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tip-top-cloud-surfer · 11 months ago

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The Danger Zone (Part 18) - Hangman

Pairing: Hangman / Fem!Bradshaw!Reader | OC

Word Count: 3.9k

This work, all my works, and my entire blog are 18+ ONLY.

Warnings: Unplanned Pregnancy; Military Inaccuracies; Medical Inaccuracies; Crying; Angst; Family Drama; Deployments; Use of "You," No Use of Y/N, No Set Physical Description

Summary: You try to adapt to life without Jake beside you anymore.

Series Master List

Master List

Dear Jake,

You probably haven’t even reached the aircraft carrier yet. You might even still be on the ground in Miramar. But I couldn’t wait. I miss you. You’ve been gone for less than five hours, and I already miss you so much. I'm not saying that to try and make you feel bad, but because it's the only thing on my mind now.

Everyone offered to take me out today to try and distract me, but I declined. I think that I just want some time to myself. I honestly don't even want to get out of bed. Maybe I’ll do some cleaning. Or who knows? Maybe I’m an accomplished knitter who hasn’t discovered her talent yet. Or maybe I’ll bake again. I don’t know.

Also, all of the tee shirts you left behind are now mine. Sorry, it’s just wife rules. You shouldn’t have married me and knocked me up if you didn’t want me to steal your stuff.

I miss you. I love you. And so does our little girl. Come home safe, Lieutenant Commander. That’s an order.

Love,

Your Wife

~~~~~

Dear Jake,

I went back to work today. Everyone tried to talk to me about you and the wedding and everything, but I just wanted to be left alone. Also, my cravings are all over the place now. And half of the stuff seems to make me throw up these days. Luckily, I still have the gum and toothbrush in my desk.

How’s everything? I assumed that you made it to the carrier by now. Or maybe you’re somewhere else entirely.

You know all of those spy movies over romanticize how sexy it is to be waiting at home for your husband to return home from some top secret mission.

It’s not sexy. It’s just annoying.

Here’s a photo of me and my bump. Don’t mind the mess in the background, I’m rearranging the whole apartment. Call it nervous organizing. It'll be cleaned up. Eventually.

She’s been a shy ever since you left. I can still feel her moving around, but even she seems to have realized that you're gone. I think that she just misses you. And I can’t blame her because I miss you too.

I love you, Jake. Come home safely.

Love,

Your Wife

~~~~~

Dear Jake,

I got the package that you bought for me. I hope that you know that if you were here, I would have given you a rerun of that time that we went to that desert concert. The one where you wouldn't remove your hands from my waist for a second. I hope that your big promotion doesn’t change how much you enjoyed it when I tied your hands up back in your truck.

Our daughter’s been moving around like crazy today ever since I played your voice for her. She doesn’t seem to be willing to kick yet, but we’ll get there in time.

I let Emma take me out today. We just took a walk around her neighborhood. Baby girl finally went to bed after that. But knowing her, she’ll wake up just in time for me to go to bed.

Here’s our photo from today. Emma took it. I can’t believe I’m going to get even bigger. You owe me a deep tissue massage on my back when you get home. And I’ll hold you to it.

We love you and miss you, Jake.

Love,

Your Wife

~~~~~

Dear Jake,

I couldn’t take it anymore. I moved in with Mav today. I thought I wanted to be alone, but I was wrong. Being alone with my thoughts just makes me sad and lonely and I don’t want our daughter to bake in that. She needs to inherit your smile and dimples, so I’m making a bigger effort to be happy.

Penny took me to get my nails done today. I got a light pink for our daughter, but now everyone’s assuming that we’re having a girl. I haven’t confirmed it because we didn’t discuss it before you left but don’t be shocked when you come home to a lot of pink.

I also started seriously researching some girl names. I never realized how many people I don’t like until I started trying to name our daughter. And you better speak up if any of the ones that I suggest are ones that have bad meanings to you.

I’m still digging through a whole bunch of lists but there’s such weird ones out there, Jake. And we cannot name our child something that would get us a look from her teachers. Or a stripper name.

I love you. Baby girl is behaving herself, but she misses you.

Love,

Your Wife

~~~~~

To My Beautiful Wife,

I finally got a chance to check my email. We’re settled on the carrier now, but we’ve been doing a lot of drills and long briefings. I'm sorry that I haven't written earlier. Know that the two of you are always on my mind.

I’m glad you got your gift. I tried to record what I could think of for our baby girl. I don’t want her to miss anything. And I don’t want her keeping you up at night. Has she kicked yet? By my count, you’re hitting seven months in a day or two.

Thanks for sending me those photos. I put up one of the two of you from that photo shoot in my plane. Really brightens up the place. But it also reminds me of what I’m missing. Sometimes I have to take it down so I can focus.

I miss you. I miss our little girl. Every day, every hour, every second.

Try to relax. I know that everyone’s probably told you that a thousand times by now, but I don’t want you feeling stressed about me. I’m fine and I'll be home as soon as I can. Please tell me that you didn’t lift anything heavy while you were moving into Mav’s house. Or maybe it's better if you don't tell me.

And you can tell everyone about her. I don’t mind. It’s not like we could keep it a secret for much longer anyways. But make sure to mention that I was right.

And you have to tell me the worst names that you've seen on these lists. I left a list of baby names I liked in my nightstand. I'd research them when I couldn't sleep at night.

I love you and I love our daughter. I’ll try to be home soon.

Your Husband,

Jake

~~~~~

Dear Jake,

I had my seven month appointment today. Baby girl is healthy and still measuring a little small. But her heartbeat is strong and I can tell that she’s going to be stubborn coming out. The doctor says that it’s only a matter of time before she starts kicking.

I hope that the ocean isn’t too rough and you can see the stars. I remember when Mav and I spent a month in Hawaii when I was a teenager. We saw the most beautiful stars there. What if we picked a star name for our daughter? Not Stella, though. That was our dog's name growing up and I can't name my daughter after a dog.

I didn’t lift anything. Mav wouldn’t let me. And neither would Bradley. They’re watching me like hawks these days. And no, I didn’t mean that as a bird joke. Also, I can’t name our daughter after a bird. I’m trying to end the family streak of joke names.

Mckeighleigh was the most ridiculous looking name I’ve seen so far. And we’re not naming our daughter Precious either. Or worse, Chastity. I don’t know how those nurses keep a straight face when they hear those names.

And your recording telling her to go to bed has come in handy lately. Though I did warn her that we’ll be discussing the fact that she only seems to listen to you about that when she comes out.

I love you so much Jake. You’ll be home soon, I know it. And we’ll be waiting for you when you do.

Love,

Your Wife

~~~~~

Dear Jake,

I can't fall asleep, so I’m writing to you instead. And no, it wasn’t our baby girl who kept me up. I’ve had the worst heartburn these days. And Tums don’t do shit. They say that means that our daughter will come out with a full head of hair. I say that I'd take a bald baby in exchange for better sleep.

My baby shower is in a few days. Next weekend. Emma and Phoenix said that it was going to be relatively small, and I hope that they stick to it. I’m not really in the mood to see a lot of people anymore.

I yelled at Bradley the other day for making an omelet with three eggs because he left an egg in the carton without a 'friend' because he left an egg alone in its row since there was an odd number of eggs. Apparently, I kept crying about it for a while, but in all honesty, I don’t really remember much of that conversation. I’m pretty sure that Bradley’s keeping his distance now. You probably would have enjoyed seeing his face.

I asked for a little box at my baby shower to put name suggestions in. I’m running out of ideas. I keep worrying that we’re going to name her something stupid.

Baby girl is growing bigger, and I can’t believe that I’m still going to get fatter. I’m struggling to grab things off of the floor now. Maverick got me one of those grabby things that old people use. You would probably find it hilarious.

I love you. I miss you. I’ll write to you tomorrow.

Love,

Your Wife

~~~~~

“Thank you,” you told Emma as she handed you a lemonade.

Emma and Penny took you out for the day to spend some time out of Mav’s house. You were growing increasingly less interested in leaving your 'nest,' as Bradley nicknamed it, and they were trying their best to get you motivated to go out and continue to live your life.

You had done some shopping for a dress to wear to your baby shower and now the three of you were getting a snack before you’d head over to the Hard Deck for the rest of the afternoon. You chatted for a moment before you sighed, slowly got to your feet, and grabbed your purse from your chair.

“Bathroom?” Emma asked you.

“Where else?” you joked, walking off.

A few minutes later, as you were washing your hands at the sink, you looked up when another woman stepped inside the bathroom. You offered her a friendly smile before her familiarity suddenly struck you. Quickly drying your hands, you reached for your bag and turned to leave. But the woman stood directly in your path.

She had stripes of gray cutting through what appeared to be deep auburn hair. She carried herself with a sense of purpose. And an expensive handbag. She reminded you of some of the women you used to see at the country club that you worked at in college. The type who turned a blind eye when their pig husbands made some demeaning comment to the women on staff and were never seen without some kind of drink in their perfectly manicured hands.

“You know who I am?” Georgia Seresin asked softly.

You stared her down, gripping the strap of you bag tightly. Your heart was beating hard in your chest, and you could practically feel the rhythm in your ears. Taking a breath and releasing it, you tilted your chin up and narrowed your eyes at her.

“What are you doing here?” you demanded quietly, looking around the small public bathroom. No one else was in there except for the two of you. “Are you stalking me?”

“I came to California when my son didn’t respond to my letter.”

“I wonder why?” you wondered sarcastically.

“What did he tell you?”

“Everything,” you stated firmly. “Which is why I would appreciate it if you stopped acting like it was just a coincidence that you ran into me here, hundreds of miles from your home, when Jake is conveniently deployed.” You paused for a moment before repeating through gritted teeth, “Why are you here?”

“To talk to you. About my son.”

“What about your son?”

“I know that your child isn’t here yet, but when they’re born, perhaps you can understand how much pain it could cause a mother to miss out on their child’s wedding or the process of them expecting their first child. From a mother to a mother—”

“—I’m going to stop you right there.”

You tried to keep your tears of anger in as you thought about Jake’s expression when he told you about his childhood. When you thought about the pain that you could hear in his tone, that you could feel radiating off of him.

“Because a woman who calls herself a mother would never do the things that you did. You stole him from a poor girl who loved him. You lied to her, promising that you would take care of him and love him. And then you turned around and fed him to the wolves." Nostrils flaring and angry tears threatening to fall, you added, "Did you ever even tell him that you loved him?"

“Of course, we did,” she admonished.

“Did you? Did you tell him that you were proud of him? That you loved him no matter what happened?” you snapped, trying to keep your voice even. “Every night my mom told me that she loved me and that she was proud of me. How many times did you tell Jake that, Georgia? How is a child supposed to just know that if you don’t tell them?” Shaking your head as you let out a shaky breath, you turned back to her. “And just so you know, there won’t be a day where Jake doesn’t tell our child that he loves them. Not one.”

Georgia adjusted her handbag on her shoulder and pursed her lips together. Clearly, she wasn’t used to being spoken to in this manner, but you didn’t give a shit about her feelings.

“Did you come here to convince me to talk Jake into speaking to you again? To buy my baby from me? A combination of the two? Does your husband know that you’re here? Is he waiting outside?”

Georgia took another moment to compose herself from your questions. She glanced down at the rings on your finger before meeting your gaze again.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that Jake selected a woman as . . . outspoken as you,” Georgia stated, adjusting her handbag again. “No, my husband does not know that I’m here. And I’m not here to buy my grandchild. I’m here to try and get through to my son and I’ve realized that the best way to do that would be through you. The woman he married and is having a child of his own with.”

Your eyes flashed with annoyance at Georgia's words.

“I have no interest in having a relationship with you because Jake doesn’t have an interest in it.”

“There’s nothing I can do to persuade you to speak with him about me?” Georgia pressed, an edge of desperation in her tone.

“No, there’s not.”

“You would deny your child a set of grandparents?”

“I will protect my child from people who hurt their father.”

Forcing yourself to take a breath, you stared down Georgia for a moment. She looked far more pathetic than you knew she was comfortable with. Apparently, she thought that she would just waltz in, and you would agree with her without any pushback.

But she couldn't have been more wrong.

“You know, when Jake told me about his upbringing, I honestly felt a bit of sympathy for you, Georgia. Maybe you were convinced that being a rich housewife to a pathetic little man was a better life than being loved by a poor man. And I’m sure that your husband hasn’t been kind to you over the years.”

The rage flashed to the surface again as she turned away from you for a moment.

“But how could you look another woman in the eye and convince her to hand over an innocent baby to a man that you knew would be a horrible father? That you knew would hurt that baby?”

After a moment, you walked past Georgia, who did not move to block your path this time. You opened the door and strode out of there and you didn't dare look back. Trying to gather yourself, you looked up to see Emma and Penny a few steps away from you.

“Are you okay? We were getting worried," Emma questioned with clear concern.

“Fine. Let’s get going to the Hard Deck,” you stated, already turning towards the parking lot.

“What happened?” Penny asked, studying your expression. You didn’t reply and just kept marching towards the parking lot until Penny rested a hand on your shoulder, forcing you to slow down. “You’re shaking. What’s wrong?”

“Jake’s mom walked into the bathroom,” you explained quietly, looking over your shoulder.

“What?"

“She knew where you were?” Penny asked urgently, looking around with a protective stare. Wrapping her arm around your shoulders, she encouraged you forward again. “Come on, let’s get going.”

~~~~~

Maverick’s face darkened after you finished with your explanation about what happened at the mall. Grabbing his phone, he got up from the table with a serious expression.

“I’m going to make a call,” he stated firmly. “They can’t stalk you and your child. I don’t care who the hell that they think they are in Texas. That’s not going to fly out here. That’s not going to continue.”

“Who are you calling?” you asked as Maverick walked off.

“An old contact. I’ll be right back.”

Penny told you to just let Mav make the call as the remaining four of you remained seated at the table. You twisted your engagement ring around your finger nervously, sharing a look with Emma and Bradley, who sat across from you.

“She didn’t try to hurt me—”

“—Doesn’t matter,” Bradley interjected quickly. “It’s creepy and it’s over the line and it’s going to stop. Now. Just let Mav make his call. He'll handle it.”

“I know,” you sighed, holding your head in your hands. “Jake is going to freak out when I tell him.”

“You’re going to tell him right away?”

“I can’t hide it from him. It might take me some time to find the words, but I have to tell him.”

Penny hugged you to her side and rubbed your back with her hand, giving you the maternal support that you really needed in that moment. You sighed and leaned against her, desperately wishing that Jake would be home soon.

“Everything will be alright. We’re going to figure this out.”

~~~~~

Dear Jake,

I hope that everything is running smoothly where you are. And that you read this email sooner rather than later.

Penny and Emma took me to the shops yesterday and when I was trying to leave the bathroom, I ran into your mother. She came up from Texas and she told me that she wanted to talk to me about you. Said something about using me to convince you to talk to her again. I told her that I wasn’t interested in that because you weren’t interested in that. She let me leave after that.

I don’t want to stress you out or make you feel like you have to do anything when you’re so far away, but I wanted to be honest with you. Mav’s made a few calls and he seems to think that he has a solution. Don’t stress about us, just focus on your mission and coming home safely in one piece.

We love you, Jake. And we’re safe, we’re fine. And we miss you.

Love,

Your Wife

~~~~~

Folding some fresh laundry in Maverick's house a few days later, you looked up when you heard your phone buzz. An unknown number was calling you and despite your hesitation, you answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Honey.”

“Jake?” you whispered out shakily, holding a hand to your mouth. Moving to sit, you tried to calm yourself down and not just simply sob. “How are you calling me?”

“I have my ways,” Jake replied teasingly. Growing more serious, he asked, “Are you alright?”

“We’re fine, Jake.”

“I’m so sorry, Honey. She never should have been anywhere near the two of you.”

“We’re fine,” you repeated softly. “She didn’t threaten us. If anyone was threatening anyone, it was me.”

“That’s my wife,” Jake praised, causing you to smile bashfully. “But my father wasn’t there, right? It was just my mother?”

“Yeah. She said that he didn’t know that she was there, and I didn’t see him around.”

“Good. I’ll deal with them when I get home.”

“Okay.” After a moment you asked, “How much longer do you have?”

“Less than a minute. I’m sorry, Honey, I just needed to know that the two of you were okay. They thought that I was having some kind of stroke when I read your email and I managed to convince them to let me call you.”

“At least one good thing came out of the whole shitshow,” you sighed, resting a hand on your bump. “I love—”

You froze when you felt your daughter press her foot against your hand. Jake felt his heart leap into his throat when you cut yourself off and stop talking without a clear reason.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“She’s kicking,” you whispered softly.

“What?”

“Jake, she’s kicking. Our daughter is kicking!”

“She’s kicking?”

“Yes, she’s kicking,” you laughed, before your joy dimmed and tears pooled in your eyelids. Sniffling, you croaked out, “I love you so much, Jake. We love you so much.”

“I love you too. And I miss you so fucking much, Honey. And I’m so sorry that I’m not there.”

“Hangman, time’s up,” Jake heard from behind him, causing him to look over his shoulder.

“I’ve got to go, Honey,” he replied, grinding his jaw to try and stave off the tears. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too. Bye, Jake.”

The line went dead, and you slowly placed your phone down. Holding your hand to your mouth, you finally let out your sobs. And about a thousand emotions that you'd tried keeping in ever since Jake was forced to leave you.

Your daughter was finally kicking, but her father wasn’t here to feel her. And the thought only made you sob harder.

Back on the carrier, Jake rubbed the tears that leaked from his eyes.

He missed it. He fucking missed it. He missed his daughter kicking for the first time. He wasn’t there when his mother showed up out of nowhere and accosted you in a public bathroom. He wasn’t going to be there for your baby shower.

Jake had anticipated that deploying while you were heavily pregnant was going to be difficult. But he didn’t realize that it was going to be impossible, killing him slowly from the inside out.

“Hangman?”

“I’m coming,” Jake called back, clearing his throat. “I’m coming.”

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sarahsmi13s · 2 years ago

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Tell Them

pairing: jake ‘hangman’ seresin x wife!reader

characters: jake seresin, y/n seresin, grayson seresin, kennedy seresin, javy ‘coyote’ machado, the dagger squad, doctor, ty (mentioned - grayson’s friend)

warnings: third person pov, she/her pronouns used, language, car crash, drunk driving, mentions of dying, fear of losing a child, hospitals, mentions of surgey, description of injuries, i believe that is it

word count: ~3.4k

a/n: 1/3 (this is a three part story -- however i might expand on it if you guys want)

secret family trope! who doesn’t love that?

loose summary: after nearly losing someone very important to him, jake decides it’s final time to reveal his secret to the dagger squad

pt 2 pt 3

tell them universe

*******

Jake was in the middle of training when a voice came over the comms, “Maverick, Hangman! Payback, Fanboy! We’re cutting your session short, land now!”

The four groaned, “We almost had him, sir!”

“Seresin, I need you to land now and meet me in the ready room.” The urgency in Admiral Simpson’s voice made Jake’s stomach uncomfortably heavy. “Yes sir!”

Jake landed in record time, running off the tarmac.

Cyclone met him at the door and Jake stood at attention. “At ease.” Jake relaxed, “May I ask what this is about, sir?”

“Jake…”

A voice from further in the room spoke up and the broken tone made him clench his jaw. Cyclone let him pass and he immediately embraced his wife. “Honey, what's wrong? What are you doing here?”

She looked up at him, her (e/c) swimming in tears. “Jake, Grayson was in a car accident.” Hangman’s heart dropped to his feet. “I tried to call but you weren’t answering and I didn’t know what else to do. I’m sorry, I know we talked about-“

He gently covered her mouth to silence her rambling, before slowly cupping her face, “Is he okay? Do you know anything?” She nodded and gripped his wrist, “He’s in surgery. I-I can’t remember wh-what they told me about his injuries. The-the police said that it was some drunk driver, he ran a stop light.”

Jake just held her again, finally let his (and her) body weight fall back to the couch. “I’m scared, Jake…” “I know, I know Baby.”

Maverick appeared in the doorway next to Cyclone, “Sir?” “Cut training short, everyone had time in the air, correct?” “Yes sir.”

The Admiral left and Pete stood in the doorway for a second longer before turning and going to tell everyone that training was over for the day.

When he was met with confused faces.

“Wait, where’s Hangman?” Rooster asked, glancing at the crew in the men’s locker room, Mav having already let Phoenix know when he met her in the hallway. “Yeah, why did Cyclone need him to land so suddenly?” Payback asked.

Coyote checked his phone seeing missed calls and a few texts from Hangman’s wife, trying to get ahold of Jake. “He’s in the ready room.”

Coyote grabbed his jacket and left the room without a word. “Machado? Where are you going?” Fanboy asked, but Coyote was already halfway to the ready room.

He burst in, “Jake, hey, Mav cut training early, Y/N’s been-“ He finally noticed that she was sitting on the couch. “Hey, Javy, sorry for blowing up your phone…” He shook his head, “It’s okay.”

Y/N rested her forehead on her husband’s, “I should head back to the hospital, I need to be there in case anything else happens.”

“Wait, where’s Kennedy?” “She’s with Amelia and Penny.” “Does she know?” She shook her head, “Not yet.” Jake kissed her gently, “Please drive safe. I’ll pick her up and then meet you at the hospital.” Y/N nodded and hugged him tight. “I love you.” “I love you too.”

As she left the room, Hangman broke. His hands started shaking, his throat hurt, but he didn’t want to cry. He could cry later, right now he needed to collect his things and leave.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Javy asked when Jake stood up. “Grayson was in an accident, drunk driver… he’s in surgery, but I don’t know anything else.” Coyote nodded, “Come on. Let’s go.”

****

When they reached the locker room they were met with happy banter about their plans for the rest of the day.

Bob was the first to pick up on how shaken up Jake looked.

“Hey Hangman, you okay?” Jake just moved to his locker, which happened to be beside Bob. The unnatural silence from the normally mouthy pilot was unsettling.

Hangman checked his phone, and the amount of times Y/N had tried to call him finally opened the floodgates. It hadn’t really hit him about how serious it was until he saw how desperate she was to get ahold of him.

He still didn’t say a word as he changed, collected his things, and left.

Every pilot in the locker room just sat there in silence, the jovial energy now drowned in confusion and sympathy. They had never seen him act like that, they definitely never saw Hangman cry.

“Coyote, what’s up with Hangman?” Rooster asked, concerned. Javy sighed, “It’s not my place to tell you.” “Come on man. Hangman has never acted like this before.” “Look, if you want to know, ask him. If he doesn’t want to tell you, then respect that.” With that Javy also left the locker room.

*******

Jake picked up his 5 year-old daughter from Penny’s house, “Thank you for watching her.” Both Penny and Amelia shook their heads, “Of course. Call us if you hear or need anything.” Jake nodded and hurried down the steps.

He buckled Kennedy in and slid into the driver's seat. “Where’s Mama and Gray?” Jake sighed, “At the hospital, hun.” “Is Gray sick?”

Jake didn’t know how to tell his daughter that her brother was probably fighting for his life on that table. “I don’t know, baby.” He hated doing that, but he had no idea what to tell her with the little information he had.

****

When he pulled up to the hospital, he got Kennedy out and carried her in.

It took him a minute but he managed to find Y/N. “Mama!”

She whipped her head up at the sound of her daughter’s voice. Jake put Kennedy down and she ran to her mother. “Is Gray gonna be okay?” Y/N sniffled and pushed some hair out of Kennedy’s face, “The doctors are doing the best they can, baby.” “Is he sick?” “No, Ken, he’s hurt.”

Jake sat down beside his wife, trying his best not to break down again.

Kennedy reached up and wiped the tears from her mother’s face, nearly making her break down. The young girl just embraced her mom, “Bubs will be okay, Mama.” Y/N embraced her back, holding her for dear life.

“Hey,” the three Seresin’s looked up to see Javy. “Uncle Cy!” Y/N let Kennedy slide off her lap and into Javy’s arms. “Hey trouble, did you have fun at Penny’s?” She nodded, and then leaned into his ear and whispered something. “That’s a great idea,” he whispered back.

“Hey, I’m gonna take her to the vending machine, said she was feeling snacky. Do you want anything?” He asked the couple who just shook their heads. Javy nodded and was off.

Y/N turned to Jake and could see the turmoil swimming in his eyes.

Her gaze softened, “Baby…” She cupped his cheek and he pushed his cheek into it, a shaky inhale entering his nostrils. “I’m trying to be strong right now, but I’m fuckin’ terrified,” he pulled away and pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes.

“Jake… Honey, you do not have to be strong. You may be some badass Navy pilot most of the day, but right now you are a dad. You’re allowed to be scared for your child.”

He looked back at her, “How can I support you and Ken if I’m crying like a bitch?” He bit his lip and shook his head, looking down. “Hey, stop that. There’s no shame in crying, Jacob. Plus, I think we’ve got a pretty good support system. And they aren’t just there for me, or Kennedy and Grayson. They’re here for you too. So can you stop holding back the tears and just cry with me, please?” Jake finally let himself go and pulled his wife into his arms.

It was like that for about 30 minutes before Coyote was coming back with Kennedy on his shoulders.

“Sorry it took so long. None of the vending machines had what she wanted.” Y/N and Jake chuckled at their daughter’s pickiness.

He sat her down and pulled Jake and Y/N up to hug them. “I’m here if y’all need anything. Please don’t hesitate to ask.” “Thank you man.” “Thank you, Javy.”

He pulled back, “Do you want me to stay? Keep Ken occupied?” Y/N wiped her cheek, glancing back at the little girl playing with the ends of her blonde hair, tiny feet kicking back and forth. “If it’s not too much to ask.” “Of course, I just need to talk to Jake for a second, that okay?” She nodded, pulling Javy in for a hug before pulling away and sitting with her daughter.

Javy pulled Jake a little further away. “Hey, I think you need to tell the rest of the squad about them.” Jake sighed, hands on his hips as he looked back at his wife of nearly 15 years and his 5 year-old daughter.

The only people in the Navy that knew about them were his superiors and his best friend.

He liked to keep this close to his chest, this was his and he didn’t want to share it.

He had built this asshole, ‘care-about-no-one-but-myself’ persona because he had to. It was his way to protect his family and to make sure he made it home to them.

“Javy-” “Look, you don’t have to, but they were worried about you when you left.” Jake pulled out his phone. He saw multiple texts, both individual and in the group chat. It lifted his spirits a little to know that they cared.

His friend patted his shoulder, “Just think about it.” He brought Jake into a hug before joining Y/N and Kennedy.

********

Two hours later a doctor was walking out. “Lieutenant and Mrs. Seresin?”

Both Y/N and Jake stood up, Kennedy on Y/N’s hip. “That’s us.” The doctor walked over, “The surgery went well, your son is currently resting.” Y/N let out a relieved sob, covering her mouth as Jake smiled and bit his lip, once again trying not to cry.

“Can you tell us anything about his injuries?” Jake asked. “The impact caused multiple lacerations, broken ribs, a concussion, a sprained wrist, a torn right ACL and a broken left femur. We’ve done surgery for both the femur and the ACL.” Jake wiped his face again, “Thank you. When -uh- when can we see him?”

“He won’t be awake for a few more hours. But you can head back right now, he’s in room 405.” Y/N nodded, reaching out to shake the doctor’s hand, “Thank you, Doctor.” Jake did the same and the doctor left.

Javy stood, “Do you need me to take K? Give you both a minute alone with Grayson.” Jake looked at his daughter, who was resting her head on her mom’s shoulder. “I wanna see Gray…” “Okay, baby, we’ll go see Gray.”

Jake turned to his friend, “Thank you man. You should probably head back, get some rest for- Shit…” “Language!” Jake covered his mouth, “Sorry, sweetheart.” Y/N rolled her eyes and giggled a little bit at the habit her daughter had picked up for whenever adults swore in front of her.

“Hey, I’ll talk to Mav. Give him the rundown on what’s goin’ on, you focus on them.” “You’re the best, J.” Javy nodded and patted Jake on the arm, giving the two girls a kiss on the head, “Call me if you need anything.” The couple nodded and thanked Javy before going to their son’s room.

Y/N gently sat Kennedy on her feet when they entered the room.

“Oh my- Grayson…” Jake bit his fist at the sight of the 16 year-old covered in bruises and cuts.

Jake had seen combat and seen a few friends in the hospital after ejections, but the sight of his son would be burned into his brain forever.

All three moved to sit in the uncomfy chairs by the bed, Kennedy in Jake’s lap. “Is Gray sleeping?” Jake ran his fingers through his daughter's hair, “Yeah, he’s sleeping. He’ll be okay though.”

Kennedy wiggled from Jake’s hold and stood in front of Y/N, where she bit her nail and looked at her son on the bed.

“Mama,” Kennedy grabbed Y/N’s hand with both of hers and moved it away from her mouth, like she’d seen her father do. “What baby?” “Why are you crying? Gray’s okay, he’s just sleeping.” She wiped her face, “I know, hun. I’m just happy is all.”

Kennedy wiped her mother’s eyes again and kissed her nose. Y/N giggled through the tears, “Thank you, Ken.” The girl nodded and yawned.

“Are you tired, sweetie?” She nodded, “Mhmm.” “Why don’t you lay on the sofa? Get a nap in, okay?” Jake suggested as he patted the arm of the sofa next to the chairs. “I don’t have a blanket, Daddy.” He slipped off his jacket, “Here we can use this, for now.”

Kennedy climbed up onto the sofa and rested her head on the little pillow there. Jake covered her with his jacket and kissed her forehead. Kennedy had no trouble falling asleep with the comfort of her father’s jacket and cologne wrapped around her.

Jake sat back down next to Y/N and held her hand, eyes fixated on the rise and fall of Grayson’s chest.

“Was there anyone else in the car?” Jake asked, squeezing Y/N’s hand a little tighter. She nodded, rubbing the tension from her neck with her free hand, “Yeah, his friend, Tyler. He’s okay though, police said it was a T-bone to the drivers’ side. He’s got a concussion, a few cuts, and a broken nose from the air bag.” Jake relaxed, “That’s good. Both of them are alive.”

He clenched his jaw, “What about the drunk driver?” She bit her lip, “Coma, went through the windshield. By some miracle he’s alive…” Jake pulled his hand away and ran it through his hair.

He hated whoever it was that put his son in a hospital bed, whoever thought he had the right to reduce his normally energetic wife to a part of herself that he hadn’t seen in years. It was harsh and maybe even a little dark, but he wished the person was dead.

“Is it bad that I don’t think that’s enough?” Y/N shook her head, “I’m gonna be honest, I thought the same. But he’s 18, he’s just a kid, Jake.” “It doesn’t excuse what he’s done to Grayson.”

She shook her head, “No, but you know that feeling we both feel right now? His family feels the same thing, only added with the major guilt for what their son has done.”

Jake sighed, she was right, she always was. But the anger was still a bitter taste on his tongue, and it would only go away when Grayson was awake.

They sat in silence, just listening to both of their children’s soft breathing as they slept and the heart monitor.

**********

A few hours in, Jake’s lids felt heavy and he kept jerking himself awake.

“Baby, you can sleep, I’ll be here. You’ve had a grueling day.” “Like your day has been any better?” “I didn’t pull g’s all day. Please, get some sleep. I’ll wake you when he wakes up.”

Jake could see the bag’s under her eyes, she was fighting off sleep too. “Wake me up in 30 minutes, we’ll take shifts.” She started to shake her head but he held her face, “Either that or I don’t sleep.” She sighed, “Fine.” He smiled a little and kissed her, “Good.” Jake got as comfortable as he could and fell asleep.

Y/N stood up and placed her hand on Grayson’s cheek, brushing his brown hair up off his forehead. She closed her eyes and shakily exhaled, saying a silent prayer and praise that her son was okay and would recover completely.

A knock came from the door and it made Y/N turn to check on Jake and Kennedy before kissing Grayson’s forehead and moving to the door.

“Can I- Maverick?” “Hey, Y/N, Jake here?” She pointed over her shoulder, “I told him to get some sleep. Do you need him?” The captain shook his head, “I just wanted to tell him he’s got Monday off. Give you all some time to get everything sorted out. I tried to give him Tuesday off, but-” “No Pete, it’s okay,” Y/N gave him a thankful smile.

Pete glanced over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Grayson. “How is he?” She sighed, “Doctor said he’ll be okay, should wake up in a few hours. A few broken ribs, lacerations on his left side, a sprained wrist, his right ACL is torn and his left femur is broken. They did surgery for both.”

Mav nodded, “Do you guys need anything?” Y/N shook her head, “Not at the moment, but thank you for coming by. I’ll let Jake know you came by.” He nodded and hugged her, “Call me or Coyote if you need anything.” She nodded, “Thank you again.”

She sat back down and cuddled Jake’s arm, unknowingly sealing her fate. It didn’t take her long to fall asleep.

****

Not too long after that Grayson woke up.

After he fully understood where he was and remembered why, he noticed that his sister was awake.

“Kennedy, Kennedy!”

It was a whisper shout, pretty much all he could manage with his ribs. “Bubba!” She squealed, sliding down off the couch and going to the side of his bed.

“Hey, Kenni,” he pushed some hair out of her face. “Are you okay, bubba?” He nodded, “I’m okay, baby. Will you wake up Mom and Dad?”

Kennedy nodded and climbed into Jake’s lap, patting his face until he woke up. “Why are you hittin’ me, Ken?” “Gray’s awake.” He sat up straight, startling his wife awake.

“Honey what’s wrong?” “Gray’s awake Mama!” Y/N all but shot up out of her chair.

She had to keep herself from embracing her son, opting to cup his face in her hands. He winced and she retracted slightly. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He shook his head and grabbed her wrist with his good hand.

Jake placed his hand on the top of Grayson’s head, “How are you feeling?” Grayson shrugged as best he could, “Pretty good, all things considered.” Jake let out a relieved chuckle, shaking his head.

“What’s the damage?” “Broken ribs, broken left femur, torn right ACL, sprained wrist, concussion, and lacerations,” Y/N said, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Is-is Ty okay?” Both of his parents nodded, “Got out with a broken nose, a concussion, and some superficial wounds.” Grayson sighed, relieved his friend was okay.

“Will I get to play football, or any sport?” “That’s a question for your doctor, baby,” Y/N told him gently, pushing his hair out of his face again.

“Daddy?” Jake looked down where Kennedy was gripping his pant leg, “Yeah Princess?” “Can I see Gray?” “You’ve got to be careful okay?” She nodded and Jake picked her up, taking her to the right side of the bed.

He gently sat her on the bed and Grayson smiled at his little sister. “Hey, Kenni.” Kennedy frowned, tiny hand gently touching the injured side of his face. “Why is your face cut up? Did someone think you were paper?”

He had to suppress the laugh, “I’m okay. And no, someone did not think I was paper.” “Well good, cause then I’d treat them like paper. No one hurts my big brother.” None of them could hold the laughs back that time, Grayson wincing a bit, “Thank you, Kenni. My big brave protector.”

He tickled her a bit with his good hand, causing her to wiggle and jostle his right knee.

“Hey, bug, careful,” Y/N said gently, knowing it wasn’t really her fault. “Right, sorry, Gray.” “It’s okay, K.” Y/N kissed both of her kids on the head, “I love you both so much.” “We love you too Mom.”

Jake had a watery smile as he watched 3 of the most important people in his life. “And we love Daddy!” Kennedy said, smiling at Jake. “And Daddy loves you, both of you.”

That was the reason he told himself he had to keep them private. He loved them, almost to fault.

And watching how close they could have been to losing Grayson, who had his whole life ahead of him, he knew what he had to do.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone.” Y/N nodded, giving their kids a smile before following Jake into the hall. “What’s going on, Honey?” Jake took a deep breath.

“I think I wanna tell the squad.”

**********

hiiiii! i’m happy you’re here! thank you for reading!

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as-is-above-so-below · 3 months ago

Text

The Death of Peace of Mind | Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader

Part 1: Altitude. Altitude.

summary: life with a pilot isn't all it's cracked up to be. a/n: hi friends! welcome! entry, please! i told you i would be back :) unfortunately, it took a lot longer than i expected. i moved states this year, started a new job, found a loving and healthy relationship, traveled internationally for the first time... i.e. i have been super busy, but i'm out of my depressive slump and finally got the urge to write (and post) again. i won't say that consistency is back, as my social calendar has obviously been slammed, but i will try my best <3

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Thunderous.

That’s the only way to describe the sound of hundreds of boots pounding down the ship’s stairs toward the dock below. While Hangman had only been aboard for a few weeks, many of the crew had been deployed for months on end. He, and a few other Top Gun members, made the vessel their temporary home while they completed a brief mission. Nothing like the Dagger mission, just simple recon; but the security was top-notch, and the admiral wanted his best on the case.

Hangman rolls the toothpick between his teeth with his tongue and shrugs his duffel higher up his shoulder. He laughs at a dig Phoenix makes at Rooster and claps a hand on her shoulder. “Oh, Phoenix. How I’ll miss you and your quick wit,” he sings, the sun hitting his face as his boot hits the dock beside her.

Phoenix shakes her head as she pulls her aviators from her shirt and settles them on the bridge of her nose. “And I will miss nothing about you, Hangman.”

“Ouch! Brutal! You wound me, Natasha.”

“See ya next time, Hangman.”

“You won’t have to suffer too long, Rooster. I’ll be in your dreams tonight, per usual.” He nods in the other man’s direction. “Rodeo, it’s been a pleasure.”

“I’ll never understand why you boys can’t seem to get along.”

Bob’s cousin, Rhett Abbott. Related by their twin mothers, almost identical themselves. A skilled pilot and proud country boy, with a heart of gold. Not to mention, entirely tolerable. Unlike his buddy, Bradley. Hangman and Rodeo clap hands in a firm handshake, smiling at each other. “It’s not in my blood, cowboy.”

They say their final goodbyes and are about to split up when a tiny voice shouts, “DADDY!”

Usually, this wouldn’t be uncommon. They’re on a dock, where families had come from all over Texas to welcome their servicemen and women home from a long deployment. It’s an emotional affair, albeit happy, but emotional nevertheless. However, when a little blonde girl they don’t recognize (again, not uncommon, usually) gets closer and closer, set on a path in their direction, confusion is written all over their faces. That confusion only increases tenfold when Hangman breaks into the biggest, most genuine smile they’ve ever seen him wear, and takes long strides in her direction.

“DADDY!”

Hangman drops into a squat, holding his bag in place on his shoulder, and grabs the child with his other arm. “Hi, baby!” he exclaims and fervently kisses her cheek. “I missed you so much!”

He can’t remember the last time his heart felt so full. He understands now, why so many people have their families show up after every deployment or mission. Watching his daughter, who somehow managed to find him in the crowd, run up to him with so much excitement and love was entirely different than walking in the front door.

Although, it’s been a while since that’s happened.

He shakes the thought from his mind and scoops her up with his arm while he stands again. Her little arms go right around his neck, hugging him tight. He’s gently rubbing her leg when he asks her, “Where’s your mom?”

He’s fully aware of the absolute circus in the minds of his fellow pilots in the background. They haven’t spoken a word, silent, but he doesn’t have to look to know that they’re probably standing in the same spot. Unmoved, jaws on the floor. What Hangman does do is look around, keeping an eye out for–

“Mama!” the little girl yells, waving her hand frantically at the woman approaching.

“You found him! I’m so proud of you, Daise!”

Jake Seresin was an expert at keeping his personal and work lives separate; or he thought so, at least. Work often bled into personal, but never the other way around. Any piece or crumb the crew knew about his life outside of work, he had fed them willingly and with intention.

“Would you…want to come to port?”

“...What?”

“Only if you want. I know it’s a long drive for Daise–”

“No, no. We could fly. I’m just…surprised. You’ve never…”

“We’re docking in Corpus. The crew asked if I would show them around while we’re on leave. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to introduce you. And Daisy. Especially with…”

“That sounds nice. We’ll be there.”

“Great. I’ll send you the info.” Silence. “Thanks, Red. I mean it.”

“I know. Thank you for including us.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner.”

“You’re fixing it. That’s all that matters.”

He thought that he had mastered work-life balance, too.

Apparently, not.

You give him a short side hug, partially blocked by his familiar duffel. His hand lingers on your arm after you pull away.

“Hey. Thank you for coming.”

“Happy to. I wish you could’ve seen her face when I told her. Didn’t complain once the whole drive here.”

“Really? Isn’t that something?” He turns his attention back to Daisy. “Were you good for Mama?”

Jake listens intently to your daughter’s jumbled, excited retelling of your journey, and you occasionally butt in with light banter. He hadn’t been gone long, but from the speed and fervor at which Daisy was talking, you’d think she hadn’t seen him in months. This goes on for a bit until someone interrupts your daughter’s babbling. A male voice barks his callsign, and he peers over his shoulder in their direction.

He looks back over at Daisy with a gasp. “Daise, would you wanna meet Daddy’s coworkers?” he asks, his eyebrows quirked in faux shock.

“For real?!”

“Yeah, for real.”

“Yes!”

And that’s what you do. Jake nods in the group’s direction, and you follow his lead, sticking close to his side. He had obviously done an excellent job at keeping his family a secret; you can tell from a mile away that the band of pilots is trying to quietly deduce what the fuck is going on while you approach. Daisy is practically ready to launch out of his hold in excitement, giggling and wiggling like a little worm.

“Alright, don’t get yourselves in a tizzy.” He hikes Daisy up on his waist. “Daisy, this is Rodeo–”

“Like the rodeo at home?” she asks, in her curious, pitched voice.

“Just like that. Rodeo, this is Daisy Mae.”

“Pleasure.” The man holds his hand out to her, and she takes it, bursting with giggles again. The sound is like music to your ears, and you just know that Jake is absolutely reveling in her joy. Rodeo has a charming smile and a warm personality. You’ve heard just about every complaint under the sun from Hangman (and he has plenty), but he’s bitched about Rodeo the least. Although, when he bitches, that usually means he cares.

And he complains about Rooster a lot. A lot.

Rodeo then moves on to you and offers the same gesture. “Rhett Abbott. Miss…?”

“Seresin. I’m his wife,” you say, shaking his hand while you tell him your first name and insist that he drop the formality. You can sense Jake, your husband, looking and smiling down at you like you’re his moon and stars. You make a feeble attempt to avoid meeting his gaze but it’s futile. You make eye contact, and you know you won’t live the admission down.

You’ll talk about it later.

“You have a hat like Daddy’s,” your daughter says, and reaches out to touch the brim.

“Do I, now?”

“Moving on.” He turns her a little, “And this is Rooster.”

Daisy’s button nose scrunches in distaste, and her brows furrow together, before “…Ew.”

The man with a mustache, Rooster, clicks his teeth. “Seriously, Seresin?” he exclaims, exasperated.

“You know it. Up top, pumpkin.” Daisy throws her whole body into the high-five. You laugh as they smack hands in the air, and Jake shakes it off as if it were the crispest he had ever received. “Ouch. You’re gonna have a nasty right hook one day. You know who else throws a good punch?” He turns them to the next person, the sole woman of the party. “This is Phoenix.”

The dark-haired woman smiles brightly. “Hello! Phoenix is my work name. You can call me Natasha,” she says as if they’re sharing a secret. She’s very pretty, you notice, and you already like her. You hope the two of you can keep in touch, maybe even become friends.

You thought you would be more nervous, meeting the people Jake spends most of his time with, but you feel at ease. Sure, there’s anxious fluttering in your stomach, but it’s minimal. You’re in his sanctuary, his church, for the first time ever, and the magnitude of that isn’t lost on you.

“N…Tasha.”

“Exactly. Tasha’s okay too.”

It almost feels like before. Before Jake, Hangman, blew right past the hard deck of your relationship and left a fiery pile of rubble, which he was now attempting to repair.

But this isn’t before.

Then

Altitude. Altitude.

Not being selected for the mission stung; but being put on standby (babysitting duty), twiddling his thumbs on deck in favor of Rooster, stung even more.

Hangman knew deep down what Rooster was capable of. He said so during their training exercise. He had all of the skills to complete the mission just fine if he would just buck the fuck up. He didn’t have the confidence, too cautious for his own good. He hoped Maverick was right, that Roos was ready to get the job done.

“We got two minutes to target.”

“Copy. We’re a few seconds behind, Rooster. We got to move.”

“Thirty seconds to tomahawk impact on enemy airstrip.”

“Dagger, Comanche. We’re picking up two bandits. Single group, two contacts.”

They would be fine. Nothing to worry about.

“Sir, Daggers two and four are behind schedule. Time to target, one minute-twenty.”

“Rooster, where are you?”

“Come on, Bradshaw, pick it up…”

“Come on, Rooster. Bandits inbound. We got to make up time now. Let’s turn and burn.

Good, Payback. Kick his ass into gear.

“Guys, we’re falling behind! We really gotta move!”

“If we don’t increase our speed right now, those bandits are gonna be waiting for us when we reach the target.”

Hit the gas, Rooster. Do it.

And he did. By the sound of it, Roos had blown his wingmen out of the water with the way he took off. He nearly left them in the dust, to Hangman’s surprise and pride. Maybe the other pilot had taken a page out of his book.

“Dagger one is hit! I repeat, Dagger one is hit! Maverick is down!”

He had considered at least one of the lieutenants not making it back. Whether it was Rooster for being too slow, or Payback and Fanboy going down with him for his hesitation. He was fairly certain Phoenix was safe, with the legendary captain as her wingman. But losing Maverick wasn’t anywhere close to his radar. He started adjusting in his seat, checking his buckles and legroom while holding his mouthpiece up. “Dagger spare, request permission to launch and fly air cover!”

There’s a beat, before Comanche’s response. “Negative, spare.”

And like a good soldier, Hangman listened. Begrudgingly, and with great frustration, he listened. Even as Rooster disobeyed orders. Even as he located a somehow living Pete Mitchell. Even as he crashed like their leader. By that point, they were sure to be dead, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

That is, until–

“Daggers two, four, and spare. Be advised, a supersonic F-14 has been detected with Rooster’s headset. Unconfirmed occupants. Do not engage.”

“What?” Jake’s head whipped around and his eyes darted to Phoenix in her cockpit. She was looking between Hangman and Dagger Four just as confused as he was. “Did they say–?”

Payback lifted his mouthpiece. “Comanche, repeat.”

“Rooster headset has been picked up in the air.”

Going after Roos and Mav was a split-second decision. He knew he shouldn’t have done it the second his wheels left the carrier.

Pull up. Pull up.

And by then, it was too late to turn back.

“Dagger spare, do not engage! You do not have clearance for take-off! Acknowledge!”

“With all due respect, Comanche, not acknowledged.”

A man’s voice, likely the vice admiral, suddenly cut in. “Hangman! Stay put! That is a direct order!”

If he was going to get written up, potentially court-martialed, for disobeying direct orders, he was going to make the most of it.

“Sorry, sir. I can’t do that.”

Hangman didn’t respond to the slew of orders and cursing. He engaged the jet canopy and sat in silence with his hand over his right breast pocket, where three small photos were safely tucked away. One of you, in your pajamas with your hair up and an ice cream spoon in your mouth, eyes crinkled as you grin at him. Another of him and Daisy, and a third of the three of you.

You’d better be worth it, Bradshaw.

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is your savior speaking.”

“Hey, Hangman. You look good.”

“I am good, Rooster. I’m very good.”

You were standing by the door, rifling through the pile of mail from the day, when you found an official-looking letter in the middle. “Jake, baby, there’s a letter for you.”

Altitude. Altitude.

“Does it say ‘confidential’?” he hollered from the kitchen.

You turned the thick envelope over, then back again. “No, it’s just addressed to you,” you said, shaking your head as if he could see you.

“Go ahead and open it.”

The paper and adhesive tore easily around your finger as you approached the kitchen. You pulled the single page out of its sleeve and quickly skimmed the letter to give a summary. But that cursory glance sent an icy chill up your spine, choking back the first line that you had meant to read aloud.

You stood between the living room and kitchen, letter in hand, frozen; a reprimand.

“What’s it say, babe?”

You couldn’t bring yourself to speak, let alone move. Your eyes meticulously crawled through the slip, unblinking, tears pooling helplessly at your lashes. Eventually, your body couldn’t take the stillness and your lashes fluttered. The gathered drops raced down your cheeks and soiled the paper.

LETTER OF REPRIMAND FOR FAILURE TO FOLLOW ORDERS

MEMORANDUM FOR Lieutenant Jacob Austin Seresin

FROM: Vice Admiral Beau Simpson

You are being reprimanded for violating Article 92, Failure to Obey an Order or Regulation. During the [REDACTED] mission, you, Lt. Seresin, were ordered to remain grounded. You neglected to do so. As your commanding officer, the risks and outcomes of the mission were weighed carefully. You decided, on your admission and recognizance, to steal government property and engage in air-to-air combat with an enemy force that had already shot down two of your fellow airmen.

Said action could have resulted in your death, as well as the deaths of others. As a lieutenant and military member, you are expected to be a leader and obey all lawful orders. This behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Any future occurrences of failing to comply with Navy Standards will result in stronger disciplinary actions.

After reviewing the sequence of events, and given the outcome of your actions–

You didn’t need to read the rest; the course of action Jake’s command had decided upon wasn’t important. You’d had enough. Your face suddenly felt hot. And your insides, your insides, too. The wet streaks on your face and neck suddenly burned; or was it the heat under your skin turning them to vapor? Eventually, after Jake prompted you again, an echo in the ringing in your head, you managed a quiet, “Get out.”

“Can’t hear you. What?”

Through gritted teeth, you turn to stare at him, gaze like hot daggers, and growl, “Get. Out.”

He turned to find you, the epitome of feminine rage and nearly cowered back. In the years you had been together, he had never seen you so angry.

“W…hat do you–”

His confusion only made your fury worse. And so your rampage began. Your heavy footsteps cut him off and you all but ran to your shared bedroom, and slammed the letter on the kitchen island on your way past.

“Red–” The thought died in his throat when he scanned the mail.

Fuck.

A bag flying into the living space from the hall broke him out of his stupor. Jake quickly moved toward the source, and asked, “Red, what are you do–” When he crossed the threshold, a pressed uniform smacked him in the face.

“Get out! Get out, get out, get out, GET OUT!” you screeched, lobbing clothes and other small objects at him.

His pants, his socks, his fucking underwear–

Out. Get it all out. All of it. Fuck him, fuck his shit, fuck his job–

“Baby–!”

“Fuck you! Don’t call me that!”

“Red, baby, please! Stop!”

That finally sparked a coherent thought in your mind. You were sobbing, choking on your cries, but you managed ragged breaths to string together a sentence. “We just talked about this! You promised me! You promised that you would do better, and I believed you! MOTHERFUCKER!”

A phone charger smacked the wall where Jake’s head once was; he swatted at a pillow that came in his direction when he straightened back up. “I…Sweetheart,” he stuttered, desperate sounding. “I couldn’t–they would’ve died! I’m so–”

Hearing him about to say he was sorry made it so much fucking worse. You don’t know what else to do but just…scream. Like a banshee. That was when the heavy shit started–the remote, a picture frame, a vase, a lamp. During your blind frenzy, he managed to get close enough to grab your arms when you turned your back, searching for another projectile. He pulled you to his chest, practically crushing you against him, so you would stop fighting and trying to injure him. But you were vicious; screaming obscenities and insults, writhing in his iron grip. You managed to get your legs up and kick at the bed, which sent Jake stumbling back and forced him to plant his feet. If he were honest, he would admit that he struggled to keep you contained, even for a moment.

His body, his flesh touching yours was too much, and your sleep set didn’t offer you much relief. Your skin crawled like you might just burst at the thought of having to be in his proximity any longer. Amidst all the chaos, you’d almost forgotten about your toddler, sleeping soundly in another room.

“I can’t believe I trusted you! You’re fucking killing me! And you do it like it’s nothing! Like we’re nothing! I’m done! I’m fucking done!”

Pull up. Pull up.

You kicked again, and Jake let you go, instead holding your face to make you look at him. But you shoved him away before he could get the chance. “Red, you have to understand–!”

“I’m done understanding! I don’t care about them! I don’t care about the military! Why should I give half of a shit, when my husband would rather die for them than live for his fucking wife and child!”

Jake didn’t respond. He couldn’t. What could he have said? To apologize, to make it better, to prove that. He’d already groveled to get to where they were then, and he screwed it up so quickly.

The battlefield that was his mind wouldn’t cooperate. He was barely keeping his head above water lately, let alone while trying to mitigate the damage he had done to his wife. Damage that he didn’t—couldn’t—see, and still didn’t quite understand. You brought up your feelings, over and over again, and he did his best to keep his promises.

He did his best. Why wasn’t that good enough?

“You don’t get it! And I don’t know how to make you understand. I’ve begged, I’ve made threats, and it’s not working. So I’m telling you again. GET. OUT!”

“Red!”

The neighbors called the police. They heard your fight from next door, through the hum of their TV while their family ate dinner. How your daughter slept through it, even with taking after her father with his heavy sleeping, you’d never know. Jake sat on their doorstep shell-shocked, a cop around his dad’s age hovering over him with a sad look.

“I just want him gone. I need to be left alone,” you choked through tears, wiping your sleeve across your face. “I’m always alone.”

How did we get here?

Daisy’s faint cries flooded through the doorway from her bedroom. Your husband instinctually went to get up and tend to her, but was met with a firm hand on his shoulder. The man shook his head, and Jake slowly sank back down. If he could’ve sunk into the concrete, he would’ve. What kind of man was he, if he couldn’t even tend to his daughter?

The officers told each of you separately that charges weren’t necessary for a case like yours, which you were grateful for. Jake would never hit you, and you told them as much; you’d just reached your breaking point and needed space. The older man followed the pilot through the house as he went to fetch some clothes to last him a few days. It took everything in his being to ignore Daisy’s cries for him from behind her closed door; it was enough of a challenge that the officer had to nudge him past when he paused at the painted entryway, adorned with her namesake.

With instructions to restrict contact to Daisy’s needs for the next few days, to give you both time to cool off, your husband left peacefully. You didn’t watch as he tossed his bag into the backseat of his truck, or when he pulled out of your driveway. You simply thanked the officers and closed the door, leaned back against it, and sobbed into your palm. You don’t have long, your daughter having gotten louder with each passing minute she was left unattended. You let her cry for just a bit longer to get it out of your system before fetching her.

Even though you had just kicked your husband, the love of your life, out of your family home, you still managed to be incredibly gentle with your toddler. It felt like your soul was torn to pieces, one of them on his way to a motel or parking lot, no doubt.

You shushed her quietly as you scooped her into your arms and smoothed her hair. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Mama’s here. It’s okay.”

Altitude. Altitude.

#jake hangman seresin #top gun hangman #jake hangman fic #jake seresin x reader #top gun maverick #top gun fanfiction #hangman x wife!reader #jake seresin x f!reader #hangman x f!reader #as is above so below #the death of peace of mind as is above so below

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vxntagedior · 2 years ago

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can i request a jake baby blurb, just him gushing over you during a navy ball

you loved the navy ball, it was probably one of the only times you could dress up. jake argued that you could wear formal dresses anytime so he wouldn't have to go.

this year, it had been after jake's promotion to lieutenant commander. you had been getting ready for hours, jake thought, he was ready in about 30 minutes.

"doll, we're gonna be late!" he yelled into the bathroom, "we can't be late."

"i'm coming, i'm coming." finishing up your makeup, you came out of the bathroom, immediately going to the mirror to make sure everything looked perfect.

jake was stunned, frozen in his spot, looking at you.

"okay." you smiled, turning to see jake looking at you, his eyes soft, and a small smile on his face, "what?"

"you look.." god he couldn't even explain it. "gorgeous, doll, gorgeous, i don't we need to go, we can just stay in."

"really?" you raised an eyebrow.

"yup." he nodded his head, "I wanna keep you to myself."

#fi's baby blurbs #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x fem!reader #jake seresin x girlfriend!reader #jake seresin x wife!reader #jake sersin #jake “hangman” seresin #hangman x reader #jake “hangman” seresin x reader #top gun #top gun: maverick

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stcverogers · 2 years ago

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TOP GUN FIC RECS 6!

top gun fics that i’ve been reading and obsessing with over recently

this is extremely important and i take this very seriously out of respect for the community. please do remember to read the rules for the respective blogs before interacting with or reading them.

F: fluff A: angst S: smut

𖥻 - series /multi part

masterlist

JAKE 'HANGMAN' SERESIN

F + A: jake seresin and the unfortunate hat situation by @sehnsuchts-trunken it's your first time in texas and you don't understand what the big fuss about hats is about.

F: never grow up by @andorskenobi you've fallen ill and the seresin boys play doctor.

F + A: signed away by @seresinhangmanjake at 19 years old, the last thing you want is to marry someone you don't love. however, a contract is a contract and you must see it through.

F: 7 years by @flaming-tgmcu jake's known you since he was 7 and he's loved you ever since.

F + S: birds away by @wombtotombx 𖥻 everyone who knew you and jake growing up were convinced that you'd end up together. you were perfect for one another. yet life and the navy had other plans.

F: tiktok troubles by @ultralightpoe jake misses date night and to get back at him, you pull tiktok pranks when he least suspects it.

F: sweet as candy by @halsteadsbradshaw with a callsign like haribo, it's no wonder you have a sweet tooth. jake knows this and this is the 4 times he brings you candy.

F + A: you again by @ereardon you're back in jake's life and he's determined not to let you go again.

F + A: bad habit by @seasonsbloom 𖥻 hangman was cocky. a complete asshole. you hated him, that was for sure.

F + A: glue song + part 2 + part 3 by @waklman the coffee you make isn't why jake is friends with you, though it is a good plus.

A: move on by @starlightstories jake left you hurt years ago and you've long moved on. it was time that he did too.

F + A: rule number one + rule number two by @ultralightpoe when you first met jake, he made the rule to not fall in love with him. you break it and he breaks you heart in the process.

F + A: nothing else matters by @sunnysidevans despite not being her biological father, jake had helped you raise evelyn ever since you found out you were pregnant with her.

F: dad jake blurb by @stargazing15

F + A: left at the alter by @tip-top-cloud-surfer 𖥻 you get left at the alter by your jerk of a fiance. luckily, jake is there for you, just like when you were younger.

F: the beanery by @callsign-peach when jake keeps coming into work with fancy thermos coffee every morning, his colleagues get jealous and want in on the nice roast too.

F + A: tell them by @sarahsmi13s 𖥻 jake's nearly loses his eldest son to a car accident and decides it is finally time to share his family with his work one.

F + A: i had to let go of you just to get a hold of myself by @gennyanydots 𖥻 jake thought that leaving everything behind would make it easier. instead he feels alone, his life consisting of nothing but his job that consumes him.

F: a little bit easier by @sunlitsunflowers jake is there to comfort you when you start to feel overwhelmed at the hard deck

F: marry that girl by @books-are-escapes jake always knew that you were the one he would marry and he finally made it happen

BRADLEY 'ROOSTER' BRADSHAW

F: baby, i'm yours by @almightyellie you're completely blind to bradley's very obious affections for you.

F: to the moon and back by @katsu28 a very special valentine's day for you and bradley

F + A: i will always love you by @amysteryspot with his parents gone and the closest thing he knew to love away, bradley wasn't expecting anyone to tap him out.

F + A: fawn by @sappy-seresin you've garnered rooster's interest working at the hard deck. your skittish behaviour leaves him worried and curious.

F: wedding day by @tip-top-cloud-surfer it's bradley's wedding day and he's brought to tears from seeing his bride

S: (christmas) baby please come home by @gretagerwigsmuse if bradley broke your agreement of only one gift each, surely he wouldn't mind if you broke it too.

F + S: the keeper + part 2 by @tulipsbymybed rooster is infatuated with the owner of the local bookshop.

F + A: homemade dynamite by @mothdruid you and rooster hadn't ended on good terms, now, you're both back at top gun.

F + A: endings and beginnings + part 2 by @tip-top-cloud-surfer rooster finally gets his chance at a family

F: just roommates by @risriswrites you and bradley were roommates, that's all.

F + A: terms of endearment by @ohtobeleah 𖥻 jake seresin was an instigator. as your brother-figure in life, he just wants you to be happy. this includes pushing you and rooster together.

F + A: something special by @helloheyhihowdyheya rooster cares for you more than he lets on, he just has a terrible way of showing it

F + A: what a look on you by @thewulf you secretly harbour feelings for bradley. when a friend from college comes visit and rooster seems far more enamored by her than you, you're hurt.

F: 5 times the Bronco was a third wheel by @thesewordsareallihavetogive there isn't many things bradley loves more than his bronco. you, maybe, but that's about it.

F + S: what's in a name? by @sometimesanalice bradley's favourite thing about you was the way you said his name

F + A: superstar + part 2 by @maggiedanikka bradley bradshaw was the poster boy for the americna navy. he was everything you weren't. why would he ever fall for the likes of someone like you?

F: daddy's little princess by @startrekfangirl2233-writes you come home to bradley playing dinosaurs and barbies with your two children

F: milk and toast and honey by @amysteryspot despite your bad experience with naval aviators, you have an affinity for one bradley bradshaw

F: romeo, romeo by @welcome-to-my-multiverse rooster is completely enamored by you and the dagger squad definitely shouldn't have left a drunk him alone with you.

ROBERT 'BOB' FLOYD

F: losing something and the other picks it up and calls after them by @callsignsaturn

F: afternoon bedrest by @jungle-angel bob returns home with an upset stomach. lucky for him, you're there to comfort him

F: he's all that by @withahappyrefrain bob's too nervous to approach the cute girl at the hard deck. his team mates decide that a makeover is just the confidence boost he needs

F: rodeo by @sarahsmi13s though you could perfectly hold your own, bob would always stand up for you.

F: surprise by @topgun-imagines bob proposed to his girl and no one the dagger squad had known

F: blind date gone...wrong? by @intricatechaosofyou you get stood up on a blind date. thankfully, bob is there to save you the embarrassment.

F: wanna buy you a drink by @anonymooseforever007 you surprise bob at the hard deck, but not without a little teasing first.

S: untouchable + part 2 by @idkwhylou as the only daughter of the captain, you were placed on a pedestal, deemed untouchable. bob was the only exception.

TOM 'ICEMAN' KAZANSKY

F: little reward by @dragon-kazansky to entice tom away from his computer, you promise him hugs and strawberries

BEAU 'CYCLONE' SIMPSON

F: super trouper + part 2 by @callsignmayhem you're sick and beau is ready to help you feel better, with the help of soup and mamma mia.

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spidervee · 2 years ago

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in which you and Jake go on a hike and encounter a little friend 🌻 Jake Seresin x reader; fluff abounds—in more ways than one!

It’s the snapping of a branch that makes you freeze mid-step, your eyes scanning the ground for any sign of what might have made that sound. Beside you, Jake laughs. And while you love the melodious joy that is his laughter, right now you can only scowl at him, hoping that the daggers your glaring his way will be enough for him to get the hint.

“Babe,” he stage-whispers, playfully obeying your silent command, “It’s probably just a chipmunk.”

“I don’t care,” you say, voice low, bodily still frozen in space. “I just wanna see one…”

“Holy shit.” Jake interrupts with an oddly reverent curse, the teasing light gone out of his eyes only to be replaced with something softer—wonder, the kind you saw on the day you married him.

Slowly, you twist to get a look behind you, where his gaze has fallen and so help you god if he’s fucking w—

No. Your brain short-circuits around the thought because standing there in the underbrush, staring right at you, is a beautiful red fox, it’s sharp face searching and it’s dark eyes watchful.

You swallow, almost not daring to breathe. Jake hasn’t moved a muscle and you’re not sure how much time passes before the fox turns with a flick of its tail and disappears back the way it came. But when you move again, turn to look at your husband, he’s still staring at where the grass and roots have been unsettled.

“Jake?”

He blinks, trance broken, and looks up at you with those green eyes wide and brimming with something unnamable.

“I love you, baby.”

You grin, the magic of the moment not lost on you. “I love you too, Jake.”

#jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #jake seresin blurb #jake seresin drabble #jake seresin fluff #jake seresin x wife!reader #jake Seresin x reader fluff #jake hangman seresin #hangman x wife!reader #jake hangman x reader #hangman seresin #jake hangman x you #top gun hangman #hangman x you #hangman x reader

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ccristata · 2 years ago

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Wonderland: Jake Seresin x Crissa (OFC) Masterlist

Full Masterlist

Playlist

Didn't They Tell Us 'Don't Rush Into Things'? Didn't You Flash Your Green Eyes at Me? (Wonderland pt. 1)

Word Count: 3,017 "Sorry, I don't date cowboys." The girl softened the dismissal with a warm smile but it was a dismissal nonetheless. "What about Naval Aviators?" Jake flashed his best smile, the one where his dimples came out and he looked up through his lashes. "Ugh, even worse." The girl winced, winced. "Really?" "Sorry. Reflex. You say Navy, I shudder." Or, how Crissa tried her best not to fall in love with the pretty guy at the bar.

Didn't You Calm My Fears with Your Cheshire Cat Smile? (Wonderland pt. 2)

Word Count: 2,053 "Sorry, I don't date cowboys." Famous last words. Add it to the growing list of rules Crissa lives by that Jake is breaking. Or, a first texts leads to a first date which leads to a migraine which leads to making breakfast for the hot guy she met two days ago.

Haven't You Heard What Becomes of Curious Minds? (Wonderland pt. 3)

Word Count: Both Jake and Crissa know they're going to get married. They even both know that they both know they're going to get married. They just can't agree on who fell in love first or who actually proposed to who. Or, Javy is so done with his friends and wishes they would just realize they're already married, everything from here on out is just formality.

It's All Fun and Games Till Somebody Loses Their Mind (Wonderland pt. 4)

Word Count: Happy wife, happy life. Jake gave up on the happy part two delays ago. Right now he'll take it if he just ends today with both a wife and his life. Or, Jake Seresin strives for perfection in everything he does in life. He found the perfect girl, she's planned the perfect wedding and he's was supposed to be back two days before it. Not four hours late. As much as he'd like to fly the plane himself just to get things moving faster, he's terrified of what he's going to find when he arrives.

I Felt Your Arms Twisting Around Me (Wonderland pt. 5)

Word Count: Murphy's Law came true at Jake and Crissa's wedding but somehow they still ended up married so how do things fall out at the reception? Or, how does a panicked fiance, a rainstorm, the clothes she bought for her honeymoon, and Jake's affinity for french braids all not only not ruin everything but actually lead to the best night of Crissa's life?

#top gun #top gun maverick #top gun fanfic #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin x ofc #jake seresin x wife #Wonderland J&C

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girl-in-the-chairs-void · 2 years ago

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Y’all, I wrote something on the flight cause I was struck by some magic thought and I have a whole fic planned now;

“Dude, you’re taking all the Wi-Fi.”

Beams of sunlight poured through the window, bouncing off the tennis ball sized mirror ball on the mahogany table, scattering its way through the room, making the room shine in its light. There were toys, everywhere, from the floor, the velvet gray lush couch, to the entrance table near the front door. The tv was making its usual background noise as it played a sing-along song of ‘wheels on the bus’ from cocomelon. In front of it, with a chewable tooth key in his mouth, sat a babbling blond; the blue Captain America shirt losing its bright color as drenched in the child’s saliva while he happily mumbled his way through the song.

Right behind him, an annoyed ten-year old boy stood, hands tucked around his chest in protest as he tried getting the attention of the two year old in front of the tv, who most likely didn’t care what his brother was moaning about. Dark blond hair tousled carelessly, his eyes reflecting his fathers and a personality that was inherited through his mother.

“Jamie, stop annoying your brother!” your voice filtered its way through the upper floor, making your way down from it.

It made both the boys turn their heads towards the sound of your voice. The younger one immediately got up and ran his way towards you by the time you made it down the stairs.

“Mama! Bweakfast!”

This may or may not be kinda on a Jake x reader thing but I was thinkin of maybe having it as a Brad fic cause I have barely written for him…LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINKK

#Jake seresin x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #top gun imagine #hangman x reader #rooster x reader #Jake hangman x reader #jake seresin fluff #rooster x you #Bradley Bradshaw x reader #rooster x wife!reader #Jake seresin x wife!reader

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hangmanwh0re · 2 years ago

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"Anh bỏ bùa gì mà lại làm em yêu vậy" What Spell Did You Cast to Make Me Fall In Love With You?

pairing – hangman x f!reader, jake seresin x f!reader, wife!reader, pilot!reader

summary – the marriage between the cocky blonde texan who thinks he's too good for everybody and the soft vietnamese girl

warnings – fluff, no smut, safe for minor readers, PG-13 language so be warned, like three mentions of alcohol, VERY slight angst, also no usage of y/n | 1.59k

word count – 1,587

notes – based on my desired reality (DR) vietnamese oc born in the united states, callsign is "dragon" and name is nicole. also, the title is a line in a vietnamese song called see tình by hoàng thùy linh, it's a good song! also, this is the first fic i've ever written in full so please enjoy!

ACT 1, SCENE 1 - THE HARD DECK

Nicole walks back to the pool table from the bar, drinks in hand. She hands a beer to Jake.

"Mrs. Seresin, what on earth are you drinking?" says Jake "Hangman" Seresin, reminding her of her soon-to-be married name. He gestures to her glass, a rosy-colored concoction of various fruit juices and seltzer.

"Have you got a single thought behind those green marble eyes of yours? Asian flush, genius!" she responds, the tone jokingly mocking.

Phoenix and Coyote almost choked on their drinks laughing at the exchange. Phoenix puts a hand on her chest and clears her throat.

"You know, when you guys told us about the engagement thing, I almost didn't believe you. Cowboy marrying a city girl. Now that's funny." said Phoenix.

Jake sashayed over to Nicole, wrapping his big arms around her. His way of showing her love was through physical touch. Hugging, kissing, holding hands.

"You know I'm only teasing you, baby." he said. Nicole giggled and wrapped her hands around his arms. Eye-rolling and further snickers ensue from Natasha and Javy.

Nicole understood this familiar plea for attention. They best enjoyed moments where it was just the two of them. No snickers, no glances, no doubts of their relationship. "Well, guess we better be on our way, it's.." Nicole glanced at her watch. "5:54!" she exclaimed, breaking out of Jake's grip.

Jake and Nicole set down their drinks down on a table. "Take care of our tab!" Jake said hurriedly, as he and Nicole frantically get ready to leave the Hard Deck. Nicole reached into her pocket and grabbed her keys, organized by size. "We'll see you guys at the ceremony," she said, grabbing Jake's hand and speed-walking with him out to the car.

Phoenix looked at Coyote in disbelief and scoffed, "Those two never pay their bill."

"Good thing I brought my credit card.." said Coyote.

ACT 1, SCENE 2 – THE CAR RIDE HOME

Nicole grasped the steering wheel as she breathed deeply. Music was softly playing through the speakers.

As "Glue Song" by beabeedoobee came on, Nicole glanced out of her window at the orange-red sunset, a common sight since moving to San Diego five years ago.

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, which was 1,082 miles away, she enjoyed and preferred the sweltering heat of Southern California rather than Oregon's aqueous, blinding rains and windswept squalls.

She turned the music volume down using the button on the dashboard.

"Is something wrong?" Jake said, looking over at her. Placing his fingers in her hair, he started to run them through the ends of her slightly wavy, brown hair.

"Jake, you know my family."

"Well, of course I do, we've had dinner with them at your parents' restaurant so many times."

"That's sort of the problem." Nicole sighed, shifting a little bit in the leather driver's seat.

"What do you mean?" Jake said, returning his hand to his side.

"It's just that.. you know. I'm Asian and you're white. I'm really nervous on how our wedding is going to look."

"Oh, Nicky. You're worried about nothing. It can be disorganized as hell and I'd still be happy because I'm marrying you."

She felt more eased. Nicole loved it when he comforted her. The feeling was like an ocean wave had swept over her feet. Calming yet so comforting.

"Thanks babe." She said, turning her head to smile at him, replied to with a bright pearly white smile from her husband.

ACT 2, SCENE 1 – FLASHBACK, FIRST PERSON JOURNAL, NICOLE

I had just gotten to North Island yesterday afternoon. My god, the warm air and sun makes me feel like I'm on vacation or something.

"Looks like we have ourselves another lady pilot!"

I turned my head. There's a 6'1 man coming towards me. Who could this be? Is he talking to me? Surely, he is.

He extended his hand to me. Do I shake it? Reluctantly, I did.

"Nicole. Callsign's Dragon. And you?"

"The name's Hangman, but you can call me yours."

Oh my god. Did I just get hit on within my first HOUR of being here? Yes, I did. I just decided to forget about it.

Later that evening, my new friends Natasha and Callie took me to a bar. It was called The Hard Deck, I think? Really funny name. Fitting for a Navy bar, I guess.

But what do you know it, when I walk in, guess who I see? That blonde man from earlier.

For the first fifteen minutes, I tried my best to bury my head in conversation with Natasha and Callie. Their callsigns were Phoenix and Halo, which I thought was super cool. Dragon, Phoenix, Halo, the best female pilots in the nation, damn right.

I couldn't get him off of my mind though. So I told them what happened earlier, and they told me to go strike up a conversation with him. I don't regret it at all.

I walked up to the bar where he was sitting, pulled out the stool next to him, and sat down. He looked up.

"Well, who do we have here? You're that lady pilot from earlier today. Dragon, right?"

"How did you even remember all of that?"

"I'm magic, darling."

I couldn't help but blush. Darling? Please, this sounded like a cheesy romance novel that I would be forced to read for junior high English class.

"Whatever. But uh, yeah. I thought about what you said earlier. I respect you for having the guts to be that outgoing."

He chuckled. His teeth were perfect. I really can't lie, he's gorgeous.

"You, uh, never really told me your name either. You just told me your callsign. So.. yeah.."

"The name's Jake. Jake Seresin."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Jake Seresin."

And that is the start of how I got a date for this Friday. For the second only time in my life, I'm dating somebody. Maybe someday, I'll marry somebody too.

Nicole, August 24, 2019

ACT 3, SCENE 1 – 3 DAYS LATER, WEDDING DAY

Nicole closed the journal and set it on the table of the vanity. She re-read the entry from her first day at Naval Air Station North Island, reminiscing on her first encounters with her soon-to-be husband.

"I can't believe the last line became reality. It's like it was just yesterday." she said to her sister, Josephine, who was curling her hair with a hot curling iron.

Nicole was wearing a white Áo dài with a white headpiece too, as per the Vietnamese tradition.

Josephine turned off the curling iron and helped Nicole get up from her chair.

"You're looking so beautiful, all dolled up like this, Nicky. You're a big, strong woman now." She said, giving her sister a bear hug.

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Joey. It's like yesterday we were just playing dollhouse in the basement, and now I'm getting married."

Both smiled at each other. "Go on out there girl. He's waiting."

Nicole walked out of the dressing room, and moved in between the arms of her parents, Uyen Kim and Han Hoang. They were so moved by the sight of their daughter marrying a man that makes her happy and content with life.

Nicole couldn't help but tear up when she looked out into the room and crowd. The wedding hall was clearly decorated with Vietnamese and western influence, paying homage to both families.

And there in the distance, she saw Jake waiting for her at the altar. Dressed in his Navy whites, he looked like the most handsome man in the world in Nicole's eyes.

When they reached the altar, her parents let go of her arms, and returned to their pew, as Nicole walked up to Jake, holding a bouquet of flowers. She saw the tears coming out of his eyes too.

In the congregation as Hangman's groomsmen were Rooster, Coyote, Payback, Fritz, Harvard, and Omaha. Nicole's bridespeople were Phoenix, Halo, and disregarding the traditional gender binaries, she also had Bob, Fanboy, and Yale. Also in the congregation was Penny and her daughter, Amelia.

"You look good, baby." said Jake, smiling at her and wiping her tears with his fingers.

"You look good too, baby." said Nicole.

When the time came to place rings on each other's fingers, Jake started to see all of their happiest memories together.

When he used his umbrella to cover her during a rainstorm, sacrificing his own uniform for her own comfort, and when he carried her back home on his back after an exhausting work day.

And as the minister had them recite their vows, Nicole started to see all of their memories flash before her eyes too.

The sunset drives where they sung along to Taylor Swift's "Our Song", the bar games where he always won, and the hugs that he would give her in front of their friends, not having a single worry in the world about embarrassing themselves.

"And now, you may kiss the bride." the minister said.

Jake leaned in to kiss her, finally landing a loving, gentle kiss on her lips. So moved, so loved, and so now married.

The congregation erupted in clapping and cheering.

"I can't believe they actually worked out." said Rooster, who was seconded by Phoenix and Coyote.

After a few full seconds, Nicole and Jake finally let go of each other's lips.

Looking each other in the eye, Nicole said,

"What spell did you cast on me to make me fall in love with you?" she said, smiling through tears and at this point, full sobbing.

"You know me. I'm magic, darling." he said, smiling back at her.

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tip-top-cloud-surfer · 10 months ago

Text

The Danger Zone (Part 22) - Hangman

Pairing: Hangman / Fem!Bradshaw!Reader | OC

Word Count: 3.0k

This work, all my works, and my entire blog are 18+ ONLY.

Warnings: Post-Partum Depression and Anxiety; Insomnia; Breast Feeding; Life with a Newborn; Post-Labor Struggles; Mental Health Issues; Medical Inaccuracies; Use of "You," No Use of Y/N, No Set Physical Description

Summary: You are not yourself. Jake is worried.

A.N. Please read the tags. I am not a medical professional. This chapter deals with PPD. If that is triggering, please skip it.

Series Master List

Master List

You had truly learned the meaning of the word ‘exhausted.’ Everything just felt heavy, and your brain was completely clouded. You were just running on autopilot. And you still just couldn’t sleep.

Waking up while Jake continued to snooze beside you, you slipped out of bed and stood beside your daughter’s crib, watching over her nervously. She was sleeping peacefully but you still placed your finger in front of her face until you could feel her breath. But even then, you stood there, watching her to make sure that she was safe and alright.

Jake rolled over in his sleep, reaching his arm out for you. But his arm rested against the bed instead of your hip and he started to grow cold from the blankets being moved. Jake blinked awake a few moments later and sat up to see you hovering anxiously above Maisie’s crib.

Letting out a soft sigh, Jake got out of bed and slowly walked over to stand beside you. You didn’t acknowledge him, still glued to the image of your daughter. Jake gently reached out, wrapping his arm around your waist, and pressed a soft kiss to the side of your head. You still didn’t turn to acknowledge him.

“She’s fine, Honey. She’s just sleeping.”

“I thought I heard her crying,” you told him softly.

"She's safe. She's just sleeping."

"But what if she's hungry?"

“She ate,” Jake reminded you gently.

“But I don’t think that she ate enough. What if she’s not getting enough, Jake?”

“We’re going to see the pediatrician in a few days,” Jake stated calmly, rubbing his thumb in circles over your hip. “But she wouldn’t be sleeping soundly if she was hungry.” Gently giving your hip a squeeze, he added, “Come back to bed. She’s sleeping. She’s fine.”

It took about fifteen more minutes of coaxing, but Jake finally got you to climb back into bed. But you still laid awake, staring at where your daughter lay, a million different worst case-scenarios running through your mind. And when Maisie finally did cry, you were beside her crib again before Jake could pick his head up.

He watched you, a bit defeated, as you picked Maisie up and carried her back to bed, urging her to latch and feed. Jake sat up to help you, but you seemed to be in your own world.

“Come on, Maisie,” you urged, an edge of panic in your tone as your daughter didn’t immediately latch on. “Come on.”

After a bit more fuss, Maisie finally started to feed, which let you finally take a breath. You turned to Jake when he reached out and gently grabbed your hand, giving it a squeeze.

“Are you okay?” Jake asked quietly, causing you to nod and look down at your daughter.

“She’s feeding.”

“But are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you insisted, watching your daughter. “She’s feeding.”

“I’ll get her next time.” Leaning down so that he could look up and assess your expression, Jake reached out and gently brushed your cheek with his fingers. “You need to get some sleep. You’re still recovering yourself.”

You nodded absentmindedly, not agreeing or disagreeing with him, which only made Jake more concerned. He was worried about you. And the guilt that he felt while he was stationed away from you seemed to have returned with a vengeance.

Maisie unlatched and even though you tried to get her to latch again and feed, she scrunched up her nose and turned away from you. Jake stepped in and gently took Maisie from your arms. You watched him with a defeated expression as he started to burp her.

“What’s wrong?” Jake asked you softly as Maisie whined and wiggled a bit against him.

“Do you think she got enough?”

“She didn’t want to eat anymore. She’s full. I can feel it in her belly,” Jake joked, but you didn’t laugh. Sobering and staring at you with concern, Jake added, “Go to bed. I’ll get her changed. Just get some sleep, Honey. You’ll feel better.”

He leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to the side of your head before rolling out of bed with your daughter. You watched them go, staring listlessly at the door. Slowly fixing your shirt, you laid down and rolled over. Closing your eyes, you buried your head in your pillow as tears dripped down your cheeks.

Jake, meanwhile, finished up changing Maisie’s diaper and picked her up off the changing table, pressing a series of kisses to her cheek. Maisie let out a little coo, sticking her tongue out as she kicked her feet. Jake moved to sit on the couch with her and rested her against his chest as he leaned back.

“We’re just going to stay out here for a little bit. So that your mommy can go back to sleep.”

Jake gently rubbed your daughter’s back, pressing a lingering kiss to her head. Maisie, with a full belly and fresh diaper, didn’t spend too much more time awake before she dozed off again. Jake checked his watch before slowly standing up.

Walking back into your bedroom, Jake was relieved to find you asleep. He gently set Maisie back down in her crib. Getting back into bed, Jake was careful not to disturb you. You had barely slept since you came home from the hospital and he knew that it was taking a toll on you. Taking one last glance at his whole world, Jake moved to go to bed too.

~~~~~

You and Jake sat in the waiting area of the pediatrician's office. Maisie sat in her baby carrier at Jake’s feet, content. Jake could tell that you were anxious with all of the other people in the room and gently rested his hand over your bouncing knee. You turned to him as you fiddled with your wedding band and Jake offered you a supportive smile.

“It’s okay. We’ll be in and out. Alright?”

“I know,” you replied, before going right back to your nervous fiddling.

The medical assistant eventually walked out from behind the door and called Maisie’s name. Jake picked up Maisie’s carrier and the three of you made your way back. Maisie was weighed and measured, during which you nervously fisted the back of Jake’s shirt, before you were taken to an exam room.

The pediatrician walked in a few minutes later and greeted you kindly before moving to check up on Maisie. Jake took your daughter out of the carrier and laid her down on the exam table. Your heart leapt into your throat when Maisie whined. Holding your fist to your lips, you stared at your daughter as Jake looked back at you with concern.

The pediatrician conducted her standard checkup. Jake stood behind the exam table, smiling as Maisie stuck her tongue out and waved her fists. The pediatrician listed off a few questions that you and Jake answered, before moving to chart.

“She’s still taking her time to grow,” the pediatrician stated, causing your heart to jolt.

“She’s not growing?” you asked, your blood pressure steadily rising. Jake reached for your hand, but you ignored him, stepping towards your daughter. Looking Maisie over yourself, you turned back to the pediatrician urgently. “Is she sick?”

“No, I don’t believe so. She’s still growing, just at a slower rate.”

“Should we be concerned?”

“Not yet, no. Every baby is different and grows at their own rate. And they usually catch up in their own time,” the pediatrician explained, though it did little to soothe you.

“Usually?” you repeated, feeling your stomach contract and twist.

“Yes. We’ll just monitor her, that’s all. You said that she seems to be feeding regularly?”

“Yes, but I don’t think she’s feeding enough.”

“What makes you think that she’s not getting enough?”

“Well, she’s not growing enough,” you insisted, causing the pediatrician to pause.

“She’s perfectly healthy. Just a little small, that’s all. I see plenty of small babies that grow up to be tall adults. It just takes some time for some babies.”

“Is there anything that we can do? Or anything that we should stop doing?”

“Just keep doing what you’re doing. If it would help your peace of mind, you can keep a log of your daughter’s feedings and—”

“—I already have one.”

You pulled out your phone and searched for your log as Jake watched you closely. Showing the pediatrician your feeding log, you waited anxiously as she read through it.

“She seems to be feeding normally. I think that she’s just a little small, that’s all. Nothing to be worried about. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Your daughter is healthy and happy.”

“Thank you,” Jake spoke up, moving to put Maisie back into her carrier.

“You’re sure that we can wait until the next appointment before changing anything?” you asked as Jake stood up with Maisie.

“I am,” the pediatrician assured you before opening the door.

After making Maisie’s next appointment, you and Jake headed out to the car. Getting into the back with Maisie, you missed Jake’s worried glance. He turned around to face you, watching you hover over your daughter again.

“She’s okay, Honey. You heard the doctor. It’s probably nothing. She’s just small.”

“But what if it isn't nothing, Jake?” you snapped, causing him to pause. “What if something's wrong with her?”

“Then we’ll handle it like we handled everything else that life threw at us." Jake turned around to face you, though you didn't meet his gaze. "She’s going to be fine, Honey.”

You didn’t respond to him, continuing to hover over your daughter, like you were expecting some threat to jump out of nowhere and hurt her. Jake focused on the road, but his mind was in the backseat with you and your daughter.

~~~~~

When the three of you returned home, Jake moved to give you some space. He offered to watch Maisie, but you insisted on watching her yourself. And so, Jake left you downstairs to go and paint the nursery. The two of you were slowly putting your house together and the mindless work just helped him refocus.

It took a lot to shake Jake Seresin. But you were really starting to shake him. You weren't you. And it terrified him.

Painting the final wall with the first coat of paint, Jake paused when he heard Maisie cry. He waited for you to get her, since he assumed that you were hovering over her again. But when too much time passed and Maisie only cried louder, he dropped the paint brush and hurried downstairs. Turning the corner, Jake spotted you and Maisie in the living room.

Maisie was lying safely in her bassinet, letting out shrill cries with a bright red face. And you were curled up on the floor a few feet from her, sobbing as you held your hands over your ears. Jake looked frantically between the two of you before going to Maisie first as she let out another piercing wail.

“Hey there, Maisie Baisie, it’s alright,” Jake cooed, scooping his daughter up and holding her to his chest. Patting her back and bouncing her as he watched you worriedly, Jake tried to get Maisie to stop crying. “What’s bothering you?”

After getting Maisie to stop crying after changing her diaper, Jake placed her back in her bassinet before hurrying over to you. You were still sobbing uncontrollably, curling up on yourself. Jake kneeled down in front of you and gently grabbed your wrists and tried to pull them away from your ears.

“Honey, what’s wrong?”

You sobbed out a response that Jake couldn’t piece together, so he simply pulled you into his arms and tried to get you to stop crying and shaking. Repeating over and over again that Maisie was alright, Jake rested his head on top of your own and forced himself to remain calm and focused.

“It’s my fault,” you whimpered out, causing Jake to frown.

“What are you talking about?”

“Maisie. It’s all my fault,” you sobbed, which only made Jake hug you tighter.

“Nothing’s wrong with Maisie. She’s healthy. She’s fine.”

“She’s small.”

“For now. She just needs some time to grow, that’s all,” Jake reiterated, rubbing your back as you continued to shake.

“I’m a failure,” you sobbed out. “My mom raised two kids on her own and I can’t even feed my daughter enough!”

“Honey, you’re being too hard on yourself. Maisie is safe. She’s healthy. You’ve done everything that you’re supposed to do. You’re an amazing mom to her.”

You didn’t respond, except with more tears, and Jake just held you as you cried. Resting his head against your own and forcing himself to keep his voice level and without too much emotion, he moved to speak gently but firmly.

“I’m worried about you, Honey. You’re not you.”

“I’m sorry,” you sobbed, causing Jake to squeeze you tighter.

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault,” Jake insisted softly. “None of this is your fault.” Gently cupping your cheeks and staring into your eyes, Jake stared at you with all of the love and support in the world. “It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay. And I’m going to be here for you and Maisie through all of it. Alright?”

“Okay,” you croaked out shakily.

“I love you and Maisie with everything that I have. And I’ll be here every single step of the way, alright? I’m not leaving you two.”

You nodded in return, unable to put your emotions into words. Jake pressed another kiss to your forehead and pulled you in for another hug, unable to prevent a few tears from sliding down his own cheeks.

~~~~~

You stared at the woman across from you, nervously fiddling with your hands. After a few calls, Jake got you an appointment with a psychologist who specialized in PPD. He was waiting with Maisie out in the car now, which gave you some peace of mind, but you were anything but comfortable.

“Any history of anxiety or depression?” she asked kindly.

“Both, yeah.”

“Can you tell me about those experiences?”

“It was when I was a teenager. My mom died. Cancer. And my brother left me with our godfather about a year later and I was just . . . I felt like my whole life just crumbled in an instant. They eventually diagnosed me and put me on some medication.”

“And did it work?”

“Yeah, I went off of it about two years later.”

“And have you had any other experiences with anxiety or depression since then? During your pregnancy especially?”

“I wasn’t diagnosed with anything.”

“Did you ever experience any symptoms though?"

“I had a rough first and third trimester,” you stated quietly.

“Can you elaborate?”

“My pregnancy was unexpected and there was a lot of tension at that time with telling everyone and dealing with that. I made some mistakes, and I could have handled it better." You bit down on your lip, glancing down at your shoes. "And for my third trimester, my husband was deployed unexpectedly.” Fiddling with your wedding band again, you added, “It was very difficult. Emotionally.”

"Can you describe your thought process at the time? What were your concerns at the time?"

"Jake, my husband, he had become my support system through my pregnancy. He was there for everything, helped me through anything and with anything. And then he was just gone. And I had other help, but I just wanted him."

"Was the timing the concern or the fact that he was deployed?"

"Both, I think," you admitted quietly. "I needed him. And he made it, but he almost wasn't there. And I just spent so much time angry because he wasn't there."

"At him?"

"No, no," you replied quickly, shaking your head. "At . . ." You paused, trying to put your emotions into words. "I'm just tired of people I care about being ripped away from me."

~~~~~

Outside in the car, Jake was entertaining Maisie, who was smiling and cooing as she reached out for the toy. Jake tickled her tummy when he got a phone call.

“Hey, Penny,” he answered quietly, still entertaining Maisie.

“How’s it going?”

“She’s only twenty minutes into her appointment,” Jake stated, glancing over at the clock. “She was nervous.”

“It’s not easy to admit that you need help,” Penny replied, causing Jake to nod. After a moment, she asked, “How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine. I’m just trying to do everything that I can before I go back to work next week.”

“Maverick, Sarah, and I are all ready to be there for her and Maisie. But don't think about that right now. You still have time with them,” Penny reassured him, though she knew that he was still going to be concerned. “How is Maisie?”

“She’s perfect,” Jake replied, looking down at his daughter. Tickling her again, Jake smiled as she cooed at him. “She’s still small, which her mom is worried about, but the doctors say she's healthy.”

“She just needs some time and support, that’s all. They both do."

"I know."

"You know that we're here for you too, Jake, right? Anything any of you three needs, we're here for you."

"Thanks, Penny."

~~~~~

“How do you feel about going on medication again?” the psychologist asked, causing you to look down.

“I need to go on medication?”

“I think that given your symptoms and your past success with medication, it would be a good idea for both you and your baby. I’m particularly concerned about your insomnia and how it’s affecting your recovery.”

“Would I have to stop breastfeeding?”

“Not necessarily, no. But is your ability to breastfeed a source of anxiety for you?”

“I guess it can be,” you admitted quietly, shifting in your seat.

“Well, I’ll start you on a low dose, which is safe for your daughter. But if you feel that continuing to breastfeed is a source of anxiety, then we can discuss it at your next appointment. And you can also reach out to your obstetrician or your daughter’s pediatrician to figure out a solution that works best for you and your daughter.”

Your psychologist went through a few more things with you before you booked another appointment. Walking out to the car, you slowly slid into the passenger’s seat.

“How did it go?” Jake asked you softly as you set the pamphlets and paperwork down.

“She wanted to put me on medication.”

“Are you okay with going on medication?” Jake questioned kindly.

You shrugged your shoulders, more tears forming in your eyes. Jake leaned over to wipe your tears away lovingly, which made you shudder, remembering how you yelled at him before.

“I just want to go back to normal,” you breathed out shakily. “I just want to be me again.”

“You will be. It’ll get better. And I’ll be here through it all.” You nodded slowly, letting the tears fall freely as Jake pressed a kiss to the side of your head. “I love you so much, Honey.”

“Thank you,” you croaked out., “for not leaving me.”

"I'm never leaving you. You're stuck with me, Honey." He pressed another kiss to your head. "In sickness and in health,” Jake reminded you, causing you to nod slowly.

Getting Maisie settled again into her car seat, Jake took your hand in his own and started to drive the three of you home.

A.N. I am not a medical professional nor am I an expert in postpartum depression/anxiety. This chapter was written based on stories of mothers who have gone through this and some medical research. This is not meant to be inclusive of all of the ways that PPD can present, and it is also not meant to make it seem like PPD is easy to spot, diagnose, or treat.

In this case, Honey’s demeanor in her last trimester and her past struggles already clued in Jake and others. PPD is more common in women who have previously experienced depression or who were depressed during pregnancy, both of which are true of Honey. This isn’t the last that PPD will be mentioned in this story (as that would be inaccurate) but it will be less prominently featured in future chapters if you find it triggering.

Tags (PRETTY PLEASE have your AGE on your blog or message me about it to be tagged--thank you!):

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sarahsmi13s · 2 years ago

Text

Telling Them

pairing: jake ‘hangman’ seresin x wife!reader

characters: jake seresin, y/n seresin, grayson seresin, kennedy seresin, dagger squad, penny benjamin, dr andrews

warnings: third person pov, she/her pronouns used, language, car crash mentioned, hospitals, mentions of surgey, mentions of family medical history (addiction to pain meds), talks of recovery methods, description of injuries, i believe that is it

word count: ~2.3k

a/n: 2/3 (this is a three part story -- however i might expand on it if you guys want)

loose summary: after nearly losing grayson, things are really put in perspective for jake and he realizes that the daggers are family too.

pt 1 pt 3

*******

“I think I wanna tell the squad.”

“What?” Y/N asked, except she heard him perfectly well.

Jake had just always wanted to keep his family private, it was how he protected them. Despite her wanting to get to know his coworkers, she respected her husband and understood where he was coming from. So his sudden confession confused her.

Jake sighed and held his wife’s hands. “I know, I know. I’ve always wanted to keep you and the kids private. But we could’ve lost Grayson today… We were having an emergency and you couldn’t get a hold of me or Javy. Then you apologized for coming to base to get me, you shouldn’t have to do that. Javy kinda knocked some sense into me earlier, said that the squad was worried when I left. A hoard of text on my phone confirmed that.” He took a deep breath.

“I want you and the kids to be able to lean on anyone on that team. I’ve trusted this team more than any other squadron I’ve been on.” “That’s saying something.” Jake chuckled, “Damn straight it is.”

He sighed, “I realized that if we had lost-” Emotion lumped in his throat. “If this had turned out any other way, they would have no idea that anything was wrong or why I wasn’t at work or why I was a bigger asshole than normal. I couldn’t mourn properly, because they would have no idea. And if I were to burn in…” He trailed off, but she knew what he was saying.

“So, I want you to meet them. I want them to get to know the kids. I want them to come to Grayson and Kennedy’s games. I want to expand the family, bring in a few strays.”

Y/N laughed, “Don’t let the princess hear you say that, she’ll think we’re getting a puppy.” Jake chuckled and kissed her knuckles, leaning his forehead on hers. “What do you say, my Queen?”

She nodded against him, “Let’s do it. But can it wait until we have Grayson at home? I’d hate for their first meeting to be in the hospital.” Jake nodded and kissed her forehead, “Of course, baby. Gives me time to drop subtle hints.”

Y/N pulled back, raising a brow, “You? Jacob Thomas Seresin, subtle? When are you ever subtle?” He rolled his eyes, “Hush.” Jake pecked her lips, “I’ll go get the doctor.” “Okay, I’ll give Javy and Mav a call, let them know he’s awake.”

Jake walked down the hall and Y/N took out her phone, calling Javy, not realizing what time it was.

“Hello?” “Javy- oh shit, did I wake you up?” “Yeah, but it’s fine. How’s Grayson?” She nodded, smiling, “He’s awake. He’s aware and is probably ready to get out of here.” “How’s Kennedy?” “She’s just glad to see that her brother’s awake,” she peaked in the window, seeing her daughter tucked under her son’s arm as she told him a story.

“How are you?” She sighed, “I’m better. Way better than before now that I know he’s okay. I’m just worried what this will mean for him. He’s already tried out and made the football team here, he probably won’t get to play this season, but it’s only his junior year so hopefully he’ll get to play his senior year.” “Hopefully he recovers like his mom,” Javy joked. She scoff laughed, “Yeah, fingers crossed.”

Javy sighed, “How’s Jake?” She bit her lip and looked down the hall in the direction her husband went. “Same as me, better now that he knows Grayson’s okay. But,” she took in a breath. “He wants to introduce the squad.”

Javy smiled on the other end, “When? Where? What time?” Y/N chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm. “Probably not until Grayson’s out of the hospital and is settled back at home with a routine. I’d hate for the first meeting to be in a hospital. Him being hurt isn’t ideal… but it helped put things into perspective for Jake. He’s so protective of his private life, has been since high school. We both know that.” Javy nodded.

“Hey, did Mav come by?” Coyote changed the subject. “Yeah, gave Jake the next few days off. He said he was gonna give subtle hints, but we know him.” Javy laughed, “Yes, yes we do.”

Y/N heard footsteps and looked to see Jake walking with the doctor. “I’ll let you go back to sleep, J.” “I’ll come by tomorrow after training,” he said, leaving no room for argument. “Okay, goodnight Javy.” “Goodnight, Y/N.” She hung up and sent Maverick a text.

Once the doctor and Jake got to her, they went into the room.

“Good to see you awake, Grayson. I’m Doctor Andrews. How are you feeling? Any pain?” Jake and Y/N went to the left side of the bed, Y/N’s hand lightly gripping her son’s.

“My ribs hurt a little, legs are definitely hurting,” Grayson told him, shifting a little.

Y/N moved over to the right side of the bed, “Kenni, come here sister.” She held her hands out as her daughter leaned into her brother. “Wanna stay with Gray…” Y/N sighed, “I know you do, Princess. But the doctor needs to make sure bubba’s okay. He can’t work around you, honey.”

Kennedy narrowed her (e/c) eyes at the doctor before looking back at her mom, “Is he nice?” Y/N smiled and nodded, “Yes, Kennedy, he’s nice.” The five year old sighed, “Okay.” She kissed her brother's cheek before holding her arms out for her mother. Y/N gathered her up and went back to Jake’s side, the little girl instantly wanting to go to her father.

They spent the rest of that time going over the treatment options and timelines.

“Okay, so we’re probably going to have to keep you here for about five days. Just to make sure everything’s okay. Do we have a preference for pain medication? Currently we’ve got you hooked up to morphine.” Grayson glanced at Y/N, not sure what to say. “We try to stay away from opioids as best we can. If it’s unavoidable then we understand.”

Doctor Andrews nodded, “Has anyone in the family had trouble with addictions in the past?” “No, not that we are aware of,” Jake answered. He nodded again, “Okay, so we’ll definitely look into our options and run them by you. Do you have any questions while I’m here?”

Y/N looked at her son, who shifted a little in the bed.

“Um… Sports? Will I ever get to play again? Or am I done?” Andrews sighed, “Well, everything will depend on the recovery. I’m afraid this football season, possibly basketball season, will have to miss you. But hopefully we can have you back by baseball season.”

“How long is the recovery?” “Four to six months for the femur, sometimes the ACL can take as long as nine, but everyone is different.” Grayson nodded. “Thank you, Doc.” He gave the Seresins a smile, “Of course, get some rest. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Grayson rubbed his face, groaning a little. “What is it?” Y/N asked. “It’s just – four to six months? Gosh, that sounds like forever.” “It’ll be over before you know it, kid. You just gotta work during the recovery,” Jake said, nodding down to Grayson’s legs that were in braces.

Moving curls out of his face, Y/N spoke, “Gray, we will be with you every step of the way. It’ll be hard, but you can do it.”

She gestured to her own leg, “I tore my ACL my sophomore year of high school, I get it. You’ll want to jump right back in once you’re healed, but you can’t. You have to be careful until you’re properly healed, because if you aren’t you might cause more damage. If your body tells you to rest, listen to it.” Grayson nodded, yawning a little, “Yes ma’am.” Smiling at her son, she kissed his forehead, “Get some rest. We’ll be here when you wake up.”

Jake smiled and ruffled his hair, adjusting Kennedy so she could kiss her brother’s cheek. “Night bubba.” “Night sister.”

********

Two days later, Jake was back on base and, since Grayson was only 16, Y/N stayed at the hospital with him. Kennedy stayed at Penny’s getting pampered by Amelia.

As expected, everyone asked Jake if everything was okay. He just nodded and went on as usual. Of course he was still worried, but he was a dad; it’s expected. But people took Jake at his word.

And Jake, in his best attempts to be subtle, had moved his wedding band from his truck to his dog tags and wore his watch lower on his left wrist, to show the initials tattooed there. He also didn’t try to hide his phone as much, knowing his friends were a little nosy.

“Hangman, is that your niece? She’s adorable, what’s her name?” Fanboy asked as he sat beside Jake at lunch. Jake just smiled, “Her name is Kennedy. We call her Ken or Kenni.”

“Wait, let us see!” Phoenix said, gesturing for him to turn the phone around. He proudly did so, showing everyone at the table his daughter. “How old is she?” Rooster asked as he washed down his food. “She’s five, she was about 3 in that photo though. Just popped up in my memories on Facebook.”

They were too busy fawning over how cute Kennedy was that they didn’t catch the dodged ‘niece’ question.

Now, the Dagger squad was not stupid and they were trained to notice things. But does that mean they caught everything? Absolutely not.

But, Bob, being ever the wallflower, noticed the tattoo the next day when Jake took off his watch to shower.

“Who’s ‘(f/i) S’?” Jake smiled and rubbed the pad of his thumb over the two letters. “Sorry, that-” “No, Bob, it’s okay. If I didn’t want you to see it, you wouldn’t have seen it.” The WSO relaxed, “I take it they mean a lot to you?” Jake decided to keep it vague, just for suspense, “They mean the world to me.” Bob smiled and clapped Jake on the shoulder before leaving the room.

*****

Four days into Grayson’s stay at the hospital and two days since Jake has been back at work, the squad went to the Hard Deck. But Jake wasn’t really there, his mind was on Y/N, Grayson, and Kennedy.

“Hey, Hangman, you okay?” Penny asked as she came over with his beer. “Yeah, yeah.” She arched a challenging brow and he caved. “Okay, maybe I’m still just a little shaken up. But Grayson’s okay, he’s coming home tomorrow. I just- Gah I don’t know…” Penny sympathetically smiled at him.

He changed the subject, “How’s Kennedy doing? She handlin’ it okay?” Penny nodded, “Yeah, Amelia is doing a good job at keeping her distracted. Tea parties, make-overs, the whole nine.” Jake smiled, “Yeah, Y/N’s shown me the photos.” “She keeps asking for Grayson though, she wants to visit him all the time. But if it’s past visiting hours they’ll face time.” He nodded, swallowing a little bit, “Yeah, that girl loves her brother. It’s-”

“Hangman! You ready to get your ass kicked?” Jake turned, “In your dreams, Fitch! Give me a minute!” He turned back to Penny, pulling his wallet out, “Close my tab, please. I’m heading out after this.”

Penny nodded and took the cash, gesturing to the squad “When are you gonna tell them?” He glanced back over his shoulder at the group before turning back, “Tonight, actually. Grayson comes home after an exam tomorrow afternoon. We plan on doing a cookout.” Penny smiled, “Good luck.” “Thanks,” he smiled and pushed off the bar, sauntering over to the squad.

He grabbed the pool cue offered and broke the triangle. “Hey, I’m heading out after this-” “What? You never leave first.” He just shrugged and lined up his shot, potting a solid. “As I was saying, I’m leaving after this. I was wondering if you guys were free this Saturday.” Cyclone, Warlock, and Mav knew Jake’s plan and gave everyone Saturday off.

The squad shared a look and nodded, saying they were free. “Yeah, why?” Jake smirked, eyes staying on the pool table, “My wife and I were planning to have a cookout, so I’m inviting you guys.” “Wife? You’re married?!” Rooster asked, choking on his drink. Jake nodded, “I believe I said wife. Didn’t I Coyote?” Coyote smirked as well, “Yeah, you did.”

Before anyone could ask ridiculous questions, Bob spoke up first, “How long have you been married?” “15 years in September,” Jake smiled, eyeing the gold band that was now on his finger. He’d put it on a few minutes ago while he waited for Penny to get his drink. “15? How have you kept it a secret for so long?” Fanboy asked. Jake shrugged, “When something’s mine I hate to share it.”

“Do you have kids?” Rooster asked. Jake nodded, “Yeah, two. A son, Grayson, and a daughter, Kennedy.” Their jaws dropped. “I thought she was your niece,” Payback asked. Jake shook his head, leaning down to take his shot, “Nope, never said that.”

Jake took a few more shots before sitting on a barstool while Payback took his. “So, are you guys in or what? I need to know how much food to get.” They all nodded. “I can’t believe you let me drown in testosterone when you had a little girl and a wife. I don’t think I could ever forgive you,” Phoenix said, crossing her arms while narrowing her eyes. “I’ll learn to live with that.”

Bob spoke up again, a little more hesitant this time. “What happened last Saturday?” Jake sighed and stood up, “Grayson was in a car accident.”

When everyone jumped to ask questions, he held his hands up.

“He’s okay. But he’s been in the hospital the past few days for observation, but he’s coming home tomorrow. The cookout is really for you guys to come meet them and get to know them a little bit. Y/N didn’t want y’all to meet in the hospital.”

The group nodded, “We’re in.”

**********

hiiiii! i’m happy you’re here!

the squad knows now! how do you think the cookout is going to go? what might happened when the squad learns grayson is a 16 year-old?

i hope you enjoyed this part two! i have one more part to post and will hopefully get it out in a timely fashion

if you want to be notified of up coming parts comment and i can add you to the tag list! and if you want to be added to top gun tag list lmk! <33

thank you for reading!

top gun tags <33: @roosterscockpit @luckyladycreator2 @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @sebsxphia @milesdickpic

thank you guys for being here!!!

#jake hangman seresin #jake seresin x wife!reader #hangman x wife!reader #secret family trope #hangdad #jake seresin x reader #hangman x reader #top gun maverick #hangman top gun #top gun imagine #top gun fic #jake seresin imagine #jake seresin top gun #tell them #telling them

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