#maveric

[beyond-mogai-pride-flags]

Xenomaverique Pride Flag

Xenomaverique (xenaverique, xiaverique, or xenomav): being xenogender and maverique; xiaspec/xenoic maveriques.

Flag based on xenoboy/xenogirl flags.

[mavericsystems]

Beyond Boundaries: Unveiling THINK NXT – The Career Catalyst in Tech 

In a world where the pace of technological change is relentless, standing still is the fastest way to move backward. Enter THINK NXT, Maveric's avant-garde initiative, designed to keep up with the times and redefine them. THINK NXT is more than a program; it's a movement, a collective stride towards a future where tech careers are not just about coding but about creating, not just about solutions but about revolutions. 

Charting Uncharted Careers: The Genesis of THINK NXT 

In today's volatile job market, where a staggering 43% of millennials are ready to quit their jobs within two years for more fulfilling opportunities, as per the 2021 Deloitte Millennial Survey, Maveric saw not just a gap but an opportunity. This insight birthed THINK NXT, an industry-first, hyper-personalized career acceleration journey that catapults experienced professionals to new heights ahead of their peers in big brand tech providers. THINK NXT answers the monotony and stagnation that often plague large tech companies, offering a dynamic, engaging, and enriching career trajectory.

Hyper-Specialization: The New Career Currency 

In the sunrise sectors of BankTech, EdTech, Biotech, and RegTech, hyper-specialization is not just advantageous; it's essential. With THINK NXT, hyper-specialization starts from Day 1. As per a report by McKinsey, organizations focusing on domain specialization are 33% more successful in talent retention than those that don't. THINK NXT taps into this insight, offering domain specialization that ensures your career isn't just moving but leaping forward in sectors poised for exponential growth. 

Nurturing Niche Technologists: A Peek into THINK NXT’s Tech Specialization 

In an era where technology evolves by the minute, THINK NXT recognizes the need for niche specialization. A study by PwC indicates a 60% technology skill gap in Asia-Pacific companies, a gap that THINK NXT aims to bridge with its focused tech specialization modules. The program is not about creating generic technologists but about nurturing maestros of technology, individuals whose expertise is not just recognized but revered in the industry. 

Mentorship Magic: The Human Touch in Technology 

In the labyrinth of technology, a guiding hand can make all the difference. THINK NXT's mentorship opportunities are not just about learning; they're about evolving. With industry leaders offering their insights and experiences, the program ensures that its participants are technically sound and equipped with the soft skills and strategic thinking critical for future leadership roles. 

Client Engagement: The Real-World Classroom 

While theoretical knowledge is foundational, real wisdom comes from experience. With THINK NXT, direct client engagement isn't an exception; it's the norm. This approach ensures that participants understand the technical aspects of their projects and grasp the nuances of client needs and market dynamics, a critical skill in today's client-centered business landscape. 

The THINK NXT Trajectory – Shaping the Technologists of Tomorrow 

THINK NXT is not just a program; it's a promise of growth, innovation, and excellence. It represents a strategic shift from the conventional, challenging the status quo and setting new standards in tech career development. As Maveric continues to evolve and expand THINK NXT, the focus remains on staying ahead of the curve, ensuring that the program is relevant for today and pioneering the path for tomorrow. 

Best practices such as maintaining a solid focus on hyper-specialization, nurturing a culture of mentorship and continuous learning, and fostering real-world client engagement will continue to be the pillars of THINK NXT. Moreover, keeping a pulse on emerging technologies and industry trends will ensure that THINK NXT prepares tech professionals for the present challenges and equips them for future opportunities. 

In a world teeming with potential, THINK NXT is the compass that guides tech professionals toward a horizon brimming with possibilities. It's an invitation to embark on a journey of growth. 

THINK NXT catapults professionals with 0-4 years of experience at least 1.5 years ahead of their peers in big brand tech companies. 

 About Maveric 

Established in 2000, Maveric Systems has positioned itself as a leading Banking Technology partner, forming successful collaborations with top global and regional banks across three continents. The company's distinctive approach involves integrating extensive banking domain knowledge with transformative technology to craft solutions that are future-ready.  

Across retail, corporate, and wealth management, Maveric accelerates digital transformation through native banking domain expertise, a customer-intimacy-led delivery model, and a vibrant leadership supported by a culture of ownership.  

With centers of excellence for Data, Digital, Core Banking, and Quality Engineering, Maveric teams work in 15 countries with regional delivery capabilities in Bangalore, Chennai, Dubai, London, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Dallas, New Jersey, and Singapore. 

[ofmiramar]

— fic recommendations ✈︎  ֺ .ᐟ

• coming soon.

[martiny0rk]

Them cuddling you HC

Big spoons

Jamie Drysdale

-He’s a very shy when it comes to receiving physical affection from you

-it takes alittle bit before he warms up to you but once he does

-He is always cuddling you or hugging you

-His arms always remain around your waist when you are cooking or doing something

-sometimes after a game and he’s tired is the only time he lets you hold him but he’s very blushy and shy about it

-you guys usingly sleep with your head snuggle into his chest and with you on your side and his arms wrapped around while he’s laying on his back

-He always pulls you close to his chest and place a kiss on your forehead

-makes sure your comfortable and cozy when cuddling

Maveric Lamoureux

-him being 6’7 makes a big spoon

-you had to get a California king for you both to cuddle comfortably

-He always uses his large frame to his advantage

-when you both spoon he traps you with his long legs which you never complain as it makes you feel comfortable

-you both sleep on your guys sides but your facing him well his chest and you snuggle your face into his chest as he holds you close

-he rest his cheek on your head playing with the ends of your hair

-if he’s had a bad day he would want to be held and would lay his full weight on top of you

Luke Hughes

-Strong cuddler

-when you are cooking breakfast for him,Jack and you

->He will come half asleep into the kitchen wrapping his arms around your waist pulling you close snuggling his face into your neck leaving small kisses.

-Jack always side eyes you two if he finds you both cuddling on the couch

-He more of a spoon cuddler when it comes to sleeping.

->He would lay on his side while you lay on yours and he would wrap his arms around your waist and he’d hold your hands

->if he couldn’t fall asleep he would slighty fidget and play with your hands as you sleep

Lukas Dostal

-big Bear energy

-when he comes home from a game he always looks forward to cuddling with you

-He would never admit that he loves cuddling but he does

-he’d find you in the bed and he’d get quickly changed before getting into bed with you as he showered at the rink

-He’d pull you into his arms while he lay on his back and you rest your head kind of on his shoulder

-He’d just tell you all about the game went and his feelings

-you’d listen and play with his hands

-he’s always gentle with you and sometimes stops talking to look at you just admiring how pretty you are

-you both usually fall asleep that way

Jeremy Swayman

-protective cuddler

-He’s always hugging you like giving you full on bear hugs

-he’s a very affectionate person so he’s arms are always on you

-when you both go to sleep

-he sleeps where the entrance is into the bedroom as just a safety precaution as he worries something might happen

-He always spoons as he can turn his back to the door and keeps a strong hold on you protective

-he always feels you sometimes playing with his hands

Mason Mctavish

-your personal teddy bear

-absolutely loves cuddling and having you close to him

-he always has you on top of him sleeping as he likes the feeling of your weight on top of him

-your head is snuggled into his neck and your knees by his sides while his arms are around your waist

-always leaves a small kiss on your temple every now and then

-loves the sound of your breathing not in a weird way but the sound of it is comforting to him when you fall asleep before him

Nico Hischier

-loves holding you

-He always feel like he’s at home when he has you in his arms

-He cuddles you everywhere and even sometimes infront of the guys

-he’d cuddle you when your sitting on his lap when the guys are over talking about different things

-He’s also very cuddly when he’s tired

-you always sleep with your head on his chest and he tiredly scratches your back as you both fall asleep

Jack Hughes

-could go either way honestly

-He loves holding you at night but he also loves snuggling his face into your chest when he is sick

-He literally even when he is sick will motorboat you

-always loves having his wrap about you when he silps even if you try to move away from hus embrace he pulls you in more.

-always kisses your forehead before going to sleep at night.

Adam Fantilli

-has a very protective style when cuddling

-if you guys are in a new area when cuddling he always makes sure you are tightly tucked in his arms

-when you guys are home you snuggle your face into his neck and he wraps his arms around you

-only is little spoon when he has bad days

Little spoons

Cole Caufield

-loves being the one to be held

-always loves being held by you after a long day or even if it’s just a relaxing day

-he always loves coming home to you all snuggled up into the bed wear all he does is have to change and snuggle into your chest

-loves listening to the sound of your heart beat as he tangles his legs with yours

-always ask you to play with his hair which you always do and you do until he’s asleep

Fraser Minten

-he’s always wanting to have your arms wrapped around him

-if he’s ever having a hard day he loves to be held by you

-even though he’s taller than you He’s still the small spoon

-you both lay on your sides and he always like the feeling of your face cuddled into his back

-always fidgets with your hands that are around him as he always gets a little flustered when you both cuddle together before you both fall asleep

Trevor Zegras

-this man is a strong ball of energy

-the man can’t stay still even if your cuddling him

-you always have to convince him to come cuddle but once you finally get him to agree

-He’s all happy about it

-you both spoon but he snuggles his face into your chest which makes you always giggle which makes him grin

-you always play with his hair and plant kisses on his forehead which he enjoys very much

-this is the only time he will stay calm as you heartbeat calms him

Luca Fantilli

-absolute angel

-loves just being in your arms as he rants about what ever is on his mind

-loves when you gently scratch his back as he talks

-he always keeps his head on your waist with his head on your shoulder so he can easily look up at your pretty face and leave small kisses on your jawline

-when you fall asleep he always looks up and watches you sleep wrapping his arms tightly around you waist

Quinn Hughes

-this man would never admit to being a little spoon but he enjoys it

-In your arms he feels that he could drop all the stress of being captain and games and just relax in your arms

-He’s very cuddly when sleeply

-if he’s had a long hard day after game and press he always comes home to you and snuggles his face into your neck slighty laying on top of you

-you would run your fingers through his hair gently scratching his scalp which brings him comfort

[tradetobest]

like theyre literally puppies

[nurse-floyd]

@vivwritesfics

THE TOP GUN CONTENT. I AM SCREAMING.

[charliewrites99]

What I actually really like about Hangster is that them being ex-boyfriends, ex-friends with benefits, just ex-somethings, makes the movie and their dynamic so much more interesting.

If you read it as just them being rivals it's kind of boring, seen before. I mean, this exact dynamic has been done better in the OG Top Gun. I realize that they were paralleling it, but IceMav had so much more bite to them as opponents. Because they met and it was all new and "fuck you, you dick" this and "Fuck me yourself, you asshole" that. It was the rivalry in its infancy.

Hangster have HISTORY that we only get a glimpse of. And if the whole history is just, yeah they don't like each other. Kinda meh. Because we don't get those beginning moments that would explain where exactly that dynamic and its intricacies come from.

However, if you read it the other way it has way more nooks and crannies and the unspoken-ess of it all. Especially since we can see that they do care for each other. So it's complicated and messy and turbulent. There are quips and jabs that feel juusst a little too personal. If this was a pilot of a tv show, we would find out the meaning/or origin behind those fightin' words at the bar in a flashback episode. And the tension, of course, the tension. Did Miles Teller really need to look at Glenn's lips? I thank him every day for that.

It's much more intense than if they were just rivals that "respect" each other at the end.

What I am saying is...Top Gun 3 make Hangster canon or at least give us more fuel for the headcanons.

[domifucker]

this content is everything to me

[saintlike78]

The only one for me [J.S]

Navigation

Pairings: Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x fem!reader

Words: 2k

Summary: Other women just don’t seem to care that you’re Jake’s wife or the fact that you’re sitting right next to him whilst they flirt with him

Warnings: Fluff, some angst, slight insecure reader, Jake’s a whole softie, making out, some sexual implications but not really.

It’s not his fault and you know it. It’s not as if he’s purposely picking out other women and flirting with them in front of you; it’s just his personality and the way he is - too friendly for his own good and too good-looking for his own good - so every interaction just happens to be mistaken for flirting. It’s also obvious that he’s with someone, he has you pressed up against him in the booth, his arm thrown protectively behind your back to squeeze you and to show every man in the Hard Deck that you’re his.

You only wish the women had half the decency that the men had not to flirt with your husband right in front of you.

It would be impossible for any man to try and flirt with you in front of Jake, a hard stare and maybe even a ‘back off, man’ would be all they would get. You, on the other hand, do not possess the skill of a hard glare or even to interrupt whatever lady that sat down right beside Jake, twirling their hair and batting their lashes as if you weren’t sitting right there under Jake’s arm.

It’s not as if he indulges in the flirting, he’s just friendly - much to your dismay.

You try not to let it bother you - you really do - but it still does. The stupid pit of jealousy sits in your stomach and gnaws at it until you feel sick; you feel sick of watching these women ignore you and talk to Jake like he’s up for grabs.

Maybe that’s another thing, they do it because they don’t see you as a competition. They’re all beautiful and confident, batting their lovely eyes at Jake because he’s gorgeous and you’re just so painfully you.

You nurse the drink in your hand with a pitiful look on your face, leaning into Jake’s side as he talks idly with the woman sitting so close to him he can’t move anywhere.

It feels horrid to feel so icky because Jake’s not the one doing anything wrong and it’s not as if you could ban him from speaking to another woman again, but god, you want to just tell her to fuck off - but you never would.

The woman laughs loudly at something he said, hitting his arm, “you’re hilarious! I love a man with humour,” she says, winking at her last statement.

She could’ve just come and hit you in the stomach and poured your drink over you because her words had the exact same effect. You rolled your eyes involuntarily, not even the tiniest bit nervous about her seeing it, her eyes were glued to Jake.

“Gotta keep the missus happy somehow,” he smiles politely, squeezing you against him, “ain’t that right, baby?”

He laughs a little at his own words as he looks toward you, only for his smile to be wiped off his face as he takes in the solemn look on your face; the way you stare at the empty glass in your hands, obviously not paying attention to his conversation or words.

The woman laughs awkwardly, giving you a dirty look that you didn’t see, “I didn’t realize you were married.”

Jake doesn’t answer her, instead, he lowers his head to nudge your temple with his lips and whispers in your ear, “baby?”

The affection pulls you from your trance and you hum, looking from your glass to his face, a concerned frown pulls at his lips and brow - you reach up to smooth over the crease that has settled and his eyes soften.

“You okay? You wanna go home? Too loud?” He asks and if you could melt into a puddle you would at the genuine concern etched in his words and how he would drop everything just to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible and having fun.

“Only if you want to, I don’t mind waiting till you’re done,” you whisper back, leaning into his body and his soft touches.

He smiles and shakes his head, leaving a kiss against your hair, “I’m done now then.”

Before you had the chance to say anything more he’s already politely asking the stunned woman to move, sliding out of the booth with your purse and jacket on one arm and the other reached out for you to take.

It takes you a moment before you’re grabbing ahold of his arm, purposely ignoring the dirty look the woman gives you before she’s huffing and storming in the opposite direction. You sigh in relief, gripping Jake’s arm tight as he leads you by his fellow pilots to wave goodbye and then out the front door of the Hard Deck.

Jake keeps an eye on your face, smiling at the way you cling to his arm, “you’re sure you’re okay, sweetheart?” he asks when you reach his truck.

Before you have a chance to open the passenger door, he had you caged against the vehicle, arms on both sides of your body as he looks down at you with a certain look, waiting for you to answer him.

You let out a sigh, placing both hands on his biceps, “I just wish they would see me as a threat.”

“Who?” His eyebrow is raised and if he wasn’t so confused you’re sure he would’ve laughed because of all the things you were, threatening was probably one of the last things on that list - probably not on the list at all.

“The women… all of them that come and talk to you… none of them takes me seriously when I’m sat next to you and that’s why they flirt with you right in front of me,” you sighed with a squeeze of his biceps, avoiding his eyes and missing the way they soften.

You don’t have time to react before you were smushed against his hard chest, his arms around you in a tight embrace. You inhale the musky scent of his cologne, the scent calming you instantly.

“You should’ve told me it bothered you, honey. I never would’ve talked to them if I knew you felt like that,” he said with a sweet smile that you couldn’t see, you could only feel his lips against your forehead as he spoke.

“It’s not what you do that bothers me, you’re just being nice… it’s them. They’re so persistent just because they’re prettier than me -“

“Hey! Don’t say that,” Jake pulls your face from his chest, his eyebrows scrunched together again with a frown, “they’re not. You know you’re the prettiest girl in the world to me.”

You sigh, smoothing out the crease again out of instinct, “I know, but they don’t think that.”

“Honey, I don’t care what they think, it’s what I think that matters and I happen to think you’re the most exquisite creature I’ve ever seen,” he spoke matter-of-factly, brushing your cheek with his thumb.

You chuckled lightly, trying but failing to hide the heat that crept up your neck.

“If I didn’t know better, I would say you have a crush on me, lieutenant Seresin,” you grinned, eyes crinkling with the pinch he left on your cheek.

Jake smirked, leaning down to brush his lips against yours in typical teasing Seresin manner, his breath fanned across your lips as he spoke, “oh I have much more than just a crush on you, baby.”

His muscles flexed underneath your hands as they glided up to hold him around his neck. He was bent down to be right in your face and you knew that if he were to straighten up you would be dangling from him; if he was uncomfortable in the way he was bent he didn’t let it on, instead he brushed your lips with his so achingly slow you couldn’t help the needy whine of his name that slipped from your pouting lips.

“Just kiss me already, Jake,” you whined like an impatient child, almost stomping your foot on the ground for added effect, but decided against it.

Jake only smirked, moving his hand up to grip the back of your neck, holding you in place for him, “you wanna say that again, you little brat?”

You swallowed the stone-sized lump in your throat, trying to close the minimal gap between your lips, but Jake kept you in place with his strong hand.

“Please, kiss me… I love you,” you whispered, adding the last part to seal the deal because you knew Jake could never resist you when you played your sweet loving wife card.

Which is why you didn’t have time to even take a breath before Jake’s lips were on yours, trapping you firmly against his truck with his firm body. He moved skillfully against you, sliding his tongue along your bottom lip, silently asking for permission; your lips parted instantly, allowing him entrance to slip his tongue in and tangle with yours. Your breaths mingled and your noses bumped one another. The kiss was bruising, to say the least, and his grip on you even more. His muscles moved under your touch, your hands sliding from his biceps to glide up his chest, finding their final destination tangled in his soft blond hair; your fingers scratched at his scalp and tugged on his locks electing soft grunts of satisfaction to fall from his parted lips.

One of Jake’s many talents was definitely kissing because somehow, no matter how many times you two made out, it always made tingles and goosebumps rise along your entire body. It was like being bathed in warm honey, his kisses sweet and always desperate for you. His hands explored you entirely like if he wasn’t holding you as close as possible you would vanish from him.

“You two haven’t left yet?”

Your kiss broke with a startled gasp as you peered over Jake’s shoulder to see a very amused Rooster and Phoenix, both with raised brows and sly grins. Your face felt like it was on fire especially with Jake’s hand cupping your face, thumb rubbing the soft skin slowly.

He didn’t turn fully, only looking over his shoulder to answer, “we were just about to.”

Phoenix hummed, “sure.”

“I was just helping my girl into her seat,” Jake smiled, sending you a quick wink.

Rooster barked out a laugh, “were you gonna stuff her through the door?”

Jake huffed, “I was just trying to be a gentleman… kissing my lady before helping her… not something you’re familiar with, huh, Bradshaw?”

“Dude, it looked like you were inhaling her… or crushing her,” Phoenix scoffed with a chuckle.

“Okay, not that I’m not enjoying this conversation because I really am… we really should leave now,” you spoke, burying your face in Jake’s shoulder.

“Alright, we’ll leave you to it… later lover birds,” Rooster saluted, turning with Phoenix back towards the bar.

You let out a laugh feeling Jake huff against the top of your head, “that guy.”

“Alright, lover boy, let’s go home.”

Jake looked down at you with a sheepish smile, “just a moment, sweetheart and then I’m good to go.”

“What’s wrong, are you okay?” you reached up cupping his cheeks, looking him over with wide eyes.

Jake let out a small chuckle, “I’m fine, honey… it’s just difficult driving when my pants feel a little tight.”

Your eyes widened as you looked down, and sure enough, his pants did look a little tighter, “oh… I thought your phone was poking me.”

Jake laughed loudly hugging you tightly, “my sweet girl.”

“What?? That was a completely valid thing to think,” you argued, wiggling in Jake’s grasp, but to no avail.

He hummed, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“You’re the only one for me, ever. You know that right?” he spoke against the top of your head.

“I know,” you smiled against his chest, burying yourself further against him, “and you’re the only one for me.”

“Damn right I am,” he exclaimed, making you laugh.

A/n: to be notified of future writing follow @saintlike78slibrary and turn on notifications ☀️

[prettyboysinmyheart]

We needed this @toasttt11 🙂‍↕️

[almostgenerallyalways]

to absent friends and those at sea

Pairing: Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x fem reader Category: angst / fluff Word count: 6,2K CW: language, don't know how the navy works, maybe workplace bullying, this is a 'there's only one bed' fic that got out of control

Summary: Through seven years and almost as many deployments he’s carried this torch, the flame low but always burning somewhere in a condemned antechamber of his heart, one he tried hard to forget the route to.

2023

“Your flight is about to get canceled.”

You start, thrown by the appearance of Hangman at your side, interrupting your intense scrutiny of the departures board where another forty minutes have just been added to the already considerable delay of your outbound flight to Seattle.

“What are you still doing here?” You eye him suspiciously, adjusting your duffel bag over your shoulder.

“Nice to see you too, Mir.” He smiles, completely unperturbed as always. “I stayed back to hang out with Coyote. Haven’t seen him much since he was transferred. He left this morning.” He pauses for a moment, indifferently examining his fingernails. “You?”

You sigh. “I thought I’d take advantage of being in the Rockies to hike.”

The man next to you smirks. “In other words, you got drenched.”

“More or less.”

Two days ago, Saturday, had been a beautiful, sunny day for a wedding: Every circumstance had been perfect to reunite most of your Top Gun class, gathered with assorted family, friends and colleagues of the happy couple, to watch Halo say yes to her wife.

You’d enjoyed yourself immensely; the majestic scenery of Halo’s remote hometown in the Colorado mountains, the beautiful venue and decorations, and best of all: being with one of your best friends on the happiest day of her life.

Then the next day, as you’d rolled out of bed bright and early, only slightly hungover, you’d opened the curtains of your hotel room to unannounced streaks of rain.

Not put off by a little change in weather, you’d checked if there were any safety warnings for the trail you’d chosen, and set out in spite of the adverse conditions. The experience had been less enjoyable than anticipated: the beautiful views over the Rockies obscured by a thick layer of fog, you’d returned to your room early last night, chilled to the bone, every stitch of clothing you’d been wearing soaked through.

Another announcement pings over the speakers, interrupting your reflections. The status next to your flight number and destination now blinks in bold, red typeface: CANCELED.

“Told you.” Your unwanted companion grins helpfully.

Around you, people are starting to move, expressing their panicked complaints. You groan as you realise you are going to be stuck here overnight: it is almost 8 PM, and with the rain and mist not letting up, there’s no way another flight is leaving this small airport tonight.

“Listen, Mir,” Hangman says, expression more sober now, “My flight to San Diego was canceled, and I just stood in line for two hours to get a room for tonight. You’ll be here for hours if you have to get one.”

He considers you, any trace of mockery gone from his face for once. “You wanna crash with me?”

Pressure starts to build behind your temples, as you quickly consider your options. On the one hand, you are tired and cranky and in desperate need of sleep: having been one of the last guests shutting down the wedding in the late hours of Saturday night, and having spent most of your Sunday hiking up a non-rewarding mountain in the pouring rain, you’d love to avoid spending hours in the line that you see the crowd of weary and pissed-off people scramble to form, leading up to the United desk.

On the other hand: Hangman.

He smiles tentatively, as if he can read your thoughts on your face. He probably can. “It’s a double.”

You close your eyes, feeling like you might live to regret this decision: “Okay. Fine. Thanks.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------

2016

Top Gun is a dream and an outright nightmare.

Brought in two weeks after the start of the program to replace someone who was summarily discharged, you’re determined to prove your worth.

When you are first introduced to the men and women (woman, singular, you correct yourself) who are to be your classmates and competition, it’s clear the group dynamics have already been cemented. Some eye you suspiciously, leaning back in their chairs, trying to get a read on the late addition. Some don’t even bother to look.

A blonde pilot in the second row scoffs when the instructor reads a short overview of your scant accomplishments, and another man sitting next to him laughs in response, poorly covering it up with a cough.

It takes everything you have to tough it out. They’re throwing you in the deep end, barely allowing any time or grace to make up for the hours and hours of valuable technical and practical training you’ve missed.

On day eight, though, you execute your first successful stealth manoeuvre, getting the upper hand over one of the instructors. As the details in the move are analysed in front of the class, for the first time, you feel a begrudging respect from some of them.

Not everyone, though. Two seats to your left, Seresin makes a show of studying his cuticles.

* * *

Halo is your lifeline. As the only two women in the class, you gravitate towards each other, finding some respite from the hyper-masculine bullshit of the rest of the group.

Or maybe she’s an angel, as her recently coined callsign suggests.

You’re lounging on the rec room couch with Halo’s feet in your lap, debriefing the day’s hop, when Seresin and two of his usual hangers-on walk in. (Their names are Miller and Wozniak. Halo and you have taken to referring to them as Crabbe and Goyle.)

“Ladies.” He grins, flashing you a smile with no warmth behind it.

A feeling of dread gathers in your stomach.

He casually picks an apple out of the fruit bowl and pretends to inspect it as he comments: “Poor showing out there today. You’re gonna have to do better than that if you wanna play in the big leagues with the boys.”

Halo, laid back on the couch, rolls her eyes. “Fuck off, Jake.”

He grins at her and takes a bite, crunching loudly. “You know, Halo, it’s not so much you I’m worried about. But this one-” He gestures at you with the piece of fruit. He has never referred to you by your name. “Is on thin ice, I hear. Heard they’re regretting calling her up.”

At this, Halo sits up, looking like she wants to give him a piece of her mind, but you stop her with a touch to her arm. “Forget it, Callie.”

* * *

You’re breathing heavy, blood rushing in your ears as your body is pushed to its physical limits, your F-18 protesting as you accelerate into a sharp turn curving around a particularly treacherous stretch of the San Jacinto mountains.

Your gamble has paid off, though, as you come out right on top of your prey. You can taste bile in the back of your throat as you lock tone on Fanboy’s jet.

It tastes like victory.

Back on the tarmac, peeling off the top half of your sweat-drenched flight suit, Halo throws her arms around your neck as Fanboy shakes your hand, a bemused smile on his face. “Nice work out there. Never even saw you coming.”

Later, at the Hard Deck, one pilot after another buys you drinks as you finally earn your callsign: Mirage.

* * *

It gets easier from there on out, and it doesn’t.

On the one hand, you don’t feel like you constantly have to defend your place anymore. After you score big in the mountains, Hangman finally has the decency to shut his mouth around you. You’ve found a natural understanding with most of the other pilots – the competition is fierce, but nights at the bar bring everyone back on equal footing.

Yet as the program ramps up to its conclusion, so does the pressure. Some mornings you can’t choke down breakfast, your stomach seized up into a knot of nerves and anticipation.

In week ten, you’re having so much trouble with a simulation that you, your wingman and his backseater get shot down six times in a row. Your arms burn with the hundreds of push-ups you’re grinding into the blistering tarmac, your CO never running out of the torrent of abuse he’s heaping onto your back.

You can’t sleep that night, keep seeing the disappointed look on your wingman’s face as you’d fucked up again and again. Around three in the morning, you give up on sleep and head to the on-base gym.

You crank a treadmill up to high and you run, run, run until your lungs are burning and your mouth tastes like metal. Rivulets of sweat drip down your back, down your face, mingling with tears you didn’t realise you’d been holding back, until finally your legs are screaming at you to stop, and you sit down at the end of another treadmill, your shoulders shaking, cradling your face in your knees.

You don’t know how long you sit there, but you know it’s not fully morning yet when a pair of white sneakers appears in your line of vision.

“Mir?”

Of course it had to be him, of all people, seeing you at your worst and most vulnerable.

“Go away.” You manage to grunt.

He doesn’t. Instead, he sits down next to you, hovering at a distance – still too close.

“Are you alright?” He asks, and if you weren’t burning with embarrassment and rage, his hesitant tone might give you pause.

You lift your face from your knees, steeling yourself. You must look ridiculous, you think, a sweaty heap of a girl having a mental breakdown at the bottom of some exercise equipment. You refuse to look at him. “I’m fine.”

He reaches out tentatively, trying to brush away a strand of hair that’s plastered to the side of your face, and you all but jump back: “Goddamn it, Seresin, don’t touch me.”

Finding the strength to push yourself up, you turn to him: “Don’t touch me, don’t talk to me, don’t come anywhere near me.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

2016

When Koehler is discharged, Jake Seresin feels like the rug’s been pulled out from under him.

They came up together through the Academy, and while Jake isn’t sure he would’ve called him a friend in any other circumstances, at least… At least he was an ally. Familiar. Someone who saw through his cocky bullshit and gave as good as he got.

The chances of both of them getting into Top Gun were astronomically small – and then Koehler immediately went and fucked it up. Jake cannot comprehend it.

He feels off-kilter, his only confidant having made a spectacularly embarrassing exit from the program. He can feel the rest of the class watching him, like sharks who’ve smelled blood in the water, waiting for him to make a deadly mistake too.

But Jake didn’t come here to screw up. He came here to win. So he does the only thing he knows how to do – he ramps it up, builds his walls higher, needles people harder – gets under their skin before they can get under his.

He knows it’s not making him many friends – but it works. People don’t question him. He takes no prisoners, flies like he’s the only one out there, puts himself first always – and is ranked near the top of the class for doing so.

When you’re introduced as Koehler’s replacement, he can’t believe it. It feels like adding salt to the wound, bringing in someone who didn’t even make the cut-off on their own merit. So if you get it a little worse than the others – well.

He sees you struggling, those first weeks, and it only confirms his thinking.

One scorching afternoon, after a long series of dogfights ends in embarrassment for half the class, he’s in the rec room pressing a cold compress to his face, discussing the day’s events with Wozniak: “I mean, did you see her out there? That’s what happens when you pull the B-team off the bench. She’s got no business being here. She’s dragging everyone down.”

Wozniak doesn’t immediately respond, and Jake looks up to find you standing in the doorway, looking caught off guard. You recover after a second, straightening your back, and grab a water from the cooler, studiously not looking at him.

You never look at him, after that.

But he looks at you.

* * *

You have bags under your eyes. The line of your jaw has gotten a little sharper. You get a little quieter, even more so than before.

He notices these things just like he notices the redoubled resolve stiffening your spine.

You start creeping up in the rankings, slowly, point by point, and while he doesn’t like that, he respects it.

After the mountains, where you pull a trick out of the bag that takes him completely by surprise, he lines up to congratulate you. Fanboy takes it on the chin, he’s a good guy, and Jake claps him on the back before turning to you, Halo still at your side. But you won’t look at him, and ignore his outstretched hand.

He supposes he deserves that.

* * *

A few weeks later, he wakes up earlier than usual after a night of fitful sleep, his body still processing the adrenaline from an open-sea simulation the day before. Jake came out on top, though he ditched his wingman to do so. Several others didn’t manage to complete the exercise, a crucial barrier for the last stretch of the thirteen-week program.

After tossing and turning for twenty minutes, the light outside his cracked window starting to shift incrementally from pitch black to indigo blue, he decides to head to the gym.

When he steps into the cavernous, air-conditioned room, he immediately senses someone else’s presence, though he can’t see anyone using any of the rows and rows of equipment. It’s not until he rounds into a stretch of treadmills that he spots you, hunched over into your bare knees.

“Mir?” He approaches hesitantly, noting the flushed skin of your back, your hair matted with sweat.

“Go away.” He gets in response, but he can’t, not when you’re sitting there trembling.

“Are you alright?” He asks, even though he can clearly see that you’re not.

You lift your face, surreptitiously swiping at your eyes with your palm. “I’m fine.”

Still not looking at him. Never looking at him.

He reaches out a hand, tentatively; he wants to make this better –

He has to make this better, make you feel–

- but you recoil from him, and he sits there for a long time after you’ve banged the door shut behind you like you couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

Sits there for a good long while, with the ghost of your presence.

* * *

Jake wins the trophy.

It’s a raucous night at the Hard Deck and he feels like a weight’s been lifted off his shoulders. Sure, he doesn’t know where they’re shipping him off next week – but for now, he has won and no one can take that away from him, not the pilots giving him sideways glances at the bar, not his father, no one.

Fanboy bumps his shoulder and hands him what must be his fifth or sixth beer of the night. Over on the jukebox, Son of a Preacher Man starts playing and he glances over to see you throw your arms around Halo’s shoulders, laughing, dancing her around the crowded room a little unsteadily. You look lighter, happier than he’s ever seen you.

He watches for long moment, transfixed, until he realises Mickey is talking to him.

Mickey turns around, trying to follow Jake’s line of sight, and finds you. “Oh, dude.” He turns back, clinks Jake’s beer with his own. “I’m sorry to tell you, I think that ship has sailed, man.”

Right, Jake thinks, taking a long pull of his beer. And why should he care? He’s got what he came to North Island for.

No one can take that away.

* * *

2018

He doesn’t see you again for two years. Two years of him being shipped from base to base, coast to coast and back again, the Navy’s prize pony, getting new orders every few months.

He shows up in Oceana, papers in hand; greets familiar faces at The Admiral’s and trades stories over the sound of classic rock and the clicking of pool cues.

Then he turns around and bumps into – you.

It puts him on the back foot, coming face to face with you unexpectedly. You look like you’re caught off guard, too, but you recover quickly. “Hangman.”

“Mirage.” He smirks, defences slotting into place. “Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

You look a little bit older, sharper in ways, your watchful eyes clearly on guard as he leans against the bartop, giving you a once-over. It’s a tactical mistake, on his part – it only serves to ignite something warm deep inside of him.

“Gonna be here for a while. Think we can kiss and make up?”

You shoot him a withering glance, like you expected better out of him. “In your dreams, Bagman.”

The bartender brings you your drink, and you smile sweetly at him. “Terry, put one of whatever he’s having on my card, will you? Fucking new guy’s gonna need it.”

* * *

And it’s fine, it’s perfectly fine. You work perfectly well together. 

It’s just that –

No matter how much he needles and cajoles, flirts or tries to rile you up, you only ever treat him as –

A colleague. Which is what he is, sure, but –

He doesn’t ever get that part of you, the part that laughs easy with Fanboy or does shots with Bambi, the part of you that bodily holds up Halo after she gets the call that her childhood dog has died, the part of you that sits next to the radio, fists clenched with anticipation when someone is flying a tough hop, the part of you that envelops them into a full body hug after.

The part of you that has your eyes light up when you look at someone, instead of straight through him.

And no matter how many times he tells himself to move on, he never quite stops wanting it.

* * *

2021

Deployed in the South China Sea, he flies one of the more difficult, harebrained missions of his life with you.

He finds you, after, where you’re slumped against a steel wall on deck, your flight suit half off, trying to catch your breath; and hands you a Sprite.

You consider him for a moment before taking the soda. It feels a little like you’re really looking at him for the first time.

“This is my favourite.”

He sits down, not close, exactly, but close enough to feel the heat radiating from your skin. “Yeah.”

A beat passes. You open the can with a hiss, and he exhales: “Nice work back there.”

“You too, Bagman.”

The wind whips across the deck, but you’re sheltered from it by the structure, leaving only the noise.

“Do you know where you’re headed after this?” he asks.

“Back to Bahrain, still got another fourteen months there. You?”

“San Diego.”

You give a little quirk of your mouth. “Lucky.”

“I thought you’d be stateside. I thought you might have…” He holds up his right hand, indicates his ring finger. “That guy in Fallon. Search & Rescue with the dark eyes.”

You take a sip of your drink. “You noticed his eyes?”

Jake shrugs.

You look at the wide expanse of ocean churning beyond the flanks of the carrier. “No. He was… He wanted to settle in Nevada, have kids.” You give him a wry smile that doesn’t quite make it to your eyes. “Wasn’t ready to give all this up.”

“Ah.” Jake says, his throat a little dry. It feels like the realest conversation he’s ever had with you, and yet, he can’t think what to say.

You sit there for a while, in what feels like something close to companiable silence, until it’s time to debrief.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

2023

The receptionist looks up apologetically from her sleek desk. “I’m sorry, Lieutenant Seresin. Because of all the delayed passengers, we’re getting a lot of demand for double rooms for families. Is there any way you would take a single? We can offer you complimentary breakfast.”

Jake looks at you hesitantly, shifting the strap of his backpack over his shoulder.

You rub your temples, doing nothing to alleviate the increasing pounding in your skull. Of course this was going to happen. “It’s fine. Let’s go.”

* * *

“I can, uh,” You see him looking around for a sofa, but there isn’t one.

You sigh, letting your bag drop onto the plush grey-green carpet. “Don’t worry about it. We’ve shared worse sleeping arrangements.”

These have usually involved a barracks or an aircraft carrier, and between twenty to two hundred of your coworkers, but who’s counting.

“I suppose that’s true.” He replies, staring at the bed.

At least it’s big, you think, and you can’t wait to plop your head down on one of its crisp white pillows. “I’m gonna take a shower.”

* * *

After your shower, you’re in bed, waiting with no small amount of apprehension for Hangman to emerge from his turn in the bathroom.

When he does, in boxers and a t-shirt, his normally slicked-back hair slightly peaky and darkened by the water, he looks younger than he is. He looks a little like he did when you first knew him.

He pulls back the covers and settles against the pillows on his side, the mattress dipping with the weight of him. He’s heavier than he looks – you’re always a little surprised by the lean, solid mass of him. It’s a byproduct, you suppose, of years of studiously not looking at him when you can avoid it.

“I guess that’s goodnight, Mir.”

You look up at him, facing you. The proximity of him is unfamiliar, and a little unnerving.

You have to close your eyes against it.

“Night, Hangman.”

When you open your eyes again, he considers you for a moment with an expression you can’t place.

“I wanted to talk to you, you know, at the wedding, but you kept disappearing on me.”

You don’t really know what to say in response. “I didn’t realise we had much to say to each other.”

His face shutters, and you feel a little pang of guilt. “Yeah. I guess that’s true.”

He shifts onto his back. “You looked beautiful. Just wanted to say that.”

You can’t help but be a little taken aback, and it takes you a second to reply, guardedly: “Thanks. You didn’t look too bad yourself.”

But then he never does, does he? Jake Seresin, golden boy, never a hair out of place.

He doesn’t respond, and you burrow into your pillow, determined to let sleep take you over as soon as possible.

* * *

You wake from a fitful sleep to movement beside you. It takes you a second or two to remember where you are, and with whom, before you realise that the man next to you is breathing in wheezy stops and starts, a low, panicked murmur emanating from his throat.

You hesitate for an instant before propping yourself up on your arm, using your free hand to lightly shake his shoulder. “Bagman. Hey. Seresin, wake up.” He’s breathing hard, radiating heat. “Hey. Jake.”

He comes to, slowly, gasping for air, as if emerging from deep below the surface of a rough sea. His skin, where you are holding onto him, is overly hot, the fabric of his t-shirt damp. He scrambles to prop himself up, causing you to pull back your hand, but he grabs your wrist hard before you can fully pull away.

“What,” He manages, the look in his eyes still wild and unfocused, roaming over you. It takes a second, two, three, before realization dawns, and he starts to calm down. His tight grip on your wrist eases slightly.

Despite the low light of the dark room, you see a flush start to creep up the skin of his throat. “Mir. I’m sorry. I was…”

For the first time, you feel something akin to tenderness for him. You try to sweep some of the sweaty strands of hair off his forehead, hindered by his continued grasp on your arm. “It’s okay. You’re fine.” You pause, feeling a little awkward. “Could’ve just as well been me.”

At that, he lets go of your wrist, letting himself drop back onto the pillow. He stares at the ceiling, and you let yourself settle back onto your side, watching the steadily slowing rise and fall of his chest.

Just as you wonder whether you should just go back to sleep, let the both of you pretend this never happened, he says, “They’re always the same. Me, trying to save one of you, and failing. It’s getting better, they used to be much more frequent, I’m talking to someone, but…”

“I stop sleeping.” The words are out of your mouth before you realize you’re saying them. “When it gets really bad.” 

You have never shared this broken, faulty part of yourself with anyone, but somehow, looking at the shadowy form of Hangman’s shoulder two inches from your face, it tumbles out.

“I can’t sleep, I can’t function, I fly like a zombie. Sometimes I genuinely worry they’re going to ground me.”

You see his little smirk appear, even in the dark. “I genuinely don’t think I’ve ever seen you fly badly.”

“Oh, fuck off, Bagman.” You say it without venom, thumping his stomach lightly. “That’s certainly not what you used to say.” On the rebound, he catches your hand, cradling it just below his ribs.

You don’t pull it back.

A few minutes go by in silence, and you just when you start thinking he may have fallen asleep, he says: “Mir.”

“Yeah?”

“Will you ever…?” He exhales a puff of breath. “Will you ever forgive me?”

You fold your arm under your pillow, wary, and consider your answer for a moment. “I forgave you a long time ago.” You pause, scared to say too much. “I just… don’t know how to be around you without feeling like I’m twenty-three again, always having to prove myself because I’m not good enough.”

You watch his chest rise as he inhales, fall again with a deep sigh. “I’m sorry I ever made you feel like that. I can’t excuse it. From the beginning I blamed you for replacing Koehler when it had nothing to do with you.”

His voice drops a little bit. “To be honest, I was scared I wouldn’t make it without him.”

Now it’s your turn to smirk. “The great Hangman Seresin, scared?”

He turns onto his side to face you, his expression solemn. “Seriously, Mir. I was insecure and I covered it up by being a dick. Maybe I still do, to some extent.”

His eyes turn downwards, to the space between your bodies. “But I feel like I’ve been trying to make things right with you for a while.”

You can’t deny this. You’ve always rebuffed any attempt on his part to approach you beyond what was strictly necessary.

“I guess I’m a champion grudge holder.”

He looks back up to meet your eyes, a crooked smile appearing on his face. “Seven years and two entire deployments together, though?”

You scoff, realising how ridiculous this sounds, but you can’t help it – it felt very personal to you. “You don’t know what it was like. I didn’t make the initial cut. By the time I got to San Diego I was two weeks behind everyone, one of only two women, and on top of that you, the class golden boy, hated me being there.”

You pause, inhaling to steady yourself. “I felt like I was under so much pressure, it fucked me up.”

When you meet Hangman’s eyes again, something in his face has softened.

“I’m sorry.”

He squeezes your hand, the skin of his palm rough.

You take in the sharp lines and smooth planes of his face, hair in disarray from a sweaty, restless sleep. He’s very close, and you don’t know if it’s the weird, suspended-in-time quality of this darkened room, or the weight that’s been lifted off your shoulders through this little exchange, weight you hadn’t even realised was there; but for the first time you feel like you might like Hangman.

Not Hangman, Jake, brass and bravado stripped away, looking at you like you’re something precious, something he’s a little bit afraid of.

It's a lot of things to feel, in the middle of the night, after seven years of cold war.

You clear your throat, but your voice still comes out a little raspier than you intend to: “Alright then, Bagman. Détente?”

Out comes that crooked little quirk of his lips again: “Alright, Mirage. Détente.”

He’s still holding on to your hand, and he pulls it a little closer into his body.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jake wakes up to the frantic buzzing of his phone and reaches for it on the nightstand, the endeavour complicated by your head weighing down his other arm. The crisp first light of day is seeping through a gap in the curtains, framing a picture of you sleeping curled into his chest so pointedly he almost has to assume he’s still asleep.

After a second or two, this assumption is dispelled by a very chipper United rep talking away at him, informing him that he’s booked onto a flight to San Diego at 10:45.

“Okay, uh, that works,” He manages, trying to keep his voice down so that you don’t wake up, but it’s too late: already you’re looking up at him, blinking sleep out of your eyes.

He ends the call, puts the phone down, and after a second’s hesitation, returns his arm to its place around your waist.

He looks down at you, not even sure what he’s asking: Is this okay? Do you still hate me?

Do you realize I’ve wanted this for years?

Through seven years and almost as many deployments he’s carried this torch, the flame low but always burning somewhere in a condemned antechamber of his heart, one he tried hard to forget the route to.

You shift slightly, and he reflexively tightens his fingers into the fabric of your shirt. He sees your pupils go wide, and it’s stupid, the jolt he feels at that – it goes straight to his gut.

Then your phone rings, too, and the moment bursts like a soap bubble. You prop yourself up, pulling away from him to answer it.

When you’re done arranging your flight, he can feel the atmosphere has shifted. You don’t look at him when you say: “We should probably start packing up, huh?”

“Mir, wait,” He says, and he knows he sounds a little desperate, but there’s so many things he wants to say, finally, if this is the best chance he’ll get.

“Jake,” you interrupt, and the pleading tone of your voice shuts him up.

Later, on his flight, he’ll think about falling asleep with your hand in his, and his heart will break a little.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Halo calls you, ten days into the honeymoon, to exalt Jess, marriage, and Hawaii, in that order.

You’re at home, cooking dinner, a Motown playlist on in the background while she details all the kayaking, wine tasting and gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes they’ve been doing. Your heart swells at her happiness. “I’m so glad you guys are having a great time.”

She asks how your hike went, and you end up telling her what happened – the canceled flight, Hangman, all of it.

Halo snorts. “Oh, poor guy. I’m not sure his outsize ego will recover from this.” She pauses to say something to Jess. “Though I’d feel more sorry for him if he hadn’t literally waited for an adverse weather event to try to tell you how he feels.”

You plop down on the couch with your plate of pasta. “Wait, what do you mean?”

“Come on, dude. He’s been in love with you for years.”

“Huh.” You say, eloquently.

* * *

You book a ticket to San Diego. You take four days’ leave, and you’re not even sure Jake is there. If he isn’t, you think, clicking to skip the seat selection, you’ll take it as a sign.

Which is stupid. You don’t believe in that kind of thing. Maybe this entire idea is stupid, you consider, as you board your flight at SeaTac.

When you walk into the Hard Deck on Friday night, it feels a little like the first time: You’re nervous, your hands clammy as you run them down your shorts. Penny waves you over and pours you a tequila soda, which you accept gratefully. People you know start noticing your presence, coming up to catch up at the bar.

You’re talking to Fritz, who’s already a little worse for wear, when Jake comes in. He catches sight of you and stops short. You forget what you were saying mid-sentence.

Fritz turns around and clocks him, shooting you a wide grin. “Ah. Guess that’s my cue to leave.”

He comes up next to you at the bar, taking the place Fritz vacates. “Hey. No one told me you were gonna be in town.”

He looks good, if a little tired: sun kissed skin and slightly deeper lines in the corners of his eyes when he gives you a smile that feels perfunctory. He’s wearing his khakis, in pristine condition, though he looks like he hasn’t been sleeping well. Penny has already put a beer in front of him, and he takes a long pull on it before really looking at you.

The look in his eyes feels like the confirmation you needed.

“Last minute decision.” You say, inclining your head in the direction of the back exit. “Would you mind if we talked somewhere quieter?”

If he’s surprised, he doesn’t question it, and he follows you out to the back porch.

It’s a warm night, late summer – the kind you love.

You set your drink down on the railing, suddenly nervous, and turn around, leaning back against the salt-weathered wood to face Jake. The music filters out from the bar, muted by the windows – a moody Tom Waits song.

“I’m sorry.” You start, “For leaving the way I did in Colorado. I think I was overwhelmed, by you, by what I was feeling- I got scared.”

“By what you were feeling,” He says, like he needs to repeat it to be sure.

You nod, willing yourself to be brave this time. “Yeah. I spent seven years keeping up my defences around you and then I wake up once with your arms around me and I’m like oh, fuck and-” You stop yourself, looking out at the calm ocean waves in the distance, the sun just beginning to dip into the horizon. “Fuck, I’m not explaining this very well.”

Jake’s face shows the beginning of a smile. “I think I understand what you’re trying to say.”

He steps in closer to you, and your hands go to his waist. You feel a little lightheaded with him so close, but you’re determined to continue. “And I didn’t know what to make of it. You looking at me like that. I told myself it wasn’t real so I could go back to where I was comfortable – not thinking about you.”

He closes the gap between you, an arm around your shoulder, tucking his face into your hair. “I assure you, Mir, that the way I feel about you is very real.”

His voice in your ear feels like a balm, and you tighten your fingers into his shirt, bringing your body flush with his. It’s still overwhelming – how he’s familiar and new at once, the scent of his warm skin and pressed uniform, the feeling of his lips against your temple. “Yeah, well. Not thinking about you wasn’t going very well.”

He lifts you up to sit on the railing, bringing your face level with his, and steadies you with his hands on your waist. “Mir. Did you come out here for me?”

You place your hands on his shoulders, running your thumbs up the sloped curve to his neck, and smile at the visible reaction this has on him. “Yes, Bagman.”

He kisses you then, and it feels like the solution to a problem you hadn’t even realised had been weighing on you – tangling your fingers into his hair, drawing him in closer between your knees. He keeps repeating your name, like he can’t quite believe you, and you keep answering him with more kisses, needing him to know – what?

That you’ve caught up with him. That you’re here now.

You both slow down when you simultaneously become aware that there’s a small crowd on the other side of the windows, gawking at you. You think you see an open-mouthed Mickey, pool cue still in hand. At the moment, you don’t have it in you to care.

“How long are you staying?” Jake murmurs into your neck, his arms around you.

“Monday.” You breathe, resting your chin on the top of his head. “But I’ll be back soon.”

*******

end notes: omg sorry i didn't write anything for so long - life's just been A LOT. i hope you enjoyed it. check out my masterlist <3 title from the royal navy toasts

[toasttt11]

New Jersey Devils

jack hughes

estelle leclerc x lando norris, estelle leclerc x jack hughes

vera hischier au

oscar bedard au

simp

happy place

fruit

jealous

tears

red

sickness and health

license

warm up

alarms

sun burns

finally home

luke hughes

the girl next store, part one, part two, part three

grey thompson au

sebastian boldy au

suprise

too tall

sharing

shy

license

little brother

kiss

good mornings

beach naps

nico hischier

ace and spade au

maleah barzal au

kiss

glass

kisses

simon nemec

octavia wren hughes au

exercise

[fiapartridge]

let’s debrief

[martiny0rk]

The ways they show affection

Lukas Dostal

-wakes you up with coffee

->come into your guys shared room.

->place a few kisses on your head helping you sit up handing you coffee either from your favorite place or some made at home if you are up when he’s getting ready for practice

-giving you all of his attention

->always loves to hear about your day or any new gossip you have learned

->would never tell you that he loves hearing the gossip but just loves seeing your eyes light up as you tell him all that’s going on at work

-always orders food if you say no

->He always makes sure to get extra food so you can have some too and that you never getting hungry and not have some food at home

-takes you to skate

->he loves skating with you as it’s his to favorite things and you both can just enjoy being on the ice together and can talk about things

-always text you reminds about things

->oh you’ve got a doctor appointment? He’s already texted you remind you. Have you drink any water today? Did you take your medicine? I love you.

->thoses are some of the things he would text you

Jamie Drysdale

- wearing a simple bracelet around his wrist for when you get nervous

->he’d notice how you would play with his fingers or like play with his arm hair when you are nervous so started wearing a bracelet around his wrist so you could play with it.

-always stands up for you

-whether it be you getting uncomfortable in a conversation or not wanting to face conflict. He’d get out of his way and push past his own anxiety to help you.

-deep conversations

->he loves when you both can just sit on the porch drinking a new bottle of wine he had gotten and talk about the future of your relationship or how you both are feeling mentally

-always does something out of the blue

->writing little letter to you,sending little voice messages about how much he loves you or taking you out on a random date

-complimenting you

->he always makes sure to compliment you everyday to make sure you know you are loved and special to him

Cole Caufield

-lets you wear his shoes when your heels get uncomfortable

->you both would be walking out of a club or something and he’d notice that your feet would start to bother you so he kindly offers you his shoes to which he has to insist on

->he would carry your heels and walk barefoot with you back to the car happy that you aren’t in pain

->he never would say no to traded shoes as he just wants you to be comfortable

-wears a bracelet you made him around his wrist

->he nearly cried when he found out you made him a little bracelet out of some of your old beads you had

->never takes it off as it’s a good luck charm now and always kisses it before putting it back on his wrist to go play a game

-always buys you alittle something every where he goes

->if he’s playing an away game he’d go and buy you something like a charm or something in the city that reminds you of the city he went to

-always reassuring you

->if you ever feel insecure? He’s your hype man

->always makes sure that your smiling around him and always tries to keep that frown upside down

-always tries to keep things positive around you

->he’s your sunshine. if you ever down he tries to pick you back up and wipe you off. Always makes sure your happy wither it’s cracking a joke or making a fool of himself always tries to keep a smile on your face

Adam Fantilli

-keeping a pad/tampon in his wallet for you

->always has one of him if you ever need it. he keeps both in there as he never remembers what you use but just keeps it on him

-spraying his cologne on your teddy bear when he has to leave

->he had gotten you a teddy bear with a umich shirt on it and he sprays it so you can cuddle it and know he loves you

->it even has a button on it that you can press and it says “I love you princess”

-wears a dog tag around his neck that has “I love you” engraved in your hand writing on it

->never takes it off and always wears it. You had gotten it for his 19th birthday and now calls it his lucky charm

-has a playlist made for you

->he had a made a playlist of songs that would remind you of him and that remind you that he’s all ways there for you and loves you.

-lets you rant

->he even if he has something big coming up would stay up with you after a game to listen to all of the stuff that is bothering you or is coming up.

Luca Fantilli

-kissing you every time you pout

->he’d jokely say no to something like going to get ice cream and you’d put on a fake pout to which he’d kiss and say “I’m just kidding baby”

->every time he sees even a small pout on your lips he’d kiss it

-love letters to the max

->he’d leave small letters in your car,backpack,your sports bag and dorm

->he just wants you to have something that you can take with you to remind you that he loves you and sometimes it’s just even a small smiley face saying “thinking of you”

-smacking your butt

->if you watch out for booty man.

->in a loving way if your walking up the stairs or in front of him he’d give your butt a squish to remind you that he’s there

-putting his head on your boobs

->He started doing it more when you got pregnant with your guys first kid and would always keep his head on your chest and a hand on your bump rubbing it.

-keeping a hair tie around his wrist

->he always has one around his wrist which comes in handy sometimes if you ever need your hair pulled back

Nico Hischier

-keeps eyes on you at all times

->wether you are cooking or out in public he always keeps an eye on you in a protective way making sure nothing happens to you.

->as he knows the dangers of Newark and the area of the city and he also doesn’t want you to silp up and accidentally cut yourself without him knowing

-braiding your hair

->he started doing it by himself but was worried he would tangle your hair so he asked you to teach him

->now anytime your sick or need your hair up he would braid it. Also has started watching YouTube videos on more ways to braid it

-puts his beanie on your head

->if he notices your ears even getting a hint of red in color he’s will take his beanie off his head putting it on yours and says “shush just wear it”

-writes your initial on his stick

->always after you both started getting serious he started putting your first and last letter on his stick with a heart as he thinks it would bring him more good luck

-always checks up on you

->wether it’s a small message or a 10 minute call every day he makes sure you are okay and doing okay

Jack Hughes

-covering corners when you lean over

->he’s like a slient protector. If you ask him about it he wouldn’t know what your talking about but he would always cover corners so you wouldn’t hit your head

-warms up a towel for you

->anytime your about to shower or in the shower he always makes sure to throw your towel in the dryer so it’s nice and warm when you come out.

-cooks for you

->from the articles it’s says that Jack is a good cook so he takes his chief abilities and makes you dinner when ever he can

->learns how to cook your favorite meal and cooks it for you every now and then

-being your cheerleader

-> he always has someone shouting for him including you but he wanted to be shouter for once and always cheers you on in anything you do whether it’s your job or just working out

-always sending you good morning and good night text

-if he’s not home he always makes sure to tell you good morning and night with a heart and I love you with it

Luke Hughes

-always has your favorite snacks at his place (Jack’s)

->literally has a sticky note on the snacks that say “don’t touch theses are for y/n”

->always makes sure you are fed and happy

-showers you with compliments

->he always reminds you how beautiful you are and how lucky he is to have you

-cuddles

->always is holding you close and just keeping you close

->is strong cuddler and just knowing you are right by him gives him peace of mine

-compromising with you

->is always open to hearing your side before barking down the bush with you and never wants to upset you with arguing

-scratching your back

->every night before you fall asleep you always fell him start to scratch your back to help you fall asleep

Quinn Hughes

- definitely a play fighter

->you both would be cuddling then he’d start tickling you which would turn into you both play fighting and him just loving at you with loving eyes.

-always tries to make time with you

->he’s a busy man with being captain and everything so he always try to find ways to spend time with you

-reading with you

->would let you lay your head in his lap as he read the new book he had bought to you

-buys you different rings from stores he goes to

->he buys a ring for you in all the different places he goes so it would be like you went there with him

-has a keychain of your initials on his keys

->it’s a small way of him showing you that you have his heart

Maveric Lamoureux

-leans down to hear you

-> he’s a tall dude

->so he has to lean down to hear you which makes you blushy which he finds cute but he also thinks communication is important so to him leaning down to hear you is a way of showing he love you

-buys you new flowers every week

->always likes to get you fresh flowers. It’s a little thing he started when you both got serious and he’s continues to do it. It has now became a tradition

-rest his elbow on your head

->he does this to annoy you because he loves seeing the way your face goes and also a way of showing he is by your side

-translate different items or conversations

->if you are around him when he is talking to someone in French he would take his time to translate it all for you or if your in a all French grocery store he would translate the items for you

-leaves cute little sticky note affirmations on your stuffs

->leaves sticky notes everywhere so you know how beautiful and special you are

Mason Mctavish

-remembers the small things

->he reminds when you both first met and the place where you met. When he first asked you out.

-sitting with you in the mornings

-> his mornings are usually pretty busy but always tries to find time with you in the morning just to go over what you both are doing that day

-sleeps by the door

->always tries to make sure you are safe and makes sure you know that he will protect you and one the ways he shows you that is by sleeping near the door

-kisses you every time you walk by

->every time he sees you or goes near you he will kiss you on the lips with a big smile

-gives you space when you need it

->always can tell if something going on and you need space

Fraser Minten

-holding hands

->would kiss your knuckles one by one looking up at you with a soft smile before he starts driving

->while driving or walking around he’d subconsciously rubbing his thumb over your knuckles

-talking with you at late nights when you can’t sleep

->he’d always stay up with you talking random things or tell you how the game went if your still up and can’t sleep at night

->he’d tell you random stories or memories he had as a kid

-putting a blanket over when he finds you asleep

->he’d come back home from a late game to find you sleeping on the couch and would put a blanket over you

->anytime he finds you sleeping on the couch he’d put a blanket over you

-feeding you

->if you are sick or tired and had eating anything he’d sit there and feed you every last bite of what you have to eat as he doesn’t want you to get sick or sicker from not eating

-wears a chain around his neck that has your lucky number

->the number reminds him of you and the necklace has now became his lucky charm and it always reminds him he has you to come home to.

Juraj Slafkovsky

-patting your head

->if your shorter than him he likes to just pat you on the head when he sees you doing something like homework and cooking dinner instead of wrapping his arms around your waist

-washing your hair

->he enjoys washing your hair especially when he knows it relaxes you and gently scratches your scalp too.

-teaching you sovak

->He noticed how you were trying to learn it on your own so you could talk with him more so he started to teach you.

->he would say something in sovak and then make you point at what he meant

-sitting with you and telling you stories

->he tells you about his hometown and how he’d love for one day that he could bring you there

-late night ice cream

->once you both moved in together is when you both started to have a late night ice cream run definitely when he is home

Jeremy Swayman

-cleans with you

->if he ever comes home to you cleaning he would throw on some music and start helping you clean

-always has a hand or arm on you or around you

->he always keeps a arm around you to keep you safe when you both are in public and even when not in public always has his arms around you

-gives you hugs and kisses through out the day

->if he doesn’t get his morning kiss from you he’s a grumpy man

->always loves giving you Hugs and kisses

-gives you his full attention

->will sit there and listen to your day and just nods his head until you want him to speak

-always says thank you to you

->wether it be you cooking dinner or just telling you how much you appreciate him he always says thank you

Trevor Zegras

-has a nighttime routine with you

->whenever it’s a home game and he can come back to you you both have a routine you both do together.

->a shower together then skin care and then you both talk about eachother days together

-will pull you into his lap and tell you he loves you

->he would do it right in front of the boys and not afraid to show affection to you even when around the boys

-Surprise you With a Fun Activity he doesnt Normally Do

->would bring you to a movie theater out of nowhere or go to the park and plays on the playground with you like little kids

-always randomly squishing your face

->when you pout your face gets squish. when you just smile at him? Your face gets squished.

-has his favorite picture of you in his wallet

->the picture is from your guys first date and he keeps it on him to remind him how lucky he is to have you

[traegics]

Open Starter - @darkskiesrpgstarters

"I don't really see what all the fuss is about," Maveric shrugs, glass of bourbon resting within his grasp as a low chuckle eases from his lips. "Free booze, no more hiding out from triad? This seems more like a dream than anything if you ask me.”