#jake 'hangman' seresin x reader

[honkytonk-hangman]

All This Love

Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Reader

Summary: “Congratulations?” Rooster half-praises, half-questions, side-eying Jake, who stiffens just slightly, but finds himself relaxing when he looks back up at the grainy ultrasound. “Thanks,” he says, feeling his stomach flutter at the memory of the first time he saw it.

Warnings: not much in this one, unplanned pregnancy, some light smut, 18+ only!! <3

Jake feels his pulse jump once, then twice as he walks through his front door. He’d already known you were here, not just because of your car parked out front, but because you’d barely left his company since he’d gotten the news. Still, the sound of you moving around his kitchen, and the smell of something heavenly wafting toward him makes his heart leap just a little in a way that is honestly unfamiliar to him.

Jake Hangman Seresin is not a ‘relationship’ guy. He hasn’t exactly been a one-night-stand guy either these past few years, but certainly he isn’t known for his commitment. Partly he could blame this on his schedule, his various and frequent deployments, moves and busyness, but he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that taking an endless string of women home was taking a toll on him.

Quietly, Jake hoped he’d meet someone, have a constant in his life to come home to, maybe have a few little mini-Jake’s running around too, but it also wasn’t really something he was actively seeking out. He knew being with him meant a lot of lonely nights, and he’d internalised the attitude that most women were not up for that.

And then he met you.

You’d laughed sweetly like you’d thought he was just kidding when he’d flirted with you, told him outright you’d expecting him to cancel on your first date, and then rambled about anything and everything for the next three hours as he happily listened.

You weren’t really his normal ‘type’, you weren’t overly affectionate with him off the bat, making your intentions known, you weren’t tall or bleached blonde or anything he was used to from the women who showed an interest in him, though that wasn’t to say he didn’t think you weren’t beautiful. You were a little awkward, and dorky and you’d told him you thought he was funny, which wasn’t really one of the things most of the women he dated tended to point out. Needless to say, Jake had quickly found it very easy, very natural to adore you.

He’d gotten three and a half months with you before his orders came in. 

The two of you had grown close in that time, but you hadn’t really addressed or discussed what you were. He hadn’t really felt the need, or the pressure like he had in the past. He’d realised over the past few days that this might’ve been down to the fact that he hadn’t even really considered any other options besides the two of you eventually becoming ‘exclusive’. If Jake is completely honest, he’s been off the market since our first date.

Not until the imminent date of his deployment had he begun to take note of his rising anxiety, the complete opposite to the way he usually felt after informing a casual fling that he’d be going. With them, he didn’t expect more, he didn’t want to give them more either, but with you… Jake hasn’t been able to stop thinking about how much he’ll be able to contact you while he’s gone, if you’ll make time for him, even if you’ll send him those care packages so many of the guys he knows often received while on the carrier…

The idea that you saw his upcoming deployment as the official end of whatever this is you have going on haunted him, and Jake was determined to make clear that when he returned in fourteen months time, he still wanted to see you.

He toes off his boots as best he can with the large bouquet in the crook of his elbow, before padding down the hall toward where the delicious smell is coming from, finding you buzzing around his kitchen in a manner that forces him to stop dead in his tracks to appreciate the sight.

This is what Jake has been wanting, but it's not until this very moment he realises just how much. It isn’t even about you cooking for him, no, he just craves the domesticity of coming home to somebody who looks up from what they’re doing with an expression like his arrival is the new best part of their day.

“Jake! I didn’t hear you come in!” you say with a smile and a laugh. That wasn’t exactly unusual for you. You didn’t often hear many things, considering you were hard of hearing. You weren’t completely deaf, in quiet rooms when he was facing you, you could hear him enough, helped by lip reading, or if he spoke directly into your ear. However, it was still significant enough that Jake had downloaded an ASL learning app, partly to communicate better with you, but also so that he could see your overjoyed surprise whenever he correctly signed something very simple to you.

“These are for you,” he steps closer, holding out the large bouquet of marigolds and roses he’d stopped for on the way home, making sure his mouth isn’t at all obscured by them as he does. He hadn’t skimped when he’d bought them, requesting the biggest package the florist offered and paying double what he’d ever paid before for flowers. It was worth it though, especially when once you’ve processed what he’s said, your face lights up all over again and you let out a soft little gasp as you move to meet him.

“They’re beautiful!” you croon as you bring the flowers to your nose. Jake had only ever bought flowers for his mother, and for a few girls around Valentine’s Day. They were always roses. He’d never bothered to ask what their preferred flower of choice was. With you, though, you had inadvertently told him on your first date while lost in a story about a failed garden you’d tried growing and how you adored copper marigolds and peach roses, but that no man had ever bought either for you, including your last boyfriend who’d seemed to think flowers were lame and unnecessary. He’d filed that information away, but curses himself for not using it any sooner as you smile widely back up at him, and push the flowers aside so that you can wrap your arms around his neck and kiss him sweetly.

“Thank you! You didn’t have to!” you say in between pecks to his lips, and Jake wraps the arm still holding the bouquet around your back, in the hopes that maybe you’ll stay pushed up against him just a little longer. You do, giggling softly as you continue to deliver soft little kisses to his lips, Jake dutifully returning each one, becoming aware of his own laughter joining your own as he does.

You pull away to grin up at him, and Jake drops one last, final kiss to your lips before giving you a slight squeeze, his own smile growing as you stare up at him.

“Baby, the smoke alarm is going off,” he informs you, chortling when you jump away from him in surprise, and quickly return to the stove to remove the pan from the hob. Jake follows you, placing your flowers down on the counter, and moving over to where the alarm sits high on his wall, reaching up to tap the button in the centre that switches it off.

“Sorry! The good news though is that dinner isn’t ruined!” you tell him happily, turning back around to go digging through one of his other cupboards. You straighten again when you find a large pitcher, and he watches you mill about for a moment, filling it with water before moving to place the bouquet of flowers inside. He feels his chest swell with pride as you primp and preen the roses and marigolds, and pictures you two weeks from now, with more and more petals falling from the flowers with every passing day, but refusing to throw them away because they make you think of him. The swelling of pride begins to turn into a swell of dread, and Jake really, really wishes he wasn’t leaving you in the morning.

You turn back to him and smile.

“Why don’t you go clean up, and I’ll finish this?” you suggest, and Jake immediately pouts.

“Why don’t I just stay here and help you plate up?” he says instead, making you frown playfully and shake your head.

“Jake, you need to shower!” you scold lightly.

“I showered on base,” he shrugs, and pushes away from his counter to capture your waist and draw you near again.

“Jake… just let me do this for you… you leave tomorrow…” it’s your turn to pout. Jake’s heart makes a good effort to leap out of his chest and into yours.

“Exactly. I leave tomorrow, so just let me stay with you as long as I can,” he poses, and you soften, resting your hands on his forearms.

“Jake…” you sigh, and bite your lip a little. “What’re you gonna do for the next fourteen months, huh?” you question playfully, shaking your head.

“Wish I was plating up dinner with you.” he answers immediately, then feels his cheeks heat up a little. Your gaze drops from his face, but you’re smiling softly, and rubbing your thumbs over his skin in a soothing manner.

“Okay,” you relent, before reaching up to cup his cheeks tenderly. “Okay.”

Jake leans into your touch, closing his eyes as he memorises the feeling of you holding him. You remain in pleasant quiet as the two of you go about preparing for dinner, Jake setting the table as you portion out the salad you’ve made.

Jake refrains from insisting you sit side by side as you eat, because he knows you’d struggle to hear him if you did, but after dinner, he does insist that the dishes can wait, convincing you to come up and shower with him instead.

You’ve barely stepped inside the glass cubicle when he’s pulling you closer, lips reaching out for yours and you giggle as you kiss him under the full stream of the shower head, laughing properly when he pulls back to spit a mouthful of water sideways out his mouth like a cartoon character. He grins at having made you laugh, but crowds you up against the wall almost instantly after, his smile pressed back against yours.

“M’gonna miss you.” he says right by your ear, before slipping his mouth down to your neck, and immediately sucking a small mark there. He knows your opinion on hickeys, so he’ll make sure the rest are somewhere you can hide them. You seem to squirm in his hold, your hands dropping from around his neck to press against his chest, his abdomen, though he knows you aren’t pushing him away, simply wishing to see his face.

“I’ll miss you, too.” you say after a moment, watching the water drop from his eyelashes, before you wrap your arms around him, pulling him near once again and pressing your chest up against his in a delightful manner.

“Promise you’ll come see me when I get shore leave?” He’s never asked this question before, and his heart immediately jumps into his throat. Usually he’d wait around for shore leave to go bar hopping, pick up a girl or two and show them a good time while he could. This time however, all Jake can think about is how best he can maximise all his spare moments for the next fourteen months to make sure they’re spent with you.

“I promise,” you say with another giggle, and it makes Jake pull back to look down at you. He’s not sure what he wants to say, if anything at all, but a beat passes where the two of you simply watch one another. Carefully your hand rises, skims along his cheek, but ultimately continues upwards where you smooth back some of the hair hanging down over his forehead.

“By my count we’ve got just under twelve hours,” you say then, and he can tell you’re trying not to sound so sad. It makes his stomach flop about.

“No time to waste, then, huh?” He leans in and murmurs against your lips.

Miraculously, you make it back to his bedroom somehow, shower water replaced with sweat now as you both work to make the most of the short time you have left together.

You let out a heavy breath of air as you adjust yourself once more, hands pressing against his taut abs, feeling the way the muscles move and tighten under your palms and fingers as you bounce in his lap. Your thighs are burning, but that's not going to be enough to stop you from chasing down another high. Jake’s hands at your hips take some of the initiative out of your control though, his grip firm and deliberate as he helps you move for him, forcing you up and damn-near slamming you back down again, his hips flexing in time to make sure he’s fucking you as deep as he can.

Your sounds of pleasure are muted against his lips, swallowed by him as he kisses you hungrily, one hand shooting up to clutch at the back of your neck when you briefly break apart. With one hand helping you move now, he begins tilting his hips more and more, his legs bent at the knee behind you, powering his thrusts and completely taking you apart. He lets you break away from his mouth, but doesn’t move the hand on your neck, and through half-shut eyes, you can see him watching you intently, his jaw clenched as he takes you in. He slows down.

“You look so pretty riding me,” Jake’s voice is deeper and more gravelly than normal, and his words are punctuated by tiny grunts of exertion that make you mewl. “Gonna miss the way you feel around me,” he goes on, using his hold on you to grind up into you with each slow thrust. You gasp when his hand on your thigh pulls a little, widening your legs around him and making you take him even more.

“Fuck! Jake…!” you cry out weakly, doing your best to keep your momentum, but with this new positioning, you barely have enough strength to lift yourself from him. Jake doesn't seem to mind, groaning in approval and suddenly sitting up, twisting your still connected hips to spin you beneath him now, his hand hiking your leg up over his shoulder as you go.

You gasp again, your own hands clutching his shoulders as he begins fucking you impossibly deep, picking up his pace again as he hovers above you, one hand now in the mattress beside your head.

“Take me so well, sweetheart,” he grunts out, closing the distance between you to press his lips back to yours. You chase him when he pulls away again, whining in disapproval, but his lips dont go too far, as he falls to his forearms and really begins to fuck you.

“Gotta give it to you so good you’ll be stuck on me, huh? Won’t think about anyone but me while I’m gone?” he goes on, and all you can do is nod.

“You gonna cum?” he asks a little more coherently, and you nod, because the way he’s driving into you nearly has you toppling over already. “Yeah? Go on, let me feel you, want you to cum around me, honey.”

His words alone are enough to push you off the edge, more so when you feel him join you, and you arch up into him, curl your hips against his own ragged thrusts, desperate to keep him from pulling out halfway through. He doesn’t seem to be planning to this time, and you mewl and moan in delight at the feeling of him filling you up, the feeling of him dripping out of you when he gives you a few last firm thrusts.

Jake pants above you, the hand by your head slipping down to caress your cheek as you both take a moment to come down. He kisses you, long and deep and nearly enough to get you going again. You wait patiently when he pads off to his bathroom to find you a cloth, and you barely notice yourself dozing off until you wake sometime later.

The bed is empty, though the bedside lamp has remained on, and you sit up properly, rubbing your eyes.

“Jake?” you call out, but you don't see him in the bedroom or bathroom. Frowning, you scoot out of his bed and grab one of his old squad shirts, slipping it on as you move out of his bedroom in search of him.

“Jake?” you call out again, trailing your hand along the wall as you step softly down the stairs to the first floor. It doesn’t help that you can’t hear him, but your worries are belayed the moment you turn around the corner and into the kitchen, and you’re greeted with his bare back as he stands at the sink. He’d pulled some sweatpants on, but they’re hanging low on his hips, enough for you to see the little dimples at the base of his back, and you itch you wrap your arms around him again.

You try to be as quiet as you can as you move up behind him, relishing in the small jump of surprise he does when you trail your hands over his skin and around his front, pressing your cheek between his shoulder blades. You feel him chuckle, feel the deep reverberations through his chest as he does, before he’s pulling you by one arm around to his front instead, where your face now rests against his chest instead.

“I thought you’d fallen asleep.” he tells you, leaning down to absently press a kiss to your hair. You shrug, but peek over your shoulder to watch as he continues to wash dishes, moving with him when he has to move, loving the way he briefly wraps you up whenever he does so, as if he’s worried his twisting might scare you off.

“What are you doing?” you ask dumbly, even as he scrubs down the pan you’d used to cook dinner.

“I didn’t want you to have to wake up tomorrow and do the dishes.” He tells you quietly, like he was worried about admitting this to you, like it was something he should feel guilty about. You coo, and squeeze him a little tighter, just as another thought occurs to you. You’d meant to talk to him about it when he got home from work, but with all the messing around that had happened, you’d totally forgotten.

“Do you want me to drive you in tomorrow?” you ask, feeling the way he pauses. You look up at him after he stays quiet for another beat, and find him staring down at you oddly. Your eyes meeting seems to break him out of his reverie though, and he blinks rapidly a few times.

“You don’t mind? It’s an early start…” he tells you, trying to warn you off, but you see right through him. You can tell it means something to him, though you don’t know what, and a part of you wonders if he’d ever had a girlfriend drive him to base for a deployment before.

“I’m not going to see you for fourteen months, Jake, of course I don’t mind.” you say as if it's obvious. You watch him purse his lips, but smile softly.

“I’d like that.” he says at last, moving one arm to wrap around you permanently now, continuing his task one handed until you extract yourself from him to grab a drying cloth. He makes a sound you only feel briefly, but you shoot him an amused shake of your head and remind him that the faster the chore is done, the faster the two of you can go back to bed. He stops his complaining then, and when the sink is empty and the dishes all stacked away, he picks you up and carries you all the way upstairs again with your legs wrapped around his waist, keeping them there until you both fall asleep again.

Jake can’t stop looking back over his shoulder at you as he stands with the rest of Dagger, getting ready to board. You’re right by the front of the crowd of family that has gathered to say goodbye, which doesn’t make it any easier. If you’d disappeared amongst the people, he could fool himself into thinking you weren’t there, but as it is, he can see you clearly, and it’s eating him up.

Even Rooster can tell, watching and following his gaze every time Jake longingly glances back at you, his brown eyes trailing to the beautiful girl in the front of the crowd, occasionally conversing with the people around her, but mostly just eying the group of aviators with a sad little smile.

“You should say goodbye.” Rooster tells him quietly, eyeing up the officers ahead of them and correctly guessing that they would be about to board. Jake swallows, and pushes his sunglasses up his nose.

“We’ve already said goodbye.” He doesn’t mean to sound so snappy or cold, but he really didn’t want to think about leaving you anymore than necessary. Beside him, Rooster shuffles and shrugs.

“Say goodbye again.”

Jake stays quiet for a moment, before he turns to look at his wingman, and then at the line ahead. Quickly shifting his bag and stuffing it into the other man’s hands, Rooster only nods at him before Jake’s body is moving, easily pushing past the junior officers who step out of his way quickly. He barely takes note of the saultes he receives, because his eyes are set only on you, the way you watch him with a frown, but even as he gets right up to you, and you open your mouth to speak, he keeps moving, cupping your jaw and pressing a series of kisses against your lips.

When he pulls back you frown is gone, replaced with a lightness he hasn't seen since before he’d told you he’d be leaving.

“Will you wait for me?” he asks breathlessly, aware now that the carrier had begun boarding, and he needed to get back.

“What?” you ask with a slight laugh. Jake only leans in to kiss you again, and from somewhere behind him, he can hear a few servicemen whistle. You’re still giggling when he pulls back, but he digs into his uniform pockets and brings out his keys, pressing them into your hands.

“Wait for me.” he says again, waiting until you nod your assent before looking away from you. Through the crowd, he can hear someone, Rooster calling him, an edge of warning in his voice.

“I’ve got to go.” he tells you dumbly, and kisses you again.

“I know. Go! I’ll be here when you get back!” you assure him with a laugh, kissing him back but pushing him away at the same time. Jake grins upon hearing the words, and steps in to kiss you again, before finally dragging his body forcefully away from yours, and back to his team.

Phoenix is giving him a funny look that he ignores as he takes his bag back from Rooster with a silent nod of thanks. He receives a pat on the shoulder from the other man, who looks down his sunglasses at him thoughtfully. Jake sees his eyes trail off and he knows Rooster is looking at you again. He pats Jake’s shoulder once more, his lips tipping up teasingly.

“She’s cute,” Rooster tells him. Jake eyes him as he replaces his sunglasses.

“Yeah,” he says. “She is.”

“Hey babygirl, it’s good to see you,” Jake can’t help his wide grin even as he stares at your somewhat blank, reserved expression. Something in his chest wobbles as you eventually give him a weak smile, and he nervously adjusts his camera.

“Hi, Jake.” You say. It only makes his stomach wobble too.

“Is the software working okay? I have captions?” he asks, double checking the program on his end to make sure for the fourth time that everyone is tip top. You nod.

“Yeah, yeah, everything is working fine. I even put my hearing aids in… I’ve missed your voice,” you tell him.

Your words go a small way to alleviate his anxiety, but it’s been four months since he’s communicated with you via more than just email, and he can’t help but listen to the voices in his head from long before he met you, telling him that you don’t want to wait for him any longer.

“I’m honoured, you hate wearing those,” he says with a stiff laugh. You smile a little wider, but don’t seem to relax.

“Too much noise,” you agree. A quiet beat passes between you and Jake steels himself for what he knows is to come. You both speak at exactly the same time.

“Listen, baby, I’m really sorry I haven’t been able to do this sooner, but–”

“–I’m pregnant.”

Jake freezes, and so do you.

“Oh, thank god,” he hears himself say outloud, his entire body sagging as the weight of what he’d thought you were about to say leaves his body entirely.

“That’s… that’s not what I was expecting…” all stress seems to have left your body too, and for the first time since your call connected, you too appear to be completely at ease. “I thought you were going to break up with me…” you tell him, making Jake start.

“I thought you were going to break up with me!” Jake exclaims, before quickly quientening his voice. “Christ you scared me,” he tells you, letting out a sigh of relief.

Your face is a mixture of amusement and bashfulness.

“You’re more scared of me breaking up with you, than me being pregnant?” you ask, and Jake finds himself nodding immediately.

“I wouldn’t say scared, per se…”

“Your own words, Jake,” you remind him, and he chuckles, but shrugs. You both pause for a moment as you take in the wealth of new information and relationship security you now bask in. Jake jumps then, and leans in closer to his screen.

“How far along are you?” he asks, unsure of what really to ask in this situation, it’s honestly not one he’d ever been in before, but he’s proud to discover his mind immediately has calibrated for it.

“I’m going to the doctor in the morning, but I’m guessing around four months,” you tell him with a slightly wry smile. Jake laughs.

“I should hope so,” Jake chortles, before turning serious again when he sees you only laugh weakly.

“How are you feeling, baby?” he asks, then quickly, for your sake, adds; “For the record, I want whatever you want, I just want it with you.”

Your face travels through several emotions, but you at last give him a watery little smile.

“I really thought you’d break up with me, I haven’t even thought about anything else,” you admit, and Jake feels something else in his chest wobble.

“Honey, unless you’re planning on breaking my heart right now, I’m not breaking up with you any time soon… or ever, if I’m honest… I’m sorry that’s not been clearer…” he tells you, feeling a slight lump in his throat at the very thought.

You were it for him, he thinks, he can’t imagine not coming home to you. He’d even considered throwing his medical on purpose the other day, just so he could wait for your email he knew was likely to come. Jake has never even considered that before, not even for family. A knock on the door makes his face fall, and he turns to glare at the ensign who pokes their head in.

“Liuetenant Seresin, sir, Captain Mitchell requires you on deck.”

Jake sighs, but nods grimly.

“Tell him I’ll be there in a moment.”

“Sir!”

Jake looks back at you, already smiling sadly.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I need to go,” he says tiredly. He’d wished he got more time to talk with you, but especially about this.

“It’s okay Jake, we’ll be fine,” you tell him. Jake can’t stop the quirk of his lips as he stares at you.

“‘We’ huh?” he asks teasingly, feeling something like excitement, or perhaps pure, sheer joy race through his veins. You cock your head but your arm moves, he can’t see where exactly, but he suspects your hand now rests against your belly.

“Yeah. We.”

Jake swallows thickly, and nods, unable to fight the smile that pulls at his lips.

“Okay, baby, okay,” he hears another knocking on his door and huffs. “Send me everything you can, I don’t know when I’ll get to call you again, okay? Send me everything.”

Jake walks quietly alongside Dagger as they return to their ready room, listening to them discussing possible ‘new’ hand signs for each other to signal readiness for the manuevour they’d been working on not even twenty minutes ago, prior to landing. He checks back into the conversation long enough to watch the proposed sign that Payback suggests, and immediately begins shaking his head.

“That’s ‘math’ in sign language,” Jake tells him, earning a look from Phoenix.

“Since when do you know ASL?” she asks, not fully sounding accusatory, but certainly not shying away from that tone either. Jake looks up at her and opens his mouth, but it’s Bob who gets there before him.

“He’s been practising with me,” Bob informs her, making Phoenix only more curious. She turns back to Jake expectantly. Jake shifts on his feet as the group comes to a halt, clearly also wanting to know what this is about, and for a brief moment, he considers telling them to mind their damn business.

That thought passes though, his spite warmed into a quiet kind of glee at the mere thought of you, his chest tingling slightly under the picture he has tucked into his flight suit.

“My girlfriend is deaf,” he says at last with a small shrug. Phoenix stays eying him for a second, even more curiosity filling her gaze, but after a moment she relents. He knows she’ll have questions later, but for now seems to be content not to make him answer them in front of everyone.

“Huh.” she says, and with that the squad continues moving.

Eventually, Phoenix and Halo peel off to the women’s locker rooms, the boys moving on to theirs, Payback, Coyote, Fanboy and Bob making straight for the showers. Jake can’t shower yet, though, he has precious cargo to return to safety, so moves straight for his locker, peeling it and carefully removing the photograph from his breast. Using the wad of blu-tac he’d acquired a few weeks back, he gingerly sticks the image backup in its home when he’s not flying, making sure not to get any fingerprints on it as he does.

“That was a good exercise,” Rooster’s voice makes Jake almost jump out of his skin, and he turns to look over his shoulder, quickly shooting the other man a nod.

“Yeah,” he replies simply, his lips thinning into a line as Rooster steps closer, opening his own locker but inevitably glancing over at Jake’s in the process. Jake tenses up as he feels Bradshaw pause, but after only a few agonising seconds, Rooster is moving again.

“Congratulations?” Rooster half-praises, half-questions, side-eying Jake, who stiffens just slightly, but finds himself relaxing when he looks back up at the grainy ultrasound.

“Thanks,” he says, feeling his stomach flutter at the memory of the first time he saw it.

Jake reaches up and rapps the ultrasound fondly.

“Twenty-three weeks. She’s supposed to be the size of a peach, but hell if I know what I’m looking at,” Jake shrugs and rolls his eyes, even letting loose a small smile when Rooster leans over to get a closer look. After a moment he too pulls a face and they meet eyes.

“Yeah, looks like topography to me,” Rooster shrugs as well. Jake looks back to the scan thoughtfully.

“Oh. Yeah. There’s a mountain range…. Small valley…” Jake trails off as the showers seem to shut off in near-unisen. 

He quickly shoots Rooster a steely-eyed stare, which thankfully the other man seems to understand the meaning of, because all too soon their conversation comes to an end and Jake shuts his locker door protectively.

Their veil of secrecy is shattered however, when Javy, dressed in only his towel, waltzes right up to Jake, opens his locker door again, places a kiss to the ultrasound, then carries right on as Jake quickly closes it behind him. Rooster shoots him a look, and before the others can make an appearance, Jake explains himself.

“Only Javy knows,” he grinds out, but can’t find himself too annoyed. Javy had immediately taken to his Uncle role, sending little gift packages to Jake's house for you to discover.

The ‘My Uncle Is Single’ onesie was particularly cute.

Jake doesn’t even really have to push his way to the front of the line at the docks. Not only had Dagger made a path for him, but they were actively hauling at the collars of younger sailors, and from behind him he can hear various calls of ‘make way!’ and when one sailor protests a little too loudly, Phoenix saying ‘Hangman’s about to meet his kid for the first time, do you really want to get in the way of that?’. He makes a note to thank them later, but then he sees you, and he sees his baby, and all thoughts fly out of his brain.

He rushes up to you, gathering you both in one tight hug before you even seem to realise it’s him. But then he hears you laughing waterly, and he pulls his face back enough to plant a long, passionate kiss to your lips.

“Hey baby, hi!” he gushes cupping your cheek in his hand, before quickly extracting himself only a little, and focusing his attention on the bundle of excited squeals in your arms.

“Hi Princess, c’mere, I’ve been waiting so long to meet you!” Jake continues to talk before you can even get a word in edgewise. You laugh again, and shift the baby on your hip enough and Jake steps in again quickly relieving you of the weight. His daughter is immediately enraptured by the pins and shinies on his uniform, and she babbles talkatively up at him. Jake had shared his worries with you that she wouldn’t know him, recognise him, but all that is quickly abated when she stuffs a fist in her mouth and all but collapses against his chest.

His whole body fills with a warmth like he’s never known and he looks over at you.

“I think it’s too loud for her,” you say with a laugh, cuddling in closer to the other side of his chest. Jake looks between the two of you lovingly, adjusting his girl so he can show off some of the ASL he’d managed to learn in the last fourteen months.

Sorry, he signs carefully. Just – little – longer. Team – want – meet – you – both.

Your face lights up in recognition and your eyes get a little mistier. So – good – now! You sign back slowly for him, just as he feels several presences come to an anxious stop behind him.

“Bob helped,” he says, getsuring over at Bob, who steps forward with a short little wave.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Ma’am,” he tells you, before his eyes shift to the baby in Jake’s arms. He tips his hat again at the girl who, as Jake turns, seems to be quietly inspecting the newcomers, drooling all over her tiny little hand. Bob does another little wave, more goofy this time, and she giggles, but turns her face inward briefly to Jake’s chest even more.

Jake uses his free arm to pull you in a little, and nods at his team.

“Baby, this is Dagger, that’s Bob,” he briefly pauses to show you Bob’s sign name, before he goes on to point out the others. “Phoenix, Rooster, Fanboy, Payback, and this is–” he gets cut off as Javy pushes his way to the front of the crowd.

“Uncle Javy!” he announces, balling you up in a tight hug. You laugh and nod.

“Thank you for all the gifts for her! She loves them!” you tell him, which only makes him smile wider, and puff his chest out some as he rounds on Jake and his daughter.

“Can I hold her now?” he asks, with his arms already out. Jake’s features drop into a friendly glare.

“No.” he says firmly, tugging the baby closer. He’s rewarded when she begins to fuss a little at all the new attention, and Jake quickly begins shushing and cooing at her, only for her to relax and fall quiet, her tiny fists now clutching desperately into his jacket.

“That’s right baby, daddy’s not gonna let Uncle Javy take you away from him.” He runs his hand comfortingly up and down her little back, snuggling her closer.

Javy rolls his eyes, but relents, pointing at Jake and you.

“Ya’ll got one week, then I’m crashing,” he tells you. Jake shakes his head, but you nod, looking up at him. You sign ‘babysitter?’ at him, then getsure at Dagger in general, and after he puts two and two together, he’s shaking his head.

“No. No way,” he says. You nod again and gesture back to the group.

“No,” he says.

“Yes.” you reply, Bob nodding quickly along with you. Jake rolls his eyes up at the sky, then back down at you. He looks over at where Rooster, Phoenix, Fanboy and Payback have all started cooing and making faces at his girl, making her giggle and kick her feet, and lets out a sigh.

“Fine. Maybe.”

#jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake 'hangman' seresin #hangman x reader #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin x reader #top gun maverick #jake 'hangman' seresin fanfic #jake hangman seresin #top gun fanfiction

[justabigassnerd]

Days Like This

Pairing - Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x reader

Word count - 1,842

Warnings - periods, swearing, blood mentions, fluff, an ex is an asshole

Summary - your period striking at the worst possible time brings about revelations about your boyfriend

A/N - hey y'all I strike with another request! again, apologies for how long it's taking me to get through the requests and stuff but I am really trying for y'all I swear <3. I won't ramble so as per y'all please send in requests, feedback, and enjoy!!!

It was supposed to be a serene Sunday morning where you’d wake up in your boyfriend’s arms and just laze around until you decided to get up and make breakfast. When you did peel your eyes open, you felt an all too familiar feeling and sat bolt upright, silently grateful that Jake hadn’t had his arm around you. Pulling back the duvet you saw exactly what you were expecting, a red blood stain standing out against the white mattress topper you had on your bed.

“Shit.” You swore under your breath as you stared down at the stain. Usually, you knew when your period was coming, always coming at the same time each month but it decided to get the jump on you this month. You begin to formulate a plan in your head, getting out of bed and rushing to the bathroom with clean clothes and underwear where you change into them, making sure to put a pad on.

When you return to the bedroom, Jake was still sound asleep, face smushed against the pillow as soft breaths escape his lips. You felt awful having to do it, but you needed to wake him up so you could clean your sheets. You and Jake had only recently gotten to the point in your relationship where you slept around each other’s houses, and you didn’t want him to see this and run for the hills. Jake made you feel loved like no one else had. He cared for you. And he was the perfect gentleman. But you knew some men got weird about periods and you were terrified Jake was one of them.

“Jake, wake up baby. I’m going to get started on some breakfast.” You say, your voice no louder than a whisper as you run a hand through Jake’s hair, a small smile crossing your face when Jake’s eyes scrunch closed slightly before they flutter open, his bright green eyes looking up at you as a smile graced his face.

“Morning, darlin’. Bit early for breakfast, isn’t it?” Jake says, his voice raspy from sleep as he props himself on his elbow, the action shifting the duvet you had pulled up to conceal the bloodstain, making you move around to your side of the bed, pulling the duvet back up in the act of making the bed.

“Just woke up with a bit more energy than usual, felt weird lying in bed.” The lie came quickly. You did not have the energy you claimed to have but you needed to keep up the act just in case.

“Alright, I’ll get up.” Jake says, pulling the duvet back on his side as your breath hitched in your throat, hoping he didn’t reveal the stain. To your relief, he barely gave the bed a second thought once he got out, pulling the duvet up and crossing to you, resting his hands gently on your hips and smiling down at you.

“So… breakfast?” He says, his grin wide as he reaches to press a soft kiss to your lips.

“Breakfast.” You confirm with a nod when Jake finally detaches his lips from yours. Jake moves his hands from your hips and moves to head downstairs, suddenly stopping and turning to wait for you.

“You go on ahead. I just need to sort something quickly. You can pick what you want for breakfast.” You say sweetly, a smile on your face as Jake nods before leaving the room. You wait to hear him walking down the stairs before you rush to pull the sheet off your bed, tossing the duvet and pillows across the room so you could remove the sheet and replace it with a fresh one which you do as quickly as possible before making the bed again. You bundle the sheet and your dirtied pyjamas into a wash basket and carry it downstairs to the kitchen so you could get to the utility room. As you enter the kitchen, you’re greeted by Jake as he preps the various foods he’s selected for breakfast.

“I’m thinking bacon and pancakes.” Jake says, turning to face you as he sets a pan on the hob with a grin.

“Whatever you want to have. I did say you could pick.” You say with a grin as Jake nods, turning around to begin making the pancake batter. You use his focus on making breakfast to slip into the utility room and to put your sheets and pyjamas in the wash. As you begin to load everything into the washing machine, Jake sticks his head into the room.

“Did you want fruit or chocolate chips in the pancakes?” Jake asks, stopping when you hurriedly shove the washing into the machine, haphazardly chucking in a washing tablet as you go.

“Either is fine.” You say, hoping he didn’t see anything.

“You okay?” Jake asks, making you nod your head, maybe a little too eagerly.

“I’m good. Just needed to put some washing on.” You say, turning on the machine and moving to squeeze past him to get back into the kitchen with Jake following right behind. He noticed how you winced slightly like you were in pain and he watched your hand reach to your lower stomach, and it clicked in his head.

“Forgive me if I’m overstepping, darlin’. But are you on your period?” Jake asks as he crosses back to the bowl of batter, finding the chocolate chips in the cupboard and dumping some into the batter. You froze at his words, looking over at him in shock.

“How did you…?” You start, watching as Jake abandons the batter once again before turning to face you.

“Well you’re too perky to be sick, and I highly doubt you’re pregnant. I also have sisters and my ma taught me how to notice the signs so I could look after my girl in the future.” Jake says gently, leaning back against the counter as he watches you carefully, seeing you shift in embarrassment.

“It would also explain the washing at this time of the morning.” Jake continues, regretting his words when you look away from him.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s disgusting and-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, darlin’. Who said it was disgusting? It’s natural and it’s okay I didn’t mean to make you feel embarrassed about it. Come on, sit yourself down and relax while I make breakfast.” Jake says apologetically as he leads you to the sofa and lets you sit down, pressing a kiss to the top of your head before disappearing back into the kitchen where you hear food frying along with the faint sound of Jake humming along to whatever song is stuck in his head. It doesn’t take Jake too long to emerge with two plates of pancakes and bacon and hands one to you and places the other on the coffee table before quickly grabbing the coffee he had also prepared. When he returns, he sits alongside you and you both eat your breakfast quietly, the sounds of the tv being the only thing creating noise in the room. When you finish breakfast, Jake is quick to take both plates and mugs to the kitchen and load them into the dishwasher before returning.

“How are you feeling?” Jake says softly as he sits back alongside you, reaching out and cupping your cheek softly as you lean into his touch, eyelids fluttering closed at the action.

“Rough. I also just realised I forgot to stock up on snacks and painkillers for this.” You mumble, silently angry at yourself for living in blissful ignorance for even a moment. With a quick kiss to your forehead, Jake is back on his feet, making you open your eyes and look up at him.

“I’m gonna get dressed and do a snack run and grab some painkillers for you too.” He says and you quickly grab his wrist, making him stop in his tracks.

“You don’t have to, Jake. If you have plans or anything you can head out. I can take care of myself.” You say, smiling up at him as you try to convince him that you’ll be fine. You knew he often met up with his squadron or at the very least his friend Javy on the weekend and you didn’t want him to miss out on any plans he had.

“They were cancelled the minute I figured out what was going on. There’s nothing more important to me than taking care of my girl right now.” Jake says softly taking your hand in his free one and gently detaching it from his wrist before running a gentle thumb across your knuckle, finally getting you to let go of his hand.

“I’ll be quick. Your job right now is to sit there looking pretty.” Jake promises with a cheeky smirk before rushing upstairs to change before exiting your house. You lay across the sofa, curled up as another wave of pain runs across your stomach. You watch the tv in hopes the show playing will distract you long enough for Jake to return from his shop run.

Jake returned within record time, and had you convinced that he most likely sprinted around the entire shop to get you what you needed.

“Alright, I got some snacks, painkillers, and I picked you up a couple of extra packs of pads just in case.” Jake says as he eases himself down on the sofa. You sniffle lightly as Jake lays out the snacks he got on the coffee table, touched that he rushed out to the shops for you at the drop of a hat.

“Whoa, why the tears beautiful? Did I overstep?” He asks worriedly, tilting his head slightly when you shake your head, wiping the tears away.

“No baby, I’m just overwhelmed. No one’s ever done this for me before. My last boyfriend pretty much shamed me for having my period and barely gave me this kind of thought.” You say, smiling at Jake as he softens, moving closer and taking your hand in his.

“You deserve someone who takes care of you, darlin’. Especially on days like this. And I’m more than happy to be that someone for you.” Jake says softly, lifting your hand and pressing a gentle kiss to your knuckles as you giggle lightly.

“I’ll grab you some water and you can take some of these painkillers and then I’m all yours for the day.” Jake then says, releasing your hand and rushing to the kitchen and returning with a glass of water. You take it while thanking him and then take the painkillers. You then curl up in Jake’s arms and watch the show on tv as Jake mindlessly runs a hand up and down your arm, each sweeping movement providing more comfort than the last. You always felt safe in Jake’s arms and to know he was someone who would stay by your side even when you’re not feeling great was such a relieving feeling. You got lucky with Jake. And you never wanted to let him go.

#justabigassnerd #justabigassnerd writes #top gun #top gun maverick #top gun fic #top gun maverick fic #hangman top gun #jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #jake seresin x y/n #hangman x reader #hangman x you #hangman x y/n #jake 'hangman' seresin #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin

[criesinliess]

━MARCH 2023; susan's recs

LOCKWOOD&CO

knock knock. who's there? @klineinie

━━ANTHONY LOCKWOOD

a taste of normalcy @websterss

the stray from arif's @↑

everything @frogserotonin

marker mayhem @oblivious-idiot

no one else @vi-trying-to-survive

public displays @↑

the language of longing. looks and stolen glances @fleetingvow

at times like these @teaandransacking

out the window @givemea-dam-break

patch you up @↑

you left me @↑

anthony @↑

i know it hurts @warrenposts

love me, forever, always @klineinie

dancing with our hands tied @bloodcanbehot

i wish you would @↑

you talk too much @helloooofandoms

TOP GUN: MAVERICK

━━JAKE 'HANGMAN' SERESIN

tiktok trouble @ultralightpoe

do you want me to lie, sir? @simpforrooster

the princess and the hangman @↑

howdy, darlin'; part2 @↑

━━BRADLEY 'ROOSTER' BRADSHAW

daddy would say yes @roosterforme

GRISHAVERSE

━━KAZ BREKKER

six months @grimbanes

the king @magpiencrow

bejeweled @honeyfict

━━NIKOLAI LANTSOV

i want you to want me; part2 @sophierequests

the one you think about as you lie awake; part2 @↑

young royals @clairecrive

stars in the night @↑

currents @lantsovsupremacist

august @↑

sick & stubborn @fleurspun

healer’s duties @↑

the art of pretension @↑

speak up @prince-septimus

SPIDER-MAN

━━ANDREW!PETER PARKER

you're not peter parker; part2 @curseofaphrodite

coffee run @↑

caviar and cigarettes @↑

MARVEL

━━DRUIG

unrequired; part2 @givemea-dam-break

MARAUDERS ERA

━━JAMES POTTER

getaway car @curseofaphrodite

mortal enemies @↑

━━SIRIUS BLACK

collide @curseofaphrodite

━━REGULUS BLACK

drunk nights; part2 @curseofaphrodite

the door @↑

words unsaid @↑

the break-in; part2 @↑

wishes and a gift @↑

of monsters and men @↑

the best man @↑

tricks and charms @↑

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

━━PRINCE CASPIAN

my prince @heliads

OUTER BANKS

━━JJ MAYBANK

assigned seat @quin-ns

fiending for something, might just be a meaning @idcntlikedarkness

a visceral feeling, that i can never leave behind @↑

throw another stone at a glass house @↑

went out searching for an angel, then you came to me my darling @↑

━━RAFE CAMERON

whipped @mrsstarkey1

said you’re smoking less, and then you ashed it on your chest @idcntlikedarkness

this too shall pass @probably-writing-x

another? @↑

country club @a-aexotic

rafe defending pogue!reader @↑

no for one night stand @↑

i'd choose you over anyone @↑

cuddle buddies; part2 @fantasylandloser

tear-stained cheeks @sunraies

BULLET TRAIN

━━TANGERINE

safe house @quin-ns-moved

ÉLITE

━━GUZMÁN NUNIER

out of love; part2; part3; part4 @probably-writing-x

THE BEAR

━━CARMY BERZATTO

the way to his heart; part2 @adore-laur

little by little @↑

#susan's recs #fics recs #anthony lockwood x reader #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #bradley 'rooster' bradshaw x reader #kaz brekker x reader #nikolai lantsov x reader #andrew!peter parker x reader #druig x reader #james potter x reader #sirius black x reader #regulus black x reader #prince caspian x reader #jj maybank x reader #rafe cameron x reader #tangerine x reader #guzmán nunier x reader #carmy berzatto x reader

[cinebration]

Too Slow For Me (Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader) [One-shot]

Premise: Of all the bars in all the world, Jake had to walk into yours.

Tagged: @abaker74, @ahopelessromanticwritersworld, @the-romanian-is-bae, @b-bradshaw, @alldaysdreamers, @bat-luna-cat, @solo2leo, @lucy-sky

Warnings: none

Gif Source: topgundaily

When you were hired to work as a bartender for Penny Benjamin at her bar, you thought nothing of it. The Jake Seresin you knew, while an up-and-coming hotshot flyboy, would never make it to TOPGUN, not with his mouth and his inability to play well with others. Working in the bar would be safe, you were sure of it.

Until a year later when Jake walked through the door.

A shock of surprise blasted through you when you recognized his face across the room, heard the familiar sound of his voice. Like suddenly being doused in cold water, you shivered and felt your heartrate skyrocket.

There was nowhere to hide. As the only bartender on duty, you were obligated to stay behind the bar. You couldn’t run even as Jake crossed the room and headed directly to you.

Trying to quell the mounting panic in your chest, your skin suddenly unbearably itchy as sweat broke out beneath your armpits, you forced yourself to stay calm.

He stopped at the bar and leaned his forearms against it. “Two beers.”

He flashed a pearly white smile.

You felt as though you’d been punched in the stomach. Nodding jerkily, you faced away from him to find two beers and pop off their tops, your face burning.

He didn’t remember you.

You handed him the beers and wordlessly took the money he slapped down onto the countertop, everything within you screaming as you fought back the hot tears pushing insistently at the back of your eyes.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said, winking. “What’s your name?”

You quietly gave it to him. A faint crease rumpled his smooth brow.

“Don’t I—”

“Can I get two beers and a boilermaker?” another patron asked, raising their voice over Jake’s.

“Sure thing,” you answered with false cheer, scurrying away with relief to fetch the man’s drinks.

As Jake walked away to join his buddies, he glanced back over his shoulder as though to catch your eye, but you studiously avoided his gaze. Bitterness and pain flooded you as you kicked yourself for being stupid enough to think that working in a bar that catered to Navy pilots wouldn’t make you cross paths with him again.

Maybe, you realized, you had wanted to this happen. Maybe you had wanted the chance…

~~

When you first met Jake, he was fresh out of flight school and hadn’t earned his call sign yet. You hadn’t recognized that his confidence was arrogance and his ego was outsized even for an Navy pilot. You couldn’t see past the charm, his grin, and the mischievous green eyes.

You never expected Jake to even look at you. He seemed to like girls faster than the jets he flew, and you were decidedly not one of them. As you once half-heartedly joked with your mother, you were invisible, particularly to anyone who looked even half as handsome as Jake.

So when he approached you one night, teeth gleaming and eyes glittering in the soft lighting of the bar, cozied up to you, and invited you out to dinner, you could hardly believe your luck. You pinched yourself more than once through the night, so surreal it all felt.

He took you to a middle-grade Italian restaurant that was better than getting pizza and beer but not very extravagant. You didn’t mind, preferring the food to the heavier, richer foods of high-end restaurants. The conversation was stimulating, Jake’s charisma out in full force and the banter crisp and light-hearted. You had never quite so clicked with anyone as you did with Jake that night.

As the evening wound to a close, you were excited to see him again. Before you could say as much, he leaned in toward your ear and whispered, “Why don’t we get out of here?”

Your heart plummeted. Swallowing thickly, you pulled away and muttered, “I’m not…I don’t think so.”

He frowned. “Why not? I thought we were getting along great.”

“We were—are. But…not on a first date.”

He stared at you, the glimmer in his eyes fading. Shaking his head, he exhaled heavily. “You’re too slow for me, sweetheart.”

And he left you standing there, cheeks burning and your stomach roiling.

You hadn’t eaten Italian since.

~~

The night crawled. You exerted all of your energy trying to avoid looking in Jake’s direction or focusing on his voice as he crowed with his friends over winning shots at the dartboard or the pool table. You served drinks and faked smiles at everyone else that came up to the counter.

When the evening waned into the early morning hours, all that remained were Jake and his friends. You could hear the individual tick of the second hand of the clock over their laughter and raised voices, itching for it to be two a.m. so you could kick them out.

“Last call,” you finally yelled with relief.

Jake immediately sauntered over. You wanted to kick your own teeth out.

“Last round of beers for us,” he said, leaning against the counter.

Nodding, you counted heads and proceeded to collect the beer bottles.

“Don’t I know you?”

You froze, your heart thumping painfully in your chest. “No,” you answered. You popped open the first beer.

“Nah, I definitely know you”

You tried to pop off the caps faster, working furiously to hand them to him.

“Wait a minute…” He leaned forward, scrutinizing your face as you handed gave him the last of the beers.

“That’ll be thirty dollars.”

“You’re that girl. Italian dinner, no after party.”

Your cheeks burned. Ducking your head, you tapped the bar. “Thirty dollars.”

“Where’re the beers?” one of his friends called. “Hurry up, man!”

“How’ve you been?” Jake asked, frowning slightly as he dug around for his wallet.

“Why would you care?” you muttered, snatching the money from his hand. You scurried away from him to the opposite side of the room, hiding behind chores.

The group left before you had to kick them out at two. Relief made you slump into a chair with your head in your hands, your stomach slowly relaxing and releasing the knot it had been holding for hours. Somehow, Jake remembering you—or rather, how he had remembered you—was worse than him not recognizing you at first.

You took your time wiping down the tables and booths, stacking the chairs atop them so you could run a quick vacuum over the floor. The chores helped relax you, though bitter sadness lingered tartly in your mouth.

You locked up, debating how to tell Penny that you were quitting, and strode across the sand to the parking lot—where Jake and his friends had set up a stunt course with orange traffic cones, daring each other to do better as they screeched through the obstacle course. Cones went flying as each one clipped corners too hard or fumbled gear changes, the clutch grinding like a creature in the throws of pain.

You hesitated as you watched them, as you watched Jake laughing at his friends’ failures. Leaning against your car, you watched waited for his turn.

Climbing into the car, he revved the engine like he knew what he was doing and took off, burning rubber on the asphalt as he navigated the course. He clipped one cone, then two, before spinning out as a third snagged in the wheel-well.

Everyone laughed and talked shit as Jake climbed out of the car with a sheepish grin on his face. He shrugged it off and said, “Nobody can make this course, man.”

You pushed off your car, tossed your purse into it, and strode across the asphalt to Jake. He sobered as you approached, wariness diminishing the humor in his expression. You held out a hand for the keys.

“I wanna try,” you said.

A quiet ooooo rippled through the group.

“No offense,” he began.

You tore the keys from his hand.

“Uh, knock yourself out, I guess.”

“No way,” someone else said, shaking his head as you passed him to the car. “What’s a civilian gonna do? Total our car!”

You slipped into the driver’s seat and adjusted it before slamming the door shut, blocking out the naysaying crowd’s voices. Inhaling deeply, you glanced at the obstacle course, committing it to memory.

How’s this for fast? you thought savagely.

Kicking the car into gear, you shot forward into the opening of the track. With practiced hands, you shifted seamlessly through gears, the clutch almost purring with relief at not grinding. Coming up to the first pinched turn, you tore around it easily, the rear bumper of the car missing a cone by mere centimeters.

The thrill of the speed rushed through you, making the crowd and the circumstances drop away. You tore around the next turn, looked ahead to see that two scattered cones were a threat to your wheels.

Without hesitation, you slammed on the brakes, sending the car into a slide. Yanking the gear shift into reverse, you pivoted the car into another 180, sliding through both cones and whipping around to finish the last leg of the course.

You streaked through the other side, not a single cone touched in your wake.

Cheers thundered in the silence of the night as you killed the engine and exited the car.

“Un-fucking-believable!” someone shrieked. “Did you see that!?”

The only woman in the group was grinning, a “Niceeeee” hissing past her lips.

Jake trotted up to you. “That was—”

You tossed the keys at his chest. He had to scoop them off the asphalt as you strode across the parking lot to your car.

“Hey, wait a minute.” He hurried to your side. “I want to talk to you.”

“What for?”

He blinked. “I want to buy you a drink, catch up.”

You stopped abruptly, adrenaline still flooding your veins. You stared him directly, the first time you had been able to meet his eye all night. He took a step back under the force of your gaze.

“Why?”

“Because…you’re interesting.”

“I was always interesting, dipshit. You just didn’t stick around to find out,” you snarled.

You took off to your car, leaving him standing there. He tried to catch up, but you were too fast for him.

#Jake Seresin x Reader #Jake Seresin #Jake Seresin imagine #Hangman x Reader #Hangman #Hangman imagine #Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Reader #Jake 'Hangman' Seresin #Jake 'Hangman' Seresin imagine #Glen Powell x Reader #Glen Powell #Glen Powell imagine #Top Gun: Maverick #Top Gun Maverick #TGM

[rassvetsky]

Loverboy

jake "hangman" seresin x fem!reader

"Jakey, just have fun for me," your whine brought out a lovesick smile on his lips. "You can't call me every fifteen minutes and actually expect to enjoy your night out."

[1.1k] | incredibly lovesick jake seresin alert, idk what this is im not even sober, am i ever not drunk, anyway alcohol consumption, javy's bromance w/ jake, just fluff actually he's so cute i'm forever gonna stick up for the loverboy jake agenda

reblog and/or like for a kiss, feedback much appreciated! not proofread.

With his back against the outer wall of the bar, Jake couldn't contain the smile on his lips while tapping away on his phone to find your name.

He had no idea how and when it happened exactly, this excruciating amount of pull that you had on him— which had him twirling his imaginary long hair and kicking his feet often after any moment spent with you or as a very natural response to a very casual text you sent, when nobody was around to see.

He was happy to be living up to the nickname you gave him long ago, when that too-good-to-be-true exterior cracked and cracked until he finally revealed his true nature; a loverboy.

Your line dialed for the fifth time as he held his phone up to his ear, the music still pretty much hearable even through the wall. Javy was inside waiting for him, and honestly was quite surprised that Jake would down the rest of his second drink and walk out right away because "I gotta tell my girl about this, she's gonna laugh so hard" but it was the new normal for a long while now, wasn't it?

You finally picked up, a bit later than usual since you said that you'd just be at home— catching up with work and stuff which Jake didn't really listen to the details of, and you couldn't exactly blame him for that. "Hello?"

"Hey, babe." his giddy tone could be felt through the line. "Jus' wanted to check up on you. What are you doing?"

"Ah," you chuckled. "Still working, honey. Same as you left me."

All you could hear was a hum of understanding before he released a deep sigh, leaning further on the wall. "Wish you were here with me, honestly. Javy's such a fucking idiot— can't wait to tell you all 'bout it."

"Jakey, just have fun for me," your whine brought out a lovesick smile on his lips. "You can't call me every fifteen minutes and actually expect to enjoy your night out."

"But I enjoy things a lot more when you're doing it with me."

"Machado's gonna hate me if you keep this shit up, y'know that?" he recognized your teasing tone immediately, huffing out a snicker. "He's still hurt that you wouldn't spend 'Bromance Day' with him."

"Well, his 'Bromance Day' just so happened to be February fourteenth, he should've managed his expectations. I was free on the thirteenth. Not the fifteenth because my girlfriend is an insatiable little—"

"Hey, shut it," you laughed, and he knew you well enough to know that you were shaking your head now, even if he couldn't see. "You should stop grumbling about one of the few people that actually endures your annoying ass, work on your time management and get back to the bar, alright?"

"Right," he took a deep breath again, not even aware that he was holding it— perhaps he was afraid of missing even the tiniest details of your voice, unhappy with the lack of justice the static of the line did to it. "I'm gonna wreck that dart board for you, baby."

When Jake came back home that night, a little bit later than he said he would, but in his defense, you did tell him to have fun. Probably reeking of alcohol and sweat, he figured in his tipsy state that you must be asleep by now, and made sure to be extra quiet while shuffling out of his jacket and setting his keys down by the shoe rack. He tiptoed his way over to the bathroom then, and ran himself a cold shower— mostly to get rid of the scent, and to perhaps go to bed with a clearer head but he was sloppy nonetheless, and a shower without singing wasn't really a good shower.

He still sang some of his favorite songs very quietly though.

But when he walked into your shared room with a warm robe around his body, he didn't expect you to… not be there. It was late. You sure would've left what you were doing to run to his side the second he came back if you were awake, right?

Looking around the room in confusion as if you'd magically appear from behind the curtain and scare him shitless, he took a sharp breath and walked towards the small study you had— a comfortable, quiet space to work on stuff or to just think, and his prediction proved itself to be right because you were right there, arms crossed on top of the desk with your head resting on them, eyes closed, computer still open with whatever you were busy with doing on the screen.

God, he was smiling like an idiot.

"My busy bee…" he whispered to himself, before carefully approaching your desk— making sure to save all your work before putting the computer on sleep mode just in case. With one arm leaning against the desk, he then looked down at your sleeping figure, looking so content despite the awkward position— and he couldn't help the quiet chuckle that left his lips. "Should I wake you or potentially startle you while trying to carry you to bed?"

You didn't even stir.

"You're gonna be the death of me one day." he complained, but tried out a couple of different arm positions that he could potentially use to carry you— with no luck. That's when you finally let out a yawn though, mumbling out his name before slowly pushing yourself off the desk. "I'm sorry— I couldn't figure out how to pick you up. It's easier when you're on the couch—" but then you just wrapped your arms around his neck, getting in a better position for him to pick you up.

Too sleepy to do anything else. Jake felt his heart doing Olympic backflips.

With a secure grip by your waist and the back of your knees, he carefully picked you up from where you were seated, smiling to himself when he felt your lips by his neck, and then a tired murmur. "M'sorry. Wanted to stay awake for you but— work's boring."

He chuckled at that, a soft noise that brought a smile to your lips when your back finally met the cold mattress. "You should've just gone to bed, sweetheart. Your back will kill you if you keep that up."

"It's fine," you replied, only then opening your eyes to see him sitting by the edge of the bed, his warm palm covering your knee with a compassionate smile on his lips. "Bed's cold. You gotta warm me up or else I might actually die—"

"God, such a baby," his tease was followed by a chuckle as he slightly pushed you over to get to his side, quickly wrapping the both of you with a blanket before undoing the belt of his robe, just so the knot wouldn't bother you when he pulled you closer to his chest. "Go right back to sleep, honey. I got you."

And you were content on doing exactly what he told you to do, except, he didn't do the same— but instead, decided to take a good look at your serene expression and sigh to himself, nothing but whispers leaving his lips as he admired you. "I love you so bad, it's not even funny anymore."

a/n: guess which songs jake were singing in the shower. my playlist is very dry lately and im going to steal your guesses shamelessly and then remember you fondly 3 years later when i stumble upon that song again and then we're gonna fall in love and—

#jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake 'hangman' seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin x reader #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #top gun maverick #top gun maverick hangman #top gun hangman #hangman x reader #jake seresin x y/n #jake seresin x you

[avengersassemble-fics]

All I Wanted

chapter 01 "just to relive the start" master list word count 3.3k ☆ cursing songs mentioned

This all started two years ago.

Diagnosed with a chronic disease, your life changed. You knew something was wrong when you started to experience extreme fatigue no matter how much rest you got, the pain that frequently flared through your body, and the rash that came and went over your cheeks. Discomfort and illness racked through your body more times than you could count, and the diagnosis made sense. It all suddenly clicked, but so did the reality of your situation.

Working, keeping your insurance was fucking hard. You seemed to have more bad days then good, and after losing your coverage you started to get overwhelmed with bills. Medications that sometimes didn’t work, doctor visits that cost an arm and a leg (not really but it was still expensive per visit), it was like drowning in paperwork and credit card bills.

So.. your best friend came up with an idea.

You’ve known Jake Seresin since you both were in high school. That ‘more than friends’ line was never crossed, at least not ever that you two would talk about it. You went to college while he joined the Navy, and he became a naval pilot, but that connection never got lost on you two. Truly, you both were thick as thieves.

So selling the idea that you two were getting married was.. Fairly easy to convince everyone else. They all kept saying things like “we knew it!” or “about damn time!”.

But it was fake. All of it. Sure, you two cared about one another, but it was just an arrangement that mostly benefited you. Him? He was putting his entire career on the line if anyone were to find out what you two had done.

That was a year ago. A year of a married life that you and Jake weren’t expecting, but you two made it work. Jake spent a lot of time away from home due to his job, and as time passed you found yourself always looking forward to when he did come back home.

You had moved in with Jake shortly before your wedding, just outside of Austin city limits in a ranch home you had always told him was too big for one person who barely got to enjoy their time there. He always would just roll his eyes and point out that now, you were there. Still.. It was gracious of him to even offer.

This whole arrangement was more than you could ever repay him for.. It made you feel guilty sometimes for accepting all of this. Because what did he get out of this besides a ring on his finger that forced him to no longer chase ass and a weight on his shoulders to stay in line or else face the consequences?

Guilt always ran through your mind when Jake was away on missions, following you through the days and into the nights - much like tonight. Jake, on the other hand, had accepted this little charade. Honestly?.. He didn’t mind it one bit.

While you were stewing in your guilt, Jake was heading home, early, which he was hoping would surprise you. He had been cut loose from his mission a whole week early - all thanks to his skills in the skies. Driving to your shared home, Jake’s mind was practically shut off from exhaustion, basically driving out of Austin on autopilot.

There were worse things in life than coming home to someone already in bed, spending time with them on roadtrips, dinners together, laughing because you were their best friend. Sure, it was a marriage and commitment out of false pretenses, but that never changed the fact Jake and you were close, always had been, always would be.

The only thing on his mind was getting home and getting into bed with you. The thought of sleeping in an actual bed, not some flimsy cot or airport bench or plane seat, made his muscles ache in anticipation. Even while he pulled down the driveway, grabbed his bag from the truck, and quietly stepped inside the silent house - his first thoughts were you.

Making his way to the bedroom, he carefully peeled the first layer of clothing off, pulling his shirt over his head as he could just make out your figure in bed under the covers. Next, he undid his belt and slid his jeans down his legs so he was bare in his boxers, his eyes not leaving your form as he watched to make sure his movements didn’t wake you.

He had to admit - you were cute when you were sleeping.

Pulling back the covers, Jake eased himself down onto the opposite side of the bed, the soft sheets making him groan. Immediately, he felt you stir and he cursed himself as you rolled over to look at him.

“Jake?” your raspy voice sounded in the room. Jake let out a soft sigh and rolled onto his side as well so he could face you, your figure dimly illuminated by the moon outside the window.

“The one and only,” he responded quietly, which made you let out a small grunt.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming home early,” you said, ignoring his tease. He can see your eyes open and his shrugs. “I could’ve stayed up-”

“No, I wanted it to be a surprise,” Jake interjected. “Can I hold you?”

You nodded, rolling away from him to face the other way. On cue, Jake scooted closer to your back and wrapped his arms around you in a tight embrace. Immediately the scent of your shampoo hit him and he was a goner, relaxed against you like his life depended on it. 

“You've been okay?” He asked softly as he moved your hair from his face so he could rest his chin near your neck. You didn’t ever mind him holding you like this, he said it helped him ground himself when he’d come home. 

“Yeah,” you said softly. “Mostly good days.”

“Good,” Jake said and let out a soft sigh. This was what he had been looking forward to for weeks now. He was such a fuckin’ sucker for it. 

“Are you okay?” You asked him quietly, checking in with him this time. Jake inhaled deeply, his exhale hitting your neck and it tingled slightly. 

“It was smooth sailing,” Jake responded, tightening his arm around you slightly. “Helps that I’m a badass in the sky.”

“Shut up,” you laughed softly. Jake grinned and you both fell into a silence. Your breaths were the only sounds in the room, before you shifted closer into him. 

“I missed you.”

Your admission was soft but he heard it. Jake found himself running his thumb over your arm, and you in turn found it comforting. The littlest of his touches seemed to do that nowadays. 

“I missed you too, sunshine,” he whispered near your ear and he swore he felt you shiver. 

Jake hadn’t been honest with you recently. For months, actually. Not since his last deployment. Something had changed these last 5 months. Jake had found himself unable to get you off his mind, unable to stop thinking about how good it felt to hold you like he was right now, or how much he wanted this to be real. Hell, for him it was becoming real. 

And it was starting to scare him. Even more so because he didn’t know what was going on in that pretty little head of yours. 

He was more than happy to have this for the rest of his life, have you as his live-in best friend turned fake wife, but the mere thought that there could be more here is what made his stomach twist. 

Jake wasn’t the sappy type, he never really wanted anything serious because of his career. He liked women, he liked sex, he liked detachment. Yet, there you always were, since high school. 

Things changed. And he didn’t know how to admit that to you or even to himself. 

He could tell by the way you went lax against him that you fell back asleep, your breaths low and soft. Jake took this opportunity to press a kiss to your shoulder before he let himself finally doze off.

With Jake settled back in at home, you realized just how nice it was having him around. Sure, both of your families still lived near Austin, but they couldn’t be with you 24/7. But when Jake was home, he tended to keep close. 

Today was no different. 

He dragged you out to do errands, bustling about the city in his truck with the windows down and music blaring and it was the most comfort you had felt in weeks. Jake was singing along obnoxiously loud to country music, even over the wind that blowed through the open windows. Behind his aviators and that perfect smile you couldn’t help but feel..

Well. Something. 

He was really into it. Who wasn’t? ‘Big Green Tractor’ was a classic. Eventually, when Jake looked over to you for a split second while he drove, when his hand went over the center console to rest on your knee encouragingly, you finally caved in. 

Belting out the chorus with him over the wind reminded you of this very scenario, but the two of you in high school, weekend nights down back roads in a more aged truck back then. Just.. good times. 

Getting to a light, Jake’s hand was still placed on your knee, his fingers drumming lightly against your skin. You pulled out your phone when it went off and squinted through your own sunnies at the dark screen. 

“Bradshaw is in town,” you said and Jake turned the radio down to hear you better. 

“Bradshaw?” He asked. 

“The one and only,” you joked this time. Jake grinned and squeezed your leg. “Actually, sounds like your whole squad is here.”

“No shit,” Jake said as he resumed driving when the light turned green. 

“He wants to hit up 6th street tonight,” you said to him over the wind. 

“Would you want to?” Jake asked and tossed a glance your way. 

“I guess so,” you teased him and placed a hand over the one he had on your leg and gave him a squeeze this time. Jake flipped his hand over and caught your wrist, bringing your hand up to his lips and placed a chaste kiss to your fingers. 

Jake hesitated for a moment when his eyes caught a glimpse at your hand, the wedding rings he had given to you proudly on display. Something inside him stirred at the sight. 

You were his.

Bar hopping wasn’t how you typically spent your Saturday night but here you were. Three bars into the bar crawl and you were feeling it. No amount of water would let you keep up with these guys. 

Bradley, Javy, Bob, Mickey, and even Natasha had flown in special. Natasha was your wingwoman for the night as the guys mostly kept to themselves, all except for Jake who did occasionally catch your gaze and give you a wink. 

“You two make me sick,” Natasha said, bringing you back to reality. “Like genuinely make me want to throw up.”

You laughed a bit and lifted your beer to your lips and took a swig. It wasn’t the ideal choice but it would do. 

“Jealousy doesn’t fit you, babe,” you chuckled and she rolled her eyes. 

“Jealous? I’m not ready for the level of commitment you two got goin’ on,” she remarked and you bit back a smile. 

Little did she know..

“Any chance he gets he’s looking over here,” she said before you could fully collect your thoughts. You looked back over and sure enough, there was Jake stealing a glance this way before turning back to his bro group.

“We’re..married, what can I say,” you said nonchalantly. Natasha laughed.

“Eye fucking you more like, and again.. It’s sick.”

Her comments lingered in your mind for the rest of the night, as you all regrouped and were onto the fourth and final bar experience of the night. By 2AM, you were wrecked and ready to fall out into bed. But they all had other plans- a “friendly” game of pool.

“Shirts versus skins,” Bradley joked, earning groans from the rest of the group. “What?”

“We’re gonna be an odd man out,” Bob pointed out, since there were seven of us present. You happily hummed into your drink, before putting a finger to the tip of your nose.

“Noes goes,” you said and Natasha glared at you.

“Please don’t leave me to play them,” she begged and you shook your head. “Traitor.”

“Gotta be faster than that,” you grinned and Jake’s hand grazed your arm, and he leaned down to whisper in your ear.

“Mind getting me a beer?” he asked lowly. You tensed up slightly, his breath on your skin felt hotter than normal.

“Sure,” you responded after clearing your throat. As you stepped away and his hand slowly trailed down your arm and away from your skin you felt a rush of air in your lungs. What the fuck was that? When you got to the bar and managed to get the bartender's attention, you just ordered one beer and tapped your fingers on the bartop.

No that was.. It was just the ruse. Just this charade we had going on. An act for the group of friends.

Just as the beer was placed before you and you reached into your back pocket for some wadded up cash, an arm extended past your shoulder with a hefty AMEX..

“Put it on my tab,” the voice, groggy and low, said from behind you. Of all the things happening tonight, dealing with a drunk wasn’t what you expected. Or wanted.

“I’m good, thanks,” you declined, trying to hand the bartender the cash, but the man behind you came up by your side, pushing his card further over the counter.

“I insist,” he nearly growled.

“Insist all you want,” you said, placing the cash into the waiting bartender’s hand, who was watching the whole exchange. “I said I’m good.”

“What? Too good for me to buy you a fucking drink?” the stranger asked and immediately you felt your temper flare.

“Actually? Yeah,” you said and picked the beer off the counter with one hand, and held up the other to show off your rings. “And happily married, asshole.”

“I don’t see him anywhere,” the man grinned as he rested against the bartop, eyeing you up and down. 

“See him now?”

The voice made you turn to the side, and there he was in all his glory. The smile and lightheartedness that had been in his eyes and over his face all night was now replaced with a cold glare and furrowed brows. Jake never did like it when men approached you unwelcomed, even back in college.

Guess it stuck.

“Everything alright?” Jake asked you, his eyes not leaving the strangers increasingly agitated stare.

“Fine,” you answered, not fully believing it. You stepped back from the bar towards Jake’s body, and he immediately brought his hand behind your back, ushering you behind his body. His eyes searched yours for the truth and you gave him a nod. Finally, he turned back to the stranger and scowled.

“Have a good one,” Jake spat out, not truly meaning it.

The rest of the night was filled with tension. For the remainder of the pool game, as everyone said their goodbyes for the night, when you and Jake took an Uber home, when you got through the front door.. Just tension.

Jake tossed his wallet and keys down onto the counter as he neared the kitchen. You watched, closing and locking the front door as he kicked his shoes off and ruffled his hair.

“Are you hungry?” he asked suddenly. “I’m fuckin’ hungry.”

“I.. Sure, yeah, could eat,” you admitted, following him into the kitchen.

“Grilled cheese?” He asked and a quiet rumbling sound escaped your throat.

“You know I love those,” you mumbled and Jake was already pulling out everything to make one.

“I know, I’m the best,” Jake said over his shoulder as he started to prepare one of his masterpieces.

A grilled cheese sandwich was simple, but so delicious. Especially when you’re tipsy. You watched as Jake warmed up a skillet, tossed in some butter, made the sandwich with ease, and grilled it in the pan.

Domesticity looked good on him.

Immediately at that thought, a wave of guilt hit you. This was wrong.. Look at him! This Jake was meant for someone else, someone he actually loved, someone he actually wanted to spend the rest of his life with.. You were fucking that up for him.

“One perfect grilled cheese,” Jake said as he plated the sandwich and cut it in half with the spatula. When he turned around to set the plate down on the kitchen island, he immediately saw the look on your face. “What?”

“Nothing,” you said and took one of the halves of the sandwich, it was hot to the touch.

“Oh, come on,” Jake said. You finally noticed his accent sounded heavier tonight after all the drinks. “Don’t do that to me. What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

You drop the sandwich back onto the plate and stand from the barstool. Jake watches with a raised brow as you pull away, back to him as you faced the living room, lost in thought. He circles around the countertop and comes up behind you.”

“Sunshine-”

“You deserve better,” you said suddenly and Jake falters. His brows furrow slightly, even if you can’t see it. And, he thinks he felt his heart stop for a moment.

“What?” he asked again. Maybe he didn’t hear you right.

“Look at you! Pure fuckin’ perfection,” you said and finally turned to face him. Maybe he did feel his heart stop, because the look in your eyes were sad and he hated that. “You could make any woman happy and here you are, stuck with me, stuck with this.. This fake setup.”

It was Jake’s turn to frown now. Where was this coming from? Things had been good, great even. He didn’t know how to ease the turmoil in your mind. Well he could tell you how he felt, set you straight..

But the smallest inclination you might not feel the same way made him decide otherwise.

“Sure, I could make any woman happy,” he said after a few moments of pause. Jake took a step closer, his hands able to reach yours to engulf in his own. “Right now? All I wanna do is make you happy.”

“Jake-”

“Listen to me,” he cut you off and you bit your tongue. The way Jake’s head dipped slightly to meet your eyes better, the way he slightly leaned in so you could really feel his presence - you felt a knot in your stomach.

“You’re my best friend, nothin’ is changing that, nothin’ ever could. This was all my idea, ok?.. I like it. You were always my rock when I went through flight school, through TOPGUN.. Lemme be your rock now, just please stop fightin’ this.”

As Jake spoke he entangled his fingers with yours and you slowly nodded. Looking like he accomplished ending the next world war, he straightened himself and planted a kiss on your temple. If you felt even just a little more at ease tonight, he was happy with that. And maybe one day he can tell you everything else he thinks about you.

But tonight, over a shared grilled cheese sandwich and putting on reruns of Yellowstone, the two of you forgot anything about the tension, about your turbulent thoughts. Instead, you both curled up on the couch, and he held you under his arm until you were asleep.

Coincidentally, you both spent most of the night thinking the same thing - maybe it’s time to tell one another how you feel.

“The polestar that will guide you into a more loving future is already shining bright in the night sky of your soul. But to see it, you must accustom your eyes to the fertile darkness you have tried to avoid.” - Sam Keene

#Jake seresin #Jake seresin x reader #Jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #hangman x reader #Jake seresin fic

[say-al0e]

Night Changes

Rating: M | This is smut! No one under 18! Minors, DNI!

Summary: Jake’s set on skinny dipping. You’re afraid of what that means for your friendship. But he’s always got a plan. | Ft. “How many times have you jerked off to me?” + “Shut up and take your pants off.” requested by Anon.

Warnings: Slight exhibitionism (they’re in a pool but it’s private?), feelings, anxiety, one mention of a guy being creepy (not Jake), unprotected PinV, unrealistic understandings of the Navy and definitely unrealistic expectations of pool sex.

Pairing: Hangman x fem!Reader

Word Count: 6.2k (whoops, welcome back I guess)

Top Gun Taglist | Top Gun Masterlist

“Jake, nothing you can say will convince me to go skinny dipping.”

Quiet laughter, amused and unbothered by your reluctance to yield - yet, as Jake had you wrapped around his finger and knew you would give in sooner rather than later - filled the small backyard as he grinned. From the corner of your eye, you could see him; bathed in the warm glow of lights, strung up around the back porch for moments like this. Soft shadows were cast across his face, highlighting the curve of his jaw and slope of his neck as he reached for his rapidly warming beer and you were struck, if only briefly, by the thought that he looked like a leading man from some cheesy film.

Just as quickly as the thought crossed your mind, however, Jake brought you back to the conversation at hand. “And why not?”

With a sigh, you tipped your head to the side to take him in, eyes narrowed as you allowed the question to linger. It was rare to see him dressed down - you’d gotten so used to seeing him in khaki that anything else almost seemed wrong - but he looked effortless in the soft button-down he’d left mostly unbuttoned. Leave had given him the opportunity to destress, to relax on the beach and enjoy a few deep breaths, and you were still surprised he’d chosen to spend most of it with you.

Yet, here you were, for the eighth night in a row.

For the eighth night in a row, you found yourself at Jake’s side. Rather than sitting on a beach, you found yourself surrounded by the warm night air - still and sticky and lingering in the verge of stifling - lounging on a soft deck chair in his backyard.

California summer had yet to arrive but you were already dreading it as a spring heatwave, accompanied by sunny skies and too-high electric bills, nearly made you miss the chill of the east coast. But, try as you might, you couldn’t bring yourself to regret taking the opportunity as your gaze drifted to Jake’s face once more.

That teasing grin of his made your heart beat just a touch too fast, an occurrence you were slowly growing used to, and your breath feel that much harder to catch. But it was pointless. Though you hadn’t known Jake for that long, you knew him well enough to know that for all the pretty smiles and flirty remarks, none of it meant what you so desperately hoped it would.

Falling for Jake Seresin would only end in disappointment so you hid your lovesick sigh behind a roll of your eyes as you reached for your own drink.

“For one,” you began, sparing a glance around the backyard he’d finally gotten to make use of, “this fence is ridiculously low and I can’t say I have any intentions of flashing your neighbors.” While you had no doubt they were already asleep - they were an elderly couple, in bed with the sun every evening and capable of tuning out every noise you made - you were enjoying Jake’s attempts to convince you.

“Two, Coyote’s just going to dinner. He’ll be back eventually,” you reminded him, raising a brow as he laughed. His lips parted to interject but you waved him off with a dismissive hand. “And three,” you directed your full attention to him, then, “who says I want to see you naked?”

Jake shook his head in exaggerated disbelief as he laughed. His knee nudged your own as he shifted in his chair, ensuring your full attention was on him as he met your eyes. “One, I’m well aware of where we are and how low the fence is. You know my neighbors are asleep and won’t wake up until the sun rises. Two, he’s out on a date. He’s not coming back tonight.” His grin morphed into something a little more mischievous then - flirty and honeyed, exactly what he used to get his way with beautiful women at the Hard Deck - and made you want to roll your eyes as he eyed the skin exposed by your shorts. “Three,” he continued after a moment’s pause, “I’ve seen the way you look at me. When we’re at the beach, or the pool, or the bar… You definitely want to see me naked.”

Every word was true, brazenly honest in a way only Jake could get away with, and he knew it. Still, you refused to give him the satisfaction of openly admitting just how badly you wanted that - how badly you wanted him. “Your ego does not need my validation, Jake.”

As he always seemed to be, Jake remained unbothered by your rolling eyes and refusal to admit what you both knew to be true. Instead, he simply took a moment to soak in the sight of you.

Those green eyes blazed a path across your skin, gaze sharp and warm with every sweep across exposed thighs and a sliver of stomach. Jake was never shy about checking you out, always appreciative of the view you allowed him, and this moment was no different. Even as every fiber of your being begged for him to look elsewhere, to give you a moment to catch your breath, he simply swiped his tongue across his bottom lip and returned his gaze to yours.

“I’m not too proud to admit that I want your validation, sweetheart.”

There was little you could do to stop the shaking breath that escaped your lips - one you knew Jake heard clearly, if the amused twitch of his mouth was any indicator. That drawl grew a little thicker with every beer he drank, accent stronger and voice a little rougher; when combined with the weight of his gaze, the honey of his voice, the way it all dipped a little lower any time he had a specific request for it, reduced your thoughts to few and far between. Forming a coherent sentence was difficult, but you managed to retain enough self-preservation to know that this was a bad idea.

“Still no.”

Jake’s eyes narrowed playfully then. He’d always been able to read you, to tell what you were thinking with startling ease, and you could see that he was searching for discomfort. The moment you seriously told him to drop it, to let this fantasy of romping around in the moonlight go, he would without a second of hesitation. But this was the game you both loved to play.

Toeing the line between friendship and something more, between playful banter and a simmering desire that left you certain you could fall in love with Jake Seresin - if he’d only fall with you - had become your normal. From the moment you met, there’d been something simmering beneath the surface but, as of late, it seemed to be bubbling higher than usual. Every conversation had grown heavier, weighed down by the potential future you were certain only you saw, but you couldn’t bring yourself to stop.

Neither could Jake, it seemed, as he offered, “What if I promise to change your oil?”

Jake never seemed the handyman type - he never seemed the type to get dirty, full stop - but he’d proven himself capable. And where you were concerned, it seemed he had no qualms about maintaining his perfect appearance. “You promised to do that anyway,” you reminded him, pausing to take a sip of your drink. “After that skeevy guy wouldn’t leave me alone at the mechanic’s last time.”

A flash of annoyance crossed his face - not at you, you knew, but at the memory of your call when things had gotten more uncomfortable than you were willing to handle alone - before he nodded. “Yeah, you’re not goin’ back there. Alright, what if I promise to change the air filter in your apartment?”

“Even though the hall closet is creepy and I hate it?”

That smile returned, softer but more assured - he’d chosen the best bargaining chip and he knew it. “Especially because the hall closet is creepy and you hate it. Any other demands, sweetheart?”

“I kind of like hearing you beg.” Jake’s brows winged up at your teasing comment, unable to hide his surprise as you tipped your head to hide your smile. The innuendos were his forte, tossed out any time you gave him a half a chance, but you see his grin growing just a touch larger as you shrugged. “Throw in on-demand spider killing when you’re home and I’m in.”

“I don’t beg, darlin’, but for you? I’d consider it.” Jake struck a nerve and he could tell. When you flustered, choking down a sip of your drink to swallow the warmth creeping up your chest at the mental image of Jake begging - for you, no less - he grinned. It was triumphant, easy in the knowledge that he’d won, as he declared, “All you gotta do is give me a call and I’m there. No begging necessary.”

Though the comment dripped innuendo, was teasing and designed to see you fluster, Jake meant it wholeheartedly. He’d proven himself loyal, eager to answer your call even when he probably shouldn’t, and softened just for you.

Moments like that - when Jake seemed a little softer around the edges, so willing to give you whatever you asked for without expectation -  answered the question your friends seemed most stuck on. What had you seen in Jake, the flirty jerk at the bar, that they couldn’t?

They saw the pretty smiles and the subtle flexing at the bar. They heard the flirty remarks and thinly veiled innuendos. They witnessed the flattery he heaped on the women before you - and then you, when he’d given you his full attention - and the way he softened, just a little, in your presence. But they had yet to see the Jake you found yourself falling for hard and fast.

This Jake, the one who laughed and teased and could still be a pain in the ass, all while keeping a sharp eye on your feelings - ready to redirect in an effort to make you comfortable the moment he took a step too far - was one only you got the privilege to see. This Jake, the one who would still change your oil and the air filter in your apartment and kill all the spiders, regardless of whether you let him see you naked, was one you were glad to keep to yourself. And even though you feared losing him the moment you fell into bed with him, you still found yourself relenting.

“Fine.” Despite your best attempt at nonchalance, you knew Jake could hear the waver in your agreement. While you were eager, excited to see him, you found yourself suddenly afraid. There was no guarantee he’d like what he saw, no one guarantee he’d be able to look you in the eye after, so you demanded, “You have to close your eyes when I take off my clothes.”

Triumphant, Jake rolled his eyes at your demand and eyed your exposed thighs once more. “Sure,” he agreed easily, shrugging off the doubt he realized you carried. “But it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before,” he reminded you, lifting his beer.

Jake swore up and down that it was an accident and that he hadn’t seen much. He had a bad habit of entering rooms without knocking and you were inclined to believe him. He’d still been able to look you in the eye, hadn’t treated you any differently, but that did little to stop you from teasing him as it kept you from thinking too hard. “That’s only because you have no sense of decorum and just burst into rooms like you own the place.”

With a roll of his eyes, Jake stood from his chair. He paused for a moment to down the rest of his beer before offering you a hand. “Shut up and take off your pants.”

As you stood, skin growing warmer with every passing second - hopeful that Jake couldn’t feel the searing heat of your palm as he clasped it in his own - you kicked off your sandals. “You first, cowboy.”

Instead of teasingly insisting you lead the way, Jake grinned. He was shameless, reveled in the attention he was given at the beach - truly enjoyed the feeling of being seen - so without a moment of hesitation, he flew through the remaining buttons of his shirt and tossed it onto the lounge chair. With every inch of skin exposed, you could feel your heart rate climbing higher. He was right, you’d savored the sight of him shirtless on a beach or in the pool any chance you were given and this was certainly no exception. 

Knowing that you would see all of him - whether you intended to or not - had your breath catching in your throat as his hands fell to the waistband of his shorts. “You can look.” Jake laughed, entirely unbothered at the idea of standing before you bare, when you shifted your gaze from the exposed dip of his hip to the fence to your left. “I’m sure you’ll like what you see.”

As tempted as you were, you shook your head. “Damn ego.” It wasn’t quite as sharp as you intended, nowhere near as strong, but it made Jake laugh a little harder as you caught sight of his shorts - sans briefs, because of course - joining his shirt on the chair. “Get in the water and turn away so I can get undressed.”

“You’re really takin’ all the fun outta this, you know?” Despite his complaint - teasing and entirely a joke, ready to be walked back the moment you took offense - he complied. You heard the splash of water as he jumped in, followed by a sharp sound of surprise at the temperature, before he continued. “You’re just delayin’ the inevitable, sweetheart. We’ll both see somethin’ when you get in.”

Again, Jake was right. You knew that - didn’t need that honeyed drawl that made you weak in the knees to spell it out for you - but delaying the inevitable made it easier to toss your own shirt into the pile he’d created. It helped you swallow the potentiality of destroying your friendship with Jake for one night of fun, helped you swallow that there was very likely no future in which this turned into something more, and you held onto that delay like a lifeline as you shook your head.

“Beggars can’t be choosers, cowboy.”

Behind you, a splash sounded and told you that Jake was giving you the space you needed. He often attempted to push you out of your comfort zone, to encourage you to try new things, but this was one moment he knew you needed. So instead of watching, eyeing you in a way you only dreamed of, he took to splashing around the water as you reached for the waistband of your shorts with shaking fingers.

Though you were eager to keep your friendship with Jake as it was, you knew that there would eventually be a tipping point. Everything you’d built was tenuous, lingering on that fine line between platonic and romantic, and would come to a head sooner rather than later. The line you’d been toeing would be crossed and, as much as it pained you to come to that realization, you knew that it would be easier to handle whatever came now rather than later on when you’d fallen too far to pull yourself free.

Jake wasn’t a relationship kind of guy, you knew that and attempted to brace yourself as you fully committed to giving yourself one moment with him - an unforgettable night in which you felt the full measure of his desire - but you still held tight to an ounce of hope as you shucked off your bra and panties.

Following Jake’s lead, you jumped straight into the water.

When you emerged, nearly freezing as your overheated body adjusted to the water, Jake cheered. It was quiet enough to avoid waking the neighbors but still managed to make you fluster as you felt anxious laughter bubbling in your throat. This was new and you knew Jake could tell as he swam to the shallow end.

“Sometimes, you just gotta live a little, sweetheart.”

Jake stood in the shallow end, ran a hand through his dripping hair, and made no effort to hide his laughter as you turned your attention to the stars. “You know, I always saw people do this in movies and thought it’d be fun.” When you spared him a quick glance, pointedly meeting his eyes rather than allowing yourself to peek, Jake raised a brow in question. “It’s not bad."

True to his word, Jake kept his eyes above the water - though it would’ve been almost too easy for him to steal a glance at your bare body. Even as he began to swim once more, floating closer slowly, he was careful not to let his gaze wander. “We used to do this all the time,” he admitted, drifting deeper into the pool. “Spent our summers in the water. Didn’t matter if we had suits or not. Summer after I graduated, I spent most every night at the creek.”

The soft combination of lights - moonlight, lights strung up around the yard - cast soft shadows across Jake’s body as he swam. Though you tried your hardest not to look, it was impossible not to notice the muscles of his back and shoulders as he pushed through the water. Every inch of him was beautiful, almost annoyingly so, but you swallowed your creeping lust with a playful scoff.

“You’re telling me you went swimming in wild Texas water, naked?” When Jake shrugged, unfazed, you shook your head and allowed yourself to float a little closer. “I’m amazed you made it out with all your appendages still attached.”

“Appendages?” His nose wrinkled at your choice of words before he lifted his hand to flick water in your direction. “You’re such a fucking nerd, sweetheart.”

Very little space remained between you, with the pair of you having closed it almost entirely, but the closer you drew, the deeper into your own head you fell. While time with Jake had been as easy as breathing, natural and without thought most days, you suddenly felt paralyzed by the possibilities.

As he always seemed to, however, Jake noticed. He noticed your inability to really look at him, the way you glanced up at the sky or around the backyard instead of at him, and your hesitance to truly move. Jake noticed more than most people tended to give him credit for and you realized that as he urged, “Stop thinking. Just let go. Have fun.”

A part of you wanted to argue that it wasn’t as easy as it sounded, that letting go seemed impossible in that moment, but you bit your tongue. You allowed the part of yourself that had already given into the inevitable to take hold, to allow your shoulders to relax and your body to sink into the water, as you hummed.

“Yeah, okay. Let’s just swim.”

Jake lingered nearby, close enough that you could reach out and brush his arm if you turned just so, but kept enough space between you as you tried to calm your racing heart and even your breathing. There was nothing to be afraid of, nothing to think that hard about. It was Jake and, at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

“You were right,” you finally relented, after a few peaceful minutes of silence. “This is nice.”

The water was warm enough to be pleasant but cool enough to ease the burning of your skin. And as time wore on, you forgot about your lack of a suit and focused on the feeling of drifting in the moonlight. Jake, on the other hand, had spent the few moments of quiet studying your face. And when you turned to meet his gaze, you found him already looking at you.

“I’m usually right,” he teased, grin a little softer than you were expecting. “It’s a gift.”

“Don’t push it, cowboy.”

Despite his earlier chivalry, Jake’s eyes roved your skin. You wondered how much was visible in the low light, if he could really see anything, but his face gave nothing away as he swam just a little closer. Green eyes grew darker, clouding with a heady combination of lust and something so tender it nearly made your heart beat out of your chest, as his gaze returned to yours.

“You never said I couldn’t look when you were in the water.” The reminder was soft, teasing, but it made you laugh and you knew that was his goal. In a moment of anxiety, you lifted an arm to cover your chest, and diverted your eyes as you shook your head. Jake, however, gave you no room to wallow in your hesitance. “No need to hide, sweetheart. You’re gorgeous.”

Another step closer, the warmth of his body warming the water around you even as you took a step back. With every inch, you drew closer to the wall and he lifted his hand to cover the concrete edge. “Jake.”

Those eyes, nearly blown black in the dim light of the backyard, shifted. The playful amusement you’d grown used to softened as he searched your face. Jake was never what you would call hesitant, always so steadfast and certain in his actions, but you appreciated the care he took to keep you comfortable as he waited just a beat for your breathing to even.

“Nothing has to happen here.” His voice was low, soft but serious as he reached out to cup your cheek. “If you want to get out, forget all about this and go watch a movie, we can,” he offered, thumb carefully brushing across your heated skin. “I only want this if you do.”

There was never a doubt in your mind that the moment you said the word, Jake would back off and forget any of this ever happened. The moment you said no, he’d climb out of the pool and search for towels, maybe even order takeout as you both lounged on his couch and placed bets on when Coyote would return home. He never pushed, never crossed your boundaries,  and you were grateful for his patience. While it often seemed to be in short supply for everyone else, Jake seemed to have an endless amount reserved for you.

Regardless of how the night ended, this was something you wanted. You’d longed for Jake’s touch since the moment you met, longed to feel his skin pressed to yours, but you couldn’t help yourself. You had to know. “I… is this a one time thing?”

The answer wouldn’t change much as even if it was, you didn’t think you could pretend. There was no turning back, no forgetting the warmth radiating from Jake’s body even as he kept a few inches of space between you, but you needed an answer. 

And if Jake was surprised by the question, he didn’t let on. Instead, he shook his head. The amusement you expected was absent as he regarded the question with a brevity you didn’t expect. “No.” It was certain, so confident that it nearly caught you off guard, but he carried on. “I can’t promise forever, but I want to see where this goes,” he admitted. “I’m here until you get tired of me.”

Occasional self-doubt bled through Jake’s certainty. There were moments he seemed to wonder if he was worth anything more than one night, if he had more to offer than sex and bravado, but you knew he did. You’d spent more time with Jake than with anyone else in recent months and there was no future in which you saw yourself growing tired of him.

“I don’t think that’ll happen.”

Little else seemed appropriate to say, little else seemed to matter in that moment. With Jake so close, green eyes focused entirely on you as he admitted that he wanted to explore a future that saw you falling together, all you could think about was giving in to the urge to kiss him.

So, you did.

As your hands lifted, one to the back of his neck - fingers tangling in the damp strands of hair - and the other to his bicep, Jake’s shoulders relaxed. He melted into your touch, heartbeat racing beneath the tips of your fingers, as you sank into one another. His body was impossibly warm, skin searing beneath your palms as you pressed yourself forward, and you reveled in it as your mouth sought his.

Jake’s lips, soft and warm, curved into a soft smile as his free hand found your waist. The beat of your heart felt too fast, too heavy, even as you attempted to focus on the feeling of his thrumming away beneath the tips of your fingers. To know that you had an effect on him, to know that you flustered him in the same way he flustered you, did wonders for your confidence as you pressed yourself even closer.

When his tongue pressed to the seam of your lips, eager to deep the kiss and sink entirely into you, the reprieve of the water was lost. There was only heat; the wall of muscle that was Jake’s body, the soft press of his hands as they gripped your hip, his mouth as he swallowed your noises of pleasure eagerly, his heavy groan as you forgot yourself and pressed even closer.

The press of Jake’s body against yours was distracting, silenced every thought that raced through your brain. You’d imagined this a thousand times before, dreamt about it more often than you cared to admit, but as his hands began to wander, you realized that nothing could live up to the reality. 

With every swipe of his fingers, touch teasing as he brushed along the expanse of your stomach - up your sides, just beneath the swell of your breast, right above your hip - your body grew warmer. It was all dizzying, more than you could’ve ever asked for and better than you dared to hope. 

Any thought of the future, the past, the moments in between, all ceased to exist as Jake nipped at your bottom lip. And when you broke the kiss to catch your breath, he simply redirected. His lips brushed along the curve of your jaw, down your throat, sending shivers down your spine as he pressed open-mouthed kisses to the damp skin.

Warm hands trailed lower, fingers wrapping around your thigh and lifting to hitch it over his hip as his teeth nipped at the pulse point just beneath your ear. “Thought about this,” he admitted, voice a deep rasp against your skin as he nosed at the hinge of your jaw. “Think about touching you every time I touch myself lately.”

The image of Jake touching himself, getting off to the thought of you, with his body pressed so close to yours was enough to make your body feel as if it’d been submerged in static. The tips of your fingers and toes tingled as the white hot ball in the pit of your stomach grew impossibly hotter. Every inch of him was painfully present - the taut muscles of his shoulders and back, the flex of his stomach with every move he made, the hard and heavy press of his cock against your hip - and made you desperate to feel him as you attempted to formulate a question.

“You’ve… how…?”

Luckily, Jake managed to follow your train of thought where you failed. “How many times have I jerked off to you?” A hum, this one of contemplation as his mouth dipped lower, lips leaving a trail of fire in their wake. “I’ve lost track, sweetheart,” he admitted, pausing only to mouth at the valley of your breasts. “I haven’t taken anyone home in months,” he reminded you. “Just wanted you. Thinkin’ about you was the next best thing.”

As difficult as it was to formulate a coherent sentence, you blinked through the static. “Thought about you.” It was breathless, a confession floating in the wind as Jake’s hands lifted to your breasts, touch certain as he kneaded the soft skin. “Wanted this, you.”

“I know.” You half-expected him to make a joke, to question who wouldn’t want him, but it never came. Instead, he lifted his head to meet your eyes. “You’re not subtle, sweetheart.”

Jake laughed, grin wide as you rolled your eyes, but offered no resistance as you used the hand on the back of his neck to recapture his mouth in a searing kiss. After a moment of allowing you to lead, he took charge and caged you against the wall. His hands fell lower, trailed down the expanse of your stomach to the plush of your thighs, as his tongue explored the warmth of your mouth.

Warm desire, syrupy and all-consuming, filled the pit of your stomach. Lust clouded your every thought and made it difficult for you to do much more than tug at the damp strands of hair as you felt the twitch of his cock against your hip. He made it difficult for you to do more than groan against his mouth, desperate for his touch, as the anxiety you’d felt dissipated with each swipe of his fingers.

With every swipe of his tongue, his fingers, his warm skin pressed to yours, you suddenly couldn’t remember a time where being this close to him made you feel anything other than wanted. Jake had a way of making you feel as if you were the only person in the world, the only one worthy of his time and attention, and you reveled in it as his hands smoothed over your thighs.

“Jake.”

The plea was muffled, breathed against his mouth, but Jake understood. His hum of acknowledgement was accompanied by a nip to your bottom lip. “I know, sweetheart.” His hand dipped between your thighs then, fingers ghosting along the sensitive inner skin as he met your eyes. “Gonna give you what you want.”

Soft hands ghosted along your thighs, pressing closer and closer to your aching center as Jake leaned in to nose at the hinge of your jaw. A plea for more was on the tip of your tongue, a request for him to just touch you, but before you could ask, his fingers swiped through your folds. His thumb caught on the sensitive bundle of nerves and sent a jolt down your spine.

At your sharp exhale, Jake’s mouth curved into a grin. There was little question that he was eager to hear just how good he made you feel and you had no qualms about giving him what he wanted. While you imagined he would tease, take his time to work you into a frenzy, the moment called for something more and you knew that. His touch wasn’t frenzied, there was no rush to get you off before seeking his own pleasure, but he didn’t hesitate to dive in headfirst.

There was a deliberateness to the swipe of his fingers through your folds, a sharp precision that had your vision whiting at the edges as he finally sank a finger into your heat, and you felt your body arch into his as he shifted even closer.  The grip of his fingers pressed to your thigh, holding you upright as those green eyes searched your face, would likely leave a bruise but you couldn’t wait to feel the evidence of his touch in the morning.

As he focused on your pleasure, the press of his cock against your hip grew more noticeable with every swipe of his fingers. The hard, heavy appendage twitched with each moan that escaped your mouth, with every gasp as his fingers brushed against a spot that had you seeing stars, and you couldn’t help but reach out for him.

Though the water and low light made it difficult to see much, you could clearly see the size of him as your fingers swiped at the sensitive head. The thought of feeling him, of taking all that he had to give, made you clench around his fingers as Jake groaned. 

“Don’t remember what our plans were for tomorrow,” he drawled, accent thicker than you’d ever heard it, “but if you think I’m lettin’ you leave my bed, you’re crazy.”

The press of his fingers grew more insistent with every swipe of your hand, with every brush of your thumb over the sensitive head of his cock, and with every gasp that left your lips. He mouthed at your damp skin, breath fanning over the column of your throat and leaving you with goosebumps, as his thumb circled your aching clit.

“Jake.” He hummed, nosing at the hinge of your jaw, as your fingers tugged at his hair. “Want to come with you,” you pleaded, eager to finally feel him after spending so long imagining this moment. “Please.”

Some small part of you expected a taunt, a tease that called him a gentleman who wanted to get you off first, but he seemed just as desperate as you. “Whatever you want, sweetheart,” he acquiesced, hand leaving your center after a final swipe to your bundle of nerves. Even as you whined at the loss, he shushed you. “Gimme a second.”

Jake shifted, tapped your leg to encourage you to wrap it around his waist, before dragging his cock through your folds. He smirked at the shaking of your limbs, body strung tight as you waited to finally feel him, and kept his eyes trained on your face as he took a brief moment to tease.

The head of his cock caught at your entrance, pulling a soft gasp from your mouth as your hand fell to his bicep. You tipped your head to return your mouth to his, desperate to kiss him once more, as he began to press forward.

Every inch of Jake filling you felt impossible, too much but not quite enough, and you allowed yourself a moment to revel in the feeling. Having him so close, being full of him, after spending so long imagining how he’d feel was overwhelming in the best way. And he eagerly swallowed your noises of pleasure, took them in stride as he gave you a moment to adjust to the feeling of him buried deep.

“Feel even better than I imagined.” His admission lingered on the edge of breathless, words nearly slurred as he waited for your permission to move. “Feel like heave, sweetheart.”

When you gave him the green light, he set a pace that had you seeing stars. And with every thrust of his hips, his composure began to slip, gradually losing himself in the warmth of your body - in the reality of the moment at hand. Words failed you both, too caught up in the feeling of one another to breathe more than a few words of pleasure. The only thing you could focus on was the searing warmth of his chest pressed to yours, the sting of his fingers digging into your thigh, the ache as he stretched you so completely.

Time seemed to still as everything but this, everything but Jake, ceased to exist. With every press of his hips, with every swipe of his fingers over your sensitive bundle of nerves, his pace began to falter. You were both tumbling closer to the edge, falling into the abyss, and your cries were reduced to little but his name.

Jake didn’t seem to mind, however, as every cry that left your lips spurred him on. “I’ve got you,” he promised, pressing impossibly closer. His hips moved faster, sending water sloshing around you both, as he pushed you higher and higher.

As you barreled over the edge, vision whiting at the edges and lips parting, Jake’s mouth met yours. He swallowed your cries of pleasure, noises he knew would actually wake the neighbors, and slowed his pace to make the ride easier to handle. Even still, he followed shortly after with a groan of his own.

The feeling of him filling you drew a gasp, the warmth of his spend searing you from within as you clenched around him. That saw Jake nipping at your bottom lip in warning, though a lazy grin betrayed him. “Watch it, sweetheart,” he teased, grinning when you laughed weakly. “We should get out, get cleaned up.”

“I’m not sure my legs work.” The joke made him roll his eyes, though you could see the way his chest puffed in pride as he waded the pair of you toward the stairs.

“My job’s not done, then. Told you,” he began, grinning as he took your hand in his, “you’re not leavin’ my bed tomorrow.”

Jake’s hand was warm, strong and careful as he helped you out of the pool. The promise was enough to make you laugh, eager for a future you were certain didn’t exist less than an hour ago. There was little you needed to say, not when you knew there was time to say it all later. So, you simply followed along and decided you were grateful for skinny dipping and whatever other changes the night would bring.

_______________________________________________________________

Author’s Note: I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted a fic, I’m so sorry. Literally, I’ve been to a whole different country since I last posted (I think? I’m pretty sure I last posted like two weeks before I went to Germany). Anyway. Only perk of my life falling apart? I write to pretend it’s not. :) So! Enjoy this, you’ll see more friends to lovers and other stuff. Also, rusty smut, my bad. I’m gonna keep working on it!

Taglist: @lulu-noodles, @holachicos, @getmyprettynameoutofyourmouth, @withakindheartx, @ssprayberrythings, @verin93, @totalwitch2, @malindacath, @alexparkxr, @hangmandruigandmav, @alexxavicry, @calicokel, @jaymum, @dracosluvbot, @little-wiseone, @specialk6802, @mandylove1000, @julesclues, @archetypesoflife, @oliviah-25, @benhardysdrumstick, @caatheeriinee07, @yvespoems, @chloereidwayne, @flower-name​, @callsignharper​, @peoniarose​, @hangmanscoming​, @rh3tt​

#hangman smut #hangman imagine #hangman x reader #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #jake seresin smut #top gun smut #top gun imagine #top gun x reader #top gun one shot #top gun maverick imagine #hangman fic #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #hangman seresin x reader #v's fics

[make-me-imagine]

Scaredy Cat

Request: "telling scary stories around a campfire" and she gets scared and gradually moves closer to him until she's almost on his lap and he's all cocky and everyones teasing them?? Maybe a kiss and some cuddling at the end (to ward off any lingering ghosts ofc!) < turned gn!reader

Pairing: Jake Seresin x Gn!Reader

Warnings: Nothing! Though, this is not super Halloween themed, just a cute story :)

Words: 750

The cold ocean breeze blew past the fire, as a shiver crawled up your spine. You weren't sure if it was because you were cold, or if it was the story Rooster told from across the fire. His voice was low, and everyone was slouched, eyes trained on him as he recanted the story.

All you could hear was the cracking of the fire and the ocean waves rushing nearby.

In most situations you were brave, I mean, you flew military jets for a living, you got caught in fire fights, you had nearly died on more than one occasion. All of that was relatively easy for you.

But scary stories in the darkness? Apparently that was your limit.

You hadn't even realized that you had slowly been creeping closer to Jake, who had been sat beside you. He however did notice, and he was loving it.

As Rooster lunged forward with a loud yell at the climax of the story, you jumped back with a gasp. The others groaned and started laughing as Rooster cackled at the reaction his antics received.

You let out a deep sigh as you lowered your head, before you froze, when you felt Jake's breath in your ear.

"Who knew you were such a scaredy cat."

Looking up, your breath caught as you realized just how close you had gotten. In the moment you leapt back in fear, you had unknowingly grabbed Jake's arm, practically throwing yourself into his lap in fear.

"Shut up!" You whispered forcefully as you repressed an embarrassed smile as you pushed him away, though only lightly.

He grinned and you felt him wrap his arm around your waist, pulling you closer. You felt his lips connect with your temple, as he smiled into the kiss.

Pulling away, he whispered just enough for you to hear, "Don't worry, I got you baby."

You rolled your eyes, but couldn't ignore the way your heart fluttered. You and Jake hadn't been in a relationship for too long, so his flirting and teasing still affected you heavily. Though you didn't particularly mind it.

As the others slowly rose to wander back to the hotel, you and Jake lingered around the fire. Glancing back at the water, you felt goosebumps tingle up your arms as Roosters story repeated in your head. Of course he would have told a ghost story centered around the ocean, while you were sitting on a beach at night.

Jake caught your stare at the water, and he smirked before tugging at you suddenly and gasping. You flinched and let our your own gasp before he started to laugh.

Groaning, you smacked his shoulder again "Jake!' You almost whined, making him laugh even more.

You tried to pull yourself away from him in retaliation, but his grip simply tightened around you.

"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He apologized, but the smile was still bright on his face. "I couldn't help it, you're so cute when you're scared."

You rolled your eyes at him, "I'm not gonna be so cute when I'm drowning you, am I?"

He laughed as you continued to playfully struggled against him. But when a loud splashing was heard behind you, you both froze.

Your eyes both darted towards the water, which you could barely see in the darkness as the fire started to die out.

"What was that?"

"Fish." Jake said simply but you could hear the uneasiness of his tone.

"Right, fish."

Before your nerves could settle, you were both startled as someone ran out of the darkness with a loud yell. Yours and Jake's yells of terror where drowned out by the cackling of Rooster and Coyote as they cackled nearby.

Jake cursed at them as you held your face in your hands.

"I hate you guys." You grumbled, just loud enough for them to hear as the continued to laugh as they ran off towards the hotel, proud that their prank succeeded.

Looking up at Jake, his frown faded as you smiled at him, "Now who's the scaredy cat?" You teased.

He repressed his own smile, but you saw it tugging at his lips. "Shut up."

You giggled as you took his had in yours, "Can we go back now, before I have another heart attack?"

Hearing another loud splash in the water behind you, you both tensed as your eyes locked.

Jake quickly tugged you along, "Yep let's go."

You both jogged towards the hotel, refusing the look back at the water.

xx End xx

General Taglist: @criminaly-supernatural, @onuen, @imaginesfire, @rexit-mo, @witchygagirl, @alexxavicry

Top Gun/Jake Taglist: @malindacath, @hotch-meeeeeuppppp, @sarcastic-sourwolf, @stargirl-05, @persephonesportal, @springflwer07, @pockyandme, @iceman-kazansky, @soultrysworld, @averyhotchner, @linkxneptune, @creativitybeware, @callsignmaverick5, @merlin-dahlia, @blueoorchid, @oliviah-25, @writerfulltime, @readingwithatorch,

@phoenix1388 (I lost part of the tag name? Is it you who requested a top gun tag??)

#jake seresin x reader #jake seresin/reader #top gun imagine #top gun x reader #top gun/reader #jake seresin imagine #hallowen 2023 fics #top gun: maverick imagine #top gun: maverick halloween #jake seresin oneshot #jake seresin one shot #jake seresin halloween #hangman x reader #hangman/reader #hangman imagin #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader

[rae-gar-targaryen]

Why yes, your Honour, I would like to lick Jake Seresin’s abs. Each and every one of them. Trace them with my tongue. If that’s a crime throw me in jail.

Well, congratulations, lovely anon. You've inspired something that no one ever thought possible -- Rae writing for a BLONDE MAN, of all people. Pls enjoy this little blurb. Even though it's probably not the greatest thing I've ever written --

--

your name (on that coffee cup)

warnings: none, just bad flirting.

pairing: jake jortles "hangman" seresin x fem!civilian reader

word count: 2.3k (you've gotta be fucking kidding me) of sweet, if not stilted, flirtation and whatever the fuck this is...

Reblogs make the world go 'round! 🌿💜

--

The coffee shop was more crowded than usual today. You supposed it might have something to do with the fact that today, the weather gods had decided that it would be the one, annual rainy day, forcing commuters to seek shelter indoors from the "deluge" (but what you considered to be, at most, a decent sprinkle). Southern Californians were decidedly not built for the rain.

You casually observed the casuals and regulars alike filtering in and out from your chosen table adjacent to the pickup counter. Your usual table, from where you'd set up shop, plinking away at your novel with your playlist and the welcome, muffled bustle of customers as backdrop busy-noise that filtered through your headphones for company. 

People-watching was uniquely inspirational whenever you were facing a bit of writer's block, so you had opted for leaving the relative coziness of your nearby apartment – content to perch on at this table and allow the quirks of strangers to serve as fodder for your novel.

Except that today, it was more overstuffed than your favorite blue-velvet chair in your apartment. The queue of bodies waiting for their cups of caffeine and their matcha lattes causing the already-warm interior of the shop to fog the windows. 

You'd just finished a particularly troublesome paragraph – How your two stubborn protagonists were ever going to set aside their differences as they made their way through the enchanted wood, you weren't one hundred percent clear on. But sometimes it was best to skip the mental obfuscation and jump straight into a part you were excited to write … their eventual love scene was beckoning you.

You worried your drink's straw between your teeth, eyes unfocused, pondering how to get Ser Marcus out of his shirt and beneath Lady Lucy, when he walked in. 

Him.

The tall drink of water with broad shoulders and dirty-blonde hair. With a million-watt smile he graced to whichever barista happened to be handing him his coffee that day.

He looked like a Ken-doll, if you were honest. But not in a bad (junkless) way. More of an All-American, conventionally attractive way, if he'd asked you. Not that he had. You had certainly seen him here before. But you weren't sure the same could be said of him. 

You watched idly as he breezed past you to place his order in a damp shirt that was veritably plastered to his torso, and running shoes that squeaked with rainwater, the noise making its way over the dull din of the shop. 

Perhaps he'd been out for a run when the rain had started.

He spoke to Monica the barista at the counter, out of earshot, though the easy way he leaned against the counter and smiled at her made it clear he didn't mind his own state of dress. The sort of easy handsome of an Eastwood.

You had turned back to the blinking cursor of your doc, thoughts buzzing with handsomely tanned skin and wet clothes, when the unmistakable shadow of a person loomed over you.

You glanced up, only to be simultaneously thankful for your screen protector and greeted with –

"Hi there," he breezed. 

It was Ken. In the perfect plastic flesh.

And, really, it was the fact that his torso was directly in your seated eyeline (and no other reason, you swear) that allowed you to notice (appreciate) that his already-rainwet and plastered shirt hugged his torso in such a way that allowed you to observe (appreciate) that you could see the outline of every. single. one. of his abdominal muscles, as though his shirt was made of flimsy tissue paper that might tear away beneath your touch.

No, this was fine.

"Uhhh." You were articulate, you swear. "Hi."

"Would it be alright if I sat with you while I wait?" He gestured over his shoulder with a pointed thumb vaguely in the direction of the pickup counter. "It's a little crowded in here today, and this is the only open seat."

Ah. An arrangement of convenience, and not that he wanted to sit with you.

You bit down your disappointment long enough to ease your lips into what you hoped resembled a smile, gesturing openly to the seat.

"By all means."

He shot a grateful–if not cheeky– wink your way as he pulled the seat out, angling himself to maintain eye contact with you, while still keeping one ear open for his name.

"Thank you, ma'am," he conceded politely, voice still warm and easy, as though no one had ever refused him a paltry request in his life. (And maybe they hadn't.) "I didn't exactly want to stand there in my wet clothes."

"No," you agreed. "Sitting in wet clothes is much more pleasant. Especially in those tight, Baby Gap-sized t-shirts. Everyone knows that."

"Everyone," he agreed, eyes twinkling and allowing you to appreciate just how green they were, glimmering, verdant and mossy, like the forest bedecked with fresh rainfall. How fortuitous, then, that he'd choose to sit with you on San Diego's one rainy day per year. "Teacher? Grading?" He nodded at your laptop, gem eyes flitting over the fading, curled stickers slapped onto the back.

You couldn't help yourself. You giggled.

"No," you shook your head. "Novelist."

"Ah," he conceded. "So whatcha writing?" 

And as you made to open your mouth to tell him that he shouldn't really ask a writer those types of question, he perked, and held up a finger as if to say "hold that thought," as he shot up to retrieve his beverage from the counter.

He must've heard his name. Ah well, it was nice while it lasted. You tried not to feel disappointed that your one encounter with hot coffee shop guy had come and gone in the blink of an eye. And tried not to beat yourself up that you hadn't caught the name when it had been called…

To your surprise, he turned back and plopped himself back into the seat opposite you, expectant eyes awaiting your answer as he blew into the small hole at the lid of his coffee cup.

"Ehm," you continued. "It's… a … novel," you finished, lamely. Flushed with the prospect of having to admit to this guy that you wrote high-fantasy erotica for a living, your self-preservation instincts kicking in before you admitted something you wouldn't necessarily have the chance to come back from if he decided to make fun of you for.

And he was ridiculously handsome. The sort of guy who looked like he belonged on the cover of the type of book you were writing, billowing unbuttoned shirt, and all... Maybe he'd pose if you asked?

If he was annoyed or put off by your evasiveness, Ken-doll didn't show it, that million-watt grin easing its way back onto his very pleasing face, prominent jaw and white teeth on full display as he played along.

"I might've guessed," he said. "I'm Jake, by the way." 

He held out his hand for you to shake. You responded in kind, allowing his hand to envelop yours with both size and warmth as you pumped your arm in a firm, decided handshake.

"I might've guessed," you parroted. 

He shot you a quizzical look; brows furrowed.

"It's on your cup," you nodded in the direction of the cup clutched in his other hand, the corner of your mouth titling into a smile. 

"A dead giveaway," he agreed, pleased that you had thought to make the observation. Maybe you were this way with everyone, he thought. All sweet smiles and starry, foxlike eyes, discerning but decidedly available. Selfishly, perhaps — he hoped that wasn't the case.

"Unless of course they had gotten the wrong name, and it's really, like, Jack, or James, or something," the fizzling pleasure of his hand on yours and the swelter of this coffee shop was really doing a number on your head, because now you were rambling. "Then if I had called you Jake based on the cup, I would've been both presumptuous and stupid. Like a 'Mark-with-a-C situation… Cark," you finished, unhelpfully.

"Now that's just unlikely, sweetheart," he disagreed. "You're clearly too sharp for that… Bridget." He squinted at your cup, greeting you with a name that was not your own.

"Oh, no…" you laughed, the pleased sound meeting his ears despite the relative staticky-din of the late-morning rush around him, "My name isn't Bridget," you explained, sheepish about the relative silliness of the game of being friends with one of the workers. "Uh, Monica likes to give me a new name every day I come in. Sort of to mock me for how often I come, I guess? We've known each other awhile. So, she's allowed."

If Jake thought it was childish or silly, he didn't let on, instead nodding and smiling at your explanation, still incomprehensibly interested in what you had to say…

"So that's why I see you in here so often," he conceded. "A novelist who writes in a coffee shop, where she knows everyone. Cute."

Out of any other mouth, it might have sounded condescending. But there was no hint of condescension in his honey-smooth voice. Only the facile twang of Southern charm and genuine earnestness. 

But all you heard was that he'd seen you before. He had seen you.

And you must've asked this out loud, because the next thing you knew, he was all smooth laughter and glimmering teeth,

"Yeah, I've seen you," he agreed. "You always look so concentrated, I never want to interrupt. My mama raised me better than that. But today I actually had the chance to say hello. So, uh, thank the rain, I guess…" he eased.

And you'd really hoped that the pleased warmth of flirtatious embarrassment wasn't inclined to show itself in any way, across your face or the exposed skin of your shoulders. Because you were certain those sparkling eyes of his were shrewd enough to tell. And how could a guy like this not be aware of his effect on women? So, you pressed on, closing your laptop lid, the better to focus on him with.

"And what do you do, Jake? If you're out for a run in the rain, you're clearly committed. Let me guess," you tapped your chin in mock-consternation, voice trailing in thought. "Model? Please say no because that would be a lot for me."

Jake barked a laugh at this. And perhaps you'd incidentally, dangerously boosted what was already a high ego. But he continued in good humor –

"No, sweetheart. Not a model. Naval aviator," and he'd actually shrugged at that, like it was no big deal. "I'm at the base down the way. So, yeah, I guess you can say I'm dedicated."

You groaned, teasingly, fucking your head into your arms, "Oh fuck, no. So just a civil servant who looks like a model. You can get the fuck outta here with that." You leaned across the table to teasingly shove one of his (ridiculously sculpted) shoulders, pleased at the feel of him beneath your fingertips.

"It's my honor to serve you, ma'am," he straightened in his seat, taking on his best "official" voice. (Oh, god, this was doing a number on you.) He continued,

"In fact, I think you should let me take you to dinner…?" He trailed off, perhaps in realization that he still didn't know your name.

You twisted in your seat to pluck a pen from the messenger bag hanging from the back of your chair, turning back to pluck his cup from his very hands in a move so cheeky you would swear you were having some kind of out-of-body experience. You were never this bold.

But the attentions of this, okay, let's be real… this veritable Adonis before you was likely doing something dangerous to your own ego, never mind his. Your head was somewhere in the clouds (a place he was clearly comfortable, being a "naval aviator, ma'am," and all)..

You tugged the pen cap off with your teeth, your attention fixed on the label.

Huh. Vanilla soy latte. 

You didn't comment on his drink of choice, choosing instead to strike through his name with the pen, and ink your own, your phone number printed clearly and neatly beneath it. Handing the cup back to him when you'd finished, recapping the pen as he twirled the cup in his hands to read what you'd put on the label.

He parroted your name back to you, the way his mouth worked out the letters an image you'd likely think about for a little too long, ya know, later... and the sound of it from his throat ringing in your ears.

"I'll text you," he assured, winking at you as he made to stand, rapping his knuckles on the corner of your table before mock-saluting you with two fingers to his forehead and an easy, charming grin on his lips. "I look forward to hearing about that novel over dinner, ma'am." 

With that, he walked out of the shop, taking with him the air in your lungs and your certainty that that had actually just happened, and leaving you with the faintly buzzing feeling of lofty flirtation and the blooming promise of a fucking date!

Eager to capitalize on the fizzy feelings, you opened your laptop lid and turned back to your unfinished section now, wan smile borne of fresh flirtation affixed to your lips, your thoughts swimming in a seafoam green ocean of emerald eyes, breezy flirtation, and, yeah, tight t-shirts...

"It was then that Lady Lucy swung her leg astride Ser Marcus, devilish fingers peeling his tunic from his toned stomach. With a smirk painted across her features, she dipped her head, allowing herself to trace her tongue along the ridges and planes of her lover's stomach, reveling in the feel of each prominent abdominal muscle beneath her tongue. Greeted with the delightful sound of her beloved's surprised gasps, manifestations of pleasure at her attentions…"

And no, you reasoned with yourself as you typed. You totally weren't thinking of green-eyed, handsome Jake as you wrote. These desires were your character's, not yours – you swear.

And no, your thoughts also were definitely not on his promised text message, either, that lit up your phone as you glanced at it. Greeted with the proposition of "Dinner Thursday?" No, you totally weren't thinking of him…

It's life that imitates art, after all... (Or was it the other way around?) And you hadn't had the chance to taste those abs for yourself. (But hope springs eternal...)

--

Tagging:  @withahappyrefrain @thegirlwhowritesfics @xbamboowishesx @friendly-neighborhood-blondie @abibliophobiaa @clints-lucky-arrow @inklore @phoenixhalliwell @ohmagawd-life @thematthewmurdock @mrshipsmcgee @p3mybeloved @decadentpaperduck @letmeplaytheliontoo @vestrangel @moonlight-prose @aphrogeneias @levylovegood @thatredheadwriter @2clones-1kamino @zombieaurora @shadeds-library @writercole @ijustwantedplums @gretagerwigsmuse @fanboysfangirl @shakira-sasha @siriusfahey @joaquinwhorres @jakexfmc @the-navistar-carol  @jadore-andor @fanboygarcia @lavenderluna10 @fluffyprettykitty @mickeyluvs @mothdruid  @maxmayfield @drew-garfi @eagerforthesky

#jake seresin x reader #jake seresin #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #hangman x reader #hangman seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #jake 'hangman' seresin x you #my writing #tgm fic #top gun maverick fic #jake seresin imagine #glen powell #glen powell x reader #lovely anons #hangman fluff #jake seresin fluff #isn't it just like me to write for the white boy of the month several months too late #flopcity usa here we come #pls reblog

[missxmav]

fix you too - jake seresin x plus size!reader aesthetic

whooo! okay, y'all, I did NOT expect this series to garner so much attention in such a short time!! I'm really excited that you guys are loving this even though this is the first part and it was short! I'm half way done with part 2 already so hopefully it'll be up soon!!! enjoy this all-around series aesthetic because it makes my brain happy (:

Read the 'fix you too' series here!!

#jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake 'hangman' seresin #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #jake seresin x plus size reader #plus size reader #top gun #top gun maverick #tg:m #jake seresin ff #jake seresin fanfic #glen powell #fix you too series

[phoenixsbby]

can you write something with Hangman where y/n is pregnant and she’s at a Dagger Squad dinner and she received some comments about how big her belly is compared to the other women, so she refused the chocolate cake dessert and Hangman follows her after the dinner in the kitchen, seeing her crying and stuff ?

thank you for the request :')

warnings: mentions of body size/weight, swearing

——

You’ve been eyeing that chocolate cake since the minute you arrived at the barbeque your husband, Lieutenant Jake Seresin, had been invited to. It was huge and looked moist and mouth watering and you could only partially blame the pregnancy hormones for wanting to shove the entire thing in your mouth with your bare hands. You’ve waited patiently though instead of giving into your chaotic, intrusive thoughts. 

You’ve gone through the motions of talking with all of your husbands colleagues, you’ve spent time playing yard games with different members of the Dagger Squad (you totally didn’t get too excited and caused a scene when you and Rooster beat Bob and Phoenix in corn hole), and you ate your fair share of dinner.

And when it’s finally time for dessert, you do not hesitate in stepping up and grabbing a big piece of that beautiful cake. You see no shame in it, wanting to eat dessert. Not only because your pregnant and rightfully deserve to treat your baby to this homemade masterpiece but also, because if someone wants to eat some cake then who gives a fuck?

The piece of cake you have dangling at the threshold of your mouth freezes mid air when you make direct eye contact with one of your least favorite pilots you’ve had the (dis)pleasure of knowing since Jake had been stationed in North Island. Cobra.

You hold eye contact for a beat of silence, still with your cake hovering, and watch as he raises his eyebrows and dips his gaze down to your body. You can feel the judgement rolling off of him, in the way he’s staring at you when your eyes reconnect. 

Without taking a bite of the cake that’s been teasing you all night, you place your fork back down on your plate.

“Can I help you?” You try to keep your tone sweet but there’s no missing the rigidity behind it. You completely stopped caring about being polite to this guy pretty quickly after hearing about the multiple sexist “jokes” and negative comments about other pilots he’s made in the past. You’re not a pilot yourself but, you’ve heard enough stories from Jake about Cobra to how shitty of a teammate (and person) he is.

“No, I just ..” Cobra purses his lips and shakes his head. You roll your eyes so hard, you’re surprised they don’t fall out of your head.

“Just what?”

“You really think you should be eating that?” He tilts his head ever so slightly to the side as he says it and you’ve never been a violent person but suddenly, you’re ready to swing.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, come on Y/N.” He grins and your blood turns from lukewarm to boiling hot inside your veins. He takes a step closer to which you react by taking one backwards. He dips his head close and adds, “We both know you’ve gained a some weight recently. You don’t see any other females here shoving cake in their mouths, do you?” 

You haven’t told anyone that you’re pregnant other than your husband. It’s still early and it’s been a busy, stressful time at work for Jake so, you both agreed to push off telling everyone for now. And yes, during the time since you found out, your body has changed which is completely healthy and natural when you’re growing another human inside you! But the fact that Cobra doesn’t even know that and is still commenting on your weight, it makes you sick.

You want to scream and yell at him, to tell him off, to ask him where he gets the nerve to talk to anyone about their body but, all you do is blink. Your eyes instinctually flicker around the other women at the party. The other wives and girlfriends and pilots at the party are all beautiful and fit in their own right. Suddenly, despite knowing your body is doing its natural thing to support you during this stage in your life, you feel inferior to them in every way.

“Sorry to be so up front about it.” Cobra adds. Sorry my ass. “But, I think I’m doing you a favor. Maybe switch the cake out for some fruit or something.”

You glance down at the cake on your plate, the once delicious dessert looks about as appetizing as a pile of dirt and worms now. 

An arm wraps itself around your shoulders and pulls you into a firm body. You glance up and see Coyote looking at you with furrowed brows. 

“You okay?” He discreetly wipes a tear off of your cheek that you didn’t even know fell. Despite the answer being no, you nod weakly. 

“I need to use the bathroom.” You croak out before shoving your plate in Coyote’s direction and making a beeline for the house. Faintly as you walk away, you hear Coyote throw a ‘what the hell did you do?’ at Cobra. But, you don’t care enough to stop or listen to the ways Cobra will spin this so he’s the victim. All you care about is getting away from these people to cry your eyes out and try your best to not make a scene at your husbands work party.

You don’t find the bathroom, instead you find a small secondary pantry in the back of the house to have a mini break down in. You slump against the wall and finally let all of the tears you can feel prickling at your dry eyes fall. 

You feel like you’re being ripped in half. One half of you, the arguably more reasonable half, knows there is nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone’s body is unique. Some bodies are small, some are big, they all change under different circumstances. Body size does not determine a persons worth. Nothing gives someone the right to comment on another persons body the way Cobra did yours. The only person who should feel ashamed here is him.

Yet the other half of you lets his words stick to your skin like glue until they seep through many, many layers of yourself, until you can feel them festering inside of you. Maybe you could be making better eating choices? Maybe you should be eating more fruit? You don’t know because this is your first pregnancy and its hard to be a mother! But, you’re trying your absolute best to figure it out. Shouldn’t that count for something?

You’re outright sobbing when you feel arms encase your body and pull you flush against a hard, warm chest. One hand cradles your head while the other rubs soothing circles against your back. One deep inhale of a spicy and sweet familiar scent is all you need to know who’s holding you - Jake.

“What’s going on?” He murmurs into your hair, voice laced with concern as he squeezes you tightly against him. He knows what’s going on, Coyote came and found him the minute Cobra told him what he had said to you. Despite Cobra trying to play it off like it wasn’t a big deal, Coyote could see right through the bullshit. 

Jake had two options; hit the fucker that thought it was okay to comment on his wife’s body or find his wife who he knew needed him in that moment. It was a no brainer (okay, he did consider hitting Cobra for a hot second), he had to find you. 

“I-“ you try to explain it  but, the words collide with a sob that’s already lodged in your throat. 

“Take some deep breaths.” You feel him inhale a deep breath of his own, hold it, then release an equally long exhale. “Come on, baby.” He inhales another, prompting you to follow along.

The first few breaths you take are jagged and short, some leave you gasping for more air. But after continued encouragement from Jake, eventually your breathing returns to a somewhat rhythmic state. Your heart no longer feels like its jackhammering its way out of your ribcage, your thoughts about your body and being a good mother are no longer stirring up a storm in your mind. You feel calm there, in that pantry, wrapped up in your loving husbands embrace.

“There she is.” He smiles, soft and sweet, as you pull away from him just enough to see his face. He wipes away the lingering wetness of tears on your cheeks before leaving his hands there to cup them.

“I feel-“ you struggle again to find words to accuracy describe this feeling. You settle on motioning the shape of a balloon with your hands and take another shaky, deep breath.

“Whatever that snake said to you out there, it’s not even remotely close to the truth.” Jake tilts his head and rubs his thumbs gently across your skin. 

“Isn’t it? I mean, I have put on some weight.” 

“Because you’re pregnant, Y/N.”

“But, we’ve all seen those women who stay in such good shape when they’re pregnant like you can’t even tell they’re pregnant until the day before they pop that baby out! And all they drink is kale smoothies and their favorite midnight snack is baby carrots. They definitely do not eat chocolate cake!”

“Y/N,” Jake tilts your head up away from your belly to look him directly in the eye. “Everyone’s body is different. And I happen to think yours is amazing.” You scoff and try to look away but, he holds your eyes to his. “Whether you gain or lose weight, if you grow a foot or shrink a foot, I will always think your body is amazing. Not only because you’re growing our baby in there,” he places a hand on your lower stomach “but also because it’s yours. You are so beautiful.”

You melt into his touch and rest your forehead against his. You have no idea what you did to get so lucky in loving a man like this, one of the good ones. He kisses you slowly, letting every ounce of his love translate from his lips directly to yours. 

You groan the second your lips break apart and slump into his hold. You feel his laugh vibrate against your chest as he holds you up.

‘What is it?”

“I can’t believe I let that dickhead talk me into not eating that cake. I bet it’s all gone by now.” You pout into his chest before he puts his hands on your forearms and pulls you off of him. You narrow your eyes at the way he’s smirking at you.

Wordlessly, he reaches behind you and by the time he’s fully back in your field of vision, he’s holding your plate with the same piece of cake on it from before. You gasp and smile, so bright and contagious and Hangman can’t believe he gets to witness something that gorgeous. 

“Oh, I love you! I love you, I love you, I love you.” You squeal as you take the plate from his hands and don’t hesitate in sticking a forkful of cake into your mouth. You moan and let your eyes flutter shut at the gooey goodness of it. “You’re the best.”

“Don’t I know it.” Jake chuckles as his thumb swipes away a crumb from the corner of your mouth.

“Uhhhh … I was talking to the cake.”

#jake seresin x reader #jake seresin #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #hangman x reader #hangman fanfiction #jake 'hangman' seresin fanfiction #top gun: maverick #top gun: maverick fanfiction #jake 'hangman' seresin #hangman blurb

[honkytonk-hangman]

When Jake Met Polly

Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Reader

Summary: Jake likes to flirt with his Air Traffic Controller or Jake Seresin has never seen When Harry Met Sally.

Warnings: Not much, fluff, flirting and refs to sex.

Note: This is just a short little idea i've had for agesss... reader has a 'name' but it's just her callsign, Polly, as in, short for Polaris. Ty to @hangmanssunnies i wuv u <3

“Hangman to Tower, I am coming in hot.”

You roll your eyes at the all too familiar voice that crackles through your radio, a smile pulling at your lips as you adjust your microphone and briefly throw a glance over your shoulder, just to make sure your commanding officer wasn’t lingering.

“Tower to Hangman. We are appalled at the gross lack of radio etiquette on display,” you respond. Barely a few seconds pass before you receive a reply.

“Come on, Polly, we've been working together for over a year now, what’s a little informality between colleagues?” Hangman says, and despite his jet only being a blip on your horizon still, you know he’s grinning.

“A commercial airline, Lieutenant.” You deadpan, your own smile growing as his laughter comes down the line. “You are cleared for landing, proceed to runway B,” you continue, not wanting him to have to ask again seeing as his approach was cutting it close already.

“Polly, have I ever told you that you’re my favourite Controller?” He asks as you watch him enter the pattern, and click your pen.

“Only every day we work together, Lieutenant.” There’s a beat of quiet as he expertly manoeuvres his jet toward the correct runway.

“And how sexy your voice is?” He goes on, sounding vaguely distracted.

“Once again, Lieutenant, this is not a commercial airline.” You respond, twirling your hair around your finger at his compliment anyway.

He doesn’t reply, and a shock of horror flickers through you as you watch the jet touch down once, something happening with his landing gear that makes the jet shudder, then seem to bounce momentarily before it drops back onto the tarmac and skids to a stop.

“Hangman, do you require the emergency crew?!” You ask quickly, eyes scanning the aircraft as it powers down fully. You wait tensely as the canopy pops up, and a broad figure jumps out, scrambling down the ladder, and once on the ground, he bends low to get a look at the problem.

“No, Polly, thank you. Seems the landing gear malfunctioned, must’ve been in a position to sustain damage once I landed…” his voice trails off, and you watch him straighten, and greet the ground crew who’d raced over to help.

“Glad you’re safe, Lieutenant. Tower out.” You say as he begins discussing with the crew, but briefly turns up toward the tower and raises a hand.

You let out a sigh of relief and settle back in your seat.

–

Around lunch time you make your way down to the tarmac. Hangman’s jet had been cleared off some time ago, and by now you know reports would have been filed, including your own, and his aircraft will have been taken in for inspection and repairs. You’re milling around the ‘crash’ site, inspecting the scrape marks left behind when you hear footsteps from behind approaching you.

“Can I help you ma’am?”

You know his voice immediately, but you know his face too, and when you at last turn back to him you’re graced by the sight of it, bright and unworried, despite the accident he’d had earlier.

“Oh, don’t mind me! I just watched someone bounce their jet off my tarmac earlier, just checking for potholes,” you tell him wrly. It takes a moment, but his face flashes with recognition and soon he’s taking a step towards you.

“Polly?!” Hangman asks, sounding surprised. You hum in response, then round on him.

“Where is it that you found your qualifications, Liuetenant? We should probably return them,” you tease him. Hangman only takes up a stance and stretches his arms out, his flight suit stretching desperately around his biceps as he does.

“Oh, Polly, if I’d known that was all it took to get you down here, I’d have started chipping bits off months ago,” he flirts shamelessly. You smile at him but don’t speak and after a moment, he drops his arms again, crossing them over his chest instead and blinking at you curiously. “What?” he asks.

Your smile grows, and you shake your head at him.

“Your terrible lines work better when I can see you, that's all,” you inform him, making him uncross his arms and laugh.

“I would say that’s generally the case, even if a guy ain’t me,” he replies coolly. You only shake your head again, and look back out at the expanse of tarmac ahead of you.

“Thanks to you getting your pilots lisence off the back of a cereal box, we’ve ruined our Sleepless in Seattle thing,” you say with a forlorn sigh.

When you look back at Hangman he’s frowning at you in confusion.

“Our what?” he asks. You roll your eyes and turn to face him fully at last, waving your hand as you speak.

“You know, our Sleepless in Seattle thing. We talk all this time, but never meet, and if we cross paths, we don’t realise it? It’s ruined now,” you accuse him lightly. Hangman hums, and seems to think for a moment.

“I get to be Meg Ryan in this situation, right?” he says, making you chortle.

“Well you’d have to be. No way I’d leave 90s Bill Pullman!”

“Well, what if we’re not Sleepless in Seattle? What if we’re more… When Harry Met Sally?” he suggests. You squint at him.

“Have you seen that film? I’m not sure that’s the implication you want to go for…” you ask him, making him falter for a moment.

“That’s the one with the emails right?” he responds unsurely. You laugh again, and shake your head.

“No, that’s You’ve Got Mail.”

“What the hell did I just suggest, then?” 

You stare at him for a moment, and can’t stop yourself from grinning up at him.

“More or less not speaking for like ten years, but on the rare occasion we do meet up, we argue,” you tell him, watching him frown even deeper, and shake his own head this time.

“That would be kinda hard, considering you’re the voice in my head,” he says.

“Oh, so we’re doing Her now!”

Hangman fixes you with a deadpan expression and a slightly smirk.

“I don’t even want to know.”

You laugh at him, and begin walking, unsurprised when he immediately joins you, falling into step at your side. “So,” he begins again after a moment, peering down at you. “Despite playing hacky sack on your tarmac, you still gonna let me take you out?”

You falter briefly, but keep walking, this time glancing up at him.

“I didn’t think you were being serious all those times you asked me out,” you don’t bother hiding your surprise. Hangman looks back at you, squinting, and cocks his head.

“At this point I think you’ve shot me down more than Dagger combined, why would I not be serious?” he asks you, sounding oddly serious. You chuckle.

“Right, so, say if, I don’t know, Rooster got a few more hits on you, you wouldn’t leave me hangin’ would you?” you know you’ll say yes, but you can’t help but tease him a little longer.

Hangman raises an eyebrow at you and grins wide and beautiful.

“You? Never,” he says. “Mostly because I’m legally obligated to respond when you speak to me.”

You lift your own eyebrow and fix him with a wry smile.

“I like that in a man.”

Hangman laughs.

–

“I mean it, your voice is sexy,” Jake tells you once he’s sat back down from replacing your drinks. You can’t help but chortle and stir your cocktail with the straw.

“Really? Me telling you to line up and wait in the pattern gets you going?” you ask. Jake grins, but nods very seriously as he takes a short sip of his beer.

“Absolutely. I also like when you tell me about the weather and conditions, and direct me to land.”

Leaning forward with your elbows on the table between you, you put your chin in your hands.

“I liek when you flirt with me,” you begin, waiting for him to smirk at you before continuing on. “And you don’t realise my boss is in the room, so I just have to respond ‘roger’ and ‘acknowledged’ whenever you say something stupid,” you finish. Jake rolls his eyes and leans forward to meet you.

“To be fair, I’d probably be saying something stupid anyway,” he tells you.

You have to let out a laugh at that and finally lean back again.

“Oh yeah, that reminds me, are you ever gonna tell us all how to ‘bury a fossil’? You know, those things that you famously dig up and do not bury?” you tease, earning another eyeroll. Jake shrugs and copies your movements.

“I foretold Mav’s career comeback, didn’t I?”

You laugh again, but this time, get a good look at him sitting casually across from you, out of uniform and seemingly more relaxed than you’ve ever seen, or heard.

“I like your voice too,” you tell him at last, smiling a little at how he seems to preen at your praise. “Your accent is more pronounced face-to-face though, and you don’t sound like you’re performing all the time.”

Jake takes a sip of his beer and shrugs again.

“Can’t be Hangman all the time,” he says. You make a face.

“I like Hangman. He entertains me at work… but I think I like the guy who hasn’t seen When Harry Met Sally, and has a Fisher-Price pilot's lisence even more.”

Jake laughs and nods at you.

“Splash one,” he says before he leans in to you again. “Toddler’s generally have pretty good taste, in my opinion, they’re all about shapes and colours and boobs… can’t fault ‘em!”

You have to laugh and concede that at least, the two of you clinking drinks before you continue to flirt and chat for the rest of the evening.

When Jake drops you back at yours, you invite him inside, under the guise of lending him your DVD copy of When Harry Met Sally, but when he simply lingers in your living room, you start to consider other tactics.

“Jake?” you say, standing up from ‘searching’ your stack of DVD’s and facing him. “This is the part where you save me from admitting I don’t really own a physical copy of the film by having sex with me,” you inform him dutifully, watching as he straightens up and blinks at you. Then, he’s shaking his head, smiling, and taking a step closer toward you.

“I guess every good rom-com does have an earth shattering lie at its core, doesn’t it?” he steps closer, and this time, anchors his hands at your waist, tugging you into him a little more.

“Let's skip the conflict part and go straight to the happy ending, shall we?”

#jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake 'hangman' seresin #hangman x reader #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #jake hangman seresin x reader #top gun maverick #jake 'hangman' seresin fanfic #jake hangman seresin #top gun fanfiction

[justabigassnerd]

Protected

Pairing - Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x daughter!reader

Word count - 1,654

Warnings - creepy guys, protective Jake & Mickey, being made uncomfortable, angst, fluff

Summary - when you get bothered by customers at work, Jake and Mickey can't just stand by and watch

A/N - hey y'all! sorry it's taken me so long to get a new fic out, I swear I'm trying to write faster but I be struggling. this was a request sent in by @stupendousnightmaretrash so here's a formal apology for taking so long. anyways I won't ramble, as per y'all, please send in requests, feedback, and enjoy!!!

Growing up it had always just been you and your dad, and you were perfectly fine with that arrangement. There would be a small number of people that would come in and out of your life, but your dad stuck around no matter what and he was all you needed.

Then he got called back to Top Gun.

After completing the mission he was called back for, Jake and his squad were offered a permanent position at Top Gun so they could all remain together which brought a new array of people into your life. You knew Javy of course; he and your dad had formed a close friendship early on so having him back in your life was a welcome surprise. Then there was the likes of Bradley, Bob, Ruben, and Natasha who became your honorary uncles and aunt. Then there was Mickey who somehow became like a second father to you. He was the youngest of the Daggers and so everyone had assumed he’d take more of an older brother role towards you, but he showed his complex maturity when he helped you solve a problem you were having, and you often found yourself going to him with problems you weren’t ready to talk to your own dad about yet to get advice from him.

A couple of years down the line, your dad and the Daggers were still based in Miramar and life was just as good as it was when the team first became an official squadron. You had recently turned sixteen and gotten a job working at a little restaurant along the beachfront for a little extra cash. It wasn’t the best job in the world, but it was something.

One evening, after a long day of work at Top Gun, the Daggers decided that they’d visit the restaurant you worked at to grab some dinner and to also surprise you while you were working.

The squadron turned up and waited excitedly to be seated and Jake couldn’t help but smile when he saw your eyes light up upon seeing the team gathered. You found them a table and handed out menus to everyone. The smile never leaves your face as you talk to them, getting their drinks orders before heading off to go and get their drinks. When you returned with their drinks you took their food orders and took them to the kitchen before returning to your section and seating two middle-aged men at a table near the Daggers. At first, they were polite, thanking you as they initially sat down and gave you their drinks orders with kind smiles but as the evening progressed their behaviour shifted. When you brought them their meals after the Daggers were just about halfway through their own dinners, the two men started looking you up and down, making uncomfortable flirty comments and one of the men even tried to run his hand along yours as you placed his food down in front of him. None of the men’s comments or actions went unnoticed by Mickey, who nudged Jake and pointed out how uncomfortable you clearly looked while serving the two men. When you moved away from the table to grab more drinks for the two men, Mickey and Jake exchanged a look and pushed their chairs away from the table, rising in sync and crossing to the two men.

“Can we help you?” One of the men asks, raising an eyebrow as they stare up at the two aviators who fold their arms across their chest in tandem, glaring down at the two men.

“You can stop bothering my daughter, that’s how you can help me.” Jake says, jaw set as his gaze grows colder by the second. The two men share a brief glance before letting out small chuckles.

“With all due respect. Your daughter is very beautiful.” One of the men has the gall to say, making Jake almost shift to land a punch on that man’s cocky smile, but Mickey was quicker, grabbing Jake’s shoulder and pulling him back a couple of paces to reduce the fight risk.

“She’s also sixteen years old. She’s just a kid!” Mickey has to hold himself back from screaming it in the man’s face as his friend shrugs.

“Well, she looks older.”

“And you still think that makes it okay?” Mickey says as Jake shrugs Mickey’s hand off his shoulder and approaches the two men, bracing his hands on the table, and leaning down so he’s in their faces.

“You two have about five minutes to pay your bill, give my kid a good tip and get your sorry asses out of here.” Jake’s voice was low and threatening, but the two men chuckled once again.

“What exactly are you going to do if we don’t do that?” The man asks, smirking cockily as he leant back in his seat, arms folding over his chest.

“I’ve got an entire team of naval aviators behind me, and they will not hesitate to get involved on my kid’s behalf.” Jake is seconds away from throwing a punch when the men laugh in his face.

“I have your- what’s going on?” Your return should’ve been expected yet in the moment all four men had forgotten you had gone off to get drinks.

“Nothing for you to worry about, sweetheart.” Jake says, straightening up and flashing a smile in your direction as Mickey drops his defensive stance to make everything seem more natural.

“Exactly, sweetheart. Are those our drinks?” One of the men says, condescension in his tone as he looks you up and down, frowning when you begin to look uncomfortable at his words.

“Oh come on, you can’t serve us with a smile?” He then says, and Mickey immediately walks over to you and takes the drinks off the tray.

“Mickey, what are you doing?” You ask in a hushed whisper as Mickey winks quickly, refusing to answer before turning around and slapping the biggest grin on his face and approaching the table.

“Here’s your drinks.” Mickey says, placing both drinks down making sure he spilt a bit over each man as he put them down.

“What are you doing?” One man says, standing up and attempting to brush the drink off his trousers.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you wanted to be served with a smile. I must’ve gotten a bit carried away.” Mickey says, the grin never leaving his face as both men grab napkins to wipe at their clothes while Jake crosses to you.

“Why don’t you grab the bill for these two? I have a feeling they’ll be leaving soon.” Jake whispers, watching as you nod lightly and head back to get the bill for the two men. Jake and Mickey return to the table with the Daggers, telling them that the situation appears to be defused and that since they had finished up all their meals, they’d get the bill and pay after the two men left. Jake kept glancing over at the two men as you brought over their bill and thankfully their mouths remained shut and they paid for their food and drinks silently before finishing their drinks and leaving the restaurant. When they left, you went over to the Daggers table and got them their bill and took the payments. You said goodbye to each Dagger in turn as they left but Jake and Mickey stopped in front of you.

“We’re going to wait outside for you, I know you don’t have much longer of your shift, and we want to make sure those assholes don’t come back.” Jake says, both he and Mickey smiling softly at you as you nod, thanking them before rushing off to finish off the rest of your shift.

Mickey and Jake sit outside the restaurant on a bench just by the beachfront and watch people taking evening strolls along the beach and listen to the sounds of seagulls calling and waves crashing against the sand. The two men found themselves talking about how work was going for them to pass the time until they heard you calling out for them, and they both turned and looked over their shoulders, a smile coming to their faces as they got to their feet and crossed to meet you halfway. Jake reached you first and trapped you in a strong but gentle hug.

“Was the rest of your shift, okay?” Was the first thing he asked as he hugged you, feeling you nod against his chest.

“Yeah.” You say as you pull away from the hug, moving to hug Mickey who embraces you happily.

“No one else bothered you?” Mickey checks in as he releases you from the hug.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle. Thank you, by the way. Those guys really gave me the creeps.” You admit, briefly casting your gaze to the floor before looking back up at the two men.

“No need to thank us, sweetheart. We’ll always look out for you.” Jake says with a soft smile.

“Honestly, if you two weren’t in the Navy I would’ve asked my manager to hire you guys. We could do with some people to help us handle the creepy guys. And I think Mickey would be an excellent waiter, he’s got the customer service smile down.” You say with a slight laugh, making both your dad and Mickey let out laughs of their own as they imagine Mickey being a waiter.

“Come on you, let’s get home.” Jake then says, the laughter dying down as Mickey slings an arm over your shoulders and tugs you into his side as the three of you begin to walk away from the restaurant, chatting and laughing the whole way as you enjoy each other’s company. The events of the evening are now behind you as you cherish getting to spend time with two of your favourite people. And you wouldn’t trade them for the world.

#justabigassnerd #justabigassnerd writes #top gun #top gun maverick #top gun fic #top gun maverick fic #hangman top gun #hangman x reader #hangman x you #hangman x daughter!reader #jake seresin #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #jake seresin x y/n #jake seresin x daughter!reader #jake 'hangman' seresin #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #jake 'hangman' seresin x daughter!reader #jake hangman seresin #x daughter!reader

[criesinliess]

━JUNE 2023; susan's recs

THE BEAR

━━CARMY BERZATTO

make my heart surrender — masterlist @nolita-fairytale

the bear & the fox — masterlist @thatone-brightstar

MARVEL

━━BUCKY BARNES

i like me better when i am with you @themorningsunshine

be(tter) in reality with me @t-lostinworlds

too hot, an arm cold @↑

━━MIGUEL O’HARA

el trato (the deal); part2; part3; part4; part5; part6; part7; part8; part9 @messylustt

what’s in between @ghost-with-a-teacup

to leave the warmest bed i've ever known @angel-eyes05

the wishing tree; part2 @luveline

heart-shaped plaster @↑

overworked @↑

multiverse parenting @allthingsimagines

what the f-!?; what!?; he what!? @carpecaelo

a hug @messylustt

XO KITTY

━━MIN HO

bet u wanna @parkerflix

love countdown @↑

hot & cold @writingmeraki

LOCKWOOD&CO

━━ANTHONY LOCKWOOD

protective lockwood @thetarsier

leave the door open @atlabeth

love; part2 @givemea-dam-break

SCREAM

━━ETHAN LANDRY

a chance for change @astrxq

more than enough @iwritefandomimagines

can i be him @bloatedandalone04

GRISHAVERSE

━━KAZ BREKKER

ease your mind @lady-ashfade

━━NIKOLAI LANTSOV

the blonde @futurecorps3

TOP GUN: MAVERICK

━━BRADLEY 'ROOSTER' BRADSHAW

a forgotten birthday @colourfulsuitwonderland

like i can; part2; part3 @sometimesanalice

━━JAKE 'HANGMAN' SERESIN

excuses part8; part9; part10 @callsign-viper

KNIVES OUT

━━RANSOM DRYSDALE

the assistant; four christmases; first blood; therapy; baby blues @trillian-anders

STRANGER THINGS

━━STEVE HARRINGTON

hearts on the telephone line @t-lostinworlds

OUTER BANKS

━━RAFE CAMERON

armour @probably-writing-x

#susan's recs #fics recs #carmy berzatto x reader #bucky barnes x reader #miguel o’hara x reader #min ho x reader #anthony lockwood x reader #ethan landry x reader #kaz brekker x reader #nikolai lanstov x reader #bradley 'rooster' bradshaw x reader #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #ransom drysdale x reader #steve harrington x reader #rafe cameron x reader

[unhappycylinder]

Gonna Be Trouble (Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x fem!Reader) Pt. 12

WC: 1.3k

I was in the mood to cry, enjoy

Jake’s home was still stuffy, still dark, and still the same dreary bachelor pad you remembered from months ago. As you opened the door, waves of memories washed over you, enveloping you in a fog of pain, hurt, and discomfort. The last time you saw Jake in person…well…you had walked home alone with tears streaming down your face and stabbing pain in your heart. 

You didn’t even know it, but you were pregnant then.

Then the memories from your pregnancy flooded your brain, and you spiraled. Where had Jake been? Why hadn’t you told him? Why was he so cruel to you? Why didn’t you ever call him back after you broke the news the day after Christmas? 

There you stood, left hand gripping the door handle so hard that your knuckles were turning white, eyes sorrowfully locked on a spot on the floor. You were barely inside the house, the door still open with cool winter air flowing through it, one of Jake’s lighter bags slung over your other shoulder.

“Baby? Baby what are you doing?” Jake’s voice broke your trance, his hands reaching to take the bag off your shoulder and pull you inside. He ushered you into the house, closing the door behind you. Finally, as he turned to face you he noticed the shock on your face.

“Y/n?” He asked with concern, tossing the bag onto the ground and grabbing your shoulders. You couldn’t look at him. Preserving your emotional stability was far more important than explaining anything to him right now. 

“Y/n honey please, what’s going on?” He chuckled slightly, confused by your startled expression and silence.

Shaking your head, you pushed past his grasp and walked over to his kitchen, pouring yourself a glass of water and propping yourself up against the wall for some sense of stability.

All focus was on controlling your breathing and your thoughts. How could you have known that coming back into Jake’s house would be such a trigger for you?

“Y/n?” Jake asked softly, standing at the other side of the kitchen to give you some space.

“Mhmm?” You hummed, eyes closing.

“Wanna talk to me?” Jake’s tone was different, it was tender and understanding. It was almost as if he knew exactly how you were feeling…and there was no pressure behind his words.

“I think I have to,” you choked back tears, “but I don’t know if I can”

“Come here,” he opened his arms for you, gesturing toward the couch.

Even on the couch he kept his distance, letting you choose how close you wanted to sit to him, and trying his best not to look upset when you picked the complete opposite side of the couch.

“I’m having a really hard time…” you cried out after several beats of silence, no longer able to hold back the tears.

“Honey,” he reached out to rub your thigh.

“It’s like…” you took a deep breath, “I love you so much and I feel so at home with you. I’ve never felt a pain like when we’re not together, and I know you feel the same”

“Of course I do,” Jake began, “deployment was the-”

“But you don’t act like it,” you cut him off, eyes finally meeting his, which were full of regret, “you’ve said things to me that I never thought anyone could say to someone…let alone someone they love…and you break up with me over and over again like I never meant anything to you.”

Jake’s hand left your thigh, moving to wipe tears out of his eyes.

“And I keep coming back to you, and accepting your empty apologies because I can’t live without you…but nothing hurts more than living with you because I’m just constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s so unfair”

“I know, baby, I know.” Jake sobbed, “I’m so sorry Y/n”

“Jake I went through a miscarriage on my own.” You took a breath, “I carried our baby for months without even hearing a word from you…that’s how much I believed in us, how much I needed you. We weren’t even together, you had ended things with me long before, yet I still kept the baby cause I thought you’d change your mind about me by the time you got back…but I couldn’t even…” you gasped for air, unable to continue.

Jake’s arms wrapped around you, his strength melting you into his embrace as you sobbed harder than ever before. His breath shook as he cried into the top of your head, hands gripping at your back as if you were going to disappear at any moment.

“Y/n” he sobbed, “I’m so sorry. I was such an asshole. I pushed you away and I got pissed when you didn’t talk to me…I was stupid. I was so fucking stupid. I let myself lose you after promising that I’d never do that again”

He gripped your back harder as he cried. You wrapped your arms around him, tucking your head into his neck and pressing soft kisses to his skin.

“I’ve never had anything like you in my life before and you freak me the fuck out. You always have. I love you more than I love anything else, and I don’t know what to do with all that love. Maybe pushing you away was an attempt to protect myself…a shitty attempt…but God I can’t ever let you suffer again like this on your own…especially because of me,” he hugged you tighter, “fuck Y/n, I’m so sorry,” he sobbed.

Running your hands up and down his back, you processed his words. He had asked you to forgive him when he got home, and you did. 

This regret, this pain, this sadness, all of this was new, and it told you he was being sincere. And you did forgive him, you really did. You had a lot to work through, and a lot of trust and comfort to build, but you forgave him.

“Jake,” you whispered, “look at me,” you said as you pulled away from the hug, hands moving to cup his face, now puffy from crying.

“Jake I forgive you,” you nodded at him, “You’re gonna have to work with me on building back trust and everything, but as much as I’ve been hurt by you, I know you didn’t mean it…okay? I need you, Jake, more than anything, and I forgive you.” 

“I love you Y/n. We’re gonna be okay…cause I can’t live without you sweetheart,” he rested his forehead against yours before pulling you in for a kiss. 

“It's just gonna take time, Jake, that's all” you hummed as you hugged him, pulling him into a tight embrace, “but we're gonna be okay my love.”

That night, Jake’s first night home from deployment, had been playing in your mind since you had gotten back together while he was away. You imagined the scenarios so clearly: you surprising him with sexy lingerie, rose petals on the bed, cheesy romantic stuff. But that wasn’t how this night was fated to go.

Instead, you and Jake held each other on the couch until it felt like you had cried out every drop of water in your body…and you probably had. Jake’s hand in yours, he led you up to the bathroom where he drew you and him a nice bath, massaging your shoulders as you relaxed against him in the water. As you dried off, he called Rooster, letting him know that a trip to the Hard Deck wasn’t really in the cards for you tonight, which Rooster understood of course.

In bed, Jake’s arm snaked around your waist, pulling your back flush against his chest, gentle kisses trailing up and down your neck and shoulder. 

“I love you Y/N,” he whispered in his sleepy voice.

“I love you too Jake,” you hummed, feigning drowsiness.

As you laid there, pretending to sleep as your mind raced through the conversation you had with him today, you felt his body tremble. Chaste tears and hushed sniffles came from Jake as he held you close…he couldn’t sleep either.

--

Taglist: @dempy @shanimallina87 @luckyladycreator2 @mightiestheroes @taytaylala12 @djs8891 @clancycucumber230

#top gun #jake seresin x reader #top gun fic #top gun maverick #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #jake seresin #hangman x reader #top gun hangman #top gun x reader #top gun fanfic

[almostgenerallyalways]

cross my heart

Pairing: Jake Seresin x fem!reader (pilot!reader - callsign: Savannah) Category: smut / NSFW (18+), fluff because I want everyone to be happy always Word count: 3,6k  CW: language, allusion to past bad sexual experience (non explicit), me not having any idea how the navy works, literally googled “aircraft carrier diagram”, don’t expect any actual details about the mission lol Author’s note: first time writing tgm and went a lil off the rails. shoutout to @callsignvalley​ @seasonsbloom​ @ohcaptains​ @clints-lucky-arrow​ @steadfastconviction​ and like, a lot of other amazing writers in this fandom whose fics I obsessively read in October Summary: On the eve of what may be the biggest mission in your naval career, the answer to your problem comes to you in the form of Lt. Jake Seresin

Squeezing into the squad galley at a quarter to nine on the eve of the mission, Jake is surprised to see you sitting at the steel high-top table, still in uniform. Days on an aircraft carrier generally start early and end early, and considering the stakes of tomorrow’s mission, the rest of the squad retired to their bunks immediately after dinner.

“Hey, Vanny, still up?” He enquires, noting the way you’re slumped over the counter, head in your palms. He flicks the switch on the electric kettle sitting on the small counter.

After a moment, you look over at him. “So are you, Seresin.”

He gestures to his outfit, sweatpants and a white t-shirt. “I tried to sleep, still too wired. Thought I’d come make myself an herbal tea.”

That makes the corner of your mouth twitch, to his relief. “Can you make me one?”

He sets to work, and a short while later, sits down on the stool next to you, handing you a steaming mug. You mumble a thanks, and both of you sip chamomile in silence for a minute, before you apparently grow tired of Jake staring a hole in the side of your head.

“What?” you glare at him.

He smiles, amused. “Just wondering what’s keeping our unflappable Savannah up the night before a mission. Nervous?”

You stare at the wall. “No.” You take a sip of tea, then concede: “Yes. I guess. In a way.”

He goes a little soft at the way your cheekbones color slightly, and tentatively reaches out to rest his hand on your wrist, still holding your mug. “It’s okay, you know. I know you haven’t done as many of these as some of us, but don’t think anyone flying tomorrow isn’t feeling nervous. Or scared.” He rubs his thumb over the protrusion of your wrist bone, soothingly, he hopes. “I still get scared.”

He wouldn’t say that to just anyone on the squad, and he thinks you know it. In preparation for this mission you two were paired up often, and there’s a trust between you that can only come from eight weeks of preparing for life-or-death together. You’re a good pilot, a great one: not as much of a risk-taker as some of the squad, but solid and dependable, immaculate in your execution, and a stealthier flyer than anyone there. The number of times you snuck up on him and had him locked on your radar before he even realized you were anywhere in the vicinity is, frankly, a little embarrassing to him.

Though you didn’t know each other beforehand, you having been a few years behind him at TOPGUN, he feels like he knows you now – what makes you tick.

So it’s all the more flooring when you turn to him, and after a moment of seeming to examine him, brows furrowed, you ask: “Seresin, will you have sex with me?”

He chokes on his tea, a little, takes a deep pull of air and pulls back his hand from your wrist. He must have misheard you, so he asks, in a tone much higher-pitched than he would like: “Excuse me?”

You don’t seem bothered by his reaction, continuing to fix him with those big eyes, jaw set in a determined look he’s come to know all too well over the past weeks, on the tarmac, in your jet. Never here, in the cramped squad galley past bedtime, looking at him like you’ve made up your mind. “I asked if you’ll have sex with me. Tonight, to be clear. Now, ideally, considering we’re up at 5 AM.”

He turns towards you more, opens and closes his mouth once or twice, before settling on: “Vanny, I need a bit more context here.”

Feels a little like he should kick himself for not just saying yes, Savannah, please, lead the way.

You turn away your gaze from him again, and the color in your cheeks heightens, but he’s not sure he likes it this time. He watches you swallow, before you speak, not sounding as sure of yourself as a minute ago: “I’m not scared, exactly, for tomorrow. Or maybe I am. In any case, I don’t have any illusions about what’s at stake. I know we might not come back.”

And there it is again, the determined set of your jaw: “And for some reason, and trust me – I know it’s ridiculous – for some reason the idea my brain is stuck on is that the last time I had sex was fucking terrible, with my fucking terrible ex who made me feel small and worthless, and I just… don’t want his to be the last hands on me.”

And if that doesn’t fucking break his heart in two, because you deserve – so much more. Everything, Jake thinks, one hand somehow already on your thigh, and it’s all he can do to stop himself from tangling the other one in your hair straight away, from burying his face into your neck, because he needs to know one last thing: “Vanny, why me?”

You’re silent for a beat, and his eyes snap up to yours. He doesn’t know what you see in his face, but it must be good – you smile that wry smile of yours, the one that always feels like a reward to him. You reach out and run the back of your fingers over the side of his throat, and he swallows hard. “Well, Seresin, I’m not going to lie – First of all because you’re here, and I thought you might say yes.”

Then your eyes soften a little, and if he had any hesitation before, you wipe it out altogether: “But mostly because I trust you. Completely. And if you said no – which I would totally understand – I know you’d still get it. That you won’t hold it against me.”

You can’t know, he thinks, how much that means to him. You weren’t around for his more volatile Hangman years, rarely even use his callsign. He’s matured a lot since then, has learned to put the squad before his ego, but still – his reputation follows him. But you never – never held that against him. He started with you from a clean slate.

“Alright, jeez.” He says, grinning, trying to keep his tone light, probably undermined by his now desperate grip on your thigh, the urgent way he’s already pressing an open-mouthed kiss to your jaw, the fact that he feels his sweats straining against him. “Could’ve bought a guy a drink first, but fine, Savannah, I’m in.”

* * *

You stumble back to Seresin’s bunk – as a higher-ranking officer, he has private quarters, while you share with Halo and Quicksand, who are hopefully long since asleep. You try to make as little noise as possible, in the narrow, echoing steel hallways, because you don’t need anyone finding out about this: fraternizing is strictly off-limits, even more so within the same squadron, and your CO would boot both of you off the mission without a second thought.

More likely they’d just boot you, because Seresin’s got double insignia to your single, and he’s a man; this is still the Navy, and you’re a realist. So you try to be quiet.

But it’s real goddamn hard with Seresin’s hands under your shirt, burning trails up the side of your ribs, and his body flush with your back, nose pressed behind your ear. You fumble with the doorhandle, and you feel, more than hear, his hot chuckle as he nips at the skin over your pulse point. “What’s the matter, baby girl, do you need help?”

You shoot him a glare over your shoulder, but it cannot be convincing, at this point. The latch finally clicks, and he scoops you up, depositing you in the cramped, windowless room.

He locks the door behind him, and for a second you just stare at each other, by the low light of the reading lamp left on over his bunk. The carrier creaks around you, the sounds of its merciless progress through the high seas ever-present, seeping up from the engine room three decks below, reminding you that every minute brings you closer to the inevitability of tomorrow’s mission.

All day it’s been making your skin crawl, but right now, with Jacob Seresin looking at you like that, you think you wouldn’t notice if you were down in the engine room itself. Or standing in the middle of I-5.

One more beat, and it’s like someone’s fired a starting pistol: his hands cradle the side of your face, and he’s bearing down on you, finally kissing you in earnest. Your brain blanks out for a hot second.

Somewhere in the back of your head, it occurs to you that you’ve never been kissed like this before, and it would almost be sweet, the way he’s pressing his forehead to yours, roughly tangling his fingers in your hair, if it wasn’t for the hard length of his erection pressed into your abdomen.

He's talking to you, cursing incoherently under his breath, and of course he’s a talker – of course he never shuts up – and you have to grin, pull back for an instant. “Damn, Seresin. If I’d known you’d be so into the idea, I’d have asked you back on base.”

He chuckles darkly, hands never leaving your hair. “It might surprise you to learn, Vanny,” he presses another kiss to your mouth, to your throat, “that I’ve thought about this a fair amount. I mean, I’m willing to bet every guy on the squad has, but I’m definitely bringing up the average.”

It makes your knees weak, thinking about him thinking about you, and you need to take back some semblance of control, so you make quick work of the buttons on your shirt, shrugging out of the fabric. You’re just wearing a black sports bra, because everything on the carrier has to be functional, not pretty, but still Seresin seems to come up short for a moment, eyes drinking you in.

As if snapping out of it, he groans. “Baby girl. You gotta give me some warning before you pull stuff like that.” He kisses you again and guides you back, insistently, until the back of your thighs hits the edge of the bunk. His calloused hands roam the planes of your exposed skin, your arms, your stomach, your sides.

“You’re so beautiful, Vanny,” he’s murmuring into your ear, seemingly almost trembling as your hands find their way under his shirt, travel up the solid muscle of his back. “Tell me what you want, sweetheart. I’ll give you anything you want.”

You meet his eye, but find you suddenly can’t get the words out. You don’t know if you’re just getting shy (and how inopportune that would be, right now, with Jake Seresin’s thumbs hooking under the stretchy material of your bra, your nipples responding immediately, goosebumps appearing on your skin), or if it’s the intensity of his gaze that has you at a loss for words. You open your mouth, close it again.

“I’ll tell you what I want then, Vanny,” he says, kissing you again, hard, one hand traveling down to grab your ass. “I wanna make you forget anyone else ever had their hands on you. I wanna make you feel so good you won’t remember ever feeling small.” His hands fumble with the button on your khakis, and your head buzzes with the feeling of him, face pressed into your neck, speaking directly into your ear. “I wanna make you cum so hard you won’t remember that guy’s name, alright, Vanny? Is that what you want?”

You already feel like you’re about to explode, but you manage to wrench his face into your field of vision, meeting his eyes. Standing your ground. So he knows you really fucking mean it when you say, “Yes, Seresin. I want all of that.”

The devil himself couldn’t slap away the smirk that spreads over his face, as he looks down at you, his hand finally dipping into your soaked panties. When his fingers make contact with your clit, your knees buckle, and his other arm wraps around you, holding you up. “Alright, baby girl.” He inhales deeply, into the skin of your throat. “But you’re gonna have to call me Jake.”

* * *

You lose track of time shortly after he makes you cum on his tongue. You think you may cry, you’re not sure, because you feel like your brain is on reduced capacity as Jake comes up to grin down at you, as he rubs his thumb over your cheekbone, kissing you tenderly as if he didn’t just make your entire body short-circuit. “You taste so good, baby girl,” he’s saying, dragging his mouth along your jaw. “You look so pretty coming for me, Vanny, I wanna make you feel good always, wanna hear you say my name-”

“Jake,” you interrupt him, holding him by the back of his neck, forcing his eyes to focus. Your hand goes to the front of his sweats, where there’s a dark stain of pre-cum, and your brain doesn’t know what to do with that information.

You trace your palm down his length, impossibly hard, and he groans, closing his eyes, so you call him back to attention: “Jake. Please tell me you have a condom.”

And of course he does, you wouldn’t have expected otherwise. He stands up to get it, takes the opportunity to step out of his sweats. Your mouth goes a little dry.  

His pupils are fully blown as you nudge him back onto the thin mattress, move to take him into your mouth, but you barely get the chance to run your tongue down his length before he’s pulling you up by your hair, gently, restrained: “Baby girl. Vanny. I’m not gonna last three seconds if you do that right now.”  

He takes the condom from you, tears it open and rolls it down his cock, and for the first time since you crossed the threshold into this room you have a second and a half to really look at him, to think, and you think:

Fuck.

Because somewhere between your proposition in the squad galley and this moment, right now: you sitting on Jake Seresin’s thighs, watching him laying down before you, glistening with sweat, looking up at you like you’re the only thing that could possibly matter in the world, something changed. You know it. You can’t bear to let yourself wonder if he knows it.

Then he’s pulling you in towards him, almost dragging you down for an open-mouthed kiss, and you’re gripping the base of his cock, letting yourself sink down onto it, going slow to accommodate the stretch of him.

All the while, he’s speaking lowly, frantically, directly into your mouth: “Vanny, Vanny, Vanny, fuck, baby girl, my girl, feel so good, feel so –”

Cuts off when you bottom out, and the expression on his face would make you laugh if it wasn’t for everything else that is happening right now. As it is, your heart does a funny little jump, and all you care about right now is making him feel good, make him feel like he’s made you feel.

You tentatively roll your hips, and he groans, so you keep doing that, supporting yourself with a hand on his shoulder, finding your rhythm, and it’s not long before his fingertips are digging into your hips so hard you think he may leave marks, and you want that, want to go up into the sky tomorrow with his fingers printed on your skin; proof that this happened, that for this moment deep in the cavernous steel halls of this Nimitz carrier, Jake Seresin made you feel just like this.

“Vanny.” He’s saying, and you brush your hand over his jaw, feeling like this whole ship could sink right now and you wouldn’t care. “Vanny, beautiful girl,” he brings his palm to your clit, presses his fingers between your bodies, “You’re doing so good, Vanny, I can’t fucking – I’m gonna – I need you to come, baby girl, you’re so good for me, you feel so good on me, you look fucking perfect on top of me, I can’t –”

“Jake.” Your voice breaks, and you’re there, right where he wants you, right where you want to be, and your whole brain stutters and whites out, and you’re kissing him desperately as you come, emotion high in your throat.

Feel his shaky hold on your hips, fucking into you erratically now, any sense of control gone. It’s only a few more moments before he’s groaning into your shoulder, a guttural sound that hits somewhere deep in your chest, and you ride him through it, burying your face into the side of his, telling him how good he’s been, how perfect.

It takes a minute or two for either of you to breathe anywhere near normally again, and then you’re drawing yourself gently off him, and he takes a second to wrap the condom in a tissue before he’s pulling you back down to his chest, pressing kisses to your temple. “Holy shit, Vanny,” he rasps, and he seems delirious with it, and you’re glad it’s not just you – you feel absolutely stupid with it.

You prop yourself up on one elbow to look down at him, and you can’t help the grin that breaks out across your face at the sight of him. You wipe a bead of sweat off his brow, leaning down to kiss the hollow of his throat, his mouth, his cheek, murmuring thank you, thank you, thank you.

He wraps his arms fully around you, so you collapse against his chest again, groaning: “Knock it the fuck off, Savannah, I swear to God if you say thank you one more time –”, but the rest of that sentence is forgotten as he buries his face in the crown of your head.

“Stay a little while.” You hear him say, muffled. “I know you have to wake up in your bunk, but just… don’t leave yet, baby girl.”

And you’re fairly fucking sure you’d give him anything he wanted right about now, so you stay, letting him rub circles into the skin of your back. After a while he murmurs, voice heavy with sleep: “I’m glad you’re not my wingman tomorrow. I don’t think I could’ve done this, if…”

He trails off into nothing, but you get it, understand what he’s trying to tell you, and you wrap your arm around his waist a little tighter, keep on laying there listening to his heartbeat until its slowing rhythm tells you he’s fallen asleep.

* * *

The mission is fucking terrifying, but you do what you do best: shut the non-Navy part of your brain off and fly like you’ve been trained to. Don’t think, just do.

“Hell fucking YES, Halo!” You shout, as you clear the last danger zone, heart in your throat, and she laughs, exhilarated. You and her are a well-oiled machine, completely in tune, playing off the beat of each other’s actions and reactions.  

It’s intoxicating as always. There’s something about being up in the air, hitting every mark exactly as planned, then abruptly changing gears, accounting for the unaccountable – it makes you feel larger than life. Makes you feel like you were born to be up there.

You take a few seconds to enjoy the feeling, now that you’re safe to do so, and follow your lead fighter in the direction of the carrier. Clear skies all the way there.

It’s also fucking exhausting. By the time you climb out of your jet and hit the searing tarmac of the flight deck, you’re exhausted, drenched in sweat. You feel like you’ve used all the available adrenaline in your body, and you’re ready to keel over.

Then Jake’s wingman comes in, closely followed by Jake himself - the very last jet to land.

Always with the penchant for the dramatic.

You chug water, waiting for him to emerge, trying to calm the frantic beating of your heart. People are excited now – the last pilot safely on deck, minimal damage. Mission accomplished. There’s something charged in the air, relieved, exhilarated even.

You watch Jake take his helmet off, his eyes immediately searching the throng of people around him, before he spots you.

When he starts towards you, pushing past engineers and pilots and LSO’s with the widest fucking grin you’ve ever seen on his face, you know you’re in deep trouble. Your stomach swoops. It doesn’t stop your own smile from spreading.

He comes to a halt in front of you, too close for propriety. The proximity makes your skin flush, which is a feat, considering you’ve just spent the better part of an hour roasting in the cockpit of a Super Hornet.

“Seresin.” You look up at him, telling yourself you can’t kiss him. You really can’t kiss him right here in the middle of the flight deck, if you have any sense of self-preservation left for your career, you remind yourself; but the point is moot when he lifts you, extra fifteen pounds of flight gear and all, into his arms.

You let out a surprised laugh, and over Jake’s shoulder, you see Halo giving you a look, like: really?, but after another second passes, the corners of her mouth twitch up, and she nods at you almost imperceptibly.

And Jake, his sweat-drenched face pressing into your neck, is whispering: “Alright, Vanny, seeing as how you’re still alive, will you still need me?”

So you slide your hands into his damp hair and look down at him, grinning, hoping your face conveys all the things you can’t yet say: “You better count on it, Jake.”

  ----

omg thank you bb for reading if you made it this far 

almostgenerallyalways’ masterlist

#top gun: maverick #top gun: maverick fanfiction #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin x you #hangman x reader #jake seresin x reader #hangman x you #jake 'hangman' seresin #jake 'hangman' seresin x reader #jake 'hangman' seresin fanfiction