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vivalas-vega · 1 year

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into you / jake ‘hangman’ seresin x reader

heyooooo -- this is a request I’m excited to finally get out! as always my requests are open and let me know what you think!

into you / jake ‘hangman’ seresin x reader

request: you can find that here!

word count: 2.3k

warnings: drinking, angst, miscommunication

You stood off to the side of the hangar after touching back down on the ground overlooking Jake and Phoenix as they laughed and talked about the training exercise, feeling your stomach twist in dread as you did. Phoenix looked ethereal, just as she always did, with the setting San Diego illuminating her profile and a smile bright enough to blind you… you couldn’t even be disappointed, of course the Navy’s two most beautiful pilots would just gravitate towards each other.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Rooster asked suddenly from beside you and you jumped as you placed a hand over your heart, looking around to try and see where the hell he might have come from.

“Can you like… announce yourself?” you asked, pulling yourself away from watching your heartbreak in real time to instead busy yourself with heading towards the locker rooms and of course Rooster was hot on your tail.

“I said your name three times,” he pointed out and you rolled your eyes. “Seemed to be staring awfully intensely there… which one is it?”

“What are you talking about?” you tried to deflect, pushing the doors open and grabbing your civilian clothes from your locker as he leaned against the one beside yours.

“I’ve been watching you watching them for a few weeks now but what I haven’t been able to observe is which one actually has your attention… unless it’s both?” he asked, genuinely curious as you let out a sigh.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Roo,” you said and he just smirked at you.

“Sure sure,” he finally decided after a moment of pondering his response, “you coming to the bar?”

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there,” you said with a soft smile as you unzipped your flight suit and Rooster took that as his cue to leave. You were terrified that he had been the one to pick up on it, you loved Rooster with your whole heart but you had never pegged him as the observant type, or one to even care enough to try and put the pieces together. Your only saving grace was that he hadn’t yet deduced who had captured your affections and you intended to keep it that way.

Jake had snuck up on you… when you all first got recalled you hadn’t thought much of him, other than he was a bit of an arrogant ass but the energy had shifted when he all but ran after Rooster and Maverick to save them from sudden death… when you learned you were going to be a permanent squad after Admiral Simpson had decided you all worked impeccably well together (after an adjustment period) it seemed his attitude change wasn’t just a phase. Sure, he was still a bit of an ass sometimes, but it was more endearing than it was before. You found yourself looking forward to his banter, and looking forward to the moments the two of you spent alone while everyone else was preoccupied at the bar.

You’d started to learn more about him… his family, his upbringing, why he joined the Navy and he learned all the same about you. You’d call him a genuine friend, and one of your closest at that but somewhere along the way you found your stolen glances lingering, wanting to soak up as much of that smile or the way he commanded a room as you could and suddenly you were falling headfirst for Jake Seresin. Something you had never imagined you would do… but you had resorted to silent pining and longing stares because he seemed to focus his affection towards Phoenix. Over the past few weeks you’d noticed the two of them growing closer, something you were happy about considering other than Rooster those two had the most ground to make up, but you had this sinking feeling that it was more than mending fences. Each time you saw them laughing together or stealing looks across the ready room, clearly chuckling at some silent inside joke you couldn’t make any sense of you felt your heart ache in a way you’d never experienced before.

“There she is! Kiddo, come rack ‘em!” Jake called out to you as you entered the Hard Deck and you couldn’t tell if his eyes raked down your form, clad in a sundress, or if you were simply going crazy and creating things that were never there. Your chest felt tight at the nickname he’d bestowed upon you… you knew it was a term of endearment, and that nothing negative was meant by it, you were simply just the youngest on the team but it made you feel rather juvenile every time he said it.

“Start without me, I need a drink,” you responded, waving him off as you approached Penny.

“What’s the mood tonight? Beer or something stronger?” she asked and you gave her a smile.

“How about both?” you responded and she nodded, setting a shot in front of you as well as a fresh bottle of beer. You took the shot quickly and forgoed using the lime in favor of dropping it down the neck of your beer as you turned to walk towards the pool table, trying not to have a reaction to Phoenix and Jake going head to head. You decided to hang back, sitting in one of the stools beside Bob and giving him a mischievous smile when you reached your hand over to snag some of his peanuts.

“Ma’am, that is theft,” he teased and you chuckled.

“Sharing is caring, Bobby,” you responded as you grabbed a few more and he didn’t put up a fight. You knew you were being more reserved than usual, you weren’t known for hanging off to the side or not forcing yourself into the limelight, and you knew everyone was picking up on it but you’d hoped no one would say anything. You made small talk with Bob and Fanboy, contributing the bare minimum to actually be considered a part of the conversation and you were doing everything in your power to avoid looking at the pool table. You had to get over this crush, it clearly wasn’t reciprocated and allowing yourself to give it anymore of your attention would only result in you feeling more hurt than you already did. It was time to nip it in the bud.

“You’re being more obvious now than you were before,” Rooster said, stepping into your bubble from behind and whispering in your ear, sending a shiver up your spine and you tried to ignore him as you let your dart fly towards the board, smirking when it landed dead center.

“What do you mean?” you asked, lining up your second shot and being acutely aware of how close he still was.

“You couldn’t stop staring before, now you’ve barely spared them a second look… everyone knows you're off tonight and your avoidance is making the reason incredibly clear,” he replied and you shook your head as you threw your last dart. You turned your head slightly, taking a step forward when your face nearly collided with his to give him a questioning look before going to grab your darts from the board.

“Why are you so interested in this?” you asked as you wrote your score on the board and stepped aside to let Coyote take his turn.

He shrugged, “things are slow, I like stirring the pot.”

“You’re insufferable,” you sighed, watching as Coyote secured his win against you and you begrudgingly gave him a high five. The dart board was where you were reigning champion, people gaining a victory over you was incredibly rare and you knew it was because your focus was elsewhere.

“Incoming,” Rooster said suddenly, slipping away to get a fresh drink and you looked after him confused until suddenly your vision was clouded by Jake’s figure.

“Hey kiddo, what’s up?” he asked, slinging an arm over your shoulder as he pulled you over to the bar as well and you gave him a forced smile.

“Nothing new, you?” you replied and he gave you a strange look as he held up two fingers to Penny.

“That’s not what I meant, you seem different tonight.”

“Just a long day, I guess,” you shrugged and he nodded but didn’t really buy it.

“You sure that’s all it is?” he asked as he used his fingers to tilt your head towards him, forcing you to make eye contact and you gave a sharp nod.

“I’m fine, Jake,” you said, brushing off his contact, “I’m just going to go grab some air, thanks for the beer,” you said, grabbing the bottle and slipping through the crowd where you nearly stumbled out into the fresh air. You took in a deep breath, letting the smell of the ocean ground you as you chastised yourself for your behavior… he was just asking how you were, making sure you were okay, there was no reason to blow him off like that. You just couldn’t help it, you felt cornered and you were sure if he asked you again you were going to blurt out what you’d been trying so hard to tamp down.

“What is going on with you?” you heard from behind you and you jumped slightly as you turned to see Jake and you let out a sigh as you wiped a hand over your forehead. “Come on, kid, talk to me.”

“I’m not a kid,” you muttered and you felt embarrassed. You knew you were being indignant for no real reason.

“You know that’s not what I- what’s wrong?” he asked, deciding to not let yourselves get sidetracked over something trivial.

“I told you, just a long day.” you tried but he was seeing right through you, he could tell just by looking at your eyes that there was something bothering you and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

“Why have you been avoiding me?”

“I’m not,” you answered defensively, turning your attention back to the ocean as you leaned over the railing and he scoffed as he followed suit.

“I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s going on. Did I do something?”

“I don’t need help, Jake.”

“I thought we were past this, since when do you not talk to me?” he pleaded and you did your best to avoid looking at him but you couldn’t help yourself and your resolve crumbled as soon as you met those green eyes. “What’s wrong?

“Since I-” you stopped for a moment, trying to come up with any plausible excuse or continuation of that sentence that wasn’t the truth but it just came flying out. “Everything’s wrong!” you nearly shouted and you didn’t miss the way he was taken aback. “Literally everything because I am so into you and you’re obviously into Phoenix which is great, but not so much for me at the moment. I’m handling it and I’m fine but I can’t really talk to you about that.”

“Wait what?” he asked, confusion clear on his face and you winced at the prospect of explaining yourself.

“I just… we don’t need to talk about it, Jake. I don’t want to talk about it,” you replied, turning your head back towards the water.

“No, I want to talk about it. Who the hell said I was into Phoenix?” he asked and this had your attention snapping back to him.

“You did, with your body language and the banter,” you said and you heard how stupid it was as it left your mouth and you watched him stifle a laugh.

“Oh sweetheart,” he said and it came out rather patronizing, making your cheeks burn as you willed the tears to stay put until he was out of your sight. “Oh hey, no no no.” he said, noticing your eyes well up, “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not into Phoenix.”

“You’re not?” you asked and he shook his head.

“I’m into you,” he said, wrapping a hand around your forearm and pulling you away from the railing, closer to him. “I’ve been trying to tell you but I kept chickening out… Phoenix has actually been egging me on, telling me to just get it over with,” he said and your eyes widened. “I’ve liked you since the first day I met you but you’re too sweet, too good. I didn’t think you’d want anything to do with me,” he said with a shrug and you shook your head.

“I feel pretty stupid right now,” you chuckled. “I thought you wanted nothing to do with me because you always call me kid.”

“It’s easier to pretend I don’t want to kiss you every time I see you if I call you kid instead of sweetheart.” He yanked you closer, pressing your body against his as his hands settled on your waist and you wrapped your arms around his neck.

“Well, you don’t have to pretend anymore,” you said with a small smirk and his lips were on yours in an instant. You melted into him, letting him take the lead and you moaned softly when his tongue trailed along your bottom lip. You soaked up as much of this feeling as you could… his hands gripping your body, his tongue exploring your mouth, and the way your whole body tingles from head to toe before he pulled away to grin down at you.

“So, sweetheart… Can I take you on a date?” he asked hopefully and you nodded.

“Yeah, I would really like that… but I was also thinking you could take me home?” you asked with a suggestive raise of your eyebrows and he was quick to wrap his hand around yours and tug you to his car.

“I like the way you think.”

taglist: @callsignspirit @thegodessc @failuretothrivesstuff @olliepig @cruelmissdior @underaveragefangirl @grxcieluvr @amatswimming @camilaricci (if your name is struck through it means I couldn’t tag you - sorry!)

#jake hangman seresin #jake hangman seresin fanfiction #jake hangman seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin x you #jake seresin #jake seresin fanfiction #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #hangman #hangman fanfiction #hangman x reader #hangman x you #top gun maverick #top gun fan fiction

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fandomxpreferences · 1 year

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Just a Boy and His Ceramic Bird

Pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x female!reader

TW:none

Summary: You and Bradley share a special tradition.

Word Count:1.2k

The tradition started as something funny, a little inside joke between you and Bradley when you first moved in together. You bought the little porch goose at a thrift shop on a whim, mostly to get a laugh out of Bradley.

But over the past couple of years, its become a staple of your home. Through several moves and a couple hurricanes when he was stationed in sunny Florida, the goose has stuck around. It's the first thing you pack and unpack when you relocate, along with all the fun outfits you've collected for it.

No one ever really noticed it before, that is until he was stationed in San Diego permanently. As your house became the hot spot for get-togethers, the jabs from the team became more frequent. They always teased that having a statue of a goose wearing silly clothes is an old lady thing, and Bradley let it roll off in good nature.

It became a running joke amongst the aviators, even resorting to them having a poll to see what it should be named. They landed on Tonka, some long-winded story behind how they came up with it. Apparently, they had gotten on the topic of geese honking, which led to Jake saying something about Honky Tonk, and thus Tonka was born.

You and Bradley just refer to it lovingly as Goose.

See, what the squad doesn't know is that the little ceramic animal earned a special place in Bradley's heart. It became a symbol of his father, an ever-present memorial to the dearly departed man.

So you and Bradley keep it clean and change out its little costumes. You have everything from a fourth of July outfit to a flight suit, and swapping them out has become an act of closure.

You notice Bradley tense under your arm when Jake makes another snide remark.

"I'm just saying that having a lawn statue designed for 80-year-old women is very on-brand for Rooster." He remarks, and your stomach lurches.

Before your sweet boyfriend can say anything, you chime in.

"Actually, it's mine."

That little statement is all it took for them to hone in on you, now the center of the relentless teasing. You don't mind one bit, though. It's a small price to pay for Bradley to enjoy his little secret in peace.

That night after everyone leaves, Bradley pulls you into a tight hug.

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that."

You shake your head and place a gentle kiss just below his ear, the smell of sandalwood and cinnamon bringing you comfort.

"I know I didn't have to. I wanted to. They don't need to know the truth, that's our little thing."

Bradley doesn't know how he got so lucky. At first, he felt stupid about the whole thing, but from the very beginning, you were adamant that it wasn't as silly as he thought. You insisted that if it made him feel better and was important to him, it's important to you too.

It was you who started the habit of fist bumping the figurine on your way in the door and blowing it a kiss when you leave. He knew then and there that you're the one.

A few weeks go by, and as the anniversary of Goose's death approaches, you switch it into its little flight suit, complete with a helmet and nametag.

It's not until Phoenix really looks at the outfit that the puzzle pieces come together. She has a secret meeting with the rest of the group and fills them in.

The next time they're over, you and Bradley are entirely taken by surprise. She hands you a gift bag, and you take it hesitantly, unsure of the special occasion. The second you remove the tissue paper, tears coat your lash line.

It's a little pair of aviators, and you look up at her as Bradley takes them from you.

"Are you pregnant?" You ask, and horror covers her features.

"Oh god, no. They're for Goose. I figured out why you keep that thing around when I remembered that it was his dad's callsign."

She laughs as you pull her into a tight embrace, and Bradley just stands there stunned.

"Well, go put them on him!" She exclaims, giving you a light shove toward the front door.

You slip them over the statue's eyes, and your heart melts. It's so perfect, and you know Bradley loves them.

That evening he cries when he goes outside to look, overcome with raw emotion. It feels so trivial, yet he can feel his dad in the air around him.

At Christmas, you're not surprised to receive some accessories for goose and let out a loud laugh at the Hawaiian shirt bob had made.

What does surprise you is Jake's gift. Bradley opens the large box and halts when he sees what's inside. You peek over to see what it is, and your eyes shoot up to look at the blonde pilot.

He looks sheepish as he rubs the base of his neck, and you wait for an explanation.

"I know the one you have is kind of like having your dad around, so I figured it's only right you have your mom too. They should be together."

You jump to your feet and all but tackle the man in a hug, caught off guard by the sentiment.

"Who knew Jake Seresin was such a thoughtful sap." You tease, but no one misses the slight sniffle as you sit back down next to Bradley.

He mumbles out a small thanks before everyone resumes exchanging gifts. A little bit later, Jake gets another beer in the kitchen, and Bradley follows him.

"Hey," He says, and Jake turns to look at him.

"I just want to thank you properly. It sounds dumb, but having that little goose is like having a piece of my dad. Now having one for my mom too.." He trails off, and Jake claps him on the shoulder.

"I get it, man. I'm glad you like it."

Bradley shakes his head and exhales before continuing.

"Really, Jake. It means the world. I can't tell you how special it is to me. I know we give each other a hard time, but you're a good guy."

Jake can tell Bradley is getting worked up and gives him a short hug before pulling back.

"Come on, bird boy. Can't have you getting soft on me." He teases, and Bradley laughs.

Leave it to Jake to provide comedic relief during a heartfelt moment.

The two of them return to the living room, and you give your boyfriend a knowing smile as he sits down. Your hand squeezes his, and he kisses your temple, a silent exchange of love and appreciation for each other.

This is everything you could ever want, a found family laughing in your living room and your man by your side. It's just you and your little goose family against the world.

@drakelover78 @manyfandomsfanvergent @ssprayberrythings @disturbedbeautywrites @desert-fern @one-sweet-gubler @callmemana @luckyladycreator2 @bookchik26 @taytaylala12 @michalkasimp @xoxabs88xox @loveless-simp @withakindheartx @formulapierre @ccristata @shanimallina87 @k-k0129 @izz-ayes-world @kajjaka @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo @phantomxoxo @rosiahills22 @gspenc @chair-things @benhardysdrumstick @cookielovesbook-akie @dempy @wellshit6

#top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw #top gun imagine #rooster top gun #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw top gun #bradley bradshaw x reader

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startrekfangirl2233-writes · 5 months

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Firebird

A Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace Origin Story

Slight Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace / Jake 'Hangman' Seresin

Description: Natasha Trace is used to being marveled and stared at. She's the only woman in her flight class. For the most part, the staring only leads to occasional requests to join the remainder of her cohort for drinks at the nearest bar to base. She always refuses. Her COs have enough to say about her without resorting to the usual criticisms of her gender, which going to a bar would garner.

But Natasha's only human. When she seeks out a bar to get drunk where nobody knows her name, she's surprised to find the one man she never wanted to see off base dropping into the seat next to her. The conversation that follows changes her life and gives her a callsign.

Warnings: Mysogyny, Discussions of Strength and Power as a woman in a male-dominated field

A/N: Hi everyone! Nice to see you here! I wrote this fic for @thedroneranger's Pick Your Poison Challenge to accompany her fabulous Phoenix Cocktail Moodboard Grit & Glam. I wanted to explore a headcanon of how Jake gave Phoenix her callsign and ended up venturing slightly into Hannix territory. I hope you all love it! The italicized lyrics at the end are from the song Firebird by Galantis.

AO3: Cross-posted here!

Wattpad: Cross-posted here!

My Masterlist

“Oh, come on, Trace.” This, she’s used to. It’s what she gets when she’s the only woman in her flight school class. “It’s just a few drinks tonight!”

It’s the overly insistent, ridiculously charming blond man who’s asking her that Natasha’s not used to. Seresin, at least she thinks that’s his name, asks her to go out with the rest of the class every night despite her refusals.

“It’s not happening, Seresin.” She keeps her tone light and her eyes on the NATOPS she’s rifling through and making notes on. After all, there’s no denying that Seresin is easy on the eyes, with his green eyes and shining blond hair, broad shoulders, and muscular physique. Maybe in another life, she’d have fallen for the lines he feeds girls at the bar hook, line, and sinker. But in this life, she wants to be a Naval Aviator, wants to be the best of the best. No six-foot blond is going to stop her, not when she’s so close.

“C’mon, Trace. It’s just one night of drinks.” He sounds oddly frustrated at her lack of response. “You don’t have to be so frigid all the time, you know? What’s one round of drinks amongst friends and colleagues?”

“Well, Seresin,” Her voice is sardonic and a little sarcastic as she packs up her notebook and her NATOPS. “There’s nothing wrong with a round of drinks amongst friends and colleagues. But you’re neither of them. So I have to say no. Goodnight, Seresin.”

Her voice is just loud enough, cutting enough, that the others hear from the huddle they're in on the other side of the room. They're ooh-ing and aww-ing and ribbing Seresin with every iota of their limited intelligence as she sweeps out of the room. Of course, Natasha also hears the way one of the others, Williams or maybe Monroe, calls her an ice-hearted bitch, but that's nothing she hasn't heard before. Seresin is awfully quiet, and she's sure he would normally have joined in on their censure of her if she hadn't seen the small flicker of hurt that wafted through those crystalline green eyes as she swept out of the room.

She can't figure out why he's so adamant about her socializing, though. It’s not as if Natasha is a stranger to having fun. Once upon a time, when she was a young tomboy, she used to sneak out to bars and other unsavory establishments and party all night long. It had been fun roaming around wild in the hot, sticky San Diego summers, dangling out of an old Pontiac Firebird. She’d slept half-naked under the stars, smoked hand-rolled cigarettes, and drunk too much alcohol. Of course, joining the Navy had put a stop to that kind of reckless, foolish, youthful abandonment.

It still doesn’t explain Seresin’s behavior. He’s never once attempted to be cordial or nice or even kind for the entire time she’s known him. All Natasha knows is that Jake Seresin is filled with the same urge to be the best that she is. It’s a conundrum that she turns over in her mind late that night and in any spare moment in which her brain isn’t being crammed full of more flying techniques and NATOPS sections. The same conundrum seems to be captivating Seresin as well. Each day for their classes, he takes the seat behind or near hers and spends the time boring a hole into the back of her regulation slicked-back bun or into the side of her face. She spends the week with the heat of his gaze prickling across the back of her neck and distracting her thoroughly.

That’s the only reason why she fucks up on Friday afternoon. It’s supposed to be an easy maneuver. It’s one she’s had swimming in front of her eyes whether she’s awake or asleep. But she messed up. Others in her cohort messed up on the hop, too. But of course, it’s Natasha who’s standing at parade rest facing down their CO as he spits in her face all of the reasons why a woman isn’t talented or determined enough to fly a fighter jet. It’s the snickering Natasha can hear in the background from the others, which has her spine straightening. It shouldn’t be so common to be lambasted over every mistake just because of your gender. But there’s a reason why so few women in the armed forces are aviators. There’s a reason why Natasha has faced only one of these particular dressing-downs only once in her career prior to today. But nothing her CO is saying can even touch the dressing down she’s giving herself.

When she’s dismissed, she stomps her way into the ladies’ locker room and tries her best not to sob where anyone important can hear it. The deluge of hot water drums over her head and beats her stiff muscles into some form of flexibility, but it doesn’t beat the whiff of failure from her skin. She stands under the deluge until her fingers prune and the water cools. She’s shivering and shuddering as she towels off and pulls on her clothes. But the clothes she pulls out of her gym bag aren’t jeans and a T-shirt but a sundress. Natasha slams her forehead against the locker door because this is yet another symptom of her distraction. This was the dress she was supposed to wear to brunch with college friends in town. Not the outfit she wants to walk out of base wearing. At least she’s managed to pack the matching heels as well.

Unsurprisingly, Natasha hears wolf-whistles a-plenty as she clacks her way out to her car. The comments make her angrier and feel even worse. At one point in time, sometime between the beginning and end of that long, unfulfilling shower, she’d made up her mind to drive home and collapse onto her sofa and maybe drink an entire bottle of wine. But the more the pigs she has to fly with notice her uncharacteristic attire, the more her mind changes. Now, all she wants is alcohol, enough to drown out her thoughts and to lift her mood. It might be time to bring back the wild little thing who’d run circles around folks back in San Diego.

The bar she ends up at a couple of hours later is what people would pick for a night out on the town. In truth, Natasha had two major criteria for picking this place. It’s not within five miles of the base, and it serves an elderflower and gin flaming cocktail. Something about it feels fitting to her current state of mind.

The sky has darkened in the time between when Natasha sat down and now. Natasha’s not sure how long it’s been, but she feels a million times better than she did before. The bartender was very kind and plied her with round after round of Phoenix cocktails all afternoon long. It’s just her luck that she’s tilting a drink between her fingers, watching the pinkish-purple shimmering liquid dance in the light, when a body drops heavily onto the barstool next to her. It's a bar, so obviously, bodies have been dropping into the seat next to her as the night progresses. But this particular body is wearing a very recognizable cologne and speaking in a very recognizable tenor to the bartender.

“Can I get a whiskey on ice for myself and another one of those flaming things for the pretty lady next to me?”

“It’s not a flaming thing.” Natasha's words are slurring but still sharp as she rotates on the fiddly little base of the barstool and faces exactly who she thought she'd be facing - Jake Seresin. Her voice is gritty with the burn of over-proofed smooth liquor as she responds.

“It's a Phoenix cocktail. What are you doing here, anyway, Seresin? I didn't think fancy bars were your idea of fun.”

“Mmm, they’re usually not.” There isn’t a bite to his words tonight. “I like my bars to come with their own history, usually.”

He pushes the Phoenix cocktail he'd ordered over to her and watches, enraptured, as the bartender snuffs out the flames.

“You don’t seem the type, Trace, to get rip-roaring drunk in a bar all by your lonesome.”

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Natasha is ginger as she sips from the warm glass, careful not to scald her mouth on the flame-kissed surface.

“You did.” He purses his plush lips, rolling the whiskey from the sip he just took on his tongue with his eyes lidded in the lowlights of the bar. He looks like a man who has cultivated that expression solely for the purpose of making a lady weak at the knees, not that Natasha would ever call one of his usual types a lady. His pink tongue slips out of his mouth and swipes away a droplet of the amber-colored liquid. He leans forward, gently tucking a loose tendril of hair behind Natasha’s ear.

“When you told me you’d only have drinks with your friends and colleagues.” He leans in closer until all Natasha Trace can hear is Jake. All of a sudden he seems to surround her with his presence. She can smell the smokey whiskey on his breath, the rich scent of his cologne, and the gentle scent of soap crowding out the scents of the bar. And then there’s the heat of his skin, elusively, unbearably comforting against the bare skin of her shoulders.

It feels good being this close to somebody else. But Natasha can’t let Jake Seresin, of all people, know just how lonely it feels to never be able to let her guard down. He can’t know how much it will set her apart from the others in their cohort above and beyond the way her gender already does.

“I did.” Her voice comes out in a whisper so quiet Natasha’s not sure he can hear.

“Yet you’re out here drinking something purple and pink and ridiculously sweet, all while looking like there is something you’d desperately like to forget.” He settles back in his stool, a long leg hooked on the footrest of her stool as he peers knowingly at her. “Are you trying to forget the dressing down Smith gave you today?”

Natasha shrugs, alcohol making her limbs uncooperative. “Others made mistakes, too. Why were mine so severe that they deserved a public audience? Or if they were severe, surely someone else had made a mistake equally as severe and deserved the same treatment?”

She sips on her drink, trying to ignore how her eyes sting, and her throat is tight. “Of course,” she rasps after swallowing, “it’s not like the perfect Jake Seresin knows how to make a mistake.” Natasha realizes that she’s murmuring that fact like it’s a secret, leaning into his lushly scented space like she craves the nearness of his skin. Maybe she’s already drunk too many of these pretty little drinks for her sanity?

“I make mistakes, Natasha.” He’s just as close as she is to him; the two of them nearly braced against each other like they’d collapse, marionettes without strings, if they weren’t so close and if they couldn’t prop each other up.

“Who said you can call me Natasha?” Her words are as spicy as the sips of top-shelf liquor dripping down her throat, but her smile is as sweet as the syrup of a maraschino cherry. He chuckles, dimples on full display as he tugs her stool closer to compensate for her listing sway on her tri-legged perch.

“What made you start drinking these lovely Phoenix cocktails, hmm?”

Oh, the room seems to be swimming a bit more. Jake’s so close Natasha can see motes of amber in the mercurial stormy green of his eyes.

“How much do you know about phoenixes, Seresin?”

“No matter how much I know, I get the feeling you’re going to tell me anyway, Natasha.”

She snorts, swigging back the last bit of her drink, running the tip of her finger along the rim of her glass, mesmerized by the sparkling residue left behind on her skin.

“Phoenixes are mythical beasts found in Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology. Of course, you probably know how they set themselves on fire and are reborn from the flames. As a result of this imagery, they were associated with immortality.” Huddled in against the counter as they are, Natasha can’t say if there is anyone else even in the room.

“But they’re more than that to me.” Her inhale is shaky even as she sips from the cup of water, cold and crisp, which has suddenly appeared at her elbow. “It’s probably painful to be burned alive and then reborn as a chick. But it also takes a lot of strength.”

To her surprise, Jake is still listening, one long-fingered hand tapping at the water glass in her sweat-damp palms when she pauses, prompting her to drink sip after sip.

“I…” She swallows with a mouth as dry as the Sahara Desert. “I, well, I hope to somehow have that same strength. So when a day like today happens, I find a bar that serves Phoenixes, drink them all night until the sting of failure and my despair and my loneliness wash away.”

“Is it working tonight?”

Natasha hums as she drinks yet another sip from her never-ending, always full glass. “I’m not sure it ever really did.”

“For what it’s worth, we both know you weren’t making more mistakes than any of those other idiots we fly with.” His smile is special and soft, filling the cavity of her chest with a softly flickering warmth at odds with the sharp burn of the liquor. “You’re good at what you do, Natasha. You could fly circles around all of them. You fly circles around me, too.”

Natasha can’t believe what she’s hearing. There’s no way Jake Seresin is admitting that Natasha Trace can be better than he is. She stands without realizing, her legs about as sturdy as those of a newborn giraffe. All of the alcohol rushes to her head with a vengeance.

“Have you closed out your tab?” She nods, desperately trying to keep a hold of her swimming head and her roiling stomach. She staggers her way out of the bar, trying desperately to navigate to the Uber app without stumbling over her high heels or face-planting into another of the patrons. An arm wraps around her waist before she can even get to the doors.

“C’mon, Natasha.” Her feet are steadier due to his support. “I’ve got you, darling.”

The endearment, in an undertone colored by a Texan twang, sounds tenderly fond as it’s rasped into her ears. The air is cool outside the bar as she staggers to a stop against a truck in the parking lot. There’s a click as the doors unlock, and when Jake opens the door, the step is so high that when she lifts her leg up, she nearly falls into the gravel, so impaired is her sense of balance.

“I’ve gotcha, darling.” Those same big hands brace her under her knees and behind her shoulders as they heft her into the seat of the truck. Sitting in the cab, she’s even more surrounded by his scent. But he doesn’t close the door immediately. Instead, Jake Seresin unlaces each of her strappy heels and sets them in the footwell of her seat. His fingers, warm and calloused, massage firmly at her stiff, aching arches until she feels like putty in his hands.

“You’re pretty good at that, Seresin.” He smiles again, a devastatingly tender quirk of his lips that barely creates that dimple in his cheek she’s quickly coming to adore.

“I like working with my hands.” It seems like he’s downplaying the true reason. This humble side of Jake Seresin is something she’s never seen before, something she likes. She fists her hands in the collar of his soft pullover and tugs him up until his arms are braced on the seat on either side of her, and his face is inches from her own. Thinking back on it, Natasha’s not sure who made the first move. All she remembers is the taste of whiskey on his tongue as her fingers grasp at the soft curls against the back of his neck. His mouth feels divine, thin lips just the right level of wet and soft as they move against hers. There’s heat making her flush as his hands cup the back of her neck.

When Jake Seresin pulls away with a question in his eyes, Natasha’s almost sure she can guess the words about to leave his lips. It’s going to be some variation of ‘Would you like to come home with me’, no doubt. But instead, he presses more of those warm, tender kisses across her bare shoulders, throat, collarbones, and cheeks. When he presses a lingering kiss to her forehead, Natasha’s eyes flutter closed.

“Let me take you home, darling.”

Those words, in a hauntingly tender tone, stick in her mind all weekend long, even when she’s hungover and curled up under her sheets. It feels like something has changed between her and Jake Seresin, inexplicably and totally. Or maybe it’s the sense of confidence Jake Seresin has instilled in her. One night, a few drinks, and his presence are all she needs to boost her mood? It’s ridiculous. Walking into the classroom on Monday morning at 0700 hours sharp and seeing Seresin laughing with the others like nothing has happened feels almost like a slap to the face. He doesn’t look at her or speak to her. Natasha’s sure the Jake of that hazy dream-like Friday evening was only looking for one thing, which he didn’t get when he needed to babysit her drunk ass.

By the time she’s in her flight suit and kitted out with her helmet in hand, she's ready to smoke every man she has to fly with, especially one Jake Seresin. Sure enough, Natasha’s cold, calculated, and on her game that day. She doesn’t make a single mistake. Of course, Smith doesn’t so much as nod in her direction, but it’s enough to hear the men grumble as her flight is used as the exemplar for their hop. When they’re dismissed, nobody tells her goodbye. Monroe and Williams are still whining and moaning about her success and their subsequent dressing down from Smith. But Jake Seresin’s smiling at her, that crooked tender grin, and saying, “See you tomorrow, Phoenix!”

Under the stars awaken To the sound of a firebird

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN ON AO3, ON WATTPAD, OR ON TUMBLR BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE, ON WATTPAD, OR TUMBLR, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

Taglist:

@desert-fern @horseshoegirl @dakotakazansky @sarahsmi13s @teacupsandtopgun @callsignspitfire @roosterforme @mak-32 @beyondthesefourwalls @thedroneranger @cherrycola27 @kmc1989 @chaoticassidy @shanimallina87

#star writes #top gun fanfic #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick fanfic #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun imagine #natasha phoenix trace #phoenix #natasha trace #jake hangman seresin #hangman #jake seresin #natasha phoenix trace x jake hangman seresin #natasha trace x jake seresin #phoenix x hangman #jake hangman seresin x natasha phoenix trace #jake seresin x natasha trace #hangman x phoenix #hannix

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blue-aconite · 1 year

Text

permanent || b.c.s

Summary: “Do you like it?” He’s wrapping his arms around her, his chin resting on the top of her head as they stare down the path.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1038

Pairings: Beau Simpson x f!reader

Authors Note: I don’t know what happened, but Cyclone wanted to say hi. Thank you my loves @ereardon @yanna-banana and @writercole for beta’ing and Cole for the title as well!

- Leave your weekend open. Got time off. We’re going away.

She stared at the text, salad forgotten. Going away for the weekend was a big deal. She turned to Danielle, showing her the phone.

“What do you think?” She chewed on her bottom lip, her unoccupied hand tapping the table.

“I think you should stop second guessing this and just go. Take a leap. You’ve had a fun couple of weeks, right? He’s handsome, kind and I know you don’t want to hear this, but you never shut up about him.” Danielle wiggled her eyebrows, making her laugh.

Danielle was right. Even though they had only been seeing each other for a couple of weeks, she was hooked. He was everything she looked for in a partner, something she didn’t think she would find again after Adam.

But then she met Beau. She had been distracted during her run one morning, slamming straight into him, falling flat on her ass and spilling his coffee all over his front. Instead of the scolding she had expected, he had helped her up from the ground and apologised for not getting out of her way. In turn, she had apologised for the spilled coffee. They made small talk and she was pleasantly surprised when she left the encounter with his number and a promise of dinner.

Things had gone smoothly since. He worked long hours but she didn’t mind. He still made time for her and while they hadn’t put any labels on their situation, she felt like it was heading somewhere serious.

Especially now, after receiving his text.

“Oh my god, stop thinking so much. Just go. Spend the weekend with your sexy admiral and have lots of steamy sex. You need it.”

She rubbed her forehead at Danielle’s words, but couldn’t hide a smile. A weekend away with Beau sounded lovely. She picked up her phone, opening their conversation.

- Sounds wonderful. What should I pack?

“Hi darling. You look lovely.” Beau grabbed her bag and opened the door for her at the same time, ever the gentleman.

“Beau, I'm wearing sweatpants.” she chuckled, squeezing his bicep in thanks as he helped her into the car.

He pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth, putting his arm behind her seat to reverse out of the driveway. “And you look lovely. I did say dress comfortably for the ride.”

“So where are we going? Your packing list didn’t exactly make it easier to figure out.” She twisted in her seat, hand settling comfortably on his thigh, feeling the muscles jump under her touch.

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out, kitten. Be patient.” He laced their fingers together, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. “It’s a bit of a drive, why don’t you rest. I’ll wake you when we get there.”

She keeps their hands intertwined as she rests against the cool window, Beau’s hand warm in her own.

The resort is beautiful, just shy of a two-hour drive from San Diego. Beau refuses to let her carry the bags, and still manages to hold her hand while they check in and head to their bungalow.

There’s a small path leading down to the beach and the deck outside the housing is surrounded by palm trees and colourful flowers. The inside is decorated with a cosy bohemian vibe and she admires the large bathroom with the tub, and rows with scented bath salts and other products.

There’s a dip in the floor and sliding doors leading onto a small deck and a pool overlooking the ocean, lounge chairs situated on the side.

Beau is busy putting away their bags, so she wanders out on the deck in the front, enjoying the quiet.

“Do you like it?” He’s wrapping his arms around her, his chin resting on the top of her head as they stare down the path.

She smiles, turning in his arms. “I love it. Thank you for bringing me here.” She leans up to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth, enjoying the way his hands tighten on her hips.

“Only the best for my girl. You deserve a weekend away, I know work has been tough.”

Work has been tough lately but she gets stuck on the first part of what Beau says. His girl. They hadn’t talked about things and this trip certainly is a step into the future. Stuck in her own head, she doesn’t notice the worried expression on Beau’s face.

“What’s wrong? Talk to me, beautiful." He's guiding them to sit down on the outdoor seating, keeping their hands intertwined as he kneels in front of her. She musters up a smile, reaching out to smooth a hand over his furrowed brow.

“Nothing is wrong. I’m just thinking about us. I know we haven’t really talked about stuff and—”

Beau cuts her off, hands cupping her face.“I want more. I want to wake up next to you, fall asleep with you by my side. I want to be the one you call when you’re having a bad day. I know it’s still early but I’m old enough to know that this feeling is permanent. I know what I want. And that’s you.”

If she wasn’t sure about her feelings before, she is now. Never has a man affected her like Beau Simpson. Never has she felt this way before. He’s the one. His words only confirm what her heart already knows.

She smiles, leaning into his touch. “I’m in love with you. I want that too.” She can’t say it in the way he does but her words are enough for him.

“I’m in love with you too. If my speech didn’t convey that,” he laughs, pressing their foreheads together.

Beau kisses her then, softly, his hands leaving her face in favour of pulling her closer by her waist. She can’t help but smile into the kiss, almost laughing.

“I would really like to check out the beach. But I think a quality test of the bed is first in order.” Beau laughs with her, hoisting her into his arms and marching through the door.

“Yes dear, I think you’re right.”

Taglist: @writercole @wildbornsiren @antiquitea @imjess-themess @therebeccaw @hederasgarden @fuckyeahhangman @princessmisery666 @a-reader-and-a-writer @princessphilly @anniesocsandgeneralstore @yanna-banana @angstybluejay @shaded-echoes @green-socks @call-sign-jinx @ereardon @bobfloydsbabe @seresinhangmanjake @luminousnotmatter @top-hhun @ayorooster @crescentwolf @indynerdgirl @gigisimsonmars @kkrenae @khaylin27 @hollandorks @somenamewithepineapple @thedroneranger @call-sign-jinx @xoxabs88xox let me know if you want to be added/removed

#fe writes #top gun maverick fic #beau simpson x reader #cyclone x reader #beau cyclone simpson

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ereardon · 2 years

Text

Slow Burn [Chapter 4][Hangman x Reader]

Summary: A one night stand with Hangman disrupts the fresh start you were looking for when moving to San Diego. The unexpected pregnancy forces you two to move fast, and brings with it some hurdles along the way as you and Jake learn how to live with each other. As the months go by, you slowly get to know the real Jake, but when old flames reappear and work obstacles threaten to topple everything, your relationship is put to the test.

WC: 3.7K

Warnings: Cursing, pregnancy, no use of Y/N, alcohol, some smut

Full series masterlist here; previous chapter here; next chapter here

Jake’s bed was cold.

He had been gone for three weeks, and you had resorted to sleeping in his bed to try and pretend like the house wasn’t as empty as it felt without him.

Lucy helped you put up a Christmas tree in the living room, and at night you would drink tea and sit on the couch watching the lights. Sometimes, you would lie down with your head resting under the tree and look up at the lights, watching them blur in and out.

There was only one present under the tree. The one you had wrapped for Jake and placed there after he left.

You felt the baby kick for the first time when you were at the office, and the action had you doubled over in shock. A colleague looked at you in fear, asking if you were alright and when you explained the feeling she had laughed and placed her hand on yours.

“That’s a kick, dear,” she said quietly.

You didn’t have the heart to tell her you didn’t have a mother around to explain things to you. That you had never had a proper role model in your life. How terrified you were that it would impact your child.

Instead, you had smiled and excused yourself, pretending you were late for a meeting.

You waited for a call that never came. Jake hadn’t explained how deployment worked on a mission like this. You knew shockingly little about his career, other than it was terrifying and how unbelievably sexy he looked in his uniform.

The morning he had left, you’d woken up in a sweat. It was still dark outside, the lamp post outside your bedroom window glowing and lighting up half the street, and you heard Jake shuffling downstairs.

From the staircase landing, you saw him piling bags in his truck, heading up the steps for one last trip to the car.

“Kate,” he whispered, when he opened the door to see you standing in your pajamas near the landing.

“Were you going to say goodbye?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t want to wake you.” Jake stuffed his hands into his pockets. He was wearing an olive green flight suit and boots and he had never looked more handsome.

You stepped closer, and wrapped your arms around him. He sunk into your embrace, his hands coming around your back, one threading itself in your hair. “Come home safe.”

Jake pulled back and pressed a hand to your cheek. “It’s a promise.”

He leaned down and slid his lips over yours, more of a brush than anything, before stepping out the door with a final glance.

You kept yourself busy while he was gone. Buying baby clothes and setting up the nursery. You even enlisted Lucy to come help paint it a soft sage color, lining up an array of botanical prints over the new dresser that held a changing station on the top.

The man who had delivered the furniture – the dresser, a glider, a crib – had looked around the room and spotted one of Jake’s medals on the bookshelf.

“Is your husband in the Navy?”

You nodded, thinking it was easier to agree than correct him.

“Thank him for his service,” the man said, tipping his hat on his way out.

You had moved the medal to a more prominent spot on the shelf after that.

Days blurred together. You didn’t even realize that it was Christmas until Lucy called.

“Merry Christmas Eve!” Her voice on the other end of the line was so chipper it gave you a migraine.

“Fuck, it’s Christmas Eve already?”

“You seriously had no idea?” She huffed. “That’s just like you.”

“Things have been really busy at work lately.”

“Well it’s Saturday and it’s Christmas Eve, which means I am coming over tomorrow because you are not spending Christmas Day alone. Do you have food?” Lucy was an atrocious cook, had been since you two roomed together right after college. That was back in New York, before she took the job out in San Diego and convinced you to follow her after Brody. And after everything, that had been the easiest yes of your life.

You sighed and opened the fridge. “Not really?”

“OK, go get some groceries and tomorrow we will make a feast and watch movies and I promise it’ll be the best Christmas you’ve ever spent.”

You laid your hand on your stomach. Even since Jake had been gone it felt like you had grown exponentially. “OK deal.”

She squealed on the other end. “Get pie ingredients! I love you.”

The grocery store was packed, but one positive thing about being pregnant was people were quick to help. One man lifted a ham into your cart for you, and another man and his son helped load your groceries into the car. You thanked them both, pink cheeks in the cool December air, and drove off.

Unlike the other houses on the street, Jake’s house did not have Christmas lights strung up outside. He had left before you could even think of it, and it wasn’t your house so you didn’t feel comfortable hiring someone to do it. You were sure Jake wouldn’t mind, but you still didn’t want to intrude. There had been very little discussed about how long your living arrangement would last. So you had done what the books told you – nested. It was weird and you felt like you were missing something. There was no partner around to take to doctor’s appointments or fold freshly washed baby onesies with. No one to rub your swollen ankles or complain to when your jeans stopped buttoning.

By the time you had lugged everything inside you were exhausted. After a hot shower, you looked around for clothes only to realize you hadn’t done any laundry in almost a week and a half, and all of your comfortable clothes were dirty. A blush crept over your face as you tiptoed into Jake’s walk-in closet and pulled one of his Naval Academy sweatshirts on, sighing as it fell easily past your stretched belly.

Downstairs, you heated up a bowl of leftover pasta and settled in front of the TV on the couch, pulling a blanket over your lap. One cheesy Christmas movie quickly faded into another, and it wasn’t until you heard a loud thump that you jolted up, realized you had fallen asleep in front of the screen.

Your heart raced and you looked around quickly for an object to use as a weapon and came up short. You couldn’t even sit up quickly.

Slowly, you raised up from your slumped position on the white couch and peered over the back of the sofa into the adjoining kitchen.

A figure appeared in the darkness and you screamed.

“Fuck!” Jake shouted, emerging from the darkness into the glow of the tree lights, his hands up in the air. “Kate, it’s me, it’s me! You’re OK!”

“Jake?” You sat up and it made your head spin, but you didn’t care. Throwing off the blanket, you climbed to standing.

He quickly walked around the dining table, meeting you in front of the tree. “Hey there,” he said quietly and before you knew it you had launched yourself into his arms.

“What are you doing back?” you asked, breathless.

He smiled. “We got relieved early. All of us.”

“Thank God,” you sighed.

Jake pulled back, brushing hair from your cheek. “I could never leave you alone on Christmas.”

You smiled and he dropped down to his knees, pressing his hands to your stomach. “Hi baby. How’s my girl?”

“She’s good,” you said. “Scared as fuck that some random man broke into the house, but good.”

He laughed. “Sorry I woke you up.”

At that moment, the baby kicked and you watched Jake do a double take, pressing his flat palms a little firmer against your skin.

“What was that?” he whispered.

You moved his hand over until it was left of your belly button. “She’s kicking.”

“Holy shit.”

You stood there for a few minutes, Jake’s fingers pressed tightly to your stomach. He was mesmerized. And even though you tried to hide it, desperate to stay awake and be with him, a yawn ripped through you and Jake looked up, concern flooding his eyes.

“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Jake reached out a hand and led you upstairs. He paused near your room and you shuffled awkwardly from side to side.

“Um, I left some stuff in your room.”

“You did, huh?” There was a twinkle in his eye and you wanted to swat it from his face.

“I may or may not have been sleeping in there while you were gone.”

Jake pulled you into his room, spotted the messy comforter and your pajamas from the night before on the floor. His eyes flicked back to you and he noticed you were wearing his sweatshirt. “God, you look sexy wearing my shirt.”

You laughed. “You’re not mad?”

“Mad? Honey, I've wanted you in this room since the first night you got here.” He stepped closer.

You smiled, reaching out to unbutton his shirt slowly, your fingers grazing his bare chest.

“Now why don’t you go shower and when you come out, I’ll give you your shirt back.”

Jake grinned. “The only thing that I like seeing more than you wearing my shirt is you wearing nothing at all.”

You smacked him on the arm and he laughed, setting off toward the en suite bathroom as you stripped down and snuggled under the covers.

Jake’s hand slid over your stomach and you opened your eyes to him crawling into bed, his hair still damp from the shower.

“Did I fall asleep again?” you moaned and he chuckled softly.

“Yes, and I didn't want to wake you but I couldn't help it,” he whispered, inching in closer and you felt his naked body pressed against you. “You look so fucking sexy.”

You groaned and threw one hand over your eyes. “I do not. I smell like ramen.”

Jake laughed and slid one arm under you, pulling your back against his chest and you felt him, hard, against your backside. His fingers moved up to grip your bare breast and you moaned, which Jake took as a cue to thrust against you slowly. “Fuck, I missed this,” he whispered, fingers twisting your nipple. “All I could think about was coming back here to you.”

You turned your head, rolling over slightly to look at Jake. He had his head propped up on one arm, his other shifting with you, still holding tight to your breast before dipping lower, grazing your stomach, fingers headed south between your legs.

“Make love to me, Jake,” you whispered, leaning in close until your lips were barely an inch from his. “I need to feel you inside of me.”

A deep groan bubbled from inside Jake, and he reached out with both hands, grabbing your face and latching his lips onto yours. Jake shifted on top of you, kissing down your neck and chest, hands coming to the belly. “Is this, is this OK?” he whispered. “Am I going to hurt the baby?”

You laughed. “You really think a lot of yourself don’t you?” You looked down at his cock. Jake stayed frozen and you reached out to rest your hand on his. “It’s fine, Jake. Please, I need you.”

And with that he smirked, scooting down and spreading your legs, pressing his lips and tongue against your core.

You cried out as Jake fucked you, soft and slow, and after you both came he cleaned you up and laid down with you wrapped in his arms.

Jake’s lips pressed to your forehead. “I am so lucky to have you to come home to.”

***

For maybe the first time, you woke up before Jake. He looked golden, with the light streaming in on his face and you crawled out of bed as slowly and softly as was possible at six months pregnant.

In the kitchen, you made a pot of coffee and started to pull out the ingredients for french toast. As you lifted the final slice from the pan, you heard Jake padding into the room.

“Merry Christmas,” you said softly, setting down a plate of french toast on the island in front of a bar stool.

Jake lit up, the way you imagined he looked as a kid on Christmas morning. “That smells amazing.”

You slid over a mug of coffee and some maple syrup and took a seat next to him. He rested one hand on your bare leg and took a bite.

“God, that’s good,” he muttered, quickly spearing another piece. “You’re going to make me really fat aren’t you?”

You laughed. “Definitely. That way no other woman ever makes eyes at you.”

“Darlin’, I don’t have eyes for other girls,” he said huskily, not even looking at you as he focused on the rest of his food, but the words still took your breath away for a second.

How had he gone from Hangman at the bar to this man sitting in front of you?

You hobbled off the chair and over to the tree, picking up the gift you had wrapped and left there during his deployment. “I, um, I got you this.” You set it down in front of him. “It’s not a lot,” you warned as he quickly began to undo the wrapping.

Jake pulled off the box top and looked at it, then up at you before he pulled out the small keychain with the ultrasound photo engraved on it.

“I thought maybe you could have it in the cockpit while you’re flying. If they’ll let you,” you added. “Totally understand if you can’t though.”

Jake was silent and you stood there regretting everything. Despite what he had said the night before, in the heat of passion, maybe he was having doubts. You were always afraid of being one step away from being on the streets. That he would leave you, like they always did.

Instead, he reached out and pulled you into a hug, pressing his lips into your hair. “It’s perfect.”

You smiled and sat back down, and this time Jake jumped off his chair. “I got you something, too.”

He was down the hall in the closet before you could call out, “You didn’t have to!”

“I did,” he said quietly, pressing a small box into your hands. You flipped it over a few times, and then slid a finger under the neat wrapping.

A gasp escaped when you pulled off the wrapping and found a small jewelry box. Inside sat a pair of sparkling diamond earrings. You looked up at Jake, mouth wide.

“They were my grandmother’s,” he said softly. “I asked for them over Thanksgiving. She always said they were for me to give to someone important. Who’s more important than the mother of my child?”

Your hand was still covering your mouth, a small tear leaking down your cheek. “Jake, I can’t take these.”

“Of course you can. I want you to have them.”

“They’re beautiful.”

Jake leaned over and kissed you. “Merry Christmas, Kate.”

Out of the blue, the doorbell rang and you both turned to the door. “Shit, it’s Lucy. I totally forgot I invited her over today.”

Jake smiled. “That’s alright, let me get it.”

He opened the door to see Lucy wearing a short mini skirt and tights and a tight white sweater, holding a bottle of champagne in one hand and a sparkling grape juice in another. “Oh!” she said, stepping inside. “Mr. Pilot in the flesh.”

Jake chuckled and took the bottles out of her hand. “You can call me Jake, or Hangman, but Mr. Pilot does have a certain charm about it.”

She raised her eyebrows at you, sitting in just his sweatshirt at the kitchen barstool. “Well, well, what have I interrupted here?”

You laughed and stood up, hugging her. “Sorry, Jake came home last night very unexpectedly. But stay, please? I bought so much food it’s kind of ridiculous.”

She nodded and leaned against the counter, popping a french toast end in her mouth. “I have nowhere else to go.”

Jake turned around from the sink where he was washing the pan. “Um, Kate, I kind of forgot to tell you that I invited a few of the team over today. We got back late yesterday, nobody had time to make holiday plans.”

You blushed, looking down at your unshowered state, and Lucy clapped her hands. “Pilots? Merry Christmas to me.” You rolled your eyes.

“What time are they coming?”

He looked down at his watch. “I said one o’clock.”

“OK, well I should get dressed.”

“You do that, and Lucy and I can get started on some food. Do we have food?”

You laughed and pulled open the fridge to reveal that every shelf was packed. There was a large ham, eggnog, pie, and salad parts. The whole buffet. “I think so.”

Jake pulled you in and kissed your lips. “God, you’re perfect.” Then he spanked you quickly and it shocked you and Lucy. “Go shower, we got this.”

She shot you a raised eyebrow look as you grabbed the jewelry box off the counter and headed upstairs.

***

By the time you returned downstairs, the house was filled with voices. You spotted Rooster and Lucy flirting on the couch, Bob and Coyote stoking the fire in the fireplace, Jake cutting up salad pieces at the kitchen island with Phoenix.

You walked into the kitchen wearing a black turtleneck dress, your hair swept up and Jake’s grandmother’s earrings in your earlobes. He noticed immediately and smiled, setting down the knife and greeting you, even though you’ve only been upstairs for an hour.

“You look amazing.”

You smiled and pushed his arm. “OK, what can I help with?”

Phoenix smiled at you. “Hangman here is on salad duty. Your friend Lucy said you’re the cook and that we shouldn’t touch anything unless you say so.”

You laughed and spotted Lucy across the room giving you a wink. “OK, looks like we have some work to do.”

The team operated like a family. It was clear how much they cared about each other, and it was interesting to see the side of Jake they pulled out. He acted almost like a big brother with Phoenix, like a best friend with Rooster, a frat roommate with Coyote. But the way he was with you — a soft hand on your hip, brushing flour off your cheek, a smile across the living room as you refilled someone’s drink — was obviously a side of him they had never seen. You watched the team shoot looks between each other every time Jake complimented you, or brushed his hand across your stomach.

Lucy and Rooster seemed to pick up exactly where they left off the night you had met Jake, and she took a quick seat next to him at the dining room table when you announced everything was ready. The squad eagerly rushed into the room, gawking at the spread, and you leaned against a chair, smiling.

“Kate, this looks amazing,” Bob said, refilling his water and scooping up a pile of green beans.

“Yeah, this is awesome, thank you,” Coyote added.

Jake kissed your cheek and pulled out your chair. “OK, sit down, please I’m begging you.”

“Fine,” you teased, scooting in as Phoenix leaned over and poured you a glass of lemonade. “Thanks,” you smiled at her.

She gave you a tight lipped smile back. You were still trying to get a read on her.

Jake raised his highball glass at the end of the table. “A toast, to Kate for making us a lovely meal. And to the Navy, for ending our mission short!"

The rest of the team cheered and clinked glasses and for a moment it felt like a Norman Rockwell painting. You had never had so many people, let alone friends or family, to spend the holidays with.

And then it all shattered.

Within ten minutes of eating, just as you started to dig into your baked ham, the doorbell rang. Everyone’s heads turned and Jake gave you a questioning look.

“Are we expecting someone else?”

You shook your head. “No.”

“What are the chances it’s Mav, Penny and Amelia?” Fanboy asked.

Jake stood up and placed his napkin on his chair, walking into the entryway. The curved arch of the wall and door frame hid him from view as he opened the door. “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Kate. Is she here?”

Your blood turned to ice. Lucy shot you a look from across the table, her mouth open wide, and you pushed back from the table, coming to standing.

Before Jake could stop him, you saw him, barreling past the entry into the dining room.

“Hey, dude, what the fuck?” Jake said, slamming the door. “This is my house, you can’t just stroll in. Who are you?”

Brody looked you up and down, taking in your swollen stomach, before gazing across the table of people and zeroing in on Lucy. A sneer plastered across his handsome, wicked face. He turned back to glance at Jake before locking eyes with you, cocking his head. “That guy, really?”

“Brody, what the actual fuck are you doing here?” Lucy asked, her face pale. Rooster’s arm was slung across the back of her chair and his mustache twitched protectively at her tone.

“Man, I’m going to ask you one more time. Who the fuck are you, and what do you want with Kate?”

You could feel the blood freezing as it coursed through your body. Your fingers dug into the white tablecloth of the dining room table, your breath shallow, and you felt Bob’s delicate hand come up to touch your arm in concern.

“Tell them, Katie,” Brody said, crossing his hands over his chest. His eyes locked on your stomach.

“He’s my husband.”

Tag list: @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @rosiahills22 @blue-aconite @barbiegirlbaby @justanothermagicalsara @my-soulmate-is-mycroft @lgg5989 @sqrlgrl22 @okayyypurrrr @khaylin27 @bleuisabella @abaker74 @fangirling-4-ever @dempy @backinwonderl4nd @cool-ultra-nerd @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @belledawnidk @momc95 @oneelleandaneye @xoxabs88xox @shanimallina87 @endofdays56 @lilylilyyyyyy @yougottalovefandoms @mygyn

#jake hangman imagine #jake hangman x you #jake hangman fic #jake seresin #jake hangman x reader #hangman fanfiction #hangman top gun #top gun imagine #top gun x reader #top gun fanfiction #jake seresin x oc #hangman x oc #jake x oc

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lenafromthenordiccoven · 1 month

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Mistress of derailed plans - Bob Floyd x afab!reader - Snippet

I know, I know. It's not done yet. Won't be done until probably end of June - and even then, I'll only post the full fic on ao3. (Sorry, guys.) STILL, I wanted to post something to tide you guys over, sooooooo. Here's a little snippet for the "Bob has a whole-ass date day planned out for when he finally asks you to marry him"-oneshot. There's gonna be fluff. And smut. Of course, there'll be smut. Enjoy. (And maybe this'll give me a motivational boost to finish the sucker.)

---

The smell of pancakes drifted into your consciousness and permeated your dream as you slowly woke from the almost comatose sleep you’d fallen into after Bob had picked you up from the airport last night and you’d celebrated your reunion and his impending promotion. Your mind dimly registered that the bed was empty behind you, but as you squinted – not willing to fully open your eyes and wake up yet –, you saw the cause. Bob was in the middle of setting down a tray table on your nightstand, a plate with pancakes and a mug of what you assumed to be your favourite brand of Earl Grey on it.

“Oh my god, marry me,” you mumbled, still half asleep before stretching.

Bob froze. Damn it. Had you really just asked him that? It wasn’t like he didn’t have ulterior motives for bringing you breakfast in bed or that he didn’t enjoy spoiling you when you were together for once. But he’d had a plan for this. Breakfast in bed was only the start. Hopefully, you’d spend a lazy morning in bed, maybe unpack a little. Then he wanted to take you to the new bookshop that had opened in Coronado. Maybe, if you were feeling up to it, you could also get tickets for the Midway museum you’d wanted to visit ever since he’d told you, he would be stationed in San Diego a little longer than anticipated. And then in the evening, he’d made dinner reservations at a beachfront restaurant. Ending the evening with a stroll on the beach and him popping the question. Either on the beach if there were no other people there, or at home on his newly renovated deck. He’d even bought a ring not long after you’d sent him a TikTok of a custom engagement ring you actually liked.

You finally sat up and blinked up at Bob, still frozen in place. You sometimes imagined, there’d be an error message popping up when something you did or said overwhelmed him. Bob.exe has stopped working. You reached out your hand to touch his arm and tug him towards the bed. “Earth to Bob, everything okay?”

As if your words and your touch finally ended his stupor, he blinked rapidly a few times before his sky-blue eyes focused on you. His lips stretched into a smile, and you could see the blush creeping along his cheeks and down his neck. “Y-yeah. I just…wasn’t expecting that to come out of your mouth.”

Fuck. You’d actually said that out loud? Shit. Shit. Shit. While your relationship and your views on marriage might not be all that traditional, you knew, Bob wanted to do some things the traditional way. What if you’d just spooked him? “Well, uh. I think it’s safe to say whatever comes out of my mouth while I’m half asleep is to be taken with a grain of salt?”

Bob almost snorted at your phrasing. You usually resorted to an almost academic way of speaking when you were nervous or embarrassed about something. Apparently, this was one of such times. “So, you don’t wanna marry me?” His lips twitched and he looked down at you, with an eyebrow raised.

“That is not what I’m saying!” you immediately flew into self-defense mode. “Just ignore what I said, okay? It was a weird way for my brain to express how I feel about you. Especially if you bring me breakfast in bed.” You tugged more on his arm, almost pulling him down onto you, so you could wrap one of your arms around his neck. Almost instinctively, Bob leaned in closer to kiss you. You hummed against his lips, the love you felt for this man coursing through your veins with every beat of your heart, your pulse accelerating.

“Apology accepted,” Bob mumbled against your lips and crawled back onto the bed, trying to keep his full weight off of you.

#sophie rambles #sophie writes #bob floyd x reader #fic: mistress of derailed plans #fic snippet #bob floyd x f!reader #bob floyd x you

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lorifragolina · 6 months

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Fortune Favours the Brave

Rating: T Relationship: Steve Harrington/Billy Hargrove WT: None Words: 2314 Harringrove droplets

This is the first Harringrove I posted... Harringrove is my bloved ship and this series is one of my favourite, I planned some domestic life of them in Cali... Hope you enjoy!

Billy Hargrove ran away the night after graduation.

He grabbed a bag of clothes, some tapes and his few precious things.

At 4 a.m, he woke up his sister and said goodbye just to her.

- Ehi, shitbird- he lightly shook up Max who opened her eyes with difficulty.

- Shitbird, I’m leaving - he whispered.

- Where? - muttered Max with a sleepy voice, confused.

- To Cali. I will call you sometimes, ok? Don’t be worried-.

He hugged Max, who frankly was having trouble understanding.

- Ok- Max weakly returned the hug, and then Billy closed the door behind him and disappeared. Max was almost convinced to have a strange dream until morning.

He stole his father’s hidden money, threw his bag in the trunk and closed the driver door. He took a deep breath and started the car.

Billy drove down the street until Hawkins exit with his heart in his mouth. It was more difficult getting to the highway, forcing himself not to stop in a particular place, than all the road in the following three days.

He called Max a couple of times from the road, talking only if she picked up in person, and she kept the secret with their family and friends. Billy was thinking of returning to San Diego, but at last he decided to go to Los Angeles, for a fresh start. He found a lifeguard job in a fancy resort near Venice Beach, surfing in spare time or simply sitting on the beach in the sun, feeling the heat in his face and enjoying a sort of inner peace. Sometimes he had to fight a particular biting thought from back in Hawkins, but after all he felt things going smooth for the first time in ages.

That day of July was torrid, but the ocean breeze refreshed the air in the evening. Billy ended his shift and walked to his car smoking, smelling the glow of the sunset and thinking of the little pleasures waiting at home, a beer and a fruit salad he made in the morning and the Valley view in the night from his terrace.

He had to stop suddenly and look two times to be sure, and the hand that was holding the cig stopped in middle air. He had to hold his breath, and the smoke got off his mouth alone, creating a halo between his eyes and the person in front of him.

- Harrington- he whispered. Am I dreaming…

Steve Harrington was standing against his BMW, shorts, a short sleeve floral shirt unbuttoned above his pecs, boat shoes and his green Wayfarer on his face, a cig burning lazily in his hand.

- Yes, it’s me, amigo - smiled Steve, taking off his sunglasses with a grin. His hair was a little longer, he looked tired and unkempt, but his eyes were sparkling.

Billy snickered and smiled in return, his throat getting dry for the surprise, and speechless for an instant.

- What are you doin’ here? -

Steve took a drag of his cig as it would be absolutely normal being there, two thousand miles away from his home.

- A little holiday- he let the smoke off and looked at Billy so intensely that he had to lower his eyes.

A little holiday from my misery thought Steve. I was heartbroken when you disappeared .

- Don’t you always live on holiday? - mocked Billy.

- Well, not always… - whispered Steve, very slightly. - The pool parties aren't the same without you- answered then, copying Billy's mocking tone.

- I’m sure you had a good time anyway-.

I threw that party just for you. Steve squinted.

—-

- Curious you have a pool at home but you’re so lame at swimming- mocked Billy, gasping hardly after their race at school’s pool. Billy won but had a hard time competing with him, winning just for a second. He was painting, and Steve appeared almost fresh and relaxed.

- Pool at home is not for training, it’s for showing…- Billy wasn’t sure, because he was drying himself with the towel, but Steve apparently blinked him an eye after staring at his body with a glance.

- Well, they say you don’t show it a lot…-

Steve stared at him, this time Billy was sure he was chewing his cheek.

- What if I throw a graduation party- said Steve at the end.

Billy blushed a little against his will. - No way I’m missing this-.

And indeed he missed it.

Nobody noticed Billy was gone until the party, two days after graduation day, nor Steve. He waited heartbroken all night and Billy didn’t show up. He was nowhere to be found and nobody knew anything.

——

I would wait for you at the pool in the starlight and I would come near you and I would touch you, thought Steve, knowing he did all that just to kiss Billy and tell him his feelings.

The light breeze caught the ash on Steve’s shirt. Billy came nearer, eyes chained to Steve’s, and gently dusted off the ash from the other. Steve hold his breath and moved forward just a little. Billy blushed slightly and smiled.

- Where do you stay?- whispered Billy.

- At the Plaza- chuckled Steve, looking at him with a grin. - I will look for a place later-.

Billy tilted his head to the Camaro - Come with me. Come on-.

Steve opened his car. - Let your car here. There’s security all night, nobody’ll touch it-

Steve appeared still hesitant. - You could never follow me on these streets- grinned Billy, and finally Steve took his bag and opened the passenger door of the Camaro.

Billy drove out of the city and up the hill. Steve looked at him furtively for a while, he was more tanned than in Indiana, his curls were a little longer and blonder, he looked glowing in the sunset light through the car window, really matching the heat and the atmosphere, Steve couldn’t help but think he was absolutely stunning.

At a crosslight, Billy suddenly turned to him and caught his stare. Steve turned his face away, blushing, and couldn’t see Billy blushing in turn.

- How do you find me? - asked Billy after a while. The boulevard was crowded and they were stucking in a traffic jam.

Steve sighted, without looking at him.

I don’t feel proud to rob to a little girl, but I’m happy I found how to track you.

——

Steve passed a few days in a horrible mood. He couldn’t stop thinking of Billy and how empty he felt now he had run away without any warning. He was hurt, because he and Billy had grown a little closer in the last months, but Billy did not consider him trustworthy. And he was angry and sad because he had no hope to know where he went. Nobody seemed to care about him, Billy had little to no friends and he couldn’t simply go around asking. He would ask Max, but he couldn’t explain to her why he wanted to know. Because I wanted to kiss him and I’m heartbroken wasn’t something he felt comfortable to say.

But one day the kids came for a pool afternoon at his home and Max sneaked to his father’s studio to make a phone call. He didn’t mean it, but he overheard her talking hidden there while passing in the hallway.

- .. he doesn’t let me pick up anymore! - she was saying. And then - … ok, I stay at El’s this weekend, call Hopper’s cabin…-

Lucas came from the living room calling Max, and Steve ran away to the kitchen. Max rapidly closed the call and came out of the studio, Steve could see she put a piece of paper in her pocket.

No, he didn’t feel proud when he searched her pockets when she undressed to go swimming, but when he dialed the number and a kind girl answered the phone from a country club in Los Angeles, near Santa Monica Boulevard, he knew it was worth the shame. It wasn’t difficult to ask the kind girl for directions and it was enough for him to jump in the car, and leave like Billy six weeks before.

——

- How do you find me? - asked Billy.

- I told you, I was around. I spotted your car and I try-.

Billy looked at him, but didn’t say anything.

They left the city center behind them and Billy started to drive faster up the hill, to the Valley. He had to admit that he probably couldn’t follow him on that road. He enjoyed the view of the valley and the big houses they passed by.

- Where are we going? You live here? - asked Steve.

- You’ll see- grinned Billy, grabbing the wheel stronger.

His heart was racing almost as fast as his car. Steve was the last person he expected to see, there or in another part of the world. But he was the only person he, deep inside and against his will, would see again with all his heart.

Billy opened a gate with a remote and stopped the car in front of a fancy condo with a view on the lights of the city.

Steve whistled. - You live here? How do you… -

Billy grinned and showed him the way, through the garden and the elevator, and then opened a door on a lavish apartment, with an elegant living room and an enormous glass wall to the balcony. Billy closed the door behind Steve and enjoyed his wide eyes.

- It’s my boss’. He and most of the other people are out for summer. He let me stay to keep an eye around- .

He showed Steve the guest room, lingering a little on the door, looking at him near the bed, but then he went away. Steve placed his bag and went to look around.

The place was tidy and cozy, he could feel Billy’s presence but it wasn’t the messy bachelor place he was expecting at first.

And there was a spectacular pool out in the garden.

- Look who has a pool to show now!- he laughed, and Billy smiled too.

- Yeah, basically all for myself now. You can have your party if you want- . Billy said it lightly, then he bit his lips, but the words were already out. The truth was, he was thinking about the pool party from the moment Steve said it.

- Just the two of us? - whispered Steve, his heart pounding wildly.

Billy nodded. His face was red and he tried to hide it from Steve.

He really wanted to go to the graduation party at Steve’s. He was daydreaming about him emerging from the pool, all glowing for the droplets and the starlight, and getting close to him, and looking him in the eyes, and maybe…

But the days before graduation had been a living hell at home. Billy really needed to go away, it was either kill or be killed, and he sneaked away in the night as the coward he was.

If, if only you let me get closer, if you let me touch you, if you let me… I won’t be brave enough to leave at last.

Billy grabbed the kitchen counter until his knuckles became white. Sometimes, back in Hawkins, he felt that Steve was testing the waters with him, so to speak, and now he was there, but… probably it was only for a simple holiday, as he told earlier.

Steve appeared in front of him in his trunks. Billy indulged a second too much on the shape of his body, and he tried to hide his blushing and shaking, collecting some beers from the fridge.

Steve sat on the edge of the pool, moving his feet in the water. He cracked a beer and looked at Billy taking off the shirt and cleanly diving. Steve already saw his grace and strength at the school swimming pool, and his heart exploded for pleasure.

Billy swam a little, then emerged at Steve’s side, putting a hand near his’ in the edge. Steve held his breath looking him in the eyes, waiting for a move of his hand and wishing for it. He moved towards him but Billy reached out for the beers and grabbed a can, lowering his eyes. He looked at the lights from the city and Steve looked at them too. They were alone, there were only the lights of the pool and the light rustle of the summer breeze between them.

Steve slipped into the pool. Billy stayed lazily leaning on the side, looking at Steve with the corner of his eyes and trying to stay cool, shaking internally. Steve got nearer and Billy was forced to turn in front of him and face him.

Steve looked to his eyes fiercely, and Billy’s eyelids flickered under his glare. Droplets dancing on his arms and chest hair, he was shining and Billy couldn’t simply think of anything else.

Steve took a long breath and reached out to his arm, tracing the shape of his biceps with a finger. He moved a wet curl from Billy’s neck and rubbed the hand on his nape. Billy closed his eyes while he drew near and they felt each other breath.

I wanted to kiss you at the pool party.

They lightly touched their lips, they were salty and chlorine and warm, and Billy hugged Steve hips with a soft moaning, and Steve smiled on his lips.

He caressed his cheek and looked him again into the eyes.

- I knew…- whispered Steve, resting his forehead on Billy’s forehead, in pure bliss.

- What…?- whispered Billy in return.

- I knew that if I kissed you I would never be able to return to Hawkins- smiled Steve.

Billy smiled suddenly, with wet and watery eyes. - Then you’re braver than me- mumbled with a broken voice, cupping Steve’s face and peppering a lot of sweet kiss on his lips.

That night they felt brave enough not to leave each other's arms.

#stranger things #billy hargrove #writing #harringrove #steve harrington #steve x billy #stranger things fanfic

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quietmindretreat1 · 1 year

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Meditation retreat center in San Diego

Looking for a peaceful escape in San Diego? Come to Quiet Mind Mountain Retreat, the perfect meditation retreat center for those seeking a tranquil space to unwind and recharge. Our beautiful mountain setting and expert guidance will help you find the inner peace and clarity you seek. Book your stay now.

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thegoddamnwordsmith · 11 months

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Vote the EcoVivarium Reptile Rescue in the 2024 All-in 4 Change grant program!

Hello, everyone!

Harrah’s Resort Southern California has opened voting for their annual “All-in 4 Change” grant program, where fifteen non-profits in the San Diego, Riverside, and Orange County areas are awarded a portion of a $150,000 cash grant to fund their efforts in helping people and animals through the various programs they run. This year, the non-profit reptile rescue and living museum, the EcoVivarium Reptile Sanctuary, is one of the nominees. EcoVivarium is a cause very close to home for me – members of my family either work there or volunteer there, and we have adopted a number of animals through them, which is why I would like to ask that anyone interested please cast a vote for them. Each person can vote once per day, so if you’re so inclined, please help get EcoVivarium to the top slot! Voting is open until August 28th.

What is the EcoVivarium Reptile Sanctuary?

Located in Escondido, EcoVivarium is one of the largest reptile, amphibian, and arthropod rescues in the United States. Since 2009, they have been devoted to the health and well-being of the animals that come through their doors, and educating children and adults alike about these unique, often misunderstood and misrepresented creatures. EcoVivarium handles many educational programs, both on-site and abroad, as well as birthday parties and events, where people can learn about lizards, snakes, turtles, tortoises, frogs, and arthropods first-hand, even gaining hands-on experiences with some of them. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about these animals, and has the patience to help even the most misgiving of people the chance to understand these wonderful creatures. In addition to their extensive special programs, EcoVivarium hosts regular on-site tours, both for walk-in customers and advanced reservations. Visitors will get the chance to pet and even hold a variety of animals, as well as meet some of the Animal Ambassadors, such as Ed the Galapagos Tortoise or Mac the Giant Water Monitor Lizard.

On top of this, EcoVivarium also has limited adoption options you can explore if you would like to add a new member to your family and provide a forever home to one of these wonderful animals. As a reptile rescue, they receive many animals regularly, either due to owner neglect or inability to provide for them, or due to injuries and special needs. Many animals will end up calling EcoVivarium their home, due to factors requiring special care (injuries, trauma-related temperament issues, and/or permit-related legal issues regarding private ownership), but still many more are ready to find a permanent family beyond the facility, one who is ready to love and care for a unique, but incredible friend. As of this writing, there are over 400 animals in EcoVivarium’s care, and with so many of them needing special attention, finding homes for those who are capable of being adopted out is a high priority.

EcoVivarium is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, with all funds going directly back into animal care and facility maintenance. The organization is handled by a small staff of animal care professionals and educators, supplemented with a number of volunteers of all ages. For more information, please feel free to contact me, or you can contact them directly at Home - EcoVivarium.

Aside from this grant program, they can be donated to directly as well. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.

#reptiles #animal rescue #nonprofit #ecovivarium #ed the tortoise #lizards #snakes #turtles #tortoises #reptiblr #reptumblr

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thisnightissparkling089 · 4 months

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Hopefully helping you pass some time: how was your vacation? 🤗

It was magical😭😭 thank you! We went all over Southern California. San Diego, La Jolla, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Long Beach, and LA.

This is our yearly vacation spot (this was our 3rd year) and I look forward to it every time!

Probably the funniest moment of the trip (though it wasn't funny in the moment) was the drive to LA for our tour of Paramount Studios.

It was (with traffic) about a 2 hour drive from our resort. Which is a bit of a drive, but I'm normally like an 18 hour drive from LA, so why not. Now I checked that route multiple times a day. It was always 2 hours. I think at most, it was 2 hours and 15 minutes.

This tour was supposed to happen in July 2023, but we canceled due to the strikes (I had originally booked it in February 2023, before the strikes even started, so it was a long time coming) so I was very excited and could hardly sleep the night before.

The plan was to leave at 6:30 and get there roughly around 8:30, leaving extra time for traffic and a coffee stop if we had time (we were supposed to check in at 9:15)

It is 5:50am. I am laying in bed on my phone, trying to wake up. Just to verify things, I decide to check the route. You can imagine my complete shock and awe when it pulls up and tells me, in brick red, that it's going to be a 3 hr and 4 minute drive. ETA 9:03am.

I am SCREAMING😂 My poor husband has no idea what is happening. I'm throwing on clothes, grabbing my makeup bag, scrambling to find my deodorant.

We left the resort at 5:59AM and pulled into the lot at 9:16am.

I had a friend tell me "I'm amazed how put together you look in the pictures!" Well, between screaming about how late we were going to be, I had time to do my hair and make up while we drove the I15 going 4 miles per hour😑

But other than that, it was truly the reset I needed! The weather was beautiful (only one day where it was overcast) and there was so much to do. If it wouldn't wreck my family financially, we'd move there in a heartbeat!

Also, while at Paramount, I saw this woman walking around in a long black coat, and I thought she looked familiar, but I just couldn't place her. Well, sure enough, it was Danielle Campbell, who plays Aaron's therapist. So I guess she's going to have a pretty long arc this season!

#asked and answered #chenfordspiral #thank you for this Pauli!#ask me anything #asks

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ifelllikeastar · 20 days

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Tony Gwynn's father encouraged his sons to play ball in the makeshift baseball field that he assembled in their backyard. The setup was a narrow strip of grass that was longer than wide. Pulling the ball too much resulted in it being lost over the neighbor's fence, but left field being short ruled out hitting it to the opposite field as well. Once the brothers' supply of wiffle balls was exhausted, they resorted to using a sock rolled in rubber bands, a wad of tape, or a hardened fig from a neighbor's tree. Gwynn could pull the ball in his backyard, but he would naturally hit it the other way during regular games.

Growing up, he attended Los Angeles Dodgers games and watched his hero, Willie Davis; the Dodgers outfielder had twice as many stolen bases as home runs (398 SB, 182 HR) in his career. Unlike other kids that tracked home run hitters, Gwynn checked the box scores in the newspaper every morning to follow high-average hitters like Pete Rose, George Brett and Rod Carew.

Tony Gwynn was best known for his 20-year career with the San Diego Padres. Nicknamed "Mr. Padre," he is regarded one of the all-time greatest hitters in the history of baseball. Gwynn was an outfielder who excelled in batting, earning eight batting titles and finishing his career with a .338 average. As a left handed swinger he had 3,141 hits and struck out only 434 times in 9,288 at-bats. A 15-time All-Star, Gwynn was also an exceptional fielder, earning five Gold Glove Awards. He led the Padres to two World Series appearances, in 1984 and 1998, although they fell short of winning the title on either occasion.

Born Anthony Keith Gwynn Sr. on May 9, 1960 in Los Angeles, California and died June 16, 2014 in Powhatan, California at the age of 56.

#tony gwynn #love #baseball legend #mlb #world series #san deigo #san diego padres #los angeles dodgers #pete rose #george brett #rod Carew #black lives

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itsmaddienotmaddy · 2 years

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Oh this damn sport hurts my soul sometimes

USWNT v The Deutschland

Murphy… well it feels mean to blame her for the own goal. But I do feel comfortable questioning how the hell is she organizing her back line. That’s part of her job as a keeper and whenever she’s in.. full mess. She had some great saves, will never take that away from her though

Alana and Girma.. seemingly a solid future pairing. Some very bright moments pushing the ball up and some clutch saves. Naomi reads as calm but paying attention. Alana’s nonchalance sometimes reads as her not paying attention and getting caught extremely off guard. Right side was the weak side tonight.

Which begs the question. Why in the hell do Alana and Sofia not work better together. Club and country. Same spots. If it’s not fully clicking, I don’t think we should be making fetch happen.

Sofia had a quieter game because she obviously was not able to get up as much. That’s where she thrives. She did have a good physical presence though, I love when she decides she shall NOT be fucked with.

Fox did decent. She gets caught up too far sometimes and just does not react to get back. She was getting beat up out there which was very rude, someone give a helmet. Knee pads. Lil bit of bubble wrap. I think she’s very very good, but I would take a healthy Dunn over Fox.

Dunn. She did well. She wasn’t the game changer I think folks wanted her to be. But she’s a left back, I’m not counting on her to do it all. I think coming back from pregnancy and getting back in the mindset of two different positions should not be looked over. Midfield with club was the first priority. I wouldn’t be surprised if it took a little extra time to get back into defense.

Rose was going x games mode. I understand not overworking her, especially after that scary knee moment in the first half. But if we keep her fully healthy, gonna need to have her for ninety. The movement, the nutmegs. Only thing she was missing was getting off some banger shots. Girlie needed to SHOOT

Captain Lindsey KT tape Horan. She has the vision, she had the ability to create space, she has the headers, she has the bike attempts. Does she have the speed? Negative. I forget who, Alex maybe, tried to give and go with her and miss ma’am just, was not getting to the second ball. I think she had a pretty decent game but fatigue was apparent and I would have taken her off a little sooner.

Andi goes hard. I will always give her that. Broken record, but US Soccer needs to stop trying to pigeon hole her into a Julie Ertz role. The expectation of that position in our formation needs to be ADJUSTED.

I already voiced my opinion on Korn coming in. I think she’s great. Love her at San Diego so much. Don’t love the insistence on putting her in based on heading ability over a legitimate game plan. She shouldn’t be our Hail Mary last resort.

Coffey… at this point, I think it’s good she comes in to get experience. But as a 6, same thing as Andi. We gotta reevaluate what that position means.

Sanchez. Well thank god she came in. I was fucking waiting for that. A lovely spark

Mal. Mal is obviously talented as all get out. I will never argue that. But when she does the SAME ‘fake like she going to continue down the side, cut and explode centrally’ after it hasn’t worked 11 times. Idk maybe she wants to try something else. And if she wants to shoot, and she SHOULD, she needs to stop ruining her own angle

Sophia was doing so much. So much, all of the work. Somewhere… Carli Lloyd is praising her for being a harder worker than those 8 year olds she slandered on Twitter. But after all her work, her final ball was lacking. The amount of times she launched crosses and shots while falling away from the ball… it was too much. It seemed like she felt alone up top and didn’t have a good enough option and tried going alone.

Alex. Was quiet for most of the game. Which I don’t love. But will never doubt her ability to never stop. The tenacity to get the assist that late in the game. THAT Alex. It’s why she’s on the field over other people. Always.

Pinoe really said… hello new baby straights of the uswnt…. Here’s how us old lesbians get shit done. For real though. At least we can still count on her!!

And Trinity. Should have come in at half. Like Coffey, games like this are amazing experience since she is still so young. But her ability to just RUN. When she has 45 to ball out without the expectation of a ninety. She will GO. She showed she can blow past defenders and will come back on defense. She has the oomph we need to inject. More Trin.

And we have to do it again soon! Not in Florida though, so that’s a plus. I would LIKE to see Miss AD FRANCH and Kristen Anne Mewis to get some fuckin minutes.

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devanshxraina · 4 months

Text

━ INTRODUCING DEVANSH ‘DEV’ RAINA

full name: Devansh Raina

nickname(s): Dev, Ansh, Raina

age: 36

birthdate: January 16th 1988

occupation: Owner of Southern Elegance Resort and Spa

currently living in: Orchird Park

gender: Cis Male

pronouns: He/Him

hometown: Seattle, Washington

hello hello !! please give this a like if you’d like me to pop into your dm’s to plot !!

BIOGRAPHY;

Devansh Raina was born to Anil and Sarita Raina in Seattle Washington. His parents had both migrated from India to the United States in the early 1980’s. He had a relatively middle class childhood, nothing to rave about. He was an average student at best, but he was always very active at school. Whether that was sports or different extracurriculars like debate team. Education was something his parents had put a lot of emphasis on but Devansh just wasn’t academically inclined in the same way his parents were. He mostly skirted through on average grades and was happy with that.

When he turned 10, he was told they were moving from Seattle to somewhere in Georgia. That was the worst news for him because he had liked his life in Seattle but at that age he didn’t get to have a say in the family decisions and so they packed up and shifted to Covington, Georgia. The first few months were exceptionally difficult for Dev. He found it hard to adjust, especially have coming in the middle of the school year. But slowly he began to make friends and the next couple years of his life were smooth sailing.

When Devansh was in his last year of high school, he'd thought long and hard about what he'd wanted to do and while no real decisions had been made…his parents, specifically his father was adamant that he go to university and pursue higher education. Fights ensued of course until Devansh loudly declared he was eighteen and therefore able to make his own decisions in life. He’d chosen to travel. He would go around back to Seattle and figure out his own path. Of course his mother was extremely unhappy with this decision, losing her little boy that way but his father had declared that he wanted nothing to do with his son which suited Dev just fine.

He’d travelled by bus across the country, up to Seattle—lived there for a few weeks before making his way down the coast. He’d ended up in San Diego at the same time as one of his closest friends from his time in Covington, Ryan Parrish. Hearing that the other planned on enlisting gave Devansh a renewed interest in the same. And when he’d done it as well, much to his parent's dismay, there was no looking back. Maybe it was the fact that having his buddy with him made it easier, or maybe it was just that he felt like he'd finally found something he was good at but Devansh was actually feeling content for once in his life.

They deployed and he served the country right alongside his other mates. It had been a lot for him emotionally because while he’d been aware of what he was signing up for—somewhere the gravity of it didn’t sink in till much later.

The sad part was that he was quite skilled in his combat, one of the best in their unit but when those moments of pain arose, losing friends and other fellow marines—Devansh couldn't take it. He withdrew and that had caused a lot of personal reflection within himself. He felt like a failure in every single way. He didn’t know why he’d done this, feeling like he’d not only let down himself, but his parents and ultimately even the country.

It took a lot of work—but he’d managed to figure out another course of action. He’d go to school. He’d go and get a degree—wanting to make his mother proud especially. He’d enrolled at Boston University and while he was an older student, he still worked hard and got his bachelors of science in business administration. It had felt like the easiest course of action and had helped secure him to a job right there in the city.

Cut to a couple years later, his father had passed due to a sudden heart attack and instantly despite their estranged relationship—Devansh had returned home to Covington. He’d stayed with his mother for a few weeks before deciding he could not be living with her for too long and ventured out on his own. Devansh couldn’t abandon her completely despite wishing he could go back to Boston, but he’d stay…for her. He started out in Downtown in a small studio apartment, working some odd jobs here and there until his father's will was read.

He had inherited his father’s pride and joy—the Southern Elegance Resort and Spa. Now while he had a business degree, he did not feel like he could be a qualified owner/manager of the hotel and was ready to sell it. Only—he’d gotten emotionally blackmailed by his grieving mother every single time he’d brought that topic up. And that is how he’s currently living in Covington, trying to find buyers on the side for the hotel because his mother is finally doing better post his father’s death and he is ready to get the hell out of Georgia.

#intro.#covingtonintro

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