#hangster coded for me

[the-ace-with-spades]

I'll never write it so gonna post the abandoned idea for it here (also as a reminder, all my fic ideas are for grabs unless stated otherwise so if someone wants to pick it up, be my guest)

Red strings of fate/Soulmates AU

You are connected to your soulmate by a red thread only you and your soulmate can see and touch (and cut). When your soulmate dies, the thread solidifies and becomes heavier, as long as the distance between the soulmates was the time one of them died — almost like a chain.

Jake and Bradley find out they're soulmates early on in flight school — it's hard not to when the thread pulls tauter and tauter until they finally meet in the same classroom and they can see the other end of the thread for the first time.

There's fascination, there's the thrill of sneaking around (they should disclaim it, as soon as they learn, so it can be put in their records, but they never do) and everything is new and bright. They start to treasure the string, turning around their fingers and finding joy in noticing the other end twitching and pulling — with time, they notice the motions translate over the tread no matter how far away they are.

They make up a system of pulls and tags, using Morse code and it becomes something else, they become something else — in the air, wordlessly in sync, on the ground, talking to each other whenever they want, during sleepless nights and separate schedules and long-distance deployments.

Until.

Things start getting complicated. Bradley has commitment and abandonment issues, Jake's an all-or-nothing type of guy and just being soulmates isn't enough.

They go their separate ways. Bradley still, sometimes, when he can't sleep and the night makes him feel like nothing has a sense or a purpose, sends little messages down the thread. He never gets replies.

The day they meet again at the Hard Deck, Jake suspects Bradley is coming for the same assignment. The string’s been getting lighter and lighter the whole night, dropping down, no longer stretched to its limit.

They try to ignore the string the whole time the training goes on, but Mav still suspects. He doesn't say anything, but he feels like history is repeating itself.

When Mav and Bradley are arguing in the debriefing room and Warlock comes in, he doesn't say anything but Mav looks down at his own wrist and his face turns white and Bradley knows at that moment.

(Whether Mav and Ice are soulmates and married or they are soulmates but Ice still married Sarah, that's up for discussion).

During the whole funeral, Mav rolls the invisible thread around his wrist, moving onto his arm when it's not enough.

It's at that moment — Bradley decides Jake will never have to do the same.

The minute he turns around for Mav, he makes up a plan in his head.

They find each other in the snow, and argue, but by the end of it, Mav is making up a crazy plan and they'll try to return in one piece. Try being the keyword.

He pulls on the string, the thread between his thumb and index finger.

Mav frowns. "What are you doing?"

"Sending a message before we go."

He repeats it, just in case Jake hasn't realized in time to catch the whole thing at first. And then he starts looking through the pockets of his life vest.

“He’s not walking around with a dead man’s chain, Mav.”

Mav tries to stop him the second he realizes what Bradley is going to do but it's too late — with the same knife he cut his parachute off, he cuts off the thread, close to his wrist, letting it fall limping into the snow, red almost looking like droplets of blood.

It takes Jake a minute to realize that the tagging is a physical feeling, not just wishful thinking formed by his imagination.

The carrier deck is a mess, the foxtrot teams returned, Phoenix is now arguing with the admirals about Rooster's position — he might not be dead, sir — and the ringing in Jake's ears doesn't stop until he looks down at his wrist, and sees the string moving, the pulling a rhythmic, well-known motion.

Aloud, breaking up the vivid discussion about Maverick and Rooster's status, he says, “Rooster is alive, he’s—he’s talking,” and it almost feels like it's someone else using his voice.

“What do you mean, Hangman? His comm is silent.”

“Can feel it on the string, it’s still red and he’s— he’s tugging in Morse code,” he says. He closes his eyes and lets himself be pulled by the wrist. “S-O-R-R—Sorry, he’s—sorry and—and—I-L—Shit, no.”

I-L-Y

The string flops down, loose. “No—”

He cut it. He cut it because it's still red and not gray but still too limp and he knows it. His wrist feels too light, too free.

When Bradley lands on the carrier, his wrist is bare and the thread pools around Jake's feet. It doesn't magically reconnect when they touch, when they shake hands.

Jake tries to desperately find the other end, carrying rolls and piles of it with him as he follows Bradley to the med bay.

“Jake, just—just cut it,” he tells him. “It’s going to connect you again in a day or two.”

Jake ignores him, pulling miles and miles of the thread into circled piles next to Bradley's bed. He can't see the floor — it's just red and red and nothing else.

“No,” is all Jake says. “Not to you.”

It'll find him a new match, connect the thread to someone else, to someone who isn't Bradley.

"Bring me some scissors," Bradley says. He almost feels bad, when Jake's gaze turns up to him, glaring with shiny eyes. "Just do as I say for once."

Wordlessly, looking like it pains him, Jake brings him disposable scissors.

Bradley grabs his hand before he can move away, pulls about three feet of the thread from the pile, and cuts off the excess on the floor.

He wraps it around his own wrist, the string thin and soft, and a little clumsily ties it into a loop over his arm. When he leans away again, the thread takes a second, taut, and then stretches with the distance, like it has always done.

Jake stares at it, too focused and too absent. "That's the shittiest knot I've ever seen."

Bradley huffs. "Well, you gotta learn to live with it."

[tgmsunmontue]

[icezansky]

realizing “my tears ricochet” is absolutely maverick and rooster coded ruined my day

[fluffypotatey]

it has begun :)

i think, if (when, actually, because i will be doing this in the future) i’m going to make a hangster x twisters au, then i need the prologue to be nothing but social media posts and comments. i need it to be 100% epistolary with news articles and twitter posts and YouTube comments and twitch livestreams

and then the actual story be in prose

and then the epilogue be a blog or article detailing the aftermath of the events

[charliewrites99]

I NEED to talk about this because it will not leave my brain and Hangster has been giving me brain rot again.

We don't talk about the Pheonix of it all enough.

Natasha Trace, my queen who deserved more screen time, the lead female pilot character (Halo is the second female pilot), was not even for a milisecond presented or coded as a love interest.

And it's so great how much of a non love interest she was to Bradley specifically. Because in most action movies the rule dictates that main girl and main guy must have some romantic tension or the world as we know it will implode or smth. Except that just didn't happen. Bradley is the main character along with Mav (who does have a love interest) and by all movie tropes Nat should be Bradley's.

I have seen people talk about them in romantic sense, but even that always sounds to me like it's based soley on the "Main woman x main man" and nothing actually shown in the movie.

Instead they are actually friends. Rooster confides in her, she is on his side, basically a guard dog against Hangman, but they never have those romatic moments.

Like looking then looking away, sexual or romantic tension, having an intense past, getting into eachother's faces, saying a pointed goodbye to eachother before the big flight, camera focusing on her when Rooster goes down.

You know who does have those moments? Would you like to guess?

[friend-lover-traitor-narrator]

A couple of thoughts after re-watching TGM

What I think is actually canon

Amelia is Mav’s daughter (Penny hints at that when she’s talking to Mav about her) but Amelia doesn't know

Mav considers himself to be Bradley’s dad (Mav answers when Bradley asks his dad what to do) 

Bradley considers both Goose and Mav to be his dad (after Mav says that Bradley saved his life, Bradley says that his dad would've done the same - considering the fact that Mav has already saved Bradley's life you could see that as Bradley seeing Mav as his dad, too) 

Bradley has lived with Mav for a considerable period of time (Mav says to Penny he tried his best to be a father for Bradley) 

Thoughts concerning TG3 / Predictions 

I think they gonna set up Phoenix as Bradley's love interest because they seem very close in the movie (but for me they’re more like besties) 

I hope they gonna keep the character's of Warlock and Cyclone (with Cyclone basically hating Mav and Warlock secretly supporting the shit Mav does all the time) and also they need to keep at least Warlock because somebody needs to prevent that Mav is thrown out of the Navy

I hope there still will be references to Ice (I just love him and he needs to be mentioned) 

Other thoughts 

I actually paid attention to the hangster dynamics for the first time

Jake’s and Bradley’s first hook up is right after dogfight football

Bradley is Ice-coded while Jake is Mav-coded 

I ship bobnix now (I think Nat and Bob are very sweet together in the movie - need to find some fluffy fics about them)

The lifelong friendship between Ice and Mav just kills me (solely sticking to the movie here because otherwise icemav is endgame imo), like Ice basically knows everything about Mav (every shit he has done at work, everything around him pulling Bradley's papers, private problems he’s had etc.) and also the other way round (Mav supporting him during his battle with cancer and a whole lot of other things which we don't know because sadly Ice is only a minor character in both movies) 

I love that Mav refers to Ice in the whole movie only by his nickname

I had to keep myself very hard from crying during the funeral scene (if I had watched it alone, I probably would’ve cried) 

[birdiescanfly]

Hangster Coded Music

I’ve been obsessed with the idea of Jake Seresin and the song “When We Were Young” by Adele.  Like, I cannot think about the bar scene without hearing this song reverberating through my head.  I just feel like it is so Hangster coded.  Like, EVERY SINGLE LYRIC, hits. I don’t care if it’s Jake fictionally writing this song and singing it (tho I particularly like that image), or if its just him getting obsessed with listening to it after their breakup, I just know that this song was made for their relationship.

God, and maybe it’s just me, but like, “You look like a movie.  You sound like a song. My god this reminds me of when we were young.” Come on, It’s just Bradley strutting into the bar and Jake seeing him after years apart. He's gathering all the attention of everyone with his casual attire, wearing sunglasses inside, and then his piano skills to boot, and Jake just can't take it. He's seeing the man he loves again and Bradley is just as mesmerizing as he remembered.

And then, "'Cause I still care. Do you still care?" Yeah, this song is about Jake and Bradley and it crushes my soul.

[fryingpansareswag]

I bet you think about me by Taylor swift is so hangster coded (miles teller is also in the music video so 10/10)

[siempre-bucky]

ex-friends till the end

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Jake 'Hangman" Seresin

Summary: Bradley and Jake's son asks them innocently "Are you friends?" It sends Jake into a spiral and Bradley saves the day.

wc: 1.2k

a/n: @mothdruid and i agree that FOB and Bang the Doldrums is hangster coded. Enjoy the fluff ♡

Jake was treading lightly in the darkened living room, dimly illuminated by the golden lights from the upstairs hallway. 

His green eyes focused on the mahogany wood flooring in front of him as his arms cradled a sleeping boy, the orange heeler plushie tapping his back with every step. The soft snores and puffs of warm breath against his neck almost deterred him from not making a sound. Did he say it was that panel? He thought as he carefully stepped over a board his husband swore he was going to fix. Husband, he let out a quiet scoff at the title Bradley Bradshaw held. After all this time he couldn’t wrap his head around it. 

Making it to the stairs, he clutched on tighter to the boy in the airplane pajamas. Before he could take a step, the stuffed animal slipped from the 5-year-olds hand and collided with the floor. The boy twitched followed by a soft whine. Perhaps he could leave it there till morning? “Bingo,” he whined, calling out for the toy. 

Jake rolled his eyes, “Hold on, Nicky,” he grunted, turning to bend over and pick up the beloved toy. “Let’s get to bed.” 

Nick nuzzled his face in his father's neck and gripped tighter onto Bingo’s tail as Jake started to climb the stairs. “Is daddy gonna read me a story?” 

“I’m sure he will, son," Jake cooed, peering around the corner. His words came soft and slow as he turned into the bedroom, drawing them out for signature dramatics, "looks like it," he whispered just in time to see Bradley pull open the blanket from the once neatly made bed. 

Jake stood still a moment to take it in; Bradley's hazel eyes flashed upward, a soft smile forming on his lips. He traded in his Hawaiian shirt that night for a dark gray Henley, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The blond's heart stopped for the briefest of moments as the yellow stars from Nick's night light danced across his husband's tanned skin. 

He wanted to make some snarky comment about all his Hawaiian shirts being dirty and earn a cold look from the older man. But he didn't, the want of savoring this moment outweighed any remark; he put it on file in his mind to bring out later. 

"How are you still awake?" Bradley sighed, smirking as he stood to full height. Nick turned in his dad's arms and shrugged before being sat down. "You're just like your dad," he remarked, covering Nick's legs with the blanket and pressing a scratchy kiss to his temple. 

"Seresin resilience," Jake winked. He lowered himself beside the child, his arm splayed across the pillows while Bradley sat at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed. 

As the two men lowered their eyes at each other in trademark annoyance, Nick reached for the picture books resting on his lime green bedside table. He smiled as he flipped through them, ultimately landing one of his favorites. The book was written by a friend of his grandpa's, a vibrantly colored one all about unlikely friendships and how to work as a team. 

Nick looked up from the cover, his hazel eyes shifting between his two fathers. They did this a lot; staring at each other not knowing if tense words were going to be exchanged or a long slow kiss. He held the book against his chest as fell back against the pillows, rolling into Jake's side. "Dad…" the men broke out of their trance and immediately diverted their gaze, "Are you and daddy friends?" 

Friends. 

There was a small pause, the men’s faces slightly scrunching as they processed the question. “Well we’re married, son,” Jake avoided the answer. He didn’t really know the answer, he just hoped it was enough for the five-year-old; it was never enough for Nick, he was the type of kid who needed a solid yes or no answer, no highway option. 

The boy pouted and sunk lower into Jake’s side, “Well,” he sighed impatiently, “Rebecca's parents are married and she told me on the swings that they hate each other."

"We don't hate each other, Nicky," Bradley entered the conversation. 

"So are you friends?" Nick tilted his chin upward at Jake.

The world felt sour on Jake’s tongue. Friends. Were they friends? They’d known each other most of their adult lives and carried several titles in their relationship, Jake could even count most of them. Friends seemed like a gray area. 

The moment their eyes locked back in flight school, they were off. Flying after each other faster on the ground than in the air. Jake could remember him back then, thin and bare upper-lipped; he could vaguely remember how smooth it felt when Bradley kissed his neck. Were the late night rendezvous to watch television and make out sessions behind the planes enough to consider them friends? Lovers maybe? Lovers from the start. 

 But maybe they were friends at some point in their history somewhere in between quickies and long nights spent in messed up sheets. After training, most days, they'd sit in the bed of Jake's truck, limbs innocently tangled up in each other and looking up at the planes zooming past them thousands of feet in the air. Jake shared the stories of growing up in Texas, knee deep in old money he'd never receive a cent of. 

Bradley kept tight lipped about his past until a training detachment in San Diego when he nearly lost it. Tears threatened to fall from a young Bradley Bradshaw when his toes hit the sand of the beach his father took him as a child. The two men sat in the middle of the sand, Bradley's head on Jake's shoulder while he poured his heart out to him. Because that's what friends did. 

Jake snorted at the thought of them as "ex-friends", that was a better definition of their relationship. The fallout was bitter with scathing words they didn't mean and wounded prides. Bradley slammed the door so hard it came loose off the hinges while Jake opened it forcefully enough to rip it clean off chasing after him. Took years off their relationship; near death took them apart but it also put them back together. 

It was better that way. Easier for his brain to compute. Jake looked down at Nick who was looking up at him with wide hopeful eyes. He opened his mouth, prepared to fumble a sentence that would go right over the child's head. 

"Best friends," Bradley intercepted. Jake tried to hold onto a straight face, but the shock and awe of his face journey made his husband laugh. 

Nick smiled brightly and that was enough for his parents. He snuggled against Jake and held his plushie close to his chest, prompting the stunned blond to read. 

He was asleep by the third page. 

"So," Jake started as he closed the bedroom door behind him, taking one last look at their son before looking at Bradley with a signature cocky smirk, "Best friends, huh?" 

Bradley looked unimpressed, his lips dipped downward into an annoyed scowl. "You want a friendship bracelet or something?" He asked sarcastically as they walked down the hallway, his hand finding purchase on Jake's lower back. 

Jake playfully slapped Bradley's chest, "Yeah if fact I do. Yellow and red, like your helmet," he answered, taunting him. 

A week later, on his desk, Jake came back to his office to see a handmade friendship bracelet. And a week after that, a black and green one showed up on Roosters. 

[hangmanbradshaw]

Have you ever considered writing a Hannah Montana The Movie inspired Hangster AU? Something about the vibe of that movie just screams Hangster to me.

In my head it would be something like Bradley being forced to go his hometown and stay at his uncles' (Mav and Ice's) ranch where (surprise surprise) Jake lives and works. Idk why Bradley had to go there, maybe he's famous and has to escape some kind of scandal? I can totally see him being a famous singer (á la miss Montana) and maybe Mav and Ice used to be famous too but chose to leave the spotlight and settle down on the ranch and now they will show Bradley that there's another way of life. I also think the Mav/Ice & Jake dynamic would be really funny. Like, Jake's parents suck so he left home to apply for work at the ranch, but when Mav and Ice saw him they were just like "welp, guess that's our kid now". And so they make fun of each other (Jake calls them old) but Mav and Ice are fiercely protective of him and will call Bradley out on any bullshit when they start to get together.

There's also the perfect opportunity to include some Taylor Swift since she's literally in the movie! Also Lucas Till's character is named Travis, like, that's too good!!

Oh and the whole "I used to have a pretty big crush on you" "Don't worry it passed" (or whatever the lines are) conversation is SO Hangster coded.

Anyways, I'm sure you would come up with an amazing story so please feel free to steal the idea if you ever feel the inspiration strike!

OOOOH I could so dig this. I'm really enjoying this vibe of country/ranch Jake at the moment, and putting Bradley in that just feels right. Feels good. They have this history from when they were kids until Bradley left, and then he's back and just the bantery bickering as they feel each other out again. Also the dynamic with icemav would be really good, where they're kinda in the middle being switzerland but also Bradley so confused about when they basically became Jake's parents lmao. (I'm gonna have to go rewatch the hannah montana movie now) Anyways this is amazing!!!!! Obsessed. Maybe one day.......ahh.

[honestlydarkprincess]

Temptation Tuesday!

tagged by @buddiearemydads, @wikiangela, @911onabc, @heartbeatdiaz, @rose-buddie, @dorkydiaz, and @ebdaydreamer 💘

so i just finished vampire buck and my focus should be on editing that so i can post it and then move on to 5+1 dates but!! here are some things that have been vying for my attention !!

fics:

buddie coffee shop au — this one is gonna be one of my bigger ones so i should really work on my other shorter things first to clear up the wip pile but....it's calling me

nightmare fic — based off a tumblr prompt my friend sent me and this post where buck has nightmares after the bridge collapse and it's all just very hurt/lots of comfort

hangster — hangman is accidentally jealous of a dog because he thinks rooster is talking about his girlfriend when he says "do you wanna see a picture of my girl?"

hangster pet names fic — where rooster jokingly calls hangman a pet name and he blushes, so rooster sets out to see if it's all pet names and if its pet names said specifically by hm

edits:

i found these beautiful poems by shelby leigh and they're very buck and/or eddie core

stay by josh middleton + buddie

telomeres by sleep token + buddie

no pressure tagging: @bigfootsmom, @maygrantgf, @alyxmastershipper, @monsterrae1, @enbyeddiediaz, @princessfbi, @fleurdebeton, @cowboy-buddie, @buck-coded, @usercowboy, @colonoscopys, @rottenmarigolds, @ravens-words, @fear-frost, and @enchantedbuckley

[oldfangirl81]

Going to try to do as many as possible through the month. Not tied to any one ship or fandom.

This was from @weirdthoughtsandideas

Oops, not actually straight! (H50, 911) Ships: McDanno, BuckTommy, Grace Williams/May Grant

For Your Entertainment (DP x DC) Ships: Dead on Main aka Danny Fenton/Jason Todd

Not fic but my memories of early signs I wasn't straight

Bring Me A Higher Love (Young Avengers) Ship: America Chavez/Kate Bishop

Surprise, we are engaged! (Teen Wolf) Ship: Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale

Your Favorite Star On The Best Night (Eureka/911) Ship: Eddie Diaz/Evan Buckley

Watching The Stars For The Largest Constellation (Stargate Atlantis) Ship: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay

Pan Panna Cotta (it was really tasty too)

You Best Friggen' Hold Your Peace (911 x DC) Ship: Evan Buckley/Jason Todd

Part a) the sidewalk art at the parade and part b) the fic I'm not gay but my boyfriend is (911 x Marvel) Ship: Evan Buckley/Tommy Kinard, Clint Barton/Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson

Never Say We Need To Talk (911 x Code Black) Ship: Eddie Diaz/Mario Savetti

I Swear That I'm A Good Kid (911 x Danny Phantom) Ship: Evan Buckley/Tommy Kinard

Round Off Our Edges (911 x DC) Ship: Hen Wilson x Karen Wilson, Pamela Isley x Harley Quinn

Is That Satan Looking Thirsty? (911 x Lucifer) Ship: N/A asexual Eddie Diaz

Coming Soon

Not The Worst Birthday Which Isn't Saying Much (Marvel x Danny Phantom) Ship: Natasha Romanov/Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton, pre-Danny Fenton/Tucker Foley/Sam Manson

Took a sexuality quiz and I aced it! (DC comics) Ship: N/A asexual Jason Todd

Broken Bones Will Mend (911) Ship: Evan Buckley/Tommy Kinard

Coming soon

Coming soon

But feelings don't lie (Top Gun: Maverick x Venom) Ship: Hangster, Symbrock

Led Me To Where I Belong (911 x Lucifer) Ship: Dan Espinoza/Eddie Diaz

Coming soon

Once Upon A Gotham Jewelry Store (911 x DC) Ship: Evan Buckley/Jason Todd

Coming soon

Coming soon

Coming soon

The cat escapes the bag multiple times (911 x DC x 911 Lone Star) Ship: Evan Buckley/Jason Todd

Coming soon

Coming soon

[tgmsunmontue]

Together or not at all... (Javy/Nat) PART ONE

We walk our path together now... (Hangster) SEQUEL

Together happily ever after.

5k epilogue to this series. Hangster smut in there (explicit). Can be read alone but will make much more sense if you've read the first two.

EPILOGUE

                “Uncle Brad, why are you kissing Uncle Jay?”

                “Well, we’re boyfriends now,” Bradley says and Jake startles a little, because yeah, okay, that is kind of where they were going with all that but hearing it out loud is… nice. Weird. But nice.

                “Oh. Okay then.”

                “Simple as that huh?”

                “What?”

                “Defining our relationship…”

                “I’m sorry, did you want to call her back and explain how we’re dating and taking it slow?”

                “Not that slow…”

                Bradley snorts again and Jake laughs.

…             …             …

                “Uh, hey guys, this is my boyfriend, Bradley…”

                Payback and Fanboy both raise judging eyebrows.

                “We know who Bradley is, man.”

                “Yeah, are you okay? Surely you didn’t forget…”

                “No! I just… wanted to introduce him as my boyfriend,” Jake states and Bradley grins at him, his insides turning all warm and melty because he’d never have thought he’d describe Jake Seresin as soft, but he would, and he loves it.

                “Oh my god, Hangman’s completely gone on Rooster… like, gone gone.”

                “Feelings mutual,” Bradley states.

…             …             …

                It’s a little surreal in the beginning, having Bradley and Hangman suddenly be a pair. Her and Javy both find it a little weird, however it’s also nice having them both happy. She’d worried about it, when Javy had told her that he’d dared Hangman into asking Bradley out, telling him he was lucky he’d already fathered all the children they were having because she’d have his balls in a vice if this fucked up her friend.

                Except it hasn’t.

                Bradley is blossoming under Hangman’s, Jake’s, attention. And she knew he wasn’t a bad person, or bad partner; has seen him with Catherine and his daughters. But Bradley and Jake just seem to reflect the good parts of each other back to one another and amplify them. Somehow the complete opposite of when they were all younger and it was the opposite and instead their faults were drawn out. She will deal with the surreal feeling for the rest of her life if it means Bradley remains this happy. Both of them happy.

                They have double dates, going to the movies and dinner. There’s sweet handholding and so many displays of affection she thinks she might gag. Except she won’t make a fuss, accepts the fact that Maverick looks after young kids easily and happily, although the fact he has both Penny and Amelia on speed dial is reassuring. When her and Javy want a night out, both Bradley and Jake turn up to babysit their god-daughters and god-son, even though she knows it hurts Jake a little, reminding him of how far away his own kids are and she wonders if Catherine would bring them out to visit now that they’re getting older.

…             …             …

                Natasha has gone out to have a manicure and pedicure with Bradley, which he knows is part-code for also getting day-drunk and expecting the housework to be done when she gets back. It’s their 36-hour trade off where they can both pretend to be footloose and fancy-free with their respective best friends. His time with Jake doesn’t even involve leaving the house, both of them now content to settle back and watch a game while having a few quiet beers.

                “So… you seem pretty happy,” Javy states, and he knows Jake is. Doesn’t need to say it aloud, or ask about it, but he does want to ask something and he’s got to lead into it somehow.

                “I am. If you had told me ten years ago, hell, five years ago, that Bradley and I were going to be…”

                “Disgustingly in love?”

                “Yeah,” Jake huffs with a laugh and Javy has years of practice keeping a straight face and then a Master class honing it since he became a parent.

                “You told him that?”

                “Of course I have. Damn it Javy, I’m not quite the same guy I was twenty years ago terrified that if I told someone that I loved them it was going to mean the next step was a bended knee.”

                “Yeah, you’re getting on your knees for other reasons now.”

                “Hi Ruby honey, could you not sleep?” Jake asks and Javy sits bolt upright, eyes flying to the doorway, which is empty, his nine year old daughter very absent and Javy reaches out and punches Jake in the leg, hard.

                “Asshole.”

                “Hey, you’re the one talking about me being on my knees… nothing wrong with a little prayer.”

                “You’re disgusting and I don’t know why we’re friends,” Javy mutters, but he also can’t help but smile when Jake just throws his head back and laughs. It’s been a while since his friend was so happy.

…             …             …

                Bradley doesn’t have kids. Clearly. He never thought he’d have them, and yet here he is facing the terror of being introduced to his boyfriend’s daughters for the first time. Obviously the first time is going to be the worst, and he’s not bad with kids. Javy and Nat’s kids all know and love him, but they’ve also always known him. He held them all when they were only hours, days or, months old, depending on his location in the world when they were born. Regardless none of them remember a time when he wasn’t around. He’s Uncle Brad and always has been, the same way Jake is Uncle Jay.

                Jake’s daughters are an unknown. Bradley is the first person he’s introducing to them since his divorce, and he’s honored, pleased that Jake clearly thinks they’re that serious, because he is, but he’s also worried what will happen if the girls don’t like him. He knows they come first for Jake in terms of people and relationships, although where he puts his career is another thing.

                “Catherine named them. She’s named after Catherine the Great, so she went with other strong female role models…” Bradley frowns, tries to think of strong women named Laney or Pepper and draws nothing but blanks. “Lois Lane and Pepper Potts.”

                “Huh. That’s kind of terrifying.”

                “Yeah.”

                “Meeting your kids is kind of terrifying all on its own.”

                “You’ve done far scarier things than meet a couple of kids.”

                “They’re your kids Jake. I don’t want to fuck this up.”

                “Maybe don’t use the word fuck in front of them… but I’m sure you’ll be fine. They’ll love you because I love you.”

                “I kind of feel like that gives them a reason to not love me. Like… I’m taking your attention away from them?”

                “They know that’s not how love works. If anything they’ll figure out your weaknesses and start leveraging to get what they want out of you.”

                “Oh, so they do take after you then…”

                “Yep. Sure do. Now come on, let’s get some adult rated alone time in before my kids arrive tomorrow…”

                “Adult rated. Rules you out then.”

                “Haha. Come on…”

                Bradley follows him. They’ve had plenty of sex now, and they’re definitely compatible. Part of him wonders if they’d fucked each other when they met it would have solved half their problems. Probably. But it would have made a dozen more probably, and he likes his life. Is pretty sure Jake wouldn’t wish his kids away for anything. Then his mind isn’t thinking about anything because Jake is pushing his clothes off, frowning at him and he blinks.

                “Hi…”

                “Hi. You good?”

                “Yeah. Very good.”

                Jake hums under his breath and Bradley lets himself just relax, his nerves needs to be settled and Jake seems to have taken the job on board. Soon his body is tingling, Jake’s stubble like fine sandpaper as he drags his cheek over his chest, then following the same path with a broad swipe of his tongue before peppering little kisses over the same area. It's having the cumulative effect of making his skin extra sensitive. Jake’s chest hair drags across the head of his cock and god it's like thousands of tiny little feathers, and the sensation would be ticklish if he weren't so fucking aroused right now. For him this type of arousal is slow building, and he can get to a state where he's so aroused he can stay that way for what seems like hours, and the resulting orgasms are intense and he'd put money on this one being no exception. He can feel Jake’s cock, warm-heavy-firm against his leg and yeah, there's nowhere else he'd rather be right now.

                Jake runs his tongue over Bradley’s hipbone and he almost jumps out of his skin. That particular patch of skin has always been extra sensitive, and it's as if Jake had been searching for it, because he mumbles something, although he has no idea what. He can feel the tension and pressure building up in his cock and fuck it feels good. All warm prickly anticipation, skin tight with heat and god, it's as if Jake can read his mind, because there's a spit-slick thumb sliding between his arse cheeks and massaging his hole. He automatically draws his legs up to give Jake better access, thrusts up slightly, cock knocking against Jake’s chin and he gets a long broad lick for his efforts, and fuck he really needs to get this moving. He hears Jake’s muttered 'should've fucking shaved' and bites his lip in amusement, because they're clearly on the same wavelength. Jake’s moving, reaching for the lube and condoms, stopping to kiss him, staring at him intently for a brief second and then kissing him again.

                “Like this?” Jake asks when he breaks away, and Bradley blanks for a second, wondering why they've stopped, and then he nods, because yes, exactly like this. He watches, quiet, as Jake squirts some lube onto his fingers, and then his thumb is at his hole again, resuming the circling massage and applying gentle pressure. Bradley wants to push, but as long as Jake doesn't muck about he's willing to be patient. For now. Thankfully Jake doesn't waste time, when the first finger slips inside he does bear down, more than ready for it, and they're both making appreciative groans, and Bradley always likes the sound of them together like this.

                Jake moves his finger in and out, his other hand gentle on his hip, occasionally stroking over the same patch of skin as before, his eyes on Bradley’s face, watching. He obviously sees something, because then there are two fingers, pushing stretching and scissoring and Jake’s mouth is on his cock, but he doesn't need the distraction. The tight burn he's experiencing isn't painful, just uncomfortable, and he knows that that goes quickly enough. He's thrusting as much as he can against Jake’s hand, trying to convey that it's okay, that he's okay. Twisting fingers, and then his prostate is being treated to the same massaging sensation and gentle pressure and holy fuck…

                “Fuck, yeah, right there Jake…”

                “Mmm… you sound real pretty.”

                “God Jake… fucking… get off my fucking perch.”

                “Yeah? Get to fucking huh?”

                Jake’s fingers slide out; he tears open a condom and has it on before Bradley’s brain even registers that he could help. He doesn't stop to ask Bradley if he's sure, just watches, eyes dark and he moves with an assurance and confidence that Bradley can't help but find attractive. He drags his fingers down Bradley’s body, all the way down his legs and then pushes his legs back and Bradley drops his head back, unable to watch because he just wants to feel.

                Jake’s fingers are at his hole again, he can feel the cool slide of more lube. Jake isn't hesitant, not worried about hurting him, managing to be firm and gentle and fucking sexy all at the same time. He can't help the gasp when Jake starts pushing, the stinging-stretch snapping into pinpoint focus before he forces himself to relax and push back. He enjoys the burning stretch; their first time Jake had spent far too much time stretching him, and he understood it at the time, but it had taken them a few goes to trust that they were being honest and truthful with each other and not trying to pretend. Jake had started calling them sex debriefs and he’s grateful for them. More grateful for having Jake in his life.

                He studies him, sees the clench in his jaw as he tries to hold himself back slightly and Bradley shakes his head, even knowing everything he knows Jake is still trying to stay in control. He doesn't want an in-control Jake watching his every facial expression to ensure he doesn't hurt him, or over-step some invisible boundary. He wants passionate Jake, the guy who loses all coherency. He doesn't hesitate then, wrapping his legs around Jake’s waist, drawing him in until he’s completely buried and Bradley is feeling sparks up his spine.

                “Fuck…”

          ��     “God Bradley…” Jake manages, voice breaking and eyelids fluttering and Bradley smirks, tightens his legs, locking his ankles across each other and rocks his hips up.

                “Come on. Stop worrying so fucking much," Bradley snaps, because it hurts, and fuck, he might regret it tomorrow, but right now, he wants Jake to become undone. Painkillers exist for a reason and this might be their last time until the girls go home. He doesn’t know how Jake feels about having sex with his kids around.

                Then Jake’s drawing back, groaning, head bowing and Bradley relaxes further, loosens his legs, gives Jake more room to draw back and the careful measured thrusts soon give way to longer harder ones, and Bradley lets out a low appreciative moan, because fuck it feels good. Jake’s body moving above him and in him; strong, powerful but only just in control. He runs his fingers up Jake’s arms, nails sharp into his shoulder and then skittering through the hair on his chest. His breath is coming in short breathy pants, matching Jake’s stuttered breathing. Jake’s hands move to his hips, fingers firm as he maneuvers each of his legs so that they're resting on his shoulders. The new position makes it feel like Jake is pressing even deeper, the angle when he pushes in drags across his prostate and Jake’s flushed and shiny with sweat.

                “Fuck Bradley…”

                He can’t make words, his tongue too thick in his mouth, breath too tight in his lungs.  Their movements are getting slightly more frantic, although his own movement is restricted considerably, so he reaches for his cock, stroking rapidly and in-time with Jake as much as possible. Arousal is coiled tight in his stomach and balls, just waiting to be released.

                “Oh fuck…you have no idea…beautiful…”

                If he had breath, he'd tell Jake how much he turned him on. How the clean strong lines of muscle in his arms and chest drive him to distraction. How the feel of his fingers leave hot trails on his skin. How a look from him makes him hot… he can bring it up in the debrief. The thought of it has him grinning and almost laughing.

                “Fuck… so close…” Bradley manages to say, sees Jake’s eyes snap to his face from where he’d been watching Bradley’s hand around his cock.

                “Come on then, let me see you come…”

                Bradley doesn't hesitate in letting go, feeling his whole-body shudder and tingle and fuck, he's not used to coming on demand. He strokes roughly, trying to match Jake’s now fierce pace, and then he's coming, calling out something, come rushing out of his cock as if it's being chased, aftershocks of pleasure shooting through him and his cock pulses as Jake continues to thrust into him. After a few more thrusts, Bradley doesn't know how many, too busy watching Jake’s chest and arm muscles when Jake lets out a low fucking hell and comes. His fingers are almost bruising hard on Bradley’s hips, and his cock is buried in his ass, small thrusting motions as he comes down from the high of his orgasm. His breathing is ragged, body shuddering from its release. He falls forward, a trembling hand stopping him from outright collapse, and he kisses Bradley hungrily, eager, as if they haven't just had sex. Bradley’s legs fall to either side, stiff from the stretch.

                "You good?" Jake asks, and his voice is raspy, scratchy and sounds far too appealing.

                “More than good…”

                “Good.”

                Jake lets out a long sigh beside his neck and then sits back up, still shaking slightly as he withdraws his cock and takes care of the condom, gets a cloth which he just throws at him with a tired smirk before he collapses down beside Bradley. Pulls him in and presses a kiss into his shoulder, mutters another fucking hell and Bradley can’t help but feel a little smug that he makes Jake feel this good. It’s a rush he’s always enjoyed.

                “Mmm… debrief?”

                “You’re half asleep. You going to remember anything I say?”

                “Felt pretty fucking close to perfect to me.”

                “Yeah. Was pretty good.”

                “Come on. Hit me. What can I do better? Faster? Better targeting? More dirty talk? Hmm?”

                “I liked that you were a bit rougher with me. Wouldn’t mind if you were rougher though.”

                “Feedback noted and taken on board. Love you.”

                “Love you too…” Bradley says.

                “You know I don’t want to hurt you though right?”

                “Yeah Jake, I know.”

                “Good.”

                He shifts so he’s facing him, so he can run his fingers over the little tattoos on Jake’s chest. He’s seen them before, multiple times. Had easily figured out the little cartoon pepper shaker was for Pepper, and now that he knows Laney is named after Lois Lane he guesses the red lady bug with a single blue shield as a dot makes it for Laney.

                “My nicknames for them are Laney Bug and Pepper Pot… Catherine told me if I got a tattoo for her she’d divorce me. Clearly didn’t help, but I did listen to her. No awkward tattoos of my ex.”

                It’s one topic they haven’t really dug into, other than Jake admitting to feeling like a failure when it came to his marriage. His relationship with his ex-wife seems good from what Bradley can tell, not that he has seen them interact in person at all, not since Javy and Nat’s wedding over a decade ago. But they talk on the phone regularly, and even Bradley has spoken to her a coupleof times when Jake’s had him answer his phone.

                “What would you have got for her?”

                “God, probably something cheesy like a heart with a little tiara or something…”

                He doesn’t ask Jake what he’d get for him, part of him is scared to ask.

…             …             …

                He’s never introduced his kids to anyone he’s been dating before. Deployments usually causing the relationship to end before he even considered it. But Bradley knows what deploying means, that their relationship is going to take hard work and compromise and they both have to want it. They are so far very much on the same page. So he wants them to meet Bradley and for Bradley to meet them. He’s arranged with Catherine for them to come for a week in summer, and that’s now here. He meets his mother-in-law at the airport and smiles tightly as she reluctantly releases the girls’ hands to his care.

                “Daddy!”

                He sweeps them both up into his arms and twirls them around, knows that soon enough they’re going to be too big for him to do this, but god it feels good to have them there with his arms around them. He sets them back on the ground and isn’t surprised when they both fasten themselves to his sides like limpets. They always did when he got home from being away and this is no different.

                “Doria. Thank you for bringing them. I hope you enjoy your vacation here in San Diego.”

                “Hmm. I’ll try. You have my number if you need it.”

                Jake smiles but he knows it doesn’t reach his eyes. Doria is not a fan of his and never has been, then again she’s never seemed a fan of Catherine’s either. At least he doesn’t have to be overly hospitable to her. He herds Pepper and Laney to his car, listens to them chatter about the flight, the food, the weather, their friends. It’s beautiful and overwhelming and it eases some of the ache in his heart.

                He knows Catherine has already laid the groundwork about Bradley, and he’s grateful it’s not going to be him fumbling through it alone. So they know he likes men and women, and that he has a boyfriend. One who is currently standing on the porch like he’s considering running in any direction that will take him away. But while he’s watching he sees him put his shoulders back and take a deep breath and he’s reminded all over again why he loves him.

                “Laney, Pepper, this is Bradley, my boyfriend.”

                “Hi.”

                “Hi, nice to meet you…”

                “I like your shirt!” Laney says, and Bradley’s eyes shoot to his and Bradley’s grinning and he looks so good.

                “Why thank you Laney. I love to meet people who appreciate my sense of style…”

                “It’s kind of bright. But I like the flowers…” Pepper says.

                “It makes me easy to spot in a crowd.”

                Jake snorts.

…             …             …

                “Look at how Bradley did my hair!”

                Jake looks and then has to do a double take.

                “Wow. Wow. That’s… amazing. Where did you learn that skill?” Jake asks, twisting to look at Bradley who has followed Laney into the room. Because obviously it’s not a skill that would come up in day-to-day conversation. They can all tie knots, and he knows theoretically that braiding is purely an extension of that, but he just finds hair to be so slippery he always fumbles and ends up pulling and hurting them.

                “Phoenix. And then I got to brush up with Amelia.”

                “It’s like a princess crown daddy!”

                “It sure is baby, perfect for you!”

…             …             …

                They do a video call with Catherine before bath time. He’s told them they can call their mom whenever they want, and he’s both relieved and gratified to notice they haven’t had moments of sadness or homesickness that have necessitated in calling Catherine. More moments of joy and amazement when they immediately want to tell her. After calling her nearly every twenty minutes for a couple of hours Catherine had suggested they make a list so they can tell her about everything all at once, which he’d abashedly agreed to. He just doesn’t want to screw this up, is aware she doesn’t need to let him have the girls for an entire week like this.

                “Did Natasha do their hair?”

                “Uh, no. Would you believe that Bradley is apparently a hair braiding savant, Phoenix has had him in training for years. And then he practiced again with his step-sister. So… yeah. Laney and Pepper are not holding back with their demands.”

                “They’re going to be severely disappointed to come back to me and just have plain braids.”

                “You could learn.”

                “Trust me, I tried. I need to somehow grow extra hands. I don’t know how Bradley does it.”

                “He’s got really long fingers. Maybe that helps?”

                “Does he now?”

                “Oh god, shut up…”

                She laughs at the other end of the phone.

                “I’m happy for you Jake. Really. He’ll understand all those parts of you that I could never even begin to.”

                “Thanks.”

                He’s glad he married a friend, because now they’ve reverted back to that default setting of their relationship, even if it had taken some adjustment and time

…             …             …

                Bradley watches Jake with his daughters and he’s never understood what people meant when they said their ovaries exploded, but right now, he thinks he gets it. The cuteness, the happiness and joy of what he’s seeing happen in front of him. And he’s lucky enough to call the man currently slow dancing with both his daughters his.

…             …             …

                “Man I wish they lived closer…”

                “Have you thought about moving?”

                Jake turns and looks at Bradley sharply.

                “No. Not seriously. I’m deployed for a large chunk of time.”

                “All the more reason to have home base close by right?”

                “I don’t want to make my home base in Virginia…”

                “But do you need to?”

                “Fuck.”

                “You know I’ll follow you right?”

                Jake swallows, throat tight, taking the declaration for what it is, that Bradley would leave his family so Jake could be close to his.

…    ��        …             …

                “Hey Jake, just wanted to talk to you quickly before I put the girls on.”

                “Sure.”

                “So, I went for a job interview.”

                “Okay… Why do you need to talk to me about it?”

                “It’s going to involve me moving.”

                “What? Why? I thought you liked being close to your parents?”

                “Yeah, and now the girls are older and all the reasons I left are raising their ugly heads again. I am the mother to our children Jake, not my mother. They don’t need to get lumped with both of us.”

                “Oh. Okay. Where’s the job?”

                “Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. They’ve offered me a choice of three different offices, their smaller branches as they want someone with my management experience on the ground.”

                “Okay.”

                “So, Milwaukee, San Antonio and San Diego are the three choices.”

                He immediately wants to jump on San Diego, his breath sucking in sharply.

                “Holy shit. Are you serious?”

                “Yeah. It’s a good move for my career but more importantly it’s a good move for the girls. They want to be close to you.”

                “I want to be closer to them too… I guess I should tell Bradley to stop looking for property in Virgina Beach…”

                Catherine laughs.

…             …             …

                “He’s not going to ask you to marry him. And it’s not because he doesn’t want to be married to you. It’s because he’s scared you’ll say no. That you view your marriage as the one thing you’ve tried and failed and won’t try again. So he won’t ask you. But I swear to god Jake, if you love him and want to spend the rest of your life with him you find some way of letting him know that that’s what you want with him. Do you understand me?”

                “Yes ma’am. Loud and clear.”

…             …             …

                He’s had the design sitting in his wallet, folded in quarters, for weeks. Before Nix cornered him and read him her little riot act. Bradley has been away in Fallon for six weeks, managing to come home some weekends and Jake had visited for one, taking the girls with him. They’re settling into the new routine and he hopes that they’re as happy as he is. Right now though he needs to talk to Bradley and he hopes like hell that Phoenix is right.

                “Hey… good to have you home.”

                “Good to be home,” Bradley replies and they kiss for a few moments, no heat, just the calm reassurance of one another’s presence. It’s grounding and gives him the courage to push forward with what he wants to ask.

                “I need to talk to you about something.”

                “Oookay. Everything good?”

                “Yeah. Everything’s good. Too good to be true maybe…”

                “Maybe?”

                “Well, that’s the something I want to talk to you about.

                “I was thinking of getting a new tattoo.”

                Bradley looks at him sharply, and he can see his guard raise slightly and he reaches out to hold his hand, runs his thumb over the bumps of his knuckles and smiles softly.

                “I love you Bradley. If you want to get married then I would love to marry you and call you my husband. However, regardless of that I’d like to get this tattooed on me.”

                He opens the piece of paper and shows it to him, the little jet plane with its twin trail twirling down and away. Bradley takes it and stares at it, mouth opening in surprise.

                “Is… Is it morse code?”

                “Sure is…”

                “What does it say?”

                “Are you admitting to me you don’t remember how to read morse code?”

                “Jake…”

                “Bradley Bradshaw…”

                “What?”

                “That’s what it spells out…

                Bradley’s next inhale is shaky and he’s biting his lip, swallowing and Jake realizes he’s holding back tears.

                “God I hope those are happy tears…”

                “Yes you asshole. To the tattoo or the weird non-marriage proposal.”

…             …             …

                “We did good…” Javy says, pulling Natasha in close and she snorts softly, rests her head against his shoulder. They’re paying Amelia good money to babysit tonight, even though the kids are all old enough to really entertain themselves it means he and Nat can let loose a little and stay in the motel where Jake and Bradley are holding their wedding reception.

                “I don’t think we can really take the credit for them finally getting their shit together.”

                “I beg to differ. Jake wouldn’t have ever taken that step if I hadn’t dared him.”

                “Well then Mr Machado, I approve of your restraint and maturity in not bringing it up during your best man speech.”

                “I know, I’m very mature.”

                “You had a burping competition with our son this morning over breakfast.”

                “And I didn’t throw a tantrum when he won. See. Mature.”

                Natasha laughs and he remembers their first meeting, when Jake had hit on her and struck out. The same laugh he’d thought he could listen to forever and he was right. Warm drinks when he’s cold, syrup-thick warmth flooding him from the inside.

[cau-lee-flower215]

this song is so hangster coded to me

[fluffypotatey]

aretemas’ “i like the way you kiss me” is hangster coded to me

you have to trust me

[beezelarts]

Today I listened to "Kiss me" by Dermot Kennedy and I think it's so pre-mission Hangst coded, like, I imagine Hangster making up on the carrier before the mission bc they secretly still love each other and are afraid that one of them isn't coming back.