Never Have I Ever (Part 3) - Hangman
Pairing: Hangman / Civilian Contractor! Reader (Callsign: Dove)
Length: 3.9k
This work, all my works, and my entire blog are 18+ Only
Warnings: Female Reader with a Callsign and Family, but no Physical Description or Name; Not Necessarily Healthy Decisions/Coping Mechanisms; Slow Burn; Coworkers to Friends to Lovers; Oblivious Idiots; Excessive Pining
Summary: Dove and Jake learn more about each other as they work through Dove's challenge.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 4
Master List
# 30 - Gone Sailing
Dove and Jake got out of his truck and walked through the marina parking lot. When Jake found out that Amelia and Penny had been trying to convince Dove to come sailing with them for months, he accepted their invitation on her behalf.
“I still can’t believe that you never went sailing with them before,” Jake stated, pulling on a pair of his sunglasses. Turning to Dove with a teasing smile, he asked, “You’re not going to tell me that you’re afraid of the water, right? Or that you can’t swim?”
“No,” Dove scoffed, shooting him a look. “I can swim. And I’m not afraid of the ocean.”
“They have life jackets. You’ll be fine. And if anything does happen, I’ll be here to rescue you. Passed swim training with flying colors.”
“Phoenix said that she saw you cry after swim training.”
“Does she have proof?”
“Don’t worry, your big tough guy persona is safe with me,” Dove joked, poking him in the side.
Dove and Jake walked down the dock to Penny’s boat. Theo was trotting around on the deck while Amelia and Penny got ready to set sail. Amelia spotted them first and waved to Dove excitedly, causing Penny to turn around.
“Well, it only took you six months to accept our invitation,” Penny mused, resting her hands on her hips.
“Better late than never,” Dove replied, looking a bit nervous.
She walked on board and was quickly greeted by Amelia, who was very excited that her tutor finally decided to come out for something fun. Jake watched as Dove talked with Amelia and relaxed a bit more. Leaning over to grab a life jacket, Jake felt Penny’s eyes on him. She simply offered him a knowing smile before walking onboard.
They set sail shortly afterwards and the seabreeze quickly cut through any sort of southern California warmth that Dove had when she got on board. Jake sat beside her, both of them staying out of the way of Amelia and Penny as they operated the boat.
“Jesus, it’s cold,” Dove cursed, curling in on herself.
Jake sat calmly, a little cold, but running warm. Holding onto the railing right behind Dove, he stared ahead as the boat rode over the waves. Dove slid back as the boat went over another wave and tucked herself into Jake’s side to keep warm. Jake stared down at her as she shivered, subconsciously curling his body around her more.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice barely loud enough to hear over the wind.
“It’s fucking cold!”
~~~~~~
# 31 - Seen Dolphins in the Wild
Settled in calmer waters and warmer air, Amelia and Dove sat near the bow, chatting and looking down at the water. Jake sat farther back with Penny, asking her questions about how the ship operated. Amelia glanced back at Jake before turning back to Dove.
“Why’s Hangman following you around these days?”
“He’s just helping me with something,” Dove dismissed with a shrug.
“Like as a friend? Or a boyfriend?”
“Life is not a cheesy Netflix movie. He’s just bored.” Dove turned back to Amelia and offered her a smirk. “How’s What’s-His-Face? The surfer kid?”
“Shh!” Amelia stressed, glancing back at her mom before turning back to Dove. “My mom says that she’s ‘fine’ with me hanging out with boys but she’s not.”
“A lot of parents are like that,” Dove told Amelia, nodding along. “It’s usually because they’re worried that you’ll make the same mistakes they did when they were your age.” Dove and Amelia shared a look, quietly doing the math in their heads. “How old was your mom when she met Maverick again?”
Amelia laughed before she caught movement in the water out of the corner of her eye. Grabbing Dove’s arm and shaking it lightly, Amelia pointed at the pod of dolphins that were swimming by. Dove followed her finger and quickly sat up.
“Holy crap,” Dove laughed, watching the dolphins swim with awe. Turning to where Penny and Jake were talking, Dove called out to them. “Jake! Penny! Dolphins!”
Jake walked over to where Dove and Amelia were staring out at the pod of dolphins. He silently marveled at the sight as he stood just a step to Dove’s right.
“Have you ever seen them like this before?” Jake asked her, referring to the dolphins.
“No,” Dove admitted, turning to look at Jake. “Have you?”
“No.”
“Hmm,” Dove mused, smiling as Jake met her gaze. “Maybe you need a list of your own.”
“Maybe one day,” he agreed softly before they turned back to the dolphins.
~~~~~
# 32 - Gone Rollerblading
After returning to shore, Jake and Dove started walking down the adjacent boardwalk. And when Dove saw a rental place for rollerblades, she had her next idea.
“Are you sure that you’re up for this?” Jake asked, handing her a helmet.
“I only rented them for twenty minutes,” Dove pointed out, tying up the rollerblades. Taking the helmet from Jake, she pulled it on. “I need to stop being scared. I mean, if I stayed scared of going on the boat with Penny and Amelia, I never would have seen the dolphins. I need to try new things.”
“Alright,” Jake agreed, standing in front of her. “Just take it slow.”
He offered Dove his hands and helped her to stand up with her skates on. When Dove nearly slipped to the ground, Jake quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. Dove gripped his biceps as she got her bearings, growing a bit warm in her cheeks.
“I’ll be fine,” she insisted, releasing him.
~~~~~
# 33 - Been to the Beach First Aid Stand
“If I hear the phrase ‘I told you so’ come out of your mouth,” Dove warned Jake as he helped her along the boardwalk.
“Come on. There’s a first aid station up ahead.”
Dove was a little worse for wear. No bones were broken and she wasn’t in any kind of excruciating pain, but her knees were certainly banged up. Jake held Dove up with one arm, not trusting her on her own, and knocked on the door to the lifeguard stand.
~~~~~
# 34 - Had Pistachio Ice Cream
“Ice cream makes everything better,” Jake suggested as they left the first aid stand.
“Unless you’re lactose intolerant,” Dove pointed out, causing Jake to turn to her.
“You’re lactose intolerant?”
“No, I’m not,” Dove stated, frowning a little bit. “You saw me eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s with Bob two weeks ago.”
“Good. Then pick a flavor that you’ve never tried before,” Jake stated, pointing at the list posted at the front of the stand.
Dove looked over the list of flavors, mentally checking off the ones that she had and picking from the rest of the flavors.
“I guess I’ll try pistachio.”
Jake ordered two ice creams, a pistachio for Dove and a chocolate one for him, before walking over to the table that Dove picked. Placing the cup of pistachio ice cream down in front of her, he took his seat and offered her a smile.
“For your troubles. And your injury.”
“Thanks,” Dove replied quietly, still embarrassed.
She took a spoonful of pistachio ice cream in her spoon and slowly brought it to her mouth, taking a tentative lick. Dove took a moment, testing the flavor, before nodding.
“Not bad,” she stated, turning back to Jake.
“See? Maybe things can surprise you.”
~~~~~
# 35 - Gone to a Boardwalk Fair
Dove and Jake continued on their way after they finished their ice cream. Jake was listening to Dove talk about some more ideas that she had for her list when he spotted an ad posted on a light stand. He took a step over, drawing Dove’s attention, and read the details.
“What about this?” Jake suggested, pointing at the posters.
Dove stepped up beside him and looked over the ad for a boardwalk fair a few towns over. Turning back to Jake, she nodded and smiled softly.
“Yeah, I’m sure that we can find things there that I haven’t done before.”
~~~~~
# 36 - Eaten a Corndog
“You brought me all the way out here to eat a corndog?” Dove asked Hangman as he held one out to her.
“Stop stalling and take a bite.”
Dove sighed and took the corndog from him. She glanced down at the corndog with distaste before taking a small bite off the tip. Chewing it, she studied the corndog again as Jake waited for her reaction.
“Weird texture, but not too bad. You can finish it though.”
~~~~~
# 37 - Eaten a Bug
Dove cupped a few crispy grasshoppers in her hand and held them out to Jake. Though he looked concerned himself, Jake reached out and grabbed one. Dove grinned and held up a cricket of her own. She jokingly clinked their crickets together, like they were clinking drinks after work, before bringing the cricket to her mouth.
“Cheers,” she exclaimed before popping it into her mouth.
Jake stared down at the cricket for a moment before slowly putting it into his mouth and chewing tentatively. Dove grinned as she watched Jake try to hide his grimace. Finishing her cricket quickly, Dove poked Jake in the side.
“Don’t forget, spitters are quitters.”
Completely unprepared for that phrase to come out of Dove’s mouth, Jake started to cough and choke. Dove’s teasing smile dropped as Jake hit his chest with his fist.
“Are you alright?” she asked him worriedly, resting a hand on his shoulder.
“Fine,” Jake wheezed, coughing again.
~~~~~
# 38 - Gotten Your Fortune Read
“Now this might actually be the dumbest thing you’ve thought of so far,” Dove complained as Jake dragged her over to the tent. “You know that it’s all crackpot nonsense.”
“That’s not the point. We’re exposing you to new experiences,” Jake drawled, gesturing for Dove to sit down.
Rolling her eyes, Dove sat down and waited for the fortune teller. Jake stepped out of the room to give them ‘spiritual space’ and the woman stepped out from behind the curtain a few moments later. She greeted Dove before sitting behind her crystal ball. The fortune teller gave Dove and overview of what to expect before she began.
“I see . . .”
“A glass ball?” Dove muttered quietly to herself.
“I see some struggle in your future,” the fortune teller replied, causing Dove to raise an eyebrow. “You have some great trials before you.”
“Don’t we all?”
“Your life could be in danger.”
“Oh, dear,” Dove feigned concern.
“I see some balloons.”
“What color are these balloons?”
“Multicolored, dear. And I see a lion.”
“A lion?”
“Yes, and then a screw. It seems to have fallen, putting you at risk,” the fortune teller continued, pausing as she closed her eyes. “But you’ll survive, my dear. And a man will be right there to hold your hand and comfort you through it.”
“Well, I hope he’s handsome,” Dove replied sarcastically, offering a forced smile. “Or rich.”
“Or both,” the fortune teller added, causing Dove to nod. “That’ll be ten dollars, dear.”
~~~~~
# 39 - Won a Prize at the Fair
“You’ve never played a fair game?” Jake admonished Dove, who scoffed.
“I played one when I was a kid, but they’re all scams! Like that fortune teller.”
“Did you win anything?” he asked, causing Dove to shake her head. “Then let’s go.”
“Jake, it’s pointless. And a waste of money.”
“Well, I don’t lose.”
Hangman scanned the games in the area before selecting the darts booth. The attendant, who seemed to have given up on caring, handed Jake some darts and gestured to the moving multicolored balloons behind him. Dove stood to the side as Jake lined up his shots. Tossing the darts and popping the balloons, Jake turned to the attendant.
“Pick any from that wall,” the attendant sighed, gesturing to a whole bunch of stuffed animals.
“I’ll take the lion,” Jake decided, causing Dove to pick her head up.
“What?” she breathed out.
The attendant handed Jake the stuffed lion and Jake immediately handed it over to Dove, who stared up at him with wide eyes. Staring down at the lion like she was honestly waiting for it to bite her, Dove just let Jake steer her along with him.
~~~~~
# 40 - Ridden a Fair Ferris Wheel
“I’m not convinced that this would pass a safety inspection,” Dove remarked as the ferris wheel started to ascend.
“You’ll be fine. It’ll take like five minutes and then we’ll move on.”
“What idea do you have next?” Dove asked Jake curiously.
“I had a couple different ones. Are you hungry or did you want to actually go do something?”
“Maybe something—”
Dove gripped the safety bar with a tense grip as the ferris wheel came to a screeching halt. And then she swore that she heard a screw or nail or something clink against the metal frame of the ride. Turning to Jake with wide eyes, Dove tried to not panic.
“Don’t worry. They’re probably just letting more people on,” Jake assured Dove calmly.
~~~~~
# 41 - Gotten Stuck on a Ferris Wheel
Ten Minutes Later . . .
“Sorry, folks, but it seems that the ride is having some technical difficulties. We’re working on resolving it as quickly as we can.”
“You were saying?” Dove hissed to Jake, still with a tight grip on the safety bar.
“I’m sure that it’ll just be a little bit longer,” Jake replied, though he didn’t look convinced by his own words anymore. He looked over the side and tilted the cart a little bit, causing Dove to tense up.
“Stop moving! You’re going to tip it!”
“It’s not that—”
“—Please, just don’t tip it,” Dove pleaded softly, closing her eyes.
“Are you afraid of heights?” Jake asked quietly, staring at Dove with concern.
“I’m not afraid of heights. I’m afraid of falling from heights. And that stupid fortune teller said that my life could be in danger and she already got too many other things right and now I’m afraid that I’m going to fucking die falling from this piece of shit ride.”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
“Because I thought she was a crackpot and I thought this ride was going to last three minutes.”
“Have you always been afraid of heights?”
“Have you always been this bad at knowing basic facts about other people?” Dove snapped back, still with her eyes screwed shut.
“Maybe,” Jake returned, studying her posture. “Just breathe.”
“I am breathing.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Jake,” Dove warned him.
“Then just keep talking to me. If you’re talking to me, you’re not focused on that.”
“What the hell am I supposed to talk about?”
“Anything. I don’t know.” Jake glanced down before turning back to Dove. “I’m starting to realize that we don’t actually know that much about each other.”
“I know plenty about you,” Dove replied quietly.
“Like what?”
“You were born in Austin, Texas. Because you can’t stop fucking talking about Texas. Honestly, I’ve never met someone from Texas who didn’t announce that they were from Texas within fifteen minutes of me meeting them. What the hell is that all about?”
“Alright, what else do you know?”
“You’re the youngest of four. You have three older sisters. Julia, Jordan, and Jenna. You’re the baby of your family and the only boy. And I didn’t need anything beyond a fifteen second interaction with you to know that, actually.”
“Harsh,” Jake mumbled.
“Your mom’s name is Mary and your dad’s name is also Jacob. Your dad runs his own small business and your mom works down at the local school. You have five or six nieces and nephews and you’re the only one that’s not married yet.”
“How the hell do you know all this stuff?” Jake asked, causing Dove to hiss.
“Because! I! Listen! That thing where people close their mouths and let other people talk!” Gripping the safety bar a little less, Dove added in a softer tone, “You talk about your family all the time. They send you care packages. Of course, I know about them.”
“Do you know this stuff about everyone on the team?”
“Are you going to quiz me?”
“Would that make you feel better?”
“Would that make you feel better?”
“Alright, fine,” Jake sighed, throwing in the towel with that one. Turning back to Dove and studying her for a moment, he asked softly, “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Tell me your story then. You seem to know mine, so it’s only fair.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
“Everything?”
“Just something to pass the time and get your mind off of things. I’ll work on my listening skills. You can quiz me afterwards, if it’ll make you feel better.”
Dove sighed, clearly thinking that this was a stupid idea. But between the fact that she was still stuck in the air and Jake was definitely not going to let it go, she caved. Taking a deep breath, she tried to figure out where to start.
“I’m the oldest of six.”
“Six?”
“Technically, all of my siblings are my half-siblings. Mom’s side. My dad never had any kids after he and my mom got divorced. My mom remarried a month after the papers were signed.”
“How old were you when they got divorced?”
“Four when they separated. And six when it was finalized.” After a moment, she added, “And if you even think about using the phrase ‘I’m sorry,’ I will push you off of this ride.”
“Noted.”
“I lived with my mom most of my childhood. My dad worked a lot and after my mom got remarried, she was stay-at-home, so it just made sense. But I’m closer with my dad than my mom because my mom . . . she doesn’t do well with people that she doesn’t understand. She doesn’t argue, she just tells you over and over again that she’s right. It wears on you after a while. And we’re just very different people.”
Jake nodded slowly as Dove thought through her next words carefully.
“I was too shy, too timid to be the daughter that she really wanted. That was my sister Michelle.”
“Are you close with your siblings?”
“Some of them. Michelle and I don’t get along. She’s my mom’s favorite and everyone, especially her, knows it. I’m the closest with my sister Phoebe. We’re fairly similar. And Brendan, my only brother, insists that I know the latest memes so that I don’t embarrass him. But I’m not too close with my youngest sisters, Nikki and Tillie. They’re twins.”
Dove opened her eyes and turned back to Jake, her grip noticeably lighter on the safety bar. If Jake noticed that, he didn’t mention it.
“So, you’re closer with your dad then?”
“Yeah. He’s the chief of his fire station and he’s going to work until he literally cannot physically get out of bed anymore. I tell him to slow down, but he doesn’t listen. And I know that he wouldn’t hesitate to pick up my call and come help me.” Smiling softly, Dove added, “He drove eight hours through the night to be there for my dissertation presentation.”
“He must be very proud of you,” Jake commented softly, causing Dove to nod.
“Yeah, but he’s always worried about me. He didn’t want me to go into this industry.”
“Why?” Jake asked, confused.
“Well, physics isn’t exactly the most welcoming industry for women. And then I started working as a civilian contractor for the Navy and he almost had a heart attack over it.” Dove paused before turning to Jake. “I think that he was also annoyed that I was working with the Navy and not the Air Force.”
“Your dad was in the Chair Force?”
“Don’t call it that,” Dove sighed, giving Jake a light nudge. “And yes, he was. It was part of the whole reason why he and my mom got married and had me. Well, technically, he knocked my mom up first and then he married her, but still.” Pointing a threatening finger at Jake, Dove added, “And if you even think about calling me an oopsie baby—”
“—You’ll push me off the side?” Jake surmised, causing Dove to grin.
“What do you know? You can listen.”
Two Hours Later . . .
The sun had set and most of the fair had cleared out. And even though it was southern California, the ocean chill had pushed Dove away from the safety bar and into Jake’s side to keep warm. He rested his arm around her waist to keep her safe and relaxed.
“Favorite . . . non-dairy milk?” Dove suggested, pulling at absolute straws.
“I only drink real milk,” Jake sighed, staring down at the mechanics working on the ride.
“But what if you become lactose intolerant?”
“That doesn’t happen.”
“It does happen. All the time actually.”
“What’s yours then?”
“Oat,” Dove mumbled tiredly, her head resting against his shoulder.
“I’ll go with oat milk then, I guess.”
“Have you ever tried it?”
“No, but I trust your judgment.”
“Your turn,” Dove reminded him, poking him in the side.
“Favorite . . . type of french fry?”
“Thin and crispy with a little bit of salt. In-and-Out fries,” Dove stated, just as her stomach started to growl. “If we ever get down from here, I’m going to need a big bucket of french fries. And a drink.”
“Why stop at one?” Jake mused, causing Dove to smile to herself.
The ride suddenly jolted and Jake and Dove quickly grabbed onto each other as a reflex. Dove fisted Jake’s shirt and Jake tightened his hold on her waist, pulling her even closer to him. They held their breath and after a moment, the ride started to move again.
“Holy shit, we’re free,” Dove breathed out, releasing Jake’s shirt. But Jake was a lot slower to release his arm around her waist.
~~~~~
# 42 - Tried Whiskey
After being freed from their mid-air prison, Dove and Jake went out to dinner together at a pub just down the street. And Dove was very content to find that the fries that the pub offered were thin, light, and crispy. And Jake was relieved that they had whiskey.
“You don’t normally order whiskey,” Dove noted as the waiter walked off with their menus.
“I only order it if I have a long day,” Jake admitted, taking a sip. Placing the glass down, Jake slid it towards Dove. “You want to try it?”
“I’ve never had whiskey before.”
“Well, now you definitely should try it.”
Dove reached out for the glass and took a tentative sip. Jake laughed as she wrinkled her nose and slowly placed it back down, looking like she regretted her decision.
“I’ll just stick with what I know.”
~~~~~
# 43 - Made a Toast
“Speech,” Jake joked, causing Dove to smile and reach for her drink.
“I’d like to make a toast to never going on fair rides ever again and to the fact that I’m very thankful that all of the planes that we work in and around actually have real safety standards,” Dove toasted, lifting up her drink.
“To safety standards,” Jake agreed, clinking their drinks together. As he set his glass back down, Jake asked, “You want to knock some more ones off the list tomorrow? We came up with plenty of ideas.”
“Actually, Nat said that she’s taking me out,” Dove stated, picking up some of her french fries. “But I’ll add whatever we do to the list.”
“Just be careful.”
Dove snorted. “It’s Nat. I’ll be fine.”
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