#wish Phoenix stuck around

[vaguedoctor]

“They were so real for this” and it’s just two villains fighting

Kamen Rider: Wizard - Episode 22, “The Phoenix’s Rampage”

[sanct1f1ed]

do you ever have a thought that makes you realize you've levelled up mentally?

[ereardon]

Before I Knew [Jake Seresin x Reader] Chapter Nineteen

A Jake Seresin unexpected pregnancy fic

Overview: On your first night after moving to San Diego to spend more time with your brother Bob, you unknowingly have a one night stand with his teammate Jake Seresin. For the first time in his whole life, Bob has a closely knit friend group and you’re desperate not to rock the boat. But an unexpected and unplanned pregnancy upends your world, forcing you and Jake closer together, against Bob’s wishes. What will happen when you find yourself actually falling for the father of your unborn child? 

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Reader; Bob Floyd x Sister!Reader 

Warnings: Pregnancy, cursing, eventual smut, angst

Chapter summary: Y/N waits at home for Jake; Y/N and Bob have a heart-to-heart

WC: 1.4K

Masterlist here; previous chapter here

“Jake!” 

Your voice rang out in the apartment but you knew the second you walked through the door that it was empty. 

“Ducky.” Bob stood in the doorway. 

“Leave.” Your voice was harsh. “Now.” 

“Y/N, I—”

“Just go.” 

He opened his mouth to respond but thought better of it and turned slowly, pulling the door shut behind him. 

You sat down on the couch, curled into a ball and waited. And waited. Until eventually, you fell asleep, only awaking hours later when the sun peered through the sheer curtains and you scrambled to your feet the best you could, pacing around the apartment, but Jake was nowhere to be found. 

His cell phone went to voicemail, time and time again. Breakfast came and went, and then lunch. On Sundays, the two of you typically went out for lunch and then strolled leisurely through the nearby park before going to the grocery store. But Jake didn’t return for lunch or for your park date. Even dinner came and went, with no word from Jake. 

Phoenix called around seven. “Have you seen him?” 

“No.” You were pacing on the carpet. “I’m getting worried. It’s been almost a full day.”

“I’ll call Bradshaw,” she said. “See if he knows anything.” 

“Let me know?” 

“Of course.” She paused. Then, “He’ll show up.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” 

The carpet in the living room was practically worn down to the tread from your constant back and forth, an ache developing in your lower back but that didn’t stop you from sitting down and worrying. 

When the door opened, you shot up in bed, the hem of Jake’s shirt riding up across your thighs where you had fallen asleep in his bed. Light spilled in from the hallway, illuminating Jake from behind. From just the curvature of his shoulders you knew. 

“Jake,” you murmured, scooting up toward the pillows and headboard, “where the fuck were you? I was going crazy.” 

“I couldn’t do it, Y/N,” he said, still standing in the doorframe. 

“Are you drunk?”

“I don’t know. I was, I think. I am?” 

“Come here.” You curled your feet under you and patted the bed. He hesitated. “Please,” you begged. Finally, Jake stepped into the room, standing at the edge of the bed. You reached out, holding his hands. 

“It was my fault,” he whispered. There was pain laced in every letter. The way he wouldn’t look up at you. 

“It wasn’t your fault. You did what you could. That’s all anyone could ask for.” 

“I could have saved her,” he said, louder this time. “I should have.” There was a choke. Then, “Her son has no mother because of me.” 

You felt a tear slip down your cheek, Jake’s hands pulling back but instead you tugged them forward, placing them on your bump. He looked up, green eyes locked on yours, as you held his hands, tight, to your stomach. “You’re right here,” you said softly. “I’m right here. Everything else is in the past, alright? You can’t hate yourself forever for something you didn’t mean to do. You have to move on, let yourself live. Because this baby? She needs her daddy. And you can’t be there for her if your mind is always going to be stuck in the past.” 

He shook his head, silent. 

“Jake,” you whispered. “We need you.” 

You stood up, wrapping your arms around Jake, feeling the ragged momentum of his breath, the way he gripped you so tight you felt like a balloon about to pop. 

And in that moment, you hoped he realized how far he had come.

***

You ignored Bob’s calls for three days. Finally, he showed up to the library in his flight suit, hair sweaty and clinging to his temples. Two of the moms with their children in the kids playing corner gave him a not-too-subtle up and down glance. 

“Ducky, can you talk?” 

“Not right now,” you whispered, bending down and emerging at the desk a moment later with a stack of books. “I’m working.” 

“Those are way too heavy for you,” he responded quietly, rounding the desk and grabbing them from your arms. “Why are you still lifting things? Someone else should be doing that.” 

“It’s my job, Bobby,” you replied. “Besides, why do you care?” 

He frowned. “You’re my sister. What kind of question is that?” 

A kick rippled through your side and you leaned against the desk edge, taking a deep breath. Bob’s face creased in worry. He reached out but you held out a hand, stopping him. “Meet me outside in thirty,” you said softly. “That’s my lunch break.” 

He nodded eagerly. “I’ll bring sandwiches.” 

“Tuna, extra pickles.” 

Forty minutes later, the two of you were sitting on a bench outside the library overlooking the ocean. Bob waited until you were halfway done with your sandwich before he spoke. 

“I should have told you.” 

“Yes, you should have,” you replied. “You also need to not hate him. It wasn’t his fault.” 

“Except it was.” 

You turned, eyes dark. “Are you telling me you’ve never made a mistake up there? You’ve never fucked up or waited a second too long or hesitated? Jake is human. He’s a real person, not a machine. You can’t expect perfection. People fuck up. Example A.” You waved your hand in his direction. “Right now you’re fucking up.” 

“She was my partner, Y/N. She was my best friend. And I loved her. How am I supposed to just get over that?” 

“You lose people, Bobby. Sometimes they’re like dad and they walk away. And sometimes they’re shot out of the sky. But in the end you’re always going to lose someone, it’s just a matter of time.” You shook your head. “Stop spending your life hating Jake and pushing people away when it’s just making sure that you’re going to lose them a hell of a lot sooner than you want to.” 

“Are you saying that if it came down to it, you’d choose him over me?” 

You frowned. “Why would it ever have to come down to that?” 

“Do you love him?” 

“I don’t know.” 

“I think he loves you,” Bob said and your jaw dropped. His voice was raspy, like there were tears building in the back of his throat. “And there’s a part of me that knows he’s not a bad guy. There’s a part of me who knows he’s doing right by you and the baby. But I still can’t wrap my head around letting someone who hurt the person I cared for almost as much as you turn around and hurt you, the person I care about more than anything.” 

“What makes you think he’s going to hurt me?” you asked. 

“I don’t trust him.” 

“Do you trust me?” 

“Of course.” 

You slipped your hand into his. “Then trust me when I say I can take care of myself. Whether or not Jake Seresin loves me will not change how I raise this baby. And it will not change the fact that you’re my brother and you’re a part of my life. Understood?” 

His lip curled up on one side. “Yes, ma’am.” 

“Now you have to do me a favor. Since you’re my big brother and you owe me one.” 

“What is it?” 

“Come to dinner tonight.” 

“Done.”

“And apologize.” 

“Ducky, I—”

“You apologize, Bobby, or else I’m telling everyone what you did on Space Mountain.” 

His eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t.” 

“I’m not a liar,” you replied. “I’m obligated to tell the truth.”

“You’re not under oath to spill my deepest, darkest secrets.” 

“They are when it’s the fact that you shit your pants at age twenty.” 

“Y/N!” he exclaimed, voice rising an octave. “OK, OK, I’ll apologize. Can we never speak of this again?” 

“Deal.” 

“And it was the fish tacos,” he muttered under his breath. “From the taco cart.” 

“Yeah, sure it was.” 

He groaned. “This is the last time I stick my neck out for you.” 

You leaned your head on his shoulder. “Now we both know that’s a lie.” 

Bob leaned over and kissed the top of your head. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” 

Please follow my library page @ereardonlibrary as that will largely serve as my tag list. Anyone I previous promised to tag is here:

@blue-aconite @bobfloydsbabe @bobfloydssunnies @withahappyrefrain @djs8891 @clancycucumber230 @xomrsalliej4787xo @xomrsalliej4787xo @myfaveficrecs @spinning-away

@gigisimsonmars @shanimallina87 @mycobrakai1972 @sio-ina-bottle @joaquinwhorres @justanothermagicalsara @na-ta-sh-aa @rosiahills22 @sometimesanalice @seresinslady @seresinsweetie @seresinhangmanjake @mrsjobarnes @kmc1989 @blackwidownat2814 @kmc1989 @palepeanutponyshoe

[topgun-imagines]

Day 12: Take It All Back

Pairings: Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x fem!reader

Synopsis: Bradley says something he comes to regret in the heat of the moment.

Warnings: Arguments, insults, age-gaps, insecurities & drinking

Word count: 1.5k

A night out with Bradley’s friends was what started this argument in the first place. Normally, you tried to stay away from his friends. They were lovely people, you just found that whenever you and your boyfriend went out with them, he became an entirely different person. You weren’t sure what got into the pilot, but you figured it was best to remove yourself from the situation entirely. Sometimes, it seemed like he was embarrassed to just be in your presence. While you didn't want to admit it, you were fairly certain you knew why.

Bradley was over ten years older than you. Even though he had assured you that the age gap was no problem for him, you found it hard to believe him in times like this. While you knew that his friends were lovely people, you occasionally got the feeling that a few of them were weirded out by the large age difference. That wasn’t what bothered you, however. It was the fact that your own boyfriend would act as if you didn’t exist whenever you went out with his friends. It was as if you were nothing more than an inconvenience to him; nothing more than someone that he got stuck with taking care of rather than his loving girlfriend.

So, you did your best to avoid situations where you would have to hide in the corner, charring with Bob while Rooster entertained anything other than you. You didn’t mind chatting with Bob. Quite the opposite, in fact. You just wished that Bradley would spend a little more time with you when he was out with his friends.

However, even though you felt like this, you would never tell Bradley. You didn’t want to be seen as the clingy and insecure girlfriend. So, you suffered in silence and watched your Boyfriend mingle about the bar. It wasn’t all that bad. After all, you had Bob to keep you company.

This particular night, it was Bob’s birthday. Normally, you would have come up with some excuse to get out of going to the celebration at the Hard Deck. However, you had Bob had grown exceptionally close over the past few months in Miramar. Regardless of how badly you wanted to be curled up at home with your boyfriend and some music, you sucked it up to wish your friend a happy birthday.

The second you walked into the Hard Deck, you could tell how much love and effort had gone into making the bar look wonderful for the festivities. You could practically feel the pride radiating off Jake and Natasha for the entire night. Penny had insisted on making the cake from scratch and you could safely say that you had never seen a more beautiful-looking dessert. The few gifts that people brought were stacked on the bar top and most of the aviators were gathered around the pool table.

Once again, Bradley left your side the second you stepped into the bar, leaving you to go track down one of your other friends. Bob, as usual, was sitting just outside the rowdy group, nursing a root beer. You joined the shy WSO and watched the game of pool between Phoenix and Coyote unfold.

After a few hours, the group was well past the point of being drunk. Given the fact that no one had work in the morning, they were all loving the thought of not showing up on base with a hangover. Being someone who never drank that often, you found yourself stepping away from the group when they all started drinking heavily. Bob was the same. That was how you found him hiding out on the deck, watching the waves crash against the shore. “Why aren’t you inside? Enjoying your party.” You chuckled quietly, taking a seat next to him and sticking your feet in the sand. You tipped your head back to stare up at the stars above you. Everything was silent for the next few seconds. Just as you were about to stand up and leave, giving Bob some time to himself, the WSO spoke.

“Just needed a bit of a break,” You instantly understood what he meant. Especially when you heard the loud, intoxicated laughs coming from inside the bar. With a hum, the two of you descended into silence once more. A comfortable silence that was only broken by Bob’s next question. “How are things between you and Bradley?”

You had gone to Bob when you first started avoiding group outings. The man had been exactly what you needed. He simply let you vent, providing his opinion on the situation only after he knew that you were finished. For that, you were incredibly thankful. “Still the same.” You breathed with a heavy sigh. Bob offered you a look of sympathy, knowing the toll that this was taking on you.

It was when Bob laid a comforting hand on your shoulder that something clicked. The only reason you were here was to celebrate Bob’s birthday. Sure, you didn’t mind sitting out in the calm with the WSO, but Bradley had promised you that things wouldn’t be the same as they usually were. From where you were sitting, it sure looked like nothing had changed.

Before Bob could stop you, you were standing up off the deck and heading for the bar. With a sigh, Bob followed you into the brightly lit building. He watched with a slight grimace on his face as you hurried up to your boyfriend and tugged on his arm. Bradley followed you away from the group with a small pout on his face. Watching you silently from the corner, Bob saw the way Bradley’s face fell.

And then the man was storming out of the bar. You were hot on his heels, trying to keep your voice down but failing miserably. Despite what was most likely your best wishes, the majority of the Dagger Squad followed the two of you outside. Including Bob. Their jaws dropped at the sight in front of them.

Bradley was towering over you, his face flushed in our anger. The shy WSO was the only one to notice the terrified look on your face. You were good at hiding it. “Oh, could you grow up?” Your boyfriend snapped at you. Your jaw dropped, but he wasn’t done yet. “God, sometimes you act like such a child.” Gasps could be heard from the aviators only a few feet away.

In that moment, your heart dropped into your stomach. Bradley knew that the age gap between the two of you was something that you were most insecure about. He had just used that against you. Ever so slowly, you took a step away from him. The second there was more than a foot of distance between you two, his face changed entirely. It was as if he just realized what he had said; how he had hurt you.

Tears welled in your eyes before you could stop them. Wordlessly, you shook your head slightly and stepped away from your boyfriend. When he tried to stop you, you merely pulled your wrist from his hold. “I’m going home,” You whispered. Your attempts at keeping your tears at bay failed and you sniffled as they trailed down your face. The members of the Dagger Squad that were still standing outside offered you sympathetic looks as you walked back into the bar to collect your things.

Bradley didn’t even try to follow you in. After a few seconds and multiple attempts at wiping your eyes, you stepped back outside. Instantly, Bob was by your side. Jake had hauled Bradley off around the corner of the bar and you could distantly hear him tearing into him for his comment. “Let me drive you home.” Bob left no room for argument as he ushered you to his truck.

However, you still tried to protest. “Bobby, it’s your birthday. You shouldn’t have to drive me home.” With one look, he silenced any of your arguments. So, you climbed into his truck wordlessly. Bob pulled out of the parking lot and began the drive back to his house rather than yours. Silently, you thanked him. You couldn’t handle returning to your shared home with Bradley, without your boyfriend being there. Instead, he was at the bar, having both Phoenix and Jake rip his head off about how insensitive he was.

You had no idea what was going to happen in the next few days, but you knew that it was going to take you a long time to get over what Bradley said. Your head knocked against the window and your eyes closed. The soft sound of Bob singing along with the radio was the last thing you heard before you drifted into a peaceful sleep.

a/n: Thank you for reading! Join the taglist!

Tagging: @ohtobeleah @xoxabs88xox @oldermenaremyreligion @els-marvelvsp @kmc1989 @nyx2021 @mploopssek @callsignharper @seitmai @kellyls04 @xeve9809 @scarletmeii @inkandarsenic @malindacath

[musashi]

You said in one of your youtube videos I think that the aa anime had your favorite characterization and I was wondering if you'd like to elaborate on that a bit more? I haven't watched it yet kother than the bloopers video lol) and I'm just curious as to what it does differently than the games

it is true to the games in every regard, but it has extra time to add character flourish that the games cannot.

just some examples: maya moves around erratically in every space she's in, the foley work is amazing so you can hear her wooden sandals on the ground and the clink of her beads hitting themselves. she barrels through crime scenes, accidentally smacks phoenix all the time because she isn't paying attention to what she's doing, and just has room to be more 'maya-like' because she's in an animated space and not stuck in a VN with mostly-static screens.

phoenix's internal monologue is replaced by long, lingering shots of him silently studying evidence as he finds it. moments where he connects everything come as instant revelations and you are left on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what he will say, rather than having to piece it together yourself. his character is incredibly pronounced in the anime especially--the core tenet of him is 'faith' and this is shown wonderfully time and time again.

(see, the scene in episode 2 where maya says she doesn't want him defending her, so he bikes in the rain all day to the office of every single defense attorney in the county begging for their help. the flashback scene in episode 13 where larry is insisting that miles has abandoned them and is about to crush miles' keychain under his foot, and phoenix dives for it and lets larry smash his fingers instead.)

miles in game is described as being sad-looking and watery-eyed, always kind of holding pain in his body and expression. you get to see that in the anime, instead of just having it told to you, and it does an amazing job at softening his character and endearing him to you in an instant

the anime supplements tons to established relationships. i talked in that video about how i love what it does to the prosecutor family, it shows you miles as a teenage boy and surrounds him in imagery (flower language, the clothes he wears, wide shots of him stuck at a fork in the road) that tells you he does not know what to do or who to be. and it shows you how the von karmas take care of him, and how it is miles' choice to be a prosecutor.

in the anime, franziska never has her 'miles was like a little brother to me' line because the anime shows you instead of telling you.

the anime offers insight into manfred von karma's thoughts on miles, which are notably remorseful and kind. it offers flashbacks to a time when franziska was protective and loving toward miles, doing everything in her power to pull him out of his trauma-induced depression and help him process grief.

the AA anime loves using symbolic storytelling. flower language is a big one, light is another. light is constantly used to convey truth, enlightenment, joy. this shot where franziska is literally in miles shadow as her father begins the process of choosing him over her, but she smiles with her whole face because she finally got him to smile for the first time since they've met, is literally a fucking masterpiece to me. i could write my dissertation on this scene alone.

the anime shows us everything we do not get in the games, all the little things we wish we could be privy to. it shows us mia giving maya the best day she possibly can, before asking maya--with the full expectation that maya may say no--if she would be willing to head the fey clan.

the anime gives us the progression of miego's relationship, literally SHOWS them falling in love

the anime gives us the fucking hospital scene that everyone is insane about!

and, of course, the anime gives us the little tiny baby signal trio, all running around and playing pretend as their favourite toku heroes.

these keychains that larry wins the three of them are a thruline throughout the whole show. phoenix keeps his on his briefcase, exposed to the world just like his heart, its paint chipping from years of love.

miles keeps his hidden away, close to his chest, pristine after all those years. even as the demon prosecutor, he never gets rid of it. even when he chooses death, he takes the memory of his two best friends with him.

the ace attorney anime is a fucking masterpiece. it takes these pre-established characters and breathes new life into them without losing sight of their original intention. every choice it makes is beautiful, rich with depth and nuance and love. it is genuinely no wonder the fandom hates it so much, which how much it clashes with their often black-and-white views of these characters who were never intended to be that way.

obviously, as a new medium, it does have to make some changes to adapt properly. but i have decided i am no longer speaking any problems i have with those changes, because i am sick to bastard death of negativity on all sides of me and would rather just publicly profess my love to this anime forever.

watch the aa anime.

(hey, dipshits in my notes! read the above banner, and then read it again! read it a third time, for good measure! are you typing a tag that starts with 'the anime has it's problems, but--' or 'the anime did a lot of things wrong, but--'? consider: no one fucking asked! not everything in the world needs your opinion, person with severe main character syndrome who doesn't know how to shut the fuck up! stop using parroting other people's opinions as a personality replacement and log off this website. take up a hobby. don't reblog my post. ten thousand whip lashes.)

[whatislovevavy]

Tia Maria and Whiskey on the Rocks

Pairing: Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x OC (Cherry)

Masterlist

Author's Note: hey y'all, apologies for the extremely late posting, I've been going through some life transitions and finding time and motivation to write has been difficult, but here it is now :) This is part two of Most of Freedom and Of Pleasure, and is apart of @thedroneranger 's Pick Your Poison Writing Challenge with the prompt being Espresso Martinis I'm glad I got to include one of my favorite drinks with one of my favorite songs with a character I love writing for <3 I'm most likely going to do a third part with smut in it, so let me know if that would be something you lovely people would like to read :)

Warnings: Mentions of Smut, Fluff, Alcohol, Pilots catching feelings

WC: 5.2k

All of my writings will be added to my writing side blog @sophs-writing-nook 

This is an 18+ fanfic, so minors scoot pls. You are responsible for the media you consume. Do not copy, plagiarize, repost, or translate this fic without my explicit permission as it is my own creation. 

Goddamn it. 

You slid the end call button as Phoenix didn’t pick up, fighting with the raindrops that fell and streaked down your phone screen, and trying to keep your jacket secure around your frame that didn’t seem to be saving your red dress from being soaked by the rain. The overwhelming damp and cold feeling seeped into your scalp and made the floodgates that held your tears back crack and crumble all the more. 

You regretted this date, much more than all of the others. 

A shaky sigh left your lips, frustration, and anger forming its potent mix in your mind. 

You tried to keep your eyes on your phone and to stay calm; you didn’t need the people eyeing you on the sidewalk feeling sorry for you. They had nothing to feel sorry for anyway.  You were just a person that had a disaster of a date and was stuck out in the rain trying to get home. Absolutely nothing to feel sorry for. You huffed, tensing your jaw as you found cover under an awning of a bookstore. Trying not to look at anyone that gave you that characteristic look of pity as they walked by. Biting your lip, you contemplated calling the last number you wanted to be calling late on a Friday night. 

Just get it over with, you thought. 

You quickly tapped the call button next to the infuriating little contact icon. Biting into your lip harder, finding the puddle reflecting the San Diego city lights more appealing than attempting to meet any passerbyers gaze as each tone brought you closer to a ride home. Or the teasing of a lifetime. Maybe both. 

“Cherry.”

That familiar silk laced drawl made you shut your eyes and wish anyone else had picked up when you called. But alas, here you were.

“Wasn’t expectin’ to hear from you. I thought you were busy entertainin’ what’s his name, Dylan? Derrick?” 

The humor in his voice brought a hot surge of frustration to the tips of your fingers as you gripped your phone harder, jaw tensing. 

“Look, I’m not in the mood for this right now…” Your voice losing its bite, but only by a little, “I’ve had a really shitty night, and,” you took a shaky breath, the frustration of the evening coming in full force on your psyche, “I need a ride home.” Jake's teasing grin wilted. You never would have called him, unless it was serious. He licked his lower lip, turning to look back at his friends finishing up a game of pool from the corner near the bathrooms, the steadily growing chatter in the bar making it more difficult to hear you as the seconds passed. He rubbed the back of his neck, swallowing. “Ok, sit tight, sweets. I'll come get you, you're still at Benny’s?” 

Your eyebrows furrowed. That’s…odd. You never told him where you were going. The wind and rain made you pull your jacket tighter around yourself. The evening rain makes you shiver, jaw chittering. Taking a deep breath, “yeah, I'm outside,” eyes diverting from the passing traffic to the worn, gold tinged cursive on the window, “Clara’s bookstore.“Your eyes trained on the rain soaked overhead awning dripping to the sidewalk in front of your painted toes peeking from your heels as you waited for his response. 

Jake's eyebrows furrowed, eyes diverting from his phone screen to the rain streaked windows facing the beach. That's a decent walk from where you ate, he thought, eyebrows raising. Must've been quite a guy to make you leave early. And in the pouring rain, no less.

“I'll be there soon, Cher. Are you somewhere safe? Somewhere out of the rain?”

If you didn't know any better, you'd say the insufferable, look-out-for-number-one-only, selfish, arrogant  Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin, who spent each free moment he wasn't peacocking around base, making your nerves burn and fray, sounded concerned about your well being. 

As soon as Jake heard your dreary, evidently rain soaked confirmation, he opted out of the game, forcing Bob to take his place with little to no explanation besides that  a commitment came up,”  striding down the Hard Deck steps to his parked truck. 

He's not ditching you. He wouldn't do that. You repeated what felt like mantras as the minutes ticked by. Hot tears started to brew at the corners of your eyes. You clutched your now soaked jacket over your dress, your toes sinking into the soggy faux leather of your heels as you leaned back against the concrete column of the closed store. The amber overhead lights making warped reflections in the puddles of the buildings and cars passing by.

Your breathing was ragged as you felt the familiar flames of frustration lick at your brain, something that had only stopped when Jake said he was going to go come get you. 

You felt so stupid. Wearing this dress. These heels. Your smudged make-up that, at one point, looked presentable. You just wanted to go home and eat a pint of ice cream. 

God, why hadn't Phoenix picked up?

You clenched your eyes in frustration, a rigid breath leaving your throat as you leaned your head back against the column. 

The familiar hum of Jake's truck brought your teary gaze up to the almost barely visible silhouette in the driver's seat. 

Jake's door flew open, jogging with a jacket clutched in hand. Your eyes widened as he got closer to you, wrapping you up in his jacket. 

By the time he reached you, his hair was drenched, now a more dull golden hue. His charm remained, unfortunately, in the city’s downpour. 

“Come on sweets, let's get you inside.” Your mouth parted slightly. The sight of his shirt clinging to his biceps and broad shoulders, and the subtle scent of sweat, his natural musk, and rain almost made you miss his statement. 

His rich jade eyes traced the soft reflection of the street light off of your soaked hair, to your smudged make up, to the drenched portions of your dress and jacket to your slight shiver you were evidently trying to repress. 

His lips curved into a slight frown. You didn't deserve to be treated this way on a date. Especially not when you looked so-

His eyes returned to your deep brown ones, undertoned by your smudged mascara, finding them already on his; sharper than a moment ago, daring him to pity you. 

He carefully wrapped his jacket tighter around your shoulders, guiding you to the passenger door of his truck, headlights still blinding, and refracting with the incoming rain.

The car ride was silent except for the quiet sounds from the radio. Jake would take occasional glances your way at stop lights, but your gaze remained on the road ahead; head leaned against the side rest of his car, body still wrapped in his jacket. You had to stop yourself from unintentionally cocooning yourself deeper into it. 

“You want me to drop you off at your apartment?” 

You glanced at him, “yeah.” 

His frown curved deeper. Your tone lacked the usual spitfire attitude you always bared him, instead replaced by a sense of accepted defeat. A few beats of silence passed before Jake cleared his throat. “This Dylan guy must've been some date…you want to talk about it?” Your lip quirked up a bit. His name was Derrick, but you didn't have the heart to correct him. 

You adjusted closer to the side of the passenger seat, leaning your head on the window. 

“Not really.” 

There was that same defeated tone again, the one that made Jake's heartache in a way he had never felt before for you. Or for anyone for that matter. 

Jake brought his truck from a coast to a stop in front of your apartment building. His comforting gaze settled on your face, gaze still avoiding his. “Thanks for the ride home.” Your cherrywood eyes met his, giving him a tight smile before grabbing your purse, soaked coat, and leaving his jacket on the leather seat. His frown deepened, jaw tensing a bit as he watched you open his truck door. How dare this pathetic excuse of a man bring you to this state, a complete 180 to how he saw you every day since he met you. 

“Wait,” you looked back towards him, expecting some usual hangman-esque comment that would surely make you throw your soaked shoe at him. “Look, Hangman, I appreciate the ride home, but I'm not in the mood to sleep with you as a ‘thank you’.” His eyebrows pinched. Did you really think that low of him? And in that same defeated tone? “That,” he sighed, “that’s not what I was going to say,” he reassured, pushing his hair back with his hand. Opposing hand still on the steering wheel, watch gleaming in the glow of the radio. 

“Let me buy you some food and a drink, I know you like the Cajun fries at that bar downtown.” 

You were taken aback by the offer. Frankly, you weren't in the mood if this was a joke. “It'd be my treat,” he lightly pressed with a comforting tone. You bit the inside of your lip, examining his face for any sign of ill intent, but you found nothing in his warm sea glass eyes or the defined features of his nose and jaw. 

Cajun fries sounded nice. 

Really nice.

And a drink sounded even better. 

“Plus, I heard your stomach grumbling so you can't lie to me.”  A smile almost broke out across your lips. 

Almost. 

“I don't know, Hang,” you sighed.  The thought of snuggling up on your couch in a warm blanket, with a pint of ice cream and watching some trash reality show sounded appealing. But you were hungry and you had yet to go grocery shopping. And you had no booze.

“I promise, I'll make it worth your while…” 

You bit your lip, “a drink does sound really nice…”

His lips twitched into a smile, eyes twinkling. 

“Don't make me regret this, Hang…”the familiar spark in your voice slowly returned, making his heart skip a beat, “let me just change shoes first.” You grimaced as you remembered just how soaked your shoes were as the rain finally let up. 

“Wouldn't dream of it, Sweets,” he reassured as you left him towards your front door, a concealed smile on your face that cracked with each stride to your door. He let his eyes skim from your bare back to your concealed hips with an appreciative gaze as the red material of your dress flowed around your bare thighs. His view closed off as you shut your front door. 

You let your eyes drift across the interior of the bar at your booth, leaning your cheek on your hand. Jake had left you at the booth to get you a drink. You tried to give him a request, but he left before he could hear you. At least whatever concoction he brought you would be free. You let your eyes drift shut, listening to the sound of the bar top and the music player in the corner. 

“One Tia Maria Espresso Martini for the lovely lady, and the fries are on their way.” You opened your eyes to see the almost onyx colored elixir with a layer of frothy foam in the glass, a triage of espresso beans that looked almost weightless on the foam layer. 

How did he know this was your favorite? You had never ordered them at Penny’s since she didn't have Tia Maria. You looked at him, eyebrows raised, expecting some sort of explanation for how he knew about this. 

“I remember you tried to order one of these at Penny's and thought you'd like it,” he said with a subtle tone of shyness, like he was apprehensive that he had overstepped, making your eyebrows knit together.

“I don't fully understand why you like them,” he teased, stirring his whiskey on the rocks in his glass, an effortlessly charming smile beginning to form on his lips, “but it makes sense.” 

Your eyes narrowed at his playful ones, “what's that supposed to mean?” 

He leaned back against the booth, eyes tracing the pretty features of your face and caramel skin tone, the neon lights above your seat adding to the gleam of your wavy, soft, dark hair. 

Taking a sip from his glass, you tried to focus on his face and not the subtle bob of his adam’s apple as he took a warming sip of the amber liquid. 

“You're kind of an acquired taste,” he took another sip, “bitter, but have a sweet side deep down.” Your eyes narrowed, “I'm not an acquired taste, you're just annoying and insufferable 99% of the time, so you never see my sweet side,” you clipped, eyes slowly sharpening. His lip quirked. To anyone else it would seem like you hated his guts. But he knew better, knew you better. He playfully put his hand over his heart, “Oh, Sweets, annoying and insufferable? You wound me.”  You rolled your eyes, a smile slipping around the rim of your martini glass. The bittersweet elixir flowing down your throat. His grin widened, “there's that smile,” he teased. Before you could quip him back, the root of your culinary desire was placed on the table with a soft tap and a gentle "enjoy" from the waitress. The savory, warm smell of the spices and fries almost made you moan, only now realizing just how hungry you were. You had left your date just as you were barely through your starting salad. 

“Easy there, Sweets, don't want you to choke,” he teased, giving you a wink.

You rolled your eyes at the poorly disguised innuendo, “don't tell me how to eat my fries, Bagman.” 

He barely held back his laugh at what was essentially a growl. He contemplated telling you that technically they were his fries, but he opted to keep them to himself. If having three sisters had taught him anything, it's to never get between a woman and her food. 

A comfortable silence fell over the table as he glanced around the bar and back to you, still picking at your fries. Eyes tracing over the defined round edges of your sinful red colored nails that he tried to not think about how they would feel pressed into his shoulder blades, to your necklace that dipped teasingly between your breasts. The subtle rise of your chest. The sprinkle of freckles and gentle flutter of your eyelashes on your cheeks. The touched-up mascara on your eyelashes. The soft flush of your cheeks. The cute curve of your nose. The gentle slope of your lips. 

“You listening?”

His eyes shot to your own, his face a bit pink after having been caught. 

“Of course, Sweets,” 

Your eyes narrowed as you put your fry down in the basket, scoffing. 

“I asked,” you leaned forward, arms crossing on the table, his eyes doing their damnedest to not dart down to your cleavage, “why you brought me here, because I don't buy it was only because my stomach was making noises.”

Your tone wasn't sharp or accusatory, but it still put him a bit on edge. 

He took a deep breath through his nose, trying to get comfortable in his seat. You had a habit of putting him on edge, but in a way that made him crave more. It was almost adrenaline inducing. 

“Just wanted to treat you a little, that not allowed?” 

His collected, charismatic answer made you narrow your eyes. 

“You're not a very good liar.”

His lip quirked into a grin, diverting his gaze down to his empty glass before bringing his warm eyes up to your own again. His grin settling into a thin line. It wasn't exactly a lie.

“I didn't want you to wallow on your couch thinking about that Danny guy. You don't deserve to feel that way.” 

Your eyebrows rose, lip quirking. That definitely wasn't the answer you were expecting and it was still the wrong name, again. 

His eyes dart away from yours to the bar top. Clearing his throat, “you want another martini?”

You blink, breaking your thoughts, toying with the empty glass,  “yeah, I'll take another.”

Your eyes followed the way his body moved under his button up shirt that exposed a delicious amount of chest hair, and his worn, rich burnt sienna leather jacket. The way his stride exuded a rare sense of carefree confidence. The broadness of his shoulders under his jacket. The thickness of his fingers around the delicate glass of your martini. The way his golden locks of hair reflected the overhead lights of the bar and various neon signs on the wall you both were seated at. 

It made you almost forget that you knew what it felt like to have his bare skin against your own. It made you forget, for just a moment, that you’d been fucking this man with no strings attached. 

“Here you are, Sweets,”His smooth drawl derailed your train of thought that would have surely made you clench your thighs. 

He placed the martini on the table with an almost silent clank against the table, eyes bright and playful, the rich green color added by the neon cloverleaf above his head. 

Your lip quirked, “thank you…. You know I don't like it when you call me, Sweets, Hang.”

A smirk grew on his lips, “I think it suits you,” his gentle gaze on yours. 

You scowled, trying to repress the smile that threatened to break through. He didn't need more encouragement to call you these…you wanted to say demeaning titles, but that felt a bit cruel. It was more like a pet name, a source of teasing that wore your nerves down faster than any other trick he had in his well developed arsenal. He'd always been something akin to a wart. Once you caught him, he was hard to leave. 

“Fries any good?”

You looked down to the near-empty basket to his teasing features.  A small smile broke through as you gently pushed the basket to him. After all, he did pay for them.

You watched as he took a few and brought them between his perfect teeth, eyes darting between the sight of him dipping a few more in ketchup, to picking at your red manicured nails. A comfortable silence fell over the table and quiet conversation followed, from what plans were set for their work colleagues to hang out next, to whether Bob was going to ask Admiral Simpson’s new secretary out.

“I don’t think he’s gonna do it.” Jake said confidently as he leaned back against the booth, his arm over the back, his other hand holding his near empty glass of whiskey. Your eyebrows rose, feeling a bit more loose and warm since first sitting down, mostly attributed to the fact you were finishing up your third martini. You cracked a smile, eyes comfortably heavy, “you don’t know Floyd very well then.” His eyebrows rose, encouraging you to go on. You leaned forward, eyes bright and intense, just how Jake liked them, “you do know what Bob stands for don’t you?” His lip quirked, eyes bright and mirthful, “of course, baby on board.” You took a sip from your glass, rolling your eyes at his typical cocksure tone, “No, it stands for…” His brow quirked waiting for you to finish, his grin starting to form as he watched your eyes dance across the ceiling looking for the words in your impaired state. 

You leaned forward closer across the table, putting your pointer fingers up, biting at the inside of your cheek, losing your battle with the grin that wanted to gleam on your face, “it stands for Big Ol’ Balls.” His own laughter bubbled up in his throat as he watched you crumble into near hysterics at what had just left your mouth. 

His laughter settled while yours continued, failing to do anything else but just listen to the sweet noise. He had heard your laugh before, but he’d never had any significant part of bringing it out of you. He let a smile grace his lips at the sweet noise. As your laughter died down, he let his eyes wander to the jukebox in the corner and the thinning out crowd at the bar. He bit the inside of his cheek, the creases of his forehead showing as he listened to the song emulating from the speakers. 

“Do you wanna dance?” Jake asks, not fully thinking about the question. 

Your espresso martini almost did a full stop in your throat. Tonight had been a series of firsts with Hangman; sharing fries, him buying you drinks, and seeing you in your romantic element. Dancing together was an oddly intimate first. Sure, you’d both fucked each other’s brains out almost every other day, but dancing, well, dancing was something that seemed to be a step further than that. It didn’t involve a physical closeness attributed to taking your frustrations out on each other; it was two people flowing together, not trying to wrack each other’s physical resolve. It completely contradicted the original purpose of getting physically close to this insufferable, arrogant man; an outlet for pent up frustration through deeply satisfying, carnal escapades. 

Before you could stop yourself, you nodded. 

He rose up out of the booth first with a squeak, offering you his hand. Your deep brown eyes looking up at him, then darting to his outstretched hand, your lips parting. 

This was new, uncharted territory.

“I promise I won’t bite,” he reassured with a smile. He tried to not think about the way your red dress hugged your curves so deliciously, or how your cleavage almost spilled over the top of your garment. You had already had three martinis, and were definitely feeling the effects of them. He didn’t want to make you feel pressured into anything that you both typically took part in when you were this close physically. But he still wanted to be close to you. 

You bit the inside of your lip and, for reasons only God could tell you, you took his hand. 

He led you to the corner near the jukebox that was otherwise mostly emptied out. The beginning of England Dan and John Ford Coley’s I'd really love to see you tonight flowed from the speakers as Jake settled his hands on your waist, your own apprehensively around his neck, keeping your body upright as you let the initial beats flow through you in your relaxed state. His evergreen eyes traced over your melted brown ones, admiring the subtle flush of your cheeks to your low, lidded eyes. 

Hello, yeah, it's been a while

Not much, how about you?

Your eyes darted around his face, avoiding his eyes that seemed to solely focus on your own. His hands squeezed your hips. In attraction or comfort, you couldn’t quite tell. 

I'm not sure why I called

I guess I really just wanted to talk to you

You should have felt more alarmed by the close proximity and unorthodox reason behind it, but, and you didn’t want to admit it, the proximity felt nice. Maybe it was because of the drinks? It had to be  because of the drinks.

And I was thinking maybe later on

We could get together for a while

One of his hands left your hip to softly, ever so softly, to lift your chin up to meet his eyes. “What are you getting shy about?” The gentle smirk on his lips paired perfectly with his rich green eyes.

It's been such a long time

And I really do miss your smile

You swallowed, eyes trapped in a jade coated trance. “I think I just had too much to drink.” His lip quirked at your soft, almost whispered tone, holding you as you both swayed to the music. He knew you could hold more alcohol, but didn’t press. 

I'm not talking about moving in

And I don't want to change your life

He brought you closer to him, resting his head against the side of your own. Savoring the soft smell of citrus from your hair and the warm skin of your lower back against the palm of his hand, and the silk texture of your hand in his own. 

But there's a warm wind blowing, the stars are out

And I'd really love to see you tonight

This felt like the most alien and natural thing he had done with you. It almost made him forget that within only the last few hours, he was fucking you against the hunter green lockers, feeling you cum on his cock. 

We could go walking through a windy park

Or take a drive along the beach

He tried to not ruin the delicate moment he was having with you, and he figured his dick pressing into you might make you forget about all the good the night has brought between you two. A larger part of him than he cared to admit didn’t want to go back to the no-strings-attached arrangement he’d had with you for the past few months. 

Or stay at home and watch TV

You see it really doesn't matter much to me

He wanted more moments like this with you. But he could feel the apprehension that, as much as he didn’t want to admit, was mostly attributed to his reputation. In the months since first feeling you fall apart under him, he hadn’t slept with anyone else. Not even the desperate tag chasers in form-fitting maxi dresses at the Hard Deck. And that had to count for something. 

I'm not talking about moving in

And I don't want to change your life

He couldn’t help the pang in his chest; you were definitely open to dating other men. Could he really change your mind about him? 

But there's a warm wind blowing, the stars are out

And I'd really love to see you tonight

You had to admit, if someone had told you months ago that you would be slow dancing with Hangman in a nearly empty bar, and you wouldn't be trying to claw his throat out, you would have told them they’d been breathing in too much jet fuel. As much as you hated to admit it, it felt nice and, dare say, comforting being here with him. 

I won't ask for promises

So you don't have to lie

The soft texture of his jacket, warm hold, and soothing scent around his neck made you sigh. It was different from his usual mix of jet fuel, sweat, bergamot, and cedarwood. A part of you really hated how anything looked good on him and that he smelled amazing in whatever scent wafted off of him. 

We've both played that game before

Say I love you and say goodbye

“I’m sorry your date didn’t go well tonight,” You gently leaned back from his head, eyes meeting his own. Your eyes drooped comfortably as you looked over his face, trying to detect any sense of pity or ridicule. But all you found were warm, soulful, malachite eyes looking back into your burnt sienna ones under the neon lights. If your mind was clearer, you’d say it was romantic. But this was Hangman, and what he did best was no-commitment hookups in the dead of night. Not romance. It would take more than three martinis to make you forget that. 

I'm not talking about moving in

And I don't want to change your life

“Yeah, me too,” you muttered before leaning your head back on his shoulder. He swallowed gently, afraid that the movement would disturb you. 

But there's a warm wind blowing, the stars are out

And I'd really love to see you tonight

Jake continued to hold you close as slow songs continued to ebb and flow from the speaker, one after the other; trying to not let his mind drift to how this would play out tomorrow in your more sober mind, until he could feel your weight grow heavier against his body as you swayed gently. 

“Hey, Sweets,” he whispered against your hair. You hummed, eyes fluttered closed. “I should get you home.” You hummed in agreement, not having the strength to fight him on the pet name. Your sequoia-colored eyes peeking open, making him smile. 

He settled the tab, placing his leather jacket around your shoulders that wrapped you in warmth and the soothing smell of cedarwood and cinnamon. 

He walked you back to his truck, opening the door for you and making sure you were settled before closing the door. 

The car ride back was silent as you tried to stay awake, listening to the slow country song on the radio, your eyes drifting shut. The smooth stall of the truck made your eyes flutter open. Jake gently reached out to you, gingerly rubbing the knuckle of his forefinger against your exposed forearm to get your attention. You flinched at the unexpected, soft, almost non-existent contact, body tensing. “We’re here, Sweets,” his gentle tone letting your body ease back into the seat. 

Before your mind thought to open the door, he was already on the other side opening it for you, and offering you his hand to step down. It was truly unfair how good he looked under the streetlights outside your apartment, with his unbuttoned shirt, sunglasses hooked in the front, and slightly disheveled hair. It made you wonder how you came to hate this man in the first place. But then again, hate was a strong word and maybe he didn’t deserve to have it placed on him. Maybe it was only because of the three espresso martinis he bought you, tinting your vision of who he was tonight. 

Jake didn’t ask if you wanted him to walk you to your door. He held your hand gently in a way that seemed unusual for him as he walked with you up the stone steps to your front door. “Thanks for tonight. I really needed it.” His face broke out into a soft, sincere smile, “anytime, Cherry.” Your lips tugged into a smile, diverting your eyes to the house keys in your hand. His eyes couldn't stop drawing to the strand of dark hair that kept getting in your eyes. Your gaze shot to him as he let his forefinger sweep the hair behind your ear. 

“You deserve to have fun every once in a while.”He murmured, eyes tracing over the fine features of your face and the rich color of your hair under the porch light. His soft eyes brought a certain warmth that you'd never experienced with him. 

You gave him a smile, as you fiddled with your keys, fighting off the blush that threatened to break through. 

“Do you think,” you swallowed, “that you could not tell anyone about my really shitty date?” Jake, putting on a small smile, nodded, “yeah, of course, Sweets. I mean, I think I did a pretty good job at rectifying the experience.” 

His gentle, carefree smirk made your lip tip up into a small smile and shake your head. 

You let go of his hand, resisting to admit that you missed the contact already. 

“I’ll see you on Monday, Hang,” you bid farewell. 

He watched with a gentle smile and warm eyes as you closed the door behind you, giving him a soft wave. 

His lips pursed, morphing back into a smile as he walked back to his truck. The night seemed to fulfill him more than all of your trysts combined.

It had to count for something that you didn't ask him to never mention your... date? if he could even call it that...

You leaned back against your shut front door, a smile on your lips that he had never brought past your lips. 

Maybe it was only because of the three espresso martinis and this haze would lift in the morning, and he’d go back to being Hangman. 

Or maybe, just maybe, he truly wasn't as bad as you thought. 

People who may be interested <3

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[wishmaster]

I finally finished my degree, so in theory I can chill out for a while. I guess I'm having a small problem that I don't really know how to relax, I feel lost not having to study. I wish I was the kinda guy who knew how to chill out and have fun with my lack of college work.

You've been uptight and stressed for most of your college life, you've never known how to just relax and take it easy. That nigh you went to sleep un knowing how much your life was going to change to help you learn to relax.

While you slept all these weird images flooded your brain.

All those images seemed to be prepping your mind for what you weren't sure yet, that was till you woke up.

Suddenly you found yourself sitting on the Sofa, you felt so different, relaxed, Arms wrapped around you as you play a video game, you felt so good, you knew your boyfriend was holding on to you, whispering and kissing you, he made you so laid back, you loved him, but it was your look that caught your eye from a mirror across the room.

So much Ink covering your body and your boys, piercings and the leather, the tight, soft, leather, which now was an Item you no longer could live with out as it made you so fucking calm while in it, the only thing more relaxing was feeling it on your fuck beautiful boyfriend. Damn it, you tried to shake it from your mind, this wasn't you you were a brain, a nerd, you couldn't... you tried to focus on your old life but the wish had been granted.

I wish I was the kinda guy who knew how to chill out and have fun with my lack of college work.

Your mind became clouded, fuck what did you even study> All you could think of now was this hot leather Stud behind you you were madly in love with. In your old life studying and becoming smarter was your obsession, but the new you, loved leather and hot fucking dudes. Your mind was becoming filled with the leather filled Sex you enjoyed with your boy, Phoenix, you put the controller down, turned around and focused your mind on have passionate Sex, It felt so amazing and the room began to smell, a smell you wish you could bottle up. Leather and Sex, your new favorite past time. For the next few hours you and Phoenix relaxed like you neve relaxed before, once you shot your load, the stuck up nerd you once were would be gone forever as you will embrace the kinda guy who knew how to chill out and have fun, In fact you'd never have to worry about college work again, your dorm transformed into a studio apartment where you and Phoenix lived when you're not working the leather club you now ran, but that was for another time to think about, right now Phoenix's throbbing cock called to you!

[rose-pearls]

The making of Captain Kazansky-Mitchell - Part 8

Summary: time for a dangerous mission where tensions are high but reunions happen.

Previous Part - Next Part

It had been two years, two years still thinking of Jake every day. He would send you a message when you went on a new assignment to wish you good luck and every time your heart fluttered at the sight of his name.

There were nights where you nearly called him, so many nights but you told yourself maybe it had been for the best. Even though deep down you didn’t believe it, not when the memories of his laughter, touch and smiles haunted you every single moment. You wondered sometimes if Jake still had feelings for you, if he hadn’t found someone else that was better for him.

Your relationship with Bradley had been rocky after that night, you couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore. It only reminded you of the pain you felt that night, sobbing on the floor while Jake told you he wasn’t worth all of this fighting.

In the end it didn’t resolve anything, it made everything worse in your personal life. You fathers were confused, seeing the sudden drift but they had let it go after a couple of weeks, thinking that the two of you would resolve it. How wrong they were, the both of you had always been stubborn.

The only good thing in your life was your career, with Sunny by your side you managed to get every single distinction you could have. The lack of personal life made you focus on your career, and it seems to be thriving, there were rumors of you becoming the youngest Captain in the Navy.

Everything had been going according to plan until you got called into your Captain’s office in the middle of your deployment.

“Lieutenant Commanders, I just received an order for the both of you. You need to pack your things and leave first thing in the morning.”, he says while looking at the both of you with a hesitant gaze, he had appreciated your hard work and would be sad to see this duo leave his carrier.

“Where to, sir?”, Sunny asked and at that a tense smile appeared on your Captain’s face.

“Back to Top Gun.”

--

The Hard Deck hadn’t changes that much when you arrived, Sunny still screaming to ‘Better than Revenge’ while you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Common Fire let loose and sing!”, she yells before the next part of the song comes on and you can’t help but join her, screaming at the top of your lungs and mimicking guitar movements. In those moments you get a glimpse of what would’ve been your life like if you hadn’t joined the Navy, and just stuck to being a normal teenager and go to college. But then again, you would’ve never met Sunny and that is something that you would never want to happen.

“Alright, after singing out all of my frustrations to this song I am back to being a feminist.”, she says highly, and you can’t help but laugh at her satisfied smile.

“Ready to get in there?”, she asks softly after a moment and you turn to look at her, seeing the worry in her eyes.

“Don’t worry I’ll be fine. I’m just wondering who will be there.”, you tell her quietly and she nods in agreement.

“As long as they don’t think they are better than us I don’t care.”, she says, a smirk appearing on her lips and you smile back, rolling your eyes at her antics.

The music is loud and there seems to be quite a lot of people there and you only have the time to catch Penny’s gaze when you hear someone yell your callsign.

“Fire!”, you turn around to see Phoenix at the pool table, looking at you with a wide smile and you can’t help but smile back. It had been a long time since you had seen the female pilot, but you had missed her.

“Phoenix! Hi.”, she brings you into a hug as you arrive, and Sunny quickly greets her with a kind smile.

“I didn’t know you would be here.”, she says happily, and you let out a sigh.

“Me neither, got told last night and had to take the first plane here.”, you tell her, and she winces, that often meant you didn’t have a lot of sleep.

“Well welcome back I’m sure you know some of the people here.”, she says, and you turn around to see the rest of the people there only to freeze at the sight of Jake and Bradley. 

Jake is looking at you with wide eyes, disbelief written all over his face as he looks at you but there is a tenderness that has always been there. Bradley seems to be as surprised as Jake, but he manages to hide it better. The rest of the squad you have heard of but haven’t met before but as you turn around you see a blond man you had seen before.

“Bob! It’s been a long time!”, Sunny says and the bespeckled WSO smiles warmly at the both of you.

“How is one of the best WSO in the business doing?”, you ask with a smirk and Bob blushes under the praise.

“Good, wondering what this is all about.”, he says quietly, and you can’t help but nod in agreement before Jake interrupts you, or rather Hangman.

“I don’t really care what this is, a mission is a mission. What I want to know is who has it to follow me?”, he says, his voice dripping in confidence before managing to get the ball inside and looking at all of you with a confident smirk.

You can see that Bradley wants to say something to him, but you quickly cut him off, not wanting to hear them exchanging insults.

“Quite confident there, thinking you could be the team lead?”, you ask before accepting the beer that Fanboy, you think, gives you and looking at Jake unimpressed.

“I don’t know Fire, I’m sure that I will be.”, he says while walking around the pool table and coming in front of you. It has been two years since you had seen this man and had him this close to you, but he still manages to take your breath away.

“Better not say things you can’t do Bagman. Otherwise, it will come back and bite you in the ass.”, you tell him with a teasing smile and Jake’s smirk softens at your words. 

“Don’t worry I’ll prove it and otherwise I wouldn’t mind having you as team lead Fire.”, the words surprise you and it seems to surprise others, but you can see the trust in Jake’s eyes. The both of you had flown through Top Gun and you both knew what the other was capable of.

“Right, now that Hangman is done with his dick measuring contest, who wants to play some pool?”, Sunny asks loudly and you feel immensely grateful that you have her as a WSO, while still looking into Jake’s eyes.

“Hi.”, you whisper softly, feeling shy for the first time in a long time and Jake’s smile has soften, looking at you with loving eyes.

“Hi darling, how have you been?”, the nickname still sends shiver down your spine and judging by his smirk you know what effect it has on you.

“I’ve been well, better now. You?”, Jake sighs a little at your words before looking at you with a soft smile.

“Also, better now.”, before you can say anything Sunny calls your name, urging you to come and help her.

“Go on, have some fun.”, you look at him with a grateful smile before joining your WSO and helping her out to avoid her getting beaten by Phoenix and Bob who seem to be quite the duo.

--

You didn’t know what to expect when Cyclone announced your instructor, but it certainly wasn’t your dad. He seemed confident, but you could see the underlying tension and nervousness in his eyes.

“I suppose you all know this by heart?”, he asks, and you can’t help but look at Sunny, who looks right back at you feeling equally confused.

“So does your enemy.”, he throws the book in the bin, and you all look at him like he is crazy.

“I want to know what your limits are and push beyond that.”, he says, and you start to feel less and less confident, more so when he explains the mission, this was a deadly one.

“Suit up.”, everyone leaves, the optimistic spirit from an hour ago has fallen flat and you try to get your confidence back as you get your flight suit on. 

Phoenix, Bob and Hangman go in the air and as you listen to the comms you feel frustrated when Jake leaves them hanging. You knew that he wanted to prove himself, but this wasn’t the way to do it, you knew your father.

“Still think that he is a good man, when he leaves his wingman to die?”, Bradley whispers and you shoot him a glare in answer.

“Probably better then someone that makes their sibling force to break up with someone they were with for selfish reasons.”, you fire back, and Sunny seems to be trying to hide her smirk as Bradley looks at you with his mouth open in shock, but you ignore him and leave the room to get to your F-18.

Jake is getting out of his plane at that moment, looking frustrated and you can see that Phoenix is ready to shred him in pieces, but you manage to arrive first.

“What the fuck Jake?”, you ask, and he looks at you in surprise before sighing.

“If you want to be team lead, this isn’t the way to do it.”, you tell him, and Jake shakes his head.

“Maybe it is, I needed to show him that I could do it.”, he tells you and you can see the little boy that wants to prove himself, under all those layers of confidence.

“But did you? You left your wingman to die, and you died in the process, that isn’t really something that shows that you are team lead material.”, Jake closes his eyes at your words before letting out a sigh and opening them to look at the horizon.

“I know you want to prove yourself and you are an incredible pilot but trust me, my father isn’t impressed with people that leave their wingmen behind. Neither am I.”, the last part is probably a low blow, but it reaches his target as he flinches in answer, and you look him straight in the eyes.

“Don’t prove them right Jake, you are so much more than what you did just now.”, you whisper, meaning every single word and Jake looks at you with sad green eyes.

“I missed you so much.”, he whispers, and you smile sadly at him.

“I did too, but we need to focus on the mission.”, he nods in agreement before wishing you good luck and joining the other two to do his push-ups.

“Sunny, do you see him?”, you hear Coyote ask and you try to look around but there is nothing.

“Nothing on the radar so he must be somewhere we can’t see him.”, she tells you and you wait a few more seconds before he suddenly appears, making you break left as fast as you are able to.

“Fights on!”, Maverick says, and you get yourself into the right mindset.

“Talk to me Sunny.”, you tell her, and she starts communicating with Coyote and before you know it the three of you nearly manage to get Maverick down until he gets a tone on Coyote. 

You have to admit that your father still flies like a pro and as you finally manage to escape him and get a tone on him you can’t help but feel proud as you hear him swear under his breath.

The debrief is long, looking at all of the mistakes everyone made and that is how the next week passes, looking at every single mistakes you made and what you should do. Jake doesn’t leave his wingmen behind anymore and you haven’t felt this grateful in a long time. 

It’s only normal that after two weeks of intense training everything explodes.

--

“Why are you dead?”, Maverick asks you and you can see that it’s painful for him to ask this, but he hides it well.

“I didn’t anticipate the sudden stop Coyote was going to do.”, you tell him, but he doesn’t seem satisfied, luckily, he turns towards Coyote, and you try not to let out a breath of relief. This was worse than an interrogation.

“Why are you dead?”, your father asks Rooster next, and you feel like this wasn’t going to go well, with the way they were arguing.

“There is more than one way to fly this mission.”, Bradley says after a long back and forth and there is a silence before Jake interrupts it.

“You don’t get it do you?”, you hear him say and you have a bad feeling of how this conversation is going to go.

“One flies like Maverick or doesn’t come back.”, there is a tension filled silence after his words and you try to catch his gaze, but Jake is focused on Rooster who seems to be turning as red as a tomato.

“There is no time to stay in the past.”, the words are carefully picked, and you feel like a ticking bomb has been activated.

“What do you mean?”, Rooster asks, and you can feel the anger in his voice.

“I can’t be the only one that knows that Maverick flew with his old man. Or that Maverick-”, he doesn’t even have the time to get the words out that Rooster lunges forward and tries to grab Hangman by the collar, but the others manage to get them away from each other.

“You son of a bitch!”, Rooster yells and you try not to feel overwhelmed at what is happening, Sunny has her hand on your shoulder in reassurance, but you can only look at the two of them.

“I’m cool, I’m cool. It’s all good.”, he has a cocky grin, and you can’t help but shake your head in disappointment, this wasn’t the Jake you knew, this was pure Hangman.

--

“You went too far.”, you tell him, you know he is behind you, it’s like a sixth sense that you haven’t been able to stop. Jake sighs behind you and comes next to you, looking at the ocean.

“I know, I’m sorry.”, he says, and you scoff in answer.

“It’s not me you should apologize to.”, you tell him, and Jake looks at you with his sparkling green eyes, still the same as all these years ago.

“I did it to push him off his perch, you know just as well as me that if I hadn’t done this, he would’ve never gotten off of it and would’ve put everyone in danger but mostly you. And I can’t let that happen.”, he is scared, you can see it in his eyes, and you let out a sigh.

“Maybe but bringing up his dead father was probably not the way to do it.”, you tell him softly and Jake nods in agreement.

“Plus, it doesn’t really gives you a great look if you want to become team leader.”, this time Jake scoffs in answer, and you look at him in surprise.

“I don’t care about being team leader, the only thing I care about is you coming back alive.”, the words stun you, the vulnerability in his eyes even more and he sighs while rubbing a hand over his eyes. 

“We both know you are going to be on this mission, one way or another. You are the best pilot of our generation. But I would rather lose every ounce of respect from every single person in that room then lose you because Rooster stayed on his perch.”, the words are filled with honesty, making you fee lightheaded, your heart beating out of your chest.

“Who says Rooster will fly it.”, you tell him and Jake scoffs in answer.

“We both know he will, Maverick seems to think he is the one that can do it. But I can’t let you fly with him if I’m not sure you are coming back.”, he tells you and you can’t help but sigh at his words.

“Jake…”, he looks sad, looking back towards the ocean like it will hold all of the answers.

“I know, I shouldn’t have done it this way. I know I lost you that night when I left but I can’t lose you completely. I still want to hear about your exploits from the Admirals and hear about your flying, seeing it when I get the opportunity. You can’t die Fire, it would kill me.”, he whispers, tears in his eyes and you put your hand on his, holding it in yours.

“Look at me.”, you whisper, and Jake turns to look at you with glassy eyes.

“You didn’t lose me that night, god knows how much I think about you all the time. You still have a place in my heart Jake, and it will probably never go away. I know your scared, I am too every single time I see you leave in the sky, scared that you won’t come back. But I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere, alright?”, Jake nods slowly and he looks doubtful for a moment before bringing you into a loving kiss.

You melt against him, the feeling of his lips against yours makes you feel like you just came home. His arm is wrapped around your waist, holding you as close as he is able to while his other hand is cupping your cheek. You kiss him back fervently, hoping to convey every single thing you feel about him. 

“I love you, so much. You better come back to me.”, he whispers out of breath, and you nod quickly before bringing him back into another heated kiss.

“I love you too. But you better not say anything like that again or I will castrate you!”, Jake looks a little pale at your words before chuckling and bringing you into a soft kiss.

There is still that mission approaching but at that moment you enjoy the feeling of having Jake in your arms and the smell of his cologne. You are too focused on Jake to see the shadow that has been standing there for the better part of the conversation, with a look of realization.

It’s at that moment that Rooster realizes that he really ruined something good two years ago.

I'm sorry this took me so long to write! I just didn't know how to write down what I wanted to but here it is!

Series Taglist: @craftytrashprincess, @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy, @sherlockstrangewolf, @dempy, @ducks118, @hangmandruigandmav, @djs8891, @lauraseresin, @starkleila, @averagereader35, @nyx2021, @adaydreamaway08

Taglist: @avada-kedavra-bitch-187

[saltsicklover]

Part Seven

This one is on the shorter side, but there is so much angst and imagery stuffed into this baby. Once again, hurt my heart to write and I hope you enjoy it!

Title: Once an Asshole, Always an Asshole

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2700+

Rating: R

Warnings: Swearing, illusions to nausea/being sick, mentions of blood and loose teeth, pocket knife/blade, so much angst. Mentions of the Bradshaw's. Dumbass Bob Floyd.

Second Chance Romance!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bob Floyd, or anything related to Top Gun Maverick within this piece. Not Proof Read or BETA'd. All mistakes are my own.

I do not consent for my work to be edited, reposted, or translated.

You are responsible for your own media consumption. This is a work of fiction that may contain mature themes. If you are sensitive to those subjects, please do not read.

---

Sunny disappears into the crowd, leaving the Daggers standing there, open mouthed and confused, too stunned to do anything but stand there. Natasha takes that moment to bend down to pick up the object that was thrown at Bob's chest; one of those gift shop pocket knives, the name "Robert" engraved on the side. The paint is chipped, the letters once a beautiful turquoise now flaking and faded. 

The swell in Bob's chest leaves him feeling flaky and faded too, chipped around the edges from the confrontation. Palms are sticky with sweat, his fingers sticking together. He doesn't meet anyone's eyes- she walked out the door with his gaze still stuck to her shoulder blades. 

Natasha is angry now, all the hurt that was directed at Bob has seared pain into her skin. Phoenix holds it out to Bob but he doesn't notice, his eyes unfocused, the colors of the crowd swirling around his vision. 

Bob is drawn back to the Daggers with a swift push to his shoulder. He's met with Natasha's burning eyes melting their way into his own. She slams the blade onto the table, her palm doing little to muffle the sound. Bob jumps, gooseflesh breaking out over his skin. The sick feeling swarming in his stomach doesn't let up, and neither do the eyes of his teammates. 

"What is this, Bob?" Her tone is sharp, so sharp he can almost feel the way is slices across his skin. Maybe bleeding would have been easier to digest. When he finally flicks his eyes over the object, his peripheral catches Natasha's hand tensing and releasing. The turquoise is older now, worn with age and use, but he would recognize it anywhere. His luck knife. He hasn't seen that knife in ten years. He lost it on Prom night, he lost it after his fight with her. All of his luck must have gone with it. 

"Oh my god, I haven't seen that in..." Bob's words trail off, the puzzle pieces finally falling into place. His eyes go wide at the realization, heart beating erratically. 

Sunny had seemed familiar to him the moment her hair dropped from the delicate twists she had it pulled back in. From the way it dropped in front of her eyes, the little hints of color peaking out from behind them. He swore he recognized the gentle slope of her jaw, the undisturbed flesh from the tip of her chin all the way up to the lobe of her ear. 

Her jewelry glittered in the light, yet his eyes were transfixed to her skin- the familiarity of it. The flesh of a long lost love that he couldn't quite place. 

Frankly, he should have recognized her the moment her brows lowered in frustration, after all, he spent the later portion of his teen years looking at that same expression. Suddenly he wishes she was still standing in front of him, giving him that awful look; at least then she would still be standing there with him. 

He had only seen her in a dress once, but it was shrouded by the darkness of the sky, then. He remembers it perfectly, the delicate beading and the cool feeling of the fabric. He remembers the tennis shoes she wore and how the sight of them made his heart flutter, laughter falling from his lips. It was the most authentic he had ever seen her. 

Bob knows that he could pick Duchenne out of a crowd, blindfolded and unannounced. He could figure her out by touch alone- from the way her breathing would catch as he let his fingers trace over the plane of her torso, feeling her bottom rib with a gentle brush of his knuckles.

That's not to say he wouldn't recognize the way he smelt, the vanilla perfume layered over a musky cologne. Or the way her lips tasted like cherry flavored Chapstick, (something she only wore because it reminded her of how his tobacco smelt, not that he was privy to that information), or how her lips were still chapped beneath the viscus, sticky layer of product. 

He would have recognized her touch, the feeling of her knuckles pressed firmly to his own chest. From the way her rings dug into his skin, wrinkling his clothes, and the way his heart tried to beat out of his chest to get even closer to her- if his heart could've touched her hands he would have let her hold it.

After all, Bob walked into love with her with his eyes open; it wasn't until he was already in love that he closed his eyes and let the self preserving hate take him over. His heart was Dr. Jekyll, his brain Mr. Hyde, a story told a thousand times before, yet it's still unclear to himself as to which one happened to be evil. That's how it goes right? The inability to see the evil in oneself only to have it be their downfall, their demise? 

Bob would cut the evil out of himself with that old pocket knife, use up the rest of the luck left beneath the still-there chips of paint , and it wouldn't be enough. He would still be back to the same old story, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this time with more blood and just as much heartache. 

So, Bob lies to himself- he lies that he didn't recognize her because she had changed so much, but in reality, he was the one who had changed. It didn't matter that he did it for her; he still lost sight of what it was all for. He lost sight of her. But, he thinks, if he could have just touched her with his eyes closed, he would have known it was her. His heart would have known with it's relative location to her hands. His heart calls to them like the moon calls to the waves; he only wishes it was strong enough to pull them closer. 

Bob thinks he might be sick, the feeling of pulling G's nothing compared to the punch to the gut the last few minutes had been. The center of his chest aches, source unclear. 

"You better tell me what the hell is going on right this second Floyd, or I am going to kick your ass so hard you won't be able to sit in the jet next week," Phoenix's voice pulls him from his spiral. She slams her fist onto the table beside her. Bob flinches, eyes squeezing shut, tight. He has heard her angry before, scared before, pissed off before, but nothing compared to the way she was striking the fear of God into him now. 

"Duchenne," Bob begins, not quite trusting his voice, "That's her, that's Duchenne... Oh my God,"

Bob feels unsteady, the ground is swaying beneath him. His body flushes hot then cold then back again, sweat slick and hot to the touch. His stomach twists, threatening to take his heart in with it. He manages to lean against the table, a hand on the sticky wooden top. 

Natasha is steadily putting the pieces together, one by one. It was slow work, like winding red string from clue to clue, not being able to see the whole thing from this close. It's all inky fingerprints and unfocused photographs. Her fingertips might as well have been dyed red from all the the theories she has created in her head, only to unwind them herself to construct another. Her brain aches with the pain of papercuts. 

Rooster is still in the dark, the expression on his face giving light to that fact. His emotion is hidden behind the thickness of his mustache and eyebrows, the facial hair hiding the confused displeasure written into his features. He had been too busy keeping Jake from jumping into the middle of the whole thing to pay enough attention to the details, the entire situation like trying to solve a puzzle without the picture on the box, a couple of the crutial pieces lost. 

Hangman on the other hand? He is just far enough away to see the whole picture clearly. The whole mother fucking thing, the outline of the string from clue to clue; from the way Sunny reacted, her knuckles white, voice pained, all the way to the way Bob sways on his feet, green around the gills, eyes bleary with unshed tears. He sees it all perfectly, and it makes him see red. 

"What the fuck did you do to her?" Seresin speaks up this time, his voice levels above that of Natasha's. Bob flounders, going a shade greener. Hangman is not surprised at Bob's lack of explanation, the man has always been quiet and unassuming, but he doesn't have the patience for this, for waiting. 

Bob manages to stammer out a couple of useless sounds, none of which come even close to an answer that Hangman would deem acceptable. Bob's brain is playing catch up, the whole evening on rewind. Hell, everything Phoenix ever told him plays through his head on fast forward, the stories jumbling together in his brain, lacking detail. 

Bob was so sure he was going to like Sunny, that she would be his absolute definition of perfect. And fuck, she was, she is, she has always been. And he fucked it up so many years ago and now it looks like there is no chance of any sort of redemption, not with the way Sunny looked at him. 

Again, he thinks, maybe the blood would be easier. At least wounds on the outside can be tended with gentle touches and medical care. It's the beyond pained expression Sunny wore and the venom in her words that are forever circulating through Bob's bloodstream that can't be treated. There is no cure for heartbreak, not like this. 

"Bob, you will not get a second warning, I will not be asking you again," Hangman begins to move towards Bob, moving step by step, inch by inch, each micromovement a warning to the WSO, speak now or forever wish he had, likely with a mouth full of blood and loose teeth. Bob shudders. 

He might be sick. He swallows bile and mucus that have begun to mingle in the back of his throat. The mixture doesn't go down easy, a lump stuck in his throat. 

"We went to school together," Bob speaks up finally, the words coming out scratchy, maybe a little detatched, "And I- I was horrible to her. The whole time- I-" 

"Robert Floyd, you better be fucking joking. Duchenne?!" Natasha yells, the lightbulb moment finally hitting her. She angles her body towards Bob, now boxing him, right along Hangman's side. "My best friend, Sunny, is your Duchenne? The girl you tormented for years, the girl who you told wasn't worth it, breaking her fucking heart right before graduation?! That Duchenne?" 

"Yes," The word fell from Bob's lips so sheepishly he barely hears himself utter it.  He lets his vision swim with the colors of the Hard Deck patrons again. He wants to shrink away, fade from existence. 

He has never seen his squad so mad, the anger dripping off of them, puddling around his feet. If he's not careful, he might just drown in it, face down on dry land. 

That began the yelling. Somewhere between the lack of eye contact that the barely heard words, Natasha's heart broke all over again for her best friend, just like it had the night Bob confessed everything to her in the safety of his truck cab. 

Hangman has surpassed pissed. To have seen a woman upset at the hands of a man, was one thing that ignited rage within the man, but when it was Bob who had caused such pain, and when the woman just so happened to be Sunny, Hangman could have torched a whole town.

 They were both ripping into Bob, and he just stood there and took everything they gave him. He deserved every piece of it.

Nothing would change his mind from the fact that he fucked up. He could still hear the sound of her strangled cry, the same one that has been playing on repeat since he walked away from her all of those years ago. That would've been bad enough, the strangled cry a broken record in his psyche, but the look of her tear filled eyes is now burned into the forefront of his mind. 

He fucked up, worse this time than he has ever before. Far worse. 

Rooster used the commotion to slip out of the bar and after Sunny. He found her down in the sand, leaning against a life guard tower. She was sobbing, harsh cries wracking through her body as she shook. He didn't know if it was from anger or if her body was just trying to release all of the tension. It didn't matter either way. 

"Hey, Sunshine," Bradley begins, his voice soft "Do you wa-" Before Bradley can finish his sentence, Sunny has thrown herself into his arms, grasping onto the only bit of loose fabric she can find at the small of his back. She tries to speak, the words coming out jagged and hoarse. They aren't anything Bradley can make out. He doesn't bother to try, he knows that listening to her comes later. What she needs, right there in that moment is something to ground her back to reality. She needs to keep from slipping further and further into the atmosphere, her brain running haywire in the clouds. 

Bradley brings his arms up around her shoulders, one hand coming up to the back of her head. He cradles her head against his chest, his fingers moving gently over her scalp. He repeats the same movements he learned from his mother, the comforting touches he would receive after nightmares and when he had episodes of grief over his father. 

He missed his mother in that moment, as he hums out a melody just loud enough to be heard over her ragged breathes. His brain flashes with images of his father, few and far between and a little blurry. The song was his first. Then it was his mother's. Now it's his to share. 

Slowly he sways her back and fourth, the motion small but deliberate. She lets out a deep breath, one that she didn't realize she was holding. The fingertips against her skull seems to bring her crying to a lull, her body no longer shaking. Her hands tremble a bit, still tangled in the top of his uniform. He can feel that it's no longer tucked in the way it should be, and the tears on the front side have turned the once crisp tan fabric into a dark, patchy mess. 

"Let's take a seat, Sunshine, so you can catch your breathe, then, if you want to, you can tell me all about what just happened, okay?" Bradley's voice is so quiet as he whispers into the hair at the top of her head. All Sunny can do is shake her head yes before she untangles herself from around Rooster, attempting to dry her tears with the backs of her hands. He takes her by the elbow, guiding her down to the sand below. 

Bradley leans his body back against the guard tower, legs spread out in front of him with her body sat between them. He pulls her back into his chest, hands running from her shoulders down to her elbows and back up again, yet another thing he learned from his mother. He had sat just this way with her more times than he'd care to admit. She would say that it helped to regulate breathing, but in reality, it was to help keep her from bursting into tears right along with him. 

He keeps his head back against the tower, eyes looking out at the lapping waves. Sunny looks out at them too, slowly finding the courage to tell Bradley everything.  He hums the tune again, the silence filled by the lapping of the waves. Sunny can still hear her heart beating in her ears, blood rushing. Somehow, she knows, that this is exactly how seeing Bobby again should sound- crashing, rushing, and a gentle lullaby. It's everything they have ever been, and maybe everything they will continue to be, even if Bradley has to sub in the tune right now, in this moment, under the amber glow of the full moon. 

Sunny's hands still shake, pins and needles vibrating from within, like they are being called a million miles away from her; or maybe sixty or so yards away, up the staircase and through the crowd of the Hard Deck, right to where Bob Floyd's heart sits beating erratically in his chest. 

[hydrangeyes]

Macaque x Dragon seme Male reader 🍋🍋🍋

So if you don't know, Yes this already existed, my old account was deleted (accident but I can tell I won't be getting it back), and am reposting my old x male reader works!

I don't know if I saved all of them but here is one that was saved to my AO3 account.

Edit: So shuffling through my docs It's been brought to my attention that wattpad (who I use as backup) Cut a lot of my fics in half??? anyway I'll be trying to fix that also

==============

porn porn porn some plot porn

requested by Kai_Mitsuo

WARNING: THIS IS VERY EXPLICIT, I REPEAT HOTNY O CLOCK, DONT READ IF IT MAKES YOU UNCOMFY (also pls skip if you are a minor, seriously)

Think I uh had too much fun with this one lolol

Anyway: Macaque goes to see an old..... friend of his. Placed not long after his first appearance on show I guess

2nd Warning: Macaque in heat, Rough smut, hinted scent kink, gagging, blowjobs, anal sex, slight fingering, begging

Notes:

current: A/b/o but not a/b/o lmao

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

Was it weird for him to come here? Maybe. But here he was anyway.

A gentle breeze moves past him, carrying the sounds of your workers and devotees alike with it. He anxiously stares up at the palace you called home. The deep greens and warm blue decor were a sort of comfort to him outside of red now.

Macaque has been standing on those stone steps longer than he wished but, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Would you be happy to see him? Especially if he shows up like this?

---------

Of course, you were. Having heard through a spy of yours about his return, you almost rushed to him immediately.

But you knew he needed to come to you, so you waited.

And sensing him enter your side of the celestial realm caused you to start pacing the palace to relieve the exciting tension.

The rush of relief at catching a single sniff of familiar blackberries and peaches. You felt no shame, in saying all your senses focused only on him.

From an outside view, the servants watched as their Lord paced around dragon-like tail wagging like a pup.

Not able to stand it any longer you rush out, shoving the door open. Welcoming him with a tackled hug. A pleased rumble leaving you when, after the shock, macaque practically clings onto you in return.

You tilt your head to nuzzle into his scarf, a little annoyed it was in your way of his neck. You can't help but tease him.

"You idiot, how dare you finally visit me then smell like garbage." You grumble, pushing your head away. A habit you both would make when things began to feel too sappy.

Macaque lets out a sharp laugh, tail curling around your own, as he looks up at you bemused. "And you still stuck at saying hello."

"You don't smell like mine anymore." You huff not even letting him go as you both got up off the ground. Not that macaque was trying to untangle himself from you anyway.

Said trickster chuckles softly, relaxing into you as you carried him inside.

"Well, it has been ages. Lend me your bath?"

"Mm, a meal and then a bath." You answer back signaling a few servants to get that started.

"I've missed you my sweet phoenix."

"Hah, been a while since I last heard that......

.....I've missed you too..."

-------------- SMUT BEGINS ——————-

Macaque let out a pleased his as he sinks into your personal hot springs, slipping the towel around his waist off. Dipping under to get his head wet, purring once he surfaces.

You smile and hold back a purr of your own as you watch him happily swim around and eventually come back to the edge to lay his head on it.

It wasn't the first time you both have seen each other naked, but every time you couldn't help but feel something stirs in your gut.

Nothing new but the urge to jump him was stronger than you thought. Then, with nothing but his natural scent you caught a more heavier sweeter scent.

Adjusting your own towel around your waist, you move to sit next to him on the edge, Preferring to just dip your legs in for now. Keep a cool head

"Better?" You coo, gently moving to run your hand through his fur.

"Mhm~" He closes his eyes and hums leaning into the touch, even going so far as to place his head on your lap instead. It's been so long since he's felt this relaxed, feeling safe enough to.

Macaque unconsciously nuzzles your thigh, letting out deep purrs and soft moans as you work to detangle his fur and massage any tense muscles. Even letting out a hurt whimper when you begin to stop.

You try your best not to react to it. But seeing his flushed cheeks, how sweet and eager he was to stay under your touch. You shift feeling your cock twitch in interest.

'Get it together n/n, you just got him back, you can wait to jump him right?'

while you inwardly try to fight back your increasingly horny thoughts, macaque cracks an eye open in confusion. you stopped your petting and were squirming around and he wanted to know why.

imagine his surprise, when he gets an eye full of your half hard cock. he didn't realize he was this far on your lap and put two and two together.

Suddenly it wasn't just the hot springs making him flush. with hooded eyes, macaque slips in between your legs, snapping your attention back to him.

"Aah sweetheart, that's um.. I can smell that you're.."

"hm in heat? did you think I didn't notice?" he purrs bodly leaning forward to rub his cheek against your covers crotch. Something in you snapped.

Here your plum was acting so boldly. You run your hands through his fur, and pull his head back. Watching his eyes dilate and a hitch moan leave his mouth. "I was trying to be patient. Be a good mate for you" You rumble, tugging him up to play a kiss on his cheek then ear, then neck.

"Allow you to gather your strength for later tonight." gently opening your mouth to glide a fang over his neck. Mcaque shudders, reaching out to grip your thighs to keep himself up. Looking you in the eye, he gives you a little smirk. "I rather you fuck me senseless now."

With that macaque doesn't even hesitate ducking back down and tug off your towel. Letting his mind finally sink and let his heat take over.

He happily moves to lick and teasingly kiss your hard cock. His eyes never once leaving yours, snapping what was left of your restraint.

Gripping his fur and signaling to him you thrust into his mouth. Both of you letting out a pleasure groan as you his the back of his mouth and down his throat.

"Is this what you wanted?" You growl not letting up in fucking his throat, taking pleasure in each gag macaque makes now and then.

Macaque himself letting out the sluttiest of moans and greedily moving his tongue to get a taste of you, sucking hard and deep as if to never have you leave his mouth.

Your toes curl under the water in pleasure. "F-fuck miss this slutty mouth of yours." You coo, yanking his head back to let him breathe. Looking over the mess you made his face, spit and pre cum sticking his lips as he open mouth pants.

His eyes looked watery and if you looked further you can see a hand pumping his own cock quickly.

"A-ah Mm n-n/n please~" Macaque whines trying to nudge his head forward to lick and suckle on your tip. Your cock twitches and you buck to rub it against his face. "Please what pet?~" you growl loosening your hold more for him.

"Fuck me~ please? Need you to fuck me, fill me up with your cum~" Macaque chirps, giving one more kiss to you dick before climbing up onto your lap. Desperately kissing your jaw and neck, arching when you run a clawed hand down his back to tap then rub at his eager hole.

Earlier when macaque was washing up he made sure to be thorough. Hoping for this out come even. His heat having started the moment he entered your home.

That and knowing that you wouldn't be able to resist him for long if he so wanted didn't help.

Macaque flinched and let's out a gasped moan when suddenly your hand smacks down on his ass. Feeling how relaxed his hole was thrust two fingers in easily, finding it already slicked up and a little loose.

"Ah the perfect slut in heat I swear, you planned this didn't you? Touching yourself before getting in here I bet~ not even warning me that you were starting~"

Nodding quickly macaque grips onto your back to buck his hips back to try and rude your fingers, tail curling around your wrist and arm. "Y-yes! Didn't ah! Mh want to wait!" He groaned nuzzling your neck and taking in a deep sniff.

Your heady scent coupled with the hot steam of the spring almost made him dizzy. The feel of your fingers pumping and curling inside him almost to much.

"Fuck! C-come on, I-" he gasps, mouth wide open drooling. He tilts his head to the side when you nudge it, almost coming when you sink your teeth into his shoulders. You growl and adding a third finger, thrust them in deeper to hit his prostate.

With a few more well place bites, you finally pull your fingers out. Cooing and rubbing macaques' back as he shudders and whimpers at the empty feeling.

"Mm good boy, not coming after that~ good to know you're still well trained." You whisper into his ears, carefully unwinding his tail from your arm. Taking the base of your cock you guide it to slowly enter macaque.

Macaque sucks in a breathe, arching and gripping your shoulders with a hiss. How could he forget how thick you are. The hot flesh stretching just shy pass his limit, causing his legs to tremble and his own cock to spit out even more pre cum.

Of course then there's you. Curling over him and spreading his cheeks to get an eye full of his ass greedily taking you in. Fuck he was just as tight as you remembered. Macaque yelps feeling you cock pulse and get even harder. "S-stop watching it!" He half heartedly protest, letting out a throaty moan when he finally feels all of you in him.

"Mm your still able to speak?"

You grip his hips, slowly lifting him so that just your tip remained in him. Then slamming him back down to the base.

"That won't do~"

Macaque cries out in pleasure, scrambling to dig his claws in you deeper as you set a fast and hard pace.

Not giving him a second to breathe,you keep it up, even moving to light a leg over your shoulder thrusting deeper.

"Nghgh!!! N-n/n wa-AH-IT!" Macaque hiccups, hands shaking to grip tighter on your shoulders. His eyes rolling back as he gets lost in the pleasure.

You, yourself grunt and growl at the tight heat surrounding your cock. Biting your lip as a way to stay focus enough to not pop a knot. Not yet, later, later.

The scent of Macaque's slick and heat didn't help at all. In fact, only driving you to drill the slick hole harder. Macaque almost swore he saw stars with each hit to his prostate, tightening around you as if not want you to leave but also suck you further in.

"Ah~ so good sweetheart~ fill mmh! So good around me!" You pant out following instincts to nip and bite his nipples and exposed skin. Wanting others to see your claim not just smell it.

"C-close! Pleaseee" Is all macaque could get out, mind mush with nothing but pleasure and your name in it.

You chuckle darkly looking down to watch the way his ockc twitched and spurt out streams of precum. Ah you both were a mess down there.

Adjusting to free a hand you reach down to grasp the vase of his cock and pump it at the same speed of your thrust.

"Cum~"

And like that macaque does. Letting out a silent scream as his body flinched and trembled, cuming hard enough to get it on his neck and your face.

Shuddering in delight at the sight you thrust as deep as you could without knotting him and groan happily toghtening your hold on him. Cuming and just barely slowing your thrusts to milk the orgasm.

After a bit you finally slow down, listening to macaque babble and purr about you stuffing him full.

----‐-----------

*runs away* stopping this here! Sorry if it's shitty was writing this in between work and classes! Idk how to end this!

Edited: Uhm that and edited down as I got....very descriptive *clears throat* ANYWAY HOPE YOU ENJOYED!

[nixie-deangel]

Hi, I hope you’re doing well, and that I’m not sending too many at once! But how about ✍🏻✍🏻🍼🍼🔥🔥

(I’m a sucker for some insecure Bradley, I can’t lie)

Hi Harry!!! Absolutely not sending to many! (if you want, or anyone does, feel free to send more! I'm actually making slightly more progress my stories because of these! )

(Insecure Bradley is like catnip for me XD)

✍🏻 insecure bradley - hangster

He knows this won't last. None of the things he wants or needs ever do. But Bradley can't help to still want and need it. To need Jake. To want him in all the ways he can. To desperately hope Jake could want him as well. To need him like Bradley does. Bringing his hands up, he scrubs harshly at his face as he lets out a self loathing laugh at the thought though. There was no way Jake would ever truly want him like Bradley does. To need him like Bradley does. Because really, beyond a good fuck and a few moments of fun, what good was Bradley Bradshaw to a man like Jake Seresin? Nothing. That's what good he was, nothing.

🍼 non navy bradley/fighter pilot jake as parents - hangster

Jake knows he's being an asshole. Knows he's being even worse than he'd normally let himself be. But what the fuck was he supposed to do? His little girl, his baby, was halfway around the world and sick. And he was fucking stuck on a carrier in the middle of the damn ocean when she needed him. When Bradley needed him. "You still being a bitch, Bagman?" Shoulders tensing, Jake doesn't turn to watch as Phoenix steps up and settles onto the guard rail he's leaning against. "Not now," he mutters, voice low, dark, just the barest bit threatening. "Yeah well, no one else had the balls to come make sure you unclenched your ass enough to get your head out of it."

🔥 virgin jake - hangster

Jake can't help but frown as he stares up at his tutor. "But wouldn't it make it better, if I were to learn how to please my vampire before I am given to them? Would I not be able to bring them more pleasure and fulfill my purpose better if so?" He watches his teacher's brow raise before they give a small shake of their head at his questioning. "No. No, I am afraid it is best if you do not learn before they are ready to teach you, young one." But before Jake could further question the man, the sound of knocking at the open doorway drew both of their attention and Jake couldn't help but flush as his eyes fell upon his personal guard, Bradley. Whom he wished he could give his heart, and body, too.

Make Nixie Write This Weekend!

[the-valiant-valkyrie]

okay. actually compiling my thoughts in a way that is (hopefully) more organized in regards to my EOD/phoenix hypnosis au. putting it beneath the cut because idk how long it's shaping up to be

this concept is an alternative take on ieytd3 in regards to the telekinetic implants being the main focus, and prism being an important component. however, the robot agents are of minimal importance

prism does end up making the same tenative alliance with zor, getting the kinesium to work on her projects, and develops her first robotic agent. however, unlike the canon of 3, zor takes a sudden interest in robutler's behaviors… how humanlike they are

they immediately change their plans, scrapping the KBOOM project while it's still in its infancy, commandeering robutler for personal study. by proxy, roxana is forced to remain in zoraxis, having gone from an independent scientist working on her personal projects, to a reluctant scientist working on zor's latest scheme

the scheme in question? well, if kinesium can do such a great job turning unthinking metal into an obedient assistant, then surely with some tweaking, it can turn any meddlesome agent into a compliant weapon.

of course, zor doesn't want just any meddlesome agent. they'll get around to sweeping the rest of the agency's operatives out from under their feet later, of course. but their patient zero must be the phoenix. they'll settle for no less.

one kidnapping, nonconsensual surgery, and a few test drives later- with a scientist as great as prism helming the project (even if against their will), zor gets their wish.

zoraxis' perfect rendition of the phoenix is cold, calculating, completely expressionless. the mirth and looseness of their usual conduct has completely disappeared. they do not speak, nor do they communicate in sign. nobody but zor enjoys engaging with them, really

phoenix has forgotten what it means to feel fear. self preservation and pain response still applies, of course, but nothing beyond that

prism hates it. she feels like a fool for letting zor bait her with kinesium so easily… now she's lost access to the only successful robot agent she's ever built, and the only agent capable of putting a stop to zor's plans has become their unwitting underling. she's the only one with the will to stop this, but SHE doesn't know what to do!

… thankfully, though, she stumbles into her saving grace practically on accident*. key memories, engrained so deeply in the phoenix's mind that they could never be erased- only forgotten and repressed, at best… so long as they're prompted to recall them in very specific ways, phoenix can be temporarily coaxed back into lucidity

*needless to say, relaxing in her office to some slow summer swing became a hell of a lot less relaxing when the phoenix suddenly bolted upright and made a mad dash for the door… she managed to wrangle them down before they blew the both of their covers, but only just barely

phoenix… is on the fence about working with roxana. but she's the only one taking care of them when they fade back into mindless compliance, so they really don't have another choice… not to mention, they're stuck in the same rut, really… both of them working for zoraxis against their will, in a sense

whenever they get time to themselves- when phoenix isn't out doing zor's dirty work and terrorizing the agency- prism feeds them stimuli to 'wake' them up. certain songs on the radio, a series of key phrases, the taste of their favorite sandwiches… whatever trigger they have at their disposal, really

occasionally, phoenix will remain lucid longer than either of them expect them to… sometimes they find themself needing to pretend to be mindless for up to hours at a time. it's terribly stressful, certainly… but phoenix has gotten good at it after a while…

they don't test their luck around zor, though. they have a feeling they would tell immediately… and they really don't think they would like whatever punishment the doctor would have in mind for breaking out of their mental restraints

[ell0ra-br3kk3r-writes]

The Phoenix and the Crow

part twenty-three

pairing: kaz brekker x fem!reader

genre: neutral, kinda sorta fluff

el's thoughts: finally some one on one interaction with kaz and y/n! and a lil surprise at the end hehe

series masterlist

It took two days after she emerged from the surgeon’s cabin for Kaz to make himself approach Y/N. She was sitting by herself, legs crossed, back to the hull of the ship, sipping a cup of tea. The view before him reminded him of their last conversation on a ship.

Y/N turned to look up at him as he leaned on the railing beside her. The silence that settled over them wasn’t heavy as Kaz wracked his mind for something to say. 

“The Darkling. That’s who I saw.” Her voice almost startled him as he realized what she was sharing. “Reminding me of everything I could never have despite my childish wishes and dreams.” 

“From where we stood it looked like he reminded you just how powerful you are as well,” said Kaz. 

She shook her head, “He reminded me of the monster he made me.”

“The Phoenix is hardly viewed as a monster. From what I’ve heard you’re just as much a Saint as the sun summoner. The most powerful inferni to walk the earth.” Kaz couldn’t brign h imsefl to look at her as he spoke, only kept his eyes trained on the sea below them.

“Yeah, but I don’t want to be known as powerful because of my gift or- or because of the Darkling, or because of fear. I… I want to be powerful because I moved forward despite the odds. If people were to fear me, I want them to fear the name I built for myself.” She squeezed the rail under her hand. “I envy you for that reason… if I were to speak honestly.”

It still confused him how anyone could be jealous of the life he built himself. Yet alone how Y/N L/N ex-Lieutenant General of the second army. She lived in a palace with full meals everyday and nice clothes on her back. How could she be jealous of a barrel rat who was a scavanger of food most of his youth. 

Kaz tilted his head as if to dump his thoughts out as he limped over to her. “I want to show you something.”

“I’m well, thank you for asking,” she said, looking up at him. “How are you?”

He felt his lips twist. “Splendid.” Awkwardly, he lowered himself down beside her and set aside his cane.

“Is your leg bad?”

“It’s fine. Here.” He spread Wylan’s drawing of the prison sctor between tem. Most of Wylan’s plans showed the Ice Court from above, but the prison elevation was a side view, a cross section showing the building’s floors stacked on top of one another.

“I’ve seen it.” Y/N said. She ran her finger from the basement up to the roof in a straight line. Six stories up a chimney.” 

“Can you do it?”

“I’m a heavy footed soldier, not your Wraith. Is there another option?”

“No.”

“So if I say I can’t make the climb, will you tell Spect to turn the boat around and take us back to Ketterdam?”

“I’ll find another option,” said Kaz. “I don’t know what, but I’m not giving up on that haul.”

“You know I’ll at least try it, Kaz, and you know I’m not going to refuse. I’ll find a way to get us out of there. So why ask?”

‘Because I’ve been looking for an excuse to talk to you for two days.’ 

“I want to make sure you know what you’ll be dealing with and that you’re studying the plans.”

“Will there be a test?”

“Yes,” said Kaz. “If you fail, we’ll all end up stuck inside a Fjerdan prison.”

“Mmm,” she said and took a sip of her tea. “And I’ll end up dead one way or another.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the hull. “I’m worried about the escape route to the harbor. I don’t like that there’s only one way out.”

Kaz settled back against the hull, too. “Me neither,” he conceded, stretching out his bad leg. “But that’s why the Fjerdan’s built it that way.”

“Do you trust Specht?

Kaz cast her a sideways glance. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

“I’m not one in a place to judge your crew, Brekker, but if the Ferolind isn’t waiting for us in the harbor…”

“I trust him enough.” He could feel her staring at the side of his face. He didn’t turn to look at her while he willed himself to keep his breathing even and his face to heat up. 

“He owes you then?”

Kaz nodded. He glanced around then said, “The navy threw him out for insubordinstion and refused him his pension. He has a sister to support near Belendt. I got him his money.”

“That was good of you.”

Kaz felt his eyes narrow. “I’m not some character out of a children’s story who plays harmless pranks and steals from teh rich to give to the poor. There was money to be made and information to be had. Specht knows the navy’s routes like the back of his hand.”

“Never something for nothing, Kaz,” she said, her gaze steady. “I know. Still, if the Ferolind is intercepted, we’ll have no way out of Djerholm.”

“I’ll get us out. You know that.”

‘Tell me you know that.’ He needed her to say it. This job wasn’t like anything he’d attempted before. Every doubt she’d raised was a legitimate one, and only echoed the fears in his own head. He’d snapped at her before they’d left Ketterdam, told her he’d be able to replace her is she didn’t think he could pull it off. He needed to know that she believed he could do this, that he could take them into the Ice Court and bring them out feeling whole and righteous the way he’d done with the other crews on jobs. He needed to know she believed in him.

“I trust you, Kaz,” she said as she ran her finger over the rim of her cup. “I hear Pekka Rollins was the one gunning for us in the harbor.”

“So?”

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten your personal tiff with him.”

“He’s just another boss, one more Barrel thug.”

“Kaz Brekker, don’t you start lying to me now.”

Later, he wasn’t sure why he’d said it. He’d never told anyone, never spoken the words aloud. But now Kaz kept his eyes on the sails above them and said, “Pekka Rollins killed my brother.”

He didn’t have to see Y/N’s face to sense her shock. “You had a brother?”

“I had a lot of things,” he muttered.

“I’m sorry.” He saw her stretch her hand out to him then quickly pull it back. “I know what it’s like to lose a brother. I can promise you that Pekka will get the suffering he deserves.”

Had he wanted her sympathy? Was that why he’d told her?

“I’ll pray for him,” Y/N said. “For peace in the next world if not in this one.”

He turned his head. They were sitting close together, their shoulders were touching. He stared into the deep y/e/c of her eyes and noticed that once again her hair was down. She typically wore it tied back in a messy coil. Even the idea of being this near to someone should have set his skin crawling. Instead he thought, ‘What happens if I move closer?’

“I don’t want your prayers.”

Y/N swallowed hard before speaking, “I know this won’t mean much to you… but I pray for him. For the person who you once were. And you.”

“I don’t want your prayers.”

“What do you want then?” 

The old answers came easily back to  mind. Money. Vengeance. Jordie’s voice in my head silenced forever. But a different reply roared to life inside him, loud, insistent, and unwelcome. ‘You, Y/N. You.’

He shrugged and turned away. ���To die buried under the weight of my own gold.”

“Again,” Y/N sighed. “Then I’ll pray you get all you ask for.”

“More prayers?” he asked. “And what do you want, L/N?”

He could almost hear her mind racing and he couldn’t help but hope the same thoughts were running through her head as it did his. 

“To turn my back on Ketterdam and never hear that name again. It’s only brought me troubles.”

‘Good.’ He’d finally be rid of this distraction.

“Your four million kruge can grant that wish.” He pushed to his feet. “Save your prayers for good weather and stupid guards. Just leave me out of it.”

He could hear her faint call of his name but ignored it and continued to walk belowdeck. He needed to get away from the overwhelming feeling of her.

~

By the time they bid their goodbyes to the ship’s crew, the sky had turned from pink to gold.

“See you in Djerholm harbor,” called Specht. “No mouners.”

“No funerals.” Y/N suprised herself when she called the reply back. She really had spent too much time with these people. 

The group began their hike from the rocky shore up the cliff side, but Y/N waited behind with her eyes trained on the horizon. No one else had picked up on her absence yet and she was grateful. 

She only had to stay a few minutes longer before the familiar sails of the Volkvolny came into view. A warm wave of relief and hope washed over her as she saw the familiar figure of her leading hope. 

Inej Ghafa walked off the ship and quickly made her way to the inferni’s side, wrapping the pair wrapping their arms around each other.

“Saint’s, Inej.” Y/N chuckled. “Thank you.”

“Always.” The Suli girl smiled kindly. “Now, catch me up.”

Y/N and Inej spent their hike catching each other up on all their affairs, but the majority was talking about the plans for this heist.

“Climbing six floors up a chimney?”

“Yeah… You think you can do it?”

“Of course I can.”

The two girls saw the group of five up ahead and sped up their pace. Once they caught up Nina and Jesper rushed to embrace Inej in a suffocating hug. Y/N felt Kaz’s eyes burning holes in the side of her face but chose to ignore him.

“How did you make it here?” asked Jesper.

“I sent a letter back home,” Y/N spoke up. “And just to my luck, Stumhound and his crew had docked back at the palace.”

Kaz stepped forward. “You didn’t think to tell me this?”

“You didn’t think to tell me about Van Eck?” She challenged. “I thought it through, Inej would make the climb. I told you I had it handled.”

“You just added one extra member to our crew. That changes everything.”

“Don’t make it bigger than it is, Kaz. It only changes the part of us getting in. Once we get past that, everything else will fall into place.”

“You undermined me.”

“You hid the truth from me.”

The rest of the group backed away slowly, giving the two a bit more space and none of them wanted to get involved.

Y/N took a deep breath, the cold air stinging her lungs and throat. “Kaz, I brought more help. Take it or leave it.”

Kaz stared at her for a long moment, multiple emotions fluttering through his eyes. He hummed to himself and turned around to keep walking. 

“Saints,” said Inej. “We’re actually doing this.”

“I’ve spent every minute of every miserable day wishing to be off that ship,” said Jesper. “So why do I suddenly miss it?

Wylan stamped his boots. “Maybe because it already feels like our feet are going to freeze off.”

“When we get out money, you can burn kruge to keep you warm,” said Kaz. “Let’s go.” He’d left his crow’s head cane aboard the Ferolind and substituted a less conspicuous walking stick. Jesper had mournfully left behind his prized pearl-handled revolvers in favor of a pair of unor-namented guns.

Jesper consulted his compass, and they turned south, seeking a path that would lead them to the main trading road. “I’m going to pay someone to burn my kruge for me.”

Kaz fell into step beside him. “Why don’t you pay someone else to pay someone to burn your kurge for you? That’s what the big players do.”

“You know what the really big bosses do? They pay someone to pay someone to…”

Their voices trailed off as they tramped ahead, and Y/N and the others followed after.

~*~

taglist: @katherinereid @littlecat21 @jahayla-parker @maliciousbrekker @brekkershadowsinger @brekkers-desigirl @clunaes @wonderland2425 @bookloverfilmoholic @karensirkobabes @bookworm-center @el-de-phi

[vivalas-vega]

real friends / jake ‘hangman’ seresin x reader / part six

cobra is a lot of things... the main one being stubborn as all hell :/ pls lemme know what you think!!! I think I’m going to cap this story at ten parts but honestly don’t hold me to that lol

real friends / jake ‘hangman’ seresin x reader / part six

add yourself to my taglist

one - two - three - four - five 

word count: 3.4k

warnings: language, angst, roo being the voice of reason, probable navy inaccuracies - I did some googling but honestly not much

Being back in a high school filled you with memories of the past you’d wished to leave exactly there, buried in a box six feet under never to see the light of day again but as it turns out, you had to make good on your promise sooner or later. You were standing in a gymnasium that smelled faintly of sweat and the cheap pizza that was wafting from the cafeteria just across the way as a principal droned on to the side of you while you and Hangman stood perhaps a hair closer than you would have liked. You hadn’t spoken since you slipped out the back of the Hard Deck, not for lack of trying however, Hangman had spent the past three days desperately trying to get ahold of you to no avail. You felt guilty, you really did, in all honesty you missed him. You had grown accustomed to having him around, to the silly text messages throughout the day, to spending more time together when out with the group… the group you’d also been avoiding much to your own dismay, but Phoenix had closed that door when a late-night-drop-by turned into making a case for the man… you were nothing if not stubborn, hellbent on seeing things through your way no matter how infuriating to yourself and those around you.

You were only snapped back to the present upon hearing your names as you were introduced, not hearing anything he’d said about the Navy’s two most decorated and accomplished pilots, and certainly not hearing Hangman’s brief chuckle at the statement. You floated to the middle of the basketball court, almost in a daze, as you slipped back into the girl you always were… the girl who put everything aside for the sake of her career.

“Those are our names, yes, but you’re under no obligation to refer to us as Lieutenant,” you said with a small smile, “I’m Cobra and this is Hangman.” you reintroduced. 

“Those are your names?” A girl in the front row asked, almost folded in on herself as she leaned back against a bleacher and you both chuckled.

“Sort of, those are our callsigns… everyone earns one eventually, almost like a nickname.” Hangman answered.

“How do you earn one?” she asked, leaning forward a little.

“You usually get one pretty early on, given to you by your peers based on something silly you’ve done or something that sticks… I became Cobra after a training mission where I flew rather fast and was quick to strike my target. Truth be told, it wasn’t said to me as a compliment but nonetheless it stuck,” you joked. “And Hangman, well uh- if I recall the story correctly he suggested the game during some down time and he’s been Hangman ever since,” you lied and you didn’t miss the smirk out of the corner of your eye. You thought telling the story of a cocky and brazen pilot who consistently left his teammates hanging was the opposite of what you should be telling the impressionable group of kids before you. “But anyways, back to why we’re here today… We are Naval fighter pilots, and I know what you’re thinking: the Navy has pilots? Seems a bit silly for the branch of the military that focuses on the sea to have anything to do with the sky but they go hand in hand more than you would think.”

“We ship out on Naval carriers around the world, the Navy allows us to get as close to our targets as possible without the risk of ground transportation, where we’re able to fly missions you’ll probably never hear about in the pursuit of keeping our country safe and stopping things before they even have the chance to happen,” Hangman added. 

“Because of the high pressure situations we’re put in, we had to go through pretty rigorous training to get here, starting in Rhode Island at Officer Candidate School, and then heading out to Florida for Naval Aviations School Command, however… where all the real fun happens is Top Gun. Top Gun is where the best of the best go to hone their skills and earn certification that puts them at the top of the call list for the most dangerous of missions. It’s where every pilot dreams of going, but very few are given the chance.” you said, trying not to smile at the way each kid was locked onto your every word… you supposed you might have gotten lucky with this bunch, you were usually met with yawns and blank stares. 

“When Cobra and I aren’t deployed that’s where we are, using the skills we’ve acquired from our own time at Top Gun and our own respective missions to teach the Navy’s most promising pilots flight maneuvers and aerial combat techniques to protect themselves and their country… and how to look cool while doing it,” he added with a laugh and you fought back a laugh of your own as you noticed each girl in the room watching his every hand gesture with rapt attention and looks of admiration. You wished you could blame them but you weren’t known for being hypocritical. 

“Have we made this sound super cool?” you asked and were met with eager nods, “for how awesome it is, it’s equal parts challenging and terrifying… if not more. This isn’t a path for everyone, should you find yourself in this position you will be tested to your limits daily and it will change who you are at your core… but for those up to it, it truly is the ride of a lifetime.” you finished as the principal opened up the room to questions and you nodded at the same girl who’d questioned your call signs, who’d started the assembly looking rather small and disinterested but the more you talked the more she leaned forward, opening her body language and watching the two of you as if you were the only thing in the world.

“What made you decide to become fighter pilots?” she asked and you and Hangman looked at each other before he nodded at you to go first.

“I’d always loved the idea of flying… on family vacations I much preferred the flights than the trips themselves, I’d always thought I’d go to traditional flight school and maybe become a commercial pilot but during a college fair in high school I met a Naval aviator who completely changed my trajectory,” you answered with a smile.

“For myself it was a little more roundabout, the idea was always there but I did a year of business school before deciding life in the cockpit was more my speed.” The rest of the questions went pretty standardly, how do you prepare for the really scary missions, what kind of jets do you fly, what does an average day look like, and the two of you answered them with grace and wit that had them eating out of the palms of your hands. When the principal motioned to dismiss everyone after thanking you for your time, you hung back awkwardly as you watched everyone file out of the gym, trying to keep as much distance between yourself and Hangman as you could. 

“Lieutenant- sorry, Cobra,” you heard behind you and you turned to see the girl from the front row. You could practically feel the anxiety rolling off of her and greeted her with a warm smile you’d hoped would ease her. “I just wanted to thank you for coming today, if there’s any truth to what my principal said I’m sure you have much better things to be doing… it’s just- I’ve sat through a lot of these assemblies whether it be the Navy, the Army, Marine Corp… you’re the first woman that’s spoken at one. You’re the opposite of what I associate with this career path and I think that’s really cool,” she said, fiddling with the strap of her bookbag and you couldn’t help but smile at her.

“What’s your name?” you asked, to which she responded Sadie. “Well, I won’t lie to you Sadie… I’m entirely outnumbered in my field,” you said with a laugh, “much like every woman no matter the branch of military. Is this something you’re interested in?”

She nodded, “I think so… I don’t know, I’ve spent the last six months stressed about what to do after graduation because nothing sounds appealing to me but listening to you talk about what you do… you seem so passionate and confident and it suddenly feels pretty clear.”

“You seem brave, which is one of the most important traits as a pilot… especially as a woman. If this is something you’re serious about you’ll have to work harder than your peers, it’ll be frustrating and there will be days you wonder why you’re doing it but eventually you get to where I am and you get a sense of pride that your male counterparts can never attain,” you reached into one of your pockets, “this has all my information on it. I’ll let you in on a little secret - that number doesn’t go anywhere,” you said, handing her your card as she softly laughed, “but I’m always accessible by email. If you ever have questions and want to talk more about it, or if the time comes to start your applications and you don’t know where to start feel free to reach out.” 

She took it graciously, tucking it into her bag and beaming up at you, “thank you, Cobra. I will definitely be using it,” she said before sticking her hand out to shake yours.

“You remind me a lot of myself. Word of advice? Don’t worry about what goes on in these halls, it doesn’t matter in the end. Just focus on your goal and maybe one day you’ll be on the other side of this conversation.” you said and she nodded before thanking you again and returning to her group of friends who were watching skeptically from beside the door.

“I think you just changed a life,” Hangman commented, having watched the entire interaction with a sense of adoration. “You’re really good at this, I know these aren’t our idea of fun but you should do it more often… they need to see a woman such as yourself in this position.”

You nodded, “she’s a good kid, I look forward to when she reaches out.” You went to find the principal to say your goodbyes and you were acutely aware of the way he was hot on your heels on your way to the parking lot but you refused to acknowledge it for fear of having a conversation that would rival the angst and drama already plaguing these hallways. He was quick to close your car door just as fast as you’d opened it and you steeled your gaze on the handle.

“Can we talk?” he asked and you kept your eyes anywhere but his, knowing the second you looked into the pools of emerald your resolve would go slipping through your fingers.

“I can’t do this right now, Hangman,” you replied, moving to open your door again.

“Cobra, please talk to me.” he pleaded and you sighed.

“Jake, please. Let me go,” you said and he nodded in defeat as you were all too quick to get in your car and leave his dejected figure in your rearview mirror. The emotion was quick to bubble it’s way to the surface as you navigated your way home on autopilot, not even sure how you made your way there until you were tearing through the space and to strip your uniform off to discard in a heap on your closet floor. You pulled the pins from your tight bun, running a hand through your hair, almost desperate to reestablish blood flow as if it would make you think more clearly. Before you could let your thoughts send you in a downward spiral you heard your doorbell ring and you sighed, already knowing who it was as you made your way to the foyer. 

You looked through the peephole, surprised as you threw the door open to reveal Rooster standing there with his hands in his pockets looking rather sheepish.

“Rooster? What are you doing here?” you asked, raising an eyebrow as his eyes trailed your form.

“Do you make a habit of opening your door like this? I’m sure the mailmen must love you,” he said, pushing his way into your home. You looked down to see that you hadn’t made any effort to clothe yourself after stripping of your uniform, leaving you in just a thin tank top and your underwear and you cursed under your breath as you disappeared down the hallway, reemerging in sweatpants and a cardigan pulled tightly around you. 

“Sorry, have a lot on my mind,” you muttered, standing awkwardly as he made himself comfortable and rooted around your fridge before producing two beers.

“That’s actually why I’m here,” he handed one to you as he made his way to settle into your couch and motioned for you to follow which you reluctantly did. “Would you like to tell me what’s going on?” he asked though you could tell by his tone it wasn’t really a question.

“Just taking some personal time, like we were encouraged to with this leave,” you replied before taking a sip and he snorted.

“Okay, and the actual answer?”

You sighed, “Rooster, what do you want from me?”

“I want you to tell me why you’re avoiding everyone, and more specifically Hangman. I got a rather worrisome text from him not too long ago and I still don’t know why you left the bar earlier this week,” he was exasperated. It wasn’t necessarily unlike you to withhold details of what was going on with you but he was genuinely worried and Hangman’s constant questioning of whether or not he’d heard from you was doing nothing to ease the concern.

“I’m not avoiding him,” you mumbled.

“So… not answering his texts or calls and speeding out of a high school parking lot is what exactly?” 

“I wasn’t speeding, it was a very tasteful, very understated skedaddle and I don’t need to explain myself.”

“You do when it’s affecting the rest of us, and you definitely do when the two of you look like shit,” his patience was wearing thin but he was doing his best to keep his voice soft, “did he do something to you at the bar? Did he-” he cut himself off, taking a deep breath, “did he touch you or hurt you? Because if this is an entirely different conversation we’re having, you can talk to me.” 

You shook your head, “he didn’t do anything I didn’t give him the green light for.”

“So, something happened?”

“Fucking Christ, Roo. Yes, he followed me out onto the patio and he kissed me. Twice.”

“Okay, and why are you upset about this?” he prodded.

“He just… I-” you began stumbling over your words and took a deep breath to center yourself. “We were arguing and he just kissed me. Like, truly in-your-face yelling at each other and he decided that was the absolute best moment to lay one on me.”

“That’s kind of romantic,” he said, throwing his hands up in surrender when you glared at him, “what, it is. That’s like… your thing, it makes sense that’s what your first kiss was.”

“We shouldn’t have had a first kiss in the first place,” you protested.

“Are you seriously going to sit there and tell me what he did was so surprising?” he asked and you narrowed your eyes at him.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I just mean that you and Hangman make sense. I didn’t see it at first, mainly because despite your need to be a difficult asshole, you’re good. Like, truly good and I didn’t want Hangman getting anything good that could further blow his ego out of proportion but now that I do see it I can’t see this dance the two of you are doing as anything other than biding time.” 

“We don’t make sense, Roo. He is a serial womanizer and I am focused on advancing my rank. We can’t even have a few weeks of genuine friendship without reverting back to being at each other’s throats.”

“I think that’s called passion, Cobra. You’ve always had it, you’ve both just been so stubborn you’ve directed it elsewhere.” 

You sighed, “did Hangman put you up to this? Did Phoenix put you up to this?” you asked, recalling when she’d shown up the night after the incident saying very similar things.

“No, he did not… I merely told him I would do a welfare check, and well… Phoenix and I did talk but I brought this up of my own accord because I care about you and unfortunately I care about him too and I think you’re being too stubborn for your own good.” 

“I’m not being stubborn, Rooster, I’m sticking to my boundaries.”

“Boundaries you have in place, why? I’m all for boundaries, Cobra, but that’s not what you’re doing and you know it. You’re pushing him away.”

“Because this isn’t a good idea, because I can’t do this with him. It’s all about the chase for him, the second he gets me he’s going to get bored and move on after a few weeks and I can’t go there.”

“So, you’re scared,” he observed and you shook your head.

“I’m not scared, I’m being practical. Things are already awkward enough and barely anything happened, can you imagine what will happen if it goes any further?”

It was his turn to shake his head, “no, you’re scared. And that’s okay, but what are you scared of?” His incessant prodding was sending you off the deep end, your will to keep your mouth shut wavering with each passing second.

“I’m scared that the second it gets real he’s going to leave, because what you and Phoenix are suggesting… it’s not Hangman, we all know that. I’m going to let him in and we’re going to give it a shot and he’s going to leave, and then what? Then the group gets weird, work gets weird, and none of it will have been worth it.” you finally said, letting it out with an exhale.

“I don’t think we’ve ever been given the opportunity to see that side of Hangman. Most of the girls we meet in bars aren’t necessarily looking for a boyfriend, Cobra, and I don’t know if you’ve noticed but dating with our life and schedule is kind of a pain. I think you’re being a little too hard on him,” he said softly. “I don’t know if you’ve got your walls built up so high you can’t see it but he’s different with you and we all see it. Sure, you fight like cats and dogs but for the most part he’s- I don’t know he’s softer when he’s around you. I’m pretty sure he can’t go two minutes without glancing in your direction to make sure you’re okay.” 

“I just don’t want to go there, Roo. It’s not worth it,” you sighed and he nodded.

“I think you’re wrong, but it is your life. I just think you should talk to him… put him out of his misery, put all of us out of our misery because I cannot take another day of him badgering me about you. He really cares about you, Cobra, I think you’re closing yourself off to the possibility of a lot of happiness.” With that he stood, placing a kiss to your cheek before taking his leave and leaving you alone to process everything he’d just said. You’d wanted to be mad at him, you really did, but it was so quintessentially Rooster to swoop in and try and fix the tension you didn’t have it in you to be mad. He might have had a point, several points actually, but you weren’t feeling quite that malleable yet, weren’t ready to admit that you may be wrong and that you’re maybe being too hard on him. If you were hard on him, if you kept your walls just as you’d built them you wouldn’t have to deal with the fallout. As your phone rang beside you, you picked it up to see a photo of Hangman, a perfect snapshot of his essence poised behind you at the pool table with a shit-eating grin, and you choked back tears as you silenced it and tossed it aside. Rooster might have chipped away at you but you just weren’t ready, not yet and certainly not tonight.

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[ask-elland-n-will]

[Time: the end of the Halloween party, most characters returned to their original selves, but Will is stuck being half-niffler.]

"What a day, eh?" Will breathes out as he plops down onto a couch next to Monty.

The ballroom has mostly emptied out, the lazy trickle of students heading for their beds as the Halloween night turned into early morning. Will leans onto Andrew, breathing in steadily, and then decides that it's not enough and turns his whole body to melt into Andrew's strong chest temporarily. Well, almost: Nilliam's beak doesn't let him fully bury his face into Monty. But no beak stops his Ravenclaw from pressing a kiss into Will's hair and gently playing with the curly strands.

"So much work for my eager fox," comes a chuckle.

"What about you, Dr. Montrose?" teased Will. "I won't be surprised if you're as tired as I am."

And for Will it is a good kind of tired. Accomplished tiredness after a job well done. He and the other organizers plan to clean up some parts of the room before retiring as well but for a moment it feels good to just sprawl on the couch to rest. Will hides his hands on the inside of Andrrew's jacket for warmth and closeness. A few heartbeats later Will hears a slightly confused Andrew calling his name.

"Yes, love?" murmurs Will, a little distracted because something somewhere in Andrew's pockets smells rather delightful.

"My pocket watch."

"Mm? What about it?"

"…"

Will leans up just a bit to look at Andrew's face and, following his gaze, to stare in surprise at his own claw: it is, indeed, clutching Andrew's pocket watch. Will looks at it as if it's not his own hand.

"Oh. I don't remember when I did that, I—"

For some reason, without meaning to, Will brings the watch to his mouth and gives it a good nibble. The action shakes him to the core and with a gasp he drops the watch onto Andrew's chest.

"Merlin."

"Will, what on Earth—"

"I have no idea!"

Will sits up straight. He doesn't have time to really acknowledge what's happening (and why the exquisite metal looked, smelled, and tasted so good) when Elland comes up to the pair looking rather puzzled. For a moment Will freaks out that his puff friend has seen what happened.

"Hey, have you two seen my signet ring by any chance? Silver, small enough for a pinky and with a phoenix engraving? I can't seem to find it."

"Where and when have you seen it last?" Will asks after a pause, switching gears. He isn't ready to formulate any hypothesis regarding the watch Monty is now carefully examining on the subject of bite marks.

"Right before I wished you a good night? We hugged it out, and I stopped by the snack stand on my way out and realized that it's missing," Elland replies, casting Lumos and looking around on the floor.

"And you didn't come in contact with anybody in between?" Will asks and starts following Elland's lead until something, a vague memory, clicks in his mind.

The Slytherin reaches into his pockets and…

"Oh, Merlin's balls," he whispers quietly but loud enough for both Elland and Andrew to hear and look up at him in surprise, and then astonishment, for Will pulled out the very thing Elland was looking for.

"Was that…" Elland begins.

"…in your pocket the entire time?" finishes Andrew.

"And not only that," adds William with horror in his voice. Out of his pocket comes an expensive-looking pen, multiple pairs of cufflinks, a few Galleons and a single earring. Will looks at the boys like he's been accused of a crime he didn't commit.

"I don't recall any of those items. Merlin's beard," Will bends down and covers his head with his hands. "I'm a thief!"

Somewhere on the other side of the room Cassandra lets out a loud snort, even if she's too far to truly eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I thought you dressed as a niffler, Abbott? Although, knowing Sallow's little rascal..."

Will snaps his head in Cassandra's general direction, ready to retort something about her lack of comprehension skills, but the Hufflepuff physically makes Will turn his head away from the Head Girl's provocation.

"Will, I'm sure there's a logical explanation," his friend says gently and Will nearly feels like sobbing. "If I may, my ring?"

"Oh, yes, right, I'm so sorry, Els, I don't know what came over me," Will tries to laugh and stretches the hand with the ring out. When Elland goes to take it, Will suddenly draws his hand back.

"Uh, sorry, I don't know why—"

Will tries again and only with a lot of self-control and some sweating does he manage to let go of the shiny trinket. Andrew observes this curiously and suddenly bursts into laughter.

"What?" the other boys question. Will feels the tears welling up in his eyes. This day keeps getting worse and worse, what did he do to deserve this!

"The watch! The ring! Will!" Andrew tries to calm down between each exclamation, knowing that the laugh would upset Will even more, but the answer is sitting right in front of them! Andrew leans towards Will to smooch his beak and give his boy a hug. "Sorry, sorry. But…"

Elland observes them, and then it clicks for him as well. He chuckles, puts his ring back on, and joins the hug with a soft "Oh, Will. The answer is right under your beak."

"What?" echoes Will. Frowns. And then groans with a frustrated "Merlin's ass!"

[Written with @ask-andrew-montrose permission 💚]

[Context: since we don't know how deep Hermione's transformation went in the second book, Will having the Polyjuice potion with Nosy's fur changed not only his appearance, but also behaviour. He now has some of Nosy's niffler senses and really likes the shiny objects😂]

[Also my boys rarely swears! I think it's the most swears he's said in the ENTIRETY of my rp of him hahah]

[amazingmsme]

Just Like the Good Ol’ Days

AN: Finally getting around to the last couple of tickletober fics, but it’s gonna be slow cause I have the last few projects & finals coming up. But I promise more will be coming your way! Not to mention squealing santa right around the corner!

It was impossible to say no to Larry Butz. If the matter were serious enough, then sure, but it was a rare exception. Larry just had a way about him that guilted you into doing whatever he asked. Which was why Edgeworth found himself stuck in the middle of the couch, sandwiched between his friends as a cheap horror movie played on tv.

Larry had been nagging both himself and Wright about "getting the gang back together" and having a sleepover like they used to. At first he thought it was a joke. What were three grown men supposed to even do at a sleepover? Apparently watch movies he'd never bothered to see and eat more junk food than God intended. He couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun.

They ended up lost in conversation, reminiscing on days of old when things were more simple and life felt easy.

Or at least, that's how it all had started. Miles was currently trying his hardest to pay attention to the movie and ignore the tickle fight happening right next to him.

Larry was always a stubborn one. As soon as Phoenix stood to go to the bathroom, Larry stretched his legs out in his previous seat. When the lawyer returned, he'd refused to move, claiming there was "enough room" on the edge of the cushion. There decidedly was not enough room.

Phoenix sat down on his outstretched legs, immediately scribbling his fingers over the trapped soles. Larry thrashed about and screamed in laughter, all to no avail.

Edgeworth sat on the other end of the couch, stiff as a board as he tried his hardest to ignore the playful tussle happening next to him. He stared intently at the screen, silently wishing they made horse blinders for people.

"E-Edgehehehey! Hehehelp a guy out!" Larry cried, breaking him out of his trance. He flinched and glanced over. Phoenix had his legs in a headlock, scribbling relentlessly over his socked soles. He met Edgeworth's gaze and smiled brightly.

"Yeah, help me make him move!"

"NO DON'T!"

Edgeworth was frozen like a deer caught in headlights.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd like to watch the movie."

Phoenix stilled his hand, a small frown tugging his lips downward. Miles was back to staring at the screen as Phoenix and Larry shared a look. Maybe if he hadn't been so focused on tuning them out, he would've noticed the shift in targets.

As it was, he didn't notice until it was too late and his back met the couch cushions.

"What are-" he tried to speak but clamped his mouth shut before an embarrassingly high pitched giggle slipped out. His friends had wasted no time as their hands sought out his most sensitive spots. Their memories seemed to serve them well.

"Oh c'mon Edgey! I know you wanna laugh!"

Larry called out, scribbling against the backs of his knees. Miles snorted and kicked out futilely.

“You know we know all your worst spots!” Phoenix added, wrestling his arms above his head and digging in his exposed pit with his free hand. The damn was now cracked, and a flood of laughter poured out.

It was stupid and childish, and completely unbearable, but on the other hand, it felt good to laugh with them again. Just like old times.