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awaywith-thefaeries · 1 year

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HANGMAN’S A WHAT NOW!? | j.seresin

pairing: jake "hangman" seresin x wife!reader

summary: after the uranium mission, the dagger squad is assigned more permanently to the San Diego base, so Jake and his wife make plans to move their little family out to SoCal. The rest of the dagger squad is quite surprised to find out that Hangman even has a wife, when she joins them for a beach day, with some little surprises in tow.

warnings: pure, tooth-rotting fluff, Jake being a girl dad

a/n: this is just a little piece I came up with a 4 a.m. last night. reblogs are greatly appreciated. feel free to send in requests for any of the characters on my page, my requests are open!

word count: 2k

main masterlist | series masterlist

“Mama, are we almost there yet?”

You smiled softly at your daughter, cuddling as close to her sister as the seatbelt in the back of the car will allow her.

“Almost, Liv,” you say gently.

“Okay then, Mama,” your daughter sighs, her head falling onto her sister's, where she is snoozing on Olive’s shoulder.

You smile at your twin girls, who had been so good for you while you drove from your old home in rural Texas, to join their father in San Diego, where he has been more permanently stationed after the success of the last mission he had been called back to Top Gun for. The girls adored their father and it has been a hard couple of months without him, for all three of you. You know it has been hard on Jake too. He acted happy for the girls on their frequent FaceTime sessions, but you’ve known Jake too long to not catch the sadness in his eyes as he read them a bedtime story and watched them fall asleep without being able to tuck them into their blankets, smooth their hair back from their faces and kiss them goodnight.

Which is why you had packed up the girls, and all your essentials three days before schedule, so you could finally reunite with your beloved husband. You have been in contact with the only one of your husband's fellow pilots you’ve met, his friend Javy (or Coyote to his team), who let you know that the whole squad was having a beach day today, which is where you are headed now.

You look around at the houses on either side of the street as you follow the GPS to the location Coyote sent you, somewhere called The Hard Deck. He had texted you that you could park your van in the lot, and then go through the bar (which isn’t open this early in the afternoon, he assured you) to get to the beach on the other side.

Passing under a row of palm trees, you pull into the parking lot of the small beachside bar you have heard so much about from your husband and turn into the open spot in between Jake’s truck and a shiny Bronco.

Putting your keys in your bag, you open your door and climb out, brushing your long skirt out as you make your way around the front of the car to open the door your girls are sleeping next too.

Opening it gently, you brush you fingers through Charlotte’s dark blonde hair, so similar to her daddy’s.

“Lottie, baby, it’s time to wake up, we’re here,” you whisper to her. She stirs a little, blinking bleary green eyes up at you as a tiny hand comes up to rub her face. The arm movement jostles Olive, who picks her head up and yawns.

“Come on, my loves, can you undo your seatbelts and stand next to Mama, so I can make sure you look so pretty to see Daddy again?”

With that question, the identical faces of the best gifts Jake has ever given you light up, as if remembering where they are and why they had been driving in the car for two days.

Within seconds, your twins are standing side by side, bobbing up and down on their toes in excitement as you check that their adorable little matching outfits have not been wrinkled too much by the car ride. Once you re-tie Charlotte’s hair bow, which had come undone in the car, you take each of your daughters hands in each of yours and lead them into the empty bar.

Passing through the doors that lead onto the sand, your girls gape at the sight of the ocean sparkling in the late afternoon sun.

“Mama,” Olive says, mouth hanging open, “it’s so big.”

“Yeah, baby, it goes on for miles and miles.”

“Mama, mama, mama, look!” Charlotte bounces in place next to you and squeezes the hand she’s holding onto. “I can see Daddy!”

You turn to look where she’s pointing and sure enough, a tiny ways down the beach, you spot your husband, throwing around a ball with another man in board shorts. The man throws his head back and laughs at something Jake says.

“Mama, can we go! Can we do the surprise now, please?” Olive asks, so sweetly that your heart melts a little bit as you nod at your daughter.

“Go knock him over with the biggest hug ever, girls!” You say as you start walking again, releasing their hands so that they can run ahead.

✯✯✯✯

“Nice try, Bradshaw,” Jake yells to his friend as Rooster throws a particularly hard ball, causing Jake to have to side step to catch it.

“One day man,” Rooster grins, “one day, I’ll get you.”

Jake is just about to come up with a witty retort when he hears something he thought he wasn’t going to hear for another couple of days.

“Daddy!”

Two little voices he knows better than anything. Jake whips around in disbelief, forgetting Rooster and the game of catch in an instant as he spots his little girls running towards him, dressed adorably in little matching outfits.

Jake takes a few steps towards his girls and then drops into the sand just in time for them to come crashing into him, arms going round his neck and bodies thumping into him with such force, he goes sprawling back in the sand with his babies on top of him. He holds them there for a few moments, relishing in the feeling of them in his arms again, their puffs of laughter tickling his neck.

After a few moments, he sits up effortlessly, still holding onto the two five year olds and sets them onto their feet. Pulling out of the hug just far enough to look at their faces, Jake’s right hand comes up to stroke Olive’s hair out of her eyes while his left stays firmly around Charlotte’s waist.

“What are you doing here, you two?”

“We come early, Daddy!” Olive says, her little hand coming up to touch Jake’s cheek.

“Mama said we should surprise you!” Charlotte says, her voice muffled from where she’s pressed her face into her father’s neck.

“Did she now?” Jake asks playfully, looking up just as a pair of legs he knows very well stop in front of him. He lets his eyes trail upwards until they meet yours and he swears, he doesn’t think there will ever be a time where he isn’t affected by that beautiful smile.

“Hi Darlin,” he grins, letting go of his babies for only a moment to get to his feet before putting his hands on their heads as they wrap themselves around a leg each.

“Hey Handsome,” you smirk back, and Jake can’t help but close the tiny distance between you to press a kiss to your lips.

He feels so content in this moment, all three of his girls are finally with him after too long (in his opinion) apart, that it’s a bit jarring when Rooster’s voice breaks through his little bubble of happiness.

“I’m sorry, what the fu….rick is going on here?”

Jake laughs against your lips before pressing one last final kiss to them before pulling away and turning to see the rest of his team, save Coyote, gaping at him.

“What does it look like, Bradshaw,” Jake smirks, as Rooster rubs his ribs where Phoenix evidently elbowed him to keep him from cursing in front of the two little girls still hanging onto their father.

“It looks,” Phoenix jumps in, trying to sound mad, but failing because of the shit eating grin on her face, “like you’ve been keeping secrets, Bagman.”

You’re intoxicating laugh has Jake turing back to you, a betrayed look in his eyes, an over exaggerated pout on his lips.

“Baby?” He whines, purposefully making his bottom lip jut out and quiver slightly. You laugh again, leaning forward to kiss away his frown.

“Oh hush…..now, is your Daddy going to introduce us to the squad, or are we gonna have to report back to Grandma Seresin about his manners,” you say cheekily, leaning down to address the last part of your question to the twins. They both giggle and pull on Jake’s hands, while he stares down at his little family.

“Alright, no need to involve my mama,” he says, grinning, “who wants a ride over?”

Both of his daughters look up at him with matching grins, before Olive reaches up and starts shouting, “Sandwich, sandwich!”

“Oh alright!” Jake sighs dramatically, before taking her hands in both of his and swinging her up onto his back. Once he’s sure her little legs are locked around his waist tight enough that she won’t fall, he reaches down for Charlotte, and lifts her up to carry her on his chest.

With his daughters hanging off him like Koalas, and your hand in one of his, he leads you over to the little congregation of towels the gang had set up earlier that day.

Bob, Phoenix, Rooster, and Fanboy all rise to their feet from where they had been lounging, as Jake approaches with his family. Only Coyote remains on his towel, a fact which makes Jake smirk.

“Everyone, these are my girls,” Jake says, angling his body so that Olive is slightly visible, and Charlotte can see from where her head is back in his neck.

There’s a chorus of heys from the group and Jake feels one of Olive’s hands leave his neck, reaching up to wave at the pilots.

“This is my wife, Y/N Seresin, and these two beauties…..Can you say hi, and introduce yourself, sugar?” Jake asks Olive, bouncing a little so that she holds onto his neck again. She giggles lightly and Jake feels her nod against his shoulder.

“I’m Liv,” she says, “it’s very nice to meet you!”

She mispronounces her v’s slightly, but her greeting is so endearing that Jake witnesses all the pilots melt in front of him.

“And what about you, baby?” Jake asks Charlotte, angling his head so that he can see her face. She shakes her head slightly, her eyes so wide and innocent in her face.

“Are you sure, darlin?” Jake asks. His shy daughter just shakes her head, and turns her face, so that her face is hidden completely in her father’s neck.

“Okay….,” Jake murmurs to her, running his hand up and down her back in circles and turns to his group of pilots.

“This little one is Lottie,” he says.

“Coyote,” you say, taking the focus of the group off of your shy daughter as you call your friend, “are you gonna stay over there, or are you actually going to get up and and come say hello?”

“Ya know, I think I’m good where I am,” Coyote laughs from his seat, grinning.

“Uncle Javy!?” Olive asks, wriggling around in excitement.

“Yeah Livie!” Coyote grins, finally getting up from the ground and making his way over.

“Daddy, down please!” Olive chirps and Jake obligingly bends until his daughter can hop off his back.

The minute Olive is on the ground, she takes off running towards Coyote, and he leans down as she gets to him, and lifts her up, swinging her around in the air as her laughter explodes from her. After she's been swung around a few times, Coyote p uts her back in the sand and pulls you into a side hug.

✯✯✯✯

As the family reunites with each other, and some of the pilots go and begin chatting with Jake and his wife, Phoenix sidles up to Rooster and elbows him again.

"You good, Roos?"

The pilot turns his head to look at her, and she bursts out laughing.

"Oh come on, Bradley, is it really that shocking that Jake has a life outside of the navy?"

"Kind of!"

Phoenix goes to elbow her friend again, but he's ready this time, dodging out of the way as she goes for his ribs, the two pilots laughing as they join the rest of the group getting to know their newest members.

a/n: thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you think!

#hangman x reader #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin x you #hangman x you #dad!jake seresin #the dagger squad #rooster top gun #phoenix top gun #hangman x wife!reader #awaywith-thefaeries #top gun 2 #top gun fanfiction #dogfight football #maverick top gun

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missunderstood-with-ideas · 1 year

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The daggers: uhhh we can’t mansplain, manipulate, or manslaughter our way out of this!

Maverick: *cracks knuckles* malewife it is *calls Iceman*

#incorrect top gun quotes #top gun #top gun maverick #the dagger squad #iceman #tom iceman kazansky #pete maverick mitchell #icemav

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writernothingness · 3 months

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“How many times have you watched top gun?” Yes. Correct.

#top gun #tom iceman kazansky #pete maverick mitchell #icemav #bradley rooster bradshaw #ron slider kerner #jake hangman seresin #nick goose bradshaw #natasha phoenix trace #robert bob floyd #mickey fanboy garcia #the dagger squad #val kilmer #my beloved <3 #seriously #so many times #I know every scene by heart and hundreds of facts #dude #i love these guys

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lemeduartes · 8 days

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Hangman: Nice outfit, does it come in man's?

Rooster: Well I think you come in men enough for all of us

Daggers: ☠️

#i just saw an audio on TikTok like this #and i gasped #immediately thought about them #the dagger squad #rooster x hangman #jake hangman seresin #hangster #bradley rooster bradshaw #tpm #top gun #top gun maverick #top gun incorrect quotes #top gun maverick incorrect quotes

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mafiatsunafish · 2 months

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The daggers were surprised to see a man that looks like a younger version of Rooster walking into the Hard Deck.

He had the pilot starter pack, Hawaiian floral print shirt, sunglasses hanging on his inner white shirt and all that jazz.

But there was something just so wrong with him, the daggers couldn’t seems to wrap their head on what exactly was wrong.

And then they saw Hangman trailing behind the said man looking weirdly worried and awkward.

“Roo, I’m sorryyyyyy.”

The blond’s apology spooked the entire squad cause the know he DOES NOT say sorry to anyone, except when he really screwed up.

Another thing, so that man was Rooster but apparently just missing something?

A small cartoonish light bulb appeared on Phoenix head. She shouted:

“Hey Rooster, where the hell is your mustache!?”

It has been years since the last time she saw his bare face like that, ever since their orientation at flight school. Therefore, this creeped the fuck out of her.

Now the other daggers took a few seconds to reboot their brain and updated on the situation, started to boom bard the tall brunet with many questions.

To be fair, none of them NONE OF THEM ever see Rooster without his infamous porntasche, so oh my my for them.

Then Halo seemed to find out another thing that just out of place on Rooster point out.

“Rooster, that is one nasty black eyes you have there man, alright?”

The pair, Hangman and Rooster now sat with their squad, the blond still looked weird and the brunet looked so done but still somehow amused.

“Just feels like I want to shave it.”

Rooster shrugged easily.

“And the black eye in on me.”

Hangman suddenly answered and that take their friend out.

“Uhmmm.. what happened? May I asked? Should I even know?” Coyote asked wearily.

“This bastard, decided to shave his face, bare, without saying anything. Then acted like nothing happened, hugged me from behind when I was cooking. I turned around to see a fucking stranger standing in my kitchen so I punch him.”

“What!?” Their friends shouted

“It’s not my fault that I’ve never see him without damn thing on his face!”

Hangman shouted back while Rooster just laughing beside him.

“I vetted him for that, the last time I saw our chicken’s bare face was in our first week of flight school and that was years before Hangman meet him.” Phoenix was also laughing now.

“I’m alright now, just a punch. He screamed bloody murder when he saw my face like this too.” Rooster added

“Roooooo!” Hangman hid his face behind his hands and Rooster just kissed him softly on his side, still laughing of course.

“It’s ok darling.” Rooster said to his lover.

“Damn, but I understand what Hangman did cause you looked so weird” Bob said while giggling.

“Please put it back.” Fanboy distress mumbling get drowned among his squad mate various noise of amusement.

(The first time Mav and Ice saw Rooster with his mustache through a picture Slider sent them.

Slider was stationed at Rooster based then, he had to call the husbands to warned them first, before sending the picture.

But still.

Mav almost have a panic attack and Ice was so shocked, they then just crying that whole evening. Nothing can prepare them to see how much their godson looks like his father. To the point they almost believe that was Goose, standing there in his flight suit, smiling brightly at them.)

(The autocorrect had me rolling fr )

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mrsbradshaw-seresin01 · 22 days

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Maverick: Nice work, Hangman.

Hangman: Cool, thanks dad

Dagger Squad: *stares at Hangman in shock*

Maverick: *happy tears welling up in his eyes*

Hangman: Why is everyone staring at me?

Rooster: You just called Mav dad. You said, "thanks, dad."

Hangman: *nervously* What? No, I didn't. I said, "thanks, Mav."

Maverick: Do you see me as a father figure?

Hangman: No. If anything I see you as a bother figure, cause you're always bothering me.

Iceman: Hey, show your father some respect.

Hangman: I didn't call him dad!

Bob: It's not a big deal. I called Phoenix mom once and she's my wife.

Hangman: Guys, jump on that! Bob has psycho-sexual issues.

Halo: Old news, but you calling Captain Mitchell daddy-

Hangman: HEY NO NO, daddy is not on the table here.

Coyote: *smirking* But you did call him dad?

Hangman: You shut up. You've done nothing but lie since you got here.

Coyote: I'm your best friend, Jake... I know all of your secrets.

Hangman: Shut up! You know jack shit, Javy.

Coyote: Mk...

Maverick: *claps Hangman's shoulder* It's okay son, you don't have to admit to anything that you're not ready to.

Iceman: We love you anyway.

#incorrect quotes #top gun maverick #the dagger squad #pete maverick mitchell #jake hangman seresin #bradley rooster bradshaw #tom iceman kazansky #robert bob floyd #natasha phoenix trace #javy coyote machado #callie halo bassett #source: brooklyn nine nine #i added some at the end

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whohasthecards · 9 months

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Hangman, like Mav, was always sent on suicide missions. However, unlike Mav, Hangman didn't have a guardian angel like Iceman or the other Flyboys who would have his back after Top Gun. And unlike Mav who had the Flyboys, Carole, and Bradley, Hangman didn't have anyone to look forward to after his deployment. He had Javy, but Javy would move on.

It would be better if he was the one who died. No one would mourn him. No one would miss him.

That changed with the dagger squad

Hangman got sent on a last minute mission where the Dagger Squad, and even Iceman were not informed until he was already flying in the air.

Once Maverick and Iceman reviews the details of the mission, their blood went cold once they both realized that the mission was unnecessary reckless, and dangerous. It was bad enough to be considered a suicide mission.

But it was too late to call off the mission, it was all up to Jake and his team now.

Mav and Ice spend their days worrying, especially with Ice burying himself in paperwork trying to figure out how this flew under his radar. The Dagger Squad notice their tenseness, but they weren't told what was going on because Mav and Ice didn't want to worry them.

During the mission, Hangman broke several rules and direct orders to save his colleagues and by extension, his life, and he got a dressing down immediately after landing his jet. He wasn't brought to the sick bay, he was immediately brought to the office for an extensive debrief, where all of Hangman's actions were scrutinized and judged. Hangman stayed calm.

Maverick and Iceman arrive because they were keeping tabs and come in while Hangman was getting yelled at. Maverick looks at Jake, taking note of his disheveled looks and tense jaw, and how behind his steely gaze was an undercurrent of deep exhaustion. Iceman noticed how the commanders were reaming into Jake for every single, little, thing, when it was a miracle that there was no casualties on their side. Jake's actions saved the mission that was destined to fail, and saved the lives of the other aviators.

Maverick and Iceman loses their shit.

How dare they not care about their aviator? How dare they recklessly send them to unnecessary suicide missions? How dare they act pissed at the aviator that save the mission and their lives?

---

Mav felt a hand on his shoulder, stopping his tirade at the Admiral in front of him. He turned and his glare softened once he realized it was Jake, unsteady on his feet, but gently holding him back.

"What is it, buddy? You can sit down, you don't have to keep on standing," Mav fretted as he tried to get Jake to sit down on the chair.

"It's okay, pops," Jake said giving a small smile. "I was the best choice for the mission, especially missions like this, it's better that they send me, instead of someone that has a family."

"No." Iceman simply said. "Don't say shit like that Lieutenant Jacob Seresin."

"But it's true--"

"Enough, Jacob, it is not true, and we will be discussing this later," Ice sternly said as he turned back towards the admirals. "No one should have been sent to a mission without enough preparation and analysis, and you shitheads barely did any. You made my aviator fly, blind. Your careers are done for."

"Come on Jake, let's get you to the sick bay, let Ice take care of this, okay?" Mav said forcefully leading Jake out of the room to get the care he needs.

---

(Once Jake gets back stateside and the rest of the Dagger Squad finds out what happened, he gets showered by affection from all of them proving that he has been missed and he will be missed.)

#fanfic #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin #top gun #top gun fandom #top gun maverick #pete maverick mitchell #mavdad #tom iceman kazansky #ice pops #icemav #icepops #mavdad is the best dad #the dagger squad #im not really happy abt this one but whatever #hangman angst #angst #dadmiral

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bradshawsbaby · 2 years

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The Better Man

Pairing: Rooster x Wife!Reader

Author’s Note: I’ve honestly been struggling a little bit with my writing as of late. I want to write, but I’ve been so low on energy these past few weeks. And then when I do write, I feel like I’m unhappy with the end result. But the idea for this one came to me while I was taking a walk today, and I wanted to get it down. I write so often about Bradley defending Mrs. Bradshaw, but I wanted to showcase a time when she stood up for him as well. Hope you like it!

Warnings: Brief language, alcohol consumption, a really dickish former classmate.

“Oh, God,” Phoenix groaned, her voice cutting through the din of the Friday night crowd at The Hard Deck. From her position at your group’s table, she had a perfect view of the main entrance to the bar. “Not that guy.”

At her pronouncement, everyone else turned and craned their necks to see who she was referring to.

Hangman, Payback, and Fanboy seemed to know who Phoenix was talking about, as they immediately frowned and began muttering a few choice words under their breath, shaking their heads and averting their gazes.

Your husband seemed to recognize him as well, and from his reaction, you could tell he wasn’t an old friend. Bradley’s arm, which had been draped casually over your shoulders, tightened noticeably and his face darkened slightly, his eyes narrowing for a moment before he, too, turned away.

“Who is that?” you asked, keeping your voice down despite the fact that you knew no one outside your group would be able to hear you over the music and loud conversations permeating the bar.

Coyote and Bob turned curious gazes towards their fellow Dagger Squad members, clearly having no idea who this guy was either.

“Luke Robbins,” Phoenix told you, pursing her lips as if the name tasted sour on her tongue and taking a sip of her beer. “Call sign, Crunch. He went to flight school with me, Rooster, and Hangman. Payback and Fanboy know him, too, from the incredibly brief time he was stationed on our carrier.”

“Not brief enough,” Payback muttered, to which Fanboy nodded in vehement agreement.

“That popular of a guy, huh?” you replied, raising an eyebrow. Your friends and your husband seemed to have nothing but universal disdain for this Luke Robbins.

“He’s an asshole,” Bradley chimed in, lightly stroking your arm with his fingertips as he reached out for his beer with his other hand. “Always thought he was the best of the best and didn’t need help from anyone. Not to mention how quickly he’d throw everyone around him under the bus so that he could climb another rung on the ladder.”

“Never got him anywhere though, did it?” Hangman smirked, sipping his beer and leaning back in his chair. “Last I heard, good ol’ Cap’n Crunch has never been invited to TOPGUN.”

“So what’s he suddenly doing here?” Fanboy frowned, glancing across the room, where Robbins and the group he’d come in with were now stationed at the bar.

The rest of the guys shrugged indifferently, but Phoenix let out another groan. “Didn’t Cyclone say something about a training detachment visiting North Island for a couple weeks? Don’t tell me Crunch is part of that squadron,” she rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. Hopefully it won’t have anything to do with us and we can just ignore him,” Bradley said, glancing down at you and shooting you a smile that held no trace of the annoyance he’d felt when Crunch and company had first entered The Hard Deck.

You and your friends returned to your earlier conversation, laughing and just enjoying each other’s company. You and Bradley had returned from your honeymoon a week earlier, and it was good getting to catch up with everyone.

The evening was going quite nicely until a voice sounded behind you that had your husband stiffening beside you, and the rest of your friends glaring in irritation.

“Well, well, well, what have we here?”

You turned in your seat slightly to see the fighter pilot known as Crunch standing behind you, a pint of beer in hand. He was smiling one of those smug “I know no one here likes me, but I’m going to come over and be annoying anyway” smiles. You disliked him instantly.

When no one responded, he went on. “Funny how things don’t change. The gang’s all here. Rooster. Phoenix. Payback. Fanboy. Oh, and Hangman. That’s new, I guess,” he smirked. “Plus a couple spares,” he added, glancing over at Coyote and Bob.

Phoenix’s eyes narrowed. “Coyote Machado and Bob Floyd. Fellow TOPGUN graduates. That’s probably why you don’t know them,” she shot back with a cool smirk.

Crunch’s lip curled momentarily, but he didn’t strike back. “And who’s this?” he asked a second later, his eyes suddenly landing on you. “I know a girl with hands as soft as those is no fighter pilot,” he laughed obnoxiously.

Bradley glared, instinctively pulling you closer to his side. “This is my wife,” he told Crunch, an edge of warning in his voice as he grudgingly told him your name.

As much as you couldn’t ignore the tension hanging thickly in the air, you also couldn’t deny the little thrill that went through you when Bradley introduced you as his wife. You didn’t think you’d ever get over it.

“Wife, huh?” Crunch grinned, smacking Bradley on the shoulder in a gesture that could have been friendly, but clearly wasn’t. “Good for you, man.” Turning to look at you, he winked and leaned in closer, as if he was about to share a secret. “Back in the day, Bradshaw here had no game with the ladies. Hardly ever left with one at the end of the night.”

You blinked and maintained a straight face, despite your aggravation at this jerk clearly trying to belittle and embarrass your husband. “I guess Bradley just wasn’t trying to sleep with any woman who breathed in his vicinity,” you replied, gazing back at him with a serene expression.

Fanboy snorted at that, sputtering slightly on his beer.

A look of annoyance flashed through Crunch’s eyes as he looked back at you. He seemed unhappy that he hadn’t been able to ruffle any feathers at your table.

“Surprised they asked you back to TOPGUN, Bradshaw,” he suddenly said, loudly enough that a few people at the tables around you glanced over. “Surprised they invited you to begin with, in fact.” He seemed satisfied by the tightened jaws and clenched fists that he was now seeing from the Dagger Squad.

Grinning meanly, he glanced at you once more. “Not sure if you’re aware, sweetheart, but your husband here was always the slowest in our flight class. The slowest. The most hesitant. Never good for making a snap decision. Kind of makes you think that Chicken would have been a more fitting call sign, no?”

You could feel the tension pouring off your husband in waves, your own pulse racing in your veins as you felt the heat of anger rushing to your cheeks. Behind you, you could feel rather than see the glares of your friends. Sliding a hand underneath the table, you rested it on Bradley’s thigh, offering him your support and comfort.

Crunch truly was the worst kind of person, determined to ruin everyone’s night for no other reason than for his apparent twisted pleasure. Why he couldn’t just walk away and leave you all in peace was beyond your understanding.

“But I understand, Bradshaw. I do,” he went on, feigning sympathy. “You didn’t want to make a mistake up there. Fuck something up and end up six feet under. You know, kind of like your old man.”

That was the final straw. Fury burning in his dark eyes, Bradley slammed his fist on the table and rose immediately, knocking his chair back in his haste. The rest of the Dagger Squad followed suit, not going to stand for such an insult being thrown your husband’s way.

None of them, however, moved as quickly as you.

You’d risen from your seat, too, as soon as your husband had stood up, rage firing through your veins as you stared at Crunch’s smugly satisfied face. And before anyone else could so much as blink or move a muscle, your fist was colliding with his nose, harder than you ever would have believed yourself capable of. So hard, in fact, that you felt the force of it vibrating up your arm and all the way into your shoulder.

Crunch staggered back in response, immediately clutching at his nose, from which a thin stream of blood was already starting to trickle.

“That’s for my husband and my father-in-law!” you exclaimed, pointing an angry finger at him. You didn’t even realize you’d taken a step closer to him until you felt Bradley wrapping an arm around your waist, pulling you back. “Both of whom are better men and better fighter pilots than you could ever hope to be!”

Your ears still ringing from both anger and the shock of what you’d just done, it took a second to register the sound of raucous cheers and laughter echoing around you. Not only were your friends applauding, but so were many of the bar patrons around you.

Eyes narrowed in humiliation and still clutching his bleeding nose, Crunch turned and hurried off, muttering something under his breath about “Bradshaw’s wife” being a “psycho bitch.”

You waited until his back was turned and he had moved off before shaking out your hand, which you were confident would be black and blue tomorrow. How did people go around getting into fist fights on a regular basis?

“That was amazing!”

“Most badass thing I’ve ever seen!”

“Wish one of us had had the balls to do that during flight school!”

Your friends were all congratulating you and telling you how incredible that had been, but the only person you had eyes for at that moment was your husband.

Bradley gazed down at you, his eyes still dark, but no longer with anger. Now they were sparking with something much deeper, something much more instinctual and hungry.

His eyes never leaving your face, Bradley lifted your hand to his lips and pressed soft kisses to your throbbing fingers, which sent a shiver shooting down your spine and straight to your toes.

“Baby,” he whispered, holding your battered hand close to his chest and massaging your swollen knuckles with gentle fingers. “That was hands down the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” he told you, his voice hoarse as he continued to gaze down at you in amazement. “And also—thank you.”

You could tell from the thickness in his voice that it wasn’t just what you had done that had moved him—it was why you had done it. Not only would you never allow anyone to disparage your husband like that, but you would also never stand for anyone trying to mar the memory of his parents.

“Get a room, you two,” Coyote called out suddenly, teasingly chucking a napkin at the both of you.

You and Bradley were brought back to the present moment, glancing over at the knowing grins being aimed at you from the rest of the Dagger Squad.

“What do you say, Mrs. Bradshaw? Should we do just that?” Bradley grinned, taking your hand in both of his.

“I think we should, Lieutenant Bradshaw,” you nodded, laughing as Bradley suddenly lifted you over his shoulder to the sound of the hooting and hollering of your friends.

Once you got home, Bradley spent the rest of the night taking very good care of you and showing you just how much your defense of the Bradshaw name meant to him.

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