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justabigassnerd · 1 year

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You Knock Me Out, I Fall Apart

Pairing - Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x daughter!reader, Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw

Word count - 6,610

Warnings - abandonment, mentions of abortions, implied abuse from Jake's parents, swearing

Inspired by - Dear Theodosia by Leslie Odom Jr & Lin-Manuel Miranda

Summary - Jake walks down memory lane as he shows Bradley a precious photo album

A/N - hey y'all! It's new fic time! This is pretty long but I'm so proud of it. I'm just warning y'all now that I'm British so idk how American football works so Jake & Bradley just support the teams that Glen & Miles support sorry, not sorry. I hope this fic was worth the wait bc it definitely took me a hot minute to write. Anyways I'll stop rambling now. As per y'all please send in requests, feedback and enjoy!!!

It was a day off for Jake and Bradley, so they spent the day at Jake’s house while you were at school and as the two relaxed on the sofa after completing a morning of chores Bradley noticed a photo album laid on the coffee table that he’d never seen before.

“Hey Jake, what’s this?” Bradley asks curiously, pointing at the album and Jake smiles softly, reaching out to grab the album.

“Here, you can look through it. It’s an album I started not long after y/n was born. I found it in one of my drawers last night.” Jake says as he hands the album to Bradley, silently encouraging him to open it.

“Are you sure?” Bradley questions, not wanting to overstep any boundaries as his hands hover over the album.

“I’m sure.” Jake smiles and Bradley can’t help but smile back, feeling honoured that Jake trusts him enough to let him look at this precious photo album. Bradley opens the album onto the first page. A small smile graced his face as he read the first page which displays your full name and date of birth along with a picture of you a few days after you were born.

“The day she was born was the best day of my life. Even above beating you for the Top Gun trophy.” Jake laughs lightly, making Bradley roll his eyes jokingly and shove Jake’s shoulder.

“I can tell you some stories as you flick through the album if you’d like?” Jake offers, his smile softening as Bradley turns the page to the first lot of photos Jake had taken, most of them being hospital pictures, he even had one your mother had snapped while he was holding you. Bradley could tell from the look on Jake’s face in the picture that he had loved you since the beginning.

“Was this the first time you held her?” Bradley asked, pointing at the picture. Jake smiles softly at the memory but shakes his head.

“No, that was one of the last photos we took in the hospital. That was the night before we took her home. The first time I held her was a moment I’ll never forget.” Jake says, reminiscing on the moment he held you for the first time.

Jake was just granted access to his girlfriend’s hospital room, finding her fast asleep in her hospital bed. She didn’t want him in the room with her as she gave birth and while Jake wanted to be by her side, he ultimately respected her wishes and waited in the hospital waiting room for the hours it took for you to be born. When he entered the room he noticed the bassinet alongside her bed and he approached slowly, not wanting to startle the newborn. He feels tears well in his eyes at the sight of his daughter swaddled in a baby blanket, sleeping peacefully. He sits down next to the bassinet, silently admiring his child.

“She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” Jake turns to see a nurse entering with a gentle smile, a chart in hand as she checks the baby over.

“She’s perfect.” Was all Jake could say in response, he was sure it was obvious to anyone that he’d fallen head over heels for his baby girl.

“I take it you’re dad, then?” The nurse asks, glancing at Jake who nods with a sheepish smile. He was also silently grateful that the nurse wasn’t commenting on his age. At most appointments and even just walking around in public both he and his girlfriend got comments about how they were too young to be having children.

“That obvious, huh?” Jake says, his knee bouncing slightly.

“That look of pure love is one I’m used to seeing.” The nurse chuckles as she finishes writing on her chart.

“Do you want to do skin-to-skin with her?” The nurse then asks, and Jake’s eyes widen at the question.

“I thought that was only something the mother can do.” Jake says, confused at why the nurse had asked him if he wanted to do it.

“Nonsense, dads can do it too. It has similar benefits for the baby. Here, I’ll sort her out while you take your shirt off.” The nurse says, putting her chart down and carefully lifting you into her arms while Jake pulls his hoodie and shirt off. The nurse carefully unwraps you from the blanket and hands you to Jake, gently coaching him through how to hold you safely. Once you were securely in Jake’s arms the nurse took a step back.

“I noticed she doesn’t have a name yet; do you have any ideas?” The nurse asks sweetly, no judgement in her tone as she speaks.

“I think me and her mum are gonna decide later. But I’m personally set on y/n.” Jake says, unable to take his eyes off your sleeping form.

“Well, no matter what you decide I’m sure it’ll be beautiful. Although I must say y/n is a good choice.” The nurse says with a smile before deciding she should continue her rounds so she gently informs Jake to not hold you for any longer than an hour in case you got too hot and then left to give him some privacy. At the sound of the door clicking shut you stirred slightly, your eyes blinking open as you stare up at the man holding you.

“I know I’m not who you were expecting. You were probably expecting your mum, right? I’m your dad, sweetheart and I’m going to love and protect you. But I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, I’m quite scared about all this. My dad wasn’t the kind of person who wanted to raise a kid, so I didn’t have a great role model growing up. But I’m gonna do my damn hardest to be the best dad for you.” Jake whispers to you, spilling his fear to his child as he reaches out a hand to stroke your cheek, stopping when you grab his pinkie in your hand, squeezing it lightly. Jake felt a tear roll down his cheek as you continue to stare up at him before a huge grin breaks out on his face.

“Oh sweetheart, you’ve got your daddy wrapped around your little finger and you’re not even a day old.”

Jake finishes telling Bradley about the first time he held you and he saw how Bradley smiled softly, genuinely interested in what Jake was saying. Bradley’s eyes flicked back down at the picture and back up at Jake.

“So you came up with y/n?” Bradley asks as he flips the page to the next lot of pictures.

“We didn’t want to know the gender before she was born so we came up with a list of names each and honestly the second I saw y/n, I knew I didn’t want any other name for my little girl.” Jake says, a fond smile on his face.

“Did you think she was going to be a girl before she was born, or did you think she was going to be a boy?” Bradley asks, and Jake found his curiousness cute.

“I thought she was going to be a girl. Her mother thought she was going to be a boy. I just had a hunch I’d have a daddy’s girl on my hands.” Jake chuckles, his eyes falling back to the photo album since he hadn’t had a chance to look through the album yet since rediscovering it and when his eyes landed on one picture Bradley noticed Jake’s expression shift to one he couldn’t quite read.

“Are you okay?” Bradley asks gently, worried about how Jake had reacted to the picture.

“Yeah, it’s just… that picture there, it’s one I took a couple of days after y/n’s mother left. It was the first time she smiled after she left.” Jake says, pointing out the picture of you smiling widely and it was obvious that you weren’t looking at the camera, you were looking at your dad behind the camera.

“I never told you about that day, did I?” Jake asks, glancing back up at Bradley who shakes his head.

“No, but I don’t expect you to tell me. You don’t have to.” Bradley insists, not wanting Jake to recount this painful memory.

“No, it’s okay. I want you to know.”

It had been a month since you were born and Jake had found himself falling more and more in love with you each day. But your mother had been growing distant. She’d had you drinking formula from the get-go, hardly held you or looked your way. Jake had worried about her, asking if he should book an appointment with the doctor to see if this was a normal post-birth thing but she always refused.

One morning, Jake woke up and out of instinct, reached across the bed in search of his girlfriend but he found her side cold. He slowly blinked his eyes open and furrowed his brows at the absence of his girlfriend. He climbed out of bed, assuming she’d be in the kitchen of their small flat with a coffee in hand but he found no sight of her anywhere. The more he looked, the more he realised that a lot of her belongings were missing, he went into the living room and found a note on the coffee table and he picked it up with a frown.

‘Jake,

I’m sorry but I had to do this, I had to leave. I never wanted this baby in the first place, and I only kept it because you were so excited about it and because I didn’t want anyone to think lowly of me if I terminated the pregnancy. The whole town already shuns me enough. My parents offered to take me back in if I left you and the baby behind. I had to think of my future and I can’t have that if I’m a mother at the age of eighteen.

Again, I’m sorry.’’

Jake couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks as he read the letter. He couldn’t believe it. Overnight he became a single father whose future lay in the Navy. Despite that, however, he was still adamant that he wouldn’t go anywhere without you. He’d more than willingly give up his place in the Navy before he’d give you up. His sadness quickly turned to anger at the whole situation. How could she just leave like this? If she had spoken to him they could’ve come up with a solution instead of running off and leaving a daughter without her mother. As Jake wiped his tears and crumpled up the note, a small cry came from your room and without hesitation, Jake was heading straight into your room and scooping you up in his arms. He held you close as your cries lessened, comforted by the familiarity of your dad’s arms. Jake pressed a kiss to the top of your head as he willed the tears back into their ducts and plastered a grin on his face for your sake.

“Hey, baby girl. I guess it’s just us two now. But I promise sweetheart that we’re gonna be fine. I’ll figure this all out and we’ll be just fine. It’s us against the world. I guess that means we’re a team, huh? Team Seresin, how does that sound? I think it sounds like we’re going to be one hell of a duo. The Navy will have nothin’ on us.”

When Jake finished explaining what had happened, Bradley felt tears welling in his eyes at what Jake had to go through. His girlfriend left him alone with a baby to look after not long before Jake was due to go to the Naval Academy. Bradley could tell that her leaving affected Jake a lot more than he cared to admit, but he had it drilled in that he had to be strong for his daughter’s sake. And Bradley could tell there was an underlying fear that it would happen again. After all, Jake had not dated a single person since his girlfriend left.

“You know I’d never do that, right?” Bradley says softly, moving a hand to rest on Jake’s as he smiled softly at him. Bradley knew that relationships required communication. Carole had always told him about how important communication is in a relationship and Bradley took every word his mother said to heart. Bradley knew that if he ever felt like there was a problem in a relationship he was in, he would talk to his partner about it, not just up and leave them with no warning. At Bradley’s words, Jake smiled in appreciation and rested his hand atop Bradley’s.

“I know.” Jake says softly, grateful for Bradley’s words as they provide the comfort he needed to soothe his anxieties. After a moment of comfort, both men turned their attention to the album once more and Bradley continued to flick through the album and smiles covered their faces as they look at the pictures.

“Oh, look at this one.” Bradley says, pointing out a picture of you standing upright, both hands resting on a coffee table as you support your wobbly legs.

“She started walking not long after I took that picture. And then said her first word almost a week after that.” Jake grins, thinking about the day you started walking and the day you said your first word.

The day you started walking was a day that Jake would never forget. You had recently turned one and in that started figuring out how to pull yourself up on furniture and stand with the support of the furniture or your dad. When you started pulling yourself up on the coffee table, Jake had never babyproofed something quicker in his life he didn’t want you falling against it and hurting yourself. Jake was currently watching the tv while occasionally glancing down at you while you played with your toys, babbling happily to yourself. Whenever you looked up from your toys and saw your dad looking at you, you always giggled when he pulled a silly face at you. While your dad’s attention was on the tv for some time, you decided you really wanted a cuddle from your dad but you couldn’t let out more than a couple of babbles which barely drew your dad’s attention your way. You decided to pull yourself up by the coffee table, your little hands gripping the edge as you got up on your feet. Jake saw your movement out of the corner of his eyes and turned to look at you, smiling when he noticed your face light up at his attention now being on you.

“Look at you, y/n/n! You’re getting so good at standing!” Jake praises, grinning as you babble happily at him. His face morphed to one of shock when you started taking shaky steps towards him while supporting yourself on the coffee table. He knew if you wanted to reach him, you’d have to take two or three steps without any support.

“That’s it, sweetheart! You gonna come here to daddy?” Jake says, holding his arms out towards you, ready to catch you if you fall. Encouraged by your dad's words and outstretched arms you release your grip on the coffee table and take the three crucial steps it takes to get you into your dad's arms and once you reach him he scoops you up cheering happily as you giggle loudly.

“You did it! That was so good!” Jake celebrates as he falls against the back of the sofa, holding you up as you laugh loudly. Jake then brings you into his chest and wraps his arms around you as you cuddle into him happily. He presses repeated kisses to the top of your head while he whispers how proud he is of you. After a couple of minutes of cuddles, Jake turns his attention back down to you as you shift to look up at your dad.

“Do you want to give walking another go? Daddy will give you more cuddles if you do.” Jake says as he places you down where you had originally been sat with your toys before returning to the sofa, holding his arms out for you once more.

“Alright, sweetheart, come here!” He says with a grin as you stand up cautiously once more, taking more shaky steps towards your dad and stumbling into his arms. Jake lifts you up once more and falls on his back along the length of the sofa, cheering and praising you again as you giggle and cuddle close to your dad as he wraps his arms around you gently.

Almost a week later, you had built up your ability to walk and started working on your ability to toddle around the house freely while Jake had to frantically chase you around to make sure you wouldn’t get a hold of anything you shouldn’t. He had to babyproof the house a lot more to make sure you couldn’t get into cupboards. You still babbled rather than spoke but Jake tried to encourage speech, pointing at objects and telling you their names hoping you’d repeat them. He’d been doing it since you reached six months after someone told him that babies started to understand words at that age. He could tell that your favourite was when he’d point at himself and say 'da-da' and you’d always giggle and reach your arms out towards him for cuddles.

One day, you were sitting in your high chair while Jake cooked both yours and his dinner and as he cooked, he had his back to you, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to check on you which made you smile but when he turned back around, you’d frown, reaching out for him babbling to try and get his attention. When your babbling didn’t get you the result you were expecting your mouth started to attempt to form the words your dad had been diligently teaching you. It took you several tries to get your mouth around the words but soon enough you managed to yell out.

“Da-da!” At the outburst, Jake almost dropped the spatula he was holding as he went to plate up the food as he turned to face you.

“What did you just say? Did you just say-”

“Da-da!” You repeat, making Jake’s eyes light up as he rushes over to you, getting you out of your high chair and holding you close.

“That’s right, sweetheart! You’re brilliant!” Jake praises as he peppers kisses all over your face as you giggle. You kept repeating ‘da-da’ as you immediately associated the word with cuddles and kisses from your dad. It quickly became your favourite word, and even as you picked up more words as days passed, you’d always go back to ‘da-da’ or ‘daddy’ which would melt Jake into a puddle every time.

“She really has you wrapped around her little finger, huh?” Bradley jokes as Jake rolls his eyes.

“Like I said, from the moment she was born.” Jake agrees, shrugging lightly as he speaks while Bradley flicks through the photo album some more.

“Let me guess, first day of school?” Bradley asks when his eyes land on a picture of you with a backpack on, a huge toothy grin adorning your face as you look at the camera.

“Oh yeah. That was her first day of big-girl school. She was so excited until she wasn’t.” Jake says, remembering how quickly your mood had shifted that morning.

“How come?” Bradley questions, tilting his head slightly in his curiosity.

“I think it was the fact I wasn’t going to be there with her. I thought her going to kindergarten would help avoid that, but I clearly misjudged the whole situation.” Jake explains as Bradley nods in understanding as Jake launches into another story.

“Alright y/n/n, you ready for your first day of school?” Jake asks as he grabs his truck keys while you nod like a little bobblehead.

“Yes, daddy!” You say excitedly, your hands grabbing your backpack straps.

“Alright, let’s get a move on then, shall we?” Jake says, taking your hand in his and exiting the house with you skipping alongside him. He helps you into the truck and buckles you into your car seat safely before getting behind the wheel and driving to your new school. He finds a place to park and gets out, heading to help you out after. He hands you your bag and locks the truck before taking your hand in his once more before heading towards the school. When Jake asks, he is directed to your classroom which he easily finds due to the overwhelming number of parents also dropping their kids off for their first day of school. Some kids were crying and clinging to their parents, others had darted into their classroom without so much as a goodbye. And for some, the parents were the ones crying, telling their kids goodbye and being escorted away by their partner as they sobbed. When Jake entered the room, he was instantly greeted by your teacher.

“Hi, I’m Mrs Robinson, I’m this class's teacher. And who are you?” The teacher asks sweetly, getting down to your level as you cling to your dad’s hand, a sudden shyness overcoming you.

“y/n.” You mumble as your hand receives a reassuring squeeze from Jake.

“Seresin, right?” Your teacher says, looking up at Jake to confirm to which he nods with a smile. The teacher ticks your name off her list as she stands up to her full height once more.

“Are you picking her up later or will I be expecting someone else?” Mrs Robinson enquires as she looks over at Jake.

“It’ll be me.” He confirms, trying not to look awkward. He could already sense the judgmental stares of other parents just on account of his age, he didn’t need to add fuel to the fire by spilling that he was a single parent. Your teacher scribbles something down on her paper, probably that he was the one picking you up, Jake thought before she turned her attention down to you.

“Alright, y/n, you want to say goodbye to your dad and we’ll get you all settled in?” Mrs Robinson says as she smiles softly at you and in a second your expression shifts to one of confusion.

“Goodbye?” You asked nervously, looking up at your dad as your eyes grew misty. Jake silently asked your teacher for a moment alone and she went over to greet another child while Jake scooped you up in his arms.

“Daddy’s got to go to work, baby. And you have to go to school so you can learn lots.” Jake reasons, his heart breaking at your teary eyes.

“I don’t want you to go.” You whimper, wrapping your arms around his neck, hugging him and burying your face in his shoulder. Jake hugged you back and pressed a tender kiss to your temple.

“I know, sweetheart. It’s okay to feel nervous and upset about this. But you’re going to have so much fun here. You’re going to make new friends and get to try some new things.” Jake says reassuringly, letting you know it’s okay to feel the emotions you’re feeling while also trying to provide comfort.

“But you won’t be here.” You whine, clinging tighter to him.

“Oh, sweetheart. You’ll be so busy having fun that you’ll hardly notice I’m gone. Hey, you love drawing, don’t you? You can draw some pictures and give them to me when I pick you up later, can’t you? The fridge is looking like it’s missing a few masterpieces.” Jake says, jostling you slightly and he smiles lightly as you cheer up slightly.

“I can draw you pictures!” You exclaim, wiggling to get out of his hold as he puts you down on the floor and just before you rush off Jake calls your name to get your attention.

“Can I get one last hug before I go?” Jake asks quietly and without hesitation, you throw yourself into his arms, hugging him tightly.

“Goodbye daddy. I love you.” You say, cuddling close as Jake hugs you back.

“Goodbye y/n/n. I love you more. Make sure to be kind and helpful alright? If you see anyone who is upset, try, and cheer them up, alright?” Jake says softly as he pulls away from the hug, smiling at you.

“Okay, daddy.” You grin, making Jake’s smile widen as he presses a kiss to the top of your head and lets you go up to the other kids in your class, immediately striking up a conversation with them. Jake smiles softly before bidding goodbye to your teacher and rushing back out to his truck to head to training.

At the end of the school day, Jake was standing amongst the gaggle of parents waiting for their kids to emerge from their first day of school. Soon enough, Mrs Robinson emerged from the building with her class in tow and when the kids saw their parents they went barrelling over to them excitedly. The second Jake saw you he called your name and you came sprinting towards him, giggling wildly as he picked you up and spun in a circle with you in his arms.

“Did you have a good first day of school?” Jake asks as you nod with a grin.

“I made loads of friends!” You say happily, making Jake smile as he presses a kiss to the top of your head.

“That’s my girl. Let’s talk to Mrs Robinson about your day, huh?” Jake says, holding you in his arms as he crosses to your teacher to ask about your day. Mrs Robinson had nothing but praise for you as she described how you got on at school, even saying how you helped a girl who arrived after you when you noticed that she was crying at her parent’s departure. Jake couldn’t stop the proud smile covering his face at Mrs Robinson’s words. When Jake buckles you into your car seat he can’t help but smile as you recount your day to him.

“You know, I am so proud of you sweetheart for helping that girl. So I’ll make your favourite for dinner, does that sound like a plan?” Jake asks you as he gets in the front seat, starting the engine up as you cheer at the thought of getting your favourite meal. When you finally arrive home, Jake takes your bag and gets you out of your seat, following you to the front door and unlocking the door so you could barrel into the house. Jake had to call you back to him so he could take your shoes off before kicking his own off and following you into the living room.

“Oh, daddy! I made you some drawings!” You say, turning on your heels after you remember the drawings that were residing in your bag. You asked Jake to hand the bag to you and when he did, you unzipped it and handed him a drawing of two stick figures and what he could only guess was a plane in the sky above.

“Who’s this?” Jake asks as he sits on the sofa, pulling you up into his lap so you could point out who was who in the picture.

“That’s you and that’s me!” You say cheerfully as you point at the two stick figures.

“I see! Is there someone flying this plane or is it magic?” Jake asks with an amused tone as he tickles you quickly, grinning as you squeal with laughter.

“it’s Javy!” You say, pointing out a little smiley face you’d drawn in the cockpit of the plane. Jake couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped him. Javy was one of Jake’s friends from the academy. The two had grown close in their time together and Javy was one of the only people who knew Jake had a daughter.

“Well, I’ll have to show Javy this then, won’t I?” Jake says with a smile as you nod madly. It was moments like this where Jake hoped that he’d somehow stay friends with Javy, so you had at least one more person in your life.

Bradley smiled lightly at the story, finding it cute how Jake had encouraged you to give your first day of school a go and was met with you having a good day.

“Makes sense why Coyote is ‘Uncle Javy’ now. You’ve known him a while, huh?” Bradley says, glancing over at Jake briefly before turning his attention back to the album to flick through it some more.

“Met on our first day of training and have been friends ever since.” Jake says proudly. Javy had been an anchor he didn’t know he needed in his life and he couldn’t be more grateful for his best friend. Bradley nods at Jake’s words, glad that Jake had someone he could confide in and trust, it was a friendship similar to his and Phoenix’s.

“Oh no. Oh, come on Jake! You took her to a Cowboys game? Have a little taste.” Bradley jokes suddenly as his eyes land on a photo of you and Jake at a football arena, both of you donning caps with the all-familiar Cowboys logo. After speaking, Bradley found himself on the receiving end of a glare from Jake which is quickly replaced by a roll of the eyes and a smile.

“We’re from Texas, what do you expect?” Jake teases, looking back down at the photo and smiling at the memories that came from that picture.

Jake hadn’t been raised with football. He didn’t get to be one of those kids in the garden playing catch with his dad on a Saturday morning while his mum watched from afar and warned them not to hit the windows. Instead, Jake was either out on the ranch busting his ass to do all his chores or up in his room studying. After all, he needed good grades if he was going to get the hell away from his family.

One day, not long into his Sophomore year, one of his high school friends invited him and a bunch of his other friends to his house to watch a football game. Jake was initially hesitant. He knew how his parents could get when he wasn’t where he was supposed to be. But part of him knew that he needed to start doing things for himself. After school, the group of boys headed to Luke’s house where they all settled on his large sofa, an array of snacks on a table while the group chatted excitedly about what they thought would happen and how they hoped the Cowboys would win. Jake knew very little about football other than what was discussed in front of him but he figured if he enjoyed the game enough today, maybe he'd try out for the high school team one day. When the game started, Jake was entranced, he found himself more invested than he ever thought he’d be. He had the time of his life watching the Cowboys play and he knew that this was the team he’d support from here on out. He didn’t care if they won every game or lost every game, he’d never forget this moment at his friend’s house getting to feel like a person rather than just a pawn in his parent's ranch plans. When he went home that evening, he didn’t even care about the punishment he knew he’d be receiving, all he cared about was his newfound love for football.

Jake never forced his love of football and the Cowboys onto you. Sure he’d watch a game while you were little but he didn’t want to force you to like anything just because he did. Despite that, it didn’t stop him from being overjoyed when you came to him one day just shy of your tenth birthday asking if you could watch the football game with him and if he’d explain how the game worked. He cuddled with you on the sofa as he explained the rules and what each position did as well as explaining the point system. As he spoke, he kept checking that he wasn’t boring you with any information but you looked just as entranced as he did that first time he watched a Cowboys game. He watched as you visibly grew excited when the Cowboys scored a touchdown and how you tried to bite back disappointment when the other team gained possession of the ball.

For your thirteen birthday, Jake got tickets to a Cowboys game much to your joy. He waited a few years just to see if your interest in football would dwindle but it didn’t. You enjoyed it more and more each day. You’d always watch the Cowboys game with Jake in the living room with snacks laid out on the coffee table. Jake waited for the Cowboys to play an away game so he wouldn’t risk bumping into anyone he knew from back in Texas. He knew the chances were slim but he wasn’t willing to take any risks, especially since he was taking you with him. He didn’t even care that you had to travel to another state for the game, he couldn’t regret a thing when he saw the joy on your face when he revealed the tickets along with two caps with the Cowboys logo on them. He’d never forget the awe on your face as the two of you entered the stadium, you had a permanent grin on your face throughout the entire game. The two of you joined in with fellow Cowboys fans in celebrating loudly when your team scored and when the Cowboys came out victorious you all cheered loudly while the supporters of the opposing team expressed their disappointment loudly. When the two of you got back to your hotel room after an exciting day you all but collapsed in bed the second you were ready for bed. Jake bent down alongside your bed to press a kiss to your temple just before he went to bed and you quickly threw your arms around him for a hug which he returned instantly.

“Today was the best day ever. Thank you, dad.” You mumble sleepily into his shoulder, hugging him at tight as you could while Jake smiles softly, pressing a kiss to your temple.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I’m glad you had fun.” Jake whispers as you loosen your grip, lying back down and covering yourself with the duvet as Jake presses one last kiss to the top of your head before moving to his own bed and switching off the bedside lamp so he can go to sleep too.

“Cute story, but you still took her to a Cowboys game. I’m gonna have to introduce her to the Eagles.” Bradley teases, making Jake raise an eyebrow and scoff.

“Bold assumption to think she’d abandon the Cowboys.” Jake teases back, shuffling around to face Bradley more.

“Maybe she’ll switch teams once I show her an Eagles game.” Bradley retorts, leaning slightly closer to Jake’s face with a teasing smile on his face.

“Well, maybe we’ll make you a Cowboys fan.” Jake smirks, inching closer, mere centimetres between their faces. Jake takes the step to connect their lips for a brief kiss, pulling away when their need for air becomes too much and rest their foreheads against each other.

“Thank you for showing me this photo album. I feel like I know more about you and y/n now. You’re a good father to her. And I love you for that.” Bradley says and then immediately stiffens up at his own words as Jake pulls away, shock covering his features.

“I’m sorry if that was too much, I know this is-” Bradley’s nervous ramblings are cut off by Jake grabbing Bradley’s shirt and pulling him back in for another kiss which was much more passionate than the tender kiss they had just shared.

“You love me?” Jake asks once he pulls away from the kiss, his bright green eyes searching Bradley's brown ones for an answer.

“Yes. I love you, Jake.” Bradley says, watching as Jake’s whole face crumbles and tears well in his eyes.

“I love you too.” He manages to say as Bradley pulls him into his arms, shushing him gently.

Jake Seresin had never been told he was loved by his parents. He was just there to be someone to take over the ranch when his parents couldn’t run it anymore. He couldn’t recall if his girlfriend ever said it to him. He knew he told her he loved her regularly but couldn’t say if she ever said it back or meant it with the same weight that he did. In fact, Jake was sure the first time someone ever told him they loved him was when you were little and he’d uttered an ‘I love you’ to you as he put you to bed and you had repeated the words back to him with a grin which damn near made Jake crumble apart then and there. Jake never thought he’d find someone to love but he was so glad he got to see Bradley again and to get to see him in a new light. And he was grateful that his daughter pushed the two of them together since the two men were too oblivious to do it themselves. Jake remains in Bradley’s arms until he calms down and his tears have slowed. When he’s calmed down enough, he pulls away while wiping his eyes with his hands.

“Sorry about that.” Jake laughs weakly, smiling over at Bradley sheepishly.

“You don’t need to apologise. You deserve to be loved, Jake.” Bradley replies with a soft smile.

“Dad, I’m home!” Your familiar voice calls as the front door opens and both men’s attention immediately goes to the direction of your voice.

“In the living room!” Jake calls back, smiling as you appear in the doorway grinning at your dad and Bradley.

“Good day at school sweetheart?” Jake then asks, watching as you nod.

“Yeah, it was alright. A pretty normal day if you ask me. What’s that?” You say, noticing the photo album on Bradley’s lap.

“It’s a photo album I started when you were born. I found it last night.” Jake says with a smile as you walk behind the sofa, leaning over Bradley’s shoulder to see the photos in the album.

“I didn’t know you did that.” You say with an amused smile as you look over at Jake who reaches up to ruffle your hair.

“Well, I gotta embarrass you in front of your future partners somehow.” Jake laughs as you groan and Bradley grins. Jake then invites you to sit in between the two of them so you can look through the album while Jake tells you some different stories to the ones he told Bradley. But he makes sure to sprinkle in some embarrassing stories as well.

“Do you remember when you were scared of the Muppets?” Jake laughs as the memory pops up in his brain.

“Oh my- dad, will you stop?! Bradley stop your boyfriend please.” You plead, burying your face in your hands as you flush red.

“Not a chance, this is hilarious.” Bradley laughs, folding his arms across his chest and leaning back into the sofa cushions.

“I hate you both.” There was not an ounce of truth to your words. You loved these men with all your heart and soul. Even if they did revel in embarrassing you.

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