#jake seresin x oc!sister

[child-of-of-the-sunshine]

I contain it anymore I have to give a sneak peek at what I’ve been working with help form @snapghoul thanks for being my beta

I kinda had this idea but had no idea how to start it and then I thought to Snaps twin AU with Jake and Tyler and yeah it kinda just happened

Soon pilots started flowing into the bar. Penny took Amila home, she watched as her second family walked in, but her brother's words were nagging ‘How long had it been, it had to have been since after she started dating Mr. CEO’ “You look deep in thought.” Bradley said coming over and getting beers for him and Jake “Tyler called.”She shrugged her shoulders

“Tyler? What’d he want?” Bradley questioned her, she just nodded her head “Bradley the hell you do my sweet Callie?” Jake asked walking up to the bar

“Tyler called her.” He commented, “Oh yeah, what did he want?” Jake leaned against the bar tilting his head, he knew Tyle would never call her during work “Offered me a job, wants another member on his crew.” She mumbled, opening two bottles for Jake and Bradley

Jake hummed and nodded, he and Tyler both knew how much she needed a change “Take it, sis, what could go wrong?” “A lot of things.” Callie rolled her eyes

[ratquesadilla]

3005 (chapter 4)

pairing: jake “hangman” seresin x fem! mitchell! oc

word count: 1532

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/41505768/chapters/108910935

“it’s an existential thing”

a story where the return of north island's resident player leaves a girl with a lot of influence in a predicament.

chapter 3 - series masterlist - full masterlist

----

dogfight football. a game invented by my uncle and its legacy passed on through my father. tom would never admit it but my dad was far better than him at the game. dogfighting had always been my dads thing, in the sky and on the ground. even though pete didn’t teach me how to play, i had a knack for the sport just like him. 

it was always fun to surprise the new top gun aviators. i wasn’t exactly what they were expecting when they heard about a “surprise visitor to make the game more interesting”. they came in expecting someone like hollywood, and left with their ass whooped by me. a callsign-less “civilian”. 

i heard through the grapevine (bradley) that my father had sent out a last minute message, reporting the dagger squad to meet at the beach behind the hard deck as opposed to the base. i had a feeling that the aviators were gonna be subjected to my fathers favorite game, but i had no idea it would be so soon. usually the dogfighting on land happened on an off day, but i wasn’t complaining. 

bradley was an early riser, as were most of the people in the military, and i wasn’t. the only thing i loved more than my family was hitting snooze on my alarm. but today i was awake at almost the same time as him, eager to get to the beach and play some football. it was also the first time since his arrival that i’d gotten the chance the have a proper conversation with my brother. “long time no see bradshaw.” i said, walking into the kitchen and making a beeline for the fridge. 

“i could say the same for you, mitchell.” he replied, turning to face away from the coffee machine. “coffee?”

“i would love some. do you want eggs? im making bagel sandwiches.”

“sure, did you fuck hangman?” he asked, pausing before asking his question. seemingly unphased by the explosive question he just asked. 

“ok first of all, no callsigns in the house you of all people should know that. and second of all i did not sleep with him, we had dinner thats all.” i shot back, sticking my tongue out at him like i did when we were little. “also why do you care? you jealous?”

“never in a million years.” he scoffed. “i would rather stick my dick in a meat grinder.”

“ok well if you get to ask me a completely random question i get to ask you one.” i said, tossing the bagel into the toaster. “why was jake drunker than us on homecoming night when javy brought him to the house the other night?”

“drinking game.” he shrugged, completely unphased by the question.

“drinking game?” i complained. “hes a fucking navy pilot what drinking game leaves him drunk as a skunk?”

“one that involves you.” 

“excuse me? why am i involved in your childish dick measuring contests?”

“okay it wasn’t a dick measuring contest, phoenix and i just wanted to see how far he would go to get an audience with uncle tom. he came back into the bar talking about needing to earn your number” he said, putting emphasis on the “earn”. 

“so you made him drink until he was too wasted to stand?” 

“we didn’t make him do anything, he wanted to do it.”

“you are gonna be the death of me bradshaw.” i opened my mouth to continue speaking but the sound of the toaster finishing my bagel occupied my attention. we didn’t need to be at the beach until 9 so bradley and i had a slow breakfast. we took our time catching up, swapping stories from his deployments and my various experiences with drunk delinquents at the bar. i suspected that my brother purposefully bringing up hangman stories from when they were originally at top gun. he wasn’t overprotective or anything, but i think he was a little weary of what might happen between us. seresin was a notorious womanizer, in the years that they’d known each other he hadn’t changed. bradley wasn’t gonna tell me what to do, he knew that he couldn’t do anything to stop me, but he could sure as shit try. after all, knowing what to expect going in is better than getting crushed with 50 tons of unexpectancy. bradley also made it very known that if hangman hurt me, there would be consequences. 

as we were getting in the car he gave me the classic “be safe, don’t do anything stupid, give ‘em hell” speech, one that i’d heard from my father, my brother, my uncle, and pretty much every man related to me. “should we surprise them?” i asked. “i can wait in the hard deck and make my grand entrance.”

“god you do that one every time.” bradley droned. “switch it up for once. what about the ‘i’m not great at football go easy on me’ routine?”

“ooh i love that one” i exclaimed. “would they fall for it tho? i feel like some of them know what i’m capable of.”

“all the guys there see a pretty girl and lose all their judgement, you’ll be fine.” his statement was returned with various gagging noises.

“that’s disgusting bradshaw.”

“that’s just how they are i guess.”

“like you’re any better.” i replied, rolling my eyes as we pulled into the parking lot. i noticed hangmans truck almost immediately. blushing at the idea of seeing him again so soon. bradley took note of the redness in my cheeks and began teasing. pretending to call hangman over, or whispering the occasional “oh jake, i would love for you to tackle me with your big strong arms”. bradley bradshaw was a lot of things, but he was a child at the end of the day. we got out of the car and began walking towards the beach, immediately being greeted by a hyperactive bunch of aviators. my dad ordered the pilots at attention and began explaining the rules, and i occasionally butted in with my own questions. i was dedicated to my con, after all seeing the look on everyones faces when i turned out to be a secret dogfight football god would be so worth it. 

after explaining the rules my dad split us onto 2 teams, with hondo in charge of keeping track. the first team was natasha, fanboy, jake, my father, omaha, halo, and javy, and the rest of us were team two. bradley and i had been playing dogfight football since we were in highschool, individually we were amazing and together we dominated. over the years we’d created various plays and could tell what the other was doing with the slightest movement. i had never played with bob or payback before i had a feeling they were hidden aces. call it instinct. either way i could usually tell when someone had a hidden talent for the game. 

“you sure you’ll be okay angel?” a voice behind me asked, snapping me out of my obsessive analysis of the teams. “i wouldn’t want you to mess up that pretty face.”

“god i have no idea.” i said, putting on my best ‘defenseless’ face and bringing my hand to my chest. trying my best to look like the hopeless southern belle’s jake was used to. “i’m a little worried.” 

hangman made more cocky conversation and i simply nodded along, trying to tug on his heartstrings, until my father announced the start of the game. my team lined up, hangman and rooster taking their places at the front for the first handoff. 

——

i tapped out an hour into the game, leaving the aviators behind and making a b-line for the hard deck. the cool air hitting me in the face as soon as i opened the door, inviting me to the bar to make a drink to further cool me down. i looked out the windows facing the beach, seeing my new (and old) friends run around like a pack of dogs.

moments like this were rare. most of the people i’d grown up with were either dead or not living on north island anymore. seeing my brother and my dad getting along was a foreign concept after he’d pulled bradleys papers, but their playful competitiveness brought a smile to my face. their relationship was rocky, despite caroles efforts to keep them together. after her death bradley pushed away from everyone, creating even more of a divide between him and my father. 

as i exited the bar and took a seat next to penny on the deck, i realized i hadn’t thought about iceman all day.

it scared me a little, thinking about how easy it was to put him on the back burner.

to be honest, everything going on with hangman was terrifying. my entire life i’d attached myself to the people i cared about, and continually lost those people. first goose, then carole, and soon uncle tom. i lived in constant fear that i would be alerted of my father or bradleys untimely demise. 

did i want to spend the rest of my life with someone who’s life could be taken away in an instant?

[indynerdgirl]

Shut Up And Drive - A rivals to friends to lovers NASCAR AU

Race car driver Nichole ‘Nikki’ Bradshaw, daughter of the late, great NASCAR driver Nick Bradshaw and younger sister of Bradley Bradshaw, last year’s champion of the NASCAR Cup Series, is about to get her big break thanks to her uncle, the legendary driver Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell. There is an open spot on his team for the upcoming season and he believes Nikki is finally ready to take on the Cup Series. But not everyone on the team thinks she has what it takes to make it in NASCAR’s highest level of racing. Her new teammate, Jake Seresin, is convinced she only got the spot because of her last name & connection to the team owners and not because of her own talent & skills as a driver. Despite the fact that Nikki has worked her way up from the Weekly Series just like every other Cup Series driver before her (including her brother), Jake quickly dismisses her as a threat in his attempt to win this year’s championship. Using Jake’s dismissal of her as motivation, Nikki is determined to prove to her uncle that he was right to put his faith in her as a driver and to prove the naysayers wrong.

[sarahsmi13s]

I’ve got two fics coming at you tomorrow (2/14/2023) 🥰🥰

Duckie - Chapter 4

and

J and S - Lavender Kisses

[demxters-recs]

“Don’t protect him, he doesn’t deserve it.”

HE SURE AS HELL DOES NOT 😤😤😤 bradley better watch his back….

oh where to even begin with this Fe. as always, your characterization is so spot on. i feel like i know thea and bob just by the way you write them.

i felt every emotion both of them were going through and wanted to hug them both through it.

thea’s relationships with her brothers are something that is so special to me, i really hope we get to see more of it as the story progresses!!

absolutely incredible. chef’s kiss.

let me drown || intermission - learning the truth

Summary: Bob learns the truth.

Warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, swearing, mentions of infidelity/cheating, mentions of violence

Word Count: 5.1k

Authors Note: Writer's block has been a bitch. Thank @demxters for curing it. Minors DNI. Each chapter will be labelled with warnings individually.

Thank you to my amazing beta @writercole​, who is the sole reason this chapter even sees the light of day.

Virginia, Oceana Naval Air Station, Summer 2018

Bob’s POV

Bob rifled through his locker after a long day of drills. He was looking forward to meeting his fiancée at home, ordering a pizza and watching a movie. He needed something to distract him from the fact that he hadn’t heard from his sister since Saturday when he dropped her off from their round of golf. 

Taylor, being the fantastic, supportive fiancée that she was, reminded him that Thea had her own life and that she would let him know if she needed him. That idea comforted Bob through Sunday. And Monday. And Tuesday. But it was now Wednesday and his texts weren’t even marked read. Delivered but not read. And it worried him. 

Finding his phone tucked away in his gym bag, he opened the device, clicking into his contacts to find his sister’s number. Hovering over the call button, he was interrupted by the door slamming against the wall, the rest of his squad piling into the locker room. The last thing he needed was them to listen in to a private conversation, so he pocketed the phone again, looking for his watch and glasses instead. 

“Nice work today, Floyd.” Orca, clapped him on the back, opening his own locker. Spot made an agreeing noise as he settled onto the bench next to them, Rover in tow. Bob’s pilot gave him a thumbs up, pushing his hair back from his face. 

“Dude, you need a haircut, you look like Kurt Cobain,” Spot jabbed, reaching out to ruffle Rover’s hair. Rover pushed his hand away, kicking Spot in the calf at the same time. “Fuck off Spot.” 

“Boys, let it go. Who’s up for drinks tonight?” Choruses of yes echoed through the locker room but Bob stayed silent. Orca rolled his eyes as he shut his locker. 

Bob knew what was coming before Orca even opened his mouth. “Floyd come on, drink with us.”

“Ah no, I have plans. Sorry. Thanks though,” Bob declined. Both Rover and Orca looked disappointed at his refusal to partake in their usual intoxicated shenanigans. 

“Come on, Floyd,” Rover coaxed. “You never come out for drinks.”

Bob coughed, lips drawn in a tight smile. “I’m not much of a drinker.” 

Rover rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to no doubt continue to try and convince Bob to join them. Orca had long abandoned the conversation, opting for the showers. Spot was already drying off. 

Bob beat Rover to it. “I have plans with Tay. Another -.” The sight of Bradshaw walking past the locker room stopped him mid-sentence. He excused himself, grabbing his bag and headed in the same direction as Bradley had gone. 

“Rooster!”

Bradley swivelled around at the sound of his name falling from Bob’s mouth, eyes wide open in something akin to horror. Bob’s brows furrowed as he approached his sister’s boyfriend. 

As Bob got closer, he got a better look at Rooster. The man looked terrible. His cheeks were hollowed in, skin clammy and dark bags beneath his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in days. On top of that, he kept twitching, shifting his weight like he wanted to bolt from Bob at any second. 

“Bradshaw. What’s going on? You look like you’ve been awake for 72 hours straight. You okay?”

“M’fine.” Rooster mumbled, his eyes downcast as he fiddled with his fingers. 

Bradshaw was evidently lying but Bob had more pressing concerns. “Have you talked to Thea? Is she sick? I haven’t heard from her for days and I’m getting worried.”

“I don't know.” Bradley squeaked, the mere mention of Thea’s name causing him to visibly pale. He looked more stressed, eyes darting back and forth between Bob and the exit. 

Bob let his gym bag onto the floor, crossing his arms across his chest. “What do you mean ‘you don’t know’? Did you two have a fight or -” 

“What’s it to you?” Bradley suddenly interrupted, nostrils flaring. “Why don’t you stay out of Thea’s relationships? She’s a grown woman,” he snapped, walking backwards away from Bob, tripping over his own feet in the process. 

Bob immediately reached out, trying to steady Rooster. The man hissed as Bob grabbed a hold of his upper arm. “Don’t touch me. I said, it's none of your business.”

“My sister is my business, Bradshaw. Now what the hell is going on? Thea won’t answer my calls and you look like shit -”

“I SAID I’M FINE, FLOYD!” Bradley shouted, shoving away from Bob, breath laboured. 

The sudden outburst made Bob recoil. He stood staring in shock as Bradshaw spun on his heel and stomped around the corner, disbelief that Bradshaw even had that much ire in him. After a moment, Bob recovered and shouldered his duffle again, heading towards the corner that Bradshaw disappeared around. Rooster knew something and Bob had reached the end of his patience. 

He couldn’t fight the sinking feeling in his gut. Something was going on and he was going to get to the bottom of it. He walked at a brisk pace, trying to catch up to where Rooster had disappeared. Raised voices from a room further down the hallway Bob had just entered stopped him in his tracks. 

“Athena, I told you to stay the fuck away from me,” Rooster growled, his voice unmistakable. Bob crept closer, trying to stay quiet. He peeked through the open door, catching a glimpse of Rooster and Athena. Bradley had his shoulders hunched up high, hands balled into tight fists. Athena on the other hand was leaning lazily against the desk behind her, mirth dancing in her eyes.

“Aww, Bradley. You act like you have a choice. We work together,” she cooed. She straightened up, reaching out to run her manicured nails along his bicep. “Besides, it’s not like you didn’t have fun with me. It’s not my fault that you spilled your guts to the princess.” She said the last part slowly, gleefulness dripping from her voice. 

The fact that Bradley didn’t shy away immediately from her touch had the warning bells ringing in Bob’s head. He had overheard enough conversations on base to know that Athena liked to refer to his sister as princess, a jab he hadn’t fully understood until now. 

“Don’t call her that. And don’t fucking touch me.” Bradley spat, echoing the words he had told Bob just a few minutes ago. He took a step back, although a minute too late for it to be genuine. 

Everyone on base knew that Bradshaw and Simons had been somewhat of a thing, or at least being involved in a friends with benefits situation since they started flying together. It had never been a secret but Bob had assumed it had ended sometime before Bradley met Thea. Watching the two of them together, Bob finally understood what was going on. 

He was starting to connect dots and lines and felt a deep wave of anger build in his chest, radiating out through his veins. He backed away slowly, death grip on the strap of his bag. He tried to stay silent, refusing to let his anger take over and give his eavesdropping away. 

He stopped to control his breathing, hands balled into tight fists. He didn’t know everything but he knew enough. Rooster and Athena’s conversation had told him plenty. Closing his eyes for a moment, Bob took a deep breath before heading towards the parking lot. He dug out his phone on the way, dialling Taylor’s number.

“Hi darling, I am sorry but can we reschedule for tonight? I’ll make it up to you, I promise. There’s something I need to do.” Bob kept the phone between his shoulder and ear as he looked around for his keys.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Tay asked, concern evident in her voice. He could hear Charlie in the background, little yips as he probably raced around Taylor’s legs. 

“It’s Thea. I just need to do something.”

Taylor relented after hearing Thea’s name. “Of course. I’m actually kind of relieved, work has been a lot and I could clock some overtime catching up on stuff.”

“Are you sure? And please don’t overwork yourself, darling. You need to rest as well.” Bob put the keys into the ignition, transferring the call onto the truck’s speakers via the bluetooth. 

“I’m sure. Me and Charlie are going to have a quiet night in with takeout and I’ll just catch up on some work. You go and deal with whatever you need to do.”

“I love you. I’ll call you when I’m on my way home.”

Taylor echoed back his sentiment before Bob ended the call, tossing the phone in the passenger seat and reversed out of the parking lot. The rest of the squad liked to frequent a bar about 15 minutes from base, so Bob reached his destination quickly. 

He hadn’t bothered to get back into his uniform after the shower so he was dressed in his civilian clothing. Bob found a baseball cap in the trunk, putting it on before heading inside. 

He could hear both Orca and Spot the moment he stepped through the door, so he kept his head down as he made his way through the crowd. He made sure to keep out of sight from there most of his squad was seated, walking past the bar and opted for a lonely booth in the corner, hidden from sight. He could see them clearly, and hear but Bob was pretty sure no one had noticed him, which was his goal. He didn’t want to raise any suspicions if his plan would actually work out.

He watched as Spot and Orca teamed up to try and beat Rover at pool. The rest of their squad was scattered around, watching the game. Orca huffed a laugh suddenly, leaning across the table to whisper to Rover. Bob’s pilot smirked, pocketing a solid before speaking.

“You serious? What the fuck happened?”

Orca shrugged, nudging Spot. “Tell him.”

“Tell me what?”

Spot smirked over his beer bottle. “You hear about Bradshaw and Floyd’s little sister?”

“Bradshaw was waxing poetic about her some week ago, what about it?” Rover reached for a new bottle, pushing his empty one aside. 

Orca laughed. “Did you know Athena made a bet that he couldn’t get her between the sheets in two weeks?”

Bob’s blood boiled but he forced himself to stay seated, wanting to hear the rest of their conversation. 

“Shit man, and he agreed to it?” Rover laughed, sinking another solid. 

“Nah, not a first, but -” 

“Last I heard, he did. Claims he fucked her till she cried.” Spot interrupted. 

“And then they got in a fight and he went and fucked Athena that night. He’s been looking like shit because she kicked him on his ass.” Orca joined, laughing as he clinked his bottle with Spot’s. 

“Well, that explains a lot.” Rover snorted.

Bob saw red as his teammates laughed together. He stood slowly, quietly making his way out of the bar, once again evading the attention of his coworkers. 

The drive to Thea’s passed in a blur, anger blazing coursing through his veins. He had trusted Bradley with Thea, trusted him to take care of his sister. And Rooster had betrayed her. He’d deal with Bradshaw later, now he needed to take care of his sister.

After parking in Thea’s driveway, heart breaking at the sight of the darkened home, Bob texted Taylor asking her to stop by Thea’s place on her way home. 

He exited the car, taking a few deep breaths before climbing the stairs onto the front porch. The place seems empty. There was no light coming from the windows, nor sound from inside the bungalow. 

He tried the doorbell first, twice, but received no answer. “Tiny! Open the door!”

When nothing happened, he knocked, fist pounding against the door. “Thea!”

There’s still no answer so Bob reached for his keychain, easily finding the spare key Thea had given him when she moved in. “I’m unlocking the door now.” Bob announced as he stepped over the threshold. “Thea, are you home?” 

Thea’s POV

What day is it? Thea stared blankley at the muted TV in front of her. It felt like years had passed since her fight with Bradley and the aftermath. When he admitted to cheating on her, when he called her Athena’s name. Everything felt numb. She wasn’t sure if she had actually moved since collapsing onto the couch after she had forced Bradley out of her home. He had pleaded with her, begging her forgiveness but she had all but shoved him out onto the porch, telling him to leave and never come back. 

She had watched as Bradley drove away, heart breaking as she thought back on the event of the last few days. She had then numbly taken a seat on the couch and stayed there.

At first, she had expected to cry more. She had expected the anger, heartbreak and everything that came with being betrayed in such a vile way by someone you loved. What she hadn’t expected was the inability to feel anything other than the numbness spreading through her body, the absolute acceptance. 

A loud noise broke through the haze, echoing through her house. The doorbell. It rang twice and when she did nothing, a few rapt knocks echoed through the house.

“Tiny! Open the door!”

That’s Bob. She wanted to get off the couch, unlock the door and let him in but her limbs wouldn’t move. 

“Thea!”

She wanted to call for him to come in but no sound escaped her mouth when she opened it. She could hear the keys in the lock, and felt relief as she remembered that she had given her brother a set of spare keys when she moved in. 

Thea didn’t move as she listened to her brother moving through the space, watching as he came into the view from the hallway. He smiled gently as he took her in, approaching her slowly.

“Hey kid,” he whispered as he squatted in front of her, “you had me worried. You’ve been MIA for days.”

She didn’t answer him, hiding her face from him as she felt the tears building at his concerned tone, not wanting to cry in front of her brother. The couch dipped beside her and she felt her body lifting, warm arms wrapping around her. 

“Talk to me, Tiny.”

And the dam broke. The numbness that had engulfed her since the weekend was suddenly swept away and all the emotions that had been repressed came flooding, as she sobbed against her brother’s chest. Bob stayed quiet, rubbing her back slowly while she cried and cried. He offered no words of encouragement, just let her wail against his shirt until her tears had soaked the material of his shirt. His lips were pressed against her forehead, his back taunt as if holding himself back.

Once the tears started, she couldn’t stop them. She hiccuped repeatedly, trying her best to stop them but it was futile. Being held by her big brother made her feel safe, comfortable. It felt like he would protect her from anything bad ever happening again. 

“Shh, Tiny. I’m here.” her brother whispered, one hand gliding through her hair. It was something all of her brothers used to do as kids when she was upset. 

She felt herself calming down as he repeated the motion. Her sobs eventually stopped and turned into sniffles. She still clung to him, not wanting to let go, not wanting to lose the feeling of being comforted by Bob. 

They sat on the couch for what could have been hours but in reality was only thirty minutes. Bob’s phone buzzed a few times but neither paid any mind to it. After she had calmed down some, she leaned back to wipe the remaining tears from her cheeks. Bob still hadn’t spoken, one of his hands wrapped around hers. 

“Why haven’t you called me? Why haven’t you told me?” 

Thea had assumed that her brother had seen Bradley at base but never gave any thought that he would have found out what had transpired over the weekend. “How did you find out?”

Bob chuckled humorlessly. “Ran into Rooster who was acting odd. Then I overheard a couple of conversations. I don’t have the full story though, but I think I know enough.”

Thea hiccuped again, reaching for the tissue box on the coffee table. Bob beat her to it, offering her a tissue. “I didn’t want to bother you, mess up your life -”

“Thea, there’s no way you could ever mess up my life.”

“I did. I never should have gotten involved with your coworker. Now you’re stuck between me and -”

“I’m not stuck anywhere, baby sister,” Bob assured her. He was looking at her now, making sure that she kept eye contact as he spoke slowly. “Now, what happened?”

Bile rose in throat as she thought back about the past weekend. She didn’t want to tell him. She didn’t want to revisit the betrayal Bradley had put her through. She hiccuped, slapping a hand over her mouth as she hurried to the bathroom. She emptied the contents of the stomach in the toilet, sobs wracking her frame again. Just thinking about Bradley made her feel sick to her stomach, heart breaking all over again.

Bob followed closely, holding her hair back and rubbing her back soothingly.

Thea leaned against the tub when she was done, gratefully accepting the glass of water Bob held out to her. “Thank you.”

Her brother waved her off, swallowing thickly. “Tiny. I need you to tell me what happened.”

She shook her head. Ratting Bradley out could have consequences for Bob, seeing as her brother looked minutes away from storming out the door to find Bradley and put him into the ground.  “I don’t know if I can tell you. It’s -”

“Don’t protect him, he doesn’t deserve it.”

Thea choked up. She didn’t want to get Bob in trouble. “I know what will happen if I tell you. I’m not going to let you get in trouble over me.” 

Bob held out his hand, pulling her off the floor. He wrapped his arms around her, guiding them back to the couch. 

“I promise to stay right here, no matter what you tell me, okay? I won’t get in any trouble. I won’t go looking for him. You don’t have to worry.” He promised, tapping her nose gently, a common gesture throughout their childhood. 

Biting her lower lip anxiously, Thea debated doing as he asked. She knew he would find out the entire truth sooner or later. He already seemed to know the key parts. 

Seeing her hesitate, Bob opened his arms so she could lean into his embrace as he held her close. He murmured soft assurances that everything would be okay and he just wanted to know the truth.

Hiding her face in his already tear-soaked shirt, Thea started tentatively to tell him what had happened after she and Bradley had left the dinner with Athena, him and Jake. 

Bob’s POV

It had taken Thea over an hour to explain in full detail what had happened between her and Bradshaw. Bob felt his anger rising once again as he held his baby sister close, wishing desperately that he hadn’t promised her that he would find Rooster. 

The more he found out, the angrier he got but for Thea’s sake he tried to stay calm. After she had sobbed her way through the entire thing, she had fallen asleep in his arms, most likely exhausted from the emotional turmoil. Bob had carefully picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, making sure she was comfortable under the covers. 

He then went through the bungalow, cleaning up as he went and then sat down on the couch with his head in his hands. He felt helpless, powerless even. He had allowed someone to hurt his baby sister and now he didn’t know how to help her. The urge to find Rooster and take a swing at him rocked through his body but he stayed put. He had promised Thea and unlike Bradshaw, Bob kept his promises. 

A tentative knock on the front door was heard and followed by the soft sound of paws padding along on the wooden floor. Charlie came into view, the corgi yapping happily at the sight of his dad. Taylor appeared behind him, takeout bags in hand and a worry etched across her face. 

“What is going on?” She set the bags down at the table, returning his hug as he stood to embrace his fiancée. 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Bob sat down again with Taylor by his side, their hands intertwined. “Bradley cheated. Thea’s a mess. I don’t know what to do.”

Taylor made a surprised noise, her eyes widening before anger overtook her features. Her mouth opened and closed in shock, trying to find the right words. “He did what?!”

“He fucked Athena after he and Thea got into a fight about Hangman, which I’m still trying to wrap my mind around.” Bob snarled but reminded himself to stay calm. Charlie huffed unhappily at being left on the floor, nudging Bob’s leg.

“Fucking bastard. I ought to run him over with the Rover.” Taylor looked as angry as Bob felt. “Where is Thea?”

“Asleep in the bedroom. She passed out after telling me what happened.”

Taylor reached down to pick up Charlie, getting off the couch. “I’ll go and see if she wants some cuddles. There’s sushi in the bag, her favourite.” Bob’s heart swelled at the obvious concern his fiancée showed for his little sister. 

He opened his mouth to respond when his phone rang, interrupting him. Marcus’ name flashed across the screen and Taylor motioned for him to answer as she made her way towards the bedroom. Bob watched as she quietly opened the door, slipping inside with Charlie in her arms.

Bob swiped to answer the call. “Brother,” Bob greeted, “to what do I owe the pleasure?

“Have you heard from Thea? I’ve been trying her for days and all I’m getting is straight to voicemail,” Marcus demanded immediately.

“Hello to you too, nice to hear from you after so long,” Bob snarked.

“Robert…” Marcus warned.

Bob sighed as he debated how much to divulge, ultimately settling for the whole truth. “That guy she was seeing from my squadron? Bradshaw? He, uh,” Bob paused, clearing his throat before continuing. “He fucked her, bragged about it to my squad, and then cheated on her.

The other end of the line was eerily quiet and Bob wondered for a moment if his older brother had hung up the call. “Marcus?”

“Tell me you’re fucking joking, Bobby. It’s a joke, right?”

Bob sighed. “I wish, trust me. But she just spent the last two hours sobbing in my arms and I had to practically pry the whole story out of her,” he paused, letting the information sink in. “I ran into Bradshaw at base earlier and then overheard a couple of conversations while doing my wallflower thing. I got the gist of it but needed to hear her version as well.” 

“Please tell me you got a couple of swings in.” Marcus seethed. Bob leaned back against the couch and scrubbed his hand down his face.

“No. I promised her I wouldn’t go after him. Piece of shit would deserve it but she’s worried about it affecting my job. You know how she is.”

Marcus snorted. “Yeah. How is she?”

“Bad,” Bob sighed as he spared a glance into the bedroom where Thea was buried underneath the duvet. “Asleep, though. I’m still at her place. Don’t really want to leave her alone. Taylor’s with her right now.”

“Do you need us to come out there?” Marcus asked. Us meaning himself and their two other brothers. 

Bob set his jaw and shook his head even though his older brother couldn’t see. “No. I’ve got it handled.” 

“Layla says her mother can come stay with her and the girls if you need me to come and kick some ass.” Marcus’ wife was pregnant with their third child and the last stages of the pregnancy had taken its toll. 

Bob rolled his eyes. “No, I said it’s fine. Stay home. And tell August and Richard the same. I got a plan.” 

“Well then, remember, leave your phone behind, cash only, hide your plates, and it’s only murder if they find a body,” Marcus said before ending the call abruptly. Bob could only shake his head, mouth turning upwards in a faint smile. 

Taylor returned from Thea’s bedroom sans Charlie. “What did Marcus say?”

Bob snorted. “He told me it’s only murder if they find a body.” Taylor joined him on the couch again, leaning into his side. 

“And what about the others?”

“Marcus didn’t say anything but I’m assuming he’s reporting back right now. But I told him to tell them to stay put. I haven’t heard from them yet though I have no doubt that I will soon. Hopefully they’ll trust me to handle what I’ve broken.” Bob choked up on the last word, and swallowed hard. Taylor laid her hand on his face and he leaned into her touch, craving the comfort of his future wife.

“This isn’t your fault, sweetheart.”

He swallowed harshly, trying to get rid of the tears threatening to burst forth. 

“It is. I trusted Bradshaw with her. I never should have introduced them.”

Taylor shook her head, a watery smile on her face. “Darling, you couldn’t have known. Stop blaming yourself. Now, what’s next?”

Bob was quiet for a while, not sure how to tell her the way he wanted to uproot their lives. “She needs to leave this place. I want her as far away from Bradshaw as possible. I can request a transfer and I know Thea’s job has offices all over. But I need to know what you think first.”

Bob hated to ask her to be the deciding factor, to leave her home and her job. She had always supported him and his dreams. Flight school and then all the deployments. To throw this at her with no warning was the last thing Bob wanted but he knew Thea couldn’t stay here. She needed to heal, preferably a thousand miles away from Rooster. 

Taylor brushed a hand over his hair. “If we need to leave, I’ll find work elsewhere. It’s no problem. I might not be able to move as quickly but if this is what we need to do, we’ll do it. I love you and I love Thea.”

“Are you sure?”

“Robert Floyd, I will follow you wherever you go. You know this. I know how important Thea is to you. And I know how important Thea is to me.” 

Bob felt tension bleed from his shoulders as he embraced her, choking up once again the obvious love she held for not only him but his family as well. 

“I’ll put in a request for transfer as soon as I’ve talked to Thea. She might not want to move but she needs it.”

Taylor kissed him gently before leaning back. “I’ll talk to my boss then,” She looked over to the bedroom. “Why don’t you wake her up and I’ll unpack the food. I think we all need food.”

Bob stretched as he stood before pushing the door to Thea’s room open. “Tiny, wake up.” He reached out to brush some hair from her face. She stirred awake, eyes blinking against the light coming from the hallway. Charlie was snoring at her feet, paws moving as he dreamed. 

Thea yawned as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “What time is it?”

“A little after seven. Taylor brought sushi, will you please eat some?”

She turned away from him, hiding her face in the pillow and mumbling something that sounded like a no. Bob sighed. 

“Thea Olivia, please come and eat. You need it.” He didn’t raise his voice but left no room for argument either. Thea sniffled into the pillows before sitting up. 

“I’m not very hungry, Bobby.”

“If you don’t come and eat, I’ll tell Marcus that he can come out here and he’ll probably bring August and Richard with him.”

Thea whined, pulling the duvet over her head. “You told them?”

“Marcus called. He was worried that you hadn’t answered your phone.” Bob told her gently, pulling the duvet away from her face. 

“I didn’t want him to worry,” Thea mumbled. Bob smiled, wrapping an arm around her. 

“And you were going to succeed in doing that by not answering your phone?” he joked lightly, hoping to lift her spirits.

Thea laughed, a genuine laugh that reminded him of coming home from school and meeting her in the front yard as he hopped off the school bus. “I just don’t want anyone to get in trouble because of me. Or worry too much,” she whispered, scratching Charlie behind his ears.

Bob tapped her nose. “We’re your big brothers, Tiny. We’re always going to worry.”

They sat in silence for a while, watching Charlie occasionally kick his little feet as he kept on sleeping. 

Thea broke the quiet first. “What if I never stop feeling like this?” 

It was a whisper, barely audible but Bob heard her. It broke his heart and filled him with rage at the same time. Bob knew that there wasn’t anything he could do to ease his sister’s pain and there was nothing he could do to retaliate and teach Bradshaw the lesson that he deserved. His job would be on the line, his livelihood, his entire life. And he had promised Thea.

Bob didn’t consider himself to be a violent man. He preferred to use his words instead of his fists. He was calm in fast paced situations, which is why he was so good at his job. But as Thea quivered in his arms, he fought the urge to cause further bodily harm to the man who had promised to take care of her. Rooster had failed to deliver on his end of the promise he had made Bob in the beginning of his and Thea’s relationship. 

“Okay. Just don’t break her heart.” Bob’s voice was soft but stern, arms crossed across his chest. 

Bradley smiled, dragging a hand through his hair. “How do you know she won’t break my heart?” He asked jokingly, bouncing his leg. 

“She might. But if she does, I don’t have to pick up the pieces.” Bob clapped him on the shoulder and walked away.

Unable to find the right words to comfort his little sister, he simply pulled her into an embrace, kissing the top of her head. 

“You’ll be okay, kid. I’ll see to it.” He had no choice. He would never fail her again.

Taglist: @wildbornsiren​ @therebeccaw@imjess-themess@antiquitea@fuckyeahhangman@writercole@hederasgarden@yanna-banana@wkndwlff@bobfloydsbabe@hollandorks@anniesocsandgeneralstore@ereardon@luminousnotmatter@roosterscock@thedroneranger@fandomxpreferences@top-hhun@princessmisery666@bradshawsbitch​ @princessphilly@a-reader-and-a-writer@green-socks@angstybluejay@seresinhangmanjake@ayorooster​@notroosterbradshaw​ @indynerdgirl@gigisimsonmars@girl-in-the-chairs-void@bradshawbabes@unhinged-btch@horseshoegirl@sadpetalsstuff@bradshawbaby@ahopelessromanticwritersworld@ummjustfics​ @septemberrie​ @somenamewithepineapple​ @seresinsweetie​​ @crescentwolf​ @seresinhangmanjake​ @sylviebell​ @waklman​ @roosterforme​ @rosiahills22​ @dempy​ @i0veless​ @ilovewriting06​ @kmc1989​ @demxters@amortentiadrops@teacupsandtopgun@hangmanscoming

[rootedinrevisions]

Masterlist: Top Gun Maverick

This list is all about the thrill and tension of Top Gun: Maverick. Most of my writing here dives into the cocky charm of Jake "Hangman" Seresin, but you’ll also find some pieces centered around Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, with more stories potentially featuring characters like Robert "Bob" Floyd in the future.

Whether you're into Hangman’s swagger, Rooster’s heart, or curious about the rest of the Top Gun crew, there’s something for every fan of the high-flying action and drama. Strap in and enjoy the ride! ✈️ (UPDATED 11.16.24)

JAKE "HANGMAN" SERESIN

**SERIES**

Rooster's Shadow (Jake x OC)

When Carly Bradshaw, Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw’s younger sister, starts college near her brother’s TOP GUN base, she’s excited for a fresh start. A surprise night out with Rooster introduces her to Jake Seresin, the charming and cocky Navy pilot known as Hangman. As Jake’s attention shifts to Carly, their undeniable chemistry leads to a series of flirtatious encounters that challenge Carly’s feelings and Rooster’s protective instincts.

PART 1 I PART 2 I PART 3 I PART 4 I PART 5

Cop Car (Jake x Reader)

You and Jake enter a restricted area to watch the planes take off. It's all fun and games until the two of you end up cuffed in the backseat of a car. Things only get worse when your dad, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell arrives on the scene. Loosely based on/inspired by Cop Car by Keith Urban because apparently my thing lately has been making fics out of songs.

PART 1 I PART 2

Unplanned Journeys (Jake x OC)

You’ve been feeling off—tired, anxious, and full of doubt. When the realization hits that you could be pregnant, your world shifts. As you struggle with the weight of the situation and avoid Jake, the truth becomes impossible to ignore. When you finally tell Jake, the conversation is filled with tension and fear.

PART 1 I PART 2 I PART 3

**ONE-SHOTS**

Everything to Me (Jake x Reader)

You arrive in San Diego, eager to spend the weekend with your fiance, Jake Seresin. What begins as an emotion reunion soon takes a complicated turn when you encounter a jealous pilot who's had her eyes on Jake for awhile. A comment she makes, sparks insecurities that challenge your confidence. However, Jake makes it his mission to remind you that you are the only woman he has eyes for. SMUT.

The Rough Side of Hangman's Girl (Jake x Reader)

You’ve always been the quiet one, the kind of girl who prefers soft laughter to loud crowds, and gentle touches over wild passions. But Jake “Hangman” Seresin has a way of drawing out the side of you no one else gets to see. When he steps into your world, he doesn’t just turn your life upside down—he pushes you beyond every boundary you thought you had. Now, with his intense gaze and unyielding hold, you find yourself craving every rough touch, every whispered command. SMUT.

BRADLEY "ROOSTER" BRADSHAW

**ONE-SHOTS**

The Night We Fell (Bradley x Reader)

After a night out with friends, you find yourself a little too tipsy and in need of a ride home. When Phoenix calls Bradley to pick you up, what starts as a simple favor turns into an unforgettable evening. Amidst drunken giggles, lingering glances, and unspoken emotions, the line between friendship and something more begins to blur. FLUFF.

Rooster Comes Home to His Girls (Bradley x Reader)

Bradley returns home from a deployment to his girls...his wife and infant daughter. FLUFF.

[callsign-dexter]

Requests are opened!

This Masterlist does have 18+ fics in it so please heed the warnings.

All fics are separated but I do:

9-1-1

9-1-1 Lone Star

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Criminal Minds

One Chicago (Chicago Med, PD, and Fire)

The Rookie

Top Gun

Top Gun Maverick

Twister

Twisters

I will do:

Sister!Reader

Daughter!Reader

x Reader

A/N: All fics not underlined means that they are planned and a wip this just helps me to keep track of what fics I need to do.

A/N 2: All fics are fem!reader unless stated otherwise or requested otherwise.

Series

Here Comes The Storm (Tyler Owens x Harding!Reader, Tyler Owens x OC!Son! Chase Storm Owens, Reader x OC!Son! Chase Storm Owens, Bill Harding x Daughter!Reader, Jo Harding x Daughter!Reader)

(On Hold for TBA) I'm Already There (Bradshaw!Sister)

My Daughter, My Heart (Jake Seresin x Daughter!Reader, OC!Elizabeth Taylor x Daughter!Reader)

Storm Warning (Javi Rivera x OC!Wife!Olivia Owens, Javi Rivera x Daughter!Reader, OC! Olivia Owens x Daughter!Reader, Tyler Owens x OC!Sister!Olivia Owens, Tyler Owens x Niece!Reader)

Universes

Whisper in the Wind (Natasha Trace x OC!Benjamin Bradshaw, Natasha Trace x Daughter!Reader, OC!Benjamin Bradshaw x Daughter!Reader, Bradley Bradshaw x OC!Wife!Leah Winters)

Worlds Collide (Buckley!Twin Sister!Reader x OC!Alejandro 'Alex' Miguel Diaz)

A Forever Home (Grace Ryder x Daughter!Reader and Judd Ryder x Daughter!Reader, Grace Ryder x Judd Ryder)

Baby Bradford: A Little Fighter (Tim Bradford x Daughter!Reader, Lucy Chen x Tim Bradford)

Blizzard (IceMav x Daughter!Reader, Maverick x Iceman)

Firecracker (Evan Buckley x Daughter!Reader)

Little Birdie (Bradley Bradshaw x Daughter!Reader)

Littlest Halstead (Jay Halstead x Daughter!Reader)

Little Nash (Bobby Nash x Daughter!Reader)

Lil' Severide (Kelly Severide x Daughter!Reader)

Mini TK (TK Strand x Daughter!Reader, Carlos Reyes x Daughter!Reader, TK Strand x Carlos Reyes)

Our Little Girl (Jake Seresin x Daughter!Reader, Bradley Bradshaw x Daughter!Reader, Jake Seresin x Bradley Bradshaw)

Our Future (Y/N Bradshaw-Seresin x OC!Mason Floyd, Jake Seresin x Daughter!Reader, Bradley Bradshaw x Daughter!Reader, Jake Seresin x Bradley Bradshaw)

(On Hold for TBA) The Firehouse Miracle (Eddie Diaz x Daughter!Reader, Evan Buckley x Daughter!Reader, Eddie Diaz x Evan Buckley)

x Daughter!Reader

9-1-1

9-1-1 Lone Star

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

One Chicago

Top Gun

The Rookie

Twisters

x Sister!Reader

9-1-1 Lone Star

One Chicago

Top Gun

The Rookie

Fics

9-1-1

9-1-1 Lone Star

One Chicago

Top Gun

The Rookie

Twisters

Crossovers

Fight to Survive (9-1-1 x Criminal Minds) (Evan Buckley x Nash!FBI!Reader)

Burning Jealousy (One Chicago x The Rookie) (Kelly Severide x Paramedic!Reader)

Love in the Danger Zone (One Chicago x Top Gun Maverick) (Bradley Bradshaw x Halstead!Pilot!Reader and Kelly Severide x Halstead!Pilot!Reader)

Operation: Mischief (9-1-1 x 9-1-1 Lonestar) (Owen Strand x Wife!Reader)

[ereardon]

FIC AUTHORS SELF REC!

When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let's spread the self-love! 💞

Thank you for tagging me @seresinhangmanjake 🥰

Before I Knew — Jake Seresin x Floyd!sister Reader Jake gets Bob's little sister pregnant during a one night stand. Oops! That Summer — Bradley Bradshaw x Reader Bradley Bradshaw spends one summer living with the daughter of his late parents' best friends. But she was given one rule: Don't fall in love with the boy in the attic. Friends Don't — Bob Floyd x OC Bob's best friend moves to town but she's holding onto a secret that could change everything. Golden Hour — Bob Floyd x Bradley Bradshaw x OC love triangle A Hart of Dixie AU, Dr. Olive moves to small town Georgia and falls for the town's two heartthrobs — Dr. Bob Floyd and local attorney Bradley Bradshaw. As It Was — Jake Seresin x best friend OC Jake's best friend Abby falls for Bradley Bradshaw — and it irks Jake to no end.

→ Tagging: @blue-aconite @bobfloydsbabe @horseshoegirl @teacupsandtopgun @gretagerwigsmuse

[bradshawssugarbaby]

Home For Christmas - Jake Seresin x OC

A/N: This is my entry for @bellaireland1981's Winter RomCom Writing Challenge, with the trope childhood friends. I was watching a lot of romcoms last night and felt inspired, it's definitely heavily influenced by 13 Going on 30, Just Friends + Sweet Home Alabama. (I realize only one of those is set in the winter, but I digress). I'm debating a part two/epilogue as well, if anyone is interested! Also super proud of this one, because it's the longest fic I've ever written.

pairing: Jake Seresin x OC

warnings/content: none, lots of fluff and pining. Jake's been promoted to Captain. Probably a lot of inaccuracies.

word count: 7.7k (literally my longest one yet, I'm sorry)

tagging anyone who might be interested: @littleenglishfangirl, @floydsmuse, @sailor-aviator, @mamachasesmayhem 🤍

December, 1999

“Jake! Jake, wait up!” 

“Run faster then, I gotta get home before the street lights come on or my mama’s gonna be so mad she won’t let you come over tomorrow!” 

“Jake, your mama’s not gonna say no to me comin’ over and you know it.”

“Jenna, how you ever gonna keep up with me when I join the navy and start having to run a few miles every day?”

Jake turned around to face you for a moment, running backwards with a grin plastered on his face, his baby-faced cheeks red from the cold, his green eyes full of mischief as he watched you try and keep up with him. His sandy blonde hair stuck out slightly from underneath his Dallas Cowboys baseball cap, a handmedown from his older brother that he rarely left home without since Matt had given it to him. He stopped running, placing his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, the cold air stinging his throat as he panted. You finally managed to close the distance between the two of you, raising an eyebrow as you panted, your own cheeks ruddy from the combination of cold winter air and physical activity. 

You and Jake had been best friends as long as you could remember. In eleven years, you couldn’t name a single time where the two of you had as much as had a disagreement, or went more than a few hours without talking to one another. Your mothers had been best friends in high school, and you two were destined to be best friends since birth - born four days apart in the same hospital, living on the same street and having your first play date at 10 and 7 days old. Jake was four days older than you, and he never let you forget it when it came to matters where age or maturity played a role. However, where Jake had four days more experience in the world, you had multitudes more experience in dealing with hardship than any eleven-year-old child should have. 

Where Jake had the picture-perfect family - a mom, a dad, an older sister, an older brother and him, all living in perfect harmonious happiness, never as much as a doubt as to whether or not there was love in his household, you had the opposite. An absent father, an only child, and a mother who worked two jobs to try and make life better for the two of you, you spent almost every waking minute with Jake and his family, not only as an escape to experience the happy, blissfully carefree life he lived, but also, as a favour to your mother, with Mrs. Seresin often volunteering to care for you when your mother had to work late or work on weekends. 

You were at the Seresin home almost every night, with Jake’s mother fussing over her best friend’s daughter, helping her lifelong friend however she could in guiding her little girl, you acting as the surrogate daughter that part of her had always wanted. Jake’s father trying to fill in the blanks where your father had lacked - offering to coach sports teams and including you in games of catch with Jake and his brother, taking you and the boys to get new baseball gloves or soccer cleats when needed, taking the three of you for ice cream after a big achievement in life. Jake’s 16 year old sister, Bethany, would take time to do your hair in the mornings before school whenever she had a chance, offering to do it in all the fun styles she and her friends wore, the kind you were often envious of, passing you old tubes of lip gloss she had lingering around in her backpack on your way to school, encouraging you to use them to your hearts content.  Even Matt, who at 14, thought his brother and his brother’s friends were the most irritating beings in existence, had offered you old sports jerseys of his that no longer fit, teasing you the same way he’d tease Jake, treating you like the little sister he never had. 

Until this past summer, you found yourself wishing most days that Jake’s family would just adopt you, let your mother move in with them and the two of you could just officially be a part of their fun, bustling family that served as your cheerful escape from life. However, when elementary school ended in June with middle school looming around the corner, Bethany had pulled you aside to talk to you about the transition between schools. 

“You know, middle school is…different. It’s not bad. It’s just…things change sometimes. You and Jake might start going on dates with people from school, and it might change your relationship. It happens,” She’d said matter of factly, not mincing words as she shrugged her shoulders, fixing her frosted eyeshadow in the mirror before turning to face you again.

“You might even develop feelings for each other.”

At the time, her words didn’t hold meaning for you. You and Jake had been best friends since Jake was four days old. Your moms were best friends. You practically lived in their home. There was no way things could change between you. You could never have a crush on Jake. He was Jake, the boy who would hide under his mama’s kitchen table with you and a flashlight, swapping baseball cards with one another, the boy who, when you were six-years-old, you’d witnessed eat an entire package of Oreos, then laughed at as he proceeded to throw up an hour later from the sheer volume of chocolate-vanilla sandwich cookies he’d consumed that day. Jake could never be someone you’d have a crush on. He was your best friend. That would never change.

It was two weeks later when Jake had been on the baseball diamond, pitching an inning of Little League with you in the stands watching on. His baseball cap had been flipped backwards to mimic one of his favourite major league players, his green eyes narrowing in concentration with every pitch he threw out. His golden blonde hair poked out the front of his baseball cap, much like it was doing today, on this cold January evening. His focus was on nothing but baseball, while yours was on everything but when it came to him. When he happened to look your way during the game, you felt a weird feeling in your stomach - a bubbling sensation, like nerves that couldn’t be settled. Your cheeks flushed, turning a pale pink as they became warm to the touch, reddening slightly as you felt Bethany’s gaze fall on you, a grin forming on her face as you proved her right about how your feelings were evolving for Jake. 

Since that day, you’d found yourself continuing to crush on him, each day your feelings grew deeper and more intense than the day before. At this point, you almost swore you could see yourself marrying him one day. You had to admit, you knew everything there was to know about him, you always had fun with him, and he was always happy to see you - you were convinced you two could be as happy and as in love as his parents were someday when you and Jake got older. You’d never tell Jake, you just hoped and prayed that he’d realize one day that he felt the same way about you as you felt about him. You knew there was always the chance that it might not happen, but you didn’t want to think about that.  In fact, as far as you were concerned, you hoped that there was never a day where Jake didn’t love you as wholeheartedly as your little eleven year old self loved him.

❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ 

Present Day

“Jake, please, come back. I miss you,”

“I miss you too, Jenna, I’m coming home to you. It’s always been you.”

The ear-piercing screech of your phone’s alarm blared from your nightstand, interrupting your dream as it screamed at you. You rolled over in bed, groaning as you clumsily stuck your hand out, feeling around on the wooden side table for your phone to silence it and allow yourself a few more moments of peace and quiet before you had to start your day. The last think you wanted right now was to let this dream slip away on you - it was the closest you’d ever find yourself to Jake professing his love for you after all these years, and you clung to it whenever it cropped up in your mind as you slept. 

Jake had always been the one-who-got-away for you. You spent your entire middle school years trying to hide your feelings for him, refusing to break until he said how he felt first. You were 13 when he got his first girlfriend, Tiffany Donaldson, a girl in your class. Tiffany was pretty and popular, something that you couldn’t claim for yourself in either case - growing up with Jake, you were seen as more of a teammate or a sister-figure than anything else, despite his sister’s best efforts to help you shake that connection somewhat. After Tiffany, you two had begun high school, and Jake made the football team, and the baseball team. As the school’s star runningback and starting pitcher for the varsity team, Jake was popular beyond words. No one could hold a candle to him, and as his popularity soared because of his athletic prowess in school, you faded further and further back into obscurity, the limelight falling from you and onto someone new each time Jake began dating another girl. Eventually, by the time graduation rolled around, you and Jake had all but fallen out of touch with each other outside of family get-togethers shared between your mothers. 

You had just worked up the courage to tell him your feelings at the graduation party Jake’s parents had thrown for you both, convincing yourself that it was perfect timing - Jake had accepted an offer at the University of Texas at Austin, keeping close to home as he planned to study finance, his secret talent having always been math. You’d accepted an offer to study communications at the same school, and with both of you remaining local, it would be the perfect time to tell him how you felt and attempt a relationship with him, or so you thought.

Before the words could even leave your mouth, Jake was excitedly pulling you aside at the party, stopping outside of his childhood bedroom, the place where the two of you had often played as kids. His green eyes were full of excitement as he looked at you, causing your heart to race as butterflies fluttered in your stomach, making it hard to concentrate on his words. You almost didn’t hear him when he spoke, you were so transfixed on him. If the news had been anything else, you probably wouldn’t have even registered what he’d said the first time. You could still hear the excitement in his voice as he told you his news, and still feel the ache in the pit of your stomach as his words fell on your ears.

“I got accepted! I’m going to the Naval Academy, Jenna, can you believe it? I’m going to serve in the Navy, just like I always wanted. I’m going to be the best aviator they’ve ever seen. Just you watch.” 

Jake’s voice was practically buzzing with excitement as he’d told you his news, and it took everything you had in you to not fall apart as he spoke. While you knew he’d always dreamed of being a naval aviator, as long as you could remember, the news hit you like a ton of bricks, unexpected and hard as it rendered you speechless, leaving you nodding your head and smiling like an idiot while inside you wanted nothing more than to scream out how you felt. You knew this could never work out between you now. Your chance was gone, moving away to Maryland and joining the Navy before you’d even had a second to realize what was happening when he spoke. 

That was 17 years ago, and the moment still haunted you from time to time, more than you’d like to admit to anyone. At first, you’d kept in touch with Jake and his family, seeing Jake when he came home for holidays and such at first, but then, as you and Jake began entering your first romantic relationships as adults, you found yourselves including each other less and less in your lives. With each boyfriend you had, you realized more and more that you could never love them the way you loved Jake -he’d always be your first love, regardless of how he felt in return. When Jake graduated, he’d been stationed at NAS Lemoore, swapping Maryland for California. You’d still hear the odd update from your mother, who remained in touch with Jake’s parents, but otherwise, you didn’t ask much about Jake’s adult life. You knew he’d never married, that he’d become a Top Gun graduate, and held true to his word about becoming one of the greatest fighter pilots in the United States Navy, but other than that, you knew little about his life now. Last you had heard, last Christmas, he’d been stationed in San Diego. 

You sat up in bed, yawning and stretching your body out before heaving a heavy sigh and shaking your head to rid yourself of thoughts of Jake. You were preparing for a trip back home to Texas for the holidays, spending three weeks back with your mother, part of you wishing and longing for Jake to be visiting his family at the same time, while the other part of you prayed he was staying in California or serving a tour so he wouldn’t be able to be there while you were. It had been close to 15 years since you’d seen him, and the last thing you needed was to be reminded of how you strongly you felt. You didn’t need the help from seeing him. The memories of him were more than enough to keep you clinging on. 

Your phone rang and with bleary eyes, you picked it up, pressing the green button to answer the call.

“Good morning, sweetheart!” Your mother practically sang out in a voice that was far too cheerful for anyone to have at this hour. 

“Hi mama, what’s up? My flight doesn’t land until this evening.” 

“Well, I was talking to Mrs. Seresin about Jake, Matt and Bethany…” Your mother’s voice trailed off as she spoke, and you felt your breath hitch in your throat at the mention of Jake.

“Mhmm?” You responded as you stood up, balancing the phone to your ear with your shoulder as you folded a sweatshirt and set it down neatly on the bed, waiting to be packed.

“It turns out both of us are having our kids home for Christmas! Bethany’s coming down from Dallas with her husband and their little ones, and Matt’s coming from Oklahoma City with his fiancee, and Jake’s flying in on leave from California. He’s made his way up to Captain now, you know, Jenna. He’s made quite the career for himself.”

“Mama, I don’t need a sales pitch on why Jake Seresin is the perfect man for me, ok? He hasn’t seen me in years. He probably wouldn’t even recognize me if he saw me.”

“You never know. But I expect you to dress nicely for their Christmas party. You and I have been invited to join them, and I already said you would gladly be attending.”

“Of course you did. So Jake will be there, then?”

“I think his flight lands just before yours does today, actually. His mama and I were actually discussing if we should just carpool together to pick you both up like back when you two were in school together. Remember that? We used to take turns carting you kids back and forth from home to school.”

“I remember, mama. Don’t worry.”

“Anyway…we were talking and it turns out, Jake happens to be single.”

“Mama, why would I care that Jake’s single?” You replied, trying to sound as level-headed as possible. 

“Please, Jenna. You really think I don’t know about this crush of yours you’ve been harbourin’ for years?” You could hear the laughter in your mother’s tone as she spoke, and it stung, almost as though your feelings had betrayed you.

“Mama! I haven’t had a crush on Jake in years. Not since he left for the Navy.”

“Of course not…just, do me a favour? Wear something nice for that Christmas party, ok?”

“Sure, Mama, whatever you say.”

You finished the conversation with your mother and let out an exasperated sigh as you tossed your phone onto your bed beside you. You had to be at the airport in three hours, leaving you little time to completely reconfigure your wardrobe for the next few weeks at home in Austin. Peering into your closet, scanning the items as they sat on wire hangers in the tiny space, you frowned, realizing that nothing was worthy of a reunion with Jake after all these years. At the back of the closet, you found a black, form-fitting sweater dress that you hadn’t worn in years, but, as you held it up to yourself in the mirror, you figured it could work. Part of you hoped this reunion could be the thing that’d remind Jake of what he was missing out on for the last 17 years. 

As you finished packing your suitcase, you zipped it closed with a sigh, shaking your head as you tried to calm your nerves before getting yourself ready for your flight. There was a chance you could see Jake at the airport, and you knew you had to look your best, just in case. 

❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ 

The flight from Chicago to Austin was the most painful three hours of your life. You tried to focus your attention on anything but Jake, but every movie saved on your phone, every book on your tablet, and every thought that crossed your mind was filled with him. You tried reminding yourself that he could be a totally different person from who he was when you were 18. That he could look completely different, act completely different - that he may not even know who you are anymore. The thought of Jake forgetting you was suffocating, closing in on you a little bit more every time it creeped into your mind. You took a deep breath as you departed the plane, your eyes scanning the crowd for your mother as you gripped your carry-on. Your face went white as a sheet as you saw her standing with Mrs. Serensin, both of whom waved frantically with excitement as they saw you.

“Jenna! It’s been so long, darlin’, how have you been? Your mama’s told me lots, but I feel like it’s no substitute for getting to see you in person!” 

“Hi, Mrs. Serensin! I’ve been ok, how have you guys been? Haven’t seen you in about, 15 years? I think I saw y’all the one visit after Jake shipped out, but I haven’t been home much for the holidays, Mama’s usually up in Chicago visiting me.”

“We’ve been good, Bethany has two boys now, Easton and Dylan, and Matt’s met this girl, Alexis, she’s wonderful, a real sweetheart. He’s gettin’ married next summer. “

“Oh, that’s great news!” You replied cheerfully, fighting the instinct to bite your lip as she failed to mention where Jake was at in life. 

“We better get going, Julie, Jake’s plane’s about to land,” Your mother said as she grabbed Mrs. Seresin’s arm excitedly, nodding her head.

“Oh, I thought Jake landed earlier?” 

“He was meant to, but his flight got delayed, he’s landing in a few minutes now, I think.”

You nodded your head slowly, reluctantly following behind as your mom and Mrs. Serensin led the way to Jake’s terminal, biting the inside of your cheek as your eyes followed the signage as you walked past. You tried your best to focus on something, anything, but your nerves but so far, your nerves were winning. You were terrified. What if Jake hated you for not staying in touch? What if he forgot all about you? What if you were the last person he wanted to see? What he if came through those doors with a surprise girlfriend on his arm?

“Ma!” You heard a voice call out. You looked up to see a tall, handsome man with neatly combed blonde hair, piercing green eyes and sunkissed skin. His naval uniform was still perfectly pressed without a crease on it somehow after his flight, and he looked perfect. You knew in an instant that it was him.

“Ms. T?” He chuckled as he shook his head, pulling back from his mother’s embrace as he gave your mother a heartfelt hug, before pausing as he looked at you, a warm smile on his lips as he nodded his head, his blonde eyebrow cocked upwards in surprise. 

“Jenna?”

“The one and only,” You shrugged with a smile as you tried your best to play it cool, forgetting for a moment that at 35 years old, you shouldn’t be getting tongue-tied and start giggling like a schoolgirl over a crush. The mere fact that you still had a crush on Jake was enough to make you feel like a fool.

“It’s nice to see ya, Jenna,” Jake nodded as he wrapped his arms around you, enveloping you into his embrace. You breathed in the scent of his cologne, notes of whiskey and cedarwood encircling you as his grip remained tight, yet comfortable around you, as if he was hugging his long lost friend, which, he was in a sense. 

“Nice to see you too, Jake,” You nodded once as he pulled away, a soft smile on your lips as you looked at him, trying to commit this moment to memory before it drifted away on you. 

You swore out of the corner of your eye, you saw your mothers exchange a look with one another, a secret signal to one another, as if a master plan of theirs was underway, and everything was beginning to come together before their eyes.  

As the four of you headed out to the car together, you caught yourself repeatedly stealing glances at Jake. He hadn’t changed hardly at all since you saw him last, apart from gaining some muscle, and his cheekbones and jawline becoming a bit more defined as he’d aged. He looked incredible for 35, if you didn’t know him, you likely would have guessed he was barely 30, and you couldn’t help but feel yourself fall deeper with each stolen look at him. 

“So, you’re Captain Seresin now then?” You raised an eyebrow as you looked at him, hoping to break the silence brewing between the two of you.

“Yeah, this past April! I didn’t expect to get it, to be honest.”

Jake’s cheeks reddened as he smiled at you, trying to appear modest as he spoke of his accomplishments in the Navy since you’d last seen him. He had always used to have an ego so big that it’d rival some of the aircraft around in size, especially as a teenager - he was good and he knew he was good when it came to sports. It was part of what drove the two of you apart, but around you? He was modest like he always had been before, acting embarrassed by the achievements he’d otherwise never shut up about. If you didn’t know any better, you’d almost think Jake was nervous around you. Jake Seresin, the only service member on active duty with multiple confirmed kills, the US Naval Air Force Captain who’s served for the last 17 years without as much as a scratch on him, the man who graduated top of his class from the Top Gun program, where only the best of the best are selected to participate. Jake Seresin had no need to be nervous about impressing you. He could have impressed you by simply looking your way - but for some reason, he was nervous around you, reduced to a blushing, modest mess.

❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ 

“Jake’s such a lovely boy,” Your mother said as she sipped her morning coffee, eyes fixated on the news program on her television set. 

“He’s 35, mama, he’s hardly a boy now.”

“Fine, Jake’s a lovely man, he’s still just as sweet as I remember him being when he was young. He comes back to visit whenever he gets a leave and stays for a few days, and he always stops by to say hello - he even asks about you sometimes.”

“He asks about me?”

“He sure does, he asked Julie about you the other day, in fact. He was asking if you’d be home this time at Christmas. Seems you two always come back to visit on opposite schedules and never run into each other. He was saying he’d like to see you again, Jenna.”

Your mother’s words hung in the air for a moment. You took a sip from your coffee mug and furrowed your brow as you thought it over. You dismissed your mother’s words as nothing more than an attempt to set you and Jake up on a date, one that you figured Jake wasn’t going to be a willing participant of. 

“Oh Mama, hush, he probably just said that to be polite because he figured I’d be coming home for the holidays anyway.”

“Jenna, why are you always so stubborn?” Your mother frowned, shaking her head as she let out an exasperated sigh.

“I’m not stubborn, I’m just…practical. I’m the only one who seems to realize the fact that Jake and I haven’t seen each other in 17 years, Mama. We’re not the same people we were when we were 18. He could be a serial womanizer with a series of broken hearts left behind waiting for him in California for all I know. He could have 17 kids by different women, or be a serial killer, Mama. I literally know nothing about him anymore.”

“Jenna Elizabeth Taylor, you’re just being ridiculous now,” Your mother frowned as she shook her head, sighing, “I think Julie would have mentioned it if Jake was a father, and do you really think he’s the type to go around breaking hearts for fun? Besides, how could he be a serial killer if he’s busy flying around on missions all the time?”

“You’re missing my point, Ma.”

“No, Jenna, I think you’re missing mine,” She sighed, setting her mug down on the table as she pursed her lips, “My point is, I know you’ve been holding out for him for years. He’s asked his mama about you, he’s been asking if you were coming home, he stops in to see me whenever he comes home - do you really think he’d do all that if he didn’t still feel something for you?”

“Mama, I’m not going to make a fool of myself and throw myself at him, contrary to what you think would work.”

You heard the sound of someone clearing their throat, and when you turned on your heel, you stood face to face with Jake, now sporting a fitted pair of acid-washed light denim jeans and a burnt orange Texas Longhorns football jersey and a brown corduroy bomber jacket shrugged on over top. His blonde hair peaked out from behind his beloved baseball cap, you’d swear it was the same one he’d been wearing since he was 15 if you didn’t know any better, this hat looked like it had been through hell and back.

He’d let himself in through the unlocked front door, almost certainly at your mother’s previous insistence or invitation. His cheeks were blushing again, his green eyes darting between the two of you, a blonde eyebrow cocked upwards as his gaze landed on you.

“Throw yourself at who?” He chuckled, flashing a set of perfect white teeth your way as gave you that same grin that he always did when you were kids. It was the kind of smile that always got him out of trouble, and sometimes, into trouble, depending on the situation. 

“No one,” You said quickly, shooting your mother a warning glance as you shook your head, a few strands of light brown hair falling free from your half-assed ponytail that you’d thrown it up into the night before for bed. You realized that Jake was now standing in your mother’s living room while you were sporting an oversized old Texas Longhorns tee and a pair of sweatpants - not ideal attire for seeing a man you were attracted to in, regardless of your protests about your feelings to your mother. 

“Right,” Jake nodded his head, but the tone in his voice told you he didn’t quite believe a word you were saying, “I know this isn’t a great time, but Ma wanted me to check and see if you and Ms. T were still able to make it tonight, she wanted me to ask in person, and she wanted me to see if you needed my help bringing anything over, she said you were bringing your famous taco dip, Ms. T? I can bring the dish over now for you if you’d like, Ma’s cleared out the fridge of anything that isn’t a necessity for the party so there’s tons of room.”

“Sure, Jake, honey, it’s in the fridge, Jenna can show you where, I just have to run upstairs and grab something to send to your mama’s with you,” Your mother said as she stood up, heading off up the stairs quicker than you could say a word, leaving you and Jake alone in an awkward stance, nothing but the sound of the morning news to fill the silent void between you, until Jake cleared his throat again before pointing his index finger towards the kitchen.

“In here? I’m sure I can find it if you need to go upstairs and get changed.” 

“I’m fine, not like you haven’t seen me in pajamas before, Jake.”

“Well, in my defense, last time we were like, 12.”

“I’m sure you’ve seen a woman in an oversized tee and sweatpants before,” You shrugged nonchalantly, pretending to be completely unbothered by the fact you felt like you were dressed like an absolute slob right now. 

“Alright, lead the way then,” Jake nodded as he followed behind you. 

You felt his eyes make their way down your body, and you swore you could hear him muttering something under his breath as he sauntered into the kitchen after you. You couldn’t make out what he had said, but it sounded almost like a “Jesus Christ” before he coughed and averted his gaze as you turned to face him. You opened the fridge and grabbed the dish containing your mom’s taco dip before setting it on the counter for Jake to take home. You raised an eyebrow at Jake as you caught him staring in your direction, a look of bewilderment on his face. 

“You good, Hangman?”

“Hmm?” Jake said as he shook his head, an awkward laugh escaping his lips as he raised an eyebrow at you, “How did you know my callsign?”

“Because it’s on the back of your jersey, genius.”

Jake raised an eyebrow as he looked down, as if he’d forgotten what shirt he was wearing today. He nodded his head and laughed as he ran a hand through the back of his hair, scratching the back of his neck as he looked back up at you. 

“Yeah, yeah I’m good. Just, uh, jet-lagged, I think.”

“Jet-lagged? Isn’t only two hours behind us in San Diego?”

“You can still feel jet-lag with a two hour difference, Jenna.”

“I’m not stupid, Jake, I know that, but you seem…distracted? Not tired.”

“I’m fine, honest,” He nodded as he shoved his hands into his front pockets, looking around the kitchen as you checked the fridge for the extra shredded cheese and green onions your mother had prepared the night before to top the dip she’d made. 

“Suit yourself, Jake,” You laughed as you set everything out on the counter for him and nodded, “If you give me five minutes to get dressed, I’ll help you bring it over.”

“Five minutes? God, I remember you taking 30 minutes to get ready when we were kids.”

“I was 12, it was 2000, I needed more time to perfect my lip gloss routine. Now I just have to put something warmer and nicer on than a t-shirt and sweatpants.”

“Fair enough, I can wait here. Your mama said she’d back down in a minute with something for Ma anyways.”

“Right, I’ll be back down in five.” 

You turned around and headed back up the stairs, sighing softly to yourself as you entered your childhood bedroom, opening your suitcase as you grabbed out a pair of jeans and a vintage crewneck sweatshirt. You tidied your hair up into a neat ponytail before heading back down the stairs to meet Jake, who was currently talking to your mother in the kitchen, his body leaning against the counter as he spoke. Jake looked up at you, straightening his posture as he saw you. He picked the taco dip up from the counter, along with the reusable shopping bag your mother had packed up of the extra ingredients. Sitting on the counter next to the food was a gift, perfectly wrapped with a gold bow and a tag written out in your mother’s sleek handwriting. Jake’s mother and yours had always exchanged gifts with one another, and it warmed your heart in a sense to see the tradition still carrying on for them. 

“So, you enjoy living in Chicago?” Jake asked, watching you as the two of you headed back from your childhood home, Jake having insisted on walking you back so you could spend some time catching up, even if just for a few minutes. .

“Yeah, it’s a change of scenery. It’s different from Austin for sure. How’s San Diego treating you?”

“It’s pretty good, I like being on the beach. I do miss home sometimes though,” He laughed softly, giving his shoulders a gentle shrug as he looked around at the street you grew up on, just a couple of blocks away from his own childhood home.

“I mean, yeah, I miss my mom sometimes when I’m in Chicago, but, I know it’s easier for me to come home and see her than for you to come home and see your family.”

“Jenna? Can I ask you something?”

“Mhmm?”

“Do you…do you regret leaving for Chicago?”

“No, I wouldn’t be where I’m at now if I hadn’t left. I have a really good career in public relations, and I’m happy with where I’m at professionally. I wouldn’t have gotten that if I stayed in Austin, just like you wouldn’t have gotten as far in the Navy if you hadn’t gone to Annapolis.”

Jake stayed silent for a minute, his eyes looking everywhere but at you, avoiding your gaze. You could sense tension between the two of you. The Jake you knew growing up was never awkward, and never stopped talking - had he really changed that much since he’d left? You couldn’t see the Navy taming him to the point where he became reserved, Jake had always been so outgoing, so full of self-pride that it often came off as cocksure arrogance, but most of the time, it was out of sheer disbelief that he’d made it that far. You looked to him, his hands firmly in his pockets as he let out a huff, his breath turning to vapor in the cool December air. 

“I should really get going,” Jake nodded slowly, checking his watch as he looked back towards the street, “I promised Ma I’d help her set up.”

“Right, right, I’ll see you in a couple hours? Mama and I’ll be there.”

“Perfect, I’ll see you then,” Jake nodded, a warm smile on his features as he turned to start heading back.

You let out a heavy sigh, mentally kicking yourself as you realized you’d just let another opportunity to tell Jake how you felt slip away from you. As you headed up to your bedroom to get ready, moving quickly to dodge any questions from your mother, who was probably desperate to hear how your alone time with Jake had gone. 

You shut the door behind you, sighing again as you sat at your old vanity table, brushing through your hair and sectioning it with a claw clip as you began straightening it, trying your best to calm your nerves and make a decision on how you were going to approach Jake. You wanted to tell him, desperately, how you felt, but, part of you couldn’t help but cling to the fact you might regret it. That you might be disappointed and find out that Jake never felt the same about you, and that he never would. Or that he’d be in a relationship with someone else back in San Diego, someone prettier, younger, smarter, better. 

On the other hand, did you really want to commit yourself to never telling him how you felt? Letting the door shut on the one man you’d loved the longest, the most, and the hardest in your lifetime? Could you really be happy with anyone else? What if something happened to Jake while he was serving and you never got the chance to share how you felt? What if, somehow, there was the off chance he felt the same way about you?

As you finished your makeup, taking a deep breath as you looked yourself over in the mirror, you nodded your head. You had to tell him. There was no way you could let him go back to San Diego without knowing. You couldn’t let this go unsaid any longer, if for no other reason than to give yourself closure. If he rejected you, you could move on - or at least, try to. You could finally let go of your feelings and meet someone, and try your hardest to love them with the same enthusiastic, all-consuming love you felt for Jake. If he felt the same way, you’d apply for a job transfer to Los Angeles as soon as possible, because a three-hour drive was much more manageable of a commute to see him than a flight from Chicago to San Diego. 

This was it, you were going to finally do it. You just needed to get Jake alone.

❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ ❆ 

“Oh, Jenna! It’s been so long, how are you?” 

Bethany’s voice was sweet as honey as she spoke, wrapping her arms around you in a warm embrace, as if she’d been missing you for years and the sight of you reminded her of just how much.

“I’m great thanks, Beth, how are you? Your mama said you have two boys now? Easton and Dylan?” 

“Yeah, they’re 6 and 4, they’re little handfuls like their uncles, but I guess that’s to be expected when you’ve got Jake and Matt as influences for you. My husband’s not much better.” 

Bethany laughed as she gestured towards Jake playing with Easton? Or was it Dylan? Jake’s unmistakeable toothy grin plastered on his face, his green eyes alight with joy as he lifted his young nephew up, tickling him, the young boy’s laughter filling the air as Jake continued to make him laugh. Jake looked up to see you with his sister, smiling as he set the boy down on the floor, ruffling his hair with his fingers before making his way over to you. 

“Jenna! Hey, I’m glad you came.”

“Told you I would, didn’t I?” You laughed, shrugging your shoulders as effortlessly as possible as you tried to play it cool, praying no one saw through the front you were putting up.

“Hey, Jenna, can I…can I talk to you for a sec?” Jake asked sheepishly.

You couldn’t mistake the look on Bethany’s face, biting her lip to hold back a grin. You caught Jake giving her a stare that could make any person stop dead in their tracks, his green eyes practically piercing through his older sister as she tried not to laugh. As you nodded your head, raising your eyebrow at the scene unfolding before you. You followed behind Jake as he led you upstairs to his old childhood bedroom. When he opened the door, you were confronted with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. Old pictures adorned the wall, some including you and Jake as children, with ice cream covered smiles and skinned knees, baseball uniforms and halloween costumes, missing teeth and messy curls. 

“Ma hasn’t changed anything since I left home, I don’t even think she’s bought new bedding for this room.” He chuckled as he looked around the room, his large hands placed firmly on his hips as he stood in the doorway. 

“Still sleeping with those baseball player sheets you had as a kid?” You teased, eyeing the comforter on the bed, neatly made and pulled together, a sign of Jake’s time in the navy.

“You know it, I’m still a big kid, really,” He laughed, nodding his head as he pointed to a picture on the wall before looking over at you, “Remember this one? Your 7th birthday party, I think I snuck an extra little bit of frosting off your birthday cake and my mama almost killed me. She told me I had the table manners of a barn animal.” 

“You did, you used to chew with your mouth full too.”

“I grew out of it at least. I’m a little more civilized now.” Jake replied with a smirk, shrugging his shoulders as he turned to face you, his chest rising and falling as he took a deep breath before exhaling sharply. You could see Jake chewing at the inside of his cheek, nodding his head as his eyes met yours.

“I have to tell you something, ok?” He finally said, sighing heavily.

“I’m listening, Jake.”

“I should have told you this a long time ago, but…I love you.”

You sputtered for a moment, eyes wide in shock as he spoke. He frowned, clearly expecting a better reaction than what you’d given him. Jake shook his head and took your hand in his, stroking the back of your hand gently with his fingers, which were almost surprisingly soft and smooth to the touch.

“I don’t care if you don’t feel the same way. I don’t care if you just wanna be friends after hearing this, because even though the truth is, I'm scared to be your friend, I would rather have you in my life as a friend than not have you in my life at all. The last 17 years have been spent missing you and wishing I’d said something before I left. That I’d kissed you or held you, or said something, anything to you.” He frowned, nodding his head as he looked to the ground before continuing to speak, his voice beginning to tremble with emotion.

“I was stupid to just go and leave things there, but I’ve been paying for it ever since. No other woman has ever compared to you.”

Without another word, you gripped the front of Jake’s football jersey, using it to give you leverage to pull him in closer, your lips crashing into his just as he looked up at you to see what you were doing. Any initial hesitation either of you felt melted away into the kiss, your lips moving together passionately, Jake’s hands trailing their way down your sides to rest on your hips, pulling your body in closer to his. When he finally pulled away to catch his breath, he maintained a small distance between the two of you, speaking in a low whisper as he watched you bite your now puffy, kiss-bitten bottom lip.

“Is that your way of telling me you feel the same way? Because if you do, I want to take you on a date. And I don't care if it's in the day, or at night, or whenever, as long as it's a real date. And I wanna sit there and tell you how beautiful I think you are, Inside and out. How you’ve always been the most beautiful girl in the world to me, without a doubt. And I wanna have babies with you, and I wanna marry you, and I wanna tell you every day that I love you and I always have." Jake nodded, his cheeks blushing as he scratched the back of his neck again, waiting for your response to his rambling feelings.

“Jake, I’ve spent the last 17 years of my life waiting to hear you say that.”

“I know, I’m sorry, Jenna. I’m so sorry I made you wait.”

“Promise me something, Jake?”

“Anything you want, pretty girl.”

“Promise me you won’t make me wait that long again? I’m not sure I can wait another 17 years for you to ask me to marry you.” 

“Jenna, I swear to you, I’m not making you wait for anything ever again. I’d marry you tomorrow if I didn’t think my mama would have me committed for running off to get married three days after our reunion.”

“You’d marry me tomorrow?”

“With bells on, babe. With bells on. I’d marry you right here, right now, in my beat up Longhorns jersey, and drive off into the sunset with you in my truck if you wanted.”

“I don’t know about that, Captain Seresin,” You smirked, raising an eyebrow at him as you felt his hands caress your sides, “As tempting as that sounds, we do have 17 years of lost time to make up for.”

“And I intend to make up for every single second of that with you, Jenna. Here, Chicago, San Diego, I don’t care. I just want you. All of you, completely and totally.”

[child-of-of-the-sunshine]

Mood boards

Snap hasn’t seen these yet hehe 🤭

Callie Seresin-Owens

Seresin-Owens Siblings

Scott and Callie

[loveforaugust]

my sister’s wedding / j. seresin

pairing: jake seresin x reader, best friend!reader x bradley bradshaw, bradley bradshaw x oc

summary: while you love your sister’s new husband bradley, you most certainly do not love his mouth but good looking co worker

“I truly never thought I’d see me sister this happy until she met Bradley,” you were finishing off your maid of honor speech, laughing into the microphone. “They complete each other, if Sarah said she wanted to moon, Brad would do anything to get her the moon. Sarah traveled the world with him, seeing Japan, Florida, and sunny California. If anything proves true love, it’s these two. There’s no one I’d be happier to have as a brother, welcome to the family, Brad. And congratulations to you both!”

Bradley and Sarah gave you a hug, you laughed as Sarah had tears down her face. “Better take care of your wife, Bradshaw.” You teased, rubbing her back gently. You wandered over to the bar, swaying slightly as you waited in the long line.

“Beautiful speech up there,” the guy behind you spoke up. You smiled happily turning to meet his bright green eyes. He was taller than you wear, hair gelled into neat strokes. He was wearing a matching blue suit to your dress.

“Thanks! I’m Y/N, bride or groom?”

“Jake, I fly with Bradley.” He shook your hand. “What’re you drinking tonight, Y/N?”

“Strictly champagne for me! I’m on orders to make sure nobody gets plastered and ruins the wedding!”

“Well I’ll be on my best behavior. I’m a known wedding crasher.” He smirks as he orders a champagne for you.

“Ooh please share Lieutenant!” Your eyes lit up as you stared at him.

“I tend to leave a trail of broken hearts at these events. Especially military weddings.” Jake tipped the waiter and you walked towards the dance floor. You laughed at him as he explained one of his buddies weddings that he’d attended last month.

You learned all about his special name (he called it a call sign) and what had earned him that nickname. “In my defense, I’ve gotten better. That was like 10 years ago. I’ve been promoted since then too.”

“You’re something else, Jake.”

“Is that a good thing? Or should I be concerned?” He teased, leaning against the post beside you. You smiled up at him, a warm feeling covering your face.

“I’m still trying to decide myself!”

“Would a dance help you consider?” You laughed and grabbed his outstretched hand, setting down your drinks and allowing him to lead you out to the dance floor. A slow song played, one of the many Sarah and Brad had picked for their playlist.

“You know you’re not too bad of a dancer.”

“So my dancing skills are subpar, I’ve made you laugh like three times, and I’ve got a steady income, what else can a guy like me do to impress you?” He swayed you softly to the music, his hand resting on your waist gently.

“Ah the ultimate question. Real talk, Lieutenant, how often are you gone? Would you like a housewife or a spouse, and how many kids?” You quizzes him, gently brushing a strand of hair from your face.

To be honest, you hadn’t made your mind up about him yet. He was gorgeous and charming, and surprisingly nice but you almost needed to buy yourself more time to decide if you wanted him to break your heart or not.

“I go where the Navy calls, as of right now, we’re holding a permanent station out in Miramar. We haven’t been deployed for any missions besides the one but I believe that’s my new permanent base.” He raised his eye brows at you.

“That’s so convenient. I actually work in San Diego.” You informed him. He smiled at you.

“What do you do?”

“Pediatric doctor, I work in a hospital.”

“Impressive, how’d you decide to do that?”

“Helped me and Sarah through our childhood. She was sick a lot so we were in and out of hospitals. I saw what they did first hand and was just inspired. How about you? How do you wake up one day and just decide to fly a jet?”

“Well, Y/N, I’m a legacy. My dad did it, his dad before him did it and so on and so forth.” You nodded you head, watching him closely. The dimple in his cheek was showing up and he had the whitest teeth you’d ever seen.

“Staring awfully hard, darling, anything you’d like?” He teased, biting back a smirk. You rolled your eyes.

“You’re quite the charmer, Seresin.”

“Have I charmed you into a date yet?” You held up your fingers, signaling how close he was. “Ooh so close, do you need another compliment? Anymore questions I can answer?”

“One last thing: your thoughts on marriage.” You laughed lightly.

Jake looked over at Bradley and Sarah laughing and dancing with each other. “I think once you find your person, there’s nothing more romantic than making that kind of promise.” You smiled up at him, shaking your head.

“You just seem like the perfect man. Hiding any dangerous qualities under there? Or just the normal amount like the rest of us?”

“I’d say the normal amount.”

“Well you’ve persuaded me. Congratulations, are you free next Tuesday?”

“I’ll pick you up at 8.”

[justalonelyslytherin]

Legacies - Series

Series summary: Growing up as the Admiral's Daughter Ana knew two things: she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps as a naval aviator and she wanted to do it on her own. Not as the Admiral's Daughter but as Ana Kazansky, or rather Lawson as per her mother's maiden name.

Returning to Top Gun for a special detachment proves to be much more complicated than she had anticipated. Between the shifting relationship with one certain colleague, the nearly impossible mission parameters, and her father's illness things are becoming hard to handle.

Pairings: Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Ana Theodora "Teddie" Kazansky, Callsign 'Ghost'

Additional characters: Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw, Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky, all other canon characters involved with the mission, brief appearances of other Kazansky!OC's

Warnings: see each chapter for specific warnings, slow burn, enemies to lovers-ish, canon character death, talk of death and dealing with the loss of a loved one, cancer/sickness, canon level violence, military inaccuracies

Notes: This is not intended to be us navy propaganda in any case. I have no connection to the us navy (or the military in general) & I do not condone their actions. I simply fell in love with tg:m & the characters and want to indulge in my fantasies about that series. While Ana technically is an OC, some might still consider this in the realms/lines of also being able to be considered a 'Reader' (different peeps have different lines where what becomes one and the other) which is why I decided to tag this story as both reader & oc

A/N: I have to thank @writercole a thousand times for helping me sort out the plot!

The name of my OC is inspired by @icemankazansky86 "Russian Iceman Kazanskys Headcanons" who graciously allowed me to name her after Ice sister & grandmother

The header is made by me, and all the dividers were made by the lovely @/firefly-graphics

taglist: open, message me or comment to be added, will be put as reblog

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

[sarahsmi13s]

I Just Need Quiet

whumptober day 3: overstimulation

pairing: jake 'hangman' seresin x sarah grant (plus size fem!oc)

characters: jake seresin, sarah grant, sarah's family

warnings: overstimutaion, family gatherings, holidays, crying, please let me know if i missed anything

word count: ~1.5k

a/n: this is for whumptober! please please please proceed with caution and use discretion, protect your peace also if you are on the whump taglist but are not familiar with a character, you can skip it will not hurt my feelings!

this is also apart of my oc series j and s so the tag list for that is included! and this is based on my own personal experience in this situation

whumptober 2023 masterlist

summary: family can be a lot, especially around the holidays, and it's okay to take a break when it gets too much... sometimes you just need quiet, and that's okay.

“Okay, so what do I need to know about your family?” Jake asked Sarah as they got ready.

She laughed as she curled her hair, “Well, first thing is, you never bring up the Longhorns. That alone is a death sentence.” Jake chuckled and nodded as he looked through his clothes for a shirt, “Noted. Anything else?”

Sarah sighed a little, “The house is gonna get pretty cramped. So it can get hot in the house, and it won’t take long for it to get loud. I know you come from a big family too, probably bigger since both sides are big, but you usually have it in a bigger house than this. And we might have about 20-40 people in this house, so it might get crowded.”

Jake nodded, “Got it.” He came over and kissed her head, “I’m really excited to meet them. And apologize for not being at Thanksgiving.” She hummed softly and turned to peck his lips, “You had to go back to base, they’ll understand.”

He smiled and pecked her lips again and again before moving to go take a shower while Sarah got dressed.

A few hours later, Jake was pulling into Sarah’s aunt’s driveway and parking next to her sister’s truck. 

“Alright, hopefully they like me,” Jake chuckled, squeezing Sarah’s hand. She smiled at him, “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, Cowboy.” 

He pecked her lips before getting out and racing around the truck to get to her side before she could open her door.

“Such a gentleman,” she giggled as he helped her out of his truck. “Anything for you, Sugar,” he said with a wide smile before kissing her forehead. She kissed his cheek and they both grabbed the things they brought before heading inside.

Sarah walked in first, thanking Jake as he held open the glass door for her.

She turned and waited for him to join her before announcing their arrival. 

“Oh, well look who’s here! And she brought a friend.”

Sarah laughed, “Hi Aunt San.” She gave her aunt a hug before turning to Jake, “This is Jake, he’s my boyfriend.” Her aunt’s eyes widened a little, “This is your pilot?” Sarah nodded and felt Jake come up behind her. “Jake, this is my Aunt San.” He smiled and gave her a hug, “It’s nice to finally meet you.” His eyes scanned the house, “And it seems I have plenty of people to meet.”

Aunt San nodded, “You sure do, but I’m first so that’s what’s important.”

Sarah rolled her eyes and laughed, “Oh um, Jake has the food, will you show him to the kitchen while I put the gifts up?” “Oh of course, follow me Jake.”

Jake nodded and followed Sarah’s aunt to the kitchen as she went to the living room.

As she walked into the room she smiled and greeted everyone, talking as she put the presents in the respective bins.

She glanced around, finding very little room to sit and feeling that pressure building in her chest already. Seriously Sarah, you just got here, she thought to herself as the voices started to muddle together.

Sending a smile to everyone, she left to go find Jake so she could do the rounds of hellos and introduce him to her family before they started to eat.

It didn’t take long after their arrival for dinner to start. After that they played bingo until all the gifts were gone and then they brought out other games while eating the rest of the finger foods that were left.

Jake and Sarah sat at the table, Jake playing spoons with Sarah’s uncles, her sister, Elizabeth, and a few of her cousins. Sarah was just sitting there next to him, resting against him and watching the game and drinking ice water.

At first he thought nothing of it, thinking that she was only talking when she addressed to not mess up his game and distract him. But she was unusually flushed, fanning herself a few times and pulling her hair off her neck into a bun. She was taking deep calculated breaths, he could feel her chest moving against his arm.

But when she sat up and started to shake out her hands, popping her knuckles and flexing her fingers, he knew something was off.

“Sugar… are you alright?” Jake asked her quietly as Elizabeth was shuffling the cards and setting the spoons back up. “Mhm,” she nodded, not looking up from where she was picking at her nails. “You sure?” “Yeah, I’m fine.”

She was mumbling, and if Jake knew anything it was that if Sarah mumbled… she wasn’t fine.

He went to say something else but was dealt a hand and the next game started.

This round he’s distracted. Glancing between his cards and her the whole time, picking up on her rhythmically tapping her fingers on her thumbs – index to pinky then pinky to index. She was inhaling through her nose and out through her mouth as her eyes stayed on the table.

Before he can say anything, the sounds of flat palms smacking the kitchen table and then a few loud shouts and laughs from those that managed to get a spoon. 

Jake’s attention is pulled to that, realizing that he missed getting a spoon. But he didn’t really care, something was up with his girlfriend and she wasn’t telling him.

“Dang… that’s alright, I was getting tired of winning anyway,” Jake commented, toothpick moving to the side of his mouth as he chuckled and tossed his cards down. The table laughed and set up another round.

As they did this, Jake turned to Sarah to talk to her but found her getting up and walking towards the front door, attempting to discreetly wipe her eyes but Jake noticed it.

Confused, Jake turned to Elizabeth, “Hey, do you know what’s wrong? I asked but she said she was fine…” She sighed, “I think she’s just a little overwhelmed, it happens.” Jake nodded, humming to himself and he looked over to the door, thinking of how he could help.

Sarah sat down on the porch swing, trying to delicately wipe her tears so she didn’t smudge her makeup.

“Damn it…” She swore under her breath, shaking her hands out and trying to calm down.

She hated that this happened more often than she would like to admit. She loved being with her family, but sometimes it was just too much.

With everyone having to be close and everyone talking, it got hot quickly and it got loud. 

Now she could handle loud, she was a coach – loud things weren’t uncommon. But it was loud conversations. Her brain was trying to listen to everyone and it all just muddled in her mind and it affected everything else.

Sometimes the lights would be too bright or the different scents of food mingling made her brain foggy, that mixed with the heat and the volume of the room – it was too much stimulation at once.

So she always just went outside, letting Arkansas’s freezing December weather bite the heat off her skin. It wasn’t loud outside either, just the muffled sounds of people talking inside and the cars on the highway in front of the house.

She sat there for a few minutes, her eyes closed and she tried to take even breaths and keep the tears in their ducts.

But then she heard the door open and looked over to see Jake come out, holding his Carhartt coat in his hand.

“Hey,” he greeted gently, coming over to her on the bench. “What’s wrong?” Sarah shook her head as she moved on the bench to give him room. “It’s nothi-”

“Sarah, I know you. What’s wrong?” 

She sighed and let her head fall into her hands as Jake sat next to her. He rubbed her back, waiting patiently for her to talk. 

“It’s too much. It’s really loud and really hot and there’s a lot of smells, the lights are too damn bright… I just…” She sighed, tears slipping down her face as she leaned on Jake’s shoulder as she talked.

“I just need quiet…”

Jake nodded, resting his cheek on her head, “I understand. I can go back–” “No, please stay…” He nodded again and put an arm around her back and on the arm rest. Using his other hand, he pulled Sarah’s legs into his lap.

He held up his jacket, inside facing the both of them. “Put your arm in the sleeve,” he told her, nodding to the sleeve hole closest to her. “What, w-” “Trust me, just do it,” he said with a playful grin.

Sarah sighed and slid her arm in the sleeve, looking at Jake to see him doing the same thing.

Jake then gently pushed her head into his shoulder and kissed her forehead.

“Jake… Darlin’, what are you doing?” 

“You need quiet, so we’re gonna have quiet… now shhh and just snuggle.”

She couldn’t help but giggle as she inhaled the faint scent of hay, leather, bergamot, and whiskey that seemed infused with the fibers of the jacket. The scent that always seemed to calm her down.

“Thank you, Jake…” 

“I love you, Sugar.”

“I love you too, Cowboy.”

whumptober taglist: @valmare @bradleybeachbabe @fanboyswhore9 @cassiemitchell @startrekfangirl2233 @nightowlalltheway @86laura11

j and s taglist: @milesdickpic @luckyladycreator2 @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @sebsxphia @mayhemmanaged @nobody7102 @djs8891 @kmc1989 @marbledaesthetics @penguin876 @hisredheadedgoddess28 @bellaireland1981 @memeorydotcom @whatislovevavy @coffeewithcal @showthemwhoyouare-6 @matisse556

hi, if you're seeing this and are currently not on the taglist and would like to be please fill out the taglist form -> whumptober taglist

i can not stress this enough, but whumptober can have some very serious and heavy topics and i want to make sure i am doing my part as an author to prepare my readers for what they are about to experience and that includes not only warnings above but my taglists as well

so if you want to be added check out the masterlist and read that carefully and fill out the form -> whumptober 2023

[blue-aconite]

let me drown || chapter V - jake's summer part II

Summary: 

Warnings: Swearing, a lil bit of angst

Word Count: 3.7k

Pairings: Bradley Bradshaw x OC (past), Jake Seresin x OC (future)

Authors Note: It's been forever since I've updated this series but we're finally getting somewhere! Minors DNI. Each chapter will be labelled with warnings individually.

Thank you to my beta @a-reader-and-a-writer, you're amazing! ♥️

California, Lemoore Naval Air Station, Spring 2019

Jake was cooling down on the treadmill after his morning workout when Javy’s name flashed across his phone. He lowered the pace on the machine as he answered the call. “Hey man, what’s up?”

“You’ll never guess what I just found out!” Javy exclaimed, a tone of excitement obvious in his voice. 

Jake rolled his eyes. “Uh, you found out Phoenix finally grew tired of your gossiping and decided to leave?”

Javy gasped on the other end. “If you’re going to be mean, I won’t tell you.”

“I’m very sorry for being so inconsiderate of your feelings, will you please share your news with me?” 

“You’re such an ass.” Javy complained and Jake could picture his best friend’s expression.

“Anyway, I found out where Bradshaw is now.” He sounded smug, like he was sharing something he shouldn’t, which was probably the case. 

But the tidbit of information intrigued Jake. Thanks to Bob, he knew something must have happened for Thea and Bradshaw to call it quits and for Bob to request a transfer across the country to get his sister away from Virginia Beach.

“Do tell.” Jake said as he looked around and found himself in a now somewhat deserted gym. Turning off the treadmill completely, he wiped it off before picking up his bag.

“Okay, but you can’t tell anyone. Nat swore me to secrecy.” Javy whispered conspiratorially, like he was leaking top-secret government information.

Jake rolled his eyes as he walked back to his bunk. “So you’re not supposed to share this with me?” Coyote hesitated for a moment, making Jake smile. “I swear that I won’t utter a word of what you’re about to tell me.” 

“No, I’m not supposed to share but now that you’ve sworn…-” Javy dragged out the ‘o’ before continuing. “He’s off the coast of Japan, with the Golden Warriors.” 

“I knew the Warriors were deploying, I spoke with Badger when I was visiting Athena and he said they were leaving after Christmas.” Jake recalled, remembering meeting up with his friend from flight school while in Virginia Beach.

They discussed the new information for a while and Jake made sure to leave Thea’s name out of it. He still didn’t know anything except for what Bob had told him. And while he knew Javy would keep his trap shut, he didn’t want to speak about something he had limited information about.

“Well, I guess they broke up? Do you know why?” Javy asked.

Jake sighed. “No. Bob just told me it was over and that Thea wasn’t doing so good.”

Coyote hummed. “Well, count me in for dinner. I haven’t seen Floyd in forever.” 

Jake promised to text the address Bob had given him before they said their goodbyes and hung up. 

It still bothered him that whatever had gone down between Thea and Rooster, Thea was the one who was suffering for it. He wanted to be there for her but he also didn’t want to push his luck. After his last message, he hadn’t reached out, deciding that he would let her decide if she wanted to continue the conversation. He wanted to let it happen on her terms. 

His stomach still fluttered whenever he thought of her but Jake tried his best to push it aside. Even if Thea’s smile made him feel like he could soar, he stayed true to his words to be her friend. 

Javy had teased him relentlessly about his crush, taking the opportunity that he was the one pining for once and not the other way around. 

Thea had texted him back but their correspondence was inconsistent at best, a few late night messages here and there. Jake was happy she wanted to speak to him at all, so he gladly told her about his day or whatever he thought she’d enjoy reading about. He’d sent some book recommendations, remembering how she had talked about how she needed to get back into reading books while they met in Virginia. 

After forwarding the address that Bob had given him to Javy, Jake decided the best way to stop obsessing over tomorrow was to just try and not think about it. He could at least try.

On the way over to the Floyd residence, Jake felt oddly nervous. He hadn’t seen Thea since his trip and he was excited. It would be nice to talk face to face instead of the texts they had exchanged. 

Javy had picked up on his nerves on the way over and snickered but Jake made sure to shut him up before they arrived. 

“Just be quiet about it, yeah? Can you do that?” He asked as they walked up to the cottage, a bottle of wine and a freshly bound bouquet for Thea. 

Javy laughed, bouncing on his toes. “You’re very adorable, Hangman. But yes, I will be quiet. I’m looking forward to meeting the girl that’s made you all cute and shit.” 

Jake retaliated by punching Javy in the arm playfully as they waited for someone to open the door. They could hear footsteps from within and after a few moments Bob opened the door, bbq tongs in one hand. 

“Hey, come on in!” He invited, beckoning them inside. “Shoes off, please. Thea has weird rules.”

“FLOYD, c’mere boy! It's been too fucking long.” Javy grabbed onto Bob before the poor man could escape, trapping him in an embrace whether Bob wanted it or not. Jake shook his head at Javy’s actions, subtly looking around the hallway. When he found no sign of Thea, he turned his focus back to Javy and Bob, only to find both of them already looking at him.

Javy was wearing a shit-eating grin while Bob was observing him with a calculated stare. It wasn’t hostile but Jake felt exposed under the older Floyds’ gaze so he held out the bottle of wine as a distraction. “Thanks for having us, man.”

Bob rolled his eyes, stepping forward to trap him in an one-armed hug. Jake returned it, careful not to crush the flowers. 

“I’m glad you could make it. Yes, you too Javy.” Bob joked as he led them into the kitchen. There were boxes in the hallway and a few more stacked against the corner of the living room. 

Bob offered them both a beer as they sat down at the kitchen island, an offhand wave towards the boxes. “Sorry about those, we haven’t really unpacked everything yet.”

“Do you live here or on base, then?” Javy asked, taking a handful of peanuts from the bowl Floyd offered.

“On base, I’m just keeping a few things here for storage. Thea doesn’t mind and most of the boxes are hers anyway.” Bob said as he grabbed a few plates from the cabinet. 

Upon closer inspection, Jake could see how bare the cottage looked. There was furniture and the like but it lacked a personal warmth. It made sense though, it hadn’t been long since the siblings arrived. 

Jake wondered how it would look after Thea put her personal touch on the place. Thea herself was so warm and kind, so maybe that was her choice of decorations too. Jake hoped he’d get to see what it looked like then.

“So, when do I get to meet this sister of yours? I’ve heard a lot, and it feels like I know her already.” Javy clapped his hands together as he looked around.

Bob pointed to the open sliding door leading into the backyard. Jake could spy a wooden deck and grass beyond that. 

“She’s outside by the grill. C’mon.” Bob took the plates with him. Jake grabbed the pitcher with water and followed him outside. 

As promised, Thea was standing behind the grill placed on the deck, staring at the ocean that could be viewed from the backyard. She looked smaller than Jake remembered, curled in on herself. His heartbeat picked up as he studied her, feeling strangely at peace now that he was in her presence again. He had missed her, despite their brief interaction last time they saw each other. 

“Tiny! Come say hello!” Bob called, breaking his sister out of whatever trance she was in. Jake could tell that her smile wasn’t genuine as she approached them, but said nothing. Javy beat him to greet her, smiling gently. 

Jake watched as Javy extended his hand and introduced himself, trading hellos. He felt uncertain about how he should approach her. She had hugged him goodbye after their roundabout of golf and lunch but he wasn’t sure if it was appropriate now. 

“Earth to Jake. Hello?”

He was broken out of his inner monologue by Javy smacking him on the chest. Jake slapped his hand away and refocused his attention on Thea. She was standing close to Bob now, almost hiding behind her brother’s 6’2 ft frame. 

His heart thudded against his chest as she smiled timidly at him. Thea didn’t speak so Jake decided to go first. “Hi, Thea. It’s nice to see you again.”

Thea awkwardly looked around, wrapping her arms around her midsection as to protect herself before greeting him. It hurt him to see her look so small.

“Hi, Jake. It’s good to see you too.” She was more soft-spoken than he remembered but when she smiled at him, Jake still felt those flutters return. 

Bob and Javy moved away towards the grill, chatting animatedly and leaving him and Thea by themselves. He wanted to ask how she was doing, how she was feeling and if there was anything he could do. But Thea beat him to speaking. 

“I picked up a few of those books you recommended.” 

While it wasn’t what Jake was looking for, Thea looked so on edge that he figured it was a safe topic for her. Revisiting his earlier attitude about space, he smiled happily. “I’m glad. I hope you enjoy them.”

Thea smiled then, a tentative small smile, but a smile nonetheless. “Crime isn’t really my thing but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to branch out.”

After hesitating, Jake decided to stop beating around the bush. He opened his mouth to ask her if something was bothering her but Bob interrupted him, calling out that the food was ready. 

Thea made a vague gesture towards the seating area. “We should join them.” She almost looked relieved to be interrupted, as if she could sense what he was about to ask her. 

DInner was pleasant, the conversation between Jake, Javy and Bob flowed easily but Jake kept an eye on Thea through the entire meal. She participated whenever Javy asked her something or Bob turned to her but she was more subdued than he remembered from his dinner with the siblings back in Virginia. 

Whatever Bradshaw had done, it had obviously done a real number on Thea. And Jake hated that. He hated that his gut feelings about the man had been correct. Bradshaw was the same man he remembered and he loathed that Thea had seemingly paid the price for his actions. She deserved better. 

“So, Bob mentioned you graduated from UPenn? Architecture, right?” Javy asked, directing his attention to Thea. 

Thea nodded, putting down her glass. “Mm. You know anything about it?”

Javy laughed, chewing on a potato. “I think my cousin’s wife is an architect and I know you guys design buildings. That’s about it.” 

They all laughed and, with some more prompting, she launched into an explanation of her degree and new workplace. She lit up when describing the project she’d been put on and it was clear that this was her passion. 

“Okay, I admit defeat. You guys do a lot more than designing buildings.” Javy mused.

“Yeah but I know that’s what most people think about when they hear the word architecture.” Thea assured him, stabbing a broccoli with her fork.

They had let Thea talk without interrupting but it felt safe to ask questions now. “What’s your focus?” Jake asked, leaning back in his seat. 

“Focus?” Javy asked at the same time as Thea answered his question. “My main one is landscape architecture but I’ve done some projects in interior design as well.” 

Javy looked bewildered between the two of them. “There’s different fields?”

Bob snickered behind his glass, the upturn of his lips making Jake smile in return. Thea smiled as well and Javy grimaced. “I did not know that. Interesting.”

She angled her body towards Javy more, explaining the different types and what had prompted her to choose that specific field. 

Jake took the opportunity to turn his questions towards Bob. “So, how’s Taylor?”

Bob shrugged. “She’s fine.”

“You don’t sound too sure.” 

Bob faltered, shifting uneasily. “She was supposed to hand in her notice. She said she could find another job here, that she was willing to move but when I asked her about it, she admitted that she hadn’t turned it in yet - and she couldn’t give me a straight answer as to why.”

Jake’s heart went out to Bob, who was obviously struggling with this dilemma. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t understand though, you said she was coming with us.” Thea spoke up, having listened in on their side conversation.

“She’ll be here, Tiny.” Bob reassured but it didn’t sound as confident as Jake guessed Bob wanted to come off as. 

The conversation came to a halt, nobody knowing how to continue. A few moments passed before Bob spoke up. “It’s fine, you guys. Does anyone want coffee?”

They all helped clear the table, the tension from the previous conversation ebbing away. Thea shooed them from the kitchen, rinsing the dishes in the sink. Javy and Bob took her gesture to heart and headed back outside but Jake decided to linger. 

“You don’t have to stick around.” Thea busied herself with the plates, keeping her eyes on the sink. Jake leaned against the kitchen island, shrugging his shoulders.

“Figured you could use some help.”

Thea laughed, a genuine sound this time and Jake’s heart did a somersault in his chest. He immediately scolded himself silently for his reaction, keeping his face neutral. “What?”

“I know you three haven’t been around each other in a while. You really want to help me load the dishwasher instead of catching up with your friends?” Thea snorted, rinsing another plate. 

Jake rolled his eyes. “I’ll have you know my mama raised a gentleman, I’m nothing like those two heathens who just abandons a lady with chores.” 

He went for the joke, hoping that it would ease up on the slight apprehension he could feel from her. She was smiling but her body language told him she wasn’t totally at ease with him. He wondered why. 

“Hangman! Get out here!” Bob called, waving at him through the window. 

He turned towards Thea but she waved a hand in the direction of her brother. “Go. I’m almost done here. Take the mugs with you, please.” 

He did as she asked before casting one last glance her way as he left the kitchen. She didn’t notice, busy with cleaning off the counter. 

He watched her through the window, noticing how she relaxed slightly the moment she was alone. Trying to not feel hurt by Thea’s apprehension, Jake took a seat again, easily catching up with the conversation between Coyote and Bob.

No one mentioned anything when Thea didn’t join them again until he and Javy were standing on the porch, saying their goodbye’s. 

Javy trapped both Thea and Bob in a hug before either could protest, which made him smile. Jake was used to his best friend’s behaviour but Bob looked like he might have forgotten since they were all together last time. 

“Listen, don’t be a stranger! You need anything, just give us a call. If Bob can’t help you, of course. And when she gets here, I’d love for you to meet my girlfriend. I think you two would like each other.” Javy rambled, adding himself to Thea’s contacts. 

“Nat’s visiting?” 

Javy nodded happily. “In two weeks. Maybe we can all go out to dinner?”

“Sounds good! We’ll plan later.” It doesn’t go unnoticed how Bob chose to not put Thea on the spot by asking her to tag along even though the invitation was there. Jake echoed his agreement instead of saying anything and Javy immediately started planning a group chat.

Turning slightly towards Thea, Jake decided against a hug, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. “It was good to see you again. Like Javy said, if you need anything -”

“Thanks,” she interrupted, biting her lower lip, “I appreciate it. I’m glad you guys stopped by.” 

They waved their goodbyes when he’s reversing out of the driveway and Jake could feel Javy’s eyes trained on him.

“What?”

Javy shrugged. “Nothing. Thea seems nice. A bit quiet though and sad.”

He didn’t answer, instead choosing to focus on the road despite it being nearly empty. He didn’t want to think about all the reasons Thea had changed so much since he first met her. While she was still there, Jake could see how much the breakup from Bradshaw had changed her.

“But I liked her and most important of all, I can see why you’ve got a massive crush on her.”

Jake snorted. “It’s not like that.”

“Sure it isn’t. Man, she’s been the only thing you’ve talked about since visiting Oceana. And, I’ll admit, I did tell you to not get involved because she had a boyfriend and a protective older brother. Also because I didn't want to see you get hurt, y’know?” Javy had taken on a more serious tone now.

He continued without letting Jake talk. “And at the time, I was right. But maybe you should now.”

The last part made Jake turn his head, eyebrows rising. “Seriously? Were you not at the same dinner as me? She was uncomfortable around me, although I don’t know why.”

“Maybe you should ask her why? You can’t fix it if you don’t know what’s wrong.” 

Jake pulled into the parking lot, killing the engine. “I don’t want to back her into a corner and it’s not like she owes me her friendship or anything. We hung out twice and while we really clicked, something has obviously changed. I’ll see if she even wants to spend time together first before making demands.”

“You know, you’re smarter than people give you credit for. I guess you’re more than just a pretty fa - HEY!” Javy swatted his hand away as Jake tried to slap him on the side of the face, laughing as he ran away.

“I’m reporting you. You can’t go around damaging government property!” Javy cackled as he headed in the opposite direction. Jake flipped him off even though Coyote couldn’t see him.

“Sleep with one eye open, Machado!”

“I’ll talk to you later, Hangman!” was the only answer and Jake could hear him still laughing in the distance. 

Javy had sent him 10 snaps when he got back to his room but he went straight to bed, wanting to catch some much-needed sleep. 

And despite everything, Jake thought about Thea as he fell asleep.

“Can I ask you something?”

Bob shrugged. “I don’t guarantee an answer.”

Jake hesitated, sparing one moment to wonder if he should ask or just forget about it. Floyd didn't seem to notice, immersed in his phone. 

“Have you heard from Taylor?”

Bob fixed him with a stare that reminded him of his own mother, one eyebrow slightly higher than the other. “That’s not what you want to ask and we both know it. But to answer it, not really? We’ve texted back and forth but she still can’t give me a straight answer.”

“You don’t seem too worried.” Jake observed.

Bob sighed. “I am but I also have other things to think about.”

Throwing caution to the wind, Jake voiced his concern. “Like Thea?”

Bob rolled his shoulders back, cracking his neck. “I still worry about her. I thought moving here would help and it has but I guess I was being a bit too convinced it would fix everything. And the whole situation with Taylor isn’t helping, at all. I feel like I’m being stretched too thin at this point.”

Jake felt bad for his friend, wishing he could help. “If there’s anything I can do to help, I’d be down. Don’t want you to run yourself into the ground worrying about everyone.”

Bob huffed, cracking his knuckles. “I’ve been worrying about Tiny since the day she was born, it’s not going to stop anytime soon.”

He was reluctant to add to Bob’s burden but a question had been eating away at him since dinner last week. Jake had tried to let it go but he couldn’t. 

“Thea appeared a bit off at dinner. Which isn’t a surprise, considering what has happened. But I couldn’t help but notice that she seemed uneasy around me. Uncomfortable. I’ve been chalking it up to just being nervous but something has changed.” Jake spoke slowly, spilling his thoughts.

“I know it’s not my place and you said it’s not your story to tell but even I can see that whatever happened between her and Rooster has hurt her. And I just want to help.”

Jake knew he sounded a bit pathetic at the end of his rant but he didn’t care. He was worried about Thea, and Bob to an extent, and while his reputation painted him as a man who only cared about himself, Jake did care about his friends and family. 

Javy was right, he could be an asshole but not when it came to the people closest to him. 

“Do you really want to know what happened?” Bob asked, observing him with a calculated look that oddly enough made Jake sit up a bit straighter, as if he was being judged. 

He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s not as much as knowing what happened but about helping and being there for your sister. I really care about her.”

Bob closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head. “I’ll tell you. But you have to understand, not even I know everything. She won’t say anything but I know there are still things she hasn’t told me. But promise me one thing, same as I promised Thea concerning Rooster.”

“What did you promise?”

“I promised I’d stay out of it. That I wouldn’t go after him.”

Jake cleared his throat, trying to picture Bob hunting Bradshaw down. It wasn’t crazy but he had a hard time imagining it. But if Thea had made Bob promise not to, he would as well. “Well, I swear I won’t hunt him down.”

Bob laughed humorlessly, clenching his jaw. He was angry, Jake realised. “After I’m done telling you, you might want to.”

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[callsigns-haze]

Out of All: Chp 8

Jake Seresin x OC! Anna Bradshaw

Brothers' Best Friend Series! Follow along as these characters navigate the treacherous waters of love, loyalty, and desire, all while facing the ultimate taboo: falling for your sibling's best friend. From heart-pounding moments to steamy encounters, this series is a rollercoaster of emotions that will keep you hooked until the very end. Brace yourself for intense romantic tension, sizzling chemistry, and enough drama to keep you guessing. Are you ready to embark on this captivating journey?

This chapter includes explicit sexual content with detailed descriptions of sexual activity and intimacy between characters. Scenes depict physical intimacy, including kissing, touching, and biting, with characters described in states of undress. Emotional intensity is explored, encompassing themes of longing, desire, and vulnerability, with brief references to past trauma. Characters may be shown consuming alcoholic beverages, and mature themes such as casual relationships

You and Jake lie intertwined on the bed, nestled beneath the covers in the comfort of your room. Resting against his chest, you gaze up at the ceiling together, his fingers gently tracing through your hair as you both relish in each other's presence. Shifting slightly, you curl onto your side, playfully tugging at the strands covering his sculpted chest.

You prompted yourself up so you sit upon his waist and push yourself up by extending your arms over upon his shoulders. You lean down to kiss him passionately. He quickly opens up to you, you slip in your tongue against his. It was like a dance as the smacking sound of mouths collided. You rubbed yourself against him, causing the two of you to moan against each other.

With a subtle adjustment, he guides you into a new angle, his hand exploring as he prepares to rejoin your intimacy. It's a whirlwind of sensation, the intensity heightened by the secrecy of your connection. The line between friendship and something more blurs in the heat of the moment.

-

Bradley arrived a bit earlier home than usual. He was still extremely shocked about Jake's previous behaviour, like what was up with the man? He walks into the house expecting you to be somewhere but you were nowhere to be seen. He slips off his shoes and notices your bag and instruments are still at the door.

You must've only got home not a bit back. He looked around downstairs for a second before walking upstairs and walking towards the direction of your door. He still hasn't announced himself being there, I mean you might be sleeping.

He walks down the upstairs landing for less than a second and walks up to your door. Hand on the handle, he leaned in about to push it open but heard light sounds. They weren't that 'light' anymore, they seemed to increase and sharpen up a tune. It was like someone was exhausted, panting and the sound of the duvet being grippe- You were having sex. However, faint sounds from within catch his attention, growing louder and more distinct by the moment. Shock and anger surge as he realizes the nature of the encounter on the other side – his little sister engaged in passionate intimacy.

His little sister was having goddamn sex with someone in the room. He hasn't been so furious. This had to be the man that impregnated you. This had to be the father of your future child. The man who knocked you up.

Bradley aggressively pounded at the door and you and Jake jump to a stop. You both stared at each other in shock and Jake didn't hesitate to quickly jump up and get his clothes. He quickly slipped back on some of his over wear and stared at you while whispering, "What am I meant to do!" You looked at him in fear and a sense of no way out.

You dragged Jake to your bathroom and opened the window. He stared at you like you had three heads let alone three eyes. You look at him as he whispers, "Are you a bloody mad woman?"

You stared at him with a bit of anger and with a strong tone you asked him, "You got better suggestions, Sherlock?" He stared at you and rolled his eyes. Sitting on the windowsill he slipped one leg out the window following the other before quickly kissing your lips. "You owe me for years to come, woman. You better know that." You wanted to push him out that window.

-

You grabbed a robe and wrapped it quickly around you before tying it and opening your bedroom door, ever so slightly. You lean in the frame and smile up at your brother, "What's up bro." Where the fuck did the fucking casual and calmness go. What the fuck is honestly wrong with you.

"Whose in here?" Bradley barged into the room, causing you to ever so slightly lose balance before he enters and you try to look innocent. "What do you mean? Nobody's here."

He walked into your bathroom, eyeing the room to find any possible person hiding. He later opened your closet to check and you just rolled your eyes at him. "Don't lie Anna. I know what I heard."

You simply smirk as he slightly looks around further. You have a thought but your insanity refuses you to say it. Come on, don't say it. It's bloody weird, he's your goddamn brother. Keep your mouth shut. Enough trauma-

"A woman can do plenty of magic with her fingers."

You fucking idiot. He's your brother for lords Christ sake. He looks at you with disgust and walks back over to the door. "You're disgusting." You simply just shrug your shoulders, disgusting but Jake got out alive.

-----

"So when are you going to tell Bradley?" You lay on the beach towel with Caila as the two of you stare into the sunset like when you were in college. You turn to her and just simply shake your head.

"Honestly I don't know." You really didn't know, honestly you hoped you never had to tell him. Jake was his goddamn wingman, his bloody rival and also the father of your future child. She simply nods to that. Caila knows you have a lot on your mind and if you don't know, you simply didn't. She asks another time, "Are you still planning an abortion."

Abortion.

The day you found out you were pregnant, you felt like you could never be a mother. You never wanted kids or a family. You were the person that feared to have kids of their own, in thought that you'd fail your role of raising them. And also you had no proper way to upkeep them.

But… Jake was quite happy to find out. Well, not in these circumstances but he wanted this baby. He wanted to raise his future child and get the chance of being a father. It made you feel like an anti-hero. It was like peer pressure but then again, it wasn't like that at all.

"I don't know, honestly."

I'm sorry it's short, just needed some suspense! The next part comes tomorrow!

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[the-authoress-writes]

Safe and Sound

Or: It’s the Great Karmic Bitchslap, Jake Seresin!

Prologue

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Seresin OC

Safe and Sound Masterlist

Synopsis: After leaving her violent and abusive husband, Anastasia Seresin has known nothing but fear for months.

Always looking over her shoulder, wondering if he’s found her and their son, Luke, again.

With nowhere left to go, she turns to her younger twin brother, Jake, hoping that finally, she’ll have fled far enough.

But when she meets Bradley Bradshaw, her world is turned upside down, and she’s left wondering…

Will she have the courage to love again, and to let herself be loved?

Series Warnings: Domestic violence and abuse, sexual abuse, PTSD, warnings will be updated as the series progresses.

This is a story dealing with very serious and sensitive topics.

Please be careful, and protect your own peace.

Chapter Warnings: Military inaccuracies 🤣

Author’s Note: This story is one that is special to me; this was one of the first Top Gun stories I came up with, soon after I watched TG:M.

I’ve been keeping this to myself, because this is going to be intense and hard, but I know that if I don’t put this out there, I’ll never finish it.

So here we go.

Title is from the Taylor Swift/Joy Williams & John Paul White song of the same name.

Not breaking my habit of naming my stories after songs, it seems!

Jake groaned as he blindly groped around his bedside table for his phone which was ringing its alarm.

He felt like he’d just fallen asleep—he’d only drank his limit at The Hard Deck, the night before, but it felt like he’d only gotten an hour of sleep.

Phone in hand, he squinted at the screen, his sleep-addled mind not quite comprehending what he was seeing.

It actually was about an hour since he fell asleep, and his phone was ringing not because of his 5:45 AM alarm, but because of a call from base gate security.

“Lieutenant Seresin speaking,” he rasped, pressing the phone to his ear.

“I’m very sorry to wake you, Lieutenant, but I have a kid and woman here at the gate asking me to let them in, she says they need to get to your house,” the guard replied.

Jake frowned. “Who are they?

Did you get their names?”

“The young man has no ID on him, but the woman’s driver’s license says Anastasia Malloy.”

Jake instantly shot up in bed, even though the action left him a little dizzy. “Let them in—that’s my sister and nephew.”

A minute or two later, he was standing outside his base housing, waiting.

Soon, the gate security car drove up with an ancient sedan in its wake.

The sedan parked, and the driver stepped out.

He knew it had to be his sister, but nothing in the way the woman who was walking towards him reminded him of the strong, capable spitfire he knew.

She stopped about five feet away from him before she looked up, tear tracks making shining trails down her cheek. “I’m sorry,” she breathed, voice broken, “I didn’t know where else to go.”

“Oh, Stacia,” Jake immediately opened his arms to his older twin sister.

To be continued…

Next Part

I know this section is so short, but the first chapter will be published tomorrow, I am just editing it today.

I’m very excited.

My subtitle for this story was the working title this story was under until I came up with “Safe and Sound” as the actual title.

It’s derived from the classic Peanuts television special, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”.

I thought about not putting it, but giving Jake the biggest karmic bitchslap was the entire reason I came up with the plot, so I’m putting it.

Stacia (pronounced StAH-shuh) is the Polish nickname for Anastasia, which I use here because I headcanon that Jake has Polish ancestry, like his actor, Glen Powell’s supposed ancestry, so here, the Seresin twins have Polish ancestry and nicknames.

With more Polish details to come! 😂

Let’s just ignore the military inaccuracies, shall we?

*In Edna Mode voice* It’s for the ahhhhht, dahhling.

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