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callsign-magnolia · 2 years ago

Text

Undiagnosed // Ch. 1

Mature Content 18+

Jake Seresin x Neurodivergent OC

Summary: Katie Blair grew up trying to be the perfect daughter. She always struggled to be the prim and proper little girl her parents wanted. Big personality as a kid, but now at 25, she's the shy admiral's daughter who just keeps her head down and tries to get through law school. So what happens when she's had enough and with help from a certain Lieutenant, she gets out.

Warnings: Emotional abuse, Major Character death, asshole parents, Jake is a jerk to start.

Word Count: 6.0k

Masterlist

“I’m sorry, Admiral Blair. Commander Kazansky is dead.”

Commander Kazansky is dead.

Tears welled my eyes as I stood in the doorway, my father behind me. “What?” My dad stepped around me, pushing me back into the house. I walked into the living room, seeing my mother sitting in her chair, glasses on her nose and book in her hand. “Who in god’s name is at our door at nine o’clock at night?” She asked, not looking at up. “A-an officer-“ She huffed, slamming her book shut before she ripped her glasses off her face and looked at me. “Speak up. I can’t hear you when you mumble and stutter.” I nodded, taking a deep breath and trying again. “An officer is at the door. Admiral Kazansky is dead.” I said as I rested my hand on the back of the couch. She stared at me for a moment before scoffing and putting her glasses back on. “Held on long enough, didn’t he?” “Mother!” I scolded. She huffed, slamming her book on the side table, standing. “Hush!” I immediately went quiet as she approached me. “He has been sick for years now. Your father has been waiting in the wings for his moment! And this is his moment!” She yelled, pointing her finger in my face.

“And you will not ruin his image!” I nodded, not meeting her eyes as tears streaked my cheeks. “Admiral Kazansky passed in his sleep earlier.” My father said as he walked into the living room. “And you’re crying for him!” Mom said, smacking my arm, making me jump. “He was a good man, mama!” She rolled her eyes, going back to her chair. “A man you met only three times.” I bit my lip, taking in a shaky breath. “I will be going up to my room.” I said turning, only for my dad to stop me. “Dr. Nieman says you have an exam next week; I expect you to be studying.” I nodded as he squeezed my shoulder. “Yes sir.” I said before he let me go, walking past me and allowing me to go upstairs. Once in my room I shut the door, taking a deep breath before going over to my fish tank, pulling out some food to feed them. They rushed to the top as I dropped the food, making me giggle. “Greedy little guys, huh?” I asked, knowing they wouldn’t reply. “Georgie!” I scolded the guppy who pushed Simon out of the way. “Oh my god, I’m scolding my fish.” I sighed before sitting down at my desk, deciding I better crack open the law textbook before my father came in and yelled at me for not working hard enough.

A few days went by and finally it was the day of Iceman’s funeral. I rode with my parents to the funeral, sitting in the backseat quietly as we rode from the funeral home to the gravesite. Once we pulled up and got out, I looked around at the sea of black dress uniforms, straightening out my own black dress as I stepped out of the truck. “Now,” My mom said as she walked over. “Stand still and be quiet, I don’t want to hear and squalling from you.” I nodded as she took my dad’s arm. “Yes ma’am.” I fell in step behind them, walking slowly through the grass and between the graves before finally stopping. My parents would sit, while I stood behind them, my heels sinking into the soft ground. We watched as the casket was carried over, and the funeral started. I was fine until TAPS started; it always made me emotional at these things. But I stood there, stock still but I felt the tears coming, and with them, the fear of my mother.

I inhaled deeply and shakily, fighting off the tears when suddenly my mother reached back, pinching my thigh. I jerked, which made her snap around and glare at me. It wasn’t until Captain Mitchell slammed his wings into the casket that the sobs started. I tried to hold back; my shoulders shook slightly as I held my breath. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, making me want to crawl out of my skin. Why are you crying? You’re not family. You hardly knew the man. The voice resembling my own echoed throughout my head. I attempted to stop, but I couldn’t. The voice was right though, I had no reason to be crying. Once it was done, my mother quickly stood, taking my arm and dragging me back towards the truck. “I told you to stay quiet.” “I tried, momma. Really.” “Well, you didn’t try hard enough!” My back slammed into the truck, on the side facing away from people. “Your father has an image to keep. We can’t have an uncontrollably emotional child messing that up.” I nodded, knowing she was right. “Now, you are going to clean your face, because you have black streaks from your mascara, and then you will redo it on the way to the Kazansky’s. Sarah is doing a celebration of life and we will be in attendance.” She said as she shoved a makeup wipe at me. “Yes, ma’am.” She huffed, straightening her dress. “Now get in the truck. You look like a train wreck, and we can’t have anyone seeing you.” I nodded, getting into the backseat as my mother went to join my dad as he spoke to some people.

~~~

“Woah, who is that?” Coyote asked, looking past me. I turned, spotting who he was referring to. A girl walked in with Admiral Blair and his wife; she must be their daughter I’ve heard about. She had a small smile on her face and kept her eyes on the ground, her hair swishing in the short ponytail as she walked a few steps behind her parents. “She’s sexy.” I raised my brow at Payback, he wasn’t usually one to refer to women in such a way. “I wouldn’t even try it with her.” Coop, a pilot from my old squadron said. “What? Is she snobby?” Payback asked as I continued to watch the girl. “No, man. She’s weird as fuck. She holds eye contact too much; she stares into your soul. She also talks a lot about random things, her stories have side stories, and those stories have side stories! She’s a total weirdo.” I looked back to her; she now had a glass in her hand as her parents spoke with Sarah.

“Hey, Hangman?” I turned to Coyote who was looking at me confused. “You gonna try it with her? I don’t think your girl would like that.” I scoffed, shaking my head. “No,” I scoffed. “Kelly wouldn’t appreciate it. But she’s also not my type.” Coop chuckled. “She’s crazy emotional too. Like a loose cannon.” I looked over at him, sipping the lemonade Sarah gave me. “How do you know all this?” I asked him and he scoffed. “Made the mistake of asking her on a date.” “And was there a second one?” Payback asked and Coop shook his head. “Hell no! We paid, got in our cars and I never texted her again.” I rolled my eyes. Coop has an unrealistic idea of women. He wants a model, someone ‘perfect’. Little does he realize he isn’t such a catch either. “I bet you fifty bucks you couldn’t have a normal conversation with her.” I scoffed at his offer. “What? Fifty not enough? I’ll make it a hundred then and you can see how weird she is yourself.” I shook my head. “You know what, I’ll accept that bet.” I said looking back over to her seeing she had made her way over to the drink table. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need a refill.” I said before walking over to her, a smirk on my face.

~~~

“Hi.” I jumped, startled out of my own little bubble by the voice behind me. I turned to find a blonde man, tall, muscular, with green eyes that glistened in the light and had tiny flecks of light brown around the pupil. “H-hi.” I said, realizing how close he was when I turned around. I took a step back, bumping the table and tripping over my feet. I swung my arm, and he caught it, straightening me out. “I am so sorry! I’m so clumsy!” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Not at all.” I smiled, looking back into his eyes. “I’m sorry Lieutenant, I never got your name.” A look of realization crossed his face, and he held out his hand. “Lieutenant Jacob Seresin, ma’am.” I shook his hand. “You seemed off in your own little world over here.” He caught you, and now he thinks you’re weird before he even properly met you. “Yeah, I um… truth be told, I just got lost in thought.” I admitted. My mind had wandered to how Sarah and the rest of the family would cope without Admiral Kazansky, a thought I probably had no business thinking. “Happens to the best of us, right?” I nodded, looking down at my heels. “So how do you know the Kazansky’s?” He asked, bending down to meet my eyes, making my head snap up. “Oh, my dad is-was just under Admiral Kazansky. Now that he’s gone that makes my dad the new fleet commander.” His eyebrows shot up in realization. “Katie Scarlett!” I froze at my mom’s voice, straightening my back and diverting my eyes from Jacob. “I’m so sorry Lieutenant. Was she bothering you? She tends to run her mouth and talk. Why, she would talk till your ears fell off if you let her.” My neck burned red against my black scoop neck dress, tears gathering in my eyes.

“No ma’am. We were just having a pleasant conversation.” She looked at me, and I took a deep breath, willing the tears away. “Are you okay?” He asked and before I could even react my mother answered for me. “She’s fine. She just tends to be… overly emotional. If you’ll excuse us.” Mom said before gripping my arm and leading me away. “What are you doing?” I jerked my arm away once we were inside and out of sight. “I was having a nice conversation with a nice man!” She reached out, pinching me before placing her hands on her hips. “First off, don’t you ever cop an attitude with me again missy. Second, he is your father’s subordinate! What do you think it will look like if you’re flirting with him?” I furrowed my brows, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Oh my god, I was not flirting, mom! It was a normal conversation.” She scoffed. “Don’t talk back to me. Now, you will not speak to your father’s subordinates. These navy boys are not worth your time, or mine when you get your heart broken.” I rolled my eyes. “Dad seemed to be worth your time.” I popped off. Suddenly I heard a loud slap and my cheek stung. “He was worth my time, and you should be grateful because that’s why you are here.”

“Now,” She said as she composed herself and straightened her dress. “Clean yourself up, quit your crying and join me outside in five minutes.” She said as she pushed past me, making her way back outside. I turned, rushing into the bathroom as tears streaked my face once again. I cleaned myself up as best I could and let my hair down hoping it would hide the growing red mark on my cheek. I took a deep breath and plastered a smile on my face before going back outside. My father was standing with Lieutenant Seresin and a few others. I made my way over as my mom turned to greet me, a smile on her face. But in reality, that smile was a threat, saying if I screwed this up it wouldn’t be good. She looped her arm through mine as I stood next to her. “Oh, and this is our daughter, Katherine Scarlett Blair.” All eyes were on me, so I opted for a small smile. Something simple that couldn’t be mistaken for anything more than what it was. My father continued to ramble as I looked through the group. Immediately catching the blue eyes of Arnold Cooper, he smirked and waved as I turned my head away. I couldn’t stand him. He was so rude on our date, letting me go on then only to tell me how stupid the topic was and then went on to critique everything about me.

Your eyes are too far apart.

Your bottom lip is too big, it makes your smile look weird.

You’re too tall in those heels.

Your thighs are too big.

Anything he could find wrong, he pointed out. I left there crying and he never called or texted me again, which I was grateful for. I looked away, staring out at the ocean, ignoring the conversation. I wonder if I could just get a boat and take off. Quit law school, leave my parents behind and just go. Travel somewhere they would never think to find me. Like Nepal maybe? More specifically Kathmandu. It’s beautiful and I could do lots of hiking and exploring. “Katherine.” I turned, looking up at my mother who had a harsh look on her face. “I’m sorry. Were you talking to me?” I asked, turning back to the group. Lieutenant Seresin nodded. “Admiral Blair says you’re in Law school. Which one?” Of course, daddy would mention law school. “USD school of Law.” He smiled at me. “And how long do you have left before you graduate?” I opened my mouth to answer when my father cut me off. “She about to finish her first year. She’s on her way to being the best lawyer in California.” My parents didn’t have that much hope for me. They just wanted me to make good money. “Nice, how do you like it?” Another Lieutenant asked, he had a mustache that most people couldn’t pull off. “She loves it. It’s been her dream since she was a little girl.” My mom said as she ran her fingers through my ponytail.

“Is there a certain type of law you want to practice?” Lieutenant Seresin asked. Once again, I was answered for. “Either medical law or corporate law. She just can’t decide.” I nodded, just going along with it. Everyone looked between my parents and me, questioning look in their eyes. “Well I just wanted to wish you guys the best of luck on this mission of yours. I’ve read over the file and I have to say, it’s very dangerous, but you’re the best of the best for a reason.” They all smiled, shaking my dad’s hand before him and my mother walked away. I turned to follow but stopped at the sound of Coop’s voice. “Following mommy and daddy around like a lost puppy?” I kept walking, trying to ignore him. “Can’t even function on her own.” I turned around, glaring at him. “You’re the one that insulted me on that so called date, so why are you even bothering to talk to me? You’re the one that ran around telling everyone how weird I am anyway.” He chuckled, “Just wanted to get a rise out of you sweetheart.” I rolled my eyes, walking away. “Whiny bitch.” My fists clenched at my sides, and it took everything in me to keep walking, but I didn’t have to go far as my mother met me halfway. “What was that?” I furrowed my brows at her. “He just wanted a rise out of me.” I admitted and she huffed. “Get your emotions in check. Because if you ruin our image, there will be hell to pay.”

A few days later I was on base, heading to my father’s office. I apparently couldn’t be trusted home alone so I would sit in the rec room on base to study while I waited for my father to finish his work. “Hi, daddy.” He smiled at me as I walked into his office. “Hi, sweetie.” Good mood. Safe. I walked over kissing his cheek. “How did your exam go?” I bit my lip, nervous. “I feel like I did good on it. I only had to go back to a handful of questions.” He turned to me; an eyebrow raised. “Well good.” I exhaled lightly in relief, escaping his wrath for now. “Well, you know where the rec room is. I’ll come get you when I’m done.” I nodded, hiking my backpack higher on my shoulder and making my way to the rec room, dress swishing around my thighs. I kept my head down, knowing I would attract attention. It’s always better if I don’t meet their gazes. I made it to the rec room and thankfully, it was empty. I sighed, setting my stuff down and pulling out my laptop and textbooks. I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose as I got to work, studying.

My phone kept buzzing and I tried to ignore it, but finally I picked it up, looking at the notification before scrolling through my Instagram feed. “Oh ho, look who we have here gentlemen.” I slammed my phone down at the voice, a reaction I’ve picked up from living with my parents. I looked up, seeing Coop walk in with a few other pilots behind him. I didn’t recognize any of them except Lieutenant Seresin, who brought up the back of the line. “And what are you studying, Kate?” I withheld my eyeroll at the nickname and ignored him, going back to jotting down notes from my textbook. “Oh, come on, honey. Don’t ignore me.” I saw him stand up out of my peripheral vision, but I never expected him to snatch my glasses right off my face. “Hey!” I yelled, standing so fast I knocked over my chair. “Arnold!” I yelled his first name, hoping it would catch his attention. “Oh, come on honey! You can’t reach even in those heels!” He teased, making me even more angry. "We're grown adults! Give me back my glasses!" I yelled, jumping to reach my glasses and praying I wasn't flashing the other pilots behind me as my dress shifted around my thighs. "You're cute when you're mad sweetheart." I whipped around to Lieutenant Seresin, and if looks could kill, he would be six feet under. "Sorry that I enjoy seeing and I can't do that without my fucking glasses!" I turned around, landing a punch to Coop's gut. "Give them back!" I yelled, snatching them as he hit the ground. "Katy Scarlett!" Fear filled me at the sound of my father's voice yelling my full name.

I froze, dropping my glasses as I saw his figure standing in the doorway. “What the hell are you doing?” He asked as Coop stood, holding his gut. “I-um-I-he-“ “Stop fucking stuttering and get your stuff and go home.” He commanded. I nodded as I grabbed my glasses, slipping them back on my face before rushing to gather my things. “NOW!” I was shaking so bad, I put what I could in my bag before gathering everything else in my arms, rushing out as tears slipped down my face. As I walked away, I could hear my father apologizing to everyone for my behavior. I made it outside, getting into my Lexus in hopes I could pull out before he met me outside, but no such luck. He came outside just as I shut my door. I rolled down my window, keeping my head down as he leaned into my car. “You go home, and you wait for me. We’re going to have a serious talk.” I nodded, mumbling a ‘yes sir’ before he stepped away. I rolled up my window, taking the long way home as I cried.

Once home my mother was waiting, I assume my dad called her. I took my stuff upstairs and sat in the dining room, waiting for my dad to get home. Once he did, he was yelling before he even came through the door. “What the hell were you thinking?! Acting that way in front of my men!” I flinched as the door slammed into the wall, hearing his feet stomp through the house. I opened my mouth to answer as he walked through the door, but stopped as he held his hand up. “I don’t fucking care! You assaulted a naval officer!” “YOU DID WHAT?!” I flinched again as my mother screamed in my ear. “He took my glasses.” I mumbled and my mother groaned. “Enough of this mumbling shit! Just speak up!” “He took my glasses! He snatched them right off my face!” I said loudly. “Well, if you would wear your contacts, that wouldn’t have happened!” I crossed my arms over my chest in frustration. “They give me a headache.” “Then take an aspirin!” I stood, turning to her. “I should be able to wear my glasses without someone taking them, and I shouldn’t have to wear contacts if they make my head hurt!” My father quickly stepped closer. My knees buckling out of fear and planting me back in the dining room chair as he bent down in my face.

“I don’t care what he did. Tomorrow, after class, you will come onto base, and you will give him a sincere apology.” My jaw dropped. “So, he gets to take my glasses, preventing me from studying and I have to apologize to him?” He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “You will, and you will do it with a smile.” I sighed. “God! Just stop the huffing and puffing! You did this to yourself! Now go upstairs and study. If you fail another test, you don’t get to come back here and cry about it. You’ll have nowhere to go.” My mother threatened, making a shiver run up my spine, knowing she was serious. I just nodded, standing and looking to my father. “Dismissed.” I bit my lip, rushing upstairs. I shut my bedroom door, tears streaming down my cheeks. I covered my mouth as I slid down the door, silencing my sobs. Why can’t I just control my emotions? I should’ve just let him keep my glasses and stayed in my chair. I took a shaky breath, wiping my cheeks clean. I stood, kicking off my heels and walking over to my fish tank. “Hey guys.” I watched as the colorful fish swam around, a few swimming up to my face as I rested my chin on the shelf the tank rested on. “You hungry?” I asked as I grabbed the container of fish food. They all rushed to the side of the tank I kept the food on, watching intensely as I sprinkled it into the tank. All five fish ate as if they were starving when in reality, I fed them this morning. I heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, knowing they were my fathers, I dove for my bag. Quickly pulling out my textbooks and rushing into my desk chair just as the door opened. “I don’t want to see you out of this room till dinner. You understand me?” I nodded as I opened my book. “Yes, sir.”

The next day I was dreading everything, including waking up. But I did, getting myself ready in an olive-green dress that was knee length with a ruffled hem and nude heels. I struggled to focus in class, not sure how I would manage to survive the ridiculous apology. I couldn’t focus, taking half-assed notes as I thought of how humiliating this was going to be. I barely managed to walk out of the building and get into my car. I could just drive off, maybe somewhere upstate, or even into Mexico. But they would just report my car stolen and I’d be right back here, more miserable than ever. I don’t remember the drive to base, or showing the guard my ID. But soon I found myself walking into my dad’s office, keeping my head down as I stood in front of his desk. “About time. You got out of class twenty minutes ago.” I pulled on my thumbs, wanting to snap that it takes me twenty-five minutes to get here from school, but I just kept my mouth shut. “Set your bag down.” I set my bag in the chair as he stood from his own. “Follow me.” I followed him out of his office and down the hall, keeping my head down as my heels clicked on the tile. He led us outside to the hangar, my heels announcing our arrival. I managed to lift my head, looking at the ginormous jet across the way. “Captain Mitchell.” I looked up to see an older man turn from his team to look at us. “Commander Blair.” Everyone jumped up, standing at attention and saluting him as we walked closer. “As you were.” Movement caught my eye, and I glanced behind everyone to see Lieutenant Seresin and the other man with the mustache walking closer.

“Lieutenant Cooper. Step forward.” I pulled on my thumbs again, my knees growing weak from nerves. Coop stepped closer, keeping a poker face as he did as my dad asked. “Katy, I think you have something to say to Lieutenant Cooper.” I felt everyone’s eyes on me from behind Coop and I looked up to my dad who just quirked a brow as if to say, ‘Get on with it.’ I took a step forward, averting my eyes from everyone behind him down to my feet. “Coop, I just wanted to say-“ “Eyes on me when you’re talking to me sweetheart.” My head snapped up, glaring at him. “Wasn’t there something you had to say to me?” He was trying to get a rise out of me again, and I wasn’t going to fall for it this time. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. It was wrong of me to hit you.” I said through gritted teeth. Coop poked his bottom lip out, tilting his head at me. “I don’t think you mean it.” Tears of frustration gathered in my eyes as I fought back every emotion within me. I shook my head and took a big breath before I gave him the biggest smile I could muster. “The way I acted yesterday was wrong, and I never should’ve punched you. I really hope you can forgive me.” He grinned at me, relishing this moment. “Of course, I forgive you, sweetheart.” I nodded, folding my hands in front of me. “Good, now that that is out of the way. You can go back to training, and you need to go study.” My father’s hand slammed down on my shoulder, making me jump as he did so. “Yes, sir.”

With that I went back to my dad’s office, grabbing my bag and going into the rec room to study just like I did the day before. I sat there, staring at my textbooks but not reading them. What I wouldn’t give to go back and punch Coop in his smug ugly face. God, why did I ever think he was attractive? Thinking back on it he’s really not, and he has an ugly personality to match. God, I hate him, and I can’t stand my father for making me do that. Should I have hit him? No. But did he deserve it? Hell yes. “Do you need help?” I looked up, caught off guard by the quiet voice. A blonde man with stunning blue eyes and glasses stood before me. “Oh. No, I don’t. Don’t trouble yourself with me.” I said as I turned my head back down to my books. “I’m pretty good at law. I started in the Law education program at the naval academy before changing majors.” I narrowed my eyes at him, and he gave me a small smile. “What does Amicus Curiae mean?” I bit my lip, realizing I didn’t know the answer. “On the bench?” It was more of a question than an answer. “That’s En banc. It’s Latin for ‘friend of the court’.” I nodded slowly. “I’d be more than happy to help you study.” I stared at my textbook for a minute, going over my options. I could study on my own and risk failing, which means my parents would kick me out of the house. But if he helped me, maybe I can pass and live in the house another day.

“Okay. You can help me.” He smiled at me, slipping in the chair next to me. “Your name is Katy, right?” I nodded, realizing he was there when I had to give that stupid apology. “I’m Bob.” He held out his hand for me to shake, clasping my fingers around his, I realized just how big his hands are. I was worried I would struggle to study with Bob, but he made it so easy. He taught me a few ways to remember phrases, and it’s like a whole new world opened up in front of me. “Hey! Baby on Board! What are you doing?” Our heads snapped up at the sound of Coop's voice. He seemed angry, and Lieutenant Seresin behind him didn’t look happy either. I watched as his eyes shifted from Bob to me and I immediately hung my head. “Don’t waste your time with her. Come on.” He waved him over and Bob looked to me before back to Coop. “I think I’m gonna stay here and help her study.” My head snapped up to him in surprise and he flashed me a small smile. “She’s not fucking worth it. Now, come on.” Bob opened his mouth to retort, but Lieutenant Seresin cut him off. “Don’t fucking argue, Floyd.” I closed my text book, putting it in my back. “I’ll just leave.”

“I see you’ve finally got some brains. You can finally tell when people don’t want you around.” Coop snapped and I just stood with my bag, ignoring his words. “I have to say, I can’t stand to look at her face. But God do I love watching her walk away.” I heard their laughter behind me. I just kept my head down, hiding my tears as I made my way down the hallway. Once I was a ways down the hallway, I stopped, pulling my glasses off and wiping my eyes clean. “Hey, you okay?” I turned, seeing a woman and the guy with the mustache walking up. I turned to them, leaning against the wall as I took a deep breath. “O-oh, yeah. I’m fine.” The girl smiled at me. “We just wanted to say, Coop was completely in the wrong.” She said and the guy behind her smiled. “Yeah, and it definitely wasn’t okay that Commander Blair made you apologize to him.” I offered them a small smile. “Thanks.” The girl held out her hand for me to shake. “Natasha, callsign Phoenix.” I shook the guys hand next. “Bradley, callsign Rooster.” I smiled, feeling a little better. Their smiles were infectious.

“I’m-“ “Katy Scarlett!” My fathers voice boomed down the hallway, making me stand rigid as I turned to face him. “You’re supposed to be studying.” I nodded, folding my hands in front of me. “Yes, sir. It was just getting noisy in the rec room, so I was coming to ask if I could go home and study there? I’ll probably focus better.” He stared at me for a moment before looking to Natasha and Bradley. “Was she bothering you?” My shoulders tensed as he laid a hand on them, turning me around to face them. I kept my eyes trained on my heels, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “Not at all. I noticed her shoes in the hangar earlier and stopped her to ask them what brand they were. Valentino? Right?” Natasha asked as she leaned down to catch my eyes. I stared into hers, seeing something flash in them and I knew she was trying to keep me out of trouble. “Yes. They’re very comfortable.” My dad nodded, looking down at me. “Very well. Go home. I’ll be late so make sure you’re studying before dinner.” I nodded. “Yes, sir.” I said before turning and making my way out to my car. Once I was inside, I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “I owe Natasha big time.” I mumbled to myself as I cranked my car.

I studied until dad came home, rushing downstairs to make sure I had the table set before he sat down. Once I did that he sat down, and mom placed his plate in front of him before we made our plates. “How was work, dear?” My mom asked, looking over at my dad. “Good. I have to be on base early in the morning. The team that Iceman put together ships out for their mission in the morning.” I listened intensely as they discussed his work. “They keep talking about how ‘someone may not make it back’. Cyclone isn’t worried about it, but Maverick is.” My mom scoffed. “Ugh. Maverick? He’s still flying? I figured he would’ve been discharged from the Navy, or more likely, dead.” My dad chuckled. “Maybe we’ll get lucky, and he’ll go down on this mission.” My heart lurched into my throat at his words. How can someone have such disregard for human life? “Katy.” My head snapped up to catch my mother’s eye. “God, listen to me the first time I say your name. You need to eat more peas.” I took a deep breath. “I’m twenty-five mother. I eat every vegetable but peas.” She grabbed the spoon that sat in the bowl of peas and lifted it, slamming a huge scoop of them down on my plate. “Just fucking listen and eat them. I don’t need any remarks from you every time I say something.” I just did as she said, no energy to fight with her about it.

The texture and taste was gross, but I just have to pick my battles with her. When we were done, my parents went out onto the back deck for drinks, and I cleaned up the kitchen. I used to complain about it, but as I got older, I realized this was the only time I could guarantee they wouldn’t barge in and they would leave me alone. Once I was finished, I went back upstairs and into my room. I have spent most all of the day studying, so I opted to read a book from my shelf. I plucked Salem’s Lot from my shelf, plopping down on my bed to read it. I got 5 pages in when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. My heart pounded in my chest, knowing they were my fathers, but they didn’t sound like angry footsteps. I sat up quickly when my door opened, my eyes widening behind my metal frames as my father stared at me. “What are you reading?” I gulped, looking down at the book in my hand. “Salem’s Lot?” It should’ve been a statement, but I was scared of the look in his eye. “You have another exam tomorrow.” I nodded, standing from my bed. “Yes, but I’ve been studying non-stop for the past week. I-I thought maybe reading something different for an hour would help me relax.” I was flipping the book from hand to hand, struggling to sit still in the tension filled room. “Just put it down and study. I’m tired of having to ride your ass about school. Just fucking study and pass your fucking tests before you force your mother and I to kick you out.” He huffed and I nodded. “Yes sir.” I put the book back before sitting down at my desk, turning on my laptop. With that he closed the door and I sighed, leaning back in my chair. While I waited for my computer to boot up, I stood, walking over to my fish tank to feed them. I watched as Splish and Splash, my twin goldfish shoved each other around trying to eat. “Guys. There’s plenty.” I dropped just a little more in the tank, giggling as the all rushed around. “Do you guys think I’d make a good lawyer?” I asked as Frankie, my angel fish turned to me, almost staring for a second before swimming off. “Yeah, I don’t think so either.” I sighed before sitting back down in my desk chair.

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

Taglist: @wkndwlff @cherrycola27 @daisydaisygoose

#hangman #jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin top gun #jake seresin x oc #hangman fic #hangman seresin #top gun maverick #top gun #top gun imagine #hangman top gun #undiagnosed #ADHD OC #jake seresin x neurodivergent oc

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psuedochakra · 3 months ago

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AO3 Masterlist

So far I've only posted my fics on my AO3, which is already super easy to navigate. But just in case, I've got links here for you! I might post the shorter ones on here some day. These are all my Top Gun ones :3

The Baby Steps AU

Baby Steps

Ship: Iceman x Hangman

Rating: Explict

Summary: Someone bought Hangman a drink at a bar in 2010, and he couldn't stop thinking about it for years.

Word Count: 26010, five chapters

Status: Complete!

Tamale Night

Ship: Iceman x Hangman

Rating: Teen

Summary: Jake and Javy have a longstanding birthday tradition while they're stateside. Now, Ice is part of that tradition. This is part of my "Baby Steps" AU and takes place immediately after ch 4. Context is provided in the notes

Word Count: 5705

Status: Complete!

You Fall in Love so Fast

Ship: Maverick x Slider

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Slider spends some time with Maverick in China Lake. Again, part of "Baby Steps" AU and context is provided in the notes. It can be read as a standalone.

Word Count: 3323

Status: Complete!

The Start of Forever

Ship: Maverick x Slider

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Maverick's raccoon shenanigans continue. Ice is gonna need a taller fence. A sequel to the above fic! context is provided in the notes. It can be read as a standalone.

Word Count: 5665

Status: Complete!

We Need a Holiday(s)

Ship: Iceman x Hangman

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Holidays throughout Jake and Tom's relationship. Think of each chapter as a one-shot within the universe. I put them together as one fic because of, well, theming lol. You should probably read "Baby Steps" since this is just extra bits of that fic

Word Count: 7711

Status: Incomplete; I probably won't ever finish it because they're all fun little extras.

AUs/One-Shots/Mini-Serieses

Hot For Teacher (AO3 or Tumblr)

Ship: Iceman x Maverick

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Maverick returns, as a favor, to teach at TOPGUN. His students are great; they're some of the best naval aviators in the world. One of them is all legs, gorgeous tanned skin, blonde... Just his type. Maverick had a problem.

Word Count: 8,814

Status: Complete!

Sick Day

Rating: Teen

Summary: Five times Phoenix and Halo checked on the Daggers while they were sick. Plus another time the Daggers checked on them.

Word Count: 5,343

Status: complete!

i hope you're coming with me

Rating: Not Rated

Summary: Slice hockey AU. My love letter to hockey, specifically Detroit hockey.

Word Count: 2177

Status: Incomplete

#top gun #ao3 #fanfiction #top gun fanfiction #hangman x iceman #icemav #slimav #slice #dagger Squad #top gun hockey au #top gun maverick #serezansky

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lookismaddict · 2 years ago

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Cat’s Masterlist

[euphoria]

1:37 ──〇──── 4:20

⇄ ◃◃ II ▹▹ ↻

Hi, my name is Cat. My pronouns are (she/her/hers). I’m 21 years old, and I enjoy reading Lookism, writing, and making some weird bullshit. I’m open to any questions, since I love interacting with many people anytime. I’m not as hyper-fixated as I used to be, but I’m still that unhinged bitch sometimes. But, more mellowed out. (“Talk about character development. Look at this bi-” /j) Of course, be mindful, be respectful, and be patient with me. Please. That’s all I ask of you. We all have our own separate lives too, and all of us in the community would appreciate being treated as we all would like to be treated. So, I hope you enjoy your stay, and have a wonderful day. 🖤

Lookism Stories

Actual Spice = 🌶

Gun Park:

Rendezvous: Introduction -> Ch. I -> Ch. II-> Ch. III -> Ch. IV 🌶 -> Ch. V 🌶 -> Ch. VI🌶 -> Ch. VII -> Ch. VIII -> Ch.IX 🌶 -> Ch. X 🌶 -> Ch. XI 🌶 -> Ch. XII 🌶 -> Ch. XIII

Jake Kim:

Birthday Gift (Oneshot)🌶

Hudson Ahn:

My First Dream w/ Hudson: One-Shot 🌶

Future Story Ideas

Personal Account/Multi-Fandom Account: @gh0stk1lla

YouTube Channel for Edits: Lookism Addict

TikTok: lookism_addict

Honorable Mentions

I appreciate all of their work. Thank you!! 😸💞

Slimesam’s Rendezvous Art #1

Slimesam’s Rendezvous Art #2

Moonok3’s Rendezvous Art

Leekeira’s Cat x Gun Art (Cover Photo)

Leekeira’s Gun Park x Cat Story

Leekeira’s Cat x Gun Art #2

Hanaa-ogk’s Rendezvous Art #1

Hanaa-ogk’s Rendezvous Art #2

Hanaa-ogk’s Rendezvous Art #3

Hanaa-ogk’s Rendezvous Art #4

Hanaa-ogk’s Cat holding Cat Gun Art

Hanaa-ogk’s Cat x Gun Art

Spotify Playlists

Jong Gun Park’s playlist

Joon Goo Kim’s playlist

Gun & Goo’s Shared playlist

Samuel Seo’s playlist

Jake Kim’s playlist

(Y/N)’s playlist

Thoughts/Analyses

Lookism Characters as Mythological Gods

Memes

Lookism Chapter Thoughts:

Ch. 424 (Part I, Part II)

Ch. 425

Ch. 426

Ch. 427

Ch. 428 (Part I, Part II)

Ch. 429

Ch. 430

Ch. 431

Ch. 432

Ch. 433

Ch. 434

Ch. 435

Ch. 436

Ch. 437

Ch. 438

Ch. 439

Ch. 440

Ch. 441

Ch. 442

Lookism Reddit Memes I Found:

Lookism Fans and Their Fav. Characters

Story Memes:

Rendezvous: Old Reliable

Cursed Memes:

Part 1

CURSED DRAWING OF GUN PARK

Individual Character Memes/Scenarios/Headcannons:

Lookism Characters and their perfumes

Random Lookism Thoughts I Get in Class (part 1, part 2)

Lookism Characters Attending A Christmas Party

Lookism Characters and Their Favorite Disneyland Rides

Lookism Characters and Their Tastes in Music ♪

Lookism Characters (Best & Worst Uber Drivers)

#lookismaddict #masterlist #Cat’s Masterlist #lookism fanfic #lookism memes

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popculturebuffet · 3 months ago

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Sam and Max Beyond Time and Space Retrospective

My retrospective from last year covering all 5 chapters of Sam and Max's decent second chapter in the Telltale Trilogy, Beyond Time and Space. You can find my retrospective for the first game here

And here's beyond time and space just in time for Devil's Playhouse!

#sam and max beyond time and space #sam and max #sam x max #bosco #mama bosco #flint paper #freelance police #jurgen #video games #telltale games #skunkape games #nintendo switch

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jeysamores · 1 year ago

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The Baby Project - ch.1

.synopsis: It’s towards the end of your senior year, and only one more quarter of classes to go. If you thought it would be peaceful then you’re completely wrong because your health teacher decides to give you a simulation project and partners you with your longtime crush.

a/n: This work took A LOT of time to write mostly because of school and colleges, chapter 1 is not long but chapter 2 will be, so I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it! much love - jey

paring → Sunghoon x f!reader,

wc: 1.7k

warning(s): swearing, mature themes, Yuna bitching Jake, Jakes hitting kink, rest is tbd

next l mstl

“3 more months and I’m out of here.” you think to yourself, looking around the cafeteria full of some of the most annoying people you’ve met in your life. You had a love-hate relationship with being a senior in high school, one of the benefits being that you could sign yourself out of there whenever your bitch of an English teacher or really anyone, got on your damn nerves. But one of the things that sucked this year and the past 6 years was the only boy you’ve ever liked since 7th grade never even talked to you.

Well, he talked to you once, but it was just a polite ‘excuse me’, and even from that small interaction you found yourself screaming inside and ranting about it to your closest friends everyday for a week straight and them being the supportive best friends they are, supported your delusions for 6 years straight.

“At least he looked at me when asking me to move, and at least it was me who he asked to move. See? That means he thought about me. I told you that’s my man.” That was your mindset ever since that interaction, and you were set on using junior year to make a move. You weren’t sure on why specifically junior year but that’s besides the point because the real point is you bitched out every time you planned on making a move.

And now it’s almost the end of senior year, and no action involving him what-so-ever. Soon you’re just gonna have to face reality and realize that Park Sunghoon would never like you, would never look your way ever again, never talk to you ever again, and would definitely not be the person waiting at the end of the altar for you, later becoming the father of your 3 children.

“You’re literally gonna be single forever if you keep acting the way you do about this boy y/n. It’s not that hard, go up to him and say what you want.” Yuna has been saying the same shit for over 3 years now and throughout those whole 3 years, you never once listened to her.

Even with your friend’s help, you just can’t (and won’t) get yourself to make your body move in his direction and actually talk to him without possibly embarrassing yourself, which you most likely would if you were to ever step foot in his direction.

“Y/n, spark a conversation, be flirtatious, pull your boobs out of your shirt for gods sake. You’re making it seem like such a hard task.” Felix says, sounding a little aggravated by this whole situation since he just wanted to eat his lunch in peace without having to hear the whole "y/n is in love with Park Sunghoon but is a little bitch about it” bullshit. Hearing it for the past 6 years was already enough for him.

“Why her boobs though?” Winter asks while trying to suppress a laugh.

Felix turns to winter, “Can you leave me and my choice of words the hell alone please? And I don’t know it just came out. Also don’t even think you’re off the hook either miss, because your little ‘secret crush’ on Jay is NOT unnoticeable.” Felix is now targeting poor Winter about the small crush she’s had for about a year now. Everyone knows that Winter obviously likes Jay, who the hell in the friend group didn’t know. “Wanna know how I know, because..well I just know, and the facts that I have are completely true.”

"When can I hit him?” Usually to get Felix to shut the hell up Yuna resulted in violence. Yuna just didn’t want Winter being embarrassed by how obvious it was, especially since Winter wasn’t the person to talk much about a love interest, let alone the type of person to actually talk and socialize.

“I don’t like him so leave me alone, go get an actual girlfriend for once in your life. You’re all over y/n about Sunghoon but look at you.” says Winter, scowling down at the sandwich in her hand before shoving a good amount of it into her mouth and taking a bite. That was the most Winter talked the whole lunch period, but not the first time she said some rude shit to Felix.

You can’t even remember when Felix started hanging out with you 3 girls. According to the man himself, apparently it was at Jake Sims 14th birthday party, and Yuna punched him in the stomach and then proceeded to smash his face into the cake and called him a dooshbag right after. Felix being the dumbfuck he was -and still is- thought it was so badass that he started following you girls around, attempting to be in the group. And he just stuck ever since. keyword; apparently.

But despite all that, the birthday story regarding Jake Sim getting bitched was actually true. And despite Yuna letting Jake know that he wasn’t shit by handing his ass to him at his own party, they’re actually dating. It’s a secret though, everyone thinks they’re some type of enemies with hella sexual tension. Speaking of the devil, here he comes right now.

His tall frame came into view, that sly smirk started to appear on his face which was sculpted by the gods btw. Those lips that Yuna is literally obsessed with but acts like she’s not slowly forming a smile when he sees her. it’s really mind blowing how they hide their relationship so well.

Jake said the exact moment he knew he liked Yuna was when she bitched him at his party. He said that when he finally got up and wiped the cake out of his eyes while still groaning in pain, he thought that was the hottest thing ever and began getting on her nerves even more hoping she would hit him again because he “liked how it felt.” Jake also went on to tell us that this was the point in his life where he figured out he liked being hit, in a kinky way. Why are there so many outcomes from this party?

“Hey Yuna, you know that instead of sitting on that hard chair you could just sit on my dick? All you gotta do is ask love.” The smirk on his face said that he was trying to get something out of her, but his eyes showed nothing but love and adoration when looking at her.

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE SIM!” Yuna shouted, pushing him away. It worked, he got what he wanted, for her to touch him. And even though it really sounded like Yuna wanted him out of sight, her eyes were telling him something else, something you weren’t going into detail on because it’s obviously some freaky shit. It was a daily thing for Jake to do this at lunch, come to your table for a little show for the public eye and to see his secret girlfriend.

Once Jake was gone Yuna looked from felix to winter and back down at her phone still trying to suppress her smile, "why do you even sit here with us, shouldn’t you be with Chan?” It’s true, where was this guys babysitter?

“Also, y/n has the rest of this year and possibly more to tell Sunghoon how she feels since they’re going to the same university. I think you should take your time.” Winter said before shoving the remaining piece of a sandwich she held in her hand into her mouth. Winter is the only person in the group who doesn’t pressure you into doing stupid shit like telling THE Park Sunghoon that you like him even though she knows it’s kind of long overdue.

“Well y/n, if you die a lonely virgin, it was never my fault.” Felix's laughter was soon cut short when he started yelling in pain and holding his right arm. “WHAT THE FUCK YUNA!?? why do you punch so hard!? I’M BRUISING! DO YOU SEE THE BRUISE FORMING?! I COULD’VE DIED!!! MY ARM COULD’VE FALLEN OFF!”

“You deserved it so stop screaming like a bitch.” One thing about Yuna was that no one was allowed to talk shit about her girls unless it was her who was talking shit (which she didn’t do). She was very protective of you girls, especially when it came to Winter since most of the time she wouldn't say anything back to Felix’s stupid jokes.

Apart from the library, you found lunch to be a peaceful environment even with the constant never ending bickering between Yuna and Felix. You should’ve chosen the library today instead of your lunch table.

Looking at the time shown on your phone screen you realize that it’s almost time for class and you still had to go to your locker which was conveniently 2 lockers down from Sunghoon’s to exchange some books. “The bell is about to ring guys.”

As you’re gathering your books your eyes wander a little and land on a silver haired boy talking and laughing with a group of other boys surrounding him. His perfect side profile, those moles that accentuate his face, that jawline. God that perfect pointed nose, you know many things it could be used for. His laugh that you can practically hear even from a mile away.

Sad how he wasn’t really social with other people that weren’t in his friend group, and apart from him the whole friend group was hot. The school considered them to be the prettiest boys to ever walk these halls. They all looked like models, something so delicate and capturing which should be held in a museum.

Snapping out of your thoughts, you quickly finished packing up and let the girls know you’re ready to go, which was a lie because you wanted to stare at Sunghoon for as long as possible. But you have all next period for that.

Yuna starts smiling which lets you and Winter know she’s up to no good. Looking up and straight at felix and loud enough for the next lunch table over to hear she shouts “Whatever, BYE VIRGIN! let’s go girls.” All three of you walked away from the table laughing at Felix’s dumbfounded expression and trying to clear up the accusation.

taglist @voidbeomgyu @cha0thicpisces @heeseungsbabymomma @zomyy @rikisly @sjakewrld @bellebear @ocean-minho @isylvr @notrosemary @classygirlsthings @asyleums @levi-09 @hajimalagooo @lvufran @jhopesucker @lunacrtk @vivibelov3d

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hanasnx · 2 days ago

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MINORS DNI 18+

JAKE SULLY abuses that pussy. Makes sure you’re some stupid mute mess when he’s done with you, fucking you into the ground until you’re a babbling hot tangle of limbs. Sweaty sex hair sticks up and shaky doe legs. He’s snickering at you like some fuckboy while you’re struggling to get up so you can go clean yourself. The kind of heinous plowing that keeps your pussy drooling an hour after the dick appointment. She sputters and bubbles, forcing out fat strings of mixed cum and squirt to bleed a wet spot in your panties. The moment always carries him away, and you’re always the one taking the brunt of the punishment, letting him fuck you up because he feels how your tiny cunt clenches down on him, making sure he finishes the job.

#cw size kink #ch: jake s.#jake sully thought #jake sully smut #jake sully x reader #jake sully x fem reader #jake sully x you #jake sully x y/n #jake sully imagine #jake sully fanfic #reader insert

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jowrites · 3 months ago

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Her - 2. Prince Sunghoon

Masterlist Here

Prev.......Next.

TW: Slight hints of stalking(in a way), panic attacks, mentions of imprisonment, kidnapping, toxic parents

The sounds of glass breaking and screams could be heard throughout the house. Jake tried going for a punch of the man, Min’s, face before being held down by the other guy, Jung. Sonny’s two little brothers ran over to Min as he grabbed a hold of Sonny and jumped on his back to confuse the man. Sonny’s mother grabbed a hold of her daughter and shielded her as two more men walked through the door.

“Grab her!” Min shouted as he tried not to hurt the two boys around his back and legs.

“No, please!” Sonny’s mother cried as the two men came over and nodded.

“Sorry about this, Miss,” one of them said. “Rules are rules.”

“We’ll make sure she doesn’t get hurt,” the other said as they grabbed Sonny and began to escort her out of the house.

“No, Sonny!” Jake cried out as he struggled against the man. “We’re getting married! We’re in love!”

Suddenly, everything stopped and they all looked at Jake.

“Is this true?” Min asked. He took out his tablet and began to scroll on something.

“Y-yes,” Jake said. “She’s mine, I just asked her to marry me tonight. We didn’t have time to register our marriage yet.”

“Should have thought about that before today’s registration, so sorry,” Min said. “Take her.”

“No! Please! Please! This isn’t right!” Sonny screamed.

“How did this happen?” Her mother screamed.

“It just did, we will have someone send for you to say your final goodbye tomorrow at noon. Be ready,” Jung said.

“Mom! No!” Sonny screamed as they forced her in the back of the car, kicking and screaming.

The tears wouldn’t stop. She looked out the car window, banging on the door as the car began to drive off. She watched as Jake ran after the car, his body getting smaller and smaller as they drove away. She sobbed to herself as they drove through the night towards the Capitol. Her head aching from the situation and her cries.

“Please, let me go. Get someone else,” she cried to the men around her.

“We’re sorry, Miss, but that’s not how this works,” the man, Min, said.

“How did this happen? I’m just a farmer’s daughter!” She said.

“It…just did,” Min said.

“If you keep a low profile, when the Prince doesn’t choose you it might be possible to be sent back,” he said.

“Possible? What do you mean ‘go back’?” she asked.

“Once selected, forever selected. You have to stay in the Capitol, Miss…forever,” Min said.

Sonny felt sick. She stared ahead as her mind began to fog and she felt dizzy. The air in the car began to get stuffy and it was getting harder to breathe. She couldn’t believe this. As her chest began hyperventilating, the men around her panicked and tried to calm her down. She couldn’t hear their words, she only saw black.

*******************

“Sir?” Min said, as he walked through the Prince’s room. He bowed his head slightly, greeting the Prince before him.

“Is she here?” he asked.

“We did as you said, she’s selected and in the Palace. S-she fainted in the car ride here,” Min said.

“Is she okay now?” Sunghoon asked.

“She’s stable for now,” he said. “The nurse gave her a relaxer. Her body was in panic mode.”

“Thank you,” Sunghoon smiled. “I’ll go myself. You are dismissed.”

“My Prince,” Min bowed before leaving Sunghoon alone.

Sunghoon stared down at the book before him before turning around and walking out of his room down the hall. He looked around making sure no one was around to see him, before slipping into the selected corridors. He looked at all the doors before him, looking for that door he marked for himself, smirking as he unlocked it with his key and walked in.

Her figure was laid on the bed, her chest rising and falling as her eyes stayed closed. Sunghoon took a chair and sat beside her sleeping figure as he admired her face. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. The other selected should be arriving soon, but he had no interest in any of them. He already had his choice here in front of him. If his family can rig the game, then so can he.

He reached out and touched her face, as her body stirred and her brows frowned. Sunghoon leaned back and waited for her eyes to adjust as they fluttered open and landed on him. She stared for a moment before gasping and sitting up. She looked over at Sunghoon before sitting back in terror. Just where was she? And who was he?

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Who are you? W-what do you want with me?” she asked, ignoring his question as her eyes began to linger around the room.

“Are you not familiar with the Royal family?” he asked, her eyes went wide.

“I’m just a farmer’s daughter,” she said.

“Right, well let me introduce myself,” he said, standing up and bowing. “Prince Sunghoon, pleasure to be acquainted.”

“You’re sick! Let me go!” She said. “I want no part in this, this…whatever this is.”

“That’s not how we treat our hosts,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, and you just kidnap and hold all your guests captive?” she said back.

He smirked.

“You weren’t kidnapped, you were selected,” he said.

“Oh, forgive me, but last time I checked having your guards manhandle me, grab me as I’m kicking and screaming, and taking me from my home and bringing me here against my will is indeed kidnapping, Prince,” she said, seething in anger.

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking down. “I-I know this isn’t ideal.”

“Ideal? Ideal? You took me from my home! My family! This isn’t supposed to happen,” she said, tears forming in her eyes.

“I-I wish I can explain,” he said, looking at her.

He just wanted to go over and make everything better, but he held himself back.

“Explain? Just why me?” she said, her voice cracking. “I just want to go home.”

“I don’t have an answer for you, but I promise you, I won’t let anything happen to you, Sunflower Clyde,” he said. “I promise you.”

“W-will I be able to go back home?” she asked.

“Rules…rules are rules…if you’re not selected you still have to stay in the Capitol,” he said.

“And my family?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, it’s not that simple,” he said.

Anger began to rise in her again, and she clenched her fists.

“Well, make it simple! You’re gonna be King, change some rules! Send me home, we can pretend this never happened,” she said.

“I can’t!” He snapped back.

“Why not?” she asked, getting up and walking over to him.

“Because!” he snapped back, looking at her.

“That’s not an answer!” she said.

“I’ll check on you in the morning, get some rest,” he said, calming himself down and walking towards the door.

She ran after him just as he closed the door on her and locked it. She banged on the door, crying after him to let her go but was only welcomed with silence. She was left alone and scared, and on top of things she wanted none of this. She just wanted to go home.

Sunghoon made his way back to his room, sighing out in frustration. He wanted to tell her everything, but he didn’t know how. Within time, he would slowly tell her everything, but for now he didn’t have her trust and knew she wouldn’t listen anyways. For now, he would be left to dwell in his own sadness, his heart breaking for this girl he barely knew. He felt disgusted with himself, taking her from her family and life. But he knew he had to do what he had to do. This was for the better of the Nation. Together, he knew they could change the world.

*******************************

“Tell me why a farm-lander made her way into our selection! How is this possible?” The Queen expressed anger. Her body was pacing back and forth as she seethed in anger.

“W-we don’t know, My Queen,” the pageant hosts explained.

“Well then find out! Send her home, choose someone else,” She screamed back.

“Honey, calm down,” the King spoke softly. “You all better fix this! Now!”

“Too late,” Sunghoon said from his spot.

“Too late?” the Queen looked over at her son.

“It’s already been announced all throughout the Nation’s. Sunflower Clyde from the farmland’s was selected,” Sunghoon said, looking up at his parents.

“How is this possible? The announcements don’t come for another week!” The Queen said.

“Someone is sabotaging us, I’m sure! It has to be them! The farmlander’s themselves!” The King said.

“Oh, please! How would farmlander’s make such a fuss? They can’t even read!” The Queen expressed.

“W-we are looking into this case, but Prince Sunghoon is right, it has been announced,” the host said.

“Mother’s right, they can’t read so how would they be smart enough to pull off such a trick?” Sunghoon asked.

“This girl is going to be made such a fool!” The King said. “So be it.”

“She can’t participate, I won’t have it!” The Queen said.

“With all due respect, Mother, but rules are rules, are they not?” Sunghoon said.

She looked over and glared down at her son, stopping in her tracks.

“You eliminate her first, Sunghoon,” she said, pointing a finger at her son. “You make sure she’s gone first.”

“But what if I like her?” he asked.

“Oh please, since when have you been interested in any of this? You were the one to protest the most!” she said.

“If I’m going to do this I want to do it right! Play fair and square. Isn’t that what the point is? To show we’re all ‘equal’?” he said.

“We didn’t raise you to be like this, Sunghoon,” his mother said.

“Like what, Mother?” he asked.

“Like a good person! You do as we say!” she said with venom in her voice.

“And if I refuse?” he asked.

“Fine. You want to play by the rules, you do what you want, Sunghoon. She’ll show she’s just an illiterate nobody, and you yourself won’t be able to stand it,” she said, smirking proudly.

The ego of this woman. If she only knew.

“How will you be so sure?” he asked.

“I know how much you value conversation and intelligence, I’m sure she won’t be able to hold a decent conversation with that small brain of hers,” her mother said. “See how far she gets.”

The Queen walked out of the meeting room, the King following behind as Sunghoon sat there with the rest of the pageant hosts.

They all exchanged looks and let out breaths. Sunghoon nodded to them as they nodded back. If this was the game his parents were playing, then he can play it too. He just has to make sure to beat them at it. If they want to wield the sword, he’ll wield an even bigger one. They will never play fair so he had to go through drastic measures and play their way. Two can play in a game of cheating, he just has to not get caught.

#kpop writers #enhypen #kpop multistan #kpop fanfic #enhypen scenarios #park sunghoon

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startrekfangirl2233-writes · 2 years ago

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Interlude 1: Strange Love

Part 4 of Sometimes All You Need (A Getaway Car)

Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Reader

Description: You've been dating Jake for six weeks when you finally get the chance to meet the Dagger Squadron. They're all nice people, but you can't help noticing a marked difference in how they act with each other versus how they act with you. But unlike them, you won't hesitate to stand up for the people you care about.

Disclaimer: The Dagger Squad, Penny and Mav are all a little off-color in this. It's abundantly obvious to Gorgeous Girl that while they'll work with Jake, they don't exactly like him. GG's going to stand up for her man, no matter what.

Warnings: Female Reader

Word Count: 7455

Author Note: Here's Part 4 of Sometimes All You Need (A Getaway Car). GG and Jake have been kind of in their own little bubble so far, and they're sappy and cute and so in love with each other. But a vital part of relationships is getting to meet other people your S/O spends time with and considers their friends and family. This is that scene for Jake and GG. It takes place before their fancy dinner date in Ch. 3, and obviously things smooth out between GG and the rest of the Dagger Squad because she's friendly with Natasha in Ch 3.

AO3: Cross Posted Here!

My Masterlist

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It’s been six weeks since you serendipitously met Jake during the worst first date in your life — six weeks since he’d swept you away on your first date together. Since then, you’ve been texting or talking to each other every day. And then, the Navy intervened. The Dagger Squadron had been appointed instructors for the next Top Gun class and had been busy planning their curriculum from early morning to late at night.

Since the planning had started, Jake was too busy and exhausted to call you. He still texted you, but sporadically, snatching moments between hops to send you sweet words and sweaty pictures with his green eyes and a wide grin on display. You couldn't even pretend to be mad about it. As much as you missed Jake, you knew his career's importance to him. You knew how hard he'd worked to become a part of the top one percent of pilots.

But you did miss him and after only a few dates. Was it normal to miss somebody like they were an extension of yourself this soon? You'd only seen the tip of the iceberg as far as Jake Seresin was concerned. While there was a lot you’d like to know about Jake, you couldn't deny that San Diego felt incredibly dim, dull, and dreary without hearing from Jake. He'd managed to entrench himself in your life completely. When you walk into your favorite coffee shop? The baristas asked where he was. When you go to your favorite Korean restaurant? The ahjumma who owns it tells you to give "your handsome young man" her love in sweetly accented English.

All you can conclude on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon before you shake the thoughts out of your head, throw on a swimsuit and coverup, and head to the Hard Deck is that it has to be the Jake Seresin effect. Jake and Callie both fondly mention the dive bar and its proprietress, Penny, begging you to join them. If the bar is closed, you can at least go to the beach outside the bar and do some reading and suntanning. If the bar is open, you can get a drink and read sitting at one of the tables in the air-conditioning.

When you pull into the parking lot, the bar is deserted, but there are cars in the parking lot. The sounds of laughter and music drift on the salty breeze from the beach. So, after parking and collecting your bag, you gingerly pick your way around the side of the building. Your sunglasses are primly perched on your nose as you take in the full glory of the ocean, the afternoon sun glinting mesmerizingly off of the gorgeous blue waves. Seagulls wheel and squawk in the air, drifting lazily through clear skies, beady-eyed, and waiting for morsels to drop out of unsuspecting hands.

The source of the music and laughter is immediately evident from your vantage point in the shadows of the Hard Deck. A group of unfairly gorgeous people is out on the sand running to and fro, volleying not one but two footballs in the air. Dogfight football? It’s not any group of unfairly gorgeous people out on the beach. This has to be Jake’s squadron, which means the man himself is out there.

You piece your way to the edge of the sand for a closer look. A loud whoop of glee rends the air, and that’s when you finally see him. Jake spikes the ball into the ground as the guys surrounding him fall to the ground dramatically like a bomb goes off. You’re enraptured watching the play of his muscles and the droplets of sweat sliding down his skin when you’re startled out of your mind by a hand on your arm.

“Oh! I’m so sorry! I must look like an idiot standing here and staring!” You smile shyly at the woman smiling knowingly at you, face hot and flustered.

“They’re an arresting sight, huh?” She’s older, her eyes sparkling and skin etched with laugh lines as she smiles unrepentantly at you.

“Yeah.” At the mention of the pilots, you’re glancing back at them, at Jake again. Shaking yourself, you juggle your beach bag to the other arm and proffer your hand to her, introducing yourself.

“I’m Penny. I own The Hard Deck and am a surrogate mom to that rowdy bunch out there.”

The famous Penny! You tell her as much and are gratified to hear her laughter.

“And you’re the girl I’ve heard Seresin speak endlessly about over the past few weeks. You’ve got him wrapped around your fingers, huh?”

“I think I’m wrapped around his, too.” You’re still unsure what you feel for Jake but are conscious enough to know you’re probably falling at breakneck speeds.

“Those pilots over there won’t be winding down any time soon. Come sit with me!” Penny gestures at a picnic table where a tow-headed girl sits. “This is Amelia, my daughter!” She herds you to the table, getting tidbits of information as she chatters lightly with you.

“Mels,” the teen looks up, nose scrunching mischievously at you, “this is Hangman’s girl.”

“Ohhhh!” Amelia’s mischief personified alright. “You’re the girl he’s whipped for!” She’s smirking now. “He goes all sappy when you text him, eyes going gooey at the screen. Like when Mav texts Mom!” Penny glares playfully at her daughter for that comment before she formally introduces you to the teen.

“Tell me, tell me, tell me! How’d you meet? He hasn’t told anyone about you other than how perfect you are!”

Transfixed under the mother-daughter duo’s twin gazes, you let the whole story spill, keeping it PG for the teen's sake. They’re giggling over the ridiculousness of James’ fixation with his mother when a set of shadows block the sunlight. You glance curiously over your shoulder, mentally preparing yourself to look like a total loser in front of your best friend, whatever Jake is, and all of his co-workers, his family.

It's two men, older. One is shorter than the other. When he bounces up to Penny, looking like an aging golden retriever in all his enthusiasm, you know this must be Mav. His hair is shaggy and dark, eyes obscured by aviators, and he’s just as fit as the other pilots in a puppy pile out in the sand. Penny turns back to you, introducing you with a wry grin, and introduces the two men, Maverick and Hondo. Amelia faux-gags at her mother as she moons over Mav.

“So, you’re the girl Hangman’s been shouting about from the rooftops.” Maverick, who'd said those words, is grinning at you, aviators clasped in his hands and his own green eyes crinkling with the force of his megawatt grin. Now you know precisely where Amelia copied that oh-so-innocent but still mischievous grin from. You nod, smiling at Mav and Hondo as both sit at the table.

“So, what brings you to San Diego?”

“I moved here after college and now work from home. I’m a software engineer.”

“Oh! So you create programs like the targeting systems on a jet?”

“Yeah, kind of. Though not quite so complex. I work in the private sector for a consulting company.” You grin at the look on their faces. They’re both intelligent men. They have to be to do what they do, so the awe at your simple desk job is a little surprising.

Before you have to explain your work any further, Penny interjects. "Mav! You'll have the chance to talk to her more in a bit. I'm sure the kids are all getting thirsty out there!" She's looking right at you when she asks, "Would you help me with the cooler of drinks?"

"Of course, Penny. I'd be happy to."

You follow Penny into the Hard Deck, breathing in the scent of lemony wood polish, salt from the sea air, and yeast from the many flagons of beer served on the premises. It's an oddly pleasant combination. Penny leads you behind the bar, lifting a section, and points you to a fridge underneath the liquor shelf.

“The beers are in there, hon. Can you pull out the bottles? I’ll grab the cooler from my office and fill it with ice. Please grab what you like to drink too.”

“Of course! I like hard ciders. Is there anything I should include for the squadron? I don’t want to grab something people hate or won't drink.”

“Gosh, you’re so sweet. Sweeter than Hangman, for sure.” You’re not quite sure what to make of that off-hand comment. “Grab 10 Yuenglings, 10 Stella Artois, 10 Blue Moons, 10 Guinness, and 10 ciders, and add a few sodas and water bottles. Bob doesn’t drink.”

You smile at her and crouch to start pulling the bottles. It’s a repetitive motion and leaves you time to think. What did she mean, “Sweeter than Hangman, for sure”? You know Jake has a reputation. He’d told you so himself. Did Penny assume he was lying to you? That he’d hidden that part of himself from you? Jake is observant. You’re sure he wouldn’t even have had to ask about his squadron's drink preferences. Jake would know what each person drank. He’s one of the kindest, most conscientious people you know.

When Penny walks back in with the cooler, a monstrous 12-gallon Yeti, you've pulled out most of the drinks and are just searching for the waters and sodas.

"I can't find the water bottles or the sodas, Penny."

"Oh, they're in the fridge under the bar top!"

The drinks are loaded into the colossal Yeti cooler in no time. Penny carefully layers ice over the drinks and closes the lid. When you both try to lift up the cooler, you realize it's too heavy, laden with drinks and ice as it is.

"Can you get a few of the boys to come help? If they're not willing, tell them the volunteers will get a free drink each the next time they're here." She winks, smiling, "That'll get them all moving."

"Alright."

You walk back out into the sun. After the cool bar interior, the sun and sand feel smoldering. You walk out into the sand, letting your toes sink into the hot grains, relishing in the feeling as you approach the pilots. You're getting curious glances as you walk closer. Three of the men jostle each other as you step closer. Callie recognizes you first, squeals your name, and rushes right at you, pushing you onto your back in the sand with one Asian fighter pilot sprawled over you.

"Oh my god, Cal. What does the Navy feed you?! You're like a thousand pounds." You choke out, trying to breathe despite the elbow poking into your ribs.

"I'm fighting fit, babes! I’m all muscle, no fat in sight!"

"Yeeeeaaaahhhh. Suuuure. A thousand pounds of annoying more like." You smile as your best friend stands and tugs you into the hug, grinning as she grumbles about your attitude. You can feel the sand clinging to the backs of your thighs and cover-up where it had ridden up as you fell.

You're surrounded by pilots when she finally releases you with a smacking kiss to the side of your head. Callie takes it upon herself to introduce you, smiling as she goes.

"My bestie, the love of my life, this is the Dagger Squadron."

She points each member out, saying their name followed by their callsign and introducing you in return.

"This is Brigham Lennox, Callsign Harvard. He's a WSO."

"This is Logan Lee, Callsign Yale. He's Harvard's pilot." You smile, waving at the pair, who don’t seem enthused to meet you.

"You know Neil already, babes."

"Hey, Vikander. Are you still keeping her safe?"

"You know it."

You smile at Neil, hugging him tight. He's like the older brother you've never had. If he hasn't already, you can not wait to hear what he says to Jake as a shovel talk.

"This is Billy Avalone, Callsign Fritz. He's a solo pilot."

She points next to one of the two gorgeous African American men on the squadron. "This is Javy Machado, Callsign Coyote. He's a solo pilot and your boy's impulse control."

"Hey, if you want him, you can have him." You grin at his words, happy he seems to like you because this is Jake's best friend.

"It's nice to meet you, Javy."

Callie turns you next to four pilots standing side by side.

"Alright, these four are Reuben Fitch, Callsign Payback." She points out the other African American man, this one with a mustache on his upper lip.

Then she turns to the shorter Latino man with dark curls and an angular face, "To his right, Mickey Garcia, Callsign Fanboy."

She points next to the sole pilot wearing glasses and the only other woman on the squadron, "This is Robert Floyd, Callsign Bob. And this lovely lady is Natasha Trace, Callsign Phoenix. Payback and Fanboy are pilot and WSO. So are Phoenix and Bob."

"It's nice to meet you all! Fanboy? Like you're in fandoms? Which ones? Please tell me you have strong opinions and aren't just a fanboy by name. At the very least, you must tell me whether you prefer Wars or Trek. And if you say wars, we're NOT friends." Your enthusiasm is near bubbling over at the thought of having another sci-fi geek to bond with.

"Trek, all the way!"

"Nice!" You flash the traditional Vulcan salute Fanboy's way, grinning at his fist pump of glee before Callie turns you again, rolling her eyes at how nerdy you are

"Last but not least, this is Bradley Bradshaw, though we call him Rooster and, on occasion, Chicken or Hen. Excuse the Hawaiian shirts. He can't help them or the mustache."

"C'mon Bassett, those are just the Bradshaw way! Every Bradshaw man has 'em." He’s smiling flirtatiously at Callie and you as he says those words.

"It's nice to meet you, your mustache, and your Hawaiian shirt." You grin at him, your unease fading because you know who's next.

"Ooh baby, you talk to me like that much longer, and I might have to steal you away!" You giggle at his dramatics before turning to the last of the pilots circling Callie and you.

"Jake."

"Hey, Gorgeous. Enjoying the view?"

You tug your sunglasses lower down your nose and give him an appraising look over their rims. To your chagrin, he’d tugged on a button-up shirt covered in tiny seagulls but, thankfully, had left the buttons undone.

"It's a pretty great view from where I'm standing." You're grinning unrepentantly at him when he steps forward with a growl and tugs you into his arms.

You wrap your arms around his waist, cuddling into his sun-warmed skin for several long moments. This is what you've missed the most. You pull back long enough to peck his smirking mouth before settling into his embrace again.

"I missed you, Jake." You murmur, breathing in the scent of the sea and his cologne as you're pressed into his skin. "I missed this, too."

"God, Gorgeous, I missed you so much. I'm sorry I haven't tried to see you more over the past couple of weeks."

"It's not your fault. You've been busy and exhausted." You kiss his jaw before stepping out of the safety of his arms. He's not ready to let you go, intertwining your fingers with his own and pulling you into his side.

"So you're Bagman's girl, huh?" Rooster looks confused, glancing between the two of you.

"Yeah, Chicken. This is my girl. What's it to you?" Jake's tense at your side.

"Nothing, nothing." Rooster's got his hands up placatingly.

"So, what brings you to the Hard Deck?" It's the WSO with glasses, Bob, you think, who asks you that.

"Callie and Jake mention this place all the time. Callie's tried to drag me out to drinks here probably a hundred times, but I'm a homebody, so it never happened. I didn't have anything to do today, so I decided to come to sit at the bar and read a book. My backup plan was to sit on the beach and read if the bar was closed."

"What are you reading?"

"I've had Sarah J Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses on my list for the longest time. That's what I have in my bag right now. I haven't started it yet, so I can’t tell you if it’s good."

"My sister has read that and raved about it. Let me know what you think?"

"Absolutely."

Before you can chat about more books and get more recommendations, Phoenix drags him away, yelling about starting a game of beach volleyball with some of the others. You mentally note to track Bob down for his recommendations later and settle into getting to know Mickey. You can feel your boyfriend huff amusedly as he stands with his arms wrapped around you. Star Trek is not his thing. You’ve been meaning to have a movie night with him and try to convert him. Mid-conversation, you remember what Penny had asked.

"One second, Mickey. Hey, Jake?"

Your boyfriend unwraps himself from around you enough to respond.

"Yeah, beautiful?"

"Penny needed help lifting the cooler. She promised a free drink for each person who helped. Would you round up a couple of the others and help her?" You bat your eyes at him for extra effect.

"Yeah."

You smile softly as he lopes away, corralling Coyote and Rooster into grabbing the drinks with him.

"You really like him, don't you?" Mickey's got a smirk on his face. "I've never seen Bagman give in so easily."

"Bagman?"

"Oh, that's just an inside joke. We don't mean anything by it."

"Ok." You don't know what he means by an inside joke. His words, while light-hearted, seem unkind. But you barely know him and let yourself get drawn into the conversation.

Mickey's as big a nerd as you are. You're discussing your favorite Star Trek theories and the merits of The Original Series vs. the Kelvin Timeline when the drinks cooler makes its way out. You pick up the conversation by unspoken accord once you've got drinks. You get close enough to Jake to grab a bottle of Angry Orchard from his hand, but that's it.

After your conversation with Mickey, the Dagger Squad seems committed to playing keep-away with you. You get pulled from person to person, from conversation to conversation. You're even strong-armed by Phoenix into playing a few games of volleyball. That’s when things get weird, or well, weirder than trying to become friendly with your boyfriend’s coworkers already is.

"So, Hangman, huh?" She asks you an innocent question to start. You’re stretching as you face off against Harvard and Yale on the makeshift volleyball court.

"Yeah. I didn't know Jake was a Naval Aviator until after we met. He was just a handsome stranger driving the getaway car and whisking me away from a really shitty first date." You shrug, smiling at the memory of that first whiskey-fueled night.

"And?" Phoenix prods, sounding like she's fishing for more details.

"And what? He was sweet, and I liked talking to him. End of story." You're still smiling, but it's feeling plasticky on your face.

"Oh my god, that can't be it. Come on. Hangman's a good fuck, right? Honestly, I wasn't even sure you were a real person the first time he mentioned you. I thought you were some long con he was playing." Her gaze is intense, a fighter pilot trying to get tone lock on a target. "He fucked you on the bathroom sink, right? I mean, he has to have fucked you at least once. There is no way a smart, insanely gorgeous girl like you would go for a douche like him otherwise!"

You're really not sure how to respond. It's uncomfortable being interrogated like this by a stranger. You don't know anything about her.

"We haven't reached that stage of our relationship yet. And it's a private, sensitive conversation and decision between Jake and me. I don't do girl-talk like that, so if we could play volleyball now, that would be great."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overstep. You would not believe the number of girls I've seen throw their drinks in his face because they found him with someone else on their arm."

You nod, giving her a weak smile. The other pilots allow you to serve, and you hit the ball hard, putting as much force into the actions as possible. Jake had told you about his reputation himself. But Phoenix is a part of his squadron. Wouldn't she know Jake better than you do? Isn't she more likely to see the good parts of him? Jake loves being a part of this team. You can see it on his face whenever he describes flying with them. You'd thought the feeling was mutual.

That's the pattern for every interaction you have with the Dagger Squad for the rest of the afternoon. They're all amiable people, except where Jake is concerned. "Bagman" is mentioned often with an anecdote where he's been anything other than a team player. Sometimes you're asked other too-personal probing questions like the ones Phoenix had asked you earlier. If you read them right, it's like they're trying to warn you about Jake, about who he is. Even Mav and Hondo leave you with entirely unnecessary but well-meant warnings. Theirs are less veiled than the rest of the squadrons.

Callie and Neil are the only two pilots on the beach, besides Jake, who don't leave you with warnings. You know it's because they know you, your temper, and how protective you are. They’re also your best friends. They’ll support you no matter what you do. Thankfully, it's easy catching up with your closest friends.

While the others set up a bonfire on the beach with Penny's permission, you take the opportunity to find Jake. He's not at the Hard Deck or in his truck. He's also not near the volleyball court or swimming in the sea. You finally see him about half a mile down the beach, standing in shallow waves.

As you walk into the water, the sun's just setting over the ocean. Jake is looking out into the waves.

"Hey."

"Hey." He's quiet. Voice soft and sad.

"I feel like I've barely seen you today."

"The squadron really likes you."

"Well, of course, they do. You like me and have impeccable taste, don't you?" You're grinning teasingly as he turns to look at you.

"Yeah, I have impeccable taste, don't I, Gorgeous?" He's thinking about something, brow furrowed, lips bitten red. You haven't seen one of his ever-present toothpicks once today. "Why did you say yes when I asked you out to dinner the day after we met? Was it just because I was better than James?"

"Jake, as you know, that was a low bar. I said yes because something in me told me I should give you, give us, a try. That I'd regret it if I didn't. And you're hot. So sue me." You shrug, still smiling at him.

He's not smiling. You’ve barely seen him, but you feel he hasn’t been smiling for much of the day.

"Did any of them ever tell you why they gave me the callsign Hangman? Did they tell you why the squadron calls me Bagman instead?"

"No."

"They call me Hangman because of my first air-to-air kill. I'm the executioner. The only guy brave enough to pull the trigger, take a life to save a wingman." His breathing is unsteady, and his jaw clenches when he continues. "They call me Bagman because they think they'll end up in a body bag flying with me. They don't trust me to save them if they're on my wing or I'm on theirs."

You can barely breathe. You're so angry with his squadron. This is why they've been calling him Bagman so often. And you let them say that to his face and yours. Except for Mav, none of them have taken a life, yet they can make light of the one person in their squadron who has. Your hands shake as you pull his sunglasses off and tuck them into his shirt pocket. You need to see his eyes.

"Jake." Your anger is barely hidden in your voice. "Do you believe them?" You pull his face down to yours, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"I know what I did, Sweetheart." He’s solemn, the weight of his actions causing his shoulders to slump.

"You saved a life. You saved your wingman. That doesn't make you an executioner. From where I stand, that makes you a hero." You've got your hands on his cheeks, staring deep into his eyes. But you're not sure the eye contact is working.

So you switch tactics. You step out of the water, tugging on Jake’s hand until he follows you to a relatively clear patch of sand. You're both out of range for the squadron to hear you. You sit down, and Jake stares at you briefly, chewing on his swollen lips.

"Come sit down, Jake." You smile softly at him from your vantage point in the still-warm sand. He sighs before settling next to you nearly gracelessly.

"Why don't you believe me when I say you're a hero?" You ask after a few moments. As you look over the water, the sun's final rays dye the ocean a brilliant crimson.

"I killed somebody. The other plane was flown by a pilot like me. If the cards had been different and I hadn't followed my gut and shot first, I wouldn't be here right now." His voice is grave and soft.

"Jake, I'm so delighted that you are here right now. If you weren't for one, I probably would still be completely single, or worse, still dating James."

You wince at that prospect. The observation doesn't land, though. Jake's still in his head about what happened. He still doesn’t believe what you’re saying.

"Jake?" You wait until he turns to look at you. You can't resist kissing him again with him in front of you like this. You pull his mouth down to yours, kissing him as sweetly as possible. He tastes so good. Like cinnamon still, but sweeter and more like caramel, a little yeasty and bitter from the Stellas he loves so much. Your eyes flutter closed at the feeling of him reciprocating the kiss, deepening it. Jake's got his hand on your jaw, and his tongue is dipping into your mouth in slow, languid strokes. You can't help searching for his mouth against yours when he finally pulls away. Jake chuckles at the betrayed look on your face before he entangles his fingers with your own and kisses your knuckles.

"Not that I minded that kiss, but you were telling me something. So talk to me, Pretty Girl."

"Will you tell me about what happened? The day of your first air-to-air kill? I promise I won't judge. I just want to know, to understand." Jake's looking at you seriously now. You couldn't read this expression on his face even if you tried your very best. It's not Jake you're looking at anymore. This is The Hangman.

"Give you another reason to break up with me? I can do that." The chuckle that pours out of Jake's mouth then chills you to the bone. You cuddle closer to his warmth, kissing his fingertips and holding him close as you get as comfortable as possible for the story.

“It happened during my first deployment after I graduated from Top Gun. I can’t tell you all the details because they’re classified, but we were in Afghanistan. My squadron and I were running air support for convoys in the desert.” His eyes are dark, emotion swimming in them as he relives the terror of that day.

“It was just like any other day. My wingman Raptor and I were on support, and we kept our eyes out for the Taliban, protecting a convoy of refugees fleeing the horrors of a live warzone.

You’ve never been flying, right? Flying in the desert is like flying in the sea, but a little different. Both in the desert and on the sea, it’s impossible to tell which way you’re going. You can get lost so easily. In the desert, it’s worse because the sun is everywhere you go, burning into your retinas, searing into your skin. And the sand? It’s actually shiny, the minerals glinting under the unyielding sun. That’s probably why we didn’t see the SAMs until too late. It was our radar systems that alerted us. Smoke in the air.”

You can feel the heat of the desert sun as he speaks, your heart in your throat as he continues. You shouldn’t have dredged up bad memories on a pretty good day. He looks haunted, hunted. Entirely transported to that day.

“We managed to reach the convoy on our comms, let them know we had smoke in the air, and evade the missiles, using flares as needed. We were out of flares when we noticed the jet directly in front of us. It was an F-22 in stealth mode. It didn’t appear on the radar until it had gotten tone.

Raptor barely managed to avoid being hit head-on. The missile clipped his wing, taking out one of his engines. He lost control of his plane, managing to eject just before his plane went up in flames in a sand dune. The enemy was flying low over the crash site. I guess they were trying to call in any survivors to take as prisoners. That's when I took my shot. I shot him down before they found Raptor."

He's looking at you now, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Jake. You saved your wingman. What happened after that? Did Raptor make it?”

You’re still trying to process everything he told you. As promised, there aren’t too many details, but you can see how much it hurt for Jake to tell you as much as he had. This beautiful man. He bared his heart and showed you what he thought was the worst part of himself just because you asked.

“Raptor made it out of the crash a little shaken up and with a broken leg. But it was too close a call for him. Once he’d been released from the doctors, he turned in his wings. He was on the next transport back home. That’s about when my squadron started to hate me for what happened.

They liked Raptor a lot. They blamed me for what happened. They accused me of not being fast enough to shoot down the enemy and that I let Raptor burn in on purpose. It got to be so bad that I barely spoke to anyone. I didn’t eat, and I didn’t sleep. I just flew and flew and flew. The doctors finally pulled my flight certification at the behest of my CO’s CO, Admiral Ron Kerner, and had me shipped to Lemoore.”

His chest is heaving, emotion coloring every word that spills from his bitten red lips.

“Truth be told, I needed the time the Navy gave me to screw my head on straight. I was grounded for a little over three months. By the time I returned to flying full-time, word of that mission had gotten out, and I was The Hangman. The Executioner. That callsign stuck, and people expected the cocky pilot with the only air-to-air kill in thirty years. The trauma of everything that happened stuck around too.”

He’s still looking at you with that unreadable expression, teeth dug into his bottom lip like he’s expecting you to scream and call him a monster before running away. Your words fail you like they seem to routinely with Jake. Rather than stuttering something that barely articulates your feelings, you rise out of the sand and sit on his lap. His hands automatically rise to settle on your hips. Your hands are gentle as you trace his cheeks and jaw, trailing your fingers through his salt-stained fluffy hair. You carefully pry his lip from between his teeth, dipping to kiss him instead. You lose yourself in the kiss, tugging Jake closer and closer until you’re pressed against his chest. You’re grinning when you pull away, seeing the lust swimming in his eyes as he looks slack-jawed at you.

“Jake, I don’t blame you for anything that happened. You did your job. You saved a life. Thank you for telling me something so painful. This doesn’t change anything that happens between us. I still want to try this with you. No matter what your squadron says and no matter what your family says. I promise. If I break up with you, it will be because of something you said or did. Not because someone else told me to.”

There’s still disbelief in his eyes, those sage-green orbs you adore so much, but there’s something else growing in them too. It’s your turn to melt into a pool of slack-jawed awe when Jake kisses you hard, all teeth, tongue, and saliva. It’s a messy and wet kiss that sends your heart-rate skyrocketing as you ease your mouth and jaw to allow him access.

It’s completely dark when you pull away, your lips swollen from the kisses you’ve pressed on Jake’s skin. Truthfully, the two of you hadn’t been making out for a while. The ardent, passionate, relationship-affirming kisses had turned into cuddling in the sand and talking lowly, catching up after weeks of separation. Jake seems excited to teach other pilots and show them how to fly harrowing missions like the Dagger Squad had just flown. But more than anything, he finally seems to be relaxing. He’s smiling sweetly as you sit in his lap and chat inanely about everything that comes into your mind. This is the Jake you’re coming to love. The sweet man who looks at you like you’re the best thing in his life.

“It’s getting kind of cold out here, Sweets. Shall we go sit by the fire?"

"Yeah."

You clamber carefully out of his lap. Even after years of living in San Diego, you're not sure you'll ever get tired of seeing the ocean like this. The moon's just rising, turning the waves mysteriously dark. This is a storyteller's paradise.

"It's beautiful." You murmur as Jake pulls you into his arms.

"It's not the only thing." He brushes your hair away before pressing a whisper-soft kiss against your pulse.

"C'mon, Pretty Girl. Let's go to the bonfire."

The two of you walk languidly, hand in hand, back to the bonfire. It's a rowdy atmosphere. Penny, Amelia, Mav, and Hondo have left the beach. Amelia's still a child, and it's getting late. Hondo had told you about his young children. Somebody's playing music on a Bluetooth speaker propped up on the closed cooler lid. It's quiet, though, the air filled mostly with conversations. It's unsurprising that you hear the question you do, though. You've been half expecting it all night.

"Omaha, Halo, you've known her for a while. Why would a sweet girl like her pick Hangman of all people?" It's Harvard who asks that question. You don't know if he would have if he'd known you were behind him.

"Why would a sweet girl like me pick Hangman, of all people?" They all startle as you walk past them, Jake right behind you.

"Why does it matter to you?" You're glaring at them all, standing before Neil and Callie.

"Sweets, you don't have to." He's trying to de-escalate the situation. But you can't stop yourself, not now.

"Yeah, Jake, I do." You turn to the others around the fire and prop your hands on your hips.

"And frankly, to all of you, it is none of your fucking business. All day long, I've not heard one of you congratulate us on our relationship. Do you know how hard it is to find someone you care about enough to even contemplate starting a relationship with them? Dating as an adult is worse than dating when you're a kid because each of us has responsibilities and stressors, and family drama that we have to deal with.

You're Jake's squadron. His family. I've never heard him say a bad thing about any of you. It's always: Mav is so great; I wish I could fly like the old man one day. Phoenix is so cool under pressure. He's told me something kind, something interesting, about each of you. I had high hopes for all of you because of Jake's high opinion. And you let me down. He thinks of you as his family.

All day, I've had people tell me why my boyfriend is the worst person and pilot they've ever met. And don't get me started on Bagman. Has anyone else sat around this fire, taken a life? Do you know how stressful that is? Do you know what it feels like to decide that another human being, another person's life is not as important, is acceptable collateral damage because they're on the wrong side? I don't, either. But Jake does.

He made that decision twice over. And that's his callsign. The Hangman. The Executioner. He deserves your respect for making a choice that hopefully no one else here ever has to. And then all of y'all twisted that heroic action even further. Bagman. Death must feel pretty good if sitting around this fire is synonymous with coming home in a body bag. Who saved lives at the end of the last mission? Jake did. And who risked everything to go back for someone against orders? Because that wasn’t my Jake."

You're breathing heavily, a tear dripping down your cheek in your anger. The fire crackles and pops as nine of the world's greatest pilots stare at you in shock. You called them out on their bullshit, their double standards.

"And one more thing. Our sex life? That's our own. Nobody needs to know if we 'fucked on the bathroom sink'. It's none of your business." You make quotes with your fingers as you spit the words out. "You think I'm insane? Do you think my lover is strange? Well, I don't have to fucking tell you anything. I wish I could say it was a pleasure to meet you all, but well… we'd all be lying. Maybe get to know your wingman instead of piling your prejudiced bullshit on a girl you just met."

You turn to Callie and Neil.

"I'm heading home. I'll text you when I get there. Let me know if you want to get brunch in the morning."

Neil and Callie have seen your temper blow before, so they're not surprised. Just serious and a little disappointed. But more than Callie and Neil, you're worried about Jake. Had you overstepped standing up for him? He's an adult. He can fight his own battles. You know he can. But this once, you felt like you needed to step in.

He's as still as stone, acting as your shadow as you collect your bag and march angrily to your car in the parking lot. You're petrified and more than a little embarrassed, cheeks hot as you hold back tears. You're not crying in front of Jake for something so stupid. You're not. You won't regret your actions, so why do you feel this way?! You rifle through your bag as you think, your frantic mind making your actions clumsy as you search for your keys.

"Give me your keys, Sweets. You're not driving, not when you feel like this. I'll give your keys to Callie or Neil. Either of them can bring it when they meet you for brunch."

Your fingers are slack with surprise as he drags the keys from your palm and jogs back to the bonfire. He doesn't sound angry at all. Why isn't he angry? You would be in his situation. You embarrassed him and embarrassed yourself too. Forget making a good impression on his family. Without knowing it, you've fallen into a crouch beside your car, eyes screwed shut as you think about everything you did wrong. Your stomach hurts, the nerves you'd been battling all day now swarming violently through your system.

"Hey, Sweetheart. Can you look at me?"

You snap your eyes open to see Jake's face on level with yours.

"You okay?"

You can't trust yourself to speak and just nod.

"C'mere. Let's get you home." Jake's still sweet, pulling you up and walking you to the passenger door of his truck with an arm wrapped around your shoulder. When the door opens, and you're perched on the seat facing him, your bag in the footwell, you finally speak again.

"I'm sorry, Jake." You're croaking, your voice soft.

"What're you feeling sorry for, Gorgeous?"

"I blew up. Majorly back there. I'm so sorry for embarrassing you in front of your squadron."

"You've nothing to be sorry about, Darlin'. You just said what I should have a long time ago. Truthfully, every time they call me Bagman, it hurts a little. It's a reminder that I'm not good enough to be a part of this squadron."

He covers your parted lips with one finger, stalling your vehement protests to his words.

"I know that's not true. I've worked really damned hard to get to where I am in my career. But a part of me never knows for sure if it was my hard work or the stroke of luck that had me pull the trigger in Afghanistan that advanced my career. I guess I never will know. I just hope people see me and not Hangman, though I don't believe it at all.

So sometimes I play the part of Hangman. But honestly, I’m not sure I know who I am anymore. Where Jake Seresin starts and where Hangman begins. I didn’t think I’d ever find him, find Jake, again until I met you. You bring a little bit of Jake back every time I’m with you. So I’ll never be angry with you for defending me. You’re the only person in a long time who sees me as Jake, not Hangman. Even Javy doesn’t see Jake anymore."

You press a kiss against his fingertip before tugging him closer, grasping the lapels of his shirt. He’s smirking, but it’s softer and sweeter, and you can’t resist kissing that smug grin off his face. It’s a gentle press of lips to lips, and you could kiss him like this repeatedly until you’re out of breath.

“C’mon, sweet thing, I don’t know about you, but I could do with a burger, some fries, and a milkshake. How about you? Let me buy you something to eat and get you home.”

“I’m down, but only if my milkshake is chocolate, I can dip my fries into the shake, and you spend the night at my place.”

Jake’s eyes glint mischievously when he looks at you, and it has you flushing with heat. You press your finger over his lips, stopping what you know he will say.

“Jake. I’m not asking because I want to take our relationship to the next level. As much as I’d like to, tonight is not the right night for it. It’s been an extraordinarily rough day for both of us. There’s been this high tension, and I feel really wound up. I don’t want to be alone tonight, with just my thoughts. I was hoping you felt that way, too? We can sit in our pajamas in my living room, eat the burgers and fries you mentioned, and drink those milkshakes while we cuddle. And then splay out on my absurdly expensive king-sized bed with the Egyptian cotton 400 thread count sheets?”

"Now, that, sweetheart, seems like just the ticket." He's smiling again, finally really smiling. And you can feel your heart finally beat again. No matter what happens in the future, the two of you? You're going to be just fine.

It’s an assurance that sticks in your chest even much later as Jake looks disgusted at how you devour fries by the handful, dipping them into the chocolate shake. And how he doesn't seem to mind that you haven't been wearing a dot of makeup all day or that your favorite comfy pajamas are a threadbare t-shirt and a pair of flannel pants cut into shorts at the knee. And how he pulls you into his embrace beneath the cool cotton of your sheets and holds you as you fall asleep to the sound of his heart.

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

Taglist:

@mayhemmanaged🚙 @love2write2626 🚙 @little-wiseone 🚙 @eli2447 🚙 @f1maverick 🚙 @desert-fern 🚙 @daphne-turner

Want to be added to the Taglist for this fic? Leave a comment on this masterlist or drop me a message in my inbox!

PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR AGE IN YOUR BIO. I DO NOT ACCEPT TAG-LIST REQUESTS FROM BLANK OR AGELESS BLOGS. THIS IS AS MUCH FOR MY SAFETY AND LEGALITY ON THE INTERNET AS WELL AS YOURS

#star writes #jake hangman seresin x reader #jake seresin x reader #hangman x reader #jake hangman imagine #jake hangman seresin imagine #jake seresin imagine #reader insert #top gun hangman #hangman seresin #hangman fanfiction #sometimes all you need (a getaway car)#top gun fanfic #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick fanfic #top gun maverick fanfiction

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alternia-for-real-justice · 11 months ago

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Oh I'm doing f>cking FANTASTIC. J>st join3d this blog, and I'm having a BLAST!

#mod jake #send kcs my warm3st r3gards!!!!!! kissi3s and h>ggi3s and h3art 3mojis and shit bc w3'r3 s>>>>>>>ch b3sti3s

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1donoow · 1 year ago

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STAR WARS REC

PT.2

......

♡ - smut

Most of them are fluff

......

<a/n>i somewhat explain why there's alot in my pin post

Anakin Skywalker

obi wan kenobi

poe dameron

din djarin

@star-whores-a-new-hoe - the star wars boys with a s/o who struggle with physical affection

@feyre-darling92 - when they're jealous

———————————————————————

anakin skywalker

@thequeerestmf - how are anakin kisses like

———————————————————————

obiwan kenobi

@ivorydragoness44 - imagine meditating with obi wan

@curiouser--and--curiouser - obi wan kenobi having a crush on you would include

- dating obi wan would include

@clints-lucky-arrow - dating obiwan headcannon

@rentskenobi - shirt

@star-whores-a-new-hoe - mornings with obi wan

- snow day

- back rubs

@spilledkauffie - tender tension

- obi wan sfw hc

- obi wan kenobi soft hc

- dating padwan!obi wan hc

@moonlit-imagines - sending care package to obiwan while he's in tatooine

@not-the-droid - across time and space

@scribble-dribble-writes - late night talking

- only you

- distraction

- socializing blues

@thequeerestmf -actions that show obi-wan kenobi that you love him

- obi-wan taking care of you when you get sick

- how are obi wan kisses like

@nanagoswife - monsters,hayrides and pumpkin patches

- Une Danse d'Amour Inconscient

@forever-rogue - ___

@bellarkeselection - I'll keep you warm

@panic-in-the-multiverse - attachment of the child pt 1 (child!reader)

@hoeforevery1 - obi wan kenobi hc

———————————————————————

poe dameron

@juno-eclipsee - starlight (first order!reader)

@mads-weasley - hope

@moonlit-imagines - poe being recruited by the first order, and you trying to get him back(skywalker!reader)

@agntofhydra - sawbones masterlist

@yelena-bellova - don't be afraid masterlist (solo!reader)

@stormkobra-5 - the house of fett masterlist (mando!force sensitive!reader)

@noclue32 - new auras (jedi!pilot!reader)

@starryeyedstories - like husband,like wife

- black leader shutting up

@eyelessfaces - heal

@jake-g-lockley - I'm cold

@dailyreverie - kiss me I'm miserable

@the-dendrophile-bookworm - lifeline

@chloe-skywalker - may the 4th be with you (solo-organa!reader)

@writefightandflightclub - you make me shy

@the-little-ewok - little help

———————————————————————

din djarin

@januaryembrs - ad astra ch.7

@starryeyedstories - din djarin and flowers

@dinsverdika - soft din thoughts

@joels6string - open tab (mechanic!reader) ♡

@noodlesfics -You being a parent to Grogu involves

@funnylittlelad - a touch of humanity pt.1

@spctrsgf - irrevocably

@namjoon-koya - mando being overprotective father to the reader

- mighty heart ch.2 (dad!mando)

- dad!mando headcannon

@pedrito-friskito - uncharted territory ♡

@groguspicklejar - the strength we admire

@sofiaaaaaaaa03 - grogu's gift

@shangchiswife - maroon

@mewhenimsad - din's kitten

@softlyspector - significant

- din takes his riddur to sorgan

@peterparkersnose - sucks to suck (senator!reader)

- after last night

@mandoalorian - borrowed time ch.1

@angelltheninth - din melting when you kiss his hand

- rivals to lovers

#masterlist #star wars rec #anakin skywalker x reader #poe dameron x reader #din djarin x reader

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callsign-magnolia · 1 year ago

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Undiagnosed // Ch. 7

Mature Content 18+

Jake Seresin x Neurodivergent OC

Warnings: Emotional abuse, trauma response, abusive parents.

Word Count: 7.6k

Chapter 6 | Masterlist

After a few days everyone agreed something was up. Katie never texted anyone, and she never responded to the numerous texts or calls. “We have to do something.” Jake said, pacing around his living room. “Babe. Stop before you run a rut in the ground.” Kelly said, grabbing his arm from the couch. “Maybe things were okay when she went home.” Kelly suggested and Rooster scoffed. “You didn’t see the bruises.” He said. “Or the way her father spoke to her.” Phoenix chipped in. “Okay, so do any of you know where she lives?” Kelly asked and Jake nodded. “I do.” She furrowed her brows at him. “That Saturday she was gonna come to the Hard Deck. She had a lot to do before that so I went over there to help her clean her fish tank, and her parents came home early.” Jake’s mind flashed to the memory of her getting thrown to the floor in the hallway. “Her dad beat the shit out of her when I left.” He muttered. “Okay, so you know where she lives. Why doesn’t Phoenix go over there and ask about her? You two probably can’t get close to the house so just send Phoenix.” Kelly suggested and immediately both boys looked over at Phoenix who had her legs pulled up on the couch.

“I’ll do it.” She said. “Whose car are we taking?” Rooster asked. “Mine.” Phoenix said and marched out the door, keys swinging on her fingers. “You two need to get in the back, if Commander or Mrs. Blair see you, they’ll know we’re up to something.” Both men groaned but crawled into the back of the convertible anyway. They were squished in the back while Phoenix and Kelly took the front seats. Jake gave directions and once they were in front of the house, Phoenix parked on the street. She got out, walking up to the front door, looking up at the large white house. She took a deep breath, knocking on the door. She adjusted her denim shorts on her hips as she heard loud footsteps in the house. Soon the door swung open to reveal Mrs. Blair. “Can I help you?” She asked, her voice sickly sweet. “Hi Mrs. Blair. I was on my way to dinner with a friend and wanted to check on Katie. You see, I’ve been texting her for a few days and she hasn’t responded.” Mrs. Blair nodded at her with a smile. “My poor Katie has been very sick lately, she only went back to class today. She stayed there late to catch up on work.” Phoenix nodded, not believing a word she said. “Well would you happen to know when we will be seeing her on base? It's nice having her around and a lot of us look forward to seeing her.”

Phoenix kept it polite but was a little startled when Mrs. Blair stepped out of the house and closed the door. “Katie doesn’t like being on base. So her father and I have decided that she can stay on campus and study. She was getting distracted by everyone on base and she thought it would be better to stay away from everyone.” Phoenix looked at her confused. “I’m sorry, it sounds like you’re saying Katie made the decision herself to avoid us.” Mrs. Blair nodded. “She did. She told us she didn’t like being around all of you so she no longer goes on base.” She smirked at me, stepping back inside the house. “Now please, don’t show up on my doorstep again.” She said before slamming the door. Phoenix was fuming, and it showed in the way she stormed back to her car. She got into the driver's seat, slamming the door. “What happened?” Rooster asked. Phoenix just drove off, heading out of the neighborhood. “Phoenix.” “She said Katie no longer wants to see us and she decided to no longer come on base herself.” She spat. “What a bunch of bullshit.” Rooster scoffed.

~~~

I was curled up under my covers when I heard a car door. I had been either laying in bed or leaned against my door for the past few days, begging for them to let me out. I got angry not long after they left me in here, beating on my door some more until they threatened to leave me in here without food. I knew they would go through with it, and they did. The next morning they gave me food but I felt like I was starving by that point. I knew I couldn’t let this go on, but I had to be smart about getting out. So when I heard the car door, I thought it would be my chance. I jumped up, placing my ear to the door just as there was a knock on the front door. I heard two sets of footsteps, my mothers who stopped and my fathers which grew closer to my room. Just as I heard the lock I stepped back from the door, watching as my father walked in. I couldn’t do anything before he grabbed me, one arm wrapping around my neck and his other hand covered my mouth. “You make a sound and it will be the last mistake you ever make.” He was nearly choking me as I listened to Phoenix’s voice just downstairs. She was less than fifty feet away from me. The thought made tears run down my face, soaking my cheeks and my fathers hand.

The voices disappeared for a moment before I heard the door a second time. After a few seconds I heard my mother come upstairs and she opened my door. “She’s gone.” No sooner did the words escape my mother’s mouth did my father toss me to the floor. “You’ve been talking to that dark headed girl? The pilot?” Mom asked. “Natasha Trace?” Dad asked and I nodded. “When I was on base.” It was quiet but my mother stepped closer and I backed myself into my dresser as she did so. “What does she know?” I shook my head. “Nothing.” She took my face in her hand, her fingers squeezing my cheeks. “If I find out she knows anything, it will be the end of you.” I nodded as she shoved my head back into the dresser, letting me go. I stared up at her as she turned her back to me. “So you’re aware of everything you’re doing to me?” I asked and she laughed. “Do you think we’ve done this for twenty-five years without knowing what we were doing?”

With that they left, leaving me alone once again. The click of the lock telling me they wouldn’t be back for a while. I decided I was done laying in bed for the day and decided to open my blinds, looking out to emptiness behind our house. I opened my window at one point and yelled, but that earned me a black eye and my windows nailed shut. I’m sure if we had a basement, my parents would chain me up in there and leave the lights off. I made my bed and sat on it, not knowing what else to do. I’m tired of reading and I’m tired of crying. So I opted to lay back on my bed and stare at the ceiling, imagining what my life would be like right now if I never left Jake’s. I’d probably be bored out of my mind, waiting for him to get home but that’s a million times better than being here. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to come back here. It was a mistake and one that I regret more than anything.

The week flew by and soon it was Saturday. I expected this day to be like any other, but I was sorely mistaken. Ten a.m. rolls around and my mother comes in. “Get up.” She said, ripping the covers off of me. I turned to face her, obvious fear in my eyes. “You need a shower.” She said, hauling me off the bed. I happily followed her, excited for a shower since I hadn’t had one since before I ran off to Jake’s. She stood in the bathroom while I showered and brushed my teeth, watching my every move carefully to make sure I wouldn’t run. She hauled me into her bedroom, forcing me to sit at her vanity so she could dry and curl my hair. We sat in silence as she did it before she told me to do my makeup. I quickly did it, not wanting to test her and soon I was done. “Back to your room.” I did as she said and she shut the door behind us, my dad locking the door as he walked by. She immediately went to my closet as I stood in the middle of my room, watching as she pulled out a white A-line dress with off the shoulders straps. “Get dressed.” Once again I did as she said and straightened out the dress once I had it on.

“You’ll wear nude heels.” She said and I quickly passed by her, grabbing them from my closet. As I stood I heard the door open and shut, the lock clicking again. “Am I not going with you?” I asked through the door. “No. But when we come home you better look the exact same as I left you. You have to look perfect for who we have coming over.” She walked away and I sighed, leaning on the door and sliding down it again. I tried not to cry, tried holding in my tears because god knows what my mother would do to me if I didn’t look perfect. Always perfect. I have spent my life being perfect and some days, I just want to be average, imperfect, flawed even. I sat against the door, listening to my parents walk around, getting themselves ready for wherever they have to go. “What do you think they’ll do with her once we hand her over?” My dad asked, my ears perking up at his words. “Once she’s out of my house, I don’t care what they do with her.” A shiver ran down my spine at her words. Who the fuck was coming over? And why were they talking about this person doing something with me? My thoughts raced to many things. Selling me off, marrying me off. I have no idea what the hell is going on and that scares me.

“We’ll be back soon. You better look the exact same as you did when I left or so help me god.” I didn’t say anything and she banged on the door, startling me. “Yes, ma’am.” I replied and I heard both sets of footsteps storm down the stairs. I stayed against the door, fear taking over my body. I couldn’t be here when they got back. I had no idea who or what was coming through that door but I didn’t want to find out. I stood, pacing my room trying to think of a way out. I tried kicking the door in the day they locked me in and that got me nowhere. My window is nailed shut, and I had no phone. I paced around for a minute before the tears hit, realizing I had no way out. I fell to the floor next to my bed, sobbing as I thought about what would happen to me. Horrifying images flashed through my mind. I sat up, wiping my eyes as I leaned my head back on my bed, lolling to the side.

But something caught my eye. It was a curled cord that was hanging out of my desk drawer. Then it hit me. I jumped up, rushing over and yanking the drawer open. Staring back at me was the old landline I used to have in my room, before I had a cell phone. I pulled it out, hope building inside me. I tossed it to the floor before jerking my desk away from the wall and there was the phone jack it used to be plugged into. I grabbed the phone, plugging it all up, staring at it for a moment. If this didn’t work I would have no plan B and I would be stuck here. After a few minutes I worked up the courage to pick the phone up from the receiver, lifting it to my ear. I could’ve sobbed when I heard the dial tone. It worked. “Thank god for older parents who don’t want new technology.” I said to myself before putting it back on the receiver. Who the hell would I call? If I called 911 they would just send me back to my parents. They’re so convincing and honestly would probably pay them off. I didn’t know anyone’s number by heart and I thought all hope was lost but then I remembered I had Jake’s number on a slip of paper in my textbook. I jumped up, quickly grabbing it from my desk. I flipped it upside down and shook it until the paper fell out.

I dove for it, scrambling to unfold it as I grabbed the phone. I dialed the number, terrified it wouldn’t work. But it rang. And it rang, and it rang until it went to voicemail. “No.” Tears streaked my cheeks. “No. No.” I chanted as I dialed his number again. What if he was angry with me and would hang up as soon as he heard my voice. It went to voicemail again and I dialed his number once more. After two rings a soft voice answered. “Hello?” It was Kelly and she sounded annoyed. “Kelly?” I squeaked out and she gasped. “Katie?” I nodded as tears fell. “Katie, sweetie. Where are you?” A sob escaped me and I had to calm myself. “My parents' house.” I cried. “Hang on. JAKE!” She screamed, startling me. I heard muffled conversation on the other side. “Katie?” His voice came over the phone and I immediately felt calm. “Jake, I’m so sorry. I never should’ve left.” I apologized through teary eyes and a broken voice. “Hey, no darlin’. It’s okay. Just-just tell me where you are and we’ll come get you.” He wasn’t angry. Thank god he wasn’t angry. “My parents' house.” I heard a jingle on the other end and a few more voices. “We’re on our way.” “Jake, there’s a key under a rock in the front flower bed.”

“Okay. We’ll be there soon.” I nodded and we hung up. I immediately got into my closet, grabbing my suitcase and duffel bag. I just started yanking clothes off hangars and out of drawers, stuffing them to the brim within fifteen minutes I heard a car outside. I froze. If it was my parents, I was done for if they saw the bags, but relief filled me as I heard the door open. “Katie?” I rushed to the door, beating on it. “JAKE! Get me out of here, please!” I heard the chain and the door handle wiggled but never opened. “Katie, darlin’. Get away from the door.” I nodded, rushing back to my bags to put space between me and the door. I flinched as something hit it. One more hit and the door swung open, the top hinge coming loose and flying across the room as a scream escaped my throat.

~~~

“Who was that?” Phoenix asked a flustered Jake. “Katie.” Phoenix immediately jumped up from her seat. “Where is she?” She asked. “Her parents' house.” He said before rushing outside to his truck. “We’re coming with you.” Rooster said, Phoenix hot on his heels. Jake saw no reason to complain and allowed them to join. Phoenix slid in the front seat as Rooster climbed in the back. Jake threw the truck in reverse, about to gas it out of the driveway when Kelly sprinted out of the house. “You’re not going with us.” She shook her head, standing on the running boards. “I know. Call me if you need me and I’ll let everyone know where you went.” He nodded, kissing her quickly before she got down and watched the truck speed down the road. Her heart was in her throat, just thinking about the hell Katie had probably been through.

It was a quiet ride to the Blair home, but Jake pulled right into the empty driveway, not even turning the truck off as they all jumped out. “There’s a key under one of these rocks.” Jake said and they all immediately flipped over the large stones in the flower bed. “Got it!” Rooster yelled, rushing to the front door and unlocking it. “Katie?” He asked as Rooster turned to Phoenix. “Stay down here, let us know if they get back.” Phoenix nodded as the two men rushed up the stairs. Both men were angry at the sight of the locks on the outside of the door. But Jake was raging as he pulled the chain loose and attempted to open the door. “JAKE! Get me out of here, please!” Her cries for help broke his heart, the thought of her being locked in there for who knows how long was enough to make him kick the door. Once, twice and it blew off the frame. He peeked his head in, looking to the right and seeing her backed into the corner. His heart shattered on the floor, watching as she shook, the fear evident in her eyes.

~~~

“Katie?” I saw Jake’s head and when he saw me cowering in the corner he rushed over. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” I cried as he took my face in his hands. “Sh, no. Don’t apologize. You thought you were doing the right thing.” He said as he pulled me into him, hugging me. “How long have your parents been gone?” I heard another voice and looked past him to see Bradley. “They’ve been gone for like twenty twenty five minutes.” I said and immediately shoved my last few bras in my bag before zipping it shut. “Just these two?” Bradley asked and I nodded. Him and Jake grabbed one each as I slid my shoes on. “Go!” I said, shoving them out of the room. They rushed downstairs, me behind them. I snatched my purse off the table next to the front door, tossing my phone out of it before rushing after them. “Close the door.” Natasha did and locked it before putting the key back under the rock so my parents wouldn’t know right away. She turned to me and we sprinted for the truck.

It was like time slowed down. I was seconds away from pure freedom and the clicking of my heels on the pavement reminded me of that. I was so scared that my parents would pull up as I was getting into the truck, but Bradley held the door for me and I all but dove into the truck as he got in behind me, slamming the door shut. Jake backed out of the driveway and tore off down the road. I sat in the middle seat next to Bradley and everything caught up with me. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest and I was trying to catch my breath but I couldn’t. “Katie. Katie, breathe.” Bradley said and I couldn’t. So he pulled me into his chest, squeezing me as his heart beat thudded in my ear and the rise and fall of my chest evened out with his. “How did you know to do that?” I asked, continuing to lean on him. “I’ve had my fair share of panic attacks. It’s what my mom used to do for me.”

“Thank you.” I said, sitting up and wiping the tears from my eyes. “How long were you locked in there?” Jake asked, looking at me from the rearview mirror. “Since I left your house.” It was a meek answer. “Have they let you out at all?” I shook my head. “Only today. Mom made me shower and get ready.” I said, my attention drifting down to my fingers, playing with them. “Why was she making you get ready?” Natasha asked, turning around in her seat to face me. I bit my lip, scrunching my toes up in my heels and releasing them. Bradley must’ve sensed my nervousness and tossed his arm around my shoulders. “I don’t know. She just told me I had to look perfect for whoever they had coming over. When they were leaving I heard them talking though.” Bradley squeezed my shoulder. “What’d they say?” She asked. “My dad asked what he thought ‘they’ would do with me once they ‘handed me over’.” She furrowed her brows, meeting Bradley's gaze. “My mom said she didn’t care what they did with me.”

“Any idea on who ‘they’ might be?” Jake asked and I shook my head. “No idea.” The ride was quiet the rest of the way to Jake’s house. But my emotions still caught up with me occasionally and Bradley would give my shoulder’s a squeeze. Finally we pulled into Jake’s driveway and the truck came to a stop. I took notice of all the other cars in the driveway and looked around confused. “Why are so many people here?” I asked as Bradley got out, holding his hand out for me. “There’s a Phillies game this afternoon, Hangman invited us all over to watch.” He said, going around and grabbing my suitcase and Jake grabbed my duffel. “Oh.” I said quietly. I feel bad now. They all got together to have a fun and relaxing evening together and I blew that up. “You okay?” Jake asked as he stopped next to me. “Yeah. I just- I’m sorry for ruining your evening.” He shook his head. “You didn’t ruin anything.” He said, his hand falling to my upper back and guiding me around the truck and up to the front door. Phoenix held open the door and once inside I turned to Jake. “I can take that upstairs.” I said and he shook his head. “No, I got it.” “Jake.” I complained and he just smirked at me. “Go get some food. I’ll be back down in a second.” He said, starting up the stairs just as Bradley came down them.

He motioned me to follow him and I did. He walked into the kitchen where I saw Kelly and an older woman. “Kells.” Bradley said to get her attention and she turned. She smiled as she saw me, coming over and pulling me into a hug. “You’ve had us worried sick.” It took me a second but I eventually hugged her back. “I’m sorry.” I said in return. “No need for apologies.” She shifted her gaze to Rooster. “Mav is almost done with the burgers.” He nodded, turning and going out the back door. “Katie, this is Penny. She owns The Hard Deck.” She smiled at me, holding out her hand which I shook. “You’ve had part of this team torn out of frame lately. So much so they haven’t been spending their entire paychecks at my bar.” I knew it was a joke but I still felt bad. “Katie.” I turned to see Jake. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone.” I took a deep breath, following him outside. “Guys, this is Katie.” I gave a small wave as all eyes were on me. Some were familiar and some weren’t. “You know Mav, Rooster and Phoenix. But this is Coyote,” A taller man with wide set shoulders waved at me. “Payback,” The man next to him waved as well, my eyes immediately falling to the mustache that was slightly similar to Rooster. “Fanboy,” A shorter man with a buzz cut smiled at me. “And Bob.” He gave me a small wave. “I’ve met Bob before. He helped me with some homework one day.”

The memory seemed to hit him and he remembered that conversation. He never said anything negative about me but he did tell Bob not to argue. It seemed that everyone sensed the awkwardness and Payback cracked a joke. “So why the fancy white dress? Run away from your wedding or something?” My cheeks shouldn’t have burned the way they did. But with the way my parents were talking, that very well could’ve been the case. “Leave her alone. Why don’t you sit down?” Jake guided me to a seat next to Natasha before going back inside. “You okay?” She asked and I nodded. “I think I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything.” She nodded, smiling at me. “Food’s ready!” Mav called and not a minute later, Kelly, Jake and Penny were carrying out food from inside. They set the food down and Jake came over. “Want a burger?” I could only nod, feeling very out of place with this group of people. Mav sat on my other side as Jake held two plates, he placed one in front of me before giving the other to Kelly, kissing her head as he did so. “Good to see ya, kid.” Mav said, patting my back gently. It oddly felt nice. Everyone made conversation while they ate, but I was happy to sit in silence just listening. Once the food was gone, everyone moved inside for the game.

I sat between Rooster and Jake, Rooster being fully engrossed in the game, but my eyes were locked on a spot just below the tv. I just stared as my mind reeled. I thought of every possible scenario for how this could go. It mostly ended with me back in my room at my parents house, locked behind that door again. “Hey? Katie?” Rooster asked, waving his hand in my face and breaking my concentration. I blinked rapidly before looking at him. “You okay? You haven’t blinked in like twenty minutes?” I nodded. Then I noticed everyone looking at me. “Um, yeah. I’m fine.” They didn’t seem to believe me but nodded anyway. I sat there, pulling on my thumbs as I watched everyone watch the game or have their own conversations. It was so much I couldn’t even hear my own thoughts. I didn’t want to get up, because I didn’t want anyone to think I wasn’t okay. But everything in this room was becoming too much. So I worked up the nerve to slowly stand, Jake immediately catching my hand. “You okay?” I nodded. “I’m fine. I just need a minute.” He nodded and I walked away, heading upstairs. I stepped into the guest room, immediately feeling like I could breathe again.

I sat on the bed, taking deep breaths to hold back my tears. But it was pointless. I was tired of crying, so tired of it. I immediately got up, going over to my suitcase and rifling through it before moving to the duffel bag. “Dammit.” I muttered, realizing I only grabbed clothes. No makeup wipes, no toothbrush, no toothpaste, no toiletries of any kind. I huffed, kicking off my heels and leaning against the end of the bed. I leaned my head back on it, tears falling down my cheeks. I took deep breaths, relaxing and almost falling asleep until there was a soft knock on the door. I opened my eyes and looked over to see Kelly standing in the doorway. “I figured you’d be in here.” She said, walking over and sitting on the bed. “I just got so overwhelmed around everybody. I needed a minute.” She nodded. “So why are you crying then?” I shrugged. “In all honesty, I couldn’t tell you. I’m relieved to be out of that house, but I’m still scared I guess.” She hummed, nodding and sliding into the floor next to me. "Jake was terrified when he woke up and you were gone." Immediately tears filled my eyes. "I never meant to scare him or make him feel bad. I just didn't want to be the reason he lost everything. I don't know if I could've lived with that."

"Ya know, his call sign is Hangman, but he's fiercely loyal. That's something I've learned over the course of our relationship. So if he lost everything because he was helping you, he would've accepted that." I nodded. "But I wouldn't. I've been a burden most of my life, and I don't want to be anymore." She nodded. "That's understandable. But Katie, you're not a burden. If you were Jake wouldn't have taken you in. Now Rooster? That man burdens Jake just to piss him off." We both laughed lightly at that. "Hey, everyone else is leaving." Natasha said as she peeked her head into the guest room. "Wanna go say goodbye?" I nodded and she helped me stand. I slid my shoes back on and followed her downstairs. She immediately hugged Coyote who lifted her off the ground and shook her a little. Once he put her down, he came over to me. He was absolutely huge when he stood and that made me a little nervous. But he must've picked up that I wasn't one for hugs and just gave me a gentle side hug, which I could handle. Soon we said goodbye to everyone and I was only left with Jake, Kelly, Natasha and Bradley.

"Now, let's talk about you." Jake said as he turned to me and my face immediately flared up. "What is there to talk about?" I asked and he motioned me to sit on the couch. I did and He sat on the coffee table across from me and everyone else sat around me. "Do you want to press charges on your parents?" My eyebrows flew up in shock and I stuttered over my words. "Wh-why-what? What m-makes you think something like that?!" He seemed surprised by my response. "Katie, after everything they've done to you-" "What makes you think I could face them in court? I can barely speak to them! There's no way I can get in front of a room full of people and talk about everything they've done to me, with them in the room." My knees immediately folded into my chest and I pulled on my thumbs, my eyes drifting down to them. "Besides, they'd win anyway." I felt a hand on my arm making me turn to Natasha. "We've all witnessed the things they've said and done, Katie. You wouldn't be alone." I shook my head. "No. No I can't do it." "Katie-" I shook my head as tears fell down my face. "Please." I sobbed. "Don't make me do it." I begged. "Okay," Jake said, sitting next to me as I leaned into Natasha. "I'm not gonna make you do anything you don't want to do." He said as he rubbed my back.

"Look, how about tomorrow we go out and we'll get you some things you need? Then we'll all go get dinner somewhere." I sniffled, calming myself down. "You guys don't have to do that." I said and Kelly shook her head. "We're going shopping tomorrow whether you like it or not." She said with a wink and I caved. "Okay. I'll go." She smiled at me before standing straight and looking g at her watch. "Oh shit, I've got two hours before I have to meet my parents for dinner! I have to go home and get ready!" She rushed and grabbed her purse, before leaning down and kissing Jake before rushing to the door. "Jake give her my number!" She yelled and I laughed. "Guess she didn't realize I left my phone at my parents house." Jake laughed as well. "We'll get you one tomorrow." I shook my head. "No you won't!" I said and he narrowed his eyes at me. "Fine, you win." He said as hebgot up from the couch. "Oh, does Kelly happen to have any makeup wipes here or anything?" I asked and Jake nodded. "Yeah, I'll go grab them." He said as he rushed upstairs. "Can you two stick around for a minute?"

They both nodded as Jake came back, a pack of makeup wipes in hand. "Here." I took them from him, taking a deep breath. "I figured, since you guys helped me, I should be honest with you." They all looked at each other confused before Jake and Rooster took a seat on the couch. I grabbed one of the wipes, swiping at my entrance eye gently. I winced at the pressure but kept wiping away the makeup. A hand grabbed my wrist, startling me. "Did your dad do this?" I nodded as Jake took a closer look. The swelling went down a few days ago but it was still tender. "What else did he do?" He asked, and I could see the anger in his eyes. I grabbed another makeup wipe, cleaning off the rest of my face and neck, revealing some fading bruises. A few small ones on my face and finger shaped ones on my neck. "There’s also some on my back and thighs from his belt." I said, my voice was small and I wanted to shrink in on myself. "But if I just-" "Stop. Even if you did everything they wanted, they still would've done it." Natasha wiped my eye, smiling at me. "Katie, why don't we take some pictures?" I looked at her confused. "If, somewhere down the line, you ever decide to take your parents to court, these can help you." I shook my head. "No. I already said-" "We're not gonna make you do it. But what if ten years from now you want to? You will have no evidence and it will just be your word against theirs."

I'd love to think that one day down the line I would be brave enough to do that. But I don't think I ever will be. "Katie. Even if you decide to never do it, you'll know you were ready if you ever did." Bradley said, catching my attention. I looked down at the pile of makeup wipes in my lap, biting my bottom lip. What if one day I do decide to do it? Could I really let the truth slip through my fingers like this? "Okay." I whispered. "You sure?" Jake asked and I nodded. "You're right. It's better to be prepared than not prepared." He nodded and I stood as Bradley turned on the ceiling fan light in the living room. "Close your eyes." Natsha said as she pulled out her phone. I did so and could see the camera flash behind my eyes. A few more flashes and a gentle hand tilted my head back so they could get a picture of my neck. "Okay, let’s open the back of your dress." She said. "Do you have a hair tie?" I asked and she nodded, pulling on from her wrist. I used it to tie up my annoying waist length hair, getting it out of my face. I've never been aloud to cut it and my mother never let me pull it up so it was nice to get the weight off my head. Natasha unzipped my dress and I blushed when I realized that Jake and Bradley were still behind me. Natasha struggled with my dress for a minute before huffing. "Will youguys hold it so I can take a picture?" She asked and I felt their hands on my skin. The left side felt like my skin caught on fire with how hot it was and I looked realizing that was the side Jake was on. "I'm gonna unclip your bra okay?" Natasha asked and I nodded, bringing my hands up to hold my breasts.

A few flashes went off and Natasha clipped my bra back and zipped up my dress. "Pull your dress up and I'll get a picture of your thighs." I nodded and reached down when I remembered Jake and Bradley. "Um, I hate to ask but can you guys go into another room for a minute?" They stared at me for a second. "I'm sorry. It's your house and I shouldn’t have asked-" Jake grabbed my wrist and squeezed gently. "No, it just took my brain a second to catch up. Don't apologize for making yourself comfortable." We locked eyes for a moment before I nodded. "Okay." I whispered and he and Bradley disappeared into the kitchen. Natasha took the pictures before standing and showing me. I knew they were bad, but a lot of them looked like they bled. "So a few of these look infected." She said, pointing to a few just under my butt cheek. "I'll help you clean it before I leave." I nodded and we met the guys in the kitchen. "All done." She said. "What do you guys want for dinner?" Jake asked as he pulled himself up onto the counter. "Well I have chicken thawing out at home that I'm tossing on the grill. You can come over if you want." Bradley offered and Jake shook his head. "No thanks, I think I'd just rather have something delivered." Bradley nodded and Jake turned to me. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Uh… I don't really know." I said. Truth be told we didn't eat out a lot. Mom constantly cooked. "What's your favorite food?" He asked. "I'll be honest, I've never really eaten out and my mom constantly cooked at home." Bradley seemed shocked. "So you've never had Mexican food?" I shook my head. "Not from a restaurant. I think my mom made tacos a few years ago, and they were good but my dad complained and she never made them again." They all seemed surprised. "How about chinese?" I shook my head. "Never." "Italian?" Natasha asked. "One time in a restaurant and mom made spaghetti frequently." They were looking at each other all confused. "But if you wanna order in, I'm more than happy to try anything once." Jake nodded. "I've always wanted to try those huge burritos you see in restaurants anyway." They all laughed which made me feel a little better. "Well, we're gonna get home." Bradley said, gathering his keys. "Oh, let me help her real quick." Natasha said and dragged me upstairs to the guest bathroom. As soon as we stepped in she shut the door and pulled a brown bottle and some cotton balls from under the sink. "What's that?" I asked. "Hydrogen peroxide." She replied as she poured some on a cotton ball. "Stand still." She squatted down behind me and lifted my dress just enough to dab the cotton against my skin.

Immediately a stinging sensation crossed my skin making me gasp and grab the bathroom counter. "God that burns!" I yelled out as she continued to clean my leg. "I'm almost done." She said and within a second she was. She put everything away before putting some gel of some kind on it. "Give that some time to dry before you sit anywhere." I nodded. "Natasha?" I asked, stopping her from opening the door. "Thank you." She smiled at me. "You're welcome." With that we walked out and went downstairs. "You good?" Jake asked and I nodded. "I'm good." "Ready?" Bradley asked, looking down at Natasha. "I am if you are." She said, smirking at him. With that they said goodbye, both hugging me before walking out. "Are they?" I asked, pointing at them as they walked towards Bradley’s bronco. "We can't figure it out. They're either dating or fucking." Heat flared up my neck at his words. "I think they're fucking but Coyote swears up and down they're just friends. The only person who would really know is Bob, but that man is the world champion at keeping secrets." I nodded as he walked away from the window by the front door. "So, dinner?" He asked and I shrugged. "I'm up to try anything." He nodded. "I can't choose between Chinese and Mexican." I gave him a look telling him I didn't know what to do. "How about we both think on it while I shower?" I nodded. "I can do that." I made my way to the couch, sitting on it as he walked past.

"You can turn the tv on if you want." He said and I looked down, grabbing the remote and turning the TV on. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jake stop at the staircase, looking at me. "Hey Katie?" I looked over at him, a look of concern gracing his normally handsome features. "You'll still be here when I get out won't you?" I pursed my lips, feeling bad. "Yeah. I'll be right here." I sent him a small smile and he nodded, returning it. "You better be, or I'm breaking the front door down this time and kicking ass." I couldn't help but smile widely this time. "I promise, Jake. I will be in this exact same spot on this couch." He nodded, making his way upstairs. I sat back on the couch, my knees pulled into my chest as some show I had never seen played. In fact, I haven’t watched much tv in my life. My parents never had a tv in the house, so the only time I ever saw any was in school. I grew comfortable on the plush couch, leaning back I felt like I was sinking into it and soon my eyes drifted shut.

~~~

It was the quickest shower of Jake’s life. He rushed through it, not even sure he was completely clean. But he couldn’t give Katie a chance to run again, because this time he wouldn’t wait days to do something about it. Jake finished his shower, slipping on some gray sweatpants before he headed downstairs into the kitchen. "How do you feel about mexican for dinner?" He yelled out as he pulled a menu from the cabinet above. He stared at it for a moment before realizing he never got an answer. He furrowed his brows, walking into the living room and spotting the back of Katie's head. "Katie?" He asked before walking around the couch. Her head was resting against the back of the couch as her legs were pulled up to her chest as she held herself. This was the most relaxed Jake had seen her since they met but she obviously couldn't sleep like that. He grabbed a blanket from the linen closet before sitting on the other end of the couch. He reached out to Katie, gently touching her back, causing her to immediately tense up. "Mm." She moaned as he flattened his hand along her back. He managed to pull her back, resting her head in his lap as he laid the blanket over her. He gently pulled her ponytail holder from her hair, running his fingers through it as she relaxed again. He played with her hair as he looked over the menu, deciding he would let her rest as he called the order in. Katie snuggled into him as he ran his thumb along her forehead. Jake knew once the food arrived he would have to get up and disturb her, but he would worry about that later.

After half an hour the doorbell rang and Katie jumped up in fright. “It’s okay. It’s just the delivery driver.” He said, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure?” She asked, her voice shaking. He nodded, getting up and walking towards the door as Katie pulled the blanket closer. Jake paid the delivery driver and brought the food in. “See? Just some amazing Mexican food.” He said with a smirk. They sat at the table and Katie stared at the giant burrito in front of her. “I know I only said something about it a few hours ago, but you remembered?” He nodded with a grin. “Of course I did. Now try it, it’s amazing.” Katie raised a skeptical brow, but took a bite anyway, and felt like she was in heaven. “Holy shit.” She said, moaning in delight. The sound made his blood rush and he tried his damndest to push it to the back of his mind. “You were right. This is amazing.” They went through dinner with laughs and soon he could practically see her eyes rolling back in her head. “Go get changed. I got this.” He said. “No, I can help you.” He shook his head. “You’re exhausted and I’m just throwing this away. Go.” He was a little more stern, but not harsh and she nodded, slowly making her way upstairs. Once Jake was done cleaning up, he double checked that the front and back door was locked before turning off all the lights.

Once he topped the stairs he peeked into the guest room, expecting to see Katie awake. But she wasn't, she was under the covers, already fast asleep. Her breathing was even and he watched her for a minute, worried she would leave again. He was half tempted to sleep on the guest room floor, or in the hallway right outside. But he wanted to give the benefit of the doubt, so he made his way to his own bed. He usually closes his bedroom door at night, but he left it open, wanting to hear if she got up. He also faced the door, something he doesn’t usually do either, but even in sleep he wanted to be tuned in to her movements. So he laid there, listening with his eyes closed, hoping to hear if she got up. But soon sleep came for him too, and he drifted off. But he wasn’t in deep enough sleep, because he immediately jumped up at the sound of a blood curdling scream at the end of the hallway.

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