was working on—an old plane with more history than metal—you insisted on cooking. Said you wanted to treat him. He looked skeptical but stepped aside, letting you take over the tiny kitchen.

The thing is… you might know how to hack into secure government servers blindfolded. You can decode encrypted files while hanging out of a moving vehicle and disarm a bomb with nothing but a bobby pin, chewing gum, and sheer nerve.

But apparently, you still don’t know how long garlic bread is supposed to stay in the oven.

Smoke curled out of the toaster oven like a signal flare, thick and dramatic, as if announcing your failure to the whole Mojave. You stood there, spatula in hand, staring at what used to be garlic bread—but now looked more like a charred fossil.

“Dammit,” you muttered under your breath, coughing as you fanned the smoke with a dishtowel, trying to open a window that didn’t want to budge.

So, you stumbled out of the silver trailer—smoke still trailing behind you like you were escaping a failed op—waving the towel above your head, hoping to clear the air.

"Everything is fine, just give me a vacuum and a YouTube tutorial," you coughed, still fanning the smoky air like your life depended on it. The kitchen now smelled less like garlic and more like defeat.

Then you heard it—your name, called out in a voice that was both familiar and unfamiliar all at once. Warm but deeper. Steady. Older. You froze mid-wave of the dish towel, eyes narrowing as you turned around.

And there he was.

Bradley Bradshaw.

Holy. Shit.

"Bradley!" you gasped, the breath catching somewhere between shock and joy.

Before you could think, you dropped the towel, launched forward, and threw your arms around him. It wasn’t graceful—your elbow clipped his sunglasses, you nearly tripped over your own feet, and there was definitely still flour smeared across your shirt—but none of it mattered. The hug was tight, warm, all the things unsaid wrapped into a single, breathless squeeze.

“Oh, it’s been forever,” you said breathlessly, pulling back just enough to look at him.

You were grinning wildly, eyes dancing, completely caught up in the joy of the moment. What you didn’t notice—not at first—was how stunned he looked.

He blinked, almost like he wasn’t sure how to catch up.

“Look at you!” you said, poking his chest with mock offense. “You grew a mustache!!!”

Bradley let out a soft, incredulous laugh, shaking his head as if trying to make sense of it all.

“And you… grew up,” he said quietly, almost like he didn’t mean to say it out loud—like the realization had just hit him and slipped past his guard.

“Barely,” your dad chimed in from across the hangar, where he was wiping his hands clean with an old rag, smudged with grease from the plane’s engine. His voice cut through the moment like a well-timed punchline.

You turned just in time to see him eyeing the thin trail of smoke still drifting from the open trailer door.

“Please tell me you did not burn down my kitchen,” he said, eyebrows raised, half-exasperated, half-amused.

You held up your hands in surrender, cheeks flushed. “Not entirely! It’s still standing. Just… maybe don’t open the toaster for a while.”

“Great…” Your dad shot you a long-suffering look, then sighed like a man who’d seen combat but still wasn’t prepared for you in the kitchen. Then he turned to Bradley, wiping the last of the grease from his palms. “Hey, I wasn’t expecting you today.”

“Yeah… uh, just happened to be nearby,” Bradley said, almost too casually. Then he lifted the takeout bag in his hand. “And—looks like I showed up just in time.”

He gave you a small smile, the kind that was soft around the edges and held a hint of something else—something unreadable and warm.

,You grinned at the bag like it was the Holy Grail. “Ohh, like a psychic… or maybe Lady Fate herself. What you brought and please tell me you brought enough for an unexpected mouth?”

“I did,” Bradley smirked, giving the bag a little shake for dramatic flair. “Thai. From a little spot near the base—place looks like a shack but cooks like heaven. One of those joints where they always forget the utensils, but never mess up the order.”

You gasped like he’d just told you he found buried treasure. “My kind of place. Who needs forks when destiny delivers Pad Thai?”

Bradley chuckled, handing you the bag with a knowing grin. “Hope you still like spicy, because I told them to go easy—and they still said ‘mild’ was more of a suggestion than a promise.”

You peeked inside the bag, the smell already making your mouth water. “Perfect. I like my food with a little danger. Keeps me humble.”

Your dad chimed in from behind you, grabbing plates “You say that now, but let’s see you talk tough after the first bite.”

You shot him a look. “Says the man who thinks pepper is a bold seasoning choice.”

The three of you settled in around the small table—plates spread out, drinks poured, laughter drifting lazily through the warm air. Conversation flowed easily, the kind that bounced between memories, light teasing, and just enough catch-up to fill in the gaps years apart had left.

You asked Bradley about his life, his job—nudging him gently with curiosity, dancing around certain topics with the kind of practiced grace that would’ve made Bosley proud. You didn’t lie—you just knew how to steer. How to let a story breathe without giving away the details underneath.

While delicately munching on a spring roll, you hummed quietly, savoring the flavor, then murmured without thinking, “I’ve been craving them like crazy since I came back from Thailand.”

Bradley, mid-bite, paused and looked up with a mild tilt of his head. “You’ve been to Thailand?”

You froze—not visibly, just a flicker of hesitation behind your eyes. The kind of pause most wouldn’t notice. But Bradley had always paid attention.

Still, your smile was easy as you nodded, grabbing your drink for cover. “Yeah. Work keeps me traveling.”

Bradley leaned back slightly, chopsticks in hand, eyeing you with playful suspicion. “Yeah? What do you do, exactly? Something fancy, I imagine, if that car outside is any indication. Since when do you have that kind of taste, huh?”

You raised a brow, feigning offense. “Excuse me, I’ve always had taste.”

He snorted. “Right. Last time I saw you drooling over a car, it was that busted-up ‘Back to the Future’ knockoff you swore was the coolest thing ever. What was it? That rusty little hatchback with spray-painted flames and a bumper sticker that said ‘Flux This’?”

You laughed, nearly choking on your spring roll. “Hey, that car had personality. It was vintage.”

“It was a safety hazard.”

“It was charming!”

Bradley grinned, shaking his head. “You’ve upgraded. I’ll give you that. So, seriously—what do you do now?”

You smiled sweetly, taking another bite of your spring roll with practiced nonchalance.

“I’m a private art conservator,” you said, repeating the same polished line you’d fed your dad years ago—the one you’d carefully crafted to sound just vague and boring enough to kill curiosity.

Bradley blinked. “A what?”

“Art conservator,” you repeated, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I restore paintings and sculptures—help private collectors preserve rare pieces. Lots of travel, lots of delicate work, very serious,”

Bradley glanced at your dad, who didn’t even flinch, too busy digging into his pad see ew like this was Tuesday.

Then he looked back at you, eyes narrowing slightly, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Seriously?”

You met his gaze, unblinking. “Dead serious.”

He leaned back in his chair, skeptical. “You? Art conservator? The same girl who once glued googly eyes onto her dad’s Elvis poster because—and I quote—‘It improved the emotional depth’?”

You shrugged, all cool confidence. “Every great artist starts somewhere.”

Bradley laughed, shaking his head. “Unreal.”

“Hey,” you said, pointing your chopsticks at him. “Don’t knock the hustle. Art is very fragile. Almost as fragile as, say… classified intel of the worlds economy on a microchip hidden in the frame of a nineteenth-century oil painting inside the vaults of the luvre.”

Both Bradley and your dad raised their eyebrows in perfect unison, like a synchronized team of disbelief.

You blinked, then raised your hands. “Kidding, pass the rice please."

Bradley chuckled and reached for the plate, shaking his head as he handed it over.

“See, that’s what I find unreal,” he said, his voice laced with something halfway between nostalgia and awe. “You were always… I don’t know. Too clever and smart for your own good.”

Your dad grunted in agreement, still chewing.

You tilted your head, scooping rice onto your plate with a lazy grin. “Is that your way of saying I was annoying?”

He smirked. “Terribly. But also kind of a genius. I always figured you’d end up running some multibillion-dollar tech company or… I don’t know, sending astronauts to Mars.”

You snorted. “Wow, aim high, why don’t you?”

He leaned his elbows on the table, studying you. “I did. You had that kind of brain, y’know? The kind that never turned off. It always felt like you were thinking ten steps ahead of everyone else.”

You paused for just a second, fingers tightening on the chopsticks before you smiled again, softer this time. “Still am, just not in the way most people would guess.”

Bradley narrowed his eyes slightly, playful but curious. “Yeah, I’m starting to get that.”

You returned to your food, casually scooping rice onto your plate, but you could still feel Bradley’s eyes on you—curious, watching like he was trying to piece together a puzzle he didn’t know he’d started.

“So,” you said, changing the subject with a too-bright smile, “what about you, Lieutenant Mustache? Still flying? Still breaking hearts?”

Your dad let out a soft snort, clearly enjoying the turn of the conversation.

Bradley leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, giving you a look. “I’ll have you know the mustache has become a very powerful asset.”

You raised a brow. “Does it come with a security clearance?”

“Practically,” he said with mock pride. “Still flying, still in uniform… just with slightly more facial hair and responsibility.”

“Terrifying,” you muttered, hiding a grin behind your drink—because in all honesty, that mustache looked damn good on him. Not that you’d ever admit it out loud. At least not yet.

There was a beat of silence after that, easy and warm. The kind that settles between people who’ve shared enough history to skip over the awkward parts. Three lives woven through time, scattered and now briefly realigned. It felt like no time had passed at all—and somehow like everything had changed.

Your dad stood with a quiet groan, stretching his back as he grabbed the empty soda cans and crumpled napkins.

“I’ll grab more,” he said casually. “Napkins, too, since someone eats like she’s still thirteen.”

You shot him a look. “Rude.”

“But true,” he replied over his shoulder, disappearing inside the trailer.

And just like that, you and Bradley were alone.

The hangar fell into a soft, ambient quiet—just the hum of the overhead fan, the distant creak of the cooling engine, and the sound of Bradley’s thumb absentmindedly tapping the rim of his drink.

He looked over at you, eyes thoughtful. “So… ‘private art conservator,’ huh?”

You raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. “Still hung up on that?”

“Just trying to picture it,” he said, tone teasing but curious. “You, in gloves, hunched over a painting with a little brush.”

You leaned in slightly, resting your elbow on the table. “What, you don’t think I’ve got the patience for restoration?”

“I think you’ve got the precision,” he said, eyes not leaving yours. “I’m just not used to you being quiet for long.”

You smiled slowly, the kind of smile that said you’re not the only one who’s changed. “People grow up, Bradshaw.”

“Yeah,” he murmured, gaze flicking down and then back to you again. “Apparently, they do.”

The tension between you wasn’t thick, but it was there, like static. Familiar and new, cautious and curious. It buzzed just beneath the surface, waiting- your phone began to ring.

The sudden sound made you flinch just slightly, dragging you out of the moment. You set your plate down with a reluctant clink and fished the phone from your pocket.

Bosley.

Your eyes flicked to Bradley for half a second—he was watching you, still relaxed but alert, picking up on the shift in your energy. You forced a smile, one hand already tucking the phone to your ear as you stood.

“Gimme a sec,” you said casually, stepping away from the table, from him, from that dangerous almost-moment.

You put the phone to your ear, trying to keep your voice casual. “Hello… Yeah, okay. I’ll be right in.”

You hung up, slipped the phone back into your pocket, and took a moment to school your features before turning back around. A practiced smile curved across your lips—effortless, easy. You walked back to the table like you hadn’t just been called back into a secret life.

Bradley was still seated, watching you with mild curiosity, like he knew something wasn’t adding up but didn’t know quite what.

“Everything good?” he asked, tone neutral but eyes searching.

“Yeah,” you said with a shrug that didn’t quite reach your eyes. “Work. Something I need to take care of.”

Before he could say more, your dad emerged from the trailer with two cans of soda under one arm and a bundle of napkins in the other.

“Alright, I brought backup—oh.” He paused, catching the shift in your expression, one you always wear when you need to leave impromptu. “You leaving already?”

You gave him an apologetic look. “Duty calls.”

He sighed, handing over a soda anyway. “Figures. You show up after a year, almost burn my kitchen down, steal my spring rolls, then vanish.”

You grinned and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Classic me.”

Your dad chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t be a stranger and text me ass soon as you get there.”

"Of course and don’t worry I'll come back as soon as I can."

You turned to Bradley, catching his gaze again—still curious, still trying to piece together the puzzle of who you were now.

“Guess I owe you a proper catch-up,” you said softly.

He stood, nodding slowly. “Yeah. You do.”

And just like that, you slid into your sleek silver Mercedes, the engine purring to life beneath your fingertips like it knew exactly where you were going—and why. One last glance in the rearview mirror caught the faintest reflection of your dad watching from the hangar, soda in hand, and Bradley still standing by the table, napkin clutched loosely in his fingers, brow furrowed like he wasn’t quite ready for you to disappear again.

You gave a small wave—half playful, half I’ll be back—then pulled out of the dusty lot, tires crunching against gravel as the sun dipped lower behind you.

Back to the mission.

Back to the life they didn’t know about.

Back to saving the day, as usual.

Y/N: Heyyy hope you enjoyed ittttt. There's something about Top Gun x Charlie's Angels that just scratched my brain just right, y'know? One of my favs movies ever.

[isthiscoinsidenceorasign]

She's Theirs: Who Has to Know When We Live Such Fragile Lives

Title: Who Has to Know When We Live Such Fragile Lives

Summary: Nick, Jake, and Bradly wake up the next morning and discus getting to know each other more .

Word Count:  5,305

Warnings: Mostly fluff, cuddling, suggestive talk about sex, mentions of a parent who died.

Tags: fluff

Author Notes: Hey y'all! here's chapter two. There's no smut in this one, it's mostly fluff which would probably explain why its shorter. Originally this chapter was going to be a lot longer but I broke it up into multiple chapters. I also added a song again to the chapter. Most chapters will have songs for titles or a lyric from a song as a title. So I thought I'd add the songs I end up choosing. It anyone is interested I'm looking at making a playlist for my story. If you are I'll post it once I've got it together. Anyways enjoy and if you'd like to be added to the tag list leave me a comment!

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the tangled bodies on the bed. Nichole stirred first, her eyes fluttering open as the pleasant ache in her muscles reminded her of the night before. Two bodies pressed against her, their warmth cocooning her in a sense of shared intimacy.

Jake lay draped across her front, his face nestled in the crook of her neck, an arm wrapped protectively around her waist. Behind her, Bradley's steady breathing ruffled her hair as his chest rose and fell against her back. His arm rested lazily over her hip, completing the picture of quiet contentment.

Nichole savored the moment, a soft smile tugging at her lips as the memories of the previous evening resurfaced. She shifted slightly, causing Jake to mumble something incoherent and snuggle closer into her.

A low rumble broke the silence, Bradley's voice brushing warmly against her ear. "Mmm, morning," he murmured, his arm tightening around her.

Nichole turned her head to meet his gaze, a soft smile curving her lips.

"Morning," she whispered, her voice gentle to avoid disturbing Jake.

Bradley's dark eyes lingered on her face, warm and content. He leaned in, brushing a tender kiss against her shoulder. "Sleep well?"

"Better than I have in ages," Nichole murmured, her voice still thick with sleep and satisfaction. She reached back, her fingers threading through his short hair, savoring the quiet intimacy.

Jake stirred then, lifting his head with a groan. "What time is it?" he mumbled, his words muffled against Nichole's skin.

"Early," Bradley replied, amusement flickering in his tone. "We’ve got time before we need to report in."

Jake’s green eyes opened lazily, locking onto Nichole with a grin that was equal parts charm and mischief. "Good," he drawled, his lips trailing deliberately along her collarbone, sending a shiver through her. "Because I’m not done with you yet."

Nichole's breath hitched as Jake's lips traveled lower, his intent unmistakable. "We have briefing at 0800," Bradley reminded him, as Nichole’s body was already responding to his touch.

"But that's two hours away," Bradley murmured, his hand sliding up her bare side, fingertips tracing the curve of her breast. "Plenty of time."

"Efficient as always, Rooster," Jake smirked, the competitive glint in his eyes unmistakable even in the soft morning light. "But I think the lady deserves something a little more... thorough."

Nichole laughed, the sound transforming into a gasp as Jake's mouth found a particularly sensitive spot. "You two never stop competing, do you?"

"Only when it benefits you, sweetheart," Jake murmured against her skin, his breath hot and teasing.

"Who says we have to compete?" Bradley murmured against her ear, his voice low and husky. "I think we work pretty well as a team."

Jake looked up, his eyes dark with desire as he met Bradley's gaze over Nichole's shoulder. A silent understanding passed between them, and Nichole felt a thrill of anticipation race down her spine.

"What do you say, Nick?" Jake asked.

She thought about it for a moment before asking “How long is your briefing?”

“Only a few hours. Then we're free for the rest of the day.” Jake replied.

“Why don't you two come back here after. We can go grab lunch somewhere and then you can show me how well you work as a team. Assuming you'd both like that.”

Jake's eyes darkened with desire as he traced a finger along Nichole's jawline. "I think that sounds like an excellent plan," he murmured, his voice dropping to that husky timbre that never failed to make her pulse quicken.

"Delayed gratification," Bradley said with a slow smile, pressing his lips to the sensitive spot behind her ear. "Makes things more... intense."

Nichole shivered between them, her body already responding to their touches. "Is that a promise, Rooster?"

"You know it is," Bradley replied, his normally controlled expression giving way to something hungrier. His hand slid down her side, fingers tracing the curve of her hip with deliberate precision. "I always deliver on my promises."

Jake chuckled, the sound vibrating against her skin. "And they say I'm the cocky one." He shifted, propping himself up on one arm.

Nichole watched their friendly jousting and smiled. The idea of spending the next two hours lazily in bed, cuddled up in their arms and listening to their playful banter, suddenly seemed very appealing.

"You're both cocky," Nichole teased, her fingers trailing lazily over Jake's stubbled jaw. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Jake caught her wandering hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "Smart woman," he murmured against her skin.

Bradley's arm tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. "So, about that lunch plan..." he began, his voice a low rumble against her ear.

"Mmm, yes?" Nichole prompted, arching into his touch.

"I vote we skip it," Jake interjected, his green eyes sparkling with mischief. "Come straight back here instead."

Bradley's laugh rumbled through Nichole's body. "Impatient as always, Hangman."

"Can you blame me?" Jake retorted, his gaze sweeping appreciatively over Nichole's form.

"You do realize you both only met me last night? There's no need to rush into anything. Well... rush further into anything. Why not have lunch and see how it goes?"

Jake's expression softened, a rare flicker of vulnerability crossing his features. "You're right," he conceded, brushing a strand of hair from Nichole's face. "Lunch it is."

"Agreed," Bradley murmured, his breath warm against her neck. "We've got time."

Nichole felt a rush of affection for both men, touched by their willingness to slow things down. "Thank you," she said softly, turning to press a gentle kiss to Bradley's lips before doing the same to Jake.

"Don't thank us yet," Jake smirked, his usual cockiness returning. "We still have two hours before that briefing."

Bradley's hand slid lower, tracing lazy circles on her thigh. "Any ideas on how to pass the time?"

Nichole laughed, a throaty sound full of promise. "Oh, I can think of something. As long as it's not too vanilla for you."

"Vanilla? Sweetheart, that's not a word in my vocabulary," Jake drawled, his eyes darkening as he shifted closer, his hand sliding possessively up her thigh.

A small blush crept across her cheeks, something she wasn’t quite used to. "I was thinking we could cuddle until you both have to leave."

Jake's expression shifted from predatory to surprised, then softened into something almost tender. "Cuddle?" he repeated, as if testing the word on his tongue.

Bradley's low chuckle vibrated against her back. "I think you've managed to render Hangman speechless, Nick. That's a first."

"I can do cuddles," Jake recovered quickly, though Nichole caught the slight uncertainty in his voice. His usual swagger momentarily gave way to something more vulnerable.

"You sure?" Nichole teased, reaching up to trace his jawline. "If it's too much for you..."

Jake narrowed his eyes playfully, accepting the challenge. "Move over, Rooster. I'm about to show you both how cuddling is done."

He repositioned himself, pulling Nichole halfway on top of him, one arm wrapped securely around her waist while his other hand tangled in her hair. Bradley shifted to accommodate them, pressing close against Nichole's back and draping his arm over both of them.

Nichole sighed contentedly, nestling her head against Jake's chest. She could hear the steady thrum of his heartbeat and feel the rise and fall of his breath. Bradley's warmth enveloped her from behind, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on her skin.

"This is nice," Jake murmured after a moment, sounding almost surprised at his own admission.

"Mmm," Nichole agreed, her eyes drifting closed. "Very nice."

Bradley pressed a soft kiss to the nape of her neck. "We should do this more often."

"Careful, Rooster," Jake teased. "I'm not that kind of man."

Bradley sighed. "That's not what I meant."

Nichole chuckled softly, the vibration of her laughter spreading through Jake's chest. "I think what Bradley means is that we should enjoy moments like this when we can. Right, Rooster?"

"Exactly," Bradley murmured, his breath warm against her skin. "Our lives don't lend themselves to lazy mornings very often."

Jake was quiet for a moment, his fingers absently playing with a strand of Nichole's hair. When he spoke, his voice held an unusual note of sincerity. "You're right. Both of you. This is... nice."

Nichole tilted her head to look up at him, touched by the uncharacteristic vulnerability in his expression. She reached up, tracing the line of his jaw with gentle fingers. "You know, Hangman, you're allowed to enjoy things that aren't high-octane or sexually charged."

Jake's lips quirked into a half-smile, his eyes softening as he caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. "I'm learning that," he admitted quietly. "Slowly."

"That's Hangman for you," Bradley murmured, his voice a warm rumble against Nichole's back. "Always goes full throttle when cruising speed would do."

"Says the man who calculates risk assessments in his sleep," Jake shot back, but there was no real heat in his words.

Nichole smiled, nestling deeper into their embrace. The dynamic between these two fascinated her—competitors who respected each other, rivals who understood each other in ways few others could. And now, somehow, she'd become entangled in whatever this was between them.

"My father would have an aneurysm if he knew I was in bed with two of the Navy Aviators' finest. He never was big into me dating pilots."

Jake's eyebrow arched with interest. "Oh? And why is that?" His fingers continued to trace lazy patterns along her skin.

"Daddy issues?" Bradley suggested with gentle teasing, his breath warm against her ear.

Nichole rolled her eyes, though neither man could see her face. "No, more like... professional concerns. He thinks pilots are too cocky, too reckless." She paused, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Can't imagine where he got that idea."

Jake grinned, unabashed. "Smart man, your father."

"You have no idea," Nichole murmured, a hint of something complex in her tone. "Captain Pete Mitchell isn't exactly someone you want to cross."

The sudden stillness from both men was palpable. Bradley's hand froze on her hip, and Jake's chest stopped mid-breath beneath her cheek.

"Your father's Maverick?" Bradley asked.

Nichole tensed, realizing what she'd just revealed. She hadn't meant to drop that bombshell so casually. "Um, yes," she admitted softly. "Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell is my father."

The silence stretched for a long moment. Nichole could practically feel the gears turning in both men's heads as they processed this information.

Jake was the first to break the silence with a low whistle. "Well, shit," he muttered, his fingers resuming their absent-minded caress of her skin. "That explains a lot."

Bradley's arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. "Does he know you're here?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral.

Nichole nodded her head. "He does, but he doesn't know what's going on currently in my love life, and I'd prefer to keep it that way for now." She bit her lip, suddenly feeling vulnerable. "This... whatever this is between us... we probably shouldn't let him know about. Based on your reactions, I'm assuming you know my dad? Beyond his reputation."

Jake chuckled softly, the sound vibrating through his chest. "You could say that. Your father was one of our instructors at TOPGUN."

"We were called in on a special detachment, and he was our instructor—until he pissed Cyclone off. But he managed to get his way out of trouble and became our team leader for the mission. I pretty much hated him before that," Bradley admitted.

Nichole nodded, absorbing everything they were telling her. For a moment, she froze, her eyes going wide with realization. "You're not Bradley Bradshaw, are you?"

"I am," he said, his tone steady yet soft.

"I’ve heard so much about your father," Nichole said, turning to face him fully, a new tenderness in her gaze. "Dad has a bunch of photos of him in his house. He and my mom... they named me after him."

Bradley’s breath caught, his eyes flickering with something unspoken—a mixture of pride, longing, and a quiet ache that settled deep in his chest. His jaw tightened, as if to steady himself. "Yeah," he murmured, the word almost breaking. "I’m Goose’s son. Your dad and mine flew together before..."

"Before the accident," Nichole finished for him, reaching up to touch his face gently. "He talks about your dad all the time. Says he was the best friend he ever had."

A brief silence stretched between them, heavy with significance. He swallowed hard, his lips pressing together as a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I didn’t know... that someone thought of him like that," he confirmed quietly.

"Before my mom and I came along, my dad considered him family. Your dad, your mom, and you."

Jake remained uncharacteristically quiet, his hand still resting on Nichole's hip, his thumb tracing small circles against her skin.

"This is..." Bradley ran a hand through his hair, looking suddenly conflicted. "Complicated."

"Understatement of the year, Rooster," Jake muttered, but his arm remained firmly around Nichole.

Nichole felt a knot forming in her stomach. "Does this change things?" she asked, hating the vulnerability in her voice but unable to hide it. "Because I really like you both and would like to get to know you two more."

Jake was the first to respond, his arm tightening around Nichole's waist. "It doesn't change how I feel," he said firmly, his green eyes intense as they met hers. "But it does complicate things."

Bradley nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Your father... he means a lot to both of us," he admitted. "In different ways. And I'd be lying if I said this doesn't add a layer of complexity to the situation."

Nichole bit her lip, looking between the two men. "I understand if you want to back out," she said softly. "I know my father can be... intense."

Jake snorted. "Intense is putting it mildly." But his grip on her didn't loosen. "Look, Nick, I'm not one to back down from a challenge. And I'm definitely not about to let your father scare me off.”

Bradley's hand found Nichole's, intertwining their fingers. "I agree with Jake," he said softly. "This is complicated, but it doesn't change how I feel about you—or about this... whatever it is between the three of us."

Nichole felt a wave of relief wash over her. "So you're both okay with keeping this quiet for now? At least until we figure out what exactly 'this' is?"

Jake nodded, a mischievous glint returning to his eyes. "Sneaking around behind Maverick's back? Sounds like fun to me."

"Jake," Bradley warned, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone.

"What? You can't tell me the idea doesn't add a little extra thrill," Jake smirked.

Nichole rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. "You're incorrigible, you know that?"

"Part of my charm," Jake replied with a wink, leaning in to press a quick kiss to her lips.

Bradley rolled his eyes, though his expression was tinged with fondness. "As long as we're all on the same page," he said, his fingers tracing gentle patterns on Nichole's hip. "We take this slow, keep it quiet, and see where it goes."

Nichole nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness flutter in her stomach. "Agreed. And if at any point anyone wants out, we talk about it. No hard feelings."

"Agreed," Jake echoed, his tone unusually serious. "Though I have to say, I'm not planning on going anywhere."

Bradley's arm tightened around her. "Neither am I," he said softly, his brown eyes intense as they met Nichole's.

A comfortable silence settled over the trio, each lost in their own thoughts about the unexpected turn of events. Nichole nestled deeper into their embrace, savoring the warmth and security she felt between them.

After a few moments, Jake broke the silence with a dramatic sigh. "Well, as much as I'd love to stay here all day, we do have that briefing to get to."

Bradley nodded reluctantly. "He's right. We should start getting ready."

Nichole pouted playfully. "Do you really have to go? I was just getting comfortable."

Jake grinned, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Trust me, sweetheart, there's nowhere else I'd rather be. But duty calls."

"Raincheck? After lunch, perhaps?"

"Raincheck definitely accepted," Jake murmured, his eyes darkening with promise. He leaned in, capturing Nichole's lips in a deep, lingering kiss that left her breathless.

Bradley watched them with heated eyes before gently turning Nichole's face toward him. "Don't forget about me," he teased softly, before claiming her mouth in a kiss that was equally passionate but tinged with a tenderness that made her heart flutter.

When they finally broke apart, all three were breathing heavily. Jake groaned, flopping back onto the bed dramatically. "You're making it very hard to leave, you know that?"

Nichole laughed, the sound light and carefree. "That's the idea, Hangman."

Bradley chuckled, pressing a final kiss to Nichole's shoulder before reluctantly sitting up. "Come on, Jake. The sooner we get this briefing done, the sooner we can come back."

Jake grumbled but followed suit, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Fine, but I’m holding you both to that lunch date."

Nichole stretched languidly, enjoying the appreciative looks from both men as the sheet slipped down her body. "I’ll be counting the minutes," she purred.

The men dressed quickly, stealing glances in Nichole’s direction as they moved around the room. She watched from the bed, a contented smile on her face.

As they finished getting ready, Bradley paused by the bedside, leaning down to kiss Nichole softly. "See you soon," he murmured against her lips.

Jake followed suit, his kiss a touch more heated. "Don't have too much fun without us," he murmured with a wink.

Nichole laughed, giving him a playful shove. "Get going, flyboy. Wouldn't want you to be late."

The two men exchanged a look, a silent communication passing between them before heading for the door. Just before leaving, Jake turned back with his trademark cocky grin. "Hey, Nick, wear something easy to take off for lunch, yeah?"

Bradley rolled his eyes, grabbing Jake's arm. "Ignore him. Wear whatever makes you comfortable."

"I'll consider both suggestions," Nichole called after them, her laughter trailing them to the door. Before they could fully leave her bedroom, she called out again. "Hey, wait!"

They both paused, looking at her curiously. She tossed Jake her phone, which he caught with ease.

"I don't have either of your numbers."

Jake grinned, quickly punching his number into Nichole's phone before tossing it to Bradley. "Good thinking, sweetheart. Wouldn't want you to forget about us."

Bradley added his number as well, a small smile playing on his lips. "As if that were possible," he murmured, his eyes meeting Nichole's with an intensity that made her breath catch.

Jake snatched the phone back, snapping a quick selfie of the two of them before returning it to Nichole. "There. Now you've got something to look at while we're gone."

Nichole laughed, shaking her head at Jake's antics. "You two better get going before I change my mind and keep you here all day."

"Don't tempt me," Jake growled playfully, his eyes darkening with desire.

Bradley grabbed Jake's arm, practically dragging him toward the door. "Come on, Casanova. We're going to be late."

Jake allowed himself to be pulled along, but not before blowing Nichole an exaggerated kiss. "Until lunch, Darlin’!"

As the door closed behind them, Nichole flopped back onto the bed, a mixture of giddiness and disbelief washing over her. She couldn't quite believe what had transpired in the last 24 hours.

Reaching for her phone, she pulled up the selfie Jake had taken. Her breath caught as she studied their faces—Jake's cocky grin and Bradley's more reserved but equally intense gaze. How had she managed to end up entangled with not one, but two incredibly attractive and complex men?

Outside her apartment, Jake and Bradley walked to the elevator in silence until Bradley cleared his throat.

"You and I are going to have to talk about this at some point."

Jake glanced at Bradley as they waited for the elevator, his usual cocky grin softening into something more serious. "Yeah, I know," he said quietly. "This is... complicated."

Bradley nodded, his expression thoughtful. "That’s putting it mildly, Hangman."

The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, and they stepped inside. As the doors closed, Jake leaned against the wall, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Rooster, I know we've had our differences, but I'm not trying to mess things up here. With you or with Nick."

Bradley studied Jake for a moment before responding. "I believe you," he said finally. "And I'm not either. But we need to figure out what this is—what we're doing."

Jake nodded, his usual bravado absent. "Agreed. But just so we’re clear… whatever this is doesn't mean I'm sexually attracted to you. It's strictly about Nichole."

Bradley chuckled, shaking his head. "Relax, Hangman. I'm not looking to get into your pants either. This is about Nichole."

Jake visibly relaxed, a smirk returning to his face. "Good. Because I don't think you could handle all this," he gestured to himself with a cocky grin.

"You wish," Bradley retorted, but there was no heat in his words. The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out into the lobby.

As they walked toward the base, Jake's expression grew serious again. "So, how do we do this? I mean, I've never been in a... whatever this is before."

Bradley shrugged, his own uncertainty showing. "Me neither. I guess we take it one day at a time. Be honest with each other, and with Nichole. And maybe set some ground rules?"

Jake nodded. "Assuming this goes anywhere beyond today. What if she just wanted a threesome with two naval aviators?"

Bradley considered Jake's words as they walked. "It's possible," he admitted. "But I don't think that's all this is. The way she looked at us, talked to us... it felt like more than just a casual hookup."

Jake nodded slowly. "Yeah, I got that feeling too," he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "Plus, she suggested lunch. That's not exactly one-night stand behavior."

"Agreed," Bradley said. "So we proceed under the assumption that this could be something more, but we stay open to whatever Nichole wants. No pressure, no expectations."

"Sounds good to me," Jake replied. He was quiet for a moment before adding, "And what about us? How do we navigate this... whatever it is?"

Bradley sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I think we need to be on the same page. No competition when it comes to Nichole. We both care about her, and we both want this to work, whatever 'this' is."

Jake nodded, his expression remaining serious. "Agreed. No trying to one-up each other or push the other out. We're in this together, for Nichole's sake."

"And we need to be honest with each other," Bradley added. "If one of us starts feeling uncomfortable or wants out, we talk about it. No hard feelings."

"Agreed," Jake said, extending his hand. "Partners?"

Bradley took Jake's hand, shaking it firmly. "Partners."

As they approached the base, Jake's trademark smirk returned.

"You know, Rooster, I never thought I'd be making a deal with you that didn't involve a bet or a competition," Jake said, his trademark smirk returning as they approached the base entrance.

Bradley chuckled, shaking his head. "There's a first time for everything, Hangman. Who knows, maybe we'll even end up friends after all this."

Jake clutched his chest in mock horror. "Friends? With you? Don't push it, Bradshaw."

Bradley's expression grew more serious. "One more thing—we need to be careful. If word gets out about this..."

"It’ll complicate everything," Jake said, his tone grim. "Not to mention how Maverick would react if he found out."

Bradley winced at the thought. "Exactly. So we keep this under wraps. No telling anyone, no bragging." He shot Jake a pointed look.

They walked toward the locker room, preparing to change into their uniforms. Bradley opened his locker and pulled out his clothes.

Jake held up his hands defensively. "Hey, I can keep a secret when it matters. And this definitely matters."

"If you say so, Hangman."

"When have I ever let a secret slip? Name one time," he said as he slipped on the shirt of his uniform.

Bradley smirked, pulling on his pants. "How about the time you found out who my old man was and used it to piss me off in front of everyone?"

Jake paused mid-motion. "Okay, name another time."

Bradley laughed as he slammed his locker shut. "Just don't say anything. She said she doesn't want her dad to know, and we both know that's not a conversation anyone wants to have."

Once they finished getting ready, they made their way across the base.

As they entered the briefing room, Jake lowered his voice. "So, we're agreed? We take this slow, keep it quiet, and see where it goes with Nichole?"

Bradley nodded, his expression resolute. "Agreed. And we have each other's backs in this."

"Always," Jake replied, surprising himself with the sincerity in his voice.

They took their seats just as the commanding officer entered the room. As the briefing began, both men found their thoughts drifting back to the woman they'd left in bed. Whatever was happening between the three of them, it was clear that their lives were about to get a lot more complicated—and a lot more interesting.

Jake leaned over, whispering to Bradley. "Think we can convince the CO to make this briefing quick? I've got a hot date to get to."

Bradley rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a small smile. "Focus, Hangman. The sooner we get through this, the sooner we can get back to Nichole."

Jake straightened in his seat, his expression growing more serious as he turned his attention to the briefing. But his mind kept wandering to the woman waiting for them, her green eyes and infectious smile etched in his memory.

Suddenly, Jake heard a ding from his pocket. As he reached for his phone, another ding sounded from Bradley’s direction.

Jake and Bradley discreetly glanced at their phones, seeing a new group chat notification from an unknown number. Curiosity piqued, they opened the message:

Unknown: Hope your briefing isn't too boring, boys. Just a little something to keep you motivated... ;)

Attached was a photo of Nichole, clearly taken just moments ago. She was lounging on the bed they had left her in, the sheet artfully draped across her body, leaving just enough to the imagination. Her hair was tousled, and she wore a coy smile that promised more to come.

Jake sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes widening as he took in the image. He quickly locked his phone screen, acutely aware of their surroundings.

Bradley's reaction was more subtle, but Jake noticed the flush creeping up his neck and the way his hands tightened on the edge of the table.

Jake and Bradley exchanged a quick glance, their eyes communicating volumes. Both men shifted in their seats, suddenly finding it much harder to focus on the briefing.

Jake's fingers itched to reply, but he knew better than to risk it during an official briefing. Instead, he forced his attention back to the commanding officer, though his mind kept drifting to the tantalizing image now seared into his memory.

Bradley, ever the professional, managed to maintain his composure, but Jake noticed the way his jaw clenched and unclenched, betraying his inner struggle.

As the briefing dragged on, both men found themselves checking the clock more frequently, willing the minutes to pass faster. The anticipation of their upcoming lunch date with Nichole was nearly palpable.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the commanding officer wrapped up the briefing.

Jake and Bradley were out of their seats in an instant, barely maintaining their composure as they hurried out of the briefing room. Once in the hallway, Jake grabbed Bradley's arm, pulling him into a quiet alcove.

"Did you see that photo?" Jake hissed, his eyes wide with a mixture of excitement and disbelief.

Bradley nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I saw it. Jesus, she's... something else."

Jake grinned, his trademark cockiness returning. "You can say that again. So, what's the plan? Head straight back to her place?"

Bradley hesitated, his more cautious nature kicking in. "We should probably pick up our cars and shower before heading over there."

Jake groaned. "Right. Almost forgot about my car." He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his voice. "Damn, that's going to add at least an hour."

Bradley nodded, looking equally disappointed. "I know, but we can't exactly show up to lunch like this." He spoke as they entered the locker room to change back into their civilian clothes.

Once they had finished changing, Jake sighed dramatically. "Fine, you're right. As usual." He pulled out his phone, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. "Should we let her know we'll be a bit longer?"

Bradley considered it for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, probably a good idea. Don’t want her thinking we're standing her up."

Jake quickly typed out a message to the group chat:

Jake: Sorry, Darling, slight change of plans. Need to grab our cars and freshen up. Give us an hour?

They waited anxiously for a response, which came almost immediately.

Nichole: Of course. That actually works out for me because I'm still getting ready myself.

Jake grinned at Nichole's response. "Well, at least she's not upset about the delay."

Bradley nodded, a small smile playing on his lips as they left the base. "Gives us all time to... get ready."

Jake's eyes gleamed mischievously. "Any ideas on where we should take her for lunch?"

Bradley thought for a moment. "There's that new bistro downtown. Quiet, discreet, good food. Might be perfect for what we need."

Jake nodded approvingly. "Good thinking, Rooster. I'll make a reservation."

As they walked toward the Hard Deck parking lot, Jake pulled out his phone again, quickly making a reservation for three at the bistro. Once confirmed, he sent another message to the group chat:

Jake: Made reservations at Bistro Nouveau for 1300. That work for everyone?

Bradley's phone buzzed with the message. He nodded approvingly. "Good choice. Nichole should like that place."

A moment later, Nichole's reply came through:

**Nichole:** Sounds perfect. Can't wait to see you both.

Jake grinned at her response. "Looks like we're all set then." He glanced at Bradley as they reached their cars. "See you in an hour?"

Bradley nodded, unlocking his car door. "Yeah. I'll meet you back here, and we can head over together."

As Jake slid into the driver’s seat of his truck, he couldn’t help the excited grin spreading across his face. Despite the complications, he was looking forward to exploring whatever this was with Nichole and Bradley.

He started the engine, his mind already racing with thoughts of the upcoming lunch date.

The image Nichole had sent during the briefing was seared into his memory, making it difficult to focus on anything else. He found himself driving a bit faster than usual, eager to get home and get ready.

Meanwhile, Bradley was having similar thoughts as he navigated the streets toward his apartment. The usually composed pilot found his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary, his body thrumming with anticipation. He couldn't remember the last time he’d felt this excited about a simple lunch date.

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[megalony]

You Called My Wife?

This is a new Jake Seresin imagine, my first request for Jake and I hope you will all like it. Please let me know what you think.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @kyky9103 @wutheringhearts2275 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth @chaoticnosleepinfluencer @gs29 @wh0reforsmutstuff @mel-vaz @natashamea18 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

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Masterlist

Summary: The Dagger squad don't know much about Jake's personal life. And when he gets hurt during an exercise, they are surprised who comes to look after him.

Enjoy.

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Reaching into his back pocket, Jake pulled out the pair of sunglasses he had been carrying around with him for the last few weeks. The sun here back at home was intense and he couldn't stand the migraines it gave him. Even when he was up in the air, he often had his sunglasses on. He didn't care about the way the glasses pinched his ears or gave him splitting pains in the sides of his neck.

If Bob could wear his prescription glasses to see, then Jake could wear his sunglasses to stop him squinting so much and relieve the headaches he got that were becoming chronic.

His hands fell to his hips once his visors were perched on the bridge of his nose and he looked around.

It hadn't taken Jake nearly as long as he thought to complete his physical. They were doing physical assessments and training every other day to get them ready for their next assignment. They were going to be going against gravity, travelling up to G9 range and it would cause problems with breathing, taking in oxygen and could starve their brains for a few seconds, if not longer.

They all needed to be at their best physically and mentally to prepare for this and up to now, Jake was ready and rearing to go.

Today was training exercises on the ground rather than in the air. They were all doing different activities and now that Jake was rejoining the rest of the squad after his physical, he was supposed to be doing safety and maintenance checks.

He took a look around the open air field. Bradley was over to one side, looking like he was trying to do some physical exercises, but he kept stopping to quietly argue with Maverick who was following him around like a dark, looming shadow. Jake wasn't going to be going over there. He noticed Phoenix and Bob were at their aircraft in the middle of their maintenance. While Coyote was off to one side doing pushups; he had messed up somewhere if that was his punishment. And Jake had already passed Fanboy who was on his way for his own physical.

He busied himself finding one of the clipboards and he jogged over to his aircraft, smiling and patting his hand against the bulk like it was an old friend he was meeting up with.

He circled the aircraft like a vulture, checking the wings, the engines- which had had a run in with a flock of birds two days ago which Jake had been lucky hadn't completely ruined his left engine. He checked the wheels and made sure they were all clipped and chained down so the craft wasn't going anywhere without him.

Once all the outside checks were done, he climbed up the ladder and hopped inside.

It always felt weird to sit in the plane without his proper flight suit or his signature red helmet, but he wasn't going anywhere today. He was only turning the engine on to check everything was working and making sure he got all the right responses to show he would be ready for whatever training exercise he had to go out on next.

He slouched back in the seat, spreading his knees apart with the clipboard in front of him and the pen twisting between his fingers.

After ticking a few boxes, Jake tilted his head back and poised the pen behind his ear while his hand shifted to undo the first button on his uniform. He slid his hand beneath his shirt until his fingers found the familiar silver chain hanging around his neck.

He imbedded the ring into his palm that hung on the end of the chain, always tapping and jostling against his chest whenever he moved.

It felt safer to have his wedding ring on his chain rather than his finger. If he had any accidents and needed to be taken for a scan or for surgery, they would cut his ring off. Rings got in the way, jewellery got in the way and got lost but a chain around his neck was private and secure and more importantly, Jake had that ring as close to his heart as possible.

A soft look crossed his face as he brought his hand to his mouth and kissed the ring that had created a halo indent in the centre of his hand.

"I'll be home soon." He murmured against the ring as a picture of (Y/n) flashed before his eyes.

The last deployment Jake had been on had almost killed him. Three and a half months away from home. Three and a half months where he couldn't see, touch or feel his wife in his arms or have her lips against his or her body pressed up against his own. All he got were a few brief phone calls or five minutes of faceTime every other day, if he wasn't being shipped straight out from dawn until dusk.

He was much happier here where he could spend each night in his own bed, safe in his home with his wife. He didn't have to sleep alone or feel like he was going insane from having absolutely no physical touch or contact with (Y/n). Never before had Jake thought or believed in having withdrawal symptoms for another human being until he got married and had to face the prospect of leaving (Y/n) behind.

When he was done with his checks, Jake heaved himself up to his feet and climbed down back to level ground again.

He waved his clipboard up and down in front of his face like a fan, relishing the slight breeze it created to his melting skin. If he were back home in this heat his shirt would already be off and he would be lounging around in a pair of shorts. Or be would be on the beach in this weather. Either of those thoughts sounded very appealing right now.

He stood still for a few moments, taking in his surroundings and wondering what the next task would be, but his mind kept wandering off to the girl waiting at home for him. Exactly where he wanted to be right now.

"Bob, are you almost done?" Phoenix tilted her head back with an exasperated sigh, one hand clamped around her hip as she the other held onto the ladder Bob was perched on top of.

He was filling up their aircraft with fuel, they had half a tank but it was better to be safe than sorry because they didn't know how long they would be out on their next flight exercise. The last thing they needed was to be marked down and sent to do two hundred push ups because they thought half a tank would be sufficient.

"Almost." His voice was as passive as ever while he swiped his arm across his temple, wiping away the beads of sweat glistening in the afternoon sun.

"Bob, come on we've got other stuff to do."

He didn't know what happened.

One moment Bob was pushing his glasses further up his nose, rolling his eyes at his impatient partner calling up the orders below him. But the next, a shockwave was rattling up the ladder he was perched on and set him off balance.

His hands scrambled to steady himself before he fell off and he subsequently dropped the fuel line that had been in his right hand just as he unclipped it from the air craft that was now fuelled up. Bob scrambled for balance, bashing his legs into the side of the plane and earning a cut down his left forearm that scraped along a jagged edge on the ladder.

But it was the fuel line he was concerned with. It wasn't like filling up a car at the fuel station. The air crafts were large with tanks high up at the back. They had to use large funnel lines that looked like double sized garden hoses with a large round metal clip on the end the size of Bob's hand. That metal created a sizzling sound that sliced through the air when he dropped it.

The line swooped through the air like a bird trying to land but Bob could of cried when he heard a sickening crunch below him. He didn't want to imagine what it collided with- who, it collided with. His eyes snapped closed and he clung to the ladder, trying to gain his balance back so he didn't fall and break an arm or a leg.

The resounding crack echoed around the base and shuddered through everyone within close range. It was a sound no one expected to echo through the open air like that, it travelled far and wide and had everyone coiling in on the spot.

The metal end of the fuel line pelted down, gaining strength and speed as it swung past the ladder, lifted slightly into the air and smacked straight into the right side of Jake's head. Upon impact, his sunglasses snapped and flung off his nose and took flight on a course of their own, six feet across the base.

An awful crack shuddered through Jake's ears and rattled through his head as his eyes automatically snapped closed and his shoulders hunched up. Both arms recoiled into his chest as his clipboard slipped through his fingers that twitched and spasmed, unsure what to do as his body seemed to shutdown and recalibrate all at once.

The force sent his head snapping backwards until his neck got whiplash and his body followed his head's sense of direction, thrusting backwards until he landed harshly on the concrete floor.

Shockwaves rattled through his body causing his legs to shake and spasm out against the floor as if he was kicking and throwing a tantrum and all the air left his lungs when his back hit the floor. It took a few seconds for his diaphragm to loosen and allow his lungs to take in a deep breath, but when he did, a choked moan escaped his lips.

It felt like he'd been shot in the head.

He could feel his pulse throbbing through his temple and circulating all around the circumference of his head like someone pelting round a relay race. He could feel his veins throbbing and the blood steadily trickling down the right side of his face. The feeling of blood oozing down the bridge of his nose and around his eye socket made his nose scrunch up in disgust.

His hands curled and twisted against his chest, desperate to move but the sudden onset of trembling in his bones made it impossible for Jake to coordinate his body properly.

The trembling continued even as Jake suddenly realised he couldn't hear anything around him. He couldn't open his eyes. No sounds broke through the static barrier building up in his ears. He had no control over moving a single part of his body. It felt like his head had been severed from the rest of his body.

"Jesus Bob, what the Hell?!" Bradley spun on his heels and made into a sprint towards the three of them, Maverick hot on his heels.

The sight of Jake, laid out on his back, body overwrought with trembles and blood pooling steadily down one side of his face was a sickening sight none of them ever wanted to witness.

"I wasn't- didn't you see the ladder?" Bob hissed like a snake as he shakily slid down the ladder onto unsteady feet.

His hands began to rake up and down his thighs, wiping the sweat onto his trousers as his glasses started to fall down the bridge of his nose. He hadn't done that on purpose. He didn't just let go of the fuel line; Phoenix bashed into the ladder and knocked him off course. He would have fallen if he didn't scramble for his balance. It could just as easily have been Bob's head split open if he fell the other way or completely lost his footing on the ladder.

"I'm sorry-"

A groan spluttered past Jake's lips and stopped all their ramblings. He managed to curl his fingers around the middle of his shirt and he scrunched it up in his fists as tightly as possible. His legs continued to thrash against the floor but when he tried to open his eyes, he couldn't seem to do it.

"Oh God." He tried his best to reach his hand up towards his head but he could barely lift either arm from trembling against his chest.

Without his glasses that had been broken and flung off somewhere on the base, the sun was beating down on him with unwavering strength. His right eye was blinking furiously to try and stop the blood from getting into his eyes that were rolling to the back of his head that was pounding like a drum.

"Everyone shut up." Maverick's voice snapped through the air like a whip and stopped all their ramblings at once.

He crouched down beside Jake with Bradley on his other side with Bob and Phoenix hovering anxiously in the background and Coyote running over at the sound of commotion.

The wound looked bad. Maverick tilted Jake's head back and tried to touch his hairline to get a proper look. A large slash line went from his hairline towards his eyebrow and the skin had been split apart so neatly it looked like it had been cut with a sharp knife. Blood oozed out in every direction and splattered across Jake's temple and down his nose towards both his eyes like a jam donut had been tossed at his head.

He couldn't see his skull or any bone which was a good sign, but the blunt force could have been enough to crack his skull and give him a fracture. He most definitely had a concussion which meant he could have side effects.

He could start throwing up, he could black out or go fully unconscious, he could have a seizure if the impact was bad enough.

"Get him down to the medbay now." With a click of his hand over to the left, Coyote hurried forward and knelt down behind Jake while Bradley shuffled forward.

The pair of them carefully took one of Jake's arms each and looped them around the back of their necks.

"Alright, up. Let's get you up Hangman." Bradley looped his right arm around Jake's waist while his left hand gripped Jake's wrist. He held his breath and slowly pushed up onto his feet, slowly pulling Jake with him who looked very worse for wear.

Jake's head flopped forward as soon as he was sitting up. He groaned again, spluttering through a moan, spit forming on his lips and blood still trickling down his face. He could feel the shock setting in because even his neck was shaking now and once he was on his feet, his knees wavered and his legs felt oddly heavy and useless. He could barely stay upright and when his knees gave way, he slumped down like he was trying to sit on an imaginary chair.

His hands scrunched down around Coyote and Bradley's shoulders as each of them held his waist and kept him up on his feet.

Both Jake's feet bent awkwardly and the toes of his shoes scraped against the floor as the pair of them dragged him slowly towards the open hanger doors. He tried to move his legs and he did somewhat help them, but he relied on them to drag him along because he felt like collapsing to the floor and curling up into a ball.

He managed to find the will to open his eyes once they were inside, but the sight of the tiled floor disappearing and all the lines blurring before his eyes made his head swoon.

He found his eyes rolling around in his skull before he jolted forward with a croaky "Gonna puke."

True to his word, Jake tossed up his lunch the moment the boys paused in their quick shuffle towards the medbay. He felt a little better after that and he managed to lift his head once the three of them began their awkward tandem walk together.

By the time they were near the medic bay, Jake managed to place one foot in front of the other. He did an awkward walk and started to help them so they didn't have to heave him the whole way there.

"We've had an accident. The fuel line cracked Hangman straight in the temple and knocked him out. He threw up on the way down here." Bradley looked between the two medics idling around and waited for one of them to point towards the bed in the left corner of the large bunker space.

They trotted to the left and turned around, carefully easing Jake down until he was sat in the middle of the bed.

He felt more alive and a bit better once he was sat down. His head flopped back until the base of his head was touching the back of his shoulders and his shaking hands gripped the edge of the bed with intensity to keep himself sitting upright. It took all his effort to stop himself trembling and he tried to take deep breaths to ward off the sickness and the wave of dizziness that overwhelmed him.

"Okay Seresin, let's take a look."

Coyote and Bradley backed up until they were stood to one side. Neither of them fancied going back outside to finish off their exercises when Jake didn't look in his best shape. They would rather wait here to make sure he was alright and then head back to the rest of the team and tell them how he was fairing up. It was clear that Jake would be going home early today, he was lucky not to have been killed with that force, there was no way he was carrying on with any work today after this.

Jake begrudgingly lifted his head when one of the doctors stood in front of him. He let the man hold his chin and tilt his head from side to side to assess the damage and when he shone a pen light across his eyes, Jake winced.

A frightful yelp left his lips when the man tried to touch the wound and he reeled back with a groan.

"Afraid I'm gonna need an X-ray before I can stitch it. I'll clean the wound and get you some painkillers first." They were lucky the wound was on his head as they had a small, portable X-ray scanner in the back room they could use just to double check they didn't have to send him to hospital for urgent treatment. But if it looked okay, he could get some pain relief, be stitched up and sent home for the day.

"Great." Jake winced, trying to form a lopsided smile, but he couldn't quite manage it.

At least he would get to go home earlier than he thought.

***

"Hey," Bob groaned as sweat dripped off his body and onto a small puddle forming on the stone beneath him. His arms trembled as he tried to continue his push ups now that he was well into the hundreds. "Who's that?"

He nudged his nose against his shoulder to push the glasses further up his nose while he indicated his head to the left, signalling Phoenix's attention towards the person advancing across the base.

Maverick had told Bob and Phoenix to finish off Jake's safety checks, prep his fuel tank too and then do a set of two hundred push ups. They both knew they should have been more careful and they shouldn't have started squabbling like children when Jake was hauled off to the medic bay.

Phoenix lifted her head and glanced her eyes around, trying to find out who Bob was referring to. When her eyes set on a woman walking their way, her brows furrowed and she watched where she was walking.

She wasn't in uniform, whoever she was. She had on a baby blue tank top and a pair of denim shorts that stopped just before her knees. Her bag was hung on her shoulder, the strap clutched tightly in her hand and there was a nervous look plastered across her face.

The woman seemed to spare them a glance, noting that they were both sweating through their uniforms, before her eyes set on Maverick and she made a beeline for him.

"Mav, where is he?" (Y/n) bit her lower lip nervously when she reached Maverick who greeted her with a warm smile and a hand on her elbow.

"He's with a doctor, come with me."

(Y/n) nodded and let Maverick lead her inside the base. She couldn't quite believe how high up the ceilings were or how large the bay doors were, it was like everything was amplified as if giants worked and lived here. It felt strange to be walking round here with Maverick when Jake always said he would give her a tour round one day. Plans changed.

She had been expecting much worse when Maverick rang her and said Jake had had a 'minor accident' at the base, but knowing it was nothing to do with a crash or him being in a plane at all made (Y/n) feel better. It stopped her from having a breakdown or a panic attack as she drove down here, but she couldn't fathom what had happened. What kind of accident would her husband have when he was supposed to be safe here on the ground?

She glanced over her shoulder, noticing that the two others who had been doing press ups were now following after her and Maverick, presumably so they could see Jake too. They must be part of his team.

"What happened?"

"Phoenix and Bob, behind you," Maverick tossed a look over his shoulder and pointed his thumb in their direction. "Had a mishap when they fueled their plane. The pipeline dropped and caught Jake in the temple. I think he's got a mild concussion, but he'll be fine."

(Y/n) brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, hearing her shoes clicking loudly against the tiled floor as she followed Maverick around three corners and down a long corridor until they were in front of a medical wing.

That didn't sound too bad. That wasn't nearly as bad as she had been expecting, but it still wasn't good.

Her husband shouldn't be getting into accidents like this at work. He shouldn't be getting smashed in the head with their equipment. He was a pilot, an aviator. He was training every day to be in top physical performance and here he was with a concussion because his team had clearly lacked concentration.

It took all the effort (Y/n) had not to run ahead once they walked into a large open unit almost the same size as the open field outside. There was only one patient in here and (Y/n) set her sights on him immediately.

Jake was sat on the side of a bed, his legs swinging back and forth like a child at a doctor's appointment. His hands were clutching either side of the bed, his lips were set in a firm line and he kept squinting and closing his eyes as a doctor was stood in front of him, cleaning his wound.

Once they were close enough, (Y/n) hurried past Maverick and dropped her bag down by the foot of the bed. She didn't want to get in the way when the doctor was clearly trying to assess Jake and sort him out, but the moment Jake glanced to the left, his eyes widened and he jerked out of the doctor's grip.

"Baby." The surprise was evident in his voice and he let go of the bed to reach an arm out in (Y/n)'s direction. As soon as he started curling his fingers in a grabbing motion, (Y/n) smiled and moved forward.

Jake immediately coiled his arm around (Y/n)'s waist and reeled her closer until she had to plant her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. His fingers squeezed her hip tightly and he kissed the top of her chest before he glanced over her shoulder towards Maverick.

"You called my wife?"

The shock was evident in Jake's voice, but it was the looks of the rest of the team that made him wince. He hadn't mentioned to any of them that he happened to be married, that knowledge was on a need to know basis and as his superior, Maverick was the only one who needed to know. For emergency situations like this if Jake ever got hurt or shot down or sent to hospital.

There was no way they could let him drive home and since he had been injured, Maverick knew it was best to call (Y/n) and let her know so she could come and pick him up.

"You got concussed and you won't be able to drive home. Yes, I called your missus. You're welcome."

Maverick placed his hand on his hip and tilted his head to one side. Once Jake was silenced with that one look, Maverick nodded to himself and turned to leave. He knew none of them would be doing any more exercises today and he was okay with that, they would call it a day and start again tomorrow.

"You're married?"

"You never mentioned you're married to such a stunning girl."

(Y/n) tilted her head to the right, figuring the man that said that must be Bradley, the one Jake said was close to Maverick. He had a raised brow and his lips quirked into a smile beneath his moustache while both arms folded tightly over his chest.

She could feel the glares Jake was sending towards Bradley, squinting and glaring over in his direction before he looked back up at his wife.

With a quiet groan, Jake moved his hands from (Y/n)'s hips so he could bind his arms tightly around her waist. His hands feathered up and down her back and he pushed forward until his lips attached to her exposed chest just beneath her collar bone.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Why did you need to know?" He countered, smirking tiredly against (Y/n)'s chest and he twisted his head so the left side of his face could press down against her skin. His cheek nuzled into her chest and he looked over at the team, watching the blush that rose to Bob's face that tilted down to look at his shoes and the way Phoenix rubbed the back of her neck bashfully.

He hadn't told them because it wasn't their business, they didn't need to know. He was in love, he was head over heels in love with his wife and in Jake's eyes, she was his little secret.

He didn't want the team teasing him or asking about her or trying to make jokes that he was tied down. He had dealt with that in the past with other people he worked with and he didn't like it. He smiled when people flirted with him in bars, but he kindly turned every one of them down and didn't let them get too close. (Y/n) was the reason why.

Sometimes it felt safer to keep (Y/n) as his little secret. What they did was dangerous, they had all lost friends in this job and it was hard to bring friends and family into this life. Jake didn't know if introducing (Y/n) to his team would be too much.

For him, it felt better to keep work and home life separate.

With a sigh, Jake lifted his cheek from (Y/n)'s chest, his lips forming a thin line as he stared up at her despite the headache that was swirling around behind his eyes. He scanned his eyes around the team who were all watching on eagerly like this was their favourite tv soap.

"Darlin', this is the dagger squad," Jake waved his hand around, muttering their call signs to which (Y/n) nodded earnestly. "Guys, this is my wife, (Y/n)."

"Nice to meet you all, even under strange circumstances," (Y/n) quirked a brow when Bob tipped his head down with his hands clasped tightly behind his back. Clearly he felt guilty for the accident and (Y/n) was sure she heard him mutter a soft 'sorry again' clearly directed towards Jake.

He wasn't going to hold a grudge. It had been an accident and a few stitches was much better than some of the injuries he'd gotten on this job. But he would be holding this over them in the future and he knew he had earned himself a few free beers down at the Hard Deck for this.

"How bad is it then?"

Jake felt shockwaves coursing through his blood when (Y/n)'s hands moved from his shoulders to gently cup his face in her hands.

He loved the feeling of her thumbs brushing across his cheekbones just beneath his eyes and the way her fingertips tapped behind the tip of his jaw near his ears. His lips curved into a smile, despite the aching in his temple that had gone down a little when he took the aspirin and painkillers he was given.

His eyes squinted up at his wife whose lips curved into a pouting smile while her head tilted to the side, inspecting the wound on his temple.

All the blood had been cleaned from Jake's face and neck and his head had been X-rayed and dabbed with anticeptic, all he needed now was stitches.

"What am I gonna do with you?" (Y/n) murmured softly while she tilted Jake's head down in her hands so she could pepper kisses against the middle of his temple which no doubt would be aching. She didn't want to touch or go too near the wound, she knew even a light touch was going to hurt and she didn't want to hurt him. But he leaned into her touch and groaned, tightening his arms around her waist while his hands slid further down her back.

"I can think of a few things."

"I don't think I wanna see that." Coyote ran a hand down his face and patted Bradley's chest before he began to walk. He would see what Maverick wanted them to do, whether they were all getting the afternoon off or just Jake. He murmured a soft "Nice to meet you, Mrs Seresin." And laid a hand on (Y/n)'s shoulder as he passed her.

"Yeah, us neither. Sorry again, Hangman, we'll owe you a few rounds when your back in action." Phoenix waved her hand towards Jake and dipped her head before she headed out with Bob following in her wake.

He uttered a soft "Nice to see you, sorry Hangman." before he followed Phoenix, silently praying they wouldn't have to finish the last twenty six push ups they had skipped when they followed Maverick and (Y/n) down here to the medic bay.

"Well, you look like your in good hands, so I'll catch up with you later. Maybe we'll see you soon, Mrs Hangman."

Once Bradley disappeared, (Y/n) managed to untangle herself from her husband's arms, causing him to grunt and pout dramatically. His hands reached out for her but she didn't move far. She stepped out from between his legs and moved to stand on his left side near the end of the bed he was perched on. Her arm looped around his back and her hand gave his shoulder a squeeze while she kissed the good side of his temple.

"When can I take him home?"

"I'll just do the stitches and then he's all yours."

Jake couldn't hide the grimace that flooded his face when he saw the needle and thread. He didn't like the inconvenience of stitches. His eyes briefly glanced up at (Y/n) before he shimmied round on the seat so his back was towards her. And he slowly reclined his head until the back of his head was settled down on (Y/n)'s shoulder.

He did his best to keep his head steady and his eyes fell closed when he saw an injection needle coming close. The numbing agent to make the stitches more bearable.

A low whistle passed his lips and when (Y/n)'s free hand curled over his thigh, Jake reached down and curled his hand over hers. He squeezed tight and tried to take slow, deep breaths when the needle finally started puncturing through his skin. It didn't exactly hurt, but he felt a sharp sting and each time the thread was pulled tight, Jake could feel his brow lifting as the skin was dragged back together.

Six stitches later and (Y/n) could barely feel her hand from how tightly Jake was squeezing it. She leaned her head down and kissed the top of his head, nudging her nose against his soft wavy hair as Jake finally opened his eyes.

"You're good to go with a mild concussion, Seresin. No flying for twenty-four hours, and if you go any higher than G7, I'll need to see you back here for a check over."

"Copy that."

"Thank you for patching him up."

When Jake hopped up from the bed, (Y/n) moved her arm lower to secure around his waist and she pressed a quick kiss to the side of his jaw which caused his lips to pull into a wide grin. He draped his arm over her shoulders, feeling much better than he did earlier.

The last thing he wanted to do was lean on (Y/n) and have her dragging him out of here like the guys had heaved him in earlier. He could walk on his own two feet again.

"That's going to leave a scar." (Y/n) murmured softly, reaching her left hand up to graze her fingers over his brow just beneath the row of navy blue stitches on his temple. It wasn't going to leave a dent or a prominent, deep line, but it would leave a faint streak of white like a dash of paint across his skin.

She pressed another kiss to Jake's jaw until he tilted his head down and captured her lips in a soft, burning kiss instead. "I know," He muttered softly against her lips, kissing her again and again as they walked as slow as possible out of the base.

"But I know you love my war wounds."

[lexicrvg]

when he's 16, Nick — Ice and Sarah's oldest son — knocks on Maverick's door with tears staining his face.

"i didn't know where else to go, I'm sorry" he says.

Maverick lets him in and leads him to the couch, it's not unsual for Ice's kids to come knocking on his door when they need something from their father, but it's the first time one of them looks so... desperate.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"Uncle Mav, I'm..." Nick chokes on his own words "I think I'm..."

"It's okay, take your time"

"I think I'm gay".

It took all of Maverick's efforts for him not to freeze in place. Nick needed comfort, not someone to cry with him.

"Thank you for telling me" was the first thing he could think of. "But why are you telling me and not your mom or dad?"

Nick's eyes go wide and Mav realizes he might have said the wrong thing.

"I mean- It's okay that you're telling me!" he corrected himself "I love you no matter what!"

A sigh of relief left Nick's lips, then he said "I was scared of their reactions"

"You think your mom and your dad would say anything different than I did?" Maverick asks before he can contain himself. "Hell, I think they would've handled this a lot better than I am"

This whole situation seems wrong in Maverick's eyes, so he tries to start over by saying:

"Nicholas, nothing in this world would make me love you any less." he sighs. "That being said, you're gonna tell your parents?"

"I think so" Nick nods. "Do you think they'll accept me?"

"Well, they've been dealing with my ass for almost thirty years, so..." Mav interrupts himself when he takes a look at Nick's face.

Nick blinks at him. Once. Twice. "Did you just come out to me?"

It's Mav's turn to blink at the teenager on his couch. "You didn't know?"

"How could I know?!"

It seemed wrong to bring up the fact that he was being fucked by Nick's dad before they even had a word to describe their sexuality. So he settled for a safer route:

"Why did you come to me if you didn't know?!"

"You're my cool uncle!" Nick says, like it's obvious. "I thought that you'd understand, not relate to it!"

They both sat in silence, trying to understand what just happened.

"Go tell your dad"

"What"

"Trust me, come out to your dad," Maverick repeated. "And don't you dare say a word about what happened here."

Nick was never good at making and keeping promises, so it was no surprise when, later that night, Ice called Maverick and laughed for 20 minutes over the fact that he came out to a teenager in the worst way possible.

It was worth it if it meant he could hear Ice's voice in his ear until he fell asleep.

[dancethroughthethunder]

chapter 5 is here and it's a big one: emotionally and word count wise. it's bird strike time, and things get angsty but we're full of love all around.

this chapter might have become one of my favorite things i've written and it means a lot to me. I really really hope you enjoy and would love to chat more/hear any of your thoughts about it. xoxoxo

one more chapter left in this series! (barring any potential sequels/one offs!)

Bobby from High School Masterpost

On a night out at the Hard Deck, a familiar face spots Bob from across the bar. Years after high school, somehow you and Bob have ended up in the same Navy bar and are working at the same base. Excited to see one another and catch up, you end up introduced to the Daggers and rekindling your old friendship with (and crush on) Bobby Floyd.

Currently ongoing, chapter total TBD!

Chapter 1: Of all the Gin Joints

Chapter 2: Two Coffees, One Giant Snickerdoodle, and... Hangman?

Chapter 3: It's Not Prom, But It's Still Pretty Good

Chapter 4: If Life Were a Musical

Chapter 5: I've Got You

Chapter 6: Coming Soon

[inmyglenpowellera]

The ladies at work know by now to just hand me the people magazine when it comes in the mail. I continously flipped through this issue until I found exactly what I was looking for...

Our leading man with his thirst trap puppy.

My office manager looked over when I stopped flipping and looked at the page and said "Why am I not surprised that was who you were looking for?"

I was like.....

Even my office manager knows about my love for this man 🤭

[moondancediner]

Love of my Life

summary: the dagger squad meets hangman's best-kept secret

jake seresin x reader

word count: 1490

warnings: no editing, fluff

a/n: this popped into my head the other night... enjoy! also this gif makes me CHOKE ohmylord

song rec: love of my life - harry styles

masterlist

It wasn’t on purpose. Nights when you and Jake ended up at the same bar were never planned, mostly because your friends from work always wanted to go somewhere downtown, and Jake’s friends from work always wanted to go to the Hard Deck so there was never a chance for the two groups to intersect. 

Tonight, however, your friends had enough of hearing about all your nights at the Hard Deck with your fighter pilot husband who drops by work every once and a while with lunch or a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. They decided to venture out to the Hard Deck tonight for your monthly get-together and you weren’t going to miss an opportunity to ogle at your husband from across the bar while he played darts and pool with his Dagger Squad friends who just so happened to be in town visiting. 

And that’s exactly where you found yourself on this lovely Friday night. Your friend walked over to your standing table with another drink for you and you thanked her with a smile. She immediately started diving into some workplace gossip, keeping her voice quiet since so many of your colleagues had managed to make it out tonight. You half-listened to her go on how bad the break room refrigerator smelled the other day but your real focus was on Jake who was playing pool with Phoenix, Fanboy, and Bob. He had Bob on his team and you were surprised to see him actually give the man a chance to play without correcting or coaching him. 

You knew all about the Dagger Squad, when Jake was first sent out here you followed him, even knowing this wouldn’t be a permanent duty station, and he talked about everyone he was competing against non stop. From the moment he came home after training you were getting a full rundown of the days happening (you were sworn to secrecy of the top secret events, of course). You learned quickly who was who, even if you never got the opportunity to meet them. 

After the mission, you were pulling out boxes and getting ready to move what little belongings you brought over to the island when Jake came home and surprised you to your core. He accepted a teaching position here on the North Island and you were staying for the foreseeable future. 

You were shocked but over the moon. Jake would be in one spot for at least a couple years and wouldn’t be off on deployments and missions so often. You could start a family and he could actually be there for all of it. 

“Hello? Anybody home?” A hand waving in front of your face brought you out of memories and a trance you hadn’t realized you were in. You laughed and smiled at your friend, but not before catching the eye of Phoenix, who totally caught you staring at Jake. 

“Sorry, sorry, got a little lost there.” You waved her hand out of your face and took another sip from your drink. 

“I’ll say,” she laughed, “I mean, I get it.” Her eyebrows wagged and you laughed heartily, throwing your head back. She was always complimenting your choice of husband and you had to agree with her, he was fine as hell. 

“Fuck, I think one of his friends just caught me staring,” you said once the laughter died down. 

“Remind me again why he doesn’t tell them about you?” 

“It started off as a joke,” you start, “he wanted to see how long it would take one of them to notice, and now it’s just an ongoing bet we have.” 

“A bet I am about to win, by the way.” Jake suddenly appears behind you and you’re happy to see him until his words sink in.

“You’re not allowed to interfere!” You point at him and he just laughs. 

“No interference, I promise.” He leans on the table you two are standing at and you almost forget about the bet for a second because his green eyes still captivate you even after all this time. 

“Well, what are you doing over here then?”

“See now, that’s where it gets interesting because someone caught you looking at me,” he tips his beer over in the direction of his friends, who scatter like chickens when you turn your head to look at them, “and they bet me $20 that I couldn’t walk over here and get your phone number.” 

“Hmmm, seems like fair play to me.” Your friend interjects, looking contemplatively between you and your cheating husband. 

A noise comes out of your mouth, somewhere between disbelief and betrayal. You only had one month left before the bet was yours and you could claim your prize and now this happens, the perfect opportunity falls right into Jake’s lap. 

“Did none of them notice the giant ring on my finger?” You hold up your wedding rings, which glint even in the dim bar lighting and Jake takes your fingers in his hand, bending them towards himself before placing a kiss on your knuckles. You swoon. It’s impossible not to. “Don’t try to distract me, you’re in trouble.” 

“Come on darlin’,” His hand fell away from yours but moved slyly around your hip, where it curled around the belt loops of your shorts, and just then, while his face was inching towards yours, your wedding song came on. 

“When did this song get added to the jukebox?” 

“I may have put in a special request.” His smile did you in. You met him halfway and when your lips met that familiar kaleidoscope of butterflies took flight. Jake pulled away just to smile at you some more before pressing a few quick kisses to your lips. When he backed away enough, you took the chance to look over his shoulder and see what his friends thought. 

The entire group was standing around, completely gobsmacked at what just occurred and you could only imagine what was running through their minds. 

“After you, Mrs. Seresin,” Jake whispered in your ear. You gave him the best glare you could but he just laughed and grabbed your hand to walk you over to the group of people you already felt like you knew. 

Jake chuckled as you got within ear shot. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet someone,” he pulled you under his arm and you automatically slid your own across his back, “this is my wife.” He said it with genuine pride, a stark contrast to his usual cocky tone everyone was used to. 

“Wife?” Rooster repeated, dumbfounded.

“Pick your jaw up off the floor, Bradshaw.”

You ignored Jake and introduced yourself to everyone with a quick wave. “It’s nice to finally meet you all.” 

There was a beat of silence while you watched everyone process what was happening, but Phoenix broke it with a laugh. “You’ve been holding out on us, Bagman!” 

“Yeah, what the hell, man!” Rooster seemed downright offended that Jake would keep such a secret from them and you couldn’t help but laugh. 

“It’s not all Jake’s fault,” You come to his defense, “we had a bet going, which I just lost.” 

“What bet did you two have?” Bob asked, coming forward to introduce himself to you properly. 

You shook his outstretched hand, smiling. “We wanted to see how long it would take for someone to figure out he was married.”

“You… you don’t wear a wedding ring?” Rooster seemed to be having the hardest time with this revelation and it was cracking you up. 

Jake pulled his dog tags out from under his shirt, proudly turning them around to display his gold wedding band that perfectly matched the one around your finger. They both belonged to his grandparents and he was so proud to give you his grandmother's band on your wedding day. 

Phoenix studied the two of you for a moment, watched the way you started to sway to a song and Jake immediately joined in, watched how his attention always drifted back to you, and how his entire cocky dimenor melted away as soon as you were near. 

“So, what’s the story? How did you manage to bag Hangman?” Natasha asked, leaning her hands on the pool cue in front of her. 

Jake pretended to be offended. “I’m not that wild.” 

You roll your eyes affectionately before diving into the story of how you and Jake met. It was nothing spectacular or anything you would want to make a movie about, but it was a whirlwind romance that ended in the two of you married in the Seresin family’s backyard three summers ago. 

When you finished your story, all smiles for your husband, Rooster raised his beer in a toast. “Welcome to the family, Mrs. Seresin.” 

Jake couldn’t help but smile. It felt good to let the team in on his best-kept secret, even if he was gonna pay for her losing the bet later on tonight. 

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thanks for reading ily

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