#planning on doing these with tgm characters

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Got Ink? 💉 | Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd Imagine

Takes place before, during, and after the events of TGM

TGM masterlist

Characters & Pairings: Lt. Robert ‘Bob’ Floyd x tattooed model!reader (romantic), dagger squad (platonic)

Content Warnings: fluff, profanity, mentions of pain as a result of tattoos. Slight suggestive content if you blink | Female!reader (she/her) | wc: 6k

Requested 📨 yes/no (rules for requests)

Premise: Art comes in many different forms. And when you technically think about it, your body is a canvas that can be become a mural if you find yourself drawn to the beauty that tattoos bring. For WSO Bob Floyd, he appreciated art in every form and loved how patterns and colors could create something beautiful. When his sister invites him to a party for her job shortly after returning from a special mission with the Navy, Bob meets a woman who was the perfect canvas he’d ever seen.

Note: I cannot tell you how much I loved doing this request. As soon as I got it I was like, ‘I’m gonna love this,’ especially as someone who has tattoos and wants to have a lot (I have at least twenty planned) this was feeding my love for tattoos. To the anon who sent this request I hope you like it, I really enjoyed writing this for you and I hope you’re okay with me choosing Bob since you said you wouldn’t mind if it was him or Jake—since I just did a Jake imagine I wanted to give Bob some love 🥹 Also I made it where reader was born in 1989 so if we were to go by Bob being born in 1993 like Lewis then she’d be about four years older since the events of TGM take place in 2019.

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They often say that when you get your first tattoo it will either be the one and only time you subject yourself to the temporary pain of permanent ink…or it becomes one of many.

“It’s an addiction”, people defend, though they should probably look up the term addiction before using it in such context.

For many it’s the appreciation of art. Whether expressing it by becoming a tattoo artist or wanting to capture the beauty by etching it onto their skin like they are its own personal canvas.

Tattoos come in many different forms. There’s the traditional/old school style that is very recognizable with its bold black lines outlining bright colors. People in their old age, having grown up in the 60s and 70s, are the ones usually seen with these types of tattoos. Neo-traditional is not that far off from traditional, just the lines are not as bold. Delicateness is seen with fine line tattoos. In recent years it’s become popular amongst the younger generation—not just because they are pretty to look at but if one has a job that’s strict on policy then they can hide them better.

The oldest style would be the tribal tattoos. Beautiful elaborate patterns in various sizes, they represent the culture one comes from. Like fine line, watercolor tattoos have become a popular style—taking away the traditional black ink used as an outline so the colors have the spotlight. No color in a piece is blackwork and then there’s realism where it’s pretty much a picture that was printed onto the skin. Go on Pinterest and you’ll find multiple images of patchwork style where a collection of pieces put together can be any style already mentioned.

Japanese style, patch, geometric, black & gray, anime, portrait, the list goes on and on. So many ways to put a design on one’s body where it will remain until they go to the next life. Some people stick to pieces that represent sentimental value, like family or childhood nostalgia, others will simply see something they like and go, “I think it looks cool.”

When looking at Y/n’s tattoos, both aspects were seen in the array of artwork coating her body. After getting all the pieces that represented a person, place, or thing that impacted her life, Y/n started to get whatever the hell she wanted—not having an explanation for anything other than, “it looked badass so I got it. No value behind it, I just wanted it.”

Like many newly turned teenagers itching to get their first tattoo, Y/n was bold and got an intricate design on one of the most painful spots. Her reasoning was if she did it, then any other place in the future wouldn’t be as bad. All through college whenever asked what she wanted for her birthday or holidays the answer was always money to get a tattoo. An artist herself, she majored in drawing while attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, also taking on an apprenticeship for a local tattoo artist. There she would get to work on her skills and tattoo people, progressing to doing tattoos on her legs and non-dominant arm. Anytime she traveled to a different state or country during the semester she studied abroad, Y/n got a new tattoo, wanting to have an array of styles from different artists on her body.

By the time she was 26, she had accumulated over 50 tattoos and still had room for more. From her neck down, artwork ranging from fine line to bold and traditional decorated her skin. Both her arms were half sleeves, ending just above her elbows with patchwork along her forearms and hands. The only place free of ink on Y/n was her face, though she did have her inner lip tattooed. If you asked her, it’d be the only place she regretted getting ink because it faded so quickly. But then again, she could get it redone if she really wanted to.

There were looks from people anytime she went out. Y/n loved dressing up in little black dresses and two piece sets to unapologetically show off her tattoos. Older, conservative couples or people who thought tattoos looked trashy on women would look down upon her. Getting hit on was normal, though she never gave the time of day and sending one look that read, ‘get lost’ had men scurry. Sometimes she'd be approached by teenagers asking about certain pieces, saying they wanted to get tattoos once they were of age and were looking for advice. Biker bars were a place she felt comfortable in, Y/n even taking a part-time job as a bartender so make some extra cash. People from all ages—well at least 21–were covered in tattoos like her.

In 2014, shortly after her 25th birthday, Y/n noticed an inbox notification in her instagram. She was used to getting messages on occasion. Being featured on the bar’s and tattoo parlors business instagram pages and accumulating her own following of potential clients had Y/n reach up to 80 thousand followers. The tattoo artist she worked for was very popular, having done work for celebrities and being featured in Inked Magazine.

Speaking of Inked Magazine…..

When Y/n clicked on the icon to open the message, the first thing she spotted was the blue checkmark. Then beside it was in bold lettering inkedmag. Coffee nearly spilled onto the floor when her grip faltered, gasping lightly at the name. She didn’t even realize the page was following her, confirming this by searching herself under their following and found her username staring back at her.

Heart pumping, Y/n opened the message. “Hi, Y/n, my name is Manda Williams and I’m a representative at Inked Magazine. We’re a fan of your profile and would love to work with you on our upcoming campaign. Would you be interested? Please email me at [email protected], I look forward to talking with you soon.”

Never did she think she’d become a model, let alone a tattoo model. She was taller than the average woman, standing at about 5’10 and strikingly beautiful. On countless occasions family members would say, “if you didn't have all that on you maybe you’d been discovered. You’ve got the height, the style, and high fashion look. Plus you’ll never get a well paying job with all those tattoos.” All they were met with was a roll of the eyes from the woman, annoyed with the constant nagging.

“I’m an artist,” she would defend. “I got accepted into one of the most prestigious art schools in the country and I work for a very renowned tattoo artist who has had Snoop Dogg, Angelina Jolie, and Lady Gaga as clients. Not to mention I work at a biker bar where the people there love me. Want me to go further?” the look on their face would read they didn’t but Y/n would put the nail in the coffin with, “Let me point out the fact I get paid more with both those jobs combined than you working a nine to five in your little office job. Also you should educate yourself. Tattoo models do exist.”

If only those family members could see her now. Posing on a motorcycle in nothing but a bra and booty shorts as the camera flashed in front of her.

“You’re a natural, Y/n,” the photographer complimented, making her flustered.

She adjusted her position, running a hand through her hair, “If you think so I trust your judgment.” Being in a studio felt very different than when she would set up her phone on a tripod in her apartment. It took many tries for her to capture the perfect angle, often deleting fifteen out of sixteen photos. Here with this guy calling out movements, “a little to the left,” “bring your hand up—just under your chin, perfect,” “Now act like you’re suntanning on the beach—tilt your head back as though the sun is in your face,” Y/n felt what it was like to be a model.

Not many tattooed individuals got the chance to sign with top agencies like Ford and IMG. Very few were recruited so it came as a big surprise when an agent from IMG Models contacted her following the release of Inked Magazine’s issue. When she took the job she thought it would be a small section in the magazine itself. Instead, she was on the cover.

“You don’t have an agent?” Bonnie’s tone was confused, staring back at Y/n from behind her desk as they sat in her office at the IMG headquarters. Bonnie had seen her cover on Inked, immediately going to Y/n’s instagram where she contacted her though the email listed on the tattoo parlors page. From there she asked the artist to bring a portfolio, which she was shocked to find out wasn’t much. “That was your first model job?”

Y/n shrugged, making a face like it was obvious, “Unless you count the dozens of comments I get on instagram beggin for my next post, yeah it was. I’m a bartender and tattoo artist, modeling wasn’t something I thought was in the cards.” She refrained from adding, “also didn’t think IMG scouted people like me.”

It was safe to say Y/n was unlike the typical runway model. Every now and then a high fashion show would hire a man with tattoos to walk for them. Very rare would you see a woman on the runway. For Y/n, that seemed to be the case in the beginning of her career. She did walk in the Marco Marco show that year which was the highlight of her life. Inked Magazine got so much response on her first feature that they made her their staple girl. Y/n worked with them the most on campaigns and even got to do a cover shoot with celebrities like Travis Barker and Kehlani. Those features got her a lot of recognition to the point she hit one million followers on instagram.

It wasn’t until Y/n went viral on the internet for her Sports Illustrated cover and becoming the first inked model to be featured in a Victoria Secret campaign that the top designers were booking her. Before long she was auditioning for brands during fashion week, securing Tom Ford, Calvin Klein, and Oscar de la Renta. Due to her tattoos being the star of the show, there were hardly any clothes on her save for tiny tops and skirts or dresses with intricate cutouts. She didn’t mind of course. After all, her tattoos were a part of her and the reason she was getting the opportunities of a lifetime.

Milan, Paris, London, New York. Fashion week was gonna have to get used to a new face in town.

Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, Inked. Pick up an issue and you’d find Y/n on at least one page, if not the cover.

Every now and then she’d get asked to appear in music videos for bands. The Weekend once asked her to be the cover art for one of his singles, bringing her more attention as "The Inked Beauty from Blinding Lights cover art.”

She appeared on the Inked Magazine YouTube channel several times. The most popular video being when she did a Q&A released shortly after walking in the last ever Victoria Secret Fashion Show in 2018, becoming the first inked model to walk the VS runway. Though it had low ratings, Y/n’s bit was plastered on every social media site, many tweeting: “the best thing VS could’ve done for their final show was put Y/n L/n in it. She carried the damn thing.”

“Hello, I’m Y/n L/n,” she smiled shyly at the camera, her agent Bonnie and publicist giving a thumbs up. “I’m a tattoo and high fashion model from New York City. You may recognize me from the cover of Inked Magazine, or discovered me through some of my other projects over the last couple years—hell maybe I even tattooed you at one point,” chuckling as she feels her nerves slowly evaporate. “Today I’m here with Inked Magazine, the owners of my heart and career, and I'm gonna answer some questions sent in by you guys about my tattoos and career.”

The producer gives a nod, “Ready, Y/n.”

“Let me hear them, sonny boy.”

“What was your first tattoo and at what age did you get it?”

Thankfully she was wearing a tube top beneath her jacket, removing the clothing to reveal the many inked designs on her chest, and stomach. Pointing to the one just below her ribs, Y/n says, “So this was my first one—as you can tell by how faded it is compared to the others. I got it when I was eighteenth birthday, literally wasted no time and my family is actually who inspired it.”

“As of right now, how many tattoos do you have?” The question has Y/n think for a moment, tilting her head back slightly.

“I counted just the other week and I think it was close to…. seventy,” nodding she adds, “yeah I think that’s right. I know I had fifty when Inked contacted me four years ago for my first feature. So I’ve added twenty to the collection since.” She made a mental note to count again when she got home that night.

“Do you have any tattoo regrets?”

A nervous chuckle escaped, “Fuck, uh….yes,” she looks down shamefully, but gives a shrug like, ‘I can explain.’ Lifting her head back up, Y/n takes her two index fingers and gently pulls down her bottom lip to reveal the messy smudged ink that once read, ‘baby girl’. The camera zoomed in and once they got a good shot of it Y/n let her lip fall back into place, “I don’t know if you were able to read that but when it was freshly done eight years ago it said,” she pulled a face showing she was too embarrassed to say it. “It said ‘baby girl.’ I got it when I was twenty on a dare and frankly I thought it would be hot, but it faded so quick—which,” she raised a finger, “that’s the one place I would say don’t get a tattoo. Even though it’s technically temporary…you’ll end up with a blob of ink like mine and it’s not cute.”

“Where were the most painful spots you got tattooed?” Immediately she lifted her arms to show she had ink on her armpits.

“These basterds right here,” the producer and crew laughed, nodding along with her. “You feel me? Yeah, I thought the ones on my stomach and ribs were bad. Those were a tickle compared to my armpits—-oh and my elbows. I think I actually broke a sweat when I got those done. It’s why I have yet to conquer my knees,” patting the covered area, Y/n shakes her head, “I don’t know If i can do it. But funny enough, these tiny little hearts on my palms,” Y/n flashed her palms up, the camera focusing on the two red lined hearts in the middle of each hand. “These hurt so bad. Thankfully I’m not putting anything else here because I strictly wanted the hearts, so I’m sparing myself.”

“What do they mean?” The producer asked, taking a pause from reading out the next question. The little smile Y/n gave was shy.

“I was told a lot growing up that I keep my heart in the palm of my hand,” while she explained Y/n kept glancing at the hearts, “kinda like the saying, ‘wearing your heart on your sleeve,’ but with me it’s literally in the palm of my hand. So I got these little hearts on my palms—that way when I hold someone’s hand, they can feel the love and care I have for them,” sending a wink to the camera she finishes with, “because my heart is in my palm.”

“Have you ever dated anyone with more tattoos than you?”

“Noooo,” she snorts. “Not because I’m not open to it—I’m very attracted to people with tattoos. And I have dated people with a lot…it just seems that anytime I do get into a serious relationship, I’m the one who has more than the other. And if you’re thinking about who I think you are—,” Y/n points directly to the camera, like a mother scolding her child, “the answer is no, he did not have more than me. Louis has thirty-three, I believe, since the last time he and I talked—which was,” she pauses to think, “I think around New Year’s.”

“Do you find yourself enjoying campaign shoots or runway shows more?”

“That’s hard,” Y/n pouts, causing her agent to chuckle since she knew the answer first hand. “Both are fun in their own way. I love being able to come into a studio or go out on sight and do a photo shoot—except in the fucking winter because I’m usually half naked freezing my ass off.” She pauses to laugh with the crew before continuing. “And then there's this feeling of ‘wow, that just happened,’ when I step off the runway. Getting to work with designers I’ve idolized since childhood and being the face of Mugler is a dream come true. If I had to choose…..it would be campaigns and photo shoots. There I can express myself more freely.”

“Do you see yourself still modeling in ten to twenty years time?”

There was a question she had to think about, taking a moment before answering. “I sure hope so. I love my job and definitely see myself continuing in the future. As long as my agent Bonnie and Inked don't get tired of me,” she laughs, winking at the woman who blows her a kiss. “But honestly I have experience as a tattoo artist so I could see myself opening my own parlor. I’d love to start my own blog or get other tattoo models into the industry. There’s a lot to think about what the future holds, but for right now I’m gonna have fun in the present.”

While home in New York when not booked, Y/n continued to work part-time at the tattoo parlor. She left the bar shortly after signing with IMG, but still visited whenever she could. There was even a picture of one of her Inked shoots framed above the bar.

With her new found fame the parlor had little to no openings each month. Regulars and new clients had to call in to reserve an appointment the second the schedule was dropped, which was sometimes weeks in advance. Several of the friends Y/n made in the modeling industry would get tattoos from her, though they always tended to go for the fine line style. More celebrities booked with her boss, adding Cardi B, Rihanna, and Louis Tomlinson to the list. The latter whom, as mentioned, Y/n actually got romantically linked to in mid 2017. It only lasted a few months, but the photo of the two on the Inked instagram was the most liked on their page.

Louis wasn’t the only high profiled person Y/n was involved with. Unfortunately the downside to fame meant her personal life was to be blasted on every inch of the internet. From starting her modeling career in 2014 to spring of 2019, she’d been spotted with actors Michael B. Jordan, Tom Felton, and fellow model Vladimir Ivanov. Like Louis, they only lasted a couple weeks to months—save for Vladimir which lasted almost over a year—and ended on good terms where they remained friends.

Frankly when it came to settling down Y/n hoped to find someone who was sweet and down to earth. Who was a hard worker—passionate about what they did for a living and wanting to share that with her. Someone who could make her laugh and feel like she was the only girl in the world. It was hard finding someone like when the spotlight follows you around. Y/n had been in the public eye going on six years and due to her connections with big named people she never seemed to catch a break when it came to romance.

All those qualities she desired in a life partner came to her in the form of the adorable weapons system officer she met at a party in November of 2019. The poor guy felt so out of place. From behind the bar Y/n could see him at the corner glancing around like he was searching for someone. Only getting a glimpse at the side of his face, she didn’t recognize him. The party had many from the fashion industry to celebrate Anna Wintour’s 70th birthday. What was ironic was Y/n took up the task of working the bar, kicking into her skills from when she was a bartender at a popular biker club in Manhattan. With her view she was able to see the entire floor as people entered.

The man she’d been eyeing must’ve come in when she was busy making the Hadid sisters their drinks. He wore a white dress shirt with some slacks and a matching blazer. His glasses reminded her of the popular style from the 80s. Come to think of it, they were probably the aviator style. He was tall, roughly six foot so she’d be eye level with him considering she was wearing two inch kitten heels.

Seeing his flustered demeanor and the fact he looked like he didn’t know what the hell he was doing there—not to mention he was handsome from what she could see, Y/n waltzed over, “May I get you anything?”

When he spun around she was met with the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes staring back at her. They blinked rapidly, like they were trying to decipher if she was in fact real. Then they snapped straight to her neck, following the ink of the exposed skin on display from her red latex mini dress—which his face mirrored the color of since he was making it quite known he was checking her out. He had a baby face to him, which was kinda adorable, and Y/n assumed he was maybe a year or two younger than her.

Offering a smile Y/n said, “So what will it be?”

“Huh?” He said confused before remembering what she initially asked before he got distracted. “Oh uh, just water please.” Still smiling, Y/n took a clean empty glass and filled it with ice before adding the water. Finishing it with a straw she placed it on a napkin in front of him.

“Will that be all?”

“Yes. Thank you,” he took the glass, glancing around briefly before letting his shoulders drop.

“You seem a bit out of place,” Y/n wiped down the countertop, catching his attention again. The man nervously laughed, adjusting his glasses.

“Is it that obvious?”

“A bit,” she teased, nodding her head to the crowd in front of them. “All these people walk around like they own the place. You’re the first person I’ve seen tonight who doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing. Are you here with someone?” Part of her was hoping he’d say a friend invited him, feeling a sudden rush of butterflies at the way he looked at her—like he couldn’t believe she was real.

“My sister dragged me along,” he confirms, the model mentally sighing in relief. But she couldn’t get her hopes too high. For all she knew he may have a partner back home. “I was visiting her this past week and she begged me to come. I told her it was a bad idea since I’m not….part of this crowd.”

“Ah,” she hums, biting back a grin at the way he described the industry. “Not a model or influencer, I take it?”

“Nooooo,” his laugh filled her stomach with butterflies. “Not at all. I don’t know how to work social media. Are you?”

Y/n refilled a guest's drink and handed over a beer to another, “I dabble here and there,” it was refreshing to meet someone who wasn’t familiar with her work. Usually at events like the one they were at she had people coming up to her already knowing who she was. “You’re probably like, ‘thought she was just a bartender,’” she giggled at the flustered look taking over him. “I was one before being discovered. I’m doing this for fun honestly—-and because Anna likes what I make her.”

His eyes went to her neck and collarbones, lingering on the ink. She assumed he’d never seen a model with so many tattoos before. “You can look,” she smirked, when he glanced away from being caught staring. “You’re only seeing a small portion of the canvas,” his eyes went wide at her words, making her giggle, “these babies are the reason I’m in this business.”

“You're a tattoo model?”

Y/n raises a brow at the surprise in his tone, “Didn’t know they existed, handsome?”

“No-no,” he quickly apologizes, “sorry I meant no offense. I knew there were models with a lot of tattoos. My sister told me that the industry was starting to expand by signing more people with them.” His words have Y/n intrigued. Obviously his sister was someone in the business, she wondered if she knew her.

“Is your sister one?”

“No, she’s an agent,” Y/n stops what she’s doing, towel long forgotten.

“For a modeling agency?”

“Yeah.”

“Which one?” Just as the question left her lips, Bonnie’s voice interrupted the two, “Bob, there you are! Oh good—,” she grins wide when she sees who he’s talking to, “You guys met!”

Snapping their heads toward each other, the two have the same expressions of, “wait what?”

Bonnie claps her hands, coming beside Bob at the bar and motioning between the two, “Y/n, this is my brother, Robert—the one I was telling you about last week,” mouth slightly agape, remembering the conversations the two had about Bonnie’s brother—in which the agent suggested setting up a date between the two—Y/n watches Bob react the same when Bonnie then says, “Bob, this is Y/n L/n. One of my clients at IMG—I know I’ve mentioned her before to you.”

Not knowing what to do at first, Y/n extends her hand to formally introduce herself, “So you must be the famous, Bob,” butterflies swarm her stomach again by the warmth of Bob’s hand when he goes to shake it. “I’m Y/n. So nice to finally meet you—Bonnie’s told me a lot about you.”

“W-wow,” Bob stutters, mentally hating himself when he does. “It’s really nice to meet you too, ma’am. I wasn’t expecting to meet you tonight, but now I see why Bonnie was so adamant I come.” A pointed look is thrown at Bonnie, who shrugs with a smile like she did no wrong.

“Well seeing as you two found each other without me, I’ll leave you both to it. Bob, let me know if you plan on riding with me back to the house or if you catch a ride. And Y/n I’ll see you bright and early Monday morning.” Winking, Bonnie takes the Cosmopolitan Y/n made for her and scurries off, leaving the two alone.

“I should’ve known,” Y/n laughs lightly, topping off Bob’s water. “Your sister has brought you up the past couple times she and I have gotten together,” lips curl into a smirk, “she wasn’t lying when she said you were a cutie.”

Bob turns red, smiling shyly, “when she told me about the inked beauty she worked with, she left out the fact you’re a walking piece of art.” His boldness impressed her, Y/n leaning closer to him against the bar top, resting her elbow on to so she could lean her head on her hand.

“How long are you gonna be in New York?”

“Till Wednesday,” part of her was disappointed that it was only four days away considering it was currently Saturday. But it was enough time for something to blossom.

“Tell me about yourself, Bob. The night’s early and I could listen to you talk for hours. Let’s see if Bonnie was psychic when she said we’d be quite the puzzle when put together.”

Ever heard of the type of couples where the girl radiates black cat energy and the guy is a literal golden retriever?

That was Y/n and Bob to a tee.

Out in public they stood out—even in a city like New York. Then when Y/n went to San Diego to meet his friends for the first time after four months together—which also resulted in her being stuck in California due to lockdown from the covid pandemic—it was like everyone couldn’t believe someone like Bob was with someone like Y/n.

He was a quiet, reserved naval officer and she was a sharp-tongued, world renowned tattoo model. They were the definition of the couple in high school you’d never expect would hit it off.

When Bob introduced Y/n to the squad, they instantly knew who she was, but had different ways of discovering her. Nat saw her walk in the VS Fashion show, Mickey and Reuben recognized her from The Weekend’s cover art, Javy remembered her from an episode of Ink Master she appeared on, Jake saw her on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and Bradley actually got a tattoo from Y/n when he was in NYC.

The entire period Y/n was in San Diego she grew close to the squad, even Maverick who had a lot of questions about her work and tattoos. “You think I’d look good with them at my age?” Y/n couldn’t help but laugh at the question, ensuring the Captain with a pat on the back.

“Some of the sexiest men I’ve met have been your age with ink more in than me,” she giggles when he goes red. “I worked at a biker bar in New York City. Believe me, Pete. Anyone can look good with some ink.”

Needless to say when it came time for Mav to get a tattoo, Y/n was the one doing it.

A lot of the squad ended up getting work done by her. Jake, Mickey and Rooster had a few already so they were familiar with the process. Nat only had one from a drunk night in college, which Y/n redid on her behalf since it had faded. Payback was a man who liked bold, meaningful tattoos so sometimes Y/n had her work cut out for her but she always came through.

“Yo is this gonna hurt bad,” Javy was practically sweating as Y/n removed the stencil from his shoulder. The design was a geometric sun about the size of an airpod case.

“It’ll sting, but this area generally isn’t too painful. If this was your bicep then it’d be a different story.”

Javy didn’t look convinced, turning to look at the guys while the stencil dried, “How was it for you guys?”

“Didn’t hurt at all for me,” Rooster shrugged, “my bicep was worse—like she said.”

“Yeah, you’ll be fine,” Payback waved a hand. “You see how tiny it is? It’ll be over before you know it.”

Going over the details once more to confirm the colors and shading, Y/n moved her chair closer after turning on the tv to an episode of Chopped. “You ready, Jav?”

“Ready,” he didn’t really sound like it but it was too late to back out. The buzz of the needle filled his ears and soon the stinging sensation they all said had him clutching his first.

“Try to relax, man” Bob sat on the chair next to Y/n, “being tense won’t help.”

After over a year of dating Bob had his fair share of tattoos. His were mostly small and easily hidden by his uniform. When they first got together, Bob loved learning about her tattoos. When she got them, why she did. If there were any meaning behind certain ones and if she planned to get more.

She was like a walking art gallery. So many colors and styles. Large and small. Y/n told him stories about almost every one—even if they were embarrassing like the inner lip tattoo.

“Biggest mistake,” she wiped a tear after she was done, the two laughing so hard. “Not only did it hurt but it faded not even a year after I got it. Now it looks so bad—I should get it redone but what’s the point when it will just end up looking the same.”

Bob hated when people would give her looks of disproval when they’d go out, usually from those who were unfamiliar with Y/n’s work. One time he nearly got into a bar fight with a older gentleman who thought it was okay to call Y/n a Jezebel. Rooster and Mickey had to hold him back, but Y/n simply looked at the guy and said, “Baby, I’m a fucking millionaire because of these bad boys. While you’re about to kick it the dust I’m gonna be on the cover of Vogue magazine next month. So eat shit and die already.” The man was left speechless, making her and the squad smirk in victory. The equally tatted bartender who knew of Y/n whistling and even given her a free round.

“That was so fucking hot,” Bob pulled her into a searing kiss when they left the bar moments later, Y/n smirking against his lips, “You think that was hot? I’m a mess under these pants from seeing you so worked up, baby. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Whenever he and Y/n would cuddle she’d trace the raised ink with a finger, Bob doing the same to hers and committing them to memory. He loved to kiss the ones on her neck and collarbones, but his favorite were the tiny hearts on the palms of her hands.

“What do these mean,” he asked one day during the early days of their relationship. They were laying out on the hammock, taking her hands to admire the collection of small tattoos along her fingers and wrists. He hadn't even realized she had any on the palms until he flipped them over. There his thumbs traced over the red outline of each heart.

“If you ask any person I’ve ever loved or cared for they’d tell you I carry my heart in the palm of my hand,” she flips her hands so they are holding Bob’s, the tattoos against his skin. “So when I hold people’s hands, they know a piece of my heart lies with them.” Letting her head fall back against his shoulder, Y/n shifts so her lips are against his jaw. “And I’m kinda hoping you’re the only one who gets to hold them from here on out.”

Anytime after that Bob would press a kiss to the hearts whenever he held her hands. Then when asked about what tattoo of Y/n’s was his favorite his answer was always, “the hearts.”

His family adored her. At first they were put off by her striking image but learned quickly Y/n was perfect for Bob. The children of his siblings loved taking washable markers to color in the tattoos Y/n had that were black and white. “Can I draw you a tattoo someday?” Little Emma asked shortly after the couple celebrated one year. She was a little artist who loved asking questions about the pretty pictures on Y/n.

“Of course, my love,” she promised. “Draw me whatever you desire and I shall get it done.”

The first fashion show Y/n booked after the pandemic Bob had front row seats. With his phone out he was the ultimate cheerleader, though he refrained from whistling or making noise so as to not embarrass the model, but would be in absolute awe when she strutted past him. It was the Tom Ford show, Y/n had walked out in a long black trench coat, coming to the end of the runway first before removing the item to reveal a silk dress underneath. It was spaghetti strapped with an open back, thigh slit to compliment her legs and the cameras loved it. She walked a few steps back up and turned to strike one last pose before making her exit.

Bob was mesmerized. It was the first time he’d seen her walk the runway and my God if he wasn’t already a simp he sure was then. A photographer captured his reaction to her discarding the coat and it went viral on Twitter.

@ inmyreputationera: if my man doesn’t look at me like @inkedbyY/n bf at NYFW then I don’t want it.

@ Inked✔️: We’re all Bob Floyd when @inkedbyY/n steps onto the runway.

When it came time to pick out her wedding dress Y/n was unsure of the route to go. It’d been five years the two were coming up on, one year of being engaged with the wedding to take place in North Island. A beach wedding in the late fall, Y/n wanted to look elegant and classy.

“Whatever you choose you’ll gonna look amazing, darling,” Bob kissed her head after she sighed when shuffling through bridal magazine pictures of dresses she’d cut out. “You know I love your tattoos—they are a part of you and I don’t want you feeling like you have to cover up for the sake of pictures. Baby, you’re one of the top models in the world. Like you told me when we first met, those babies are what got you discovered. Show them off.” Rubbing her shoulder exposed from her tank top, his lips pressed to the ink covering the skin. “But if you like this,” he pointed to the dress she kept going back to in her pile, it was elegant and pretty with neckline that fell just below her collarbones. “Then you should get it because you love it.”

The ceremony dress ended up being the one with a high neckline. It had open back with Y/n deciding on a her veil cascading down to the floor to become a small train rather than having the dress itself have it. Lace covered her arms, the ink peeking out from beneath to make the material stand out more due to the contrast.

She was stunning. An actual goddess that had Bob’s jaw drop the second his eyes landed on her. For the reception Y/n changed into a white two piece set that showed off her legs.

And you best believe she hired local tattoo artists to do a ‘spur of the moment’ tattoo booth at the party.

It didn’t take long for Inked Magazine to want to do a bridal shoot with Y/n. And if you look at it one way, it was a full circle moment. The issue marked ten years since they discovered Y/n and blessed her with the career of a lifetime that led her to meeting the love of her life.

All because she had a knack for getting ink.

……………..

TGM tag list: @avaleineandafryingpan @caitsymichelle13 @poppyalice2001 @cutelittlepotatofry @luckyladycreator2 @americaarse @elenavampire21 @back-tooo-black @wildellaa

#Spotify #bob floyd imagine #robert bob floyd fanfiction #robert floyd imagine #robert floyd x reader #bob floyd x reader #bob floyd x y/n #robert floyd #robert bob floyd #bob floyd #bob floyd fluff #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun maverick imagine #top gun maverick #lewis pullman imagine #lewis pullman #tattoo!reader #tgm fluff #tgm imagine

[thewulf]

That's a Kill Part 2 || Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Summary: Y/N Kazansky. The Admiral's daughter. You always had to prove yourself to the boys. The good old boys. You never thought much of any of them, knowing you were better than them. That was until you were called back to Top Gun. You meet Lieutenant Jake "Hangman" Seresin falling for him quickly. You get selected for the infamous mission, leaving Jake terribly worried.

A/N: Longest one yet! I really enjoyed writing this one, thanks to Anon who requested! This has way less Hangman, I’m so sorry. More of an Admiral’s daughter part. Because of this I plan on doing a Part 3 to wrap it all up. This dives into the mission itself, don’t get me wrong it has cute Jake parts, just less of them. Also, apologies to Rooster… you stole his thunder. I really dislike simply rewriting parts of an already told story, but it just made sense for the plot of Part 3. That being said, the mission portion of this fic are just rewrites of what’s already in TGM changing which characters go through what. So, I didn’t do a lot of describing scenes during the actual mission. I really wanted this to focus more on the characters not the mission. There will be a Part 3 that’ll wrap everything up, meeting Ice and lots of fluff planned

Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Y/N, Iceman x Daughter!Reader, Maverick X PlantonicFemale!Reader

Word Count: 9,200+

Part 3

The Dagger Squad officially wrapped up training that Monday afternoon with an all-out battle between you and Mav. You were sure you were going to get the shot on him this time. You had him locked but he did some Maverick piloting shit not even you have seen from him. You lost your lock on him, you were distracted as he locked onto you, “That’s a kill, Kazansky.”

“Fuck.” You tore your mask off slowing your jet down. Wanting to slam your fists down onto the control panel but deciding against it knowing that it could send your jet out of control.

You landed before Mav. He was showboating off in the air. Typical Mav shit. You threw your helmet off leaving it behind in the cockpit. Frustrated beyond belief. You had your eyes locked on Hondo, rather pissed off at yourself for letting Maverick get the better of you again.

You blew past Bradley, nearly knocking him off balance on your quest to get the damn pushups over. So many pushups.

“Lava you alright there?” You heard Bradley ask from behind you. You were so in your own head about the kill shot you almost didn’t hear him.

You spun around on your boots seeing Rooster looking at you with a cockeye, “Yeah, I’m good.” You stuck your thumbs up like a toddler who had just been caught doing something.

“You just ran me over.” He deadpanned, not satisfied with your answer.

You sighed, “Just a little pissed off Rooster. I was this close to finally getting Mav.” You pinched your fingers together, “Locked on and all. But he literally just stopped midair, did a flip or something and locked on to me.” You balled your fists up.

Rooster laughed seeing your unmitigated frustration walking closer to you, “Well damn, I missed quite the show.”

You could feel your hands beginning to tremble. Meaning that the adrenaline that was coursing through your veins was beginning to wear off. You cursed yourself and now Rooster because these pushups were going to be 20 times harder with dead arms, “Really quite the show.” You grumbled beginning your walk over to Hondo again.

This time he stopped you, grabbing your arm, “Yes, Rooster?” You stopped turning back to him.

“What’s the matter Kazansky?”

“Why does something have to be the matter? Why can’t I just have an off day?” You fired back at him, surprising even yourself. Way too aggressive for you. Your bad mood was stemming from this mission. You were terribly nervous, too nervous for your own good. Maverick had successfully broken into your mind, freaking you the hell out. Him shooting you down for the final time this afternoon really sent your thoughts into a whirlwind. Life or death. You really didn’t want to die. You finally felt like you were really starting to get good at all of this, finally finding your groove.

“Woah, Y/N. Relax.” He stood there with his hands crossed against his chest observing you. He noticed your shaking hands and your standoffish demeanor. However, Rooster telling you to relax was doing the exact opposite of what he intended. Indeed not very relaxed. You were stressed, more stressed than you’ve ever been tenfold. You thought you knew how to cope but your mind was starting to falter. At the worst possible moment too.

Mav popped around Bradley curiously looking at the duo, “Something wrong?” His lips parted slightly waiting for one of you to speak. The situation didn’t look great from Pete’s standpoint. He landed his jet with the intention of giving you a little shit about having to do the pushups. He stated walking over seeing you not doing pushups but looking rather agitated standing in front of Rooster. Rooster looked concerned as he eyed you up and down.

“Nothing’s wrong.” You snapped at him this time. Mav took the teeniest step backwards surprised by your response. He had quite literally known you his entire life, never once seeing you snap the way you just did. He turned to Rooster sending him off with his eyes.

He placed an arm around your shoulder pulling him into you, “What’s up kid?” He asked after Rooster was out of ear shot. You let the breath of air out that you were unknowingly holding in.

“You shot me down again.” You mumbled looking to the ground. Mav decided to wave Hondo off this time letting you skip your pushups for whatever conversation was about to go down.

“Just like the other thousand times, Kazansky. What’s the big deal?” He chuckled releasing you from the shoulder hold he had you in. You felt so vulnerable under Pete’s gaze as he turned to study you. He was somebody you had grown up around, who taught you everything you knew, yet you felt incredibly nervous about it all. You felt small as he inspected you, so small.

“I had you though!” You threw your head back reliving your failure, “I had a kill, and I still didn’t get it.”

Maverick frowned, guiding you out of the hangar. You weren’t sure where the two of you were off to, but you let him lead you, “Kazansky.” He sighed as he took a seat on the outside of the hangar facing the water. He patted the dirt he was sitting next to signaling for you to join, which you did, “Talk to me kid.”

You leaned your head against the cold metal steel of the building. The cold feeling euphoric against your sweating head, “You don’t get a second chance out there Mav.”

He nodded, “I’m aware.”

You wanted to squeeze him, he wasn’t getting the turmoil you had put yourself into, “If I can’t beat you, what makes you think I’m good enough for this Pete.” You buried your head into your heads feeling your frustration building up.

“What we aren’t going to do is that.” He grabbed your wrist gently attempting to get you to look back up at him, “Remember, I need you all here Kazansky. Every bit of you.”

“I’m trying.” You looked to him, “But all I hear in my head is you repeating, ‘this is life or death’”.

“It is.” He spoke harshly. Your brain wanted to start spiraling again but he continued, “And let me tell you something Y/N. You are the only one who has completed the course successfully. You are the only one here who has done that so far. You. Just you. You are the only pilot here who has even gotten close to shooting me down. You. Just you. And you are the only God damn pilot that made me think you’d get me. You Y/N. Just you.” He pointed his finger to you, speaking right from his heart. You were sure you were going to burst out into tears hearing this from him, “Do you hear me Kazansky?” He asked.

You nodded your head up and down, “Yes sir.” You spoke with more confidence than you had all afternoon. You were honored that he said such kind things to you. But you knew he wasn’t lying or joking around in any way. He really did think those things of you.

“Y/N.” He turned his whole body to face you, “I’m going back to make my final decision with Cyclone and Warlock.” He paused waiting for you to look him in the eyes, “Can you do this Y/N?”

You had to. You were the best. You couldn’t let his words send you into such a panic. You wanted to do this. You needed to do this, “Yes Pete. I can do this.”

He nodded after abruptly standing offering his hands to pull you up. Once you were both standing he place both his hands on your shoulders, “I know you can do this Y/N. I need you to know you can.”

His confidence in you was all consuming. It lit that fire beneath your ass that was burning so brightly when you showed up. Your flame kept getting smaller and smaller after every time you’ve been struck down. Leave it to Maverick to find it again for you, “I can do this Pete.” You spoke with such confidence it drew Mav into his signature grin.

“Good. Now go get changed. I’m not saying you’re in but…” He winked at you before heading off to the war room.

You slowly made your way back to the locker room, taking your time to change. What you didn’t expect to see when you left the locker room was the blonde haired pilot that made your heart do questionable things. You about lost your mind when he smiled at you, waiting for you.

The two of you decided you wanted to take things slow, ultra-slow. Too slow in your opinion. It was more of Jake’s idea with you going along with it, not wanting to screw whatever this was up before it started. He took you to a nice dinner on Saturday. You got to put on a nice dress and wear your hair down for him, a very rare occurrence. He showered you in sweet compliments and little touches throughout the night. He stopped at your doorstep giving you a gentle kiss on your forehead. When you whined and asked him to actually kiss you he just said, “I will darling, I promise I will.” Pulling you into a hug instead. You attempted to pout your way into a kiss just making him laugh instead.

That Dagger Squad met at the Hard Deck that Sunday for one last get together negating any plans you and Jake were going to make. The two of you had to play it cool, painfully cool. You actively had to remember not to look at him smiling. Phoenix caught you looking over at him a few times shaking her head at you. The two of you made sure you were the last to leave. Getting to chat for a few before you needed to part. He again kissed you on the forehead. You decided not to fight him this time knowing Jake would do what Jake wanted to.

You were sure the tension between you and Jake on top of all the pressure from the mission was what caused you to almost break earlier. You couldn’t understand why Jake wouldn’t kiss you especially after hearing all the stories about his previous escapades. You knew it wasn’t you. He wanted to be around you, to be close to you. He put his hands on you whenever he could. On the car ride to dinner, he placed his hand on your thigh. He grabbed for your hand when you walked in making sure to constantly touch you throughout dinner. Even when he refused to come inside he was still holding onto you.

You had only confessed your feelings two days prior, yet he was driving you crazy already. These feelings were all so new and fresh for you. You finally understood what those girls were going through in college, this man was making you feral.

“Where’ve you been?” He asked softly reaching for your hand. You looked around making sure nobody could see before taking it softly. You ran your thumb over his knuckles as you studied his hand. You didn’t notice the chills that went up his arm from your touch.

“Talking with Mav.” You turned your face looking up to his. His eyes gave him away. They looked like they didn’t quite believe what you were saying. Something about the way he was squinting at you gave him away this time. You knew you were going to have to understand his eyes if you wanted to understand Jake.

“All good?” He asked as he mimicked your actions, rubbing his thumb across your knuckles this time.

“Mhmm.” You wanted to lean into him, just melt into him. But you also didn’t want to let anybody know just yet, it was all too new.

He just watched you as you found his hand fascinating. He let you divulge as much or as little information as you wanted. He found you so effortlessly beautiful. With your hair slicked back and in full military uniform you just looked so profoundly stunning to him. He wanted to cup your face getting you to look to him, but he couldn’t, not in these hallways. He knew he really shouldn’t be holding your hand either. He just couldn’t resist when he saw you come out of the locker rooms. You looked like you were battling with something in your head before your eyes landed on his. Your reaction to seeing him nearly sent him spiraling. Your face lit up when you spotted him. He knew he was a goner.

Which is exactly why he was resisting you with every ounce of strength he could find. He wanted nothing more to take you home and have his way with you. He wanted you, every single piece of you. He wanted to study you. To explore you until he had nothing left to. He also knew that you were unlike any woman he had come across. You challenged him more in the three weeks he’s known you than any other person has in his life. You would never back down a challenge, not even when the guys are ganging up on you. You would flip them the bird and move on with your day. You were also the wittiest woman he’s come across. You made it seem like he knew what he was going to say before he even said it. Don’t even get Jake started on how sweet you were. Truly, you were just a kind person. Even with the quick wittedness you still came across as nothing but kind.

He also knew how much you wanted him. It killed him to say no to you. It was endearing just how bad you wanted a kiss from him. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hold out that much longer.

“We should get to the classroom then.” He said softly.

Snapping out of your thoughts you looked up to him, “Yeah, guess it’s the moment of truth.” You bit your cheek not trying to think of the ramifications of the mission. You were sure Mav was going to pick Jake, absolutely sure of it. This sudden realization sent another wave of panic through you. You were really going to have to get this shit under control if you were going to be one of the few chosen.

He tugged your arm lightly before dropping your hand. You frowned but knew it was for the best, you never knew who was going to be walking around the corner. Once you reached the door you motioned for him to go on, “Go, I’ll wait a few before coming in.” You were being extra cautious. If there was anybody who was going to notice you two walking in together very late it’d be Phoenix. You weren’t ready from an ass-chewing from her just yet.

He nodded giving your arm a squeeze once more before heading in. You could see his demeanor change from his softer side with you to Lieutenant Jake Seresin, everybody’s pain in the ass. You waited a few more minutes before joining the rest of the Dagger Squad. You slid into the classroom as nonchalantly as you could. Phoenix met your eye questioning why you were back to much later than the rest of them. As you passed her you gave her the ‘I’ll tell you later’ look.

You slid down in a seat next to Harvard. The two of you had become quick friends after Yale’s accident. Yale was grounded a week ago due to a concussion and a broken leg after a bad ejection from the practice plane. The entire ordeal scared the living shit out of everybody in the Squadron. But he was fine, obviously upset he no longer had a shot. Yale also felt incredibly guilty after leaving Harvard high and dry. Mav started pairing Harvard with different solo fliers. Harvard seemed to click with you and Rooster the best. You enjoyed flying with Harvard, but it was a change. You were used to going solo. You enjoyed the challenge, the two of you fully taking it head on. You still secretly wanted to fly this mission alone.

“Miss Lava.” He tipped his head in your direction.

“Mr. Harvard.” You bowed back to him. Little things like that provided you comfort with your potential new air partner. Admittedly you tried avoided flying with a Wizzo as much as you could. You’d never say no to flying with one if it was needed but Mav’s past was always in your mind. Your dad told you just how bad it was for Maverick after he lost Goose in that freak training incident. So, you opted to fly solo.

“All good?” His brow lifted waiting for your response.

You smiled at him, getting tired of the question, “Oh yeah, you know how bad I am at pushups.”

He chuckled, “I see those guns, don’t lie Kazansky.”

“Shut up, Aardvark.” You rolled your eyes using the nickname you had unintentionally given him in the last week. Maverick was on your ass. You just couldn’t shake him. You had Harvard yelling in the comms getting you frazzled as you avoided getting target locked. There was so much going on you couldn’t think of his callsign for the life of you and Aardvark unfortunately came out instead of Harvard. You supposed Aardvark sounded like Harvard backwards.

He snorted, “You’re not going to drop it are you? My callsign gets a callsign now?”

You nodded leaning back into your seat hoping to catch a glimpse of Jake. He was sitting further up in the classroom next to Coyote. The pair seemed to be talking about something seriously. You brought your attention back to Harvard knowing you weren’t being very discreet, “Only for you Harvard.”

You noticed his eyes looking towards where your eyes had just left, yep you were being too obvious. He smirked eyeing you like he knew something, “Seresin hey?”

“What are you talking about Harvard?” Gaslight, gaslight, gaslight. You gave him a blank look, a slack expression.

He leaned forward giving you a small, delighted smile, “I’m not stupid Kazansky.”

“Did I say you were?” You questioned back to him, horrified how quickly he picked up on it.

“You like him.” His lips twitched into a smile as he narrowed in on you, observing your reaction.

You thanked your lucky stars that you put makeup on today, praying that it was enough to cover the tomato face you inevitably had, “Do not.”

“Yes you do.”

You turned so fast to him giving him a wild-eyed look, “Do not.” You repeated yourself. You weren’t sure how obvious you had been in front of the crew, but it looks like Harvard noticed. You thought you were doing a pretty good job of hiding it.

“Then why do you act all weird when you’re flying with him?” He cockily raised a single eyebrow.

Your lips parted ready to respond but nothing came out, your brain was failing you, “I have no idea what you’re talking about Aardvark.” You scrunched your nose turning away from him slightly.

“You’re unbelievable Kazansky.”

“You best believe that.” You threw him your most charming smile.

He shook his head laughing silently to himself. He was about to respond but the classroom doors opened with Mav, Cyclone and Warlock following closely behind, “Showtime.” Harvard clapped his hands.

The squadron was silent, everybody on edge to hear the assignments. Mav took a spot leaving only five pilots being selected. All eyes watched as the three men took the center of the room.

Mav looked at each pilot individually before continuing, “It has been an honor flying with you. Each one of you represents the best of the best. This is a very specific mission. My choice is a reflection of that and nothing more.”

He took a pause before Cyclone stepped in. Cyclone was cold. Even colder than your dad. You kept your eyes on Mav as Cyclone spoke, “Choose your two foxtrot teams.”

Mav smiled, “Phoenix and Bob.” He nodded to them before continuing, “Rooster and Harvard.” Your heart sunk knowing it was either you or Jake flying solo. Mav continued, “And your wingman. Lava.” You gave yourself a mini fist pump.

You turned to Harvard giving him the biggest hug, “We did it.” You clapped your hand on his back. You were so caught up in your emotions you almost forgot Jake, almost. Mav didn’t call Jakes name. You desperately wanted to go over to him. To pull him into a hug. To tell him he’s still the best pilot here. Jake would never admit to anybody but this one was going to hurt him. You saw just how hard he had trained through the last few weeks. You saw how he went from an incredible pilot to an exceptional one. You were genuinely surprised by Mav’s decision. There was one thing you learned early though, Mav always had his reasons.

Jake and Coyote sat at their desk as the rest of the Dagger Squad congratulated each other. After each hug and conversation, you had your eyes immediately went back over to Jake. You caught his eyes a few times seeing just how sad they looked. He softly smiled each time you made eye contact making you feel worse each time. You were sure Harvard was watching the two of you communicate silently just knowing he was going to give you shit for it later.

Jake walked out before the congratulations ended. You mentally forced the frown away from your face, this was supposed to be the best moment of your career. All you could think about was making Jake smile though. You wanted his full on Jake Seresin toothy grin that sent your heart racing. The one that could light up any room.

Despite everything you noticed his truck hadn’t left the lot even being the first one to leave. You walked over to it seeing Jake sitting there. He was deep in thought as you strolled up to him returning the soft smile from earlier. He unlocked the door motioning you to join him.

“Hey.” You said while jumping into his truck.

“Hi.” He didn’t turn to look at you. Your heart fell as you thought about what to do, what you could do.

Turning your full body to face him you spoke, “Jake, I’m so sorry…”

He cut you off, “Don’t be darling. Can you come here?” He opened his arms waiting for you to scoot across the bench style seating to him.

“You’re not worried about them seeing?”

He shook his head, just wanting to hold you. He wasn’t mad. He wasn’t really that sad. He was disappointed that Mav didn’t see him as good enough to fly. Jake knew you were going to be picked. He was almost certain he would’ve been too had Rooster not flown the way he had been recently. He was a backup, sure, but it just wasn’t the same as flying. He wanted to fly with you.

You happily obliged scooting yourself into his arms. You leaned your head onto his shoulder breathing him in. Quickly becoming obsessed with his cologne. The second he wrapped his arms around you pulling you in, you knew you were home. The instant relief and comfort such a simple gesture gave you was astonishing. As cheesy as it sounded, all your worries melted away as soon as he was near. You craved his physical touch.

“I don’t care right now.” He sighed resting his head on top of yours, “Just want you.” Your body felt nearly weightless at his words.

“I want you to.” You wrapped your arms around his torso squeezing him lightly.

He placed a kiss on the crown of your head whispering, “You’re so pretty.”

The chill that coursed through your body was nearly lethal. You were so weak when you heard his sweet words, “You can’t say that if you’re not going to kiss me.”

His laugh reverberated throughout your chest sending a small smile to your face. You closed your eyes fully taking him in.

You frowned when he pulled back from you, “It’s cute when you pout like that.” He took his free hand gently placing it under your chin. He ran his thumb along your jawline. He was fully taking you in now. You were looking at him with those big dopey eyes begging him to kiss you. It’s all you wanted, you wanted it more than getting selected for deployment.

You blinked slowly letting him hold your chin, “I wish you were going to be up there with me.” You sighed looking away from him. He wouldn’t let your head move out of his grasp, so you settled on moving your eyes away from him.

“Me too. More than anything, sweetheart.” He let your head go pulling your entire body into his, having your head rest on his chest. You were so profoundly comfortable with this man you didn’t think twice. You listened to the steady beat of his heart as he brushed through your hair. He was so soft. So gentle with you.

 “But you’re going to do amazing up there. You’re going to be the best damn pilot up here. You’re going to hit that Uranium facility. And then you’re going to come back home. You were picked Y/N. You.” He kept brushing through your hair feeling you tense around him. His words driving the fear of not coming home back to him, Mav, and your dad. He continued trying to ease your stress, “You were picked. Mav picked you because he knows you can do it. You, Y/N Kazansky. One of the best pilots I’ve ever seen.” You shivered relaxing into him feeling terribly vulnerable at his words. He was comforting you right now when you were meant to be comforting him.

“Jake,” You brought your head off his chest, “Thank you.”

“Anytime beautiful.” He dopily smiled at you, “Let’s get you back home. Need to rest up before tomorrow.” He squeezed your thigh removing himself from you completely. You didn’t like that part, untangling yourself from Hangman.

“If we must.” You grumbled unhappily.

You didn’t realize that just being around him improved his mood. Your gentleness made his heart soar. Nobody had been so gentle with him before. He was Hangman, the cocky aviator who could get whomever he wanted. Why would he need somebody to be gentle with him? He was fine, he was getting through it just fine. Yes, you challenged him, but you never pushed him too far. When he needed the comfort there you were right there for him.

He was growing to adore the way you pouted when you didn’t get your way. Your eyebrows would stitch themselves together, nose crinkled up and lips parted. Jake just knew it was the way you got through to your dad, Admiral Kazansky. He was also sure it wouldn’t be much longer before he started caving to that face as well.

You and Jake talked for a few more moments before you left and got into your car. Your mind was swimming in thoughts as you drove back home. You knew you needed to get your head in the game before you all deployed the next morning. When you got home you changed before laying down on the couch. You were a big ball of anxiety not sure how to get yourself to stop thinking.

You pulled your phone out dialing the only person you knew could help, “Y/N.” You heard the smile in his voice.

“Dad.” You let out the big breath you were holding in.

“I heard. Congratulations.”

“Mav?” You questioned.

“Yes. Gave me a call not too long ago. I’ve been waiting on yours.”

You smiled, that was so like him, “Yeah sorry, talked with some of the other pilots for a little bit.”

“Getting along okay?” He pressed. What did Mav tell him? Mav was far too unobservant to be catching you ogling Jake.

“Mhmm.” You hummed placing him on speaker, “Getting along great.”

“So, I’ve heard.” He chuckled.

“What’d he tell you?” Groaning you got up to grab a drink from the fridge.

“Oh, nothing Lieutenant.”

“Dad!” You laughed, “Tell me.”

“Why are you getting so worked up about it kid?.” You heart dropped into your butt. He had to know. He had to know something. He was right though. You didn’t get worked up about stuff like this ever. He knew something was off. Your dad knew you better than you knew yourself.

“I’m not.” You replied, lying.

“Well, that’s good. I’m glad you’re getting along with everybody.”

“You know that’s not why I called you dad.” You ran your fingers through your hair.

He paused knowing the lighthearted conversation was shifting into something far more serious, “How are you feeling Y/N?” He asked, genuinely checking in on his daughter. Not many things scared Admiral Kazansky. Not even the throat cancer he beat. But his daughter doing this mission? That scared the living shit out of him. His little girl, his pride and joy was about to deploy for one of the most serious missions he’s ever seen. He knew the risk of you not returning were far greater than anything else you’ve previously done. He was so scared, but he couldn’t let you know this. He had to be your rock right now, somebody to help and guide you.

“I’m a little anxious, dad.” You admitted. You unknowingly began nibbling on your lip as a release.

“That’s okay. I’d be shocked if you weren’t. You need to find a routine.” He spoke softly trying not to raise the anxiety that was already bubbling in you.

“Routine?”

“Before big flights. You need to find the routine that helps you relax. Like a hot bath and a book, you like those right?” He asked.

You couldn’t help the stupid grin that spread across your face. He knew you so well, “Yeah dad, that sounds like my perfect night.”

“When we hang up I need you to do that Y/N. I need you to take your mind off it. You can’t think up there Y/N.”

You nodded, “Don’t think. Just do.” You recited Mav’s favorite lines to your dad. You had grown up flying with your dad and Mav. You always heard Mav yelling, “Don’t think. Just do.” Repeatedly through the comms. When it was your turn to actually start flying the planes Mav made sure to give you a lesson in ‘Don’t think. Just do.’ Mav scared the living shit out of you when you took your first jet up in the air.

You’d been flying with your dad for literally as long as you could remember. You learned how to fly a plane when you were ten. Of course, your dad was sitting right there with you, but he gave you full control and let you at it. He always said that it was a little secret between the two of you fully knowing your mom would throw a fit if she knew. These were civilian air crafts, naturally. Your dad had some pull unfortunately not taking a jet out for a ten year old pull though. You were a natural picking up on everything rather quickly.

You weren’t allowed to fly solo until you turned sixteen, thanks FAA. The day you did though you were up in the air on your own, your dad cheering you on the entire way. He made sure he was in the tower giving you instructions as you went about. You’ll never forget the look on his face when you landed. You’d never seen him so happy as he scooped you in his arms spinning you around telling you how proud he was of you.

The day you turned 17 you got your private pilot license. You, of course, passed with flying colors. Your dad threw a big party inviting anybody and everybody. He loved showing off your talents. Classic Iceman. You had yet to graduate high school but was further ahead than anybody in your class. You had your dad to thank for that. A Naval Academy graduation, Naval flight school, Top Gun, and a few deployments later you knew you were ready. You were more ready than anybody before you. You’ve wanted this your whole life. Don’t think, just do.

“Don’t think. Just do.” He repeated back to you.

You took a deep breath feeling better. He always made you feel calmer, “Thank you, dad. You always know what to say.”

“Give ‘em hell Y/N. Give them hell kid.”

“Yes sir.” Your eyes crinkled from the smile forming across your face. That was always his favorite line. Give ‘em hell. You would do exactly that for your dad, give them hell.

Don’t think. Just do. Go time.

Your F-18 was idling waiting on the go from command. Second in line. Eighteen hours ago you were in Miramar training. Now you were halfway across the world. You took a deep breath knowing you’d get the all clear soon.

You tapped the picture of your family, for good luck, “Let’s have a good flight.” You stuck your thumb up signaling your readiness.

“Dagger One, up and ready on catapult one.” Mav spoke through the comms. You let your breath out, letting it go one last time.

“Dagger Spare, standing by.” Jake spoke. Here it comes.

“Dagger Four, up and ready.” Phoenix came through.

“Dagger Three, up and ready.” Rooster this time. Showtime.

Your turn, “Dagger Two, up and ready.” Time slowed down like it always did when you were launching. Your best days included launching yourself from an aircraft carrier.

You heard the faint, “Send them.” And you were off just milliseconds after Mav was gone. Time to go.

“All systems online.” You confirmed to yourself. You flew to the left of Mav solely focusing on what the next ten minutes would be. Get in. Get out. Dog Fight. Breathe.

“Dagger Attack.” Mav spoke. You maneuvered your jet behind the Dagger One squad coming up on the valley quickly. Locked in you followed Rooster, close. You probably were a little too close, you weren’t going fast enough. Rooster wasn’t flying fast enough. Thirty seconds in you heard panic over the comms, Rooster was not flying fast enough. Maverick was far ahead trying not to leave his wingman, but Rooster was making it hard. You gulped knowing what was on the other side of the climb, knowing how bad it could be for the Dagger Squad if he didn’t pick up the pace.

Another thirty seconds pass with everybody yelling at him to pick up the pace. You shook it off focusing on flying behind Rooster, as close as you could. You were getting nervous now, having over ten seconds to make up.

“Impact. Enemy runway is destroyed!” Command let the Dagger Squad know. Really no turning back now. Focus. In. Out. Dogfight.

Another thirty seconds go by. Rooster finally kicked it into high gear. You thanked your lucky stars knowing Mav needed to be locked in to drop those bombs.

You were able to speed yourself up hightailing it behind Rooster and Harvard. Phoenix and Bob not far behind you.

“15 seconds.” You spoke getting Dagger Four ready. Mav and Rooster just made their climb and dive into the mountain. Things really felt like they were going in slow motion as you were approaching the Uranium enrichment plant.

“We’ve got impact! That’s a direct hit!” You heard Harvard cheer from the Dagger One squad. Breathe. Your turn.

“Go time.” You punched it seeing the first climb ahead of you.

“Dagger Two, status.” You heard Mav breathing hard. No fucking way he was talking to you while climbing that mounting.

“Almost there Mav. Almost there.” Your eyes were locked on, ready for it.

You pulled up breathing erratically forcing the plane into positions it did not want to be in. Just a few more seconds and you could breathe. You flipped the plane descending into the mounting spotting the blown up entryway.

“Bob, where’s my laser?”

“Working on it Lava.” You heard Phoenix and Bob both breathing heavily.

“Hurry up Bob.” You spoke to yourself starting to panic at the time crunch.

“Laser eye locked on.” Bob spoke calmly.

“Bombs away.” You hit the button praying for a hit. The second the bombs were dropped you pulled up, hard. You hardly heard the “Bulls-eye!” celebration as you were climbing the mountain. The G’s you, Phoenix and Bob were taking should’ve knocked you out cold. You vision started getting hazy fully knowing you were hitting 10 G’s. You squeezed every muscle in your body trying to get the blood pumping back into your brain. Focus. Get out. Dogfight.

The gasp you took once you finally crested the mountain was not for the light of heart. You had half a second to your thoughts before the SAM’s started firing.

“Fuck.” You muttered fully comprehending what was going down. You got in. You got out. Dogfight time. You punched it letting Phoenix and Bob know, you couldn’t lose them. They were your wingmen. Don’t think. Just do.

You were firing flares and bullets galore. You knew you needed to conserve them but there was just too many SAM’s coming in every direction. Phoenix was yelling. Mav was yelling. You were yelling right with them trying to get everybody out of it alive.

You felt a sense of peace wash over you as your flares were depleting far too fast. You used too many diverting a missile away from Phoenix. You used the last few blowing a missile up from behind.

“I’m out of flares.” You spoke, eerily calm into the radio. You rolled away right from the middle of the action trying to think of what to do, anything to do. What would Iceman do? They wouldn’t think. They would just do.

You grunted maneuvering every which way and direction. Fuck, there was so much going on.

“Smoke in the air!” You heard Phoenix yelling.

“Shit, I’m out Phoenix.” You panicked. No flares. Only bullets, that’d do you no good. Time to race and hope for the best.

“Evade! Evade!” Mav screamed into his comms. Horrified at what he saw happening before him he sprang into action.

“I can’t shake them!” You went right and left, up and down trying to get the missiles off your ass.

Mav flew above you releasing his flares. Eyes wide you let out a guttural scream when you saw Mav’s plane take a direct hit, “Mav! No!” You cried.

“Dagger one is hit! I repeat Dagger one it his! Maverick is down.” Phoenix yelled to command letting them know what was happening out in the field.

“Dagger one, come in!” You cried into the comms, desperate, “Did anyone see a parachute? Dagger one!” No response. The three planes began their flight back to the carrier. You couldn’t focus. Mav was down there.

“Lava! Those bandits are closing we can’t go back.” Phoenix tried to reason with you. You were breathing hard. You couldn’t believe your ears. They would just abandon him? Your Uncle Mav?

“Lava, he’s gone. Maverick’s gone.” Bob spoke up this time.

You shook your head, they didn’t understand. Fuck it. You dipped out of formation disobeying orders. Phoenix, Bob, Rooster and Harvard screaming at you. Ignore. Go find Mav. You flew as fast as you could. More screaming into the headset. There, a helicopter down below. It was firing at something. Mav?

You locked target, giddy with excitement. You released one of your only offensive missiles left. You watched as the helicopter exploded, unsure if Mav was down there. What you really hadn’t thought about was being defenseless and within SAM range again. You were hit almost immediately after you hit that helicopter. Lucky for you, you ejected.

You were wrapping your parachute up when Maverick came sprinting into your view. He was alive, cool, maybe you would be able to figure this one out after all. You went to greet him, but you received a rather hard push into the snow instead.

“What the hell Mav!” You yelled.

“You alright?”

“I’m fine.” You groaned standing back up, “That hurt though.”

“What are you doing here? You think I took that missile so you could be down here?” He yelled.

“Jesus Christ Mav! Did I not sure save your life?”

“I saved yours!” He huffed in frustration, “Ice is going to skin me alive, Y/N Kazansky. What the hell were you even thinking?”

“You taught me not to think!” You yelled back to him.

He clenched his fists in frustration, beaten on that one, “Well, it’s good to see you.”

You grinned laughing a little, “Good to see you too, Mav. Got a plan?” You smiled sweetly to your daredevil uncle. He always had some sort of plan. You found your way to the blown up air strip curious as to what he was thinking. You both jogged to an unmanned hanger. An F-14 sitting there, just waiting on Mav. He instructed you on what to do. Somehow finding a strip or concrete that could take the jet.

To your absolute astonishment the damn thing made it up in the air. Not after you making fun of it, calling it a museum piece. Mav instantly defended the worn down jet. You thought it’d be smooth flying back to the jet. But to your absolute horror two jets flew up next to you speaking a foreign language. Busted. You worked in the backseat to try and get something going, flipping every breaking you could. There was a reason you were a pilot and not a Wizzo, this stuff did not come easily to you.

“Come on Mav. Don’t think, just do.”

“Hang tight kid.” Mav began his crazy array of piloting shit, you getting to witness it front and center. Immediately taking one of the jets out.

“Smoke in the air!” You cried trying to help him out as much as you could.

“Flares. Now, now, now!” You let them rip from behind you defending yourself.

Mav dived getting low. Claiming that the terrain would confuse his targeting system. You gasped when the bullets came flying. Life or death.

“We took a hit!” You yelled.

“Brace yourself.” He almost stopped the jet hopping over the one that was chasing the duo. Mav unleased a flurry of attacks on the jet.

“You got them Mav!” Mav nailed the jet sending it down.

“Yes! Mav!” You shrieked happier than ever. Mav was certifiably the most insane pilot you’ve ever been around. You couldn’t believe what he was doing in the jet.

You thought you were all clear until you somehow managed to get the radar on. “Oh fuck.” You gasped seeing something not friendly pop up on the scan.

“Mav we got another one! Where is it?”

“On our nose.”

You were sent into a panic seeing a missile coming straight at you. Mav dodged the missile and the plane.

“We’re out of flares Mav.” You yelled not believing it was happening for a second time.

The bullets from the fifth gen started firing right at the inferior Tomcat, ripping into the back of it, “This is not good.” You cried looking behind you. Mav moved the aircraft back and forth somehow dodging most of the bullets.

“We took another hit!”

“No, no, no, no, no.” You heard Maverick begin to panic. Shit. You knew it was serious when he was sent into a frenzy.

“We can’t outrun this guy. Pull the ejection handles the second I tell you.” Mav spoke quickly realizing how dire the situation was.

“Mav wait!”

“Lava there’s no other way.” He pulled the aircraft up not giving you a second to argue with him.

“Eject, eject, eject. Lava, pull the handle! Eject!” Mav cried.

You tried. You really tried with all your might but the handles above you wouldn’t budge. You tried once more with no luck. A cold shiver ran through your body as you realized it really might be over for you.

“It’s not working! Mav!”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry Ice.” He whispered. Your blood ran cold hearing the target lock. You tried with all your might to get the ejection handles to work.

As your luck would have it you heard an explosion from behind you. The jet had exploded out of thin air. That was until Jake came on through. You let out a cry realizing you’d make it home. It was hard to accept you’re the fate of death knowing what could happen at any time. It had never felt so serious before that moment. You would still love flying. You just had a newfound respect for it after this one.

“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. This is your savior speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts, return your tray tables to their locked and upright positions, and prepare for landing.” You and Maverick both let out a laugh. You crying a little. Giving him a thumbs up.

“Hey, Hangman, you look good.” Mav spoke after catching his breath.

“I am good, Mav. I’m very good.” You could see the smugness from as far as you were. He’d never let you live this one down.

You and Mav had a not so spectacular landing without a tailhook or landing gear. You sat there for a moment collecting your breath not really believing you’d made it back with hardly a scratch.

“You good?” Mav asked.

You laughed, feeling more euphoric than anything, “Yeah Mav, I’m good.”

The Tomcat was surrounded by crew and pilots alike celebrating your arrival back safe and sound. Mav was swept up by Hondo and Rooster. Phoenix cried bear hugging you.

“You stupid fucking idiot Kazansky.” She released you letting Jake have at you.

“I had to Phoenix.” She shook her head.

“Your boyfriend wants a word.”

You spun around seeing Jake looking very un-Jake like face looking back to you. He was happy to see you. You could tell that much. He just looked terrified?

“Are you fucking insane? Do you have a death wish?” Jake asked as he pulled you aside from the celebration grabbing your shoulders, shaking you back to reality, “Y/N!” He pushed you up against the inside aircraft carrier’s walls lightly.

“I’m sorry Jake!” You tried prying his hands off you, but he wouldn’t relent. He wasn’t hurting you by any means. He needed to touch you. To know that you were real. Jake couldn’t comprehend the last 45 minutes. First Maverick getting shot down he fully expected to scramble. Then, the worst news he could have heard, Dagger Two had been hit. He felt his blood drain right out of his body, finding it hard to breath.

“You’re sorry? You were dead Kazansky. Dead to the military. They wouldn’t let me go.” He let out a frustrated groan. Not sure how to express himself to you.

“I had to. That’s Pete. I had to Jake.” You couldn’t look up to him. It was finally hitting you just how dumb you had been. Your dad wasn’t going to be too thrilled about this one.

“Please look at me.” He spoke more calmly, chest heaving in and out. Obliging you looked up to him fully seeing the distress on his face, “I thought you were dead Y/N. For forty minutes I thought you were gone.” A single tear rolled down his face. Shit. Fuck.

You reached up wiping it away with the pad of your thumb, “But you saved us.” You spoke so quietly.

“I shouldn’t have had to.” He leaned his forehead against yours pushing you back up against the wall completely, “What were you thinking.”

“I wasn’t.” You admitted for the second time that day.

He cupped your face with his hands, “Can I kiss you?”

Eyes wide you responded, “Here? They’re all going to see.” You looked out onto the deck seeing everybody still celebrating. You were pulled away quickly from the chaos by Jake not fully getting to celebrate just yet. Celebration first then comes the inevitable punishment. You did disobey direct orders.

He shook his head looking at you like you were the most important thing to him, “I don’t care anymore. I thought you were gone. I thought I was never going to be able to kiss you Kazansky.” He looked at you with those lovesick eyes.

“Finally.” You grinned pulling him into you. He kissed you softly not wanting to mess this up. You, however, wanted more. You flipped him around, so he was leaning on the wall backed up against it. You pulled him in closer kissing him with more fervor. You pressed your body into his making sure he felt the friction you desired. Parting your mouth, you allowed him entrance.

He felt every ounce of your eagerness. Happily kissing you more aggressively than he anticipated. The two of you were no longer just kissing one another, you were full on sucking face. He stifled a grunt as you kept pressing yourself into him.

He broke the make out up knowing he would never hear the end of it if he had a hard on when he rejoined the celebration, “Jesus Christ Lieutenant, you can’t do that here.”

You giggled staring right at his mouth, you wanted more. So much more. He looked so damn hot standing there a little dazed with a semi-swollen mouth, “Sorry Hangman.”

He licked his lips knowing exactly what he wanted to do to you later, “Doesn’t seem all that sincere of an apology.”

You winked at him, no apology whatsoever, “It’s not. Now let’s go.” You took his hand dragging him back out onto the deck joining right back in where you left off.

“Well, aren’t you just a vision.” Jake whistled when you opened your front door. He handed you a small bouquet of flowers, “For you my dear.”

“Lilies!” You grinned grabbing the flowers from him gingerly, “These are my favorite.” You smiled up to him.

“They’re the ones from that pretty dress you wear sometimes.” He blushed lightly, not sure why he admitted that to you. Jake wanted to tell you everything. He learned this quickly in your relationship. The first few weeks he struggled not to pick his phone up to call you about something inconvenient that happened. You had to keep your phone on silent, getting in trouble for having it on as you were back in class.

You were originally stationed out of Virginia Beach, far away from your family. After the mission, and the ass chewing from your father, you were transferred back to Miramar. Again, you were convinced it was your father pulling strings because Cyclone wasn’t your biggest fan these days after you disobeyed his orders. You were reassigned as a teacher at Top Gun. You did your best to stay away from Cyclone, but it was hard, Top Gun wasn’t a big place.

Jake was previously stationed in San Diego, at the base a little further South. You couldn’t help but to be excited when you were transferred back to Top Gun. Jake was down the road. Mav literally lived a few blocks from you and your family was within driving distance.

You jumped in headfirst at Top Gun, you were used as the Maverick of training in the field. You loved beating aviators that were much older than you, all cockier than the next. You loved knocking then down a peg, humbling them a bit. You were worried that your flying career was over with the transfer. Your fears were moot when you were given your next set of orders, a mission in the middle east. That wasn’t for another few weeks though.

You set the flowers in a vase and topped it with water. Smiling stupidly at the flowers. You were floored that he noticed something so small. You hurried back over to your charming date.

“You noticed that hmm?” You kissed him on the cheek smiling sweetly at the man. You weren’t sure but you thought you loved him. You wouldn’t dare admit that anytime soon knowing you’d sound crazy, but he was incredible in every way. It was the small things he did that made your days so much easier. He would make sure your car was filled up, bring you flowers, order you dinner, made sure you never opened a door when he was around. You couldn’t help but to fall in love with him. You were only a month and half in, but you knew. You knew he was it for you.

“I notice everything about you sweetheart.” He tapped your nose with his pointer finger. Grabbing your hand, he walked you to his truck opening his door for you, “You really do look beautiful.”

“Thank you, Jake.” You shook your head at him loving the flattery but shy about it nonetheless.

He nodded winking at you thinking how cute it was when you shied away. He knew how comfortable you were with him, but the simplest comments would make you shy away. He still had something up his sleeve.

The drive to the beach was mostly quiet albeit the radio humming away. You loved the comfortable silence between the too, never feeling the slightest bit awkward. You always moved closer to him making sure to not distract him too much when he was driving. You either played with his hand or he with yours. Seemingly not ever wanting to ever let him go.

He parked. Jumping out quickly to get to your door before you could. You laughed as he just beat you this time, “You know I can get the door.”

He cocked an eye, “Sure you can. But you won’t.” He took your hand helping you down.

He grabbed a picnic basket and a blanket out of the back leading you to the beach. You loved the beach at sunset. The colors in the sky, the birds chirping away, the people flying kites. Everything about it made you happy. Jake picked up on it quickly, you were always suggesting sunset walks or swims. He was learning to love it just as much as you did.

He laid everything out letting you pick which spot you wanted, “This is wonderful.” You softly smiled to the man who captured your heart.

“I know how much you love the beach sunset. Why not dinner and a beach sunset.” He grabbed your hands squeezing them.

“You’re so sweet.” You couldn’t take your eyes off him, sunset be dammed, “Phoenix never believes me when I tell her how it’s going.”

He grumbled, “You tell Phoenix?”

“Yeah, and Halo.”

“Kazansky.” He sighed peeking back up seeing your amused expression. He couldn’t stop the smile that spread brightly across his face.

“Seresin.” You giggle admiring the way the sun reflects off him.

“Gosh you’re pretty.”

“So are you.” You replied quickly. Suddenly feeling flustered by him as he scooted closer to you.

He chuckled reaching for your face, “Sweet girl.” He leaned in further sending your heart into a frenzy. He stopped just short of your lips letting you finish the kiss, only if you wanted to.

You wanted too, closing the gap quickly. You felt him smile as you kissed him. You just adored him. He only stopped when he heard your stomach grumble.

“Let’s eat.” He grinned handing you your dinner.

Part 3

#jake seresin #hangman x reader #hangman x female!reader #hangman x you #hangman x y/n #top gun hangman #jake seresin x you #jake seresin x y/n #jake seresin fanfic #jake seresin x reader #hangman top gun #top gun imagine #top gun maverick #top gun #tgm #tgm imagine #tgm fic #tgm fandom #dagger squad #top gun 2 #jake hangman seresin #lieutenant jake hangman seresin

[runa-falls]

a lover’s spat

summary: reader tries to teach lloyd a lesson

pairing: lloyd hansen x f!reader (third person)

rating: mature

warnings: almost cheating, mentions of blowjobs, guns/gunshots, minor character injury/death, choking, third person for no reason??

w/c: 1.2k 😭 WAIT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A DUMBASS DRABBLE

a/n: i rewatched tgm and i have some thots.--i need a suicide squad jokerxharley type relationship with lloydxreader where they’re both crazy/erratic and always horny for each other.

- btw i'm writing this after 3 glasses of wine and i'm not gonna proof read it until tomorrow--so enjoy [?]

series masterlist

-=+=-=+=-=+=-

bear with me: imagine the reader attempting to make lloyd jealous

so everyone knows about Lloyd and his princess. Lloyd is a batshit-crazy murderer and his girl is the same. the only difference is that she does it all in heels.

evidently, no one wants to get involved in that shit-show.

they have a history of ending their explosive relationship with actual explosives, and celebrating their fiery make-ups with actual fire (and unnecessary torture sprees[?]).

basically, it's assumed that if someone gets in the way, they're asking to be collateral or volunteering to be their next meal.

now, the relationship is "on" again--and it's as rocky as ever.

Lloyd's precious princess is attempting to teach him a little lesson for ignoring her. apparently, he's been too focused on work lately: always kicking her out of his office because she’s “too distracting” when she hangs around.

she doesn’t understand. all she did was perch prettily on his lap, eat some snacks, and occasionally try to suck him down her throat. it's not her fault he can't handle it...

so she decides she’s gonna grab a cute boy from the club and ignore him. it's an innocent game of trying to make her boyfriend jealous. of trying to see how far she can go until he breaks down and fucks her.

but it doesn't go exactly according to plan.

her first mistake was doing it in his own club. he has eyes everywhere. every entrance is watched, every person is accounted for, and everyone is under his command. he won't miss anything.

her second mistake was wearing his favorite dress. she knows the barely there pink number drives him crazy: cut outs in all the right places, draping beautifully against her figure. he personally picked it out to fuck her in it for their second anniversary.

she thought it would be that extra kick-to-the-throat to send him over the edge.

her third and final mistake was breaking the kissing rule. despite what everyone thinks, lloyd can be a reasonable guy. at least for her. he gives her second, third, even fourth chances. she's allowed to tease, prod, or even grope other guys, but kissing has always been off limits.

unfortunately for him, she's always one to push the limits. that was his mistake.

she is exhilarated by the deathly stare he sends from across the dance floor. and though her lips were pressed against another, her eyes stayed locked onto his baby blues, drinking in every ounce of his fury. his hands curl into fists at his sides as he watches the scene under the dimmed lighting.

she sees him call over one of his men, eyes still locked with hers, grunting frustrated commands over the bass-boosted music. they nod, muttering into their earpiece before passing him a dark object.

suddenly, the music around her ceases. she recognizes this chest-tightening feeling: something is about to happen.

lloyd winks at her with a sly smirk before casually raising his arm in her direction--his long fingers delicately hold a gun. before she can separate from the man, an ear piercing bang echoes through the crowded room. everything stops for a moment: all dancing pauses, all talking ceases, and all breathing freezes.

then once everyone processes the noise, it's instant chaos. the music, still blaring through the speakers, is quickly drowned by high pitched screams, and frantic yelling. fear and desperation pools through the crowd, pushing everyone towards the exits.

his girl, however, simply rolls her eyes in annoyance: he just had to make a scene. she drags the back of her hand against her lips, wiping off smudged lipstick and the distinct taste of tequila, before abruptly pushing her experiment away from her, sharply aware of what is coming next.

the nameless man clumsily stumbles backwards in confusion, his drunk-fucked mind still unaware of the cause of the chaos. then another shot rings through the room, and he ceremoniously falls to his knees.

she sees lloyd graciously walking toward them, the crowd parting around him. a shit eating grin beams from under his 'stache.

"come'on, princess," his scolding tone is doused in honey as he considers the man under him. without hesitation, he pops another shot into the man's back before looking back up. "you know the rules." she doesn't pay any mind to the violent act, used to his outspoken actions.

she gives lloyd an innocent shrug, emphasizing her considerable cleavage that's now shining with sweat from the hot atmosphere of the (once) crowded club. "you said rules are made to be broken." she calmly smoothes out her short dress, ignoring his heated stare, pretending to make sure there aren't any unruly blood stains from her temporary partner-in-crime.

"so...what was this," he waves his gun around the fallen soldier, "little tantrum about, hm?" she hated how he talked to her like a child, always cooing and using easy words just to piss her off.

"the fact you don't know fuckin' proves my point!" she whines, pouting childishly under his gaze. "it's like you go through our relationship completely fucking blind, only caring when you feel like it!" he takes a swift step closer, taking her by surprise as he fully grabs her by the throat.

his words seethe through clenched teeth as he pulls her close enough for his forehead to touch hers, "look, baby, i've tried to be cordial with you, but now you're just being a brat." she can feel blood throb through her head as his grip tightens. "i don't know what crawled up your ass! i can't read your fucking mind!"

she squirms in his hold, weakly kicking against his shins, "you ignored me! you chose work over me!" her voice rasps out against his hand, but she's barely phased by her positioning. "you don't fucking love me!" his hand briskly releases her, leaving her a panting mess on her knees in front of him.

"you think i don't love you just 'cuz i wouldn't fuck you into the desk while i was on a call?"

"it was never an issue before..."

he sighs, realizing this is just another blip in their relationship that really doesn't matter. "honey, i actually have work to do. this isn't some hollywood fairytale where this money appears outta thin air."

she scrunches her nose at his condescending tone, finally having enough of this power play for the night. "obviously i knew that! i'm not fucking dumb, lloyd." she stands back up, trying to size him up even though he's quite a bit taller than her.

"well, if you knew it, then what's the fucking problem? why are we even discussing this." he groans, clearly done with the pointless argument.

"oh okay, so since you don't have a problem with it, there isn't one?"

"that's not what i said."

"whatever, lloyd. i'm done." she turns to the dark emptiness of the club, enjoying the finality of her heels echoing through the room.

a dark chuckle blooms from behind her, "yeah, that's not happening."

she turns her head over her shoulder with a snarky smile, movements not stopping, "uh-yeah, i think it is."

she spoke too soon.

as he clears his throat, every exit is swiftly blocked by one of his men, all dressed in thick black uniforms.

"no. i don't think it is.” she looks back, watching him fiddle with the gun in his hands as he stares her down, “why don’t you come back here, and sit nicely in front of daddy?” there’s a bout of silence between the couple, tensions rising as they both anticipate who’s going to make the first move.

she silently shakes her head, trying to hang on to her last strand of defiance. he tilts his head with frustration, “how about this: sit down like a good puppy or i’ll fuck your throat raw.”

#lloyd hansen #lloyd hansen x reader #lloyd hansen x you #the gray man #tgm #chris evans #chris evans x reader #chris evans x you #lloyd thots #lloyd hours #stop this was supposed to be a thot #like 500> words!! #wtf #pls don't judge me for this #third person for no reason? #jarley #type relationship

[kinzis-writing]

Only Exception | Robert “Bob” Floyd

Pairing: Robert “Bob” Floyd x Fem! Mitchell! Reader, Rooster x Fem! Mitchell Reader (platonic)

Summary: Y/N Mitchell swore to herself that she would never allow herself to date or get involved with anyone from any branch of the military. After worrying about her father, the past few years, she knew that she never wanted to experience that worry for a significant other. After her father gets ordered back to California, she may just meet the one that ruins all her plans.

Request: Yes | No

Warning(s): swearing, slight angst, mentions of sexual material, top gun related themes, Top Gun: Maverick spoilers! Also timelines probably won’t add up for this imagine.

note from me: this is my first top gun one-shot and I am not sure how I feel about it. This may end up being really long or multiple parts. I personally wrote this because Bob is one of my favorite characters. I don’t feel like he gets enough love but that is just my opinion. I have always been one to like the characters who are more quiet and shy.

I have watched the original Top Gun multiple times (I thank my mother because she loves the original) and I’ve went out with my college friends and watched TGM four times now (i know). With this being said, I still do not know much about the navy or such. However, reader will have a nursing profession because I do know about that. I am currently a nursing student so... just so I can talk about one job that I actually know about. 

Update: this is now a mini series! *Not Edited*

Series Masterlist: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four.

Gif NOT mine, all credits to owner/maker. 

The wind blew through the y/c/h girl’s hair as she drove down the street. She had a feeling that she knew the exact reason her father had been called back into town. It was obvious that he had a job here, or else he wouldn’t be back. She also knew that there was a reason that her father had made her wait until Penny called her to tell her that her father was back in town. It did irritate the girl, that her own blood wouldn’t tell her that he was back. She would have appreciated a text or phone call instead of relying on his ex-girlfriend to tell his own daughter. 

pushing her anger and irritation to the side for this moment, she pulled into a parking space. The hard deck was already crowded and there was no doubt that more people would pile in as the night progressed. It was the best bar in town for the Navy folk and everyone in between. Y/N took a deep breathe, what was she preparing to hear, she wasn’t sure, yet she knew that she would need to prepare herself for whatever the outcome may be. Walking through the doors of the infamous bar sent her memories skyrocketing. She had been here many times, lately she had neglected the place due to her hectic work schedule. Y/N made sure to ignore the looks that some of the guests sent her or the obvious man-whores making comments. Luckily, the girl had inherited some of Pete’s attitude, meaning part of his cockiness rubbed off on her.

“Y/N,” Penny greeted with a smile causing Maverick to look over to his daughter. “Can I get you anything?”

Y/N gave a light smile to Penny as she sat on the barstool beside her dad, “No thanks, I have an early shift in the morning.” She dismissed as she heard cheering and chaos behind her. The girl rolled her eyes as she slightly turned her head noticing a tall blond-haired person in uniform. “Top gun students?” the younger girl spoke up as she waited for Penny or her father to answer her question.

Maverick cleared his throat before speaking, “Top Gun graduates.” He corrected his daughter making the younger girl turn to her father with a knowing look. “I’m teaching them, training them for a mission.”

“The best of the best?” Y/N asked turning back to look over at the pool table. She caught the obnoxious attitude of the two huddled around the table and the girl who seemed to be reconciling what he had started.

“Yeah.” Pete sighed. He knew that his daughter wasn’t dumb. She knew that if her father was training graduates that the mission had to be dangerous. She had been scared for her father enough to know that it was the case.

“Lovely.” She muttered before the bar doors opened and in walked her old best friend, she hadn’t seen him in years. The aviator glasses laid on his face until he pulled them off and let them hang on the neck of his white tank top. The Hawaiian shirt laid over top of his white tank unbuttoned. His style matching his father’s, that the girl had noticed in pictures that her father had kept. Y/N let a small smile grace her features knowing that her best friend had went through life doing what he wanted. She knew he deserved it; he deserved some sort of happiness. “I assume you knew he would be here?” she spoke up as she turned back to her father.

Penny gave the older man a knowing look causing him to sigh, “Yeah, trust me… it’s not my first option.” He added making his daughter roll her eyes. She knew that Bradley would never appear ready enough or old enough to please her dad. Simply because he didn’t even want him in the Navy, the same way he begged his daughter to have no interest in the military. He explained how he didn’t want his own daughter or Bradley to be a part of this, how he wanted a better life than this. Y/N knew there was a deeper story though. She just knew when to stop prying her dad for answers.

“Would he ever be ready to you?” Y/N asked her father giving him a knowing look. She watched as her father deflated as he looked for an answer to the girl’s question. She knew the answer already, she just wanted to see what her old man would say. Bradley had been angry with her father for some time now, to be fair, Bradley hadn’t been Y/N’s best friend for many years. Because of their ten-year age gap, y/n was more like his little sister. They had reconnected when she was working as a travel nurse, and she happened to have a contract at a hospital close to where he was working at the time. That was a couple years ago when she was a fresh nurse.

 Instead of waiting for a reply she knew wasn’t coming, she got up out of her seat and made her way over to the group of pilots. Bradley was in a conversation with the only girl pilot in their group before Y/N interrupted. “Well, I’ll be damned, if it isn’t Bradley Bradshaw.” She spoke up causing the group of Pilots to turn their attention to her. Y/N Crossed her arms over herself as a smirk made its way onto her face. 

“Y/N?” Bradley’s voice sounded surprised to say the least. Within the next minute Y/N was wrapped up in a tight hug from her previous best friend. “It’s been so long, how’ve you been?” he asked quietly as they slowly parted from the hug. 

“Besides getting a new job and living here for the next couple years, not much.” The Mitchell girl shrugged as she looked over and noticed that the two were the center of attention. “I’m sorry to interrupt.” She added causing her friend to turn and look at his fellow pilots.

 Bradley placed his arm over her shoulder before turning more towards Phoenix. “This is Y/N, I basically grew up with her.” He announced as a few of the pilot’s murmured greetings and went back to what they were doing. Natasha was the first to walk over and introduce herself, insisting that the newbie call her Phoenix.

“What’s a beautiful girl like you doing being friends with Rooster?” The tall obnoxious blond-haired person from earlier spoke up. He wore a smirk on his face, one that Y/N knew. It was common for the same type of boys to have that overconfident smirk about them. “I’m sure I could show you a better time.” 

Y/N rolled her eyes as she eyed the man across the pool table, his cue laid on his relaxed shoulders. Almost like he was enjoying being her center of attention, yet he wasn’t getting the attention he wanted from the girl. “I don’t get involved with any branch of the military,” Y/N announced with her eyes narrowed in slits. If she hadn’t remembered the bar sign, she would have added another smart remark. However, the girl didn’t feel like buying a round for everyone in the bar tonight. 

He muttered a reply with a smirk before going back to playing pool with the other boys. Before the guy, who she learned was Hangman challenged Rooster in pool. Y/N rolled her eyes but stepped away, she turned to go back towards the bar before noticing one of the men that she didn’t talk to yet. She didn’t want to just walk up to him and be blunt or seem too interested in new people. He stuck out to her though, mainly because he didn’t seem to be cocky like the others, he was quieter and seemed to keep to himself. That was rare to find in people like him. Even Rooster was cocky about some things. Pushing her annoying thoughts away, she walked over to the unknown man and leaned against the wall next to him. “Hey,” She started causing him to look around a moment before turning his gaze up to meet hers. Since he was sitting on a stool, and she was standing. “We haven’t met yet, y/n.” she introduced as she held her hand out. 

The guy reached his hand out and shook hers, “Bob.” He mumbled. Y/N gave him a small smile before he released her hand. The girl went to say something else before Penny rang the bell and everyone started chanting. Hangman and his fellow pilots were quick to get to the bar. The girl knew what was happening, whoever had gotten the bell rang on them was being tossed out of the bar.

“So, how do you like being a pilot?” Y/N asked bob over all the noise. Her attention was on the boy with glasses in front of her, until she noticed the biker jacket on the guy that Hangman and his friends were throwing out. “Oh, shit.” The girl mumbled to herself.

“I’m actually- “Bob started until he noticed the look on her face. She looked worried for a moment before she stood up and gave the man apologetic eyes.

“I have to go, but I hope we can finish this conversation sometime.” She told him honestly with a smile before pushing herself off the wall and out of the bar. Y/N left without wishing anyone a goodbye as she went outside to make sure her father was okay after being thrown out.

⁂⁍

Y/N was pissed, that was the best way to describe what the woman was feeling at this very moment. She had shown up to her shift early this morning and had a wonderful day, until lunch break. Too many things happened in her life currently. Someone had called and reported her for no reason, she tried to tell her bosses that it was more than likely a family member of the woman she had been taking care of. The daughter of the woman was a pain to deal with every time she came to visit. She got mad if the nurses weren’t there to get Ice chips right when the call light goes off. Y/N could understand if it was an emergency but reporting her over delayed ice chips or delayed water refills was a joke. She was busting her ass for her patients because she knew they deserved the best.

“Y/N, you’re off work early.” Penny greeted cautiously. Never had the Mitchell girl came into the bar when her four shifts in a row started. She also never came to the bar in her scrubs which is what she was currently wearing. “Can I get you something?”

“Something strong please.” Y/N muttered while taking a seat at the bar. Her hand was holding her head up as her elbow rested on the bar that Penny had just wiped off. She knew that her father would be done teaching his first class today and he would be here. That’s when she would have to face the music and tell her dad the cold hard truth. “Thank you.” She thanked the older woman as she laid a glass in front of her.

Just as she had predicted, her father came into the bar an hour or two after she got there. She hated having to admit to her father what happened. It wasn’t like she couldn’t live, they had to pay her contract that she signed out, but it was the fact that she had lost her job. This job had guaranteed her in one place for the next three years.

“Y/N, you’re off work early.” Pete stated as he took the seat next to his daughter. Penny laid a beer in front of him as he thanked her before turning back to his daughter. “I thought your first day was a 16?”

Y/N sighed as tears welled up in her eyes, her gaze dropped down to her drink as she tried her best to blink the tears away. “They let me go.” She mumbled as she took a deep breath. “They paid out my contract and got rid of me.” Y/N picked up her glass and took a drink before sitting it back down.

“Did they mention what happened?” Pete asked his daughter softly. He hated that this happened to his daughter, especially when he knew how hard she worked.

“Some daughters of one of my patients called to report me three separate times. The same old asshat of a Karen.” Y/N stated as she rubbed her eyes to get rid of the tears. She was tired and upset, more than she had ever been in her life. “It was the same ones who got mad over ice chips and drinks being delayed. That’s why I got reported. I swear that was the only reason.” She promised. All the girl could do was feel disappointed in herself. She wasn’t sure what to do, she knew that she had to be looking for a new job to survive.

Penny gave the girl an apologetic look before leaning over the bar in between the daughter and father duo. “I can let you work here until you find another nursing job.” Penny offered. Y/N gave her a thankful smile but declined her offer. Afterall, she didn’t study for four years just to let her degree go to waste.

“I could try to get you an interview in our med unit on base.” Her father offered knowing that his daughter wanted nothing to do with the navy boys that would see her the most. He was against her being in any part of the navy, but he did want her to get back on her feet.

“Thanks dad, but that will be my last option.” Y/N told her father honestly as she traced her finger around the rim of her glass. “I’ll use the money they had to give me to live while I look for something else.” That was the most logical to her. She didn’t want to be in a job where she hated the facility or where her father is the reason, she got the job. Y/N knew that it wouldn’t hurt her to have a small vacation either. It would be good for her to have some free time and be able to relax a bit.

The girl zoned out as her dad and Penny engaged in a conversation, with the time it was about to get packed. Pete’s class had already joined each other in the back where they usually stay and the chaos they were causing. Y/N’s gaze landed over to Bob who was talking to Phoenix before the girl stood up and started walking towards the bar. The unfinished conversation hung over her, making her want to go over and spark up the conversation. So, without a further thought, the girl made her way over to the quiet navy man.

“Bob,” Y/N spoke softly so she wouldn’t scare the man. He turned to face her, a small smile appearing when he noticed the girl. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and her scrubs marked every curve of her body, not that she got them tight. It was just the brand she was wearing that day; she would admit that she had some looser ones at home.

“Hi.” Bob said, almost sheepishly as he noticed her scrubs and her appearance. He would be lying if he told anyone that the girl in front of him was not attractive. Of course, he thought she was gorgeous. How could he not?

Y/N let out a short giggle as she took the seat next to him, “hey.” She replied before noticing Bradley’s gaze from across the pool table. She sent him a smile with a wave, he returned the smile before turning back to the game in front of him. “I rushed out yesterday so I thought we could finish our conversation.” She enlightened as she turned towards him a bit.

“Oh,” Bob nodded as he noticed the girl’s eyes glisten with an emotion he could not decipher.

“I didn’t get an answer to my first question,” Y/N started.

“Oh, uh, I’m actually not a pilot.” He announced to the girl beside of him. “I’m a wso.”

Y/N nodded understanding that he would not be the one flying the jet. She had grown up listening to her father tell her stories about the navy and what he did for work. Of course, it was not exactly well known around the younger lieutenants that Maverick even had a daughter. After all, he was known to be one of the fastest, if not the fastest, flyer in the navy. “Is bob your callsign or your name?”

“Both, well my real name is Robert.” He explained as he grabbed his drink off the ledge beside the two of them. “Everyone just calls me Bob.”

“Ah, well…” Y/N trailed as she thought about her next comment. She did not want to seem weird or come off too strong. “I like to have my own nickname for my friends.” She spoke lightly to see his reaction. “Like Bradley, well, Rooster to everyone else…” She started as she pointed her finger in the direction of her older friend. “When we were close, I used to call the guy Brownie.” She spoke up causing said man to look in the direction of his two friends.

Y/N laughed as a groan came from the Bradshaw boy’s mouth. She knew he hated that nickname since she started calling him that. Given they had a sibling relationship, so it started out to just annoy him, then she finally just called him that when they were together. She would not put Bob through the torture of having a horrible nickname like that. She just liked telling her new friends about what she put the poor boy through.

“Don’t start that again.” Bradley spoke up as he passed the two on his way to the bar. No doubt getting another drink if they were about to have that conversation.

Y/N glanced at Bob noticing the smile on his face, “I’m thinking Robby, or Bobby, it’s a hard choice.” She spoke up as Bob met her eyes.

Y/N could feel her cheeks heat up as she noticed how his gaze lingered a bit before he cleared his throat and took a sip of his drink. The Mitchell girl bit her lip to keep the grin off her face before looking away towards her old friend who had rejoined the group. Rooster sent the girl a knowing look with a smirk occupying his lips as him and Phoenix whispered to each other. No doubt talking about the two of them.

Y/N cleared her throat before standing up getting the shy boys attention, “I should get going, but uh, I hope to see you again bobby.” She mumbled softly before standing up. Rooster followed the girl out to her vehicle. Mainly to interrogate her about his classmate, but also to tell the girl goodbye. “I’ll see you later Bradley.” She bid goodbye as she hugged him quickly before letting go.

“I thought you weren’t into Navy guys?” He asked with a knowing smirk on his face.

The girl felt her face flush as she playfully rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She replied as she crossed her arms over her body. Honestly, she felt exposed with this conversation. She knew that there was some reason she wanted to get to know the quiet wso, but she was not sure exactly what it was. Maybe it was because he was vastly different than the other guys in the navy. She did not plan on ever dating a military guy, and her plans were still to only be friends with them. Nothing more and nothing less, even if it was against what she personally wanted. There was no way that she was going to risk the heartbreak of her lover never coming home. It was too much, and, in all honesty, she did not want a tragic event to ruin her life like that.

 “Come on, y/n/n.” Bradley spoke softly in hopes that she would not get defensive. “I am not saying you like him or anything right now. I just know how you act when you think a guys attractive, plus your type tends to be the quiet or shy ones.” He explained causing Y/N to sigh. 

She knew Bradley was right. He had been around her when she first started going on dates and her boyfriends always ended up being the quiet ones. The ones that had clean reputations, and she tried her best to stay away from man-whores. That was until her ex that she dated when she was eighteen, Bradley had been briefed on that story once they reconnected. Her ex-boyfriend had been in the military, the army to be exact, he was one of the overconfident ones. Hangman had reminded her of that ex plenty when she met him. He had proposed to the girl less than a year of dating and she agreed, mainly because she was hung up on his looks. Pete would tell you that he was a dick who did not deserve his daughter. Y/N knew that her father, friends, and everyone around her hated him and the way he treated her. He was not the best, always demanding that she move with him. She had eventually found out that he cheated on her while he was stationed elsewhere. There were multiple girls, yet the most recent one before she broke off the engagement found out that she was pregnant. That was the last straw for her, knowing that she knew better, and she swore to never date anyone in any kind of branch of the Military. Of course, worrying for her father did play a part in that. It just was not the main reason. 

“Of course, I’m attracted to Bob, it’s painfully obvious that he’s, my type.” Y/N muttered before running a nervous hand through her hair. She knew that if she kept talking to him or trying to hang out with him that she would eventually get feelings for the man. “I don’t want to get my heart broken again. Whether it being from mistakes or death.” 

Bradley sighed; he knew where she was coming from. The fear and pain of becoming close with someone in his line of work. Y/n knew about Goose’s death, and he knew that it was probably a reminder for her, just like it was him. The only fact that it was his father and he met him, and she did not. She had comforted him a bit when he got mad at her father and when he would want to talk about Goose. “Phoenix seems to think he’s a great guy and he has a clean reputation.” Rooster started slowly to see how his younger friend would take the information. “I get that you are scared, but you can’t use that your whole life. You need to do what makes you the happiest and if that ends up being Bob in the future… so be it.” 

Y/N shook her head and without saying anything else she got in her vehicle and left the bar. Leaving Bradley alone outside, until he sighed and walked back into the bar. 

⁂⁍

Y/N had woken up the next morning with a text message on her phone from Iceman. She rarely talked to the man since her college graduation. He was someone that she was close with as a kid and teen, mainly because that was who her father hung around the most. He was mentioning how they were looking for a nurse to be on standby at their North Island base. She knew that her father had something to do with Iceman offering her an interview if she wanted one, how did he have that connection? She wasn’t sure, but she also didn’t want to refuse from him. It was better than her father going to the base himself and begging them to give her an interview. She had agreed to go in for the interview at 1200, which led her to drive to the base an hour before her interview. She knew that her father would be training the graduates so she could wait and talk to him about it after.

Y/N went to her interview and after she patiently waited for her father. She knew that she had the right qualifications to work at the base. Like she had told her father, the navy wasn’t what she wanted, plus she knew that if someone applied for the job that was in the navy that she would not get the job. All because she had grown up with a pilot father didn’t mean that she would have everything they preferred.

“Y/N?” A soft voice asked as the girl turned around. The Mitchell girl came face to face with Bob, who seemed like he was a bit sweaty and tired. “What are you doing here?”

She gave him a smile before opening her mouth to speak, “Well, you see Bobby, I happen to be a nurse and I got called here for an interview.” She explained. “They’re looking for a nurse to stay on base for the next few months and I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to understand exactly how my friends and dad work.”

“Dad?” Bob asked confused with a small smile on his face. “Was your father in the navy?”

“Actually- “Y/N started before she heard footsteps behind Bob. She noticed her father walking towards them causing her to give him a smile.

“Hey kiddo, what’re you doing here?” Maverick asked as he stopped beside one of his students and his daughter. Pete wasn’t stupid, he knew that his daughter hung around the hard deck because she met Bob. Of course, he knew her no navy boy rule as well, he just didn’t believe she would stick to it.

“Don’t act like you don’t know.” Y/N scoffed as she gave her father a look. The quiet boy looked between the two as they conversed, finally seeing the resemblance that he didn’t notice was there earlier. It was clear that Y/N probably got more looks from her mother because she wasn’t an exact replica of her father, but you could tell they were related.

Maverick gave her a look back before looking between her and the wso, “what’s going on here?” He knew how to make his daughter annoyed and how to intimidate one of his students.

“Uh, nothing Captain, I just- “Bob started before he started tripping over his words.

Y/N held in a giggle as she shot her dad slight glares, “We were just saying hi.” She replied with Bob giving her a thankful smile. “I’ll see you later, Bobby.” She told him with a grin as her and dad started walking down the hall, letting her father lead her wherever.

“Bobby?” Maverick asked his daughter with an eyebrow raised. The girl rolled her eyes as they entered the area where her father must be teaching. “You’re hanging out with Lieutenant Floyd now?”

Y/N rolled her eyes again before crossing her arms. “I am not, but so what if I was?” She shrugged as she sat down in one of the empty seats. The pilots must have been getting ready for a new exercise seeing as they were nowhere to be found. “What I waited around for is to ask why you told Ice about my job problem?”

“Honey,” Maverick sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. To be fair, he didn’t expect his friend to message his daughter about it. “He asked how you were since I was back in town. I told him.”

“I told you that I didn’t want your help getting this job,” Y/N sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. “If I got a job, especially like this, I don’t want it because I consider Ice an uncle or because Maverick is my father.”

“Job? Y/N, I didn’t mention him helping you get a job. I just told him that you were looking for one currently cause of the shit that your old facility put you through.” Pete honestly told his daughter. Y/N noticed the look in his eyes, he was telling the truth and she knew it. That meant that it was Ice who was trying to help the Mitchell girl get a job, but why? She understood that he was close to her father and that they were once like immediate family, but times have changed as they have grown older.

Y/N nodded bidding her father goodbye and leaving her dad and friends behind until they all made it to the bar tonight. The bar wouldn’t open for many hours, but she thought that she could go help Penny until training was over and she could get to know her new friend a bit more. “God, what am I getting myself into.” She muttered to herself as she left the base and headed towards the Hard Deck. She needed to set some boundaries for herself so she wouldn’t start catching feelings for Bob. She knew that if she didn’t set some ground rules that it would happen. Y/N Mitchell was lost in thought and slightly zoned out until she arrived at the bar, only one vehicle parked out front. She knew it had to be Penny’s.

The y/c/h girl placed her sunglasses on her dashboard before climbing out of her vehicle. The quickly pressed the ‘lock’ button on her car remote before jogging into the empty bar. Amelia sat at the bar with a notebook and pages sitting on the bar in front or her. Before the girl could speak up, Penny came out of the bag with a box that was clinking as she carried it. “You need some help?” Y/N offered as she walked closer to the older woman.

“I’m fine, thank you though.” Penny dismissed as she took in Y/N’s attire and how she was fixed up properly. “You have an interview today?”

Y/N nodded with a sigh escaping her, “Yeah, thanks to Iceman.” She told the woman as she sat a few seats down from Penny. The woman could tell by the girl’s tone that she didn’t want to talk about it. So, she did the opposite.

“I heard you have your eye on a certain Navy boy.” Penny brought up as she started wiping off the beer glasses and getting them ready for opening. Y/N groaned as she laid her forehead on the bar. It was bad enough that Bradley and her father thought they knew about it, now Penny was on her back about it too.

“Why does everyone keep telling me that?” Y/N sighed as she picked her head up and leaned against her hand. Her elbow was on the table keeping her head steady in her hand. “In case everyone forgot, I have a strict ‘no military’ boy policy in my life.” She muttered as Amelia turned to give the girl a knowing look.

“Please, even I can tell your sexually frustrated.” Amelia spoke up as she gave the girl closer to her age a look.

Penny scolded Amelia causing the teen to turn back to her homework. “Bob’s a nice guy, very shy.” Penny spoke softly as she continued her job. “I’m sure he wouldn’t break your heart.”

Y/N glanced at the two girls at the bar and sighed. “I’m not into Bob, can we just drop the topic.” She begged causing Penny to sigh but agree. That’s when the older woman finally accepted help from the younger adult.

⁂⁍

The bar had been open for about two hours and it was just a few minutes before the rush would start coming in. People would be getting off work and everything in between. Maverick had texted Penny and his daughter that he ended class a bit early today, just to give the team time to relax before tomorrow. Mainly because he had made them do pushups that day of.

“Here comes your ‘friend’” Penny stated before sliding down the bar and taking a new guy’s order. Y/N rolled her eyes at the older woman before taking a sip of her coke. She wasn’t drinking tonight, for many reasons, but the main one was she didn’t trust herself drunk or even tipsy. Especially with her Bobby in the same bar.

“Hey, Y/N.” Bob’s shyness was evident when he spoke up. More than likely because there were many men making comments to you which you just shrugged off. “Seems like we’re always in the same place.” He laughed nervously.

A grin spread across the girl’s face as she noticed his nerves. No doubt because one of his pilot friends put him up to this. “Well, Bobby, I do live here and now you know my father so…” She trailed off as she turned towards the boy that she hadn’t known for exceedingly long. “But, uh, I was actually wanting to get to know you.” Y/N spoke up, so Bob didn’t have to struggle.

“Do you, maybe, want to take a walk?” Bob offered.

A blush fanned Y/N’s cheeks as she impulsively grabbed Bob’s hand and lead him out of the bar and towards the beach. Penny watched with a smirk on her face as Phoenix and Bradley high-fived over at their table where they were seated. On the other hand, Pete knew that his daughter didn’t notice him come in the bar.

“She said she isn’t into him.” Pete spoke loud enough for Penny to hear in front of him.

“You honestly believe that?” Penny asked her ex-lover as she gave him a knowing look.

Pete shrugged, “If she isn’t, she will be.”

Back on the beach Y/N was walking with Bob, not realizing that their hands were still clasped together. It felt natural to the girl and yet she paid no mind to it. Bob had noticed and decided not to say anything. Mainly because he hadn’t had any sort of affection in a while. It’s not like he never had any, it had just been hard for him to find someone recently with his work and everything.

“What made you choose the navy?” Y/N asked softly as she sat down in the sand, their hands now disconnected. She waited for his answer as she slipped her shoes off and let her toes sink into the sand.

Bob shrugged causing their shoulders to touch, “Many factors.” He replied. “I was always a bit fascinated with the career.” He added before switching the question to the girl beside him. “What about you, what made you choose nursing?”

Y/N gave a soft smile, “Helping people.” She mumbled as she glanced over and noticed his full attention on her. “I always wanted to help people, I almost decided on Medical school, instead of nursing school.” She admitted as she watched the waves crash on the shore. It was beautiful. The beach had always been one of her favorite places. “I had it drilled in my head as a teen that I should not join any part of the military, that it was too dangerous, and I deserved to have a family without worry.” Y/N mumbled as she noticed Bob’s gaze drop down for a moment before glancing back up at her. “That’s Maverick as a dad for ya, so reckless but his kid isn’t allowed to be.” She added with a laugh to lighten the mood.

Bob shrugged, “I think that’s just what parents do.” He muttered back the reply.

Y/N gave him a small smile in understanding. She did know that it was part of Pete’s problem, but she also knew that Goose had a lot to do with how he felt about his kids joining the navy or the military for that matter. “You’re right, he was just as hard on Bradley as he was on me about it.”

Bob tensed a bit at the mention of your best friend. The clearing of the throat caught your attention, “I’m sorry if this is too personal but have you two ever been a thing?”

Y/N could tell that he was unsure and nervous to ask that question. She knew that they were close, but they never were romantically attracted to each other. They always had a strong sibling like bond. “No, we haven’t.” she spoke honestly. “We’ve never viewed each other like that. Given, he did live with us for a little bit… we grew our sibling bond.” She explained.

Bob nodded not saying much after that. The quiet WSO knew that he didn’t want to have to compare to Rooster if they ever dated. It wasn’t something that would end very well, considering he believed that Rooster outdid him many times. It was clear that the older pilot had an extrovert personality which Bob knew was usually a hit for the woman.

“what’s going on in that head of yours?” Y/N interrupted the guy’s thoughts. She watched as he pushed his glasses back up his nose before shrugging his shoulders. Bob would be embarrassed to tell her what he was thinking about. The two hadn’t known each other for very long but he was definitely attracted to the captain’s daughter. “Bobby,” she playfully nudged the boy. “You can trust me.” She assured.

“It’s nothing.” He dismissed. He didn’t miss the way that Y/N rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. It wasn’t that she was disappointed, she just wanted to know what he was thinking. She knew that he was previously deep in thought and his facial features showed that he was concerned about something.

Y/N grabbed her shoes before dusting off her feet, “I’m always here if you need me, Bobby.” She assured as she carefully slipped her shoes back on. “I should be getting home; it’s getting late and I’m sure my dad won’t go easy on you guys tomorrow.” She easily stood up with Bob following her. “See you later, Bob.” She waved before turning around and started walking towards the parking lot.

Bob stood planted on his place at the beach, until his feet took off without him thinking about it. “Y/N!” he called causing the girl to stop her walk and turn around waiting to hear what he had to say. “What you told Hangman… is that true?” He asked as he walked closer to the girl that he was starting to develop a crush on.

Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed slightly before realization dawned on her face. He was concerned that what she told him was true. Honestly, it was. The girl didn’t want any significant other being in any branch of the military. Especially not after her father and her dating history. Yet she felt like she would be lying to him if she told him that it was a hundred percent true. “Why don’t you just wait and see, Bobby?”

Next Part.

#Top Gun #Top Gun Maverick #Robert Floyd #Robert Bob Floyd x Reader #Robert Bob Floyd oneshot #Robert Bob Floyd imagine #rooster x reader #Pete Mitchell x Daughter reader #Top Gun Bob imagine #Top Gun Bob One shot #Top Gun Robert Bob Floyd #Bob Floyd x reader #Bob Floyd oneshot #Bob Floyd imagine #top gun oneshot #top gun imagines #top gun x reader #top gun maverick imagines

[ilsaafaust]

Thoughts on Ilsa Faust in DR. Spoilers.

Thinking about Ilsa Faust's fate in Dead Reckoning and director Christopher McQuarrie's comments about it in the Empire Podcast. As a fan of the franchise and with Ilsa being my favourite character, I feel like I had to write a little something based on the movie and his reason for it. A lot of fans are upset (including me) and I want to write something properly, not just the angry tweets and posts. 

To start off, they wanted Ilsa to die already back when they were making TGM. And his reasoning seems to be that he didn't want Ilsa and Ethan to be romantic. Just that baffles me, if you don't want romance, how can you not just write a script where Ilsa and Ethan stay platonic? They handled it well in Rogue Nation and Fallout, you can see they care for each other deeply, but they don't act on it. We could have had Ilsa on the team, she could have gotten out of the game but was brought back in for some reason, she could have had literally any other story. But the fact that the only thing that seemed to come to mind if he didn't want to make them romantic was to kill her off seems very odd. 

He also talked about wanting to work with Hayley Atwell for over ten years and this fact seems a little too convenient when thinking about why he had to kill Ilsa off. But we'll come back to Grace later. 

He explains that they killed Ilsa off before they even knew the reason why. They killed off one of the most popular characters of this franchise without even having made up the reason behind it. We know that they work without a script, but making such a huge and impactful decision (he says he knew the fans would be upset) without even knowing why baffles me. 

I also need to point out, I would have been fine if she had been given a decent, meaningful death. Yes, I would have been sad, but had it felt worthy it would have been one thing. With how they handled her death in this, I can't be sad. I am just mad. Frustrated. Confused. 

Let's talk about Ilsa's storyline in this film. At the end of Fallout, she got out. In this film, she is disavowed for some unknown reason, and she is brought back into the game with the whole thing about the key. Kittridge says some weird comments about Ethan and Ilsa's relationship, that Ethan has saved Ilsa over and over when it is clearly the other way around. Let's go with this just being Kittridge getting it all wrong and not McQ but.. what do I know.

Ethan finds her in the desert and the whole scene is very rushed, they barely even talk, and.. she just hands him the key? What was Ilsa's plan? Ilsa's purpose? We don't know and we never find out (at least not in part one). Maybe there was more to it, more to Ilsa's story, we know they cut a lot of the movie, and we know for sure they cut at least two of Ilsa's scenes. 

Then she just shows up in the van in Rome before they end up in Venice. 

In Venice, we have Ilsa and Ethan hugging on a rooftop and holding hands on the gondola on their way to the party. For someone who claims that they didn't want Ilsa and Ethan to be romantic, I have a lot of questions. Especially since we also had the desert hug where she is literally on top of him. She is clearly a romantic interest, there's no questioning that. And to be honest, that is basically her only purpose in this movie. 

Now things get a little messy because we arrive at the party. I have always been a fan of McQ's writing of female characters. He did absolutely fantastic in Rogue Nation, Fallout and Edge of Tomorrow. At the party, the villain gives Ethan the choice between Ilsa or Grace. One of them has to die. 

Now, we know Ethan cares about Ilsa a lot, so the choice should be simple, her compared to this woman he just met who kept running away from him over and over and left him to die on a train track handcuffed to a car. The thing is, Ethan Hunt can't make that choice. He cares about each and every individual. 

We've now arrived at the reason why Ilsa dies. And I cannot begin to express my distaste for the cliché writing of having a male character choose between two women, one who is a love interest and the other who is so obviously made out to be the new female lead (and potentially, a new love interest, Ethan/Grace share some suspiciously weird longing looks but the fans are divided if it is romantic or not). 

Ilsa or Grace. Apparently, there can only be one woman on the team, which the previous films have shown us, too. 

I just need to add that they're working against an all-knowing AI, so why isn't "the choice" between Luther or Benji? Ethan's two very best friends, two brilliant tech minds who must be a bigger threat to the entity as well?

In the end, it all comes back to that it's not people that Ethan loses - it's women. And there is only space for one brunette woman on that team. 

So let's talk about the bridge scene. First of all, Grace has been running the entire movie, why would she suddenly stop running when there is a man literally trying to kill her? 

Anyways, she holds him off surprisingly long considering she's just a thief and with how in the previous action sequences she kind of came off as a damsel in distress. Eventually, Gabriel knocks her down the stairs. 

Enter Ilsa Faust. Highly capable spy, Ethan Hunt's equal, a woman who we know is lethal in hand-to-hand combat. We saw her take down Janik Vinter in a knife fight at the end of Rogue Nation and we saw her take down Solomon Lane in Fallout (tied to a bloody chair). 

She even has the advantage of a sword compared to the villain who has a tiny knife. They fight. For some reason, Ilsa manages to get in way too close several times (watch the choreography for the RN knife fight - she's quick, get in, slash, get out, you can't linger in a knife fight) and she somehow doesn't seem to be able to hold off the old villain longer than Grace. 

She gets stabbed in the chest. Ethan finds her dead on the bridge. In the next scene, Ethan looks sad on a rooftop for a few moments. Benji wipes a tear. They never talk about Ilsa again. It's underwhelming in every sense. 

But what makes it worse, is the fact that in the next scene, the team asks Grace to join the team. Not going to get into the writing of that whole scene, but the thing is, they do it in a way that is basically "look what happened to Ilsa." and the things they say honestly make the team seem very cold-hearted considering Ilsa just died. And we know the team is not cold-hearted. Yes, there's a mission and they need to focus on the job, but they really didn't have to do it like that.

When I tell you I have a bad taste in my mouth, boy, do I mean it. Ilsa dies and in literally the next scene she is replaced by Grace. 

Now comes the talk about her death which McQ describes as "very heroic". I'll admit, in one way, I get why he thinks it is a heroic death. Ilsa sacrificed herself to save someone else, that would be a worthy ending for someone who dedicated their whole life to saving the world, saving people. 

What baffles me is how he doesn't see how poorly executed the whole ordeal was, which is what fans and a lot of critics are upset about (see list of articles criticizing it here:  https://www.tumblr.com/rebeccalouisaferguson/723559978545414144/list-of-articles-criticizing-ilsa-fausts?source=share ) 

Is it fridging? In one way it is; Ilsa is Ethan's love interest and we know "the choice" between Ilsa and Grace happens because Ethan cares about her. McQ also mentioned it happening to up the stakes, so..

Yes, she also died because she decided to save Grace, but there's more than one reason for her death.

I feel like what also needs to be mentioned is that article with editor Eddie Hamilton who said they cut a "badass" line from Ilsa when she arrived at the bridge. They cut it because it lowered the audience's expectations for what they were about to see. "In the audience's mind, you know that Ilsa is going to kick some serious ass. She kicks a bit of ass, but not a lot. It's not a complete, devastating, ass-kicking, which you hope Ilsa is going to give at some point." They later removed this bit from the article because of backlash. We, the audience, know that Ilsa is better than and so do they. 

We know they're doing damage control, a lot was cut from the delayed Empire part two podcast. Somehow, the more they talk about it, it gets worse.

I know this movie is only part one and there might be more explanations for all of this in part two. But with what we've seen in this film, they fumbled her death so badly that the one thing that would make sense is that it is all a trick and she comes back in part two. There are many theories on that, but I'm not going into details or speculating on that here. 

A testament to how badly they executed her death is that people literally can't believe they'd fail her character this badly. McQ who we all thought was a brilliant writer. McQ who wrote one of the best female characters we've seen in years only to throw her out as if she was garbage. No matter what happens in part two, one thing is for sure. 

Ilsa Faust deserved better.

#It's not just her death we're mad about #It's how poorly they handled it #Ugh #Ilsa Faust deserved better #Ilsa Faust #Mission Impossible #Dead Reckoning #Deac reckoning: Part one #Dead reckoning spoilers #Christopher McQuarrie #Rebecca Ferguson

[beezelarts]

I was planning on making a little series with multiple TGM characters.

What do you think?

It probably include Hangster, JavyNat, Phoenix&Bradley and a group picture (if I get that far).

(Btw the background is just a random photo from Pinterest.)

#bi pride #pan pride #lgbt art #tgm fanart #natasha trace #bobnix #robert bob floyd #hangster

[bellaireland1981]

Stubborn Hearts | 2

Summary: Reader (Firecracker, Sunshine) has been in love with Bradley since she was a young girl. Growing up the two were inseparable, apart from short periods of time when she was on the West Coast with the Kazanskys. One faithful decision by her dad to block Bradley from going to the Naval Academy resulted in a huge rift between father and daughter and left her without Bradley in her life. Now all grown up, she’s called back to the west coast at the same time as her father and Bradley. Her mission, according to her dying godfather, is to mend fences with her dad and Bradley. Can stubborn hearts be healed?

(I suck at summaries for real).

This will have multiple chapters… this is 2 of ??

Characters: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Mitchell! Reader, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell x Daughter! Reader, The Dagger Squad, Shay (OC), Penny, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky

Word Count: 5373

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Death of character, TGM Spoilers, Smut (later on ), Turbulent relationship with parent, Friends to lovers, …Please let me know if I’ve missed any!

Part 1     

A/N- This is my first time writing for TGM. I do not own the characters or plot lines from the movie. I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO COPY OR REPRODUCE MY WORK ON THIS OR ANY OTHER PLATFORM! Reblogging is always welcome! Feedback is MUCH loved and appreciated. THANK YOU to @waywardodysseys​ for all support and bouncing ideas!!

Taglist: @gracespicybradshaw​ @memoriesat30​

The morning after your run in with Bradley, you came down to your aunt making pancakes in the kitchen. You cousins were sitting at the island, eating and preparing to head out to school shortly.

“Good Morning, Sweetie.” your aunt said, smiling warmly at you, “There’s coffee ready to go if you’d like some. I was expecting you to sleep in this morning.”

“Morning.” You replied, reaching for a mug from the cabinet. “I wasn’t out that late. The night didn’t go great.”

“Oh no.” she replied, pausing to turn to you. “What happened?”

“I ran into Brad…” You replied, “It didn’t go fantastic. I came home.”

“Are you ok, Y/N?” your cousin asked, looking up from her breakfast.

“I’m ok, Peanut.” you replied smiling, “Nothing I wasn’t expecting I supposed.”

“I’m sorry it didn’t go well, sweetie.” Your aunt said sympathetically. “Perhaps it was just the shock of seeing you for the first time in years.”

“No, I think it’s the fact that he apparently no longer sees us as friends.” you answered, “He made that abundantly clear. I’ll be fine though. I ran into Shay, so the night wasn’t a total bust.”

“His loss then and he’s a bigger idiot than I originally thought” She stated, “But I’m glad you ran into Shay. It’ll be good for you to have someone you can hang out with around here.”

“Yeah.” You replied, “I think we’re going to try to get lunch today. I have to give her a call.”

“Uncle Tom has a doctor’s appointment this afternoon, so we’ll be out for a bit.” She said, “I was thinking of putting some food on the grill for dinner…did you have plans?”

“No, I'll be here.” You replied, “Do you need me to go shopping or do anything to help you?”

“No, it’s ok.” She replied, “I think we have everything we need here already and honestly the cooking gives me something to do to keep busy.”

“Ok.” you said, understanding. “Just promise to let me know if you need help with anything at all.”

“I promise.” She smiled, turning to the kids, “Ok kids, hurry up. Your ride will be here shortly.”

You ate breakfast with your aunt before heading up to shower and get dressed. You sent a text to Shay setting up lunch for later that day. With the time you had this morning, you figured you’d head to the hangar and maybe take the plane up to clear your head. With the residual feelings from the night before, you felt air time was what you needed to shake it off and give you a mental break.

Coming downstairs you passed your uncle’s office, the door open, you could see him already sitting at his desk working on the computer. You shook your head, chuckling quietly. He truly never stopped.

“Morning, Uncle Tommy” You said, stopping at the doorway.

He looked up, smiling at you, motioning for you to come into the room.

Sarah said your meeting with Rooster didn’t go well. You ok?

“At the moment, not really.” You admitted, never able to keep anything from your uncle, “But I have plans to get up into the air this morning so I’m sure the situation will seem better soon.”

Don’t give up, Firecracker. Keep the door open.

“Uncle Tommy, I think that door was firmly closed by him. Not much I can do if he doesn’t want to be friends anymore. I can promise that I will …eventually… talk to my dad.” You assured him. “Brad did inform me you’d kept him up to date with my whereabouts occasionally, so thanks for trying.”

I wouldn’t count him out just yet. He cares. Going flying today?

“We’ll see.” You replied, “I am planning on flying this morning, then meeting Shay for lunch.”

Your Dad?

“You’re not letting this one go are you?” You replied, realizing how determined your uncle is when he sets his mind to something.

Not enough time to let it go, Firecracker. Time is always the enemy.

“I will call him tonight.” You promised, “He’s teaching now I assume, right? First day?”

Yes. More reason to reach out. He’s going to have a rough day.

“Tonight.” You repeated, “I love you more than the sky, Uncle Tommy.”

I love you higher than I can fly, Little Bird.

You wrapped your arms around your uncle from the side and dropped a kiss to the top of his head before heading out.

You grabbed your bag and headed to the hangar to get a few hours of flying in.

Thankfully, Frank seemed busy with other pilots and people that looked to be chartering a flight. You filed that information into the back of your head for later. If you were staying, you’d need a job. Maybe you  could establish yourself as a freelance charter pilot. If all else failed you could always ask Penny for a job slinging beers at the Hard Deck. Not that running into Bradley on the regular was something you wanted.

You ran through all preflight checks on your plane, making sure you had enough fuel and everything was safe. You looked over maps and plotted a flight plan that would take you out over the desert and back. Once you finalized your plan, you walked over to Frank to file the flight plan with him.

“Morning, Miss Mitchell.” Frank greeted as you walked over, “Getting some time in your plane today, huh?”

“Yes, sir” You replied, “Need to clear my head. I’ve got a possible flight plan here, if it checks out, I’d like to follow and get permission to take off.”

“Let me take a look, and we can get you on your way.” He replied, taking the plans you’d handed him. He looked at his computer screen and back at your plan before looking back up at you. “This should work, I’ll get you in the take off line-up now.”

“Thank you.” You replied, taking the paperwork he handed you, “See you in a few hours.”

The time spent in your plane did wonders for you mentally. You felt you could breathe easier as you radioed to the tower to get permission to land back at the hangar. It had been a smooth flight out and around. Clear skies all the way. Honestly, if you weren’t meeting Shay for lunch, you’d stay in the air longer.

Landing went as smoothly as the rest of the trip and you were taxiing back to the storage hangar in no time. Once you’d parked your plane you switched everything off and jumped down to start tying it down. The tasks, so familiar, you could do them in your sleep.

“Have a good flight?” Frank asked, stopping the golf cart outside of the hangar.

“It was great.” you replied, “Definitely did what I needed it to do.”

“Glad to hear.” He smiled warmly, “Say, if you’re plannin’ on being around here awhile, any chance you’d be interested in occasionally taking a charter?”

“I could do that.” You said, “A lot depends on how things go with my uncle though, to be honest. I’m here mostly because his health is declining quickly. I think I’ll be staying though, so maybe on a once in a while basis for now… until I know where my life is headed?”

“That’s more than fair.” He replied, “I’m sorry to hear about your uncle.”

“Thank you.” You replied, “I’ve got to meet a friend for lunch, but next time I’m here, I’ll bring a copy of my license and certifications.”

“Sounds good.” He said, turning the golf cart back on, “Enjoy your lunch.” Frank drove off with a wave heading back to the main office hangar,

You grabbed your bag and purse and walked to the Jeep parked outside the hanager. Turning your phone back on, you saw you had a text from Penny asking you to pop in during the day that week. Another text from your old boss asking if you’d consider coming back, and a text from Shay with the address of the Mexican restaurant you were meeting at for lunch.

You texted Penny back promising to stop in, your old boss telling him thanks for the love but you were planning to stay in San Diego, and lastly a text to Shay letting her know you were headed that way now.

Part of you wished you’d had a text from Bradley, but the logical part realized he probably didn’t even have your phone number anymore.

Putting it out of your mind, you entered the address for the restaurant into your phone and headed towards your lunch with Shay.

____________

“Hey!” She called, as you walked into the restaurant.

“Hi!” you replied, as you slid into the booth, setting your purse next to you. “How’s your day going so far?”

“It was pretty busy this morning, it makes the day move fast though so I don’t mind.” She replied, “How about you?”

“I had another heart to heart with my uncle. He made me promise I’d talk to my dad tonight. He said, ‘Time is the enemy’, so that’s going to be great.” You replied, “Then I went flying and life started to look a little better again.”

“How are you feeling about that impending conversation with your dad?” She asked, knowing the history. “How are you feeling after last night’s encounter with Bradley?”

“Honestly, I’m ready to talk to my dad. I miss him. One thing about Uncle Tommy fighting cancer… it put things into perspective. Being home and seeing him, knowing we’re at the end… just pushed the idea home. Being stubborn is dumb. I only have one dad.” You replied, “As for Brad… I was hurt and upset last night, and I still am, but now I’m also pissed. So fuck him.”

“I’m glad you’re ready and willing to try to patch things with your dad. You’re right… your uncle is right. Life is too short.” She agreed, “If you want, I’m sure Aunt Penny would be ok with you two meeting up there to talk… at least you’d have a referee if needed.”

“That might not be a bad idea” You laughed, “Penny always was a good go-between when her and dad were together.”

“As for Bradley…” she said, “I think it’s perfectly acceptable and justified to be pissed. I’m here if you ever need to vent…or need someone to help you hide a body.”

“I don’t think I’m at the homicidal level,” You laughed, “He’s not worth doing life in prison for. But thank you. I just may avoid the Hard Deck during peak hours for the foreseeable future.”

“Well that’s a shame.” She replied, “I mean, that other aviator was HOT last night. There were several others that were not hard on the eyes either…”

“He definitely showed interest in you!” You encouraged, “Hangman, I think, right? You should definitely pursue that.”

“He seems like he’d be a player though,” she reasoned, “Still, it could be fun while it lasted.”

“He may surprise you, Shay.” You said, “He certainly seemed interested, maybe there’s more to him that you saw.”

“Maybe.” She hedged, “You should come with me… I may need a wingman…woman…person.”

“I don’t know that my heart can handle having to see Bradley right now, Shay.” You replied honestly.

“I’ll block any interactions until you tell me otherwise.” She promises, “And I’m the female pilot…Phoenix? I’m sure she’d be willing to run interference… girl code and all. I know Aunt Penny would ring the bell on him in a heartbeat.”

“Ok…” You agreed, hesitantly, “I’ll come out with you. If it goes south though, you’re on your own afterwards.”

“I will take that deal.” She said, “What about tomorrow night? I know you’re talking to your dad tonight…”

“Tomorrow works.” You confirmed, “If it ends up a repeat of last night though, I am getting knock out drunk and you’ll have to take me home.”

“Also, a deal.” She said, “I promise to buy your drinks and be your drunk uber.”

After finishing up lunch you and Shay firmed up plans for the next night before you left to head to the Hard Deck to see Penny on your way home.

The parking lot was empty except for Penny’s beamer. You parked next to her car and headed inside. She was wiping glasses down and stocking the bar when you walked in.

“Hey Pen.” You said, walking up to the bar. “Need any help?”

“Nope, but I’ll accept company.” She said, smiling, “Hop up on the stool, my sweet girl. Do you want a drink?”

“Water with lemon if you have any sliced and handy.” You replied, “So, now that my dad’s back in town, any plans to pick up with dating again?”

“And here, I was about to ask you the hard hitting questions.” She laughed, “Our relationship is… complicated. I love him but I’m hesitant to take the leap. I have Amelia to think about. I need consistency, not on again off again.”

“I love my dad, Penny, but he’s got the emotional maturity of a toddler sometimes.” You laughed, “I know he loves you though, if that helps. Don’t accept anything less than 100%. You deserve someone who will put you first.”

“The same holds true for you, Kiddo.” She replied, gently. “I know last night was rough on you. I don’t know what was said between you and Rooster, but I saw the pain in your eyes when you left. I also saw the look on his face as he watched you leave, and the way he lit out of here after you left. Don’t write him off just yet, but like you said don’t accept anything less than 100%.”

“I think for now, I’ll just focus on trying to fix things with my dad.” You said, lowering your gaze, “I also just want to spend time with my Uncle and soak up as much of him as I can, while I can.”

“I understand.” She said, “When are you getting together with your dad?”

“I plan on calling him later tonight.” You said, “I know he started instructing at Top Gun today, so figured I’d wait until he had time to relax before calling him.”

“He would be more than happy to hear from you whenever.” She replied, “He misses you, but I don’t know how good he is at communicating that.”

“It’s not all his fault.” You admit, “I am my father’s daughter afterall. Stubbornness seems to run in the genes.”

“Knowing is half the battle.” Penny teased, “Aside from all of that, Amelia was asking about you. You should come out to the house sometime. Maybe come over on Sunday for dinner? The bar is closed.”

“I’d love to see her!” You said happily, “Sunday sounds good. Just let me know what time and what you’d like me to bring.”

“I’ll text you a time, and just bring yourself.” She said, “Amelia will be excited.”

“I can’t wait.” You replied, “I miss her. I can’t believe how fast she’s growing up.”

“You and me both, Kiddo.” She replied, “You and me both.”

“I should head back to the house. Uncle Tom had an appointment today. I know it’s been really hard on Aunt Sarah, so I want to hear how that went.” You said, “I’ll apparently be here tomorrow night with Shay though. She needs a wingman… she promised to run interference and protect me from unpleasant interactions with Bradley.”

“I will help as I can too, sweet girl.” She replied, “I’m happy you and Shay are able to spend time together.”

“It’s been great to catch up.” You replied, “I love you, Pen. For what it’s worth, I’ve always rooted for you and my dad to find your way back together.”

“I love you too.” She smiled gently, “Regardless of what happens or doesn’t happen between your dad and me, I’m always in your corner.”

You headed out to the Jeep and, checking the time, decided to send your dad a quick text.

You: Hey Dad… I hope your first day went well with the aviators. If you’re free tonight or have time… can you give me a call?

You took a deep breath and set your phone down before putting the key in the ignition and headed home.

The house was quiet when you walked in. You went up to your room to set your purse down and kick your shoes. Your phone notified you of a new message, sitting on your bed you pulled the phone to check.

Dad: Firecracker, I will never turn down talking to yout. It’s been… a rough day. How about I come get you on the bike and we take a ride?

You: It’s been awhile since we’ve done a ride on the bike… I think I’d like that. I’m sorry you had a bad day.

Dad: Nothing that time with my favorite girl won’t fix. :)

You: I’ll see you later, Dad.

Dinner that night was pretty quiet. Your uncle’s appointment, not being the greatest news. The cancer was progressing faster now that he was no longer receiving any treatment. Time really was running out. You were glad you made plans to see your dad later that evening, giving your aunt and uncle time with the kids to process and adjust to the new timeline.

Once everyone was done eating, you took over cleaning up for your aunt. You rinsed all the dishes and placed them into the dishwasher before wiping down the counters and putting away the leftovers. Once the kitchen was back to its immaculate state, you went upstairs to change into warmer clothes for the ride with your dad. While Southern California was generally warm, it still got cooler at nights, and on the bike it would be even cooler.

You got a text from your dad letting you know he was on his way so you made your way downstairs.

“I’m heading out in a few minutes with Dad, he texted to say he’s on his way.” You let your aunt know.

“Tell him to stop by tomorrow after he’s done teaching.” Your aunt requested.

“Not asking,” Tom rasped, looking up at you.

“I will let him know. I love you both.” You replied, understanding what wasn’t said.

“We love you too, sweetheart.” Your aunt said, “Enjoy your time with your dad.”

You hugged them both before heading outside. You didn’t have long to wait, he pulled on the motorcycle a couple minutes later.

“Hey, Firecracker,” He said, smiling warmly. One thing about your dad, his smile lit up his whole face and you always knew he was genuine. “I’ve missed your face, Y/N.”

“Hi, Dad.” You smiled back, seeing him face to face made you realize how deeply you’d missed him. “I’ve missed you too.”

“Hop on.” He said, handing you a helmet. “Let’s drive up the coast a bit.”

You took the helmet and pulled it on, securing the strap under your chin before getting on the bike behind your dad and wrapping your arms around him. His familiar woodsy scent mixed with the faint scent of jet fuel was comforting.

You enjoyed being on the bike, feeling the wind on your face and the warmth of your dad. You traveled up the coast, for several miles, taking in the sights. After about a half hour, your dad pulled off into a beach parking lot and parked the bike. You climbed off, stretching your muscles and removing the helmet. You set it on the seat of the bike, turning to look at the view.

“It’s beautiful here. Peaceful.” You commented, surveying the deserted beach, the sun starting to set over the horizon.

“That it is.” Your dad agreed, “Come on, let’s take a walk down to the water.”

The two of you headed towards the wood boardwalk that would lead down to the sand. Once at the sand you paused to kick off your shoes, preferring to walk barefoot through the sand.

You walked in comfortable silence before you stopped and plopped down onto the sand. Your dad followed suit, settling in next to you.

“How’s Ice?” He said, starting the conversation.

“It’s not good, Daddy.” You replied quietly. “The cancer is progressing really fast now that he’s stopped treatment. We’re going to lose him too soon.”

He reached over to wrap his arm around your shoulders, pulling you gently into his side. He turned his head and dropped a soft kiss on the top of your head.

“There’s never enough time, is there?” He asked, not really expecting an answer.

“That’s what Uncle Tommy told me” You replied, “Time is the enemy.”

“He’s a very wise man,” He agreed, “Much wiser than your old man.”

“I dunno,” You said, “You were wise enough to make him my Godfather.”

“Touche, Firecracker.” He laughed.

“Aunt Sarah said to stop by after you’re done with work tomorrow.” You relayed your aunt’s message, “And Uncle Tommy said, and I quote, ‘Not asking’”

“I know I need to…” He replied, staring out at the horizon, “Would you think less of me if I admitted that I’m afraid?”

“No.” You replied, “Because you’re being honest. I get it… we avoid what we’re afraid of. It’s why I kept putting off this conversation. But Uncle Tommy, Aunt Sarah and Penny said I needed to stop being hard headed so here we are.”

“You come by that honestly,” He admitted, “Sorry for that.”

“It’s ok to be afraid, Dad” You said, “I’m scared too. I don’t know how to navigate a world in which I can’t call Uncle Tom when I need him. But, if you don’t go see him, if you wait until it’s too late, you’re going to have to live with that guilt and it could eat you alive.”

“When did you get so smart?” He asked, smiling over to you.

“I come by it honestly.” You smiled back at him.

“What about this conversation scared you, Firecracker?” Mav asked, changing the subject.

“I’ve spent the majority of my teenage years into adulthood being angry at you…letting feelings of resentment stew.” You admitted, “I was mad at you for what you did to Bradley. I didn’t understand. I still don’t understand. I was angry that in doing what you did you ripped my best friend away from me. I’m angry as hell at him for leaving me behind too, don’t worry.”

You could feel yourself on a roll, all of the emotions and thoughts you’d pushed down over the years bubbled out now. Your dad, thankfully, just let you get it all out.

“When you were home, and it was us against the world, it was great. I could convince myself that I meant more to you than flying and the Navy. But then another call would come, new orders would arrive, a new mission would pop up and you’d leave. You looked relieved to be leaving. It felt like you wanted to leave. I’d get sent to Carol, or flown out here to Uncle Tom and Aunt Sarah and you’d go off and do what you loved….without me. As an adult, I figured it was just easier to make myself scarce so you didn’t have to choose and I didn't have to feel unwanted anymore.”

You hadn’t realized you’d started to cry until you felt a teardrop land on your hand in your lap. You brought your hand up to wipe away the unwanted tears. Staring, unseeingly across the ocean, trying to reign in the emotions and to calm your breathing.

“Y/N,” Mav said, voice thick with emotion, “I have never not wanted you. From the moment your mom told me she was pregnant I have wanted you with every single fiber of my being. I was beyond happy about being a dad…being your dad. I had absolutely no fucking clue what I was doing, how to be a good dad, but I wanted to be good. While your mom was alive, I could follow her lead, learn about how to be a good parent. She made it seem easy. After she died, I was scared shitless. I no longer had someone else to soften the blow or pick up the slack where and when I failed. I had this beautiful, intelligent, firecracker of a little girl that I now had the sole responsibility to raise. I’m not excusing my lack of parenting or minimizing your feelings. I just need you to know… you were wanted. I just didn’t know what I was doing.”

He paused, taking a few cleansing breaths, before continuing.

“When you were little, I could hide the fact that I was clueless. You were happy to travel with me, you saw it as an adventure. We had a home base, and that worked for us. As you got older, and you needed to be in school, Carol quickly pointed out you needed stability. So we formed a new plan. When I was gone you’d stay with her or with Ice and Sarah on longer deployments. You’d get the stability, the female role models you needed. Someone who knew what they were doing and wouldn’t screw it up. It may have seemed like it was easy to leave you… truth is… it killed me every time. I left a huge piece of my heart behind every time.”

You gave up  wiping the tears away at this point, allowing them to fall freely from your eyes. Your heart, which had been broken for years, was starting to mend. The gaping hole decreasing with your dad’s words. Just hearing that you were wanted and loved going a long way to fix what was broken inside.

“I am so sorry, Y/N that you spent even a second believing I didn’t want you. That I didn’t love you.” He said quietly, wiping his own eyes. “Flying… the Navy… neither can hold a candle to you, Firecracker. You are my world. The most important part of my life. Don’t ever forget that or doubt that.”

“I don’t remember much about mom.” You said, your voice rough from crying, “But I bet she’d probably be knocking both our heads together huh?”

“Absolutely no doubt about it.” He agreed, chuckling, wiping the remaining tears from his eyes, “Carol too. She’d call me an idiot and slap me. She’d have slapped Bradley too…”

“How is that going?” You asked.

“It’s been…icy” Mav responded, “He’s definitely still holding a grudge.”

“Dad… can you blame him?” You asked, “How would you feel if someone you loved and looked up to was responsible for blocking you from the Naval Academy? From standing in the way of following your dreams?”

“I’d probably be pretty pissed at them.” he reasoned, “I’d like to think I’d at least let them try to explain though.”

“Have you?” You asked, “Have you tried to tell him the real reason for standing in his way? Or do you just give him the response ‘he wasn't ready’?”

“It’s bad enough he hates me, Firecracker.” He sighed, “I couldn’t live with him being angry at his mom.”

“Maybe it’s time to come clean and let him decide who he is and isn’t mad at.” You offered, “He’s not a kid anymore, Dad. He’s a grown ass man, who, despite being set back, set him mind to achieving his dreams and became one of the top aviators in the US Navy. He might be an asshole that I seriously want to throat punch, but you can’t take the rest away from him.”

“Between the two of us, I’m so damn proud of what he’s accomplished.” Mav admitted.

“So you won’t just wash him of this mission?” You asked. Despite it all, you wanted Bradley to succeed and become everything he always dreamed of.

“He’s got just as much of a shot as the other aviators.” Mav said, “If he isn’t selected though, it’ll be because of his own lack of confidence and playing it too safe. He’s a damn good pilot but he gets in his own head too much. He thinks too much.”

“As long as he has a fair shake at this mission, that’s all I can ask.” You said. “And Brad’s always allowed himself to be in his head too much. He’s always been cautious.”

“You’re still in love with him aren’t you?” Your dad asked, watching you closely in the fading light.

“How did you know about that?” You asked, “Who ratted me out?”

“Nobody had to rat you out, Firecracker.” Your dad laughed, “You’ve had hearts in your eyes in regards to that boy since you were still in pigtails. It’s obvious to anyone who see you and knows you.”

“Great” You groaned, “That’s not at all embarrassing.”

“If it helps, I should have said it’s obvious to anyone except Rooster.” He clarified. “However, I used to see the same look in his eyes whenever you were around.”

“Well that look is long gone then.” You confirmed, “The message I got from him the other night was that I was no longer even worthy of friend status.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Firecracker.” Mav said.

“We’ll see.” You hedged, then decided to turn the tables, “hey, Dad?”

“What’s on your mind?” He asked

“What are your intentions towards Penny?” You asked.

“I don’t know how to answer that.” He sighed.

“Well, then… maybe until you do know… don’t do anything to get her hopes up.” You said. “Penny deserves more than on again off again.”

“I can tell you that I love her.” He admitted, “I just don’t know if I’m any good at relationships.”

“Well… if it helps, I love her too.” You said, “And I think you can do anything you put your mind to.”

“Thanks for the vote, kid.” He laughed, “I’m glad you love her.”

“Amelia too.” You said, “Wouldn’t mind a little sister.”

“Slow down, Firecracker.” He nudged you playfully, “One step at at time.”

“I can live with that.” you replied, nudging him back.

The ride back home was as pleasant as the ride to the beach. Mav stopped at an diner at the halfway point and bought the two of you milkshakes before driving the rest of the way home.

You hopped off the back and secured the extra helmet the back of the bike.

“Thanks, Dad” You said, leaning down to hug him, where he still sat on the bike. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Firecracker” He replied, “I’ll call you tomorrow after training and please let Ice and Sarah know I’ll be here.”

“I will.” You promised, “Be safe tomorrow. Don’t do any crazy pilot stuff.”

“Says the girl who does crazy pilot stuff in her own plane.” He said, smirking at you.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about” You feigned innocence. “I’m a very safe pilot.”

“Maybe we should change your name to Pinocchio.” he teased.

You stuck your tongue out and turned to head inside, your dad’s laughter following you. You turned to wave before heading inside.

“I take it, it went well?” Your aunt asked, smiling as you walked through the kitchen.

“Yes.” You confirmed, “Thank you, Aunt Sarah… you and Uncle Tommy pushing is definitely what was needed. I should have talked to him a long time ago.”

“You’re more than welcome Sweetheart.” She said, “You’d have come around eventually. We just didn’t want you to lose any more time. And… we both knew you’d need your dad, and he’d need you.”

“The world is going to suck when Uncle Tommy isn’t in it anymore.” You whispered, your emotions lodging in your throat.

“It won’t be as good, that's for sure.” She agreed, her eyes misting over. “The sun won’t shine as bright.”

You walked over and hugged your aunt tightly. You knew she was doing her best to stay strong for everyone else.

“We’ll get each other through.” You assured her

After saying goodnight, you headed upstairs to shower and crash. The emotions from the last 48 hours had been a lot. You needed a good night's sleep to refresh for tomorrow.

#bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #top gun fanfiction #miles teller

[compacflt]

hi!! very excited about your next batch! but i was wondering if you ever think of posting some of the (wonderful) female!mav scenes you wrote (the question mark on my computer decided to stop working but this is indeed a question)

have a great weekend!!

yeah sure! again— this isn’t finished and never will be finished, I posted the reasons below. But here are a bunch of snippets from the fem!mav/lesbian charliemav AU from this summer. Would love to hear your thoughts, because politically it gave me some pause! lol.

1. On how mav survives (the central motif of the one-shot is Mav cutting her hair with scissors which is why the emphasis here)

2. On ice (straight icemav will never work because fundamentally ice is a misogynistic cunt)

3. on sex with girly girls (one of life’s greatest pleasures)

ehhh you get the picture of what’s under the cut

4. on charliemav

5. on charlie

7. The end (post Layton mission [mav proving herself by saving ice’s life] and the end of TG86, Mav gearing up to cut her hair again in Charlie’s house)

and here, copy-pasted, were the tags i planned to affix to the charliemav one-shot, which I think explain also why I stopped writing it—maverick is insanely out of character here!

“some discussion of issues that would affect a female pilot in the 1980s in this one: SA, sexism, etc. u have been warned / i would love to talk to anyone about the politics of this one cause hoo boy i had to think about it / it’s a little personal to me too / i wouldn’t necessarily say i struggle with my gender identity but i do have a really complicated relationship with it / i think this mav is incredibly out of character / it turns out mav’s thoughtless overperformance of masculinity is so ingrained into his character that / if you make it intentional he/she turns into an entirely different character. / i often struggle with writing maverick way way too bitter (there’s something very gentle about tgm mav I struggle replicating) / & this is a VERY bitter & cynical & calculating mav as well. she has to be. But i fear i lose some of mav’s original character in the cynicism. 🤷🏽‍♀️ / that’s why i struggle writing AUs—you lose so much of the original characters who are DEFINED by the stories they’re from / if that makes sense. / i think a female maverick isn’t maverick. / you might as well be writing original fiction at that point. / this 1 shot is pretty much just original fiction. / idk would love to hear ppls thoughts on the fandom philosophy behind AUs / something i would love to think about more / top gun fanfiction / charlotte charlie Blackwood / pete maverick mitchell / Tom iceman kazansky/ nick goose bradshaw / genderbent top gun / charliemav / in this universe mav and Charlie break up and mav gets back together with Penny according to the tgm timeline btw / TGM mav might as well be a lesbian like nothing really has to change in the script at all. / post 2010 tom cruise just gives lesbian. no change necessary / soundtrack for this one is ‘I have a woman inside my soul’ by yoko ono”

I also stopped writing this one because I could not for the life of me figure out how to write goose, canonically a sexist just like mav and ice. made things difficult and a little awkward

#pete maverick mitchell #tom iceman kazansky #charlotte charlie blackwood #top gun #asks #oh boy lesbian charliemav though. whoa. 🥰 #would’ve been great if I could’ve pulled it off 🥲 #basically the plot of this one was maverick dealing first & foremost with her femininity #she’s not trans BUT she hates womanhood. if that makes sense. because womanhood makes people discount her #as a pilot in the manly manly naval aviator program. #her womanhood functions the same as ‘fatherly dishonor’ in the original movie. makes people discount her/him as a pilot. #so she toxically replicates the behaviors of the men around her to make her less attractive to them and less of a target #but then with the Layton mission she proves herself #and actually bests iceman (who is super butthurt about it bc woman beat him but they maintain respect) #and Charlie encourages mav to start growing her hair out etc. engaging more with her femininity now she’s proven herself. #politically a little weird! #not butch by choice i guess? which felt anachronistic if that makes sense #but fun nonetheless #charliemav #I have never seen GI Jane but this seems a lot like that based on my limited knowledge of it tbh #think i relate to mav too much in this one. #I’d like to be taken seriously as a Writer not a woman writer. so i write about men to be taken seriously as a Writer not as a woman writer #feels a lot like mav in this one

[an-unknown-writers-world]

Dagger Squad Thanksgiving

 Warnings: Cheesy, predictable, cheesy, mentions of marriage, oh, and uh, cheesy.

Pairing:  Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Reader, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Reader, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell x Penny Benjamin

Characters: All of Dagger Squad, Penny Benjamin and mentions of Amelia Benjamin

Word Count: 1422

A/N: To those that celebrate – Happy Thanksgiving! I’m incredibly thankful to be a part of the TGM fandom and for all the love, support, and encouragement I have received from each of you. With that said, this is honestly mostly dialogue. Sorry I’m advance. Still, I hope you enjoy the precious moment play out.

“It smells good in here,” Maverick called out, leading a train of boys into the house.

“Don’t you dare,” Phoenix jokingly smacked Coyote’s hand away from the plate of deviled eggs.

“Hey,” Rooster stopped when he made it to Phoenix, he bent down and kissed her.

“Did you have a good game?” She asked him.

“Yes, did you enjoy losing?” Jake joked before Rooster could speak up.

You laughed, “You’re a sore winner.”

Jake bent down to kiss you, “Hey baby, you surviving in here?”

“Yeah,” You nodded, “Penny let me turn the thermostat way down to help my mood.” You laughed.

“How cold is it normally on Thanksgiving where you’re from?” Coyote asked

“Usually in the high 30’s, maybe the low 40’s.”

“Nope, too cold” He laughed.

“The thermostat is only at 62.” Penny pointed out.

“Tolerable,” Maverick shrugged. “When do we eat?”

“20ish minutes?” You spoke, “The bird is resting; it needs to be carved still.”

“Oh!” Jake raised his hand, “That’s an actual job for me.”

Everyone laughed.

“Maybe it should be the man from Montana, not Texas?” Payback piped up.

“Oh no,” Bob threw his hands up in defense. “I can assure you Texas has meat carving over Montana.”

“Who knows, maybe this is that one thing that Hangman is bad at?” Rooster joked.

Jake laughed, “I still haven’t found that one thing I’m bad at.”

“Y/N, is he bad at anything?” Penny winked at you.

You blushed and shook your head, “Not a thing,”

“You know there isn’t much of a difference between being bad at something and not good at something.” Rooster explained, “So if he’s not good at something, that could qualify as being bad at something.”

“You are grasping for anything, aren’t you?” Jake laughed.

“Give the girl a chance to answer,” Rooster chided.

“My answer remains unchanged,” You smirked, leaning into Jake’s chest. Your cheeks were so hot from blushing they nearly hurt.

“You’re embarrassing the poor girl,” Phoenix softly smacked Rooster.

“Alright, everyone out.” Penny clapped her hands. “Except you, you and you,” She pointed to you, Jake, and Rooster.

The group filed out of the room one by one. You knew why you and Jake were staying behind but were unsure what Rooster had to do. Penny slid the pocket door closed and immediately got a giddy look on her face.

“Do you have it?” She asked Rooster.

“Huh?” You looked at Jake, confused. He laughed and kissed your temple.

“Here,” Rooster pulled a small box out of his pocket.

Penny opened the box, smiling as she examined the content.

“See, you wouldn’t have won if I didn’t have this precious cargo in my pocket.” Rooster joked.

“Uh-huh, sure.” Jake rolled his eyes.

“Look!” Penny turned the box to you.

Your jaw dropped. Inside the box was a beautiful gold engagement band with six small diamonds split around one larger. It was a dainty but elegant ring.

“It’s beautiful, Rooster,” You smiled at him, Natasha was your best friend, and you knew she would love this. “Babe, is this why you were asking me all these weird cryptic questions the last few weeks?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, smirking, “I couldn’t exactly tell you what he was planning.”

“Hey, that’s not fair. I can keep a secret.” You pouted.

Jake set the knife down and looked at you with a serious expression. “Baby, what are the exceptions for who you can share secrets with?”

“Your husband and your, oh,” You stopped for a second, “your best friend.” You trailed off.

“Wait, he’s not your husband.” Rooster pointed out.

“Yet,” Jake mumbled.

“What do you mean, yet?” Penny directed at Jake.

“It’s not a secret. It’s just a matter of when, where, and how.” Jake shrugged.

He wasn’t lying. There had been many conversations, some joking but some serious. You both knew from the moment you met that that was it. You were staring at your forever. You didn’t want it rushed or in some cliché way.

“Thank god I didn’t lose that bet.” Penny laughed.

“What bet?” Jake asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Her and Mave bet that your trip to Vegas a few weeks ago was to get married.”

“Why would we go to Vegas to get married?” Jake was confused.

“We would do it with all of you and our families.” You added.

“Well, y’all have been going at it like rabbits, so we assumed you were probably pregnant at this point.” Rooster laughed.

Penny smacked him in the arm.

“You and Mave aren’t married, and you tell each other everything.” You pointed out.

There was a knock on the pocket door, “I’m withering away out here,” Coyote joked.

Rooster quickly closed the box and slipped it back into his pocket. Penny opened the pocket door and started handing dishes out to be placed on the table. You rushed around, ensuring everyone had full drinks, and nobody was taking liberties with the seating arrangements. Once Jake was done cutting the turkey and carrying it into the dining room, everyone sat around the table.

“I’m not going to give some lengthy speech,” Mave spoke as everyone sat down. “I do, however, want to thank all of you for everything over the last few months. We’ve had our growing pains, learning, and adjusting as a squad. But most importantly, growing as a family. Each of you means more to me than I can ever express.”

“Here, here,” The group cheered, raising their glasses.

Dinner flew by in a delicate blurt of laughter, love, and gratitude. Once you were full, you picked up your wine glass and leaned back in your chair, silently observing your new-found family. Their banter and laughs brought a smile to your own face.

Jake positioned himself closer to you, sitting back in a similar fashion with his arm stretching out across the back of your chair. You laid your head on his shoulder.

“Thank you for this,” You spoke softly.

“You did most of the cooking,”

“Not that; I mean all of them and for letting me be a part of this family.”

“I should be the one thanking you for putting up with all of us, especially me.”

You turned your head to look up at him, “yeah, you’re pretty hard to deal with.” You smirked.

“I love you,” He smiled back.

“And I love you.”

He kissed the top of your head.

Rooster cleared his throat, “Before Mr. and Mrs. Bagman gets all wrapped up in each other,” he pointed at you and Jake, “I wanted to take a moment while we are all here to say a few things.”

“Ooohhh,” Mickey cheered.

“Speech time,” Ruben beamed.

“I wanted to echo some of the things Mave said and say thank you to the team. We’ve been through a lot in the last few months with missions and finding a new normal with balancing inter-team, relationships, friendships, and family.” He looked over at Natasha and interlaced their fingers. “I want to thank you for all your acceptance and encouragement with this relationship. The uranium mission really reminded me of how fragile life is.”

Phoenix smiled back at him. She had a way of getting lost in his gaze like he was the only one in the room.

“Nat, my love, my best friend. I have to say that I am incredibly thankful for you. Your patience is an art form that I’ll never comprehend. You love me unconditionally and far more than I deserve some days.” Rooster choked up, his voice thick with emotion as he fished the small box from his pocket. “I couldn’t imagine my life without you. Would you allow me the honor of being your husband?”

He set the open box in front of her, and she covered her mouth in awe. Natasha was usually good at being able to reign in her emotions, but not at this moment. Happy tears filled her eyes, and she nodded.

“Yes, a thousand times yes.” She agreed, throwing her arms around his neck.

The room erupted in cheers and clapping as Rooster slid the ring over her ringer. You had managed to get her actual ring size, so there would be no need to resize it. Rooster had really relied on Jake to get the details from you, and it seemed to pay off. Silent, happy tears streamed down your cheeks as you looked at your best friend and her fiancé. Thankful that you got to be a part of that moment and all of their lives.

A/N: If you’ve made it this far - thank you so so so much for reading! My Masterlist can be found here. All work is also available on AO3  

#Jake Seresin x Reader #Jake Hangman Seresin x Reader #Hangman x Reader #Jake Seresin Reader Insert #Hangman Reader Insert #Hangman Imagine #Jake Seresin IMagine #Top Gun Maverick x Reader #Top Gun x Reader #Top Gun Imagines #Top Gun Maverick Imagines #Dagger Squad x Reader #Dagger Squad Imagines #Bradley Rooster Bradshaw x Natasha Phoenix Trace #Jake Hangman Seresin #Bradley Rooster Bradshaw #natasha phoenix trace #pete maverick mitchell #rooster x phoenix #bradley bradshaw x natasha trace

[averagewriter-inthedark]

The Parent Trap 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 | Lt. Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw Imagine

Inspired by Disney’s ‘The Parent Trap’

Link to my TGM Masterlist

Characters & Pairings: Lt. Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x novelist female!reader (romantic), Lila L/n and Caroline Bradshaw!OCs (daughters), Marilyn Brooks!OC (Bradley’s love interest), Ollie Tomas (platonic, Y/n’s bff), Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (platonic) & Hannix (Phoenix x Hangman)

Content Warnings: fluff, light angst, profanity, pregnancy & childbirth, separated twins, second chance romance troupe, assault (reader punches a character) | female reader—afab!reader (she/her) | wc: 18k+ this is long folks.

Premise: It was quite literally love at first sight for aspiring aviator Bradley Bradshaw and writer Y/n L/n, but the relationship ended as fast as it started. It did result in the birth of their beautiful identical twin daughters, Lila and Caroline—but even they couldn’t keep them together. An agreement was made in the divorce, Caroline would grow up with Bradley, and Lila would be raised by Y/n so the former couple never had to see each other again. What neither anticipated, however, were the sisters coming face-to-face at summer camp the year they turned 14…..and forming the ultimate parent trap to reunite their parents for a second chance at love.

Note: I rewatched ‘The Parent Trap’ the other night and gosh I remembered how much I loved that movie as a kid. I immediately got to writing this because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Just to be clear I do NOT support the idea of separating children especially twins & not tell them. This is of course for fictional purposes & I do not own Disney, The Parent Trap or the TGM characters. Hope you enjoyed! (Also I envisioned Dan Levy as Ollie when I wrote this & Margot Robbie as Marilyn😂

Thank you guys so so much for 1k!!!! I’m over the moon and cannot believe that I hit 1k just as I’m celebrating 1 year of coming back to this writing account and actually keeping up with works ! 🥹🥹 I love you all and appreciate all the kind words left on my stories 🤍🤍 you guys are the best!! — Bee 🐝

——————————————

“I know you’re upset, honey,” Y/n brushed Lila’s dirty blonde hair behind her ear, “But it’s for the best. Just think before you know it’ll be the holidays and then next summer I’ll fly you out there.” All she got in response was a sad nod, the fourteen-year-old turning to look out the window. Sunny California soon turned into cloudy New York as the plane traveled from coast to coast. The entire journey the novelist thought back to the past two weeks, which did nothing to heal her aching heart. Not only did she mourn leaving behind her second daughter, but she mourned what could’ve been with the man she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with almost fourteen years ago.

The one who made her believe in love at first sight.

In 2006, aspiring writer Y/n L/n was on the verge of college graduation, planning to move to New York City in hope of accomplishing her dream of becoming a New York Times bestselling author.

For as long as she could imagine writing stories was her escapism from the hardships of reality. A hopeless romantic, most of her work was romance—dabbling in fantasy or historical fiction from time to time but keeping a romance troupe involved. She first started writing fanfiction on the internet when it was just starting out, focusing on some of her favorite characters which resulted in her profile becoming popular with readers. It soon progressed to her attempting to write an actual novel.

The story she envisioned to write one day was keeping her up at night, so she finally sat her ass down the summer going into her senior year and started writing. In between classes and working at the campus library at UVA, where she was studying literature and psychology, Y/n was nose deep in her Apple iBook she literally got because of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Pages upon pages, the words flew from her mind and onto the screen, forming dialogue and descriptions. She didn’t know what would come of the book, unsure if she would even send it to literary agents and publishers once completed, but for now it was purely for her entertainment.

After all, look at Stephenie Meyer. Home girl wrote a book based on a dream and it turned out to be one of the bestselling series of all time.

Graduation came in a blur. Her plan was to go to the ceremony, get her diploma, and then head back to her place to finish writing. She was only a few chapters from being done. The last thing she wrote was the big twist which could be the make or break for the main character to be with the love interest, all that was needed was the resolution.

What Y/n didn’t expect that night was going to a party, at the insistence of her friend, and meeting who she believed was the man of her dreams.

Bradley Bradshaw was everything a girl would fawn over. Handsome, funny, flirty, the life of a party, who had dreams and aspirations. While his friends clowned him for having the typical 80s porstache, they secretly envied how well he pulled it off. Which was obvious by the amount of women throwing themselves at him.

Y/n’s friend had her eyes on him that night….but little did they both know, he had eyes for Y/n.

The second she walked in he was drawn to her. “Who’s that?” He asked his buddy, Fabian, interrupting him from his flirting with a pretty redhead. Annoyed, Fabian looked in the direction of Bradley’s gaze, catching Y/n in his line of sights.

“You talkin’ about the girl in the white pantsuit? That’s I think Y/n if I remember—we had psych 101 together ages ago. She doubled majored with English and worked at the library….” he raised a brow at Bradley, who was already walking toward Y/n with a determined look on his face.

Her friend Tanya spotted him first, immediately smiling with hopeful eyes. Only it fell to a small frown when she realized he wasn’t looking at her, but Y/n.

“Hi,” the greeting has Y/n turn around, red solo cup in hand and becoming puzzled at the sight of a gorgeous man standing behind her.

“U-uh hello.”

Bradley extends a hand, “I’m Bradley.” Y/n shakes it, both flinching when a spark ignites at the contact.

“I’m Y/n. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Y/n,” he beams, now aware she wasn’t alone. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you’d like to dance?”

“Oh um,” she glances at Tanya, seeing her saddened look and becomes apologetic. “I-I don’t know…”

“Just one,” he insists, “and then I promise to leave you alone afterwards.”

Y/n still appeared hesitant, not wanting to upset Tanya further, but the woman gives her a soft smile, “go on,” she takes the cup from Y/n, “I’ll be right here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Totally. In fact,” Tanya bites her lip when she connects eyes with a guy she had a class with the previous semester. One she thought was cute and wouldn’t mind getting to know. When he gives her a wave and gestures for her to come over, Tanya blushes, “I’ll be over there talking to Grayson. Take all the time you need.” She was already on the move before Y/n could say anything else, leaving her with Bradley.

“Sooo…” he holds out a hand, nodding his head to the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the house the party was at.

Heart racing, Y/n gives a small smile and takes his hand, letting him lead her to the floor. It was the first time a guy had asked her to dance at a party. Though she didn’t date or go out much in college, the times she did Y/n often got left alone because Tanya or one of their roommates/friends were hit on and she didn’t. Plus with school, work, and writing her book, a social life was pretty much nonexistent.

One dance became two, then three, and four. Before she knew it three a.m rolled by and she and Bradley had danced and talked the whole night, ending with the two sitting in the back of his Bronco with sonic Route 44s and milkshakes. Never had Y/n laughed as hard as she did that night, almost to the point of tears. There was warmth all through her veins, even after the two parted ways, only sharing a sweet kiss when he dropped her off at her apartment.

It was the closest thing she felt to love at first sight.

Maybe it truly was.

Things went by fast. Literally. So fast it was starting to make Y/n worried. Not only were the feelings getting stronger, but the terms of the relationship in general. Within a weeks they were living together, Bradley going as far as to propose to Y/n with the news of his commission into the U.S Navy.

“Marry me, Y/n,” he told her after the ceremony, the shiny Ensign ranks on the color of his uniform. “I know it sounds crazy, but I wanna share my life with you—every part of it. Till the day I die.”

Part of her was conflicted but the overwhelming love for Bradley had Y/n say yes. That weekend they were at the courthouse, exiting as Mr. & Mrs. Bradshaw.

But unfortunately the love story ended before it could really begin.

A few short weeks after the wedding, Y/n found out she was pregnant while Bradley was at flight school. It terrified her as much as it excited her. They were only twenty-two, with Bradley’s Naval career just starting out and Y/n trying to get her food in the door on hers. Having double majored in literature and psychology there were many career paths she could go into. Many would involve her having to get a Masters, but the couple were already paying off student loans from undergrad that she didn’t want to have to take out anymore financial aid.

Personally Y/n wanted to write books. She had yet to finish the one from college, with plenty more ideas safely tucked in her mind. The news of her pregnancy would have to put any potential job on hold.

Bradley was beyond excited when she told him, lifting her in his arms with glee, “I’m gonna be a dad!” His excitement was what really made Y/n look forward to bringing their baby into the world. She still had worries no doubt but having Bradley, who was now known to his fellow aviators as Rooster, made it easier.

But the couple were in for a much bigger surprise.

“TWINS?!” They both shrieked in the hospital room, eyes bulging the monitor showcasing two sacs in Y/n’s womb. Rooster nearly went into cardiac arrest, the woman bursting into tears which had him hold her tightly in his arms. Lips pressed to her head as he mumbled, “We got this baby. This is exciting! Just think, they’ll be best friends forever.”

“And it looks like,” the technician moved the wand across Y/n’s stomach a bit more to get a better angle. “You are gonna be blessed with two girls, Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw.” That had Y/n cry even more, Rooster shedding his own at the excitement and love that filled him.

“Girls,” he breathed in awe, kissing all over his wife’s face making her cries turn into giggles. “We’re having little girls—I’m so happy, Y/n. I can’t thank you enough for giving me this gift.”

In April of 2007 Lila and Caroline Bradshaw arrived. Identical twins who literally could not be told apart unless they were dressed differently. So the couple bought matching necklaces with gold pendants on each with the letters ‘C’ and ‘L’ for each girl. That way they could always know who was who.

Named after his mother, Caroline was a daddy’s girl even as a newborn. The only time she ever really wanted Y/n was when she was hungry, other than that little Caroline wanted to be in Bradley’s arms. She’d fall asleep in them, whine if she were in someone else’s, and make grabby hands for him when he’d come home. Caroline’s personality resembled Rooster’s, literally the life of the party whenever people were over.

Lila on the other hand was her momma’s mini me. The name came from a character in Y/n’s book. Not the protagonist, but the best friend who Y/n enjoyed writing for more than the main character. It was a name she always loved, and the moment Y/n’s eyes landed on the baby girl the name was perfect for her. Opposite of her sister, Lila was quiet and reserved. She loved to be held by Y/n and would beg for her attention. Like Caroline was a daddy’s girl, Lila was momma’s angel.

Life seemed to be good. It was good.

But then when the twins turned six months, things started to sour. They were living in Virginia with Bradley assigned to the Golden Warriors and Y/n was at home taking care of the girls. She’d get a little bit of writing done within the week but had major writer's block. Almost twice a week she and Bradley were arguing over something whether it was money, work, or the girls. They’d go to bed with their backs facing each other, Bradley leaving in the morning with little to no goodbye and when he’d return home he’d be so exhausted the two would rarely talk like they used to.

It was apparent the honeymoon stage was over. Both realizing it just wasn’t working out and even with their daughters the relationship was becoming strained.

What really ended everything was the night of the officer’s ball. A disrespectful comment was made to Y/n about wanting to be a published romance author by one of Bradley’s superiors. And he didn’t stand up for her. In fact, the man had the audacity to laugh with the men.

Heartbroken and pissed off, Y/n threw her napkin onto the table and removed herself without permission to be excused. Everyone stared with wide eyes, Bradley’s superiors watching with disapproval and making snide comments to the licensed pilot. Now he was angry, feeling humiliated by the scene and raced after his wife with an apology to the guests.

When they got outside both were feeling the heat. Spitting off words that they knew were going to fuel the fire.

“What the fuck was that, Y/n?”

“What the fuck was that?” She repeated with malice, “How fucking dare you sit there and laugh while they insult me! I’m your fucking wife, Bradley—you’re supposed to stand up for me! Instead you humiliated me!”

The entire drive home they were silent. Rooster’s knuckles were practically white with how hard he was gripping them, Y/n breathing heavily to control the anger. Not even the radio was playing. Only silence filled the void of the impeding argument that was to continue when they got home.

The door of the Bronco slamming alerted the babysitter, the teenage daughter of their neighbors, who met them outside with a smile only to frown when Bradley stormed past her. “Is everything—,” she went to ask but Y/n stopped her.

“Everything’s fine.” It was far from fine but she didn’t need to know that. Y/n removed a small wad of cash from her clutch, handing it to the girl. “This is for you. Thanks for all your help, Molly.”

When Y/n got in she checked on her girls first and then met Bradley in the bedroom to get out of the god forsaken dress she started to feel claustrophobic in. It wasn’t even fifteen seconds later before the couple were at it again. They tried to keep quiet for the sake of their daughters asleep just down the hall but nothing could stop the shouts from escaping.

“What was I supposed to do?” Rooster throws his arms out, face red. “Tell him to shut the fuck up? I have to work with him, Y/n. I see him every goddamn day—you want me to make my life miserable? Cause he’ll make sure that happens.”

Y/n couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Are you fucking serious, Bradley? You’re so worried about having to do more pushups than people or get hazed than standing up for me? Your own wife?! Yeah, I wanted you to tell him to shut the fuck up—I would’ve done it if was my boss! Because you’re my husband and I wouldn’t let somebody insult you like he did me!”

He sarcastically laughs, bringing his hands up to rub his face, “You know, you’re acting like a fucking lunatic right now.”

The comment had Y/n still, eyes widening as the alarms went off in her head. She waited for him to take it back, but when he didn’t all she could do was make a pained sound, turning away from him before the tears could spill. Exiting their room, Y/n went to the closet where they stored luggage. When she returned she had her large suitcase and a baby bag.

“What are you doing?” She ignored him, starting to throw random clothes in the bag from her dresser. Rooster, came around the bed staring at her in disbelief. “Y/n, what the fuck are you doing?”

“What does it look like, Bradley,” she hissed, still not looking at him. “I’m fucking packing and getting the hell out this house. And I’m taking the girls with me.”

“The hell you are!” He shouts, going after her when she enters the bathroom. “You’re not taking my daughters. Especially when I don’t know where the hell you’re going.”

“I’ll figure it out,” she gathers her makeup, skincare, hair care and shower necessities. “Maybe I’ll finally go to New York like I planned before I met you.”

“And what are you gonna do there?” He challenged from the doorway. Y/n felt her hand tighten over the first item in her hand, which happened to be a hair dryer. She could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, praying to God he wouldn’t actually say what would really tear her heart in pieces.

“Don’t you fucking dare.” But Bradley was too far gone before he could stop himself.

“Finish that book? The one you’ve been writing for almost three years and have yet to finish? And then actually get it published?” He chuckled sarcastically, breaking her soul when he added, “Yeah, sure you are. How about you wake up and start thinking about reality—where you should work on getting an actual career that’s gonna support your daughters instead of living in a fairytale.”

The hairdryer left her hand with a literal battle cry, causing Bradley to jump out of the way with a curse, the object hitting the side of his arm. When it bounced on the ground before stopping just by the bed, the couple stared at each other as though they couldn’t believe what had happened. Both were breathing heavily, Y/n’s makeup smudged with tears rolling down her face.

“Fuck you,” she whispered, seeing the immediate regret in his eyes, though no words of the sort followed. Y/n brought a hand up, turning away from him when he said her name. “Fuck you, Bradley.” She heard him leave, the door closing behind him allowing her to succumb to her emotions. The rest of the time she packed her things Y/n fought back sobs. She wouldn’t let him see her like that. That he had hurt her beyond what she could’ve imagined.

The way he took her dream and basically slapped her in the face with it. He knew she was dealing with writer’s block and had trouble focusing on the ending with having to take care of their girls. And not to mention she gave up her pursuits to follow him.

No more.

Zipping up her suitcases, Y/n picked up the wedding photo of her and Bradley. There were not many photos of them printed out and none were hung on the walls just because they would have to move with his job, but the two photos they did have were of their little courthouse wedding and the day the twins were born.

Tears rolling down her cheek, Y/n removed the photo from the frame and tore it down the middle before doing the same with the one of them and the girls. The piece with Bradley looking down at her in the wedding and the one of him holding Lila were folded and placed in her purse, leaving the one of her in her wedding dress and the one holding Caroline. She secretly put them in the drawer of his nightstand, letting him decide what he plans to do with them once she’s gone.

She couldn’t believe what she was about to do, but it was for the best in order for them to not have to deal with a nasty custody dispute. Already she could feel a bit of her heart missing. The piece reserved for Caroline.

After quietly packing Lila’s things, Y/n rolled her suitcases down the hall and placed the baby bag on top. Rooster was in the kitchen drinking a beer, ignoring when she came into the living room to gather all the things she had there.

“I have an offer,” she approached when she was done, keeping her gaze on the ground. Y/n feared she wouldn’t be able to say it if she looked into his eyes.

“What,” his voice was monotone, evident he was tired and wanting to get whatever argument out of the way so they could move on.

“I can’t stay here,” she told him, noticing him stiffening in the corner of her eye. “I just can’t, Bradley. We both know this was a long time coming and tonight was just the nail in the coffin. We’re not a good fit—we both want different things. And I can’t even look at you without wanting to scream.” She took a deep breath to calm herself, “I never want to see you again after tonight…so I don’t wanna have to go through a custody battle with you.”

“And how do you suppose that’s going to work out?” She could hear the heartbreak in his tone, getting tight with each word like he would explode if she took both girls.

Y/n let out a tired sigh, squeezing her eyes shut, “we both know Caroline prefers you, and Lila prefers me.” She waited for him to say something, but when he didn’t she knew he silently agreed. The next words that left her set in stone the next decade in a half of her life, “So I’ll take Lila with me and you raise Caroline. That way they have one of us and we never have to see each other again.” Again Bradley doesn't respond so Y/n softly says, “I’ll call a lawyer in the morning. For now I’m sleeping in the girls room.”

‘Come after me,’ she silently thought, a part of her hoping he would and convince her she was wrong and they could work this out.

‘Go after her,’ his brain screamed at him, not wanting to let go of the woman of his dreams.

But he stayed where he stood.

Twelve hours later the couple sat in the office of a divorce lawyer with papers drawn up indicating Y/n would have custody of Lila, retaining her maiden name and legally changing the girl’s to L/n, and Bradley would have custody of Caroline. They removed their rings, Y/n wiping away a tear when she did, before the two returned to the home to gather Y/n’s things.

Once the car was packed Y/n cradled Caroline while Bradley held Lila, the two facing away from each other to not show the other their emotion.

“I love you so much, sweet girl,” she whispered against Caroline’s tiny head, careful to not let her tears drop on her. Kissing her crown, Y/n softly said, “Our paths will cross again one day. But until then, I hope you have the best life and be a good girl for your daddy. You’ll always be my Caroline, my sweet girl.”

A few yards away, Bradley was saying his own words of love to Lila. “Promise me you won't give your momma too much trouble, Lila darlin’. You two take care of each other,” he kisses her forehead, eyes glistening with unshed tears, “I’ll see you again one day. I love you darlin’. You’ll always have a piece of me.”

The former couple barely glanced at each other or spoke a word the entire time Bradley was securing Lila in her car seat and Y/n reluctantly handing Caroline over. Her heart skipped, clenching at the same time Bradley surprised her by giving a soft kiss to her forehead, muttering for her to have a safe trip. Y/n only nodded, moving to the driver's seat and backing out of the driveway before pulling onto the road. Y/n finally allowed the tears to fall when she exited the gate for the last time.

When she got to her parents house roughly five hours later Y/n wanted to just go to sleep but her mind wouldn’t let her.

No, in fact, it wanted her to write.

The final piece of the book that had been nagging her for years finally played in her head. Everything from the dialogue to the final scene.

While her parents spent time with Lila, both of whom voiced their unhappiness with her decision to leave behind Caroline, Y/n’s eyes were focused on the screen in front of her. The only time she took breaks was to have dinner, use the bathroom, have downtime with Lila before putting her to bed, and share a glass of wine with her mother. Other than that, Y/n was writing until the early hours of the morning—going as far as to make edits to earlier parts of the book and change things she felt were unnecessary.

By the time the clock hit 4 am, Y/n was in need of a melatonin and 8 hours of sleep. But she was done. Done with the book she had spent so much time trying to get done. It was as though leaving Bradley was the awakening she needed to get it finished.

How fucking sad when one thinks about it.

That mid-morning, after popping a melatonin and sleeping for a few hours before having to tend to Lila, Y/n’s parents were visibly shocked by the difference in her behavior from the previous day. Of course Y/n was still deeply saddened by everything and they could tell it was affecting her, but there was also a sense of hope in her eyes. When asked about it all Y/n responded was, “I finished the book.”

Between looking for small two bedroom apartments in New York and part-time jobs, Y/n edited her book. For about six months she lived with parents, celebrating Lila’s first birthday where Y/n cried herself to sleep at not being able to do the same to Caroline. But then again, she had no one to blame but herself.

The break of a lifetime came a week after Lila’s birthday when Y/n finally got a response from one of five literary agents she had sent her inquiry to. “Hello Ms. L/n, Thank you for sending your inquiry. I’ve read your submission and am intrigued about your book. Please send me a copy of your full manuscript either through my email or a printed version to the address I have listed below. I’m interested to see what you have written and hope you get back to me soon. Sincerely, Yolanda Richards.”

Over the moon, Y/n sent a printed copy to Yolanda the next day. Nerves filled her with what the agent would think and if she would have her as a client. After researching for weeks on literary agents, Yolanda Richards was one of the best in the romance genre, with multiple NYT bestsellers under her name plus success at getting movie deals for the books. If Y/n became one of her clients it would be a dream come true.

The email came the following Friday: “Y/n, I am very pleased with your work and thoroughly enjoyed your story. Everything about it was captivating from start to finish. I would love to have you as a partner by representing you in getting your book published and on the market. Please give me a call or email me so we can set up an in-person meeting as soon as possible. I hope you accept my offer and I look forward to possibly working with you. Sincerely, Yolanda Richards.”

Almost 13 years later……Summer of 2021

Caroline’s heart was racing. She’d never been so nervous in her entire life than when the plane approached the New York skyline, the first time her hazel eyes had ever witnessed it. Even when she and her father were living in Virginia he seemed to avoid the city like the plague. Always insisting they go somewhere else for a vacation whenever she begged.

Now here she was at JFK airport about to meet the woman she dreamed of knowing all her life.

The whole journey Caroline thought back to the eight weeks of summer camp she’d just experienced. It was like fate had decided to work its magic on the third day when she came face-to-face with a girl who looked exactly like her. Though it’s rumored everyone has at least seven doppelgängers in their lifetime scattered across the globe, something about Lila L/n was different than a typical look-a-like. They were too alike physically. Dirty blonde hair with hazel eyes and standing tall at 5’5, the two were a carbon copy of one another with the exception of Lila having longer hair and bangs. “Actual twins” their campmates would say, but were complete opposites in terms of personality.

For example, Caroline dressed like she was going to the beach no matter the weather and had a knack for old music whereas Lila had more sweaters than t-shirts in her suitcase. Then Lila had an expanded vocabulary like she always was reading a poem in a fancy New York accent yet Caroline could barely tell the difference between there, their, and they’re. Lastly, Caroline was laid back and the extroverted jokester of the camp compared to Lila’s reserved, introverted, goodie-two-shoes nature.

Their rivalry was bound from the start. The end of the first week had the two already pissing off the counselors with the pranks against each other and their friend groups. Halfway through the camp duration was when the counselors had enough and placed them in the isolation cabin to settle their differences.

It was in the isolation cabin where suspicions became realizations.

First it started when both admitted to having a peanut allergy and their favorite food was chicken Alfredo pasta. They both loved romantic comedies and playing piano, neither a fan of licorice or dill pickles.

Finally feeling a friendship starting, Caroline complimented Lila’s necklace, who said it was a gift to her on the day she was born and had her initial on the pendant. Voicing the same, Caroline showed her own necklace with the same pendant only with a ‘C’ on it instead of ‘L’. That’s when Lila asked what day Caroline was born, both confirming they had the same birthday of April 21st, 2007.

Heart pumping with an feeling she couldn’t explain, Caroline revealed she was raised by her dad, who was a Navy fighter pilot and they were currently living in San Diego. “It’s only ever been me and him. He said he and my mom split when I was six months old.”

“No way,” Lila sat up in her bed, feeling the same emotion as Caroline. “I was raised by my mom. We moved to New York when I was a year old and have been there ever since. She told me when I was ten she and my dad divorced when I was six months old and he was in the Navy.”

Pushing aside her bag of hot Cheetos, Caroline began asking a series of questions. “My dad never said much about my mom, but at least once a year would give me some details of what she was like when I begged him. He said one year she had dreams of becoming a writer. What does your mom do?”

Lila’s eyes widened, “She’s an author—she’s written over ten romance novels.”

“Did your mom ever tell you how she and your dad met?”

“They met in college—at a graduation party to be exact. He asked her to dance.”

By now Caroline was gripping her hair, “Did they go to sonic afterwards where they had milkshakes and—.”

“Route 44s,” Lila finished, covering her mouth slightly. The reaction had Caroline racing to her desk to rummage through the drawer. When she faced Lila again, she was holding something to her chest.

“When my parents divorced my mom left behind two ripped photographs. One is of her holding me as a baby, the other is of her wedding day with my dad. They make up halves to a photo—but I‘ve never seen the rest. My dad doesn’t even know I have them.”

Gasping, Lila goes to her own desk and takes out a folder. Flipping through pages she gathers the two images in her own hands before turning back to the teenager. “These are the only photos I have of my dad. Like you, one is of him holding me in the hospital, the other is him in his uniform from the day he married my mom. They were ripped down the middle from the original photo.”

As though they read each other’s mind, the two started walking toward each other, already tearing up at the possibility that what they suspected was true. “On the count of three,” Lila softly said, “we show each other. Okay?”

“Okay,” Caroline agreed with a nod. They started to count down.

“One,” Lila took a step forward.

“Two,” Caroline echoed, mirroring her movement.

“Three!” Gasps left both girls when they extended their arms, each holding a half of the photograph, and slowly put them together. One showed Y/n and Bradley on their wedding day, smiling at each other looking as though they were the happiest people on earth, the other of them holding their daughters. Caroline in Y/n’s arms, and Lila in Bradley’s.

“That’s my dad!” Caroline beamed, in disbelief at the sight before her. There her father was with the beautiful woman she dreamed of meeting. Her mother.

“That’s my mom,” Lila sniffed, the teen overcome with emotion. Once they gathered themself over the initial shock they both couldn’t help but shout, “We’re twin sisters!!” Embracing in a hug filled with glee and laughter.

The idea that came to their head moments later was crazy, but after talking and voicing how they want to meet the other’s parents, the decision was made. Caroline and Lila would switch places. And they were gonna get their parents back together.

Lila told Caroline how their mom was a hopeless romantic at heart despite not having a long term relationship since their dad. The same was for Bradley apparently, Caroline confessing he only had maybe three serious girlfriends but the relationships ended because they couldn’t handle the lifestyle he was in. Or the fact he was a single father.

For the next four weeks the twins learned all about the other’s life and what to expect. “Mom wrote her first book in college around the time she met dad, but she didn’t get it finished until after they divorced. Since then she’s written ten novels—including a trilogy about to be adapted into a movie series and is currently working on a sequel to her debut book that her supporters have been begging for her to write for years. Most of her inspiration comes from what she hopes to experience,” Lila pauses to make a face, “Now that I think about it actually, her second book almost resembles her love story with dad….it’s the only one without a happy ending.” That had the twins frown, feeling more determined with their mission of getting their parents back together.

“This is the Dagger Squad,” Caroline showed Lila the pictures on her phone when the counselors gave them back for the weekend. “My dad went on a special mission two years ago before the pandemic and became friends with the people he did it with. Phoenix,” she points to the pretty brunette pilot, “well Natasha, I’ve known her since I was a baby. She and her husband have been friends with dad since flight school. And this is Maverick,” she scrolls to the next picture of her with a middle aged man in a flight suit, “He’s basically like our surrogate grandpa since dad’s parents passed away a long time ago. They were estranged for some time but became friends again after the mission.”

Lila explained the layout of their mother’s Manhattan home where they along with Y/n’s parents lived. “We always sit down to eat in the dining room as a way to have family time since mom is usually in her office writing or in meetings,” Lila explained before naming off the people in the photographs she had laid out in front of Caroline. “This is Ollie, mom’s best friend and writes romantic thrillers—he was our roommate when we first moved to New York and is often at the house more than his own. Yolanda is her literary agent who is in charge of selling mom’s books when she’s completed them and most recently got a movie deal on mom’s best selling trilogy. I call our grandmother ‘Gran,’ and our grandfather, ‘grandpa’.”

Both girls were the subject of a slight makeover with Lila having to cut her hair shorter, and Caroline getting bangs. When that happened they really were identical twins with the campmates not knowing who was who. Caroline practiced mimicking Lila’s NY accent and taught her the words to ‘Great Balls of Fire.’

“This is ridiculous,” Caroline complained when she was unable to whistle like Lila. “Is this really necessary?”

“Every teenager in New York has had to hail a cab at some point. If Mom is on the phone then I have to be the one to catch the cab—and whistling is gonna get you one more than just waving like an idiot in the middle of the street.”

Last thing to do was exchange plane tickets. Lila to SAN and Caroline to JFK.

They hugged each other goodbye, wishing the other good luck and not to forget certain things. They mostly had everything written down so they were confident they could get everything memorized by heart before they landed at their respective destinations. Caroline felt odd having to wear a long sleeve in July, but the weather for New York was cloudy with cool temperatures so she felt safer wearing the outfit Lila had picked out. She wasn’t the only odd ball, Lila was having to get used to wearing the tank top and pink Hawaiian shirt with shorts—something she never thought she’d ever wear.

They even had to exchange phones considering Lila had the lilac iPhone 12 Pro Max and Caroline had her trusty red iPhone 7 Plus. “Hey it works fine,” she defended, “until I either crack it beyond repair or it just doesn’t turn on one day then I will keep this till the end of time. So be careful with it.”

Promising to text everyday and call at least twice a week, the girls went on their way. Caroline fidgeted in her first class seat, trying to go over her notes to pass the time since it would only be a few hours for her flight compared to Lila’s cross country trip. But when the New York skyline filled her vision, the teenager was in awe.

If she wasn’t so excited she would’ve vomited from the anxiety consuming her. With her backpack on her shoulders and duffle bag in her hands, Caroline did her best to navigate through JFK until she reached the baggage claim. There her stomach did flips at the sight of Ollie waving frantically at her.

“Lila bean! Over here!” Grinning wide, she raced over to the man and was lifted into his arms. “Finally you’re back! Ugh you have no idea how crazy it’s been without you,” he set her down, making movements with his hand, “I’ve had no one to discuss the latest season of Bachelor in Paradise with because your mom’s been so nose deep in her work the whole summer—I’ve been trying to get her thoughts on if my next book should be a sexy twist on the show where every contestant has a dirty secret and one of them is a literal serial killer but she won’t budge from that computer. It’s been the only thing to distract her from being sad with you not being there—and oh my goodness,” he suddenly gasped, making her flinch, “What did you do to your hair?”

“Oh u-uh,” she stuttered nervously, praying her accent was believable. “A girl from camp cut it. I wanted to try something new. Do you like it?”

“You look fabulous,” he complimented, letting his finger run across the ends of her hair. “It suits more than I thought—you’ve always preferred it long.”

“Well I thought with me entering high school next month I was due for a change.”

Ollie gave her a look once over with an approving nod, “I dig it. Now c’mon—let’s get your bag and head out before this place gets too chaotic for my liking. Plus your mom has been texting me every ten minutes wanting to know if you’ve landed and it’s becoming exhausting.”

Caroline had to hold back cheering in victory when she successfully whistled, catching the attention of a cab driver for the pair. The drive there she was bouncing her knee, taking in the city causing Ollie to look at her confused, “My goodness, eight weeks you’re gone and it’s like you’ve never seen the city before. I promise you it’s the same as you left it.”

The teenager couldn’t help but mentally laugh at the comment, ‘little do you know….’

Arriving in Manhattan Caroline turned giddy. Before Ollie could stop her she was out of the cab with her backpack and duffle, leaving him to get her luggage as she hauled up the stairs to the three story townhouse. The door was unlocked and so she took a deep breath before pushing it open only to gasp by the beautiful interior of the home with a spiral staircase leading to the higher levels.

Setting aside her things, Caroline began to explore the ground level in hopes to find her mother or grandparents. Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention, the teen entering what appeared to be a study with various bookshelves and framed photographs on the walls. A man was standing up with his back toward her, appearing to look for something particular in his bookshelf.

Caroline’s heart skipped at the realization it was her grandfather. “Hi, grandpa,” she exhaled, causing the man to spin around. Immediately he was in delight.

“Lila! You’re back!” She met him in the middle as he came around the desk, the two embracing. “And you cut your hair, my gosh! You look so different—but great!”

Taking in his scent, the older man looked at her confused before she said, “Sorry, I just missed the smell of your peppermint aroma at camp.” He laughed lightly, rubbing her back with his hand.

“Oh honey we all missed you too.”

“What’s all the commotion?” A female voice entered the picture, Caroline grinning when her eyes met her grandmother’s. The older woman gasped before her own smile took over, “Oh Lila!”

“Gran!” She raced over to her, meeting her in a hug. “I missed you!” The two held each other for a moment, her gran voicing the same and complimenting her new look just as her grandfather did.

Then Caroline heard her. “Lila darling?”

Freezing against her gran, Caroline felt her heart race. Slowly removing herself she hesitantly went to the middle of the foyer. Just as she appeared in the photographs, Y/n was as beautiful as Caroline pictured her to be. Dressed in a cashmere sweater dress, she looked radiant as the light from the window hit her. Hazel eyes shining from unshed tears, Caroline whispered in awe, “Mom.”

“You’re back!”

Just like in a movie it all felt like slow motion as Caroline ran up the stairs while Y/n descended, meeting halfway in a tearful embrace. The hug lingered with Caroline never wanting to let go, a faint sob escaping from the back of her throat and the tears falling down her cheeks—no doubt ruining the mascara she wore. But the teen didn't care. Not when she was in the arms of her mother at last.

“I can’t believe it’s you,” she whimpered when they pulled away, Y/n moving to brush a finger off her cheeks.

“And I can’t believe it’s you,” the writer chuckled, letting her eyes run over her daughter she believed to be the one she raised. “Look at you, your hair is so short!”

“A girl cut it at camp for me—do you like it?”

“I love it!” Y/n assured with a smile, “You look amazing—I’m surprised that’s all. And..” Y/n tilted her head a bit, “are you wearing mascara?”

“Oh yeah,” Caroline sniffed, moving to swipe under her eyes. She forgot already that Lila wasn’t into makeup like her. “A friend I made at camp wanted to see how my eyelashes looked with it since they’re so long. I forgot I had it on.”

“Oh no worries, honey. I don’t mind you wearing it if that’s what you’d like.”

“N-no it’s okay. I don’t really think it’s my thing, m-mom,” Caroline felt another wave of emotion at saying the word ‘mom,’ making Y/n frown with concern.

“What’s wrong, my love?”

“Nothing,” Caroline’s voice cracked. “I’m just so happy. I missed you so much.” Y/n awed, pulling her daughter into another hug.

“Oh honey I missed you too. It almost feels like it’s been forever.”

Caroline squeezed her eyes shut as she nuzzled against Y/n’s shoulder, “you have no idea.”

Two weeks went by of the twins living their dream. Caroline explored New York City by accompanying Y/n to her meetings with Yolanda and watching Bachelor in Paradise to not have Ollie suspicious of her. Slight worry came with how her grandfather seemed to let his eyes linger on her whenever she said something unlike what Lila would say. Three thousand miles away Lila was having difficulty being so social with their father’s friend group—her introverted self needed to get away in order to recharge at times which had Phoenix and Hangman start to question her.

“Did the social butterfly in you burn out at camp, little chicken?” Jake teased one day, “I’ve never seen you this quiet in a single week.”

Lila put on her best face, hoping he wouldn’t see right through it, “You would not believe how exhausting it was dealing with so many people on a daily basis. There were times where I dreaded going to activities and preferred staying in my cabin. They were rambunctious I tell you.” Her choice of words had Natasha eye her, bidding a look to her husband, moving closer to whisper, “Did she just use the word rambunctious?”

It seemed like everyone but their parents were beginning to catch on. The first to figure out were Nat and Jake when Bradley confessed to his daughter, who he believed was Caroline, that he was planning on proposing to his current girlfriend Marilyn Brooks. Caroline had warned Lila that their father was seeing Marilyn, but believed it wouldn’t last till the end of summer. Upset and panicked on what to do, the teenager bursted outside of the Hard Deck and began ranting to herself, accent slipping out and unaware the couple were there the whole time.

“You got something to share with the class, Care Bear?” Nat approached, head tilted down at the teenager who’d gone pale. “Because you seem to be in distress.”

“Phee, Jake,” Lila placed a hand on her chest to calm her breathing, “You both gave me a fright.”

“We gave you a fright?” Jake repeated in confusion. Never had Caroline used expressions like that before, making them more confused.

“Y-you scared me. I-I didn’t know you two were out here.”

“Are you sure you’re alright, Caroline?” Natasha crossed her arms. “Because ever since you came home….you’ve been acting odd. Your appetite’s changed, you’re not as social, Charlie doesn’t want to come near you anymore” she listed off her fingers, Charlie referring to Nat and Jake’s dog who adores Caroline. “And you use these big words now.”

“And just now it sounded like you were straight from New York or something,” Jake added, “And not in the way when you impersonate it on Head’s Up, it was like it was natural for you.”

“Jake, Nat….” Lila thought rapidly to deflect. “I changed a lot over summer—my friend’s from there and helped me perfect it.”

“Alright,” Jake shrugged, “Man if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were—.” Nat slapped his arm, eyes wide with a knowing look causing him to shut up. Jake gave a tight smile to the teen, “Ignore me, I’m just being stupid.”

“Almost as if I were who?”

Natasha shook her head, “No one, Care Bear. Forget we said anything.” As the two went to go back inside, they were stunned by what the girl said next.

“Almost as if I were….Lila?”

Chills appeared on their arms, the couple slowly turning to face her again with eyes full of shock. Both were thinking the same thing: did Rooster finally tell her?

“Y-you know about Lila?” Nat whispered.

The confession rolled off her tongue, “I am Lila.”

Jake dropped his bottle of beer, the glass shattering against the wood while Nat’s hand flew to her mouth. Just as they were about to spit off the millions of questions in their head, Rooster appeared looking relieved to find the teen. “There you are, Care. Why’d you run off like that—I needed to talk to you.” Noticing the way his friends were looking as though they wanted to cry, Rooster then said, “Guys….why are you staring at her like that?”

Seeing Lila shake her head, begging them not to say anything, the two apologized and excused themselves. Later that night Lila asked to stay at their house after getting into an argument with her father about him getting engaged, where she then explained everything after a tearful reunion considering the couple hadn’t seen her since she was a baby.

“Caroline is in New York with our mom,” the confession had the two nearly faint. “We switched places at camp, which I cannot believe fate actually brought us together that way—and we’re hoping to get our parents back together because I know my mom still loves him despite all these years they’ve been separated. But now he’s engaged to that wretched woman who I know is gonna ruin his life. I-I have to call her and get them here now!”

Phoenix gently calmed the girl down, “Lila, it’s almost midnight over there. Call her tomorrow and then we’ll figure something out together.”

The call to Caroline is what got her found out by their grandfather. She was sitting at a picnic table just down the road after jumping from her seat at the dinner table. Unbeknownst to Caroline, her grandfather had followed her.

“I thought you said they would be broken up by the time I got back!” Lila shouted on the other end of the phone.

“Well that was the hope,” Caroline voiced back, “Usually he’s with them for a few months to a year—but Marilyn’s just…ugh I can’t even explain so it surprises me she’s lasted this long.”

“Well now she’s looking to become our stepmom! You have to get mom here to San Diego so we can stop them!”

“No way I’ve barely had time with her, Lila,” Caroline argued. For five minutes the twins go back and forth before ultimately hanging up. When Caroline rose from the bench she bumped into the gentleman behind her, “Oh I’m sorry, sir.” The man turned around, the familiar face staring back causing her stomach to drop. “Oh boy.”

“Oh boy,” he repeated, tsking. “How about we take a walk while the fresh air is nice?” Coming clean, Caroline told her grandfather everything from the day she arrived at camp to the day she left as Lila. Thankfully he wasn’t angry, in fact the man was overjoyed at the news.

Now it was time to come clean to the rest of the family.

The next morning Caroline was pacing in front of Y/n’s office before knocking on the door and waited for her to respond. “Come in.” Looking over the edge of her computer, the woman smiled at her daughter. “Hey darlin’, I’m almost done with this paragraph. What do you say about us going to that gyro place you like for lunch?”

“Mom,” Caroline fidgeted with her fingers. “I need to talk to you.” When Y/n continued to type, she said with an edge in her voice, “Right now. Please.”

Taken aback by the tone, Y/n saved the document and closed out before standing from her chair. “What is it, Lila?”

“That’s what I need to talk to you about,” seeing her confusion, Caroline’s eyes glistened. “Lila.”

“Yessss? That’s the name I gave you the day you were born.”

“N-no!” Caroline finally snapped. “That’s not the one you gave me, mom.” That had Y/n puzzled, looking at her daughter with wide eyes. Lip quivering, the teen finally came clean, unable to hold it any longer. “I’m not Lila.”

At first Y/n didn’t seem to react, until a soft gasp left her as the look of absolute shock took over her expression. Her eyes filled with water, hands beginning to shake, “You’re…You’re Caroline?”

“Yes,” she nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek. “You and dad sent Lila and I to the same camp. We met there and….well I just really wanted to meet you a-and Lila really wanted to meet dad and please don’t be angry with us, I—.” The teenager was cut off by the sob Y/n let out as she took her in her arms.

“Oh my sweet girl,” Y/n cried, letting 13 years of pent up regret, sadness, and shame finally release. “Oh Caroline.” The teen’s arms wrapped around her waist, nuzzling her face into her chest as her own tears spilled. Finally it felt like a weight had been lifted off both their shoulders. Mother and daughter reunited. “I can’t believe It’s actually you—my sweet girl.”

A tearful reunion even had Ollie emotional, the author being consoled by Y/n’s father in the doorway along with her mother. “I-I’ve never been so happy in my life. O-oh my gosh this is the best day ever!” As he cried, Y/n’s father gave her a heartfelt look before gently closing the door to allow them some privacy.

“No offense, mom—well actually slight offense,” Caroline said after explaining the situation of why the twins switched places—keeping out the fact they were planning to reunite the adults in hopes of the two getting back together. “But this whole thing was not it. I mean, c’mon, were you ever gonna tell us?”

Y/n looked deeply ashamed, wiping away at her face constantly, “I know it was wrong of us. Believe me I’ve regretted it every second since the day I left. Keeping you two apart was the worst thing we did and I hope you girls can forgive us. I let my personal issues with your father get in the way—a-and I should've never left you behind. You have every right to be angry,” Y/n paused to grab a tissue. “I honestly hoped to tell you two one day—possibly when you two were sixteen, but then I just didn’t know how to approach that after keeping it hidden so long.”

Caroline took it all in, asking the next question. “So what now?”

Y/n sighed, “Well legally you’re supposed to be with your father, and Lila with me. So we’ve gotta get you back to him. Then we go from there,” she placed her hands on Caroline’s shoulder before pressing a soft kiss to her head, “But I promise you no more secrets. And I’m not letting you go again, honey. We’ll get everything under control.”

Packing for California had Y/n a damn mess. She didn’t know what to wear and went through several options before settling on a fashionable white dress that would do well with the California heat. The sight of her was quite entertaining for Ollie, but was doing his best to offer moral support because she was really starting to lose it.

“What the hell am I supposed to say when I see him?” Y/n waved her free hand. She had sunglasses on her face and curlers in her hair with a glass of wine in one hand as she threw random stuff into a suitcase. “It’s been nearly thirteen years, Ollie. And our last day married was anything but a good parting! I-I mean I know nothing about him except from what Caroline has told me.” A warm feeling flared in her chest. “She says he’s still got that damn 80s stache—gosh what that did to me when I was with him. Only he could make a girl weak in the knees sporting something most men look horrid in.”

“Sounds like he could still make you weak in the knees, babe,” the comment resulted in a glare. “Look, you’re thinking too much alright? Just take a breather and think about the girls. This is for them at the end of the day.”

“I know,” Y/n rubbed her face, downing the last bit of wine in her glass. “Ollie, darling, I can’t go about this on my own. Will you—.”

“Accompany you to sunny California to keep you sane as you embark on this journey of reuniting with your former sexy pilot lover?” At her nod he winks and pulls out his phone showcasing his boarding pass. “Already got it booked, babe. Maybe I’ll find my own Romeo on this trip. Lord knows I have a thing for surfers and skaters—but there's a difference between New York skaters and California ones. I should know…I’ve dated both.”

When asked if she had talked with her father, Caroline subtly lied, “Oh yeah I just got off with him. Says they have our rooms reserved at the Hilton Resort in Palm Springs. He’s excited to see you.”

“He is?” Y/n raises a brow, not finding it believable, and trying to contain the flutter in her stomach. “Well, we should be on the way then. Sweetie, could you check us into our flights while I help Ollie pack the Uber?”

The man trailed after Caroline with a cheeky look, whispering under his breath so only she could hear, “liar, liar, pants on fire.” Caroline spun around to see her mom was turned the other way, bringing a finger to her lips with a wink, “shuuuush!”

When Lila brought the idea up for her and Rooster to go to Palm Springs for the weekend, the plan did not include bringing Marilyn and her parents. Thankfully Phoenix, Hangman, and Charlie tagged along too. The couple was in on the plan and only ones to know besides Lila that Y/n was just a few short hours away from arriving. They timed it so when she and Caroline landed at the airport, they’d already be checked in and waiting at the resort.

“Be warned,” the text from Caroline appeared on the phone. “Mom is DRUNK. She had two cocktails on the plane and had us stop at a liquor store to get some mini airplane bottles.”

“Oh no,” Lila moaned, causing Nat and Jake to look at her in question while Rooster was busy meeting Marilyn’s parents for the first time. She showed them the text, both reacting the same, “This is gonna be interesting.”

Charlie started to whimper, picking up a familiar scent and pulling Lila across the lobby with the couple chasing after them. Meanwhile in the elevator, Y/n remembered she left her purse on the counter. “Crap, I forgot my bag,” she giggled, stopping the closing door and moving as fast as her heels and disoriented state could take her. While she was busy gathering her lost item, Lila came around the corner with Charlie, the dog barking at the sight of Caroline in the elevator.

“Charlie!” She squealed, the animal bolting from Lila’s grasp and into the elevator before it could close. The twins connected eyes just as the door shut, Lila mentally cursing though she couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement in her.

“Oh shit,” Jake mumbled with wide eyes, pulling Natasha to the side right when Y/n approached.

“Mom!”

“Oh, you didn’t have to wait for me, sweet girl, I can find the room by myself,” Lila literally had to step away from her Y/n, who had yet to realize it was Lila giving the twins decided on wearing similar outfits. She reeked of alcohol. Caroline wasn’t kidding when she warned her their mother was drunk off her ass. Besides the smell and her slight slurring words, Y/n was having trouble keeping her eyes open, “You go on up, okay? I’m gonna check out the bar real quick—have a glass of water while I’m at it.” As Y/n went to walk away she turned around with a tilt of her head, “I like that jacket by the way—were you wearing that on the plane?”

“Mom, watch out!” Lila shouted as Nat gasped with her when Y/n nearly collided with the bellboy.

“Oh goodness,” was all the author had to say, giving an embarrassed glance to her daughter before turning the corner away from their sights. Jake couldn't help but laugh, Nat holding back her own as she and Lila stared at each other in disbelief.

“The one time she should be sober and she’s completely wasted!” Lila exclaimed with a laugh at the end. “I’ve only ever seen her have one glass of wine at dinner—now she’s looking to run the bar dry.”

Phoenix shook her head with a smile, “Yeah well let her have her fun before all hell breaks loose.” Guiding Lila to the elevator, they all head to the floor where their rooms were.

Meanwhile Rooster and Marilyn had the same idea.

Attached to his arm, the woman was on a rant about what she thought was best for the lavish wedding she desired. Rooster just smiled and nodded, allowing the blonde to have creative control since he had no idea what to say. His first wedding was at a courthouse, nothing extravagant.

“Alone at last,” She hummed in relief, lips going to his neck as she giggled while his arms went around her waist. Bradley mirrored her expression, only it soon went to one of absolute shock when his gaze landed on the woman he never thought he’d see again.

Y/n was in front of him, looking like an angel in white as she stopped short in front of the elevator when they locked eyes. A hesitant smile appeared on her lips, hand coming up to wave as Bradley started to lean away from Marilyn as the doors shut, wondering if his mind was playing tricks on him.

But no, his ex-wife was really there.

“Bradley?” Y/n heard the blonde’s voice just as the doors closed, the last thing she saw could best be described was her ex-husband looking at her like she was an actual ghost. Like he didn’t expect her to be there at all.

That put the pieces together.

“Caroline Bradshaw!” Y/n strutted down the hallway, halting when the doors of both rooms opened and the girls appeared before her. With the two sporting similar looks and the same haircut it was difficult to tell who was who. A headache was forming in Y/n’s head from the alcohol, the woman moaning, “Please don’t do this—I-I’m already seeing double.” The teen on her left smiled.

“It’s me, Mom. Lila.”

“Oh darlin’!” the author exclaimed, moving to hug her daughter and place a kiss on her head. “You look wonderful. My goodness this is the happiest day of my life,” she opened her arm to bring Caroline into the hug. “Both of my girls!” Then Y/n remembered what brought her to the floor, “Not to ruin the happy moment, but I’d really appreciate it if you explained why you blindsided me.”

All of a sudden Nat and Jake appeared from the suite Lila was in. “Hi,” Nat glanced down the hall before smiling at the author. “Sorry to break this up, but might I suggest we move this discussion inside.” Coming over to the doorway of Caroline’s room, the two extended an arm to the trio. The girls entered first, and as Y/n followed behind Nat added, “Hi, you probably don’t remember us--.”

“Natasha! Jake!” Both were given a friendly kiss to the cheek, Y/n pleased to see them again after so many years. They looked at each other with a smirk when she entered the suite, “I knew I always liked her.”

Once inside Y/n threw her bag onto the armchair, “Spill it!” She pointed to her daughters sitting on the ottoman, beginning to pace in front of the couch. “Though I’m not sure which one of you told me your father knew I was arriving today, I can assure you that the man I just saw in the lobby had no clue his ex-wife would be in the same state—let alone the same hotel.”

The twins looked at each other, Lila frowning, “You saw dad?”

“Yes I did,” the woman signed, dropping onto the couch. “And gosh if I didn’t know any better he lost his spray tan because of how pale he went at the sight of me. Like I was Casper the not-so-friendly ghost.” Wincing, the author requested a cold compress for her head, Lila jumping up to get one for her. “I’ve wondered for so many years what it would be like to see your father again, but him wrapped around another woman’s arms while I stood there waving like an idiot was not what I had in mind.”

At that moment Ollie struts in with sunglasses on his face and shirt opened to reveal his chest, whistling before stopping short at the sight of his ashen best friend. “You look horrendous.”

“Thanks, Ollie,” she muttered sarcastically.”

“Why the lone face, babe?” He bids a glance to the couple entering the picture, mentally thinking how hot they looked together after Y/n introduces them all.

“I’m currently investigating why my daughters felt the need to leave out the fact their father had no idea I was coming today.”

“Oh,” his eyes went wide, slowly starting to back away along with Nat and Jake, both wearing the same expression as him. “Well in that case imma just head to the pool.”

“We’ll join you—that sounds like a great idea,” Nat says in a rush, the three turning to run but were stopped short by Y/n’s, “Hold on a second!” They slowly turn back around, biting their lips.

“Are you all keeping something from me?” Y/n looks between the three before her attention is directed to Lila’s soft voice.

“Mom, dad’s engaged…...” The news has Y/n slowly fall back to the couch, her shoulders dropping while her heart clenches. She doesn’t know why she’s so disappointed.

Actually she does know why. It’s the reason she can’t bring herself to love another person no matter how much she opens up to them.

“And she’s horrible, mom. The wicked witch of the west!”

“I met her before camp and she was so rude to me when he wasn’t paying attention,” Caroline voiced. “I thought he’d have ended things already but for some God awful reason he’s still with her.”

“We can’t let him go through with it, mom,” Lila adds with determination, “He’ll regret it for the rest of his life. And well…the only way he won’t is if he sees you again.”

Y/n can’t help but make a sound of disbelief. “Wait a moment,” she nervously laughs, sitting up straighter, “are you trying to set me up with your father?”

“Yes,” they echo together.

“That’s exactly what we’re doing,” Caroline says followed by Lila shouting, “You two are perfect for each other!”

“Girls—stop right there!” Y/n exclaims when the three adults try to sneak out. “Did you all know about this?”

“Whaaaaat?” Ollie scoffs, trying to play it off but Y/n knows him better than that. Jake and Nat were also denying it but the author’s knowing look made all three come clean.

“Okay I had some knowledge.”

“We sorta had an idea—call it a hunch.”

“It was just so sweet and sounded like a good idea—.”

Y/n falls backward onto the cushions with a dramatic sigh, “Lord have mercy.” She found herself in the hotel bar twenty minutes later with an ice water and some concoction she requested for her hangover. To her side she noticed a pretty blonde lady take a seat and order a gin martini. “Here’s to….” She inspected the drink with a frown before saluting the blonde, “here’s to you. Hopefully your life is not as complicated as mine.”

The lady gave a tight smile, “Thank you.”

God the drink smelled horrible, tasting exactly like something no one would drink unless it was the only source of hydration. Groaning, Y/n downed the contents in three gulps just wanting to get it over with, covering her mouth with a hand when it felt like it would come back up. “Excuse me,” she mumbled when an unpleasant sound escaped, resulting in the blonde giving a look of distaste. “I would not wish this upon my worst enemy.”

“Here’s you bill, Ms. L/n,” the bartender placed the receipt on the table for her signature.

“Thank you,” she quickly scribbled her name and passed it back along with a few bills for a tip, the blonde getting a good glance at it causing her eyes to go wide.

“You’re Y/n L/n?”

Taken aback, the author nodded shyly. “Yes.” She received a squeal from the woman.

“Oh my gosh! I was just reading your latest novel on the drive here!” She moved to the seat right next to Y/n. “And my agent told me about auditions coming up for the adaptation of your ‘Bridesmaids Chronicles’ series. Ah it’s fate!” Extending a hand, the blonde introduces herself, “I’m Marilyn Brooks.”

Over by the poolside Rooster approaches another woman resembling his ex-wife, muttering an apology when he sees it’s not her and bumps into almost every person he passes, “Sorry.”

“There you are, Bradley!” Marilyn’s father comes up to him while her mother takes his arm.

“Bradley, this resort is just beautiful. Don’t you think it’s perfect for the wedding?”

“I do,” he adjusts his collar, voice turning soft when his eyes cut across the pool to the woman descending the stairs. A smile appeared on his face, “Absolutely.”

It was her.

Anything Marilyn’s mother said went in one ear and out the other, the navy pilot excusing himself with an apology as he began to make his way around the pool. “Excuse me—sorry,” he dodged a man carrying towels before doing the same to another guest. “S-sorry,” his eyes stayed on Y/n, who was walking and taking in the scenery.

Not paying attention, Rooster stumbled over a cooler, which happened to be Jake’s. The two were seated on the beach chairs with Lila and Charlie, Ollie just off to the side looking flabbergasted as he took in his best friend’s ex. Nat looked at him in concern behind her sunglasses, “Bradshaw, you okay?”

“Yeah,” he turns to her briefly, causing him to collide with a pool boy,

“Sir!”

“Dad, watch out!” Lila’s shout had Y/n turn, gasping when she witnessed her ex-husband fall straight into the pool. Nat, Lila, and Ollie all gasped with her while Jake just took his phone out to video the whole thing. Y/n had to turn away when Rooster began swimming to the side she was on, ignoring all the looks he was receiving by his little spectacle.

The poor pilot was completely drenched head to toe. Y/n fidgeted as he approached, both smiling at each other nervously.

“Hey, Y/n/n.”

“Hello, Roo.”

Wiping at the water dripping from his eyebrow, Rooster moved closer causing a warm feeling to erupt in Y/n’s chest. Gosh he had changed—of course it had been 13 years, but Lord did he have to get even more attractive? And that damn mustache had her weak in the knees but thankfully she remained composed. “It’s good to see you.”

Getting straight to it, Bradley gave her a look once over, “It’s good to see you too….but is there something I’m missing here? You don’t seem too shocked to see me as I am to see you.” Squeezing the water from his shirt, “I mean it’s been thirteen years and—.”

“Dad,” a soft voice interrupts him, Rooster stunned when he sees who believes is Caroline standing beside Y/n. “I can explain why she’s here.”

“Caroline,” he says with caution, briefly glancing at the woman to see her reaction, “you know who this is?”

“I do.” She allows her natural accent to flow, “And actually, dad, I’m not Caroline….”

Coming on Y/n’s other side, Caroline grins at her father. “Hey, pops.”

The best word to describe Bradley’s face was astonishment and pure happiness. “Both of them?” He looks at the girl he came to the resort with, eyes shining a bit with the emotion filling him, “Lila?” Then he looks at her twin, “Caroline?”

“I’m not sure if it’s fate or you both just picked the most random summer camp to send your daughters too….but we met there and it wasn’t too hard to piece it together. You know besides looking identical there was the same birthday detail and the fact we were raised by one parent.”

“They switched places on us, Bradley,” Y/n put her arm around Caroline, beaming down at her.

Rooster looked at her stunned, but smiling nonetheless. “W-what? You mean I had Lila this whole time?”

“Well I wanted to know what you were like, and Caroline wanted to know mom—are you angry?”

He answered her with a big hug, “Oh darlin’ of course not,” he kissed the side of her head, not wanting to let her go. “I’m so happy—I can’t believe it’s you!” Pulling away he ran a hand over her cheek, in complete awe of her. “It’s been so long—you were so small the last time I saw you.”

“Well I’m all grown up now….and quite without a father,” she pulls away from him to stand next to Caroline.

“And I’m about to head into high school, where I’ll be one of the few to not relate to other girls arguing with their mother on the daily,” Y/n shakes her head with a chuckle at Caroline’s words.

“Care, you’ve been in New York this whole time?” At her nod he opens his arms, “C’mere kiddo.” After their hug Y/n politely requests a moment with Bradley, the teenagers giving sly looks as they walk away.

“No problem…take your time.”

The two take a seat on one of the beach chairs, Y/n asking for a first aid kit when she notices a cut to his forehead. As she tends to him, Rooster goes, “Jesus, both of them together? Wow, I can’t believe it—this is unreal,” he then raises a brow, “How long have you known?”

“Since yesterday morning,” she explained softly, gently wiping away the blood before dabbing it with rubbing alcohol. She apologizes when he winces. “My father figured it out the other night. Honestly I’m ashamed I didn’t suspect anything—I just thought Lila had come out of her shell after camp when she was thrilled to come to my meetings where there’d be new people. And before you ask, Caroline told me you knew I was coming. Obviously, we were both deceived.”

“Talk about karma,” Rooster chuckles, not shy of calling them out on what they did wrong. “We kinda deserve it.”

“I do,” she corrects with a tight smile. “It was my idea after all.”

“Yeah,” he leaned closer, connecting their eyes, “but I didn’t stop it from happening, Y/n/n.” Seeing her hand falter at the name, Rooster tilts his head, “What is it?”

“N-nothing,” she nervously laughs, turning away to grab a bandaid. “Uh—I-I haven’t heard that name in awhile.”

“Do you not like it anymore?”

“No, no! I do like it. My dad still calls me it from time to time,” she says, putting the bandaid on his forehead. “I guess it just feels different.”

“I get it,” he nods, offering a small smile. When she wasn’t looking he unconsciously let his eyes take her in for the first time. “You look good, Y/n/n.” That was a lie, she looked incredible. Like an actual angel before him with her white dress and soft curls.

Before she could respond Marilyn appeared, causing the two to jump back when they realized how close they were. Rooster went a little red while Y/n scratched the back of her neck.

“Finally there you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere,” The blonde said in relief, smile dropping slightly when she sees her fiancé with the renowned author, “Oh good you two met. Brad, this is the author of the series I was telling you about—the one I’m auditioning for….umm am I missing something?”

Glancing between the two, Y/n felt her heart sink at the realization the lady she met in the bar was the same woman she saw Bradley with in the elevator. His fiancé….who was in for the shock of her life when it was revealed not only were they married, but his daughter was a twin.

“Hey, Mare, great to see you again. I’m the Caroline you met at the beginning of summer. This is my twin, Lila. I was pretending to be her while she was pretending to be me,” she points to her sister before extending a hand to Y/n, voice full of pride. “And this is our mother, Y/n L/n.”

Everyone should have expected disaster to happen at some point in the weekend. The ex-wife, who Bradley may have had feelings for still, and the fiancé—who was keeping a secret of her own.

One that the girls discovered when they snatched her phone.

That night after the stunning reunion, the girls schemed their way into recreating the night their parents met. With the help of Jake, Nat, and Ollie, the group got Sonic milkshakes, Route 44s, and some food for the pair who they ordered to follow them to where they parked Rooster’s Bronco overlooking the beach.

“Clever girls,” Y/n chuckled, popping a tater tot in her mouth. “You see what they’re doing, right?”

“I do,” he laughed with her, “not a bad job if I must say. Though, we’re missing all the discarded baseball gear and beer cans.”

For about an hour the two talked in between bites of food. When the topic of their breakup came up, both tried to hide their regret as to not let the other see how it still affected them.

“It was your hairdryer,” Bradley said when Y/n asked if she had hurt him when she threw the object at him, unsure of what it was since the moment was a blur to her now. “Clipped me in the arm.”

Y/n looked away in embarrassment, though she did remind him of why she threw it, which then had the pilot frown in shame.

“But look at you now. New York Times Bestselling author, just like you wanted. It’s amazing, Y/n. I’m really happy for you.”

“Thank you,” she gave a small smile. “It’s still surreal. And as much as I hate to admit it, it feels like it wouldn’t have happened had I stayed—even though I regret it.”

“You do?” he turned in his seat, tone unreadable though his eyes showed a different story. She didn’t look at him when she replied.

“I always had some regret. But because my dream came true I thought it was meant to happen. Leaving was the only way I could get it done. Then after discovering it was Caroline with me it all hit me full blast….I hurt her more than anything—and Lila. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself. Now it feels like everything that happened after that day wasn’t worth it because I lost a piece of myself.” Y/n sighs, looking up at the stars, “I was just so angry with you and by what that officer said. It felt like no one believed in me and in turn why should I believe in myself. So I did the only thing I could think of….and I packed.”

Turning to face Rooster, a solemn gaze took over, “And you…didn’t come after me.”

Rooster didn’t know what to say other than, “I thought you didn’t want me too.” He was astonished by her confession, thinking how everything could’ve been different had he listened to his brain screaming at him.

“Oh well,” she sipped her drink, “It doesn’t matter now. The past is the past. Let’s just put on a happy face for the girls and I’ll be out of your hair again.”

The rest of the night Rooster couldn’t think straight. While Y/n made the arrangements for what they should do about the twins, he just nodded and agreed. All he could think about was how he let her go and regretted it everyday since. Even when they arrived back at the hotel to their separate rooms he went to bed with the image of Y/n as the last thing he saw before sleep overtook him.

Y/n was checking out of the hotel when Rooster approached the counter. “So I’ll book Caroline’s flights for December and April.”

“And I’ll do the same for Lila in the summer,” she nodded, placing her bill from the concierge in her bag. When the girls arrived moments later, both parents were speechless by their matching outfits. “Girls, what is this?”

“Well, mom, we sorta came to an agreement. And we don’t feel like parting ways just yet.”

“Excuse me?” Y/n tilted her head at the teen who spoke. She thought it was Lila, but then again the woman wasn’t sure. They were hiding their necklaces to not give away who was who. “Lila, we don’t have time for this. Our plane leaves in four hours and I have a meeting with my publishers tomorrow.”

“Cancel them,” the other told her, making Y/n’s mouth part while Rooster’s eyes went wide.

“Caroline.”

“Yes,” they both answered.

Now the adults were becoming frustrated. “Girls, this is not funny. You’re gonna make your mother miss her flight—now stop this charade and tell us who is who.”

“Mannnn that’s pretty sad, huh,” the twin on the left voiced, “Can’t even tell your own daughters apart.” She received stern looks from her parents.

Going up to them Rooster leans down, putting his hands on his hips as he tries to tell them apart. Pointing a finger at the twin on the right, he smirks, “this is Caroline. I know that smirk anywhere.”

“Are you sure, dad?” the other twin says, plastering an identical smug expression. “You wouldn’t want to send the wrong twin to New York now?”

“Here’s what we want,” the one directly in front of Rooster states, “We want to go to Penny’s end of summer bash at the Hard Deck tomorrow night—you know, the one that happens every year. We go as a family, and once we do then we will say who’s Lila and who’s Caroline.”

Both parents look at each other flabbergasted. Then Y/n threatens, “Or I take one of you with me back to New York, regardless of who you are and that’s the end of it. Sounds good?” Nothing came of it, however, when Y/n pouted as she sat in the passenger seat of the rental car Ollie was driving until they made it to San Diego. Phoning Yolanda, her meeting was rescheduled and her flight was booked for Monday morning. They got lodging at an airbnb and settled for the night with both girls staying with Y/n on the promise they will stay with Bradley after the party.

Marilyn was not happy with the news of them staying an extra day. Having to deal with one daughter was one thing, but both twins had her head spinning. There was already high tensions with the teenagers, now throwing the ex-wife into the mix made things difficult for Marilyn when she was battling for Bradley’s attention. Not to mention all of Rooster’s friends didn’t like her.

Nerves raked the author when they arrived at the Hard Deck. It was her first time at the establishment and the only people she knew coming in were Nat and Jake. Ollie tagged along thankfully but then he was distracted by the adorableness that was Lt. Robert Floyd. Both girls dragged Y/n to all of Rooster’s friends, introducing the author with pride that made her chest warm.

“Oh hey guys,” Caroline giggled when the squad’s eyes bulged out at the sight of the three. “It’s me Caroline—the actual Caroline. That over there,” she points to her twin wearing a similar outfit only it was a Rolling Stones t-shirt and not The Beatles, “is my twin Lila, who y’all have been hanging out with the last two weeks. And this is our mom, Y/n L/n. Can’t believe dad fumbled such a bag.”

“Caroline,” Y/n scolded with a shake of the head, smiling when each of the guys introduced themself. “It’s nice to meet you all, the girls have told me all about you.”

“Wish we could say the same, ma’am,” Fanboy laughs, “We only know you from when Rooster gets drunk off his ass. Loose lips you know.” Y/n felt flustered by the comment, realizing Rooster still thought of her even after everything that happened.

Penny treated the author with a warm welcome, as did Maverick who both were surprised to see each other. “Oh my gosh, you’re Pete! You guys…you two rekindled?”

“We did,” he blushes, “took some time but it worked out. I’ve heard all about you, Y/n,” he gives an awkward shake of the shoulders, “He…told me everything about a year ago when it was the girls’ birthday.”

Everything seemed to be going well until the twins overheard Marilyn speaking ill of their mother. “She’s being a snake and you know it, Bradley! Ever since she got here there’s been an ulterior motive—and I bet you those kids are in on it,” she pointed a finger with a hiss.

“You’re being ridiculous, Marilyn,” Rooster’s tone takes another edge. “She hasn’t even spoken to me the entire night except to greet us when we arrived.”

“She doesn’t have to talk! It’s all in the looks and smiles! She’s a fucking romance author—of course she knows what to do to get someone’s attention. That’s how sad and desperate she is.”

By now Caroline had enough, bringing everyone’s attention to the scene when she yells, “You don’t know what you’re talking about!” In her peripheral vision she sees Y/n, Nat, and Penny stand from their seats, moving closer to where they were.

Rooster gives a warning look, “honey, this doesn’t concern you.”

“The hell it does!” She ignores his disapproving eyes. “How dare she talk about mom like that?! You’re gonna let her speak about her that way—about the woman who gave birth to us?”

Lila steps up, glaring at the blonde, “Instead of worrying about mom, she should be worrying about who’s blowing up her phone wanting to know when to meet at the motel tonight.” They watch as all the color drains from Marilyn’s face. Rooster turns to his fiancé, confused and demanding an answer.

“What is she talking about?”

“I-I—she’s. Bradley, there’s nothing—.”

Caroline cuts her off, “Who’s Colonel Mustard?” Again Marilyn goes pale, though there’s anger in her eyes. “What a code name, Mare. I guess I better refer to his actual name, you know. Does the name Admiral Patrick Cross ring a bell?” She mocks, “oh yeah, he’s dad’s married boss at Top Gun and she’s been sending naked pictures to him all weekend.”

Gasps sounded all around, Ollie, Nat and Penny slapping a hand to their mouth where the squad and Mav all went, “oh shit!” Y/n looked at her daughters stunned before glancing at Bradley to see his reaction. The man was in disbelief, staring at Marilyn with unreadable eyes.

The blonde saw red. “You little bitch!” Before she could stop herself her hand came up and slapped the teen across the face, leaving a nice print in its wake along with a scratch from when her fake nail dragged against the skin.

Now Y/n saw red. Literally Kill Bill alarms blaring.

Marilyn screamed when her jaw snapped to the side full force from the impact of Y/n’s fist. The author had pulled her by the hair to turn her around, nearly ripping out her extensions. Blood coated Marilyn’s mouth, and a tooth even fell out by how hard Y/n had punched her. Before another blow could be landed the woman was pulled back, fighting against the hold from Ollie and Nat, “Touch my daughter again and see what fucking happens bitch—I’ll cut your fucking eye out!” While she was being dragged to the back patio to prevent from committing a crime, Marilyn ran out the front door with Rooster chasing after her.

Tears in their eyes the twins raced to their mom. When they got outside they saw her shaking the first that was no doubt throbbing. Ollie was trying to talk her down, all while complimenting how badass she was. “Oh honey,” she saw Caroline, moving to hold her. Telling Penny to bring out two ice packs, the woman brushed her uninjured hand against the teen’s cheek. It flared her anger more, wishing she could go beat the shit out of that cunt. “My sweet girl, are you okay?

“I’m fine, mom,” Caroline whimpered, sniffing when Y/n wiped the tear that fell. Her face stung and there would likely be a mark but she didn’t care. All she could feel was warmth and happiness by how her mom stood up for her. Looking at her first, the teen frowned at the discoloration. “Are you okay?”

Penny came out with the ice packs, handing one to Y/n and Caroline. “I’m fine—at least right now because my adrenaline is pumping. Give me a few more minutes and I could be in debilitating pain but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” Glancing over the deck, Y/n’s face fell slightly. “Where’s your father?”

“He went after the witch,” Lila said with distaste. Caroline mirrored her expression, both twins disappointed with Rooster. The reaction had Y/n take a deep breath, controlling the anger rising which nearly snapped when the man slid open the doors of the patio and walked toward them.

“Not now, Bradley.”

“Y/n, listen to me—.”

“You went after her, dad,” Caroline sniffed, glaring up at him. “What the hell?”

“Not in the way you think, honey,” he leaned down to cup her face, careful of the mark. It was taking everything in him to remain composed. Just moments before when he was ending things with his now ex-fiancé, Rooster had to remember she was a woman and not to lose it even though she had just laid her hands on his daughter. Had she been a man….well there would be an ambulance called. “I only went after her to tell her to get her crap out of the house and expect charges for assault to be on her doorstep.”

Now that had them speechless. “Really?”

“Yeah, kiddo. And I’m so sorry,” he kissed her forehead, moving to hug her and opening his arm for Lila to join. “Thank you both for what you did. I owe you two for saving me.” He feels them laugh against his chest, the pilot lifting his gaze to settle on Y/n. She has a smile on her face, blushing when they look eyes. At her wince he notices her hand was now black and blue. “You should get that looked at.”

“Oh It’s fine—,” she tried to deflect but he wouldn’t have it.

“That looks broken, Y/n,” he gently moves the girls to the side so he can inspect it. The woman makes a pained sound when his fingers try to turn it. “Yeah, we’re going to urgent care right now.”

“Bradley—.”

“No excuses. Girls, let’s go.” He almost wanted to laugh at the pout on Y/n’s face, hauling her to the Bronco before speeding off to the nearest urgent care. The entire way she tried saying she was fine, but the pained expression every time she moved her hand in the slightest gave away that she was in fact not fine. The girls couldn't help but giggle at the way the adults were bickering. Like they were still married.

With a diagnosed fracture and cast on her wrist, Y/n felt butterflies in her stomach when they returned to the beach house for the girls to get their things. They would spend the final night at Rooster’s before Y/n and Ollie would pick Lila up in the morning in time for their flight. While the girls were upstairs, Y/n and Bradley sat on the deck, neither not knowing what to say.

“What time do you take off?”

“A quarter till nine,” she replied, keeping her eyes on the waves in front of her. She felt him come to her side, so close she smelled his cologne that if she closed her eyes, it would put her back in 2006. “It’s a straight shot thankfully—no layovers.”

“That’s good,” he muttered, head spinning with a million things he wanted to say but couldn’t form the words. Part of him just wanted to confess he still loved her. That he never stopped. That they should try to kick things back off. But then he thought about how their lives went. Here he was a Top Gun instructor in San Diego, and she was a bestselling author in New York.

Rooster thought of her stories. He read every single one on the market the day they dropped, feeling the heartbreak in him every time he flipped through the pages of her second novel that he knew was loosely based on their story. He remembered crying at the end when he finished it the first time. It was the only one without a happy ending.

All the books were hidden in his closet, but at least once a year Rooster would pick up one and read the beautiful words Y/n wrote. He was so proud of her, but didn’t know how to say it.

“Roo—.”

“Y/n/n—.” Both chuckled nervously when they tried speaking at the same time.

“You go,” she insisted. Wiping a sweating hand on his pants, Rooster took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry,” he exhaled. “For what I said to you that night. And for not standing up for you like I should have,” his face was full of regret. “I was more worried about my job than you—a-and it was wrong of me to do so. I made you feel like your talent wasn’t worthy, that you’d never make it as an author and I’m so fucking sorry for saying that. You are an amazing writer and you deserve everything that has come from it. Your books are incredible, Y/n. Every one of them.”

Y/n feels her throat tighten, voice going small, “Y-you—you’ve read them?”

“Every single one,” he confesses, making her whimper slightly by the emotion erupting in her chest. “On their release day. And I read them in one sitting.”

Y/n’s heart was soaring. Never did she think he’d read her books, let alone buy them the day they came out. His confession was making it harder for her to let him go again. “Roo…” she whispers, eyes glistening as he moves closer to her.

They stared at each other for a moment. No words came out but in their looks was everything they needed to know. The love they thought had left years ago resurfaced in just a few days.

Right as it looked like Rooster was about to lean down, the sound of a car filled their ears, causing Y/n to drop her head. “That would be Ollie.” Rooster nods, disappointment filling him as he slowly backs away to enter the house, but not before giving her one last look to see her wiping her eyes. Y/n gives the twins a kiss on the head before waving goodbye when they leave. Now that he was home, Ollie wanted to know everything he missed—jaw dropping when Y/n admitted they nearly kissed.

“Why didn’t you!?’

“Because, Ollie!” She says dramatically, “four hours ago the man was engaged and may I remind you, we’ve been broken up for over a decade. Why the hell would I let him kiss me when there is no chance something would come out of it.”

“You don’t know that, Y/n,” Ollie comes around the kitchen island, wine glass in hand. “Look, you may not have seen it but my eyes know what I saw this whole weekend. And it was a man who wants to sweep you off your feet and take you to the nearest chapel.”

“Ollie—.”

“Did you not see his reaction when you clocked that bitch? My God it looked like he was about to pop a semi.” Y/n put her free hand to her face, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. The whole moment at the bar was a blur to her from the moment she saw that wrench put her hand on Caroline. It was all a haze until she was outside dealing with a throbbing hand. Barely did Y/n look at Rooster, she was focused on her daughter.

“Noooo, I did not see his reaction, Ollie. I was too busy dealing with the fact I was about to commit bloody murder.”

“Well I can assure, babe, that your sexy pilot of an ex was wanting to throw you over his shoulder and take you to bed. After of course making sure sweet Caroline was okay.” Setting down his wine glass, he gives her a stern look, “Tell me the truth, do you still love him?”

“It’s complicated—.”

“It’s a yes or no, Y/n.”

“What exactly do you want me to say,” she threw her hand out, “that yes I’m still hopelessly hung over him and wish I could go back and time to stop myself from leaving? That seeing him this weekend made me feel like a twenty-two year old girl again? That I have envisioned everyday since Caroline told me about the switch, that maybe we could pick things off where we left?” They were all rhetoric questions, Ollie allowing her to rant as tears threatened her eyes. “Of course I do—to all of the above. But this isn't one of my books, Ollie, this is real life—a-and his life is here while mine is in New York. I don’t want to leave that and how should I expect him to leave all of what he has built here for me?” Sniffing, Y/n looks away with a hand to her chin, whispering, “It’s why I left in the first place.”

The rest of the night the two packed the rental car so it was ready for the morning and watched cheesy rom-coms since neither could really sleep. They got maybe four hours on the couch, but soon their alarm woke them up to start the day. Y/n called Lila to make sure she was awake and ready before showering herself, putting on a simple outfit for the flight.

It was a heartfelt goodbye when they arrived at Roosters home. Caroline held onto Y/n for almost five minutes, the woman promising to call her everyday so she could hear how the teens' day. They spoke of excitement for the holidays with Y/n promising to take her and Lila skating around the big tree and to celebrate New Year’s in Time Square. Not too far from them Lila was held by Rooster, the teen lightly crying when they pulled away.

“I’ll see you soon, okay?” He tells her, brushing a thumb over her cheek. “Maybe sooner than you think, Lila darlin’.” She doesn’t think much of the comment, only nodding up at him before embracing Caroline when approaches. Together the girls walk to the car with the adults watching as Ollie gives a hug to Caroline.

“You take care of yourself, Y/n/n,” Rooster places a hand on her shoulder, “and hope you two have a safe flight.”

“Thank you,” she tells him, offering a tight smile. “And I will.” He surprises the author when his lips gently press against her forehead, squeezing her hand after it had fallen from her shoulder to hold it. They share one last look, Y/n nodding to him before walking up to the car. She and Caroline share one more embrace, Y/n kissing the teen’s head with Caroline shutting the door of the car behind her. Waving through the window, Y/n blows her a kiss as Ollie presses on the gas. Soon Rooster and Caroline grow smaller in the rear view mirror, the distance growing by the second until finally they disappear when they turn the corner onto the freeway.

On the plane Lila barely talks. She’s either nose deep in the book she bought at one of the airport shops, headphones in, or looking out the window with absolute silence. Y/n tries to have a conversation, but eventually gives up knowing her daughter needed some time. The only response she received when assuring Lila the holidays were around the corner was a sad nod. Within hours the sunny skies of California turn into gloomy clouds of New York. Rainfall greeted them as they stepped out of the airport, finding their Uber quickly to beat the afternoon rush. It took maybe an hour for them to get home from JFK, Y/n frowning when she saw Lila wipe a tear away.

Ollie was dropped off at his home first, waving to them with the promise of seeing them later for dinner. Dropping their stuff in the foyer, they call out to Y/n’s parents. “Mom? Dad?” “Gran? Grandpa?”

“I’ll check the study,” Y/n moves to the room her dad spent most of his day in. A smile appeared when she entered to see the morning’s newspaper in his hands.

Or so she thought was her dad’s hands.

Leaning against the door, Y/n spoke with a soft voice, “Hey, stranger, we’re back?”

The paper dropped to the desk, revealing a beaming Caroline in a flight suit sitting in the chair. Y/n’s jaw dropped, hand going to her chest. Caroline gave a cheeky look, “Hey, mom, did you know an F-18 can get you here in a quarter of the time compared to a commercial jet?”

All she could do was nod back slowly, feeling her heart pound against her chest. “Y-yes, I-I’ve heard. What—.” Upon her gasp when she saw Caroline, Lila raced into the study, matching the expression of her mother.

“Care! What are you doing here?”

The twin rose from the chair, “Hope you don’t mind us crashing in. But, it took us less than a minute after you guys left for us to realize we didn’t want to lose you both again.”

Y/n almost stumbled as she took a step into the study, “W-we?”

Caroline’s gaze drifted to the other entrance of the room, where Rooster appeared in his own flight suit, eyes locked on Y/n, “We.” He heard her make a sound, the hand on her chest going to her mouth. “My biggest regret was letting you walk away that day, Y/n. I’m not gonna make that mistake again. And I promise to never make you feel like you aren’t worthy of something—because you are worthy of everything you set your mind to. And I’m gonna make sure you know that everyday.”

Y/n started to feel the emotion bile in her throat, shaking her head slightly to stay strong. “A-and I suppose you just expect me to fall into your arms like I did all those years ago,” she saw a smile form on the corner of his lips, the man slowly moving closer to her with a knowing look. “And cry hysterically saying we can figure this whole thing out and have a long-distance relationship with our girls being raised here and there,” he continues to move closer, making Y/n’s heart pump faster. “—and we just pick up where we left off…with the promise of growing old together and…”

By now Rooster was directly in front of her, gaze full of love and adoration. She forgot what she was about to say, getting lost in his eyes, “oh come on, Roo. Is this supposed to be a happily ever after?”

“Yes,” he cupped her face in his hands, thumbs caressing her cheeks that were warm and damp. “To all of it, Y/n/n. You write happily ever afters for a living, now it’s time for you to have your own.” He smirks adding, “Except you don’t have to cry hysterically, baby.”

That nickname combined with the offer had the tears rolling down her cheeks, Y/n nodding weakly against his palms, “Oh yes I do.” The last word was met with his mouth pressed against hers, fireworks erupting all over her body. Letting her eyes flutter shut, Y/n’s hands moved to the back of his neck to deepen the kiss, feeling Rooster smile causing her to do the same.

Behind them their daughters were holding back their squeals, Lila falling dramatically onto the sofa while Caroline leaned against the bookshelf, “I can’t believe we actually did it!” They eventually moved out of the study to allow the pair some privacy, all the while they never broke the kiss until needing air but kept their mouths close.

“Wait a moment,” she ran her hands along his flight suit, “Did you steal an F-18 so you could get here before me to come confess your love—and had our daughter in the backseat?”

He gives a shrug, grinning wide, “Maybe.”

“Isn’t that illegal?” She looks at him like he grew two heads. “And how does Caroline—.”

“Well actually Mav helped me out,” his arms went around her waist, pulling her against him. “We got special permission—so don’t worry I won’t be arrested anytime soon. As for Care, Fanboy and Bob have been teaching her a thing or two about being a backseater. I think she’s getting the hang of it.”

“Oh my lord,” Y/n closes her eyes before laughing at the whole situation. Rooster laughs with her, nuzzling his head into her neck. “You are an impossible man, Bradley Bradshaw.”

“Only for you, Y/n L/n.

Six months later……

Y/n wiped the sweat from her forehead, pressing the enter button with a huff of victory. The glasses were removed from her face, leaning against the back of her chair to give her body the much needed stretch. When her arms extended out to relax the tense muscle, the diamond ring on her finger sparkled against the light. The sight made her smile, eyes going back to the words on the screen.

A knock on the door sounded seconds later, “Come in.” Gently opening, Rooster appeared with a mug of steaming coffee, his own wedding band reflecting as he shut the door. “Hey you.”

“Hey yourself,” he winks, coming to put the mug on her coaster before leaning down to kiss her lips. “Lila called, the two are staying after school for a club meeting.” Y/n thanks him for the coffee, nodding at his words with a knowing look.

“I take it pizza is the move then tonight?”

Rooster chuckles, “Unless you want me to whip up some pasta, but I gotta warn you it’s not gonna be anywhere near what you get in town. Although not to toot my own horn, my spaghetti is pretty damn good. At least that’s what Caroline tells me.”

“Oh goodness, well I can eat anything at this point,” she sighs dramatically, “Or maybe we can tell them to meet us at Milo’s. I think a celebration is in order.” Rooster tilts his head confused, but then smiles at the word doc on the screen.

“You finished?”

“Yes,” she beams. “Well I finished the draft. I plan to edit it myself first before sending it off….but it’s done.”

“That’s amazing, baby,” he kisses her cheek, gesturing for her to get up so he could sit and have her in his lap. “I’m so proud of you. You got that done in a record time. Didn’t you just start that—not even a month ago?” Y/n nods shyly.

“I had a lot of inspiration. The words just flew out honestly—Yolanda is gonna have a field day.”

Rooster gets a glimpse of the last paragraph causing a smile to appear on his lips. Respecting her writer's privacy he didn’t ask much about the novel when she started writing it, only when she discussed it on her own terms. He could see the excitement in her eyes, warmth in his veins by how happy she was and couldn’t wait to read it when she finished. “May I ask what inspired this book, Y/n/n? Although, I do have a funny feeling.” Y/n didn’t have to answer, her bashful smile was enough to tell him everything. “Have you thought of a title yet?”

Glancing to her screen, Y/n read over the final paragraph stopping at the words in bold THE END. Her readers were gonna freak out when it would be announced she’s coming out with a sequel to her second released book, the one responsible for her receiving fan mail with them begging for her to continue the story. To give the characters their happy ending.

She just needed her happy ending first.

The story was being written in real time.

“I was bouncing between a couple, but I think I have it,” she faces her husband, grinning as the name slips off her tongue. It was what Lila and Caroline had coined when Y/n came to them about the book.

“I think I’m gonna call it….The Parent Trap.”

……………….

TGM Tag List: @avaleineandafryingpan, @caitsymichelle13, @poppyalice2001, @cutelittlepotatofry, @luckyladycreator2, @americaarse, @elenavampire21, @back-tooo-black

#bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley rooster bradshaw #lt bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster imagine #rooster x reader #rooster fanfiction #bradley bradshaw x y/n #Bradley bradshaw fluff #Bradley bradshaw angst #top gun maverick imagine #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun imagine #tgm imagine #bradley bradshaw x female reader #top gun fluff #miles teller characters

[crazyk-imagine]

The Good, The Bad, and The Big Birthday Bash (Edwin’s Birthday)

Pairing: (Stepdad) Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Mom!Reader

Characters: (Stepdad) Jake “Hangman” Seresin, Mom!Reader, Edwin and Maryanne (the kiddos), Penny Benjamin, Amelia Benjamin, Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, Natasha "Phoenix" Trace, Robert "Bob" Floyd, Reuben "Payback" Fitch, Mickey "Fanboy" Garcia, Javy "Coyote" Machado, Billy "Fritz" Avalone, Callie "Halo" Bassett, Neil "Omaha" Vikander, Bringham "Harvard" Lennox, Logan "Yale" Lee

Warnings: SMUT (Minors DNI 18+), light somnophilia goes with -->, pussy eating, p n v, unprotected sex (consensual, wrap it before you tap it people), sex in different locations (bedroom and bathroom), Jake calls reader his bratty baby, reader and Jake go back and forth with the brat nickname, cursing, sweet Jake (basically the opposite of him in tgm), minor sub!Jake vibes, real talk (about adulty things like bills), alcohol consumption, Bradley the bartender (only for friends though), Bob the DJ makes a return, Mickey the photographer has more models, everyone looks cute in their cowboy/ cowgirl outfits, the kids being adorable, pilot crew doing dumb things

Word Count: 7,954

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You stare at the day, wondering why it looks so familiar. You finish typing in, “pay cable bill” and then it hits you. “It’s almost his birthday,” you sigh, rubbing your forehead. 

“Is this not a good thing?” Jake asks, setting your plate in front of you as he sits down. 

“No, it is- -its- its good. I just- I don’t know how I’m going to plan this because it seems like the bar is just getting busier and busier than my other job-” 

He says nothing as he reaches down, hand wrapped around the leg of your chair as he pulls you closer to him. “I thought I told you to quit that job.” 

“And I told you that I have to make ends meet. We have to be able to eat somehow.” 

He removes his hand from the leg of the chair and cups your cheek, getting you to focus on him. “You don’t have to do that. There are two people here now. It’s not all on you to take care of everything, okay? It's okay to lean on me.” 

You sniffle, lowering your head. 

“Hey, hey,” he lowers his voice, bringing you closer to him, resting your head on his shoulder letting you cry until you can’t anymore and all you can do is sniffle. “Come on now. No more tears.” He uses his thumb to wipe your cheeks and under eyes. “We are in this together,” he pecks your head. 

Jake grabs your hand and pulls your hand up to his lips, placing a kiss that lasts a few seconds on your wedding ring. “This ring here united us in more ways than one so, if you have credit card debt, it’s now our debt.” 

That earns a chuckle from you. 

“There’s that smile I love.” 

“Shut up,” you mumble into his shoulder. 

He chuckles, “I don’t think I want to, not when I got a pretty girl on my shoulder.” 

“Why do you have to be so flirty?” 

He shrugs, “don’t know but I can’t say I hate it.” 

“And, why’s that?” You move your head, looking up at his jaw line and side profile. 

“It got me you.” 

“I don’t think it was the flirting.” 

“Oh, no. It was definitely the flirting.” 

“Okay,” you pat his chest with your left hand. 

He tilts his head down, staring at the ring on your finger and smiles. 

You push yourself off him, taking a bite of your food. 

He takes this as an opportunity to talk. “Okay, this is what I got from this conversation. You’re quitting your crappy second job and letting me officially help with bills while you start coming up with some ideas on what to do for our little man’s birthday party.” 

You hate to admit it but the way he said, “our little man” makes you happy and relaxed, it never seems to stop surprising you when he talks about the kids like they’re his own. 

He said he wished they were his on the first date and still manages to surprise you after saying that. He gets out of the chair and exits the kitchen. 

You huff, shaking your head while eating your pasta. How dare he be such a little shit… even if he did reheat your dinner for you. 

You turn your brain off for a second, focusing on the tasty food and not the fact that Jake is talking about the kids is hot. Nope, definitely not focusing on that. You stop chewing, a dirty thought comes to mind. ‘Could he have a breeding kink?’ 

“Hey, babe?” 

Your eyes slowly trail over towards him. 

“Nothing, just wanted to see if you wanted to watch a movie with us but I can see that the pasta is better than us. So, we’ll leave you two alone.” 

You roll your eyes. Did it just get hotter? 

“I heard that.” 

You roll your eyes again, knowing that he cannot hear you do such a normal thing. 

-

“Jake, I wanna show you something,” Maryanne says, tugging on Jake’s arm. 

“Now? It’s time for bed kiddo.” He glances over at you. 

“It’s about the book I want.” 

You shake your head, she doesn’t learn. “Honey, ask him, don’t pull on his arm. You know that.” 

“But-” 

She sticks her bottom lip out, pouting. “Now, I see it,” he comments. “This is how he got it.” 

“Who got what?” Your daughter asks. 

“Your brother got this,” Jake points to her pouty lip, “from you.” 

She shakes her head, “no, he didn’t.” 

“I’m pretty sure he did.” 

“Nu-uh.” 

“Yuh-huh.” 

“Hey.” 

“No.” 

“Jake-” 

“Yes.” 

“No.” 

You stick your curled index finger and thumb in your mouth, whistling to get their attention. “Hey, hey. No. No more of this. Okay?” 

He lifts Maryanne over his shoulder, she lets out giggly screams. “Yes, ma’am.” He salutes you before marching to her room. 

You shake your head, glancing back at a sleepy Edwin rubbing his one eye. “Okay, time for bed little man.” 

-

You pull the sheets over his belly, setting them on his chest. You brush the few stands of fallen hair out of his eyes. “Have thought about what you want to do this year?” 

He nods. 

“And what’s that?” 

“Cowboys.” 

“Cowboys? Really?” 

He nods, rubbing his eyes. 

“Okay,” you lean forward, kissing the top of his head. “Go to sleep.” 

You exit his room, finding your husband leaning against the wall. 

“You have fun?” 

“Oh, tons. Did you not hear the ragger we started in there? I thought the walls were shaking all over the house.” 

He hums, wrapping his arms around you. “You find out the theme?” 

“I did.” 

“You want to share with the rest of the class.” 

“Maybe.” 

“Are you seriously gonna leave me in the dark about what he wants to do?” 

You turn around, leaning against the bathroom doorway. “Yes.” 

He closes the door, groaning loudly for you to hear as he lays on the bed. “Why? Is it space? Does he want aliens at the party because I think Chicken is alien like as it is. I will veto more than one alien.” 

The shower starts running. 

Jake pushes himself off the bed, practically tripping over everything as he hurries to the bathroom. 

You shake your head, taking a step back letting the water run over your hair and backside. “Did you trip over everything?" 

He scoffs, “no.” 

“And who’s pants are on fire?” 

The shower door slides open, “not mine since they’re on the floor but, I am afraid another part of me is on fire for you, sweetheart.” His arms slide around your waist, pulling you closer. 

You lift your head, wiping the water off your forehead before opening your eyes. “When aren’t you trying to have your way with me?” 

“I think it’s the other way around because if my memory serves me right, and it does, it was you who was begging me.” 

“You definitely did the begging.” 

“I don’t think so,” he denies. 

“I know for a fact it was you.” 

“How can I change your mind?” He leans in, eye lids drooping. 

You tilt your head to the side, pretending to think about it as he places gentle kisses along the side of your neck. “We should finish our shower soon, the water’s gonna get cold,” you mumble. 

“Then I’ll just,” his murmurs against your skin, “warm you up.” 

You bite your lip to suppress your smile, “you’d like that wouldn’t you.” 

He smirks, biting your neck. 

You shriek and quickly cover your mouth, slapping his arm. 

“Did something happen, sweetheart?” 

You narrow your eyes at him, pursing your lips as you reach for your shower gel and sponge net so you can get out and get ready for bed, letting Jake know you’re not going to give into his carnal desires (for the time being). 

You finish, your hand is on the shower door when Jake stops you. 

“Hey, hey. Where do you think you’re going?” He stares at you with his soapy hair tangled in a mess; the shampoo trailing down his temples after he wiped his forehead. 

“I’m gonna get out so you have room to dry off when you’re finished. What are you doing?” You slowly ask. 

“I just have to wash my hair and I’m done.” 

“Which is why I’m trying to get out now.” 

Maybe it’s the way his shoulder’s tense up or that you’re reminded of your brief three-day separation period and how terrible it was (on the four of you). 

You stop, moving towards him. “Turn around.” 

“Why? You gonna check me out?” He certainly knows how to lighten the mood. 

“Always but not this time, I’m gonna wash your hair.” 

He nearly melted on the spot. 

There has only been one other time when you spoiled him and washed his hair (which was because the kids decided to have a food fight and he couldn’t get all of it out on his own) and he loved it, a little too much he can fully admit to that. 

He doesn’t say anything and nods. 

“How are you gonna do this?” You ask, not wanting him to strain his neck as you reach for the shower head. Turning back around with the shower head in your hand, you find him on his knees. “What are you doing?” 

His eyes trail up your body until he locks eyes with you, “Making it easy on you.” 

You lift the shower head, spraying him. 

He chuckles, grabbing your wrist, stopping you, “that’s not very nice, gorgeous.” There’s the “you’re in trouble” nickname. 

“You’re the one getting handsy.” 

He scoffs, “you love it.” 

“Shut up and let me wash your hair.” 

He wraps his arms around your waist, resting his head on your stomach. The tired and quiet, “yes ma’am,” escapes him. 

You do your best to be thorough and quick so you two can crawl into bed. You set the shower head back in its place, tapping his shoulder. “Come on.” 

“No.” 

“It’s time for us to get out. We gotta dry off and I gotta finish my hair before we lay down.” 

He huffs, “fine.” His knee cracks as he pushes himself up causing you to smile. 

“Sounds like you’re becoming an old man.” 

“I’m not old enough to the point where I can’t carry you.” You place a hand on his chest, shoving him back, “Don’t even try it, Mister. I will not have us fall and break something.” 

He doesn’t say anything and nods. 

You feel bad. The joking attitude he has is no longer there. “I know you didn’t mean it like that, please don’t be sad.” 

“I’m not.” 

“Jake,” you cup his cheeks forcing him to look at you. “We are together, and nothing is going to change that. You’re stuck with me like I’m stuck with you.” 

He rolls his eyes. 

You can feel the muscles in his cheeks twitch as he fights the urge to crack a smile. “You know how you told me to lean on you, lean on me. I will be by your side till the very end, okay? I love you.” 

He nods, pulling you in for a hug. He sniffs, neither of you comment on it. 

“Come on,” you whisper in his ear. “Let’s get out of here. I can feel the goosebumps on your back.” 

His breath fans against your skin as a breathless chuckle escapes him. “I thought you liked to have any reason to warm me up.” 

“Just get out, you dork. It’s cold.” 

“So, mean.” He slides the shower door open, stepping out wrapping a towel around his waist. He turns around, holding his hand out for you, helping you out of the shower. 

You reach the towel when he swats your hand. 

“Ah, bup bup.” 

“I can get my own towel, thank you.” 

“Yeah, but this way I can help and if my hand slips, well then,” the corner of his lips tug upwards as he pulls you closer with the towel before wrapping it around you, “that’s just a win for me.” 

You roll your eyes smacking his chest. “What? I’m not supposed to be completely and utterly blown away every time I see my gorgeous wife. Because I’d be crazy not to.” 

“You’re too sweet for your own good.” 

“It’s called love, sweetheart.” 

You shake your head, smile never faltering as you step beside him. 

“Can you blow dry my hair?” 

“You always complain when I do it.” 

“You’ve never done it before,” he points out. 

“… that’s because I know you’ll complain after.” You remove your towel and grab your cute, designed panties before sighing. “Get dressed then we can make you look pretty.” 

“I’m gonna take that as a compliment so thank you, sweetheart.” He walks up behind you, placing his hands on your hips as he pecks your cheek. 

You can’t help but smile, he’s always too sweet (even when he doesn’t want to admit it). You finish getting dressed and do your own hair before you plug in the blow dryer, making sure that the cord won’t knock anything off the counter. “Are you done yet?” 

“I’ve been waiting on you.” 

“Don’t give me that attitude,” you tell him while reaching for the necessary item. 

“I have no attitude to give.” 

You run your fingers through his hair getting rid of any knots that may be there. “Is your hair okay at this length?” 

“Yeah, why? Do you not like it?” 

You bend down, wrapping your free hand around his jaw, tilting his head back. “I didn’t say that, and I love all and anything that has to do with you, you know that.” 

“It doesn't hurt to hear it again.” 

You let go of him and detangle the cord, needing more room to walk around behind him. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t want to inflate your ego more than I already do.” 

“Now that I know you think so highly of me, it definitely makes me feel more confident in myself.” 

You playfully roll your eyes, “oh, no. Whatever will the others do about it tomorrow?” 

“Complain, maybe call you.” 

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they did.” 

-

Jake climbs into bed first, the sheets folded across his waist. He watches as you go through your mental checklist. “We did everything we were supposed to, so get over here so we can cuddle and stop stressing over it.” 

You purse your lips, not wanting to admit that he’s a little bit right. “Fine.” You crawl onto your side, turning to turn the lamp off only to find yourself smashed against his warm chest. You tilt your head up, staring at his side profile before he moves looking back at you as he brushes his thumb against your cheek. “What do you think the others would do if the found out the Hangman was a big time cuddler?” 

He lets out a soft, sarcastic chuckle, “they wouldn’t.” He leans in, putting most, if not all his weight onto his elbow. 

“You wanna know why?” 

You don’t tear your gaze away from him as his hand trails down your side, his fingertips grazing every inch of you. “Why?” You whisper, already knowing where this is going. 

“Because,” he kisses your chin, jaw line, and side of your neck, “I’m gonna make sure you forget what you find to be so funny.” He sucks on the skin of your chest, near the edge of your tank top. “And they wouldn’t believe you.” 

You tilt your head back, giving him more room to do as he pleases (as long as they aren’t too visible for everyone to see… even if that is his second favorite reason to give you hickey’s). “Seems like you’ll be working… all night.” 

“We have time.” 

“You’re such a horn dog.” 

“Only for you.” His lips trail along your collarbone, moving closer towards your head, nipping at your chin. 

“You have to sleep, you volunteered to take Maryanne to the store and we both know she’s gonna wake up at the crack of dawn the day after Edwin’s party even though we have to wake up early for that.” 

He sighs knowing you’re right. “Fine, let’s go to sleep.” He sounds so sad. He sounds so sad as he rests his head on your chest. 

“Don’t be sad, I don’t want you to be too tired when you and Ann are out-” 

His head snaps up. “How can I be tired when I have such a gorgeous wife to come home to.” 

You close your eyes, nails lightly scratching along the base of his neck, “don’t suck up to me.” 

“Okay.” 

A mischievous smile dances across his lips as he lifts the sheets, slithering down your body being careful not to touch you (he doesn’t want you to ruin his plans). 

The shower and your brief crying session made your body a little more tired than it normally would be so your mind is elsewhere, not entirely focused on Jake moving around. 

You feel yourself close to falling asleep, the darkness creeping up on you; your mind may be listening, but your body is exhausted, and you continue to fight the urge to stay awake. 

He pecks along the insides of your bare calves, he stops for a minute; he can’t work too fast or else it’ll get hot, meaning he’ll have to throw the sheets off you which could result in waking you up, ruining his surprise. He trails up your leg, taking his time caressing and taking care of your thighs. If you happen to find a hickey or two tomorrow morning, well that’s just a bonus (for him) he thinks as he gently nips at your hip. 

You let out a tired groan, your leg jerks. 

Jake slides his hand across your thigh until he cups the back of it, placing it on his shoulder. He hesitates for a moment after you mumble his name, “Jake.” 

The two of you have talked about trying a few new things in the bedroom (you can blame Natasha and Javy for putting these ideas in your husband’s head). Basically, he heard the three of you talking about what they want to try or something similar they’ve done, and this got Jake thinking that maybe you find sex with him to be boring because it consists of the same thing. 

You two take care of one another (at some point during the night and not always back-to-back) followed by the full romp in the hay (a phrase which he regrets telling you about to this day). You don’t do all these crazy things people do nowadays and, shockingly, Jake got a little insecure and wants to spice things up every now and then which it seems your darling hubby wants to try out now. 

Your mind and your body are speaking two different languages at this point; your mind is almost whispering to your body, telling you he’s there to ravage you and make you lose your breath; your body becomes accustomed to where he rests. But then you’re close to falling asleep, the minimal amount of moonlight seeping into your shared room becomes darker and darker with every passing second. 

The devil on his shoulder wins, he can’t not touch you when he’s right there, staring at your seemingly dripping core as he inches closer. 

His cheeks flush from the heat but he doesn’t care if he passes out from heat exhaustion, he’ll be happy to know it was for a good cause. His thumbs settle on either side of your slit, spreading you further. He can’t be slow and gentle right now; he needs you and he needs you now. 

Your eyes flash open, you squirm, pushing yourself onto your elbows; not used to this kind of wakeup call but eventually calm down when you hear him humming. You fall back, head plopping onto the pillows; a desperate cry escapes you before you can stop it. 

His hand slithers up your torso, landing in the middle of your chest under the loose tank top you wear to bed on hot nights since the AC is still broken (he’s working on it). His hand slides over to your right breast and kneads it. 

You start thinking of the way cats do the same thing, but your favorite is when cats do it on a soft blanket. Until your hormones take over and your hips thrust into him, your hands clenching and unclenching the sheets but it’s not enough. 

You place your hand on top of the one kneading your soft skin and throw the sheets off his head, needing to see him; the wanting to interlock his hair between your fingers overpowering any sensible thought you may have had. You open your eyes and look down at the man who continues to make you unravel in the best way possible. 

You’re so close to closing your eyes whether it be from tiredness or to avoid losing yourself faster the longer you look at him, you don’t know anymore. You whine at the loss of his hand on your breast only to replace it with a stutter of his name, “Ja- Jake!” 

His other hand clenches around the thigh he has covering his right ear. It feels as though he’s pulling you closer if that’s possible. The skin-to-skin contact doing more than you could ever imagine. 

You cover your mouth, the longer he’s on you, the faster you’ll come meaning the louder you’ll be because whenever he becomes impatient it’s amazing, but the kids are home, asleep in their beds and neither of you want to explain what’s going on in full depth yet (they’re still your babies). 

The thought quickly exits your mind, eyes closing at the feeling of him switching things up on you, his thumb swipes your buzzing bundle side to side as his tongue enters your weeping hole. If your eyes weren’t already closed, they would have rolled into the back or your head. 

A string of moans and whispers of his name is all he can hear (through on ear seeing as the other one is still covered). “Let go for me, sweetheart. Just let go.” 

You nod, hand tightening on the long strands of his hair. 

He groans into you, loving the tingling sensation you create. 

“J- Jake. I’m gonna-” You can’t finish warning him what’s about to happen, he knows and keeps pushing you. 

His name is the only thing spilling from your lips. He removes his mouth from your warm slit and pecks along your torso, nipping at your warn skin like he did before, he reaches your chin and swallow your moans when he swipes your clit from side to side at a faster pace. 

Your thighs are shaking, pathetic moans come from the bottom of your throat. 

“I need you to come for me, sweetheart.” His hot breath hits your ear. “Can you do that for me?” He asks. You don’t respond, he rips your hand away from your mouth. 

Your eyes snap open to find the windows to his soul swirling with lust and yet the softness of his expression makes you clench around his fingers. “Can you do that for me?” 

“I need you,” the first sentence you mutter in bed this evening. 

“What’s that?” 

You frown at him stupidly hot and cocky smirk. “Need you.” 

“Yeah? Need what?” 

You squeeze his fist with your interlocked fingers. 

“I’m gonna need you to be specific for me, sweetheart.” 

“Need you.” 

“You keep sayin’ that but, I don’t know what you want.” 

“If you- if you don’t fuck me wi-ith your fucking cock. I’m- I’m gonna search through the drawers.” 

He grunts, slowing his pace. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Giving my bratty baby what she wants.” He untangles himself from your grasp and starts to lean over for the nightstand. 

You grasp his forearm. Is that a vein? “Come inside me.” 

He slowly turns his head. “Yeah?” 

You wrap your shaky legs around his waist the best you could. “Do it.” 

He smiles, leaning down to peck your lips, “just know, you asked for it.” 

You pout before biting your lip when you feel him rubbing his hard cock against your wetness. 

“You still gonna be a brat after I give you what you want?” 

“’M not a brat,” you mumble, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. “If anyone’s a brat,” you suck in a deep breath as he eases himself into you. 

“Please, keep going. I gotta know the end of that sentence.” His hips tap your as he moves at a slow pace wanting to make sure it’s enjoyable for the two of you. He notices the change in your expression and fastens the pace. There she is. “Is my bratty baby happy now?” 

One hand slides up into his hair, you tug on the strands, slightly pulling his head back. “You’re the brattiest one out of the two of us.” 

The corner of his lips tugs upwards, “or is that what I want you to think.” 

You want to say more, figure out what the hell he’s talking about until one of his hands drops town to your sensitive bundle. You close your eyes. 

He lowers his head, nipping and marking wherever he can reach. 

You don’t know how he does it but you’re close and he's right there with you. 

“Open your eyes.” His breath hits your face, your eyes snap open. His gorgeous eye color replaced with his dilated pupils. 

You cup his cheek and pull him closer, feeling his chest flushed against yours. Nothing about this kiss is sweet, it’s teeth clashing, hot breaths mingling until you throw your head back calling out his name. 

One hand leaves your hip, placed over your mouth. “I know it feels good, sweetheart but you gotta keep quiet.” 

You open your eyes, brows furrowed, lips pouting. 

“Don’t give me that look, you know we’re not alone.” 

You nod, knowing he’s right but he doesn’t have to say it. Oh. Oh. You purse your lips, virtually kissing his hand. 

He moves his opposite hand from your hip to your clit, pushing you to finish. 

Neither of you say anything as you clench around him. 

He quietly moans against your shoulder, his sweaty forehead resting there. 

You both call out the others name, quiet enough to not wake the kids. Your back arches, eyes closed, vision going white the tighter you squeeze your eyelids shut. 

The warmth of your body pressing against Jake’s ends him. Your chests heave with every breath you two take. 

He chuckles, pecking the skin above your heart. He pushes himself up in a half push up position. “Is my bratty baby satisfied?” 

You scoff, smacking his arm. “Are you?” 

“I’m more than good and you,” he pecks the side of your neck, “know that.” 

“It’s nice to hear once in a while.” 

He lifts his head. “Using my own words against me now?” 

“Always.” 

His arms slither against your sides until he cups your head, completely caging you with him. 

You lightly scratch his head. 

He only gives you that full teeth, cheeky smile of his as he removes your hand from his hair, placing a long kiss on your wedding ring. He places a kiss on your chin before he detaches himself from you. 

You bite your lip when he pulls out and of course, he looks up at you. 

“Someone missing me?” 

You roll your eyes, “help me out of bed, idiot.” 

He walks around to your side of the bed, helping you balance yourself. “Just remember, you married this idiot.” 

“Ah, yes. My mistake.” 

“You’re so mean.” 

“You married this,” you gesture to yourself. 

He slides up behind you, hands resting your hips. “I had to take you off of the market before anyone else fell for your attitude.” 

“I have no attitude.” 

He chuckles against your neck, “of course, not gorgeous.” 

You roll your eyes and push himself away from you, pointing at him with your stern “mother pointing finger” (as Maryanne, Edwin, Mickey, Bradley... basically anyone who’s been on the receiving end of it, says that) at him. “You stay outside.” 

He scoffs, “you make me sound like a dog.” 

“You’re a horn dog.” 

“So mean,” he mutters and starts to clean himself up a bit. 

-

You two finish and Jake wraps his arm around your waist as he helps you back into bed. You yawn, covering your mouth. “We should change the sheets,” you mutter, knowing how much of a hassle it’ll be if you don’t do it now. 

He shushes you. “I’ll take care of it before the party, okay?” 

You nod, eyes closed unaware of the world around you. 

He pulls you closer, resting your head against his chest. 

-

You have everyone on the assigned task you gave them right as they walked through the door while you do the finishing touches on your baby boy’s cake. 

“I’ll be right back,” he pecks your cheek. 

You make sure the piece stays up before looking over at your husband. “Where are you going? We have an hour until the kids start coming. I cannot deal with the others by myself, Jake. I am one person.” 

He only smiles, “outfit change.” 

You purse your lips. “I’ll be back, it won’t take me long.” 

“Why couldn’t you have gotten dressed in your outfit earlier?” 

“I didn’t want to rip anything. I love you!” 

You clench your jaw and turn back towards the cake. “Okay, it’s done. Now we can put it back in the fridge before it melts.” You turn away from the fridge to find Mickey and Bob messing around. You stomp towards the window above the kitchen sink and slam it open. “What the hell are you two doing?” 

Their eyes widen and they try to run only to wind up bumping into one another until Bob forces Mickey to turn around and the two disappear around the corner. 

“You two better have finished what I told you to do!” 

-

“You need a drink,” Natasha says, leaning against the wall. 

“I could use five right now.” 

She places her hands on your tense, knotted shoulders and forces you to sit down on the bar stool. “Breath, honey. You’ve got this. Everything is going according to plan.” She walks over towards the window and slides it open, “cock fighter!” 

Bradley walks towards the window, “yeah?” 

“We need your alter ego; Sir drinks a lot.” 

“Who?” 

“Mama of the hour.” 

“You got all I need?” 

“Bags are on the table.” 

The mustached man of the hour enters, a smile stretching across his lips his arms spread, “Let’s make some drinks.” 

You take slow sips with Natasha sitting beside you and Bradley making drinks for the others. 

“What’s got you spinning?” 

You shrug. 

“Come on,” she starts, “spill it girl.” 

You and Bradley turn towards her. 

“I can’t pull that off, can I?” 

“No.” 

You both shake your heads. 

“Sorry, hon.” 

“Moving on, tell papa bear and Hawaii what’s going on.” 

You fight the urge to smile until you hear the others laughing. 

“How many drinks have you had Nat?” 

“This is my first.” 

“What did you buy, Brad?” 

“What me? Nothing.” 

You stare at him with a raised brow. 

“Nothing!” 

“She only gets in her weird nickname moods when she’s had her,” you lean forward to whisper, “girly drinks.” 

“What do you think I made her?” 

“We’re getting nowhere. Is the party almost ready?” 

“We’ve been done for the last,” he turns towards the window. “We still have fifteen minutes and I need… grass for a… garnish. We’ll see you later!” 

“Why do they think I’m an idiot?” 

“Because they don’t use their brain.” 

“That’s a plausible theory.” Your back faces the entry way to the kitchen, you didn’t notice Jake standing there in his replicated outfit he wore as a teenager. 

Natasha looks over at the kitchen entrance and smirks; she knows for a fact that you’re going to be extremely horny. 

When you two first saw a picture of your husband when he was younger, she was cracking jokes while you got extremely quiet. She happened to glance over in that moment and knew (just like she does now) that you were horny and were bound to jump him at one point or another. 

She lifts her drink and gets off the bar stool; walking by him she says, “cowboy.” 

“Princess Phoenix.” 

She shakes her head and disappears around the corner, doing God know what (or so you think). 

You turn at the sound of his voice. You almost let your jaw drop, almost and yet you don’t. It’s better to pretend like your core is getting warmer and warmer the more you look at him. You know your husband is hot, like super fucking hot and half the time you don’t know what to do with yourself but you never expected to find him to be this fucking hot, you’re damn near hot under the collar of your cute shirt that says “it’s my baby’s birthday” on the front and say “happy birthday” on the back with a picture of Edwin at age 2, covered by a flannel. 

You love it, oh crap! You gotta make a note to thank Javy and Natasha (the most) but also everyone else for all that they surprisingly managed to do without needing to call some type of authority or an ambulance (you’ve heard their stories). At least, you hope that’s the case because Bradley ran out of the kitchen awfully fast. But none of that is important because all you want to do is jump your husband’s bones (again). 

You check the clock on the microwave, you have time to run to the bathroom in your bedroom and splash some freezing water on your face. You don’t notice the smirk resting at the corner of your husband’s lips. 

He knows exactly what he’s done, he knows how his pictures from his youth make you feel, and he loves it. He searches for a drink, see if you make a move and if not, he’s dragging you to your shared bedroom. 

Natasha re-enters the kitchen, searching for a snack, wanting something to soak up the few drinks she’s had. 

You point to the cooler near the kitchen entrance, “I know you’ve already had a drink, but this is for you to share with the others. We have drinks in there for the kids, and we have another cooler in the garage for the adults. No hard drinks, only things you and the others consider “light.” Snacks are in the bags on the dining table and I’m gonna run upstairs and get myself ready. I don’t think leggings are a good idea for the party. Can you maintain everything for a few seconds?” 

She smirks, glancing over at Jake, “you mean “can you watch over everyone and everything while I go to my room and take care of myself.” Sure, I can but do I want to?” 

“Phoenix,” you say with the stern mom tone you use when one of the kids are hiding candy and they know they aren’t allowed to have any at that designated time. 

She raises her hands, “okay, okay.” She snickers as you run. 

“You’re mean.” 

“Oh, like you aren’t gonna do the same thing when you’ve got her alone.” 

He places a hand over his heart, “I would never. Now,” he checks his watch. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to have some carnal relations with my gorgeous wife.” 

“You can’t even spell relations.” 

He pokes his out from the side of the entrance. “Baby on board got me a word of the day calendar… sexy edition.” 

She groans, walking over towards the window. “Bob!” 

“Yeah?” 

“You’re not in charge of gifts anymore.” 

He whines, “why?” 

“Your gift buying ability has been revoked.” 

“But-” 

“I said revoked!” 

-

You reach for the towels to pat your face dry, when it’s closer than it normally is. “Jake.” 

“Sweetheart.” 

“What are you doing here?” 

“You left the kitchen awfully fast; I had to come and check on you.” 

The towel rests on your cheeks, leaving enough room for your eyes to catch his in the mirror. “Did you now?” 

He nods, arms crossed, the bicep area of the shirt is incredibly tight. 

You can only imagine the veins bulging in his arms and hands. 

“Sweetheart?” 

Your eyes snap up, you feel hot. “Sorry.” You place the towel down on the counter, wiping the edge of the sink. 

His hand on top of yours stops you. He leans in, is my bratty baby suddenly shy?” 

You scoff, “please.” 

“It’s okay. You can tell me. Cowboy won’t judge you.” 

The door clicks shut. 

He fully intends to seduce you, you realize. 

“Did you wear this to have an excuse for me to jump your bones?” 

“I knew you would one way or another. You can’t just have me once.” 

Your butt hits the counter. 

“An eye roll, classic move sweetheart.” 

“Shouldn’t you be-” He cuts you off, fighting you for dominance in the kiss; his hands tangle their way into your hair, holding onto you for dear life. 

You smack his chest, he jerks back. “You- you can’t just kiss me whenever your horny.” 

“I could do something else but-” 

“No! I’m talking about today. We have a birthday party to attend and- and-” 

He places his hat beside you. 

“Oh, screw it.” You pull him into you, kissing him harder, teeth clashing and all. 

He is more than ready, you chuckle. 

He pulls back, staring at you with a confused expression, “what?” 

You shake your head, the smile never going away. “Nothing, nothing. Come here.” 

Jake grabs your wrists, holding then against the outer part of your thighs. “No, no. Come on, tell me what you find so sunny and I might help you, sweetheart.” 

“You’re the one who needs the helping, sweetheart.” 

He doesn’t have to look down, he knows. He plants gentle kisses along the side of your neck, throwing you off. “I know, that’s why you’re in here and not out there.” 

You throw your head back and let him leave behind a clear trail. “No hickeys.” 

“I know. I know,” he grumbles. His lips move along to your chest, his hands lift the bottom of your sundress only to find- “No panties?” His gaze snaps up to yours, that stupidly hot smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “You plan on me fucking you, sweetheart?” 

You pout, “no.” 

“Really? So, you wore this pretty little thing with the shirt Coyote and Phoenix made and your flannel with no panties, for no reason?” 

You don’t respond. “Just shut up and fuck me.” Your hands land on the back of his neck as you yank him closer. You swear the clinking of his belt has the hair on the back of your neck standing up. 

He rubs his hard cock against your wet slit causing a whine to escape you. “Is my bratty baby getting impatient?” 

“I’m not a brat,” you mumble against his neck, waiting for him to enter you. 

He bumps against your clit a couple times, each bump drawing a hip thrust from you. He decides to stop torturing you and give what you both desperately need (not that he'd ever admit it). He slowly eases his way in. “It’s like last night never happened?” 

“What?” 

His hips hit yours as he lets you adjust to him for a minute. “You’re still so tight.” 

“Is this something we really need to talk about right now?” 

“… No.” He starts moving, getting an easy flow of things. 

You cover your move, muffling your whines. 

He smirks, watching as you pathetically attempt to quiet yourself. His grip tightens on the thigh of the leg you have wrapped around his waist. Jake leans in, yanking your hand away from your mouth, staring at your open mouth wondering if he could get away with you sucking his aching cock after taking care of you. 

“We can’t stay… in here… for long,” you whisper, whining in between your words. 

“Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” He leans in, moving his hands off your waist and onto the bottom of your thighs. 

“Jake,” you whine and arch your back off the mirror. 

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” 

You can feel the fake pout and sympathy he throws your way. 

He lifts your thighs, forcing your knees against your chest as he quickens his pace. 

You can’t think of full sentences because of how good you feel, moans, whines, and pleads escape you. 

Jake loves this, loves when you lose yourself in him, letting him pleasure anyway he can. He drops one leg to reach down for your buzzing bundle, circling it at the same pace his hips snap into you. 

You can feel yourself about to- 

“Let go, sweetheart,” he mumbles, leaning over you. He rests his forehead on top of your head, the hand on your bundle disappears until he drags your hand (that was clenching the countertop) and directs you into rubbing your clit. 

The warmth of his hand on yours disappears, only to now be felt on the back of your neck. He keeps a hold of your neck, preventing you from moving too much as his grip on your thigh tightens when you start to clench around his aching cock. 

It’s like you’re having an out of body experience, you don’t realize that your hand is moving at a rapid pace. 

He feels like he can’t keep up with you, but this is what makes it worth it (makes him harder and cum faster than he’d like too [although he’ll never admit it out loud]). 

High pitched whines start escaping you. They’re too loud. Too loud. Jake pulls your head up, covering your mouth with his. 

The noises still come out of you but aren’t as bad as before. His tongue enters your mouth in search of yours, intertwining with one another once found. “Come on, sweetheart. I need you to finish for me.” 

You nod. 

“Tell me what I said.” 

“You… you need me-” You stop talking when you feel his hot hands on your waist, grip tight as he plows into you. 

“Come on, come on.” 

You throw your head back against the mirror, mouth agape but sounds escape. 

He doesn’t slow down, not wanting to miss you come down from your high as his is catching up. 

“Jake, it's too much.” 

“You can take it. I know my bratty baby loves it when I push her,” he says with a taunting tone. 

You couldn’t even begin to defend yourself if you wanted to, your vision goes white. 

He stays still, spilling into you (again), panting against your shoulder. He removes his hand from your mouth. “How’s that for-” 

You cover his mouth, shaking your head. “Don’t say anything.” 

He nods, removing your hand, placing a kiss on your palm. 

“We should... we should start cleaning ourselves for the party. Penny and Amelia will be here soon.” 

“And the old man?” 

“He’s Maverick, he shows when he wants to.” 

He chuckles, “you got that right... maybe we could-” 

“You are helping me off this counter so I can clean myself up so that we can throw our little boy a damn good birthday party.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

-

You two enter the hallway just in time because Penny and Amelia ring the doorbell, Maryanne and Edwin try to call one of the others over to open the door. 

Jake grabs the boy before he could run back. “Here’s the birthday boy.” 

He giggles when you poke his sides. 

“How old are you now buddy?” 

He shrugs, “I don’t know.” 

“You know exactly how old you’re turning,” you tell him. 

He jumps in Jake’s arms, smiling wide. “I’m seven!” 

You nod, “yes you are.” 

Javy runs in and pulls your husband and child outside with him. 

“What- Javy!” 

“Guys time!” 

You roll your before turning to hug your other baby. “How was it?” 

Amelia hands you the giant stuffed goose. 

“Where are we putting this, baby?” 

“I want him in the corner beside my bookcase.” 

“Let’s go get him comfy before Natasha and Callie see it. You know they’ll try to steal him.” You hand her the goose and turn towards your favorite mother daughter duo. “Hello, Benjamins... or should I say future Mrs. Maverick.” 

Penny shakes her head. 

“There are drinks in the cooler somewhere in the kitchen and snacks on the dining table or if you’re feeling risky, the others are outside.” 

“Mom!” 

“Duty calls.” 

“Hey,” Penny calls out your name. “Yeah, tell Jake to ease up on the pace, you’re walking a little funny.” 

You gasp, “Penny Benjamin. How dare you-” 

“Mom!” You walk away, hearing the sound of her laughter. 

-

The kids from Edwin’s class arrived and it wasn’t nearly as bad as you thought it would be. 

The pilots were rowdier than the kids, the kids. 

Bob’s playlist was perfect, the kids were dancing and just having so much fun. 

Jake approves of “DJ Bob” for the kids' birthdays but not for anything else (he’ll still use Bob because it’s cheaper and he can just pay him with soda, NOT candy... unless it’s before three then Bob’s fine). 

You shook your head when you realized why Bradley ran out of the kitchen so fast. 

Rueben, Mickey, Logan, and Neal decided it would be a good idea to try and play fireball (the exact same concept as it was on the show friends) thankfully they only used tennis balls. 

Oh, and Brigham was the one who lit the tennis balls. It’s safe to say, they were not allowed to touch the candles. 

Callie brought her sister and nieces (she didn’t want to leave her sister at her place and asked a few days before the party). The poor girl was so worried when she asked you about it the other day but how could you say no when her sister comes down with the kids every so often. 

Mickey took great pictures, he’d walk over and show you after he took a few with the kids playing, Edwin opening his presents, the others being absolute idiots. 

After the party he emailed the ones of you and Jake, he could have seriously been a photographer had he not become a pilot. 

-

While Jake puts the kids to bed, you set Edwin gifts off the side so he can play with them tomorrow. 

He comes to the living room and helps you. “Everyone’s gone.” 

“No, you’ve gotten enough today, mister.” 

“But-” 

“Jake, no.” 

“Jake, yes.” 

He sees the expression on your face, his head drops. “Jake, no.” 

-

You lay in bed, close to falling asleep when you realize he didn’t wear a condom. 

Sure, he’s said that he wishes the kids were his but having a baby is completely different than older kids. Does Jake want kids? Would he leave if you told him? Or would he be like your crappy ex and just say he can’t do this and leave when they’re old enough to remember him. Is he the kind of guy to do that? 

You look down at him when his grip tightens on your waist, head further snuggling into your chest. You lightly scratch his head. You don’t think, no, you know he wouldn’t do that, but your mind doesn’t stop these thoughts from coming. 

That night you don’t get much sleep even more so when your baby Maryanne taps the two of you awake.     

-

Prev // Next

TGTBATWOI Master List

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Taglist: @abaker74 @ebonyhogan24 @shanimallina87 @starkleila​ @kurtkunkle17

#top gun #top gun maverick #top gun maverick imagine #top gun maverick imagines #top gun maverick fanfiction #top gun maverick fanfic #top gun maverick x reader #jake seresin #Jake Seresin imagine #jake seresin imagines #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin fanfiction #jake seresin fanfic #jake hangman seresin #jake hangman seresin imagine #jake hangman seresin imagines #jake hangman seresin fanfic #jake hangman seresin fanfiction #jake hangman seresin x reader #jake seresin x mom!reader #jake seresin x you #jake hangman seresin x mom!reader #jake hangman seresin x you #jake seresin smut #jake hangman seresin smut #crazyk-imagine

[bangtaninborderland]

FOR THE READERS OF TGM:

LMAO IT WAS SUPPOSED TO SAY KINK SHAME NOT LINK SHAME 😭

For a while I’ve wanted to add my own game on scenes but I also didn’t want to change the characters or their habits but I also had things I wanted to explore more such as:

-submissive jimin

-submissive yoongi

- dominant taehyung (I actually already have this planned- I won’t say too much but it’s similar to the time jk had yoongi kiss yn.)

- non sexual dominance

- public dominance (having scenes in front of the others even if they aren’t interacting. Such as public punishments.)

- I’ve been thinking about having a scene where YN knees for Hoseok, not in a sexual way but maybe as a punishment, maybe for relaxation. I believe that kneeling can actually be very therapeutic, not having a worry in the world whilst knowing you’re safe is the best thing ever.

- Jungkook exploring more of sexual pet play

- Namjoon exploring his daddy kink with the others, not just sexually but also caring wise - I want to see him grow closer to the others I feel like he hasn’t really had much time to do next chapter will focus heavily on him and Jungkook despite it being set in yoongis pov.

- jimin and hoseok, now y’all know this is a plain kink in itself. 😂 I want to explore more of Jimins submissiveness with hoseok, I also want to see them grow their friendship.

#bts #bts x reader #bts smut #bts angst #bts fluff #bts x female reader #taehyung x reader #jungkook x reader #jimin x reader #Jungkook fluff #jimin fluff #taehyung fluff #Hoseok smut #Hoseok fluff #hoseok x reader #seokjin smut #seokjin x reader #Namjoon smut #namjoon x reader #Namjoon fluff #seokjin fluff #yoongi x reader #yoongi smut #yoongi fluff #Jungkook angst #taehyung angst #jimin angst #yoongi angst #seokjin angst #Hoseok angst

[romysradio]

Welcome to the Disco!

- About the DJ

Hey y’all! I’m Romy, I’m 20 years old and currently a sophomore in college. I’ve always loved writing so I figured this could be a fun outlet for that and I’m super excited to share more of my writing soon! I’m mainly writing for TGM atm, but definitely planning on writing for other characters too (esp Glen characters because he is my babygirl princess). My inbox/messages are always open if you ever want to chat🫶🏼💌

Who I Write For

(will change depending on who my babygirl of the month is)

- Jake Seresin

- Bradley Bradshaw

- Natasha Trace

- Rhett Abbott

- Carmen Berzatto

- Bucky Barnes

- Misc. Glen Powell characters

Requests are open if you have any ideas or suggestions or just anything you want to see from me !

This blog is 18+, minors please do not interact! Ageless and/or underage blogs will be blocked without warning

#navigation #masterlist #jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #bradley bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw #glen powell #miles teller #divider credit @cafekitsune

[nade2308]

Summary: Just as planned, Sli put him into the team that were going to get Ice out of the car, and he worked just as he would any other day, devoted to getting the person out, and putting his feelings in a box until the job was done.

Notes:

Hello, again. I am coming with the Fire Country AU this time which was a large part of how my July went (fooled around with this idea, wrote a bit in the AU, established some of the characters and whatnot).

Anyway, the main idea started few months ago while I was watching a Fire Country ep on TV. I was trying to imagine how it would look like if Ice and Mav were in this situation, and this little AU was born.

In case you are not familiar with the show, it deals with a bunch of prisoners that work at a camp that helps firefighters to reduce their ssntence and to be able to get out on parole.

A lot has happened in season 1, but that shall be explained more and written about in the story when I get to it. For now consider this a little teaser.

On that note, I am putting some explanation about the characters.

Characters:

Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell - Bode Leone (a prisoner in the Tree Rock camp, former drug addict and the adoptive son of Mike and Mary, uses his actual given name so he is not connected to them)

Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky - Gabriela Perez (Ice is already an established firefighter in this AU, the son of a Cal Fire Captain. Without Gabriela's background)

Mike 'Viper' Metcalf - Vince Leone (Cal Fire Batallion Chief, he blamed Mav for the death of his biological son)

Mary Metcalf - Sharon Leone (Cal Fire Division Chief)

Slider - Eve Edwards (Firefighter in the Cal Fire Department)

Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw - Freddie Mills (Goose is one of the prisoners. He met Mav in prison and immediately got protective of him, they became best friends. Nicknamed Goose because he got scared of a goose thinking it was a bear during one of the first tasks he had as a firefighter)

Carole Bradshaw - Cookie (she is Goose's wife, pregnant with Bradley at the start of the story)

Bill 'Cougar' Cortell (Metcalf for this story) - Riley Donovan (Mike's and Mary's biological son, died in a car crash)

Sam 'Merlin' Wells - Jake Crawford (Firefighter in Cal Fire)

Ice's father - Manny Perez (Ice's father is the Captain in Cal Fire, and in charge of the Tree Rock camp)

Jester - Luke Leone (Jester is close to Viper, they are like brothers)

I took the liberty to putting Carole as one of the paramedics, as well as Sarah, who is Ice's sister in this. I also headcanoned some of the flyboys as well as some of the TGM crew as firefighters or probies, and because I love that, I added some of the daggers' mothers as firefighters. Hopefully it will all make sense when I get to write the whole story eventually.

Of course, none of this would have happened without @thethistlegirl enabling. Thank you so much for that and for loving this AU just as much as I do.

#pete 'maverick' mitchell #tom 'iceman' kazansky #ron 'slider' kerner #mike 'viper' metcalf #icemav #fan fic #my fic #my writing #established relationship #proposal #fire country AU #firefighters AU

[maverickcalf]

@blurrwar

Fics I have written where Slider is a major character in the story and or is from his POV

Fics that are finished:

Solitaire : a fic where Slider and Iceman bond out at sea (friendship fic) A good amount of comdey and comforting by guys who aren't really sure how to do that.

Knockin' on your own Door: the first of my 90s college au. Sloose fic. Maverick POV. Sweet little fic where Maverick and Slider come to an understanding.

Pillows at the window: Set in the same universe. Another Sloose fic. Slider's POV. A sick fic, very sweet.

Pilot. Friend. Loved.: Mostly a Goose centered fic but Slider is the comforter in this h/c fic. What if Goose lived and Mav died au.

WIPs (Posted and not posted)

The Distinguished Academy: Pre canon Sloose (the first fic for the ship posted to ao3) warning is that this an E rated fic, and the first chapter does get NSFW. Slider POV (for now, might be shared with Goose) no callsigns used.

Carry on: TGM Slider and Iceman fic. I plan to post the first chapter in the next few weeks. I plan to really focus on their bond. From the early 90s to TGM.

#top gun #slider kerner #my fics #hope this helps

[lannisterdaddyissues]

Chapter 8

Realizations happen, and no one is happy about them.

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Ethan Hunt & Pete "Maverick” Mitchell, Ethan Hunt & Luther Stickell, Carole Bradshaw & Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky & Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky & Ethan Hunt, Eventual Tom “Iceman” Kazansky/Pete “Maverick” Mitchell

Additional Tags: Set during M:I1 and during Top Gun, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, (it’s Goose), Non-Consensual Drug Use, (In a typical Spy way), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, AU where Ethan and Mav are twin brothers, And boy howdy does that create a LOT of problems, we have this series planned through to Fallout and TGM so we're really excited to be writing it, Movie: Top Gun (1986), Minor Character Death

Summary: Ethan Hunt is considered at large by the American government after his actions in Prague, where the rest of his team was allegedly murdered. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell has no clue what that has to do with him, but this weird, top-secret organization seems pretty dead-set on involving him.

Or: It’s an Identical Twin AU.

#top gun #top gun 1986 #top gun og #top gun fanfiction #pete maverick mitchell #ethan hunt #luther stickell #tom iceman kazansky #mission: impossible #mission: impossible fanfiction #like oreos and peanut butter #and we didn't even have a camp walden #my writing #so. it is uh. here. #4 months late <3