Autumn Leaves and Pumpkins, Please?
✦ Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Better Man Universe
✦Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Single!Mother
✦Word Count: 4.3K
✦Warnings: Fluff, so much FLUFF, Halloween vibes, and dagger squad family time, also married nat and roo... i just love them
✦A/n: Day 5 of my celebration. I love this so much! Dad Jake just does it for me, in so many ways
✦Library (Follow for updates! I no longer have a taglist.)
You hear the high-pitched “momma,” noticeably upset, call come from Mathew's room. You’d sent him to try on the Halloween costume that had just arrived in the mail, he’d picked it out last month and had been, not so patiently waiting for its arrival.
It was a Friday and you had gotten off work early, making it to Maty’s school on base to grab him and head home. Jake had told you that they would be done early today, no later than 2. The new recruits had a briefing that would occupy Mav for the afternoon, meaning that the Dagger Squadron was getting done early for once. He would still have to get changed and shower on base but, given it was already 2:15, you knew that Jake would be home any time.
You were lucky that you lived so to base, the 10-minute drive making the daily trip convenient. You’d come home to the package lying on the doorstep, and Mathew had been out of the car as soon as you were parked. The six-year-old, almost seven-year-old, was clearly excited and the 3-week shipping had left room for an ever-growing pool of excitement.
Walking down the hall, your hand comes to rest along the door frame. Mathew’s small body silently sits on the ground and stares at the mini flight suit in his hands. You notice the little tremble of his lip, and you’re quick to kneel down next to him.
“Baby what’s wrong?”
His glassy eyes look up at you, on the verge of tears, and show clear disappointment. You’d had no idea what was going on, but knew that it must have been important. Mathew rarely cried over things and seeing him like this made your heartbreak.
Without replying, he lifts the fabric from his lap and pushes it out toward you. You give him a silent look of question, waiting for him to explain before trying to talk.
“It’s not like daddy’s.”
The slight tremble in his voice is a clear sign of more tears to come if you don’t fix it. You're quick to glance down at the suit, taking in the green color and patches on the front. You didn’t want to question him too much, knowing that Jake was a sensitive topic.
The morning that Jake told you that Mathew had called him daddy, it came as a slight surprise, given that he never even called Adam that. You’d been worried how Jake would react, and immediately asked him if he wanted you to have Maty stop calling him that. You knew that Jake was an amazing guy, but you couldn’t stop that slight bit of anxiety from working its way into your mind.
Jake was beyond happy and slightly offended when you offered to get Mathew to stop. He’d seen the apprehensiveness in your eyes still and reassured you that you and Mathew were it for him.
From then on, Jake had become ‘daddy.’ In every sense of the way, not only at home but in public. It was like Maty had been calling Jake daddy his whole life, not one member of your friends or family was fazed by the new term of endearment.
This led to the current predicament, Mathew was very much so in love with his daddy and became his mini-me. Which was why you’d immediately agreed, when Mathew asked to be a pilot like him for Halloween.
With the flight suit resting in your lap now, you lift to look for any tears or blemishes. Not finding anything wrong you set in back down, and glance back at Mathew. Who stares at you as if you had two heads, he’d looked completely bewildered that you couldn’t see the issue.
His little form moves toward your lap fast grasps the fabric in his little hands and flips it over to the front. You look to the fabric and back to Maty a few times, still not understanding. Even more exasperated with you, Mathew gives a loud sigh that makes you laugh. You were just happy that tears no longer lined his eyes, not minding the current sassy behavior.
He’d picked it up from Jake, no questions asked.
Clearly unhappy with your reaction thus far, his little hands grasp at the material and hold it up to your face. The random patches on the chest staring at you in the face.
“They aren’t like daddy’s momma.”
It clicks in your mind instantly then. Mathew hadn’t said he wanted to be a pilot for Halloween but told both you and Jake that he wanted to be his daddy.
Which clearly meant the generic, random patches were very out of place. You lower the fabric from your face and give Mathew a small smile.
“It’s the wrong patches bubba.”
The nod of his head confirms it, and you feel slightly bad. You knew that the naval patches weren’t ones that you could just buy. Jake had patches from his original unit, as well as his callsign patch, and neither of those was ones you could just buy.
Though you’re sure you could find someone to make them, the timing was completely off. Given that Halloween was in two weeks, you were sure there wouldn’t be nearly enough time.
The clear dilemma set in front of you had your mind working in overdrive, so much so that you hadn’t heard the closing of the front door. The knock of boots along the wood floor in the hallway pulls you from the daze.
Both you and Maty turn to see the man of the hour standing in the doorway, the smile on his face drops slightly as he sees the clearly upset look on Mathew’s face.
Jake moves into the room before Mathew can even say anything. Both him and Mathew working in tandem, as Jake picks him up to rest on his hip.
“Buddy, what’s wrong?”
The munchkin silently nuzzles into Jake's neck, clearly expecting you to tell Jake the catastrophic news. It might not have seemed like the biggest deal, but you knew to Mathew that it was. You rise up from the floor, and Jake’s hand reaches out to help you. The flight suit resting in your hands catches Jake's eyes and he gives you a questioning glance.
“It doesn’t have the right patches.” The sentence has Mathew pulling away from Jake's neck, speaking up before either of you can comment.
“It doesn’t have daddy’s patches.” His eyes go between you, to Jake, and back to the flight suit.
“I wanted to be Hangman.”
You shouldn’t have giggled, but it slips from your lips before you can stop it. The smile that breaks across Jake’s face is clearly pleased with your son’s demands.
“You wanna be Hangman?”
Mathew gives Jake a solid nod, though breaks out into laughter as Jake pokes and tickles him. Both of them laugh now, as Mathew's arms clutch around Jake's neck, wiggling around trying to escape the tickles.
“Alright, alright.” Jake pulls Mathew away slightly, though still holding him. “So, we need to find patches like mine, that right?”
The smile on Maty’s face is massive as he is once again nodding enthusiastically at Jake's words. Though as the ever realist, you’re quick to interject.
“Sweetheart those are custom patches, and it’s too late to find someone to make them.”
The smile on Mathew’s face falls once again, Jake’s glance moves from you to Mathew and back to you. The smirk on his face though stays in place, clearly having some idea that you had missed.
“We sure love momma, don’t we buddy?” The question has you watching Jake, waiting for how he is going to follow up on the comment. “But sometimes, daddy just has to show up and fix things.” The both of them head out the bedroom door and into the master room.
You follow behind with questioning eyes, completely unaware of what Jake has up his sleeve.
He plops Mathew down onto the duvet, bouncing him slightly, and moves over to you. The signature smirk proudly rested on his face.
“I’m gonna fix all the problems, but I need a kiss first.”
You shake your head at his antics, though gladly welcome his lips against your own. It's short and sweet, you can’t help the way it makes you smile. With a last kiss to the tip of your nose, Jake pushes you down to the bed to sit with Maty.
“Alright, you and momma sit right there.”
The both of you hum at him, watching as Jake goes over to your closet and begins riffling through the clothes. The slight tapping of his foot and toon that he’s humming would have you making fun of him if you didn’t think that he looked so cute.
Though you did. The flight suit tied around his hips is a clear indication that he hadn’t showered on base. You’ll have to ask him why later, though right now you are defiantly appreciating the view of the stretched-out white cotton sticking to his torso. The heat of the California weather is clearly terrible today, given that the shirt is almost translucent in spots.
Mid-stare you hear Jake let out a trumpet ‘ah,’ as he pulls out a nearly identical flight suit to the one he’s wearing. Though the one resting on the hanger is clearly smaller, it is almost an exact replicate all the way down to the patches across the chest.
“This, little man, is my old flight suit from when I first started flying.” Jake's gaze moves from the suit and back to the both of you on the bed, giving you a soft smile. Mathew had crawled up into your lap and hadn’t taken his eyes off the flight suit since Jake pulled it out.
“and it’s got all of the patches you need.”
Mathew's head cocks to the side slightly, eyes still trained on the suit.
“It’s too big.”
A chuckle bubbles from Jake's chest, “For now, but the patches come off this one still.” He pulls off the ‘Hangman’ patch holding it out the Maty.
“See and momma can fix them up on the little suit for now. Then when you get bigger... well, you might need this one.”
The pause doesn’t go unnoticed by you. Your heart aching with the amount of love you hold for Jake, and how he was the perfect father for your baby. Mathew is fast to scrabble off your lap, heading for Jake and standing next to the flight suit.
“So, I can wear it when I’m big, like you?”
The slight marvel in Mathew’s eyes makes your heart swell and seeing that same level of love and marvel in Jake’s eyes almost makes you cry.
“If you want.”
“I’ll be the best pilot in the navy, just like my daddy.”
Jake is quick to scope Mathew back up into his arms, hugging him tightly to his body.
“Yeah, buddy.”
The answer is barely audible, as it’s muffled against Mathew’s shirt. The both of them cling to each other. Though you catch Jake’s eyes, and the tears lining his eyes are on verge of falling as he gives you a soft smile.
The smile you reciprocate isn’t nearly enough, wanting to have both of your boys in your arms. Jake clearly has the same thought, as his hand reaches out to you. Pulling you up and into the hug, the three of you clutch onto each other.
Your lips gently brush against Jakes, as he holds Mathew between your bodies. Your foreheads come to rest against one another, and your palm rests on his cheek, whipping away a stray tear. Before Jake is turning into your palm and gives it a gentle kiss.
His eyes lock with you once again, with so much light and love in them.
“Thank you.”
You knew what he meant.
Thank you for this; a family unit, a place to call home, to love unconditionally.
You mean it just as much as you mutter it back against his lips, “Thank you.”
For a future
…
Though a little late, you’d finally gotten the Halloween decorations up, just after Maty’s flight suit came in the mail. Bright orange pumpkins and fake spiderwebs littered the house, courtesy of Jake and Mathew. The pair had set out on turning your whole house into your very own Halloween town, it had started with Jake going to the grocery store and seeing spooky window stickers. The single item soon became two and then three, and now your whole house was filled. You hadn’t expected Jake to be the type of person to want to decorate, carve pumpkins, and go trick-or-treating, but here you were. A happy little family that did everything. Jake had even started skipping Friday nights at the Hard Deck every now and then. Proclaiming that since the next 3 months were continuous holidays, that Friday nights were now dedicated to watching holiday movies together.
The celebration of holidays had even transferred into the Dagger Squad participating in things, that they most likely hadn’t done since childhood. You had all just gone out and picked pumpkins together and were set to carve them at your house tonight.
Pumpkin picking had been fun and seeing each of the guys turn into children again was quite entertaining. Not only had the whole squadron came, but Robert had also brought his wife Lacey. She was a teacher for third grade at Mathew’s new school on base. You had met her in passing, but never long enough to hold an actual conversation.
You and Natasha, both welcomed her with open arms and instantly fell in love with her. Both you and Natasha gave Robert a hard time for keeping her hidden away for so long. To which he replied it wasn’t his fault and that she had an insanely busy schedule, before placing a sweet kiss on her lips.
Everyone had found their own pumpkins, though it seemed to take the guys even longer than Maty. They decided on competing to see who could find the biggest one, Bradley won in the end. Jake only let him win because Mathew had found a pumpkin already, claiming that it was special. The little boy had proclaimed that he and his daddy needed matching pumpkins, which was more than adorable, but given that they were quite a bit smaller, Jake had decided that you needed a massive pumpkin. Leading to you having the second biggest one, just after Bradley.
…
Bradley had taken over the stereo, and the obnoxious melody of This is Halloween from The Nightmare Before Christmas played over the speakers at max volume. Rounding the corner to the kitchen, a laugh falls from your lips. Spread out across the kitchen floor was the whole Dagger Squad; Mathew settled in Jake's lap, Natasha and Bradley poking fun at each other’s craving job, Lacey sat in front of Robert, continually slapping his hand away as he tried to help her cut the pumpkin open, and Javy, Reuben, and Mickey sat off in their own circle having a carving competition. Though to you, it looked like, who could sabotage who the fastest.
You had never realized how much these moments would mean to you until you finally had it right in front of you. You’d left the group briefly to change into one of Jake’s hoodies, the breeze sweeping in from the back door cooling you considerably. You’d been the only one complaining of the cold though, as every single other person in your house sat in short-sleeved shirts and said they were still overheating. Which led to the wide-open door.
“Your missing carving time momma.” The high-pitched yell from Maty is more than enough motivation to get you climbing through the group of individuals.
“Yeah momma, you need to sit your little butt over here and get to work.”
You roll your eyes at Jake; the cheeky pilot sends you a wink as you settle on the floor next to him.
“We both know, that you’re gonna be carving it; in an unsaid competition with Bradley.”
“Well yes, but I still want your help, sweets. I need your creative expertise.”
You roll your eyes at the man, used to him constantly supplying you with compliments. You glance over to Maty’s pumpkin and see that him and Jake have carved out the Buzz Lightyear logo. You place a quick kiss on your son’s head, only to be met with Jake’s own lips puckered up at you when you pull away. You laugh slightly at the man, though cave and give him his own kiss as well.
A resounding chorus of ‘ewwwws’ sounded through the kitchen, each of the guys giving the pair of you, comical looks of disgust. Bradley makes a show of full-on fake gaging, that has you sticking your tongue out at him in an equally childish way.
“You’re just jealous.”
“How could I be jealous when I’ve got this pretty little thing right here.” The hand Bradley tries to wrap around Natasha is quickly batted away, as he knocks over her pumpkin.
Her gaze cuts to him quickly, a harsh glare focused on the hand that just hit her Michel Meyers masterpiece.
“Don’t touch my pumpkin again, or you can sleep on the couch.”
A harsh laugh leaves both you and Jake, as Bradley slightly pouts at Natasha.
…
The group finishes out the night by midnight, though Jake had put Mathew to bed just after dinner at nine. The five-year-old was less than pleased when he had to leave his aunts and uncles, though he had gone willingly when you told him that they would be coming trick-or-treating with you tomorrow. Slowly the couples file out of your house, Robert and Lacey the first ones to leave given that they actually had to drive back to their house. Bradley and Natasha were the next to head out, only having to walk home, as their house was only a few streets over from yours. Coyote had already settled and fell asleep on the couch at around eleven, you had covered him up with a blanket and made sure his phone was plugged into the extra charger that he left at your house.
He regularly stayed over and by now the thirty-one-year-old had become like another child for you to care for. Mickey and Reuben are the last to leave, they’d taken to “personalizing” Coyotes pumpkin after he had fallen asleep and had just finished up with their design.
You set the last of the pumpkins outside on the doorstep, your front door surrounded by ten carved pumpkins now. A laugh slips from your lips, clearly sleep-deprived, but also at the different faces and designs that mare the pumpkins.
“Alright darlin’, I think it’s time we get you to bed.”
You lean back into the arms wrapped around your waist, his hands slipping beneath the hoodie to crease your hips. Jake places soft kisses along your neck, your head falling back to rest on his shoulder, as he gently bites the junction between your neck and collarbone, a hum leaves your lips at the attention.
“You ready for all the moms to fawn over you tomorrow night?” The slight teasing in your voice has Jake releasing a harsh huff against your shoulder.
“You’re the only momma that matters sweet. My hot momma.” His hand tightens slightly at your hips, and you can’t stop the way your hips automatically press back into his hard length, resting perfectly against your ass.
“I’m not fucking you with Coyote asleep on our couch, mister.” The tone in your voice is clearly saying something else, as you work to hold back the moan.
“Come on baby, you just have to stay quiet this time.” The sentence is followed by another nip at your neck before he runs his tongue over the mark to soothe it.
“I’m not having him burst into our room again, thinking that I’m hurt, Jacob.”
The laugh Jake releases shakes your own chest and starts you laughing as well. You turn in his hold, his green eyes shining with a look of delight and mischief.
“I just fuck you too good, is that it baby? Can’t stay quiet.”
Your face burns at the statement, and the harsh slap you lay across his chest makes him laugh even more. Grasping even tighter on to you when you try and slip from his grip. Your gaze meets one another, as Jake smirks at you, you can’t stop the wide smile from spreading across your own face.
“Bed now.” You pat at Jake's chest, before heading down the hallway to your room. Glancing back at the last minute to stare at him. “And not for sex.”
You step into your room, as a loud laugh bounces off the walls of the quiet house.
…
“Alright baby.” You fix the collar to Mathew’s flight suit, smoothing down the front of the dark green outfit.
“Do I look like daddy?”
Your hand runs over the sewn-on Hangman name patch, eyes tracing from Mathew's slicked-back hair all the way down to the little black boots that match Jakes. Your eyes tear up slightly, in slight wonder at how your baby had grown up so fast.
“Yeah bubba, you look just like daddy.”
You grab the set of aviator glasses from the counter and place them upon Maty’s small face.
“There you go, now you could pass for his twin.”
Both of your gazes turn, as you hear Jake's boots knock across the hardwood floor coming down the hall. Your eyes trace Jake's form just as they traced Mathews, and you quietly wonder, how in the world Jake wasn't actually Mathew's real dad. They looked so much alike it was unbelievable other than Mathew’s hair, which matched your own, the two of them could have fooled anyone.
Jake releases a sharp whistle, that echoes through the halls. “Momma, I do believe I may be out of a job.” His hands are quick to reach out and grasp Mathew, placing the boy on his hip. “You sure you didn't wanna dress up like me, just so you could take my job?” As he says it, a plethora of tickles is placed over Mathew’s tummy, which causes the boy to giggle uncontrollably.
“Daddddyyyyy.”
Though the tickling had subsided, the father-son duo is not done yet. The spin of Mathew's body in Jake's arms has you laughing, the five-year-old now hanging upside down trying to clutch onto his father's matching flight suit.
“All right you two, calm down. I need you both in one piece if we want to go trick-or-treating.”
Jake spins Matthew back around, popping him down on the floor gently. The both of them standing at attention waiting for your orders, you can't help but laugh at how alike they act.
“Alright, daddy's in charge of finding the Halloween pails. Maty, you turn all of the lights off, and mommy –”
“Mommy needs a costume…”
The way in which your 5-year-old states it has you looking down at the clothes you're currently wearing, eyes moving from your form and back to Jake and Mathew. They both stand there staring at you, silently waiting for your answer as to why you don't have a costume on.
“Bubba, I was so busy getting your and daddy's costumes ready, and I just forgot.” You try and give the munchkin a reassuring smile, but you can clearly see how unhappy he is with the fact that you won't be dressing up as a family.
“Sweet pea mommy doesn't –”
Though before you can finish the sentence, Jake is off to your bedroom, once again, on a clear mission. Both you and Maty follow behind him, curious as to what he's gonna pull out of your closet now.
The now familiar sound of Jake saying ‘ah’ once again rings through your room, as Jake pulls out a leather bomber jacket. The same patches adorn the chest and sleeves of the bomber, as those that adorn Jake and Mathew’s flight suits.
“Once again daddy is saving the day.” The cheeky tone in his voice has you shaking your head at Jake, as a cheer reigns out from your son, who's now bouncing on your bed in clear excitement.
“You're just full of surprises aren't you.”
“You love it.”
You step forward to take the jacket from Jake, though before you can grab it, he's wrapping it around your shoulders. Holding it for you to slip your arms in the sleeves and tugging it tight around your chest.
“Nope, I don’t.”
“Sweets, don't lie baby.”
So close that you're almost forehead to forehead, his breath creases your lips with each word. That damn smirk, matched with those green eyes and how they glisten, makes you weak in the knees.
“Maybe.”
Though before he can make a smartass remark, you press your lips against his. Slotting perfectly against one another, one arm slips around his neck as Jake goes to pull you in closer by the waist. You lick teasingly at the seam in his lips, however, pull away before he can go take it any farther, releasing a sharp laugh at the look of defeat that settles on Jake's face. You grab Mathew sitting him on your hip, glancing at Jake with a final look over your shoulder, an award-winning smile creasing your lips, then head out the door.
Well aware that Jake is in tow behind you, “I'm the one with the keys.”
“Then hurry up daddy.” The sentence leaves both yours and Mathew's lips at the same time.
A final thought drifts through Jake's brain as he locks the front door; tonight, all three of you had the last name Seresin printed across your chest, a fact that needed to be made permanent.
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