#good morning pacific time ONLY

[acetechne]

good morningggggg i am working on this bit by bit between cleaning the house and making sure i eat so here's where we're at so far!

and here is the randomized list - feel free to send in another number and that's the order I'll do them in! (yes, even if you've already sent in one!)

#no i dont know why i make you play the lottery so i can do art #it makes it feel more like i will get it done somehow #wip #iammatthewian #projectcanada #wait a sec what do you mean its afternoon #good morning pacific time ONLY #ok we have lucky 4 coming up next!

[causticsunshine]

.

#@ anon who sent me the message about twitter gays earlier — i’ll reply in the morning! #i had a very good long response but i got off track and started over only to accidentally not save the draft skdks #i have since moved to notes so i can save my response and you know—actually respond to you #but yes in the morning (pacific time) keep an eye out i just have to go to bed early bc of work :/

[tropes-and-tales]

Not Real Just Yet

Day 14:  Breeding Kink (Bob Floyd x F!Reader)

(For the 2023 Kinktober event that I created on my own because I am boring and basic and am trying to keep it simple this year...found here!) 

CW:  Breeding kink; the appearance of dub-con but with clear consent discussed; smut (PiV, unprotected); 18+ only. Again, this is a breeding KINK with an element of dub-con (but consensual), so if that isn't your thing, pass on this one.

Word Count:  1513

AN:  This was requested by an anonymous person! It was also not edited in any way!

It’s not real. 

It’s not real just yet because Bob is active duty, often deployed for long stretches.

It’s not real just yet because you’re in a PhD program that requires long, long hours:  as you TA for undergrad classes, as you pore over old archived papers buried in colleges across the U.S., as you spend late nights on your thesis.

It’s not real just yet because you and Bob are sometimes just ships passing in the night, and you both hate it, but you’re both committed to each other and see this current pain as paying off in the near future.

It’s not real just yet because Bob, modern though he is, has old-fashioned ideas.  He wants to put a ring on your finger first, wants to carry you over the threshold of a shared home, wants to settle into a nice stretch of married life as a couple before adding to your family.

It’s not real just yet.  It’s just a fun way of playing around in the bedroom, and it’s more about the power dynamics of the breeding kink.  You have an implant, so the risk is minimal, but it’s still fun to pretend.

Bob, the back seater who often feels powerless:  he gets to take the dominant role. 

You, the harried student who often feels like there’s too much piled on your shoulders:  you get to take the submissive role.

-----

It’s not real just yet, but it sure as hell feels real.  Bob is finally home from a tour around the South Pacific, and you’ve finally turned in pages to your thesis advisor.  You each have the luxury of time, for once, and you turn your respective life frustrations on each other in the best possible way.

It’s easy to forget it’s not real when Bob slides inside you, the wet silky heat of your pussy and not a single barrier to stop him from feeling every sensation.  The delicious slickness of your arousal, the molten warmth, the way you bear down when he’s buried in you and whispers in your ear.  He whispers the filthiest things he’s ever said in bed with anyone, and sometimes he’s embarrassed in the morning when he remembers it, but the embarrassment never lingers—because he loves you, because he feels safe to explore this side of himself with you.

I’m gonna breed you, sweetheart.

Just take it.  Good girl, take it.

Gonna look so good, full of my baby.

Gonna make you a mommy. 

Take all of it.

Taking me so good.  Can’t wait to see your belly all round with our baby.

Just lie back and take it like a good girl.

He fucks you slowly, deep, purposeful thrusts that he punctuates with his dirty talk.  He knows it’s not real, but it’s so easy to fall into the fantasy, especially when you whimper at his words, when you cling to his shoulders and whine out your answering script.

Wait, Bobby��wait…

Maybe we shouldn’t…

It’s all a game, of course.  It toes the line of dubious consent but Bob knows it’s all consensual because you never utter the safe word and neither does he.  And sometimes he thinks maybe it’s sick, maybe it’s twisted, and maybe no one else would understand it, but when he voices those concerns to you, you always allay them.  You always cup his face and tell him that what the two of you do in the privacy of your bedroom is your business and no one else’s.

“Besides,” you told him once.  “You have no idea what your pals in Top Gun are into when it comes to kinks.  I bet Bagman is a foot fetish weirdo.”

So he pushes those doubts aside because fuck if it isn’t the hottest thing he’s done, exploring all the weird and surprising twists within his own sexuality and yours.

Your first orgasm is always the strongest—maybe because you pretend to fight it, pretend you don’t want this.  Bob notices all of your little tells:  the way your fingertips dig into the blades of his shoulders until he knows he’ll have dusty little bruises there in the morning.  The way your arousal absolutely soaks his pistoning cock, soaks the thatch of rough curls at the base of him.  The way you whine out no, please, as if your body is betraying you, and isn’t that part of the fantasy too:  that he fucks you so well that you can’t fight off the orgasm he works from you?

“Good girl,” he whispers against your temple.  “Good girl, coming for me.”  He slows his thrusting, savors the spasms of your aftershocks, allows you to recover. 

“Please Bobby,” you breathe out.  “It’s too risky—”

He closes his eyes and kisses your temple, feels the sweat making your hair damp.  “You think too much,” he murmurs.  He shifts his head, nips at your earlobe before he whispers in your ear, “just take it like a good girl.”

“Bobby—”

“You’re going to look so fucking hot, swollen with my baby.”  He says that staring into your eyes, which are wide in mock-fear, part of the game, but he can see how wide your pupils are too, your eyes damned near black, and it’s a reassuring reminder that yes, you are into this game too, you’re enjoying it as much as him.  And sure enough, there’s the answering clench in your pussy, the way you unconsciously bear down on him as he starts to resume his slow, firm rhythm of fucking you.

And now that you’ve come once, he takes it up a notch, ratchets the moment higher.  He gets an arm under your knee and hoists your leg up and out, spreads you out more for him to bury himself in you.  It grants him that extra bit of depth into your pussy, and each time he hilts his cock in you, it draws out a low groan from you, a throaty growl that makes the coil of tension in his gut tighten.

Here is usually where the game falters just a bit.  Bob’s never had this with any other girlfriend before; sex was always a fraught, anxious thing for him.  He always worried about his performance in bed.  Most of his girlfriends before you usually laid in bed like a starfish, limp and unresponsive, and it took Bob a long time to realize that it was them, not him, that was the problem.

But sex with you is always good.  Sometimes fun and playful, sometimes intimate and soulful.  Sometimes, like now, it’s both of you working through your own personal demons—him and his feelings of inadequacy, you and your feelings of overwhelm—but doing it together.  Exploring shadowy sides of yourselves in a perfectly safe, perfectly loving way.

How could he not want to put that ring on your finger, carry you over that threshold?  Bob could travel the world for the rest of his life and never find anyone half as suited to him as you.

And now, your second orgasm approaches.  Now your hands shift from clutching at his shoulders.  Your palms lay flat on his chest and you push lightly against him, the climax of your game timed to the climax you’ll share with him.

“Bobby, please,” you pant out.  “It’s not s-safe.  Pull…pull out—”

But he doesn’t because it’s part of the game, and a beat later, when you arch underneath him, when your eyes flutter shut and you wail out his name, he pushes into you and stills.  He feels his own tension snap, and he comes with a pained fuck, baby, take it, and it’s absolutely perfect:  the way your pussy ripples against his cock, how it pulls the thick ropes of his cum deeper into the confines of your body.

Here is where the game falls apart.  Or, rather, it ends.  Sex is a release for both of you, but since you are generally more stressed and wound-up than Bob, you have the habit of giggling directly afterwards.  Which might make a lesser man wither, but the tic charms Bob, and now he chuckles along with you.

“Oof,” you breathe out once the laughing passes.  You wrap an arm around his neck and pull him down to you.  “That was great.”

Bob is still half hard, so he shifts his weight carefully to avoid slipping out of you.  He leans his weight on one forearm and gazes down at you with a smile.  He brushes gentle kisses across your warm face.  “I missed you.”

You smile up at him.  “I missed you too.  I’m glad you’re home.”

Home.  Right now, it’s just a crummy little apartment near campus, but as Bob settles closer to you, he can already picture the future with you:  a better apartment or maybe even a house somewhere.  You with your PhD, him with his military career.  Each of you with rings on your fingers, vows made and received, maybe a dog adopted from a shelter.

And maybe, after that, you can play at your mutual kink for real.

#bob floyd #bob floyd imagine #bob floyd x reader #robert floyd #robert floyd imagine #robert floyd x reader #top gun maverick #kinktober 2023 #tropes and tales

[phantovia]

˖  ݁ . ࿓ LAPSE OF JUDGEMENT ( NEUVILLETTE. )

[ ✐ᝰ REQ. 01 ] FONTINALIA FILM FESTIVAL !

🎬 premise. neuvillette x gn! reader, angst (breakup), falling out of love.. or not, inspired by the navia confrontation scene with neuvillette (slight archon quest spoilers), dialogues chosen are in bold. thank you so much to @k4zushi for requesting ! ! 1.4k words, first time writing angst in a year.. oh em gee.

[ REQUEST : “you, of all people? don’t make me laugh” + “hurting you is the last thing i wanted to do” using scenario #14 (breakup) with neuvillette. ]

A relationship with the chief justice is what most would call a commendable achievement, namely because of how dishonest the sentence “I’m in a relationship with Neuvillette” sounds. Making such a likely false claim would result in people raising their eyebrows and labeling you a liar, thus making a relationship with the chief justice a commendable achievement.

It is for this reason that you believed that the majority of people were left in the dark.

As long as you had the words etched on your tongue, your composure hung by a thread. Each fawning individual's comment left your heart sinking, knowing you could have avoided it if you had simply spoken up. It was expected at the very least that rumors would circulate among a large number of friends.

It's impossible for them not to? In possession of your heart, he could mold and use it as he wished. With a trade like that, his heart is naturally yours, isn't it? For every eye there is a heart, for every heart there is a soul.

What was the reason for his detachment from you when you visited Palais Mermonia? Your eyes expressed yearning. Every hug and kiss behind closed doors left your knees weak, your stomach churning for all the right reasons. his emanating warmth was the solace you desperately longed for until not even that soothed your soul - until he was stiff and hesitant. These qualities were ones that didn’t suit him, ones that the people of Fontaine stitched in his name. His firmness assured them of his decisions in court. Could the same be said outside of the Opera Epiclese?

(piercing, unnerving, steadied, a perfect description for the man you wished was by your side forever more - not a drop of the love he once held for you was in his everlasting embrace that night.)

You woke up alone that morning.

He was careful, too careful - you once thought he was avoiding listening to his inner desires for your sake, but such caution led into your shared home and it irked you to no end.

Your nerves halted you from entering his office the next morning. His gradual shift in behavior made your stomach churn for all the wrong reasons. It wasn’t as if he turned cruel. His pacifism and golden heart remained the same - it was the slip of his heart you held in your hands that terrified you. Terrified that eventually that very same heart would no longer be yours to cherish.

His “good morning, dearest.” sounded slightly forced, your mind running a thousand miles per second - your chest felt tight. You only hoped it was your mind playing a remorseless trick on you, that you were merely overthinking. A figment of your imagination was all that it was, surely.

(a woven thread of tall tales, that’s what people would describe your relationship as. a delusion, a greedy passion, a fragment of what you could hope was verity.)

“Good morning.” Neuvillette greeted upon the rising of the sun, orange-colored skies reflecting the joy you’d feel whenever he’d welcome you into a new day. The joy you once felt. But the smallest detail left your heart deflating. He didn’t call you the name that rolled off of his tongue so fondly, the term of endearment that left you giddy and smiling for the rest of the day.

“No ‘dearest’ this time?” you had the audacity to ask, immediately regretting it upon seeing his contemplative expression. Your question must’ve been too straightforward with how prolonged the silence was.

He removed his hand from his chin, gently taking your own - brushing his thumb on your knuckles with the gentle curve of his lips. “Ah, apologies dearest. I hope you can forgive me, it was a mere oversight on my part.”

A cloud of utter terror loomed over your head when short sentences turned into one-word responses. “I apologize, it will not occur again.” he promised, he swore - pretty little lies and a loss of emotion in his voice. He exhausted the last drop of his love on the term of endearment those many mornings ago.

People were beginning to chatter, with you two being the main characters in a story that was coming to an abrupt halt. A conclusion you wouldn’t dare reach for, prolonging the ending chapter until it was a mere monodrama. It ached, the myriad of negative thoughts injected into your brain - unable to make sense of it all. Where did it all go wrong?

The left side of your shared bed was empty, slowly turning cold because of the lack of heat. You could hear the sky wailing, water hitting the window you both used to gaze through; usually met with a soft kiss and the rubbing of your knuckles with his thumb. Whether your eyes stayed glued to the stars or your mouth moved to start intriguing conversations - he paid utmost attention to your every word, hanging onto them as if embedding them in his memory.

It’s unbelievable to think that you ended up with no tears left to cry - all because you prolonged something that was supposed to end a while ago.

Your heart clenched. Your soul was wavering, and your bottom lip was quivering at the sight of him. You held on too tightly, keeping a kite from reaching the clouds - keeping Neuvillette in a relationship he barely seemed to have any interest in. It seethed like marks on the skin, burned like blue flames, it was only a matter of time until you crumbled.

“Hurting you is the last thing I wanted to do.”

Your voice cracked at the sound of his voice, holding back swirling emotions that made your heart sink even lower. “Do you even love me anymore?”

“…yes, I do.” he firmly replied, yet with how much time it took him to formulate a response - you believed otherwise.

“you hesitated.”

Two words were all it took. It was enough for your mind to come to an answer for all of your questions. He was just as confused as you were.

“You don’t even know the answer, do you?”

Like a sharp blade, your words cut through even the strongest iron - the addition of the bitterness in your tone, not from resentment, but from despair, was as surprising to him as it was for you. How could he not see your eyes, full of emotion, inquiries, and everlasting devotion that you held for him despite the current circumstances?

“..I’m absolutely certain, I know I truly do harbor these feelings towards you—”

“You, of all people? Don’t make me laugh.”

Bubbling like a volcano about to erupt, you wasted no time in telling him exactly how he felt. “You don’t know, Neuvillette - you’re trying to spare my feelings by telling me what I want to hear.”

For once, he had nothing more to add. You had caught him in his web of utter uncertainty, “just please.. don’t lie to me anymore.” You pleaded, for the truth was the harshest justice - both of you were aware of this fact.

“do you love me, Neuvillette?”

An impending separation was created with this question, a sentence too cruel to bear - intertwined souls unlinking as his heart continued to slip out of your grasp. “No, i do not.. I'm sorry.”

You no longer held onto naive beliefs, watching as the heart you once held close to your chest fell to the ground.

With a sigh, he stepped forward - only for you to step back, a pool of fresh, hot tears forming in your eyes. “I never meant for things to turn out this way.”

“We should break up.” Hitting the nail on the coffin, it was all you could utter through your clouded gaze. It seemed like he concealed everything he truly felt with his unnerving expression. Were the people of Fontaine truthful about the words they described him as?

The moment you stepped out of palais mermonia, it felt as if the clouds were sobbing alongside you - pouring rain staining your clothing as you succumbed to the water that enveloped your figure. it was over.

He hoped that this wasn’t a lapse of judgment, that his decision would pave a way for you - a path free from the impending disaster that would’ve occurred if he continued to pull you close, whispering loving words in your ears as you drifted off from the mere sound of his voice. That night, he felt a substance trickle down his cheek. “..I’m sorry, dearest.”

TAGLIST. @rainswept @ryuryuryuyurboat @boykissr @aventurne @princess-syalis @kyoiki ( taglist ↲ click link to sign up! )

#neuvillette x reader #—stellaronhvnters. #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x y/n #astronetwrk #genshin x you #genshin x gender neutral reader #neuvillette x you #neuvillette x y/n #genshin imagines #genshin fanfic

[myillicitaffair]

One of your girls | Carlos Sainz Jr

Summary: carlos and his lover being involved in a chaotic dynamic that comes crushing down after a misunderstanding.

Warnings: english not being my firsts language, smut, oral (f receiving), angst, toxic behaviors, swearing.

Notes: this is only the first part, lmk if you would be interested in reading the next one xx

Credits: the gif used belongs to formula one’s oficial giphy account and the inspiration for this fic comes from the song “One of your girls” by Troye Sivan.

MINORS DNI!

My sleep is interrupted by the rays of sunshine streaming through the airy window curtains, the intrusion forcing me to open my eyes.

I focus my gaze on the figure cuddled up next to me, laying on his side. The soft summer breezes playing with his already messy short waves.

I delicately watch his pacific state, the movement of his naked chest with each inhalation, his relaxed features matching the small opening of his mouth.

My fingertips search for the smooth exposed skin, slowly caressing his back, savoring the moment.

A guttural sound dies in his throat at my subtle touch, fidgeting as he feels the dissipation of his sleepy haze.

“Good morning”- i pronounce once he faces me, a small smirk forming on my lips.

“Good morning indeed”- he replies mockingly.

My torso nests in between his strong arms, finding comfort in the manly fragrance irradiated by his heat.

His lips start brushing my cheek, going down my jaw until he comes across my neck, where he starts placing wet kisses. A tingle runs through my spinal cords with anticipation.

I swiftly raise my hands to his stocky shoulders, touching every inch of his sun soaked complexion.

“I have to leave, busy day ahead…”- he says, untangling our limbs and getting up to hop in the shower.

I know this is my cue to leave soon as I hear the muttering of hot water hitting the bathroom tiles. If I didn’t know better, I would wait for him to come out the shower… past experience makes me grab my clothes, scattered all over his bedroom floor, and hurry out the door.

———————

I know I shouldn’t be doing this. After all, it´s only causing more harm than good, but a part of me can´t help but succumb to the despair of not having him near me.

Here I was, standing on Carlos´s doorway late at night; palpable tension as I knock on the all too familiar gate preceding his apartment.

There´s no denying it, I´m desperate for us to connect, even if it is at the sacrifice of my own feelings. Who cares if tomorrow morning I´m pushed away again? All that matters now are those big doe eyes staring down at me, pulling me towards him, making me ache all over for his touch.

“Wasn´t expecting you tonight”- he states while piercing me with his gaze.

“I´m sorry if now is bad timing, I ought to have an early night anyhow…”

Million feelings flashing through my mind, only one main character in all of them.

“No, it´s okay. Come on in!”- He interrupts my self-deprecating thoughts, inviting me into his house.

I look around while stepping inside, noticing papers cluttered all over the living room, scathed dirty mugs sitting on the coffee table, his usually flawless work attire bunched up near the corner of the chamber.

“Didn´t have time to tidy up”- he excuses himself while facing me.

I realize I failed to notice his fatigued demeanor, the dark circles framing his tired features.

Reaching out for his sharp cheekbones with my fingers, I try kissing his baseless worries away.

Innocent pecks rapidly turn into passionate making out, all tongue and touchy grabs that linger with time.

Still entwined in a fight for dominance, he leads me back to his couch, pushing every folder out of the way and placing himself on top of me.

His calloused hands streak down my skin, stripping me off of every piece of clothing they stumble with across the way. I find myself reaching for the collar of his white t-shirt, trying to free him of his garments.

Leaving behind a trail of heat, his touch reaches for my underwear, glancing at me through his eyelashes asking for permission. I nod frantically, eager to feel his attentions where I need him the most.

His mouth reaches for my sensitive nub, flicking his tongue while devouring my glistening slit. My fingers automatically tangle in his hair, bringing him closer.

His throbbing erection dry humping my leg while eating me like a starved man. The familiar crescendo starts quickly growing on my lower stomach, accompanied by desperate moans and grunts.

The tension surrounding his home´s environment snaps by the answering machine´s high pitched beeps, anticipating a new incoming message.

“Carlos, it´s me again”- a female voice announces- “You promised you´d call me back as soon as possible. I know you´re there, love, would you please just pick up?”

I sit back up against the couch´s headboard, indignation flowing through me as tears start accumulating on my eyes.

I cover my abdomen with my discarded top, getting dressed as fast as possible.

“I can explain”- he states, trying to get a hold on my wrists.

“I don´t want to hear another fucking excuse, Carlos”- I spit my answer back, filled with venom.

Reaching for my purse, I take one final look at his still naked silhouette.

“I´m sick and tired of being just one of your girls! I honestly can´t do it anymore… not when I spent the whole time we´ve known each other in love with you”- I confess, out of breath by the sobs torn from my parted lips.

“If you could just listen to me, I promise you I…”

“Save it!”- I interrupt, blinded by anger while I twist the doorknob on my way out.

Running down the hallway, I don’t even attempt to hold the uncontrollable whimpers that fill the unbreakable silence. Hopping on the elevator, willing to go back home with an unamendable broken heart, I can´t believe how I stupid I was to ever believe he could reciprocate my feelings.

#carlos sainz #carlos sainz smut #carlos sainz jr #carlos sainz imagine #carlos sainz f1 #cs55 #cs55 x reader #cs55 imagine #carlos sainz blurb #formula 1 #formula one #ferrari #red bull f1 #red bull racing #mercedes f1 #carlos sainz x reader #argentina

[gretagerwigsmuse]

rocketman: part i - it's just my job five days a week

Summary: in which lieutenant commander bradshaw is on a three month special detachment in the pacific and the holidays have never felt lonelier for either of you. it's just three months, it'll be fine, right?

OR you and bradley write each other 159 emails

Pairing: Rooster x Fem!Reader 11.8k

Warnings: 18+, explicit language, suggestive dialogue, bradley needs to remember this is a government email server...(okay yes, i am perfectly aware that our esteemed lieutenant commander would probably get kicked out of the navy for some of these emails…that being said, i also don’t particularly care! we’re playing fast and loose with the time stamps too because i may be smart, but math has never been a strong suit of mine!) enjoy the companion playlist! rest of the series can be found here!

12/17 @ 6:19am

I miss you already and I haven’t even left the parking lot. I’m still in my car typing this after having stayed for probably far too long watching your C-40 take off (like people were staring at me I was there so long)(and, yes, I looked up the name of the plane). Pete asked me if I wanted to get breakfast with him, but I said no. Felt too lost. Plus, I need to get ready for work. We’re going to get dinner on Wednesday before I head up to Berkeley Thursday morning, though!

Hope you have a safe transport and settle onboard quickly. I left you something in your duffle bag (yes, it’s safe to open around other people…head out of the gutter, Bradshaw).

Love you and stay safe, x

12/18 @ 5:46pm 

Just dropped off the gifts at the Junior League for Caroline’s adopt a child thing. She was completely in her element (they gave her a clipboard and a bullhorn!), though she did say we went wayyy too over the top. But little Carter asked for all that stuff! We couldn’t just not get it all for him? She also appreciated your wrapping skills, very impressed with the bows and tight corners. I met a couple of her friends there, which was nice and they invited me to stay for drinks (the prosecco was flowing…), but I wanted to head home. 

I miss you so much already, it feels weird not going over to your place after work and making dinner and prepping lunch together - and it’s only been two days. I know you’re on a comms blackout for the next couple days, so I’m just gonna keep sending these so you’ll have a bunch to read all at once.

All my love, x

12/19 @ 11:48am

My brother and Lauren decided to come out here for Christmas after all! My dad was so excited when he called me, but I think Mary’s a little less enthused. Feels like shit knowing we were the backup option for them. Apparently, Lauren’s mom is sick and the whole house is in disarray (not hard in that family…) so my dad is paying for them to fly in from New York tomorrow. I think it’ll be nice, we’ll almost have a full set (baring you, of course, my darling rocketman), so the house won’t be as lonely. Do you think we’ll get to talk on Christmas or Christmas Eve? You should be getting a package soon (‘twas preemptively sent!) and are under strict orders not to open it until Christmas Eve, buddy!

Going to dinner with Pete tonight, I’ll let you know how it goes. Amelia’s coming with us, but I don’t know about Penny? I hope they like the gifts we got them. I’m going to stop by your place, do a once over, and make sure the tree is ready for Pete to take, etc. before I leave on Thursday.

Love you and talk soon! x

12/20 @ 7:03am

House looked good! In my seat on the plane. If my morals were shakier, I would 1000% have taken Max up on his offer to fly me up to Berkeley. But alas! Climate change is real and private jets account for 20x as many carbon emissions as commercial planes, so I am up at the ass-crack of dawn for this 7:15am flight. I’ll message you when I land, love you!

12/20 @ 9:04am

Just landed - easy flight. Now to find my dad in arrivals…

Love you, talk when you get the chance! x

12/23 @ 4:45am

Hey sweetheart! Back online and all settled in. I’m bunking with Payback and we actually have a pretty decent layout. He graciously offered to give me the bottom bunk, due to my ‘geriatric status.’ Honestly, I’m just glad I don’t have to sleep in the bunk room with the ensigns and rest of the crew. I forgot how noisy it is being on an aircraft carrier, which makes Payback’s snoring surprisingly pleasant. I’m glad he and Bob are with me. The rest of this squadron’s from Lemoore and Bob knows some of them. It’s interesting seeing him and Payback fly together, but they mesh really well.

Glad Mav is there to keep an eye on you. 

Okay, I had way too much fun picking out all those presents, so I really hope Carter loves them too. And please tell me you have a picture of Caroline yelling into the bullhorn? I can truly think of nothing scarier than Caroline Calloway ordering the young women of San Diego county around like Santa’s chief elf. And speaking of gifts, I loved my pictures. The one from the Christmas party is my favorite, did Fanboy take it? I saw him running around with his Pentax. When the hell did you have time to print it? I’ve got it hanging up in my bunk so I can see it every night. 

I still don’t understand why you don’t fly into Oakland instead of SFO? Like I get it, you’re not a Spirit or SW girl, but kid….it’s an hour and forty minute flight? Live a little. And I think it’ll be nice having your brother and Lauren around for Christmas. How many people do you think it’ll be? I always loved seeing Christmas Eves with large families in movies and stuff, all the chaos and whatnot? But it’s just gonna be you five Christmas Day? I’ve heard rumblings that I might be first in line for a Facetime on Christmas Eve, so save some time for me too, kid. I’ll let you know for sure in a couple days. 

Okay, think we’re all caught up now. Talk soon and love you so much,

Your Bradley

12/23 @ 9:08am

Bubs! I read your email four times since I woke up, I can’t stop smiling. I’m glad you’re all settled in - Payback’s snoring and ageism aside haha. How’s the food? Do you want earplugs? A sleep mask? Are earplugs allowed for sleeping? What if you need to get up right away and you can’t hear? I could send you a white noise machine? Or is there a fear of hacking with that? I should’ve done more research on this before you left. Tell me if you need anything, I’ll send it out express! Oh, I’m just so happy to hear from you. Keep me posted!

Lots of love, x

12/23 @ 8:53pm

You and me, hot date tomorrow night at 11:45pst - don’t be late. (And look cute.)

Your Bradley

12/23 @ 8:55pm

I’ll be there 😉 Love you, x

12/25 @ 9:56am

Bradley Bradshaw you absolute sneak! How on Earth did you pull a Christmas miracle off!?! Mary said she had no clue, so I’m extremely impressed you got my dad to keep that secret!? I was totally not expecting another present from you? The cooking lessons and apron were more than enough - to say nothing about moving in together!?! I love the bracelet so much, you have no idea. I started crying when I opened it! Mary took a video, which I’m sure she’ll send you. God, Bradley? You didn’t have to do that! It’s perfect, it’s like we’re locked together. I’m gonna wear it everyday. Please email me later if you get the chance! 

(Also, Lauren looked really jealous 😉 my brother was sweating)

Love you and Merry Christmas Rocketman! x

12/25 @ 11:38am

Ummm, not sure what you’re talking about, kid? That sounds like something Santa would do? Probably heard about how good you’ve been this year? x

12/25 @ 11:40am

Thank you, I love it so much and wish I could give you the biggest hug and kiss right now. I’ll have an extra slice of babka for you tonight, talk soon and Merry Christmas, Bradley! Love you x

12/27 @ 4:49am

I miss sleeping next to you. Whenever I can’t sleep, I think about the way you looked at me in the living room after our Christmas party. You looked so happy and I hate that I have to leave you for all our firsts. First Christmas, first New Year’s, first Valentine’s Day. And god, sweetheart, you’re so fucking gorgeous it makes me want to lose my mind sometimes. Always thinking about you, Bradley 

12/27 @ 8:38am

I miss sleeping next to you, too (especially since your body is like a furnace and you hold me close when I get cold). And I know you being away during the holidays is hard, but look at it this way - we’ll just have our firsts next year. Next year will be our first Christmas, first New Year’s, first Valentine’s Day together, not an ocean apart. We have all the time in the world, rocketman. Love you today and every day x

12/29 @ 6:02pm

There’s already so many things I’m dying to tell you and stories about the squadron we’re teaming up with, but the Navy will have my ass if I give away too many details so I’m just going to leave it at this: are we sure Max doesn’t have a twin on another continent? Take that as you will. What’re your plans for New Year’s? Your Bradley

12/30 @ 9:20am

Sorry for the delayed response! A minor issue with my brother and my dad that I won’t bore you with had the whole house in a tizzy. Thankfully, he and Lauren are gone even though my dad still won’t tell me what the issue was? Anyway! God, I wish I could hear more about Max’s twin? I am honestly kind of scared about knowing there’s a Max doppelgänger in the Navy (jokes!). For New Year’s, I’m going to this party with Mary and dad in the city, it’s at this fancy venue and I have a cute black dress! It’s very different for me and I wish you were here to see it! I’ll have to wear it again. Message me when it’s the New Year your time! Love you! x

01/01 @ 12:09am

Happy New Year, sweetheart! They had a little party for the officers - we even got cake and Bob snuck me and Payback seconds somehow. It’s always the quiet ones you gotta look out for. You absolutely need to send me pictures of you in that dress, I can’t wait to see it on you in person someday. Hope you have a great time with your dad and Mary, give them my best. Love you and again Happy New Year! 

Your Bradley

01/01 @ 12:01am

Happy New Year, Bradley!!! You got cake!! You broke some rules! I approve! Milk them for all the cake they’re worth! I’ll send some pics of the three of us and one just for you big boy 😉 Talk soon and love you so so much! x

01/01 @ 10:59am

Had a late start! Here are the pics from last night! Try and sneak some more cake xx

[mary_and_dad_being_annoying.jpg]

[me.jpg]

01/02 @ 6:12am

You know you labeled the pictures wrong…luckily no one was behind me…

01/02 @ 9:04am

Who? Me? I would NEVER! (Just trying to keep you on your toes.) Hope the flying is going well and you’re staying safe, B! Love you!

01/03 @ 8:00pm

Yeah, it’s going well. It’s so different flying on the open ocean after so long? Last time was in September when I went to Hong Kong. The desert is cool, don’t get me wrong, but seeing the clouds and the water together is unreal. The pink and purple clouds remind me of you (sorry, that was lame). You still gotta let me take you up, kid. I’ve heard Mav is trying to convince you, but you gotta let me be the one. Can’t trust just anyone with my girl. Love B

01/04 @ 10:13am

Bradley…he’s practically your father, I’m pretty sure you can trust him to take me up in a plane, you silly boy. Not that I’m saying you won’t be my first…but come on! And it’s not lame. I like that the pink and purple clouds remind you of me. Every time I see a plane I send a little call out for your safety. Gotta keep you safe, rocketman! Talk soon and love you! x

01/06 @ 4:45pm

My parents just dropped me off at the airport and no matter how many times I leave them, I always cry. I think the only time I didn’t cry when I left their house was when you were with me over Thanksgiving. You always make it better, bubs.

They’re coming down in a couple weeks to help me start packing, anything in the house you wouldn’t want them to see while dropping off boxes? I can still bring my old bed, etc for the guest room, right?

All my love, x

01/06 @ 9:58pm

I think I get that, having you around this time makes it different. I’ve never had anyone to really write to while I’ve been away before. Sure, I talked to my grandparents when they were still around and my aunts and uncles, Nat, Ice, and a couple others, but not like this. And I don’t ever want to not feel like this again. 

I’m an open book, kid. Ain’t got nothing to hide. And yeah, anything like that feel free to bring with you for the guest room or office. It was the bed, nightstands, and dresser and then your couch for the office, yeah? We can get new bedding and pillows for it if you want? I’m on comms blackout for a couple days, so message me whenever you want so I can read them all when we’re back online.

Your Bradley

01/06 @ 10:07pm

Perfect! Love you and stay safe, rocketman.

01/06 @ 10:09pm

Love you too, kid.

01/09 @ 6:11pm

Bradley, I don’t mean to alarm you, but there was a raccoon in your garage! Scratch that, a FAMILY of raccoons!??! I’m sure Mr Harrington was ready to call the cops when he heard my scream. They’re so cute, but also terrifying at the same time? So, I called Pete and he came right over, a true knight in shining armor! Amelia and I did a THOROUGH sweep of the house to make sure they were relegated to the garage. Pete got them out safe and sound with a random tennis racket and your 4 iron, but somebody’s coming tomorrow to check on how they got in there. And I know they aren’t hurting anyone, but I just don’t want there to be any issues later on? (The babies were actually so cute and reminded me of my cat growing up, Porter.) Anyway! Enough drama for tonight, I hope that gets a laugh out of you - talk soon!

Love you! x

01/10 @ 8:05am

Well, the exterminator got here around 7:30 and sprayed all this stuff and blocked the hole in the crawl space of the garage. He showed me pictures and let me tell you, there was quite the nest up there. These raccoons were living large over the holidays. 

01/12 @ 5:21pm

Okay! I’m in the parking lot, waiting for my first cooking class to start. Is it weird I’m a little nervous? I hope everyone else’s skill level is similar, I don’t like feeling behind. I brought my new apron, ironed it and everything. I feel a little like Ina Garten, isn’t she just divine? Okay, okay, I’m going in now! I’ll let you know how it goes! Thanks again for getting me these xx

01/12 @ 7:03pm

I feel so tired? Like my hand cramped a little bit? We started off the class with knife skills, which we’re going to do every week and then made this “simple” egg dish, which was NOT simple and I overcooked the egg. Ina would be so disappointed. Alas! Onto next week. Love you!

01/15 @ 9:12pm

Bradley you’re not going to BELIEVE what just happened on Succession. My heart is POUNDING? Do you think if I called and asked really nicely the Navy would get an HBO subscription for everyone? That is what I would like my tax dollars to go towards. Can you get me a direct line to someone in charge please? Love you!

01/16 @ 7:47am

Not to worry my little Barefoot Contessa, I have returned back to civilization (ie the internet), though am dismayed to have missed this mind blowing Succession episode? Has Perry Mason started back up again or will we be able to watch that together? 

Bob and I were in the gym earlier and he almost dropped a dumbbell on my foot, I swear my life flashed before my eyes. But I had a new PR on the bench press today, up to 285 pounds. Glad the cooking lesson went well though! What’s the class makeup like? x Bradley 

01/16 @ 9:04am

I’m glad you’re back online and safe! Perry Mason has not started yet, though I’m still certain you’re the only person under the age of 55 that watches it (I guess I should say we’re the only people under the age of 55 that watch it, but whatever). You’ve also missed a couple Top Chef episodes, but we can always binge this season later. 

There’s about 12 of us in the class and it’s pretty evenly split? Though there’s tragically this really annoying couple who were at the station next to me. I hope we get to change next week, I don’t think I can watch them feed each other food another week. 

And I’m still waiting for that direct line to the Navy, Bradshaw! Love you! x

01/1 6 @ 6:59pm

Wait, wait, how did I miss there? There was a WHAT in my garage? A raccoon? Multiple raccoons? We need to get a dog or a cat or something. x Bradley 

01/18 @ 7:02am

Bradley!! I know we talked about a trip once you got home (provided you still feel up for it with the transition and all), what if we went here? I was talking about our tentative plans with my dad and Mary before I went back to San Diego and they went to Punta Mita this past fall and LOVED it! What do you think? Love you!

01/18 @ 6:03pm

Holy shit! That looks absolutely amazing, yes I’d love to go! Can we afford that though? It looks expensive? xBradley

01/18 @ 6:05pm

YAY!! Ahh, I’m so excited you have no idea! I want to hug and kiss you so bad right now! We can fly for free since I have a bunch of AA points (thank you pwc) and then I have like a million Amex points, so it’s not full price!! 

01/18 @ 6:12pm

When you say ‘like a million’ do you actually mean a million or?

01/18 @ 6:14pm

Yes! I’ve had this card for like 15 years! My whole family does the pooling on it! It’s a drop in the bucket, promise! Plus, I always use my other card for work and that has a whole bunch of Bonvoy points on it, too. We could stay at one of those? I think there’s a St Regis next door?

01/18 @ 6:22pm

Sweetheart, I want to go, I just don’t want you to waste all those points on this. 

01/18 @ 6:26pm

What if we go for 6 nights instead of 9? Maybe no plunge pool? Or we could pay cash instead? And then I could get 6x the points from paying that way? So, really….the points just keep accumulating, we’ve got to use them sometime! The points can pay for the flights and the hotel and then we can split the room charges and incidentals 50:50?

Will you think about it? You don’t have to give me an answer right away and we can always pick another hotel? But if we want to go someplace in late March/early April, I think we should book soon with spring break and all? Not that I imagine many coeds will be staying at the Four Seasons, but you never know…

01/18 @ 6:33pm

You gotta send me a ppt on all this points stuff, you know math stresses me out. And no, I don’t think many coeds will be staying at the Four Seasons, kid. 

01/18 @ 6:37pm

Can I send you a dossier with everything!?! Even if you say no to that I’m doing it anyway ;) just promise me you’ll think about it, please? I’ll do whatever you want, Bradley <3

01/18 @ 6:40pm

Yes, please send the dossier my way henceforth, Moneypenny. 

And you’ll do whatever I want, huh? Might have to send you a dossier of my own now…

(But yes, I promise I’ll seriously consider everything. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to spend all this money to make me happy. I’d say we’d both be happy camping out on the beach, but I think that might be a security issue down there, plus neither of us like camping - anyway, you know what I mean.)

01/18 @ 6:43pm

Lieutenant Commander Bradshaw!! Is this a dossier for my eyes only? What will M say!? I’ll send you mine if you send me yours?

(But seriously, thank you! I’ll send you more specifics tomorrow - like pricing and whatnot - and you can take a couple days to think it over. And thank you for clarifying the camping thing, I was worried for a second there.)

I love you so much rocketman and we’ll talk (email) tomorrow 

x Moneypenny 

01/18 @ 6:46pm

I’d say ‘sleep tight,’ but that’s a given considering you haven’t been fucked in a couple weeks. 

(Perfect, I genuinely am really excited about it, just want to make sure it works out for us both.)

Love you so much, kid 

Your Bradley

01/18 @ 6:58pm

Bradley Bradshaw!! You did not just say that over a government email server! 

Imissyourcocksobadlyit’sdrivingmeinsane

01/18 @ 7:01pm

Couldn’t help it. Plus, we both know it’s true. 

01/18 @ 7:04pm

Oh, shut up. Shut me up

01/18 @ 11:43pm

I’m sorry if I came off too strong about planning earlier, I might’ve gotten a little carried away and been a little too eager about planning something five days after you’re home from a three month detachment. If at any time before you come home or even right after you come home you don’t feel up to the trip, please please please tell me. I want to do something nice for you and give you a chance to truly relax, but I’d hate for it to come at a price. So, just let me know, okay? Say the word and we’ll push it, alright? I don’t exactly know what you’re going through, but tell me if it’s ever too much. I’ll always be here, promise. Love you x

[dossier_for_your_eyes_only.ppt]

01/19 @ 8:29am

Kid, no. I promise I’ll tell you. You know I love how excited you get planning things. I think I like it so much because you take care of it all. Sure, you ask for my opinion and what I want, but I just have to tell you one thing, one idea and you take care of it. 

Funny though, isn’t it? How it’s totally opposite in the other side of our relationship? You tell me one thing, one idea and I take care of all of it? Bet it’s hard for you not having someone around to do that for you? Maybe next time we Facetime we can talk more about that? x B

01/19 @ 10:11am

Luckily, I have a very creative imagination, Lieutenant Commander Bradshaw. 

See right now, I’m in my office, sitting at my desk, feeling so overwhelmed. It almost hurts how overwhelmed and frustrated I am. And you bust down the door, hair windswept like you’d flown to Del Mar, and you have that slutty flight suit on and I don’t even mind that you’re sweaty and gross. You smell absolutely divine and I rake my hands through your hair as you eat me out underneath my glass desk. I get a conference call, but you don’t stop the entire time. You like how squirmy and fussy I get, I can’t focus on the deliverable I’m working on for the client. You like that I can’t control myself, that I squeeze my thighs around your head. Eventually, you can’t take it anymore, your cock is aching so badly, and you need to fuck me on top of my desk. You’re so strong it almost breaks. You fuck me so good everyone in the office can hear me crying out for you. 

(actually, I’m on the couch, watching college football, but it’s more fun to imagine you fucking me in my office - see, creative imagination! Make sure you get a quiet room for that Facetime...)

Love x

01/19 @ 7:29pm

You think you’re funny, huh? You have any more of those thoughts, feel free to send them my way. ‘m taking out that picture you gave me for Christmas right now. How you taking care of yourself? My imagination isn’t as creative as yours. B

01/19 @ 7:40pm

Guess you’ll have to wait for our next Facetime…

x

01/20 @ 4:24pm

Your dad and Mary write me emails, you know. They aren’t as good correspondents as you are (for how could they possibly be, my dear?), but they check in about once a week or so. Mary sends me some of the articles she gives her students and talks about the show she’s watching with your dad. Your dad mainly talks about you. It makes me wish my parents were still around to do this stuff with me. Just checking in and writing emails and bragging about me to my girlfriend? How was yesterday’s class?

Your Bradley

01/20 @ 5:39m

I didn’t know they wrote you that often and I’m beyond embarrassed that my dad talks about me that much? But come on, Bradley…you have someone who does that, too? He’s about 5’8” (on a good day), looks great in a leather jacket, and just spent about two hours last weekend cleaning your gutters and telling me about how you won your high school’s debate scholarship?? Like how could you not tell me that? It’s literally one of the hottest things I’ve heard about you!

Class was good! They taught us a trick to cut onions without crying and one of the other girls complimented my apron! We’re doing meats next week, cutting, marinating, cooking, etc. and I’m excited!

01/20 @ 5:42pm

Oh gee, I bet it’s just awful for you to have Mav around all the time. Knight in shining armor…

01/20 @ 5:48pm

He’s not a bother! And it’s not all the time! We’re actually going to get lunch together on Saturday! It’s this new place on the water.

01/20 @ 5:50pm

Sounds like a cute little date! You’ll have to tell me how he is. Love you so much B

01/20 @ 5:55pm

I’ll keep ya posted, bubs! Love you!

01/22 @ 10:01am

Breaking news, kid. Your esteemed, naval aviator boyfriend is going to be on 60 Minutes at the end of February. Totally came out of left field, but I couldn’t say anything until they finished filming. It’s about the Navy in the Pacific and “the lost art of shipbuilding.” They even rigged up a camera on my plane and everything, it was so cool. I’ve been dying to tell you, but again couldn’t say anything until it was official. I probably won’t be on it long since they interviewed the Admiral and Pac Fleet Commander for most of it, but yeah, Payback and Bob and I will be on with my girl Norah. I made sure I had enough sunscreen on so I was camera ready at all times. Love you B

01/22 @ 10:09am

YOU’RE FUCKING SHITTING ME????? Oh my god, Bradley! That’s amazing! Margie even ran into my office to see what made me shriek! I am TOTALLY having a viewing party! Oh my god, how do you think it went? Did they get your good side? What about hair and makeup? I know you get helmet hair, bubs. 

Seriously, so so excited and proud of you, Bradley! I’m going to make my dad and Mary come down for it! She doesn’t teach on Mondays, so this is perfect for them to stay over Sunday night! But now don’t go letting all that fame get to your head, Lieutenant Commander Bradshaw 😉 Love you so much x

01/24 @ 12:17pm

Rocketman - 

I was sitting at my desk earlier and listening to some music before my 12:30 meeting and Elton John’s Rocket Man popped up on my shuffle. Obviously, as you are my rocketman, I always think of you whenever I hear it, but today the lyrics really scratched that special part of my brain, so I did a deep dive into the song’s origins. 

Please note, I’m including this time in my billable hours to the client (re. you). My findings are as follows:

Bernie Taupin was inspired by a Ray Bradbury story written in 1951 titled ‘The Rocket Man’ - not drugs as the urban legend states! Drugs! Imagine!

Bradbury’s ‘The Rocket Man’ was first published in Maclean’s, a weekly Canadian magazine, before it was published in the short story collection ‘The Illustrated Man’ that same year

‘The Illustrated Man’ later was made into a film, though ‘The Rocket Man’ story was notably absent

Some of more popular and renowned stories from the collection include ‘The Veldt’ and ‘The Long Rain,’ the latter of which is commonly read in high school honors English

Was client in honors English? Please confirm in follow up correspondence

Client has mentioned extensive library resources at disposal - perhaps he can check this collection out on his next visit? But for now, an executive summary has been provided:

With space travel more commonplace in society, Doug’s father, an astronaut, is sent on frequent, three- month journeys into space

Despite missing his dad, Doug also longs to be a Rocket Man, though his mother frequently prevails on Doug to beg his father to stay on Earth and be with the family

“What’s it like, out in space?” Mother shot me a frightened glance. It was too late. Dad stood there for a full half minute trying to find an answer, then he shrugged.“It’s the best thing in a lifetime of best things.” Then he caught himself. “Oh, it’s really nothing at all. Routine. You wouldn’t like it.” He looked at me, apprehensively. “But you always go back.” “Habit.”

The father finds that his work is ruining his life, but the draw of the stars is too great: "You don’t know what it is. Every time I’m out there I think, if I ever get back to Earth I’ll stay there; I’ll never go out again. But I got out, and I guess I’ll always go out.”

Even while on vacation with the family, having Thanksgiving dinner, or sitting on the back porch, the father’s eyes are always on the sky…

Doug’s father begs him to not be like him, to not be a rocket man, but what happens when his father goes on one last journey to the stars?

Through much reflection, I have decided that ‘The Rocket Man’ was written about you - and your mom and your dad and me and on and on until there is no longer a need for Rocket Men - or the rocket man simply stops and breaks the cycle

You are both the Rocket Man and the little boy, forever waiting for his father to come home from space

The allure of flying, of being a ‘rocket man,’ is both too great and too sad for you to ignore

None of this is to say the rocket man is selfish, no. He simply cannot resist the temptation. He knows nothing other than the thrill and peace of being amongst the stars

And his mother shielding Doug from the sun at the end is like your mom asking Mav to pull your papers, she does it to save him, but it cannot keep him from becoming his father

Needless to say - I had to postpone my 12:30 meeting until tomorrow as my eyes were far too puffy and any word I tried to say felt like cotton in my mouth.

I miss you and I love you - your ‘Lilly’  

01/24 @ 8:22pm

Fuck - I love you so much. My clever girl.

01/24 @ 8:28pm

I pour my heart out to you and that’s all you have to say, rocketman? ‘Fuck - I love you so much’

(of course, I also love you so much, my clever boy.)

01/24 @ 8:30pm

Darling - it’s going to take me a little longer to come up with any commentary you deem appropriate, so for the sake of time, yes. I gotta read this story in full. I’ll be at the library at my earliest convenience. ‘The client’ will send an annotated copy with his notes henceforth.

01/24 @ 8:32pm

Of course, sweet boy. Goodnight, I love you so much. x

01/25 @ 11:44am

As promised, my darling girl. Love you.

[b.bradshaw_the rocket man_final paper.pdf]

01/25 @ 7:14pm

Oh Bradley! I love you so much, rocketman. Yes, I couldn’t have said it better. Yours x

01/26 @ 10:39am

Bradley! They’re sending me to London in February for two weeks! I even get a swanky corporate apartment for the stay. I wish you could come with me - even if it was just for a long weekend? We could go to all my favorite restaurants and afternoon tea and for walks in all the parks. One day it’ll work out! 

But tragedy of all tragedies! I just realized I’m going to miss a couple cooking lessons when I’m in London! I already emailed the instructor before today’s class and she said there’s other classes throughout the week that are behind us, so I can make it up with them! Ahhh I’m so excited! Talk soon, love you!

01/26 @ 11:13pm

I didn’t realize how nervous I was about the trip until I went to bed tonight. It’ll be my first trip abroad since I got my promotion in November. Plus, it’s a completely different client than my last trip abroad and I’ve only met one person on this new London team before. Sometimes I go into these meetings and still feel like a little kid? I’m always the youngest person in the room and normally the only woman and on one hand, that’s cool? But sometimes I feel like someone’s daughter instead of their colleague? Like these guys are my dad’s age? And they’re actually supposed to listen to what I have to say about their company? Do you ever feel like that? Like you don’t really belong, despite knowing you’ve earned your place? I wish you were beside me right now. My bed feels way too big tonight. Love you.

01/27 @ 7:48am

Sweetheart! I am so unbelievably proud of you! That’s amazing! You gotta celebrate, go out to dinner with Caro and Darcy, maybe even Nat! I know you’ve been working so hard these last couple of weeks, you absolutely deserve this. I can’t say I know exactly what you’re going through, but yes. I have absolutely felt like I haven’t belonged or deserved something despite having ‘checked off all the boxes.’ I felt that way when I got promoted to LC and when I got that award in October. Everytime I see it on my uniform, I feel a bit like a faker? Like do I really deserve this? But then I remember the way you smiled at me when I got back to my seat that night and how proud of me you were and I think maybe I do deserve it? Plus, I also think of how goddamn gorgeous you looked all fucked out later that night. 

And please note, I would happily slip into bed alongside you, especially since my bed feels way too small tonight. Love you, Bradley

01/27 @ 10:56am

Thank you for earlier. I don’t know, sometimes I just feel like I’m just too soft for all of this? Like I’m always trying to prove something to everyone and I get a little lost. Tell me something good? x

01/27 @ 7:01pm

How about this? Every time I go up in the sky and see the way the sun hits the clouds, I think of you. I’ve never wanted to be with someone as much as I want to be with you. I love you so much, kid

Your Bradley 

01/27 @ 7:06pm

Sometimes I can’t believe we love each other this much, it feels like a dream  x

01/27 @ 7:11pm

I can. Your Bradley 

01/30 @ 7:08am

i slept in one of your shirts last night. it doesn’t smell like you anymore, but it feels like you: soft and safe and warm x

01/30 @ 7:23am

Well I spray my pillowcase with your perfume whenever I miss you so I guess we’re even

Your Bradley

ps - can you send me another bottle?

01/30 @ 7:34am

You’re already out? What sort of illicit behavior are you engaging in with that perfume bottle? 

01/30 @ 10:33pm

I burrow my face in my pillow so I can smell it while I fist my cock, why? What’d you have in mind?

01/30 @ 10:37pm

How does that work though? Like genuinely? Do you jack off with Rueben in the top bunk? Or wait till he’s in the gym? I’ve been curious about this for a while now. What about the showers? Is it like an open floor plan thing? Or are there stalls? Is there a Zillow listing for this aircraft carrier?

01/30 @ 10:41pm

Now why would I ruin the mystery? 

01/30 @ 10:43pm

Bradley!!!!

01/30 @ 10:44pm

Atta girl, that’s the spirit! Love you 

02/02 @ 6:30pm

I am so sick of going to the gym. It seems like it’s all Payback and I do lately. We got this new workout regime that’s been killing me - don’t say it’s because I’m old. Though, I have been using my Theragun. Payback does my back if I do his in return. It was only awkward the first time he turned it on too hard and yelped (please tell everyone that). 

02/02 @ 6:46pm

Oh, so you and Rueben Theragun each other, huh? Say more Lieutenant Commander!

02/04 @ 2:45pm

Going to Pete and Penny’s in a bit to watch the Super Bowl! Max is at the game, apparently his golf buddy Jimmy G hooked him up, though he neglected to bring me or Caroline. I feel like you would’ve been his first choice, so take that as a compliment I suppose. Do you guys do anything onboard for it? I have $350 on the 49ers winning by 3. Have a lovely day my darling boy x

02/04 @ 9:30pm

Guess who’s as snug as a bug on a rug in her bed AND $1400 dollars richer? That would be me! When you get home we’re going to Juniper and Ivy, my treat, bubs! x

02/06 @ 4:57am

Awww sweetheart are you gonna sugar mama me again? 

02/06 @ 7:03am

You do know the only reason you’re getting away with that is because there’s an ocean between us, right? 

02/06 @ 6:00pm

Sorry, couldn’t resist! Love you! B

02/06 @ 6:10pm

You’re lucky I love you so much. x

02/08 @ 9:58pm

Can you imagine if I was gone for 20 years?

02/08 @ 10:11pm

Bradley that’s not funny 

02/08 @ 10:13pm

It’s not supposed to be. I’m reading the Odyssey and it got me thinking. 

02/08 @ 10:16pm

Bradley I love you something awful, but you are such an old man sometimes. 

Are you going through some sort of midlife crisis reading the Odyssey while you’re at sea?? Is the Old Man and the Sea next?

(ps i love the thought of you reading in your bunk in your spare time and being so struck by something composed thousands of years ago that you have to email me)

02/08 @ 10:20pm

They wait 20 years to get back to each other - practically half their lives. They miss so many things and barely knew each other before he left, but they’re still so - I don’t even know? They’re just so intent on getting back to the other in Odysseus’s case? While Penelope makes sure there’s something for him to come back to? And I must’ve read this stanza ten times before I had to email you: 

"...the gods cast me upon Ogygia, Calypso's island, home of the dangerous sea nymph with glossy braids, and the goddess took me in in all her kindness, welcomed me warmly, cherished me, even vowed to make me immortal, ageless, all my days - but she never won the heart inside me, never" 

And I know it’s not a perfect comparison or parallel, but I read that last bit and I couldn’t help but think of you? And how you’re the one who won my heart and it’s always going to be that way. Whether I see you in twenty seconds or twenty years.

02/08 @ 10:23pm

You’d come home to me whether it took twenty seconds or twenty years. You’d come home to me and I’d know you anywhere. I love you so much. 

02/08 @ 10:58pm

“Now help me, please, to get back home, and quickly! I miss my family. I have been gone so long it hurts.” 

Your Bradley

02/09 @ 7:03pm

At the airport for London! Taking off! And I may or may not have used points to upgrade to a Club World seat…but like? It’s a nonstop flight, so it’s okay, right? Work’s already paying for business class? It’s points from my work card? It’ll be fine, right?

I had to take an ativan in the lounge. I just hate that I still get so nervous whenever I fly long distance? I fly all the time, I shouldn’t be like this? You know, one time, I pretended you were flying my plane. I know it’s kind of dumb and silly and a completely different type of plane, but it made me feel better because you’d never let anything happen to me. 

Anyway, we’re book buddies!! I went to the bookstore a couple days ago and got a copy! I read the Odyssey back in high school, but forgot so much. I was reading in the lounge and this part made me think of you:

“...this lovely house, my marriage home, so full of wealth and life, which I suppose I will remember even in my dreams.”

I’ll text you when I land my darling boy, love you x

02/10 @ 6:02am

You gotta squeeze every last bit of your per diem out of pwc. You’ve been working way too hard lately. Fuck it, on the way home just put the upgrade on your work card or put it on mine. Have a safe (rest of your) flight - maybe one day you’ll let me take you up. Love Bradley 

02/10 @ 10:08am

Just landed and on my way to the office (already…)

I thought of you as I read and stared out the window on the plane. I could pretend I’m flying towards you, rather than further away. I can’t imagine how you feel doing this everyday, but I imagine it’s like feeling limitless, like everything is in front of you, there for the taking. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll let you take me up one day. 

I’ll keep you posted on how everything’s going if you do the same. All my love x

02/12 @ 5:49am

How’s it going, kid? They working you too hard? You’re in London! Try to enjoy it, you deserve it. One of the guys I’m with gave me a restaurant recommendation for you, said the drinks were amazing, his wife loved it. Do something fun while you’re there! And send me some pictures dammit!

Love you, 

Bradley 

02/12 @ 8:22am

Bradley! It’s been so so crazy here! I feel like I haven’t stopped since I landed. My ‘flat’ is so cute and right by the client’s offices, so it’s an easy commute. I feel so professional taking the Tube places too! It’s one thing I’d like us to have in San Diego as opposed to all the traffic. Also, it’s CHILLY here and I’m so glad I dug my big coat out of storage. I’ll try and check the restaurant out this weekend, I’m gonna sneak in a trip to the Tate, too. I’ve always wanted to see the Turners. Talk soon and love you bunches! x 

02/14 @ 9:54am

Bradley Bradshaw! You absolute SAP! HOW!?! Did you conspire with my dad again? Thank you for the flowers! I’m going to have the biggest smile on my face all day. I love you and hope this is the first of a lifetime of Valentine’s Days together. Always x 

02/14 @ 7:33pm

Happy Valentine’s Day to you too, kid. I’m not gonna lie, I gave your dad very specific instructions for the bouquet (I was going to ask Max, but he’d probably swap it for something ugly and cheap and keep the change…kidding (not)), so I’m glad they turned out well. It was a very big day on board today: we got special red heart cookies for the holiday. The mood was infectious, I can still taste the sprinkles. Maybe you could cook for me on our next Facetime? Have you learned anything good in class lately? It doesn’t have to be fancy, just wanna see you (and maybe also live vicariously through whatever you’re making).  

02/14 @ 7:33pm

Bradley! I think I can swing that for you, when do you think our next call will be? 

02/16 @ 3:18pm

Kid, you spoil me. This package is amazing, I don’t know where to start (just kidding it’s with the Cadbury chocolate and the Sudocrem as my burnt shoulders thank you), but everything is wonderful, thank you. I love hearing about London and seeing the pictures you sent last time. But I do have one complaint…you’re not in any of the pictures, kid, and that’s truly egregious. (Think we won’t be able to Facetime for a while, I gave Payback my slot the other day.)

02/16 @ 3:23pm

That’s not true! I’m in the one in front of the Tate!

02/16 @ 3:25pm

Yeah, but I can’t see you under all those layers! Just want to see your face. It’s been way too long since our last Facetime.

02/16 @ 9:52pm

As requested, Lieutenant Commander. I had one of the girls in the London office take this at dinner tonight. She really did wonders with the lighting and even managed to get my sidecar in the pic! x Love you

02/17 @ 6:55am

You look pretty. New dress? B

02/17 @ 7:17am

Maybe…it was on sale, couldn’t resist. But you’re gonna hate me because all of my clothes are very much not going to fit in your closet. Also, I bought you a new jacket and some socks. x

02/17 @ 7:20am

Ehhh I’m not too worried about the closet thing. But if you keep buying me clothes we might have a problem.

02/17 @ 7:24am

It’s so cute though!! You’re going to look so handsome in it! I got the green one for you!

02/17 @ 7:29am

Okay, admittedly a very nice jacket, thank you. But you are aware that we live in San Diego…

02/17 @ 7:31am

I am aware of that fact, LC Bradshaw. You can wear it when we visit my parents. Hell, I had to get my coat out of my storage closet for this trip. 

02/17 @ 6:53pm

Sighhhhh you raise a good point. Alright, alright, thank you for the jacket and socks my darling girl. What’d you have for dinner last night? We had chicken with these absolutely awful biscuits, tasted like saw dust, my stomach was growling for some more of that Cadbury chocolate (yes, Payback and I ate all of it already, though it was mainly Payback) for hours afterward. 

02/17 @ 6:59pm

Oh my sweet boy! Who do I need to call about your meal plan? Give me the number and I’ll call the Navy up right now. And I had scallops with truffle risotto. It was delicious. Wanted to lick the bowl clean. Love you bubs x

02/19 @ 10:22pm

Bubs, I cannot eat another meal out. I feel like I’m going to burst. I’ve gone to so many work dinners and lunches even before coming here, it almost makes me feel like a glutton. 

I miss you and your cooking (though I’ll have you know that my skills were vastly improving before my trip abroad!) and you standing behind me at the counter while I try to perfectly cut peppers. Sometimes I do it wrong on purpose so you’ll put your arms around me and I can feel the rumble of your voice. Would we call that weaponized incompetence? You better be ready for some Michelin Star meals when you get home, buddy. I just can’t wait to be home with you and roll over next to you in the morning and to tell you to stop snoring and that the battery in the smoke detector needs to be changed. I can’t wait to be home with you and make a life with you. I’m going to be really sappy now, but let me have this because I was reading this poem the other day and thought of you. 

“I am supposed to be touched. I can’t wait to find the person who will come into the kitchen just to smell my neck and get behind me and hug me and breathe me in and make me turn around and make me kiss his face and put my hands in his hair even with my soapy dishwater drips. I am a lovely woman. Who will come into my kitchen and be hungry for me?” (x)

Only a month until you’re home with me, I hope you’re hungry. 

All my love x

02/20 @ 4:50am

It’s only weaponized incompetence if the other person minds. I, however, do not mind. I loved that quote you sent me, going to be thinking about that one for a long time. I hate to tell you this, but I’m gonna be offline for a couple days. I hate that it’s at the end of your trip, but please please message me when you’re leaving/taking off and again when you land, you know I worry. Love you and am so unbelievably proud of you, kid! You killed it in London. Your Bradley

02/20 @ 7:03am

That’s okay, I totally understand. I’ll give you all the details on our next Facetime. In the meantime, I message you when I leave. Stay safe and love you, Bradley! x

02/23 @ 3:45pm

Taking off soon! I got an upgrade again, thankfully! And I made sure to put your new coat in my carry on - I don’t trust British Airways not to lose it! Taking an ativan again so hopefully I’ll sleep the entire flight - love you and talk soon!

02/24 @ 10:33pm

Just landed, slept through….90% of the flight! Apparently, there was bad turbulence, so probably for the best. Now, I know you would never have me deal with that my darling rocketman! Talk later - love you! x

02/25 @ 7:09pm

Feels kind of weird being back? I can’t quite get back into my routine. I’m not sure if it’s jet lag or something else? Feeling a little lost? x

02/26 @ 7:55pm

Bradley!!! You were so good, I’m so so proud of you! Max had everyone over at his place for us to watch you! We have quite the party here including my parents, Pete, Penny and Amelia, Natasha, Mickey and Cielo, Caroline, and Darcy. I’ll have to tell you about the parents meeting later. I wish you had been here for it, they took to each other like bees to honey. 

You looked tragically handsome, I practically had to hold back a moan when you were standing on the flight deck talking to Norah O’Donnell (is she as nice in person as she is on TV?). God, I want to ravish you, you sounded so fucking smart. You know like half the country is going to be in love with you now, right? I’ve got to get back to everyone, Max ordered dinner for us afterwards, but I had to email you as soon as you finished!

Just wanted to let you know how proud of you I am and how much I love you x

02/27 @ 5:09am

Thanks, kid. Sorry it took me a bit to respond, things have been getting a bit crazy, you know, now that I’m a celebrity and all? We’re winding down this training, so the next couple weeks are gonna be full of debriefs and paperwork, which means I should have a more stable schedule. Love you B

02/28 @ 11:48pm

Sometimes I wonder if you were here what would you do? Hold me? Love me? I never feel small except when I’m in your arms. x

02/29 @ 11:48pm

Some nights in bed, if I try really hard, I can imagine I’m laying down next to you. And it makes everything just a little easier. Bradley

03/01 @ 12:56am

I haven’t taken anything besides my fingers in months. You’re going to stretch me out so well when you get home. 

03/01 @ 7:19pm

And I’m gonna mark your ass pink for that comment. I can’t believe you sent that in the middle of the day. You getting yourself off at work? Dirty girl. 

03/01 @ 9:41pm

Never feels as good as when you do it. 

03/01 @ 10:01pm

And my hands pale in comparison to your pretty little cunt. You know that first time we slept together you were so fucking tight, I knew you hadn’t had a good fuck in ages. It gonna be like that again when I come home?

03/01 @ 10:05pm

Where are you going to have me first?

03/01 @ 10:06pm

In our bed, in our house, after you make me dinner in our kitchen. 

03/01 @ 10:09pm

Just over two weeks now, I can’t wait to see you. x

03/03 @ 5:55am

How you holding up, kid? You doing a little better this week work wise? Try and log off around 5 if you can. Don’t want you getting all worn down on me. 

They had us doing these war games yesterday that made me think of you. You would’ve walked circles around some of these other guys I swear. Think I can get a Facetime for us in a couple days? Probably will be our last one before I come home. Love you, B

03/03 @ 7:12am

Bradley! That's the best news I’ve had in ages! I can’t wait to see you! Definitely felt a little lost after coming back from London, but I hope my rut will be over soon? Tying things up with a client is always so lengthy and tedious. 

War games! ‘Would you like to play a game?’ I’d ask if you won, but no one ever wins in the art of war 😉Love you!

03/05 @ 8:54pm

So, here’s a new one. My mom called? She’s going to be stateside and wants to get lunch tomorrow. Could’ve done with a bit more warning, but apparently, she has a layover in San Diego on her way to New York to see my brother? I didn’t even know she was going to see him? I don’t even know if I want to see her? It’s funny, I can already tell you exactly how it’ll play out:

We’ll go to lunch at some sort of vegan restaurant, probably Donna Jean

She’ll make me pay

She’ll try to get me to use some sort of herb to promote weight loss since I’m looking a bit “pudgy” around the face

Though she’ll forget to ask about you, she’ll tell me about her latest string of failed relationships with bartenders and surf instructors in Canggu. Or is it Ubud? I genuinely don’t remember, she started in Ubud, but honestly my knowledge of Balinese geography is rudimentary at best 

She’ll ask how ‘that woman’ is doing as if Mary is just the woman my dad is seeing, not the woman who raised me and my brother

And finally, she’ll ask for money though betting is still open as to what for!

So, what do you say? Wanna put a wager on it? Your terms.

Love you! x

03/06 @ 6:30am

$100 she orders the caesar and makes you pay. I’m not even going to entertain the third parlay, pretty girl. Oddly feeling like she’s got a winner on her hands so yes she’ll talk about her new paramour. Does she really call Mary ‘that woman?’ And yes, without a question, she will ask you for money.

Your move my gorgeous girl,

Bradley

03/06 @ 7:49pm

I really wish you were here right now. She doesn’t even know me, but she somehow always manages to make me feel small. 

Caesar - no croutons 

I paid

Pudgy and frumpy, but she was hawking shakes not herbs

Failed relationship? No, she’s actually GETTING MARRIED

She did not ask about you much other than to say I need to watch my figure for you (see bullet point no. 3)

Mary was called ‘that woman’ six times before I stopped counting

She asked for money as a wedding present 

So, you didn’t get them all, but not a bad showing. Love you. Talk tomorrow on Facetime. x

03/07 @ 6:09am

God kid, I’m so sorry. She doesn’t know what she’s missing. Actually, I don’t even think she deserves to know what she’s missing. Did you talk to your dad or Mary about it? I know we’re talking later, but I just wanted you to have a message from me before you start your day. What’re you wearing to the office tomorrow? Have you worn that polka dot dress with the bow lately? You know it’s one of my favorites and that I always love unwrapping it when you get home from the office. 

Can’t wait to see you tonight. All my love, Bradley

03/07 @ 9:55am

The dress doesn’t fit. My mom was right, I shouldn’t have gotten the french toast.

I’m planning on talking to dad and Mary later today before you and I have our Facetime. I know they’ll make me feel better, much like you have my darling boy, but it still feels pretty crummy. Especially since I’m sure she’s going to have wonderful time in New York with my brother 🙄 and I’ll have to hear all about it next time I talk to him. 

And I’m not sure if I’ve unpacked that dress yet! I’ll have to do some digging. Talk soon! x

03/10 @ 3:26am

We had a little baby. He was always giggling and laughing and we were making silly faces and he looked so small in your arms, Bradley. So small and little and he was ours. And then I turned around and he was toddling around the house and we were chasing him and his little legs were moving so quickly and we all wound up on the couch in a tangle of limbs, giggling under the blankets as we tickled him and he called you daddy. 

It wasn’t our house - or what will be our house, I guess? Instead of the leather couch you have, it was white and big and wide and the three of us could easily fit on it, snuggled together. 

And I could feel your arms around me, rocking me back and forth. I could feel you humming in my ear and kissing my neck and telling me you loved me. I could feel it. I could feel you. I could feel him and you. And it was nice and I felt warm and safe and cherished and loved. Because I felt so much love for this little boy in my arms - the perfect mix of me and you. Everything felt right and perfect. 

Except when I rolled over in bed to tell you about it, I realized I was alone in my bed, in my apartment, and not in the house that we shared or with the little boy that looked so much like you and I haven’t felt so empty and sad since I can’t remember when. 

And I just miss you so much, Bradley. I know I can come across as glib and unfeeling sometimes and like this doesn’t affect me as much. But it does and sometimes I feel like my heart is going to burst because I’ve never felt like this for anyone else before? It’s never been so easy for me to love someone and let them love me to the point that I always want to be beside them. And I know with your job - and mine - that can’t always happen, but god Bradley I wish you were here right now so you could hold me and tell me you loved me because I just want to feel your arms around me and know you’re real. I want to tell you about the little boy - the perfect mix of me and you. 

I love you rocketman x

03/11 @ 12:49pm

I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. I realize that’s a lot to drop on you, especially since we can’t talk in person. I guess I’ve just never missed a person more in my life and seeing that future showed me what we could have when you come home. God, Bradley I want you to come home so badly. I want you to stay here with me forever and never leave and to have that cute little boy who was the perfect mix of me and you and to have you here in my arms every night. And I know it’s selfish of me to ask or even make you think about it, but I want you right here - in twenty seconds, not twenty years. 

How did your hop go today? x

03/11 @ 7:03pm

I have dreams like that, too. I’ll be little, but still older than I was when my dad died and we’ll be at the beach, running around, and he’ll pick me up and spin me around like I’m flying on an airplane. 

But then it’ll be me and my kid, running around and I’ll pick them up and spin them around like they’re flying on an airplane. Sometimes it’s a girl, sometimes a little boy. But I always just can feel and tell that I love them and I’d do anything for them. 

And I used to hate waking up alone after I had them and I’d feel empty and sad and like I had the feeling that they should still be there? Except now I have you and I know it doesn’t just have to be a dream?

Sorry it took me so long to reply. Today was hectic and I didn’t get to check my email until later. But if I checked it earlier, my day would’ve been a lot easier on my heart. 

All my love,

Your Bradley

03/12 @ 7:11pm

How do you always know exactly what to say? I’m sorry for springing that all on you, know it wasn’t exactly a quick/easy message, but I love that you knew exactly what I meant. My day’s always a lot easier on my heart when I hear from you, too. Love you x

03/13 @ 10:17pm

i miss having you around to take care of me. and telling me what to do and what to wear for you and how you want me and where you want me and when you want me and and and. and how good i feel around you as you come, how you take what’s yours. how i need you to take control and tell me what i need because i’m too much of a dumb slut to figure it out on my own. i need you so much bradley. and it’s so hard because i’m trying to take care of myself like you do and imagine what you’d do if you were with me right now. but i’m so frustrated since no one takes care of me like you do. i feel so empty. nothing stretches me out like you do, nothing makes me feel as small as you do, nothing makes me flush like the sound of your voice against my neck as i come, nothing soothes the ache inside me like you do. need you to call me good girl, pretty girl, sweet girl, anything as long as it’s yours. 

i need you i need you i need you i need you bradley bradley bradley bradley

3/13 @ 10:39pm

Awwww sweetheart, did you get yourself all worked up over me? It’s okay, I know it’s hard for you all by yourself. Must’ve been real bad for you to risk this getting flagged, huh? Poor thing, don’t worry, I’ll take care of you. 

Want you to pretend I’m next to you, leaning over you as you lay down and touch yourself. Say yes Bradley, more Bradley. Bradley, Bradley, Bradley. Good girl. 

Want you naked under the covers, no frilly little pajama set or anything. No, I want your cum to stain the sheets and then for you to have to clean up in the morning, all embarrassed because you did this. You made yourself like this because you can’t control yourself without me around. All that cum being wasted. Nobody around to lick it off your pussy. So what doesn’t get on the sheets, you have to taste. Good girl. 

Want you to use your fingers - only your fingers, I’ll know if you use anything else. Start with your breasts. Think of how perfectly they fit in my hands and how yours aren’t quite the same. They aren’t as big. Aren’t as strong. Play with your nipples, drag your nails across the soft skin on the underside of your breasts.

Want you to sigh my name as you slide your hands down your stomach towards your pretty little pussy. Have you shaved? Gotten a wax? You know how I like it, want it just like that when I get home. Pretend it’s my fingers sliding into your cunt. A few touches and you’re already clenching on air and I’m not even around. 

In and out, in and out. Circle your clit with your thumb. Add another finger, then another. You rocking your hips yet? I know you’re soaked. I know you want more. Three fingers can’t stretch you out nearly as much as you need. But I don’t know if you can handle anything else without me around. And I know you would never disagree with me, right? Because you’re my good girl and good girls do what they’re told. 

Don’t hesitate to get loud. You’re in our house, in our bed, you can be as loud as you want. Bet you’re getting close, huh? Try and last a little longer, can you hear yourself and how wet you are? Are you shaking yet? I know you’re close. Go ahead, speed up your fingers, just the way I do. It’s okay, you can come. Know you’re gonna get sleepy soon, wish I could sleep inside you, nice and tight.

Now say thank you Bradley. Good girl. 

03/14 @ 5:49pm

Thank you, Bradley. Thank you for taking care of me last night 

You like chicken piccata, right?

03/14 @ 7:33pm

Yeah, kid, I like chicken piccata. 

03/14 @ 7:39pm

Okay, that’s good. I’m going to make it when you come home. I ran it by my cooking instructor. Ina’s recipe of course. 

(I’ve read your email seven times since you sent it. I’ve thought about it constantly. I want you to take me softly and slowly that first time. But after that? I can’t wait to let go and float. Love you so much x)

03/15 @ 6:09am

You’re the boss. Good thing I’ll be home soon, you’re gonna run out of material. As is, I had to type that last one with one hand. 

Love you,

B

03/15 @ 7:21am

I’ll be good till you get home, promise. 

Have a good day, do you think we’ll get to talk much from now till Friday? Love you x

03/15 @ 7:24am

I’ll hold you to it. 

I don’t think so, might be able to send one out before leaving the boat. Better make it a good one. 

All my love

Your Bradley 

03/15 @ 7:25am

You got it! Love you bubs 

03/18 @ 11:08pm

Kid - there’s this lyric that keeps running through my head: ‘and I want you right here.’ I want you beside me - today, tomorrow, all my days. I want you right here, beside me forever. In twenty seconds, not twenty years. See you tomorrow.

All my love,

Your Bradley

03/18 @ 11:11pm

See you tomorrow, rocketman. I’ll be the one in blue.

Love you x

a/n: thanks for reading! i'll be back with part ii and part iii (hopefully not in...4 months). i had so much fun writing these and getting to explore a different format and side to their relationship! thanks to alexa @sometimesanalice, kylie @ofstoriesandstardust, cass @notroosterbradshaw, elle @dissonannce, nik @cherrycola27, and loren @heartsofminds for all the support!

#bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw x you #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #rooster imagine #bradley and smart aleck #top gun imagine #bradley bradshaw x female reader #rooster x reader

[cheolism]

you vs the universe

✧ jeon wonu x f!reader ✧ summary: you've had a bad day, starting from when the ac decided to give up in the middle of the night during summer. after a long, tiring day you return home to your beloved orange cat, butters, and your longtime crush/roommate, wonwoo ✧ wc is approx 4.2k ✧ tags: fluffy and comedy. roommates-to-lovers, mutual pining, the intimacy of mundane acts ✧ warnings: mentions of long hair; calls themself butters' "mother"; there's mentions of past injury; panic attack mention; mention of a sexual act but not in the context of it being sexual, but in the context of it being on a shirt bc i saw a sticker and got inspired ✧ note: sooooo the first two paragraphs are showing up messed up for me. There’s actually supposed to be another paragraph ahead of the current first one, but whenever I try and edit it in the post reverts back to the wrong one. So apologies for the first two paragraphs on here being messed up; when I try to fix it, it doesn’t work :(

You didn’t even want to enter your apartment complex. When you woke up in the early hours of night, you were covered in sweat. Your hair was stuck to the back of your neck, your shirt clung to your armpits. There was a damp spot on the bed from where you had been laying.

You didn’t even want to enter your apartment complex. When you woke up in the early hours of night, you were covered in sweat. Your hair was stuck to the back of your neck, your shirt clung to your armpits. There was a damp spot on the bed from where you had been laying.

After using the restroom you stumbled to the thermostat, softly cursing your orange cat as he wound himself around your ankles. You had stared at the thermostat for a second, uncomprehending. Then you frantically fled to Wonwoo’s room and woke him up. 

“Well,” he had mumbled, squinting at the bold 85 that the thermostat boasted. He fumbled with it for a moment, before relenting and announcing it was broken. “I’ll call the landlord in the morning. Not like anything can be done about it until everything opens up.”

So the two of you had opened the windows and turned on every fan in the apartment. You checked the temperature of Butters’ water fountain, ensuring the flow was still cold. Wonwoo had watched as you cooed at the tabby, reaching out and petting him before pressing quick kisses to his little orange head.

“You care more about Butters than you do me,” your roommate had said. His voice was deeper than usual, and you foolishly fought against how it seemed to force its way inside you and settle. 

“Only slightly.” Your knees had cracked when you stood again. Wonwoo was looking at your shirt, and it was then you remembered the grey cotton had done absolutely nothing to soak up your sweat and instead a large stain spread out around the neck. 

After bidding Wonwoo a good-night (for the second time in a night) you had discarded your pajamas and underwear, pulling out brand-new everything.

Which was what led to your current predicament, which was also further evidence that the universe was against you.

It wasn’t until you were standing in front of your building did you remember that the t-shirt you were wearing was your last clean one. It was the one Wonwoo had gotten you two years back when he and Mingyu had gone on a vacation to the Pacific Northwest that depicted a redwood tree and had the phrase “Big Red Stick National Forest” written across it. Even worse: you were also wearing your last clean pair of underwear, having intentionally set it aside yesterday evening as a reminder. 

The air conditioning was back on in the apartment complex, but that did nothing to stop your bad mood or clothes from clinging to you; even worse, the cold air made your sweat stains turn cool and freeze against your skin.

“The whole universe is against me,” you announced upon entering your apartment. Wonwoo glanced over from his spot on the couch. Butters stood from where he had been curled up on Wonwoo’s chest, stretching out before jumping off. 

“I think you’re exaggerating,” Wonwoo said, rather objectively. 

Butters pranced over to you, looking like a small show pony. He stretched out his front legs one final time before looking up at you, blinking his huge green eyes, and screaming. 

“I know!” You agreed, leaning down and scooping Butters up into your arms. He immediately began purring. Butters forcefully rubbed his head underneath your chin and you returned the favor, rubbing your face in his. “Wonwoo just doesn’t understand us, Butters. He’s a meanie.”

“Now how is that fair?” 

Wonwoo stood, stretching. You watched as he extended his arms up towards the ceiling, fingers splayed and reminding you of Butters after a nap. Wonwoo was wearing a tank top, one that hung from his frame and did nothing to hide his collarbone. His muscles flexed as he stretched and you couldn’t help but watch his biceps strain, and you sort of wondered what it felt like to press your hand against his lower back as he stretched, feeling how his muscles moved. 

Once upon a time, Wonwoo was nothing but a string bean with awkward angles and too-sharp elbows and knees. That was the Jeon Wonwoo you had met; that was the Jeon Wonwoo you had agreed to room with. 

But then he met Lee Jihoon and suddenly decided visiting the gym was a brilliant idea, filling one of your cupboard shelves with protein powder. 

Again: proof the universe was against you. 

You felt Butters take a deep breath, and then he was screaming again. You turned to look at him, and he reached up and settled a paw against your mouth. His lime eyes peered into yours and seemed to say “get it together, mother.”

He was right. You needed to get it together. 

“Why is the universe against you?” Wonwoo finally asked, done with his stretching. He made his way to the door, his feet bare and hair sticking up on one side, looking so painfully domestic and sweet. 

For a moment you let your mind wonder. You were a successful business woman returning from a long day at the office. There was air conditioning in your apartment. You were greeted by your trophy husband and cat. Wonwoo was telling you about his day, which consisted of cleaning and gaming. You were setting Butters back on the ground so you could grab Wonwoo around the waist, sneaking your hands up underneath that too-large tank top and settling them against his skin. You were kissing Wonwoo, unhurriedly and sweetly, taking all the time in the world because the matching rings on your fingers meant that the two of you were united forever, that you had until the end of the world to kiss Wonwoo and tell him you loved him. 

And then Butters wiggled against you, moving so he could dangle over your shoulder and forcing you to hold him like you would hold a baby you were about to burp. 

“First the air conditioning wasn't working.”

“Obviously.”

“The subway was crowded and stinky. My carriage smelled like someone pissed in it, and someone probably did. I tripped stepping off of the sidewalk and onto the crosswalk --”

“Are you okay?” Wonwoo interrupted, his dark eyebrows furrowing. He glanced over you, eyes darting behind his glasses. “Did you get hurt?”

You shook your head. Butters was purring so loudly that the neighbors could probably hear it. “Only my pride was hurt, if I’m honest. A nice man who was jogging stopped and helped me up.”

Wonwoo’s eyes narrowed for a split second before his face took on his normal neutral look. You wondered if he was still hooked on the prospect of you falling. A handful of months ago you had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, walking in front of Soonyoung just as Seungcheol launched a killer pitch at him, the ball slamming into your stomach and causing you to double over. 

Wonwoo hadn’t seen it happen; had only heard Seungcheol and Soonyoung’s shouts from the kitchen where he and a few others had been talking. You remember Wonwoo suddenly appearing at your side, practically shoving Soonyoung away from you and taking you into his arms. You remember him petting your head as you cried from the pain, Seungcheol recounting what had happened; you also recall Wonwoo shouting at Seungcheol and Soonyoung, whisking you away from the get-together and ignoring his two friends for a week. 

That entire week he was hovering around you. He would routinely ask if it was okay to touch your stomach, if he could look at it, just to see the progress of the violent bruise that was forming. Wonwoo constantly had a frozen bag of peas or corn ready for you, switching one out whenever he deemed it too warm. It wasn’t until the bruise was fading and you urged him to get in contact with Seungcheol and Soonyoung did he finally let up on his mothering. 

He was a good friend, caring so much about your wellbeing. Your heart fluttered a little at his concern, and you shifted Butters in your hold so you could reach out and squeeze his arm. “Don’t worry about it, Wonwoo! I didn’t even land hard enough to get a scratch, see?” 

You offered the hand of your palm for him to inspect. He glanced at it casually. He then reached out and grabbed your wrist, eyes trained on the skin there. “That was nice of the old man to help you,” Wonwoo said. 

“Oh, he wasn’t old.” He kept his eyes trained on your palm. You wiggled your fingers. You wanted him to look away from your hand with that serious look, wanted him to instead meet your eyes with his dark ones and be on the receiving end of such an open display of devotion. But instead it was your hand he looked at with such seriousness. 

Again: the universe was against you.

 “Thought you said he was an old man,” Wonwoo returned, tone casually. He pushed up his glasses. 

You shook your head, Butters letting out a trill of discontent at the movement. “No, I reckon he was around our age? You should’ve seen his calf muscles, Wonie. They were huge.”

Wonwoo hummed a little. His thumb began brushing against your palm, gently swiping the skin there. Your heart began to beat in rhythm with the movement of his thumb. “Did you get his number, then?”

You furrowed your brow. “Why on Earth would I do that?”

Wonwoo finally looked up from your hand. His eyes no longer had that serious look to them, and a small smile curled the edge of his lips. You liked how he grinned like that, when his smiles weren’t large enough and instead seemed to play with only one side of his mouth. It made him look adorable; endearing; sweet. 

“Okay. So no air conditioning; you tripped; the subway smelled like piss. What else am I missing?”

Wonwoo’s thumb stopped brushing against your palm. He released your hand. You immediately missed it and wanted to reach out and return his hand to its rightful place in yours. 

“Uh. My chapstick was so hot from the weather that when I went to apply it, it was all mush. My airpods disconnected and Taemin’s MOVE blasted in the elevator. A toddler was screaming in the middle of the CVS and I honestly wanted to start screaming with him, because today has fucking sucked.”

Wonwoo nodded. He was still grinning. “Wow. Anything else?”

“My clothes are smelly and wet -- even my underwear.”

Wonwoo blinked. 

Your eyes widened. You let out a shriek; Butters screamed with you. “NO -- they’re wet from sweat! I’m wet from sweating! Not from anything else -- just sweat! Because it’s so hot! It’s hot outside!”

“Ah,” Wonwoo’s mouth was agape, eyes round. He glanced at the wall. Back at you. At Butters. Back at you. 

The universe was fucking against you.

“You can borrow some of mine,” he said.

And because the universe was so against you that even your own self was against you, you agreed. 

The t-shirt he gave you was several sizes too-large, as Wonwoo tended to go for comfort over what looked good more often than not. It was from the vacation you, he, Mingyu, Seokmin and Minghao had taken around Christmas. You had said something about the Grand Canyon being the perfect place to take pictures and then suddenly Wonwoo was presenting you with a plane ticket and saying your flight was the next day. 

And so your little group of photography nerds had ooo’d and aaah’d the Grand Canyon. Wonwoo hadn’t gotten a shirt at the giftshop, you remember (and tried to shove away the shame you felt at remembering something as little as that), but at a gas station several miles out he had suddenly appeared with a plastic bag and a large smile. 

Then he had presented you with the shirt you were wearing currently. It had a picture of the Grand Canyon with a little hiker on the edge. There was a quote bubble coming out from the hiker that said “I rimmed the Grand Canyon”. 

Seokmin had actually peed himself from laughing so hard. 

His underwear was snug around your middle, and you tightened your shorts in an effort to keep them up. You walked from the bathroom, feeling infinitely better. Wonwoo was setting a bowl next to the sink, and as soon as he caught sight of you his eyes went almost comically wide. You did a little spin, Butters screaming at your feet. 

“Ta-dah!” You cheered, doing jazz hands. “Better, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo agreed. “Loads better.” 

You joined Wonwoo at the sink, pushing your hair behind your ears. A fan sat on top of the kitchen table, practically starting a tornado from how violently it spun the air. 

“What’s up with your buddy over there,” you asked, nodding towards the fan. 

Wonwoo looked over at the fan. He had been looking at your chest, but to be fair to him, that was where the iconic text that still sent Seokmin into hysterics eight months later was. Wonwoo was probably just reading the phrase and reliving Seokmin’s embarrassment at having wet himself. 

“Ah,” Wonwoo began. He pushed up his glasses. “I had cereal and it was hot.”

“Your cereal was hot?”

He looked back at you, eyebrows raising. “No? What -- why the fuck would my cereal be hot?”

“You just said it was!”

“No? I meant it was hot in the apartment,” he clarified. Wonwoo’s voice had that same tone he got when he found someone absolutely ridiculous. “The heat is definitely getting to you.”

You rolled your eyes. “Whatever. But I do know you’re not leaving me to do all these dishes.”

The pile was tragic. It was tragic in that it was a sore reminder that even with the two of you combined, you and Wonwoo didn’t have a single responsible brain cell. Or perhaps you did; Butters was still alive, afterall. So that had to qualify for something.

At least the pile was washed off, you justified. 

It could be worse. 

Like Seokmin and Soonyoung’s shared apartment. 

“Okay,” Wonwoo began. He turned to face the dishes with you, hands splayed on the counter. His hands were tan, just like the rest of him, from spending time outside exercising with Mingyu (Jihoon absolutely refused to exercise outside). Every time you looked at his hands and were reminded of how large they were, you couldn’t help but swallow and try to combat the heat that flashed through you. 

His hands were big. Almost comically big. Except it wasn’t funny how everytime you saw his hands you wanted to reach out and lace your fingers through his, you wanted to press kisses to his palms, wanted to know how it felt to have his hands settled at the base of your neck, guiding your head into a kiss --

Anyways. Anyways. 

There was a dull thud. You looked to see Butters peering over the edge of the coffee table at a book he had no doubt pushed off. He looked away from the book and at you. Your eyes met, and you knew for a fact that if Butters was capable of judging another being, he would absolutely be judging you. 

“You were going to leave the dishes to me, though,” Wonwoo pointed out. You looked at him. He was smiling down at you, eyes crinkling. 

“Okay, you caught me,” you returned. “Now that we both know each other’s evil plan, let’s do them together.”

There was a brief pause. And then Wonwoo narrowed his eyes, cocking his head. “Do you hear that?”

You went still, trying to listen. “No, I don’t. What --”

“My phone is ringing,” Wonwoo said, pushing away from the sink. “I better go and see who it is!”

“I see your PHONE IN YOUR POCKET, ASSHOLE!”

Nonetheless, you shoved your hair back from your face and looked down at the pile of dishes. Sighing, hopefully loud enough for Wonwoo to hear, you forcefully turned on the water. You shoved the plug into the sink, vowing to make Wonwoo pay somehow. 

You rearranged the dishes, setting the larger bowls and plates on the counter. You tucked your escaping bangs back behind your ears again. You began with the bowls, scrubbing them and trying to come up with a master plan to get Wonwoo back for his desertion. 

Maybe you could only do your half of the dishes and leave his dirty ones. But then he’d catch on and just start ordering out more in an effort to not have to clean. You could make him clean out the litter box, but it was his turn to do it anyway. You could invite him to a movie night and make him watch the Barbie movies, but then again he somehow always found a way to enjoy himself during them. 

You could make him watch a kid’s show. Maybe like Bluey? Fuck wait, though, you genuinely enjoyed Bluey and didn’t want to turn it into a punishment. 

You let out a groan when your bangs fell from behind your ears, obscuring part of your vision again. You shoved them back, uncaring of the water that fell from your hands and dripped onto the shirt. 

Oh! You could invite him to a movie night and invite Mingyu and not tell him! You had unintentionally done it once, having forgotten to tell Wonwoo that you had invited your mutual friend until Mingyu was knocking on the apartment door. Wonwoo had seemed sour the entire night, but you waved it off at him just being pissed that Mingyu took the last soda from the fridge. 

Yes. That was the play. 

You grinned at your brilliance, wiggling a little in celebration. Your hair shifted and once again your bangs fell to your face, dangling in front of your eyes. 

Groaning, you lifted your hands from the soapy water to try and force your hair to obey you and keep away from your face. Then two hands settled on your waist, squeezing. 

You jumped, shrieking a little. Wonwoo laughed, his chuckle deep and bringing heat to your cheeks. He squeezed your waist again. “Just me.”

“Well I know that now,” you snapped. “Announce yourself next time, dude. Could’ve been holding a knife and stabbed you. Reflexively.”

“Reflexively,” he mocked, before letting out another huff of laughter. You felt his warm breath on the back of your neck. Despite the humidity and heat, you shivered. 

His hands moved from your waist, but you didn’t get a chance to miss them as they traveled up your body, close enough for you to feel the ghost of them. “Don’t move, baby.”

Obediently, terribly obediently, you went still. His long fingers carded through your hair, untangling it. If you were Butters you would have been purring. Then Wonwoo chuckled again as if he was laughing at you, and you couldn’t help but wonder if you were somehow purring. Then you caught yourself leaning back into his touch and realized why he was laughing. 

You immediately straightened, pushing as close to the sink as you could. The edge of the counter dug into your stomach. 

Wonwoo tugged one of your locks of hair. “Listen to me,” he chastised you. “I told you to be still.”

“I am,” you whined. 

He didn’t say anything. His hands returned to your hair. Wonwoo’s fingers resumed their petting, but this time they didn’t linger. He pulled at your hair, gathering it. It wasn’t until he was tying the scrunchie around your hair a second time did you realize what he was doing. 

Your roommate was tying your hair up for you. 

Wonwoo was tying your hair for you. 

Jeon Wonwoo, the man you‘ve been daydreaming about for the past two years, the man you’ve been imagining holding hands and even kissing, was putting up your hair. He had seen you struggle with your bangs and took it upon himself to help you. He didn’t just hand you the scrunchie but did it himself. 

You turned around as soon as you felt him tighten the scrunchie enough so it would hold. You peered up at him; he looked back down at you. His face was as neutral as ever, but even then you saw the little shine in his dark eyes. You wondered if you were delusional, wondered if he felt the same pull you did, if he felt the string that tied the two of you together tighten and urge you together. 

“Why did you do that?

Wonwoo was quiet for a moment. Then he tilted his head, eyes narrow and sharp. “Guess.”

And then he was pulling away from you completely. Your mind was blank as he took a handful of steps away from you, watching him run a hand through his black hair and the muscles on his back flex. 

Guess. 

You were on him in a second. 

Your hands went to his waist, turning him towards you as you lifted yourself onto the tip of your toes. He was leaning down to you, one of his hands going to your shoulder, bringing you close, the other to your cheek, guiding you to his mouth. 

It was frantic and messy. He was pulling you closer and closer, arm wrapping around your shoulders and fingers sinking into your hair. His mouth was hot against yours, his tongue insistent and sloppy as it forced its way into your mouth. You let him in, your hands hurriedly shoving up the hem of his tank top and flattening against his skin. You felt the warmth of him, both from his skin and his mouth. 

“Fuck,” he breathed. “Fuck.”

You let out a soft little noise somewhere between a sigh and a moan. He cursed again, his hands moving. One cupped your jaw and the other went to your neck. You let him manipulate you, his mouth taking and taking from yours, his teeth biting down on your lip. 

The hand in your hair pulled sharply; you gasped. 

Wonwoo pulled away. The hand on your jaw moved, the other one still holding you in place. You watched, heart fluttering and gut clenching, as he removed his glasses and tossed them onto the table. 

And then his mouth descended onto yours, devouring once more. He pressed ever closer, his hand traveling to grip at your waist. He murmured your name, chanted it, as if it were ancient words of prayer. Wonwoo kissed you like you were a god and it was his offering, spit smearing across your mouths and nails digging into skin.

There was an inhuman scream. You let out a shout of your own against Wonwoo’s mouth, pulling away and whipping your head towards the sound. 

Butters screamed again, scrambling against the coffee table before launching himself off it. He continued his scream as he sprinted across the living room and into the kitchen, his orange tail pointed straight up into the air. Butters slid on the hard floor as he came upon his food bowl, where the automated feeder was dinging and announcing dinner time. 

You watched your orange cat inhale his food, completely unaware (or uncaring) of what had just taken place between his parents. Slowly you turned to look up at Wonwoo, who was already looking at you. 

“Uh,” you eloquently began. Shyness crept its way into you, as if you didn’t just have Wonwoo’s tongue down your throat and weren’t half a second away from offering yourself on a silver platter. 

“Hi,” he returned, just as awkwardly. He shifted, his hands moving. One remained at your waist while the other went to the table, retrieving the glasses he had heatedly discarded. 

You watched as he put them back on. The air was silent between the two of you, but just as rigid as in the moments leading up to the kiss. But instead of filling you with passion and heat it made you cringe, your hands flexing against Wonwoo’s bare back. 

“Okay --” “So here’s the thing --”

Both of you abruptly broke off. You and Wonwoo were both still as you waited for the other to continue. When neither of you did you couldn’t help but giggle, pitching yourself forward to bury your face into his chest. 

Wonwoo’s chest rumbled as he laughed, his arms going around you to hold you close. You felt him press his face into your hair, glasses digging into the top of your head. Your heart was beating rapidly in your chest, thudding loud against your ribcage.

This was it. 

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for like, two years,” you mumbled into his shirt, words rushed and your mouth practically smashing against his chest.

Wonwoo was still for a moment. You felt as if eternity had fit itself into those few seconds of pause, your heart coming to a complete still as your mind leapt to conclusions. This was the moment everything would change, and your brain was screaming like Butters did at midnight when he found either you or Wonwoo's bedroom doors closed.

Then he was pulling you away from him, one of his hands coming to guide your chin so you were looking up at him. His eyes were soft and sweet, and the corner of his mouth was beginning to pull up in a smile. “Say that again? I didn’t hear you.”

“Yes you did,” you protested. You were grinning; your heart was dancing. “Asshole.”

Wonwoo chuckled again, and then his mouth descended on yours. 

Okay. Maybe the universe wasn’t completely against you.

#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #jeon wonwoo #wonwoo #jeon wonwoo x reader #wonwoo x reader #svt jeon wonwoo #svt wonwoo #svt wonwoo x reader #svt #seventeen #svt fic #svt x reader #svt fluff #wonwoo fluff #my fic #i want the grand canyon thing on a tee pls and thanks #that's actually what i'm most proud of #nvm the fic #the shirt is what i want #sorry wonwoo #priorities #my writing

[slippinmickeys]

Totality

Fiona made me write an eclipse fic.

Scully gently shut the door behind her, the crisp blue duffle with leather handles in her grip; the go-bag she always left in her car, just in case. It had been a just-in case, Mulder had to admit. They’d had to fly to Idaho with no time to pack, and had worked a grueling five days straight on a series of local murders with only enough time to catch maybe four hours of sleep a night and pop into a shabby JC Penneys once for more underwear. They were both overworked, overtired, and their suits–of which each of them only had two–were overworn; ripe with the scents of stale sweat and stale coffee and stale eau de morgue. 

Scully looked weary as she handed over the bag to where Mulder stood in front of their rental car’s open trunk. 

“How far away is the airport again?” she asked, squinting up at him as he deposited her bag next to his and slammed the trunk closed. 

“Only about an hour,” he answered, mentally girding himself for what he was about to tell her. “But, I uh,” he went on, “pushed back our flights to this evening.”

Her posture visibly slumped. “You…what?” 

Mulder bit his lip, hoping he hadn’t made a horrible miscalculation. He knew she wanted nothing more than to get home, slide into a hot bath and pull the covers over her head for three straight days. She’d certainly earned it. 

“Hop in the car,” he said, moving to the driver’s side door. “I have a surprise.”

He was exhausted himself, his nerves shot. He was running on caffeine and cortisol, his skeleton rattling with every step. But this…she would like this. He was sure of it. 

“Mulder,” she said wearily, a whine in her voice that he’d rarely had the opportunity to hear. But she said nothing more and reluctantly dropped into the passenger seat, leaning her head against the headrest and rolling it to look at him beseechingly after she’d clicked her seat belt on. 

Mulder turned the ignition and the sedan growled to life under them. 

“It’s a good surprise,” he assured her. 

She only sighed, and they bumped out of the hotel parking lot and onto town’s main drag, the sun shining on the shabby line of depressing suburbia. Ten minutes and five stop lights later, Mulder pulled into the mostly empty parking lot of a dying mall, the tires popping over stray gravel and broken glass. He cranked the wheel and the car swung over the cracked asphalt in front of a defunct Frederick & Nelson, turning in a reflex angle and stopping when the sun shone in full through the windshield. He killed the engine. 

Scully opened her mouth to say something, but he reached into the inner pocket of his suit coat and pulled out a couple scraps of cardboard, handing one over before she could voice a complaint. 

It took her a moment to register what he was handing her. 

“Eclipse glasses?” she said, sitting up a little in her seat. 

Mulder had found the black polymer lenses next to the cash register at a local coffee shop that morning, the bespectacled co-ed working it disinterestedly telling him he could have two pairs for a dollar. 

The upcoming eclipse had been in the news recently, but he’d mostly ignored it–back east it would only be partial at best, the path of totality only hitting the Pacific Northwest and parts of Canada. Four murders and a rough case later, he hadn’t given it another thought. Until that morning in the coffee shop. 

“We’re in the path of totality here,” he explained. “We’ll only get it for about a minute and ten seconds according to the local newspaper, but I thought you might like to see it.”

A look Mulder couldn’t read crossed over her face and he swallowed.

“The next full eclipse over North America won’t be until 2017,” he went on nervously. “I can probably change the tickets back if you-”

Scully reached out and put a warm hand on his arm, cutting him off. 

“I’d love to see it,” she said delicately. “Thank you.”

Despite the dark smudges under her eyes, the soft smile she gave him quieted any lingering apprehension about his decision, and he gave her a smile back. 

“I figured we could get on the hood, lean against the windshield,” he said.

“What time does it start?” she asked, popping her wrist out from her sleeve to look at her watch. 

“In about five minutes,” he grinned. 

Scully fingered the glasses and then opened her car door. Energized, Mulder did the same. 

“I ask you to avert your eyes,” he said drolly, putting a hand on the warm hood of the car before awkwardly lumbering his way on top of it, the metal plane thumping loudly under him as it dented to accommodate his weight and then popped back into place. 

Scully, opting to watch, looked on primly. 

Once he was settled, he held out a hand. 

“Milady,” he said, and she settled her warm palm onto his, grabbing on while she put a foot on top of the tire and dexterously swung herself up next to him. 

“Nimble,” he complimented her, reluctantly letting go of her hand. 

She shrugged and leaned back gingerly against the windshield, mindful of the smear of desiccated bugs across the face of it. 

“Here, wait,” Mulder said. He sat up quickly and peeled off his suit coat, rolling it into a ball to tuck behind her head, pillow-like. 

“Thanks,” she said quietly. 

“Don’t mention it.” 

Mulder could feel something ineffable pass between them. He coughed once awkwardly, and then pressed his eclipse glasses to his face, the sharp cardboard edge digging into the skin behind his ear. 

“How do I look?” he asked. 

“Like a dork,” Scully said, delicately donning her own, in, Mulder hoped, solidarity. 

She looked nothing like a dork, Mulder thought, eyeing the sharp lines of her face. She looked like a space girl, sleek and silver, an otherworldly beauty. 

He cleared his throat. “So do you.”

Scully’s face was tilted to the sky and he turned to follow her gaze. 

“It’s starting,” she said, her voice a little irreverent. 

Mulder looked at the sun, dark through polymer lenses of the protective eyewear. The moon was just beginning to edge itself in front of its celestial sister; incremental, pendulous. 

Lacking the pillow he’d given Scully, he raised his arms up and bent his elbows, resting his head back against cupped hands. Beside him, Scully breathed serenely.  He caught a whiff of his fusty clothing and hoped his jacket had fared better in the olfactory department than his shirt. 

They were silent for long minutes, watching the gradual procession of moon across sun. The day was bright but began to take on a verging luminosity, and Mulder raised his glasses up to take a look at the dark shadow of the car under them, which took on an off-putting sharpness against the dusty asphalt. 

“What do you think ancient peoples made of solar eclipses?” came Scully’s voice, a little dreamy. “What must they have thought?”

It was an invitation to oratory. A small gift. Mulder smiled. 

“Cultures throughout the world had wildly different theories,” he said, and Scully turned her head towards him, her eyes hidden behind the dark lenses. “Most of them, obviously, wildly incorrect.” Despite the fact that he couldn’t see her eyes, her look was encouraging. 

“The sun being devoured was popular,” he went on. “From the Norse mythology of Sköll,” at this she smiled. “To Asian cultures like in Java and Vietnam that variously had creatures or monsters swallowing the sun. It was commonly held in ancient China that a celestial dragon attacked and devoured it. Here in the Northwest, the Pomo people’s name for a solar eclipse is ‘Sun got bit by a bear.’”

The bear, Mulder mused, was widening its jaw. It was getting gradually darker, and he could feel the temperature start to dip. He put his glasses back on and looked back at the sun. 

“The Inca and Ancient Greek believed eclipses were a sign of a wrathful and unhappy god.”

Scully hummed. “The word ‘eclipse’ comes from the Greek word meaning ‘abandonment.’”

“Right,” Mulder said, “though I think I prefer mythologies of a more solicitous nature.”

Scully raised her glasses to give him a look. “Solicitous?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Mulder couldn’t help his grin. “In Australian oral traditions, the moon falls in love with the sun and chases her across the sky. If caught, the sun plunges the world into darkness. Medicine men recite magical chants to combat the evil omen. In German mythology, the sun and the moon are married. One rules the day while the other the night. When the moon is lonely, he’s drawn to his bride and they come together to create a solar eclipse.”

She looked at him frankly. “You know a weird amount about eclipses.”

“I like to impress you.”

“Is this why you were so late getting back to the hotel this morning? Research? My coffee was cold.”

“But are you impressed?”

“I wasn’t impressed by the coffee…”

Mulder gave her a long look, the odd light turning her hair a hazy copper wool.

“I like the German one best,” she finally said, plunking her glasses back on and leaning back to gaze at the sky. 

“Me too,” Mulder said. 

More long minutes of silence between them with the occasional car whooshing past on the roadway. Mall security drove by them slowly and Mulder gave the rent-a-cop a small salute. It was impossible to see Scully with the glasses on, so he kept taking them off. 

“You’re going to permanently burn your macula,” Scully said from beside him, not taking her eyes off the welkin of the heavens above them. 

He ran his eyes over the brushstroke of freckles on her nose. She was goddess-like; as luminous as a star. If he was the moon, he’d chase her through the sky, too. 

“You lose enough photoreceptors you won’t pass your next firearms recertification.”

He was tempted to tell her that in all the years he’d known her, her shine hadn’t damaged anything but his poor, lonely heart, but pulled his glasses back down and looked to the sun. It was nearly covered.

He sighed and felt her hand reach for his. His heart beat hard once against his sternum. 

“You can take them off during the totality,” she said, squeezing. “And should. It’s supposed to be incredible.”

“You ever seen it?” He asked her quietly. She was still holding onto his hand. 

“I missed the one in ‘79.”

“Me too,” he said. 

Around them, the air had taken on a distinct chill and the light shining down had grown metallic. Next to the car, in the long shadows of the trees along the edge of the mall driveway appeared little crescents. The colors on the mall’s signage dimmed and brightened. Mulder sat up and pulled his glasses off and blinked, shaking his head. The world felt odd, he couldn’t properly adjust his vision. It felt decidedly like the moment after someone takes your picture with a bright flash.

Scully still held his hand and squeezed it. 

“It’s called the Purkinje effect,” she said calmly, pulling off her own glasses with her other hand, and looking around with a wondrous smile. “As we near totality and the light dims, our eyes transition from photopic vision–which uses the retina’s cone cells to deliver full colors and fine detail–toward scotopic night vision, which relies on rod cells to detect objects in low light. When the light’s intensity dims in an eclipse, colors with longer wavelengths like red will look darker as the cones become less active. But rods are sensitive to shorter blue-green wavelengths, and those colors will appear to shine. It’s not just you. It’s the rod and cone cells in your eyes trying to make sense of the sudden dimness.”

Scully put her glasses back on and looked up at the eclipse. Mulder felt a surge of something so like love that his eyes burned. 

Scully pulled in a sudden inhale of breath. 

“The totality,” she said, pulling off her glasses and gazing up. “It’s starting.”

Mulder raised his eyes to the heavens. The world was dusk-like, the stars in the top of the dome of the heavens were winking on. In the bushes nearby, crickets began to chirp. 

The eclipse itself was like nothing he’d seen before outside of a big budget movie. The moon was utter blackness, but along the upper edge of the eclipsed sun was a hot pink half-ring that erupted into a single bring spot along the edge of the moon’s shadow like the diamond in a giant engagement ring formed by the rest of the sun’s atmosphere.

And then the flaming plasma of corona as the moon reached complete totality. Second contact. It was a living thing. Streams of white light danced around the ring of the black moon. Scully gasped in pleasure and Mulder couldn’t help but exclaim: “Wow!”

He pulled his eyes from the eclipse itself and looked around. Along the entire horizon, all 360 degrees of it, was in full, brilliant sunset. Everything else was the darkness of post golden-hour. He turned toward his partner and locked eyes with her. Her smile was brilliant, and she held his gaze for only a moment before canting her face back to the eclipse itself. 

“This is incredible,” she said breathlessly. 

He had found, as the years of their partnership wound on, that their job turned them into ecstatics, subject to mystical experiences. This was perhaps the most transcendent of them all. He would remember the moment forever. 

 “It is,” he agreed. 

A sharp flash, and Scully squeezed his hand. 

“Third contact,” she said. “Put your glasses back on.”

He did as she asked, and they leaned back and watched in silence as the moon continued its journey, as the sky relit and the nighttime animals calmed, as the world came back to itself. 

Eventually, Scully sat up. The light was still odd, seeming to come almost from inside her, and she lowered her glasses and leaned in to him. For a heady, divine moment, Mulder thought she was about to kiss him, but instead she pressed her cool lips to his cheek, her hair falling down to brush along the skin of his jaw. 

“Thank you, Mulder,” she said, and then straightened, the cool air rushing to fill the space she’d just been. 

“You’re welcome, Scully,” he said, his voice a little rough. He lowered his glasses slowly and watched her slide off the hood of the car, watched her stretch and smile to herself; a Mona Lisa grin gently stretching the planes of a face with the same faultless symmetry of the celestial bodies sliding across the sky.

#the x files #fanfic #my fic #ficlet #prompt #msr #please forgive the scientific/historical/canon inaccuracies #i really should have been working

[zegrasdrysdale]

[ sneaking into vegas ] j. drysdale

part one !

paring : Jamie Drysdale x fem!!reader

summary : (Y/N) flies into Vegas to surprise Jamie for his first NHL game in nearly a year

warning(s) : none

author's note : listen, this was supposed to be a little thing but it turned out to be over 2k words so … i got a little carried away

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She was supposed to be across the country in New York, but when her boyfriend told her that he was going to be playing in his first NHL game since he got hurt last year, she couldn't resist getting on a plane to go watch him.

Especially after she saw who Anaheim was going to be playing for their season opener. (Y/N) knew that she needed to be in Vegas for that game. Even if that meant leaving New York a week early.

Jamie doesn't know she's coming. As a matter of fact, she tells him that she's going to be in her temporary office catching up on some work all day so he doesn't suspect anything when she doesn't reply to him all day because she has an eight-hour travel day ahead of her.

Her flight leaves at nine in the morning and she won't be getting into Vegas until two in the afternoon pacific time. That leaves her nearly five hours to check into the hotel that the Ducks are staying in while they're in Vegas for the game, get something to eat, and head to the arena without alerting Jamie to where she is.

Should be easy since she knows that Jamie will be at morning skate from eleven until two then will take a nap and eat before he heads to the arena at five. He has things that will keep him busy so she can sneak into Vegas.

On the contrary, Trevor knows that she's coming in and has a whole plan to keep Jamie busy if he decides not to take a nap after morning skate. They've been working together for the past few days so make sure the surprise goes smoothly. He's supposed to pick her up from the airport as soon as he's done practice.

(Y/N) has never watched Jamie play a game of NHL hockey. They met after he got hurt last October and started dating in February. She's very excited to be in the arena for his first regular season game back from injury. She doesn't care if she's the only Ducks fan in the place. She'll be making sure she cheers loudly for Jamie and his teammates.

At two on the dot, the plane lanes at Harry Reid International Airport. When (Y/N) gets off the plane a few minutes later, she texts Trevor and lets him know that her flight has landed. He replies and says that he's waiting for her in his rental whenever she grabs her suitcase from baggage claim.

A few notifications come through while she's waiting for her bags. All from Jamie throughout the morning.

j ♡ - 10:04 am hope you have a good day at work. will miss you. hope you can catch the game tonight if you aren't working super late

j ♡ - 10:49 am forgot to say that i love you so ... i love you 🩷 gotta go to morning skate so talk to you later

j ♡ - 2.08 pm z ditched me if you're not busy for a short call. i don't think i'll be able to sleep before the game so call me if you have a few minutes

She looks at Trevor and asks, "Do you think he'll be suspicious if I call him really quick? I think he has some pre-game nerves and I told him I'd only work until dinnertime, which is what time it is in New York."

"I don't think so," Trevor replies. "It'll be like you're calling him on your way back from work. Just don't get all cute and everything. The two of you make me sick when you get all lovey-dovey with each other. I already hear it from Jamie every day."

(Y/N) sticks her tongue out at Trevor as she clicks 'call' on Jamie's contact. Trevor lowers the music so she can talk on the phone.

It rings three times before Jamie picks up. "Hi, baby," he breathes out when he answers the phone. "I've been needing to hear your voice."

"Hi, Jamie baby," (Y/N) replies. Jamie's nickname causes Trevor to make a face as he drives. She swats at his shoulder. "How was morning skate? You just got done a little bit ago, right?"

"Yeah," Jamie says. "It went good. I think it went well. I feel pretty good about playing tonight, minus the fact that we're playing Vegas and I got hurt playing against them last year. I'm just nervous about playing them after last year."

She frowns. "Hey, you'll be okay," she assures him. "You're going to play so well tonight. I know you will. No matter what happens tonight, I'm proud of you. I'm excited for you to get back on the ice, and I know your teammates are too. I'm pretty sure Z has missed having you on the ice with him."

"I've missed being on the ice with them, but what if I do something wrong?" Jamie questions. "What if I give up the puck and they score on the giveaway? What if I fall and land on my shoulder wrong? What if-"

"Jamie, stop," (Y/N) interrupts. "None of that is going to happen, okay? Not intentionally. You're working yourself up and you shouldn't be because this is what you're good at. You wouldn't be in the NHL if you weren't good at hockey, baby. There's a reason you're playing for Anaheim at the professional level. Do what you do best tonight. Your teammates are there to pick you up if you need them to until you get comfortable. Stop freaking yourself out."

They pull up to the hotel and Trevor parks his rental away from the main entrance so none of the Ducks players see (Y/N) and report to Jamie that his girlfriend is at the hotel. "You're right," Jamie sighs. "I'm sorry to bother you with this while you're at work."

"I'm actually on my way back to the apartment," (Y/N) tells him. "But even if I was still at work, bother me with this any time. I'll never be mad if you want me to call you because you're nervous for a game."

"I don't deserve you, (Y/N)," Jamie says. "I truly don't. I love you so much."

The comment brings a smile to her lips. "I love you more," she replies. "I'm pulling into the parking lot now so I'll talk to you later. Maybe you can get Z to bring you something to eat if you can't sleep."

Jamie laughs and says, "If I bug him enough then he'll definitely bring me food. I'll let you go though, get settled in for the night. I'll talk to you after the game."

"Call me after," she tells him. "I don't care that it'll be after one in the morning. Call me and tell me all about the game. I'll want to hear all about it and how it went."

"I will," Jamie replies. "I love you."

"I love you too."

The line goes dead after that and (Y/N) realizes that she has a small smile on her lips. He won't have to call her after the game. She'll be waiting outside the locker room when he gets done showering and getting dressed after the game.

Trevor gets out of the car and mumbles, "The two of you make me sick." She laughs and gets out of the car after him.

He grabs her suitcase from the trunk and hands it over to her when it's on the ground. With Trevor following close behind, (Y/N) walks into the hotel. She checks into the room that she'll only be in for about four hours total because Jamie is going to make sure they're together that night, and she doesn't want him to kick Trevor out of the room.

It’s been a few weeks since they’ve seen each other so she wanted to make sure there was a room they could stay in together.

Trevor walks her to her room, which is a floor below the Ducks’ rooms. “We’re in 504,” he tells her. He hands her the extra key to his and Jamie’s room while she hands him the extra key to her room. “I’ll let you know if he sleeps, which I doubt but I’ll let you know.”

“Make sure he stays calm and remind him that he knows what he’s doing,” (Y/N) tells him. “Don’t let him freak himself out.”

“I’ll just distract him,” Trevor replies. “With food or with an activity that he likes to do. Maybe I’ll take him to a casino for a bit, I don’t know. I’ve got him though. Until you take over after the game.”

She nods and Trevor walks up to his and Jamie’s room. With a sigh, she opens the door and lets herself into the room.

Her suitcase with the jersey she’s wearing to the game is left right by the door and she goes right to the bed. She sets an alarm for five so she wakes up after the Ducks leave for the arena. She’ll leave a half an hour later so she doesn’t run into Jamie when he’s on his way out the door.

After a long day of traveling for the surprise tonight, (Y/N) is fast asleep almost right after she puts her phone on the table to charge.

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T-Mobile Arena is one of the nicest arenas that (Y/N) has ever gone to. Most of the people are nice. She gets a few looks from Golden Knights fans because she’s in the Drysdale jersey that Jamie gave to her. She loves the jersey, and she promised him that she’d wear it to the first game he plays in after his injury.

That game is tonight.

She makes her way down to her seat with the other Duck wives and girlfriends, and they’re all excited to see her. Some of them meet her for the first time, but they’re all super nice.

The puck drops a little after seven, and (Y/N) spots number 6 almost immediately. He glides around the ice like he’s flying, and she’s mesmerized by it.

(Y/N) has watched practices and Jamie work with Trevor throughout the past few months while he recovered from his injury. That is nothing compared to what she’s watching right now.

Vegas gets on the board first with two seconds left in the first period, and the fans erupt around her and the other wives and girlfriends.

Then they score again with five minutes left in the second period.

Then they score again six minutes into the third period. It’s not looking very good for the Ducks at this point. (Y/N) finds herself frowning because she knows that they wanted to be a better team this season.

About thirty seconds later, the Ducks get themselves on the board with a goal from Mason. Their little group celebrates the goal.

(Y/N) knows that Jamie had the puck before Mason put it in the net. His first point in over a year in his first game back from injury. It causes her to scream a little louder in celebration. Her mouth hurts from smiling. She swears the smile doesn’t drop until the final horn blares through the arena, signaling a 4-1 Vegas win.

Not the best first game, but it’s only game one of 82.

After the game, (Y/N) finds her way down to the locker room where the Ducks are. She leans against the wall right outside and waits.

She can hear Greg Cronin on the other side of the door talking to his team about the game. She didn’t think they did terrible, but they’re in there getting lectured like they gave up ten goals.

Yeah, Jamie might be really excited to see (Y/N) when he leaves the locker room. Especially after getting a long lecture from his coach.

He played a good game, and she’s proud of him. She’s happy that she decided to hop on a plane and come out to Vegas to watch Jamie play. She’ll be even happier when he comes out of that locker room in a little bit.

Cronin leaves the room with a heavy sigh and doesn’t even acknowledge (Y/N) standing in the hallway. She doesn’t even care.

A few minutes after Cronin leaves, Trevor sticks his head out into the hallway. “He’ll be right out,” he tells her. “He’s hitting the showers really quick before he leaves. I don’t think he’s in a good mood but when he sees you, that’ll change.”

She nods and Trevor disappears back into the room.

Just to mess with Jamie a bit, she takes a picture on her Instagram story of the giant Vegas logo and geotags T-Mobile Arena. Jamie has her notifications on so he’ll see that as soon as he checks his phone.

Ten minutes pass and (Y/N) is getting antsy. She knows that he doesn’t take very long showers so he’ll be coming out of that locker room any minute.

Several Ducks leave and greet her as they pass while she waits for Jamie. Troy pops his head back into the locker room when he sees her and says, “Hey, Jimmy. Someone’s here to see you.”

“Who?”

“You’ll see.”

(Y/N) shoots Troy a smile as he walks down the hall to get on the bus.

The door opens and a very confused Jamie Drysdale walks out of the locker room. His eyes land on (Y/N) and he runs up to her. She smiles as Jamie hugs her around her torso and lifts her off her feet.

She giggles and wraps herself around Jamie. Her legs are around his waist and her arms are around his neck. He buries his face into her neck and she puts her nose in his wet hair.

“When did you-”

“Earlier today,” she says into his hair. “Worked with Z to make sure you didn’t see me when I got in. When I saw you were playing Vegas in your first regular season game back after injury, I had to come out and watch.”

Jamie sets her down but doesn’t let her go. She looks up at him and he looks genuinely surprised to see her. Good to know Trevor didn’t blab and ruin the surprise.

“I can’t believe you’re here in Vegas,” Jamie breathes out. “You saw my assist in person?”

She smiles and nods. “I saw your assist in person,” she replies. “I’m very proud of you, Jamie baby. First point in a while. I told you that you had nothing to freak out about. You’re a talented player. I had no doubt that you would be amazing tonight. Maybe even pick up a point or two.”

The smile that Jamie gives her makes her heart flutter. This is the smile she has missed and wanted to see after this game ended no matter the result.

Jamie pulls her against him by her waist and presses a feather soft kiss against her lips. “All I could think about after that assist was how I wish you were here to see it,” he admits to her. “You were actually here to see it.”

“Mhm,” she hums. “I made the right choice. I’ve really missed you. I wanted to surprise you today.”

“Consider me surprised.”

She gets on her toes and instigates a deeper, more frantic kiss when she presses her lips to his. She kisses him the way she’s wanted to kiss him in the three weeks since they last saw each other.

Her fingers curl into the hair on the back of his neck, not caring that it’s wet. Jamie has a grip of his jersey on her waist that’s keeping her from going anywhere. As if she would go anywhere right now.

This is where she wants to be. She doesn’t want to go anywhere else.

“Ew, can’t the two of you wait until we’re back at the hotel to suck faces?” Trevor voice asks. It pulls them apart. “You’re away from each other for a few weeks and all of a sudden you’re both a fan of PDA. It’s gross.”

Jamie turns his head and (Y/N) looks over his shoulder to see both Trevor and Mason standing in front of the locker room door. “It’s not my fault you have no one to suck faces with, Z,” Jamie retorts. “Imagine being across the country from your girlfriend then tell me you wouldn’t suddenly be a fan of PDA.”

She buries her face in Jamie’s shoulder to hide a smile. Trevor rolls his eyes and says, “You’re sleeping in her room tonight. I am not giving up ours.”

“Don’t worry,” Jamie says. “I was already planning on it.” He turns his attention back to (Y/N). “I wouldn’t want my teammates to hear the things that I’m going to do to (Y/N) tonight.”

Yeah, sneaking into Vegas was the best idea she’s ever had.

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MASTERLIST | part two

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#nhl imagines #nhl imagine #nhl fanfiction #nhl fic #nhl oneshot #hockey imagines #hockey imagine #hockey fanfiction #hockey fic #hockey oneshot #jamie drysdale #jamie drysdale fic #jamie drysdale x reader #jamie drysdale x y/n #jamie drysdale fluff

[callsign-dexter]

The Sibling Connection

Summary: Now 23 and 38 the Bradshaw siblings come back to Miramar and see an old face. Feelings come up and surprises are revealed.

Pairings: Bradley Bradshaw x Sister!Reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, swearing, very inaccurate military talk, and timing

Masterlist

First Installment- Brotherly Love

Second Installment- The Sibling Connection

A/N: Italics mean that they are up in the air or getting ready to be up in the air.

Y/N wasn't at The Hard Deck when her brother arrived; this is due to her being fresh out of flight school and now officially a pilot. She had just been at her base in Fallon, Nevada for 3 days when she was told she would be helping out at Top Gun for a secret mission. She exceeded all of her training but then again what do you expect when you have an uncle that is the Commander of the US Pacific Fleet and taught you everything to know about flying?

When Y/N turned 18 she applied to the Naval Academy but first talked with her brother about it. He wanted her to chase her dreams and so he helped her even though he didn't get in, he wasn't gonna hold her back like Maverick did to him. He supported her the entire time. She kept him updated with everything and also Maverick too but it was mostly about her and not Bradley, per his request, and she respected that. When she told Bradley that she wanted to fly he was ecstatic, when she told him she wanted to fly the F-35B he was a little disappointed it wasn't a F/A-18E Super Hornet but didn't make her switch, they even joke about it and play fight. 

The next day when everyone showed up to class, Bradley looked around for his sister but she wasn't there and he frowned slightly. He really didn't pay attention to what was going on but he was listening.

"Attention on deck!" Someone said and everyone scooted their chairs back and stood at attention as Warlock and Cyclone. 

"Morning." Warlock said and everyone sat down "Welcome to your special training detachment. Be seated. I’m Admiral Bates, NAWDC commander. You’re all top gun graduates. The elite. The best of the best. That was yesterday. The enemy’s new fifth-generation fighter has leveled the playing field. Details are few, but you can be sure we no longer possess the technological advantage. Success, now more than ever, comes down to the man or woman in the box. Half of you will make the cut. One of you will be named mission leader. The other half will remain in reserve. Your instructor is a top gun graduate with real-world experience in every mission aspect you will be expected to master. His exploits are legendary. And he’s considered to be one of the finest pilots this program has ever produced. What he has to teach you may very well mean the difference between life and death. I give you Captain Pete Mitchell. Call sign: “Maverick.” Warlock finished as Maverick walked up the aisle and Bradley's frown deepened. 

"Good morning. The f-18 natops. It contains everything they want you to know about your aircraft. I’m assuming you know the book inside and out." Maverick said Bradley was listening but wasn't happy about Maverick teaching him. Oh how he wished his sister would show up.

"Damn right." Jake said and another person said "Damn straight."

"You got it. So does your enemy." Maverick said threw the book into the trash.

"And we’re off." Warlock said

"But what the enemy doesn’t know is your limits. I intend to find them, test them, and push beyond. Today we’ll start with what you only think you know. You show me what you’re made of." Maverick continued "Before we continue Cyclone has something he wants to add." He said and took a step away and to the side as Cyclone walked up.

"Since this mission is dangerous and high stakes, we are bringing in another pilot. She will be flying the F-35 but will not be running the mission with you but will be training with you. She will be back up in the skies only and will take off with everyone else. She will assist if she needs to." Cyclone said and Bradley could feel his smirk, mood lightening, and sitting up straighter. "She has exceeded her training and has graduated early from pilot training and is now a stealth pilot. Everyone, I would like you to meet Lieutenant Y/N Bradshaw. Call sign: Sparhawk." Cyclone said as you reached the front and turned. You smiled and waved at the rest and then your eyes turned onto Bradley who had a smirk on his face and you smiled back at him.

Everyone was dismissed. Y/N was already out by her F-35. She would be going up with every hop to pose as another enemy along with Maverick. She saw Bradley get stopped by Maverick but wasn't able to hear anything. Bradley walked away from Maverick and came up to her. 

"Took you long enough." He said playfully and she laughed and smiled.

"I wanted it to be a surprise." She told him which is true he knew she was coming but just not when. He smiled and shook his head.

"You haven't changed one-bit little sis." Bradley said.

"I haven't but you have." She shot back she missed the playful banter. He just smirked.

"If you need anything. Let me know." He told her and she nodded her head.

"You got it, bro. Be safe up there." She said and turned to get up in her jet.

"You too sis." He replied and headed to his own jet. 

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The training was going well. Each hop was different from the last since each pilot had different flying skills. Y/N stayed unseen which was doable since she had a jet that was almost completely invisible from radar. There were a few times that she had freaked out the others by flying right next to them and they didn't even know. She especially liked to freak out Jake. 

It had been when Jake, Natasha, and Bob were up for one of the hops. Jake was looking over at the other two and that's when Y/N silently flew up next to him. Both Natasha and Bob were smirking.

"What are the two of you smirking at?" Jake asked and they said nothing but Y/N's voice came into the comms.

"Why don't you look to your left, Bagman." She said with a smirk on her face and you could hear it. He looked to his left and saw her there and he jerked his jet to the right and almost hit Natasha and Bob but he corrected it before he crashed. 

"Geez, Spawhawk. Where did you come from?" He asked, "You almost gave me a heart attack." He continued and she laughed. 

"I've been here for at least 10 minutes." She said with a smirk on her face. 

"Warning next time would be nice." He said and she laughed.

"That would beat the purpose of it being a stealth jet." She responded back with sass. They didn't get to speak much longer because Maverick's voice came on the comms. 

"Ok enough chit chatting. Sparhawk, time to start." Maverick said and she nodded even though he couldn't see it. 

"You got it Mav." She said and dropped her speed and seamlessly disappeared but in reality she just dropped down below the other jets and let them speed past her. She flew to Mav and settled right next to him. They decided to make the others sweat and they switched to private communication. 

"So an F-35?" Maverick asked her and she smiled though he couldn't see it. 

"Yea I figured it would be a nice change of pace and I like stealth." She said and he laughed. 

"You sure do. Are you ready to take them down?" He asked her. 

"Absolutely." She replied and off they went. Mav was the distraction while she stealthy came up behind them and toned them. This went on for several hops. 

Bradley was the toughest but eventually he was toned too. When Coyote went into g-loc she thought she was going to have a heart attack along with the bird strike, but in the end everyone was ok. 

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Not much time was given to hang out except when Maverick made time for dogfight football. It was wild and Y/N loved it. She always had a competitive side with Bradley and just in general. Getting to hang out with hot sweaty, shirtless, muscled, 6-pack abs, and sun-kissed skin guys wasn't bad either.  

After Y/N and her team won against Bradley they all sat down to cool off and some even went into the ocean. Bradley came over to her and threw an arm around her and she made a face.

"Bro you're sweaty. Get off of me." She said and pushed him away and he laughed.

"Look who's talking. You're just about as sweaty as I am." He pushed her back and smiled. They eventually stopped and talked until the sun went down and they headed home. What they didn't know was that Maverick was several feet back watching them smiling. He was glad Y/N stayed in touch and sad that Bradley didn't. He was surprised that she went into the Navy but couldn't blame her. 

Everyone left the beach and headed home to continue the next day. Then they were off to do the mission and come home, safely.

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The time has come for the mission. Everyone was nervous but ready for it. Maverick picked his team and Y/N was shocked when Bradley's name was called and her stomach dropped. She already knew she would be going but she feared for her brother. They all started to go out towards their jets when Cyclone stopped her.

"Lt. Bradshaw, stay back for a few seconds." She stopped and turned to look at him as the other left and Bradley gave her a questioning look. He also stopped Maverick before he left  "Captain Mitchell a word." He said as he was getting ready to leave.

"What can we do for you?" Maverick asked and then Warlock walked up to them.

"We have decided to send Lt. Bradshaw out before the Daggers." Both Maverick and Y/N were shocked, this was not the plan.

 "Captain Mitchell, you will still be leading the Daggers. Once everyone gets to the opening of the mountain, Lt. Bradshaw will drop out and do air control." They both were silent as Warlock spoke about the change of plans.

"Understood." Both of them said.

"Dismissed." Cyclone said and both Cyclone and Warlock walked out of the room followed by Maverick and Y/N, but not before looking at each other. 

When they got to their jets and Maverick and Bradley talked, Bradley walked up to his sister. "What was that about?" He asked.

"You know I'm not allowed to say. It's just the plans have changed. You'll see once we get up in the air." She said and he nodded but he could tell that she was nervous, they could always tell when something was up with the other it was just the sibling connection they shared. The announcement came on telling them that they were ready to launch. They hugged each other. "I love you, big brother." She said and he hugged her tighter.

"I love you too little sis." He replied and then let go of her and they went and got in their jets getting ready to take off. 

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They had Y/N's jet taxi to the catapult and she could feel the eyes of her teammates on her. They would be asking questions later. "Safety Dagger up and ready." She said into her comms. They gave her the go and the shooter gave the command and she shot off the deck and into the sky. Once she was far enough away they gave the ok for the other Daggers. She could hear Maverick talking but wasn't paying attention. She was on the lookout for bandits but found none. She saw the missiles fly above her and once the opening of the canyon, she dropped down and let the now-in-formation Daggers go ahead of her. She broke right and went around the mountain monitoring the skies. 

She was far enough away from the mountains but still close enough. As she was monitoring the skies she came across one of the bandits. "Safety Dagger this Comanche. You have a bandit at 3 o'clock." She looked at her radar and so behold there it was.

"Comanche, this is Safety Dagger. Copy that. Will not engage unless need to." She said into her comms.

"Copy that Safety Dagger." Comanche said. Everything was going smoothly until they spotted her and it was game on. 

"Comanche bandit is engaging, Safety Dagger is responding." She said.

"Copy, Safety Dagger." They said to her, she dropped her speed and dropped altitude. She was trying to disappear from their radar and it was working. 

She got behind them and got tone but she was still far enough away from them they couldn't see her. She got closer and they panicked and started to try to lose her. Each move they made she made. "Can't shake me. Our jets are practically the same." She said to herself. "Oh you're good but I'm better." She said and after a few minutes and a few missile shots and gunshots, she got the final tone and shot, taking them down. Her 1st confirmed kill. She still has a lot of ammo left. She had this feeling that something was right and boy was she right when she started to hear all the commotion going on and then Maverick went down and her heart dropped. She saw Natasha, Bob, Mickey, and Javy emerge but not Bradley. She flew up beside them. "Where is my brother?" She asked any of them but they remained silent "Answer me." She almost growled. 

"He went back for Mav." Bob finally said and boy was she angry. She quickly pulled her jet to the left and headed towards where they were last. When Cyclone came over the comms 

"Safety Dagger, return to the ship." He said and she was pissed.

"What's the point of a Safety Dagger if it's not going to protect the fellow Daggers?" She replied and Cyclone knew she was right and she might be in trouble but be damn with it. 

"Safety Dagger you are clear to proceed." Cyclone said and she nodded and proceeded to her brother. She flew around but couldn't see them. She practically growled. "Safety Dagger, report." He said. 

"Plane wreckage but not shoots or bodies." She said looking through the bottom of the plane thanks to her extremely up to date technology helmet. She then saw an F-14 on the runway and knew it was them but didn't say anything. She didn't want to alert the enemies. 

The F-14 took off and was in the sky. Once far enough away from the base she flew up beside them scaring the crap out of them. But once they saw she was friendly they were relieved. "Thought I would never see you again boys." She said into the comms. Bradley laughed. 

"What made you come looking for us?" He asked.

"Let's call it the sibling connection kicked in. I knew that you were still alive and I wasn't about to not help." She said to her brother and pseudo father. 

"Well, I'm glad it's still working. Let's go home." He said and that is exactly what they did but not before running into several bandits. They put up a good fight. Y/N could give them that but she had a jet of the same technology as them. She broke away from them and took off after the 3rd bandit and they watched her in a dogfight, and they were impressed, while they were fighting off on their own. They quickly got rid of their first one and they watched her take down the 3rd one, which was behind her but she shot a missile and it shot out but it went up and behind her hitting the 3rd bandit, they were impressed, confirming her 2nd kill. The second bandit was now chasing Maverick and Bradley through the canyon but she had another problem, a 4th bandit showed up and she was in another dogfight.

Y/N and the 4th bandit were chasing each other just as soon as she took down the bandit, Bradley and Maverick came back without the bandit and knew they would be ok. The 4th bandit was her 3rd confirmed kill. A 5th bandit showed up and Maverick and Bradley were out of ammo she put up a fight for them as they tried to invade and damaged the bandit but soon ran out of ammo.

Just as soon as they thought they were done for the plane that was in front of them but now behind them, after turning avoiding gunshots, them blew up and Jake came out of the smoke. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman, this is your savior speaking. Please fasten your seat belts, return the tray tables to their locked an upright positions and prepare for landing." Jakes voice came through the comms.

'Hangman , you're looking good." Bradley said

"I am good, Rooster. I'm very good." Jake said to him being the cocky son of a bitch that he was. They all headed back to the ship, first Jake then Y/N, and then finally Maverick and Bradley. Once Bradley and Maverick crashed landed they got out of the plane and everyone cheered.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

Once they debriefed and got onto solid ground everyone gathered at The Hard Deck, except Cyclone, Warlock, and Maverick. They all chatted about and making plans for their well deserved team when Y/N silently slipped out on to the deck and looked out over to the ocean. Her brother noticed the absence of his sister and went out to her. He slung an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his embrace. "Warlock tells me that you have now 3 confirmed kills." and she smiled and nodded.

"That would be correct." She said and he smiled.

"I'm proud of you. I know it was hard to take a life. Mom, Dad, and Uncle Ice would be so proud of you too." He said a laid a kiss to her hair. They heard the others cheering but didn't pay attention to it they were enjoying their sibling time together.

"You're right it wasn't easy but it was necessary." She said. Maverick walked out onto the deck and joined them smiling at them before walking up beside them.

"You missed the announcement." He told them. Bradley and Maverick were working on their relationship it would take time to heal but it was going in the right direction. They both looked at him.

"Oh?" Y/N asked as Bradley spoke up. "What's that?" Bradley asked at the same time.

"Yes. I just got out of a meeting with Cyclone and Warlock. They have decided to make this squad a permanent one. He also said that Y/N will also train and learn to fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet." Maverick said to the both and they all smiled. No words were needed. They all looked out into the ocean and setting sun.

Bradley hugged his little sister tighter and dropped another kiss to her head. Y/N leaned further into her brother enjoying the warmth from him and the familiar scent that she had grown up with. Maverick looked out into the sunset just thinking that Goose and Carole were up there smiling and begin glad that they had him in their life, even though there was rough patches. Occasionally Maverick would look at them and smile. He was glad they were together again and they were safe.

Bradley and Y/N truly did share the sibling connection. Now they don't have to be away from each other. Now Bradley could protect his little sister from guys, especially guys like Jake and Jake. Y/N had her big brother and pseudo father right there when she needed someone to go to when things get rough. The family was back together again.

Tag list:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx20

#bradley bradshaw x sister!reader #top gun fanfiction #top gun imagine #top gun x reader #top gun fan fiction #top gun fanfic #top gun fic #top gun fandom #top gun imagines #top gun maverick fanfic #top gun maverick fanfiction #nick bradshaw x daughter!reader #carole bradshaw x daughter!reader #top gun maverick fic #top gun maverick imagines

[diaryofaprettyprincess]

Wait- what if bimbo reader was actually more of the cold and uptight type. Hyperfem and naive but has walls pushing people away. But by some miracle starts dating yandere!Eddie who burrows himself into her heart until she cant live without him, hes the only one she can trust. Makes her his little baby that only needs Daddy. Always has to hold hands with Eddie or be in his lap to feel safe. Basically bimbofication but reader was always a bimbo at heart, just pretended she wasnt to protect herself

:,)) <333

CW: bimbofication, daddy!eddie, ddlg dynamics, yandere!eddie babies reader, pacifer usage, fluff, crying, dark!eddie, little!reader, littlespace, eddie picks reader up/carries her

--

you're a top student, but eddie can see past that. you're tired, and you need someone to take care of you because you're so busy takin' care of everyone else. he knows what you need, and even if it takes a little time to get your defenses down, he will succeed.

but !! but !! but!! imagine eddie just plants himself in your subconcious (and heart) so when your feeling upset or sad you just think of him and wanting him to comfort you <//33

he gives you a big hug in the morning before school, taking a deep breath in as he smells your scent, his heart fluttering in his chest.

he starts to do small things to baby you before you begin dating. like for example, trying to force you into your 'little mindset' so you can be open to him caring for you.

at first you were stubborn, "no, eddie i can do it myself!" you would huff, but eddie could hear that little whine in your voice. he knew he was getting somewhere.

he'll call you nicknames like, "baby" on a normal basis, but when he starts calling you "sweetheart, princess, 'my little___"" you begin to feel yourself slip.

even when you begin dating, your walls are still up.

but as you begin to slip further and further, he'll drive you away from your friends saying things to you like, "i'm the only one you can trust, sweetheart,,you don't have to be someone everyone else wants you to be around me." and "they don't understand you like i do, princess. you're my little baby an' you need me to take care of you.."

he can sense your walls starting to crumble but one specific night, everything changes.

you call him, crying.

"a-an' then, she jus' yelled at me! 'm so tired, eds," you whimper, and eddie can feel his heart break, but he also knows that right now is the perfect time.

"poor thing," he murmurs, and you can feel your mind get that familiar fuzziness, except now it's intense. "y'wanna come over, baby? we can watch a movie an' i'll take real good care of you.."

you sniffle, "y-yeah, da--eds, i--- 'm gonna go now, mk?" you slur, and eddie could hear it. he could practically taste the word that is sitting so heavily on your tongue, just begging to fall out.

"m'okay, sweetheart, be careful--i'll see you in a few.."

"m'kay, an' when i get there can we cuddle n' stuff?" he can tell your shy about it, probably fidgeting with the phone chord.

"'f course, princess. we can do anything you want."

you nod, although he can't see it. "m'kay eds, m'gonna go now, okay?"

eddie laughs softly, "yeah, princess, i'll see you soon."

you both say your goodbyes and hang up.

once you get to eddie's he embraces you tightly as you hiccup over sobs into his chest.

he kisses the top of your head before pulling your face back gently with his hands.

you feel so..tiny.

"let's getcha all nice n' cozy m'kay, sweet girl?"

you nod, sniffling as he swipes your tears with the pad of his thumbs gingerly.

he changes you into his Hellfire Club shirt, kissing your forehead once your head pops out of the material.

you giggle when he steals small kisses from you, brushing stray hairs away from your seraphic face.

the night progresses and eventually, he can tell your holding back on calling him what you really wanna call him.

"da--uhm, e-eds can you hold me, please?" your voice is unintentionally higher and whinier than it usually is, so he can tell your really fighting being fully submerged in your 'littlespace' mindset.

he's cradling your head, his body leaning on his bent arm on his bed, his hand cradling your face as he looks at you softly, making your body feel like mush.

"'s okay to call me whatcha wanna call me, sweetheart, i know you want to.." his voice is alluring and kind and gentle and you so badly want to give in but that pesky wall is still there; even if it is about a few inches high at this point.

you whine, your bottom lip trembling as he kisses it to calm you, "can you relax for me, bunny, hm? do as daddy says, he knows what's best for your little head.."

that's what does it.

"d-daddy, wanna cuddle lots tonight.."

your cheeks are red as he praises you softly with, "that's my good girl, my little baby.."

and from that night on, you felt so deeply connected to eddie that you would follow him around everywhere like a little lost puppy (one morning he woke up having to pee, and you felt him remove his arms slowly so then that resulted in you waking up as well. so, you grabbed your teddy bear with heavy, sleepy eyes, holding eddie's hand as you both walked to the bathroom.).

you're always sitting on his lap, and he buys you cute little onesies and pacies and toys to aid your little side.

one night your hair is in cute little pigtails, a pink pacifier in between your pouted lips, your cute little baby blue onesie on (not the ones with the long sleeves and long pants, the ones with the sort of underwear cut that buttons under the crotch and with the short sleeves).

you're playing with your pink bunny eddie got you when he came home one saturday afternoon. eddie's sitting across from you, legs spread open as he fidgets with a little doll he gifted you (this man is constantly spoiling you). he's looking and admiring your child-like happiness, watching you play with your toy as you sit on your haunches.

you crawl into his space, on all fours as your face is right in front of his.

"hi, princess," he coos, and you wrap your arms around his neck, his big hands going to your waist as you hug him. "lub you." you muffle, nuzzling your head into his neck.

he kisses your shoulder, "i love you too, sweet girl."

you let go of him and turn around, lying your head back on his chest, his left arm extended behind him and holding him up, your pink rabbit forgotten as you fidget with his rings.

you twiddle with his hand, rubbing your fingers gently over the calluses on his palm making eddie want to fucking cry.

oh and don't get me started on the fact that when you both are out with like Steve, Nancy, Robin, or something how you literally cling onto him like a koala.

you whimper into his neck when you want his attention on you. you're always sitting on his lap and holding his hand and it's now hard for you to even go to a class where he isn't apart of the roster of students in that period.

when you both come home from school, he takes a bath or shower with you when you mumble out a, "need daddy."

he makes you feel safe, calm, and happy.

he tells you that you don't need to think with your little brain, because daddy'll think for you.

he knows what's best for you and he loves you deeply.

#eddie munson #daddy!eddie #daddy!eddie munson #daddy!eddie munson x little!reader #bimbo!reader #mail 💌 #eddie munsonxreader #dark!daddy!eddie munson #note: i didn't check for errors again

[bobby-r2d2-floyd]

the nanny part 4 | hangman x reader [saturn]

note: after what feels like ever (it was a month) i'm finally back! between my organic chemistry class, life stuff, generally feeling like ass with the weather transition from winter to spring to summer back to winter and then summer again here in michigan... i've been suffering from some pretty bad headaches and migraines from the change in pressure. but i'm pretty okay right now

warnings: none? not angst, angst.

word count: 2.4k

not beta'd. we die like goose

inspired by: @roosterforme

previous | next

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Over the next few weeks turned months, you and Jake had developed a sort-of routine. Some nights you would be sleeping over in his guest bedroom while he was out late with the rest of the squad, and some nights you were out the door after making dinner for an exhausted pilot so you could help Penny at the bar and he could spend quality daddy-daughter time with Avery. 

You had been working for Jake for around four months, Avery was already 8 months old, the holiday season was right around the corner and, unfortunately, that meant that there was no chance for you to be able to make it back home to see your girlfriend or her family. Jake wasn’t given any leave time for the holiday season to go back home, and he was fairly certain he was going to be on a boat in the middle of the Pacific for Christmas. 

Jake rolled out of bed after checking the time, he laid in bed long enough to not be able to get coffee on his way into base and with a groan he wandered into the bathroom for a shower. He was hoping to be in and out before Avery started to wake up, but when he heard your faint voice over the sound of the shower, he knew he could afford a few extra minutes in the steam while you got Avery awake and fed. 

He was expecting you to be standing in his kitchen, but what he wasn’t expecting was the twinge in his chest at the sight of you holding Avery and bouncing her softly as you work on smashing some avocado for her. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest as if you could see his heart racing, and he watches as you dance around the kitchen while Avery giggles away. 

She’s the first of the two of you to spot him, you only notice from the shift of her weight as she stretches her little arms out towards Jake with a “Da-!” He laughs and pushes off from the wall and lifts her into the air before bringing her down and peppering her face and neck with kisses, causing her to giggle harder.

“Well, good morning sailor.” you tease as you scoop the avo into the silicone mat on her high chair. He laughs at your teasing and puts the little girl in her seat. 

“Good morning.”

“There’s a coffee for you on the counter from that place that you took me to-”

“Clifford’s?” 

“Yeah!” 

“Saturn you are a godsend,” he practically moans as he takes a sip and you roll your eyes at his antics. “I’m serious. Thank you so much. I didn’t think I would have time to go on my way into base.” 

You watch him take alternating sips between his coffee and feeding Avery. You take in his still shower damp hair and how his white undershirt is tucked into his dress khakis even though the second he gets onto base he’s going to be changing into his flight suit. 

“Yeah I left Penny’s early today, couldn’t sleep so I made the extra drive to the coffee house.” 

“Well, I appreciate it. There’s some cash in my wallet you can take-”

“Oh no,” you wave him off as you turn to the sink to get started on the few dishes you had dirtied. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t mind treating my favorite boss to coffee here and there.”

“Favorite boss? I’m your only boss.” he says and you throw him a look.

“You’re not my only boss, dad-man. Now go get your bag, you're going to be late.” 

“Yes ma’am.” he gives you a mock salute and you roll your eyes as you take over his spot feeding Avery. He has a foot out the door when he doubles back, “are you going to be out the door as soon as I get home later or can you stay for a bit for a chat?”

“I can stay, is everything okay?”

“Okay cool. I’ll see you later, Sat!” 

A few hours have passed since Jake left this morning and Avery is getting restless, she’s just starting to stand and you can tell she’s itching to start running. It was perfect timing as you also had received a text from your other boss. You pack a small bag for her, some snacks and a few diapers, before grabbing the space themed fanny pack Jake had gotten you for your birthday in October. “Let’s go see if we can surprise daddy while we make a pit stop for the admiral.” 

Jake is confused when he hears your voice followed by Avery’s giggles and babbles echoing throughout the halls of Top Gun. When he finally finds the two of you, Avery lights up, just like she had that morning too. 

“Hey… what are you two doing here?” he asks as he takes Avery from you and you hold out a bag to him.

“Figured I would bring you some lunch. Plus I have a meeting with Beau.”

“Beau? Simpson?” he lets out a small laugh and looks at you as if you grew extra limbs. “How… Why do you have a meeting with Cyclone?” 

“Because, Lieutenant Seresin, I asked her to come here.” Cyclone says as he walks up to the two of you. 

“Sir I-” 

“This must be Avery.” Cyclone says smiling down at the little girl in Jake’s arms before shaking her little hand, “it is very nice to meet you again.” 

Avery smiles and babbles back to him and reaches for the usually stone faced admiral and with a smile he takes her into his arms, not bothered when she starts to poke and pull at all the ribbons on his dress shirt. Jake is shocked, mouth hanging open a little and you just smile knowing that Cyclone is nothing like the admiral that Jake knows.

“Why don’t you and the rest of the Dagger’s take a long lunch.” Cyclone says and from his tone Jake knows it’s not a suggestion and Jake takes Avery’s diaper bag and the bag of food from you before leaving with a “Sir.” 

You followed Cyclone back to his office and took a seat across from him. “How’s Addison doing?” 

“She’s good, excited to start kindergarten and she loves having a baby sister.” he says with a smile and you laugh before pulling out your tablet from its case.. 

“So, I was working on a curriculum for her…” you start and go over the program you drafted for him and his wife to go over with their eldest daughter. 

By the time you and Cyclone walk into the room that the rest of the Dagger’s have taken up residence in, the admiral is reduced to a fit of laughter as he regales you with the story of what his daughter did a few weeks ago. The rest of the squad is wide eyed at their laughing admiral, but Jake is the only one who has already seen the man with his usual grimace. 

Cyclone gives a smile to the rest of the Dagger’s before squeezing your shoulder gently as he leaves back to his office. 

“So, you’re a nanny, a bartender, a teacher, and you can make the admiral laugh? Man, Jake bagged a good one.” an aviator says and you give him a weird look.

“Excuse me?” 

“Harvard, shut the fuck up.” Bradley says and this Harvard character you just met laughs.

“Well, on that note… Jake, Avery and I will see you later?” you say and Jake nods before passing Avery back to you. 

“I might be a little late, but I can pick something up for dinner?” he asks and you nod with a smile.

“Of course, dealer’s choice.” you say with a smile before heading out. You make a quick pit stop at Target for some new clothes for Avery since she’s already starting to outgrow some of the clothes that she had. You pick up a few things for yourself before grabbing Jake some new undershirts since they’ve started to disappear. 

By the time you make it back to Jake’s, you have a few hours before he’s supposed to be home. Avery goes down easy for a nap, groceries are put away, his new shirts and the rest of his laundry is in the washer.

The second you pop open a red bull your phone is ringing, the picture of you and your girlfriend when she surprised you with a trip down the Vermont Byways last fall during peak color season.

“Hey Ry.. Perfect timing.” you say with a smile and she laughs on the other end of the line.

“Yeah? The baby down?” 

“Yeah, she just fell asleep and then Jake isn’t due home for another few hours yet.” you take a sip of your drink.

“Well that’s good news! How’s the other job going?” she asks and you let out a sigh.

“It’s good. I have a few parents I’m writing programs and curriculums for but other than that, I’m spending most of my time with Avery.” 

“You know… you can always come home. Do the exact same thing here with our family and friends.” she presses and you can hear it in her voice that she’s hating the distance.

“Ryanne… you know that I can’t, I outgrew Vermont. I’m happy in San Diego, but I do miss you. A lot.” you say and she sighs.

“Are you at least coming back for Christmas? Mom and dad have been asking about you. They think we’ve broken up.” she tells you and you bite your lip before sighing. 

“I’m sorry. I wish that I could get back but I can’t. Jake thinks that he might be getting deployed right around that time but he isn’t sure. So I’m going to stay here on the chance he does.” you tell her and you can almost hear her roll her eyes. “Why don’t you come here? Spend Christmas under the sun?” 

“Does he think or does he know that gets getting deployed?” she bites out and then sighs, “I’ll see what I can do. I make no promises though with the weather.” she tells you and you nod even though she can’t see you.

“Well, either way I’m sorry I can’t make it home and I do love you a lot and I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too.” she says before hanging up and you sigh, tossing your phone on the table in front of you before kicking your feet up and digging the heels of your palms into your eyes and you will yourself to not start crying. 

Jake ends up getting out earlier than he expected so he stops by your favorite Chinese place on the way home before stopping and grabbing your favorite beer to try and butter you up, so when he walked into the house and heard your gentle sobs coming from the couch, he stops mid-sentence and rushes over. 

“Hey! So I grabbed Chinese from that place you like and I was thinking-hey what’s wrong?” he sets the bags down on the table in front of you and pulls you against him.

“Just,” you sniff and rest your head on his shoulder, “stupid stuff. Ryanne called me today… and I thought that it was going to be an ‘I miss you, how have you been’ conversation but instead it was a ‘when are you coming home? Why are you watching this guy's baby over his parents?’ conversation.” 

“I’m sorry.. I can call my mom-” he starts and you cut him off.

“No Jake. You don’t have to do that. I want to be here with you and Avery. I left Vermont because I felt like there was nothing there for me anymore. Just because I can’t leave, doesn’t mean she can’t either.. And she hasn’t really made an effort to even try and come out here either.” 

“I can talk to Cyclone. See if he can give me a week off or something so you can go back or-or bring Ryanne out here? Spend a week with her here in the sunshine.” he tries again and you look over at him, eyes glassy and red-rimmed and he wants nothing more than to just tug you into his lap and hold you close and kiss every single tear away but he knows that he can’t. 

You sit up and pull away from him, downing the rest of your redbull and slapping a hand down on his leg, “so... my favorite food?” you pump into his shoulder and he laughs.

“Yes, only the best for my favorite nanny.” 

“Favorite? I’m your only nanny!” you laugh as you stand and grab the bags before heading to the kitchen to plate the food. “Do you want to go grab Av? She should be waking up any moment and I’m sure she would rather see your face than mine.” 

Almost on cue, Avery starts stirring over the baby monitor that was placed on the counter. You can hear Jake talking to Avery briefly before he disappears from the vicinity of the monitor in her room, you figure he headed to his room to change. By the time he’s back downstairs, he’s changed into an old Texas Longhorns shirt and sweatpants and Avery is as smiley as ever with her little bit of bed head sticking up on the side.

You can feel your eyes lingering for longer than needed, but seeing Jake with his daughter always made your heart soar. 

Fatherhood suited him. 

You set the plates on the table, even giving a few noodles to Avery on her mat when Jake gets her settled in the highchair. “You said that you wanted to talk about something, before you left this morning?” 

“Yeah uh.. I wanted to ask if you wanted to move in with me?” he says, almost tentatively. “I know that you’re settled at Penny’s but with the impending leave in the next few weeks and the fact that you’re always here early in the morning and usually late at night.. I just figured it would be easier for you? Less commute time and Avery gets pretty upset when you leave at night.” 

“Avery gets upset or you do?” you tease and you swear you see him flush a bit as he shovels sesame chicken into his mouth.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full you pig. You’re teaching Avery bad habits.” you pause for a bit, pushing some food around your plate as you watch Avery taste the noodles you had given her and her eyes go wide and you both laugh. 

“I’ll move in with you.”

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

@mandylove1000 @zbeez-outlet @emma8895eb @sinners-98-world @buxkybarnez @classyunknownlover @caidi-paris @classycolorpeach @eugene-emt-roe @missemrose @fighterpilothoe @crystal-lily-101 @pookie-cleary @max-dalton @elijahmikaelsonbitch @thegoddessc @yourfaveaquarius92 @blueoorchid @archaeologydigit @dempy @missathlete31 @hangmandruigandmav @hisredheadedgoddess28 @pono-pura-vida @ilovewhalesharks444 @genius2050 @harrysgothicbitch @hangmandruigandmav

chaos squad tags:

@dakotakazansky @startrekfangirl2233 @desert-fern @disturbedbeautywrites @that-one-random-writer @horseshoegirl @mayhemmanaged @lavenderbradshaw @cassiemitchell @bradleybeachbabe @lovinglyeternal @sarahsmi13s @roosters-girl @twsssmlmaa @footprintsinthesxnd

#glen powell imatine #top gun maverick #top gun imagine #jake seresin #hangman seresin #jake 'hangman' seresin #jake seresin imagine #jake seresin x reader #hangman seresin imagine #hangman seresin x reader #jake 'hangman' seresin imagine #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #dagger squad #no beta we die like men #controlled chaos squad #callsign fireball

[trickphotography2]

D-Day by TrickPhotography | Chapter 13

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x female!reader

Word count: 5.1k

Synopsis: After finding out his girlfriend is pregnant, Jake is ready to move in and get married. The last thing he expected was to be hit with a six-month deployment at sea and missing the birth of his first child.

18+, minors DNI

Chapter 12 | Master List | Ao3

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

Chapter 13

“Darlin’?” Jake called as he stepped into the house, tossing the truck keys onto the counter and lifting the bottom of his shirt to wipe away the sweat on his brow. He’d just returned from helping Bob move the treadmill into his apartment. With the deployment hanging over your heads, he wanted to take care of as much as possible around the house - and clearing out what would be the nursery was near the top of that list. Coyote was on his way to claim the weight bench. When there was no answer, he grabbed a water bottle and walked toward the home gym turned nursery. His heart dropped when he saw you lying on the floor with your eyes closed. He crossed the room quickly, dropping to his knees beside you. “Fuck, darlin’, are you alright?”

“Hmm?” you said, forcing one eye open to see his panicked expression. “I’m okay. Just got a little dizzy.” 

“I don’t like how much that’s happening,” he grumbled. 

“It’s not exactly a party for me, either,” you scoffed. Now nine weeks pregnant, you felt worse than ever - the lightheadedness hadn’t gone away, the low-grade headache was back, and your nausea and food/smell aversions were getting worse. When Jake made himself some eggs that morning, you spent some time in the bathroom throwing up while he hurriedly aired out the house. Not to mention how exhausted you were, your emotions were on a hairpin trigger, and your slacks were getting harder to button. And your bladder felt like it was the size of a pea with how much you were going to the bathroom. 

Jake placed a hand on your stomach, a smile tugging at his lips when you covered it with your own, feeling the steady rise and fall of your breathing. “You’re supposed to be nice to your mama, Bean.” He’d refused to call the baby Berry over the last week, even though they’d grown to the size of a blueberry, stating that it felt like he was talking to a middle-aged man instead of “our little girl.” When you’d pointed out that he would have to eat his words when you had a boy, he’d only shrugged. “I told you aviators have girls. And if I remember my biology right, I’ve had a pretty big say in what we’re having.”

“Apparently, Bean is as big as a peanut shell now.” His grin grew as he pushed your shirt up and leaned down to kiss your stomach. 

“Hey, Peanut.” Pressing your lips together against the tears that sprang to your eyes, you gently brushed the sweaty hair from his face. It broke your heart to realize that this was one more thing you’d miss - Jake greeting your child with a new name every week. He only had four more weeks at home, five until he was on the carrier. From your research, you could find out the gender at the 18-week mark, at which point Jake would be somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. When his gaze flitted up to meet yours, he sighed at the sight of your tear-filled eyes. “Darlin’.”

“I’m good. Hormones,” you sighed, pushing up onto your elbows. Wanting to change the subject, you forced a smile. “I found something in the closet that I’d like an explanation for, babe.” 

“What’s that?”

“Exactly when were you planning to tell me you have a cowboy hat, Tex?” He furrowed his brows for a moment before smirking.

“Forgot I had that. It was for my buddy’s wedding.” 

“Jacob. Michael. Seresin,” you hissed. “Are you telling me that there are pictures of you in that hat, and I presume a suit, that I haven’t seen?” 

“I guess so.” Chuckling, he stood and walked to the closet, peering into it before pulling down the black hat. After dusting it off, he put it on and turned to face you. “Ma’am,” he drawled, his Texas accent thick as he ducked his head and touched the brim. Inhaling sharply, you held up both hands, and Jake hauled you to your feet, tugging you close to ensure you were steady.

“I’m getting ideas. So, so many ideas.” His lips curved into a wicked smile as he slowly backed you against the wall, his thigh slotting between yours. 

“Is that right?” Nodding, you slid your hands under the back of his shirt, lightly trailing your nails down the length of his spine. In retaliation, he shifted his leg, dragging his thigh along your core and making you bite your lip. His hands rose to cup your breasts, thumbs lightly stroking your nipples through your bra and t-shirt. In addition to being more sensitive than usual, your breasts had already started to get bigger, a fact that your fiance seemed to enjoy. 

“Jake,” you whined, grinding down on his thigh as he dipped his head to suck on the top of your breast. The hat bumped your chin, and you quickly removed it and put it on your head. 

“Oh, darlin’,” Jake tutted, his hands and lips stilling as he met your eye. “You have no idea what you just did, do you?” His teeth dragged along your skin before he wrapped his hands around your waist and drew you away from the wall. You laughed when he knelt and carefully lined your hips up with his shoulder, an arm wrapped tightly around your legs as he stood. With one hand clapped to your head to hold the hat in place, you shrieked as he flung you over his shoulder. “You okay, Mama?”

“Fine,” you giggled, steading yourself with a hand on his back. You yelped when his free hand landed a solid smack on your ass as he started to move towards the door.

“Good, ‘cause I’m gonna fuck another baby into you.” 

“Promises, promises.”

“You’re pregnant?” You and Jake froze. 

“Hey, Javy,” you said, an embarrassed smile on your mouth as you pushed yourself up and looked over Jake’s head towards the other pilot. 

“You’re pregnant?” he repeated. 

“Um…” Jake’s grip loosened, so you slid down the length of his body, quickly positioning yourself so your back was pressed to his front, hiding his semi. Glancing over your shoulder, Jake shrugged. “Surprise?” 

“Jesus Christ,” Javy whispered before pulling you into a hug. “Congrats.”

“Thanks.” 

“Now the whole rushed marriage thing makes sense.” 

“Accelerated,” Jake corrected. After the initial shock had worn off, you and Jake had spent a day sitting down and figuring out the next steps. He was adamant that you needed to be married before he left, which you’d readily agreed to. But there was so much that had to be done before he left Lemoore - in addition to everything he had to do to prepare, like his physical and dental checkup, there was so much legal stuff to handle. Jake had called the military legal clinic about your situation and had been advised that a marriage certificate would smooth much of the process of updating his Will, getting a power of attorney, and designating you as his beneficiary. It would be a requirement to enroll you in DEERS - the system that allows you to get your dependent ID card and be registered in TRICARE, the military health insurance plan. 

Overwhelmed by the list of everything that needed to be done, from more minor things like renewing the house lease and filing his taxes when he was gone to having harder conversations about Jake’s wishes in case he died while deployed, you had pushed away from the table and started to hyperventilate. Jake had tried to hold you, but you’d shoved him away and paced the house before slipping on your shoes and walking around the neighborhood, a silent shadow at your side.

All of it was going to be on your shoulders. And you were going to be alone. Newly married, pregnant, and across the country from your family. 

You had a new appreciation for what your mother had dealt with whenever your dad deployed. But even she hadn’t faced pregnancy and giving birth on her own. 

Getting married sooner rather than later would allow you more time to handle everything else. So, with that in mind, you’d scheduled calls with your families to break the news of the deployment, pregnancy, and your plans to get married at the courthouse. While your parents had been thrilled and quickly agreed to come, Jake had taken the call off the speaker when his father asked how stupid he was to “get some tag chaser knocked up.” His face was red when he came back inside and informed you that his mother and sister would let him know if they were coming. His father had been uninvited.

With a quick text to your friends, everyone who needed to know the plans did. 

“Accelerated, rushed,” Coyote grinned and shrugged. “Sounds like a shotgun wedding to me.” 

“Fuck you,” Jake chuckled, shoving his best man. Javy pushed back, and the two men grappled with one another as you quickly ducked out of the way. 

Watching them, you rolled your eyes. “Maybe I do want a daughter.” 

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” 

Your guests cheered, but you only had eyes for Jake as he grinned. Gently, he cupped your jaw, thumb lightly tracing your lower lip as he drew you closer with a hand on your hip. Your arms wrapped around his waist, giggling as he leaned down to press his lips to yours. He chuckled, kissing your forehead as his thumb lightly stroked your stomach before reclaiming your mouth. 

The ceremony was simple but perfect. Jake promised you a bigger wedding once he was home, but you didn’t care. It wouldn’t stack up to exchanging vows under the gazebo downtown, surrounded by your family. You were more than happy with the off-the-shoulder, lacy midi-length dress you’d ordered offline on sale instead of a fancy gown and your flowers picked up from the grocery store that morning rather than spending hundreds of dollars on arrangements. The only concession you’d made was hiring a photographer and ordering a cake waiting back at the house, where your parents insisted on having a small reception. 

But the most perfect part of the whole day was your groom. Jake looked so handsome in his dress whites, but it was the sheen of tears in his green eyes and the soft look on his face that made your heart skip a beat. Keeping with the non-traditional approach, you’d spent the day together - from him holding back your hair as you vomited to humming the wedding march as you cuddled in bed. Teasing touches became more intentional, and you gasped against Jake’s mouth as he slowly pressed into you, deliberately drawing out both of your pleasures to savor the last time you’d have sex as an engaged couple.

When your parents and Coyote arrived mid-morning to help get the house ready for the reception, Mom insisted on going to get your flowers. But rather than going straight to the grocery store, she stopped by a baby store to “just look” and bought a few things for Peanut, adding to the small pile of items you’d started purchasing. She'd then dragged you into a nail salon, excitedly telling the tech that you were getting married that afternoon.

With blue hydrangeas and white roses in hand - the same combination Jake had sent to your office to ask you out the first time and again on your anniversary - you returned home to see that the guys had been hard at work. And reinforcements had been called in. You were surprised to see so many cars in front of the house and Dad washing Jake’s truck. In the backyard, you found Jake on a ladder, hanging fairy lights on the side of the house as Coyote kept the ladder steady. Rooster and Phoenix were threading them through the fence. Bob and Maverick were driving stakes into the ground around the patio to string up more lights. Payback soon arrived with Fanboy in tow. 

You could only imagine how many favors had to be called in to get the entire Dagger Squad a Friday off on such short notice and for Rooster, Mav, and Fanboy to get to Lemoore. Mumbling a quick thanks to everyone, you retreated to the bedroom, where Jake found you sitting on the bed with your head in your hands, trying to muffle your sobs. He could only smile when you explained that you were overwhelmed with everyone being there and you hadn’t expected them to decorate the backyard.

After Penny appeared with sandwiches for everyone and the lights were all strung, the group disbursed to get ready for the ceremony at 3:30PM, the last appointment the Justice of the Peace had for the day. You and Jake lingered in the shower, allowing your fingers to skate over one another and laughing as you traded kisses. The teasing continued as you got ready, standing side-by-side at the sink and glancing at one another in the mirror as he shaved and you worked on drying your hair. His arms caged you against the sink as he peppered your neck and arms with kisses as you tried to do your makeup, tugging at your towel so it fell to the floor and left you bare to his heated gaze. You paid him back by resting your forehead between his shoulders as he ironed his dress whites, toying with his chest hair and tracing his abs. 

Jake’s fingers trailed up your spine as he zipped you into your wedding dress, then wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you back into his chest, his chin resting on your head. “You sure you’re okay with this?” he sighed. He’d overheard his mother and sister talking about how much more they’d preferred his first wedding, a big church affair that his ex had insisted on. He didn’t want you to feel like you were getting less. 

Meeting his gaze in the mirror, you placed his hand on your stomach. “All I need is you and me, and one witness to make it legal.” 

He swallowed hard before brushing his lips to your temple. “I love you so damn much, darlin’.” Blowing out a shaky breath, you tilted your head back against his shoulder, trying to keep the tears gathering in your eyes from falling. 

“I love you so damn much, Mrs. Seresin,” Jake mumbled against your lips as he reached over you to undo the seatbelt. You could see the photographer hovering at the edge of the driveway; her camera pointed at you, but you ignored that to focus on your husband.

Husband.

The thought made tears spring to your eyes. Capitalizing off the slight height advantage the truck gave you, you leaned down to kiss him, feeling your heart clench when the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled into your kiss. Sliding your arms around his shoulders, you tugged him closer, sighing as he licked into your mouth. It was only when someone drove past and honked that you broke apart. Jake lifted a hand to wave at his - your - neighbor. 

While you’d been busy taking pictures after the ceremony, the Dagger Squad had taken advantage of the distraction and decorated the truck. ‘Just Married,’ ‘The Seresins’, and ‘Hangman Got Hitched’ were written across the windows with chalk paint. A tangle of streamers was crumpled on the backseat after he’d pulled them off the bumper and hood. Little silver confetti wedding bells were strewn around the cab, and you knew that Jake would be digging them out from the seats for the next year. 

Pressing his lips to your collarbone, he trailed his fingers down your left arm to capture your hand, lifting it to his mouth to kiss your wedding band. You smiled at the white gold band on his ring finger. “Ready?” you asked, glancing over your shoulder to the house, where your guests waited. You’d had everyone park in the driveway while Jake parked in the street so you could leave - you’d booked a hotel in Fresno for the night. When he nodded, you grabbed his cap and your flowers from the console and slid out of the truck. Once the door was closed and the locks engaged, Jake pressed the keys into your free hand and swept you off your feet to carry you across the lawn. Laughing, you put on his cap and kissed him. Thankfully, someone had unlocked the front door, so you didn’t have to fumble with the keys, and he nudged it open once you’d twisted the knob. 

“Welcome home, Mrs. Seresin,” he grinned, not bothering to set you on your feet as he moved towards the kitchen, where you could hear a buzz of conversation. It wasn’t until he turned the corner that anyone seemed to realize you were there. Your mom and Penny were pulling finger foods from the refrigerator. They paused long enough to congratulate you before getting back to work. You offered to help, but they shooed you into the backyard with the rest of the guests. 

The next few hours passed in a blur of hugs and congratulations. After setting your flowers into the vase by your small wedding cake, you sought out your dad, who was manning the grill with Mav. The two men paused their sports car conversation long enough for you to hug your dad and thank them both for coming. Jake offered to take over grilling duty, but your dad waved him off. Jake’s mother and sister chatted with Javy and Fanboy and hugged you awkwardly when you greeted them. “It’s just a shame your father couldn’t join us,” Sarah said, glancing at her son. 

“Yup,” he agreed, unwilling to engage in the argument. 

Rooster had set up a playlist, and music drifted across the backyard as you laughed with your friends. You had a few of your friends from Florida call you, and you and Jake stepped away to chat with them for a few minutes before returning to the party. Tables had been put together in the backyard, covered with linen tablecloths you’d picked up earlier that week, and everyone settled down to have dinner together, passing bowls of veggies, salad, and bread. You turned down every offer for a beer and instead sipped from a champagne flute filled with ginger ale. 

When the sight of Payback’s rare steak turned your stomach, you quickly excused yourself and hurried into the house. Jake was right behind you, rubbing your shoulders as you retched. As you fixed your makeup, he ducked into the kitchen to get a sleeve of crackers. You were both subjected to gentle teasing about sneaking off for a quickie when you returned to the table, and you saw the flare of disgust in Sarah’s face. Jake’s smile was tighter, clearly having caught it, and he raised your clasped hands to brush his lips against your wedding rings. 

When the sun started to set, Jake plugged in the lights, illuminating the backyard with fairy lights. You quickly cut the cake at the photographer’s suggestion and shared a slice with your husband since your stomach was still unsettled. Your smile became a bit more fixed, and when he pulled you into his lap while chatting with Rooster and Phoenix, you fought against closing your eyes as he stroked your arm. 

“Honey,” your dad said softly, coming up beside you. “Can I talk to you real fast?” 

“Hmm?” you said, forcing your eyes open. “Yeah, sure. Of course.” Jake watched as you walked into the house with your parents. 

“I…um…” Dad said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I wanted to see if you…”

“Your father wants to dance with you,” Mom interrupted. 

“Oh,” you gasped, pressing a hand to your mouth as you nodded. “Of course, Dad.” You felt the first tears fall as your dad’s phone started to play My Girl by The Temptations. Laughing, you stepped into his arms, dancing in the living room to what he’d decided was your father-daughter dance song when you were a baby. You could see your mom crying and laughing as she recorded it with her camera, and the back door opened in time for you to see the photographer slipping in. The song ended too quickly, and you reached for the phone to restart it before holding a hand out for your mom. Your dad grinned, gently tucking both of you under an arm so the three of you could sway together like you’d done so many times after he got home from a deployment. 

“You know,” he said gruffly, “this was a lot easier when you were a little girl.”

“Well, I grew up,” you sniffled.

“Don’t we know it,” your mom chuckled wetly. “Grown up, married, and having a baby.” 

“Crazy, huh?”

“Nope, just a new adventure,” your dad corrected, kissing your forehead. He met Jake’s gaze through the window, where he’d been watching you all dance, and smiled. “You found a good one, honey.” 

“I know.” 

“Even if he is in the Navy.” Laughing, you shook your head and wiped your face. 

“I mean, technically, I’m a Navy spouse now.” 

“Air Force brat, first and forever,” your dad said, spinning you and your mother before drawing you back in. “And this one” - he nodded at your stomach - “if they ever decide to go into the military, make sure they follow in their grandpa’s footsteps and go blue.” Shaking your head, you touched your stomach and took a deep breath.

“We’ve got a long time before we have to even think about that.” 

“Hey,” your mom said softly, squeezing your hand before pushing a strand of hair behind your ear. “I know you’re worried about while Jake’s gone, but your dad and I are here for you. We’ll be out here as much as you want us to be, and we’ll do whatever you need.” Your teeth dug into your lower lip as your chin wobbled. 

“Thanks, Mom.” Smiling, she tugged you in for a hug.

“You got this, baby. And those folks out there? They seem like a good group, and they’ll help you where they can.”

“I know.” 

“Everything okay?” Pulling away from your mom’s embrace, you saw Jake’s concerned face as he stepped into the house. Nodding, you motioned him in, eyes darting to the photographer, who quickly ducked outside. 

“Yeah,” you nodded, stretching out a hand towards him. He quickly moved towards you and took it, squeezing tightly. “What do you think about letting the rest of the family know about Peanut?” 

“Yeah?” he asked. You’d talked about when to let people know, not wanting to announce it too early in case anything happened but giving enough time to let the important people know before Jake deployed. But, seeing as most of the people you would want to tell were already sitting in your backyard, it seemed like the perfect time to do it. At your nod, he stepped forward to tug you into his arms, kissing the side of your head. “We’ll leave after. You look tired.”

“Exactly what every bride wants to hear on her wedding day,” you mumbled. Chuckling, he kissed your cheek before grabbing your overnight bags and putting them in the truck while you used the restroom. Hand in hand, you stepped into the backyard, exchanging a glance before Jake cleared his throat. The low rumble of conversation died as the group turned to face you. 

“Hey, we’re… we just wanted to thank everyone for coming and helping us celebrate today. We, uh… didn’t originally plan on getting married like this - ”

“But it turned out perfectly,” you interrupted, squeezing his hand. “Better than any big ceremony.” His grin was blinding as he slung an arm around your shoulders and tugged you in for a kiss. Someone let out a wolf whistle, and you lightly pressed against his chest, feeling the indentation of his metals under your palm. Reluctantly, he pulled away, a heated promise in his gaze. 

“Better than any big ceremony,” he echoed, not taking his eyes off of you. “This one wanted to wait until next year to get married - made me agree that we’d only get engaged this year.”

“But plans changed,” you prompted. He nodded, forcing his eyes off of you and towards his friends. His hand slipped from your shoulders to your waist, fingers lightly stroking your stomach.

“Plans definitely changed.” Jake didn’t say anything, instead savoring the confused looks the Daggers gave one another and the knowing ones that Rooster and Coyote gave him. As the silence stretched, you rolled your eyes and lightly elbowed him in the stomach.

“We’re having a baby.” There was stunned silence before you were suddenly surrounded by people. The Daggers hugged you tightly and slapped Jake’s back, congratulating and gently teasing. 

Your parents, seated beside Sarah and Lina, smiled as your new family celebrated the news.

“Want one?” you asked, holding out a fry. Jake glanced at it before leaning closer, his hands never leaving your thigh or the steering wheel. Scoffing, you fed him the french fry, laughing when his teeth scraped your finger. 

“Still can’t believe you wanted chicken nuggets instead of a steak,” he grumbled. Before hitting the highway, you’d asked him to go through the McDonald’s drive-thru since your stomach finally felt settled enough to eat.

“Blame your son - ”

“Daughter.”

“For not letting me eat earlier. Besides, this seems like the start of a fun tradition - McDonald’s on our dating and wedding anniversary.” 

“We agreed to it being the dating anniversary only, Mrs. Seresin. This is not our wedding anniversary tradition.” 

“Come on,” you wheedled, holding out another fry to him. “How cute would this be? Every year, you, me, and Peanut go to get dinner and tell him - ”

“Her.”

“About how we stopped and got chicken nuggets and fries after our wedding. And if we do it every year, he - ”

“She.”

“Might do it with his kids, and then our grandkids will have this sweet story about how grandma and grandpa always got McDonald’s on their anniversary every year, just like on their first date.”

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” 

“You know what they say,” you said in a sing-song tone, “happy wife, happy life.” 

“I’ll think about it.” You grinned, knowing that you’d won. The rest of the drive was passed in comfortable silence, the soft music on the radio and the road noise nearly lulling you to sleep. 

Jake glanced at you from the driver’s seat and smiled as your eyes closed, head lolling against the headrest. He knew it wouldn’t take long for you to fall asleep, not after finally getting some food in your stomach and the emotional day. You were lucky if you made it past 7:30PM most nights, and it was already closer to 9:00PM. He stole a sip of your Sprite, smiling every time the light caught on his wedding band. 

It felt strange to have something on that finger again. It would take some time to get used to it, but it felt right from the moment you’d put it on his finger when you’d gone shopping. The fact that you’d worried about the metal type in case he got into an accident at work - if they’d be able to remove it from his finger safely and quickly - had taken him off guard. When he saw your father’s gold wedding band, scratched and dented from years of working as a jet engine mechanic and government quality assurance inspector, he understood where the concern came from. You’d already ordered him a silicone band for when he flew. 

As the hotel came into view half an hour later, Jake debated continuing to drive so you would stay asleep. But as he stopped at a light, you inhaled deeply and woke. Blinking at the city lights, you gave him a confused look. “That was fast.” Chuckling, he squeezed your thigh and turned into the parking lot. After grabbing your bags from the backseat, he took your hand and led you into the lobby, unable to keep from smiling when the man greeted you as Mr. and Mrs. Seresin. 

“Come on, darlin’,” he said softly as the elevator stopped at your floor. You lifted your head off his shoulder as he led you into the hallway, pulling you to a stop outside your room. You quickly raised a hand to stifle a yawn, blinking away the tears in your eyes. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“No,” you whined while he opened the door and ushered you inside. “We’re gonna have hot, married people sex. And then bed.”

“Whatever you say, Mrs. Seresin.”

“That’s right.” Turning, you ran your hands up his chest to wrap around his collar, tugging so he leaned down to kiss you. Jake kicked the door shut, one hand fumbling for the light switch while the other closed on your hips as he backed you further into the room. You shifted your attention to the buttons of his coat, undoing them and tugging his undershirt from his pants. He quickly shrugged off the coat and tossed it onto the desk chair as you worked on his golden belt buckle. 

“Hey, hey, hey, slow down,” he said, catching your hands. “We’ve got all night.” Huffing, you toed off your heels before burying your face in his chest. 

“Jake?” 

“Darlin’?”

“Would you be upset if we had hot, married people sex tomorrow?” Laughing, he held you tight, swaying slightly. 

“No, I won’t be upset. You and Peanut had a long day, Mama, and we’ve got the rest of our lives to have hot, married people sex.”

You hummed, a tired smile crossing your lips as you mumbled, “It was a perfect day.” 

“Absolutely perfect,” he agreed, slowly pulling your dress zipper down. “Now, let’s get comfortable and call it a night.” 

Jake folded your dress and his uniform while you washed your face and stood beside you as you both brushed your teeth. Once in bed, you pulled him on top of you, but he stubbornly refused to do anything more than trade kisses after you pulled away to yawn again. Chuckling, he turned you onto your side, pressing his chest to your back. Threading his fingers through yours, Jake smiled when your wedding rings slid against each other before he tucked them against your stomach.

“Night, husband,” you mumbled, snuggling into his embrace.

“Night, wife,” he replied. He felt your breathing slow and thought you’d fallen asleep until you spoke again.

“I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” 

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

Author's Note: They're married! I'll be honest, I didn't expect to write that when I sat down to write the chapter. Thought it was going to be them arguing about the nursery and all the things that needed to be done to prep for him leaving. But Jake and Darlin' had their own ideas! There is so much legal stuff that has to be taken care of before he deploys, and Jake wants to ensure that his little family is taken care of. Had to bring in things from their first date, like fries in the car and the flowers he bought her. Oh, and the cowboy hat rule 😉 🤠 Jake definitely enforced that once Coyote left.

The McDonald's anniversary part is actually my parent's story. Every March 3rd, everyone in my family goes to McDonald's and gets chicken nuggets and fries to celebrate my parent's anniversary because that's what they stopped to get after their wedding. My parents love joking that it's their fancy date night. And the tradition works, because they'll be married 40 years in March! They renegotiate their marriage contract every year, so you can say I drew quite a bit of inspiration from them for this fic.

While it's not super important, this is the dress I had in mind while writing the story. The model is not indicative of how I picture Darlin'.

Read Chapter 14

Tag list: @memeorydotcom; @alldaysdreamers; @kmc1989; @djs8891; @caitsymichelle13; @dempy; @midnightmagpiemama; @lovelyladymayyyy; @caidi-paris; @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby; @bellaireland1981; @lethargicluv; @mayhemmanaged; @tenderclio; @lucypaulette; @abaker74; @trhett21; @misshoneypaper; @schreksdoubledeckerhomechecker; @eternallyvenus; @mavrellover91; @chloeforde; @thatbitcily; @rest-of-brazilian-wax; @percysaidnever; @harperdoodle; @hardballoonlove; @maeleeme; @emma8895eb; @xoxabs88xox; @queenslandlover-93

#hangman seresin x reader #jake seresin x reader #top gun fic #top gun maverick #jake seresin #Hangman top gun #soft!Jake Seresin #hangman smut #hangman fic #D-Day fic #jake hangman seresin

[fluffyprettykitty]

Haven

Pairing: Sam Wilson x shield agent female reader (no other specifications!)

Word Count: 1300 words

Outline: Former shield agent now working in secret for the nomad team so why is your heart flattering when you have to take care of your former flame?

Warnings: tiny angst, reunion sex, swearing, pet names, food mention, movie inaccuracies, breast worship, biting, male ejaculation. if I missed anything major please let me know!

Author’s Note: infinity war! sam au is here! Loved the angsty emotional angle very much. sam thots and especially about aus are always welcome :) next on the to be written list are 1st bf!, sugardaddy!, samnat & the alphabet.

PS: dividers & banners by @saradika

Main Masterlist ・❥・ Sam Wilson Masterlist

A year after the whole airport Avengers scene has left you scattered broken and unemployed. Working a few odd jobs here and there as a former shield agent and an expert skillful agent have you picking jobs from the black market and trying your best to help and protect the nomad team.

Your base right now is on a small island in the pacific ocean and when in the middle of the night you receive a red alert for immediate excavation you are more than ready to help. What you didn't expect was your former flame, Sam Wilson to be the recipient of the help. He looked injured & bloody as he was walking out of the quinjet, getting invincible behind him.

"Sam!" You exclaim running to him. He shrugs his shoulders and smiles softly. "Aliens." He stops you before you could even speak. "The rest of the team are elsewhere, safe. And I am hoping to be now. As long..." he gestures around. "You got a nice meal and a warm bed for me to lay on."

"Of course, Sam. I got everything." Your heart is warming up, you never expected to see him like this, on his own, looking charming as ever even though you could tell the impact was severe.

You bring him to your small house and allow him to shower as you put his suit in a basket letting it soak with soap hopefully, that will wash off the blue alien blood. Then you decide to cook something simple, rice and meatballs, by the time you're done and setting the table he's coming around with just a towel around his lower body.

"So...you don't do clothes in this house?" You laugh even if you try to avert your gaze from staring at his body too much. He looks uninjured, the only visible scars now were on his face. Looks like he needs better head protection.

"I forgot!" You shake your shoulders and head for the closet. "Oh really, did something distract you?"

"No, I was focused on cooking."

"Ah-huh. I believe that." He smiles and sniffs up the air. "Meatballs?"

"The only good thing I know how to make."

"Hmm, you did also make amazing boiled eggs."

You snort as you pick up a pillow and throw it at him. He doesn't catch it as he lets it fall on the floor.

"I know you wanna see me naked, baby."

You scoff in response and throw at him the clothes you picked for him. "Nu huh." You place your hands over your eyes and smile. "Not one bit."

"Ah sure. I see you peeking."

And that's how the rest of the night, now early morning went, Sam got dressed had some food, recited stories to you, described very vividly how alien-y the aliens were, and in the end fell asleep. The rest of the three days went on like this, with the flirtations and the teasing getting more and more psychical until you knew it was time for him to leave again and you almost felt your heart sinking in your chest.

You watch him as he sleeps, breathing slowly in and out, shirtless with just a blanket around his legs, looking more peaceful than ever.

"Ya know you can tell when someone stares at you."

You scoff and cross your arms rolling your eyes.

"I just wanted to see if you had fallen asleep."

"Sounds like something that takes no more than one second. You've been sitting there for more than five minutes." He finally opens his eyes and rolls over looking at you and crossing his arms. God his muscular arms looked delicious like that. You wanted nothing more than to curl up there with him. Safe and secure inside his embrace.

Second instincts kick in and you roll your eyes again before turning around to leave. You only make it a few steps before he grabs you by your arm and turns you around pushing you against the wall. He doesn't speak, just stares deeply into your eyes as you are breathing short and heavily, your body responding to him in an extreme way. You needed him, you loved him.

"Sam." You mumble trying to regain your composure. His arm stays tauntingly above your head his other hand still holding your wrist, checking your heart pulses.

"I like clear answers."

"Sam, don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"I'm not doing anything. I was sleeping."

You scoff and close your eyes in frustration. What's the point of this? He has to leave, he has to help the world. You needed to stay here, act as a safe haven.

"I should pack your essentials." You say directly looking at him.

"No." He retorts and then crushes his lips against yours, leaving you both surprised and ridiculously drenched for him. He only kisses you once before pulling away to watch your reaction again.

"Sam." You repeat, his breath hot on your tongue, your chest finally filling with air. Your hand is on his chest caressing it, he seems to be getting calmer. "I...please, don't regret me."

"Never." He shakes his head. "Never. I've missed you, I could never regret you." His lips land on yours again, soft and velvety, with the utmost sweetness full of life and adoration.

You remember these lips, memories come alive in your head as his hands begin to wander on your body. He needs to touch you everywhere at once as your hands respond in the same way. He engulfs with his body, his kisses turning to bites on your jaw and further down your neck, as a moan escapes you, filling the air of the small room. Suddenly, you are sure of every little thing in the world and you allow him to take control.

And he wastes no time, tearing your clothes apart with his arms and teeth, biting your breasts, pulling your nipples, kissing your chest as your hand stays stroking his hard-on over his sweatpants until he cursed and pulled his pants down himself. And he almost hissed when you touched his cock, his teeth still playing with your nipples, one hand moving to your core, rubbing it slowly.

"Shit, baby, looks like a job for a plumber down here." You giggle at his line which quickly changed to a gasp as the cold air hit you when he undressed you followed by a moan as he pushed a curled finger inside.

"Oh looks like we need to do a lot of work down here." You let your head hit the wall. "Looks like we gonna need a tool." He nods his head and replaces his finger with his cockhead which has you dropping to a low sound.

"Oh, looks good." He pushes inside, stretching your walls, your hands wrapping around his neck. "Oh, such a tight hole, think that's the problem here, need some good fucking to get properly fixed." You giggled at his goofiness as he started doing what he was best at - screwing you silly.

A couple of minutes later and in many different sex positions he has you on the couch, laying under him as his hands cup your face, his thrusts slow and sensual and even though he has already drawn orgasm after orgasm of you, he still remains full. You know he has planned something. Something hella corny.

So when he finally orgasms, he does it looking deep inside your eyes, shooting his seed down your stomach as he repeats your name almost like a chant, resting his forehead against yours.

And when the morning comes, he doesn't leave your home.

Because you are his home.

His safe haven.

If you want to be notified about my future stories please follow my library blog @fluffyprettykittylibrary and turn on notifications!

#selenewrites #sam wilson #sam wilson x reader #sam wilson x y/n #sam wilson x you #sam wilson x fem!reader #sam wilson one shot #sam wilson smut #sam wilson fic #captain america #sam wilson fanfiction #sam wilson oneshot #infinity war

[crying-fantasies]

Early morning

It tends to be quite cold as your fingers keep out of the blankets, the air is a little damper these days, more than the city that's for sure.

Sometimes you do miss the fast environment, the easy access, not the usual heaviness and madness around or that one person entitled enough to believe their opinion is higher than others, but the comfiness and easiness of different gadgets, still, nothing that couldn't be brought in the occasional travel to the nearest town.

But it's such an inconvenience to go all the way there, but it is also an inconvenience to only go twice a month for supplies, just one more month and the Dominguez's store would be complete is an endless mantra as you dream of more pillows, more blankets, a heater, all things that you still don't have money to indulge into, and speaking of heaters, realization falls upon you when your hand doesn't touch anything at the other side of the mattress, maybe this is the main reason your dreams are slipping away as blankets are a little too cold in this fresh morning, you finally get out of the bed if only to see around.

An endless landscape is what greets you at the other side of the window, a few houses in between, it's a pacific morning, or as much as it can really be before your neighbor says his morning greetings for everyone to hear, you don't blame him for the glitch in his vox that leads him to shout almost everything, just do a list in your day, take a moment to deliver some medical rations to help him with it.

The morning still feels cold, your brain and body are in a war of tug in the prospect of waking up or staying in bed, it would be a very much easier decision if your partner was here in the first place, encouraging enough to drag you out.

You knew in what you're getting into before dating an early bird and moving into a shared house, but it's 5 a.m. and the sun is barely poking through the horizon, no heated blanket will prevent you from freezing if Hound isn't in here as you wake up, and nothing would guarantee he hasn't taken a shower or is covered in mud, either way he would need a shower and his usual warm exterior would be cold to the touch for a few minutes.

In the end no decision is made as your partner returns to the berthroom, his servo using a towel to dry him completely and the first thing he hears is for him to return to your side, the piece of fabric is forgotten in the floor as his engines rev so hard that he is dry in mere seconds, last leftover drops evaporated as he comes up the mattress, easily welcomed by your arms at the sides of his helm, a warm kiss that you can't keep, sleepiness still holding you captive, falling again to the bed as he follows obediently before kissing back.

He is a kind soul, but also a devoted worker if it involves the bountiful mixes of seeds gradually developing under the soil, barely there sprouts just above the surface, still incredibly weak, but you were so sure they wouldn't freeze in this early morning with all the equipment used to prevent it, trial and error has been invested to secure so, and he deserves a break as you deserve a good start of day.

Hound could do so much to keep the cold away as he just indulges in your plea, not even resisting when you call him for a second time and his spark pulses hard, radiating warmth, "it isn't that cold right now", those are his own words as his servo reaches for you, holding you just right above the mattress, and taking his side again, the warm feeling above every part of his armor still isn't enough, he has to reset his voice regulator when something like a groan escapes him as your cold fingers find a sneaky way under his armor, fingertips touching his warm protoform.

It's cruel, and he tells you so, but he doesn't mean it, moving just right to press his protoform against your skin, quickly accepting that the longer it stays there the warmer it will be in mere seconds for you to set him free of your grip, you're surrounded by the warm ventilation of his, the hot air gets trapped inside the cotton blankets, his leg struts are just leisurely tangled with your own as far it can, Hound is on his side so kissing isn't so easy now, the next better option is to crawl your way to his neck guard, and as you do so he holds your body to prevent any danger, as if the bedding under isn't enough, "Good morning, Hound".

"Good morning to you too, my spark"

It's cold outside, the sun is still in the horizon, and there is a lot of work to do during the day, but you only exhale, kissing him once again and holding him in place, feeling him relax under your hands, Hound knows what you're trying to do, or at least catching on it, as his barely closed optics open once again, spell broken.

"Wait, no, the tomatoes, we must-"

"You're telling me to stop?"

Hound intake is closed tight to show you his answer, you laugh tiredly at his antics, his optics look at you as if you're the most beautiful thing he has ever seen, and you kiss him once again before the duties of the day do drag you out of the berthroom.

#reader insert #x reader #transformers #tf mtmte #transformers x reader #transformers idw #transformers x human reader #transformers hound #g1 hound #idw hound #terraformer au!

[averagewriter-inthedark]

For The Gold 🥇 | Top Gun Maverick Imagine

Takes place after the events of TGM

Link to my TGM Masterlist

Characters & Pairings: Pilot/Olympian!reader x Dagger squad (platonic), slight Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin

Content warnings: fluff, mentions of injuries, slight profanity. Might be emotional for you so be warned| Gn!reader (They/them) | wc: 12k+

Premise: In which the 2019 TopGun Uranium detachment return to Fightertown to watch and cheer on their colleague & friend as they compete on the greatest sporting stage the world has ever seen for their last chance at Olympic glory.

Note: so I was an athlete growing up (I did gymnastics, soccer, and figure skating) and although I no longer pursue my dream of going to the Olympics (my biggest regret in life) I still get super excited when it comes around. It’s currently World Cup season & I’m hyperfixating to say the least on sports and now have these ideas of a professional athlete!reader works for the dagger squad. Let me know if you want more because I totally have ideas for other sports— especially the ones I played because I have more personal knowledge of them, but I LOVE watching the track and field and nearly went that path when I was a kid because I loved to run and was really fast (I played wing for soccer in high school and I always had people tell me I should’ve been on the track team instead). For this imagine, imagine you were born in 1990 so it would put you at age 30-31 in 2021 and just to be clear this is following the idea that the events of TGM took place in 2019 since the movie was supposed to come out around that time or 2020.

“Let’s freaking go!!!” Javy practically shouts as he claps his hands when entering The Hard Deck to a crowd of people and his friends. Eyes were already glued to the multiple TV screens Penny had set up with the help of regular patrons. There was a table filled with food set out, coolers of ice and beers donated by customers. The bar was buzzing with excitement with many sporting team USA gear and waving American flags. It was the early hours of the morning—literally 5 am and everyone in the building had slept the duration of the previous day in order to pull an all-nighter or had just woken up. They wanted to watch the event live and not the replay later that day due to the 17 hour time difference. News crews were there as well, hoping to catch everyone’s reaction.

The squad rolled their eyes at their colleague, but smiled nonetheless. They too were filled with anticipation. “How much time until their up?” Coyote asked, taking a beer before finding a place beside Hangman. The Dagger squad had arrived early to get good spots with Coyote being the last to arrive. Now there was hardly any space in some areas with the turn out. Civilians and servicemen swarmed every corner.

“About thirty or so minutes. They should be coming into the arena soon.”

Everyone from TopGun was there, including Cyclone, Warlock, Hondo, Maverick and the current aviators going through the TopGun program. Many of the former 2019 detachment had gone off to their old or new assignments, but as soon as the announcement of the team hit the news they were popping off in the group chat and booking flights to Fightertown.

So here they all were. All 12 of the special detachment that trained together for a high-risk uranium enrichment plant mission back again in the Hard Deck like the first night three ago. Rooster, Hangman, Coyote, Phoenix, Bob, Fanboy, Payback, Fritz, Halo, Omaha, Harvard, and Yale. They were only missing one person.

The person across the Pacific Ocean who was the reason they were together to cheer on from home, and would be going for the gold in one final run.

It was the first week of August, 2021. The Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo, Japan.

What should have been held the year prior, was postponed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Now after years of hard work & dedications, nearly 12 thousand athletes from 206 nations around the world were gathered for the greatest sports event in history.

17 days, 339 events in 33 sports. The gold medal on the line.

For Y/n L/n, this was the moment they’d been waiting for. At 31 years old, Y/n spent their entire childhood and adolescence dreaming of the day they would walk through the tunnel of an Olympic arena to represent the USA. From the moment they could walk the track became their life. Their parents were coaches at Vanderbilt University and were the contributing factor to them pursuing the sport. And at age six, Y/n sat in the stands of the Centennial Olympic Stadium in the summer of 1996 where they witnessed with awe as Micheal Johnson won the gold for the USA in the Men’s 200m & 400m sprint and Carl Lewis defended his title of the long jump champion for four consecutive Olympics. Just days prior Y/n witnessed history for USA Gymnastics when the Magnificent 7 defeated Russia for the US’s first women’s All-Around team gold medal.

It was a memorable Games, held on home soil in the city of Atlanta and with many firsts and defenders.

It was the spark of a lifelong goal for the six year old in the stands.

Blood, sweat, and tears were put into training. From an early age Y/n loved to run. But sprinting was their passion. The 100m, 200m, & 400m became their sole focus.

Everyday, sometimes twice or three times Y/n was running drills and sprints. Their day would start with an early morning jog with their dad before the sun was even out, followed by breakfast before heading to the track. From there they would stretch, run drills, and conditioning. Then they would have an hour break for lunch before doing it all over again until dinner. The day would end with another cycle of drills and conditioning. Y/n would be out of breath, sweating, and sometimes in pain.

But they were determined. Like most athletes who dedicate their lives to the international level they became homeschooled and missed out on many things a typical child or teen would experience. Though Y/n had friends it was only a select few. There was hardly time for a social life and therefore it was hard for them to form connections. It wasn’t until they got into competitions did they begin making friends with fellow competitors.

At age 10 Y/n participated in their first meet. It was a let down, but not a total loss. Sure they didn’t win a medal but they didn’t come in last and that in itself was a win in their eyes. It just made them more determined to do better and the next season they delivered by claiming a regional title. As years went by regionals became state titles and soon Y/n was a national champion at age 16. That winning season had brands reaching out to sponsor the teen, but if they were to also take a chance at an NCAA title in college then sponsorships were gonna have to wait.

2008 was the year to remember. Y/n had attended their first World Championships and although they didn’t win gold, they took the bronze and became a likely contender to make the Olympic team in the upcoming trials. They had just graduated with their diploma and had accepted a full ride to Vanderbilt University as part of their track team. What came as a big surprise to their parents was Y/n would not just be getting their degree and competing for the college team, they would also be doing the Naval ROTC program.

Unbeknownst to their family, Y/n was drawn to the world of aviation. Their grandfather was a fighter pilot for the Navy and would tell them stories of what it was like in the air. He even had a cool callsign, ‘Viper,’ and taught at the Navy’s prestigious school for pilots. When Y/n was a child, he would take them to the air shows and teach them all about the maneuvers they were doing and even brought them to TopGun. They were in awe as he would explain all the gadgets and weapons of the F-14.

Yes, track and the Olympics was their life, but something was calling them to the skies.

“Honey, where did this come from? You never talked about joining the Navy before,” their mother said with confusion at the dinner table when Y/n explained their upcoming schedule. “If you make the team this summer I hope you’re not planning for this to be your only games. You’re so young and could easily go again for London and the 2016 games.”

“That’s still the plan, mom,” Y/n sighed, “But you remember all those stories grandpa would tell me about his pilot days? I want to do something more in case this doesn’t work out—have a backup plan per say. What if I tear my hamstring or something happens that I have to retire?” It wasn’t something they liked to think about, but with being an athlete the next meet is never guaranteed. Injuries are common—especially torn ACLs and hamstrings. Y/n had other passions besides track and wanted something there for if the worst happened.

“Y/n, if you do two years of their program you have to decide whether to commit or not and you’ll likely be commissioned when you graduate,” their father pointed out, “That means you’ll have new priorities and if you're serious about flight school that is going to cut time off the track. London is possible given it will be your last year in college—maybe we can pull some strings and have your commission pushed back if you make the team—-but I don’t think 2016 would be. You’re talking balancing a career as a Naval officer and professional athlete. That’s a lot to take on—physically and mentally.”

He had a point and Y/n knew it. London was in four years and definitely possible even if they fail to make the Beijing team. The location of 2016 had yet to be decided, but with the timing it would put Y/n four years into a possible Navy career.

Still they were wanted to make both work.

An Olympic champion and a fighter pilot.

First they had to get through 2008 and boy was it a year to remember. It fulfilled one half of the Olympic dream for Y/n: making the team and competing on the world’s greatest sporting stage. Tears streamed down their face as they embraced their parents following the end of the trials. It was a hell of a trials with Y/n competing against some of the best track stars in the country. They were completely starstruck when Allison Felix congratulated them following the announcement, Y/n remembered watching her four years prior in Athens for her Olympic debut and thought, ‘I really hope we’re teammates in Beijing.’

Unfortunately, a gold medal was not in store for the athlete. Of the three events; 100m, 200m, & 400m, Y/n only qualified for the 200m & 400m after finishing in the top two of their heat. The night of the 200m finals was a saddening with Y/n finishing fourth, just shy of a medal, but the Games were not a total loss when days later an Olympic bronze medal was placed around their neck and the American Flag rose alongside Great Britain and Jamaica’s.

And so the next four years of training for London—with Rio De Janeiro in 2016 looming around the corner—began the second they touched back on U.S soil. On top it was the pressure of securing NCAA titles not to mention A’s & B’s in their classes, while also getting through one of the top collegiate ranked NROTC programs.

It was a lot. And Y/n became burnt out at times. They had already set their name in record books at the national level, now it was time to amp up the game on the international and college level. A bronze medal would not satisfy Y/n, gold was the goal.

It all paid off by the time 2012 arrived. With a few more national titles under their belt and a World Championship in the 400m, Y/n was the talk for a gold among commentators. At the end of their collegiate career they secured several titles in their three events and managed to come out with a 3.8 cumulative GPA. In regards to the NROTC Y/n committed to the program after their second year and was set to commission that summer. The trials were around the same time as what would have been the ceremony, but after several meetings they allowed it to be postponed until after the trials. It would be some time before Y/n would be assigned an OTS due to the path they were taking with flight school and therefore it would likely not interfere with the upcoming Olympics. “Bring home the gold for us,” the officer shook their hand at the end. It filled them with nerves, but mostly perseverance, “I plan to.”

The trials were a success once again with Y/n having the honor to call themselves a two-time Olympian. The five colored rings were tattooed on their bicep, something they did immediately after Beijing that often resulted in being recognized in public, and gold was in their mind. After qualifying for all three events and earning a place on the 4x100 relay, Y/n had four chances at the gold: 3 individual and 1 team.

It was a silver lining moment in all three individual events. After failing to qualify for the 100m finals in Beijing, Y/n pulled a show stopping finish in the last heat earning them a place in the final. It was the most heat pumping 10 seconds of their life that happened in the blink of an eye. Before they knew it they were on the podium with a silver medal and the same would follow in the 200m and 400m. At the end of the 400m ceremony they were bombarded by reporters with the same question, “Y/n, what a run tonight, congratulations again this is your third medal in these games and it seems to be a silver lining moment for you. What are your thoughts?”

Still coming off the emotion from winning their fourth Olympic medal, a privilege not many could say, Y/n smiled wide, “It’s amazing really, you know I took the bronze four years ago in this event and I’m so grateful to come out with another medal—this time being silver. I couldn’t believe Monday night when I took the silver in the 100m—just making it to the finals after not qualifying in Beijing was an accomplishment and same goes for taking second in the 200m. I want to thank my parents, who are also my coaches and have been with me on this journey since the beginning. I’m just so blessed and filled with happiness tonight—I could not have done this without them.”

“You still have a chance at the gold in Wednesday’s relay. How are you feeling about that? What can we expect by the team?”

“We have such an amazing group for the relay, I’m so honored I get to represent the United States alongside them. Every one of us have worked so hard to be here and have really put our blood, sweat, and tears. Hopefully bring home the gold—I know each of us are going to give it our best.”

Y/n’s publicist from the side was signaling for them to hurry up, “One last question before you go,” the reporter quickly said. “For the people at home who have been cheering you on these past four years, can we expect you to return for Rio? I know you could very well take the gold in the relay, but are you hoping to try for an individual in the future?” This was the question Y/n had been preparing for the entire games. Having managed to keep their NROTC program hidden from the media, it troubled Y/n to reveal they would be a Navy officer by the end of the summer. It wasn’t odd for active duty members to be athletes, there were plenty who participated in the games every four years. It would just be difficult given the career path they chose and having to get all the paperwork filed for time off around meets and international competitions.

After a moment of thinking, they finally answered, “I’m very lucky I get to say I competed in these games twice now. I’m twenty-two now and will be twenty-six by the time Rio comes around—not to mention I start flight school pretty soon,” there was immediate surprise by the reporter, but Y/n continued and was quick to finish with. “I’m gonna work hard as I always do and hopefully Rio is in the cards for me. But to give a yes or no imma just say yes, that is the plan.”

Before the reporter could question the topic of flight school, Y/n was already saying goodbye and letting their publicist pull them away. The relay was in two days and was their last chance at winning a gold for the London games. Of course, Y/n was hopeful they would make the Rio team for the sake of winning an individual gold medal. There would no doubt be glory and honor if they were to win the relay, but it had been their dream since childhood to stand on the podium with a gold around their neck for one of their events.

The relay was all they ever dreamed of. A strong group with Y/n leading the first leg before handing it off, giving their teammate a great start to pull a lead against the other nations. As they were walking back to the start, their heart was racing and not just from the adrenaline…but by their teammate being the first to cross the finish line. Then there was the sound of the announcer amongst the roaring crowd, “WORLD RECORD!!!” with the USA appearing beside the #1 spot.

Y/n was screaming before they could stop themselves, “Oh my god!!” knees hit the track as they sank to the ground. They couldn’t even hear themselves by the cheers. It was a spectacular moment with Y/n pulling themselves up to run and embrace their teammates and share the glory they just made. Not only were they Olympic champions but also World Record holders of the 4x100m relay.

“The United States has taken the gold here today in the 4x100m relay and a new world record has been set thanks to the extraordinary start by Y/n L/n.” “This relay group gave it their all today, John. It was such a close call coming around on the third leg, but the Americans pulled through for a stunning finish for Olympic gold.”

With an American flag in their hand, Y/n joined their teammates beside the record projection. They were teary eyed, but held off from crying because they knew the emotion would come full heartedly on the podium. And boy did it come. The second the national anthem was playing, the first tear fell from Y/n’s eyes. The medal was heavy around their neck, but it was a reminder that they achieved the goal they set out when they were six years old.

Olympic champion.

And they got to share it with their teammates—an immense honor they would cherish till the end of time.

Y/n could barely remember all that happened following the podium ceremony. After a celebration with their parents and best friend, who flew all the way out to London to support them, they had no more events and got to rest for the remainder of the games. Closing ceremonies were spectacular. One of Y/n’s favorite moments from the Beijing games was getting to mingle with athletes from the other nations during the closing ceremonies. This time around Y/n was speechless as they got to see a Spice Girls reunion and One Direction perform.

Life became chaotic to say the least following the return from London. After winning four medals including a gold, Y/n was asked by several talk show hosts to appear for an interview. They accepted a few and were immediately bombarded with questions about the little detail they slipped after winning the silver in the 400m. “You made it known to the world that you’ll be going to flight school, was it? What can you tell us about that?”

“Well during my time at Vanderbilt, where I competed for them in the NCAA—which can I say, It’s a completely different ball field when your parents are not only your coaches for international competitions but also college meets. The energy is different, especially because they’ve been there for almost two decades now and are the definition of school spirit. Anyways, while I was there I also took the route of doing their Navy ROTC program. My grandfather was a fighter pilot for the Navy and pretty much became my inspiration for wanting to fly—on top of being an athlete. It was something I thought long and hard about. I wasn’t sure if I would even make the London team and of course anything can happen, but I knew I wanted to go to fight school back when I competed in 2008. I actually will be commissioning once I’m done with all this post-Olympic press.”

The ceremony was a bittersweet moment. With their friends and family around them, Y/n was pinned on with the ranks of Ensign and named an officer of the United States Navy. From there were the challenges of balancing a career as both a professional athlete and naval aviator. Often were days of bad mental health and aches after overexertion. OTS & Flight school was intense but shaped Y/n in many ways. The first day they were recognized by a classmate resulting in the callsign, “Olympian,” after everyone would say, “Hey, Olympian!” when calling out to them after two straight days.

“Could’ve been worse,” Y/n chuckled after their parents were like, ‘really?’ when they told them. “I mean it could have been something like ‘Short-track,’ or ‘Goldilocks,’ if they thought about it. If I fucked up doing something then they would’ve named me something related to it. I’ll take Olympian cause that’s what I am.”

After completing flight school and receiving their first duty station, Y/n made the decision to hire a new coach. The World Championships were coming up and they did not want to uproot their parents while they were still the head coaches at Vanderbilt. At first they protested, but eventually relented on the condition that Y/n’s coach would be their former colleague. He was the former head coach of Vanderbilt when their parents were athletes themselves before becoming assistant coaches. “He is everything you need to bring your A-game these next seasons and Rio. I’ll make the call first thing in the morning and see what he says.”

The four years between London and Rio were brutal. The training with their new coach and balancing an aviation career showed more hardships than ever. Y/n proved themselves to be a talented pilot despite the struggles and eventually was invited in 2015 to attend the Navy’s prestigious Fighter Weapons School more commonly known as Top Gun. The same place their grandfather attended and taught at.

A hard decision had to be made when the invite came. The time period interfered with the track season and Y/n would not be able to defend their two-consecutive world titles in the 400m sprint. In the end, Y/n announced they would be pulling out from the 2015 season to attend Top Gun. They weighed out the pros and cons and felt it was the best route given the Olympics were a year away. If an injury were to occur then it could result in Y/n not even having the chance to do the trials. Their coach was frustrated in the beginning, as one would be after dominating the national and international meets for two years straight. He eventually put his differences aside to put focus on what Y/n needed to improve if they were to take the gold in Rio.

It was at Top Gun that Y/n met fellow naval aviator Natasha “Phoenix” Trace. They were seated next to each other in one of the many lecture rooms at Fightertown where Nat had to do a double take after recognition sparked in her. Nat was an athlete in high school and college who, like many, would sit with her family to watch the Olympics every four years. Though she didn’t run track, a sibling of hers did so they would always tune into the events when they came on. After seeing the patch reading ‘Olympian,’ Nat had to hold back her fangirling as the memory of her cheering when the US took gold in the 4x100m relay. ‘It has to be them.’ At the end of the lecture she approached Y/n with a shy smile, “I’m so sorry if this is weird for you, but are you Y/n L/n? I’m Natasha—Phoenix.”

They struck up a friendship during their time at Top Gun. The two bonded over their NCAA careers and sports in general. Nat admired Y/n for being able to balance being an athlete and aviator, for she made the difficult decision to not pursue her sport after college. What was ironic was they didn’t feel threatened by the other when going after the top spot in their class, considering they were both obviously competitive. Both had immense respect for the other, and didn’t care at the end of the day who came out on top. They both had similar hobbies outside of flying and would spend nights watching movies, going to the bars, or playing volleyball with their fellow pilots. It was a genuine friendship with Nat supporting Y/n even after they graduated from Top Gun both ranked #1 in their class.

Nat even took time off to attend the 2016 U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials. There she witnessed Y/n, who she now called a best friend, qualify for their third consecutive Olympics. Nat never screamed louder in her life than when Y/n took the top spot on the team for their events. “Oh my God, you did it!” She hugged the athlete when it was all done. “Holy shit congratulations, Oly! This is it—this is gonna be your year!” Nat wouldn’t be in Rio, but promised to cheer Y/n from home.

Unfortunately the journey for the individual gold medal ended before it could even start. After qualifying for the 100m and 200m finals with the expectation of being part of the relay team once again, Y/n’s dream of gold crashed during the semifinals of the 400m.

Literally crashed.

Their signature event which had an Olympic bronze and silver to their name as well as several World titles, ended in catastrophe. As Y/n came up on the last leg with the final turn, Y/n had a tight lead against their main opponent. But before they could blink the athlete to their left tripped and fell to the side directly in front of them. Moving so fast and unable to stop to avoid the person, Y/n topped over and felt a searing pain in their side as they landed awkwardly.

Gasps rang out before the stadium fell silent with just the faint sound of cheers from the winners of the race. Y/n was panting, clutching onto their side as fire filled the entire right side of their body. The athlete who tripped was in tears and apologizing profusely. There was still adrenaline from the sprint as the arena stopped spinning around Y/n. Determined to cross the finish line, Y/n pulled themself up and helped their fellow athlete up, “It’s okay, c’mon. Let’s finish this.” They were crying and Y/n had their own tears from the pain in their side and leg, but they only had a few yards to go. Cradling their right arm, Y/n was practically limping alongside their opponent while struggling to breath. Each time they took a breath they were met with pain, not to mention each step had them wince.

They didn’t want to think of the extent of the injuries. The pain alone indicated it was bad. Y/n knew right there their Rio run was done for. Their lips trembled as the reality set in.

The athlete saw Y/n’s condition and immediately brought them to their side as they approached the finish line. Cheers and claps ignited the stadium. There was no doubt they were moved by the display of sportsmanship between two athletes from differing nations. Both with the same goal of Olympic glory that would not be delivered.

Y/n was swarmed by the medical staff. The athlete who tripped them kept apologizing, filled with guilt, embarrassment and shame causing injuries to the Olympian. They felt a little pain from falling but nothing to the extent Y/n had. They had practically gone flying forward and crash landed to avoid hitting their head hard on the track. Now that the adrenaline had finally worn off, Y/n was having to do everything to hold back from collapsing. Y/n embraced the athlete with a hug despite the multiple medics yelling at them, “Don’t blame yourself, it could have happened to anyone. Okay? I’m not angry with you at all.” It was true, Y/n wasn’t angry. Were they sad? Of course, their Olympics were totally over after being diagnosed with a fractured right arm, a bruised rib, mild concussion from hitting their head on the track, and a torn ACL in their right knee.

Commentators were speechless when the incident occurred, “Coming around the corner on the final stretch it’s a tight race between USA, Jamaica, and France—Oh! Oh no! Oh my goodness, there’s been a crash here ladies and gentleman and it doesn’t look good for the American Y/n L/n. Not at all, they are not moving—oh wait no they are getting up right now and helping the athlete from Poland. But L/n looks to be in pain they’re holding onto their arm and I can see they are having trouble jogging—a slight limp to their step. Now the Polish athlete has taken L/n under their arm and they are crossing the finish line to the cheers of the arena in a display that could only be described as what the Olympics is truly about. Great sportsmanship here folks. It’s unsure what L/n is feeling right now but one thing is certain, we will not get to see Y/n go for the gold in the 400m final.”

After the race when the NBC announcers live from Rio were in the studio recapping, they gave an update to Y/n’s situation.

“Breaking news we’ve just received on American Y/n L/n. After the unfortunate incident in tonight’s 400m semifinal, the 26-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee was rushed to the hospital after it was realized the injuries they sustained were more severe than what they thought. It’s being reported Y/n is in surgery for a fracture to their right arm and torn ligament in their right knee. It’s also been noted the athlete suffered a mild concussion as well as a bruised rib. Their coach has come out with a statement on behalf of L/n letting it be known they’ll not be competing in the 100 and 200m finals nor the 4x100 and 4x400m relays they were scheduled to compete in. L/n also has said they will remain in Rio to recover until after the conclusion of these Olympic Games before returning with their teammates to the States.

“The gold medalist in the team relay from four years ago has not said if they will be aiming for a shot at the 2020 games in Tokyo, Japan. L/n was the 2008 bronze medalist in the 400m dash before claiming silver medals in the 100, 200, and 400m in London as well as sharing the gold for the 4x100m relay. They were the leading contender for an individual gold in one of the events after dominating the 2013 and 2014 World Championships. The three-time Olympian pulled out from the 2015 season due to conflicting commitments after revealing in 2012 they were commissioned into the United States Navy following their time at Vanderbilt University. These games in Rio were their first international competition since the one year hiatus. We can only hope Y/n will continue their journey to an individual gold medal in Tokyo, but from those of us in the studio and on behalf of everyone watching at home, we wish Y/n L/n a speedy recovery and safe trip back to the States.”

It was a solemn week in Rio with Y/n sitting in a hospital bed and the games playing on the tv screen. Their coach was with them, as was their dad and together they cheered the US when they took the gold in several events including defending the 4x100m relay. The doctors in Rio gave Y/n a recovery period of nearly one year—the longest healing process being the torn knee. It would be nine months until Y/n could even jog on it, but the doctors recommended waiting a full year before testing it. PT was going to be a pain in the ass, but as long as they didn’t run or do sprints then Y/n would be able to do all else after everything else healed.

Their concussion lasted a couple weeks and the bruised rib took over a month to heal, as did the fractured arm. The 2017 worlds and nationals were out of the question. Thankfully Y/n was still able to fly once the concussion was gone and their arm was fully functional.

The entire year the athlete was unsure of what to do about Tokyo. All their focus was put into flying. Running missions instead of the track and being promoted to Lieutenant in 2018. That same year they decided to try for one more shot at Olympic gold by training for Tokyo. Their coach and parents were all too pleased—even Nat after Y/n called her up to ask for advice. They had a lot to work on since Y/n waited an extra six months after fully recovering. The 2018 season was unattainable so the goal was a comeback in the 2019 season gearing up for the 2020 Olympics.

Just like when Y/n was a child, blood, sweat, and tears were put into training. More times could they remember wanting to quit when their knee started to act up after a bad start off the blocks. They had more arguments with their coach which only fueled the fire. Lastly they were on intense missions that took a toll on their mental health. Nat would check in on them every once in a while, but Y/n brushed it off. This is what they signed up for. They made their bed, now they were to lay in it.

2019 nearly brought deja vu. The World Championships were held in Qatar at the end of September leading into October when Y/n got the call from Vice Admiral Beau ‘Cyclone’ Simpson.

“The Pentagon has tasked me with assembling a strike team for a special detachment. I’ve seen your record and I feel you have what it takes to be a possible member of this mission. Now I know your situation and it is my understanding you’re currently in Qatar, what time are you expected to be stateside?”

Y/n’s hands were shaking, dread filling them at the thought they would likely have to decline an assignment. But these championships were more imported. “The last day is the sixth, but if I qualify for the finals of all my events then I should be done by the fifth, sir.”

“That’s perfect,” his words had them sigh in relief. “The tentative date to report to North Island is the 24th. I’ll be emailing you the information at another time.”

“Yes, sir. I will be there. Thank you for informing me, sir.”

“Oh and Lieutenant?” Cyclone stopped them before they could end the call.

“Yes, sir?”

There’s a slight pause, “Good luck out there. Bring home the gold for us.”

And bring it home they did. In an amazing comeback after what could have been a career ending injury, Y/n L/n reclaimed their title as the world champion in the 400m dash. They fell short in the 200m, but left with the silver and even secured the gold for the team 4x100m & 4x400m relays. People called it the ‘comeback of the decade,’ and Y/n fell subject to a lot of media attention in the world of sports. Their publicist did their best to handle the press once they found out about Y/n’s upcoming commitment. “I won’t let a single soul find out about this, Y/n, I promise you. The devil works hard, but I work harder.”

Once stateside track was put on hold to prepare and partake for the special Top Gun detachment. Dressed in their service khaki’s, Y/n entered The Hard Deck for the first time in three years and was immediately tackled by Phoenix. “You’re here! Holy shit when did you get back?”

“Like two weeks ago, I’ve been chilling since Qatar since there were no assignments until this.”

“Wait, you’re here for the Top Gun detachment too?” Phoenix raised a brow before frowning, “Why didn’t you tell me the other day on the phone?”

Y/n gave the woman a look, “I wasn’t sure we could even mention it to people. Plus you didn’t say anything either, Phee.” They got her there, the pilot raising a hand as if to say, “touché”. By now they have drawn the attention of several other aviators, who all appeared amused by the display of affection by Natasha and were curious to know who it was that received it. One person, Bob, had their jaw dropped when it clicked who they were. Payback appeared to be deep in thought, like they recognized Y/n but couldn’t put a name to their face.

“Trace, you gonna introduce us to your friend?” the blonde aviator, Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin said with a pool cue in hand. He was totally checking Y/n out with a settle drift of the eyes up and down. They didn’t look impressed but smiled to the others nonetheless.

Natasha brought the pilot over and proudly introduced them, “Fellas, this is Y/n L/n. Better known as ‘Olympian.’ One of the best damn pilots you’ll ever see. We both shared the honor of first in the class at Top Gun in 2015.” Nat then introduced all the guys and their callsigns, Y/n shaking each of their hands—Bob still appeared starstruck when they let go of his hand.

“Olympian, huh?” Hangman chuckled at the name, “That’s quite the callsign. What are you Greek? Or obsessed with mythology?” Rooster glared at the man, but also looked curious for the reason behind the Y/n’s callsign. Even their name sounded familiar. They had yet to see the tattoo on Y/n’s bicep, which now had the names Beijing XXIX, London XXX and Rio XXXI in tiny cursive below the rings.

Before Nat or Y/n could fire back at Jake, Bob dropped his cup of peanut shells. Everyone looked at him like, ‘what the hell, man?’ But Y/n started to smile, recognizing the shock in his face as though he had been right about something.

“S-sorry. Oh my God,” he stuttered with red cheeks, “You’re Y/n L/n. L-like THE Olympic gold medalist Y/n L/n. Oh my God I’ve watched you since 2008–since Beijing!” The revelation had shocked looks from everyone now besides Nat of course.

Payback suddenly jumped from his seat, “holy shit! I knew I recognized you from somewhere but couldn’t exactly figure it out for the life of me.” The man was stationed in London at the time of the Olympic Games and attended the night the US won gold in the relays. Now here is a member that he cheered on from the stands in front of him. “Wow, I was in London seven years ago—I-I saw you compete. This is fucking unreal.” Y/n laughed, shaking Payback’s hand. He was still coming down from the shock, having just crossed his mind that all over ESPN and Sportscenter the past month sportscasters were talking about Y/n’s comeback.

“Wait a minute,” Rooster pitched in, the memory of being in a bar the summer of 2016 played in his mind. In the same memory he remembered watching the 400m semifinals on the tv scream and gasping with everyone else when the American contender for the gold had tripped over their competitor and was out the remainder of the games. Coming closer to the scene in front of him, Rooster’s eyes caught the black ink on Y/n’s bicep. “Well I’ll be damned. You’re a pilot, a naval pilot like us? And you’re a fucking olympian?”

“Three-time to be exact, but who’s counting?” Y/n teased, causing Phoenix to chuckle and hand them a beer. All the men minus Payback and Bob, who had slight knowledge of Y/n’s career, practically had their eyes bulging. Rooster honestly thought they had just been in London and Rio. “It’s nice to meet you all. And to answer your question…Bradley, right?”

“Yeah, but please call me Rooster.” Y/n tried not to giggle at the callsign.

“Rooster, but yes I am a pilot, as our lovely Phoenix has pointed out I graduated Top Gun with her three years ago.”

“Weren’t you just in Qatar two weeks ago?” Payback asked when he remembered the World Championships in Athletics had just taken place. All over sportscenter they were talking about the comeback of the decade. “I swear I just watched you on my tv the other day during replays of the world championships.”

Y/n sipped their beer before replying with a nod, “Yeah I was. I probably wouldn’t be here if the timing wasn’t perfect.”

“That’s crazy,” Fanboy commented, still in disbelief he was speaking to an actual Olympic athlete. After hearing the stories from his fellow athletes— and doing a quick google search when no one was looking—Mickey was internally fanboying like his callsign namesake. “How have you managed to do both?”

“Lot’s of sleepless nights, determination, desire to win, and tequila on the weekends.” There were laughs at that. For the rest of the night Y/n fell into conversation with everyone. A few asked for a picture, which they were happy to do, and even signed some autographs for Bob and Fanboy. They caught up with Nat, relieved London memories with Payback and went into detail about their injuries when Rooster brought it up.

“I was at the bar with some buddies and saw that happen live. Everyone couldn’t believe it and I remember seeing you limp across the finish line with the, I think it was the Polish athlete? That’s amazing you even managed to get up after a crash like that.” Y/n was on their second beer, sitting between Bob and Coyote and across from Rooster while the others listened from the sides as they continued the game of pool.

“What were you thinking at that moment?” Javy asked with curiosity. “Did you like automatically know it was over for you?”

Y/n thought for a bit before replying, “the second I hit the track I knew my chances for the 400m were done—it was the semifinals after all. When I first felt the pain I thought it was the typical instant pain that would go away after a bit. Then when I started to move it got worse and as soon as I got up I thought, ‘yeah there’s no way I’m gonna be able to do the finals or relays.’ My chest was on fire from the bruised rib and then I could barely feel my knee once the adrenaline wore off. I probably would’ve collapsed after the finish line if they weren’t holding me up.”

‘Damns’ and ‘wows,’ rang out before Bob politely asked, “Are you going to try for the Tokyo team?”

“Yup,” they exhaled with a nervous chuckle at the end. “It’s gonna be tough I feel with how these past couple seasons have been, but I’m hoping for one final Olympics. It will be my last chance at gold—Individual gold,” they corrected before anyone could comment.

“You’re gonna retire?” Fanboy tilted his head, a little saddened at the thought. Throughout the night he had been on his phone watching replays of Y/n’s meets including their Olympic and World Championship runs. He tried not to react when he watched the 2016 400m semifinals. Now the thought of them retiring felt like a loss to the sport. It was like how he felt when Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt retired.

“Maybe not fully,” Y/n gave a small smile. “I might do one last season and a Worlds, but I don’t think I’m gonna go for the Paris Games.”

Payback came over and clapped them on the back, “Well I don’t know about these clowns but you can count on me to cheer you on next year. Hell I might even come to the trials.”

“That’s what I did in ‘16,” Phoenix cut in with a smile. “It was amazing and I’ll be in the stands again. Already planning to take time off to be there.” Y/n felt the warmth and gratitude swarm in them, “Thanks, Phee.”

What should have been three weeks of special combat training turned out to be two. The pressure was on with Y/n pushing their limit harder than ever—even exceeded that of their comeback. Never had the F-18 they’d become accustomed to flying feel like a stranger. Maverick was like their coach and Y/n made it their own personal goal to prove to him they had what it took to fly the mission.

At one point Y/n nearly pulled out as a candidate. When the details of the assignment were brought into light Y/n had to think hard about what they were doing. It was not going to be an easy mission. Not by a long shot. Ending badly was a great possibility compared to actually pulling it off. Their life was on the line.

What if they died? What if they got injured to the point they would have to medically retire? Decades of training for the Olympics would end if something horrible happened. Y/n had three to their name, an honor not everyone gets to have, but there was their chance at redemption after 2016 was now on the line.

In the end 6 of the 13 candidates were chosen and although Y/n felt a little saddened they were not chosen, there was a sense of relief. They were put on reserves and boarded the carrier for a long week ahead of them. When it was time to send off their teammates, Y/n pulled them each into a hug, letting it linger on Nat and making her promise to come back. “If worse comes to worse, L/n,” Payback said, “You better win the gold in our honor.” There were mutters of agreement from the others.

“How about you focus on coming back so you can watch me win it in your honor.”

They fulfilled the promise, because now here they were in The Hard Deck about to watch Y/n attempt to keep their side of the bargain. It was 5:15 am on Friday August 6th, 2021. The second to last day of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad held in Tokyo, Japan. And it was the finals of the 400m sprint.

Just a couple months ago in June several members of the squad including Phoenix, Payback, Rooster, Hangman, & Bob met up in Eugene, Oregon to attend the trials for the U.S Olympic Track & Field Team. Following covid precautions they wore their masks and stayed together in their own little group literally competing themselves on who could cheer the loudest. It was a bittersweet moment watching their friend and former teammate secure their place in their fourth and final Olympics. Hangman and Phoenix nearly shed a tear, the former consumed with emotion as they looked on proud at their partner waving to the crowd. Their romance was a surprise, but after the two met to catch up in March of 2020, they ended up having to go thorough lockdown together.

And well…..forced proximity can do wonders when you’re attracted to someone.

Jake wished he could be in Tokyo with Y/n, but even though it had been over a year since the virus broke out and sanctions were being uplifted there were still regulations set in stone for the Olympics. The entire event was postponed a whole year, but was still referred to as the 2020 Olympics despite being 2021. Only the athletes and coaches, which were limited to only one, were allowed to travel. Leading up to the Games, Penny had issued a vaccination verification and made the mask policy optional for those who had been fully vaccinated. She even went as far as making a limit for attendees during the week of the track and field events and had people reserve a spot in advance. She even set up screens outside for people to keep space in the building.

It was still a pretty full house and it was buzzing with excitement as it had been the whole week. Many were regulars who came every night to watch the heats, semifinals, and finals of many events but mostly people were there to watch their very own Top Gun alumni Y/n L/n. Even their parents were there—flying to San Diego to be a part of the watch party. They were already filled with nerves, Y/n’s mother was very upset she couldn’t be there in Tokyo with her child. If they won the gold it would be a bittersweet moment since her parents wouldn’t be there to celebrate in person until they returned home.

It was already a successful Games for the Olympian. The week before Y/n won the bronze in the 100m dash and 4x400 mixed relay and reclaimed the silver in the 200m. The place erupted in cheers each time with the dagger squad being the loudest. It would increase whenever the camera panned to Y/n, who was in obvious joy at racking more medals to their Olympic collection.

But now the pressure was on with one final individual event.

The 400m sprint.

Their signature event with two medals and several titles to their name.

One final shot at gold.

There would still be the relays, in which the final for the 4x100m would take place an hour after the 400m final and then the 4x400m the following night, but Y/n becoming an Olympic champion for an individual event would happen in less than fifteen minutes. The program flipped between other events while in prep for the race, often showing Y/n in the tunnel as they awaited the announcement of the finalists.

At around 5:20 all eyes were glued to the screen with someone yelling, “Turn it up!’ when the sportscasters appeared to be talking about Y/n. The pilots all had the same expression, wincing when they replayed the footage of the 2016 semifinals.

“I think we can all agree we are looking forward to this race, right Steph?”

“That’s right, John. You know, all eyes have been on Y/n L/n these Games. They have already had a great run with three medals, two bronze and a silver with three more events to go. They have quite the Olympic career since their debut in 2008 at the age of eighteen. They came up forth in the 200m in Beijing and walked away with the bronze medal in the 400m,” below the commentator was Y/n’s Olympic statistics. “Then they had a spectacular run in London where we saw them on the podium in each of their events. Silver medals in the sprints and It was their start off the blocks in the 4x100m relay that I believe is what secured the Americans the gold.”

“I agree, Steph. I can still recall that race and the emotions I felt. L/n had an amazing post-Olympic run after London—totally dominating the 2013 & 2014 seasons. Let’s not forget they were one of the top athletes in the NCAA’s during their time at Vanderbilt. I definitely believe it would have continued into 2015 if they hadn’t pulled out, but they still were the leading contender for the Rio Games. It was the height of the career I feel.” The screen was now split to showcase footage of Y/n’s 2013 & 2014 Worlds. Then it showed the heats and semifinals of Rio.

“Totally, John, they dominated the trials that year. They very well could have left Rio with more medals—quite possibly a gold in 400m which is their signature event. Everytime I rewatch the semifinals I almost have to look away at the final turn.”

“I know, it was an unfortunate incident that ended Y/n’s Olympics before they could really start. We almost didn’t know if we would even see them here in Tokyo, but after a spectacular comeback at the 2019 World Championships in Qatar, I had very high hopes we would get to this moment.”

“Me too, John, the pressure is on for the 31-year-old, let’s see if they can deliver,” the commentator turns to look at the camera with Y/n’s picture beside her, “Well it’s almost time for the 400m and it looks they are about to announce the finalists so we are going to have our crew in the stadium takeover our coverage. We will see you back here in the studio after the race and be sure to stick around because the night won’t be over for the four-time Olympian. Y/n is set to be one the four of today’s 4x100m relay final and tomorrow’s 4x400m relay.”

The screen switched to reveal the stadium, specifically the entrance tunnel where a projection would show the name and nation of the finalists. Y/n had taken the top spot in their heat and the semifinal so they would get the fourth lane on the track.

“Here we go!” Someone in the Hard Deck clapped, causing a few more people to follow. The cheers heightened when the American flag appeared above the name Y/n L/n.

First the announcement was in Japanese, then the English translator spoke through the stadium “In Lane Four, representing the United States of America, Y/n L/n!” With a shy smile, Y/n appeared from the side and walked until they were directly beneath their name. Then they turned to the camera and gave a wave followed by blowing a kiss to the screen and lastly throwing a peace sign. It must have been a little awkward without a packed stadium like the previous Games. Only a small section was filled with locals and the coaches of the athletes.

“That’s my best friend!” Nat yelled over the cheers. Several others followed the pilot, “Let’s go, Y/n!” “Bring it home!” “One last time, baby, let’s go!”

The remaining finalists were announced and took their place behind the starting blocks. When the camera panned to Y/n, their eyes were closed in a silent prayer.

“Take your mark.”

Their eyes snapped open with a shaky breath, feet carrying them to the starting blocks. Y/n did a ritual stretch down, tapping the tops of their toes with their hands before bending down to place their feet in the right position. Glancing up to the sky, Y/n said in their head, “please, give me this one moment.” Tucking their chin into their chest, Y/n waiting with anticipation like everyone else in the world watching.

It was like time slowed. “Set.” Their knees lifted off the track.

*Pop* the sound of the gun and Y/n catapulted off the blocks. Their eyes never faltered as they ahead at the track and let their legs do the work. In their peripheral they saw their opponents, the space between them slowly decreasing by the second as they pulled into the final stretch. Coming around the corner there was no one in Y/n’s sight. The finish line drew closer. Y/n didn’t know if they were in the lead by a long shot or if it was only a nanosecond.

Their heart pounded in their chest, sweat dripping from their forehead. Heaved breaths left their mouth and Y/n could feel her bad knee start to burn. But they pushed and they pushed.

All Y/n knew as they crossed the finish line was the world record flashed and their eyes snapped to the board which resulted in them screaming. As the announcer yelled through the coms, “WORLD RECORD!!” Y/n fell to their knees in tears.

#1 Y/N L/N—USA 47.50 (WR, OR)

Below their name were spots 2-8. And not only did Y/n just take the gold in their last individual event, but they also broke the World and Olympic records. Records that had been set for decades.

When Y/n finally lifted their head they were met with beaming faces of their competitors. They all congratulated the athlete, some hugging and patting their back. The world record sign was still flashing and Y/n felt another wave of emotion. This time they ran to their coach, aware the cameraman was keeping up with them to get a close look for the viewers at home.

Y/n could only imagine what it was like in Fightertown.

The second the athletes were lining up, Coyote yelled, “Everybody shut up!!” Silence filled the building, everyone’s focus on their respected screen. “Set.” *Pop* The racers were off and the commentators were already speaking frantically. “Great start off the blocks for L/n, coming around on the first turn neck and neck with the athlete from the Bahamas. Jamaica and Great Britain are not too far as they take on the long stretch of the track.”

“Go! Go!” People started to scream. Bob was biting his nails, Rooster was gripping his beer bottle. Hangman and Coyote were already off of their seats, “C’mon, Y/n! You got this!” It got louder as they approached the final turn.

“L/n is starting to pull a lead as they come up the turn, but the Bahamas are right there—this was the moment L/n’s Olympic dreams were shattered in Rio—O-oh! L/n has overtaken the Bahamas—they’ve got a huge gap as they pull into the final stretch! Oh my God we could be witnessing history—L/n is .10ths of a second ahead of the World Record and increasing their lead ahead of the others by an outstanding margin!”

“Let’s go!!!” The commentators' words were barely there as it competed with the uproar of spectators in the Hard Deck. Everyone was pretty much out of their seats and jumping as they watched Y/n’s lead increase with each step to the finish line. “You’re almost there!! Go! Go! Go!”

Then it exploded.

“THEY’VE DONE IT! Y/N L/n has won the gold for America!! They smashed the Olympic record and set the World record for the 400m dash by .10 of a second at these Olympic Games in Tokyo!”

“OH MY GOD!!!” Phoenix and several others screamed. She and Halo embraced in a hug with Nat covering her mouth to hold back her emotion when the screen showed Y/n screaming out to the sky before falling to their knees. The guys were all jumping around, Rooster and Payback embraced in a side hug, pulling Jake who was pretty much in tears as he watched the display of his partner.

“After heartbreak four years ago in Rio that put them out of a chance for the gold, Y/n L/n has come out on top in Tokyo. They can finally add Olympic Champion to their name as well as Olympic and World record holder of the 400m dash. In what could be the last time we see Y/n L/n in an Olympic Games, they have achieved what they set out to do since their debut in Beijing 13 years ago. What a stunning finish to a beautiful Olympic career in the sport of track and field.”

Y/n’s parents were clenched in each other’s arms, eyes rimmed as their own tears poured. They were filled with so much happiness for their child and wished nothing more to be in the crowd and share this moment with them. At the bar top Warlock, Hondo, and Maverick were high-fiving while Cyclone clapped along with a smile. Penny rang the bell simply to join the cheers.

It was truly spectacular to witness. The slow motion replay was on the screen followed by the Y/n’s reaction when they looked up to find their name on the board. The cheers kept going and only started to quiet down when TV showed the athlete in their post race interview. “Y/n, what a night here tonight. Congratulations are in store, you have not only taken an individual gold but also the World record—and the Olympic record! It’s your fourth medal in these Games, the first gold—how are you feeling right now after this victory?”

Everyone hushed to listen, but were grinning wide and some were wiping away tears. Y/n’s face was flushed, still coming off of the high of what had just happened. “O-oh I can’t even put it into words how I’m feeling right now,” there was a slight sniff, Y/n using their finger to wipe their face but was careful not to let the material of the American flag draped around their shoulders touch their skin.

“This is a dream come true. It has been a long journey to get here and I-I am so honored to have been a part of this team for as long as I have. You know after the 100 & 200 I didn’t want to have my hopes too high because as you can see anything can happen in these Games,” Y/n chuckled, eyes glossy, “I think I may have actually blacked out on the last stretch. I just kept my focus on the finish line and was just as amazed to see I had broken the records.”

The title card on the screen now showed: Y/n L/n, Gold Medalist, 400m (WR, OR: 47.50).

“Your friends and family have all gathered in San Diego—they’re watching right now and we actually got footage of their reaction to your win tonight. We’d love to show you if you like.”

“Oh God please,” Y/n was already giggling. The assistant brought over an ipad with a video and pressed play. On the tv screens the image split to show the video beside Y/n’s face to capture their own reaction. They saw the daggers squad in front of the bar while their superiors including Maverick were seated at the bar top. They were all surrounded by servicemen and women as well as civilians. Y/n teared up when they spotted their parents near Jake. By the end of it Y/n was basically crying while laughing. “Oh my God, that is amazing. I wish they could’ve been in the stands. I know my parents are probably thinking how the one time they can’t see me compete in person is when I win.”

The reporter laughed along with them. “I know I gotta let you go cause you’re set to race the relay in less than an hour and the podium ceremony is about to start, but before you go I just want to ask if this is the last time we’ll see you after these Games conclude Sunday night.”

Y/n softly smiled to the reporter, bottom lip slightly trembling, “uhh, you know I wasn’t completely sure. Since Rio I’ve had some troubles with my knee after the torn ACL—I almost wasn’t sure about these Games until 2018. I’ve been talking to Allison Felix these past couple days, since this is gonna be her last Games. Her and I have been part of Team USA for 13 years now and she’s become not only a mentor but a friend to me and i’m going to miss seeing her at competitions. I know I plan to do the 2022 season—especially the Worlds. Paris is only three-years away,” they shrugged, like they were considering it, “I’ll be thirty-four when it comes around so it’s really gonna come down to how I’m feeling after 2022.”

“Well I hope to see you again in Paris, but if not then it was truly a pleasure watching you these years. You’ve been an inspiration to many watching back home in the States. Congratulations again on this win and we can’t wait to see you bring it in the relays. Good luck again tonight.”

“Thank you so so much. I appreciate it and much love to everyone back home—thank you for all the support, especially my mom and dad, my coach, and my friends in Fightertown who I know are probably losing their minds. I love you all and I couldn't have got this gold without each and every one of you. Thank you,” Y/n shakes their hand and blows a kiss to the camera before following the volunteer to locker rooms to change for the podium ceremony.

Just like in London, Y/n was nearly a mess on the podium when the gold medal was presented to them. Per covid regulations, the athlete had to place it around their own neck instead of how it was at previous games with someone else doing the honor. Still, it held everything to Y/n.

They were an Olympic champion.

Tears streaked their face when the national anthem played and when it concluded Y/n kissed the medal and waved to the crowd of spectators that included the media and athletes from other countries. The rest of Team USA’s track athletes were there too, cheering the loudest as some of them have been Y/n’s teammates for over a decade. After pictures with the other medalists Y/n was rushed to get ready for the relay that was to start in 20 minutes. At the Hard Deck it was an emotional scene watching the podium ceremony. Jake and Nat were embraced, looking on with glossy eyes while everyone beamed at the screen. Y/n’s parents were with them too. It was bittersweet.

20 minutes later they were in cheers once again when Team USA took the silver in the 4x100m relay. Y/n kick started it off like they did in London, but this time fell short to second place by a smudge. It still was a celebration with Y/n adding another silver medal to their personal Tokyo medal count. It was passed one in the morning in Tokyo when Y/n FaceTimed Jake after the podium ceremony. They were met with shouts of joy from everyone in proximity that it was hard to even make out the individual voices.

“You fucking did it!!”

“Congratulations, Lightning McQueen, you were amazing!”

“Holy shit, Olympic gold!”

“I’m so fucking proud of you, Y/n. I wish I could hug you right now.”

The call was brief but wholesome with Y/n thanking the entire squad for their support and they loved watching their reaction to the race. Jake spoke on behalf of the others with the promise to celebrate the second Y/n returned to San Diego in three days. After goodbyes and a quick chat with their parents, Y/n ended the call to get much needed sleep for their final race the next day. The Hard Deck cleared out soon after with many calling it a day.

It was the same scene the next morning at 5:30 am to watch the final of the 4x400m relay. “It is the final day in these Olympic Games after a spectacular two weeks in Tokyo. Many firsts have been made. There are just a few events to get through tonight before closing ceremonies tomorrow evening. All eyes are now on the finals of the 4x400m relay. And boy is there a lineup tonight with the Americans looking to defend with a seventh-straight title.”

“It’s going to be an interesting finals tonight, Mark. Like you mentioned, the US have retained the title of Olympic champions in this event since the 1996 Games in Atlanta. They are unstoppable and this is the first time Y/n L/n is part of the group. They won the gold in London for the 4x100 and just last night took silver in the event. Four years ago in Rio they were set to be on both the 4x100 and 4x400, but after a tragic semi finals that ended with a torn ACL, L/n had to pull out of Games.”

On the screen the team was announced with all four athletes appearing from the side. Together they did a little dance for the cameras before going to the track. “I’m interested to see how L/n does tonight and if they can pull through. This event is truly a team effort and unlike last night, L/n is set to anchor the Americans in the final pass rather than starting. They just won the gold in the 400m last night in a stunning record breaking finish—I’m still in disbelief.”

The Hard Deck painted a familiar picture as the previous morning. The Daggers were on the edge of their seats when the race started and Penny stopped taking orders when the third pass began. The camera was split to show Y/n taking their spot on the track to await the baton. Then the screen went back to one when the American came up on the last turn. “Here comes the final pass of the bottom in the final leg of this 4x400 relay. Poland and Jamaica are not far behind, but the Americans have given Y/n L/n a lead—and there they go! Beautiful pass from teammate to teammate and Y/n L/n is off to hopefully bring the US their seventh consecutive gold.”

“C’mon, baby, let’s go!!” Jake yelled, the others echoing his cheers. At the bar patrons were clapping the surface.

“They’re gonna get it—look at the lead!”

“It’s not over yet.”

“Let’s go, Y/n, you’re almost there!” The athlete increased the distance between them and the polish on the stretch coming into the final turn. The cheers got louder and louder with many already celebrating when it was obvious the Polish were not gonna catch up. The announcers knew it too.

“Poland has overtaken Jamaica but it will not be enough for Olympic glory—Y/n L/n has increased the margin their teammates had given them and has no doubt secured them the gold! All there is left to do is cross the finish line and the Americans have done it again! L/n has finished the job and given Team USA their seventh straight gold medal in the 4x400m relay!!” The last line was in tune with Y/n crossing the finish line. A large smile plastered on their face as a cry of joy left them that the camera managed to capture. Their teammates met them in the middle with the four embracing in cheers.

The Hard Deck exploded again when Y/n crossed the finish line, matching their reaction as though they were the ones who just won the gold for their country. They couldn’t wait for Tuesday when Y/n came home and they could celebrate the big wins together. Jake was really excited especially after having a heart-to-heart with Y/n’s father. The ring was safely tucked away in his suitcase as a reminder of what he had planned for his Olympian.

The rest of the daggers, including Mav and Hondo ended up staying an extra hour after the podium ceremony to celebrate their friend. Many were still in disbelief, but filled with absolute joy. Who wouldn’t really? They had just witnessed their friend win their sixth medal in a single Olympics. Something uncommon for even athletes who qualify for multiple events.

But Y/n did it.

They left Tokyo with two bronze, two silver, and two gold. In four Olympics Y/n started from a single bronze in their debut to their first team gold in London, leaving with nothing in Rio to finally medaling in every event they raced in Tokyo. Their first individual gold after thirteen years of hard work and dedication to rise to the top since they sat in the stands of the Centennial Olympic Stadium.

It was a golden end to an Olympic dream 25 years in the making.

Or so they thought…..

When the stars painted Paris on the night of August 11th, 2024, the final night of the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, Y/n L/n waved to the crowd in a bittersweet goodbye as they wore the Stars and Stripes one final time. It was hard to hear over the roar of spectators from all over the world. Not a single seat had been empty for the final race of Y/n L/n’s career. Athletes from other disciplines attended, some in tears by the overwhelming emotion of the moment.

“It is an emotional scene here tonight in the Stade de France as we say goodbye to Y/n L/n of the United States. There isn’t a dry eye in sight as spectators and athletes from around the globe watch the five-time Olympian take their final bow after winning the gold with the Americans in the 4x400m relay in their eighth consecutive title. In what could be described as the greatest Olympic run a track athlete has ever done, Y/n L/n has achieved the impossible in Paris with six gold medals in six events. Never has an Olympian taken the gold in the 100, 200, 400m, and all three team relays in a single Olympics, but Y/n L/n has made history. They are also the second Olympian and only American to win gold in the 100, 200, and 400m in a single Olympic Games.”

Y/n walked the track with a cameraman following them, hand that was not waving patting their chest where their heart laid. The hand now had a gold wedding band and Tokyo XXXII and Paris XXXIII added to the bicep tattoo. Y/n’s teammates that they just won the gold with had stood to the side, clapping with the crowd with American flags draped around their shoulder and tears cascading their cheeks.

Y/n finally made it to the section where the majority of Americans who had traveled from the States were seated in a sea of red, white, and blue. Y/e/c went straight to the front few rows and were immediately met with the sight of not only their parents beaming faces, but the ones of their closest friends. None of them were hiding their emotion. Phoenix was embraced by Rooster, the two wiping away at their faces as was Bob. Fanboy and Coyote were teary eyed while Payback just nodded with a bright grin, bringing his fingers up to whistle. Even Maverick, who was now retired from the Navy, was in attendance looking like a proud father.

And Jake? Jake was a mess.

His green eyes were pretty much bloodshot but there was love and admiration in his gaze. His own wedding band reflected under the stadium lights and he made the motion of catching the kiss Y/n blew to him before placing it on his heart. All he wanted to do was jump over the railing and hug his spouse, but unfortunately that would have to wait until after the podium ceremony.

The extinguishing of the Olympic torch at the closing ceremonies would signal the start of Y/n’s retirement from the world of athletics. It would close one chapter, but the other was still in progress. There was still time for them to be the best of the best in terms of naval aviators. They were not even halfway into their Naval career.

And they were totally up for the challenge, because nothing is impossible when going for the gold.

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