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ryebecca · 2 years

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Hello there! 📚

Here you’ll find all of my moodboards (the ones with an asterisk have a fic attached!) broken down by series/character.

DAGGER DECADES

Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw 1940s: true to me (WWII AU) 1980s: i want to know what love is (POV: it’s 1986 and, like, you’re feeling totally rad and in love with your husband, Lt. Bradley Bradshaw.)

Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd 1510s: no sooner looked, but they loved (Tudor dynasty AU) 1890s: there is a flower within my heart (Gilded Age AU) 1920s: the cooling twilight (speakeasy AU) 1940s: there’s just one place for me, near you (POV: It’s 1943 and you’re sending your boyfriend, Bobby, off to fight in the war.) 1960s: god only knows what i’d be without you (POV: it’s 1966 and you’re feeling groovy and totally in love with your husband, Bobby Floyd.)

Mickey ‘Fanboy’ Garcia 1540s: that which we call a rose (Tudor dynasty AU) 1950s: i only have eyes for you (POV: sock hops, diner milkshakes, and kisses with your boyfriend, Mickey.)

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin 1510s: the course of true love (Tudor dynasty AU) 1770s: we hold these truths (revolutionary war-era AU) 1920s: smoke and mirrors (speakeasy AU) 1940s: life ain’t always beautiful (noir AU) 1970s: you sexy thing (POV: You’re wearing your bell-bottoms and your best huckapoo shirt as you disco dance the night away with your boyfriend, Jake.)

DAGGERS @ DISNEY

Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw when you wish upon a star (POV: you’re spending the day at the Happiest Place on Earth with your boyfriend, Bradley.)

Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd once upon a dream (POV: Disney, Dumbo, and Dole whips with your boyfriend, Bob Floyd.)

Mickey ‘Fanboy’ Garcia you’ll be in my heart (POV: you’re on your annual Disney vacation with your husband, Mickey - the biggest fanboy there is! And if you spend more time in Galaxy’s Edge than anywhere else, well, you’re not in the least bit surprised.)

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin a dream is a wish your heart makes (POV: You’re on a Disneyland date with your boyfriend, Jake Seresin - a not-so-secret Disney adult.)

DAGGER WEDDINGS

Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw the best thing that you’ll ever have (POV: embracing all the beachy vibes on your wedding day to Bradley Bradshaw.)

Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd i’ve always been yours (POV: you’re getting married to your childhood sweetheart, Bob Floyd.)

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin my everything and beyond (POV: You’re getting married to the love of your life, Lt. Jake Seresin.)

DAGGER HONEYMOONS

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin life is a road (POV: you’re on a whirlwind European honeymoon with your new husband, Jake Seresin.)

LADY MAVERICK’S SOCIETY PAPERS

His Grace, Jacob Seresin, Duke of Hereford Captain Robert Floyd, Viscount Welles

MEET THE DAGGERS PROFESSORS

THE DAGGER CREW (pirate AU)

ETC., ETC., ETC.

Rhett Abbott (Outer Range) wild for you (POV: you, Rhett, and fields of wildflowers. Does he propose in one of those fields once he sees how much joy they bring you? Yes. Yes, he does.) the wedding date (POV: you need a plus one for a wedding, but your friend cancels on you and you’re having trouble finding a date. Rhett offers to go with you - just as a friend helping out a friend…right?)

Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw baby of mine (POV: you’re married to Bradley Bradshaw, but now he’s leveled up to the one, the only, #dad!brad.) thankful for you (POV: you’re celebrating Thanksgiving with your husband, Bradley.) still falling for you (POV: you’re embracing all of the autumn vibes with your husband, Bradley.)

Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd fall into me (Leaf peeping, apple cider donuts, and walking hand in hand with Bob.) i pick you (POV: You’re feeling all of the autumn feels picking pumpkins with your boyfriend, Bob!) the story of us (POV: You’re on a cozy bookstore date with your boyfriend, Bob Floyd.) hail to the chief (President Bob Floyd AU) fun, fun, fun (POV: snacks, drinks, and kisses at the drive-in movies with your boyfriend, Bob.)

Mickey ‘Fanboy’ Garcia melting for you (POV: you’re spending the day snowboarding with your boyfriend, Mickey.)

Harrison Knott (Press Play) take along my love with you (POV: It’s a beautiful day at the beach with your boyfriend, Harrison.)

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin cabin fever* (Cozy cabin time with Jake.) falling in love (POV: Soaking up all the Fall feels with your boyfriend, Jake.) into the great wide open (POV: a camping trip with the one, the only, Jake Seresin.) rebel, rebel* (TGM x Star Wars) plus one (POV: you’re a bridesmaid at your best friend’s wedding and you need to bring a date. You ask your friend, Jake, to tag along…who may or may not be feeling like more than just a friend these days. But does he feel the same way?) love her like i do* (Summary: You overhear Jake talking to your newborn daughter. Fluff ensues.)

Beau ‘Cyclone’ Simpson you send me (POV: You’re spending a cozy day at home with your husband, Beau.) take me out (POV: Your husband, Beau Simpson, is a pitcher in the MLB. His fast ball was was so notorious in college that his team nicknamed him “Cyclone” - and the name just stuck.)

Ryan (Yellowstone) when you give a cowboy a kiss (POV: life on the ranch with your husband, Ryan.)

#ryebecca's masterlist #*myedit #*mymoodboard #moodboards

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hunterthecharmer · 1 month

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I know you asked for Tyler Owens fics buuuuuut all I have is Jake Seresin. So, I offer you my Wildflowers for a Hangman master list https://www.tumblr.com/writing-until-i-drop/757945449868083200/wildflowers-for-a-hangman-masterlist?source=share

I hope you like it 🥺💕 it is ongoing but regularly updated

Thank you queen 😘✨ brb going to read right now!

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writing-until-i-drop · 1 month

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Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 4

Summary:

Daisy, a career novelist, moves in with her college best friend Phoenix who has been permanently assigned to Top Gun with Dagger Squad. She finds herself instantly connected with a cocky pilot who's soft only for her and Jake can't help but want to know everything about her. When the past comes knocking at both of their doors, will they stand together or fall apart?

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

A/N: Cassandra isn't speaking to Daisy and her work suffers but a call from her brother should make everything better, right?

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter

Cassandra wasn’t cooperating today and I knew better than to try and force it. Instead, I tried my hand at writing something overtly and didn’t make it a full page before scrapping the entire project. I’d had a few boyfriends before but none of them had given me the foot-popping, sparks-flying, kind of romance people wrote about.

In a desperate attempt to get something done, I wrote a few paragraphs more of an abandoned project about a kid detective trying to solve the theft of a neighbor’s lawn gnome. It wasn’t my most inspired piece of work, one of the many reasons Jason had told me to drop it, but it felt good to write something.

After completely throwing in the towel, I cleaned the apartment and made a double batch of M&M cookies, snacking on the chocolate candies as I went. Once the kitchen was cleaned again, I realized that I had made enough cookies to feed an army without an army to feed.

Daisy: Movie night at our place with the daggers?

Daisy: I may have stress baked

After an hour, Natasha responded affirmatively and I decided to run to the store for more snacks. While debating between Dorito flavors, my phone rang, Harvey’s picture flashing on the screen.

“Hey, Harv,” I greeted him, adding both bags of chips to my cart. “How are my girls?”

“Driving me crazy as usual,” Harvey laughed and I felt a bit lighter inside. There had been a point in our childhoods where I felt resentful that Harvey could be so happy but my therapist and a healthy dose of prescriptions had helped me past that. “How’s life in California?”

“Hot,” I joked. “The sun’s insufferable but it’s good to be living with Tasha again. She’s got some great friends that I bribed with cookies into accepting me as one of them.”

“Of course you did, your cookies could broker world peace.” I chuckled, waiting for Harvey to cut to the chase as I continued to throw all the snack foods I could find into the cart including frozen pizzas and chicken wings. “August is coming to an end.” There it was. I sighed but stayed silent, “How are you doing, DeeDee?”

“I’ve already scheduled the flowers to be sent to their graves and-”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“I’m fine, Harv. I’m keeping busy, trying not to think about it.” Something fell behind me and I nearly jumped out of my skin, white-knuckling the cart. It was like a switch flipped, all of my nerves lighting on fire, the acute paranoia I’d worked so hard to rid myself of sprinting to the forefront of my mind. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as Harvey’s voice faded into a soft buzzing. Was someone watching me? No, no one was watching me. I tried to shake off the feeling, moving at a snail’s pace through the aisle. I looked down at my feet and I could have sworn I saw red despite the canvas being black.

“Daisy?” I heard my name through the fog, “Daisy Louise? DeeDee, you’re okay. You’re okay, everything’s okay, DeeDee.” Harvey. Harvey was calling for me. Where was he? I had to get to him. “I’m okay, DeeDee. I’m safe.” The fog pulled away and I was on the floor of the frozen aisle, my phone beside me.

“Harvey?”

“I’m here, I’m alright, DeeDee.” He soothed, “Are you okay?” I grabbed the phone, tucking my head between my knees.

“I’m okay, Harv. I just…”

“I know, it’s okay. It’s normal but you should call Natasha and have her pick you up.” That was completely off of the table. I could handle this by myself, all I needed to do was get to my feet and everything would be okay. “I love you, DeeDee.”

“I love you too, Harvey.” I sat on the floor with my head in my hands for a few seconds after hanging up, evening out my breathing until I didn’t think I was going to pass out anymore. I struggled my way through checkout, my mind drifting and then snapping back to reality with everyone off-kilter sound I heard or thought I heard. But when my hands were shaking too hard to put the keys in the ignition, I put my pride inside and called Tasha.

“Phoenix’s phone,” Coyote picked up and I nearly ended the call, “Daisy?”

“Is Tasha there?” Fuck, I sounded like I had been crying. My voice wavered, full of emotion.

“She’s in the air, what’s wrong, Daisy?” Coyote was all business and I appreciated him for it.

“It’s fine, nevermind,” I even failed at convincing myself that things were fine. Coyote sighed then replied in a soft, quiet voice.

“Daisy, Nat told me that sometimes you have anxiety attacks. Is that what happened?” Damn it. Natasha had helped me through more than her fair share of them in college, it only made sense that she would tell someone important to her like Coyote.

“You can’t tell anyone,” I sighed, “I just, I’m at the grocery store and I don’t know if I should be driving home like this.” I heard Jake’s voice in the background and tensed, “Don’t tell Hangman.” Coyote chuckled,

“Yes, ma’am. Alright, there’s two ways this can go. I can ask Mav for permission to come get you or I can call Penny.” Neither option sounded preferable. “Penny’s going to ask a lot of questions because she’s a mom and then she’s going to tell Mav anyways. I will ask no questions because I’ve already got an idea of what’s going on.”

“As long as Mav’s the only extra person in the loop,” I relented. “And Javy? Thanks.”

Javy showed up in his flight suit not long after and I was distracted for a second by just how handsome he was. Natasha’s taste in men had gotten a lot better since college.

“Do you want to stop for food on the way back? Sugar will make you feel better after an adrenaline dump like that.” I nodded, thanking him again for showing up. “You’re part of the squad now, Daisy, no thanks necessary.” The sentiment warmed my heart, a soft smile appearing despite the embarrassing situation.

“Can we get Wendy’s? It’s my favorite.” A spicy chicken nugget and a Dr. Pepper sounded amazing right now. Javy messed my hair like a big brother,

“Whatever you want.” After a few minutes of listening to the radio in silence, Javy glanced over at me. “So, what do you think of Hangman?”

“What do you think of Tasha?” I shot back, not expecting him to answer but he took me by surprise.

“She’s one hell of a woman and a fantastic pilot.” Javy grinned like a lovesick idiot and I found myself smiling too, “I’m lucky she gives me the time of day if I’m being honest.” He glanced over at me again, still smiling and I rolled my eyes. “Your turn.”

“Hangman’s a flirtatious ass,” Javy barked with laughter, pulling into the Wendy’s. “But Jake’s nice and he listens to me when I go on my rants about random shit. Like, I swear he probably listened to me talk about Sherlock Holmes for an hour the other night.”

“Hour and a half,” Javy snickered, “We timed it.” I couldn’t even be mad, laughing with him.

“Not even Tasha would let me go on like that! So yeah, I think Jake’s pretty great.” I brushed my hair into my eyes to hide my blush, “Anyways, I’ll take a spicy number ten with a Dr. Pepper, please.”

“Do you want a frosty too?” Yep. Natasha’s taste in men had definitely improved.

After cooing over me like a mother hen and calling Harvey to let him know I was okay, Natasha took Harvey to get his car. After taking a shower and finishing the large frosty Javy bought me even when I told him not to, I felt a lot better. Well enough to respond to the texts Jake had been sending me.

Jake: Everything okay?

Jake: Coyote told me to mind my business and that you were fine but I want to hear it from you

Jake: Phoenix also told to mind my business

Jake: Honey I need to hear it from you

Jake: If you don’t text me in ten minutes I’m coming over

I rolled my eyes but the butterflies in my stomach took flight, swirling in delight that Jake was concerned for me.

Daisy: Listen to Javy, pretty boy. I’m fine

Jake: Too late

“If this boy isn’t careful, I’m going to fall in love with him,” I whispered to the empty kitchen, ripping open a packet of M&Ms.

“Hey,” Daisy greeted me with a lazy smile, throwing back a palmful of M&Ms. Something was off about her but I couldn’t put my finger on it just yet. I was going to figure it out though, you could bet on that.

“Hey, Wildflower. How are you feeling?” She rolled her eyes like she didn’t have a care in the world but her shoulders tensed. Coyote had been tight lipped over why he had left work early but with how both he and Phoenix were acting, I knew it had to be Daisy and that had spun me up into a twister of anxiety that eased a little seeing her.

“I told you I was fine, see?” She gestured down her body. Daisy was in cartoon pajama shorts that showed off her pale thighs and a tank top, her endless curves on display from top to bottom. I swallowed hard, my mind filled with thoughts of running my hands over her hips, spreading her knees, and eating Daisy for dessert on Phoenix’s counter. “I’m perfectly fine.”

“You look fine as hell, sweetheart,” Daisy blushed hard, her chest and cheeks burning red. “But you know it’s not your body I’m asking about.” I crossed the room, needing to put my hands on her even if I shouldn’t.

“Okay, Hangman,” She grumbled, using my callsign like she always did when I said something flirty. My hands landed softly on her hip and her cheek, forcing her to stay close and look at me. Daisy relaxed, eyes fluttering shut. “I’ll be fine, Jake,” She whispered and I felt myself melt. This girl had no idea that I was putty in her hands.

“Of course you will be,” I promised, “Because I’m going to be right here by your side.” Daisy smiled, eyes still closed, nuzzling her cheek like a cat into my hand.

“You’re laying it on pretty thick again, Hangman.” God this girl. She didn’t believe a word that came out of my mouth if it veered even the slightest bit away from platonic. I had my work cut out for me but when she opened her dark eyes and smiled at me like I hung the stars and the moon, I knew I was up to the task. “Do you want a cookie?” What I wanted was to kiss her forehead but a cookie would work for now.

The rest of the daggers showed up a little bit later and while Daisy played the role of the perfect hostess, I pulled Coyote off to the side.

“Should I be worried?” Coyote glanced over my shoulder to where Daisy was and then shrugged.

“I don’t think so, at least, not at the moment anyways.” My heart clenched, needing to know more but he shook his head before I could ask. “Nothing about this situation is my business to share, man. When she’s ready to tell, she’ll tell.”

“We should watch a horror movie,” Bradley suggested, the loud agreement of the squad interrupting our conversation. Coyote patted me on the shoulder, heading for the kitchen. When she was ready to tell, she would tell me. I had to trust that that would be the case. Right?

“Hangman, get some food before Bob eats it all!” Rooster shouted for my attention. Bob was blushing with a plate piled high with food, praising Daisy’s homemade mac and cheese so that’s what I scooped up first. I didn’t miss how Phoenix was hovering behind Daisy, watching her like a hawk. I said a little prayer, hoping that Daisy would find the right moment to tell me what was going on sooner rather than later.

With a plate full of snacks, we all scattered around the living room. Daisy came right to me with a blanket, a blush on her cheeks, not looking me in the eyes as she took a seat beside me. She was the one person without a plate of food and turned me down when I offered her some of my chips,

“I’m not hungry,” She whispered, bringing the blanket up to her chin. “Javy got me Wendy’s.” He was Javy to her now? I glanced over at my best friend, who was not so subtly making eyes at Phoenix while she and Rooster argued over what horror movie we were going to watch. Rooster won when he threatened to tell a story that had Phoenix slapping a hand over his mouth.

It ended up being about some demon who was influencing people to murder others but the special effects weren’t all that believable. I much preferred a 90s action flick or, when alone, a Hallmark movie on occasion. With every passing minute, Daisy inched closer to my side, the blanket moving higher up her face. Seizing the opportunity, I dropped my plate on the table and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her close.

“Not a fan of horror?” I whisper, she shook her head, eyes locked on the screen as the possessed man picked up a hunting knife.

“Murder,” She whispered back, her hand tentatively resting on my thigh.

“Aren’t you a crime novelist, sweetheart?” I teased, trying to ignore how good it felt to have her hands on me.

“That’s different,” Daisy insisted, jumping at something on screen but I wasn’t watching the movie anymore, my focus was solely on her. Daisy looked terrified. I shifted sideways and pulled her face into my chest, forcing her attention off of the movie and whatever it was that was scaring her so much. Her hand moved from my thigh to my chest, fingers digging into my shirt.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you, baby,” I whispered into her hair, kissing her head. “It’s just a movie.” Daisy went limp in my hold and I pulled her sideways onto my lap, Bob looked and quickly looked away but it didn’t seem like anyone else noticed. Not that I would care if they did, if this was what Daisy needed, then it’s what I was going to do. I squeezed her thigh gently and began stroking my thumb back and forth, “I’ve got you.”

“I know,” Daisy whispered into my shoulder. After a moment she added, “If I’m too heavy-” She stopped when I squeezed her thigh,

“You can sit on my lap whenever you want, Wildflower.”

“My gentleman,” She sighed and I felt a glimmer of hope. She didn’t call me Hangman.

Next Chapter

#jake hangman fic #jake seresin x oc #jake seresin #hangman x oc #jake hangman seresin #wildflowers for a hangman fic #top gun maverick #top gun fanfiction #natasha phoenix trace #fanfic #javy coyote machado #pete maverick mitchell #coyote x phoenix

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writing-until-i-drop · 1 month

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Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 1

Summary:

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

AO3 Link

“I think that’s the last of it,” I wiped my hands on my thighs, not yet used to the California heat. Natasha, my god send in cut-off sweats, passes me a cold beer, sitting on the edge of a box.

“I’m so glad you’re finally here, Daisy, It’s been impossible being surrounded by the asshats in my squadron.” Ah yes, the infamous dagger squad. Natasha had shared a little bit (or a lot) about each member of her team, leaving out any of the classified details of the mission that had brought them all together except for the fact it had led to permanent assignment for all of them. “When I told them my friend was moving in, they were chomping at the bit to see a picture of you.” My eyes cut to her, taking a long swig of my beer.

“And what picture did you show them?” As best friends since college, there were a lot of embarrassing pictures Natasha had access to that outweighed any of the hot ones on my Instagram. Natasha refused to meet my eyes, my heart sank. “Please tell me it wasn’t the one from-”

“It was.” Nathasha confirmed my worst fears with a proud smile. “You’d be surprised how well it worked for them. I told you, those Tweety Bird shorts- hey!” She rubbed where I punched her shoulder. The photo in question was me, drunk as a skunk, leaning over a frat house toilet while I puked my guts out. It had been a pajama party and my Tweety Bird pants had been cropped to show the entirety of my ass.

“You’re the worst, I’m never meeting your friends. You’ll have to suffer the testosterone alone.”

“Noooo,” Natasha whined. Rolling my eyes, I focused my energy on unpacking.

Surprisingly, I didn’t have a lot of boxes. Packing up my entire life had mostly been packing up my books and pajama pants that I wore for every occasion except weddings and funerals. My agent supported the move, saying that military novels were all the rage right now in the romance and crime communities, and he was hoping I would take advantage of my new situation for my next series.

I was one of the lucky authors, I had gone from self-publishing to being picked up by a moderately sized publishing house, my books taking off more than in my wildest dreams. My best-selling series was a 1920’s lady detective, followed by a hard-nosed New York cop hunting a serial killer. Despite this, my agent wanted me to take a swing at a smutty romance novel to capitalize on the buzz around them but I was hesitant.

“Have you forgiven me yet?” Natasha yelled from downstairs, “I ordered pizza!”

“Pepperoni?” I shouted back, getting an affirmative answer. “I forgive you!” My growling stomach marched me downstairs despite the few boxes still needing to be unpacked in my room. Tasha couldn’t cook, much to her mom’s disappointment, and lived solely off of cup noodles and takeout, something I planned to change the moment I could get to a grocery store.

Tasha was curled up on the couch, the pizza box and two fresh beers on the coffee table. I took my spot beside her, grabbing a greasy slice.

“We’ve got to decorate your place, Tasha. It’s depressingly bare.” Natasha shrugged, putting on some shitty action movie. “You’ve lived here for six months.”

“I didn’t expect it to be a permanent assignment and then I didn’t know where to start.” I rolled my eyes, opening Amazon and adding an insane amount of decor to the cart as we ate in comfortable silence. If this was going to be home, it was going to be cozy. No matter how much my bank account cried.

It took a week but the apartment was finally starting to feel like home. The brown couch now had throw pillows, there was art on the walls, and rugs on the floor. Everything was calming shades of brown, green, and cream, and there were string lights in every room that could be turned on instead of the overhead lights.

Tasha: Bringing some friends over for dinner - that cool?

I rolled my eyes, she was lucky I always cooked enough to feed an army.

Daisy: Sounds good. Get more beer.

Tasha: Already got it, babe.

I grabbed two more of the new placemats and finished setting the table. Tonight’s dinner was an authentic lasagna, garlic bread, and salad - it truly was far too much for just the two of us. Once everything was laid out of the table and I had myself a glass of wine, the door opened.

“It smells fucking delicious in here,” A man in an extremely loud button down exclaimed, followed by a boyish man with glasses who nodded in agreement. I snorted with laughter, drawing their attention. “And you are beautiful.”

“Nice to meet you too, Rooster. Hi, Bob.”

“Hi, ma’am.” I cringed,

“Daisy, please. Now why don’t the three of you wash up and then we’ll tuck in.” The boys, who had clearly been here before, took off for the bathroom while Phoenix shook her head, putting the case of beer on the counter.

“They’re ridiculous but they’re right, you and dinner are both delicious.”

Dinner went by with little conversation, the three pilots hungrily devouring the food in front of them so fast I was surprised they hadn’t passed out from lack of oxygen.

“Rooster, you have a roommate, right? I’ll make a plate for you to take home for him.”

“Hangman will be fine but I’ll take a plate for work tomorrow, honey.” I rolled my eyes,

“Tasha, text Hangman I’m sending home food for him and he’s to tell me if Rooster eats it. Bob, do you have a roommate?”

“No, ma’am - I mean, no, Daisy.”

“Then I’ll pack you something for lunch, there’s plenty - and yes, Tasha, you’ll have enough for lunch too.”

“Sweet!”

“Thank you, Daisy.”

“You know, once you meet, Hangman you’re not going to send him food anymore.” Phoenix and Bob laugh with him,

“I warned her about Bagman but Daisy’s sweet as can be. She’d give a cannoli to her worst enemy.”

“You’re wrong,” I wrote a quick, little note on Hangman’s box. Natasha gives me a uh huh look before I finish, “I would never share my cannolis.”

Phoenix: Daisy’s sending dinner home with Rooster for you - he’s going to say it’s for him, don’t believe him

Confusion wrinkled my brow as I tried to recall knowing a Daisy. It took a minute but eventually I remembered Phoenix talking about her new roommate. She had cooked dinner? Besides Bob, no one in the squadron knew how to cook much, if at all. So a home cooked meal would be the best part of my day.

Hangman: Tell the little lady thank you

Phoenix: Tell her yourself, she’s coming to the Hard Deck tomorrow even if I have to drag her kicking and screaming

I chuckle, refocusing on ironing my uniform for tomorrow. I even take pity on my roommate and iron his, not wanting to hear him crashing around the apartment bright and early trying to do it in the morning.

“Hagman, have you eaten?” Rooster called out, slamming the front door shut. There was not a single subtle thing about that man. Not his clothes, his flying, or his mannerisms.

“No but I heard you brought me something.” When I reached the kitchen Rooster was standing there, staring at the container of food. “Is that for me?”

“She even wrote you a note. She’s perfect, man. Funny, pretty, cooks well.” He slid me the still-warm container with a pink note sticking on the top. There was a hangman doodle with the note.

E N O Y H N E Y

“This is the best lasagna I’ve ever had.” Rooster nodded, passing me a beer. “I’ve got to meet this girl.”

“Try not to scare her off, bud. Or else she’s going to stop feeding us.”

Next Chapter

#jake seresin #jake seresin x oc #hangman x oc #top gun maverick #top gun fanfiction #fanfic #idiots in love #wildflowers for a hangman fic #natasha phoenix trace #pete maverick mitchell

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writing-until-i-drop · 1 month

Text

Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 9

Summary:

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

A/N: Daisy starts to feel like a hostage but she comes to a decision.

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter

Natasha and Jake were unwilling to let me spend a minute of my day alone. When they were at work, I was hanging out with Penny, and if they were being kept late at work or had something else to do, another member of the Daggers was glued to my side. Right now, I was sitting on Rooster and Jake’s couch, playing Call of Duty with Rooster.

“Get him, get him, get him!” Rooster shouted as I aimed up my shot,

“I got him!” The headshot announcement flashed across the top of the screen. “Hell yeah!” We fist bumped as the round ended,

“You’re pretty good at this, Daisy.” Rooster stood, stretching. We had spent the last hour playing round after round without moving and my back was starting to ache. “Want another beer?”

“Yes, please,” I kicked my feet up on the coffee table, checking my phone. I had a missed call from Harvey and I swiped away the notification. I couldn’t talk to him before I made my decision on what I was going to do about Rudolph Lance or else I’d spill the beans and kick myself for it. “Actually, I think I’m going to go home.”

“No can do, Hangman and Phoenix will skin me alive if I let you leave before they get off.” I groaned, their love for me was undeniable, but the suffocating feeling was growing stronger with every hour that passed since the FBI knocked on my front door.

“I’m tired,” I complained, Rooster misunderstood me, pointing down the hallway.

“Second door on the left, take a nap.” The refusal was on the tip of my tongue but then it dawned on me that this would be the perfect moment to get some alone time. I feigned a yawn,

“Yeah, sounds good. Thanks for babysitting me, Roo,” He laughed, cracking open another beer.

“Listen, I realize we’re practically kidnapping you every day against your will and you’re trying to be a good sport about it but maybe once this whole situation is over, we can hangout and not have it be a hostage situation.”

Now I was laughing, a reaction that had been rare over the last few days. Rooster was a pretty good guy, I could see why he was friends with two of the most important people in my life. He could handle a serious situation but he didn’t take himself seriously, and he was a man who could see a need and meet it without being asked.

“If it means anything, you’re my favorite kidnapper so far, Roo.” It was true, he hadn’t given me any sad, pleading expressions, and had been prepared with a family sized bag of M&Ms and a twenty-four pack of beer. “Don’t tell Bob, I don’t want to hurt his feelings.”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” Rooster laughed, “Now go, be alone for a few minutes.”

It was my first time in Jake’s room, I realized opening the door. He had been spending almost every night at my place instead and if he wasn’t in my bed, Natasha was. You get campus security called on you for a wellness check once in college and suddenly no one trusts you to be alone when things get hard. Ridiculous.

Jake’s room was neat and tidy, with green, plaid sheets on the bed, a cowboy hat on the dresser, and nothing on the walls. Men, I rolled my eyes at the lack of decorations. Maybe he’d let me buy a few things to hang up on the walls to make it a little more homey. I pushed out of my pajama pants and climbed into the right side of the bed out of habit, even though the left side had been my preferred side of the bed before meeting Jake, he had insisted on taking it because it was closer to the door.

The bed smelled like Jake’s cologne and it had me relaxing into the pillows, stretching out like a cat in the sun. I needed to figure out what I was going to do and the process of doing that had to start at the beginning. I pulled up the Wikipedia page on Rudolph Lance and read until I couldn’t see through the tears.

Rudolph Lance has admitted to ten murders and was convicted on January 13th 2002. His modus operandi (MO) was to stalk young couples, break into their homes, and torture them with a knife before ultimately shooting them in the head. While on trial, Lance pleaded guilty to the murders of ten people but did not provide details on his motive.

The FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit released a statement during their search for the killer stating that they believed he was motivated by a sense of excitement surrounded by the torture itself, which is why he did not spend more time on the murder itself [citation needed].

I remembered every minute of that night. My therapist had said that some victims of trauma tend to either suppress memories or remember them vividly. I was sadly part of the second group. When Rudolph Lance broke into our house, Harvey had been upstairs, sound asleep with a Beethoven CD playing on loop, which had drowned out all of the noises our parents made that night.

I had been playing hide and seek with my dad and had chosen the closet of their bedroom, its slatted doors had given me a clear view of every cut and stab Lance had inflicted on my parents. He had focused on my mother, taking his time with each of the cuts to draw out the pain. I knew there was nothing I could do, I didn’t have a cell phone and Lance never left the room to give me a chance to escape and go for help. It wasn’t my fault, I couldn’t save them.

The white carpet had been soaked red and when I ran to them, after hearing the front door shut, I found myself stained red. Our phone line had been cut, so I gathered Harvey in my arms, covered his eyes, and ran to our neighbors, banging on their door until Mr. Greene opened it with a shotgun in his hands.

The FBI questioning had been rough but the trial was even worse. The child advocate had done my hair in pigtails, which was a tad annoying as a twelve year old, and even though I could recall the entire event and clearly identify Rudolph Lance as my parent’s killer, the judge had decided that there was not enough physical evidence to move to a trial.

It had been the second worst day of my life. I was left with no answers and no resolution. Just a baby brother who didn’t understand that our parents weren’t coming back, a great uncle who didn’t know how to raise kids, and stories in my head begging to be put on paper.

If I agreed to speak with Lance, then I would get answers. The answers I had been chasing for over a decade and so would other families. He wanted to torture me, that’s what the FBI had said. I wasn’t naive enough to think that everything would go right and I would leave the prison with a smile on my face while a rainbow painted the sky. There was going to be a price to pay and whether I was willing to or not, I was the only one who could cash the check.

I was antsy to get back to Daisy. Maverick had been doing his best to accommodate the situation but he couldn’t just give me and Phoenix a month off of work to handle it. The squad had been a blessing, helping Phoenix and I watch over her. Phoenix hadn’t told us why she was so worried about Daisy being alone but I wasn’t complaining about being ordered not to leave Daisy’s side by her best friend.

“Hey, buddy.” Rooster greeted me, standing in the kitchen with a beer. I glanced around, not spotting Daisy anywhere but before I could panic, Rooster pointed down the hall. “She’s taking a nap but Hangman,” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Daisy’s dying for some time alone.” My knee jerk reaction was that that was not going to happen. But it made sense. Daisy was a homebody who enjoyed being left alone and we had been watching over her like hawks.

“I’ll talk to her,” He passed me his beer and I took a sip before passing it back. “How was she today?”

“She was fine, she’s a pro at Call of Duty, and she tried to make a run for it.” I froze, “But before you have a heart attack, remember that she’s currently asleep in your bed.” Right. That was a good point.

“Can you figure out dinner while I talk to her?”

“I’ve got your back, man.”

The sight of Daisy curled up in my bed was enough to make my chest feel lighter than it had in days. Her pajama pants were abandoned in the middle of the floor, which I folded and put on the desk. It felt good to have her in my space but it didn’t feel right. My room was far too spartan for her, she didn’t belong there, but I wanted her to.

My belt buckle hitting the floor woke up and she stretched out in bed, making a growly noise that made me smile.

“Hey, babe,” Daisy smiled, patting the space in bed beside her. “How was work?” The moment was so domestic it made my heart burst with happiness.

“It was good, there’s talk we’re going to be getting another big mission in a few months.” She nodded, blinking sleepily at me. “I heard you had fun with Rooster, baby.” I slid into bed beside her, bringing her in for a kiss. Daisy responded, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Roo’s a good hostage taker,” She snuggled her face into my neck. Hostage. That word left a bitter taste in my mouth, is that how she saw herself?

“Are we suffocating you, baby?” Daisy sighed, kissing my collar bone.

“I know it’s with love,” Love.

“Lots of love,” I promised, my hand settling on her bare waist. “But if you need space and you promise me you’re not going to do whatever Phoenix is worried about, all you have to do is ask.”

“A few hours of alone time won’t kill me,” Daisy began playing with the hairs at the nape of my neck, pulling her head back so that she could look at me. “She’s worried I’m going to isolate myself and lock you all out.” I tightened my grip on her and she rolled her eyes at me, “I’m not going anywhere, Jake.”

“Rooster said you tried to run for it earlier,” Daisy’s eyes narrowed.

“Maybe he’s not my favorite babysitter anymore.” I laughed, kissing her forehead. “But don’t worry. I’m not running from this or you,”

“Good.”

“I’m going to do it,” She whispered with a frown. “I’m going to talk to him.” Pride and terror filled me in equal measure. She was going to do a very brave thing, one that would wreak havoc on her emotions, but I would be there by her side. That’s what I had to focus on. She was going to be fine because me, Phoenix, and the rest of the squad were going to be by her side the whole time.

“I’ll go with you.” Daisy kissed me, nudging her knee between my legs. I slid my hand to her ass, relishing the feeling as she moaned into my mouth. The door burst open, sending us apart.

“Please have clothes on,” Rooster shouted, standing in the doorway with his hand over his eyes.

“Roo!”

“What the hell, man?”

“Dinner’s ready,” Daisy groaned, pulling the comforter over her head. Rooster, still covering his eyes, “Thought you’d want to know. How’s the alone time, Daisy?”

“Go away, Roo.” He grinned,

“Sounds like it’s going good.”

“Want me to kick his ass, baby?” I whispered through the blanket, kissing her head. Daisy laughed,

“Can we eat dinner in bed?”

“Whatever you want,”

“Can I join?”

“No!” We shouted together, Rooster laughing his way out of the room.

Next Chapter

Taglist: @dizzybee03 @littlezee80 @cinderellasmissingshoes @carolina-on-my-mind03 @mizzzpink

#hangman x oc #jake seresin x oc #jake seresin #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick #wildflowers for a hangman fic #fanfic #pete maverick mitchell #natasha phoenix trace #idiots in love

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writing-until-i-drop · 1 month

Text

Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 8

Summary:

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

A/N: A blissful morning is interrupted by a knock at the door and chaos ensues.

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter Pt. 1

Natasha looked like the cat who ate the canary, grinning at me over a cup of black coffee. I was eating M&Ms for breakfast, trying to ignore the fact that I had more than one hickey on my neck after Jake decided three in the morning was a good time for a make out session.

“Soooooo,” She took a tip. “Bagman didn’t sleep on the couch last night.” Natasha pushed a tumbler of iced coffee towards me, “And you’re not wearing pants.” I groaned, my head thumping against the counter.

“Did you know that you get really warm when you’re cuddling with someone?” Me trying to take my fuzzy pajama pants off had been what woke Jake up in the middle of the night. “Like, how does one person emit so much extra heat.”

“Turn the fan on next time. So, did you fuck him?” Why, why, why had out of all of the girls I met freshman year of college had I chosen Natasha as my best friend?

“Tasha!” I banged my head against the counter again, “Pre-coffee is not the time for this conversation.”

“Which is why I made you coffee, so drink and spill, Daisy Louise.” I groaned, sipping on the coffee. My head was throbbing and I blamed Natasha and the blonde still asleep in my bed in equal parts.

“We didn’t sleep together, I mean we did, but not like that.” Natasha booed, “Shut up, we just decided to do the whole something more thing and there was no tequila involved. My apologies for not jumping his bones.”

“You’re forgiven. I could leave, go somewhere for a few hours, and you could-”

“I swear to God, Tasha. I just want to unscramble my brain before he wakes up and you’re not helping. Like, are we dating? Are we seeing how things are going? I-” There was a knock at the door, “Tell me you didn’t invite Javy over to gloat.” The knocking got louder and more insistent,

“I didn’t invite anyone over.” Anxiety filled my stomach and by the look on Natasha’s face, I knew she was feeling the same way. Standing in the hallway were two men in matching black suits.

“Daisy Prentiss?” I nodded, suddenly very aware that I didn’t have pants on and my shirt did not extend long enough to cover my underwear by any means. “Agents Mulner and Gaines, FBI Field Office. May we come in?” I froze in horror and then Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, decorated Naval Lieutenant, and pilot of a billion dollar plane, slammed the door shut in the FBI’s face.

“Why did you do that?” I yelled, snapping out of my trance.

“I panicked!” She yelled back, eyes wide. “Go put on pants and wake up Bagman, I’ll offer them coffee. Go, shoo,” Natasha pushed me towards the stairs and I didn’t argue, running up the stairs. What the hell was the FBI doing here? A cold dread washed over me. The last time I had spoken with the FBI, they had come to tell me the second worst news of my life. There was no reason to suspect that this time they were the bearers of good news.

“What’s going on?” Jake asked blearily, sitting up in bed. Sometime in the night he had abandoned his shirt but I didn’t have the time to soak in the view, tripping over my feet to put on my pajama pants.

“The FBI’s here and I’m half naked.” Now Jake was tripping over himself to get dressed,

“What’s the FBI doing here?” This was not how I wanted to do this, to explain to Jake what had happened to my parents but the past was knocking at the door and it was time to answer it. God I hoped Natasha had let the agents in and they weren’t still standing in the hallway.

“They’re here to talk to me about why I fucking hate September and Tasha may have slammed the door in their faces.”

“Daisy, you’re not making any sense.” I laughed, none of this made sense. Not since the day it had happened had any of this made sense. “Wait for me, baby,” I didn’t wait, rushing back down the stairs, the need to throw up becoming more urgent with every step. The two agents were standing in the kitchen with mugs of coffee while Natasha leaned against the counter, looking like she was going to be sick.

“Sorry about that, we, uh, panicked.” Agent Mulner nodded,

“Don’t worry, it happens more than you think. Who is this?”

“Lieutenant Seresin, sir.” Jake shook the man’s hand, exuding a level of professionalism that did not match at all with his wrinkled shirt and boxers. If the whole situation wasn’t one straight from my nightmares, it would have been hilarious. Jake was standing behind me like a guard, his hand protectively on my waist.

“Ms. Prentiss, is there somewhere we can talk privately?” Agent Gaines asked, stroking his goatee. I shook my head at the same time Natasha answered,

“Not happening.”

“She knows and uh, pretty sure if you tried to get rid of him he’d rack up a resisting arrest charge.” The agents chuckled and then their faces settled into matching grim expressions. This was definitely not going to be good news. “I should sit, yeah?”

“That would be for the best,” Agent Gaines confirmed, motioning to the couch. Jake and Natasha sat on either side of me, taking one of my hands each.

“Ms. Prentiss, as you probably know, Rudolph Lance’s execution date has been set for the 19th.”

“Good,” Natasha hissed, squeezing my hand. Agent Mulner sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair. I could practically hear the gears in Jake’s head turning, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

“His lawyer made contact with our agency not too long ago saying that Mr. Lance is now willing to confess to an additional twenty-one murders.” Even sitting, I felt the floor fall from beneath me, swaying into Natasha’s side. My vision went blurry and it dawned on me that I must have been crying. “Including that of your parents.”

“What’s the catch?” Natasha asked, her grip on my hand bone-breaking. Jake’s was equally as firm. “There’s no way that monster is just going to give up this information.”

“It’s more common than you might think, killers on death row wanting to confess to additional murders,” Agent Mulner explained. “It extends their life because there has to be additional investigations and trials.” No, no, no, no, no. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way this was happening. “Mr. Lance has agreed to do this on one condition. He will confess to you and only to you, face to face.” Jake and Natasha both swore loudly on either side of me but all I could manage was a weak,

“Why me?”

“Our behavioral analysts believe it’s because you’re somehow special to him. Your parents were the only ones with children and you saw him, you testified against him, and they think that this is one more way that he wants to torture you.” The weight of it all slammed into me and I cried harder.

“Of course, we can’t force you to meet with him,” Agent Gaines’ voice was steady, like this was an everyday conversation for him and not the end of my world. “But this would bring closure to many other families and you’re the only one who can do it.”

“Get the hell out of our apartment,” Natasha shouted, bringing me into her chest like a momma bear, pulling Jake along with us by our connected hands. He was draped over my back like a shield, protecting me from the agents and their words.

“You have time to decide, Ms. Prentiss. I’ll leave my card on the counter.” Being in a snuggle-sandwich between Natasha and Jake had not been on my bingo card for the day but then again, neither had standing in front of the FBI in my undies.

“I need a cigarette,” I whispered into Natasha’s neck, “Menthols.” I had picked the habit up in high school to help drop weight but kicked it in college when I couldn’t afford it anymore. On occasion, when things were bad, all I wanted was a smoke.

“You still smoking Newports?”

“Yeah, I’ve got a pack of them in my underwear drawer. The lighter’s in my nightstand.” Jake helped me lean back so that Natasha could stand, kissing my forehead, then jogging up the stairs.

“I didn’t know you smoked,” Jake kissed my hair. I wanted to laugh but couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“That’s the thing that caught you off guard about this morning?”

“I didn’t want to ask about the other thing,” My gentleman. I rolled my eyes, lacing my fingers with his, the warmth of his hand grounding me in the moment. “And I’m not going to but Daisy, baby, I’m here to do whatever you need.” I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut.

“Go home, Jake. This is way more than you signed up for.” Natasha came downstairs with the sealed pack of cigarettes and a lighter, distracting Jake long enough for me to get up without him pulling me back to him. “Thanks, Tasha.”

“Smoke slow, don’t give yourself a head rush,” She squeezed my arm. “I’ll order breakfast.” I squeezed her arm back and headed out to the porch without another word.

The smoke burned my lungs, the cool menthol keeping my mind in check. This was going to get a lot worse before it got better, it always did. I would have to call my agent and my publisher, let them know I wouldn’t be making progress for a few weeks. Personal reasons. If Jason found out about Rudolph Lance, he would be trying to schedule me on whatever news channels and podcasts were covering the story and that was the last thing I needed.

Once I finished the cigarette I gave the door a firm knock, a warning for Jake and Natasha that I was coming back in. They were sitting on opposite ends of the couch, staring at me as I walked in.

“Daisy, we should talk,” Natasha said but I brushed past them both, saying that I needed to brush my teeth. Halfway through my ABCs my stomach lurched.

“Shit.” I dove for the toilet, stomach acid and candy filling the basin. The door opened and then Jake was rubbing my back and holding my hair. This was the worst day of the last decade of my life and it just kept getting worse.

Jake didn’t need to see me like this, he didn’t need to be weighed down by my personal baggage, and as much as I wanted to hold his hand through it all, it wasn’t fair to him. Even if he offered to. When there was nothing left to expel, I flushed, and Jake helped me stand with a steadying hand on my hip. He didn’t say a word as I brushed my teeth until my gums bled.

“Go home, Jake.” I weakly shoved at his chest. “I mean it, you don’t need to be here.” He pulled me into his chest, resting his chin on my head.

“I’m not going anywhere, Daisy,” He promised, kissing my forehead. “If you’re here, I’m here with you. Remember?” The conversation last night felt like a fantasy, a dream, one that I wished I could return to and never leave. But this was reality and it was far from a dream.

“Go home,” I offered him another out while holding him tight. “I won’t hold it against you.”

“Daisy,” He said sternly. “Stop trying to push me away because you’re scared.”

“I’m not scared,” Okay, I was a little scared. “I’m pissed and I don’t know what I’m going to do.” He didn’t even budge, “But if you’re not going to run away screaming yet, can we lay in bed? With Tasha?”

“I normally don’t share but I’ll make an exception,” Even in my tired state, I made sure to store that information away for a later date. Possessive Jake. It made sense.

Natasha was the big spoon, curled protectively around Daisy while I had ear pressed against Daisy’s heart, listening to its steady beating. Javy was on his way over with Wendys, a bottle of tequila from Penny and Mav, and apparently the other guys had thrown in some gifts as well that Javy was in charge of delivering. Everyone had their own pasts and were understanding that something big was going down and were trying in their own ways to be supportive. Daisy had an entire adoptive family ready to help her through this ordeal but when it came to her own flesh and blood, well, that was another issue entirely. Every few minutes Phoenix would bring up calling Harvey but Daisy kept shutting her down before she could get through the full sentence.

“He’d want to be here for you,” Phoenix tried again and I felt Daisy’s heart rate increase.

“I don’t give a shit, Tasha. No one tells Harvey, I’m the big sister, this is my responsibility.” My initial confusion was quickly overcome by a need to call my sisters and tell them that I loved them. Helen and Caroline had always had my back when it mattered and now I was realizing they might have been protecting me from things I didn’t even know about.

“I don’t get it, Daisy.” Phoenix let out a frustrated groan, “Why don’t you-”

“I’m the one who watched that monster slice our parents to ribbons, I’m the one who carried Harvey to the neighbors with my hand over his eyes, I’m the one who testified. Harvey is happy, healthy, and well-adjusted with three beautiful daughters and a wife.” Daisy’s voice was colder than I had ever heard it, leaving no room for arguments. “I would rather die than let that monster anywhere near my brother’s life, do you understand me? Lance can play his mind games with me all he wants but Harvey is off limits.” The sentiment was one I understood, wanting to protect her brother and his family, but the way she had phrased it sparked a different kind of worry in my chest.

“Fine,” Phoenix’s tone let it be known that there was nothing fine about the situation. She pulled away when someone, presumably Javy, knocked on the door. “I really hope it’s not the FBI again,” Phoenix huffed and for the first time this morning, Daisy’s laughter filled the room. It was hysterical laughter, the kind that didn’t make sense, but it made my chest feel just a bit lighter. Like things were going to be okay.

“Jake?” She gasps between laughs and I adjust so that we’re eye-to-eye. Her dark eyes are rimmed red, filled with tears.

“Yeah, baby?” Daisy surged forward and kissed me soundly but only for a second. I chased her lips as she pulled away, kissing her again. Daisy relaxed into my chest, breaking away with three quick kisses.

“This is your last chance to save yourself, Jake,” She whispered, dark eyes staring into my soul but I didn’t flinch. I kissed her again, softly, just for a moment.

“I told you, baby, I’m not going anywhere. If you’re here, I’m here with you.”

Next Chapter

Taglist: @dizzybee03 @littlezee80 @cinderellasmissingshoes @carolina-on-my-mind03 @mizzzpink

#hangman x oc #jake seresin x oc #jake seresin #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick #fanfic #natasha phoenix trace #pete maverick mitchell #wildflowers for a hangman fic #idiots in love

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writing-until-i-drop · 1 month

Text

Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 2

Summary:

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

A/N: Daisy meets the rest of the Daggers and one cocky pilot finds himself experiencing a first.

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter

“I don’t want to go,” I whined, packing up the individual bags of cookies I had made for dagger squad, Penny, and Maverick who were all going to be at the Hard Deck. Natasha was determined to get me out to the bar in something other than pajamas, holding up a denim mini skirt I hadn’t worn since college and black tank top.

“You’re going, I’ll buy you as many shots of tequila as it requires to get you to stay.” Tequila. My weakness. I ran a hand through my hair, glaring at the tiny skirt.

“I don’t even know if my ass still fits in that.”

“Just put it on, we’re leaving in ten.” I grabbed the outfit, grumbling in protest.

Much to my surprise, the skirt did fit. Barely. I sure as hell wasn’t going to be playing pool in it because if I bent over to take a shot, my whole ass would be out. I threw on a red lip and some black cowgirl boots, slipping a book and a notebook into my bag just in case I needed a reprieve.

“Is your fine ass ready to go?” Natasha shouted up the stairs, “We’re going to be late!”

“Oh no, I’d never want to be late for something I didn’t want to do in the first place.” Natasha rolled her eyes at me, pulling me out of the apartment as quickly as her legs would take us. “I am going to drain your bank account with the amount of tequila I’m about to drink, Tasha.”

“Do your worst, Daisy.”

The bar was loud and filled with too many people for my liking. True to her word, Natasha bought me two shots of tequila and a beer to kick off the night before we even got to the table where all her friends were hanging out.

“Daisy!” Rooster shouted in greeting and Bob gave me a small salute. What the hell did they put in the water around here? There were three more handsome guys with the group, all of which offered me a smile and a once over.

“Hey, guys. You must be Payback, Fanboy, and Coyote. Natasha’s told me about you all.”

“All bad things?” The man I recognized from the pictures as Fanboy guessed, chewing on a toothpick.

“Always,” Natasha slugged him on the shoulder. “Where’s Bagman?”

“Right, here. Hey, darlin, thanks for the lasagna.” A heavy arm draped over my shoulder, pulling me in for a kiss on the forehead.

“Um, hi.” I looked up, swaying a little when I saw him. Phoenix hadn’t shown me any pictures of Hangman, claiming they weren’t close enough to have any pictures together. He was tall, blonde, with a jaw sharp enough to cut glass with, staring down at me with pretty green eyes. “Glad you liked it.” My voice was far too soft and breathy to be considered normal. Hangman winked and my whole face flushed red. “Tasha.”

“That’s enough, Bagman.” Natasha tugged me from his side, “First Rooster and now you, I told your animals to behave around her.” Hangman and Rooster shared looks of mock offense, grinning.

“I’m behaving,” Bob piped up, a mouthful of peanuts.

“Yes, thank you, Bob, you’re behaving.” Natashja sat me between her and Bob at the table, keeping an arm around my waist.

“I’m behaving too, Phoenix,” Coyote grinned, leaning across the table. “See? Listen, Daisy, are you liking it in Cali so far?”

“It’s a little hot but the change in scenery is nice, have some cookies.” I dug into my bag, “Chocolate chip or M&M?”

“You made cookies?” Fanboy nearly spilled his beer. “I can be good too! You’re a writer, right, Daisy?”

“M&M, please.” Coyote immediately dug in.

“I am, do you want M&M too?” The whole group started asking me questions, being rewarded with their own bag of cookies. Natasha teased that I was treat-training them like a pack of wild dogs.

Eventually, my newness wore off and the group separated. Hangman and Coyote went for darts and the rest went for the pool table. After a few more shots and a dance around the floor with Rooster, Bob, and Coyote, I finally escaped from Phoenix long enough to grab my notebook. There was a new character in my head, speaking softly about what she saw and what she wanted.

The words flowed freely, blue ink cursive neatly filling page after page. My publisher was going to be giddy at the prospect of another series, I could already hear her excited laughter ringing in my ears, followed by the click of her gold cigarette lighter. I smoke menthols, the unnamed character whispered to me, and I drink my coffee black. A tough woman, an agency legacy. FBI? CIA? NCIS. I chuckled softly, glancing up at all the uniforms drinking around me. I should have seen that one coming.

“You’re cute when you’re focused,” Hangman’s southern drawl broke my concentration, the still nameless woman slipping away back into my imagination. Damn it. “You bite your bottom lip.”

“You must have lost at darts if you were paying that much attention to me, pretty boy.” Hangman’s smirk morphed into a grin, making him even prettier than before, which was a problem. My stomach fluttered in a way that was concerning to feminism.

“If that’s supposed to be an insult, I don’t understand how. I’m the prettiest boy in this goddamn state.” And he was, I laughed, forcing myself to look away from him and back at my notebook. “What are you writing?”

“A new-” Hangman slid into the booth next to me, his warm, masculine scent filling the space around us. “Um,” What was I saying again? He was watching me squirm, sipping on his beer as my blush deepened. “I got a new idea and I had to write it down before I lost it.” Hangman’s eyes flickered to the notebook and I quickly flipped it shut.

“Even your handwriting is pretty, darlin. Almost as pretty as your cooking,” The line itself didn’t make sense but his delivery made it work.

“You like my cooking?”

“I like everything about you, Daisy,” He slid even closer. Hangman was just as confident and flirty as Natasha had warned me and despite how pretty he was and how into me he seemed, I didn’t buy his interest for a second. I burst out laughing, covering my mouth with my hand.

“You’re really laying it on thick, aren’t you?” Hangman’s brow scrunched in confusion, “The whole hot aviator hitting on me every thirty seconds is just too much.” Hangman sat back, watching me laugh until I couldn’t breath, his eyebrows raised.

“Are you done, darlin?” I held up a finger, trying to catch my breath. “You know, I think this is the first time a woman’s ever cracked up at my flirting.”

“Happy to be your first, Hangman.” I pushed his shoulder, filing the fact that his muscles felt extremely soft to the touch in a filing cabinet deep within my brain never to be opened.

“Well, if hot shot Hangman isn’t your speed, then hi.” He held out his hand, his eyes going soft, “I’m Jake Seresin, thank you for sending me dinner last night. It was the best meal I’ve eaten since Christmas.” Oh. Oh.

“Nice to meet you, Jake. I’m Daisy Prentiss and I’ll cook whenever you’d like.”

“Now who’s flirting?”

“It’s not flirting,” Okay, it was a little bit of flirting, I couldn’t help myself. “I’ll feed the rest of the daggers too.” Jake smiled and this time it wasn’t cocky or flirting, it was soft and genuine.

“I look forward to it, sweetheart.”

I watched closely as Hangman sat with Daisy, convincing her to drink water between shots of tequila, which were actually water because he was filling the shot glass with it every time she looked away. I’d never admit it but they looked like a happy couple, having a night out on the town.

“I’ve never seen him look at a woman like that,” Coyote sidled up to me at the bar, offering me a beer. “Hangman is nowhere in sight.”

“I’ll beat the shit out of him if he hurts her, Javy.” His pinky brushed mine and I had to fight a smile.

“I’ll hold him down for you.”

Next Chapter

#jake seresin x oc #jake seresin #hangman x oc #wildflowers for a hangman fic #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick #fanfic #idiots in love #natasha phoenix trace #pete maverick mitchell #javy coyote machado #coyote x phoenix

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writing-until-i-drop · 18 days

Text

Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 10

Summary:

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

A/N: Daisy makes a deal with the devil, Jake and Natasha worry.

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter

Maverick had agreed to let Jake have the day off so that he could go with me to the prison. His hands were shaking more than mine but he was doing a good job at playing the stoic guard dog, holding my hand, and glaring at the swarm of FBI agents who were briefing me on what was going to go down. Rudolph Lance would be chained at his waist, wrists, and ankles, there would be an armed guard standing outside of the room, and I would be going in alone.

Jake didn’t like the alone part one bit but there wasn’t another option. I on the other hand was perfectly numb, nodding through the briefings and thinking about what I was going to have for dinner. I wasn’t going to make this a big deal, that would just give Rudolph Lance a weird kind of power over the situation.

“Are you ready, ma’am?” I nodded, still numb.

“Hold on,” Jake grabbed my hand, looking at the agents and guards around us. “Can I get a minute alone with her?” One of the agents, which I had forgotten the name of, nodded.

“Just a minute, son.” They cleared the room and Jake fixed me with a hard stare, analyzing me. I just stared back at him, my face blank.

“Just say the word and I’ll take you home right now.” I shook my head, “Just making sure, baby.” He reached around his neck and pulled over his tags, “I can’t go with you but I’m right here.” The tags were heavy around my neck, the warmth of the metal seeping into my chest as I tucked them under my shirt.

“I’m here with you,” Four words that meant three words, I hoped he heard them all the same. “I’ll see you on the other side, pretty boy.”

“I’ll be right here, Wildflower.” Agents and guards refilled the room, sweeping me away. Inmates shouted as I passed their cells, pounding on the doors. The guards kept me moving, one of them placing a hand at the small of my back. Jake’s dog tags hung over my heart, I focused on the feeling of the metal against my skin to keep myself calm. The numb feeling I had been relying on wavering the closer we got to the end of the hall where the agents had said Lance would be.

“Okay, Ms. Prentiss.” One of the agents stood between me and the door, it wasn’t a cell, it was more like an interview room where prisoners on death row could speak with their lawyers. “The cameras will be recording the conversation, all you have to do is sit and talk until he gives up the names.”

“And if all of this is bullshit?” I asked, knowing that all of this could be for nothing. The agent patted my shoulder,

“Then he still gets a needle.” That was good enough for me. I exhaled, shaking out my shoulders,

“Okay, then let’s do this.”

I paused at the mouth of the room. Wearing an orange jumpsuit, chained to the table and the floor, was Rudolph Lance. He was older than I remembered, his dark hair streaked with gray, a scraggly beard reaching his chest, and a few crude tattoos now adorned his arms. He turned to look at me and suddenly, I felt like a twelve year old girl once again.

“Well, well, well, if it ain’t the kid.” The voice that had haunted my nightmare was unchanged. I took a deep breath, steadying myself, and took a seat. The door closed and locked behind me,leaving me alone with the monster that killed my parents. “Little Daisy Prentiss.”

“Rudolph Lance,” I glared at him. “They said you wanted to talk.” The man stared me down for a few minutes, saying absolutely nothing and then he smiled, chilling me to the bone.

“No need to rush, kid. We’ve got all day,” The bastard wanted to draw this out as long as possible. The FBI analysts had been right, he wanted to torture me. “You go to college?”

“I did,” I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek. Lance shifted in his chair, giving me a go on look that I ignored.

“Come on, Daisy. I’ve got information that put you on a flight from wherever you ran to when mommy and daddy died,” I dug my nails into my thighs to keep from screaming. “So, you answer my questions and then I’ll give you the information you came for.”

“Fine,” I gritted out. “I graduated with honors from Embry-Riddle with a degree in English literature.” He barked out a laugh,

“A useless degree,”

“I’m a published author.” He made a noise of interest so I continued. “I write crime novels where my detectives always catch the bad guy.” Lance nodded,

“Got anyone special in your life?” I debated whether to tell him the truth or not.

“I push people away. Apparently I have abandonment issues and a whole heap of trauma.” I glared at him while he laughed, “Doesn’t really give much of a chance for someone special.”

“No, I suppose not. What about your brother?” I bit my cheek so hard I tasted blood, eyes squeezing shut.

“Ask me about anything else,” Tears burned my eyes, “You don’t get to ask about him.”

“‘’Fraid that’s what I want to hear about. How’s Harvey?” What did I do? Did I walk out, refuse to say another word, and ask Jake to take me home? Leave all those families without their answers? Or did I make a deal with the devil? I sighed, placing a hand on my chest, feeling Jake’s tags, begging that they would give me strength for what I had to do.

“He’s got a wife and kids, he doesn’t remember a single second of that night.”

“He know you’re here?” I shook my head, keeping my eyes trained on the table. “You’re a good sister.”

“Fuck you,” I spat. “You don’t get to say that to me.” He laughed again and I smacked my hands against the table. I stared down the monster and all of the numbness that had been in my mind slipping away. “Tell me the names, admit to what you did to them, to my fucking parents,” I hit the table again. “Or I walk out of here and I’ll throw a party when they put that needle in your arm.” He stared me down but I didn’t flinch, even if I was shaking like a leaf in the wind. “So what’s it going to be?”

“You’ve got stones, kid.” I didn’t enjoy the tone he was taking, like he was proud of me for losing control. “You FBI sons of bitches got your pens ready?” He called out, looking at the cameras. He began listing names that meant nothing to me, taking his time to make a comment disparaging each of them in some way and then he set his eyes on me. “And last but not least. Jill and George Prentiss.” My parents. I thought there would be a movie moment, where I instantly felt better than I had in years, but that didn’t happen.

The guards escorted me from the room and brought me to Jake, who wrapped me tightly in his arms.

“I’m right here,” He whispered, kissing my forehead. I didn’t say anything, I couldn’t think of the words, any words, to say.

Daisy slept the whole flight home, her hand in mine. She hadn’t said a word since she came back from speaking with Lance, just giving me nods and shrugs. I had texted Phoenix in warning and sent Mav one asking for a second day off, which he had responded to just before take off.

Mav: Already approved it, you need more just ask

Hangman: Thank you

When we got back to the apartment, Phoenix had pepperoni pizza and beer waiting, but Daisy pushed right past her and headed to her room.

“Should I call Harvey?” She asked, running a hand down her face. She looked tired, dark bags under her eyes, “I don’t know what to do.” I hesitantly pulled her in for a hug, surprised when Phoenix returned it, squeezing me tight. “She’s going to be okay, right?”

“She’s going to be fine, Phoenix. She’s got us,” I rubbed circles between her shoulder blades. “We’ve just got to be patient with her.”

“Thank you, Jake.” She whispered, “For being here for her.” I sighed, resting my chin on top of her head.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised her. “I’m going to take her some dinner and that’s where we’ll start with figuring this whole mess out.” Phoenix nodded, pulling back and wiping her eyes.

When I got upstairs Daisy was in the shower, so I put dinner on the desk and sat on the bed to wait for her. It didn’t take long for her to finish and she reappeared in an oversized shirt with her wet hair brushed behind her ears.

“Bob keeps sending me dog pictures and I’ve never been much of a dog person but they’re really cute.” I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing, crossing the room to kiss her soundly on the lips. She smiled into the kiss, wrapping her arms around me. “We should get a dog.” We. I kissed her quick, three more times on the lips.

“I’ll get you a whole litter of puppies if it’ll make you happy, Wildflower.” Daisy slipped her hands under my shirt, resting on my bare back.

“You’re here with me, right?”

“For as long as you want me, baby.”

Next Chapter

Taglist: @dizzybee03 @littlezee80 @cinderellasmissingshoes @carolina-on-my-mind03 @mizzzpink @beltzboys2015-blog @writtingrose

#hangman x oc #jake seresin x oc #jake seresin #top gun fanfiction #wildflowers for a hangman fic #top gun maverick #fanfic #natasha phoenix trace #pete maverick mitchell #idiots in love

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writing-until-i-drop · 1 month

Text

Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 3

Summary:

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

A/N: Daisy has a disturbing realization regarding her newest character, one that dredges up painful memories. Jake has a realization of his own when driving Daisy home from the Hard Deck.

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter

“I want pages as soon as you have them, Daisy. It’s not what I was hoping for but I am very excited.” My publisher Grace said in her thick, Jersey accent. “Send them to Jason first, I know how he gets when he’s left out of the loop.” I rolled my eyes, my agent Jason would get the text about pages when I was ready to share them and not a moment before, otherwise, he’d be calling me three times a day for a status update. Jason had been with me since the beginning, helping me polish my submissions and get picked up by Grace’s publishing house, but he was a taskmaster. A loveable taskmaster, but a taskmaster nonetheless.

“Sounds good, Grace. I just wanted to keep you in the loop with what’s coming down the pipeline.”

“You never disappoint me, Daisy.” With that, Grace hung up. Natasha and Rooster had helped me build a desk and chair, giving me the perfect place to work from. Special Agent Cassandra Klein had a lot to say and the pages kept filling with words as fast as I could type them. Sure, a lot of it would probably be cut in the editing process, but it was thrilling that the story was coming so easily. Writing my last book had been like trying to get blood from a stone using a cotton swab as a weapon. My parents were murdered, Cassandra whispered and my fingers froze on the round keys of my pink keyboard. Right in front of me.

“No, no, no, no,” I scrambled away from my desk, toppling backward in the chair. My head hit the edge of my bed on the way down, pain shooting through my body, “Shit!” I laid there, sprawled out on the floor for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. I had their blood on my tennis shoes. Cassandra was coming to me so easily because she was me. “I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I can’t do this.” I chanted to myself, head spinning.

But I had already told Grace about the story and she was expecting pages. I couldn’t back out of this now. Cassandra wouldn’t stop whispering twisted details of my past, her past, our past, to me. She demanded that I tell the story. It was the driving force for her joining the Navy and then NCIS, it was the reason she was determined to catch the bad guys. It was the most important part of her just like it was with me.

Some time later I managed to pull myself off of the floor. I looked in the bathroom mirror, cringing when I saw the blood and the bruise beginning to form at my temple. My cheeks were puffy and tear-stained, and my eyes were bloodshot. I looked utterly pathetic and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re in deep shit now, DeeDee,” I knew what I should have done. I should have called my old therapist and scheduled a new session, I should have called my brother and asked for an update on his wife and kids. I should have done anything besides what I was going to do. I wiped up the blood, cringing at the burn of the alcohol wipe, and put a bandaid over the cut. Then I went back to work.

Cassandra was a tough cookie but unlike me, saw her therapist well into adulthood. But unlike me, she drank and smoked an unhealthy amount to cope with what she saw on the job. I stayed away from her past, only alluding to it briefly in therapy, and got on with the investigation she was pursuing with her team. By the time I heard Natasha come home, I had written enough to make me happy.

“You home, Daisy?” Natasha shouted up the stairs, her heavy footfall disrupting my concentration. I shut my laptop, rubbing at my tired eyes, responding that I was home. “Do you want to go for dinner and then a drink with the guys?” A drink did sound good, actually, twelve drinks sounded better.

“Yeah, can I wear my pajamas this time?” Natasha shot me down, I heard her shower turn on. I begrudgingly changed out of my Cookie Monster pajama pants and into leggings, layering extra deodorant, and perfuming my Embry-Riddle University sweatshirt.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened to your forehead?” Natasha pointed with her fork. I ignored her, taking another bite of my burger. “That’s a no then. Am I going to have to beat up a person or baby-proof our furniture?”

“Furniture,” I mumbled, stuffing a handful of fries into my mouth in the most unladylike way. “Don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Clumsy,” Natasha chided, stealing one of my fries even though she had a plate of her own. “If you don’t want to talk about that, do you want to talk about Hangman?” I glared at her. Ever since the first night at the Hard Deck, Natasha had been trying to get me to talk about Jake and how I felt about him but I wouldn’t say a word. He was nice, especially when he stopped flirting with me constantly, he listened to me talk about everything that came to my mind, listening with rapt attention. “You’re smiling!”

“Shut up, Tasha. Want to tell me about you and Coyote?” Natasha’s smile faded fast, her cheeks turning pink.

“Nothing to tell.” Natasha lied, slurping her root beer. “Alright, so no talking about the forehead or boys. Have you talked to Harvey lately?”

“Nah, he’s busy with baby number three. Little Jill Prentiss is a 7lb 14oz bundle of joy who will not let them sleep more than a few hours a night.” My younger brother Harvey had been too young to be saddled with all of the lingering trauma, getting married to his high school sweetheart Emma after graduating from college, bought a house in Iowa, and started having babies. My nieces were the highlight of my life, for every book I wrote, I would get an advance and spend a good portion of it on presents for them.

“Good for him, doing all that domestic crap. If I got pregnant, I’d have to give up flying and I don’t know if I’ll ever be willing to do that.”

“Would you do it for Javy?”

“I thought we said no boys!”

The Hard Deck wasn’t as packed on a Wednesday night, making it much more my speed. Penny greeted us with a wave, grabbing the bottle of Patron.

“Evening, ladies! Your usual?”

“Pretty please, Penny,” I passed her my card to start a tab. “Did you and Mav enjoy the cookies I sent?”

“Amelia and I ate them all before he came home from work,” Penny laughed, “They were delicious, you’ll have to give me the recipe.”

“No can do, my recipe book is under lock and key.” Penny pinched her lips at me but slid me two shots and a tequila sunrise. “But all you have to do is ask for more and I’ll drop off a batch.” That got a smile out of her. I slammed back my two shots, getting primed and ready for human interaction, and then ordered a third just to be sure.

“You’re in rare form tonight,” Natasha remarked, side-eyeing me, “Still don’t want to talk about it?” I shook my head, letting her lead me to where the other daggers were sitting with their beers. Payback and Fanboy were deep in conversation, Bob was texting, and Bradley was off to the side, chatting with some pretty brunette. Jake noticed us first, motioning for me to sit next to him.

“Hey, Wildflower.” I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile. He frowned, brushing my bangs back to reveal the bandaid, “What happened?”

“I was attacked by a piece of furniture,” I mumbled, pushing my bangs back into place. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He grabbed my hand under the table, thumb smoothing over my knuckles.

“Then we won’t talk about it but-” He was cut off by Rooster rejoining the group, announcing that he did in fact get the woman’s number.

“Ten bucks says it’s fake,” Natasha challenged with a shit-eating grin. Payback took her up on the deal, “Because why would she give you her number instead of trying to take you home on this fine, Wednesday evening?”

“Yee of little faith,” Rooster rolled his eyes. “She’s right there, I’ll call her.” He pointed to the bar where the woman in question was settling her tab and dialed. We all watched as Rooster’s phone rang but the phone in the woman’s hand didn’t light up. “Oh, um, wrong number.”

“I bet it was the mustache, I keep telling you to shave that thing, man.” Jake teased, smacking Rooster on the back.

“It’s not the mustache, ladies love the mustache. Right, Daisy?” I held up my hands, forcing Jake to drop it.

“I am not getting involved in this, ask Tasha.” He turned to ask Natasha who was glaring daggers at him and he thought better of it. Jake’s hand rested on my thigh, sparking a deep blush in my chest.

“I thought we talked about the flirting thing, Hangman,” I whispered. Everyone was too busy roasting Rooster to notice our little conversation. He shot me a glare, squeezing my thigh.

“I’m not flirting, Wildflower. I’m being comforting,” He rolled his eyes.

“Who says I need comforting?”

“The extra shot of tequila and you, little lady, call me Jake.” I narrowed my eyes at him, annoyed that he noticed so much about me. I was used to being noticed by people like Natasha, Harvey, and the occasional fan, but not by men like Jake. Sure, Rooster had called me gorgeous, but the man who would flirt with a brick wall if given the chance. I wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, with my soft stomach and thighs, but I considered myself cute in the right outfits. Certainly not what I was wearing 90% of the time though, including right then.

“I’ll call you whatever I like, pretty boy.” I bluffed, rolling my eyes at him. He shot me another glare,

“Now who’s flirting?”

“Whatever,” I huffed, sliding my hand over his. He let me get the last word and I was thankful for it, my social battery absolutely shot from the unwelcome trip down memory lane earlier in the day.

As the night went on, Daisy sank deeper into my side, her fingers laced with my own beneath the table. Something was wrong, that much was obvious, but it was clear she didn’t want to talk about it and I wasn’t about to run her off by asking too many questions. Daisy had a way of keeping me on my toes, always calling me out when I tried to flirt or tease her. It made me want to do those things all the time, just to watch her pretty brown eyes roll with an exasperated sigh of my name.

“Do you want a water?” I whispered, enjoying the way her grip on me tightened as she shivered. She looked up at me with droopy eyes, blinking slowly like a cat. I made a mental note to add kitten to the lineup of nicknames for her, just to see how she’d react to it.

“I want to go to bed but she’s enjoying herself,” I followed her eyes to Phoenix, who was in deep conversation with Coyote over pre-flight rituals.

“I can take you home, Wildflower.” I had the urge to take her home and tuck her in bed with me at her side, tracing patterns on her thigh even after she fell asleep. The thought made me both happy and queasy. I had never dreamt of domesticity, at least not after my pops got sick. The day he had been diagnosed with cancer and I saw how distraught my mama was, I knew I didn’t want to be the source of that much grief to anyone I loved. But with Daisy, those sweet thoughts wouldn’t leave my mind. I wanted to dance with her in the kitchen while she cooked and hold her hand at the grocery store, I wanted to do everything I had avoided with a ten-foot pole with every other girl I had been with for a night.

“Are you sure?”

“Come on,” I pulled her to her feet. “Phoenix, I’m going to take Daisy home, she’s a little tired.” Phoenix narrowed her eyes at me, the protective vibe rolling off of her in waves until Daisy leaned into my side.

“Goodnight, everyone,” Her eyes were half-closed as she waved to the squad and I quickly guided her to the bar, paid for both of our tabs, and guided her to my truck. There was a bit of a lift to it and I had never been more happy for it when Daisy giggled, taking my helping hand in.

“You’re such a gentleman, Jake.”

“I’m your gentleman, Wildflower.” Instead of glaring, she just smiled, that pretty blush turning her cheeks the same color as her hair. I wanted to snap a picture of the moment, Daisy sitting in my passenger seat with that soft smile on her lips.

I closed the door, jogging to the other side. Daisy had her arm on the center console and she didn’t protest when I laced our fingers together as I drove. Whether I was finally breaking her down or she was too tired to mind, I didn’t care, smiling the whole drive.

“Stay put, sweetheart.” I squeezed her hand before getting out and helping her out of the truck.

“You don’t have to walk me to the door, Jake.”

“The door? I was planning on tucking you in, I’ve got to protect you from more wild furniture attacks.” That got me an eye roll but she didn’t protest, leading me into the apartment she shared with Phoenix. I had been there once before with Javy but the place looked completely different, instead of a crash pad, it felt like a home. My pops always said it took a woman’s touch to turn a house into a home and looking at Daisy’s string lights and wax melter, I couldn’t have agreed more. “So, which of these Ikea pieces attacked you?”

“My bed, it’s a long story.” Daisy let me follow her up the stairs and I was going to take as long of a leash as she was going to give me here.

“I’ve got time,” I pried gently, averting my eyes from her round ass like the gentleman I was trying to be.

“I fell out of my chair and hit my head, not a big deal, just a little embarrassing.” My mind immediately went into a panic, wanting to check her for a concussion and to see how bad the cut was beneath the bandaid but I restrained myself, knowing that would get me kicked out faster than I could say urgent care.

“Beds can be dangerous,” I teased instead, grinning when I got a laugh out of her. Daisy stopped just inside of her room, looking up at me with sleepy eyes and I found myself practicing self-restraint again, wanting to cover her face in kisses until she pulled me to bed with her.

“Thanks for bringing me home, Jake, but I think I’ve got it from here.”

“Okay,” I said but I didn’t want to leave yet. Instead, I wrapped her in my arms, breathing in her vanilla perfume, relishing the fact she was hugging me back. “Goodnight, Wildflower.”

“Goodnight, Jake.”

I locked the bottom lock on my way out, texted Phoenix that Daisy was in bed, and took the long route home, needing to clear my head. Except Daisy wouldn’t leave my mind, taking up residence in every corner. Her laugh, her smile, her glare. I was so fucked.

Next Chapter

#jake seresin x oc #jake seresin #javy coyote machado #hangman x oc #wildflowers for a hangman fic #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick #natasha phoenix trace #fanfic #idiots in love #pete maverick mitchell #jake hangman seresin #jake hangman fic

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writing-until-i-drop · 1 month

Text

Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 7 Pt. 2

Summary:

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

A/N: Daisy and Jake have a conversation. Natasha plays wingman.

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter | Ch. 7 Pt. 1

“Jake!” Daisy shrieked with a laugh, smacking my chest. I rolled on my side and tugged at her hip until she did the same. She looked beautiful, just like always, with her cheeks flushed, puffy lips, and my mark on her pale neck. “Are you always going to be like this?”

“Insatiable and confident that I can make you scream my name?” She hit my chest again, giggling as she buried her face in my neck, “Always.” I tilted her chin up with two fingers, kissing her softly. I loved the way she leaned into me, making soft noises as I wedged my knee between her thighs. “And one day I’ll prove it to you.” Daisy shivered, her lips parting and I deepened the kiss.

“Wait, I have an idea,” Daisy pulled away, peppering kisses all over my face before rolling out of bed.

“You’re killing me, baby,” Daisy pulled up her writing program, fingers flying across the keyboard as she once again got lost in whatever world she had created for Cassandra. I always knew when Daisy was writing Cassandra’s story that day instead of her other stories because she would get this sad air around her. I was dying to know whatever the secret she was hiding, the one that made her cry and become distant. The one that made her shy away from horror movies about murder. My phone buzzed, dragging my attention away from her.

Phoenix: What’s going on up there?

Hangman: She’s writing

Phoenix: Of course she is

Phoenix: Everyone’s heading out and I’m going to turn on the alarm so I guess you’ll have to stay the night

Hangman: What a shame

Phoenix: I’ll leave a pillow on the couch for you

I didn’t think I’d be needing it but I thanked her, picking up the book I had been reading earlier. I was nearly halfway finished with the book by the time Daisy yawned, shutting down the computer.

“Sorry about that,” She stretched, her shirt riding up and revealing a sliver of her stomach. “Do you have to head out?”

“Nope, Phoenix is playing wingwoman for you. She locked me in.” Daisy laughed, spinning around in her chair.

“Well, in that case, do you want some water? I’m going to get one,” Her nightstand was littered with half-drank water cups and empty bags of M&Ms.

“No thank you, baby.” She shrugged, leaving the room. I heard her stop to talk with Phoenix, her laugh carrying through the halls. I stripped out of my jeans and socks and climbed back in bed, eyes getting heavy as I waited for her return.

“You look good in my bed,” Daisy said, leaning against the door frame of her room. “I could get used to it.” A switch had flipped in Daisy but I wasn’t complaining. Now that the tables had turned she was the one flirting and damn it made me hot under the collar.

“If you keep looking at me like that, Wildflower, neither of us are ever leaving this bed again.” She flushed red, running a hand through her hair. “Come to bed, baby.” Daisy flipped the light and came to bed, staying strictly on her side of the bed. Her side, my side. The distinction made me grin in the dark like a fool. “Are you not a cuddler?”

“So, funny story,” I heard her move but I couldn’t see her. “I’ve never actually slept in the same bed as someone besides Natasha or Harvey. So, I have no idea if I’m a cuddler or not.” Seriously? I couldn’t help but smile, knowing that I was the first person to experience this level of intimacy with her.

“None of your boyfriends ever…” I trailed off, managing to keep the smug tone out of my voice.

“Nope, twin-xl beds weren’t really made for that sort of thing.”

“And do you think you’d like cuddling?” Daisy sighed,

“Are you going to keep asking questions until I cuddle with you?”

“You know me so well.”

Next Chapter

Taglist: @dizzybee03@littlezee80@cinderellasmissingshoes@carolina-on-my-mind03@mizzzpink

#hangman x oc #jake seresin x oc #jake seresin #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick #fanfic #natasha phoenix trace #pete maverick mitchell #wildflowers for a hangman fic #idiots in love

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writing-until-i-drop · 1 month

Text

Wildflowers For A Hangman Ch. 5

Summary:

Or: The Dagger Squad can't cook and Jake falls in love with a woman who makes a mean lasagna while they work their personal trauma.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x writer!femOC | 18+ (eventually) minors dni. Fluff, smut (eventual), idiots in love, past trauma.

A/N: Everyone but Penny sees the surprise coming and Jake gets a new lock screen wallpaper.

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Amelia and I made eye contact over her mom’s head, holding in giggles. Penny was passed out, head back, snoring softly as a woman massaged her feet. Maverick had asked Phoenix to take the girls out for a mani-pedi but we all agreed that I was the less suspicious choice when it came to a girls’ day out.

“We should get lunch after this,” Amelia pulled out her phone and showed me a vegan place with a clean aesthetic. “What about here?”

“Sounds good to me,” I lied with a smile. “Is there anything else you want to do today?” I had to keep the girls out of the house for at least another hour but Maverick had said the longer the better. Amelia shrugged,

“If Mav’s gonna propose, we should go shopping,” I choked on my spit, and Amelia rolled her eyes. “Seriously? He was sweating buckets this morning and now we’re getting manicures?”

“That’s fair,” Fifteen-year-olds were very perceptive apparently. Penny let out a louder snore and Amelia elbowed her in the ribs, her mom shot awake.

“Yes?”

“We’re getting lunch and then going shopping for matching dresses,” Penny looked at me and I tried to look as enthusiastic as possible.

“Okay,” And then she nodded off again. From what Amelia and Mav had both said, Penny had had a long night closing up the Hard Deck and then had thrown back shots with her bartenders. Amelia rolled her eyes and then went back to scrolling through Instagram. My phone buzzed.

Jake: Hey, Wildflower. How are things going?

Daisy: Penny’s sound asleep and Amelia saw right through Mav

Jake: Figures, man has no poker face when it comes to her

Daisy: Mav owes me big time, Amelia wants to get vegan food

Jake: I’ll take you for pizza tonight after everything

Daisy: Deal

I paused, brow furrowing. Did he mean getting pizza as a friend? Or as a date? I shook off the thought, of course, it was as friends. Well…I blushed, it might not have been so bad if Jake wanted to- No. I put the thought away in a locked filing cabinet, the same cabinet where the feeling of his muscled arms beneath my hand was stored. Jake and I were never going to be anything more than friends, even if he was perfect and handsome, and he listened to all of my stories with a smile on his face. Absolutely not.

Jake: What color did you get your nails?

Daisy: Guess

Jake: Green, the same shade as your bedspread

Daisy: How the hell did you guess that on your first try?

Jake: Because you told me it was your favorite

Jake: And I remember everything you say

I didn’t even know how to respond, so I didn’t. Amelia and I chatted about baking while they painted our toes. She had volunteered to bake for a soccer team bake sale to buy new uniforms for the school year.

“If you need help, just give me a call. I’ll help you bake whatever you need,” Amelia lit up with a smile,

“That would be great! I was planning on using bagged mix but actual homemade stuff would sell so much better.” It felt good to be helpful, Amelia reminded me of my oldest niece, Sarah. Sarah was four and loved soccer, at that age it was mostly just kids running around and screaming excitedly. She had the same blonde hair as Amelia too, always smiling and giving her parents a hard time.

After a very dry and under seasoned lunch that Penny and I managed to grin and bear it through, we ended up at a little boutique. Amelia treated Penny and I like her own personal dress up dolls, having us try on dress after dress until she found one that looked good on all three of us and was up to her standards.

The dress she settled on for me was a light green made of light, flowy fabric. It cinched at my waist and made my boobs look fantastic. The only negative was that it clung to my stomach a little but I couldn’t stop smiling at how cute I looked and in a moment of giddiness, I snapped a picture in the changing room mirror with an arm around my waist. Then I sent it to Jake.

“Yo, D, you ready to go?” Amelia shouted and I quickly grabbed the shopping bag filled with my earlier clothes and followed her out to the car.

Jake: Baby you’re killing me in that dress

Daisy: That was the idea, pretty boy

“Flirting with Hangman?” Penny asked, the pep finally back in her step. “You two are adorable together.”

“We’re just friends,”

“Suuuuuuurrreeee,” Amelia patted my shoulder from the back seat, “You keep telling yourself that, D.”

“You two are horrible, we’re friends!”

“That man used to go home with a different girl every night and now he doesn’t even look at another woman, even when you’re not at the bar.” Penny shot me a motherly look that had me blushing like a schoolgirl, “In fact, he spends every moment you’re not there on his phone. Would you happen to know what he’s doing?”

“Oh! I know, I know!” Amelia pounds on the back of my seat, “Texting D!” Penny made a dinging noise. “You guys are too cute together, everyone can see it.”

“I’m not listening,” I plugged my ears with my fingers, “Lalalalalalala.” Penny smacked a hand over my mouth.

“I will bet you a hundred dollars that Hangman’s going to have his hands on you within a minute of us walking through the door.” I was going to lose that bet, I already knew it.

“You’re on.” I was an idiot.

Penny thought they were celebrating the end of summer, a weak cover story, but Penny was looking forward to it. Especially since Maverick had promised to organize the whole thing so that she didn’t have to lift a finger, me taking them out on a girls’ day on Maverick’s credit card was just the cherry on top.

“Ready to win, mom?” Amelia asked, the double meaning completely lost on Penny as we strolled through the doors of the Hard Deck. The lights were off inside and it was impressive how quiet the daggers were being before Penny flicked on the lights. Stretched across the rafters was a white and gold banner with the words will you marry me written in cursive and Maverick was on one knee with a ring in his hand.

“Oh my God! Of course!” Penny rushed to Maverick, kissing him soundly as he slid the long overdue ring onto her finger. The daggers came out from the woodwork, hooping and hollering with excitement. I caught sight of Jake who was already beelining towards me with an indiscernible look on his face.

“You’re so losing the bet,” Amelia snorted, showing me a timer that was counting down from a minute.

“You’re horrible,” Jake swept me into a hug, the bet officially lost. When my feet lifted from the floor I shrieked in equal parts surprise, horror, and delight.

“Jake, put me down!”

“You look fucking gorgeous, Wildflower.” Jake dropped me gently to my feet but kept his grasp on my waist, holding me at arm's length while he took one long look at me. Amelia walked off, laughing as she went. Jake was looking at me like I was a T-bone steak and he was a starving man, a deep flush working from my cheeks down to my chest under his intense gaze. “I mean it, Daisy. You look beautiful.”

“Shut up,” I laughed, letting him pull me into his chest. My heart was racing, that stupid fluttery feeling they described in romance books making me a little nauseous. “We’re supposed to be paying attention to Mav and Penny.”

“I don’t think I can pay attention to anyone but you right now and you, pretty girl, better believe this is Jake talking and not Hangman.” I stopped laughing, wrapping my arms around his waist.

“Well, whoever’s saying it is making me blush,”

“Well, you made me blush with that picture. It’s only fair.” Jake squeezed my hip, making me blush even harder. I wanted to go up on my toes and press my lips to his but instead, I pushed him away with a laugh, pretending I didn’t believe a word he said like I always did but this time I had doubts that he was joking. “Daisy-”

“Come on, pretty boy. I have to pay the bride.”

Daisy yelped when I lifted her onto the bed of the truck. We stayed at the party for a few hours, Daisy spending most of the time with the girls while I hung around Mav and the guys. Maverick had been over the moon, talking about his plans for a big wedding and an even bigger honeymoon. Then when he was ready to spend time with his fiancee, sweeping her off her feet and taking her to his bike, Amelia having been picked up by a friend earlier in the night, Daisy had gone right to my side and laced her fingers with mine.

“Stop doing that! You’ll hurt your back.” She protested, smacking my chest.

“And why would I hurt my back, Wildflower? You don’t think I’m strong enough to manhandle my girl?” Her mouth opened and shut a few times, I could tell by the scrunch of her brow that she didn’t know which part of my words to respond to. Did she insist she was too heavy again? Which was total bullshit. Or did she protest that I called her my girl? I tapped her knee, “Scoot your pretty ass back to the pillows while I grab the pizza.” Daisy muttered something under her breath about me being an ass but did what I said.

She looked as pretty as a picture, leaned back against the pillows in the bed of my truck, her sundress pooled high up on her creamy thighs, staring up at the stars with a soft smile. Lord have mercy, I needed this woman to give my heart a break before it beat so hard it lept from my chest.

“Are you going to keep staring or join me up here?” Daisy snapped without malice, making me grin.

“Actually, darlin, I want a picture to prove I had the prettiest girl in the world in my bed.”

“You’re an idiot,” She sighed but smiled for the picture that I quickly set as my lock screen before climbing up beside her. “You know, you’re not nearly half as charming as you think you are.”

“And you’re a horrible liar. Now eat your pizza and look at the stars,” She responded instantly to the stern tone of my voice, and hell if that didn’t make me that much more attracted to her. We ate in silence, staring up at the sky, and when the pizza was gone, Daisy let me wrap her in my arms.

I wanted to do this every night, lazily tracing patterns on her thigh and kissing her neck while she giggled at me to knock it off. I wanted her to tell me stories about the stars and lace her fingers with mine. I wanted everything she was willing to give me and a little bit more for as long as she would let me have it. Which was hopefully forever. Forever. I’d never thought about forever before, not like this at least. My biggest dream had always been flying and I would let nothing get in the way of that but Daisy had been on my mind every second of the day that I wasn’t in the sky.

“Hey, Harvey.” I had been so far in thought I hadn’t even heard her phone ring. There was a jealous spark in my chest. Who the hell was Harvey? Some guy from back home?

Daisy must have felt me tense, her free hand resting reassuringly on my thigh. “No, I’m fine. Yes, I’m telling the truth,” She huffed hotly. “Now’s actually not a good time, I’m stargazing.” The tips of her ears went red, “No, I’m not with Tasha. I’m with,” She looked over at me and I was already staring at her. What was she going to say? Friend might kill me, I knew boyfriend was off the table for now. “I’m with a very good friend,” She squeezed my thigh, “His name’s Jake.”

A very good friend? I could work with that. “Yeah, okay, Harv. I love you too,” Just hearing those three words come out of her mouth was enough to stop my heart. She squeezed my thigh again, biting her bottom lip as she stared up at me. “Give my nieces a kiss for me. M’bye.” Nieces. Harvey must have been the brother Phoenix had mentioned in passing.

“What was that about?” Daisy shook her head, silencing her phone before relaxing back into my side, her hand still on my thigh.

“He’s just checking up on me. I, uh, historically don’t do well with September.” I waited for her to elaborate, to talk my ear off for an hour but no explanation came.

“Care to explain?”

“It’ll ruin the night, trust me. I’ll tell you some other time.”

“I’m going to hold you to that, Daisy. I want to know everything about you, the good, the bad, and the ugly.” She huffed at me and I just knew she was rolling her eyes.

“Can you just hold me for a little bit longer and maybe…” She trailed off with a sigh, fingers tapping on my thigh. “Can you…”

“Whatever you want, Wildflower. All you ever have to do is ask.”

“Kiss my hair?” This woman was going to kill me, it was official, and I couldn’t have been happier to be a dead man walking.

“It would be my pleasure, darlin.” I tried to take a picture of this moment in my mind.

I could feel the warmth of her body against mine, making me forget about everything else in the world. Daisy’s hair smelled like vanilla and lavender and as I placed a gentle kiss on her soft, red hair, I couldn’t help but do it again, and again. We sat there until the air became too cold for comfort, even with a blanket, the sky twinkling above us as her fingers gently rubbed my thigh through my jeans. It was the perfect night, I kissed her forehead when I pulled her out of the truck bed, and then her knuckles after I helped her into the passenger seat.

“Such a gentleman, Jake.” She sighed, looking at me like Penny had looked at Mav when she spotted him on one knee. I swallowed hard, mouth going dry thinking about myself down on one knee.

“I’m your gentleman, Wildflower.”

Next Chapter

#hangman x oc #jake seresin x oc #top gun fanfiction #fanfic #idiots in love #jake seresin #natasha phoenix trace #pete maverick mitchell #top gun maverick #wildflowers for a hangman fic #penny benjamin #amelia benjamin

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