#a ghost playing hangman

[lostdreamr-blog1]

A Ghost Playing Hangman {J.Seresin} Part 11

Warnings: mentions of death, swearing

A/N: Part 11 is finally here. So sorry for the lack of posting on this story! Hope this makes up for it. Thanks for reading!!

Series Masterlist

Chaos was the only way to describe what was going on over the radio. The mission objective had been completed, but coffin corner was proving to be tougher than anyone originally imagined. And being forced to sit in your F-18 on standby wasn’t helping matters.

Trying to keep up with whose voice you heard on the radio, telling you they were still alive, was becoming a challenge. It was one yelling direction after another, making you wonder just how bad it looked in person.

But the words were clear when Rooster yelled out Maverick had been hit.

You looked over to Jake and heard him request for the two of you to be given the green light. The answer was a firm no, and in that moment, you questioned going against orders to stay when you knew your team needed you. Maverick had given so much to make sure all of you came home safely, just to be written off like his life was worth nothing.

The Navy had a cruel way of showing their priorities.

You forced your attention back to the sky ahead, willing the rest of your team to get back in one piece. Memories of your last failed mission tried to force their way to the surface. You physically shook your head to try and keep them at bay. You wouldn’t be worth a dime flying with that kind of baggage.

“Guys, Rooster went back for Mav, and I think I see flames. He’s not answering me.” Phoenix’s voice broke as she told everyone what was happening. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to go. The best damn pilots in the world weren’t supposed to fall so easily.

You watched as Jake hit is hand on the side of the canopy, frustrated at the possibility of losing another teammate. A person who prided themselves in only showing emotions that wouldn’t make him vulnerable, was slowly losing it on the biggest stage of his career. You had hoped he would never have to experience this part of the job, knowing the scars it leaves behind.

It was going to take some time for him to move past this.

It didn’t take long for the remaining members of the dagger squad to land back on the carrier. Each pilot got out of their plane slower than the last, knowing the success of this mission caused you all to lose two people that didn’t deserve an ending like this.

The carrier had an eerie silence to it. The celebrations all of you had dreamed about were nowhere to be seen. A few crew members offered quiet congratulations to the daggers, but nothing more than solemn handshakes was given out.

You weren’t sure what to do next. Jake needed comforting, but so did the rest of your team. Hell, you needed a few glasses of whiskey but that wasn’t bound to happen as soon as you wanted. The hesitation was a blessing in disguise as you heard, “Dagger spare 1 and dagger spare 2, prepare to deploy.”

You and Jake made eye contact, not knowing if this was a search and rescue mission or something worse.

“An F-14 has been spotted heading in the carrier’s direction. We have reason to believe Maverick may be the pilot behind it. The two of you are to confirm contact and defend against any enemy planes. Good luck.”

Hope started to build in your chest that maybe one of them had found a way out of there. You weren’t sure how well a fossil of an F-14 was flying, but if anyone knew their way around it, it was Mav. It almost seemed impossible that Bradley might be alive too, forcing you to suppress any thoughts of your friend.

God, Maverick was going to be heartbroken if he lost the other Bradshaw.

You took off before Jake, giving you a decent head start at finding your teammate. While this wasn’t the way you had hoped to be a part of the mission, you were glad to at least have the chance of saving someone or provide a safety net for them to make it back.

“Hey Casper, don’t go disappearing on me now.” Jake’s statement made you chuckle. You didn’t know if it was the hope of a teammate surviving or flying out with Jake, but you couldn’t wipe the smile off your face.

“Not my fault you aren’t flying fast enough.” His laugh was music to your ears as you continued to fly in the direction of the F-14. Seconds turned into minutes before you had eyes on Mav. He was skillfully evading fire from the 5th Gen, but you knew he couldn’t hold him off forever. Not in a F-14.

“I have the 5th Gen fighter in my sights. They are headed straight for the F-14. About to fire at them to hopefully change their course to us.” You glanced behind you and saw Jake was still a way off, but it wouldn’t take him too long to back you up in the fight.

You placed your finger on the trigger for one of your missiles and fired at the enemy plane, but nothing happened. “Fuck.”

“What’s going on, Ghost?” Jake’s voice was calm, but you knew he was on edge.

“My missiles failed.”

Jake was too far behind you and your missiles wouldn’t fire. No matter how many times you pressed the button, nothing happened but an echoing click. Memories from the past flooded your mind and you knew you had to do something different this time. “I have to be better.” The words came out as more of whisper, but Jake heard them loud and clear.

“Talk to me, Ghost. What’s going on?” He kept his eyes glued to your plane in the distance, not wanting to blink in case he missed something. He knew how much your past affected your flying in the present, meaning you were not in the right headspace to be making decisions.

You watched as the 5th Gen leveled out and headed straight for the F-14. Glancing over to Mav, you saw a second person sitting behind him. Your breath caught as you realized Bradley made it out alive.

I have to be better. I have to be better. I have to be better.

Those words kept cycle through like a mantra, forcing you to a decision.

“I love you, Jake. Please forgive me.”

And in mere seconds, Jake Seresin watched as his whole world come to a haunting end.

Tag List: @blue-aconite @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @rosiahills22 @dempy @rebekahjonesx @luckyladycreator2 @fangirling-4-ever @multi-fandom5 @coyotesamachado @callsign-blue @justanothermagicalsara @devvbabyy @elicheel @inky-sun

A/N: Thoughts? Likes/dislikes? I love hearing from you all!! Thank you so so much for reading!

[simpforrooster]

you're literally about to faint.

jake 'hangman' seresin x f!reader

summary: jakey ghosts reader after he graduated topgun and now that he's back, he needs to get her back.

t/w: cursing, mentions of blood [nothing too graphic], angst, rooster taking care of reader. jakey is afraid of blood. not proofread. ill do that later gators.

your arm wipes down the bar top with a mind of its own as you watch the naval aviators fill the hard deck.

so far, all the aviators are top gun graduates you’ve met at one time or another. natasha, bob, coyote. rooster stops by the bar for a hug. you let him go and admire the view as he joins natasha and bob at the pool table.

only one person is missing.

hangman.

jake.

taking stock of who’s here, hangman should be sauntering in any minute. they’ve called the best of the best back for…well whatever it is they’ve here for.

“well hell, i must’ve died and gone to heaven.” a southern-drawl fills the space behind you. holding strong, you don’t turn to him, making him step in front of the bar.

he decided not to wear his service khakis, instead donning a flannel and fuckin’ stetson cowboy hat.

ugh. he’s playing dirty.

his green eyes hold yours as he tips his hat to you.

that fucker.

jake slides into the stool across from you. “how’ve you been, love?”

rooster’s gaze tears a hole in the side of your face. you can hear him now. don’t get involved with hangman…again. he’s bad news.

too bad jake has proved just how bad he is.

jake swept you up in a passionate relationship while he was attending top gun. once he graduated, your plan was to stay in miramar, and he had no control over his deployment.

he left without a word. never called. never wrote. never visited on leave. you couldn’t believe it. rooster couldn’t even get the words “i told you so” out once he saw how truly heartbroken you were.

“how’ve i been? jake, it’s been three years.” tears prickle the back of your eyes and you pray they remain at bay. you’ve cried enough of this blonde man.

your grandmother always warned you against blonde men. now you know why.

a smirk sits on his beautiful face, and for a second, you think you spot his confidence falter. as quick as it happened, he steels his gaze. being, or looking weak, wasn’t something jake allowed to happen.

"oh come on, angel. it hasn't been that long," he says. his eyes move slowly across your face, like he's memorizing your features. or checking his memory to make sure he remembered you exactly.

you make yourself busy by drying glasses and putting them in their pyramid home. if you look at jake too long, he'll pull you right back in.

"you really lived up to your callsign, didn't you," you say to the glass and not him. "you sure did hang me out to dry."

this strikes a nerve, the words cut through him like butter. "y/n, that's hardly fair."

the glass in your hand slams to the counter, shattering in your hand. "fair? you know what's not fair? waiting for you. for anything from you." his eyes lock with yours and your chest heaves under the weight of finally getting these feelings out in the open.

"it's not fair what you did to me," the words are low, almost inaudible.

jake's gaze flits down to your mouth...no...your hand?

he opens his mouth to say something, but no words come. he tries again, swollowing hard. he points.

looking down, you understand what he was trying to tell you, and now that the adrenaline has run it's course, pain shoots through your hand.

the two of you balk at each other, both paling. "baby, your hand," he breathes.

rooster immediately jumps into action. "hangman, you're in the motherfucking navy!" rooster rounds the counter and cradles your hand in a towel. he guides you to the bathroom.

"i'm not a fucking medic, asshole," jake shoots back, suddenly feeling better at the prospect of rooster taking care of your wound. tears fall down your cheeks, and you don't know if its the cut or jake.

jake is on rooster's heels as rooster thrusts your hand under the running water. "you did a number on this, girl." the nickname sends warmth through your body. rooster's hands fall to your hips and he boosts you onto the counter so he can get a better look at your hand.

jake falters taking in the two of you, rooster holding you like you're the most precious thing. soft 'shh's fall from his lips as he tries to calm you down. him standing between your legs with a little too much familiarity.

"okay, i get it," jake tells his shoes. "she's with you, so i'll just..." he gestures to the door.

"fuck," rooster swears under his breath. "we aren't together, seresin, and if you are hoping to earn another chance with her, you better get in here."

rooster has the would clean and wrapped. he steps aside, letting jake approach you. you cradle your hand to your chest, and jake has the decency to look sheepish.

"i don't do blood," he admits.

you manage to chuckle. "neither do i."

rooster rolls his eyes. "it's a good thing i stepped in, then. you two fools just staring at each other while y/n/n potentially bleeds out." rooster turns on his heels and out the door. "idiots," he mutters.

"he's right," jake sighs, "i am an idiot." he sets his hands on his hips, letting out a breath, his head falls toward the ceiling. "i know how long it's been."

"i was devastated, jake," you tell him. "the worst part was not knowing what i did for you to just ghost me."

he shakes his head, "nothing. you didn't do anything."

your hand falls to your lap, your shoulders slumping as if the weight of the world has fallen on them. "well, i mean if that's it." you slide off the counter, and make to step around him.

jake stops you. "can you just not."

"jake, if you're not going to have an adult conversation about this with me, then i have nothing more to say to you." jake walks you backwards, your bottom hitting the counter. more suave than rooster, he gently pushes you onto the counter.

your body betrays you by allowing goosebumps to form. jake smirks at this. "you lost a lot of blood. you need to sit," he murmurs in your ear. you feel woozy with him this close to you. every moment the two of you shared comes rushing back and you have to hold yourself back from grabbing the collar of his shirt.

"no i didn't, hangman."

"you're literally about to pass out," he points out.

"that's not from the cut," you admit.

a genuine smile spreads across his face. "that right?" he drawls.

shaking your head, you push him back. "i can't think when you're in my bubble."

"you've never complained before," he flirts. he cradles your face in his hands. "i'm sorry," he breathes.

the tension leaves your body at the apology and you lean into his touch. "i thought it would be easier not to have you. i've never done real. i've never felt the way i do about you with anyone. it felt...feels too real. i freaked out."

"you can't still have feelings for me after this long," you say.

jake tilts your face up toward his. "say that again looking at me."

"you can't--" jake stops you by bringing his mouth to yours. you melt into his touch and it feels like no time has passed. he pulls you flush against him, your legs coming around his waist.

"i couldn't bare to hear those ridiculous words come out of your pretty mouth again," he says against your lips. "of course i still have feelings for you."

"jake," you sigh. he changes the angle of the kiss, deepening it with a sweep of his tongue across your bottom lip. granting him access, you grip the bottom of his flannel with your good hand, pulling him as close as you can.

"tell me you don't feel the same thing and i will stop." his expert mouth works against yours for a moment longer before moving to kiss along your jaw. you crane your neck, making sure he has all the room he needs to linger those kisses along your neck and collarbone. which he does, and it drives you just as crazy as it did years ago.

"i told you i can't think when you're this close," you murmur.

jake chuckles against the soft skin of your neck. "good, then my plan is working."

"your hat is getting in the way," you tell him, placing your own kisses along his jaw.

"it's gone" he reaches up and grabs his hat, setting it on the counter.

"not forever, i hope. i do quite like it," you say, pulling his mouth back to yours. "you knew coming in wearing it was going to make me fold."

"it was one of my plans," he says, smiling against the kisses.

"one of them?" you push back, looking at him.

"i was prepared to do anything to get you back, darlin'."

you answer him with another earth-shattering kiss.

[megalony]

Wait And See

This is a new Jake Seresin imagine, requested by anon, sorry it's taken me so long to get round to this. I hope you will all like it.

Taglist: @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyje @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @kyky9103 @wutheringhearts2275 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth @chaoticnosleepinfluencer @gs29 @wh0reforsmutstuff @mel-vaz @natashamea18 @chrisevansdaughter @alexandra848484 @deena-beena-weena @targaryenluvs @kpoplover-19 @marvelmenarebeautiful @gillybear17

@zoeybennett @mrspeacem1nusone @zephyrmonkey @estella-novella @eleventhdoctorsangel @kniselle @senjoritanana @shauna-carsley @dottierose @cfdhouse51 @darkfemme1 @rainechase45 @lolalolsstuff @jupiter1700 @ashdoctor @an-aliens-ghost @lunaroserites @houseoftwistedspirits @callsignwidow @winterreader-nowwriter @reneinii @bellsbomb @western-pyro @itsgigikay @harry-satellite @midsummereve1993 @babyqueen17 @buckyyyismahhlife @sammiejane22

Masterlist

Summary: When Jake's wife finally goes into labour, it's a long and hard few days. But it's all worth it in the end.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jake slumped his signature helmet on his head, letting it slide further down one side of his temple when his chin tucked down into his chest. He focused on doing up the buttons on his beige uniform that made him blend into the background of the base.

His boots thundered against the concrete floor and created an echo once he was out in the open, making his way towards his plane. Once the buttons were aligned, Jake fiddled with the cuffs of his sleeves and rolled them part-way up his arms so they didn't chafe.

He felt a hand pat his back rather forcefully between his shoulders and he glanced to the right as the jolt set his helmet jostling on his head.

"You actually going to play fair today, hangman? Or are you leaving us out to dry?"

He cocked a brow at Phoenix as she patted his back once again before she picked up the pace to hurry ahead of him, Bob trailing along behind her like a shadow.

"Depends what kind of mess you get into up there." He shrugged his shoulders and veered over to the right.

It suited Jake to fly solo. He didn't do well with someone sitting behind him calling out the orders or the locations, he couldn't be doing with Bob in the back of his plane chattering in his ear. Jake understood they needed to work as a team and working in pairs was part of the job, but he was relieved he could always fly solo. He preferred being the one in control and not having to deal with someone sitting behind him chattering through his ear.

The conversations through the earphones was quite sufficient for Jake.

With his helmet finally secured and the strap clipped beneath his chin, he held his breath and climbed up into his plane. Noticing the rest of the Dagger squad aiming for their respective but matching planes.

They were going out on a training exercise. Maverick was, yet again, pushing them as far as he could to make them efficient and ready for whatever mission they were given next. Training kept them sharp and made them all work better as a unit.

Once he was seated, Jake tried to get comfy and found his gloves from his pocket. He shrugged them on and clipped his harness on before he started up the engine. He had done safety checks this morning.

As much as he loved being out on missions and taking the dangerous challenges they were handed, being at the base was much more preferred for him right now. It meant Jake could go home each night and be home with (Y/n). It meant he got to kiss her goodbye in the morning and spend limited days off with her.

And now it ensured that Jake was going to be around when (Y/n) went into labour.

They had both panicked that Jake would be shipped off on a long mission or a tour by the time she reached nine months pregnant. The last thing (Y/n) wanted was to have their baby on her own, and Jake didn't want to miss the birth of his first child. He had missed enough of the scans and (Y/n)'s appointments to make him feel guilty. He couldn't miss the birth too.

"Let's get this show in the air."

Jake checked both engines and the fuel light which he knew would be half full since they all fuelled up yesterday. And he clipped the mouth piece onto one side of his helmet, letting it hang loose for a while. He wasn't up in the air yet, he didn't need the oxygen or the microphone.

All the gear didn't help when the heat down here was scorching hot. They all felt like they were flying under a magnifying glass with the sun rays burning down on them until they were roasted alive.

Jake could feel the excitement building up inside of him when the engine fired up and he could see the rest of the team getting ready to take flight. He was ready to take off and have some fun.

Being up in the air always made Jake feel like he should have been born a bird, or become reincarnated as one. He felt so at peace and in control and automatic once he was up in the air. It was second nature to him.

He turned to the right and gave a thumbs up to Phoenix before he pushed up in his seat as much as the harness would allow. He braced himself on his heels and stretched his arm back behind him, reaching for the roof which he promptly slid across. Enclosing himself in the plane like he was in a time capsule about to jet off into time and space.

He landed back in his seat with a thud and a gloved hand gripped the control stick while he flipped a few switches and got ready to take flight.

"Ready."

"Not clear. Repeat, not clear. Seresin, do not take off yet."

"What? Why?"

A frown found its way onto Jake's features as he paused. He hadn't even moved the plane one inch towards the runway. Why were they telling him to stop? All the squad had been cleared to go out this morning for a flight exercise, they shouldn't be stopping.

And why were they telling Jake to stop? Had they told everyone else to stop too?

He looked out the right window and noticed Phoenix staring directly at him, waiting to see if he would suddenly throw up or climb out the plane. Clearly she hadn't been told to stop, she was assuming there was a problem with Jake.

"What's the problem?" Jake tried again, finding his grip tightening while his other hand curled into a fist and pressed against the side of his jaw, propping his head up.

"Seresin, you're grounded. Your schedule's been wiped, go see Maverick."

"What?" Anger tore through his voice that rose in pitch before he ripped off the mask and tossed it down by his feet. He took the time to switch the engines off, suddenly happy and seething that the plane was still in its bay, not having moved an inch.

The more Jake tried to undo his harness, the more it fought against him until he almost snapped the straps over his shoulders to get himself released. He shoved back the roof and clambered up out of his seat, not daring to look across at Phoenix or Bob. He was pretty sure they had heard the conversation over the radio. They would know he was grounded and he didn't want them staring at him as if he was some kid about to be sent to the principal's office.

When Jake clambered down, he spotted Maverick stood near the hanger doors. He had one hand on his hip and his other hand pinning his phone to his ear.

His boots stomped against the floor that was almost cracking under the pressure. His hands balled into fists that shook at his sides as he strode with determination in his steps until he was stood in front of his boss.

What had he done? Why had Jake been benched? Was he being punished for something?

"What the Hell? I was one minute away from taking off-"

"Then I'm glad I caught you before you got up in the air." Maverick placed a hand on Jake's chest to both cut him off and stop him from getting any closer like he was about to start a flight.

He looked down at his phone, clicking it off before he stuffed it into his pocket and moved both his hands to his hips. His expression didn't look angry, although Jake hadn't really seen Maverick when he was in a mood, not like Bradley had. And he didn't look grave or concerned. His expression was almost neutral, as always.

"Forgive me, Hangman, but I thought you wanted to be informed when your wife went into labour." The sarcasm in Maverick's voice was clear and he rose a brow, cocking one hip to the side.

While Jake's expression went from thunder and lightning to panic and confusion that blistered into realisation. His brows momentairely furrowed before his eyes widened and his mouth parted and let his jaw hang loose.

"My- the baby, the baby's coming now?"

This was the call Jake had been waiting for. He had been unusually calm these last few weeks because (Y/n) kept assuring him she felt fine and didn't feel any different. She didn't think she would have the baby early, and now they were thirty-nine weeks along. Jake was starting to think that they might reach their due date or even get past it with how comfortable the baby seemed, making no effort to be born yet.

But this was the call he wanted. To be told (Y/n) had finally gone into labour and he could go home and be with her and have their baby.

"Yes, now. So off you go, we don't expect you back for a week. Good luck." Maverick pointed over his shoulder and finally let a smile crack across his features.

It wouldn't of hurt to let Jake go on the flying exercise this morning and then tell him once he landed, but Maverick knew him. He knew Jake would want to be told as soon as (Y/n) made the call to them and if that meant stopping him just as he was about to take off, then so be it. Jake wanted to be with (Y/n) from the beginning to the end and hold her hand and keep her calm. So he had to go home.

Jake's fingers tore through his hair and he took a shuddering breath, about to bolt inside before a thought hit him and had him turning on his heels. He looked towards the squad, all lined up and about to take off, except they were watching him to make sure he was alright and see what was happening.

He threw his arms in the air, a wide smile spread across his face and yelled "Baby!" into the air, mouthing correctly to make sure the team could read his lips. Although the ecstatic look on his reddened face and the way he started to pelt inside gave away what he was doing.

He was going to have a baby.

***

(Y/n) leaned forward until her lower back was arched out and her hands were planted down on the bed to prop herself up. She bit down on her lip to swallow down a groan and tried to wait out the sharp pain that tore through her abdomen and around her hips that were aching by now.

When it finally stopped, she opened her eyes and looked down at her phone next to her on the bed. She could feel a sob bubbling up in her throat and her lower lip wobbled.

The contractions were twenty minutes apart. It felt like they were getting further apart rather than closer together. Surely it shouldn't be taking this long? Was this fair? Should this be happening so slowly?

Her back pain had been consistent, but her contractions were still just less than half an hour apart. She thought for sure that it had only been ten minutes since her last contraction. She knew she shouldn't be so het up about timing them, but she wanted them to be closer together. Every contraction made her cry with how slow they were becoming.

She thought when she called the base to let Jake know the contractions were happening that once he got home, things might move a bit faster. She prayed things would take a speedier turn. Jake may as well have stayed at the base, things weren't progressing as steadily as they hoped.

It was starting to get late, but (Y/n) already knew she wasn't going to get any sleep. She was too uncomfortable and the contractions would only wake her up or disrupt her. Keeping busy was what she needed to do.

She wanted the contractions to speed up and for labour to get moving, she didn't want to be stuck waiting around for the pains to hit and for her back to keep seizing up like this. (Y/n) didn't like waiting.

She reached out for the bag in the middle of the bed and launched it off the bed, across the room. They didn't need it yet. They didn't need the hospital bag (Y/n) had packed last month. Her contractions were nowhere near together and her water hadn't broken yet. They wouldn't be at the hospital anytime soon and that thought made tears burn into her face.

"Baby… is it a contraction?" Jake jingled the watch on his wrist, trying to remember when the last contraction was.

He slowly padded across the carpet until he was stood beside her and his teeth sank down into his lower lip when he looked ahead and noticed the hospital bag strewn on the floor.

"We're down a few more minutes then."

"It's not enough! I- I want them to hurry up."

(Y/n) hated to whine but she couldn't help it. At this rate they would still be home tomorrow morning. Jake had a week off for when the baby was born, he was likely to be back at work before she even had the baby if things continued at this slow pace.

A soft smile crept onto Jake's face and he slowly reached out for (Y/n). He looped her arms around his neck and turned her so she was facing him, allowing her to tuck her face into the crook of his neck.

"I know, darlin', but we've got time. They'll be here soon." Their baby was in no rush at the moment and they would just have to wait and see if things would speed up soon. Jake would contact the hospital in a while if nothing happened by morning, but for now they had to bide their time.

He felt how tightly her arms clung to his neck and and each harsh breath that fanned into his shirt tickled his sternum. He smoothed his hand up and down the middle of her back while his right hand cupped the back of her neck and he peppered kisses against the top of her head.

"I'll have no energy left." (Y/n) mumbled into his chest while he started to sway them from side to side.

"Yes you will, baby. You're gonna be just fine, I promise."

(Y/n) wanted labour to go swiftly and easily and have no complications or problems along the way. And (Y/n) wanted to be selfish and wish for the process to speed up. But she knew with it being her first, the chances were higher that it would take a while. She thought she had been prepared for waiting, but it was starting to get tiresome.

"It's late, why don't we sit down." When (Y/n) nodded, Jake carefully nudged her backwards until the back of her knees hit the bed. His hands stayed on her hips and he helped ease her down so she was sat on the edge of the bed but he winced when she groaned.

Her head flopped forward and her hands started to rake up and down her thighs, scratching into her skin as she arched her back out to try and release the tension.

Once she was sat down, Jake kissed the top of her head and moved round her to pick up the bag from the floor. They might not need it right this second, but they would need it soon. He placed it by the bedroom door, ready for when it was time to go.

***

"How you feeling?" Jake's voice was gritty and rough like his throat was made of sandpaper and each word tickled the shell of (Y/n)'s ear and made her shiver.

She felt his hand begin to trace up and down her stomach again and she almost smiled when he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck.

(Y/n) wasn't sure how long they had been laid here like this, but she knew it was long enough to make her legs go numb and make her worry that she wouldn't be able to walk once they finally got up. The pair of them were laid in bed, the tv blurring on in the background. She wasn't sure what film or tv show was playing; she only knew that she had turned the volume down twice in the last hour or so.

It was distracting. (Y/n) hadn't managed more than half an hour or sleep at a time and she knew most of the night, Jake had stayed awake with her. Every now and then she would hear his breathing deepen or he would start to snore lightly, but he soon woke up.

"A bit sick." (Y/n) saw no point in lying to him and pretending she felt fine when really, her stomach was churning and she wasn't sure if she would throw up.

But she took comfort in Jake's hand tracing patterns up and down her stomach while his right arm had gone numb long ago, laid beneath (Y/n)'s neck like an extra pillow.

He wasn't sure what time it was, he just knew it was late.

When (Y/n)'s water finally broke late on into the evening, Jake stupidly thought this might go a bit quicker. But it didn't. (Y/n) had been in labour for over a day now and it was becoming tiresome. She had barely slept at all through the night and Jake was feeling worse and worse for her, wishing he could do something, anything, to speed up the process.

They couldn't go to the hospital until the contractions were ten minutes apart or less and it was taking forever. Every time (Y/n) had a contraction, she would eagerly look at the clock and then feel like bursting into tears when she realised she wasn't close enough yet.

(Y/n) nuzzled her face into the pillow and brought her knees up higher towards her stomach until she was practically curled up into a ball. Her left hand was curled around Jake's wrist beneath the pillow and she hummed when she felt him begin to pepper kisses along her neck.

They had a bowl on the floor ready in case (Y/n) threw up, which she had done twice since this afternoon. Jake wished he could speed this up for her and make her feel a bit more comfortable, but all he could do for the time being was hold her and hope for the best.

He let his hand slide beneath (Y/n)'s shirt to trace his fingers up and down her stomach. It was crazy to think that in just a few hours, he wouldn't be able to do this anymore. He would finally be able to hold his baby in his arms and see what they looked like.

They would finally see whether they had a girl or a boy, if they had blue eyes or brown and see how big they were and be able to hold them.

(Y/n) sank her teeth down into her lower lip but it didn't do anything to hide her groan. She turned her head and meshed her face into the pillow, clenching her hand around Jake's wrist when a contraction hit, not bothering to stop the tears that soaked into the pillow. Her knees pulled up again and she tensed up and tried to wait it out.

She could feel Jake's hand pause along the bottom of her stomach and instead of drawing patterns, he waited for the pain to subside. He tilted his head up to kiss her jaw and moulded his chest against her back as if trying to merge them into one.

"Can we go now?" (Y/n) tried to keep the hurt out of her voice and she tilted her head to the left to look over at Jake. She felt him lean over her shoulder so he was looking down at her and when his eyes glanced at the bedside clock, a soft look washed over his face.

Jake had been the one keeping track of the contractions for the last hour or so because the waiting was really getting to (Y/n). She had given in and decided to just wait until Jake judged it was the right time to go to the hospital.

"Yeah darlin' we can go now. Let's get hope it won't be much longer, hm?"

He ran his hand across his face to try and wake himself up a bit more before he pushed up so he was sitting up on the bed. It was still rather early into the morning, but it felt like the middle of the night with how tired he was and their lack of sleep last night.

He would have to grab a protein bar and a strong coffee to wake him up for the drive down to the hospital.

Finally, they could go now.

***

Closing her eyes, (Y/n) rested her temple on Jake's shoulder, relaxing when she felt his lips press to the top of her head. He slowly swayed the pair of them side to side as if they were in the middle of a dance floor instead of a hospital room. It almost felt like they were back home; Jake was forever pulling her into his embrace and trying to dance. Neither of them were particularly good dancers, but they didn't let that stop them.

And his hands danced up and down her hips, squeezing every now and then like he was reminding her he was still here.

She didn't like this part. Waiting around felt like they were waiting for tomorrow to arrive, something that never happened.

The more she thought about it, the more tears she shed and (Y/n) had already cried enough to last a lifetime. Two and a half days, she had been in labour. They had spent the whole of yesterday here in the hospital, waiting for something to happen but it was as if her body had just been put on pause.

She wasn't fully dilated, her contractions were closer together but nothing else was happening. The baby didn't seem bothered about making an appearance. (Y/n) couldn't wait much longer. She wanted the midwife to do something, she would accept them dragging the baby out at this rate if it would make this process end any sooner.

She didn't know what to do with herself. Sitting on the bed made her feel tense and numb but she didn't have much energy to walk around the room anymore. Standing here, swaying in a dance together with Jake was (Y/n)'s last resort.

But she felt better when she was standing and right now, being held up in Jake's arms like this felt comforting. Her back wasn't aching as much, her mind was cloudy but calm and she could handle the pains better whe she was stood like this. It was very relaxing and almost hypnotising.

"Feeling anything?" Jake mumbled against her hair quietly and closed his eyes as he started to rub his hand up and down her back. His other hand stayed curled around her hip and he smiled into her hair when he felt her fingers push into his biceps. She nuzzled her face into his chest, tickling her nose against him and when she pushed her cheek into his shirt, he grinned down into her hair and squeezed her tight.

It was the same question he had been asking for a while now. Asking if she felt a change or the baby moving or some kind of inclination that things were going to progress now.

"Don't think so." (Y/n) responded quietly, not bothering to open her eyes. She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent as she tried to keep her mind focused but if another contraction didn't hit her soon, (Y/n) was going to throw a tantrum.

Jake was becoming restless. He wanted his baby in his arms, cuddled up into his chest already. He wanted to be sat down cradling his newborn. He wanted to be able to kiss them and look down at them and feel them wriggling in his arms rather than just kicking the palm of his hand. Jake wanted to take them home and see them in their crib and show them off to the dagger squad.

He wanted them in his arms now.

(Y/n) kept her arms loosely locked around Jake's neck as he started to sway them again. It was almost methodical and calming, but (Y/n) didn't want to be calm. She would do jumping jacks, she would run or squat and do anything at all to jostle the baby and make her body move faster.

Jake almost drifted off into his own world until (Y/n) tightened her arms around his neck and pushed her head down into his chest.

He silently looked between her and the door when their midwife walked through with a calming smile and a new set of gloves she was pulling over her wrists.

"T-that was a big one," (Y/n) whimpered as she brushed her thumb up and down the back of Jake's neck, gliding across the short hairs that tickled her skin and provided a small distraction. It was as if she could feel each muscle tearing itself apart and contorting into odd shapes to make room for the baby. It was a horrid feeling.

"Shall we get you on the bed and see how you're doing?" The midwife commented as she walked over to the pair of them.

(Y/n) wasn't sure how she managed to get her legs working, but she realised Jake must have been holding up most of her weight. His arms stayed around her waist even as she turned around and she felt his chest gluing up against her back to help her clamber onto the bed.

"Atta girl. Where'd you want me?" His lips attached to her temple and his thumb grazed across the side of her neck as he waited for her to direct him. He would move and sit anywhere (Y/n) wanted him to.

(Y/n) wanted him as close as she could get him and more so. He had to be right next to her, he had to be touching her somehow. (Y/n) wanted to feel his breaths mingling with hers and his touch on her skin.

(Y/n) didn't say anything, but when she shuffled down a little and leaned her chest forward, she caught Jake's smile change into a smirk out the corner of her eye. As fast as anything, his hands found her shoulders and he clambered onto the bed behind her, being as careful as possible.

He hooked a leg around either side of (Y/n) so she was between his thighs and he shuffled until his chest was merged into her back and his lips could attach to the back of her head.

It felt a little strange to have his legs spread and his body straightened out like this, he was used to being cramped in a plane, not stretched out on a bed like this. But he ignored the dull ache in his hips and focused on curling himself around his wife like a blanket. His elbows pinned her waist and he held his hands out so (Y/n) could grip them as tight as she wanted.

(Y/n) managed a smile when she felt the monitoring sticker attach to her stomach to take the baby's readings. And she tilted her head back until she was leaning on Jake's shoulder. They didn't usually sit like this, but (Y/n) was already loving this position, having him wrapped around her like a blanket.

"I'd say you're fully dilated now. You can begin to push on the next contraction," The midwife stated kindly, seeing the relief on both their faces at finally getting closer to meeting their next baby.

Silence fell over the three of them for a few minutes as they waited for the next contraction to hit. Jake pecked (Y/n)'s temple and squeezed her tight while he relaxed back into the pillows, easing (Y/n) back against his chest to try and make her a bit comfier.

"Here we go." He murmured softly in her ear, nudging his cheek against hers until (Y/n) twisted her head to capture him in a quick, baiting kiss.

Jake felt like he had jinxed them.

More time seemed to pass as they sat there waiting for the pushes to do something, to make a difference, but nothing happened. Jake could see (Y/n)'s energy levels depleting and he could feel her starting to tremble from the adrenaline and exertion, but it wasn't doing her any favours.

The baby wasn't cooperating and the midwife was starting to look uncertain. He could feel the minutes ticking by like seconds and when (Y/n) threw her head back on his shoulder and started to sob, Jake smothered his lips against her temple. He quietly shushed her, holding her tighter as his worried eyes locked with the midwife.

This labour hadn't gone according to the plan Jake and (Y/n) had thought up in their heads. Nothing was working with them; their plan had gone up in the air in a heap of smoke.

"Why i-isn't it working?" (Y/n) huffed, barely able to breathe from all the effort she seemed to be blindly wasting.

Was she even dilated fully? Had it just been a lie to subdue her? Was her body not willing to do this for her? Was the baby moving and playing games?

"Baby doesn't seem to be working with us today. Let's try for a bit longer."

(Y/n)'s jaw locked and Jake could see she wasn't very happy about this, but what other choice did they have?

He tightened his arms around her and let her squeeze his hands to the point his knuckles went white and he couldn't feel his fingers anymore. He didn't care if she broke his hands, as long as it helped and made her feel better.

When the next contraction came, (Y/n) pushed and leaned herself forward, crying out through the pain. But she felt tears welling up in her eyes when the monitor started to flash. The baby's heartbeat had dropped. They were starting to become distressed. She could feel her pulse thudding in her ears and her heart was going faster while her baby's was dropping.

"What’s happening?" Jake pressed a kiss to (Y/n)'s cheek, but the worry was painted across his face. He curled around her like a protective blanket but his eyes remained on the monitor that showed their baby's heartbeat was starting to slow down.

"Baby is a bit stressed, just give them a few moments to calm down." The midwife responded as she watched the monitor showing the baby’s heartbeat and waited for it to pick back up. All of them sighed in utter relief when it started to mellow out and go back to the rhythmic beat it had been a moment ago.

A burning scream tore from the back of (Y/n)'s throat when another contraction burned through her stomach. She tugged on both Jake's hands, pulling him even closer until his chin was perched on her shoulder and he was kissing the junction between her shoulder and neck. And both his hands were pinned into her chest as if they were merging into one person.

"Let's try again."

Jake felt relieved when the baby's heartbeat stayed the same through the next contraction, but he could just tell from (Y/n)'s screams and the trembling in her system that this wasn't working. Her pushes were futile, either her body wasn't agreeing or the baby was becoming difficult.

(Y/n) cried out when another contraction hit and pushed to sit forward with her chin tucked down into her chest and her knees as close to her stomach as she could manage. But her eyes snapped open and she started to shake when the monitor started to pick up again.

Her body burned as she cried, trembling against Jake who tried his best to hold her tighter and keep her calm. Panicking wasn't going to help. (Y/n) sucked in a few trembling breaths but more tears flushed her face when the baby's heartbeat mellowed out again.

She felt another contraction and pushed again without the midwife having to tell her. She would push and push and push until this baby was out. She wasn't doing this forever, no matter what her body seemed to think.

"Please… please," The word passed through (Y/n)'s lips like a mantra but her voice became desperate and drifted into a helpless scream when the midwife patted her thigh.

"(Y/n), honey just stop for a moment." The midwife shuffled closer and reached over to try and press the heel of her hands into (Y/n)'s stomach to assess her. "Baby's moving around-"

"No." Her heels scraped along the bed and she pushed back into Jake, feeling like she wanted to scramble off the bed and twist and writhe around until the baby found their way out on their own.

"This doesn't seem to be working, and baby is getting distressed. You've been in natural labour for near on three days, I think it's time we get doctor to do a C-section."

The midwife patted (Y/n)'s thigh but her eyes locked with Jake when (Y/n) began to sob. She reached up to squeeze (Y/n)'s arm before she got off the bed and pressed the emergency assist button behind the bed. They would need a doctor to approve the operation and then they could swiftly get an epidural in place and start prepping (Y/n).

"No, please…"

Sobs bubbled past (Y/n)'s lips and both her hands pinned Jake's arms to her chest once again. She writhed in his arms, pushing back into him until he squeezed his arms around her and slowly unlatched one hand from her grip so he could trail his hand up and down her bump.

"Shh, darlin' it's okay." He slowly started to sway them from side to side, kissing the side of her head when (Y/n) smothered her face into his bicep and screamed, sending shivers up and down his arm. He could see and feel the way her heels were digging into the mattress and she was pushing back into him, desperate to stop herself from pushing and distressing their baby even more.

Why couldn't she just be finished already? Why wouldn't their baby agree and help instead of twist and cause complications? (Y/n) just wanted this to be over. She couldn't carry on and she wasn't ready to be poked and prodded and cut open.

It would be so much stress and effort to get prepped for surgery and taken down and have all the hassle. And the recovery from a C-section would be worse than recovering from natural labour. But they didn't seem to have a choice.

"Not long now darlin' and we'll have our baby. It'll be over soon, I promise. You just wait and see."

***

Twisting her head to the right, (Y/n) nuzzled her cheek into the pillow and let her weary eyes cast over her husband. She couldn't help the cheesy, tired grin that formed on her lips when she looked at him.

Jake was slouched in the blue hospital chair beside the bed, his legs parted wide like he was trying to spread and crack his hips into place. His knees were pushed towards the edge of the bed and he was half slouching down like he was about to slide onto the floor.

But there in his arms, was their girl. He'd undone the top half of the buttons on his shirt so he could lay their daughter against his chest for skin contact. Her face was nuzzled beneath his collar bone, her arms were curled up against her chest and her legs were scrunched up into her stomach like she thought she was still in the womb and had to be enclosed and packed tight.

Jake had one hand on her bum to stop her from sliding down his chest, and the other hand was softly cradling the back of her head. He was breathing softly into the blushing pink hat on her head and (Y/n) could see that he had fallen asleep like that.

She wasn't sure how long he had been holding her, but she knew it had been a while now.

Jake had been itching to hold her since the moment the C-section was done and the nurses had cleaned her up.

The morphine (Y/n) had been given made her more than drowsy and she had fallen asleep almost as soon as she'd finished her first cuddle with her daughter.

Three exhausting days of labour and all the effort of a C-section had wiped them both out completely.

But Jake looked as calm as ever, laid there with his daughter settled in his arms and it was a sight (Y/n) never wanted to forget.

(Y/n) snuggled down a little more, pulling her knees as close to her stomach as she dared and tugging the cover higher up towards her chest. She was laid on her side, giving her a perfect view of her little family and she stretched her hand out for Jake's phone on the side table.

It had been set to silent for the last three days but she knew the Dagger squad had all been messaging him. Asking how it was going, if they had had the baby yet and if they had any names. His phone had barely stopped buzzing since he got home.

With a grin, she took a few pictures, zooming in to show Jake's lips smothering his daughter's head and the way his thumb kept twitching up and down every now and then.

Opening the group chat, (Y/n) tagged a few of the photos and sent them across to the squad.

*Daddy and Ella. xx

[withahappyrefrain]

opening the door for them or pulling their seat out before they sit down with bob would be delightful!

You had only been at the bar for ten minutes and already regretted all the decisions you made that led to this moment.

Why did you agree to a blind date?

First of all, it was with your friend's coworker. And no matter how much Natasha said it was fine, you couldn't help but be nervous.

You had heard stories of the squad Nat worked with, some good, some…not so good.

"It's not the Hangman guy, right?" You asked her when she first brought it up.

Nat pretended to gag, "You're my friend, not enemy. It's my WSO."

So there you were, awkwardly shifting in the chair at the bar as you looked towards the entrance for the sixth time, anxiety building up in your stomach and threatening to come out like bile any moment.

This was a horrible idea.

You tried dating, you really did. Various dating apps, going to different bars and strike up a conversation, but nothing seemed to work out. Sometimes you'd get ghosted, other times it would end with you curled up in a ball on your couch with a pint of ice cream while some stupid romantic comedy played in the background. You quickly learned that it didn't matter how great the first or second date went, folks will change their mind about you at the drop of a hat.

At least with Hinge or Tinder, you could see a picture of the person and speak before meeting them. With a blind date, you didn't have that, only the information your matchmaker had given you.

He went by Bob. He was a WSO. From the Midwest, specifically Montana ("Don't refer to his accent as Southern, he will go on a spield '' Nat warned you). Very sweet, but shy at first, which was why he supposedly had trouble finding someone.

He sounded nice. Potentially lovely. But you knew better by now, after years of failed attempts and broken hearts.

Sounding nice didn't guarantee anything.

You wondered what Nat had said about you. Probably that only your parents called you by your full name. That you and Nat met through college was also a given. She's had shit luck when it comes to finding someone, hopefully you can change that?

You checked your phone for the upteemth time. 7:12. He was supposed to be here twelve minutes ago. Surely he wouldn't stand you up, considering he had to work with Nat the next day?

The idea was surprising, but not shocking. Despite the intention of dating, some folks were quite careless when it came to a heart that wasn't theirs. You had been on that receiving end more times than you'd like to admit.

He probably thought the idea of going on a date with his coworker's friend was too risky, too weird. Perhaps he looked you up on social media and found an aspect of you that he didn't like. Thanks to numerous assholes, you could list off several potential reasons. Not pretty enough, not interesting enough, not affectionate enough, too affectionate, too clingy-

The list could go on and on. Thankfully it didn't. Thankfully, the sound of your name, said by a soft voice broke you out of your thoughts and made you turn around.

Oh.

He reminded you of the male love interests from those Old Hollywood films you watched with your grandmother as a small child. Sandy brown hair that was tousled in waves, piercing blue eyes that stood out against his sharp nose and rosy cheeks.

But above all, he looked kind. Truly kind. Maybe it was the lopsided, assuring grin or the way his cobalt eyes shone against the soft lighting of the restaurant.

"Bob?"

His thin lips formed into a saccharine smile as he stepped forward, extending a long arm out.

Holy shit, he brought you flowers.

You couldn't help but stare, wide-eyed and open mouth at the beautiful marigolds and orange sunflowers. You didn't know people still did that-no date had ever done so for you.

"I-I'm so sorry for bein' late. I swear, I'm always on time, I just wasn't sure which flowers to get ya. I-I mean, I knew you liked sunflowers, Phoenix told me that but I wasn't sure if yellow was overdone or if I should do something different and I'm really sorry-"

"You're perfect," your eyes widened at your own words, "The flowers I mean! The flowers are perfect and beautiful and traffic happens, it's okay!"

His smile widened at your reassurance and you swore it melted your heart. Heat rose to your face as you accepted the bouquet, your fingers brushing against his.

The two of you walked to your table. When Bob pulled out your seat for you, your heart fluttered.

There was no way this guy could be real. Why was he single?

Often, the conversation on a first date was awkward and full of long pauses.

Not this one. Not with Bob.

He asked you questions about yourself. Hell, he even asked follow up questions. And they were thoughtful.

Bob felt the same way.

Yes, he found you stunning. But you were much more than that. You were insightful, passionate, kind.

Why on Earth were you single?

Bob was determined to make everyone else's loss his gain.

"Would you want to go get ice cream?" His fingers were tapping the table, a nervous habit that you found adorable, "I mean, I get it if you're tired but if you're not, I'd love to continue?"

A downright dopey smile overtook your face as you nodded enthusiastically.

"I'd love to continue!"

You couldn't hide your surprise though when Bob all but jogged in order to hold the door for you.

"Oh, thank you! But you don't have to do that," you explained. His brows knitted together in confusion, the corners of his lips slightly downturned.

How could one man be so cute?

"Do what?" He asked, confusion all over his voice.

"Oh, um, holding the door?" Was it wrong to have brought that up? Oh God, was he going to think of you as rude?

Instead Bob smiled as he shook his head, "Nonsense. You should never have to hold the door."

Oh no. You were going to be down bad.

As the night went on, your nerves disappeared, giving Bob a sweet smile when he held the door open or pulled out your chair.

You didn't say anything when he held the car door open to drive you home, just that smile that made his heart flutter.

But when he opened the car door after arriving at your home, you stood instead of walking forward.

"I....I had a really good time tonight," the nerves came swelling back. You couldn't recall the last time you had clicked with someone so quickly.

"I did too," his smile warmed your body, "Maybe...if you'd like, we could-"

"Do this again?" God, you really hoped that's what he was going to say. You didn't think your heart could handle it otherwise.

"Yeah," he let out a nervous chuckle, "I'd love to do this again."

Your heart soared. Nat now had rights to the biggest "I told you so" but you couldn't find it in yourself to care at this moment.

"I'm not doing anything this Friday," containing your excitement was difficult. You were positive that big, dopey grin was plastered on your face right now.

Bob loved it.

"I'm not either." That was kinda a lie. Fridays were usually when his squad went out to the Hard Deck to celebrate the end of the week.

But Nat wouldn't mind and that was all that mattered.

You two exchanged phone numbers, hands clumsily typing as you both tried to sneak glances at one another.

Once your respective phones were back in your hand, it seemed like the front door was calling your name.

Not that you wanted to leave.

Offering him coffee at this hour would be silly, no one did that anymore.

"Can I walk you to the door?" His voice was timid, unsure.

"Please." It came out abruptly, as though you had lost control of your mouth, "I mean, yes. I would like that."

When Bob offered his arm, you accepted, linking yours with his.

"This is my stop," you motioned to the front door, earning a chuckle from Bob. God, he was so handsome. And his hands were so large. What would it be like to hold them?

"I had a really good time tonight. Probably the best date I've had in...a while." The dusting of pink that spread across his cheeks was downright darling.

"Could I-"

"If you don't kiss me, I might explode."

Normally you weren't one to be so bold. But the ache inside you was threatening to burst at the seams.

"Oh thank God," was all Bob could get out before pressing his lips to yours.

[lovelytsunoda]

the sixth sense | jake "hangman" seresin

summary: after a car accident totals her car and leaves her with the ability to see ghosts, an anxious police desk sergeant learns to live with the ghosts haunting her home, and the crush she has on the hot pilot who lives next door

pairing: jake 'hangman' seresin x reader

warnings: car accidents, ghosts (but they're very funny ghosts!), sexual innuendos/advances made by a ghost, if you can recognize the names of the detectives/station staff and can correctly tell me what tv show they are from, you get a metaphorical cookie. jake is a very involved neighbour.

author's note: my f1 fics for this collection have been on the struggle bus lately, so here's hoping my top gun one does better

sargeant y/l/n wouldn't say she hated her job, exactly, but there were many days where she wasn't always thrilled with it. take today for example, her desk piled high with requisition forms for fingerprint checks, traffic camera footage, autopsy reports and more.

it wasn't that she didn't like the work. no, she found catching murderers to be most rewarding. it was the people she worked with. detectives who didn't see her as an equal, but as a machine, dropping files on her desk with a demand and an impossible deadline.

"yn, how busy are you for the next few days?"

she raised her eyebrows at the detective across from her. "for you, detective disher? i won't be free until at least the end of the week."

detective disher raised an eyebrow. "how much work are they piling on you? you aren't their servants, you can speak up and tell them you're too busy."

she rolled her eyes, chewing the end of her bic pen. "usually they hightail it out of here before i even have a chance to open my mouth. some of them don't even speak to me or give instructions, they just drop a file on my desk and assume that i know what to do with it."

detective disher frowned. "we really need another desk sargeant."

"you think?"

it was long after sundown when she left the office that night, overtime she probably wasn't going to get paid for. she hoped that leaving at 6:30 was worth it to have a clean desk in the morning, one almost free of files long enough that she could breathe. of course, by the morning, all of the late shift detectives would have dropped all of their files off for her review.

she was about halfway home when traffic started to pick up again, the glow of the led headlights making it difficult to see out of her side mirrors. her glasses claimed to be glare resistant, but what did someone without astigmatism know about glare?

she turned right at the next set of lights, descending down the hill that would lead to her small, cosy neighbourhood. she was still a fair distance away as she watched the light change from yellow to red, taking her foo toff the gas. the car ahead of her seemed to be slowing, but not by much, and the car behind her was uncomfortably close. she sped up slightly, ready to put her foot on the brakes whenever neccesary.

wait a minute, are his break lights out? he's stopping!

she slammed her foot on the brakes, watching helplessly as her car continued to slide forward, her front bumper colliding with the rusted tail hitch.

her head jerked forward from the impact, banging against the steering wheel before it all went black.

she came to in the hospital, where audio was blurry and vision even worse as the doctor explained the symptoms of a concussion to her.

“it was a bad scene all around. you’re lucky you weren’t injured further.” the doctor insisted. “legally, I can’t allow you to drive for the next few days. is there someone we can call?”

realistically, the only name that came to mind was detective dishers. her parents were two cities away, and she didn’t want to disturb them. her sister was on vacation, and she didn’t want to bother any of her friends.

disher picked her up by the main doors, a matchbox twenty song playing on his stereo as she groggily slipped into the passenger seat, a plastic baggie full of prescription drugs in her hands.

“just take me home, randy. I don’t want to talk about it.”

the detective sighed. “okay. But you know you don’t have to come into work tomorrrow, right?”

great. no work meant no leaving the house. no leaving the house meant that her thoughts drove her to the brink of madness.

she simply couldn’t win.

as she slipped into her bed, she must have been slowly losing her mind as she swore that she could hear voices in her room as she was drifting off. she didn't think much of it, chalking it up to exhaustion as she let sleep claim her.

the following morning, she groggily puttered around the kitchen, assembling a light breakfast as she called her captain to explain why she couldn't come to wrok.

"hey captain, i was in an accident last night-"

"i know. randy called me. are you doing okay?"

"no concussion, but the doctor wants me to monitor for signs, so i'm not super hopeful. disher drove me home, and i'm supposed to hear from the mechanics about the state of my car later today."

"well, take care of yourself, yn. if you need anything at all, you have my number, and you have randy's. but don't call adrian, he's probably just going to make things worse."

she sighed, rubbing the skin on her forehead, fingertips teasing the edge of the bandages from where she'd hit her head on the steering wheel. "thanks leland."

"my my, you look a little worse for wear, don't you?" the voice came from nowhere, very thickly british and definitely not familiar.

she spun around, spying a figure in the kitchen doorway. his long hair dusted the shoulders of his leather jacket, and his skinny jeans were ripped to oblivion. she screamed, reaching for the metal ladle in her utensils jar.

"how the fuck did you get into my house?"

"your house?" the man looked confused. "sweetheart, i've always been here. i wouldn't throw that at me, if i was you. you'll just damage the wall behind me."

"who the fuck are you?" she stammered. "you're not real, this is just concussion brain, i should call the doctor back and go another scan-"

"you're seeing ghosts, honey." this voice was older, deeper. kinder. and significantly less british. another body materialized in her kitchen, sitting at her breakfast counter. she was round and plump, with a rosy face and sweet, kind eyes. she wore a nun's habit over a white blouse and a long navy skirt. "rick over there died in 1984. i'm sister katherine, and i died in 1961. lovely to meet you properly."

"the fuck do you mean i'm seeing ghosts?!" yn screamed, the sound reverberating through her skull. "you're not real!"

"i understand that this is a lot to take in." sister katherine insisted "but it must have something to do with the accident you were in last night."

"how do you know about my accident?" she pushed, brandishing her metal spoon as a weapon.

rick rolled his eyes. "because we watched that detective bring you home last night. tell me, are you two sordid lovers? if i wasn't dead i would love to get a piece of your-"

"enough, richard!"

"what the hell is happening right now? has he been watching me in the shower?" yn hissed under her breath, starting to pace back and forth in front of her stovetop.

"if you've got a head injury, you should really sit down." the nun kept trying to reason with yn, but nothing in this situation made one iota of sense.

she shakily sat down in one of the ikea chairs in her kitchen, and noted how badly her hands were shaking. she dropped the ladle on the table, clasping her hands together. she refused to look at rick and sister katherine, instead focusing on where her shellac manicure had begun to chip.

she really should book herself in for a fresh one.

"we have visitors!" rick's voice carried, his ghostly body reappearing next to yn. she startled in the chair, refusing to meet his eyes. "he looks annoyed, and he's wearing mechanics coveralls. i wore a pair of those on stage once. ladies love 'em."

"he was in a very unsuccessful hair band." sister katherine clarified.

"i need both of you to stay quiet for a second." she sighed. "he must be from the body shop."

she closed the front door behind her, although that was unlikely to do much against two beings who could walk through walls, but a girl could try.

"are you y/n y/l/n?"

"sergeant y/n y/l/n." she corrected. "san francisco pd. can i help you?"

"i'm from clint's garage, detective disher brought your car in last night."

that didn't sound good. behind her, she could hear a car door slam in her neighbour's driveway. oh good, jake was home. she tried not to let her eyes wander, waiting with bated breath for what the mechanic was going to say next.

"the front bumper was totally smashed, caved in where you hit the trailer hitch. the hood is also bent back a bit from impact. the good news is that the airbags didn't go off, which means your car can be fixed. the bad news is that it's going to cost more than your car is worth."

she could feel her headache coming back, her legs beginning to feel weak. she knew her car wasn't worth much due to it's age. but the city didn't pay her enough for her to be able to take on the payment for a new car outright, even if she was buying used.

she felt unsteady, and her body was starting to list to one side as two strong arms picked her up.

"i've got you, just keep breathing." the smell of cologne was overwhelming. there was no way in fuck that was rick, and it wasn't the mechanic.

she'd know that texan drawl anywhere. and that meant that right now, she was in navy pilot jake seresin's arms.

and that idea made her feel a little more faint that normal.

jake seresin had lived in that neighbourhood longer than her. she'd moved into her rental house just over four years ago, and he'd bene there on viewing day in a tight white tank top and jeans, getting all sudsy as he washed his silverado in the driveway. she couldn't resist watching from the window as he got into his truck in full navy fatigues before he went to work, or when he worked out shirtless on his front lawn since the porch took up most of the back.

she cleared her throat. "can i get an estimate for the repairs? will it cost less than buying a whole new car?"

the mechanic sighed. "look, even at randy's mates rate, it would still be more advisable to buy something new. go to a dealership and look at the preowned lot, anything less than 20k will serve you a lot better than getting this car fixed up would."

she couldn't form words, mind going fuzzy from the feeling of jakes hand on her lower back, and the thought of going back inside and facing the ghosts again.

"thanks, man. she can't drive for a few days anyway," jake started "but i'll bring her to the car lot when she's better and help her find something nicer."

jake helped her back inside, where the ghosts were watching giddily with their heads through the kitchen wall.

"you didn't have to do that." she insisted, avoiding eye contact with sister katherine while she spoke to jake. "i really can't afford a new car."

she could hear sister katherine in the background, whispering to rick. he's a hot one, and a real gentleman too!

"but you can't drive that one either. it's almost twenty years old, yn." jack frowned. "treat yourself. finance if you have to. take the scrap money and run, that's what i would do. you think the navy pays me well either?"

she fought the urge to bury her head in her hands and slump down on the table. "can you drive me to my follow up at the end of the week? he just wants to make sure there's no brain damage. i was going to get detective disher to do it, but if you have the morning off its less hassle."

jake looked puzzled. "why would you want me to do it instead of your boyfriend? shouldn't that be his job?"

"why the fuck does everybody think i'm hooking up with randy?" she shouted. "jesus, jake. he's my fucking boss."

the pilot's face was red as he carded his fingers through his hair. "he just seems to be over here a lot. he drove you home from the hospital last night and i just assumed."

"he's over here a lot because his girlfriend threw him out so sometimes i let him sleep on the daybed in my spare room while he finds a new place. we've been friends for years, we were at the academy together. i could be where he is if i wasn't too chickenshit to go into the field."

jake paused for effect. "well, this is awkward. are you sure you never thought about it."

despite herself, yn laughed. "we hooked up once back at the academy. we were sooo not compatible."

"i fucking knew it!" she heard rick shout in the background. "men and women can't just be friends!"

"richard!" sister katherine cut him off. "let the girl speak and mind your own business."

"lucky for you," jake grinned, totally unaware of the ghosts arguing behind him, every syllable of their argument making yn cringe inside "i happen to have the day off on friday. i'll take you to the doctors, and if everything is good, we can go to the car lot where i bought my truck. the guy will give you a good deal."

"i want a volkswagen. that's non-negotiable." she warned.

"that's fine. we can even stop by the garage and pick up your scrap money to put towards a deposit."

her chest felt tight with everything jake was offering to do for her. it was a slight anxiety, but a positive one. nerves that sprung to mind when she thought that maybe jake was offering to do all of these things for her because he wanted to be more than just her neighbour.

and as incredible as she knew it would feel to have a special place in jake seresin's heart, she'd been out of a relationship for so long that being in one again scared the ever-loving shit out of her.

true to his word, jake picked her up promptly at ten am the following morning. she had stressed about what to wear all morning, dodging criticisms about her outfit choice from sister katherine ('seriously, what on earth are they selling in the clothing shops these days? tops are supposed to go to the top of your jeans! what happened to dressing respectably?) and outdated sex tips from rick (which came with a knowledge of the ghost's kinks that she wished she could erase from her memory).

"just to be clear, you guys are bound to this house, right? you died here and now you can't leave?"

sister katherine nodded. "that is how being dead works, my love. we have to stay here while you go out gallivanting with your fancy man."

she stifled a laugh. "jake is not my fancy man. and neither is randy."

"whatever you say, cutie." rick winked. "and if you ever find yourself being undead in the walls of this house, give me a call and let me rock your world."

shaking her head with a laugh, she closed the front door behind her and headed over the grass to jake's house. he was waiting with two thermoses of hot chocolate and looked like he had just finished vacuuming the inside of his truck.

"good morning sunshine, let's go get you a clean bill of health!"

the wait to see the specialist was longer than the appointment. it lasted no longer than half an hour while the doctor took another brain scan and declared that there was absolutely nothing wrong with y/n aside from some superficial bruising to the skin on her forehead where she hit the steering wheel. jake insisted that her clean bill of health was worth celebrating, ushering her back into the truck and refusing to tell her where they were going.

"you know i'm a serving police officer, right? one call to captain stottlemeyer and there's a all points bulletin out on your truck."

jake laughed heartily. "i'm not kidnapping you, sweets. damn, you really don't like surprises."

"can't say i'm a fan."

minutes later, jake pulled off a secluded country road and into a parking lot lined in mulch. for a place that was so out of the way, the parking lot was packed to the brim and jake had to park the silverado what felt like miles away from the building itself. like a true gentleman, he helped her down from the truck's cab, one hand on the small of her back as they walked towards the large country store.

"a farmers market?" she giggled. "big bad hangman frequents farmer's markets?"

"how do you know my call sign?"

"you have it written on a metal sign in your garage."

jake winked at her, opening the heavy glass door. the country store was in a large refurbished barn, with the hayloft having been fully converted into a small cafe. his hand was warm through her cinnamon colored t-shirt as jake guided her towards the stairs to the cafe.

"do you like cinnamon buns?"

"of course i like cinnamon buns. who do you take me for?"

laughing to himself, jake had a large smile on his tanned face as he guided her towards a window seat. "make yourself comfy, sugar. i'll be right back."

she hated to see jake seresin leave, but she loved to watch him go, shamelessly watching the rippling muscles underneath his tight levis jeans.

he came back a few minutes later, two white china plates in hand, each one with a steaming warm cinnamon bun on top. as he passed her a plate, the cowboy made the bold claim that these were the best cinnamon buns in san francisco.

"i'll be the judge of that." yn said with a laugh, trying to pick up the sticky pastry in her hands in the most dainty way possible. the buns were large, mostly taking up the small plate.

"need a knife for that, sarge?"

"shut up, hangman."

"you know i outrank you, right?" jake joked, a sly look in his eyes.

she stuck her tongue out at the pilot, wishing she had a third hand so she could give him the finger. "bite me."

"all in due time, sugar."

she tried to hide the blush taking over her face, busying herself with taking the first bite of her pastry while she tried to ignore the images that jake's comment had conjured in her mind.

of course, the moan that she let out upon tasting the pastry did nothing to ease the sinful thoughts creeping into her mind. she could tell jake noticed, his breath momentarily catching in his throat despite the smile never breaking on his face.

"am i right or am i right?"

"fine." she playfully rolled her eyes. "you were beyond right. these are incredible!"

she beamed over at jake, wiping up some of the warm glaze on her chin that hadn't fully dried before she'd taken a bite. he was sitting across from her at the small table, and had yet to touch his cinnamon roll.

"you've got a little something..." he started, reaching a warm hand over the table to brush against her lips, wiping up some cinnamon that had been left behind.

her breath caught at the action, her eyes catching jake's blue ones. he truly was a beautiful man. time seemed to slow, jake's eyes slowly moving from her own to her lips and then back up again, her cheeks heating under his gaze.

"yn, can i kiss you?"

"yes."

he leaned over the table, gently rising from his wooden chair as he pressed his lips against hers. he was soft at first, almost apprehensive until she gripped his wrist where he was caressing her face, tilting her head back to give him a better angle and kiss him harder.

kissing jake seresin was everything she'd wanted it to be and more. if this was a movie, there would be fireworks going off behind them, and a sappy pop rock ballad playing as background music. perhaps something by lifehouse or matchbox twenty.

her lips felt sticky as jake pulled away, a goofy smile on both of their faces.

"you haven't touched your pastry." she said shyly.

jake grinned. "that's because you taste a lot nicer."

they stopped at the dealership on the way back, after having picked up the scrap money. yn test drove a volkswagen, fairly new with few miles on it. she decided to make it a point to come back within the end of the weekend, having already fallen in love with the little car. she felt like was, for lack of better words, walking on sunshine as jake pulled into his driveway, one of his large hands resting comfortably on her thigh.

he helped her down, looking forlornly over to her house, almost as if he'd enjoyed himself and didn't want the night to end.

"i have to go into work early tomorrow, and you've probabaly got heaps of work to do as well, so i'll let you get back to it." jake sighed, scratching at the back of his neck. "but, if you're up for it, i can stop by tomorrow and make you something for dinner?"

she smiled up at him, reaching to take his free hand in hers. "i'd love that." remembering her ghostly guests, she hesitated. "but maybe we could do it at your house instead?"

"i would like nothing more, sarge."

"good." she pressed up onto her tiptoes, kissing jake softly.

his hand snaked around her waist, slipping into the back pocket of her jeans as he deepened the kiss. she hummed contentedly, gently stroking his face with her thumb, hand resting on his cheek.

"i can't wait." she winked at him before she cut across her front lawn, backing towards her property. her southern gentlemen saluted her as she unlocked her front door, slipping inside the foyer.

"soooooooo." rick's familiar english drawl began. "how did things go with john wayne over there?"

and despite herself, yn was very much looking forward to sharing details of her budding romance with rick and sister katherine.

things were coming up roses for sargeant yn yln, and she was so excited to see what the future had in store.

[cherryblossomcowgirl]

Hangman’s Ghost

WC: 4.7k

TW: Trauma, injury, angst, cursing, mentions of blood, PTSD

Hangman x reader; Bob Floyd x sister!reader

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I drive along the coast with the windows down, taking in a deep breath of the ocean air. Camp Pendleton had technically been my home for the last 2 years, but back to back deployments had kept me far away from California.. and my brother. Bobby had been so excited when I got stationed near him. I haven’t seen him since he helped me move into my apartment 2 years ago. I call when I can. He’ll send an email here and there. I’ve never been to his house, but he sent me his address years ago. When I landed stateside, I decided it would be my first stop. There’s a few cars at his bungalow, so I park my truck in the street and walk up to the door. Music is blaring and realize he can’t hear the bell, so I walk in the front door. “Bobby?? Bobby?!” There’s a handful of people standing around drinking and Bob’s head pops out from the kitchen, “Y/n?” I run over and he wraps me in a hug, “You’re home? You’re home! I haven’t heard from you in months!” He pulls back and punches my arm. I nudge him, “Sorry, work stuff. Drove here straight from the airport.” Bob turns down the record player and motions to everyone in the living room, “Y/n this is the Daggers, Daggers this is Y/n.. my little sister.” There’s scattered “Hello”s. Bob grabs me a beer from the kitchen, “Where’d you fly in from?” “Germany.” He raises an eyebrow, “Thought you were in Africa.” I shrug, “Pit stop.” “A pit stop for somebody special?” I roll my eyes, “No Bobby, just work.” I take off my flannel and tie it around my waist, causing Bobby to gasp, “What have you done to your arms?!” “Bobby, they’re called tattoos. Calm down.” He rubs his forehead, “The whole being jacked thing, I get. The gym is your ‘You’ time.. but sleeves? Why didn’t you tell me?” I laugh, “Because I knew you would react like this. But look right here..” I point to the inside of my bicep. His eyes get watery, “Our hometown.” “Oh so you just memorize coordinates now?” He smiles, “Only those.” “Yeah, me too.” He hugs me, “I’ve missed you.” He rejoins the group in the living room and I follow. Everyone seems very nice. Natasha is chatty, Bradshaw is goofy, Payback and Fanboy are a bit more to themselves. I excuse myself and head to the restroom. I hear a commotion that sounds like someone else has arrived. When I walk out into the hallway, I see a tall man with blonde hair. He turns around and his green eyes pierce mine. My heart drops into my stomach. I feel the blood drain from my face. “Ghost?” He says, barely above a whisper. My eyes scan and see Bobby in the living room, paying no attention. I meet his green eyes again, pleading, “Not here. Not now. Please.” He nods and rejoins the group. I sit on the couch, fighting my brain as it takes me back to that day. I can smell the smoke. I can hear the explosions. Bobby sits beside me and throws an arm around my shoulders, “We are gonna walk down to the Hard Deck, wanna join?” “Sure, I slept most of the flight anyways.” He smiles and I follow the group down the street to a little beach bar.

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“Penny, this is my sister Y/n. She just got in from Germany!” Penny smiles, “Welcome home! What can I get ya?” “Beer please.” She pops off the top and hands me the bottle. I follow Bob to the pool tables and he chuckles, “So you’re a beer drinker now?” “Can’t be very picky in the desert.” He nods in agreement and picks up a pool cue. I sit back and sip my beer. Hangman keeps an eye on me all night. The beer is barely helping calm my nerves. Bobby and his friends seem to be pretty far gone at this point and the bar keeps getting more crowded. I tap Bob’s shoulder, “I’m gonna get some air.” He nods and continues playing darts. As soon as I open the back door, the smell of ocean hits me. I kick off my shoes and head down to the sand. The water is cold on my toes. The sound of waves takes me far away from my thoughts. “Ghost?” I turn and meet those green eyes. “Hangman.” His brow furrows, “Bob doesn’t know, does he?” I shake my head. He pauses for a minute and then rests his hand on my shoulder, “Are you okay?” I look at the stars, trying to stare at anything but him, “I’m fine.” I can hear the concern in his voice, “Ghost, c’mon.” Shrugging his hand off, I turn to him, “Don’t call me that here. I’m just Y/n here.” He nods, trying to hide the hurt in his eyes, “Okay Y/n, I’m Jake.” His hand extends and I take it. I am immediately taken back.

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FLASHBACK

*”Marine! Grab my hand! I’m gonna get you out of here.” My eyes are trying to focus but the chaos around me is making it impossible. I grab the hand in front of me, meeting a warm and steady force. I am pulled up, instantly feeling horrible pain in my leg. “Don’t look down, look at me. Look at me. What’s your callsign?” I blink the dust and debris from my eyes, and find the bright green eyes of my rescuer. My throat is sore but I croak out, “Ghost.” He smirks, “Howdy Ghost, the name’s Hangman. Let’s get you on the plane.” He throws my arm around his shoulders and takes the weight off of my leg completely. He is calm. Steady. I am holding onto his hand like my life depends on it, which right now it does. My vision keeps going in and out. He squeezes my hand three times, sending a wave of comfort over me. A distant explosion brings me back to reality. “Did they get out? On the bird? Did it work?” Hangman nods, “They’re back at base.” He lifts me into the plane, strapping me in. I’m still going in and out, watching him start up the engine and take off.*

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“Y/n, you okay?” I open my eyes and I am sitting in the sand, Jake’s jacket around my shoulders. You can see the worry in his eyes. I take a breath, “Sorry, yeah. Yeah I’m good.” “You know it is fine if you aren’t. Did you see it again?” I nod, “Yeah. It’s your damn eyes.” He smirks, “I would change them for ya if I could.” I smile and wipe the tear that was forming in the corner of my eye, “Bobby didn’t tell me his squad deployed to Africa.” “We didn’t.. I volunteered. Bob didn’t tell me his sister’s a Raider.” I slide his jacket off and hand it back to him, “We don’t really talk about it. Usually just tell him where I’m going. Can’t really tell him what I’m doing.” He sets his jacket beside him, “How’s your leg?” “You already know the answer to that.” Jake nervously chuckles, “And what do you mean by that?” “When I woke up, the nurse asked me who the hottie was that camped out in the hallway. She also said you stayed by my bed for a while after I got out of surgery.” I scan his face and notice a slight blush coloring his cheeks. He clears his throat, “You didn’t have any family listed. I didn’t want you to be alone.” The sincerity of his tone surprises me. How could a complete stranger care so much for me? I gently place my hand on top of his, staring straight ahead at the ocean, “Thank you. For everything.” His hand turns to grab mine, then he squeezes it three times. I pull away quickly and look at him, “You’ve done that before. What is that?” He takes my hand again, “My Mom always did that growing up. Anytime she could tell I was nervous, she’d grab my hand and squeeze it three times. Like a.. I’m right here.” He squeezes my hand three times again, searching my face for a response. A tear spills over and falls down my cheek. He wipes it, his hand lingering for a second. I take a breath, “I tore all 4 ligaments in my knee. Most of the cuts were superficial.. some needed a few stitches. I stayed in Germany for a bit to start rehab there. They say the artificial ligaments are practically indestructible.” “Do you get to go back to your unit?” I smile, “They told me take as much time as I need and my spot is there when I’m ready.” Happiness lights up his face and he throws his arms around me, squeezing tight, “I’m so proud of you!” Part of me is taken aback by his words and his hug. Part of me is overcome with the same feeling of warmth from the day that we met. When he pulls away, heat rises to his cheeks yet again, “I’m sorry. It’s just the last time I saw you.. I didn’t know what would happen.” “Don’t apologize.” I grab his hand, squeezing it three times. His grin speeds across his entire face.

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It’s been a few weeks since the night Jake followed me down to the water. Before I drove home, he gave me his number. “In case you need anything.” Every moment of that night replays in my mind.. constantly. Work has been slow. I go in, do physical therapy, and then do paperwork. Bobby has visited a couple times. Each time I want to tell him about that mission, but I can never get it out. It haunts my dreams. The most random noise takes me back. I don’t know how to tell him. He invited me out tonight, but my knee is aching from rehab today. I told him I was tired and he didn’t press me any further. The sun sets and I light a few candles. I settle in on my couch with a book, turning off my brain and escaping into another reality.

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I sit up in a cold sweat. My heart is racing and it is hard to breathe. Before I realize what I am doing, my phone is ringing and a voice immediately answers, “Y/n?” Jake is met with silence. “Are you okay?” I try to find the words, but I can’t. My breathing is shallow and quick. I hear keys jingling and his voice lowers, “Send me your location.” His phone dings, “On my way.” “Thank you.” Comes out, barely above a whisper.

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Jake throws his arms around me as soon as the door opens. After a minute he hooks his finger under my chin, pulling my face up towards him. “What happened?” I sniffle, “I’m sorry.. I shouldn’t have called.. it’s so late and you were probably busy..” His palm moves to my cheek, his thumb caressing me gently, “Don’t ever apologize. Tell me what happened.” “My dream just felt so real. When I woke up, it felt like I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t even realize I was calling you until you answered. I’m sorry.” His thumb wipes a tear falling down my cheek, “I dream about it too.” I look up at him, “Really?” He nods, “I don’t usually fly those planes. Base got a call and I was the only reserve pilot. It was hot going in.. then I found you. Disoriented. Bloodied. Yet all you wanted to know was if your team was safe. I don’t know what happened before I got there, but that doesn’t stop the nightmares.” I stare at him, taking in what he said. He was scared.. for me. He dreams of me. He just drove here, no questions asked, for me. I clear my throat, “Do you want a drink?” He smiles, “Sure, unless you want me out of your hair.” “Jake, you drove all the way here to check on me. I’m not going to just kick you out.” He follows me to the kitchen and I hand him a beer. We settle in the living room and he looks around, “I think your place is more empty than mine.” I chuckle, “Hey, getting furniture was a big step for me.” “How long were you deployed?” “That one was back to back, so 20 months.” He almost chokes on his beer, “20 months?!” “Yeah. When we weren’t working we were at the gym or getting tattoos. Not much to do out there.” “Bob mentioned the tattoos. Looked like he was going to faint.” I laugh, “And now I’ll need to cover up my leg too. Sure he will love that.” Jake looks at my legs, only to see sweatpants, “You want to cover your leg?” I sigh, “Believe me, it doesn’t look pretty.” “I don’t believe you.” A blush rises to my cheeks as I roll my eyes, “Yeah everyone thought Frankenstein was pretty, right?” “Y/n, c’mon. You don’t look like Frankenstein.” I stand up and he grabs my hand, “Wait, I didn’t mean to upset you.” I shake my head, “Stay here. I’m going to show you so you understand.” When I get to my room, I throw on a pair of pj shorts. I look in the mirror and wonder why I am showing him this part of me. This part I try to keep hidden. This part I can’t even tell Bobby.

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When I walk out, Jake is still sitting on the couch. I stand in front of him, “See? Not pretty.” He stares at my leg, placing his hand gently on my lower thigh. His brow furrows as he traces my scars lightly with his thumb. I realize that I am shaking. It could be from his touch, or how vulnerable I feel in this moment. Or both. His green eyes meet mine, “You were right. It’s not pretty, it’s beautiful.” I try to hide my blush, “You think so?” He nods, “Yes ma’am. You lived. Each one of these is proof of how resilient you are.” My eyes water, “Can I tell you something?” “Anything.” “When you’re around, this wave of comfort just washes over me.” He grabs my hand a squeezes it three times, “Me too, Y/n. Me too.” I sit down beside him and rest my head on him, “Is this okay?” He wraps his arm around me, “It’s perfect.”

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The sun shining through the living room window wakes me up. Jake feels me stirring and yawns, “What time is it?” I check my watch, “06:00.” He chuckles, “I think we got a little too comfortable on the couch.” I sit up quickly and brush my hair out of my face, “Usually takes me a lot longer to sleep with a guy.” His eyes widen and he lets out a laugh that is deep and full of life, “Well then, I feel special.” Heat rises to my cheeks and my phone rings. I take the call in the kitchen, sighing as I hang up. “I’m sorry Jake, I have to go in for rehab in an hour. The therapist is out of town this week and I can’t get behind on sessions.” He grins, “Don’t apologize. Call me if you need anything?” I shrug, “I don’t know, what’s the protocol for how long to wait to call after sleeping with someone.” Jake laughs so hard his eyes water, “I don’t even know. How do you think I got my callsign?” I act shocked, “Well, you better not Hangman me. Once my leg is better, I could totally take you in a fight.” He hugs me goodbye and I watch him walk to his truck. There was something about the sleepiness in his eyes. The messiness of his bedhead. Somehow, it made him even more attractive. I hop in the shower, wondering what he is thinking about as he drives home.

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Two weeks pass without speaking to Jake. Work got busy and Bobby called to say he got sent to a training for a couple of months out of state. I wonder if he feels weird about the night on the couch. The only thing that is weird to me about it, is how natural it felt. As if it were just a normal thing for us to do. It’s Friday night, and some guys from my team want to go out. I suggest the beach bar I went to with Bobby and the squad. Partially because I loved the stretch of beach it is on, but mainly because I hope Jake will be there. I wonder if I should text him, but I don’t know if that will sound desperate. I don’t even know if he is thinking about me how I am thinking about him. Nonstop. Honestly, in an all consuming manner. I find myself being picky with my outfit, even doing my hair and some makeup. I know the guys will make fun of me, but what if I see Jake? I hop in my RAM and head to the bar.

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As soon as I swing open the doors, the guys yell, “Ghost! Over here!” I smile and walk towards the dartboards, “Playboy, Hellfire, Backstreet, and Cullen.. where’s Ice?” Playboy hands me a beer and rolls his eyes, “With his lady.” I raise my eyebrows, “Same one from before or..?” He laughs, “Of course not.” We play a few rounds and I keep scanning the bar for Jake. Cullen nudges me, “Who are you looking for?” “No one.” He rolls his eyes, “Come on, share with the class.” I shrug, “Just a friend. That’s all.” As if on cue, Jake and the Daggers walk through the doors. I blush and look away, throwing a dart. After a few minutes I hear that southern drawl, “Y/n! What brings you here?” I turn and meet Jake with a hug, “Hey! Team wanted to go out and this is the only place I know so far.” He smiles, “Well it’s a good one.” Cullen clears his throat and I hit his chest, “So Jake, this is the Team. Cullen, Hellfire, Playboy, and Backstreet. Missing one, he prefers to go out with his lady of the week.” The guys laugh and Jake smiles, “Nice to officially meet y’all, I’m Jake.” Hellfire points, “Wait a second.. you’re Hangman! You flew Ghost back from the mission.” Jake nods, “Yes sir, that was me.” Hellfire wraps him in a hug, and the rest of the men follow suit. Jake looks confused, but Playboy breaks the silence, “Thank you. I don’t know what we would’ve done if she didn’t make..” Jake pats his shoulder, “No need to thank me. She’s a fighter, that’s for sure.” I clear my throat, “Does anyone else need a drink? I need a drink.” The guys shake their heads but Jake nods, “It’s on me, darling.” The pet name sends heat through me. He puts his arm over my shoulder as he guides me to the bar. Penny greets us with a big smile, “Look who it is! What can I get you two?” Jake orders our beers and as we wait he leans down to my ear, “I forgot that your team is all handsome, tall, jacked, and tatted dudes. I met them for a second before we switched planes off at base.” I laugh, “Well, they can’t all be beautiful, short, jacked, tatted women. It just wouldn’t be fair.” He chuckles and I tiptoe up to his ear, “You don’t have to worry. Tatted dudes aren’t my type.” He raises an eyebrow, “What is your type?” I tap my finger on my chin, pretending to think, “Handsome, tall, jacked, tan, good smile. What about you?”He smirks and grabs our beers, “You know, funny you should ask. Recently I found out something about myself, I think tattoos are very attractive on a lady.” I playfully nod, “Hmmm yes very interesting take.” We head back to the dartboards, laughing our asses off.

.

.

The Daggers invite us to play pool, so we grab our drinks and join them. As the night goes on, Jake gets more and more affectionate with me. Subtle touches to my lower back, tucking my hair behind my ear. Each touch comforts me. Each touch excites me. My team has been watching him closely all night. Jake goes to grab another drink and Backstreet sits beside me, “Okay, so that isn’t just a friend.” “Oh shut up, yes he is.” “Ghost, do you see any of us touching you like that? Hell, do any of us even look at you like that?” I think for a second a shrug, “We’re just close, okay? He is one of the only people who understands what happened to me.” Backstreet nods, “I’m not trying to discredit that at all. I’m just saying that it seems like more than just someone who understands what happened that day.” Cullen calls him back over to take his shot and Jake hands me another beer, “Here ya go, darling.” “Thank you. Seems like everyone is becoming friends, huh?” He looks around, “Yeah. Look at that.” His green eyes meet mine and I smile, “You know, you didn’t have to buy my drinks all night.” His hand settles on my thigh, “I can’t let a pretty lady pay for her own drinks. Wasn’t raised that way.” I shake my head, “You are something else, Jake.” I excuse myself and wander over to the bathroom. As I head back to the group, I see my team talking to Jake. When they notice me, they separate and continue playing pool. I stand beside Jake and nudge his arm, “What was that about?” “Nothing.” “Oh c’mon.” He chuckles, “Just that they’ll kill me if I hurt you.” I sigh, “I am sorry. I’ll yell at them. They’re such idiots.” He shrugs, “It’s okay. I’m not planning on hurting you.” Silence surrounds us, the weight of whatever we are hanging in the air. Cullen comes up and hugs me, “We are gonna head out. Need a ride?” I shake my head, “Y’all be safe tomorrow, okay?” They all nod. I watch them walk out, knowing they’re flying to another country tomorrow for a mission. Without me. After taking a breath, I check my watch, “I should get going. Did you drive?” Jake points to Bob and laughs, “He’s the driver tonight.” “Do you want me to drive you instead?” He smirks, “Let’s go.” We get in my truck and I hand him my phone, “Here, type in your address.” He does and hands it back, “You gonna walk me to the door too?” I chuckle, “Maybe. Only if you play your cards right.” We pull into his driveway and he turns to me, “Want to come in?” I nod and follow him inside.

.

.

The house is slightly more decorated than mine. I sit on the couch and Jake comes out of the kitchen with 2 beers, “I like your team a lot.” I smile, “Yeah, they’re pretty great. They were keeping an eye on you.” He laughs and sets his free hand on my thigh, “I saw.” A burst of energy flows through where he touched me. His eyes scan my face, smirking at the reaction to his touch. I know I need to talk to him about this, but I don’t know how. I was never girl that boys liked. When I wasn’t reading, I was playing whatever sport was happening that season. Jake clears his throat, “What kind of movies do you like?” I think for a second, “Thrillers.” He pulls one up, “This just came out, wanna watch it?” “Sure! I heard it’s good.” For the first few minutes, I sit rather awkwardly. Jake grabs us a couple more beers, but when he sits back down he inches closer. He hands me a blanket, “Here. Get cozy.” I take it, smiling, and lean my head on his shoulder. I can smell his cologne, it has notes of bergamot and cedar. My breaths are deep, trying to take in every bit of his scent that I could. His right hand slides under the blanket, resting on my lower back. These moments feel so exciting, but so natural. As if it has always been this way. The movie is great, and Jake laughs when it makes me jump. His thumb is tracing circles on my back. A scene freaks me out, so I bury my face into his neck. He chuckles, “Darling, after all of the things you’ve seen I can’t believe this is scaring you.” I huff, “When I am in civilians, I am just a girl.” We both laugh and he pulls me in closer, “I didn’t know that was the way that worked.” I nod, “Oh yeah. I can’t kill spiders. If I hear a noise at night, I will freak out. Oh and I am terrified of snakes.” He looks down at me, smiling that million dollar smile. “What?” “You’re adorable.” A blush creeps up my cheeks and I shake my head, “Not usually a word people use to describe me.” His eyes flicker between my eyes and my lips. The green of his eyes grows darker as he slowly moves closer. We are a breath away from each other, frozen in a moment of uncertainty. He raises his hand to cup my cheek, “Is this okay?” I nod, leaning in to his calloused hand. Our lips brush each other and he whispers, “And this?” Words are nowhere to be found. I whimper and his eyes grow so dark, you can barely see the green. Jake’s lips crash into mine. His lips are soft. All I can hear is my heart pounding. One hand is exploring my back, while the other tangles itself in my hair. It feels like our bodies are melting together. His tongue explores my mouth, all the tension that has built up between us spilling over. We finally break apart, catching a breath, staring at each other. A smile spreads across Jake’s face as he pulls my head into his chest. I listen to his heart, beating fast and loud. “Y/n?” My eyes meet his, “Yeah?” “I think I’m in love you.”

.

.

He scans my face for a reaction. I blush, “I think I’m in love with you, too.” His hands find to my hips, moving me to straddle his lap. I run my hands through his hair, admiring his bone structure. He looks like he was sculpted and should be displayed in a museum. I notice a glassiness in his eyes, “What’s wrong?” He sighs, “When I found you.. I didn’t know if you were going to make it. I was staring at this beautiful woman, wondering how I couldn’t have found you before. When I left the hospital, I didn’t think I’d see you again. You haunted all of my dreams.” A tear falls down my cheek, “After the crash, your eyes were the first thing I could see.” He wipes a tear that fell, then his lips meet mine. This time it is gentle. Comforting. Filled with warmth. The movie ends and I check my watch. 02:00. Jake groans, “No don’t look at that. Then you’ll want to leave.” I giggle, “I don’t want to go home, but it’s 02:00.” He pulls me in, “Please stay.” “Okay, but you need to give me clothes because I can’t be in jeans for another minute. We laugh as I follow him to his room. He pulls out a Navy t shirt and hands it to me. I gasp, “You’re evil.” Jake smirks as he turns around, “Oh stop fussing.” I put it on begrudgingly. He turns around, “I don’t think you’ve ever looked better, darling.” “Soak it in. Next time I’m bringing my own pjs.” He raises an eyebrow, “So there will be a next time?” I roll my eyes and climb into the bed, “Oh hush, get over here and cuddle me.” “Yes ma’am.” He pulls me into his chest and I fall asleep listening to his heartbeat.

[honeyhenry]

Apple Pie and You and I

A little story of the Seresins aka Hangman being a softie for his girl. Fluff, no warnings, please enjoy!

Jake Seresin, a lone star state boy through and though, always found himself feeling closer to home with a warm apple pie and a country song playing with a gentle thrum on his Pop’s old record player in the room next door.

The only time he felt closer to a sense of home was with you - his lovely lady who had managed to lure and capture the Hangman hook line and sinker by batting her pretty lashes and making him work hard for her attention. It had taken him 3 weeks of smirks that turned to smiles, and insistence that turned into nothing shy of begging, for you to agree to a date. The only holding back he’d done was in omitting to state the thought that had urged him to act in the first place; “Oh, she's gonna be my wife someday.”

The typically cocksure brazen pilot hadn’t the need to utter those words for another 14 months, past the utterly exclusive dating period, nor in between months of loved up sweetness and the pained inevitability of month-long deployments. He’d told you the very moment after his 1 month deployment - which had extended into 7 and a half weeks - of a monogamous routine, where a few pictures and fond memories were just not cutting it any more.

The tarmac had scratched the khaki material of his bags as he'd dropped them with a heavy thud to the ground, only eager to reach your arms sooner. Your little sundress catching in the soft wind, the warmth of the sun heating your cheeks and nose as he engulfs you in his arms, holding tight before he'd pulled his head away to take a proper long look at your pretty face - and then brought your lips to his. He'd kissed you over and over and over, the smile on his face growing every time, your eyes clear and watering, having waited for this moment.

And quietly, once the decision was made to catch your breaths, he'd whispered, lips ghosting over yours, that you were it for him. That he was going to marry you.

According to the Navy, Hangman had no one at home, no next of kin unless you provided the contacts of his parents down in their ranch a few states away should there ever be the need for the passing over of belongings and dog tags to fatefully occur. But Jake Seresin? He had a whole life to get back to; one he needed to kick start with a ring and a question.

The ring itself would be an heirloom, no doubt about it, and had required a trip back to Texas to see his family and share with them his upcoming plans. Having met you a handful of times over Christmas and on big family birthdays, the Seresins were entirely on board. Jake's Momma had given him a close hug with tears in her eyes while his Dad and siblings cheered and grinned the classic Seresin smile. Their family often grew each year, but his Momma and Grammie had worried that their headstrong, flirtatious boy would get too caught up in the ways of the world to settle down. He was a softie at heart, and you had been the best thing to ever happen to him.

They adored you. Enough for Grammie to take her grandson into her study, and open the jewellery box safely nestled inside a locked cupboard door. "This one is a diamond", she'd said as she'd taken out a piece." It's been in the family since before I was born. It's even got the family name engraved inside." Jake had taken it, listening respectfully to his Grammie but still lost in the thought of how the ring would look so beautiful on your finger. Thinking of you being his, forever.

That had been 18 months ago now, and the glinting stone on your ring finger, alongside a shiny golden wedding band, showing that all had gone to plan. Hangman proudly wears his ring too, occasionally looping it around his dog tags if need be. However currently, in the Lone Star state, the dog tags are off and his ring fits snugly on his fourth finger as he holds you close.

It's campfire night at the ranch, and you sit on his lap, curled in and admiring the way his face has caught the sun, inspecting every detail of him in the glow of the fire he had helped to start. He looks between his family; uncles, cousins, grandparents, now and then but his main focus is always you. Your hands clasp his left one as he uses the other to nurse a beer after working up a sweat teaching his youngest nephews to play football earlier that day. It had been so endearing to watch as you'd prepared the barbecue and baked fresh cookies using the special Seresin recipe, with his Momma and sisters.

"I got the recipe from your Mom, for the cookies, so we can have them at home." You'd whispered sweetly as the chatter around the fire continued. "Do you know", Jake murmured, looking deep into your eyes as his green ones pierced into your soul. "Do you know how much I love you?"

Your giggle had been soft and the eye roll that followed made Jake smirk lovingly. Still in awe of how he got the girl that barely spoke to him but was still batting her lashes and playing hard to get. He brings your hand to his lips, kissing the point just above where your rings lay on your finger.

"The kids'll love 'em. You're gonna be a great Mom." He stops smirking and now looks at you, fully focused with a soft, genuine smile. Placing the beer down, he rests his hand on your stomach, underneath the sweatshirt of his you've borrowed that splashes the words University of Texas, Austin on the front. It's old and thinning out but it smells of Jake, so it's something you will happily bask in and nap in and snuggle in until you have to leave his family home once more.

"Shhhh. I already think Grammie knows", you scold him. And she does. Grammie knows and as his Momma watches the two of you interact now, she's certain that she knows too. Call it a Mother's instinct. Jake's little check-ins throughout the day had not gone unnoticed, nor had your daily naps that you blamed on the heat, despite it only being the middle of May.

"But Grammie knows everything, a few more days and I can finally tell 'em all. Been dyin' to sweetheart." His hand rubs your stomach gently, not to raise suspicion but also to comfort you. Sure, as the cookies and apple pie were brought out, he had felt a little nostalgia, but with you in his lap wearing his ring, and his baby in your belly, Jake Seresin had never felt more at home than in that moment.

[cwritesforfun]

Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Fem!Reader: Maverick's Viper

Rewatched this movie lol sooooo... Your call sign is "Viper," and you were given it very quickly into your career. Your father is Maverick and everyone thought your flight style was similar to his, hence the dangerous name.

Y/N = Your Name & Your Father = Maverick

** I do not own the Top Gun Maverick characters or plot

Masterlist

Y/N's POV

You arrive at the Hard Deck and see your father getting off of his motorcycle. He walks over and says, "Be careful tonight, and don't mention that I'm in charge. I don't want them to worry." You reply, "You got it, old man. I don't even know you." He smiles, laughs, and says, "See you in there."

You see your phone ringing with your annoying Aunt's number and you answer it. She begins to ramble and you feel like this call will never end. You wave to Phoenix when she walks past you to go inside and you see other familiar faces.

You see Bradley Bradshaw pull up and you notice he's not in uniform. Always the rebel. You laugh and your Aunt asks you what is funny about dying family members... oops, you take that as your cue to end the conversation.

Bradley stops in front of you, smiles, and exclaims, "This must be a special mission if you're here." You reply, "Only the best of the best are inside, so of course, I'm in here. The real question is why are you here?" He laughs, pulls you into a hug, and says, "Don't ghost me again. It sucks." You laugh and head inside. You grab your drinks and you notice your father leaning away, so Bradley doesn't see him.

You leave with Bradley over to your friends and you hug Phoenix then a few others. You sit with Bob and drink your beer, trying to be chill.

Hangman smirks and asks, "Viper, fancy a game of darts?" You answer, "Only if you're ready to lose." You hear gasps and he asks, "Wanna bet?" You answer, "I'll buy you and only you one beer if you win. I'll have one beer if I win too." He replies, "Lame, but I'm okay with it."

You play the first round and lose. He bets you he will win 2 of 3, so you play another round while he sips on the beer you got him. You win the 2nd round and you win, so you get a beer.

During your last round, Bradley walks up and says, "Come on, Y/N, we have better things to do." Hangman says, "Dude, we're playing a game here." Bradley pulls your arm and you shoot your last dart landing directly in the center causing your friends to cheer.

Bradley pulls you over to the piano and he pats the space next to him before he starts playing. You play on the left side of the piano and he plays on the right then you start singing.

Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Hangman and his crew toss your dad outside yelling, "Overboard!" You wonder if they know who he is or why he is here. You also wonder if people know you're related.

You sing, have fun, and enjoy the night with your friends.

You make it back to your home where your dad is sitting in the living room watching TV. You grab your water before sitting next to him to ask, "Do the guys who threw you out know who you were?" Your dad answers, "I do not think so, Y/N... How was the rest of your night?" You sip your water and answer, "Great, it's good to see everyone again... I noticed you avoided Bradley. You can't avoid him forever." He replies, "I didn't want to ruin his night of fun tonight... He looked happy and good. I didn't want to bring up the past." You reply, "You'll have to if they expect you to lead him." He replies, "Ok Miss Full Of Good Ideas." You laugh and watch TV with him.

You drive to base the next morning on your motorcycle, which is an almost identical build to your father's. He claims that yours is safer though... and he has to keep his kid safe. HAHA!

You're sitting talking to Phoenix and Rear Admiral Bates talks about who will teach you. Your father walks up and you watch as he wins over everyone, except for Bradley. You realize that you have to refer to him as Rooster for work. He can be like a rooster sometimes haha.

It's time for the first round... Payback, Fanboy, and Rooster are first up. Rooster is "shot" down and he has to do push-ups. Phoenix, Hangman, and Bob are up next. They lose and you laugh as Bob calls Hangman, "Bagman."

Rooster catches your arm as you head to your plane and he says, "Hey uh Viper, get your dad, will you? Someone needs to." You laugh and say, "I'll try."

You fly and think you've outsmarted your father when he does an advanced maneuver causing you to laugh. He "shoots" you and says, "You need to go for it, Viper. No waiting."

You're doing your push-ups and Coleman asks, "Do you think anyone's gonna get him, Viper?" You answer, "I hope so. He's gotten too cocky in his old age." The others laugh and Bob says, "I don't think you're supposed to say that about your superior." You reply, "You can if he's your dad." You feel eyes on you and Hangman asks, "So you're Maverick's Viper? The one they told us about?" You answer, "I am his daughter if that's what you're asking."

In the next round ~ Hangman and Rooster go out together. You have a very bad feeling about this. Not only does Rooster hate your father currently, but he also has an intense rivalry with Hangman. Rooster and your father get heated in the air exchanging hateful words ... Rooster and Hangman get taken out. No one wins that round...

That night, you shower at your place and decide to go out for a bit.

You leave on your motorcycle, buy ice cream, and sit on a bench near the beach to eat it.

You hear, "Y/N? Mind if I sit?" You see Bradley standing there and you say, "I don't mind at all." You hand him a spoon and ask, "Want any ice cream?" He takes a bite and says, "God this feels like the old days." You laugh and reply, "Yeah it really does, except this time we both drove here and you didn't have to bang on my window for me to sneak out." He laughs and says, "I actually drove my house before this and was going to hit your window... I saw your light off and I ended up seeing your dad walking inside with Penny... I drove off before he could see me though." You reply, "You know one day you two will have to stop avoiding each other... I told him the same thing." He scoffs and asks, "And what did he say about that?" You answer, "He didn't want to make you unhappy by talking to him." He replies, "I still am unhappy just seeing him." You reply, "Chill, he is my dad after all." He replies, "Sometimes I wish he wasn't." You ask, "Why?" He shrugs and answers, "Oh just reasons." You laugh and say, "Ok... so uh how have you been recently?" He shrugs and answers, "Fine I guess. What about you?" You answer, "Oh just living in my father's shadow everywhere I go... I told everyone this afternoon and everyone was so shocked. I guess people know of Maverick and Viper... I hate it." He replies, "Yeah well at least you're not in your dead dad's shadow." You pat his shoulder and say, "You know, you really should talk to someone." He replies, "I am, right now. You're the only person I want to tell." You nod and lean your head against his shoulder.

You both sit on the beach a bit longer before parting ways.

When you walk through the door at home, your father is standing with Penny in the living room. You wave and your dad asks, "Were you with Bradley? He drove by here like he was going to get you to sneak out, except you were already out." You laugh and answer, "Yeah we were back at our spot. It was nice... I told him to talk to you." He asks, "What did he say?" You answer, "You know for two people mad at each other, you both ask about each other a lot." Penny half-smiles and you say, "Penny, talk some sense into him. I'm going to bed, but it was great seeing you." She smiles at you and you go to your room.

Days pass and your dad's winning streak continues.

One day, you are all told to go to the beach near the Hard Deck. Phoenix leans over to you and asks, "How long before one of the guys hits on us because our shirts are off?" You answer, "I give it less than one minute." She replies, "I'm going to have to agree with you."

Sure enough, some dudes walk up and their eyes keep wandering your chests... Phoenix says, "You boys are sick." She pulls you over to where Rooster, Bob, and some others are. You exclaim, "None of you hit on us or I give Phoenix full permission to punch you." Hangman asks, "Oh who cra**ed in your breakfast?" Phoenix points and answers, "Those duds."

Your father calls everyone over and divides the team into two - his team vs Coleman's team. Coleman won the coin toss and picked you first. He should have gone with someone else tbh.

You all are divided and play football on the beach. It's honestly so great and you feel like you really bond with everyone.

Penny prepares lunch for everyone and sets it all out. You're sitting next to Bradley with Phoenix, Bob, and others.

You slowly notice your fries disappearing and you turn to Bradley saying, "Hey! Stop stealing my fries!" He smirks and asks, "What are you gonna do about it?" You answer, "I don't know yet, but I'll get you back."

You all continue to work more and you feel so drained.

You're sitting at the bar at the Hard Deck talking to Penny when you feel someone shaking your shoulders. Penny smiles and walks away as you turn to see Bradley smiling. You ask, "Hi, what's up?" He answers, "Oh not much, just missed you." You reply, "We saw each other all day." He sighs, sits on the stool next to you, and asks, "Wanna dance?" You ask, "Are you sure you don't wanna dance with someone else? That blonde girl across the room seems to like you." He replies, "Boo she is not you. I only wanna dance with you, please." You reply, "Fine fine, how much did you drink tonight anyway?" You stand and he pulls you to the dance floor while answering, "A couple of beers, I can handle it." You nod and you dance with him.

After dancing, Hangman challenges him to darts and you back to the bar. Your feet are killing you once again and you need water. Phoenix shows up and sits next to you before asking, "So what's the deal with you and Bradshaw?" You answer, "We've known each other since birth and have always been close. Why?" She shrugs and answers, "He just seems in love with you, that's all." You laugh and say, "Yeah right, funny Phoenix." She answers, "Come on, you have to see it. On the last mission I was on with Rooster, he kept telling me about this girl back home that he was super into and about someone named Viper. I never thought that the girl and Viper were the same until you said Maverick was your dad. I've seen you and Rooster interact, you like each other. Why don't you tell him?" You answer, "We've always been friends and I don't wanna lose him. by telling him because we could not work out" Penny says, "Sorry for eavesdropping, but I agree with Phoenix. He likes you and you like him. Look at how he begged you to dance with him. That... and he glances over here as he's playing with Hangman." You smile and Phoenix gives Penny a high-five.

After a while, you decide to head out to get rest and Bob stops you. You ask, "Hi Bob, any reason you're stopping me?" He answers, "Yeah haha... Rooster is really annoying right now. He also keeps talking about you, can you take him home? I think he'll just keep drinking and he won't ever go home." You reply, "I don't see why I have to, but since you're my friend, I will do it." He asks, "Really? I'm your friend?" You answer, "Yes really. You're cool, Bob." He smiles and you follow him back to where everyone is standing. Hangman asks, "Were you trying to leave without taking Rooster home?" You ask, "Yeah about that, I don't get why I have to take him home. All of you could do it as well." Hangman answers, "Ah well he said you promised to take him home and you're the only one he'll give his address to." You reply, "Great just great."

You walk over to Bradley and exclaim, "Come on Bradshaw, time to go home." Bradley sighs and says, "That's no fun." You give him a forced smile and reply, "I'm tired so it's fun for me." He replies, "Fine fine." He takes your hand and you practically pull him out of the Hard Deck. You ask, "Did you drive here?" He answers, "No, Phoenix gave me a ride. I told her you would drive me home." You swing onto your motorcycle and reply, "I heard that you said that, now get on and hold on." He replies, "I've never been the one not driving." You reply, "Boo hoo get on Prince." He laughs and gets on behind you. He places his arms around you and asks, "Is this okay?" You answer, "Yeah it's great. You're real comfortable." You rev up the bike and drive to his home. You park in his driveway and he gets off the bike. He asks, "Could you walk me to my door?" You take off your helmet and get off the motorcycle before holding your hand out for him to take. He takes it and you walk with him to his door in silence. Bradley asks, "Do you want to know why I wish your dad wasn't your dad?" You answer, "Sure." He says, "I like you and I've liked you for years. I want to kiss you, but my mind keeps thinking about how your dad would disapprove." You place a light kiss on his cheek and reply, "He likes you, he just needs to talk to you more. I like you too, but you should tell me next time you're sober." He smiles and replies, "Ok. Good night." You hug him before leaving to go home.

You arrive home and surprisingly your dad is not in the living room.

The next few days, Bradley seems off and he won't tell you why. He just answers everything you ask in one word and is hanging out with Hangman. Weird.

It's time for your father to choose who will go with him on the mission and you notice his behavior. You can tell that you're not going to be chosen. He wouldn't risk your life even if he believed you were the best for the mission.

Maverick will fly, accompanied by Phoenix and Bob. Rooster will lead the second strike with Payback and Fanboy.

Everyone starts getting ready and you find your dad outside. You exclaim, "I just wanted to say good luck today, not that you need it." He smiles and says, "I appreciate it, sweetheart. Thank you. If I don't make it back, just know I love you and tell Penny too." You reply, "We're not going to say goodbye dad, we're just saying see you later." He half-smiles and says, "See you later, Viper." You smile and hug him one more time.

You wish Phoenix and Bob good luck as well.

You even tell Fanboy and Payback too. They're cool even if you're not as close to them.

You find Rooster and you exclaim, "So you get to fly the second strike. I guess we finally found out who was the better pilot between us." His eyes look on the verge of tears and he pulls you into a hug. You say, "I guess you're over whatever you've been feeling the last couple of days." He pulls away and says, "Yeah look about that, I did remember what you said when I was drunk, but I was just scared. I was scared of saying it..." You interrupt him and say, "Then don't say it now. Wait. Don't force it because you're going on this mission and you're scared about if you'll survive. Just tell me after. I know you'll make it back." He replies, "Ok. Well goodbye, I guess." You reply, "See you later, not goodbye."

You join Hangman in the control room later as everyone else gets into their planes. Hangman asks, "Did your boyfriend tell you he likes you yet?" You answer, "No, I told him to wait." He replies, "You're insane." You reply, "I mean, Maverick is my father." He laughs.

The mission goes off and things start to go wrong... Rooster and your father keep risking their lives. Rooster went after him and yet he says he hates him. You won't believe it for one more minute.

You and Hangman are sent out to make sure they get back okay.

When you finally land back on the base and your feet are on the ground, you're pulled into a kiss with Rooster. You hear the cheers and you feel yourself smile into the kiss.

Rooster says, "I like you so much and would love to take you on a date." You reply, "You better, you did just kiss me at work in front of almost everyone we know." He replies, "Right I did, may I kiss you again?" You answer, "Sure." He pulls you back into a kiss.

You notice your father walking over and you pull away slightly from Rooster. Your father walks up and pulls you into a hug. You hear your father say, "Not so fast, Bradshaw. Stay over here." You pull away from your hug and your father asks, "So did the two of you finally tell each other your feelings? I've been waiting for years for it." You gasp, "Dad!" Rooster says, "I'm surprised you were rooting for us, Mr. Mitchell." Your father replies, "You two have been each other's person for a lot longer than I think you realize. That's also why I didn't care about Y/N sneaking out to meet with you. I knew she was safe with you." You hug your dad and he says, "Ok, I need to go to the Hard Deck to talk to Penny. See you tonight?" You answer, "Yeah see you later," before he leaves.

You stand near Rooster and exclaim, "You've already gotten parental approval. Drunk you was worried about that." He sighs and replies, "Ugh don't remind me. I don't get why I was so convinced we were dating and you were driving me home." You reply, "I'll be honest, it was weird. But I liked it because I like you." He smiles and asks, "What do you say we change and go out with our friends? You answer, "We should." He asks, "Can I pick you up?" You answer, "Sure."

You shower and change before meeting Bradley outside. You get on the back of his motorcycle and say, "I've never been the one not driving." He laughs and answers, "Ok Princess, hold on tight." You hold him and he drives you both to the Hard Deck.

[trashmouth-richie]

𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: escaping Hawkins was impossible, but he did it. when a ghost from your past shows up unexpectedly, bringing with him old memories and holding up a mirror to the train wreck life you’re living… you find it hard to trust him again.

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 18+ no minors, depictions of poverty, child neglect/ endangerment, drug use/abuse, alcohol use/abuse, endangerment, 18+ sex working, 18+stripping, violence, smut. no use of y/n reader has a name that’s introduced in the first chapter, and another “nickname” that is lightly used throughout this series. eddie also has a nickname given by reader.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: memories flood back of when you were younger, Eddie wants to talk but silence holds merit.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞: here i come, but i ain’t the same

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨: cold before the warm

masterlist

The nub end of graphite scrawls against a crinkled back page of paper. Ripped haphazardly from a composition book labeled: Language Arts—E.M.

The yellow pencil was pocked with teeth marks, having been between a pair of teeth that weren’t yours, mind not even gathering the germs that could be harbored in the pressed wood. 

Your tongue had been poked out for nearly three minutes according to the watch on Eddie’s wrist. Your brain working overtime trying to find the best phrase that would stump your friend in the game of Hangman. 

The alphabet was written in a hurry on the left side of the page, parallel to the hanging post. Beneath that were evenly scratched dashes on the blue printed line, waiting for their companion of letters to be filled by Eddie’s correct guesses. 

Putting the pencil down with a satisfying smack, you look up from your masterpiece confidently.

“Okay, I’m ready!” 

Eddie chomps a piece of Big Red loud between his teeth, unhooking his tangled feet from underneath himself and stretching out his skinny legs, jeans from the previous school year hacked into shorts for the summer, “took long enough.”

You make a face and flip him a suggestive finger, the nail chipped and painted pink from the last time your neighbor Michelle let you play with her nail polish, and in return you listened to her gab about her boyfriend while she combed her hair like Marcia Brady. 

“Don’t be a poor loser because you’ve lost the last four games, Clove.” 

He laughs when your eyebrows turn into a pout, the heel of your worn sneaker kicking into his. The same black pair of converse, yours a few sizes smaller, faded and tattered, fitting your feet in a way that was uncomfortable for the arch of your foot, years of wear accustomed to another’s foot print that belonged to the boy across from you. 

Letters are guessed and lines filled in. Eddie insists that you make the hangman have a face complete with nose, mouth and eyes realizing that he is close to eating his words from earlier. 

“Would you like the hangman to be wearing socks and a hat?” You ask honestly, hiding a smirk behind the paper. 

Eddie scoffs, working a bite mark into his bottom lip as he racks his brain for what kind of dumb phrase you conjured up, “I quit on terms that you’re a cheater.” 

The insult was harsh, not worse than the words that you heard around your kitchen table or ones that ricocheted off the thin walls when you were on the cusp of dreaming. No, this word hurt. Stung into your skin like a wasp, repeating its terror until you were swollen and skin ached of heat. 

Tears sprung to your eyes, clinging to your lashes ready to drop. The paper clenched in your fist as you shoved it under Eddie’s nose, proving your innocence. 

“I am not!” 

“Sure you are,” he takes the paper from you, folding it roughly into an uneven shape and shoving it between the couch cushions behind him, “Cheatin’ Clove. Has a nice little ring to it doesn’t it?” 

Before Eddie can say anymore, a can of Coca Cola is thrown at his head hitting him with a thud, followed by your whimpers and the sound of your feet clapping against the dirty linoleum. 

“Clove! ow! Wait!” 

The screen door scratched your palms as you twisted it open. Jumping from the stairs and landing hard in the dirt, you didn’t bother bringing your bike home. Choosing to run the short distance instance instead, shutting the front door with a heavy slam. 

Tears soaked your pillowcase before you drifted to sleep, curled up on top of the patchwork quilt on your bed. 

Eddie. 

His name was trapped in your mouth, dry along your tongue, unable to force its way out. 

He was a ghost to you, memories that were buried and dormant were now flooding back at full speed, pinging around your brain firing each nerve tucked away deep, landing you a migraine behind your eyes. 

Seven years. 

Seven fucking years, since you had seen those doe shaped eyes, brown muddied colors still lost in a child’s innocence and wonderment— barely aged from the last time you had seen him. That memory burned into your retinas, like fuel to a pained flame. 

His hair was longer, well past his shoulders now, fringe of his bangs still thick on his forehead. His knuckles were covered in tattoos, the little you can see of his neck is also full of dark wisps of ink.

He says your nickname, the one only he knew. A joke between best friends. 

You try to open your mouth, fighting like hell to will anything to come out, but nothing does, the words choke against your throat, caught against each other in a tangled string of sharp edges.

“uh— I—E..”  

His eyes grew bigger than they already were, waiting for you to say something, anything. It was as if time stood still, all the pain from years prior coming back.

Images of Eddie, his smile, the bloody gash on his knee from his longboard, small memories, painful ones that could bring someone less strong to their knees: all flash behind your eyes.  

The pain from all those years ago was searing through you like a knife. Memories that you kept buried away were suddenly throttling you like they had just happened, the wounds that were licked clean were now fresh and open, blood flowing freely.

Before hot tears can spill down your face, you spin wildly on your heel, walking fast and turning back to the bar. The tray slamming onto the back counter with a loud bang, snapping.  

Your breath was erratic, heart racing. Whatever lingering high you had was gone. Emotions you hadn’t felt in years coursing through you demanding to be felt. 

Why was he back? 

You didn’t know the purpose of his return to Hawkins, only registering how hurt you felt that he was. The day he left still stung your spine, sending shivers all over your body. 

Did he ever think of you? In the seven years he had been gone did you bleep on his radar even once?

Hanging your head your fingers tap nervously on the lacquered wood, trying to calm yourself down before you work yourself up anymore than you already were. 

“Be right back,” you called over your shoulder to Jolene, head down walking fast to the cooler. 

The chilled air made your skin prick with goosebumps but you couldn’t care, the only thing you could feel was your heart shattering to pieces all over again. 

The floor was cold under your body, shelves and beer boxes held you up as you fell apart. Deep shuddering breaths in and winded ones out, you don’t wipe the tears as they free fall down the apples of your cheeks—dragging black eyeliner and mascara with them til they trickle from your chin. 

The callus of your life made it hard to feel, even harder to cry. But once the gate was open, it was challenging to close. A dam of pent up emotions broke free out of you like an angry flood, full of irreparable damage, forgotten feelings and an exploding heart. Taking with it years of questions, hopes and dreams. 

Scenery wasn’t the only thing that was altered in his time away. You evolved, having to peel off layers of naivety and fear. Would he care if he knew? 

Wiping another sludge of wet makeup from under your eyes you catch the tattoo on your hand. 

It burned on your skin. Prickling like it hadn’t been ten years since you’d gotten it.  Years that seemed like a different lifetime ago.

It practically was.

The boy who did them was long gone, and the man in his place was someone you didn’t even know. 

—

It was you. 

The only person in all of Hawkins who made it bearable. What should have been a joyful reunion was clouded over with painful memories. Of course there were good ones, but mostly the bad out weighed anything happy. 

You had always been the little bit of sunshine that broke through on a cloudy day, the only person he trusted with silly secrets, trusted with anything.

He couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe that you were here. Not just in Hawkins. But working here. 

A surge of rage filled his stomach but was quickly washed out by pain as you stomped away, looking as if you had seen a ghost, a part of your past that you didn’t want to remember. 

Was that what he was to you? A painful memory, one that was more sour than everything else that happened? 

Jeff’s voice is muffled in his ears, as if he’s trying to speak underwater. He can’t wrap his head around this whole thing. The guilt eating him alive. 

Eddie clears his throat and takes a generous sip of beer, trying to stop his hands from shaking, chilled sweat creeping down his back. He fiddles with a napkin, ripping the end into small shreds and rolling them up like a kid would for a spit wad. 

He could map out every scar on your arms and legs, tell anyone the exact color of your eyes, in sunlight and in a dark room. He knew your favorite song, that you were afraid of the dark and that your front teeth didn’t come in for almost three months after he had helped you pull them out.

You had taught him how to hang upside down on the monkey bars behind the trailer park. He taught you how to play his guitar, and if he thought hard enough he could remember the smell of your shampoo. 

You were everything to him.

Bestfriends since the cradle, made up handshakes and secrets sworn to the grave. But years, tear spilled miles and the guilt of broken promises wedged a distance between you. 

One that couldn’t be made better by the letters he sent that went unanswered. And it definitely wouldn’t get fixed in one random night when fate lead him to this fucking dump, back under your nose.

It hurt not seeing the sparkle in your eyes, but he could only blame himself. 

“Sorry, what was that?” 

Jeff motions for Eddie to lean in, doing so he jerks his head to the bar where you are standing stone-still hovering over a counter with your back turned to them. “She looked familiar, right? Did she go to school with us?” 

“Yeah,” he admitted, trying to shove down his emotions with another gulp of beer, “she did.” 

Jeff leans back, “Chloe? Cassie, Chasity… no. Claire? Shit what was her name?” 

Eddie’s eyes fell to the smudgy tattoo, he rubs his thumb over the ink, “Clove.”

“That’s right!” clapping his hands together, “knew it was something weird.” 

Eddie let himself smile. Small and weak, his lip ticking up on one side. He rubbed the tattoo again, remembering that day like it was yesterday. 

—

The summer breeze blows hotly through the makeshift curtains, sending the loose paper on the dresser scattering like desert tumbleweeds across Eddie’s bedroom floor, joining the litter of car magazines and unwashed clothes taking up space in the tiny room. 

“gotta sit still Slick, or this won’t work.” 

You were biting through your lip, trying to muffle a cry from breaking out, “ow..it hurts!” 

It was your idea to get matching tattoos with your best friend, and it was Eddie who said he could do them no problem. He had already tattooed a heart on Dave with his girlfriend's name through the center last month—never mind that she dumped him a week later. The sobs coming from trailer 11 didn’t ever seem to end. 

“Well yeah,” Eddie chuckles, clearing his throat and puffing behind a cigarette, “what did you expect it would be done with? A marker?”

Your right hand rested on his bent knee for precision. The other was clamped tight over your eyes in hopes that if you didn’t see how it was done, it wouldn’t hurt so bad. 

The warmth of your sweaty nervous palm on his jeans felt hot, as if you were being burnt alive. But, despite the pain from the needle going in and out of your skin, Eddie was gentle. 

His shoulder provided comfort as you leaned your head onto it, slowly wetting his shirt with your tears. You curl your body into his side, knees stabbing into his ribs, head pressed tight to the side of his neck, hand fisting the sleeve of his shirt for support as you intake a sharp breath when he finishes the curve of the dainty heart. 

“Need a break?” he asks, setting the needle down on the carpet, rubbing a pattern with his thumb on your hand. “I made some Kool-Aid yesterday, your favorite kind.” 

Lynyrd Skynyrd plays softly in the background and Eddie strums along on your palm to the guitar solo. 

Muffled against his cotton shirt, your voice is hoarse from the tears, “orange?” 

He chuckles around a cloud of smoke, “hell yeah, picked some up yesterday morning before my shift, got a few packets for your place too, I know how much Lolly likes it.” 

“Speaking of,” you uncross your legs to stand, “I gotta go check on her.” 

Eddie stands up with you, a whole head taller than you were, you pluck the cigarette from his mouth and slot it into your own, inhaling the tobacco expertly into your lungs as you examine the small tattoo on your skin.

“‘m not done yet, but what do ya think?” 

Blood and ink were smeared around it messily, but it looked identical to the one he had on his left hand, yours only missing the clover. 

A smile stretches across your lips and you feel the burn of tears from in your eyes, “it’s perfect, Eddie.”  

He opens his bedroom door, grabbing the cigarette from your mouth and squishing it into the heaping ashtray on his nightstand. “you really think so?” he whispers.

“Are you kidding? It’s amazing!” 

He blows his lips in a raspberry, long legs walking down the dingy carpet hallway to the kitchen, “let those prissy bitches try to pick on you now… nobody wants to fight someone with tattoos.” 

The girls at school weren’t nice in elementary school and they somehow got nastier with every year. You went from being “stinky girl” to “trailer skank” overnight. 

A far cry from any sort of originality, but that’s how Hawkins was, ruled by the dim and dumb, daddy’s bank account used as a hierarchy status. 

You always brushed them off, keeping mostly to yourself and to your best friend. Eddie took it upon himself to conjure up a frenzied retort that would have them scoffing in disgust. 

With Eddie, nothing else mattered, he didn’t care if your clothes didn’t fit right, or if your ponytail looked scraggly. He didn’t give a shit what people thought of him. You were just two neglected trailer park kids, but to him, you were important. 

“You're an artist Eddie, could probably make a lot of money doing this someday.” 

The idea fell silent between you, both knowing in your hearts what path your life would lead you down. Stuck in the nightmare of what went on behind the thin walls in the trailer park.

Peering over the counter you can see Lolly. Sleeping just as soundly as she had when you laid her down. The stolen playpen from the yard sale on Cornwalis turned out to be worth the uncomfortable bike ride back to Forest Hills with Eddie standing on his pedals and you on the handlebars holding onto dear life as he raced back home. 

Her chubby cheeks were pressed against the yellow floral sheet, little curls twisted into two tiny pigtails, milk dribbling slow from her puckered lips. 

You smile at the sight of such innocence, wishing that you too were unaware of what life was actually like, and knowing that you would do anything to keep your little sister safe from this reality for as long as possible. 

“Can’t believe she cried that long, usually she loves pb&j’s..” Eddie points to your head, trying not to laugh, “you still have peanut butter in your hair by the way.” 

Lolly had thrown every last bit of her sandwich in a temper tantrum fueled by a lack of sleep. Her aim being perfect with you as her target. 

Twenty minutes with your head under the bathroom sink and Eddie cackling as he squeezed shampoo on your head apparently wasn’t enough to get the sticky treat out.  

“Little shit,” you huff, a smirk on your lips, turning to the fridge, and reaching for the sugary orange drink from the shelf, shutting the door with your hip, “think she might be cuttin’ some teeth at least that’s what Patty said last time she babysat.” 

Eddie reached for the plastic cups that were nabbed from Benny’s after one of his busboy shifts, holding them steady as you poured the juice.

Only spilling a little, you lifted the end of your shirt to mop the counter up. “Kids are weird,” Eddie says, smacking his lips with an orange mustache after a long swig, “remind me never to have ‘em.” 

Snorting through your nose you swallow harshly, a quirk to your eyebrow, “having kids is totally normal, all of our neighbors do.”

He thought quietly before speaking again, “yeah, and nobody is ever around..” he shakes his head. “We’re gonna leave here someday, you and me.” 

You roll your eyes, “sure thing, Slim.” 

Eddie talked crazy like this sometimes. Always dreaming bigger than you could even fathom. Head permanently stuck in the clouds, wishing, hoping for something better than the cards you were both dealt. But you on the other hand, your feet, in hand-me-down shoes, never left the ground. 

His voice was stern when he spoke to you, eyes pleading, and you had never heard him like that before. 

“I’m serious, I’ll die before I stay here,” he moves forward, holding your biceps as he looks down at you, dark eyes wide, almost wild, “I promise you, we won’t end up like this...okay?” 

—

He couldn’t blame you for the way you reacted when your eyes met his. Seeing you tonight hurt more than he could have ever imagined it too. To be honest, he didn’t expect you to still be in Hawkins, but then again— where would you have gone? 

“…you still there dude?” 

Eddie’s eyes shift to Jeff, plastering a smirk to his lips to hide the pain etched so evidently on his face, “yeah, I just uh— tired I guess.” 

He scanned the bar for you, still seeing your frame behind the counter, this time turned around handing a round of beers to a couple of college punks. 

“How far is the drive?” 

Bless Jeff for trying to keep this conversation alive, but Eddie’s mind was anywhere but here at this table. 

Questions he never thought to ask, suddenly poured into his mind. Did you finish high school? Where were you living? How’s Lolly? How old is she now? How have you been? 

He felt sick that he didn’t know the answer to any of them. Guilt devouring away at him like a flesh eating amoeba. 

“Six—no, probably seven hundred miles.. give or take.” 

Had you applied to college? Were you still living in the trailer park?  

“Damn,” Jeff said, scrubbing his hands down his face, “gonna have to visit you sometime, show me around all the cool places… you ever been out to LA? My girlfriend, well ex now, we went a year ago around Christmas time she really loved...”

Although Eddie didn’t know the answers, he figured maybe Jeff would. 

He shakes his head, interrupting his friend, hand raised in apology, “hey, uh wh— whatever happened to her?” He hooks a thumb in your direction in the most nonchalant way he could, even though his entire body was fidgeting in anticipation. 

Jeff raises an eyebrow, “Clove? Oh umm, shit… well I think, no.. yeah no, she didn’t graduate. I remember hearing that she had dropped out, and now she works here apparently.” 

A smirk forms on his lips and he points behind him to the back corner, “forgot to tell you, rumor has it this place is more than just a strip joint,” his dark eyebrows wiggle, “if y'know what I mean.” 

For the first time tonight, Eddie noticed girls coming and going from the beaded doorway, vacant expressions on their smudged faces. Trailing behind were drunk men with glazed eyes and sweaty foreheads, readjusting the threads of their belts and slacks. 

He scans the bar with wild eyes in search of you. Hoping and praying to whoever would listen that you weren’t a part of this. You couldn’t be. 

Who is he kidding? 

If you were still in Hawkins, still under the weight and scrutiny of the inner dealings that started in the trailer park, you were very much involved. 

Realization hit him like a freight train. His stomach clenched and warped with the dreaded grief and guilt he still carried. Deep down he had figured this was what your life had come to. Lying to himself in thinking that you had gotten away from all of this. But seeing it firsthand, in the flesh—he couldn’t bear the thought of it. 

Choking back vomit, he slides from the booth hastily, practically spilling his beer all over the table in his desperate attempt to find you. 

“shit!” Jeff shouted, “dude, you alright?” 

He wasn’t. 

He stumbles from the table, tripping over his own boots and knocking into one of the burly bearded men at the bar, sending his drink tumbling to the ground. Glass and liquor covering the floor like the sparkle of a fresh snow. 

“What’s your problem asshole!?” 

His fiery red hair matched his temper, and the weathered roughness of his cheeks, “ever been inside a bar, tough guy?”  

Before Eddie can whip up a witty retort, Mr. Big Red comes back for more, grabbing him by the arm and shoving him into the high counter of the bar, “hey honey, better stop serving this prick, he can’t handle his liquor like a real man.” 

The swinging doors open and there you are again, struggling beneath the keg you’re carrying. He wanted to jump up and grab it from you, but Eddie was still pinned to the bar by the guy's hand on his bicep, tightening more and more. 

Your eyes reach his and it’s like you don’t even see him. 

“Agh, c’mon Mick,” you say, a warm smile on your lips, “I like ‘em nice and drunk, that’s when they tip the best.”

You set the keg down with a metallic thud on the floor, grabbing a bottle of Jameson and two shot glasses. The mahogany liquid pours smoothly, much like the dark eyes watching you, and heat crawls up your neck. 

Sliding one towards Mick, you hold the other up by your black painted fingers, Clinking them together with a ‘cheers’ and bringing the glass to your lips, allowing your eyes to finally glance towards Eddie. 

He was taller now. His shoulders, more broad, filling in the teenage lithe muscles that fit his frame then. His baby face disappeared entirely, now his chin was stretched with a sharp jaw, which was currently clenched like he was holding back anger, his throat bobbing in a dance of tattooed skin. 

You swallow the liquor in one gulp, relishing the burn as it slips down your throat, the same fire that’s staring from across the counter. Eddie hadn’t taken his eyes from yours.

A twitch forms in your eyelid and you blink it away, setting the glass down hard on the wooden countertop.

You lean your body across the bar, collecting the glassware that’s accumulated since you had been hiding in the cooler. Placing them gently into the warm sudsy sink to wash before filling the small dishwasher below. 

Mickey was already turned back around, talking loudly to Wendy and trying to get her to sit on his lap for five bucks. His grip on Eddie’s arm turns limp when you slide him another shot, just for good measure. 

The bar is chaotic, loud and boisterous, but the air between you and Eddie is quiet, stagnant, no warmth from you. Icicles could form from your frigid silence. 

He knocks his knuckles against the bar, big gaudy rings clacking along, keeping in rhythm to the music playing overhead, but you don’t give in. Don’t humor him by asking how or why he knew Rock Me Amadeus.

“Hey V,” you call out to your work partner, “get this stranger a drink before he gets a parking ticket.” 

Swiveling away from him, you squat down to maneuver the keg to where it needed to go, rocking it on its rounded edge and swiveling it into place. 

Veronica’s voice is cheery and dripping with sex appeal as she asks Eddie what he wants to drink, and you can’t misplace the deepness of his voice, and the polite way he tells her that he’s fine for the evening. 

Cracking the top of the keg, you hook it up to the correct tap, shoving with all your might to get it in under the cabinet and slotted in properly. 

Spending more time than necessary below the bar, you avoid the warm chocolate eyes waiting for you up above. 

What were you supposed to say to him? Thank God you’re home? What the hell did he even want?  

An ant is huddled around a spilled drop of grenadine, you watch as it collects the sticky treat—what you wouldn’t give to switch places with the insect for a few hours. 

If one thing was certain you would need a little encouragement to make it through tonight and the haunting memories that shuddered through you every time you looked at Eddie.

Your purse was in the cubby over to the right, nimble fingers find the familiar plastic of the bottle, screwing off the top and clicking three pills into your hand. 

A greedy palm finds your lips, your eager tongue accepting the drugged gift. Swallowing without any liquid, your spit was more than enough to coat the tablets, watering upon knowing the relief you’ll be met with. 

More shouts and hollers boom through your ears, this time in celebration. 

“Where’d you go sweet cheeks? Need a round, Bobby just found out his girl isn’t pregnant!” 

Duty called, and you knew those dark eyes were still waiting for you, hide and seek was done for now, and in a few short minutes, you’d feel like you were flying. 

Boots planted firm on the sticky tiles, you push yourself up, fully expecting a litter of questions. But when you face him, he’s quiet. Silently watching your every move. 

Not in a way you’re watched by every other slimeball in this town, his eyes never once flicking over your curves or the deep v of your shirt. 

Eddie was admiring the woman you’d become. The shy girl he once knew was replaced by a force to be reckoned with. Did you become that way because he left? No longer having him around to stick up for you?

He pushed out those thoughts, thoughts of you alone. 

The way you fleetingly moved from drunk to drunk, collecting tips and pouring drinks, you were a natural. no longer the girl that was afraid of spiders and slept with a nightlight. What should have been a comfort in his heart stretched into an angry bruise against his soul. 

Warmth riddled your face into a smirk as you dug jabs back at the guys, making them pay up front before they tried to slink away to the back rooms. 

Eddie couldn’t miss how the smile never reached your eyes, that glassy lost look couldn’t fool him, another ping of guilt cutting through him like a knife. 

You were elbow deep in the warm water now, fingers pruned and slicked with soap when he finally speaks. The counter had cleared up enough that he wasn’t squashed between some greasy assholes, the regulars fighting to get to the best seats closest to the stage.  Tiffany on her second set of the night, her shiny heels spinning in the air to Girls, Girls, Girls. 

“So I’m a stranger now?”

Your fingers slip on the smooth surface of a glass and it hits the bottom of the sink with a thud at the sound of his voice, thankfully not breaking. Looking up, the smile fades as you stare back at him, fully allowing yourself to take him all in.  “what else would you be?” 

“Gee, I don’t know, Slick,” his hands twirl the rings on his left hand, “a friend.” 

Your laugh is filled without humor, sheer mockery as you shake your hands above the sink ridding them of suds and water. 

“Friend…” the scoff is thick in your throat, swallowing a ball of vomit before you continue, “that’s rich isn’t it?” 

“Clove..”

“…y’know…I had one of those once,” you say, eyes dead behind your irises, moving to the spouts of the draft beer, “at least I thought he was.” 

“Can we talk?” he pleads. 

“..think I’ve heard more than enough…” slapping down two heavy beers in front of him, you glare into muddy brown eyes, trying not to let yourself feel the pain in your chest, “these two are on the house.” 

Without a second glance or even a fuck you, you stomp towards the dressing room, leaving him sitting alone to sit alone at the bar, and for a split second you allow yourself to feel good it. His turn to be left in the dust this time. 

taglist: @mmunson86 @sidthedollface2 @winchester-angel @mrsjellymunson @joannamuns9n @tlclick73 @mewchiili @spacedoutdaydreamer @emxxblog @maybeisthemoon @str4ngergirlw0rld @chrrymunson @insertcoolnameherethanks @kellsck @prestinalove @mandyjo8719 @onegirlmanytales @mopeymopeymouse @veravee-blog @taintedcigs @eddies-acousticguitar @oeuryale @kthomps914 @bangaveragewhitewine @lil-quinnie @corrodedcoffincumslut @definitionwanderlust @madaboutjoe @littledemondani i @eiightysixbaby @usedtobecooler @succubusmunson @hereforshmut @alyisdead

[thewulf]

I Missed You || Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Summary: Request - Hello again! Hope you're having a wonderful week, I was hoping I could get one with Jake Seresin where the reader flirts with all the time, like all day everyday, like playfully and he always laughs it off, but the reader genuinely likes him but doesn't know how to show it ... Read Rest Here

A/N: I really like how this one turned out! Hope you all enjoy. As always thank you for the request @stuffingbuttsandshit !!

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Y/N

Word Count: 4.1k +

“Hey there handsome.” You slid down into the seat next to Jake trying to fake all the confidence in the world. Truthfully, he made you nervous as hell. The more you got to know him the more nervous you found yourself around him. You liked Jake Seresin. You liked Hangman. You’d known of him but finally met him a month ago when you both started training to become Captain’s. A select group of pilots had been chosen for a new accelerated program to push talent through to the top as the workforce ages out. The Navy finding a solution to the rapidly aging workforce.

He looked up from the manual he was reading over with a ghost of a smile crossing his features. The morning sun hit his face framing it so perfectly. Because of course it did. Even the damn sunlight was attracted to him. Not that you could blame it. Look at him, all perfect and shit.

“Bug.” He leaned back crossing his hands over his chest referring to you by your callsign. You’d earned it after accidentally consuming a pot brownie at a party and you wouldn’t stop talking about A Bug’s Life. You hadn’t a clue where it came from. You hadn’t even seen the damn movie in years. Leave it to the weed to earn a callsign for life. You’d grown to love it though.

“How was your weekend cutie?” Smoothly, you fluttered your eyelids rather dramatically before giving him your full-on smile. You’d fallen for the man quickly and he never even looked your way. Every time you were at the Hard Deck as a group his eyes would trail over to some surfer girl or new pilot that caught his attention for the night. More often than not you’d see him leaving with that same girl. Jake got what he wanted. You learned that quick.

It hurt. You tried to play it off like you never noticed, didn’t care. But you did. You craved for his eyes to be searching yours just like he had those other women. He wouldn’t even look at you like that though. He saw you as one of the guys no matter how hard you’d flirted with him. Nothing seemed to grab his attention. It felt like an endless game that you probably needed to drop but didn’t want to. You hardly thought you’d be able to find somebody else like him. Behind that tough exterior is a heart of gold. Somebody who will care so deeply for you. Put all your needs first. Make sure your happy. That was a rare person. Jake was a rare person. And he’d never see you. That hurt.

He smiled now. At least you could get that out of him, it was something, “My sister and nephew’s came to visit. It was nice.” He closed the manual knowing he wasn’t going to read much more with you sitting there. He’d never admit just how much he loved the attention you gave him on a daily basis. How you flirted incessantly with him. He looked forward to the new nicknames and creative ideas you’d come up with to flirt with him. It’d become a daily routine for him that he’d come to adore.

You nodded, “That sounds lovely. My brother told me to ‘fuck off’ when I told him he should come visit.” You laughed knowing he was just kidding. That was just his way of showing love to his younger sister. Brotherly love and all or something like that.

Jake smirked, “Sounds like a brother.”

“Sounds like a man.” You answered right back, quickly. He ran his eyes over your face, observing you. That’s all it took for your heart to speed on up. You just prayed that blood wasn’t rushing to your face, but you knew it was. Betraying you at your most vulnerable moment.

“You’re something else Y/N.” He shook his head turning back to the front of the room making sure Cyclone wasn’t up there yet. The hard ass was teaching your in-person lessons while Viper and Maverick took to the air.

You looked around too. Classmates were trickling in but paying the two of you no mind. It was still early. Cyclone started class right at 7:00 sharp. No excuses. If you were late you were kicked out for the day. It was noted. Always noted. Better get there early.

“I’m taking that as a good thing Jake.” You leaned over poking him in the bicep.

“Take it however you like.” Not a correction. Not a confirmation. A neutral response. He was impossible. There was no way you were ever going to break into the mind of him. You’d been thinking about it for a little bit now, but it might be time to pull away from him. Step back and give your aching little heart a break for a bit. It was impossible to keep at it only to get half smiles and nodding chuckles. You wanted more and he didn’t. That was okay. You couldn’t force it. Nothing ever worked like that.

You leaned back in your chair looking forward now. Time to pull back from him. Not all at once, no. You don’t think even you could quick Jake Seresin cold turkey. Oh, no no no. There wasn’t a way. He was too Jake. Not perfect, but perfect in his own way. A prize that was just out of reach from your grasp. A prize you had to back off from as much as it hurt.

“Alright.” You mumbled. He looked over at you quickly scouring your face for the sudden change in your mood. That was… odd for you. You were always kind. Always cheery. Always rebutting his non advances. You’d always lead the conversation and suddenly you weren’t. it was too quiet for him.

The rest of class you didn’t take your eyes off Cyclone. You’d normally poke and prod Jake for something, but you were backing off. You needed to focus anyway. At least that’s what you told yourself. You’d caught his occasional peak at you from your peripherals every now and then. He’d certainly noticed something, you thought.

Cyclone wrapped the morning session off sending you off to meet up with Mav after you changed. You shut your notebook without a word before putting it in your backpack. Not giving a damn how juvenile it made you look.

Jake peaked over once more expecting you to say something. But when you stood to leave without saying something he had to, “Everything alright?” He asked you already missing your cute little remarks.

You nodded, “Just fine. Watch your back in the skies.” You winked before turning off calling Natasha. Jake watched as you walked out without him and with Phoenix instead. He frowned watching you turn out of the classroom and out of his sigh.

You walked into the Hard Deck trying to spot the group of pilots you’d grown to love. You head Jakes big booming laugh out of the corner of the bar and made a bee line towards the group. A seat next to Frosty or a seat next to Hangman. You opted for the earlier and sat down next to the guy. Jake frowned seeing you sit down across from him instead of next to him like you’d always have. That’s why nobody took the spot next to him, that was your spot.

Nat raised an eyebrow as she saw your choice in seating. You hadn’t disclosed anything to her earlier in the day. She watched as Jake fought the grimace that so desperately wanted to show on his face. Had he done something?

“Evening, ladies and gents.” You smiled brushing out the dress you’d put on. You’d never understood how the guys could wear their uniforms out. You wanted nothing more than to change the second you were off base.

“Bug.” Frosty tipped his cap towards you, “You look nice.” Jake didn’t like the way his eyes raked up and down your frame. Not one bit did he like that. You looked far too pretty to be degraded like that.

Before you could reply to him Jake decided to speak up, “You look beautiful.” He shot Frosty a cold look, one to match his callsign.

Your eyes slowly turned to Jake, cheeks surely ablaze. That was a first. Jake had never complimented you. His eyes had always glossed over your figure. You’d seemed to just blend in with your surroundings.

“Thank you, Jake.” You smiled kindly at him.

He nodded, this time his eyes taking their time to size you up. You did look beautiful. Stunning even. He’d always known. But you were you. You were in his class. He’d have to work with you. He couldn’t think of you that way. Things never turned out good when that happened. So, he had to ignore it. Ignore whatever pull you seemed to have thrown right at him. He’d resisted as long as you paid him attention. He failed when you started to draw back though. He wanted your eyes on him again. He wanted your flirty words that so effortlessly rolled off your tongue.

He shrugged innocently, “It’s only the truth.” He took a sip of his beer shooting you a wink afterwards. You playfully rolled your eyes before elbowing Natasha in the ribs for whispering an obscene remark in your ear.

It was certainly odd behavior for him. He’d never reciprocated anything when you gave it your all not a day ago. But now that you were diversifying yourself he wasn’t having it? What kind of sick game was he playing? Real you in just close enough to bait you then switch? You couldn’t do that either. That’d crush your heart a thousand times over and you’d keep crawling back. Because who could resisted those tanned skin dimples when he smiled? Not you. Certainly not you at all.

You’d attempted to avoid his gaze most of the night only shooting him a wink and stinking your tongue out at him a few times. When you’d gotten up to grab a beer Jake wasn’t far behind you trying to play it off coolly and not looking like the puppy dog he felt like. Like you had him right on an invisible leash. You did though and only he knew that.

“Bug.” That voice brought you out of the conversation you were having with the handsome man at the bar. You felt how close he was to you, his breath right on your ear.

“Seresin.” You shifted your weight away from him, he was playing unfair now.

“How are you?” He asked stepping to the side respecting your boundaries. The last thing he wanted to do was upset you.

“I’m good.” You nodded smiling up at him. He looked, nervous? His hands were fidgeting with the other. His neck was craned looking for eyes on you.

“That’s good.” He nodded.

How odd this was, “And you?” You asked feeling like a complete stranger to him with the tension coating the air thickly.

“I’ve been better Buggie.” He answered you looking down right at you. He was the only one who could get away with calling you that. You’d shot down everyone else you even attempted to mimic Jake.

“Oh?” You asked raising the fresh beer to your lips. Jake watched as you tilted the glass back to take a sip. How the foam coated the top of your lip. How badly he wanted to brush it away once you set you glass back down. The foam vanished when you smiled. You were acutely aware of how he’d been staring right at your lips the entire time. What in the hell was going on with him? He’d never been so forward before. Not in all your attempts over the weeks. Hell, his actions made you feel like a leper not even the remotely attractive to his gaze. But this, this was something.

He nodded grabbing his glass from behind you making sure to brush his arm past yours, “Mhmm.” He was making you beg for the reasoning. Drawing the conversation out.

“Why’s that Jake?” You caved to his mental game.

“You didn’t sit by me. You always do.” He frowned letting his frustration be visible. He didn’t want to mess around now, afraid you might be slipping away from him.

“I don’t sit next to you every time. Plus, I needed to tell Frosty something.” You tried defending yourself.

He shook his head quickly, “Can’t bullshit a bullshitter Buggie. Didn’t your daddy teach you lying’s not a good thing?”

Jake fucking Seresin ladies and gentlemen. He had a masterful way of riling your right on up. Reading right between the lines you’d so intricately crafted. He broke down your façade within an instance. Reading you like a children’s book and not the high-level shields you thought you’d put up. It worked for everybody. Everybody except for him.

“Shut up Hangman.” You rolled your eyes walking back towards the table. But a gentle hand at your elbow stopped you.

“Did I do something?” He asked earnestly once you spun back around in the middle of the bar.

You shook your head playing dumb, “No?”

He sighed deciding not to press any further for the day, “If I did, you’d tell me?” He asked.

You nodded, “’Course Jakey.” You winked at him using the nickname only you could use. Jake nearly bit the head off of anybody else who tried. Jake watched as you walked back towards the group. He shook his head following behind you. Jake was down bad, and he knew it. He’d known it for a while.

The last straw for him was when you walked into the classroom the next morning and sat down next to Rooster of all fucking people. It’s not like Jake hated the man anymore but he certainly wasn’t best fucking friends with the guy either. Jake watched as the two of you conversed almost in front of him. Did you have any idea what you were doing to him at that moment? Driving him absolutely crazy when you threw your head back in laughter from something he said. Rooster, not him. He was so entranced with your conversation he hadn’t even noticed Nat sitting herself down next to him.

“You could just tell her you know.” She spoke up before the Admiral begun for the day.

He jumped at her voice. Shooting her a glare before answering her, “What are you talking about?” He decided to play dumb.

“That you like her.” Nat rolled her eyes, tired of his shit.

He sighed, “Why would I do that?”

She shrugged, “Because you do?” She said as if it were the most obviously thing in the world, “Look, she thinks you don’t like her. That’s why she stopped being so… forward. She thought she was annoying you. That’s not what she wanted to do to you. So, she stopped.” Nat said quickly and quietly out of the corner of her mouth.

He frowned almost immediately, “You’re shitting me.”

She shook her head, “Nope. But you didn’t hear it from me.” She whispered before sitting back in her seat as if no conversation had happened.

You thought he didn’t like you? How could he blame you though. He’d hardly reciprocated anything in the time he’d known you. How dumb could he be? Fuck, he really messed it up this time.

He was distracted the entire time. When Cyclone called on him and he stumbled through the answer the Admiral shook his head muttering something under his breath. You gave him a soft smile and a thumbs up in encouragement. Little did you know it was because of you he’d mucked that up so bad. He had to talk to you before they went up in the air for the day or he’d probably end up crashing.

When Cyclone wrapped it up he stood quickly, lingering by the door. He watched as you packed your bags up and waved Rooster off probably wanting to walk alone. He had other plans though.

“Y/N.” He said your name softly as you passed him, seemingly in a trance.

You looked up to him smiling softly to him, “Jake, hi.”

“Can we talk?” The look in his eyes said he was being sincere. He wasn’t bullshitting you.

You looked around not seeing anybody else in the classroom, “Sure.”

He pulled you out of the doorway before shutting the door. He turned quickly to you. He grabbed at your hands pulling you closer to him. Your heart was hammering in your chest as your wide eyes looked up at his much softer, sweeter ones, “Jake, what’re doing?” You asked almost breathless.

“I miss you.” He admitted, “It’s been a damn day and I miss you desperately Y/N.” He pulled you closer. You let him of course. This was everything you wanted and more. So much more.

“I don’t understand.” You admitted. He’d given you nothing for weeks. Where was this coming from?

“I’m a fucking idiot that’s what.” He pulled you in even closer. Your chest was flush with his. Surely he could feel your heart hammering in your chest. He looked down at you with a wicked grin as your eyes fluttered shut smelling his cologne mix with his own natural scent. Euphoria struck you in that moment, “Sweetheart.” He murmured so close to you goosebumps erupted almost immediately.

Your eyes snapped open feeling his lips brush your naked ear lobes, “Jake, you can’t…” You stopped seeing his expression cross from one of softness to something much more sinister. A darkened desire flashed through his eyes that sent a wicked shiver right down your spine.

He rolled his eyes. Mimicking you as you’d done it so many times before. Hardly feeling like you were at work anymore Jake took over your strongest desires. He was your strongest desire. Right here teasing you like you like the putty for him you were.

He leaned down to your other ear doing the same. Brushing his lips so dangerously close you could feel him. Jake enjoyed the goosebumps that rippled up from his breath. A physical reaction proving his own thoughts true, “I can, and I will. If you let me.” The vibration from his low drawl sent ripples throughout every part of your body. You shook it off thinking for a second.

He took a chance and brushed a strand of hair behind your ear making sure to drag his fingertips across your neck. Grinning when he felt you shiver at his touch. He knew he’d melt the same way at your own touch, “Sweetheart.” He whispered again before pulling back knowing your brain was likely short circuiting. He had the advantage of knowing your feelings. Although he was making it rather obvious that he reciprocated them.

“Jake, what are you doing?” You asked again. You just couldn’t seem to believe that this was actually happening.

He chuckled letting his arms snake around your waist to pull you impossibly close now. He was so much taller than you. Your head level with the top of his chest. But you molded in so well. It felt so good. So true to what you needed.

“I told you. I was dumb. I like you darlin’. More than a friend does. Way more than a friend should.” He was looking right down at your lips as you were looking up at his.

“You like me?”

“Mhmm.” He hummed not tearing his eyes away, “And I think you like me too. Isn’t that right sweetheart?” He was coaxing it out of you now.

He grinned when he saw your pale cheeks coat with a beautiful cherry pink. A blush he’d never grow tired of seeing. In fact, he made it his mission to see it every day. For some reason, he didn’t think it’d be too hard. He’d find something new to compliment you on every day for the rest of his life. He just knew it. It wouldn’t be hard with you. He was going to start making plans with you. He was sure of this one.

“Jake?” You asked feeling the nerves bubble throughout your body. The look he was giving you was one of pure adoration. One that you burned into your memory. A look you’d never seen from such a beautiful man, or any man before. One that told you that you were loved, no matter what. Through thick and certainly through thin.

He used his pointer finger to pull your chin up towards him, “Yes, darlin’?” He asked with a goofy grin sporting his gorgeous face.

“Can you kiss me?” With little confidence you had left you asked him a question you’d wanted since the second you met him. Immediately you trusted the man. You were so drawn to him. It only took you pulling away for a brief moment for him to realize the same. It was different with you.

He nodded with a feverish grin, “Thought you’d never ask beautiful.” Gently, he pushed you up against the wall before pressing his hips into yours. Jake pinned your hands above your head onto the wall as he took a snapshot of your needy face. Doe eyes begged him to kiss your puffy lips full of desire.

A whine burst from your lips as Jake studied you. You couldn’t take it anymore. You really just wanted the man to kiss you. At that, kiss you he did.

With a swift motion he dropped his hands from your wrists and placed them behind your head. He leaned down pressing his lips to yours. Your knees began to buckle as the kiss turned more desperate, quickly.

You pressed forward lacing your hands throughout his golden locks. He let out a guttural groan before snaking an arm around your waist steadying you. He pressed in further brushing his tongue against your lips. Without hesitation you let him in. Let him explore like you’d so desperately wanted him too before. You bucked your hips against his earning another small groan from the man who knew he was in deep, deep trouble with you. A wild card you were.

He pulled away with displeasure knowing it couldn’t go any further at that, “Sweetheart, we are at work.” His grin only widened when he saw your disheveled state. His hands making a mess of your once perfect bun that you’d have to redo in the locker room. A rosy blush coating your face only making you more stunning. Your blown out pupils telling him the whole story, “I don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, but God Damn are you a vision darlin’. Absolutely fucking stunning.” His eyes now surveyed your entire body.

You shook your head, “Can we pick this up later? My place 6 o’clock?” You asked with so much desperation in your voice it should’ve been embarrassing. But you didn’t care. You wanted him to know. You craved him.

He nodded slowly brushing your hair back down so you wouldn’t look too suspicious walking to the locker room, “Absolutely pretty girl. I miss you already.” Another blush rose to your cheeks as the pad of his thumb brushed across your now swollen lips. He smirked at what he’d done. Hopefully nobody’d be none the wiser. But Jake had a sneaking suspicion Nat would notice. She was probably wondering where the two of you were now.

“As much as I want to continue, we should get going before Mav has our asses.” He grabbed your hand pulling you from the wall he’d pushed you against moments ago.

You nodded quickly, “Yeah, yeah.” Dazed and confused you walked into the locker room with Jake hot on your heels. Nat stood there with her arms across her chest looking at you with a curious grin.

“Don’t say a word.” You mumbled opening your locker and pulling out your flight suit with a swift pull.

She laughed, “Didn’t say a thing Bug. But you’re going to have to tell me later.”

You nodded with a stupid smile that wouldn’t go away, “I’ll tell you everything tomorrow. Promise.”

She gaped at you, “You better.”

You promised once more before walking out of the locker room with her. When you walked out you found Jake’s eyes on your figure quickly. That same loving look he’d shown you before in the classroom adorning his face made you nearly weak at the knees.

You heard Nat chuckle beside you only earning a swift elbow in the ribs from you and soft, “Shut up.” Before you turned back to Jake flashing him your brightest smile.

Permanent Taglist (Message me or comment below if you want to be added!): @loving-and-dreaming @kmc1989 @memeorydotcom @matisse556 @buckylov3r @taygrls @ah-blossom

[pixelatedraindrops]

Happy 1st Anniversary RainCode!

☔️6🔎30👻

Thank you for bringing me so much joy 💜💕

(and thank you for giving me the gift that is yuma kokohead)

I didn’t think I’d make art for it at first, but I figured this game has done so much for me, so I’ll give back by drawing the duo that started it all 💜🩷 These two are such an iconic pair and I will draw them together as much as possible c: (tho Shinigami will be mostly in her ghost form if I do)

First time drawing human form Shinigami non-chibi, and I admit she was a little tricky with that outfit. But I think I did it decently enough… xD

little bonus for the kokogami enjoyers 💕

miss death god is too much woman for this little boy to handle~ 🤭

i know he's an adult but can you honestly look at him without context and say this is a man??? he's just an eemey meemey little guy.

Personal Rambling below (because I love this game so much)

WARNING MINI ESSAY INCOMING (lmao)

Oh RainCode... Where do I even begin...

RainCode is a game that has changed my life along with likely many other people’s lives. Although the premise of it is fairly straightforward, the characters and atmosphere make this game so much more. The successor to Danganropa is honestly its own unique story and structure, and tbh I think I love and enjoy it far more than Danganronpa. But this game…is just so much more for me.

I truly never expected this game to be such an impact on my life, let alone become my next fixation.

So, for history, I was honestly in no real hurry to get the game on its release date last year, so I got it a day later. On July 1st, I played the game for the first time. And I didn’t think much of it at first. The only thing that was on my mind when I started this game, was that I was positive I was going to be treating the protagonist like Makoto Naegi and Kyoko Kirigiri’s son the whole time.

This was the first post I made about RainCode back on twitter in 2023.

Yeah... Kinda silly when I look at it now... XD But I do still beleive this headcanon.

When I started the game my 2016 fixation of Danganronpa came back a bit. As a previous DR lover, I did make comparisons here and there to all of the characters. Yuma was very much like Naegi with his shy and timid demeanor at first due to having amnesia, and it felt like déjà vu when playing through the start of the game. But then it happened. The moment that solidified Yuma as my next and now permanent target. When he got sick/dizzy on the train... God that moment still lives rent free in my head. (I know the cause of it was different/related to the first mystery/case, but as someone who enjoys any sort of sick whump moment, regardless of if its little crumbs or a whole-ass meal it still counted for me) I was still shy and hid in the shadows with my silly little niche back then, but I told myself. Yep, once I finish this game, I’m writing a sickfic for this game and he’s the victim. (though what surprised me was that I wasn’t alone on that, 3 other people made sickfics with yuma before I did so that was a pleasant surprise xD)

As the game went on it shocked and impressed me in many different forms. I realized that this game isn’t the Danganronpa clone I thought it would be. Sure, it had a lot of similar elements and mirrored mini games like Hangman’s Gambit, Spot Selection, and of course the Conclusion Comic of the whole case, but the story the world and the mysteries were honestly different from the way DR structured them. And it pleased me when not many people from the main team had died. Most of the deaths were of side characters that had appeared in their respective chapters. Which honestly was a breath of fresh air for me, and I think that’s the real reason it’s separate from DR. It’s not as cruel and not as stressful. It’s a lot more chill, but the mysteries were still enough to get me excited and look forward to the next maze I would enter. The mystery labyrinths were probably my favorites elements of the game. They were just so much fun. And every single character was so likeable, (yes even some of the peacekeepers were fun aside of one or two that I absolutely despise. mostly yomi and guillame lol but I guess I kinda like yomi a bit more bc of the fandom)

And I grew to love Yuma EVEN more. He is honestly one of the best written protagonists I’ve seen in a long time. It’s hard to do timid protagonists right, but RainCode definitely nailed it with Yuma. He had his moments, but it wasn’t enough to be obnoxious. He also shined in more ways than one. And my god, so many relatable moments… (I have anxiety too xD) He was so charming and cute the whole time and even had his badass moments. This little guy is the whole package and I LOVE him for that. Truly a unique and fun main character that blows every DR protagonist out of the water.

(Yes, I said what I said.)

And the ending, GOOD LORD THE ENDING?? It was so well executed, and the ending twist villain was immediately my second favorite character after the protagonist. I could go on about how much I loved the ending but if I did, we’d be here all day and I don’t want to spoil the entire game…so… I’ll leave it at that.

When I finished the game, I was so satisfied. (Yes I love it more than DR, what are you gonna do about it?) It left me super happy and made me want to make some fan content for it. Though I was still very quiet on twitter and had a feeling since twitter is a more complicated platform, I couldn’t gush about the game too much due to fear of spoiling other people…and when one of your favorite characters is just the whole secret of the game’s core mystery, I couldn’t talk about it too much… >.>

So, then I did the unthinkable. I went back to tumblr… It’s a little embarrassing but this account is actually my old one I had from years ago. I was on tumblr more 2013 to 2017 before I abandoned the site when it no longer seemed fun and there were times that I’d rather forget... (let’s just say that I used to RP with my OCs and…one of my RP ex friends catfished me and it made me feel VERY uncomfortable. I wanted to forget it, so I ran away and never returned.) I was super nervous to come back and try to post again, so my first RC related post was about him being a naegiri child.

After that I began making more edits once I gained access to the sprites and full body arts. I made some Pokémon AU edits because those were always fun, and then I started making feverish edits of Yuma’s sprites. My first post ended up becoming a hit and I caught the attention of some people. They liked what I was doing so it gave me a bit of confidence to continue. I got even more attention, and it made my confidence go up even more.

And then I started trying to draw art again, something I gave up long ago. My first few arts were a little rocky at best, but so many people enjoyed it! One of my older arts ended up becoming pretty popular. Through this my few pieces of art, my many sprite edits, and my first fan fiction (Home Is Where The Heart Is) got me pretty well recognized in the Rain code community on here. So much so that I felt confident enough to give myself a title. The CEO of RainCode Whump or “Whumpcode” and all of this confidence made me decide to turn my blog into a fandom and sick whump blog. It became a full blown obsession that possessed my mind that I've become TOO passionate about. Never thought making these little guys suffer would bring me this much joy... XD

Over time, I’ve drawn more art and written more fics than I ever had for a fandom. Before I never ever made fandom art, and I would usually only write one sickfic per fixation. (my last ones being demon slayer and spy x family) But here I am, making more art pieces than I ever have before (hell even doing a MONTH ART CHALLENGE) and improving even! And having 7 fanfictions of RainCode, 6 with Yuma and one with Makoto. And those two became my prime targets and muses for my art. Drawing them is easier for me and they’re my favorites so it brings me such joy to draw them. I love MakoYuma so much. Maybe not so much romantically, but friendship and familial. They have such potential to be so much, and I adore them. Plus putting them in sicknarios and situations is fun (I think we can all agree on that haha)

I think I’m talking too much, so I will say one more thing. I never thought my fixation on this game would last this long. I was positive it would go away after just a few months at best. The game is great but nothing amazing to keep thinking about for too long for me. But I think the main reason I was able to keep my fixation on this game for almost a year (and ongoing) is because of the fandom. (specifically, the Tumblr fandom, but some people on twitter are cool too) I’m honestly so happy I returned to tumblr and was able to make a name for myself in this community. I have met so many talented artists and creators and even made some new friends (and even got a few apprentices to take under my wing) If it weren’t for everyone’s support, I don’t think I would have ever done this much and made it this far.

I’ve essentially made a platform for myself, and I didn’t think tumblr would be a place I’d check daily ever again. To think this silly little game…would change my life so much and make me happier than I’ve ever been in such a long time. I feel recognized and like I belong, I’m finally able to be loud and proud about my passions for sick whump and not worry too much about it, I’ve finally found my prime target and I have fun with him every time, I’ve gotten back into the arts of drawing and writing again and I think I’ve made some of my best work yet, and I’ve met so many wonderful people and even collaborated with them on some fun projects too! (Here's the most popular one and also the first one I did!)  It’s just been…so wonderful… I am so happy to be part of such a chill talented and fantastic community TwT So thank you everyone… this is all thanks to your support… <3

Sorry I’m getting a little mushy here aren’t I… x’D I just couldn’t be more grateful for this game if I tried… So, thank you so much Rain Code, for existing and doing so much for me and making me so happy… I have never had this much fun in a fixation before, and I never felt like I was ever truly part of any fandom and was always just a lurker. It feels so good to finally feel like part of a fandom you love, and also be well liked, admired and accepted by others despite your niche being a little on the odd side… XD

I really hope there will be a sequel for this game, and we’ll see all these wonderful characters again. After all I’ve been through with this title and how much joy and purpose it brought me, consider me a fan for life. I will be dedicated to every future title in this series and play the hell out of it. And I hope it gains a wider audience come October when it is released for more consoles. (Just hoping no weirdos take over and ruin it with stupid drama and horrible things like the DR fandom…)

Though once new fans come in and are also tumblr users…I wonder what they’d even think of me and my place and takes when it comes to this series… XD (hopefully they’ll be nice to me… XD)

Anyway, I’ve said enough.

Happy Anniversary RainCode!!

☔💜👻🔍

[thedonswife13]

Bradley taking on an older brother role, love to see it

Hangman willing to vilify himself to better the team makes sense as it pushes everyone to up their game. Jake almost slipped out while he was talking to ghost but then the cocky bravado stepped in (have a feeling that might bite him in the ass when it comes to ghost)

A Ghost Playing Hangman {J.Seresin} Part 3

Warnings: Not too many, Swearing, Hangman being Hangman

Word Count: 2k

Summary: Ghost was one of the most recent graduates from Top Gun quickly making a name for herself. When she gets recalled with the best of the best, she realizes her work is cut out for her if she wants to make the team. And one of her biggest obstacles is a blonde hair pilot with the world’s most annoying smirk. Will she make the team? And if so, at what cost?

A/N: Part 3 is here and part 4 and 5 are being written now! Have zero idea how many parts this will have, but I’m enjoying writing this! Thank you all for your feedback and love I got with the last few parts. Excited to keep this series going! 

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4  Part 5  Part 6  Part 7  Part 8  Part 9

Keep reading

[sunlitsunflowers]

A Little Bit Easier

Jake Seresin x reader

Word Count: 893

Warnings: descriptions of feeling overwhelmed

Summary: you get overwhelmed at the hard deck and Jake comforts you

The Hard Deck was busy, a sea of bodies all packed into the space. People jostling each other trying to move around, practically shouting to hear each other over the music and other patrons.

You were trying to focus on your friend group, on the game of pool Fanboy was spectacularly loosing, you really were. But you could hear it all. Each conversation, the loud obnoxious laughter, the clinking of glass. Hell you could even hear the buzzing of electricity coming from the overhead lights and the odd clicking of the ceiling fan that was spinning lazily. It was a lot.

It was too much.

You turn to Bob who was perched next to you watching the pool game unfold.

"Hey, I'm just going to head outside for a minute. I need a bit of air" you say trying to keep your voice light and an easy smile on your face. Bob looked at you concerned, you definitely didn't succeed on pretending you were all right but you were hoping Bob would let it go.

He was about to open his mouth when Coyote's voice jumps out of the crowd, "I need some actual competition here and seeing as Hangman isn't playing. Bob you're up!"

A pool cue is thrust into Bobs hands and you take that as the perfect opportunity to make an exit. What you didn't realise was a certain blonde pilot had been watching the entire interaction. To be completely honest Jake had been watching you the entire night. He couldn't help it, his eyes look for you in every room he walks into. But he'd seen the shift in you when the bar started to get more crowded, the voices a little louder. He saw the way you drew back from the group, the way you were gripping onto your drink like it was the only thing keeping you tied to the floor, the way you would flinch when a particularly loud laugh would cut through the crowd, the panic in your eyes as people pushed passed. He saw it all.

Jake waited a minute as he watched you weave your way out of the bar before placing his drink down and following your path. When he got outside what he saw broke his heart.

You leant against the wall of the Hard Dark; your hands clenched, body shaking, breaths coming out in rapid puffs. Your eyes screwed shut as you desperately willed for your breathing to slow, you didn't notice the concerned Jake who stood before you.

"Sweetheart" Jake said, his voice low and smooth as he tried not to scare you. Your eyes snap to his, wide and brimming with tears, the panic evident.

It hurt Jake to see you like this. Slowly he took a step towards you, "oh, sweetheart."

He itched to reach out and pull you into him but he didn't know whether that was what you needed. But your body seemed to have made the decision for the both of you because as Jake stepped towards you, your body jerked off the wall and stumbled into him. Jake was quick to steady you as he wrapped his strong arms around you.

"There we go, I've got you. You're okay," he spoke into your hair.

Jake continued to speak reassurances, while tracing slow circles on your back. You don't know how long you stood there, but wrapped in Jake's arms the noise from the bar slowly fades as the rest of the world disappears.

"Jake" you breathe out, your voice barely a whisper. Your face pressed against his chest and all you can hear is the steady beating of his heart which is helping to calm the racing of yours. The soft rise and fall of his chest helping you to even out your rapid breaths. You're about to say his name again, thinking he didn't hear you when he presses a soft kiss to the top of your head.

"Yeah, darlin'," he murmurs, his lips ghosting over your forehead.

"I just wanted to say thank you." You take a deep breath, allowing the smell of Jake's cologne and the sea air to fill your lungs.

"You make breathing a little bit easier" you whisper so quietly you doubt Jake could even hear them. You weren't sure if you wanted Jake to have heard you. To hear you breathing out a secret whilst wrapped in his arms.

You go to pull away, to head back into the busyness of the bar, but as you do Jake draws you tightly into his chest, trying to squeeze out any amount of space between the two of you. He presses his lips to your forehead, as his arms pull you impossibly close, like he's scared that if he lets go you'll disappear. You burrow into him further, even though there isn't any further for you to go, hoping that he understands that you aren't going anywhere.

"I love you" the words so quiet you barely hear them. Words that fill you with warmth. Words that make you want to dance around because Jake Seresin loves you. You don't, instead you turn and place a kiss over his heart.

"I love you too" then turning your gaze back towards the ocean you smile; happy to stay here forever. The steady beating of your hearts sharing the same rhythm.

[yuri-is-online]

Hi! Congratulations again!? I feel like we celebrated 300 followers just a couple of weeks ago…

Can I ask for prompt 6 with Floyd, please?

Thank you in advance<3

6. Crowley has decided to put together a murder mystery for the whole ball and you've been the first one "killed." Whoever is playing detective seems really upset about that.

Annon I felt like that too I was really surprised we cleared 500 this fast (⊙_⊙) The last event ran from the end of July to the start of August so you really are not wrong.

Also as a note, if the other annon who requested this prompt for Floyd (along with Riddle and Idia) you are more than welcome to message me with either a replacement or a separate prompt for Floyd. I also have a request for this prompt with Jamil and Ace, so maybe not either of them, I am very sorry (;ﾞ°´ω°´)

notes: they/them used for Yuu, Floyd is swinging his mood as much as he is his fists. The other event requests can be found here.

There is a nigh demonic cackle hissing in a distant corner of the ballroom, it makes you want to ditch your mask and dancing shoes and sprint for the exit.

"As I was saying," Crowley tries again, looking in confusion down at the tiny card that apparently had sealed your fate as if he has maybe read it wrong "Yuu is our first victim tonight! Please see yourself up to the balco-"

"Who did it?" Floyd has somehow appeared just above your shoulder, mask tilted just off of his face. He had been sleeping, completely disinterested in the stupid game Crowley had thought up. It sounded really boring, and it still sort of does. But someone is moving in on his territory, and no, no, no. That simply will not do. You turn to look up at him, tiny shrimpy eyes wide with fright. (note: this is in fact delusion, Yuu is extremely confused, not terribly frightened by their untimely death.)

It's ok little shrimpy, he nods to himself. I'll squeeze whoever did this real good. (further note: this is not delusion, someone is very much about to get badly hurt.)

"Mr. Leech, unless you have the detective card-" Floyd doesn't even bother to respond, he just rolls his eyes and pulls the card out from somewhere. He bites it, keeping it safe between his teeth as he cracks each of his knuckles looking at each and every mask in the room. "Well I guess that settles it, um Mr Leech I trust you know this is a game and won't take things too seriously." Crowley is more than happy to abandon his students to yet another consequence of his own actions, shuffling off towards the gallery and you roll your eyes. Before you can follow suit Floyd catches your hand, his grip is strong, keeping you from really struggling or moving away much at all.

"Um Floyd? I'm dead, I'm supposed to be upstairs on the balcony." You know reasoning is a dead end with Floyd when he's in a mood but there "is no shame in trying" to quote a different eel who you are certain is not cackling somewhere in a corner at just how farcical this little play is turning out.

"Nah," he shakes his head "you're a ghost shrimpy now. And ghosts always stick around their husband's 'till the murder gets solved, 'kay?" It should be sweet, really. But there's this thing Floyd does with his voice when he really wants to hurt someone, "manic" is the best way you can describe the tone it takes, that makes you think if you really did die he would be quite quick to follow. Probably at the end of a hangman's noose. You sigh, doing your best impression of one of those TV dead wife's you bring Floyd's palm up to your cheek and dejectedly lay your head on it.

"My love," if logic won't snap him out of this maybe playing along can "will you be able to move on once you know who is responsible? I don't want you to-"

"Nah." He is more than happy to hold you though, spinning you around to face the audience as he drapes himself around you, chin resting on top of your head. "I'm gonna sacrifice whoever kill'd ya to bring you back." And with that lovely announcement of your impending revival, he singles in on a particularity terrified looking Heartslabyul random and smiles. "Ain't that right guppy? You wanna start runnin?"

"I'MSOSORRYHADNOIDEAITWASYOUOKTHANKSB-" The student vomits up his excuse and starts sprinting for the door, Floyd hot on his heels cackling with Riddle close behind, screaming at both of them for "breaking the rules of the game" but no one, least of all Crowley really seems to care.

"Considering all the ways this could of gone, I take this as a complete success!" You really hate how you can't say that he's wrong.

[sebsxphia]

ceo jake ‘hangman’ seresin. | headcanons.

￫ c/w: sex, alcohol, smoking and daddy kink.

CEO Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin would spoil you rotten. They say you can’t buy love or happiness with money, but Jake disproves that ridiculous statement frequently.

You don’t need Jake’s money to prove that he loves you, but you have to admit, it is exhilarating when he takes you on his private jet to Paris for the weekend and dines with you onlooking the sparkling Eiffel tower along the river Seine.

You might as well make use of the money Jake spent on you this weekend and show him your reciprocated love, wrapped up in the crisp cotton sheets of his double bed flying home on his private jet.

Your wardrobe is bursting at the hinges with expensive items of clothing. One of a kind pieces Jake got made specially for you and black silk dresses from YSL for galas you routinely attend to.

There are jewelry pieces that only Jake’s love could buy. Jewelry that Jake insists to put on you each morning, ghosting his fingertips over the back of your neck and placing a featherlight kiss there and then to your wrist when he fastens your watch.

However, your perfume selection is limited. There are three dizzying scents and only three that Jake associates you with. When you wear any one of these three, Jake will groan into the crook of your neck and nip at your flesh with his picture perfect teeth.

“There’s my baby. You smell like heaven, my love.”

Jake very much indulges in his own happiness with his own money. His wardrobe that sits next to yours is full of clean cut, expensive suits that are taylor made to fit around his broad shoulders perfectly. There is never a seam out of place.

There are rows of shirts, all varying in style and for all occasions. When Jake buys a new shirt, he likes to imagine what you’d look like wearing it in the morning when you fix him a coffee from your Italian Moka pot.

Jake prides himself most on his cufflinks and watches, and he has a fine selection. After Jake has fastened your jewelry to you, you return the favor. But when you place the final piece, Jake’s class ring that he always wears, you bring his fingers up to your soft lips and place a tender kiss there.

Similar to yourself, Jake’s aftershave selection is whittled down to two. One for the day and one for the night. You’ll find yourself inhaling either one of these familiar scents along his neck when you sit in his lap, lightly tracing your tongue over Jake’s jaw and tasting the expensive fragrance for yourself.

“Oh, Jake. You taste so good, Daddy.”

His shirts always smell like either one of these two particular aftershaves and when Jake isn’t here, you wrap yourself up in his shirts for as long as your day will allow it. You run your hands over the soft material and dip them in between your thighs, daydreaming of Jake being there with you.

Jake got his nickname within the business tycoons as ‘Hangman’, because if you didn’t play by his rules, he would leave you hanging out to dry for the dogs. Jake was very self aware of the presence and almost deadly influence he had.

On some occasions you’d caught Jake at the end of a cutthroat meeting as he brought the lambs to the slaughter. There wasn’t a strand of his hair out of place and his tie was still knotted as perfectly as it was when you tied it this morning.

Jake wore his ever charming yet smug grin on his face, baring his teeth to the world as the vicious business man that he was. There was a freshly lit cigar hanging off his lips and he was talking numbers to his subordinate when he spotted you waiting by the glass door.

He called you over and you offered your praises due to the success of the deal that was just made. The smoke of his cigar clouded your senses and you gave Jake what you thought was, innocent praise.

“They don’t know what hit them, Hangman.”

Jake was quick to dismiss his subordinate and shut down the blinds looking into his office in a flurry. You called him ‘Jake’ everyday, but when you called out his egotistical personality of ‘Hangman’, he’d have you bent over the thick oak of his desk and his fingers stuffed in your mouth to keep you quiet as he pounded into you from behind.

There wasn’t a surface in Jake’s office that you hadn’t fucked on. Your favorite was when you visited him at night with your chosen take out in hand. You’d eat it together in the softly lit room and listen to each other as you disclosed the events of your days.

Jake would pop open a cork of wine that was presumably older than both of you combined. He’d turn off the lights completely and you’d stand with your back pressed tightly against his chest.

His large arms would be wrapped securely around you and you’d both be admiring the dazzling lights of the New York skyline, whilst taking sips of your wine.

You’d never finish the glass. It would always end with your back splayed out on the surface of Jake’s desk and your thighs doubled over. Your neck would hang off the edge and as Jake made you see stars for the third time that night in the dark of his office, you would gaze out upside down at his glass windows and watch the sparkling stars of New York appear in the sky.

￫ a/n: this was so much fun to create and design. i hope you enjoyed it! <3 my main masterlist can be found here! 💌

taglist: @beachbabey @tallrock35 @luckyladycreator2 @unmistakablyunknown

[callsign-joyride]

For some reason the link to request won’t work on my phone :( . Can I please request a Fall Fluff for Jake for prompt 15 where the reader is the one who is sick ?

Chicken Noodle Soup | Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Summary: Jake worries that you're having second thoughts about the relationship, only to find that the reason you haven't been responding is because you've been sick all day.

Content warnings: Fanboy being a menace, mentions of an illness/virus (NOT COVID-19), fluff

Prompt: 15. Sender lies next to the receiver (who is recovering from injuries or illness) and spoons them while staying awake to make sure their health doesn’t deteriorate overnight.

This was written for my Fluffy Fall Fantasy event. Feel free to send in requests!

Jake was stressed. You hadn’t been dating for very long, and you weren’t technically official, but it was Hard Deck night and you hadn’t responded to his text messages since last night. He was tempted to call you to check in and see if everything was okay, but he didn’t want to seem clingy and obsessive while it was totally possible that you forgot to plug your phone in the night before, or that you left it at home while you were getting ready for work.

“Honestly, man, I was thinking she’d ghost you a lot sooner than this,” Fanboy said as they were getting their things to leave. Jake didn’t even have the energy to react.

“You’re good at relationships, Rooster. Would it be weird if I drove by her house on my way home?”

“I don’t know, man. None of us have ever met her but maybe she’d be okay with it based on what you’ve said about her in passing.”

“Or maybe she doesn’t exist and he wanted to hide the fact that he’s not getting laid.”

“Dude, too far,” Payback said to Fanboy. Jake just shrugged it off and grabbed his bag before heading out to his truck and finding your address in his phone. You lived pretty close to base so it wasn’t a very bad drive at all. Right as he turned down your street, his phone started ringing and your name was on the screen.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you but I think I’ve got the flu or a common cold or something.”

“Do you want me to bring you medicine? I’m like five minutes from a CVS.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s Hard Deck night. You should be out with your friends. I can go another time. I think I’ll make some soup and go back to sleep.”

“Hard Deck night is a weekly thing and Coyote’s deployed so I kind of don’t want to go anyways. I’d have more fun staying in with you. Plus I’ve got a family recipe of chicken noodle soup and it’ll probably be the best chicken noodle soup you’ll ever have.”

After a moment, you sniffled and said that he could come over and that you’d leave your door unlocked. He walked into your house about an hour after he got off the phone with you with reusable bags on his arms. You were laying on the couch under a blanket while an 80’s movie played on the TV. 

“I brought medicine,” he said as he unloaded everything in the kitchen. You peered over the couch and smiled before taking a sip of your Gatorade that was on the coffee table. He came over to sit next to you after getting everything put away. It was almost unbelievable how sick you were, considering that you felt completely fine the day before. Your fever broke earlier in the day but you had been sleeping for most of it, living off of Gatorade and nearly stale crackers that you found in the back of your pantry. You changed the channel to something that you knew he’d like before nuzzling into the pillow that you brought from your bedroom.

“Poor thing. I’m gonna get your soup started. It should take about half an hour, okay? Let me know if you need anything.”

You nodded your head and scrolled through social media before going back to sleep for a little bit. The smell of the soup was what woke you up a little bit later, as Jake walked over and placed your bowl on the table in front of you. He made enough to last you a whole week, and he even offered to send you the recipe if you liked it. He was right, it was the best chicken noodle soup you’d ever had. Ten o’clock rolled around and even though it was considered early for you, you grabbed your pillow and blanket and started heading up the stairs. You were surprised when Jake followed you, considering that you had spent the few hours since you ate barely talking to each other. 

“I need to shower,” you said as you got your pajamas out.

“Okay. I’ll wait here.”

He had sent a few texts to the Dagger Squad group chat while you were in the shower, saying that he’d see everyone in the morning but that he had to take care of you. You took a big sip of water before crawling under the covers, Jake following suit.

“What are you doing?” You asked as he wrapped an arm around your middle.

“Staying with you, if that’s okay.”

“What if I get you sick?”

“I’ll take time off. Mav loves me so it’ll be fine. I don’t want anything to happen to you through the night.”

“Oh. Okay. Then yeah, you can stay. But don’t come crying to me if you get the man flu.”

“Trust me, I won’t. My dad taught me and my brothers better than to be dramatic so that a woman will take care of us.”

“That’s good,” you said with a chuckle.

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